PLAYGROUND BOSTON

28 Degrees Taurus celebrated the release of their third studio album, "All The Stars In Your Eyes," this past weekend at the Middle East

Static of The Gods – “Talk You Down” & “Mean Streak”

28 Degrees Taurus –

“All The Stars In Your Eyes & Turn Me On” - All The Stars In Your Eyes (CD Release)

“Pinnacles & Peaks” & “Single Suicide Mode”

Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling – “Episode 4 – The Chimes of Big Ben”

Banditas – “Virginia”

Static Of The Gods - Photo by Mat Tucciarone

Hats off to Mick Murray of In Your Face Photo for the great videos! See more of his local music footage at his Youtube channel! Thanks to Melodymatters as well for contributing the video for the new 28DT songs, his Youtube channel is can’t-miss viewing for Boston music fans as well!

Static Of The Gods

28 Degrees Taurus

Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling

Banditas

Friday, June 25th – Rosebud Bar

Davis Square will doing some serious rocking tonight, courtesy of the best new venue in town, the Rosebud Diner. Very intimate setting, cheap beer, cool bartenders, aaaaand let’s throw in some wicked facemeltery to top it all off. Cocked n’ Loaded has a serious balls-to-the-walls sound, some good old fashioned rock and fucking roll. They’ll be celebrating the release of their latest album, “Take A Shot,” alongside the bluesy rock insanity of PGB Favorites Mellow Bravo, who picked up Track of the Week honors a few weeks back. Jim Healey, proud owner of the best beard in Boston, and DJ Mook round out the music for the night – don’t miss this show!

Friday, June 25th – Middle East Upstairs

Want to keep it a little more mellow this Friday night? We’ve got you covered for that too! There’s a little more of a pop feel to the show at the Middle East tonight, featuring an excellent and diverse lineup of some incredible local bands! This show features excellent female vocalists in each band, a bit of a change from the testosterone-fest over at the Rosebud! (not that there’s anything wrong with that, just a change of pace!) Psych-pop masterminds 28 Degrees Taurus are releasing their 3rd full-length album, and have recruited some very talented friends to help them celebrate – former Track of the Week honorees Static Of The Gods, minimalist caged rage duo Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, and the lo-fi harmonized sweetness of Banditas! Check out this video of 28 Degrees Taurus taken from a show at TTs earlier this year!

Saturday, June 26th – Great Scott

Looks like a PGB Track of the Week weekend! Yet another honoree, (and PGB Favorites) The Beatings, are supporting local indie rock legends Wheat this Saturday at Great Scott. The Beatings have noise rock down to a science, and have been churning out critically acclaimed records for about a decade now. If you have yet to catch one of their high-energy sets with their infamous 3-pronged vocal attack, this is the perfect opportunity! Also featured on this bill are indie crunchers Foredoes Me Quite and an acoustic set by Joe Touchette III. Check out this Beatings video – yeah the song’s not off their latest album, but its a good song and a cool video… so shaddap and enjoy it!

Thursday, April 29th @ Great Scott

Former WBCN personality, local rocker, and creator of the amazing Quiet Desperation Allston reality sitcom Rob Potylo is putting on his own version of the WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble down at Great Scott this Thursday. He’ll be filming for the 20th episode of his show, giving away prizes, and drumming up support for an initiative to get local radio stations to play more Boston music rather than cookie-cutter-corporate rock. The former Roadsteamer has assembled a great lineup for this event, with performances by his own band, Humanwine, Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, and New York’s King Hell. Great local sponsors + great local rock = a great fuckin’ time!

Friday, April 30th @ TT The Bear’s

This is an unbelievable lineup of some of the best indie rock in town. If you’re a PGB reader, you’ve heard us scream bloody murder about the merits of Aloud and The Lights Out, and how amazing their live sets are. If you’re not familiar with them, click those links and get yourself caught up! They’ll be joined by 2009 BMA Pop Act of the Year winners The Everyday Visuals, easily one of the most critically acclaimed bands in the city. The driving force behind them, singer Christopher Pappas, departs our fair city for the smoggier pastures of LA later this summer, so this may be one of your last chances to see this amazing band! Rounding out the bill is New York powerpop outfit Flying Machines, freshly back from SXSW and a live performance at Rolling Stone HQ. Don’t miss this show!

Saturday, May 1st @ TT The Bear’s

Very cool event happening Saturday at TT’s. Rock photographer extraordinaire (and PGB contributor) Nicole Tammaro will be turning the venue into an art gallery, featuring artwork by local Boston musicians bringing their talents to a new form of media. The night will also feature performances by (in order) Squallie Greenthumb, Paul & The Strings, The Other Girls (local supergroup featuring Andrea Gillis, Linda Khoury, Amy Griffin, Melissa Gibbs, & Michelle Paulhus), Bryan McPherson, and Gene Dante & The Future Starlets. This was an extremely popular event last year, and this year’s rendition promises to be even bigger and better. Support local music and local artists, all wrapped up in the same event!

