Canceled: The Monkey House, Apparently

This just in: My Dearest Darling's CD release party at the Monkey House this Friday is a late scratch from the weekend's entertainment docket. What's worse, Middle Distance Runner has apparently canceled their Thursday night appearance at everyone's favorite Little Williamsburgh hot spot as well.

These two cancellations lead me to wonder if I'm developing something akin to the "Madden Curse." For the non-sports inclined, this refers to the not-as-ridiculous-as-it-sounds notion that the NFL star featured on the cover of that year's Madden football video game is doomed to be seriously injured that season. You'd be surprised how eerily prescient this superstition has become. Just ask any Steelers fan.

Anyway, this week I spotlighted MDR, and mentioned MDD's release show in my column. Less than 12 hours after this week's issue hit newsstands … poof! Both shows went up in smoke. Are we witnessing the birth of the Bolles Curse? (Cue creepy music and a crash of thunder.)

The MDD release party will now be held on Thursday, December 10 at Nectar's with support from Villanelles. To tide you over until then, here's another cut from the band's forthcoming album called "Secrets." Enjoy.

Finger Follies

I am almost embarrassed that I find this as funny as I do. But if you're having the kind of day where you just need a (really) cheap laugh — as I am — just click here.

New Music Blog Alert! See Ya in the Pit

This just in from our old pal, Brad Barratt:

Barratt, a.k.a. "the Humble Janitor," has recently launched a new music blog called See Ya in the Pit. The blog runs in tandem — sort of — with his weekly WRUV radio show, "Janitors From Mars," which airs Saturday nights at 10 p.m.

As you may remember from a story I wrote about Brad a few months ago, he's a hardcore, punk and ska aficionado. And as evidenced by his impeccable taste — and now, his informed bloggerly musings — dude really knows his stuff. Oh, and did I mention Brad is deaf?

Welcome to the blogosphere, Brad!

Mimicking Videos

Tomrrow's paper features an almost unhealthy amount of love for Friday's Blind Pilot show at the HG Showcase Lounge. What can I say? I'm excited. In addition to running an interview with BP co-founder/drummer Ryan Dobrowski, I decided to lead my column with a bit about one of the opening acts, Laura Viers and the Hall of Flames. You may remember them as the band who opened for — and by more than a few accounts, upstaged — The Decemberists at the Flynn in September.

Anyway, in my excitement about those two groups, I fear I may have overlooked the other supporting act, Portland, Oregon's Mimicking Birds. That, it appears, was a mistake.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any live footage high quality enough to be worth your time, so the attached vid is one of those weird "unofficial" music videos making the rounds on YouTube — presumably made by folks with iMovie and way too much time on their hands. But the song is great. And if you're feeling spacey and/or really high, the "visuals" are actually kind of cool. Enjoy.

Dammit!

Just a couple of notes to pass along about this weekend's live music shenanigans that didn't make this week's print edition.

First up, for some reason tonight's shows at Metronome and Nectar's were omitted from the paper. Not sure why, cuz I distinctly recall entering them into the system and thinking, "Oooh. Cool local show at Nectar's!" and "Hey! Local support for a big regional band!" Effin' technology.

Anyway, Nectar's plays host to three of my personal local favorites this evening: The Vacant Lots, Lendway and Barbacoa. Show starts at 9 p.m. Meanwhile, upstairs at the 'Nome, we have electro-rock outfit The Indobox and local jam torchbearers Greyspoke. Rock and/or roll.

Next up is a show that wasn't listed because no one told me it was happening until after deadline. Still, it should be a good one, and it's happening in one of the more interesting venues in town, Muddy Waters. Saturday night local ska-punk hooligans Husbands AKA take the stage with The Flood (aka Patrick Brownson) and Boston's You Can Be Wesley, who friggin' rock (and also recorded their last album with our old pal Jeremy from Pretty & Nice). Here's a vid from Wesley, whom apparently, you can be. Oh, and this show is free.

The Jazz Guys: They Rock, You Decide

A couple of a weeks ago, Burlington's crown princes of pop, The Jazz Guys, took the local interwebs community by storm with a great cover and video of "Single Ladies," the recent chart scorcher by pop diva Beyoncé. If you haven't seen it yet — or simply wish to relive the glory — here it is again.

Anyway, as I mentioned in my SoundBites column two weeks ago, they are itchin' to get back into the studio and do it all again. The only hitch: they need your help to figure out which song they should lampoon next. Decisions, decisions.

Below is a list of five songs the band is currently considering. Take a look, cast your vote and in a couple of weeks, The JGs promise to rock our worlds yet again with another funny tune — and maybe a copyright infringement lawsuit.

 

Online Surveys & Market Research

Of Puppies and Death Metal

This might just qualify as the strangest — and perhaps coolest — bit of news I have ever received.

Apparently, every year around Halloween, the employees of Burton host a "Howl-O-Ween Doggie Costume Contest" to benefit their Chill youth program. And this year they have enlisted the help of some celebrity judges.

No, no. Not me. Not even a real celebrity like Tom Messner. This year's adjudicators of cute and cuddly are — are you ready? — GWAR.

Yes, that GWAR.

The contest, which takes place tomorrow (Tuesday) at the factory at 2 p.m., is not open to the public to enter. But since it happens in the lobby, right next to the store, it is, for all intents and purposes, open to anyone who wants to watch.

Bird Droppings

I was kinda laid up this weekend, fighting off the dying remains of a head and chest cold that sidelined me earlier in the week. Whilst spending Saturday night on the couch in my pajamas, hot toddy and dog by my side, I happened to catch some of Andrew Bird performing on PBS' Austin City Limits. In a word, whoa.

Now, I don't know that I really buy into "the healing power of song" or other similarly new age-y remedies. Give me a bottle of NyQuil any day. That said, Bird's TV performance got me really excited for his show at Higher Ground tonight — and in particular for opening act St. Vincent, who also appeared on the broadcast — and may just have served as the lift I needed to put that bit of nastiness behind me. I awoke Sunday feeling better than I had in days. Of course, that also may have had something to do with aforementioned hot toddies and NyQuil. Whatever.

Anyway, here's a recent clip of Bird performing with St. Vincent. Hope it whets your, um, whistle.

My Dearest Darling, "Decay"

This just in: a new track from My Dearest Darling, "Decay." MDD — now boasting Villanelles' Zane Gunderson — have been MIA for the last year or so while finishing up a new 8-song disc. Expect the new disc to drop this month. In the meantime, they'll be rocking Higher Ground tomorrow night with White Rabbits and Glass Ghost.

Portugal. The Show.

So, I had hoped to unleash the second installment of my still as yet unnamed podcast series today, this time featuring Vermont native Sarah Cronin from Drug Rug. The idea was to do a quick Q&A about the band and then spin a couple of tunes from their excellent new album, Paint the Fence Invisible. Sounds pretty sweet, right? Right.

However, Drug Rug are increasingly becoming kind of a big deal. As such, our schedules never quite lined up. We had to reschedule several times, the last time around because the band was slated — are you ready? — to tape a Daytrotter session when we were supposed to talk. If my humble little podcast had to be bumped, at least it was bumped in style. C'est la vie.

Anyway, tonight Drug Rug is playing Higher Ground with Portugal. The Man and Hockey, who are both pretty rad. Here's a vid from a recent DR show in Cleveland. No, not as cool as podcast. But cool nonetheless.

And here's a new-ish vid from the aforementioned radness that is Portugal. The Man. Enjoy!