So, I got an email from my dad the other day. My car insurance was very due and, being the caring dude he is, he wanted to be certain I hadn’t forgotten. The postscript, however, included a jibe at the fact that we haven’t updated this site since early October. Nothing like your parents to get you to take action; I have no good retort and so here I am, posting.

Let’s talk about tonight! Remember those choose-your-own-endings books where you chose option A or option B and option A had you turning to page 67 while option B made you turn the book upside down? That’s what this post is.

I give you three magical doors for your evening, on this Friday the 13th.

You can:

A. Go to Great Scott in Allston, see the Bon Savants play, and dance your little misunderstood heart out at The Pill. 9 PM, $5, 21+.

B. Find Gay Gardens for a good ole Allston house show. Bonezone (who I’ve never seen but really want to) are playing along with Gila Monster, Fat History Month, and Golden Girls. Fun starts at 7.30.

C. Make your way to Castle Bar in Oak Square in Brighton (Have you been there? I haven’t been there I’m gonna get lost) for Gentlemen Jesse and His Men, Tampoffs, DumbWaiters.

What happens next is up to you. Please report back if you chose to do any of these things and had a great/bad/okay time.

I know this isn’t particularly NEW but if you haven’t already, you should check out The Wonderful Spells. As I understand it, they’re on a hiatus of sorts. But whatever, this is some fun stuff. Tory and I once saw them at TT’s and she developed a crush on all three boys simultaneously.

Anyways, you can download their EP, The Haunted Garage, for free HERE and you should.

This post sucks. Click the link.

Oh my god, this is the best thing I have heard of in some time. I’m going to be late for work but YOU NEED TO KNOW.

Today (Saturday 9/12), ten bands will be playing at Outside the Lines studio in Medford.

How the hell can one sit through ten bands, you might be thinking? It’s round robin style, of course! All the bands will be set up at the same time and each band will take turns playing one song. Once all ten have played, they’ll start at the beginning again, going around the loop until the show ends. Dan Shea, promoter extraordinaire of Bodies of Water Arts and Crafts, Needy Visions, and other magical things, is borrowing this idea from a group in Baltimore. And I think it’s awesome. Come find a new favorite local band.

And the bands are… (I’m borrowing his words for this list)

mind yeti psychsters
life partners noisenik balladeers
needy visions lowbrow popsters
streight angular squiggly dudes
mmoss psych popsters
big digits party animals
crystal understanding synth sherpas
world map anti-funksters
many mansions electro tribalists
maine coons awfully dirty pants punk

Funds raised go to a Boston Underground Compilation LP. Get into it.

70 Colby St.
Medford, MA
ALL AGES
$10
7pm

One of the best things about working part time is I finally have nights free for shows. I promised myself I’d go to at least one a week, and so far I’m doing alright.

And so what’ll it be tonight? My attention was first brought to tonight’s show at Great Scott by the opening act, Mike Fiore. The face of Faces on Film and a Boston songsmith who gives me chills, I try to catch his sets whenever I can.

But there’s more!

Martha Vineyard’s own, Willy Mason, has two albums under his belt. I remember when his song “Oxygen” was on some CD attached to the NME, I used to make my carpool listen to it ad nauseam. I can’t seem to find any new news on him now, but I can assure you that the boy’s got chops. Check him out on myspace!

Last, but not least… Have you ever heard of a Southern grunge band called Verbena? Apparently, Dave Grohl called them the next Nirvana. But, come 2003, things fell apart (as these things often do) and lead singer Scott Bondy retreated to the Catskills. Come 2007 he emerged with his birth-name and a new sound that leads critics to namecheck Dylan, Cash and Williams. On September 1, his second album “When the Devil’s Loose” was released… come celebrate with him.

So, there we are. A night full of men with guitars, demanding your full attention. I’ll be there, leaning against the column/a wall as usual. Say hi, I don’t bite.

And here’s some links, for more info:

Faces on Film
Willy Mason
AA Bondy

Last Friday at the Pill, the Televandals celebrated the release of their single “Good for Nothing”. It was packed. I mean, I had to stand in front of people shorter than me to get anywhere near the stage (usually I am cursed with the kind of show going decorum that gets no one anywhere). Anyways, it was fairly ridiculous, and the kind of party only our lovely neighbors can provide. Just ask Anthony.

That’s all I wanted to say, and now you should probably check out Tea Party Boston’s interview with Televandals RIGHT HERE. Aren’t you curious what Nico’s favorite word is??

Also, to hear their newest single, please check out their myspace. While you’re there, keep an eye out for the remix of “Dirty Lovers” by Zak Broman (of Rogue Wave).

Ok, you get reading… I have to go now. The windows are open and they can probably hear me playing “Good for Nothing”. That’s awkward.

First things first, go to the “Shows” tab and LOOK WHAT I DID. We now have your next month planned out for you; quit your job, you’re going to be very busy. I’m going to be very broke.

