Is there a better way to kick-start your week than with a Sunday night rock ‘n’ roll show? The crowd lined up to see The Needy Visions, JEFF The Brotherhood and legendary Japanese pop-punkers Shonen Knife this past Sunday at Allston, MA rock club Great Scott would definitely say “no.”
Tag Archive for 'Punk on the Rocks'
While roller derby enjoyed waves of popularity in the past, including televised bouts in the 1970s, the release of Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut Whip It brings the sport of roller derby back into the spotlight. What started as traveling teams of co-ed endurance racers doing laps around a portable banked track in the 1930s transformed into a modern day, all-girl DIY phenomenon, with teams sprouting up all over the US and all over the world. Today, the most popular form of roller derby is flat track where points are scored by “jammers” passing “blockers” on the opposing team, and players often use pseudonyms inspired by pop culture figures like “Jodie Faster” and “Killery Clinton.”
Celtic punks The Roughneck Riot
Warrington, UK’s The Roughneck Riot are a little bit Celtic, a little bit rock and roll. Taking their cues from The Pogues, The Clash, Johnny Cash and Flogging Molly, this six-piece Celtic punk band features acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo and accordion in addition to the usual guitar, bass and drums. The Roughneck Riot has shared the stage with artists such as Billy Bragg, The Damned and Sham 69. Currently in the studio recording their new album Night Train with The Reaper, the band recently posted the lyrics to the title track on their MySpace page. The words lie somewhere between Dropkick Murphys and Tom Waits, and if the music is even half as good, this is going to be a great record! I managed to catch acoustic guitarist/mandolin/vocalist Matty Humphries during a break from recording to talk about the band’s sound, their album and their plans for the future.
OurStage: I read that The Roughneck Riot started life as a four-piece punk band. How did you make the transition from four-piece punk band to six-piece Celtic punk powerhouse?
Matty Humphries: Personally I’ve always aimed to play Celtic punk, however when we first started out we weren’t the most talented bunch when it came to playing folk instruments and such. We had to let our last 2 guitarists go for personal reasons and I managed to persuade a few of our best friends to pick up a banjo, guitar and an accordion and for the past 7 months or so. With continuous advice and motivation from our good friends The Mahones, we’ve finally managed to focus on our sound, and since then we’ve never looked back!
OS: Even on your mostly acoustic recordings, you guys sound badass. What would you say to people who think that punk music can’t be acoustic?
MH: Haha, Thanks a lot! Well I believe that all the best music started out acoustically, from early blues, bluegrass and folk to gypsy jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, so why can’t punk be played in the same way? People like Johnny Cash always stuck to playing an acoustic guitar, but always delivered. It’s all about the energy you give when playing, not how loud your amps are or how distorted your guitar is. And of course our main influence besides punk is Celtic folk, which traditionally started out acoustic. Playing acoustic can also add so many different dynamics to a song, and change the feel completely!
OS: As a Celtic punk band, you must be over the moon to be playing with Shane MacGowan of The Pogues this December. How did this come about?
MH: The magic of MySpace!! We were asked if we were interested in the slot through a message from a promoter, so how could we possibly turn this down! In my opinion Shane MacGowan is one of the greatest song writers in history and has had a massive influence on us, and it’s an honor to share a stage with him!
OS: Your song “Travellin’ Man” made it to the Top 10 in the OurStage Punk Channel last month. Can fans expect a similar sound on your upcoming album Night Train with The Reaper?
MH: This was a great and unexpected thing for us, as half of the band didn’t realize we were signed up to OurStage! But it’s fantastic to know we’re being heard! And yes, Night Train with The Reaper is full of songs that are guaranteed to put “Travellin’ Man” to shame!! It’s a huge mixing pot of influences, from the obvious (The Pogues, The Mahones, The Clash, Flogging Molly) to some more unusual influences to our music such as Johnny Cash, The Urban Voodoo Machine and Tom Waits. Its going to be something we can be really proud of! We’re recording the title track for the album this November with Ex-Mahones’ fiddler Dave Allen in Banbury so it should be up on Ourstage by mid November!
OS: What’s next for The Roughneck Riot? Any plans to tour?
MH: I’ve just this week opened up a recording studio where we should be finishing our album which is all very exciting! And as for tour plans, yes! Hopefully early 2010 we should be touring Europe! Possibly with The Mahones and The Popes, which is another great honor for us! So hopefully we can get Night Train with The Reaper out across the water!!
Check out “Mutiny” from The Roughneck Riot’s EP Drain The Bar in the player below!
