The Knucklehead Report

Latest Article

2008-08-19T06:50:00.001-07:00

2009 to See Debut of Provincetown New Music Festival

In July 2009 Underground Control will be presenting the First Annual Provincetown New Music Festival. Having spent his summers in Provincetown for the past six years Martin Doyle looks forward to sharing his extensive and unique experience in the music industry with the community.

Doyle has been involved with cutting edge independent music since 1991, when he began booking and managing The Middle East in Cambridge, MA.

The Festival’s Managing Director Jill Vaughan and Technical Director Eric Doberman will capably support Martin and Underground Control in this ambitious project.

Jill, a Provincetown resident and owner of Essentials for 11 years, brings considerable experience to the table from her work with the Provincetown Film Festival.

Eric has twenty years of experience in staging, production, information technology, and project management. His clients have included Marriott, Key3Media, Harvard Medical School and, for most of those twenty years, Martin Doyle himself..

The Provincetown New Music Festival is a five-day celebration of music and art in New England’s most unique and diverse oceanside community.

Its purpose is twofold: To provide an opportunity for emerging musical talent to find a wider audience and to stimulate tourism in Provincetown between July 20^th and July 24^th,a historically slow period that falls between Bear Week and Family Week.

The Festival will be marketed as a destination event in coastal cities from Montreal, Quebec to Raleigh, NC. The target demographics, college students and “creative class” professionals, can be reached handily via existing arts/nightlife weekly newspapers in each of these markets and their associated electronic media.

Selling points, beyond the music and Provincetown’s party culture, will include the Cape Cod National Seashore and the many outdoor and sporting attractions of the area.

Article

2008-08-19T06:45:00.001-07:00

On Irish Pubs
In July 1993 Martin Doyle and I had a mid afternoon meeting with his business partner and Phil Davidson. Phil owned Taft Sound, the company that was installing the PA at the soon to be opened Causeway club. It was a routine, uneventful discussion of money and microphones that I mention for only one reason. It was the first time I had ever been to an Irish immigrant bar.

Due to construction at the Causeway club itself and the general Sinatra and Sambuca chaos at The Penalty Box Lounge downstairs Martin decided to hold the meeting at the newly opened Irish Embassy Pub up the road.

“The Embassy”, as it was already being called, was just off of Causeway Street on a run down block of old brick buildings and makeshift parking lots for Boston Garden events. It’s exterior was that of a pub one would find (or more accurately imagine finding) in Ireland. The entrance’s facade was painted green with the bar's name in gold letters with a Gaelic font. Hanging over the entrance were Guinness and Bass signs.

Inside was a square room with exposed brick walls and ordinary bar trappings like dining tables, a juke box, pool tables and bric a brac. What stood out was the bar itself. Long and made of fine wood it sported finished wooden stools and brass railings. A large mirror behind the bar had the establishment's name elegantly painted in gold leaf. There were smaller mirrors throughout the room in honor of the parent bar in Ireland, called McGann’s, and various European beers. I was not used to seeing this kind of opulence in a bar. Restaurants and hotel lounges, sure, but the first thing I wondered was how much money this cost them and why they would spend it on a place designed primarily for heavy drinking.

Unlike the down and dirty places I was used to drinking at The Embassy served food, and it was as I read the menu that the talk turned away from our new venture and towards theirs.
I learned from Martin, who had been having lunch and other meetings there all week, that aside from the pub in Ireland that bared his name John McGann had been running a bar in Falmouth on Cape Cod since the 1970s. Though opened with doing a brisk business from The Garden’s winter games in mind The Embassy, in late June and early July, was already making a lot of money. Nearly all of it was being made from young Irish immigrants and college students from “The Old Sod” visiting on J1 visas to explore America while working for shady painting contractors. There was, in fact, a hostel upstairs.
After eating a very bland meal and talking shop with Phil for a bit I left The Irish Embassy and took the B train home to Allston.

I didn't think about the Irish Embassy for awhile. I was fully invested in the new rock club and often distracted by the business of being a single 26 year old guy. I could drink for free at The Causeway and when I wanted to eat I'd go to The Bull and Finch, a divey BBQ joint on the same street as the Embassy which had really good food.

A few months later, steps from the Embassy, I found myself at another Irish immigrant bar called Paddy Burke's. Paddy's was actually four tiny bars stacked on top of one another and connected by an elevator. They only opened all four floors for Garden events.

The Causeway bartender and I found ourselves on the ground level one day. After taking in an afternoon of tough guy hardcore we decided to repair to Paddy's for some drinks and grub before the evening's indie rock show.

As I worked on my flavorless, stringy chicken sandwich one of the pub's immigrant regulars approached us. He was stereotypically shitfaced.

"How do you like the pub?"

"Well, to be honest the food could be a lot better," I replied.  The bartender glared at me.

The regular proceded to tell me that he, like the owners of Paddy's, the Embassy and our awful neighbor The Harp, was part of a vanguard that would forever change the face of drinking in Boston.

"Just you wait and see," he offered.  "Every time a bar closes in your city an Irish pub will open in its place."

That prediction proved to be remarkably accurate for the remainder of the young decade.

Pictured above is The Harp, The Causeway's immediate neighbor and the bane of our existence from 1993-1996 when we were open for business.

It's hard to imagine a more noxious mix of clientele than that of the Harp, either today or back in that era.

To start with there were the usual suburban idiots who had issues with holding their liquor. Add in college kids with the same problem, genuine tough guys from Charlestown, and shady immigrants who reeked of housepaint and cheap whiskey and you had constant trouble that often spilled over into our little club.

We had hard, physical bouncers for a reason but in spite of their skill and dedication Martin and I had to get in on the action more than a few times, and even the girls had run ins with The Harp's jetsam once or twice.

You'd never guess that it was such a bloodbath from a visit during the day. Like Paddy's and The Embassy it was all "nice" inside, a pattern that was leading me to believe that these new Irish felt guilt about drinking, or being in the booze business, and that dressing things up assuaged that guilt. Or it could have provided an excuse to charge fifty cents more for everything than American owned bars did.

A couple of The Harp's bartenders drank at The Causeway and one of them, after drink number six, would inevitably start talking about how he was an IRA operative. I guess it's the Irish version of telling tall tales about high school sports glory because a lot of immigrants claim to be in secret brigades when they get liquored up.

Sadly The Harp is still thriving even as The Embassy and Paddy's have closed and the drum is beating slowly for McGann's.

The remainder of the 90s would prove to be a tumultuous time for me, primarily because of a young, troubled divorcee named Heather who I lived with in the Back Bay.  When The Causeway closed I settled into my last two club jobs, at TT the Bears and The House of Blues, both across the river in Cambridge, and continued to freelance for my friend Mike Higgins’ sound company.     
This was when the Irish pub thing was really starting to snowball.  “Invasion of The Bar Snatchers” we called it.
It was already starting to become a cliché when I moved into a “breakup insurance” apartment in Somerville in 1995.  As if some sinister corporation in Dublin was secretly pulling the strings venerable old taverns were being turned into spiffy McBars on what seemed to be a daily basis.  Though independently owned these new, immigrant establishments were remarkably similar to one another in beer selection, menu and décor.
Those first few months I was in Somerville the closest bar to my house was called O’Malley’s.  Nondescript on the outside the interior was frozen in the 1960s.  Naugahyde barstools skirted the bar and there were filthy mirrors everywhere.  Yellowed posters for “Midnight Cowboy” and “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid” that had probably been hung when those films were current remained as did a vinyl jukebox that I remember featuring “Society’s Child” and “The Peppermint Twist”.
On my first visit to O’Malley’s, at about three in the afternoon on a weekday, the only people in the place were the fat, gruff, forty-ish bartender and two old drunks face down on the bar like bookends.  I was a little put off at first, especially since one of the drunks was drooling on the bar, but I was sold when I paid for a Budweiser and a shot of Beam with a fiver and received a dollar in change!
I maybe went in there five more times and then one winter day I found this curious relic shuttered.  A few days later my “break up insurance” roommate Aldo and I heard the news.  They were opening an Irish immigrant pub where O’Malley’s had been.
Already tired of the trend Aldo and I had a lot of laughs speculating on the name and style of the new Irish pub.
“They should call it ‘The Troubles”. 
“How about ‘The Bobby Sands’? "
“Do you think they’ll have Guinness and boneless tenders?  That would be a first!”
 When the bar finally opened it would be called “The Thirsty Scholar” but in mocking the accents of the owners and staff Aldo and I would from then on refer to it as “The TIRSTY”. They did indeed have Guinness and boneless tenders and the bar was well groomed and boring as hell.

Conveniently located between Harvard and Porter Square, Temple Bar offers a warm and welcoming charm. Accented by exposed brick, oversized mirrors, lights and booths and an oak enamored paneling, guests enjoy the buzz and excitement of Temple Bar.

While waiting for a table, guests are drawn Temple Bar's unique copper bar. Alive with people it offers conversation and a chance to unwind.

The late night lounge scene brings a trendy and intimate atmosphere completed with Temple Bar's signature Drink List.
-from the website of Temple Bar, pictured above 

Cambridge, which borders both Boston and Somerville, has always had a reputation for marching to the beat of a different drummer. This is why it's not surprising that, in the shadow of Harvard University, Irish immigrants were busy hatching pub schemes that deviated a bit from the model previously discussed.

I went to work at the Harvard Square House of Blues around Thanksgiving of 1996. One of my fellow junior managers was a likeable young Galway native named Ultan and nicknamed "The Horse". Ultan had a second job bartending at Harvard Square's first immigrant pub, called Grafton Street, on Tuesday evenings.

Grafton Street was on Massachusetts Avenue in the former location of a goofy 1970s concept restaurant called One Potato Two Potato. I went there the afternoon that I got my first HOB paycheck on Ultan's recommendation. Expecting the uniformity I had come to know from these pubs in three short years I was surprised, though not pleasantly, when I arrived there.

Grafton Street had emphasized interior decoration and ambient lighting to the point of poor taste. It was expensive and full of people putting on heirs. The most charitable description I could come up with for the food was "interesting".

Rather than go the bland pub food route the cooking team at this tavern overcompensated by taking a kitchen sink approach to the use of spices and sauces. The cuisine called to mind the creations of overzealous, pubescent home economics students. People still "ate it up", to turn a phrase. After all Grafton Street was a place to "be seen".

A couple of years later the proprietors of Grafton Street would open an even more grandiose pub further up Massachusetts Avenue towards Harvard Law School. Nearly everyone I knew was mortified as our beloved Nick's Beef and Beer morphed into Temple Bar, a venture that reached new heights in off the boat opulence.

While Grafton Street retained some Irish trappings Temple Bar would have been more at home on Boylston or Newbury Streets in Boston's Back Bay than in Cambridge. It was more of a trendy, post modern restaurant than a pub. The young and international crowd reflected this.

The blending of Crimson and Green would continue into this decade in and around Harvard Square. Grafton Street closed only to reopen an equally gaudy bar of the same name a block up the road. Daedelus opened on Mount Auburn, and when I scouted it as a place to take a date once the mincing maitre'd glared at my Slapshot t-shirt.

And there was the third salvo fired by the Grafton Street/Temple Bar owners on the everyday drinkers of Cambridge.

Though I was no longer at The House of Blues when it opened earlier in this decade Redline, a trendy basement Bistro, had replaced an old after work haunt of mine from those days called The Crimson Sports Grill. Redline was another fruit-flavored, overpriced travesty.

Things came full circle when a chain called Tommy Doyle's opened in the former House of Blues, which they of course painted deep green. Figuring that the market was saturated with swank lounges they returned to deep fried form and got back to brass railing basics. When I visited last year it looked almost exactly like the Irish Embassy I remembered from more than a decade prior.

