My 411 Source - For Local Music
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"Subtract 30 from our age... we're 1 yr almost 2 soon! Myspace doesn't go below age 14!"
Female
31 years old
Pittsfield/Springfield, Massachusetts
United States
Last Login:
7/6/2008
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busy
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My 411 Source - For Local Music's Interests
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| Music | For details about our compilation cd, click image
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Breaking The Scene
Independent Idiot: Embrace Your Independent Idiocy
By S.P.C.G
Do you want to know what pure panty-dropping passion sounds like? Get on the highway and go south. Stay in the right lane and the road will turn for you. Soon, you will be in quiet suburban neighborhood where a white house stands at an irregular angle to the street. In the basement of the unconventionally placed house, the four members of Independent Idiot rehearse unconventionally good rock originals. Rainbow lights set the mood as cheap beers flow in and out of the mini- fridge. Very little of the experience is seen. Most is heard. Even more is felt.
“In this band,” front-man Bobby Hoyt explains, “nothing is played unless we all like it.” The importance of creative unanimity has made a comfortable space for the freedom of creative expression. I visit sometimes and as the groove moves, I can feel the true friendship in the spirit of the music. Each player unleashes himself into the room. Their unique personalities bounce off the basement walls and collide into a fresh experimental rock sound that I think is going to really excite the Pioneer Valley.
(photo by Josh Noone)
All four members of Independent Idiot worked together on a past project - the now un-banded, My New Shell, a heavy rock band that walked away with the title of the ‘Best New Rock Band’ on My 411 Source’s Best of 2007. When M.N.S dissolved, three of the 5 ‘shells’ from the ending line-up – Beau St. Jacques (drums), Andy St. Jean (guitar), and Bobby Hoyt (lyricist and vocalist) rejoined bassist Jesse Mushenko to reinvent their music. The attitude in this new musical collaboration is one of total acceptance and of fun.
(Bobby)
Writes Andy, “We made the command decision to all adopt our ‘alter-egos’ as our outward selves. Bobby became "The Spaniard." Beau transformed into "Beau St. Blaze." Jesse morphed into "Dr. J.A.M." And I was reduced to my natural, liquid form as "Mr. Johnny Walker." We thought it fitting seeing as how who and what we are on stage and in our music is much more than a simple sum of our parts.”
So what do panty-dropping tunes sound like? Jesse’s grungy bass lines crawl up your spine with and provide a satisfying chemistry with Beau’s perfect and profound beats. Andy’s chordal progressions and guitar technix unconventionally tap into the subconscious of rock culture, employing classic rock’s experimentalism and metal’s melancholy melody. Bobby’s raw voice cries and screams universally profound lyrics. In general, the music is unique and ubiquitous; aggressive and sensitive; passionate and pensive. Moreover, the music is 100% collaborative.
(Andy)
Mr. Johnny Walker continues, “As far as song writing is concerned, there really is no simple way to break it down. No one person controls. No one riff will serve as a song's foundation unless, to steal a bit from the Wu-Tang clan, all of us can get some other parts to make it "form like Votron." There is not a single song that one individual member wrote as an individual. A song like "Final Destination" started with Dr. J.A.M's complete bass line, but he was ready to scrap the whole thing until The Spaniard, Beau and I all added our input. No individual part controls. There is no sun-source to a song. There is not a single guitar riff in one of our songs that would ever grace the pages of Guitar World. But taken as a complete entity, something entirely different emerges. It's like a Pollack painting. Were you to look at any singular brush stroke on its own, it's crap. But when the brush stroke is placed in context, you have art.”
(Jesse)
Tentative is the most gripping tune of their collection, in my humble opinion. The sway of conflict in the main guitar riff effectively underlines the line “ I relive the past. Now I concede. Tentatively I believe.” Human vulnerability is once again acknowledged as a musician’s muse and the sound of sweet surrender wraps gently around a stalwart drum and bass groove. This hopeful ballad is a tremendous crowd pleaser and definite panty-dropper.
Independent Idiot made their debut at the Spinnin’ Monkey Music Festival, hosted by Blaster Monkey Productions in Palmer, Massachusetts, April 19th 2008. Bobby came looking like The Dude dressed as Scuba Superman. Jesse and Andy played their axes while sporting dust masks. Beau was delightfully in the buff. Perhaps the point behind their performance get-up is to once again communicate the band’s underlying message of total acceptance. “Do I look like a fool to you?” I almost hear the costumed quartet communicating. “Yeah, well even if my ideas are stupid, at least they were absolutely mine. At least they came from a free-thinking, independently-acting mind!”
As their fan-base grows from the weekly party that gathers in the weekly basement rehearsals to new friends in Manhattan gained when the band played The Mean Fiddler on May 23rd, Independent Idiot is growing stronger and more powerful.