The Boston punk scene has some long standing seasonal traditions. While the end of the year means The Mighty Might Bosstones Hometown Throwdown, and Saint Patrick’s Day means downing pints of Guinness with Dropkick Murphys, Halloween belongs to Big D and the Kids Table.
Big D gets into the Halloween spirit
Boston’s Big D and the Kids Table have been pushing musical boundaries for 14 years. While they started life as a ska/punk band, over the years they have incorporated rap, traditional and 2 Tone ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul and do-wop into their sound. They even had local mashup kingpin DJ BC remix and mashup their back catalogu on 2007’s Strictly Mixed and Mashed.
While the music has changed over the years, their annual Boston Halloween show has always been a constant. This Halloween marks the 13th year of Big D’s holiday tradition. Costumes are not required, but many audience members choose to dress up any way, some of them opting for Big D-themed attire: “Perfect Scenesters” (inspired by the Big D song “Scenester”) and even a brave soul dressed as “The Kids Table.”
This year, the Big D Halloween spectacular is taking over The Paradise Rock Club for two nights of mayhem. The first show on October 29th features Big D headlining with Energy, Brunt Of It and Big D guitarist Sean P. Rogan as support. The second show on October 30th features Roll The Tanks, Hayley Jane and the Primates and OurStage artists Tip The Van.
Tip The Van
Fronted by singing sisters Nicole and Simone Olivia, the six members of Tip The Van have been bringing their blend of ska, pop-punk, indie rock and reggae to dance-ready crowds since 2002. “The Big D Halloween shows are an epic annual event and we have always wanted to be a part of the festivities,” said Nicole. “Being asked to play this year is a true honor. Since Simone and I sang on Big D’s latest release, ‘Fluent In Stroll,’ and went on Warped Tour with them, we’ve all become friends and it’s really exciting to be able to join in on this year. We can’t wait!”
Purchase tickets to the October 29th Halloween show here.
Purchase tickets to the October 30th Halloween show here.
Update: Both Halloween shows are now all ages!
2009 has been a big year for British punk legends The Slits. In addition to being the 30th anniversary of the release of their landmark debut album Cut on Island Records, this Tuesday marks the band’s release of Trapped Animal on Narnack Records—their first full-length release in 25 years. This new record features the 2005 reformed Slits lineup, with original Slits Ari Up and Tessa Pollitt along with newcomers Anna Schulte, Adele Wilson and Hollie Cook (daughter of Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook).
"Trapped Animal" is scheduled for an October 20th release
The Slits have never been able to limit themselves to one genre of music, and Trapped Animal is no exception. The first few tracks are a hectic dance party, with the enthusiastic call and response vocals and punctuating horns of “Ask Ma,” the dancehall riddims of “Lazy Slam,” the hand drums and electronic dance beats of “Pay Rent” and the punk fury of “Reject.” From there—with the exception of the decidedly experimental bent of title track “Trapped Animal”— the album seems to be an exercise in reggae: “Partner From Hell” and “Babylon” are pure dub, while “Cry Baby” is more of a lovers rock ballad and “Reggae Gypsy” incorporates Eastern European melodies and instruments.
First single “Ask Ma” is a great ambassador for the rest of the album. The song typifies the album’s delicate balance of sounding polished and modern without compromising the wild, unpredictable quality The Slits’ music has always had: The Slits sing in their classic back and forth vocal style over distorted synthesizers, electronic drums and a tight horn section create a slinky, almost dangerous beat that would sound at home on an M.I.A. album.
Another standout is the title track “Trapped Animal.” The lyrics deal with how the world’s modern conveniences have actually trapped people. The sharp tempo changes and layers of screaming and shouting over vocals that alternate between frantic and calm give the impression of a caged animal trying to free itself. Looking at life in a different cage, is the song “Peer Pressure.” While the track might not be the most exciting song on the album, it is probably one of the most authentic songs ever written on the topic: The lyrics address the pressure young girls have heaped upon them by friends, parents, teachers and society and the feelings of depression, anxiety and alienation these pressures can cause. The song ends with the statement, “I want more out of life than to just survive. ”
Through changing band members and trends, The Slits have remained steadfastly themselves. While the band embraces modernity on Trapped Animal, a clear line can be drawn between their new release and Cut. Not to say that they are rehashing old material. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The Slits managed to create a new and innovative record while still retaining the tongue-in-cheek wit and in-your-face genre bending sound that their fans fell in love with. Calling Trapped Animal a “reunion record” cheapens what is definitely one of the best albums released this year. Hopefully, fans won’t have to wait another 25 years for the next one.
Pre-order Trapped Animal on CD here.
Pre-order Trapped Animal on vinyl here.
Purchase the “Ask Ma” single on iTunes here.
