WAILING CITY: 2014

Anne's Show Pick's for the Weekend (October 2)

By Anne Castellano

I can't help but do a bit of self promotion, since my band Anne Castellano & the Smoke is playing in Norwich on Thursday night. It's our first show at the Strange Brew Pub, a venue that is quickly becoming a favorite of local music lovers. Also on the bill will be The Saturday Giant, from Columbus, Ohio. The Saturday Giant is Philip Cogley, a one man experimental indie band who is on tour across the U.S. for the next two months. He uses no prerecorded samples, with layers of drums, guitars, bass, keyboards, and vocals being created in real time at his shows. The Saturday Giant has recorded three EPs, with the most recent, When Death Comes, released in 2012. My band plays first, beginning at about 9:30 or 10 pm, and we'll be doing a few new songs that we think you are going to like. Strange Brew serves food, and they even have Southern Tier Pumking on tap, if you need any further convincing. The last band I saw there couldn't stop raving about the wings (and carnivorous friends of mine have agreed). It's Ladies' Night, so women get in free, and they also get half priced drinks from 7 to 10 pm. For the guys, it's $5 admission.

By Anne Castellano

There isn't a lot happening in the clubs this weekend, but there will be music in several outdoor venues, including two outdoor festivals. On Friday evening, head down to New London's Waterfront Park for the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival, taking place from Thursday through Saturday. Musical entertainment will be provided by Vince Thompson and friends from 5 pm to 7:30 pm. Vince will have Bob Metzger, Lou Bocciarelli & Dave Daddario with him, and they are all great players. It's an especially appropriate booking, given that Vince is a retired Merchant Marine officer. He is also a great singer and songwriter. Talent runs deep in the Thompson family, and if you're lucky, Vince's daughter Anna May might even join him for a song or two. The event is free and open to all ages and the band plays at the Custom House Pier (I've also heard City Pier, but don't worry, the show won't be hard to find). Check out the festival's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/CTmaritime) for more information on additional goings-on. (Vince will play another show the following morning, as a duo with Anna. Read on.)

*Last updated: September 6, 2014 at 11:26am

I AM Festival, Connecticut's biggest FREE indie music festival is back on September 6th in the heart of downtown New London, CT with 5 stages, 25 bands and dozens of vendors & food trucks.

By Anne Castellano

This Saturday is the annual I AM Festival in downtown New London, now in its eighth year. Beginning at 12:30 pm, 28 bands will perform on five different stages: Hygienic Art Park, Parade Plaza, the Telegraph, the Oasis Pub, and 33 Golden Street. Admission is free, and except for 33 Golden Street and the Oasis Pub, admission is open to all ages. The I AM Festival will be a great opportunity to see a LOT of bands, many of them bands from out of the area that you probably haven't seen before. The great thing is that all the stages are within a very small area of downtown, spanning a little over a block. I'll give you a few suggestions for bands that I would try to see, but there will be plenty of good music all day and into the early morning hours, so you really can't go wrong.

By Anne Castellano

The last unofficial weekend of summer is upon us, and fortunately there is a lot of good live music to enjoy. Get the weekend started early if you wish, because there are a couple of shows across the river on Thursday night. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Sandy “Sandman” Allen and bassist Mike Palazzolo will be playing at Sneekers Cafe in Groton. You've probably seen Sandy and Mike with the Hoolios, and they are also former members of the Rivergods, but here is a good opportunity to hear Sandy play his own tunes. In addition to the excellent music, you'll also hear a lot of great stories from his many years of traveling and playing with bands. Music starts around 7 pm and continues until 10:00. It's a friendly place, there's no cover, and you might want to arrive hungry, because Sneekers is well known for its delicious food.