I wanted to know how much fire was behind this project. “Ridiculous amounts of fire,” replied Bobby. “We pretty much are not going to stop until there is absolutely no other option.” Beau agrees, “I’ve been practicing more than ever before. I feel more relaxed and more balanced and I can see that the practicing is paying off. Everything is coming together for me (with Independent Idiot).”
(Beau - photo by Josh Noone)
So what is the plan from here, I ask? At the moment, they are making a demo using home recording equipment. Other than that, they said, they are out to have a good time, to unpretentiously get more local attention, to independently record an album to make available to the masses on both continental coasts and to reach out to other independent musicians of note! Mmmm. Come to daddy.
Visit Independent Idiot on Myspace.
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Save the Date
JULY 25-26: GREENFIELD ROCK FEST
The Greenfield Rock Festival will be held July 25-26 at Greenfield Energy Park in Greenfield MA. Friday July 25 show is 5-8 pm and cost $5. Saturday July 26 show is from 12-8pm and cost $12. You can purchase advance tickets for BOTH days for only $8. On the bill are:
Exit Reason
Undefyed
Arc City Angels
Venomentality
Jen Tobey's Alter Ego
Calamity Managerie
Toy Plane Pilots
Parking Lot Antics
The Rock Shop Bands
more TBA
Check in regularly at www.greenfieldrock.com for updates.
AUGUST 8 - 9: FENNARIO FEST '08
Click flyer for updates
AUGUST 30-SEPTEMBER 1: 3rd ANNUAL ROCK, RATTLE AND DRUM POW WOW & SPIRIT MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL
Third Annual Rock, Rattle and Drum Pow Wow AND Spirit on the Mountain Music Festival with JEFFERSON STARSHIP; BILL MILLER; Indigenous and Shelly Morning Song; AND 22 local bands also playing this end of summer music blast! Click flyer for updates
SEPTEMBER 4-7: HOBOFEST 2008
Hobofest will be held at Lee's Campgrounds in Saratoga Springs NY with performance from the following 40 bands:
The MacPods; Natural Breakdown
Jones for Revival; Longview Gunslingers
Danny Pease & The Regulators; Naked
Digital Frontier; Green Tea;
Bugg Juice; New York Funk Exchange
Back Home; Carbin; Soak; Singuya
Katie Pearlman Band; The Mark
Wild Trees; Half-Step; String Band
Ayatollah Fancy & Thursday Night Allstars
Nepaug Groove; Lightajo; Secret Stash
One-eyed Jack; The Big Dirty; The Low
Free Grass Union; Roy Hobbs Agenda
The Lawn Boys; Oversized Sweater
South Mountain Pass, Jumbled Mess
The Diggers; 12 Hour Shift; Moodras
James Austin; Conduit; June Tuesday
Ghandolff & the Hobbitz; 99 Moon
Save money; buy early! Advance tickets are $40. Contact docbm@yahoo.com.
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411 Trivia
TRIVIA TEMPORARILY ON HOLD.
Last week's Trivia Answer
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My 411 Source - For Local Music's Details
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| Status: | In a Relationship | | Here for: | Networking, Friends | | Hometown: | Holyoke, MA / Catskills, NY | | Zodiac Sign: | Leo | | Children: | Proud parent | | Education: | College graduate |
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My 411 Source - For Local Music July's articles, news, etc., coming Tuesday evening to bring you more! Send in your news! Visit www.my411source.com!
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My 411 Source - For Local Music's Latest Blog Entry
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Previously Featured Bands/Acts/Musical Entities
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Our Best of 2007 Compilation CD Release!!
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Updated 411's Features & Policies for 2008
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SAVE THOSE CAN TABS - CHILDREN’S BENEFIT!!
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My 411 Source - For Local Music's Blurbs |
About me:
AN UNDERGROUND MUSIC COMMUNITY: ALL GENRES & MUSIC LOVERS ARE WELCOME! Our mission is to maintain a positive and supportive music community to keep all music alive by supporting underground music!
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Who I'd like to meet:
ALL WHO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY!
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Hot Topics
Berkshire's Punk Scene: Dead or Alive?
by Patty Seifert
Breaking the scene? Or is the scene already broken, dead and buried? The Berkshire’s Punk scene is diminishing quickly and is in need of a major overhaul. As local punk bands try to break into the scene, they can’t find the scene? Despite the loyal friends who may come out to a show to watch them and those who come out to a show from time to time, are the shows drawing the number of attendees they should? If everyone who said “yeah I’m going to the show” actually went, the venue should have to close its doors to the public due to reaching its capacity. Yes, this is typical with any scene in any area, but it seems worse in the Berkshire punk scene for whatever reason. It is getting harder for promoters like Andy Poncherello who has put in great amounts of effort to revive the punk scene in the Berkshires.
