E.R. (a.ka. Eldridge Rodriguez) is a co-singer, co-songwriter, co-guitarist and founder of the Boston noise-rock outfit The Beatings.
In 2005, he began a series of 8-track reel-to-reel recordings with Greg Lyon
(Pending Disappointment, The Spanish Armada), shortly after The Beatings finished up work on their Holding
on to Hand Grenades album. While recording what would eventually become his first solo work, E.R. began another project, writing, recording, and producing an album with his side project La Faccia Brutta, which features Greg Lyon and Dennis Grabowski (The Beatings).
This spring (while putting final touches on the Brutta record) E.R. finished his
solo album, titled This Conspiracy Against Us,
and began playing shows in Boston with his backing band, "The New Jerseys,"
which features Lyon, Willie Dale Scales (Spanish Armada), Dan Parlin (previously w/ Justin Kehoe of Tom Thumb, Migration Trap) on drums, and sometimes Kamiko Darrow (La Faccia Brutta). The shows were well-received, and un-mastered, leaked copies of the album have been heard being played by rock club DJs and circulating around Boston and NYC. This Conspiracy is a 14-track noise-pop epic that jumps from noise-drenched piano ballads to sad, noise-drenched acoustic guitar and harmonica numbers, to straight-forward noise rockers, without losing the recording's common emotional thread.
Early reviews of the disc have compared it to everything from Warron Zevon fronting The Fall to Glenn Branca jamming with The Bad Seeds. "This Conspiracy..." was produced
by E.R., Greg Lyon, and Ray Jeffery, and features guest vocals by Sarah
Borges and Erin Dalbec (The Beatings). Pour yourself a stiff drink, make a
list in your head of everyone who has done you wrong, sit back and enjoy the soothing sounds.
Yeah today was kinda a crappy day - thanks for your gift of music! Its like an old friend. Hope you don't mind I changed your song to "still born in Boyne City". You rock! re
Hi! We just wanted to let our Massachusetts MySpace friends know that Kered + Kiraly will be returning to RISE in Boston this Friday night, February 1st - check out www.riseclub.us for more information. We hope to see you there!
i just read this on the boston.com messageboard regarding boston bands snubbed from BMAs.
"Posted by iamjohnnyboston on Nov-26 4:51 PM
BMA snub of the year:
Denying a simple nod to Midriff Record's Eldridge Rodriguez (The Beatings) who has released a full-length LP and an EP album this year. What a crock that an amazing musician living and working here in Boston is looked over when he is doing the best work of his career. Somebody should wake up."
I'm sorry, did we say Syd Barrett... no he's crazy.... no, no, no, we meant Roger Waters... yes, yes... he's normal... yes, yes, yes, normal... now by the way, which one's Pink???
man, i just picked up "this conspiracy against us" about two weeks after it got delivered to my brother's place and i just wanted to tell you what a great record i thought it was. very nick cave meets neil young meets david bowie. i don't know what it is. there's just something very bowie-esque about it...
Okay, just heard the new album full through... it channels early Pink Floyd's "Meddle" with the nutz of "The Talking Heads". Maybe it's just "E.R." and we should all just shut up and listen!!! B.C.
Ha! It was actually Justin who posted it, accidentally through my account. That said, I have succumbed to the brutality too -- I think it's the whistling. :) Hope to see you kids soon.
