Category — Music

BOSTON:

2/27: Lady Lamb the Beekeeper / Johnny D’s (Somerville)
2/28: Tennis / The Great Scott (Allston)
3/2: The Smith Westerns / The Great Scott (Allston)
3/3: Jonathan Richman / Somerville Theatre (Somerville)
3/9: Rural Alberta Advantage / Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge)
3/24: Sebadoh / Paradise Rock Club
4/1: The Mountain Goats / Paradise Rock Club
4/2: Destroyer / Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge)
4/3: Wire / Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge)
4/6: The Greenhornes / Paradise Rock Club
4/9: Toro y Moi / Brighton Music Hall (Brighton)

4/30: Surfer Blood / Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge)
5/1: Of Montreal / Paradise Rock Club
5/17: Fleet Foxes / Orpheum Theater (Cambridge)

PROVIDENCE:

2/25: Girl Talk / Lupo’s
4/26: Of Montreal / Lupo’s

- Girls – Broken Dreams Club EP – Richer & maturer than their 2009 debut, this short disc incorporates country and 50′s rock. Can’t wait for their next release.

- How to Dress Well – Love Remains – Like 90′s R&B put through a blender. Endlessly intriguing. This music is “haunting” and “ghostly” – literally.

- The Radio Dept – Clinging to a Scheme – Catchy, upbeat.

- Titus Andronicus – A More Perfect Union – Combines Bruce Springsteen, a Civil War motif, long instrumentals, suburban teen angst (screaming & profanity included), and punk rock. And somehow it works very, very well.

- Twin Shadow – Forget – My favorite LP of the year. Catchy, fun, and sad.

- Tennis – Baltimore EP – Only three songs, but this may be my favorite ~8 minutes of music the year. Their LP is due out this month.

- Wise Blood – `+` EP – “I wanted to make pop songs but have them be a collage from different sources, to draw together different sources and make something new, but have them be poppy, have them be melodic. I really want to focus on melody. I think it’s one of the most important aspects of music, being able to mix noise and melody and have it work right.” – Chris Laufman aka Wise Blood

MARTHA’S VINEYARD:

7/24: Arrested Development / Nectar’s MV

CAPE COD:

6/5: Toots & The Maytals / Cape Cod Melody Tent (Hyannis)
6/18: Aretha Franklin / Cape Cod Melody Tent (Hyannis)
8/7: The Beach Boys / Cape Cod Melody Tent (Hyannis)

BOSTON:

6/4: The Morning Benders / Royale Boston
6/5: Psychedelic Furs / House of Blues
6/11: The Rolling Stones / Showcase Live (Foxborough)
6/18: Reigning Sound / T.T. The Bears (Cambridge)
6/18: New Pornographers / House of Blues
6/20: The Clipse / Harpers Ferry
6/22: Wavves / The Great Scott (Allston)
7/3: George Clinton / Showcase Live (Foxboro)
7/12: Wolf Parade / House of Blues
7/23: Real Estate / Harpers Ferry
7/25: Ariel Pink / Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge)
7/25: Modest Mouse / House of Blues
7/29: The Smith Westerns / Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge)
7/29: The Big Pink / Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge)
7/31: The Black Keys / Bank of America Pavilion
7/31: The Morning Benders / Bank of America Pavilion
8/5: Local Natives / Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge)
8/9: Public Enemy / House of Blues
8/13: Deerhunter / Royale Boston
8/19: My Morning Jacket / Comcast Center (Mansfield)
8/21: My Morning Jacket / Comcast Center (Mansfield)
8/31: Iggy Pop & The Stooges / Bank of America Pavilion

PROVIDENCE:

7/6: The Flaming Lips / Lupo’s

BOSTON:

4/6: Wilco / Orpheum Theater
4/6: The Smith Westerns / The Great Scott (Allston)
4/12: Titus Andronicus / The Great Scott (Allston)
4/17: The Morning Benders / T.T. The Bears (Cambridge)
4/20: Elvis Costello / Orpheum Theater
4/23: Apples in Stereo / Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge)
4/24: Los Campesinos! / Paradise Rock Club
4/26: Echo & The Bunnymen / Paradise Rock Club
5/8: Local Natives / The Great Scott (Allston)
6/2: The National / House of Blues
6/3: The National / House of Blues
6/11: The Rolling Stones / Showcase Live (Foxborough)
6/18: Reigning Sound / T.T. The Bears (Cambridge)
8/19: My Morning Jacket / Comcast Center (Mansfield)
8/21: My Morning Jacket / Comcast Center (Mansfield)
9/7: Tortoise / Paradise Rock Club
9/18: Pavement / Agganis Arena

Coming The Great Scott on May 8, Local Natives. Five guys hipsters from LA who can both harmonize and write a catchy hook in the same song. Seriously though, I’ve been listening to their album almost nonstop – it will be a pleasure to see them hit the high notes in such an intimate venue.