Andy, of Rebel Sound Records and punk band The Poncherellos, organized punk shows in the Berkshires before moving to L.A. approximately 12 years ago where he went on to work booking at Bollocks, a punk venue. He returned to the Berkshires and has been organizing punk shows for the past year or so for local bands as well as bringing in national touring bands including The Dollyrots, Beatnik Termites, Dirty Money, and GDP. The attendance of the shows as a whole was good, but not as well as they should have been to draw touring acts to the Berkshires.
So where are all the teens and adults who say they are interested in having these shows here because there is nothing for their punk scene? Well, according to those involved in the shows, they’re not attending the shows. The punk scene has a person dedicated and literally struggling, succumbing to monetary losses, to make a scene survive by trying to pull it up from its burial under the ashes and bring it back to life. And yet, a good percentage of the scene is not supporting him. So what happens if he gives up? Then the same so-called punksters who didn’t go to the shows will again begin to whine that there is nothing for them to do and wish someone would bring back the shows to the punk community. I have attended various shows in the Berkshires and also the Springfield and Connecticut areas. I have to admit, compared to other scenes, there is a significant difference in the amount of support, or lack of, that the local scene receives in the Berkshires with the exception of a dedicated group of local musicians and music lovers who either help promote the area shows and/or attend the local band shows.
What can the punk scene do? Well, that is kind of obvious. Get to the punk shows and support the scene. Otherwise, the shows will end. Support your local and touring bands. Keep all underground original music alive! Bands support the other bands in your scene and go to their shows! Andy has organized two shows happening in June and again bringing in national touring acts.
On June 19: (venue changing - tba) Decom (FL) will be performing with guests Captain Toxicant, Millions Dead, and Berkshire Boot Boys. The show begins at 8:30 with a $8 cover charge.
On June 30: (venue change) Now at the ITAM in Pittsfield, punk legends Agent Orange (CA) will be performing along with The Prozacs (Springfield), and locals The Pop Collars, Prick Bastard, Millions Dead, and Shock Treatment. Show time is 8pm with a $12 cover.
Article 19
Who is Article 19? Never heard of them? Well that’s because they are new to the scene. According to the band, “Article 19 is an up-and-coming band out of Connecticut that is combined of musicians that are anything but new to the music scene. Each of the members have been active performers with previous and very successful bands, coming together to merge sounds and create a unique blend of pop/rock fused with heavy influences of groove and funk.”
Article 19 is Brett Wilson (lead vocals) formerly of Fair Harbour along with Rick Fritsch (guitar), Jim Townsend (drums), and Doug Parkinson (bass). Rick, Jim, and Doug are all former members of the band Tenet.
“With the merge of these 4 diverse musicians, the goals have been set high and the bar has been raised. Stay tuned to Article 19, the release of new songs will come quickly and show dates are being added constantly.”
You can catch Article 19 this at one of their currently scheduled songs:
6/20 Dubliner @ Mohegan Sun 10pm; 21+
6/27 George’s II, Wallingford CT; 9pm 21+
7/5 Riverfest 2008, Hartford CT; 5:30pm All Ages
8/3 Six Flags New England, Agawam MA; 4pm All Ages
8/31 Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ, 4pm All Ages
You can listen to some of their music by visiting Article 19 on Myspace.
FUN IN THE SUN!
Festival Season is Upon Us! It's time to get out the tank tops, bathing suits, short shorts, sandals, sunscreen, coolers, lawnchairs, pack up the family and off to a relaxing fun-filled day, or weekend, with the family at one of the many festivals offered in the region. If you're lucky, there will be live music for your pleasure.
There are a great number of festivals happening in the region this summer. Unfortunately, we are not able to cover them all but check our show listing database or website (back online soon) to see some of the festivals we are aware of that are going on in, and around, the Upstate New York, Massachusetts area. If you know of any happening in the Northeast, send along the information.
Maximum Capacity B.O.T.B.
Maximum Capacity and Topshelf Records present a Battle of the Bands which anticipates up to 80 bands entering the competition. What bands are competing weekly? The schedule (as much as we know) are listed in our show listings. Visit www.myspace.com/maximumcapacity to find out more details.
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Upcoming Shows
Listings may not reflect changes; always verify with venue or band. Check our comments for more show postings
HAPPENING THIS WEEK!
Weekly listings will return shortly to the page. Until then, you can view this week's shows by clicking the complete monthly show listings link below!
For Upcoming Monthly Show Listings, click HERE . We update weekly. Submit your Northeast show information to be included. It's FREE!
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