MV Times Covers Jodie Treloar Live at Pathways in Chilmark
The Noise reviews Matt Everett’s ‘White Sugar’
MATT EVERETT
75 or Less Records
White Sugar
8 tracks
Matt Everett is a Rhode Island artist, who performs vocals, guitar, synth, strings, and more on these eight tracks. He is accompanied by Stu Powers, on drums and Greg Motta, covering drums and percussion. This is essentially pop music with elements of modern disco. But, can you dance to it? It may very well inspire you to dance to it, but to my ears, these tracks play more like pleasant background music. That’s just the vibe that I get from it. The music feels as if it is striving at times, to reach something akin to the slick, smooth style which Davie Bowie performed so strikingly well when he was in dance music mode, most notably so, on track 7, “The Greatest Thing.” I loved it when David Bowie did it, but if I am right about what I am hearing and those are the heights that Matt Everett is aspiring to reach, then by comparison, this music has a long way to go. Is it bad music? Not at all. Is it DANCE music? I’m not feeling that. As I’ve said, this would work best for me as background music played while chilling in the comfort of your living room, or while cruising in your car.
Track 5, “Cheap Plastic Shovel,” seemed interestingly out of place amidst the rest of these tracks, and I mean this in the best possible way. There are some heartfelt, genuinely moving lyrics in this song. It had a story to tell. One that I wanted to hear. I would have liked to hear more like this one. Out of all eight tracks, this one really caught my attention, making me stop and listen and really hear. Track 6, “Quickening,” rated as a winner for me as well. It’s smooth, quality music, easy on the ears, it falls nicely into its own sort of groove, a pinch of trance, a dash of ambient sound, and there you have it. So, my take on White Sugar? I wasn’t blown away by it, but all in all, pretty sweet. Check it out.
Eric Baylies Top 10 in The Noise
Top 10 New England Bands
1. Doomsday Student: Doomsday Student is one of the best live bands in the world and put out incredible skronky post-everything albums.
2. 6 Star General: 6 Star General have been one of my favorite bands for about 10 years. The pride of Warren, Rhode Island, they consistently put out fantastic albums almost annually.
3. Lazertuth: the pride of outer space and southesatern Mass. Lazertuth is a modern day Magma.
4. Goon Planet: Providence has produced a lot of great noisy bands over the years, and Goon Planet is the latest in a long line of geniuses.
5. Pyramid: If Blondie or the Pretenders were a little more punk, but kept the great hooks, they would sound like Rhode Island’s Pyramid.
6. Sick Pills: Chris Evil and company have been cranking out punk gems for a long time, but Sick Pills add touches of The Modern Lovers and Cars to the mix.
7. Picniclunch: Picnic Lunch is the new kings of no wave.
8. David Carradine: Providence thrash punks have been destroying stages world wide for over a decade.
9. Ioneye: Newport, Rhode Island’s Ioneye is the solo project of Stephen Lepre, one of the greatest shredding guitar players on the planet.
10. Olneyville Sound System: OSS has been one the pillars of the Providence noise scene for 20 years, but is set apart a little due to the fact that they happen to also write great songs.
Eric Baylies Favorite Things in Boston Hassle
75orless records and Load records: still awesome after all these years.
Motif names Tall Teenagers and Jets Can’t Land in Top Local Albums of 2016
Best Local Albums
4) Jets Can’t Land – You Can’t Linger On (75OrLess Records) – Indie guitar swing at its finest, complete with all the bells and whistles. Jets Can’t Land even accomplished this without using any bells or whistles.
1) Tall Teenagers – Self-titled – Tall Teenagers’ debut is an homage to indie rock in the vein of Surfa Rosa Pixies. The tension in Damian Puerini’s and Chelsea Paulhus’ vocals makes me probably like this record better than the 2017 Pixies album.
Blood Moons Reunion Show in Motif
The Blood Moons
The Blood Moons’ debut (self-titled 2009) was one of my favorite local records that I’ve heard since someone thought it was a good idea to pay me to talk about music. The Blood Moons were a departure of sorts from the hardcore punk rock of singer-guitarist Chris Guaraldi’s previous band, Chris Evil and The Taints. The Blood Moons had an element of dark country set to garage beats that really had a unique vision. They released another self-titled (album names were never the band’s strength) split EP with Six Star General before ceasing to play out regularly. Guaraldi formed Sick Pills, who put out a record and did another Taints record. This reunion show should be a real treat. Catch one of the best local bands from 2009 to 2011.
The Callouts ‘Check Your Friends’ Review in Motif Magazine
The Callouts – Check Your Friends (75orLess Records)
It has been a few years since the demise of local pop-punk stalwarts The Jesse Minute. From those ashes we now have The Callouts with Missa Hills on vocals and guitarists Drew Safs and Mike Grillo from The Jesse Minute joining forces with local master beat master Dan Ulmschneider and Drew on bass. The Callouts’ debut, Check Your Friends comes firing out of the cannon with a blast of pop-punk with cuts like “Blue Letter” and the anthemic “Go All Out.” The combination of Hills’ sugary vocals and the loud guitars over a fast backbeat make comparisons to The Jesse Minute inevitable as Check Your Friends does start out like the band’s lost album. The more one dives into Check Your Friends the more The Callouts start to break free from the sound of their former band. Cuts like “Cannonball” and my favorite cut “Nothing Left” remind me more of a lost Letter to Cleo track than The Jesse Minute. The Callouts really start to drop the hammer on tracks like “Partly Not” and “We Were Kids,” which have a heavier rock ‘n’ roll thump, almost in the in the vein of Foo Fighters hooks. On Check Your Friends, The Callouts succeed in avoiding the trappings of being The Jesse Minute part 2 to expand into the future.