In the last years of the 1990's I spent a lot of time in South Boston. Most of my band, The Delusions, lived there and my roommate Aldo had a rehearsal space on Second Street.

Aldo had become fond of his local Irish immigrant pub, right off of Dorchester Street and called "The Abbey".

Not to be confused with the Somerville, MA rock club the South Boston "Abbey" was yet another off the boat Irish concern that had displaced a fading dive bar. The new regime had spruced up the place, even to the point of restoring the fireplace. This was a huge selling point for Aldo, a Calabrese Italian who never quite took to New England winters.

South Boston, unlike the communities discussed earlier, was hard territory in the 1990s. The working class and poor Irish Americans who comprised the majority of its residents were not so quick to embrace their cousins from across the Atlantic. By the same token the huddled masses from Northern Ireland who seemed to gravitate towards the neighborhood's west side, didn't trust or respect the natives. The Abbey, I would soon learn, often served as a forum for these differences.

The bar's owner sang with a cover band called "The Altar Boys", which specialized in covers of songs by Elton John, Van Morrison and the like. He was a curt, muscular man of about 30 with a shaved head and he spoke in a deep brogue.

My friend Mike's sound company provided P.A. for him and his band, who hosted Fleadhs  every Sunday afternoon.

I wound up working these pretty regularly. After the first couple the bar changed their name to "Nancy Whiskey's". We would load in at 10:30am so we could be ready to go by noon, which was and is the earliest time a bar can serve liquor in Massachusetts on Sundays.

There was heavy tension between Americans and Irish as mentioned, but that didn't take away from the various non-ethnic disputes over booze, broads and blow. The donnybrooks were predictable, almost to the point of being on schedule. Much like an office worker uses coffee breaks and lunch hour to break up the day I would "watch the clock" by keeping track of the early afternoon fight, the mid afternoon fight and the dusk fight.

Often times the donnybrooks would be juxtaposed against the owner/Altar Boys' singer performing Elton John hits like "Rocket Man" and "Candle in The Wind" as the fists and bottles started flying.

The authorities tired of the place, which was out of hand even by Southie standards, soon enough and it did not survive the decade.

Pete's Pub closed earlier this year.

Luckily I found time to bid farewell to the venerable Haymarket tavern, which had been a "dead bar serving" for quite some time. We knew for about a year that an Irish makeover was on the horizon.

Pete's opened bright and early at 8:00am each morning, welcoming a largely Italian American clientele from the nearby North and West Ends. Sammy from the Penalty Box was a regular.

Aside from the Italians there were other locals, dockworkers, the occasional punk rocker, people who worked at fancier bars in the area sneaking a drink and even a guy from the halal market next door who flouted Islamic law with a Tom Collins or two.

It was a friendly, welcoming establishment where you wouldn't feel out of place hiding from God* at 10:30 in the morning over a few boilermakers. The morning sun refracted nicely through the glassware and ancient bottles of schnapps.

But Pete's is gone now, and in it's place will be yet another Somers Irish Pub called "Durty Nellie's".

An oak bar is being shipped in all the way from Dublin and contracts have been signed with Sysco. The quaint story of how Somers' grandmother came to be known as "Durty Nellie" will no doubt find its way to the back page of the menu at Boston's latest Stepford Bar.

*Thanks to Tommy Somerville for the use of this phrase.

There are now fewer than ten dive bars remaining in Boston proper.

Article

2008-02-24T21:48:00.000-08:00

Interview With Chris Dimwit of the Dimwits.

The following is an interview with Chris Dimwit, drummer of local punk band The Dimwits. Boston has a mess o' good punk bands but for my money the Dimwits and the Spoilers are my picks for the best. If you like punk music, and chances are you do if you're on the Knucklehead on-line 'zine, then you owe it to yourself to check them out, especially live. Or at myspace.com/thedimwits.

1. What are the bands plans for 2008?

Well this May we'll be heading out on the road for 10 days making our way through the Mid-West down to Tennesee and then back up the East Coast. After that we'll be doing our First Annual Summer Debacle at The Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain. Two shows, one day in July. One All Ages and one 21+. It will truly be a debacle. Then we'll be laying low for the rest of the year and writing the next record which we'll be out in 2009.

2. Where have been you're best spots on your tours?

Pittsburgh hands down. The Smiling Moose is a great place with a great staff. They treat you like you're royalty there. Plus a great crowd and we've also made good friends with this band called Face Down Presley from down there. They played a Naked Raygun cover for us, bought us a bunch of booze and that was all it took. That whole area on The South Side is pretty cool.

3. Why did you start Winter records and what are plans for that?

Sean (guitar) and I always threw around the idea of starting our own label back in our old band Freezerburn. We just really had no clue and nothing ever came of it. When we were ready to put out Good Set we just said hey, why don't we make our own label since we're putting it out ourselves anyway. We'll just have a logo and P.O. Box the same way Brett Gurewitz started Epitaph to put Bad Religion 7 inches out. Or the same way the Bouncing Souls started Chunksaah. We took the name Winter Street from the house Sean and I used to live in back on Winter Street in Taunton. We used to practice in the basement and everything sort of started there. We also turned the house into a make shift studio to record the Clear The Room ep. So after the record came out I was a little bit more familiar with the whole process of pressing and distributing a record. So we said hey, why don't we put out the records of other bands we like and we'll make this sort of a real label. So I did a little bit research into some of the smaller indie punk labels. Asked different bands how the relationship works with their label and what they do for them. Once we were ready we put out our first record, Drago's "Bowling With Stalin". A great 80's style hardcore record and good friends of ours. And for 2008 we got Up For Nothing's record coming out in May(a great melodic hardcore band out of Brooklyn), then local drunks, The McGunks record sometime in the summer.

4. Does the band have any recording plans in the future?

Yes, like I said earlier. We should be heading into the studio in early 2009. Ray Jeffrey we'll be turning the knobs once again, and we'll we're happy to have Eric Edmonston on board to co-produce.

5. How do you think Boston compares with other cities scenes you've witnessed?

That's hard to say. I haven't spend enough time in other cities to get an idea of the different music scenes. I will say Boston seems to be champion of the whole "working class, street punk" thing. I'm pretty sure that it probably due to the success of The Dropkicks.

6. What new bands locally do you like?

That's tough, not a ton of new bands right now. I like what Thunderhog is doing and obviously Drago. I heard The Thowaways were really good at The Throwup the other night. Not really new but my favorite band of recent years was OO700 Club. Anything Delano does is genius. They were way too short lived.

7. How do you feel getting a vote for most grumpiest drummer in the Noise Top Ten poll and do you think you or Mike Mahoney really deserves this honorable award?

It's funny I've been told I need to smile more my whole life. I don't what it is, I guess I'm just a natural frowner. I've been told that Mahoney is way more grumpy than me. So I'll kindly step down and let him have the honor.

8. Is it true that all of Britney Spear's current problems have been caused, even indirectly, by Paul Dimwit?

Ha!, you never know with that kid. Who the hell knows what that kid is thinking. I think most peoples problems, not just Britney's, are most likely caused by Paul Dimwit.

(Slimedog)

Latest Poetry

2008-02-10T01:52:00.000-08:00

Driving down the highway

West 80 towards San Francisco

& I'm going to Berkeley

to see a 70's punk band, the Avengers

& how surreal is this?

for a Boston boy

who might've done this 30 years ago

if he wasn't 3000 miles away

But tonight

I sail in the darkness

& the flickering lights

of the houses and restaurants

along the highway

reflecting

lives that have mostly lived here

for decades

& I'm coasting through

on one of my first visits

on unknown stretches of road

like I don't belong, I'm intruding

like it's some kind of dream somewhere

I feel I'm not supposed to be here

but felt that many times back home

it's just a strange experience

but a good one

& I just smile

at this crazed feeling of freedom

as I glide into the night

& the unknown

Poetry

2008-02-10T01:32:00.000-08:00

She's got a little backpack

and a frame that's not quite a woman, maybe 15

he's got black hair and died blond locks, ( same age as her)

hanging straight in his eyes

& a perpetual grin

trying to signify, irony and awareness

but it really conceals

akwardnesss and shyness, I sense

She dances and jumps up and down

as the sound system plays techno/punk music

he grins and nods, and then it's the Buzzcocks

She jumps some more

he's still grinning and nodding

She has Doc Marten like shoes and dark hair dyed a reddish tint

& eyes that are beautiful

as only a womans or girls eyes can be

They're nerds and outcasts

trying to turn their unpopularity

into a private crusade

He doesn't say anything

& she jumps a little more

& they'd never believe

How perfect I see them

or how perfect

they are now

or that they'll ever be

Latest CD Review

2008-02-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

Bryan McPherson - "Fourteen Stories"

There is a pervasive sadness to these 15 songs about life, loss and the pursuit of some semblance of happiness. Bryan gives small glimpses into a past life that most suburban punk would glorify for the sake of street cred. Not Bryan. These are obviously stories of someone who really has experienced the worst in life, but there is also a glimmer of incredible hope. Do yourself a favor and check out Bryan's album Fourteen Stories.

http://www.bryanmcpherson.com/

CD Review

2008-01-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

Moros Eros - Jealous Me Was Killed By Curiosity (Victory)

I had been waiting for this follow up CD from Moros Eros ever since I got into their first Victory release in 2006 (I saw the devil last night and now the sun shines bright). When I got word that the new album had been released, I excitedly ran out to the store only to find out nobody had it. I ended up buying it on i-tunes and missed out on the liner notes and lyrics etc. but after three months of looking for it in my local shops, I was happy just to hear it.

The new disc lived up to my expectations. Zach Tiptons voice is the first thing that draws me to this band. I love singers who can naturally hit high notes that I could never dream of hitting, (then again I can't sing for shit anyways so its even funnier for me to sing along to this disc).

Part Cedric Bixler and part Robert Smith at times, Tipton delivers his stories, questions, assumptions, and fears about what the afterlife holds for us with an obviously instinctive emotion of a young man. Its all him, no faking or mimicking anyone else. And this emotion only adds to the color of the words. "I'm a sinner, you're a saint, in gods eyes, we're both the same" or "See the angels in the sky, they'll take you home when you die". He's afraid to upset a god which he's not sure even exists and the whole cd pretty much rides on this theme. While listening you find yourself wondering the same things he's wondering.

Musically, the production was stepped up a notch from their first release. They're right up there with the complexity and break downs you'd hear from At The Drive-In, with the occasional electronic gadgetry that comes out of nowhere but fits just fine. Song 3, "Chokes" is my current fave on the the disc, and it has a cool Sabbath meets Mars Volta feel about it.

Moros, by the way is Greek for impending doom, and Eros means God of Love. It all makes sense now. I hope this band finds success because I'm guessing one or two more releases that can't be found in stores will lead them to oblivion or impending doom.

Article

2008-01-08T05:06:00.000-08:00

BKH sits down with Mark Lind and discusses the past, present and future...

Mark Lind is well on his way of becoming an institution in Boston music. A "Spirit of '96" relic whose musical career started in a church basement and has outlasted more Boston bands than I care to count. On his 13th year of song writing and entertaining the Boston punks and now the Boston adults Mark has another CD planned for 2008 after his 2007 self-released Compulsive Fuck Up EP. Boston Knuckleheads has had the pleasure of sitting down with Mark to discuss music past, present and future; politics; life and happiness.

We also got a chance to preview his new song "Familiar Face" off his upcoming CD "The Truth Can Be Brutal" (please visit www.mark-lind.com to hear Familiar Face as well as some of Mark's other material). Familiar Face, to me is the saddest pop song I've ever heard. My ears and heart say the song was strongly influenced by Paul Westerberg. The harmonies (sung by Far From Finished's Marc Canata) are a melodic answer to gang vocals. The song is so well written that many can or could relate to it. I can't tell if the heart breaking 'familiar face' is the protagonist's own or the girl within grasp but beyond reach.

