The Grownup Noise CD release

The Grownup Noise is proud to announce they'll be headlining the Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge, Saturday, March 26, to celebrate the release of their new album "This Time With Feeling"! They are playing with good friends Kingsly Flood and Joe Fletcher and the Wrong Reasons and Spouse. This show will be awesome! They'll have special guests and a secret cover song and most importantly an excellent new album they are really proud 0f. http://www.mideastclub.com/

Blacker is back!

I've been a huge fan of Sarah Blacker's tunes for some time, so it's with great excitement and anticipation that I unveil the news of her new album release, "Come What May." I got the chance to listen to a few of her tunes, which you can check out via her web site.

Sarah's music has a relaxing power to it. You crank up the volume and let your mind float away on the melodies. The title track, "Come What May," is a perfect example of this. The music is gentle, and Sarah's voice takes a casual stroll through your mind, inviting you to drop whatever's got you twisted up inside and kick back for a few.

"Knocked The Winds" and "When I Was New" picks up the pace, showing that Blacker's got more than one musical gear at her disposal. Do yourself a favor and pick up her first album, "The Only Way Out Is Through."

And if this amazing tuneage wasn't enough, Sarah's also delving into the world of video, with one for her song "Driven," which you can check out here.

Sarah's been on several tours, and her accomplishments proves her skill time and again. This info comes from a press release sent by her manager, Roni Pillischer.

Her song 'Smell of Caramel,' off of 'TOWOiT,' was recently signed by Black Cloud Promotions for licensing in TV and movies, and it also garnered her the recent win in the Subaru competition. She was one of my top picks for my top 10 Artists of 2009 in the Noise Magazine. She was the number two artist of WMVY's [Martha's Vineyard] Unchartered Waters Series.

Blacker was the recent winner of Radio 92.9/Boch Subaru's artist competition, and became the voice and face of Subaru of New England's "Ooh, ooh it's love," TV and radio campaign airing throughout New England and the mid-atlantic region for several months this fall/winter.

I could go on, but I think you get the point.

New show files

Snowed in? Then kick back and check out these great show files.

Here's our interview with the pop/punk band The Fifth Minute and Americana great Greg Loftus




And let's keep things going with our chat with Zebbler and Encanti and the guys from Naga Gaga.

3 Day Threshold ships out to The Middle East (not the club)

Winner of “Best Local Band” in this year’s Boston Magazine, Cambridge’s own bluegrass and country music band, Three Day Threshold has been invited to do a tour of The Middle East (not the club in Cambridge, but the actual Middle East!) in February 2011.

“We are so humbled and honored by this opportunity and extremely grateful for a chance to give back to the troops who have done so much for our country” says banjo and guitarist, Kier Byrnes.

Though the official tour stops are classified, regions the band will be in include Djibouti, Qatar and Kuwait and a possible off shore concert.The band will celebrate with a tour kickoff party January 29th at one of their favorite local oases, Atwood’s Tavern, in Cambridge MA, before they fly to desert sands of The Middle East. Admission is free, 21+ and the show is from 10pm-1am.

Only at Night-Keyboard headbangin'

Ever get the urge to floor punch whilst listening to a keyboard player? Five minutes with the tunes of Only at Night, and that'll change, trust me.
The music of this Outer Space-based quartet is deceptively powerful. None have a particularly imposing presence, and their easygoing natures seem out of place with a band capable of getting even the most dedicated wallflower to move their asses. But once they hit the stage all bets are off as they rock from the opening note to the closing riff.
Vocalist and keyboard player Stefano Trafecante isn't just the bane of spellcheck-he's a surgeon on the keyboard. Okay, more like a surgeon with a Norse war hammer. He pounds the ivories, evoking a completely different response than most keyboard enthusiasts. At the band's most recent show at All Asia, the crowd was jumping , which was pounded out by Trefecante and slammed home by the accomplished trio of Danielle Leveille on guitar, JC on drums and Rilla Bailey on bass.
The music of Only at Night blends the smooth synthesis of Trafecante's voice and keyboard playing with the follow-up assault of Bailey, JC and Leveille's instrumental skills. In songs like "Save the World" a quiet, mellow opening soon gives way to a far more powerful second verse. Live, the band gets lost in the music, and the crowd soon follows suit. Metaphorically, they're like a dancer in the Bolshoi Ballet on a speeding bullet train loaded with 200 kilos of Semtex headed for a brick wall. In fact, I think that's how they got to the All Asia show.
The band's currently at work on their next album, but you can check out more of their music here.