CD Review: Straight To VHS - Weekend Weekend Weekend

By Adam Wujtewicz

"You ain't no ninja!". That's pretty much the sum of the lyrical content of the first song on New London garage rockers Straight To VHS' new album Weekend Weekend Weekend. Bad grammar aside it shows the straight-forward-no-frills-completely-ireverant-style they're going for. With the bass in the right headphone, guitar in the left, drums and vocal in the middle - they're pushing the retro punk aesthetic to it's limits. It's a classic punk rock sandwich that's been proven to work and with a little pop and blues sprinkled in there STVHS is bound to start ears ringing this fall.

By Anne Castellano

We have a pretty good weekend coming up for live shows, and it starts on Thursday. The Oasis Pub in New London has a Thursday night show with Terrible Roars, Dr. Martino, and Nosy Mangabe. All three bands will be playing the Oasis for the first time. Terrible Roars is a CT indie rock band that is the side project of Ross Page, of Bristol band the Raven and the Wool. Dr. Martino is a vocal-driven surf rock trio from Willimantic, and Noisy Mangabe is a theatrical progressive folk band from Boston (or is it Miami? Go to their Facebook page and try to read their bio...) whose instrumentation includes upright bass and ukulele. This is a rare opportunity to see some out of town bands on a weeknight, and these are always good shows. Cover is $5 and the show starts at 9 pm.

By Anne Castellano

Thursday seems to be the busiest night of the upcoming weekend, with a couple of shows taking place on Golden Street in New London. The good news is that you will easily be able to see both of them. First up, there will be an early show at the Telegraph record store with Pocket Vinyl and Nemes. New London duo Pocket Vinyl has released three albums, most recently Death Anxiety in 2013. Eric Stevenson plays piano and sings while his wife Elizabeth Jancewicz paints. At the end of the set, the brand new painting is sold to the highest bidder. They've been taking it slow this summer while Elizabeth works on her art, but they plan to do a lot of touring beginning in October. Indie rock band Nemes will be visiting from Boston. (In case you want to talk to your friends about the show, you pronounce the band's name like "knee•miss." It must be a drag for them to have to explain that all the time, but I digress.) The current lineup of the band, which includes two brothers, has been together for about two years and they plan to release their first full length album in the fall. Not your typical four piece, their instrumentation includes guitar, bass, drums, and violin. They have been nominated for several New England Music Awards, and Alternative Press has named them one of the top 5 unsigned bands in the country. The show starts at 6 pm and you can BYOB. All ages are welcome, and there is no cover.

By Anne Castellano

There are a lot of shows this weekend, and there should be something to suit anyone's taste. On Friday night, there's a four band show at Strange Brew Pub in Norwich. The bands are Eastern Hollows, Dances, Straight to VHS, and The Mendition of the Quay. Jangle-psych quintet Eastern Hollows is from Brooklyn, NY. They released their debut LP, The Way That You've Gone, in May. Garage pop trio Dances, who is also from Brooklyn, put out a new EP called Whiter Sands in April. The Mendition of the Quay is a four-piece garage/psych/pop band from New Haven, who formed in 2008. They have released one album and a single, with a new one on the way soon. New London trio Straight to VHS, in addition to taking home a statuette for Best Garage Act at the recently Whalie Awards, recently released a new album called Weekend Weekend Weekend. The bands on this bill seem to be well matched, and this looks to be a great night. The show starts at 8 pm and cover is $5.

By Adam Wujtewicz

I've referred to Horns of Ormus as intelli-punk before and I'd say that their new release Bashful only solidifies that classification. Drawing as much influence from the arty leanings of bands like Television and Sonic Youth as they do the fury of bands like Wire and the Dead Boys, Bashful gives me the same feeling as I had when I first heard J Reatard's Blood Visions, "Wow I actually still enjoy punk!". HOO isn't reinventing the wheel but they're walking such a fine line with an incredible amount of grace that it's a pleasure to listen to. They're never obtuse, they're never hardcore and they're never ever ever up their own ass. It is an incredibly rare thing when smart and raucous go together without being any of those things. There is a jangly attack that runs through the entire record. Whether it's the high end scrape and cut of Chris's guitar or the sandpaper melody of Greg's vocals...these guys don't play defense.