BKH: What are your thoughts and feelings on this song Mark? And before you start, congratulations this is truly some of your best work yet.

Mark Lind: Thanks. I’m pretty psyched on the new record. Jeff, Jay, Mike and Marc all really helped lay down some of the best performances I’ve ever been a part of. And they really helped make this record exactly as I wanted it to be. It goes without saying that Jim played a huge role in this as well. That particular song - Familiar Face - was chosen to be released early because it was mixed early on in the process and also because it has a lot of hooks in it. I wanted to show people that this record isn’t going to be sparse and bare like the last EP. Personally I don’t think it’s the best song on the record but some people may choose to disagree. As for the message behind the song, I’ll let people interpret it as they see fit. But its really only a sad song if you proceed from the assumption that the “familiar face” and “restless feeling” is unpleasant. Sometimes we can ache over a good thing. So there’s a lot of ways to interpret that song. I can tell you that the “she” referenced in the “she keeps on coming back” line is not about a woman. Its about an emotion that keeps coming back. And through a little manipulation of words it opened up the door for more people to relate to the song.

BKH: So what can you tell us about your upcoming CD "The Truth Can Be Brutal"? Is there a common theme to the album and are we in store for more sensible pop sounds like "Familiar Face" or do you explore other styles on the CD?

Mark: It’s eleven songs. It sounds really good both because of the musicians that played on it and also because of the studio that it was recorded at (The Outpost). We spent a lot of time on it and I think it’s the best record I’ve ever been a part of. At least until we start working on the next one. It doesn’t really have a solid theme. It just so happened that I amassed about 50 songs to choose from. This helps make the album the best it can be from a song stand point but it also means that I was choosing songs from an extended period of time so they don’t all run together thematically. As opposed to a situation like in the past when I only had 12 songs to work with and those were the ones that were recorded. The past 18 to 20 months of my life have been sort of a rut or a funk for me so that theme comes up a lot but there have also been some good people along the road with me for that time and those people are celebrated on the record. I also feel like there is a lot of stuff on there that anyone can relate to. Heart ache, longing, loneliness, joy, sadness, fear… we can all relate to these sorts of things.

BKH: Will this CD be another self-released album or have you shopped it to a label or labels? I know that you said self-releasing the CFU EP was a bit of an experiment to allow you to observe the state of the music industry today, care to elaborate on any of the information and experience you've gathered from that experiment?

Mark: This one will hopefully be coming out on a label. I’ve received a few offers but I haven’t signed anything yet. No record labels have heard the record yet. I’m hoping that once they do then more offers will come in. As for the CFU ep, I released it myself because I was sure at the time that my audience was relatively small in numbers but dedicated. Sailor’s Grave/Thorp had just gone into hiatus mode and I didn’t feel like releasing the EP with another label. Plus I’ve always wanted to release records. So I did it myself. With no distribution and no advertising. It was all either word of mouth or free advertising thanks to some of the kind folks at Interpunk, Newbury Comics or Punknews.org. It has served its purpose and I’m almost out of the pressing. I don’t plan to repress it. Once its gone then it will be available through iTunes only until I eventually get around to packaging a bunch of rarities on one CD. Most of the advertising I’ve done for that EP was done through MySpace bulletins. If there is anyone that doubts the impact MySpace has had on pop culture then I can testify to the fact that it reaches people.

BKH: Let's go back a little. The Ducky Boys, are they done recording and only relegated to semi-annual live shows? Any chance some configuration of their lineup may come back? And what was your favorite line up of the band? Musically, and no offense meant to anyone in the band past or present, I think the three piece of you, Doug and Jay was my favorite and I do understand that line up was a more mature collection than previous line ups. From a music standpoint and from a life changing standpoint what are the most important Ducky Boys line ups?

Mark: I’ve played with a lot of people in Ducky Boys over the years. Some great friends have joined in on the fun or have helped me out. But the only line-up that really strikes me as being the true face of Ducky Boys was when it was me, Jay and Douglas. Those were the years when we got motivated, had a common mission and saw it through to its logical conclusion. We also made the two best records in the band’s catalog. And I will only play with the two of them in the future under that name. There have been times over the years when Ducky Boys got pulled out of the moth balls for the semi-annual show. Those times weren’t happy ones for me. I’ll only continue to do it here and there if there is some forward momentum to it. It might take a while longer to annoy me because I have The Unloved and the solo/acoustic thing as an outlet but there will come a time when it will be time to make a new record or put it to rest until the time is right. I would say its likely - not definite - that there will be more music in the future. But I’m not rushing.

BKH: So I have to ask any chance of getting Doug and Jay to get together, re-arrange and re-record No Gettin' Out?

Mark: We had toyed with idea at one point. But if I’m gonna take a bunch of money and spend a lot of time in a studio and practice space with Jay and Douglas then it will be for the purposes of new music, not touching up the old stuff.

BKH: You've had the opportunity to work with your brother Rob in Sinners and Saints and Jeff Morris with The Unloved, both whom you've referenced as having significant impacts on your music. Who do you/did you enjoy working with more, and which one has had a more profound influence on your songwriting to date?

Mark: They’re different people so I approach them differently and I don’t really compare them or pick favorites. They work in very different ways. Jeff is a one take kind of guy. Rob is more of a recording artist than a live rock n’ roll guy. Don’t get me wrong, he can plug in and play like a motherfucker too but he’s more like the Beatles during their Sgt Pepper days where Jeff is more like how they were when they were rocking Shea Stadium. Put it this way, Rob took about 9 months to make Ramallah’s “Kill A Celebrity” while Jeff made “Tattooed Hearts and Broken Promises” in less than 12 hours. They’re very different types of players and songwriters. As for who I’d prefer to work with, I guess I’d choose Jeff because he is more on the same playing field as I am. Jeff has many features to his personality; he is a father, a husband, a businessman, a musician, a songwriter etc. Rob is always Rob. Ha. Plus I don’t have the patience to work in the way Rob does. He is a perfectionist and he moves very slowly. I prefer to see results.

BKH: And since I mentioned Rob...any chance of a Sinners and Saints CD or show on the horizon? If there is I may have to diet so I can fit back into my S&S shirt...although I have heard you've begun selling your own merchandise on your web page, is that right?

Mark: Definitely nothing on the horizon as far as a show goes. Rob has to tend to his personal life. A CD is not out of the question but I think Rob has other plans for his first batch of songs back. I’m not saying never but it would take a lot of planning and I know that would fall on my shoulders to plan and right now I’m pursuing this record with The Unloved. We are selling shirts. There are shirts by Sinners & Saints, Ducky Boys and The Unloved all on sale at www.myspace.com/marklind . And they’re selling well.

BKH: Last year around this time you purchased the First Act Westerberg Edition guitar, how do you like it? And because it's becoming a tradition for me, what was your first guitar and what is your favorite guitar?

Mark: That First Act guitar is a piece of shit. It won’t stay in tune. They told me they set it up to be played ½ step down but I think they lied to me. Because of that I haven’t played it often. One of these days I may get around to setting it up again. Maybe I will now that you reminded me I have it. As for music gear, I haven’t got a clue about that sort of stuff. You’d have to ask Jeff or Mike that sort of question. I just play whatever I have.

BKH: So how do you approach songwriting? Do you find the melody first or the words, or a little of both and find a hook and build from it?

Mark: Back in the old days of Ducky Boys… when we sucked…. I used to make up music and then fit words in there. The kids certainly didn’t seem to mind but, looking back on it, it was very unnatural. These days it sort of all comes together at once - usually. Most times I just pick up the guitar and the whole thing comes out in one Peter North style blast. If its any good then I grab the tape recorder that I keep next to my guitar and roll tape. Sometimes I’ll go right to the 8-track recorder and sometimes I’ll let it sit for a while. I keep a list taped to my wall with all of the songs I’m working on that haven’t been demoed and I cross them off as I finish them up. Usually the words I come up with in the first couple of passes get nixed but there will be a line or two that really stands out and I’ll follow that path for the remainder of the song. Simple as can be… not too much thought. One thing I will never do is ask “what will people think about it?” when I’m working on a song. If you do that then you are only going through the motions and pumping out crap for the sake of pumping out crap. Once the songs are all done from a creative perspective then I might go back and hammer them out. Structure them appropriately and then ask “do I like this?”, “would I listen to this?” or “will people listen to this?” but that’s at the phase of the song when the heart and soul of it is already completed so that it can‘t be compromised.

BKH: On your debut solo CD, Death or Jail, the song For Frank eulogizes your, at that time, recently deceased grandfather. Was that a difficult song for you to write? What song for you has been the most difficult for you to write over the past 13 years and do you like how it came out or do you want another shot at it?

Mark: There are no songs that have been particularly hard to come up with. I don’t mind laying all the cards on the table. The only times I’ve flinched is when I’ve been unsure how someone else might like me writing about them. But in the end if you’re a girl that is gonna get involved with a guy in a rock band with a platform then you’re gonna have to deal with that. Or even worse, if you’re a dude that tries to fuck over the guy in the band with a platform then you gotta expect to get flamed. There is one song on the new record called “So She Says” which was originally called “(Girl’s name withheld) Says” and I changed it to a nonspecific ‘she’ to spare her having to deal with it. On the other hand it is far and away the best song on the record - and possibly the best song I’ve ever come up with - so she would have been immortalized with street punk fans forever. Ha. As for songs that I’d re-do, hindsight is 20/20 as we all know. There are some songs on “Dark Days” that I’d like to have another shot at knowing what I know now but they are what they are and it was a popular record in its day. Sometimes I make this comment and people think I’m putting the record down. They gotta understand that I’m only saying I could do better. I’m really putting myself down when I put down one of my records. I’m not trying to take the joy out of it for them. There are no plans to touch any of those songs again but I’d like another shot at the song called “A Better Life”. If I could do it all over again then I would have dropped that one from the record and tackled it with Dirty Water in 2002. Maybe one day The Unloved can try that one out.

BKH: I'm not going to lie, we are both anxious guys and not the most socially ept. Do you think this trait has hurt or helped your songwriting? Also has it helped or hurt your musical career?

Mark: It definitely makes me who I am. And my music is a result of who I am so I guess it has helped it. One of the comments that I hate most is when someone says to me “Hey! At least you got some good songs out of it” when discussing a particularly painful experience. That comment might hold water if I was getting paid the type of money Tom Petty is making but I’m not. While I think my social and emotional shortcomings have helped me make some memorable moments on tape, I’d trade it all in for a chance to be happy and calm.

BKH: Boston music is still big nationally thanks to bands like the DKM, Street Dogs and the Explosion. Two separate questions - what Boston band(s) do you think SHOULD be a national success and which ones do you think WILL be a success. For example both Far From Finished and Death and Taxes are two of the best bands in Boston today - both should be huge - FFF is more likely to be successful because they have the ability to tour more aggressively than a band like D&T.

Mark: You just named my two favorite bands in town. I absolutely love both Death & Taxes and Far From Finished. Their songwriters, Jeff Morris and Marc Cannata, definitely speak for me in ways that I can’t express myself. And in a just world that sort of talent would be rewarded handsomely. Both of those bands should be famous and all over the charts. But as for what WILL be popular I don’t know. One of my claims to fame is the fact that I called Ken Casey the day after he gave me his demo in 1996 and said “if this is really your band then you will be on Epitaph Records within a year”. And they were. But since then it has been impossible to predict. Every Tom, Dick and Harry from Boston that sees Dropkick Murphys seems to think they are gonna put together a band and go for the big time but there are a lot of factors in there that most bands miss. Most importantly, its about a lot more than fashion and sound. There needs to be substance, honesty and timing. People aren’t stupid and they eventually see through dishonesty even if it takes a while. I’ve seen so many bands head out on the road in search of fame and fortune only to come home broke, broken and with their tail between their legs. In fact, I was in one of those bands - though we went for it about 2 years before every schmuck started chasing it. But there have been more failures than successes. If I were to guess on a next big thing then it would be a metal band like Diecast since that stuff has a hell of a lot more mass appeal than dudes in scally caps. But it would be nice of Death & Taxes or Far From Finished could do something to reach as many people as possible. Both of those bands deserve everything they could hope to have. They’re both very honest bands and write from the heart.