And don’t forget about our BBC & PGB Presents show, the main event, coming at you Saturday, May 1st from The Hard Rock Cafe… More info coming soon!

Artwork by AKA Stones, exhibiting tonight at the Justbill.net Basement Show - www.akastones.com

Click here to go straight to the video feed!

Tonight, not going out in this awful weather doesn’t mean not being able to catch some great Boston rock bands! Local rock photographer extraordinaire Justbill is hosting a basement show that he’ll be streaming live on the internet! Just head over to his website, www.justbill.net, sometime after 9:30, plug your computer into your stereo speakers, maximize the video feed and prepare to rock out! Local artist AKA Stones will have some of his work exhibited on the walls, videography is being handled by Sooz Media, and the entire event is sponsored by Narragansett – this should be quite an entertaining live show!

Friday, April 9th – 9:30pm Start

Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling

Dead Cats Dead Rats

The Organ Beats

Click here to access the LIVE webcast!

We’ve got a pair of tickets for a sweet local show down at Church next Saturday. On April 3rd, art rock duo Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling will be releasing their debut EP The New Number 2 and have assembled a strong lineup to help them celebrate. The album is the first of a series of EPs with each song inspired by an episode of the 60’s show The Prisoner, an interesting concept that has attracted the attention of press outlets across the country and even in London! They’ll be joined on the bill by innuendo-laced pop rockers Gene Dante and the Future Starlets (best website in Boston rock, by the way!), bizarre and blood-drenched shock rockers Voodoo Screw Machine, synth-driven and oh-so-80’s indie rockers Vostok 4, and New York City’s Corey Tut. To win tickets, all you have to do is send an e-mail to bryan@playgroundboston.com with “DNFMOMD” as the subject and you’ll be automatically entered to win! The winner will be selected one week from today.

21+ / Doors at 7

Church is located at 69 Kilmarnock St. in the Fenway.

Click here to download the first three tracks off of The New Number 2!

Friday, January 29th @ Middle East Upstairs

Mascara might be the closest thing Boston has to a local rock Supergroup (You know, now that the Holidad All-Stars are no more) Chris Mascara is the lead-singer avatar for the Rock Band games, and is doing work with Blue Man Group this year. He’s recruited two of the best and most recognizable musicians in town to help out on his original material, Bo Barringer of MEandJOANCOLLINS, and Matt Traber, one of Sarah Rabdau’s Self-Employed Assassins. Should be a great show, it’ll be the CD Release for the new album Fountain of Tears, as well as a tour kickoff. Also playing are Ho-Ag, Super 400, and Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.

Friday, January 29th @ TT’s

This Friday marks the kickoff of the “Blackbutton Presents” series, an attempt to better bring the local music scene together (We’re always fans of that here at PGB!). The boys of Blackbutton have put together a lineup full of some of their favorite bands in town, and will be offering compilation CDs as giveaways to the first 50 people through the door. These guys put out a LOT of sound for just a 2-man outfit – this past summer we dubbed them the loudest band at the P-Town Festival, up against some stiff competition. Their style is a new twist on the grunge rock you grew up listening to – check them out! Also featured on this bill are Dead Cats Dead Rats, A Wish For Fire, and Left Hand Does.

Saturday, January 30th @ Middle East Upstairs

TAB the Band’s received plenty of coverage on PGB – definitely an act worth catching. Their straightforward, irreverant approach to rock and roll is refreshing in a sea of so many acts taking themselves too seriously. This will be the CD Release party for their newest infectiously catchy offering, Zoo Noises. Make sure to show up in time to catch Trucker Mouth too, these guys have a great bluesy southern style that makes you want to stomp your feet and get down ‘n dirty. They’ll be joined by local rock rising stars Gold Star Morning, and NYC’s Edison.

Saturday, January 30th @ Precinct

Saturday Night at Precinct is chock full of some seriously impressive local talent, a perfect environment for singer/songwriters to show off their chops. Alice Austin is one to watch in the local scene – she’s poised for a trip to SXSW later this month, and its only a matter of time before you won’t be able to catch her in a cozy dark room like Precinct. She’s bluesy, she’s gritty, she’s got a powerful sultry voice that serves as a great accent to her twangy guitar riffs. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I distinctly remember thinking last time I saw her act that there was something undeniably Mike Ness-ish about her – and I certainly don’t say that about just anyone. See for yourself on Saturday, where she’ll be joined by Myra Flynn, Mary Casiello, Jesse McCullagh, and Stereo Soul Future.

All Photos by Pete Legasey

As the vibrator was once used by men to sober us “hysterical” women and our wandering wombs, I imagine a piano or a music lesson was also used as a way to distract and tame us. But, now, in the same way the vibrator has become a great symbol of female sovereignty, sexual empowerment, and self-discovery, so has the power of rock. And if you have any question, consider the carnal force behind Karen O’s vocals on “Bang” from the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s 2001 EP, listen to some PJ Harvey or go ahead and blare “Horses” by the always lovely Patti Smith.

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