Live reviews in The Noise of Vertical Twin, Monument Thief, Matt Fraza Band live review in The Noise
MATT FRAZA BAND
MONUMENT THIEF
VERTICAL TWIN
Firehouse 13, Providence, RI
8/16/16
Firehouse 13 is in the middle of a war zone and the inside is dark and dirty, but at least they have a stage and a PA system. Vertical Twin is playing when I enter. They are a bit older of a band than I’m used to seeing. They are a little old to be Green Day and a little young to be The Who, but I see where they get their power trio influences from. Vertical Twin plays high energy rock ’n’ roll and put on a good show, the singer is funny and entertaining, it’s a great way to start the night, though I may have missed two earlier bands. Monument Thief take the stage next. Monument Thief is a Providence based bass and drums duo, but don’t compare them to Lightning Bolt! They play straight up rock and the bass sounds like a guitar player without solos. It’s really good alternative rock that reminds me of my childhood. I’ve had a few drinks by now and I’m ready for a great band to top off a cool night. sadly, the Matt Fraza Band is unable to deliver the goods. Boring Dave Mathews, Jimmy Buffet type generic garbage. Hey, guitar player, stand up, this is a rock ’n’ roll concert, man. I’m afraid if I see their whole set I’ll fall asleep at the wheel and I don’t even have a car. At least I have an excuse to get on the bike and head home early. (Terry Boulder)
The Noise Lists ‘Seven RI Bands to Take Note Of’
Two 75orLess veterans are part of the The Noise’s Seven Rhode Island Acts To Take Note Of, Allysen Callery and Mark Cutler and the Men of Great Courage
Allysen Callery — guitar, vocals
Noise: Where is your band located?
Callery: I’m in Bristol, RI, about 25 minutes from Providence.
Noise: What’s good and bad about your local scene?
Callery: There are a couple venues that really shine, The Columbus has an upstairs theatre with seats that’s a dream for me to play, I’ve really enjoyed myself there. Aurora under Jacob Wolf’s booking is starting to emerge as a premier room, as well. They brought out tables and chairs the last time I played, and that works best for my sound.
Noise: Describe your band’s sound and how you fit into the scene?
Callery: I play finger-style guitar & sing on the British Isles spectrum of folk, but I’m New England. I’m not trad Americana, but I play with some of the gentler acts like Haunt the House (I was in his band too, for awhile) and love the gothic New England folk style of Vudu Sister, and I book with them a lot, too.
Noise: What’s your best song?
Callery: Wow, that’s a tough thing to answer- but I’ll go with “I Had A Lover I Thought Was My Own,” for the DADGAD fingerstyle playing, and the narrative. That song got me into SXSW in 2014.
Noise: What national act’s influence is most evident in your sound?
Callery: Jessica Pratt & Meg Baird do a similar style of acoustic that I do, not quite folk, but I call it that out of convenience.
Noise: What are your plans for the future?
Callery: I’m doing my first Italian tour this October, stopping to play a show in Brighton, England for some folks instrumental in getting me on my first European label. I am also thrilled to be returning to SXSW festival in March, 2017.
MEN OF GREAT COURAGE
(rock ’n’ roll/ country and soul)
Mark Cutler — guitar, vocals, Jimmy Berger — bass, Rick Couto — drums, Bob Kirkman — guitar, banjo, Richard Reed — keyboard, Cathy Clasper -Torch – fiddle
Noise: Where is your band located?
Cutler: My bands, The Men of Great Courage and The Schemers are located in Providence, RI.
Noise: What’s good and bad about your local scene?
Cutler: I love the variety of styles and the high quality of music that’s being made around here. There’s always a sense of support and community. Although nowadays, I don’t get out too much unless I’m playing. One thing that gets me down and it’s probably true for many places is that I hear musicians talking about what they do like its a pain in the ass to play music. For God’s sake, you found something that you love to do! And sometimes you make some dough doing it! It’s not like you’re working in a chain gang. You’re playing music.
Noise: Describe your band’s sound and how you fit into the scene?
Cutler: I don’t know how we fit in the scene. We kinda hover around it. My band is all over the place but we’re influenced by tons of styles and artists. We like to get hypnotic and expansive but we also like to play a cry in your beer song too. Hank to Hendrix and all that it implies.
Noise: What’s your best song?
Cutler: I don’t know and I hope I haven’t written it yet.
Noise: What national act’s influence is most evident in your sound?
Cutler: The usual baby boomer stuff, Stones, Velvet Underground, Dylan, gut bucket blues, old time country.
Noise: What are your plans for the future?
Cutler: I plan on playing, writing, mentoring, putting out records, creating, and trying to do the right thing until the day I die.