BKH: I've been told that politics and music don't mix on other interviews, but I have to ask, you don't hide that you support(ed) Joe Biden, now that he is out who is your guy (or gal) and what one issue represented by that candidate is most important to you?

Mark: Politics is just a part of life. People that try to skirt that topic are usually just afraid of offending someone. I was supporting Biden though I knew he couldn’t win. He’s done so much good in his career as a Senator that he really deserved to be taken more seriously. We’ve had to deal with these hacks like Bush and Giulliani but we can’t give a guy a chance that has already chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee or the Senate Foreign Relations Committee? With him out of the running then I’m backing Obama. He’s probably the only candidate that can pull off the angle of wiping out the old Washington insiders since he is such new blood. I really hope he surrounds himself with the right people. He’d make a great face man but he’s gonna need someone like Biden in his cabinet to be successful.

BKH: I understand you have a show coming up at TT's on January 10th, who are you playing with?

Mark: That show was kind of a last minute addition. We’re gonna be playing with the Kickbacks, Jason Bennett & The Resistance and Varsity Drag.

BKH: Care to plug any other shows or add anything else before wrapping this up?

Mark: I guess the other one to mention will be the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre show with The Men and The Deadly Sins at the Middle East in February. They’re both doing two nights. We’re gonna be playing the Friday night show. The first night.

BKH: In 2007 you said that you were going to do some shows outside of New England in support of your solo album(s). To my knowledge it didn't happen - are you willing to name a city outside of New England and play a show there in 2008?

Mark: Yeah. That is the sort of thing that happens when you’re managing yourself. I got caught up in making this new record and going to school so it didn’t really happen. But I am definitely heading out on weekends in the Spring of 2008. I’m already working on shows in Richmond, Atlanta, Baltimore, DC, NYC and New Orleans. They will be solo/acoustic but I enjoy doing that and I think that vibe will translate to anyone that may choose to attend.

Article

2008-01-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

Death and Taxes Interview 2: Jeff Morris

This is the last and final interview with the members of Death and Taxes, in Part One we spoke with Mike Savitkas (bass) and now have the pleasure of speaking with Jeff Morris (guitar/vocals).

BKH: I'll omit the part where I blow smoke up your ass telling you how great the new CD is (for those who want my opinion please read the first interview). Simply, I think the CD is great, everyone I know who has taken the time to listen to it thinks it is great. How about you Jeff, are you proud of this CD? Where does it rank for you personally out of all the albums you've played on in the past?

Jeff Morris: Thanks, we’ve had some great feedback on this and we’re very encouraged by the way it’s being received so far. Haven’t seen a lot of reviews yet, but we’ve had some great comments from friends.

When we decided to make a recording we didn’t have any idea who would be releasing it, or whether we’d even be just releasing it ourselves. We had to pay for everything ourselves and we could have gone a couple different ways. We had the option of going local, maybe saving money and being comfortable with the surroundings or bucking up, spending real money and working with the best. We decided we didn’t want any regrets so we did the latter and contacted Jim Siegel at the Outpost. We went in there and came out with the best sounding recording possible and for that I am proud. People can decide whether they like the songwriting or the performances on their own merit, but the sound quality can’t be questioned. That was utmost in my mind when we decided to go with Jim.

Where does it rank? It’s a new chapter for me personally, the first time I’ve tried singing in a band. It’s also the first time I’ve been back in the Boston scene since I left the Bruisers in 1996, so it was never assumed that we’d be accepted. With ten years since being a part of the scene in the city I had no idea what to expect. Most of the people I knew aren’t around anymore, and the ones who are still around probably had no idea what to make of the new stuff when we started playing out. I guess what I’m saying is that, in my mind this was a completely new endeavor with no expectations other than to hopefully play some shows and not fall flat on our faces. The fact that we’ve managed to keep at it for a couple years now, record our own cd and release it on a bona fide label is all very gratifying and in all honesty it was never expected and will never be taken for granted.

This is the twentieth recording I’ve released since starting with the Bruisers in 1988 and I look at it as a new chapter. There have been musical and personal benchmarks for me over the years and this is right up there with most of them. I remember how great it felt when we released our first full length cd in 1993, “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin”. It was like we had finally legitimized ourselves, putting out a complete and full release to stake our claim to being a real band, capable of writing and recording something that will stand the test of time. I guess that’s how I feel about this new cd too, it feels good to know we were able to work hard, put in our time playing tons of shows, working out the new material over the course of months to see what works and what doesn’t and finally coming up with a solid release that will hopefully be the benchmark for us as a band to move forward for many years.

BKH: The songwriting is amazing. I have said it before and will say it again the lyrics are as deep and dark and full of meaning as anything done by Leonard Cohen or Nick Cave. Are you influenced by those songwriters or any songwriters in general?

Jeff: I’ve never heard Cohen, to be honest so I can’t say anything about him. My exposure to Nick Cave is limited to the “Murder Ballads” cd which is great, but I haven’t dug any deeper into his recordings.

Influences for me are probably less direct and more subtle or subconscious than pointing the finger at one songwriter and saying I want to be like that guy. I have always been a student of songwriting, I can find the good in almost anything. Some examples off the top of my head…70’s AM Gold like 10CC, Gordon Lightfoot and Gerry Rafferty who’s sense of melody and the ability to hook the listener in from the 1^st note is remarkable. The dark imagery and Morrison-esque vocal stylings of some of the first Joe Wood-era TSOL albums like “Change Today” and “Revenge” are some of my personal favorites. The Doors and Morrison with some of the most dynamic arrangements you’ll ever hear including some really heavy subjects in songs like “The End”, “Unknown Soldier” and even the dreamy beauty of songs like “Moonlight Drive”. The Jam with an intelligent take on the plight of the average man in songs like “Corner Shop” and “Smithers-Jones” and especially “To Be Someone” that links in perfectly with the incredibly powerful stories of the British working class ethos in stories such as “Keep The Aspidistra Flying” and “Coming up for Air” by Orwell which have influenced my writing since songs I wrote back in the late 80’s for the Bruisers. Dave Alvin has always struck me as one of the most capable of conveying human emotions in his writing without being syrupy or cliché. Tom Waits, with the way he uses his voice like an instrument to really infuse a song with feeling… Steve Earle, the way he speaks in the “everyman” voice, keeping things simple and never talking over a subject. Husker Du albums like “New Day Rising” where both Mould and Hart started dropping real heavy lyrics into intense music. Replacements and Westerberg were a big part of my teen years like most of us at this age. Paul’s ability to be ironic, intelligent and emotional while retaining his “cool-factor” has always intrigued me. I can remember summertime in the 70’s when I was in grade school, I’d be out in the yard blowing up army men in the dirt and my mother would have the stereo speakers facing out the window while she dug in her flower boxes. I’d fight epic battles to the soundtrack of Johnny Cash live at San Quentin, Freddy Fender, Jim Nabors, Marty Robbins “Gunfighter Ballads”, Glenn Campbell and more as the record player kept dropping one platter after the other from the pile she’d put on the multi-stacker in our old console machine. Driving in the back seat of my parents 1970’s Chevy Kingswood station wagon listening to The Carpenters, Linda Ronstadt, David Gates and Bread, America, Badfinger, Captain and Tenile, Elton John, Carole King, you name it… those put fingerprints on your brain (like it or not). So I guess my point is that it’s all a wash. I don’t pattern my songs after anything in particular. I am nothing more or less than a kid of the 70’s and 80’s and all the influences that come with it.

On this record the songs are all culled from notebooks I keep. Some of them are from older entries, like “Love Letters on Skin” and “Orange Line” which are both about the same girl I met in 1987 and who made a strong impression on me. Others like the title track are really about many people I’ve known. Each verse is a different person with the chorus tying it all together. I don’t do well when I try to sit down and write a song about a “topic” per se. I am only successful when I feel compelled to write something down, usually about something that has happened to me or someone close to me. So in that regard, most or all of what I write is autobiographical I guess. “Hold On” is one that may not be anyone’s favorite due to the fact that it’s a pretty laid back song musically, but for me it’s one of the most personal on the record. It’s the first song I’ve publicly released that was directly written for and about my relationship of 20 years with my incredibly patient, understanding and loyal wife, Jodi.

I remember when the last record I wrote for the Bruisers came out in ’96 (Up In Flames) I sat and looked at the lyrics insert in the cd packaging and thought “Wow, I really gave away too much on this one”. I realized then that I was baring so much, probably too much and giving anyone who cares to listen a 20:20 view into my inner workings, self doubts, needs and desires, prurient and otherwise. I regretted it for about 5 minutes before realizing that if I wasn’t completely honest in the lyrics I wrote that I wouldn’t be worth a damn as a songwriter. I swallowed my pride and my need to keep up appearances and just went with it, damn the torpedoes I guess… and that’s what I still try to do. Everything I write is for real, for better or worse. It might be too revealing, it might not even be interesting to anyone else other than me since it is so personal, but it’s what works for me.

BKH: Your songwriting is distinctley "adult" for lack of a better term. I just don't see a 20-something being able to write with such ethos; mainly due to lack of life experience. How is the band doing with the younger crowd? Have you played any all ages shows recently? How was the attendence?

Jeff: We’ve done a few all ages shows, and while we might not have the singalong choruses of some bands we’ve had a great time and sold a lot of cd’s to the younger kids so I guess there is your proof that they’re into it. We had a great night at the Roxy with Street Dogs, Darkbuster and Jason Bennett and sold more cd’s and shirts in one night than we normally do in 10 shows. We just played last weekend with Darkbuster and Far From Finished at another all ages show in Nashua,NH where the kids were crowd surfing to our set. That’s a first for us. So yeah, I would say it’s a work in progress but it’s going well so far.

I remember being a teenager and going to see the Circle Jerks at Brandeis one night. Moving Targets had just released “Burning in Water” and were opening the show. I had only seen their name on flyers to that point but was really taken in by their songs. They were intelligent, rocked hard and had great dynamics. I bought a cassette from Kenny after the show and have been a fan of theirs ever since. That example shows me that young kids can appreciate something different, even if they are at a show to see something they’re familiar with. I guess that’s the whole reason why bands like ours look to get on bills like these in the first place.

BKH: Because this story really blows me away, care to give the readers a little background into "Green River"?

Jeff: Yeah, that’s a song I’ve been trying to write for literally 20 years. I’ve probably said too much elsewhere about the people involved, and I don’t want to open them up to any more pain that I already have by getting into too much of the background, so I’ll just stick to the story of the song itself. Suffice it to say that the girl who is the subject of the story was close to me a long time ago. She had moved out west to Seattle in the late 80’s and we lost track of her. After about 6 months of using a private investigator her only living relative got the news that she had been raped, murdered and left exposed in the Green River. She was not a victim of the notorious “Green River Killer”, but her murderer has never been identified so I can’t say any more about who may or may not have done it.

When we found out what had happened to her I never even considered that it might be a suitable subject for a song, I thought it was too personal and tragic to cheapen by using it that way. But over time I wrote more and more in my own notebooks about her, about my imagined version of that night, of her choices and what could have led her to that ending. I kept going back to it, year after year and eventually realized that it might be alright if I tried to tell her story, to memorialize her I guess. I’m still not completely sure it’s appropriate, that maybe I’m just one more person taking advantage of her. I hope not, I really do.

