Episode 11 - Battleships Cometh + Streight Angular

Well, we’ve been on an unofficial hiatus for a bit.   Unfortunately we did not let the two awesome bands we have on the show know this.  Until we get our act together, we are going to lie low.  I (Ted) am working on a new music project and I need to get that finished before I get the podcast rolling again.

Lets not focus on our total procrastination though.  Lets talk about The Battleships Cometh and Streight Angular!  Battleships rocks out a tight hard rock.  They don’t get fancy or pretentious on us.  All they do is blow faces off with fun energetic songs!  Streight Angular keeps reinventing itself in new ways.  When I first hear them they were punky in a Beat Happening kind of way.  Now they play loud hard rock you can dance two.  If I never produce another show, these are two great bands to leave off on.  

Thanks to the bands again.  We recorded them forever ago.  They put up with our shit and I thank them for that.  Go see them!  They are great.  Boston bands are killing it as usual.  We win!

The Battleships Cometh!
Streight Angular!
The Battleships Cometh!
Streight Angular!
The Battleships Cometh!
Streight Angular!
The Battleships Cometh!
Streight Angular!
The Battleships Cometh!
Streight Angular!
The Battleships Cometh!
Streight Angular!

Download this shizz here!

Bridges And Squares 10 - Quilt

Bridges & Squares is killing it in ‘11.  We took our baby steps in 2010 and now we are graduating toddler school.  What a better way to start off a new run of episodes than with Quilt.  When we started the show last year, Quilt was always one of the bands we wanted to have on as guests.  Thankfully, they found the time for us in January.  We recorded them at Great Scott, for our first recording at a club.  They combine great harmonies with hypnotic minimal music.  It is the type of music you can listen to again and again and discover new sounds and nuances you did not hear previously.  Their show was great and they even rocked and off-stage sound manipulator, a la Mission of Burma.  The whole bill was great.  It was put together by the Pelly Twins, a pair of sisters with great tastes in music. Right now, Quilt are killing down in Austin, TX but make sure to check them now out next time they are in Boston.  Check out their website to see what they are up to.

Also on the show, Ted, Colin, And Meghan talk about music and why Libya would be a much more interesting conflict if we called it Labia instead.

Thanks again to Great Scott, specifically, Chris and Carl for being so accommodating.  And thanks to Quilt for being patient with us, the turn around time for producing this show was a bit slow.  Stay tuned for the next show with The Battleships Cometh and hopefully the return of Streight Angular after that.

Download Here!

Bridges And Squares 09 - Radio Control

It’s Hot Audio! Radio Control reminds us why punk remains an essential part of rock.  We don’t all need to be Joe Satriani and play obscure music scales.  Radio Control realize that energy and passion is what really makes music great.  In fact, I like listening to their music ten times better than listening to Mr. Satriani overplay his guitar.  Radio Control’s music makes you want to start a band.  Who wouldn’t want to play their brand of fun punk rock.  They keep it fast and they keep it loud.

They’re trying to raise some funds to finish their debut album set to be released in early 2011.  Donate to their cause and see them play at Tavern At The End Of The World on November 19th.  We need make sure bands like Radio Control continue to put out music!  Check out the details about that show here. 

Our music topic for the show is “I don’t get (this band).” During our discussion, we talk about how the reverb drenched bands popular on Pitchfork right now are a bit overrated.  Are we correct or are we assholes?

Listen here!

Check out Radio Control here:

http://radiocontrol.bandcamp.com

http://myspace.com/radiocontrolmusic

http://weareradiocontrol.tumblr.com

http://twitter.com/radiofkncontrol

http://facebook.com/radiocontrol

http://flickr.com/radiocontrol

Bridges And Squares 08 - Alchemilla

Alchemilla is one of the hottest bands in Boston.  Since they dropped their new album, Chasing Ghosts, they can’t stop getting played on the radio.  Their music combines well-crafted hard-rock with Kat Burke’s soaring vocals.  Good singers are few and far between these days so it is nice to hear a truly talented singer like Kat.  Plus, their music is tight.  These guys come ready to perform and always blow people away at their shows.  On our show, the well traveled band tells us about the best and worst clubs they have played in Boston.  They also let us in on how they got their songs on the Rock Band network.  They are currently writing and recording new music in their hidden lair but they should playing shows again in the near future.  Check them out on one of a hundred Internet locations, they are always up to something cool.  Support these guys and buy their album Chasing Ghosts!