By Anne Castellano

We have a slow weekend ahead for live music, but there are still a few shows happening. On Friday night, Craig Johnson and Dana Takaki will be doing a happy hour set of originals and classics at the Bulkeley House in New London. Craig plays bass in Monkey68 (Vincent Tuckwood's band) and the Rivergods, but he occasionally does acoustic singer/songwriter type shows as well. Craig also hosts the highly successful Common Ground Open Mic that takes place on Wednesday evenings at the Bulkeley House. He'll have accompaniment on Friday from violinist Dana Takaki, who has been extremely busy lately. Dana is a classically trained player who performs with orchestras as well as with local artists such as the Rivergods, Dogbite, and Arlene Wow!. She plays a wide variety of styles, and it should be great to see these two talented musicians play together. The show takes place outdoors on the patio from 5-7:30 pm, and there is no cover.

By Anne Castellano

On Friday night, Sasquatch and the Sick-A-Billys will play a show at 33 Golden Street in New London, along with NYC trio The Bloodshots. It's been years since the Sick-A-Billys have played here, but Dave "Sasquatch" has performed at 33 several times in the meantime with King Sickabilly and his Full Moon Boys. From what I understand, this Providence psychobilly band recently reunited, and they just finished a two week tour that took them to Virginia and back. They played their first show in 2001, they've done a lot of touring, and they've had a bunch of lineup changes. I'm not sure who is in the band these days, but you can bet it will be a wild show anyway. I've seen this band a bunch of times, and I've definitely seen some crazy things happen onstage. You never know how his shows will turn out, but I can tell you that the best Sickabillys shows are the ones where Sasquatch does more music and less talking. Drunkenness and other antics aside, the music is excellent, and Sasquatch is a really good guitar player as well. Also on the bill are the Bloodshots, a Brooklyn rockabilly trio fronted by Little Lesley, who sings and plays upright bass. She's from upstate New York. Guitarist Brian "Swifty" Swift is from California. He's the son of a preacher, a situation which seems to create a lot of great songwriters. Staten Island native Bobby Lee plays drums. The band has been together about two years, and they have played a lot of shows in that short time period (including at least one show at 33 Golden Street). They have shared stages with legends such as Robert Gordon and the Rockats, and their live show sounds like it's extremely entertaining. This should be a fun night. I always love checking out the fashions and hair at the rockabilly shows too. The show starts at 9 pm and cover is $5.

"Frohsinn Hall" German Club

54 Greenmanville Avenue

Mystic, CT

6pm to midnight
$5 - all proceeds are going to Lisa Carpenter
ALL AGES
Facebook Event Page

(6:30-7:00) I left my gun in San Francisco
(7:10-7:30) Crime
(7:40-8:10) We Got Mouths
(8:20-8:50) Matt Gouette
(9:00-9:30) Debcaster
(9:40-10:10) The Feels
(10:20-10:50) Anderson Family Picnic
(11:00-11:30) Riki Rocksteady
(11:40-12:10) Doll Steak

SAILFEST MUSIC & INFO July 11-13

This article will continued to be updated as new information becomes available. Check back often!

Last updated July 11 - 11:43am

Sailfest Hours:
Friday - July 11 (5pm to 11pm)
Saturday - July 12 (10am to 11pm)
Sunday - July 13 (10am to 6pm)

http://www.sailfest.org

http://twitter.com/Sailfest

Street Closures: (Sat & Sun ONLY)
State Street
(from Eugene O'Neill Drive to Bank Street)
Bank Street
(from Tilley Street to State Street)