BKH: There is a lot more to you than the music; you're a family man: husband, father, dog owner. It must be tough to balance music and a family, do you have any plans to tour with Death and Taxes should the right opportunity come along or are you at the stage in life where the music is for you and as long as you get to make it and play it you are happy?

Jeff: We’re at the point as a group where small, targeted tours are necessary and possible. We won’t be out on the road for long stretches of time because frankly we can’t afford it, but we can certainly do a week here or 10 days there.

BKH: Getting back to the music I still have a hard time connecting your Bruisers' guitar playing with the Death and Taxes playing - not that you weren't good with the Bruisers but you are now what I would term "great." When did the change happen or have you even noticed?

Jeff: Great is a strong word. If you look around just the small scene we’re in there is no shortage of what I think of as really talented guitarists. Some right off the top of my head… Chris DeBarge from The Curses and Lenny & The Piss Poor Boys, Steve Confront, JJ from Downbeat 5, Amy from Raging Teens and Darkbuster… I don’t mean to leave anyone out, I’m sure there are more. But those are some of my personal favorites that all take my head off when I see them play. I remember watching DeBarge go back and forth between pedal steel and Tele at a Middle East gig with Lenny and the Piss Poor Boys (RIP Jon) and just being amazed. I had never seen him in that context and was blown away. Same with Steve Confront, we played a really shitty show with them one night and at the end of the night it was garbage time. He gets on stage half in the bag and proceeds to play the most ripping version of Thin Lizzy’s “Cowboy Song” I’ve ever heard outside of the real thing. He nailed every note and I stood there crying in my beer because I couldn’t even begin to do what he did that night.

I am not a trained guitarist, I know what I know, but I’m very limited to basic rock and blues scales and my style has been called the “lobster claw” method by some friends of mine who actually realize that the pinky on your fret hand is also available and should be utilized from time to time. Thanks for your comments, though. I try to communicate the melody of the song in my playing, keep it raw and effective without wanking too much. When I can do that I’m happy with what I do.

BKH: I asked Mike this and I'll pose a similar question to you. I know you've used some of the Rondo gear and I bring this up because it proves the point that it is the player not the equipment. What is the first guitar you've owned, the favorite guitar you currently own and the favorite guitar you have ever owned (if different)?

Jeff: First was an Aria Pro II CS250, a Japanese bolt-on SG type guitar I bought in a music store in 1984. Since then I’ve done what most guitarists do, buy everything I can possibly afford and some I can’t. The one guitar I’ve owned the longest is my 1993 Gretsch 6120 re-issue that I’ve been using in bands since buying it. It’s not my main guitar these days, but it’s not going anywhere. These days the one guitar I use most in live shows is a Korean-made Hamer Echotone. It’s basically an ES-335 custom knockoff but I’ve put in some good Gibson P90 pickups and installed all new pots, switches and jack as well as a new master volume on the lower bout like the 6120 has and a Gibson-style vibrola. On the recording I used that guitar for leads with the Gretsch as one rhythm guitar and my 1989 Gibson Chet Atkins Country Gentleman as the other. The Gibson is a really great guitar in its own right, might be the best I own. You can hear that one most on “Green River”. I also have a late 80’s Greco Les Paul Custom made in Japan with new Seymour Duncan P90 replacements that I use on stage from time to time. The acoustic on “Green River” is a newer Martin D16 that is one of the best sounding/playing acoustics I’ve ever had my hands on. I recently bought a new D’Angelico New Yorker that is my “old man” guitar that I bought to force myself to learn new styles. We’ll see how that goes…

BKH: How is the CD selling, if you don't mind the question? Nationally the record companies are hurting, you took the approach of allowing fans to preview high quality cuts of your songs rather than letting them hear them in their entirety in a lower quality format. Where do you see the music industry going?

Jeff: It’s been a month since the cd was released and we’ve sold about 110 copies at shows. I know that Newbury Comics had to reorder already and we were up to #20 on Interpunk so I am encouraged. We have good distro with Koch out of NYC so it is in most stores. We’ve had emails from Japan, Thailand, South America, Europe and all over the states from people who have bought it, so it’s definitely getting good distro. We’ll see what happens, but so far so good.

BKH: It's 2008 - care to get political? Who are you predicting as nominees this election? Do you support any of the candidates? And what one issue that the nation faces currently is the deal breaker for you that align you with a candidate?

Politics and music are like whiskey and car keys.

BKH: The Unloved, are you having fun working with Mark Lind? I know in numerous interviews when the Ducky Boys were starting out he pointed to the Bruisers as a main influence, even joking that "No Getting Out" was made up of rejected Bruisers songs...how do you feel about his new album?

Jeff: Absolutely having a blast playing with Mark, Jay and Mike in the Unloved. I really enjoy being able to be a guitarist without having to step up and front the band. It’s a lot less stressful to be honest, and the new recordings we just made for the upcoming record are easily the best I’ve ever heard out of Mark. We just did a video yesterday for one song, “New Years Day Lament” which is a really personal song from Mark. It was fun making the video and I even got to punch Jay in the face a couple times. I wish it had been Mike instead, but you take what you can get, I guess. I think this recording and the songwriting on it are going to cement him as one of the most talented singer/songwriters around. He’s really broken out of just writing for the punk crowd and I can easily see these new songs on the radio, MTV, whatever. They’re THAT good. Can’t wait to release it and see what people think.

BKH: Thank you Jeff for taking the time to talk to us and for your candid responses to our questions. Is there anything you'd like to add? How about some show plugs?

Jeff: Thanks, Tony for the interview and for your positive comments on the new record. Anyone who might not have heard us yet can check out samples on our MySpace page and see our show schedule while you’re there at www.myspace.com/deathntaxesband

Article

2008-01-04T05:18:00.000-08:00

An Interview with Mike Savitkas of Death and Taxes

If you have not had the pleasure of listening to Death and Taxes debut CD "Tattooed Hearts and Broken Promises" you really have missed out on what I believe to be the best local (and possibly national) album of the year in 2007. For those unfamiliar with Death and Taxes their sound is unique, they are doing rock and roll like no one else is right now and I am for once excited about music again. Think gritty rock and roll licks like the Rolling Stones with a gritty, melodious baritone singing lyrics that are as deep and dark as anything put out by Leonard Cohen or Nick Cave. You get a glimpse into life, loss and a bit of triumph in this album and it really grabs you by the balls and says "Listen the fuck up."

One thing that has really struck me about the Death and Taxes debut CD is the musicianship. Upon first listen it is really easy to get lost in the booming vocals and the gritty, yet perfect guitar sounds of Jeff Morris; but to me what really shines about this band is its rhythm section. SteveToland's drumming is perfectly accompanied by the bass of Mike Savitkas who definitely subscribes to the less is more philosophy for the instrument. Boston Knuckleheads was lucky enough to be able to sit down with Mike, someone I have very limited knowledge of his musical history, and talk with him about music, Death and Taxes and 2008.

BKH: Mike, thanks for taking the time to sit down with Boston Knuckleheads. You've had a busy 2007, recording and Tattooed Hearts and Broken Promises with your Death and Taxes band mates Jeff Morris and Steve Toland. Also recording the Compulsive Fuck Up EP as part of the Unloved with Mark Lind and again on the new CD. Another big year planned for 2008?

Mike: Well, first off, Jeff and I contributed to Mark's new upcoming release, "The Truth Can Be Brutal." Neither one of us played on "Compulsive Fuck Up;" that CD was completed just before we first got together to do the now infamous first "Night Before Thanksgiving Fiasco" at TT's in '06. (laughing) Jeff and I did play on three internet only released songs of Mark's that were recorded at 51 Lions in Quincy back over the Summer at some point. Those were "I'll Be Around", "Be Your Man" and an electric version of "On the Outside" which was released acoustically on "CFU". That lineup really turned out to be a lot of fun considering it was originally just a one gig pickup band kind of thing; it was a blast, so we just kept on playing Mark's stuff out. Then Mark offered us the chance to do a CD with him and of course we jumped at the idea. I just recently got a copy of the master for the new Mark Lind & the Unloved CD last night, and I have to tell you I'm very happy with the results. It was quite a thrill for me to be able to have played on that and also on Death & Taxes "Tattooed Hearts & Broken Promises" That recording process (Death & Taxes) was one of the most amazing and gratifying experiences of my life. We all were really "ON" in the studio, and I think the recording really shows that off well. I don't think we left anything on the table with that recording. As for '08, I know we've got a bunch of shows coming up with some great bands. I'm hoping also to work hard at finding an audience for the new D&T material. I really think this stuff has appeal far beyond just the punk audience that has been so great to us thus far. I'm always amazed at the positive reaction we get out there playing.

BKH: Indeed, the Death and Taxes music is far reaching. Honestly that Death and Taxes CD is one of the best I've listened to recently. You guys really do your own thing and have separated yourself musically from most of Boston music - if not national music. How do you guys approach songwriting, I know Jeff does the lyrics, but is it a team effort with the music?

Mike: Hmm. Never really thought about this too hard, but Jeff usually hashes out the lyrics and basic chord structures, and then he might throw out some kind of basic idea about what the drum beat should be like and they he just starts playing. Once in a while he'll even let me know what key it is in first (laughing again)
Seriously, he just starts playing, and I try and form something that doesn't sound awful in there somewhere. Hell, a lot of those bass parts were developed on stage at shows. We'd run through a new song twice at practice on Wednesday , and then be playing it at the show that Friday or Saturday night. So yeah, a team effort. Steve comes up with the greatest little nuanced type stuff too. The guy blows my mind sometimes. There's a lot of "throwing bologna at the wall" to see what sticks musically for me while developing a song.

BKH: How long have you been playing with Jeff? Forgive me for not knowing much about your former bands, I know you played the Bruisers' reunion show and also with your Death and Taxes band mates in the Cadillac Hitmen; beyond that what other bands and/or experience do you have?

Mike: Okay, this might get complicated (laughing again) I knew who Jeff was when we were in high school, but we weren't really friends or anything. We ran in different circles, but I knew who he was. Actually, we played on opposing baseball teams when we were much younger than that. I can remember Jeff coming up to bat, as I was a catcher, and Jeff was as good a hitter as I recall. So yeah, a long friggin' time. We actually started to be friends when our girlfriends at the time were friends. This inevitably lead to guitar talk, since we were both guitar players. Both of us had played with Jay Crowley in the past. I had played with Jay between when I was in the seventh grade and my freshman year of high school. Jeff had played with Jay later on during High School. We both had played with a lot of the same guys around town. The Newburyport Music Scene wasn't very big.

Man, this could get long winded.

BKH: Keep going this is interesting stuff.

Mike: Jeff and I started terrorizing guitar stores together; we'd get together and try out amps, and guitars, and stuff like that, due to the fact that our girlfriends were friends. Well, my girlfriend split, and Jeff married his. This is probably in the late 80's. Anyway, we were friends but I had given up playing in bands in high school. I'd go to Bruisers shows sometimes and check out what Jeff was doing. We'd hang out , and Jeff would run these guitar parts past me that eventually evolved into The Cadillac Hitmen.

I'd give those guys a hand with stuff, because I liked being around the music deal, but didn't really feel like playing in a band. I'd get brought up on stage once in a while to play with those guys, and did actually play bass for one show where Tina couldn't make it due to an injury. I helped out with sound, and various other b.s. It was fun stuff.

Then at some point Jay Crowley managed to shame me into playing a set with him with his band; playing guitar that was. Jay's a fantastic player, and an old friend and it was a lot of fun. We hadn't payed together in 12 years at that point, and it felt like not a minute had gone by. It was old hat and fun. Well, Jay managed to convince me to play a few shows with him here and there on guitar, then one day, after not hearing from him in a while, he springs the idea of me playing bass for his "Blues band." It was really down and dirty, authentic sounding stuff. Not that cheesy white boy blues stuff that was so prevalent at the time. I kind of did it reluctantly. Yeah I had a bass, and had played bass in a band back in high school but I was more a guitar player in my mind. I said what the hell, and that got me playing again. That was really one bad ass Blues band and it kind of primed me for what was coming next.

Jeff had a gig with The Hitmen that Robert and Tina couldn't do, so the idea was floated for me to join up with Steve and Jeff, and do a 3 piece instrumental thing. The show was July 4th, and Jeff asked me if I was interested in doing this at 10 p.m. on July 2nd. HA! He emailed me a list of 33 songs to learn by the Fourth. No practice. Baptism by fire as they say. Well, somehow we pulled that deal off, having never really played in that configuration, and it was decided that maybe this would be a fun side project for those guys, and Jay had just moved to California so I was doing nothing.

That lineup became the Zuni Fetish Experiment which pushed the avante guard instrumental thing pretty far out there. It was a lot more improv-based on an existing theme, kind of like the old Jazz guys would do, only in a Power Trio Rock format. I like the Hendrix meets Miles Davis analogy. We did that for a while, and at some point during that Jeff asked me if I could give him a hand with another project.

Enter The Bruisers connection. Jeff asked if I could help out playing bass until they settled in on a lineup for The Bruisers' Reunion show. I went in as a "temp". at some point Al and Jeff asked me if I wanted to stay on because the feel was so good. That was a pretty big deal and I sure as hell wasn't going to turn that down.

That pretty much covers my stuff up until the beginning of D&T. There were quite a few years in there where I wasn't interested in playing in a band. I kind of got dragged back into it again (laughing) I'm glad I was though.

Shit, that was pretty long! Sorry.

BKH: That was great Mike, I'm sure the people who read the Knucklehead blog will love it. Mark Lind recently said of you, "I honestly think Mike is the best bass player I've ever seen or heard. No bullshit. Everything he plays is perfect. Never overdoes it but never leaves a stone unturned. And he isn't playing like a frustrated guitar player EVEN THOUGH he is still 100 times the guitar player I'll ever be and even rivals Maestro on occasion. Lots of taste and that's what makes good bass playing." I have to admit, your playing on Tattooed Hearts is phenomenal. Are you self taught? Lessons? I have heard you can not read tablature but read music, so I am assuming you've had some formal training.

Mike: I have a disclaimer - I can read music but haven't for well over 20 years now. I also never could read music as it applied to guitar or bass. I'll try and explain and be brief.

I started playing music when I could reach the keys on my dad's piano at about age 4ish. I had some formal training with piano and saxophone as a kid. I could read pretty well when it came to sax. I picked up a guitar for the first time around age 8. Started playing seriously around the seventh grade, and got some lessons that taught me the basic chords, and a bunch of songs. All chord stuff, not reading actual written music as it applies to guitar. I got a cheap-o Spiegel Catalog used bass in the eighth grade, and managed to get myself a used Fender Precision around the ninth grade. I am completely self taught at bass and mostly self taught with guitar, beyond the basic chordal stuff. I play by ear. I have no idea what notes are on the fretboard past the E and A stings beyond the seventh fret. I just don't care what they are. I just pick the ones that sound right.

Tab is a mess. It's all upside down and stuff. Makes no sense to me.

BKH: Do you have a favorite bass to play? I know you're a big supporter of Rondo musics' gear.

Mike: Oh yeah, I love Rondo's stuff. A little bit of tweaking and those things can really smoke for short short money. Really well built and with a couple of upgrades can rival stuff that cost many many times more. The blue P-bass copy that I play out most of the time is an SX bass from Rondo. That's kind of my main "workhorse" these days, although I do have a few others. Another SX P bass copy, that I got for $75 with a gig bag used, an Epiphone Jack Cassady Signature bass, and a Bacchus single coil P-style bass. That one (the Bacchus) is a Japan market only, hand-made bass and is awesome. I do play the Blue SX the most though. That thing just rocks like crazy. My favorite will always be "Mary Anne" though. That's the old worn looking Fender Precision that I still will drag out to a show now and then. That one kind of went into semi-retirement after The Bruisers reunion show. That was my main and only bass for a good long time and will always be my favorite. We have a long history together, and she's the one that brought me to the dance so to speak. That's the bass that's on all the studio stuff.

BKH: Do you have a favorite track to play of the new CD?

Mike: Let's see... (thinking)... to play....I guess I like the bass line in "Hold On" . That's a fun one to play. Nothing real fancy. There's just something I like about that one. I love to listen to the tile track "Tattooed Hearts & Broken Promises" but it's my least favorite to play live.

BKH: Mike, I really want to thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Do you have anything you want to add?

Mike: Yes, I should probably go get a hockey helmet, because Jeff is going to smack me upside the head for being so long winded. (Laughing) As my mom would say, "Michael, when someone asks you what time it is, don't tell how to build a watch" Words to live by.

BKH: How about a plug for your next show before you go? I've also heard you'll be on the Hometown Throw Up this year opening for Darkbuster.

Mike: Yup, that one's on the weekend of my birthday. The (edited) anniversary of my 23rd birthday. Can't wait. We're playing with Darkbuster, Far From Finshes , Energy, and the 86'ed in Nashua N.H. tommorow night (Friday January 4th), and I can't remember any of the other ones. I have to go check on line to figure out where I'm supposed to be (laughing agian) Thanks Tony, and everyone else for the interst in the band. It's been great getting out there and playing this stuff.

I can't emphasize enough how impressed I am with Death and Taxes, and strongly encourage anyone who loves music, especially rock and roll, to pick up this CD. Tattooed Hearts and Broken Promises is available through I Scream records online and at Newbury Comics stores. For more information, tour dates and music samples please visit the band's myspace page at :

http://www.myspace.com/deathntaxesband

Poetry

2007-12-29T00:47:00.000-08:00

I Went Tonight

I went tonight

To see young punk bands

and came through the late, slushy March snow

To see the young grafiti/hip-hop artists

creating a mural across the street at the local YMCA

& my old friend

Yeah, the same age as me

old, as I've known him awhile

old, as we're both middle-aged

he's feeling a bit bored with life and it all

& I'm thinking

The vitality of the young ones are keeping me feeling young

& I'm thinking

I'd rather hang with these

than retire with my own

into their caves

into their adult responsibilities

I never eally believed it before tonight

age was just a number

a state of mind

Now, I've learned something

Latest Commentary

2007-12-18T15:54:00.000-08:00

Complain, Complain, Complain

I was going to complain about a couple things that happened at work today, but instead I'm going to relay a magical embarrassing incident that happened to me while I was in college. This is a true story.

On a crisp Fall afternoon, I geared up to exit Ryder Hall at Northeastern University after class and I prepared myself for the lovely experience that always ensues when one takes the Orange Line out of Ruggles station. I gazed up at the clock and smiled as my fellow students also triumplantly gathered their belongings in a rush to scoot out the door. Afternoon classes had finished and everyone was psyched. Before I made my way to Ruggles station, I decided that I better stop and use the can. I can't stand the feeling of having to pee and not being able to do anything about it. I entered the girls bathroom on the first floor of Ryder Hall and unfortunately had to wait for there were about 3 other girls ahead of me in line. Surprise surprise. After impatiently waiting for several minutes while listenting to the three clucking hens talk about he said she said bullshit, I quickly ran into the stall, did my business in one swoop, pulled my jeans up in a huff, exited the stall, washed my hands, and abruptly left the restroom. Feeling on top of the world after that...I proceeded out the doors of Ryder Hall and strolled over to Ruggles station. Now mind you...I was wearing jeans, a belly shirt, and my big black minnie mouse shoes (for those of you who know me, you know the shoes)...I LOVE those shoes. Sure they make me about 6'1...but I absolutely adore them. They're my power shoes...I feel good when I wear them. But considering that this is Northeastern University, I stuck out like a sore thumb next to all the Abercrombie jocks and American Eagle ho's. So I walked my bum over to Ruggles feeling like a sexy beast in my cool outfit. I waited for the train...got on the train...and took it all the way to Wellington where my car was parked in the garage. Wellington is QUITE the place! Well not really...but you used to have to take this mechanical tram over to the parking garage. They recently got rid of the tram because it was a big pain in the ass to upkeep and it kept breaking. Regardless...I pressed the button to call the tram to come over from the parking garage to pick me up. I stood there waiting patiently with one other guy....he was rather clean cut...maybe in his 40's...he looked like he left work early or something (by this point it was about 3 pm). The tram comes...the nightmare begins.

The two of us entered the tram and the doors closed. I stood despite there being available seats because the ride over to the parking garage is literally 1 minute long. The other man stood as well. All of the sudden...he says:"Um...I don't know how to tell you this, it's kind of embarrassing..." My cheeks turned red...was he speaking to me? "You have...something hanging out the back...there..." His stubby finger pointed gingerly toward my nether-region. To my horror...I pulled a trail of toilet paper about 2 feet long out of the butt of my jeans...out of my Hanes underwear...out of...my asscrack. My heart leapt up into my throat. Had I not just so confidently strutted my stuff from Ryder Hall to Ruggles to Wellington with a 2 foot piece of dangly toilet paper trailing from my butt??? Had I seriously done that?? I HAD!! And this poor soul told me. I don't know what would be worse...if he hadn't of told me...or the fact that he DID!At that point, the embarrassment set in so badly that tears formed in my eyeballs...and I utilized the empty seat. In a matter of 15 seconds...I had gone from Queenie to TP Trailer! I held that balled up piece of toilet paper in my little sweaty hand and prayed that the guy wouldn't look me in the eye again. The tram stopped...I stormed out...and threw that piece of ass toilet paper on the ground. Take that!I guess the moral of the story is...whenever you think you're hot shit...I've got a news flash for you...you probably aren't.

HAHA Reprinted by the kind permission of Cindy Lou Spoiler

Poetry

2007-12-15T00:44:00.000-08:00

Fitting In

Fitting into the boxes

That society asks you to check off

Don't realize that these boxes were created

By those who desired and therefore made new ones, 'cause none existed

Now ripped off, acclaimed & museumed

While the spirit of youth boils over & causes a mess

on the neat, suburban, linen cloth, dinnerware ideals of the dull

Youth, truth, love

it will always disturb

cause problems, and you'll always co-op, corrupt it

But the truth and beauty

will shine

beyond your vacant money dreams

your empires and enterprises

your corrupt, diseased, desires will not live on

But the truth, the lust, the passion, the fun

will piss on your accomplishments

and show how vapid and meaningless

they really are

Like they really had to

Yeah, purchase your cheap, overpriced luxury

It's what you deserve, by all means

You deserve the best

Article

2007-12-11T15:21:00.000-08:00

Getting Church
An Interview with Nick Blakey
by Eric Doberman
Photo by Chris Keene

Church, Boston’s newest rock club, sits in the shadow of Fenway Park and the Medical District on the corner of two nondescript streets called Kilmarnock and Queensbury.

It is diagonally across from the plot where Jumping Jack Flash, the first nightclub I ever attended as an “adult” (according to a fake ID), once stood.

I had been to many all ages shows of course, but club shows are a whole different animal and I would soon learn that at Flash, as it was called. For me that summer night in 1985 marked the beginning of a long and often bizarre journey through the world of nightlife.

Along the way I met Nick Blakey, back in the mid 1990s when I was doing house sound at T.T. the Bears in Cambridge and he was playing in a band called Pretty Flowers. Those were wet days for me, and he recalls a conversation we had better than I, but I still remembered him fondly the next time we got to chat a good decade later. This time around it was he who was working at a club and I who was playing and I remember the conversation clearly. We were talking about the soon to be opened club Church where he would be assuming the role of what he likes to refer to as “booker”.