Download the show here.

Alchemilla can be found at:

http://alchemilla.us/

http://www.facebook.com/AlchemillaBand

http://twitter.com/AlchemillaBand

http://www.myspace.com/alchemilla

Full Disclosure:  We screwed up recording their bass.  We thought we recored everything fine but somehow lost their bass track.  We managed to isolate the bass from one of our overhead mics and it sounds pretty good but it would have sounded better if we didn’t screw it up recording the bass in the first place.

Bridges And Squares 07 - Night Fruit

Wait a second, this is almost a quick turn-around from the last show.  Wow!  On episode 7 we have great band that is fairly new Night Fruit.  They emerged from another Boston band Hot Box.  To me, their sound is made up of the guitar lines from Built To Spill, Phil Collins style drumming, but with Sleater-Kinney style vocals.  If that description blows your mind, wait till ya hear the music.  Along with Night Fruit, we chat about Indian Funk music and whether it is annoying that Ted is seeking it out.  Finally, we have an in depth discussion with Night Fruit about the intricacies of the music between sets at rock shows.

This show is so good that people are clambering for Bridges And Squares to take on Tom Menino in the next mayoral election.  Each episode is like your personal erotic journey from Milan to Minsk.

Download the show here!

Go See Night Fruit at one of these shows:

July 23 2010 - House of Blues (Front Room) - Boston, MA

July 24 2010 - Don Pedros - Brooklyn, NY

July 28 2010 - Wrench In The Works - Willimantic, CT

July 31 2010 - Kennedy Plaza - Providence, RI

Augist 1 2010 - Middle East Upstairs - Cambridge, MA

August 7 2010 - Precinct - Somerville, MA

Episode 6 - Deep Cuts Volume One!

“What?  I thought we got rid of them for good,” Some Guy.

That’s right folks Bridges And Squares is back again with Deep Cuts, Volume One.  We’ve compiled a few tracks that we recorded that didn’t make it on the air for previous shows and decided to pack ‘em all together!  Plus, we have a couple songs from my band, The Exchange Rate, and a song from our upcoming episode with, Night Fruit. 

The show also features our previous guests, Abram Taber, The Freeways, and A Bit Much. You have to see these bands live!  The Freeways are releasing their new album on July 7th at the Middle East.  The show features a great lineup (Streight Angular, Sinbusters, Red Quiet, Radio Control) so try to check it out!  A Bit Much is active all over New England in June and July.  Abram Has a show on Saturday (June 26th) at Friendly Square before venturing to parts unknown on a US Tour.

We should be posting shows more regularly beginning with Night Fruit, so please keep listening.  Email us at bridgesandsquares@gmail.com if you want to come on the show as a guest or guest host!  Thanks!

Download the show here!

Abram Taber:

June 26 @ Friendly Square (Tour Kick-Off) - Medford, MA

June 27 @ Radio Bean - Burlington, VT

June 28 @ FYC - Worcester, MA

The Freeways:

July 7 @ The Middle East Upstairs - Cambridge, MA (CD RELEASE!)

A Bit Much:

June 29 @ Precinct - Somerville, MA

July 30 @ Feast of The Blessed Sacrament - New Bedford, MA

Night Fruit:

July 23 @ The House Of Blues (Front Room) - Boston, MA

Episode 5 - Ladderlegs

We made it!  It’s here!  You’re all excited right?  Why can’t I hear anyone?  For this episode, we have one of the bands I am most excited about in Boston right now, Ladderlegs! Be prepared to have your ears kicked in by their super quick set.  We suffered in a stuffy, sweaty attic to record them but they played great music that night.  We would have let them stretch it out but their neighbors would not have appreciated that so we had to cut it short.  Boo!