By Anne Castellano

One of the best weekends of the year is coming up, which means New London is going to be filled with great live music. Sailfest 2014 will be this Friday July 11 through Sunday July 12 in the downtown area, or if you prefer, "The District". Band stages will be at the Hygienic Art Park and the Custom House Pier, with the local clubs also hosting their own events from early evening until closing time. Due to a last minute cancellation, there will only be one ship in port for the festival (I could go on about that, but this is a music blog and you really don't want to get me started on that subject anyway), but for me Sailfest has always been about the music. Sure, there's lots of fair-type food (although not many vegetarian options), vendors, and the best fireworks show anywhere around. But one of the best things about living in New London is the opportunity to see live music in an outdoor setting on the waterfront. That's why this is one of the best weekends of the year.....

By Anne Castellano

There aren't many shows this weekend as New London rests up for next weekend's Sailfest, but there are a couple of outdoor events that you'll definitely want to see. On Saturday night, the Hygienic Art Park is the place to be, for the first Can Kickers show in a very long time. To make the evening even better, The Paul Brockett Roadshow and The MacLean Sisters will also be playing. The Can Kickers released their first album of punk-influenced old-time music thirteen years ago, while the members were still students at Conn College. Since then they have toured all over the United States, even doing tours of Mexico and Ireland. These guys are masters of DIY, releasing four self-produced CDs in addition to booking all their local shows and tours. In the process, they also brought a lot of great bands to town...

By Anne Castellano

Wow, there's a lot going on this weekend! First up, there's a benefit for the New London Community Meal Center taking place on Friday night. The Hoot For Hunger will be happening at the Seehund German Pub & Restaurant on Bank Street in New London, in the space formerly housing Dev's on Bank (and before that it was Ye Olde Tavern). There will be nine bands and solo performers, with each playing a 15-20 minute set.. The Crew will start things off at 6:30 pm, followed by Sue Menhart at 6:50, SheSaidHeSaid at 7:10, Dan and Liz at 7:30 pm, Anna May and Vince Thompson at 7:50, Golden Ratio at 8:10, Jim Carpenter at 8:30, Arlene Wow! at 8:50, and Vox Nova at 9:10. There's no cover, but donations will be collected throughout the evening, so you are encouraged to be generous.

By Anne Castellano

On Friday night, Music in the Meadow returns with another show at the Connecticut College Arboretum in New London. The bands will be The Rivergods, The 3-Pack, and The Meadows Brothers. They made their debut at the Hygienic Art Park for a recent Live Lunch Break show, but this will only be the second show for the Rivergods' new 6-piece lineup. Core members Ben and Nancy Parent are joined by Dana Takaki on violin, Craig Johnson on bass, Chris DeBiasi on drums, and Bill Groth on keyboards and backing vocals. The band won "Best Country Rock Act" at the recent Whalie Awards, and they have a busy summer full of shows planned. Their most recent EP, Never Grow Old, was released in January. The only show to date that the 3-Pack have played was back in the fall, at the now-defunct Six String Cafe. You will remember Hugh, Peter, and Tom from the Reducers, but Peter is now playing bass and they have been working on all new material for quite some time. Expect a mix of new originals with a few really cool covers to round things out. I shouldn't have to tell you that they will sound great. The Meadows Brothers are teenage brothers Ian and Dustin Meadows, talented roots/bluegrass/country duo from the lower CT River valley. These guys have been playing in bands together since they were in middle school, and they released their self-titled debut album in 2012. The Meadows Brothers have toured extensively and have even opened for Don McLean. Bring an blanket, bug spray, a picnic supper, and a cooler. If you'd rather someone else do the cooking, Munchies Food Truck will also be at the Arboretum entrance. Gates open at 6 pm, and tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. The Arboretum is located on Williams Street, directly across from the back entrance to Connecticut College.