BOSTON:

3/8: RJD2 / Paradise Rock Club
3/9: Neon Indian / The Great Scott (Allston)
3/11: Jay-Z / TD Garden
3/27: The Big Pink / Paradise Rock Club
3/27: Spoon w/ Deerhunter / House of Blues
3/28: Beach House / Paradise Rock Club
4/1: Vampire Weekend / Orpheum Theater
4/1: Girls / Paradise Rock Club
4/2: The xx / Paradise Rock Club
4/2: Drive-By Truckers / House of Blues
4/6: Wilco / Orpheum Theater
4/14: Surfer Blood / P.A.s Lounge (Somerville)
4/17: The Morning Benders / T.T. The Bears (Cambridge)
4/20: Elvis Costello / Orpheum Theater
4/23: Apples in Stereo / Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge)
4/24: Los Campesinos! / Paradise Rock Club
4/26: Echo & The Bunnymen / Paradise Rock Club
5/8: Local Natives / The Great Scott (Allston)
6/2: The National / House of Blues
6/3: The National / House of Blues
6/18: Reigning Sound / T.T. The Bears (Cambridge)
9/18: Pavement / Agganis Arena

PROVIDENCE:

4/2: Wilco / Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel

A few new tunes, a few old ones.

[UPDATE: Neon Indian's concert has been postponed until March 9. They will appear on Jimmy Fallon instead.]

Of all the the shows coming to Boston this winter/spring, we are perhaps most excited to see Neon Indian at the tiny, wonderful Great Scott in Allston as part of the Together Festival on Thursday, 2/11.

Neon Indian is one moniker used by Alan Palomo of Austin, TX. (The touring band features three others.) On Neon Indian’s debut, Psychic Chasms, Mr. Palomo neatly (in under 31 minutes) repackages 80′s synth-pop. Were the 80′s actually this fun? Well, the lyrics aren’t cheery. Whatever – I can’t wait to dance.

We’re entering the Winter Tour season, so there are TONS of great shows coming to the Boston area. With bands still announcing their tours, this list will only grow. We’ll do our best to keep you up-to-date. In the coming weeks, we’ll also profile some of our favorite bands that are coming to town. Stay tuned!

BOSTON AREA:

2/3: Evan Dando / The Great Scott (Allston)
2/10: The Magnetic Fields / The Wilbur Theatre
2/11: The Magnetic Fields / The Wilbur Theatre
2/11: Neon Indian / The Great Scott (Allston)
2/16: Johnathan Richman / Middle East Upstairs (Cambridge)
2/17: Johnathan Richman / Middle East Upstairs (Cambridge)
2/18: Johnathan Richman / Middle East Upstairs (Cambridge)
2/18: Four Tet / Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge)
2/19: George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic / House of Blues
2/24: Wild Beasts / The Great Scott (Allston)
3/1: Rogue Wave / Paradise Rock Club
3/2: Surfer Blood / The Great Scott (Allston)
3/8: RJD2 / Paradise Rock Club
3/11: Jay-Z / TD Garden
3/27: The Big Pink / Paradise Rock Club
3/27: Spoon w/ Deerhunter / House of Blues
3/28: Beach House / Paradise Rock Club
4/1: Vampire Weekend / Orpheum Theater
4/2: The xx / Paradise Rock Club
4/2: Drive-By Truckers / House of Blues
4/6: Wilco / Orpheum Theater
4/20: Elvis Costello / Orpheum Theater
4/24: Los Campesinos! / Paradise Rock Club
6/2: The National / House of Blues

PROVIDENCE:

2/19: Johnathan Richman / Firehouse 13
4/2: Wilco / Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel

BOSTON AREA:

12/16: Kanye West / DCU Center (Worcester)
12/17: Raekwon / Paradise Rock Club
12/17: Fanfarlo / T.T. The Bear’s Place (Cambridge)
1/15: Mission of Burma / Paradise Rock Club
1/16: Mission of Burma / Paradise Rock Club
2/3: Evan Dando / The Great Scott (Allston)
2/10: The Magnetic Fields / The Wilbur Theatre
2/11: The Magnetic Fields / The Wilbur Theatre
2/16: Johnathan Richman / Middle East Upstairs (Cambridge)
2/17: Johnathan Richman / Middle East Upstairs (Cambridge)
2/18: Johnathan Richman / Middle East Upstairs (Cambridge)
2/18: Four Tet / Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge)
2/24: Wild Beasts / The Great Scott (Allston)

PROVIDENCE:

1/15: Rakim / Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel