Social Circkle

I don't know if the hype has really extended outside of Boston that much, but Social Circkle were kind of the shit here. I say "were" not because they're totally broken up, but they barely ever play shows anymore because one of them moved to New York. They've got a couple shows coming up though: today and on Valentine's Day (maybe a little bit of a change of pace from my Magnetic Fields date last year). I'd don't think I'm going to be able to go tonight, which really sucks, because Brain Handle, Wasted Management, & Dry Hump are also playing. So go in my place please.

I could give you the standard "'77 +'81 blah blah blah" description, but I'll let you just listen to them if you haven't already. Also, I have to leave now.

Social Circkle- demo
Social Circkle- Live at Record Hospital Fest 2008
Get I've Got Afflictions from No Way

This weekend

from brooklyn diy

It was great mostly. I took the bus down to New York with Mary & Adrienne on Friday afternoon. Once we arrived rocking out to '90s & middle school hitz at some random restaurant around 15th Street ensued. Eventually I met up with Lee & Adam at Don Pedro's in Brooklyn to see Cheeky & Screaming Females. My first time seeing both bands- awesome. I also finally got to meet Jarrett & Angie, who were both super nice.

For some reason Cheeky played first, and they were great. Stupid Party were next & were fun as well. Emergency Party didn't seem like they were gonna be all that interesting, so Adam & I stepped out for a little while (and Lee confirmed the boring factor). Screaming Females went on next, and the set was crazy fun. I had read a lot of places that Marissa can crazy shred, and live, it was confirmed true. If you haven't ever listened to them, her voice is really awesome, but I can't really compare it to anyone else's. I think my favorite description of them is from Marissa: "Queer disco on the moon, with pterodactyls and squid fighting satellite dishes." Anyway, everyone was dancing a ton and having a great time. I'm really excited that they're going to come up here on tour soon- stay tuned for more details.

Bone Zone played next. They're from Boston, but I hadn't seen them play before. They really didn't fit in with the bill, and I think the show would have benefited from having four bands instead of six (cutting out them & Emergency Party). Adam described them as "bro/jock noise" and peaced. Most people just went down to the basement or to the bar during the set. At one point some really drunk dude punched the singer in the face. It was really weird... I thought it was maybe some sort of performance art or something, but he was just really sloppy I guess & got kicked out. Anyway, Shellshag played last and were fun too. They covered "Fuck and Run", which is one of my favorite songs ever.

Mostly it was just a totally posi night/space (yeah, I kind of hate the word "posi," but it's accurate in a non-cheesy, non-edge kind of way here). And in a way that I don't think totally exists in Boston (or LA). We have a lot of great shows here, but I've never been to one with this sort of atmosphere. Everyone was really friendly & having a good time. I think it's also the first time I've been to a majority female punk show. I'm not equating this with a positive atmosphere or anything, but it's definitely nice to see girls out on the scene.

If you look real close in that picture up there (from Brooklyn DIY), you can see me- I am smiling.



Screaming Females' spring tour will be for the release of their new album, Power Move. Look for it soon on Don Giovanni. Listen to some songs on their myspace if you want to get pumped.

Corin Tucker Orgy playlist

NIGHT ONE
Heavens to Betsy
Demo
These Monsters Are Real 7"
"She's the One" from Julep comp
Calculated LP
Direction 7"
"Axe Men" (live) from Yo Yo a Go Go comp

Interview with Corin Tucker

Heartless Martin
Tonight Tape EP

Sleater-Kinney
You Ain't It 7"
"Write Me Back Fucker" & "More Than a Feeling" from Move into Villa Villa Kula comp
Sleater-Kinney 10"
Call the Doctor LP
"Big Big Lights" from Free to Fight comp
Dig Me Out LP
"Dance Song '97" (live) from Yo Yo a Go Go, Another Live Compilation

Cadallaca
Introducing Cadallaca LP

Sleater-Kinney
The Hot Rock LP
Get Up CD single
"Banned from the End of the World" (live) from Yo Yo a Go Go 1999

Cadallaca
Out West CD-EP

Sleater-Kinney
All Hands on the Bad One LP
You're No Rock'n'Roll Fun CD single

The Go-Betweens- "Going Blind" from Friends of Rachel Worth

NIGHT TWO
Sleater-Kinney
One Beat LP
Off with Your Head CD single
"Angry Inch" featuring Fred Schneider from Wig In A Box: Songs From and Inspired by Hedwig and the Angry Inch comp
The Woods 2xLP
Entertain CD single
Live tracks from The Woods bonus DVD

Heavens to Betsy
Live at Speedboat Gallery

Sleater-Kinney
Assorted live rarities & covers
Last show live at Crystal Ballroom, August 12, 2006

Margaret Thrasher

1. Don't forget about the Corin Tucker orgy tonight and tomorrow night! I'll get the interview online soon-ish (probably easier if you just listen up at 11:30 tonight). As internet-savvy as google blogger requires you to be, I'm not very good at all that stuff, so I might need another tutorial from Christa.
2. I'm seeing Cheeky & Screaming Females on Friday and am totally stoked. Neither band has come up here, so it'll be my first time seeing both of them. I'm also excited to see lots of New York friends!
3. Lots of things in the works right now, so stay tuned for info about shows & the like.



Now that I'm done with my papers & final, I got to go through all the records I got while I was at home & in the mail recently. I got the new Margaret Thrasher LP, Moderate Rock. I dig it, but not quite as much as their 7"s- Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Trasher and Does It Matter?. The 7"s are out-of-print through the now-defunct Bistro Distro (the distro's label is Clarence Thomas), but I imagine you can find them through some other distributors. Try Thrillhouse, Grave Mistake, or No Idea.



I can't remember when Margaret Thrasher first caught my attention... they had an interview in the second (?) Give Me Back or maybe it's just their great name (not to be confused with the other band with the same name from England or Russia or something). The Margaret Thrasher I'm talking about are three girls & one guy from Vancouver. Before headed on a European tour, they played their last show on this side of the ocean at the end of August. So no more Margaret Thrasher, unfortunately, and I never got to see them play. That zine is at home, so I can't scan it in or anything, but you can check out another MT interview here.



I love Juls's voice. I think you can't automatically tell she's a girl, and it's real throaty which is cool. Their songs are pretty feminist and angry and sometimes pretty depressing. "Raise the Bar" (which is on the new LP too) deals with childhood sexual abuse, showing the pain, sadness, & anger that goes along with it. I would have liked to see them live because she looks pretty in your face in a bunch of pictures I've seen.

The Poet You Never Were posted these two 7"s a few months back. You should definitely check out that blog- he's got lots of good stuff up there. Anyway, I'm putting their demo from 2005 along with the two 7"s. So check it out, check out their LP, mourn the fact that they're no longer a band.

Margaret Thrasher- Are You There God? It's Me Margaret Thrasher. + Does It Matter? + Demo
Get Moderate Rock

I interviewed Corin Tucker this afternoon

It was awesome. It'll be airing along with the rest of the orgy. I'll post it online after it airs.

16

I had about 60 pages of writing due between Friday and yesterday, which meant a constant soundtrack of Earth, Elder, and 16 with a bit of TJO mixed in.



I don't really know a whole lot about 16, but they have a super long bio up on last.fm. The essentials really are just that they were originally named "Fifteen" because they all had girlfriends who were 15, even though they were in their 20s, but then they found out there already was a band with that name, and one of the girlfriends turned 16, so they renamed the band. They also have a new album, Bridges to Burn, coming out on January 20.

Scott Case compiles a bunch of out-of-print material. It has tracks from their self-titled double 7", the Sailrabbit 7", and the Preoccupied 7". Jeffry told me that the band never actually approved it. The stuff was recorded in 1992 & '93, but the CD (I think it just came out on CD as a comp) came out in '98.




I haven't listened to too much of 16's newer stuff, but it's more metallic/sludgey I think. I just think of Scott Case as more sludgey hardcore. Something about it always reminds me of Songs about Fucking. Probably not something most people would want to work to, but I really like to listen to it when I write.

16- Scott Case
Buy it

The greatest commercial ever?

Witches

Okay, I'm officially the biggest liar ever, but I'm also the biggest procrastinator ever. Five days to go, sixty pages to go... rockin' time.

Anyway, I had to do this because someone posted this on VLV, and Alex and I were already obsessed. Witches are a totally awesome indie rock band from Athens, Georgia.



They have a 7" out now on Salinas Records (run by a very nice gentleman- check it out!) and Mandible Records. This CD-R supposedly came with some copies of the 7" (haven't gotten mine in the mail yet), and I think it may have been recorded live... it doesn't sound quite as clean as the songs on their myspace (which I listen to over & over & over again). Anyway, buy their 7", listen to their stuff... hopefully they'll tour again soon. They came up here a month ago or so, but it was a Friday night, and I think Christa had Get Laid in on her show or something. I'm not sure who did the Boston show, but it didn't seem very well publicized or anything.

Anyway, they also have a Pink Couch Session (though Cheeky's is still my favorite... "Yo I must spit all over my face") and a live video up on If You Make It. This is a live set from Bloomington last spring...



Cara Beth also does solo stuff and used to be in Con Amore before heading down to Georgia.

Witches CD-R
Get their 7" from Salinas

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Other than that, get psyched for:



!!!

And one more thing... Though they've called it quits, Brian Miller put the sixth and final Rose for Bohdan album (There it is, The Creeping Moral Decay of the Past Thousand Years) here. Check it out! And check out their other bands like Foot Village & Laco$te.



PS- first post of '09!