By Anne Castellano

Summer is finally here (sort of), and the outdoor show season has begun. But first, perhaps some loud and fast music to release the tensions of your work week. There's a four band punk show on Friday night at 33 Golden Street in New London. The bands will be God's Middle Finger, Blastmat, Productive Member, and Losing Streak. Members of Losing Streak have been in such bands as Indocannibals, the Enemies, Second Class Citizen, and others. This band is brand new, and they will be playing their first show on Friday. Productive Member is a female fronted CT punk band who has played in New London a few times already, both at 33 and the El 'n' Gee. They played their first show, which happened to be at the Gee, almost a year ago. God's Middle Finger is from Norwich, and these thrash punks are well known from playing many shows in New London. Blastmat has played here a lot as well. Blastmat is from CT, and they are regulars at Cherry Street Station, where they opened for Gang Green this past December. This show was put together by Joaquin Gouin, formerly of the El 'n' Gee, so you know it will be good. Doors are at 9 pm and cover is $5.

By Anne Castellano

The big event in New London this weekend is the 5th Annual Whalie Awards ceremony, taking place on Saturday night at the Hygienic Art Park. The Whalies are New London's version of the Grammy Awards, honoring the best of the best in all genres of local music. There are some new categories in both Critic's Choice (voted on by area media professionals) and People's Choice (voted on by the public) for 2014, including Best Jazz Act, Best Radio DJ and several new Best Video awards. Over 100 local bands and individuals in the New London (and nearby) scene have been nominated, and the show has become one of the most popular events of the year. This is the music community's opportunity to be seen, be heard, and show off a little, so while music is the focus of the evening, fashion is right up there in importance as well. There's even a red carpet, with photographers covering the arrivals beginning at 6 pm when the gates open. Some folks have even taken limo rides to past shows. The actual ceremony begins at 7 pm, with 40 statuettes being awarded by special guest presenters. Musical performances will also be interspersed with the actual awards. Highlights of past years include the Weird Beards performing as marionettes and Bobby Crash presenting an award with (and interpreting for) "Pucky" the whale....

Tickets & more info:
www.mysticbluesfestival.com

Anne's Show Picks of the Week (May 29)

By Anne Castellano

The upcoming weekend looks to be as busy as last weekend was slow. There are multiple good shows all weekend, beginning on Thursday night. Vince Thompson and friends will be playing their semi-regular fifth Thursday of the month show at Sneekers Cafe in Groton. Vince will have Bob Metzger on guitar, Bill Morrison on bass, and Steve Peck on the drums. The Thompson family is quite talented, and there are a few of them in the area, so you might see brother Curtiss (from the Village Jammers), daughter Anna, or sister Cecile join him for a song or two as well. The band will play from 7:30-11 pm, and there is no cover.

Pics/Video from 33 & Oasis Sat May 17

Mobile pics by Meghan Killimade & Kim Zajehowski Case

Video by Meghan Killimade

Wolfghost @ Oasis Pub

By Anne Castellano

It's going to be a great weekend of music in New London. Most of the action takes place in a tiny section of downtown, which is always nice because people can wander between the clubs and catch even more music in one night. Saturday is the busiest night, but that's no reason to stay home on Friday night (unless you have to work late Friday and be in early on Saturday, like I do...). 33 Golden Street in New London will have a show with King Sickabilly, the Providence psychobilly legend who formerly fronted Sasquatch & the Sick-a-Billys, and the Slaughter Daughters, who are making their first visit to the Whaling City from their home base in Oregon. The Slaughter Daughters is a banjo, guitar, upright bass trio fronted by Ariana Celestine and Cecilia Raheb. They play dark roots/gothic Americana, influenced by Slim Cessna and Munly, Cab Calloway, and Hank Williams. It's going to be good. Cover is $5 and the show starts at 9:30 pm.

Congrats to New London's own Daphne Lee Martin (Singer/Songwriter), Bedroom Rehab Corporation (Metal), Chum Zilla (DJ) & The Hempsteadys (Reggae) for their nominations in the Connecticut Music Awards!