We also have Al from Streight Angular on the show.  They are up for Best New Act in the Boston Phoenix Best Music Pole (Vote for them here.  Vote for them in this other contest here).  Al lays out the bands candidacy on the show.  If your not convinced to vote for them after hearing his political platform, listen to their awesome new song, Modern Age Blues 4 Happy Version and thank me later. 

There are some technical problems on this one.  I’m pretending that they were done on purpose for artistic purposes.  Check out these bands! They put on great shows!

Go see Ladderlegs here:

May 6 2010 10:00P Tavern at the End of the World Charlestown, Massachusetts
May 13 2010 10:00P Tavern at the End of the World Charlestown, Massachusetts
May 20 2010 8:00P The Dewey House with Hermit Thrushes Bennington, Vermont
May 22 2010 8:00P Wallingford Mansion with Hermit Thrushes and Acid Wound Brighton, Massachusetts
May 23 2010 6:00P 119 Gallery w/ Viva Viva, Malaikat Dan Singa, Hermit Thrushes, Big Kitty and Avi Jacobs Lowell, Massachusetts

Go see Streight Angular here:

May 3 2010 8:00P Great Scott - “Nomination Party” 18+ Allston
May 14 2010 8:00P House of Blues 02116, Massachusetts

Download the episode here!

Episode 4 - A Bit Much

That shit arrived like I promised.  This episode may be our best one yet.  A Bit Much were a great group of guys to record.  They the cool with us even though we had lots of technical difficulties.  Their music is like a tour of rock music from the sixties all the way up until now.  They do all this while keeping it light with funny lyrics.  Want some Doors-like keys with a Brian May rock solo?  They got it.  Want epic rock songs that tell Frampton Comes Alive to die?  They got that too.  As for us, we discussed whether indie rock is better than mainstream music or are we just pretentious douches.  The answer: we’re kind of douchey. Or are we…  Check out A Bit Much, they’re playing a lot of shows soon.

SETLIST:
I Can Rock Nobody Like Nobody’s Been Rocked Before
Starvation Wage
All I Want Is George Harrison’s Wife
When I Need Your Lovin I Gotta have Your Lovin (hope I didn’t screw up the spelling on that one)

Some of their songs they played for us are from their great new album.  Download the album here.

Download the episode here.

Enjoy!

P.S.  Keep suggesting bands for us to have on at bridgesandsquares ( at ) gmail.com

Abraham Was Originally Named Abram (Taber?) In The Bible.

Number three is here to stay punks!  We stopped by the Friendly Square to record loopmaster Abram Taber.  The recording was so good that we decided to play the music before Meg, Colin, and I blab on about bands reuniting.  Meg lays the smack down, if you retire, you should stay retired.  Meanwhile, we had a chat with Abram at the Tavern At the End Of The World.  He gave us a little music history and a ton of bands in the city we should look out for.  Al Polk makes a surprise appearance at the end of our conversation.  Check it, we are on fiyah!  Tell your friends too.  We should all experience this together.

Abram’s Web Site http://www.reallybadreverb.com/

Set List: Six, Stay Warm, Beacon, Forget Me Naught

NOTE.  We understand, the podcast is long but who said you have to listen to every part of it!

NOTE2.  Abram’s stuff gets loud so watch your ears if you’re listening on earphones.  Maybe I should have mixed it better.  Screw it, just turn down your IPod.

Download here!

PS EFFING TYPOS!

Riding On Down The Freeways

And they thought podcast two would never get done.  The Freeways are on!  They presented us with a paired down version of the band with Karen on guitar and Frank playing the Fender Rhodes.  Their music shimmers and the scaled back version of the band really shows off Karen’s voice.  You will not be disappointed by their performance.  They have a new album coming out soon, so keep an eye out.  We’ll let ya know too.  Meanwhile, Meg, Colin and I talk about the pros and cons of live shows.  Live shows are great, but there are annoying parts of them.  There was originally more positive things that we meant to bring up but Colin’s mic decided to bug out so we had to edit a lot of the shit out.  Oh well.  Enjoy the show!

Download it here!

P.S.  Thanks to Frank from The Freeways for helping me mix their recording.