As the impressive, medium capacity venue got off the ground I decided to continue the discussion in interview form. Here is Nick Blakey in his own words.

BKH: Could you describe your first experience as a patron of a nightclub?
Nick: This would be late 1986 when I was 12 and seeing Chris Isaak and Silvertone with my mother at The Design Centre in San Francisco.

The Design Centre was not a nightclub per say but hosted rock shows from time to time (American Music Club played there around the same time as well, though I sadly did not see them then). My mother was a big fan, as was I and still am (particularly his first album, Silvertone, engineered beautifully by Tom Mallon). I was a bit precocious as a child and I hung around a lot in local record stores, saving up my milk money to buy records (mostly Beatles related at that time). I got to know one clerk by the name of Roy Loney, who I just knew as a cool guy and had no idea then of his significance as a founding member of The Flamin' Groovies.

Anyhow, Kenny, Chris Isaak's drummer, had played with Roy so when we entered the Design Centre I spotted Kenny leaning against a rail and asked him if he was Chris Isaak's drummer. When he said yes, I told him I knew Roy Loney and that he said hello and the conversation went from there. Kenny was very gracious and even asked my mother for a date (which she sadly turned down). After the show, Kenny took me back stage and introduced me to the band and got me their autographs. I remember in particular Chris was very tired and sweaty but very funny and kind.

As to the performance, I thought it was pretty cool that it wasn't overtly loud. I was also quite fascinated by Jimmy Wilsey's constant swapping of guitars, and I asked the soundguy why he was doing that and he told me that one had effects and one didn't. He was cool, and didn't give me any of that "get away kid, you're botherin' me" shit.

For the encore, Chris came out with a squeezebox strapped to his chest and announcing the song as one that he and Jimmy knew from their childhood. The entire audience erupted, and people took to dancing on the stage, so much to the point where the song couldn't really be heard save for the drums. I know I thought that the whole thing was pretty cool.

BKH: How did Church come about, and how did you come to be its talent buyer?
Nick: The first part of the question is best answered by Church's owners, Kristian Deyesso and Chris Tocchio. It is 100% their concept and baby. Me I just book the music and DJ's. I have always wanted to be the booker at a club. I've been booking and brokering shows independently since 1995 in the Boston area and handled most of the bookings that The Takers, a band I was in 2000-2002, did. Kristian was a good friend of our drummer Chris Keene and used to come and see us play a lot. When Church was being set up, Chris built the new sound system and when Kristian and Chris asked about who he thought would be a good booker for Church, he graciously suggested me. "Talent Buyer" sounds so too Hollywood Boulevard to my ears, so I just go by booker.

BKH: You’re a musician yourself. Tell me about some of the bands you’ve been involved with in that capacity.
Nick: I'm currently the bass player of The In Out having rejoined the group last September after leaving the band back in the Summer of 2000 (to join The Takers as bass player). I had initially joined The In Out in Spring of 1998 as their drummer (I have played both bass and drums since I was a teen).

Prior to this I served as Peter Prescott's bass player for the last two Kustomized gigs in 1996 and the first two years of The Peer Group 1996-98. Before then I was in a number of bands that revolved around a core crew of myself, Ron Gittens, and Tim Morse (Tim is now the drummer in The In Out). Some of the groups had nasty names just for the sake of having nasty names, but the better known ones were Pretty Flowers (whose first gig was playing with The In Out at TT's with sound being done by a certain Mr. Doberman) and Black Arkatechs.

Some of my rewarding and/or educational experiences came with my serving as a substitute player in Black Helicopter (one gig as drummer), Cul de Sac (one gig as bass player), and The Nightingales (one tour as bass player).

BKH: What is your philosophy of putting together and presenting shows?
Nick: Pure eclecticism and balance, perhaps? Make things interesting but keep things right. Leave both the bands and the audience happy, though know that you can't please all of the people all of the time no matter what you do. Be upfront and honest, practice clear communication. Know that whoever goes up the ladder will eventually come down it. I think that would be it in a nutshell.

I learned a lot about how I didn't think things should go show-wise in my initial years playing around Boston 1996-98. Frankly I think things are better for bands in the Boston area now than they were then, though the audiences have changed. However, there seems to be less competition in this city and more of a sense of both the clubs and the bands working together towards a more common goal of great shows overall rather than working against each other.

I also like to be pro-active and go in pursuit of bands rather than letting them come to me. Being pro-active paid off a lot when I worked in the liquor industry so my application of that philosophy to the booking side of things has at least birthed some interesting shows.

Along these lines as well, so many times you hear a band and go "Wow, they should really play with…" I like to make those kind of things happen rather than merely think about it. John Powhida of The Rudds always told me how much he loved The Upper Crust and how he'd never played with them, so that is part of the reason The Rudds and The Upper Crust are on the same bill together at Church New Year's Eve.

BKH: I’m curious as to any demographic and economic changes have you observed in club land over the past ten years. Could you discuss this?
Nick: I take the fifth on this one as things seem to be ever-changing still.

BKH: What have you found to be the biggest challenge in your work thus far? How have you coped with it?
Nick: Filtering and predicting how some shows will do. A couple of shows I thought would be sure things turned out not so well owing to a variety of reasons. That theoretical roulette wheel that can be spun some times when it comes to live shows can be damn frustrating, but the thing to do is to learn from it and put that into practice.

BKH: I’m a big fan of your practice of ending shows by one so that people who want to stay until last call can hang out. How did you come up with it?
Nick: I've missed too many shows and bands that I wanted to see simply because there was no way I would be able to see the bands I wanted to without having to shell out an extra $20 which I didn't really have for a cab ride home. So part of this was based on wanting to make it so folks could catch the T home or at least have an option.

I also played a lot of shows where the last note would be hit and the clubs would basically say "Thank you...now get the fuck out". Most bands like to ease off the stage after their shows, meet the fans, thank their friends, sell merch, and generally mosey on out rather than feel like they are being kicked out. It tends to cut down on equipment being left behind or bad feelings being formed. Also, the hour between 1 and 2 AM after a show seems to be when some of the most interesting and/or funny stuff goes down.

BKH: Tell me about the most hilarious thing that’s happened at Church to date.
Nick: Definitely ask our bartender Matt or bar manager Adam about this. They've seen more stuff in the post-midnight hours already in just the nearly six weeks we've been open than most folks see in their entire lives.

BKH: How does Church’s proximity to Fenway Park affect your work?
Nick: We're still looking at that aspect. Don't get me started on this.

BKH: Lastly do you have any specific goals regarding Church for 2008 or any big shows on the horizon people should be aware of?
Nick: Goals would be to just keep things going at a steady and strong pace and keep the shows cool and interesting. I would really love it if folks just started showing up because they felt the music was good, regardless if it was metal, rock, punk, cabaret, or avant garde, and worth seeing. I'd love to host a Zulus or DMZ reunion, the eventual live re-appearance of Certainly, Sir, John Cale, Tuxedomoon, The Fall, Bob Welch, Harvey Sid Fisher, and many more that reside on my wish list.

We've got some cool stuff coming up, including NY multi instrumentalist and artist/inventor Brian Dewan with The Army of Broken Toys on 12/22, a Lars Vegas reunion on 12/27, The Upper Crust plus the return of The Rudds and TRiPLE THiCK on New Year's Eve. Coming up in 2008 we've got Cheap Time from Nashville on 1/6, Eugene Robinson of Oxbow doing spoken word on 1/14, the vintage psychedelic band The Maypole on 2/15, two nights of The Figgs on 2/29 and 3/1, and the A.C. 20th Anniversary Show in May. We keep the Church MySpace site as up to date as possible so tune in there for more.

CD Review

2007-12-10T12:41:00.000-08:00

Burial - Untrue (Hyperdub)

A friend ripped me a copy of this CD recently and I had no idea who Burial was prior. After listening I'm intrigued to learn more, but as I'm finding out, not many people know who this guy is.

This album is downright eerie, but in a good way. Dark beats which come off sounding mechanical and simplistic combine with deep textured bass and keyboard patterns to form a melancholy back drop for the manipulated vocal samples that are often soaked in reverb and delays. There's also a constant record crackle throughout the album which pretty much ties it all together.

Burial uses the vocal samples more as an instrument and less as a "lyric" in standard song structure. There are no verses or choruses in these tracks, which makes the album have more of an instrumental feel. But that's not to say there is no meaning in the few words that are present. In fact, he says very little in order to say a lot. Take the album's title song "Untrue", with the lone vocal being "The pain I feel inside, and its all because you lied".

Pain and anguish is the common theme I get from this disc which is rare to find in UK club music. To read an interview with Burial from the UK's Guardian, he explains how he would wait for nightfall or summer to end in order to work on the album. He said he enjoyed working on it while knowing everyone else was asleep. The music and its mood reflect this notion throughout. If you're into darker underground UK club music, this is a great album for you. It reminds me of early Tricky, The Baby Namboos, or even The Streets. I'm not sure where in the States you can find it in CD form, but is available through i-tunes.

Poetry

2007-12-03T02:20:00.000-08:00

Poem for the Holidays

Reject from a toy factory

My friend Andy liked to say

And as Christmas rounds the corner

Presents!

And I think of the underground rock scene

How I think of them as

The Island of Misfit Toys

Another Xmas reference

Rejects, misfits

Square pegs in round holes

Seems to be what we seem to be

Finding a common passion

A freedom from judgment and compromise bind us together

We’re rejects

Unwanted, unneeded

Rejected, passed on

But it’s from a toy factory

That’s what life is-so should we really care?

We’re privileged to have the guts

To attempt our own way

And I find myself blessed

To be amongst

The most retched, disgraced, scarred

Beautiful souls

I’ve known

Commentary

2007-11-29T20:25:00.000-08:00

A Shot At Life

Set me up, set me up with another shot and beer. A shot to symbolize what you have to take that's bitter in life and and a beer to soothe out the aftermath, what eases you out of the pain. I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay, like Otis Redding sang about one time and he didn't know that was the last bay he'd be sitting on, he was dead in a plane crash weeks later. But I'm drinking my beer after the shot. Just watching the tide, the water comes in and sweeps what else away? Sweeps the human deluge back out to sea. And it reminds me of the people who've been swept away by the tides of life and don't exist anymore and don't get to look, to see and be, and they're swept out of life, swept out to sea.

My best friend, Jim, same name as mine, same as me and he's swept put into eternity with liver cancer at 38. There's no rhyme or reason, is there? Steve dead at 28, heart attack, and cancer taking Andy's friend, swept out to sea, also, to eternity. All our friends, all our lives, it's not destiny just random horseshoes or a game of marbles-that's what I think. All our loves, our women or men in our lives, that at one time meant so much to us, that we couldn't believe we could breathe one more second without them and they're swept out, swept out to sea. And we're left with memories and thoughts of where they might be.

Bonnie, I'm sure you're not a nymphomaniac anymore, I just wonder how many children you have and if you're happy. Marie, did you kick your habit? I'm hoping you did and you're in suburban bliss as it is. Debbie C. from San Diego, I'm sure you're okay, strange our paths met this way. Lonnie, hope you' re alive, though it wouldn't surprise me if you ain't, take care, brother.I could name all the girls, all the guys, whom I hope aren't dead and are living in peace. "Looks like nothings gonna change, everything still remains the same." But everything changes. Just our perception of life stays the same when we're still in past times that can't move on because we don't see or live there anymore.

Set me up, set me one more shot, set me one more beer. And I'll drink them to the friends and lovers who've escaped my grasp and who are flourishing or in decay and I'll wonder what could've happened and let life go.
(Slimedog)

Latest News

2007-11-29T16:03:00.000-08:00

Tickets for The Jeanne Benefits, featuring Buffalo Tom, The Shods and Gravel Pit on Sale Now

Tickets are now on sale for the December benefits for Jeanne from TTs.