Winners will be announced at the 3rd Annual Connecticut Music Awards on June 10 at The Bushnell. Tickets to the Music Awards are available to the public and can be purchased through the Bushnell Box Office by calling (860) 987-5900.

Go here to view the entire list of nominees:

http://www.ctnow.com/entertainment/music/ct-music-awards/

Anne's Show Picks of the Week (May 1)

By Anne Castellano

It's going to be a quiet weekend, but I do have a couple of show recommendations. On Friday night, The Village Jammers will be playing at Steak Loft in Mystic. If you aren't familiar with the band, the Village Jammers have been around for more than thirty years. They got their start as the house band at the Village Pub in Stonington Borough (don't look for it, it's not there anymore). The Village Jammers play a mix of bluegrass, country, and folk, with Curtiss Thompson on mandolin and vocals, Dan Ravenelle on guitar and vocals, and Geoff Corkhill on guitar and vocals. The last couple of times I saw them they did not have a permanent bass player, but they usually do have someone on bass. Curtiss Thompson (brother of local roots/country artist Vince Thompson and uncle of singer/pianist Anna Thompson) is the main songwriter, and the songs are wonderfully melodic with a dark feel at times. These guys are great players, and definitely not your typical bluegrass band. You're bound to hear some good stories too. The band released their first and only album, 'Til It Happens To You, in 2013. They have said in recent conversations that they were recording a follow-up, but it's been in the works for such a long time that I am getting skeptical. Time to start bugging them about it again! Since Steak Loft is a restaurant, all ages are welcome. There is no cover. The band plays from 7-10 pm.

By Anne Castellano

This is a big weekend for New London's Paul Brockett Roadshow. They will be releasing a six song EP called Up All Night, and they will also be playing three shows this weekend to celebrate. Up All Night was recorded and mixed by Jason Banta, of Recur Occurrence and Burnouts From Outer Space fame. The first show already happened, on Thursday at noon when the trio played at the Telegraph for The Day's Live Lunch Break. If you missed it, the video should be posted on The Day's website very soon. You can go to http://www.theday.com/section/medialivelunch/, which is where all the Live Lunch Break shows are archived, and watch the show there. On Saturday, the band will be appearing at the Daffodil Festival in Meriden. If you've never been to the Daffodil Festival, it's a great FREE two day event featuring Connecticut-connected bands that takes place at Hubbard Park in Meriden every year on the last weekend in April. There will be three stages with live music, and the Paul Brockett Roadshow will play on the Food Tent Stage at 11:45 am. If you're going, you will want to get there early to beat the traffic. General information including directions and information on shuttle buses is available at http://www.daffodilfest.com/. On Saturday night, the official Paul Brockett Roadshow CD release will take place at 33 Golden Street in New London. Special guests will be The Hornets, from Mansfield, MA. The Hornets played at the Telegraph as part of last Saturday's Record Store Day festivities, and they blew the crowd away. The band is a three-piece, with drums, upright bass, and piano accordion. You have probably never heard accordion played like this before, though, electrified with lots of effects pedals. Whatever you expect from these guys, you will probably be surprised and impressed. If I had to describe their music, it's a mix of Eastern European traditional and dance tunes, country, rock, and psychedelia. There are no vocals, but you won't even miss them. The show starts at 9:30 pm and cover is $5.

Pics from Record Store Day @ The Telegraph April 19

Pics by Meghan Killimade, Corrine Jensen & Rich Martin

By Anne Castellano

This Saturday is Record Store Day, and there's a full day of music planned at The Telegraph in New London. The live music begins at 2 pm with John Faraone, a folk musician from Providence. Next up will be the CBYD (Call Before You Dig) Jazz Trio (actually a quartet for this show) at 3 pm. Bassist Jaime Duquette and drummer Jonas Sanchez will be playing a set with Isaac Young and Nick DiMaria. Daphne Lee Martin will follow at 4 pm. She'll have a busy day, since she'll also be running the record store with husband Rich Martin. Daphne's been doing a lot of touring with her band to support her new album “Frost”. I'm not sure if this will be a solo show or a band show, she's quite versatile that way. Sketch Tha Cataclysm, a hip-hop musician from Waterbury, performs at 5 pm. At 5:45 pm Sam Perduta. from New Haven indie band Elison Jackson, will play a short solo set, followed by piano and painting duo Pocket Vinyl at 6:15. Mansfield, MA band the Hornets are up at 7 pm. The Hornets describe themselves as an "electro-folk power trio" with a heavy psychedelic influence. Jack Hanlon from the roots/rockabilly band the Throttles plays upright bass. Local punk favorites Horns of Ormus are next at 8 pm. These guys have got credentials dating back to the beginning of New London's music scene. Closing out the evening will be hardcore/noise/doom band Empty Vessels, also from New London, at 9 pm. Admission is free, and you can BYOB if you wish. The store will also have sales, giveaways, and limited edition Record Store Day releases for sale. The Telegraph is located at 19 Golden Street in New London, and the store opens at 10 am.

Record Store Day 2014 is April 19 and The Telegraph has quite a day planned! Lots of incredible new and limited edition vinyl, great sales, free stuff while it lasts and a day full of fantabulous music featuring live sets from Horns of Ormus, Sketch tha Cataclysm, Pocket Vinyl, Daphne Lee Martin, Elison Jackson (Sam Perduta solo), the Call Before You Dig jazz crew, John Faraone, and more. Stay tuned to this event page for updates: Facebook Event Page

The Gallows Cadence @ Oasis Pub

Pic & Video by Meghan Killimade
Show recap by Adam Wujtewicz

Did you miss Blowpop, Doug and Small Town Hero the first time around? Did you see them but miss hearing them now? Enter The Gallows Cadence: front man/guitarist Dayne Duranti, (of the 3 aforementioned bands), along with bassist Thomas Johnson, (ex Superflies), and drummer Pete Egner, (Amido Black). The trio are bringing back the straight ahead rock-your-face-off style that we used to hear coming from every venue in New London county. They've got the gruff melody and groove of Hot Water Music with the steady driving rhythm section of Face to Face. While the sound is something that people in the late 90's and early 00's are familiar with, it's doesn't sound dated. This wasn't a trend, it's just good blue color rock music... and it's still here....

Anne's Show Picks of the Week (April 10)

By Anne Castellano

There isn't a lot of live music happening in New London this weekend, but there is a show at 33 Golden Street on Friday night that you'll definitely want to check out. Brooklyn rockabilly trio the Bloodshots will be in town, along with Filthy Still, from Providence. Filthy Still is a folk/bluegrass/punk band whose instrumentation includes guitar, banjo, drums, washboard, fiddle, and upright bass. New London has always loved the Can Kickers, so Filthy Still must feel right at home here. They've played at 33 several times before, and they have done a lot of touring in between their local shows. I'm sure the band will have some good stories to tell. Somehow they have also managed to put out two albums in the four years they have been playing together. After this show Filthy Still is headed out west, and then to Europe in June. The Bloodshots will be playing in New London for the first time. The band is fronted by Little Leslie, who also plays upright bass. She began singing and playing piano at bars when she was only eight years old. Brian “Swifty” Swift, the son of a preacher, plays guitar, and Bobby Lee is on drums. The Bloodshots have only been together since the summer of 2012, but they have already shared the stage with such rockabilly legends as Robert Gordon and the Rockats. They also have an album out called “On Fire”. The show starts at 9 pm and cover is $5.

WailingCity Mentioned in 'The Day'!

Thanks so much to Rick Koster from The Day for the kind words and for spreading the word about WailingCity! This was such a pleasant surprise to stumble across yesterday!!