All shows are at TTs and 18+. The Outlets show is $10, all others are $15.

Thursday 12/6 featuring The Outlets

Friday 12/21 featuring The Shods and The Pills

Friday 12/28 featuring The Gravel Pit

Saturday 12/29 featuring Buffalo Tom

Latest Music Commentary

2007-11-23T07:06:00.000-08:00

The Overbooking Problem

I recently noticed, after conferring with various club colleagues, that a number of 'established' acts, some going back nearly 30 years, idiotically persist in trying to play out as many as four times a month in the various core area venues as if Boston was some megalopolis like New York.

It is not. It is a second string city and this practice is utterly self defeating. They piss off booking agents, burn out audiences and enter into a kind of doom spiral.

It is deceitful to pull this stunt on the Booker and increasingly dumb as a booker can just glance at your myspace schedule and go..."Oh.. Numbnuts and the Rusty Trombones are playing across the river TWO DAYS before they are supposed to be at my tinsel palace.... fuckheads."

Then consider the audience. They are your friends, right? When you pull this it is like saying you're so bitchin' that they should cough up 50 bucks several times a month of their hard earned money to see you trudge through the same fawking set list they probably already know by heart. Why not just pick their pockets and be done with it?

Boston looms large in the minds of its bands. But only around a half million people live here and the vast majority are yuppies, high rollers, trust fund brats and busy students who have lives and can't be expected to give a rats ass about you.

And yet, out beyond, in the vast doughnut defined by 495 and 128 are FOUR MILLION people living dull lives in drab burbs WITH VERY LITTLE TO DO!

There are gin mills scattered throughout the doughnut and many are likely to actually be excited by bands from the 'big city'. There are cool old mill towns like Lowell that have little scenes where you can play. There is a compact 6 state region out there with fairly short drive times compared with the West Coast.

The younger 'kid' bands are a different story. You are in the early stages of your audience growth and usually get out more as opening acts piggy backed on some bigger bill and you serve a useful role. Once you get 40+ people showing up you can kick back.

Basically less is more or to reshape an old Dan Hicks lyric,'How can they miss you when you won't go away?"

News

2007-11-22T09:35:00.000-08:00

MFD Booking to Partner
with The Cantab Lounge

Effective immediately MFD Booking, Martin Doyle's agency, will be partnering with The Cantab Lounge in Cambridge.

Martin and company will be working with Mickey Bliss, who recently moved his long-standing weekend series Club Bohemia to the Central Square venue following the closing of The Kirkland Cafe in Somerville.

Doyle says he is hopeful that, among other positive changes, all ages matinees can be added to the 110 capacity basement room on Saturday and/or Sunday afternoons.

Latest Show Review

2007-11-22T05:41:00.000-08:00

Americana Romantic
TT The Bears
Cambridge, MA
11/21/07

Last night I had the chance to catch Americana Romantic, the latest musical outlet from Boston area vet Paul Russo.

For those of you as unfamiliar with Russo as I was, up until about 20 minutes ago, Paul was a member of the Maine-based outfit The Pinkerton Thugs, as well as a "double-agent" so to speak, doing time in The Unseen during much of his time with the Thugs as well.

Knowing that much going in to the show, I was met with something that clashed greatly with what I was anticipating.

Russo's latest foray delves deeper into the folk styles touched upon with The Pinkerton Thugs, with a tasteful touch of the indie-style rock that has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. Other songs demonstrate a more rock 'n roll driven style that fans of the Thugs work may enjoy. A highlight of Russo's style that my brother and I both noted was his impeccable harmonies with his backup singer (AR was performing for the evening as an acoustic duo).

While not readily catered for fans of The Unseen and The Pinkerton Thugs to transition into, fans with a broad range of musical tastes looking for a fresh take on a popular trick will be pleasantly surprised with this outfit. According to his Myspace page, Paul is currently back on the east coast, and gearing up to begin playing out regularly in Boston and the surrounding area.

For more info on Americana Romantic, and the chance to sample some of this music, check the band out here.

CD Review

2007-11-21T07:30:00.000-08:00

Mando Diao - Ode to Ochrasy (EMI/Majesty)

Mando Diao's Ode to Ochrasy (2006) is the third album release from this 5-piece Swedish band. The disc has 14 tracks of up-tempo British rock almost from another era (think Beatles, Kinks etc.) and it also has a hint of today's indie rock sound heard from The Bravery or The Hives. I was drawn to this band after seeing them in a DirectTV exclusive for the 2007 SWSX festival, and was particularly drawn to the bottom-end of the bass and drum players who held a tight danceable and cool ryhthm to the songs.

I was hoping this live taste would translate on the album as well and it does very nicely. Lyrically the album is dense in pop-culture with the opening track a humorous nod to ice-hockey great Luc Robitaille (Welcom Home Luc Robitaile). Other signs of the times include the songs Killer Kaczynski, Amsterdam, and TV & Me. The songs are crafted with tongue-in-cheek wit which sneaks up on you as the pace of the tracks and musicianship hook you in before you realize whats been said in the lyrics. Bjorn Dixgard delivers the vocals cleanly and intense when applicable, and the background harmonies are masterfully done. My only criticism of the disc is the production. It appears the singer Bjorn also produced it, and I wonder if an unbiased set of ears would have helped the album sonically. It seems a bit compressed and muddied in spots that seem should be clear and layered.

Overall I love the album though and it's been stuck in my car for the last week.

News

2007-11-19T16:58:00.000-08:00

Boston Club Sacks Soundman Over White Supremacist Comments

According to the Basstown Blog a Harpers Ferry soundman was fired for white supremacist comments he made to people associated with a hip-hop show this past Tuesday at the Allston club.

From the Basstown Blog:

"I just got off the phone with Regan and his DJ, Antimc (Matt Alsberg), to get the full story. Regan left the venue after load-in to have dinner with a Boston friend over at Grasshopper, leaving Matt to deal with the sound guy and setting up on stage.

"After answering a few questions to the sound guy about their setup, 'we need two DI-boxes, two mics, etc.' the sound guy commented 'that's why you need a white guy in your crew.'

"Matt, baffled at the absurdity of the comment, asked the sound guy to repeat himself, to which he replied by not only repeating the comment, but going on to say, 'you know, we hired 6 [mumbled racist slur] in the past few months and they're all outta here!' Matt immediately ran to Harpers' green room and talked to Regan on the phone, who after hearing the story called his booking agent who in turn called the manager of the club. "

The band wound up walking, and the soundman was first suspended and then fired.

The General Manager from Harpers Ferry then posted this apology:

We as a club are completely baffled and shocked by the events that unfolded Tuesday evening. We have a zero tolerance policy for such things.

The staff member in question was suspended indefinitely on the spot and was let go the next day after we gathered all the information.

It's a sad situation and one that we hope will ever happen again here at Harpers Ferry.

My fullest apologies to you and hope that you do not think of this as a mark on our reputation as we try to bring you the best entertainment possible. As a show of good faith and I would like to invite you any show we have on our calendar free of charge with a guest.

My apologies

Please respond so that I do know that you got this email.

Andrew Wolan
GM/General Manager
Harpers Ferry

CD Review

2007-11-19T15:38:00.000-08:00

Death and Taxes - Tattooed Hearts & Broken Promises (I Scream)

So I just got to sit down and listen to the entire Death and Taxes record, (while doing boring stuff with data at work). The record is just so solid it's incredible. It's 42 minutes and 31 seconds of honest, heartfelt lyrics, a solid rhythm section and my favorite guitar player playing some of the best simple catchy riffs that I've ever heard. Before I had the record I thought quite a bit about how catchy some of the riffs are on the record, the guitar line from Tattooed Hearts (and Broken Promises) for example, is something that I feel like I can't even pick up a guitar without playing cause its unusually stuck in my head. Even the solos are great and capture the feeling of the song without being boring or noodley. I think its a really rare talent to be able to play the shit out of a guitar but to also have the sense and taste to know what fits the part and not overplay it. Mike and Steve are an incredibly good rhythm section and the drums and bass are perfect on every song, again tasteful bass lines and fills that fit the song perfectly. Jeff's ability to tell a story through a song is incredible. I really feel like this record raises the bar on what bands around hear can and should be doing. There's a level of sincerity to these songs that the Boston punk scene is sorely lacking, there's no going through the motions or posturing just raw bare-bones rock and roll the way it should be.

2 CD Reviews

2007-11-18T12:28:00.000-08:00

Bryan McPherson - "Fourteen Stories" (Indecent Music)

I saw this guy play at the Abbey Lounge on a Wednesday night. It was your standard acoustic show: people getting up there and hacking through poorly constructed songs with moments of potential but nothing much more than what you'd expect for a Wednesday night. Until this kid, Bryan McPherson, got up to play. His set was like nothing I've seen in ages. There were moments when I literally got a little misty eyed over the song topics and the honest energy being dumped into them. The only thing that kept popping into my head was the line from Bill Joel's Piano Man that says "man, what are you doing here?". It appeared that every person in the capacity crowd of 15 to 20 bought a CD that night. And while the CD doesn't capture everything you need to know about McPherson's music and the identity/personality that comes across so easily and honestly in the music, it will more than satisfy whatever itch you have now for some sort of new brilliance in town. The high points of the album are "Angel in the Snow" and "Don't Terrorize Me". One listen might classify this CD as being of the singer/songwriter genre but I wouldn't quite call that summary fair. It walks the line between something that everyone might like and something that fans of early Against Me or Two Gallants would die for. McPherson is in a really good position; the world is his oyster and all he really needs to do it play his cards right and he'll have whatever following he wants. And the best news about this record is that some of the highlights of his live set aren't even on this A+ disc so its clear he hasn't blown his musical wad in his first shot like so many bands do. (M. Lind)

Angels & Airwaves - "I Empire" (Suretone/Geffen)

This is the band that the punk rock kids love to hate. And its also the band that this 30 year old man loves. It picks up where the last album left off with songs that sound like some sort of slightly scaled down version of U2's arena rock mixed with lyrics that are too far over the heads of their target audience. It still baffles me that this guy came from Blink 182 and was able to release either this record or their debut. Lyrically he is writing from the point of view of someone in the 28 - 32 age bracket and it doesn't surprise me that the teenagers would find Delonge's lyrics to be pompous and foolish. But I think its more that they don't get it than that he's the fool they'd make him out to be. Sure.... maybe at times it gets a little too bombastic and too big for its britches but no guts, no glory and I think this guy is onto something a hell of a lot bigger than what people are foreseeing. On the local level, their new bass player is former Bostonian, Matt Wachter, who used to play guitar in Strangle Me and even did a few stints sitting in with me and my brother in Sinners & Saints. (M.Lind)

News

2007-11-17T09:11:00.001-08:00

DRAGO News from Winter Street Records

Boston's Drago are back again with their follow up to 2005's '90 Miles From Launch To Target'. 'Bowling With Stalin' is the bands first release on Winter Street Records and much like their debut the band truly wears their influences on their sleeves. Late 80's hardcore in the vein of Judge, Sick Of It All, and Gorilla Biscuits combined with lyrical comedy reminiscent of Southern California Punks The Vandals make Bowling a standout amongst hardcore records in 2007. Recorded At Fallen Angel Studios in May of 2007 "Bowling With Stalin" proves an improvement over 90 Miles while still staying true to the band's initial sound. If you're tired of metalcore and rapcore being passed off as hardcore, Drago's "Bowling With Stalin" will remind you that there is still hope. - Winter Street Records

Available online on Interpunk, iTunes. Also available at Newbury Comics in New England and Reptilian Records in Baltimore.

Latest Comics

2007-11-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

Commentary

2007-11-16T03:47:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Boston Knuckleheads Show and Product Report.