"If you don't have ears, then it's possible you're not aware that southeastern Connecticut - specifically New London County - has an incredibly vibrant music scene. Over the years, it's gone from a hotbed of indie rock to an area of musicians, fans and venues that support a complex and varied number of artistic styles. The wailingcity.com web site - newly and lovingly redesigned - is a tremendous resource. A labor of affection and devotion conceptualized in 2006, wailingcity.com boasts artist bios, reviews and interviews, a club and band data base and calendars, videos, audio streaming, and cross-referenced links on all of the above - as well as lists of music services such as instrument instruction, record and retail stores, related media and periodicals, festival information, and so on. It's the brainchild of musicians/artists Meghan Killimade, Adam Wujtewicz and Corrine Jensen, and they do a terrific job." - RICK KOSTER, The Day, April 3, 2014
http://theday.com/article/20140403/ENT10/304039508/-1/ENT#.Uz3f3ie9KSM

Anne's Show Picks of the Week (April 2)

By Anne Castellano

In an effort to bring this blog to as many people as possible, we'll now be cross-publishing on both Local Band Review and WailingCity each week. For those of you who are new readers, I'll be highlighting some of my picks each week. Hopefully people will find the information useful and will be motivated to get out to see some shows, which is the blog's reason for existence in the first place.....

New Video: Daphne Lee Martin - Five Points

More info: https://www.facebook.com/DaphneLeeMartin

CD Review: Matt Gouette - Sunnyside

CD Review by Adam Wujtewicz

It seems like it's been a while since we've heard from pop songster Matt Goutte. Seems only appropriate that he releases his latest effort Sunnyside as winter turns to spring. It also seems like he's been taking his time to get the perfect blend of his rockin' Cassingles project and his previous melancholy pop solo work.

Sunnyside is upbeat tunes and sad tales, melodic hooks and lonely lyrics. It's the Get Up Kids without the indie rock pomp or Weezer without waving the "geek pride" flag. I don't believe that New London has ever had a more true pop rock songwriter than Matt Gouette. There is a purity to his style that no one else can boast. This album more than anything else I have heard of his seems to have been written so that everyone would like it. I say that without any irony or malice, I say it with the utmost respect. Matt just seems to have tapped into a sound that people everywhere couldn't find fault with. It moves and it's got some push to it but it never loses it's sense of melody or it's hooks.

CD Review by Adam Wujtewicz

New London indie rock stalwarts Fatal Film are releasing their new self titled CD at 33 Golden Street on Friday. Released by local record label The Telegraph Recording Company and having been ¾ recorded by Jason Banta (Recur Occurrence, Burnouts from Outerspace) this record is a celebration of all things local.

While most of their back catalog was rife with angst and angular sounds this album features a kinder gentler side of Fatal Film. The ryhthm section still pounds away with a steady slab of low end. Bassist Dave Freeburg still has a good mix of rubbery bounce and fat clipping distortion to his tone. Drummer Mike Winslow is as in the pocket as a metronome and his tom work adds great texture to the high end assualt of the guitars. It's really Matt Potter's vocals that are the first thing to give away this poppier direction.

CD Review by Adam Wujtewicz

The Rivergods are releasing their Never Grow Old EP on January 25^th. If you’re familiar with the Rivergods then you are expecting nothing less than the lush Pop Americana sound they’ve been cranking out for years. If you’re unfamiliar with the Rivergods than allow me to paint you a quick picture of this 4 song outing.

Picture this; Blood on the Tracks era Bob Dylan and Harvest Moon era Neil Young in a poppy, less guitar centric, package. Now remove the vocals (because as iconic as both Bob and Neil’s voices are neither one is winning any awards for pitch and technique) and Ben and Nancy Parent both have wonderful and easy to listen to singing voices that work incredibly well together. It’s this 60’s folk rock and pop influence mixed with a more modern tonality, song structure and recording techniques gives you the groundwork of Never Grow Old. It’s channeling your forefathers through the lens of your own life and experience.