Also… looking for something new to listen to? Go here and stream The Big Big Bucks’ new album, Crucial Schmooze. Trust me, when have I ever let you down?

-Kate

Excuse any spelling/grammatical errors that are about to occur. The British have invaded and I have to write this post in the five spare minutes I have.

Basically, there’s something awesome going on this, the 40th anniversary of Woodstock weekend. The Whitehaus Family Record, based in JP, will be hosting an EPIC, three-day all-ages experimental music festival and benefit at the Cambridge YMCA theater called WEIRDSTOCK… With about 50 experimental acts from different parts of New England and beyond, this is too good to miss.

$7 for one day, $12 for two days, $15 for all three.

Click for set times! And GO ‘cos I can’t!

FRIDAY AUGUST 14
6:00 Jacob Mashak  S
6:30 TBA
7:00 George Myers S
7:30 Skeletons Out  F
8:30 Behavior  S
9:00 White Limousine and Impatient Truck with Special Guest  F
(chris cooper of Fat Worm of Error)
9:30 Harry Merry  S
10:00 Julian Lynch S
10:30 Mudboy  F
11:00 Keith Fullerton Whitman + Geoff Mullen  S

SATURDAY AUG 15
1:00 Grass Tower  S
1:30 Dick Heaven  S
2:00 Psych Fam  F
2:30Casey Rocheteau  S
3:00 The Great Valley   S
3:30 Invisible Circle  F
4:00 The Hard Nips  S
4:30 Tooth Ache F
5:00 Son of Salami/Psychic Vagina  S
5:30 Many Mansions  F
6:00 INTERMISSION
6:30Eat Cloud  S
7:00Guatemala City  F
7:30Lord Jeff  S
8:00 Quilt  F
8:30 Tempera  S
9:00 White Light  S
9:30 Sore Eros  F
10:00 Kurt Weisman  S
10:30 Harmonizer  S   (Greg Davis)
11:00 Dreamhouse  S?

SUNDAY AUG 16
1:00 Concord Ballet Orchestra Players  F
1:30 Ppalmm  S
2:00 Fractillian  F
2:30 Color Guard   S
3:00 Cave Bears   F
3:30 Sacred Harp   S
4:00 Metal and Glass  F
4:30 Omnivore  S
5:00 Duck That  F
5:30 Robert Stillman  S
6:00 INTERMISSION
6:30 Goat of Arms S
7:00 Cursillistas S
7:30The Human Hairs  F
8:00 Ricardo Donoso S
8:30 Peace, Loving F
9:00 Radio Wonderland  S
9:30 Truman Peyote  F
10:00 QFWFQ Duo  S
10:30 Animal Hospital  F
11:00 Devil Music  Ensemble S

Hello, readers.
I know you exist, Word Press does this Blog Stats thing to prove to Cat and I that all is not for naught.

Anyways, what’s going on? I went to see Christians & Lions, The Big Big Bucks and Brontosaur at Middle East Upstairs on Sunday (CD release show for 2 outta the 3)… It was brilliant, I’ll write about it soon hopefully. In the meantime (because you and I both know that I hate writing show reviews) you should check the bands out and see what you think.

Three most excellent Boston bands…

Christians & Lions
The Big Big Bucks
Brontosaur

Who wants to write about shows/albums/anything Boston for us? We want to keep content going but barely get to go to shows because of our silly waitressing habit. I’m gonna start doing a local spotlight bit so if you’ve got any bands you think should be covered, drop us an email at info@pilgrimsofsound.com.

That’s all I got – I’m going outside!

PS. I just made us a Twitter! Follow us! Now! Only one person is right now and it’s me…

So okay. I, like all young twenty-somethings, can Facebook with the best of them. Not to mention my ability to blog, talk crap on messageboards, MySpace… I even try my hardest to Twitter interestingly.

Do I really need another internet diversion? If it’s worth my time, sure. Say hello to our friends at Sponty. They’ve made Pilgrims of Sound a “Featured Feed” but that honestly isn’t the only reason I’m introducing you two… I actually think the website’s quite cool and it frustrates me that it’s so new that NOONE I know is on it and at a certain point there’s only so many times you can announce to the internet that you are planning on hanging out with yourself. Phew. Also, they’re based in Boston.. we at Pilgrims like things based in Boston.

The website is essentially a calendar, showing what your friends are doing. You can choose to “hang out” with them if it’s something you like. Which is where Pilgrims of Sound comes in; as religiously as we update our gig listings page, we will now be updating our Sponty feed to show you our picks for live music. As I now have criminally poor knowledge of bands outside 95, it’ll be predominatly local shows.

So… sign up to Sponty, add Pilgrims of Sound as a friend of yours, and hang out with us!

Saturday’s so passe, after all.

Tonight, June 25, come hang out at the Middle East Up for Forest Henderson’s CD (re)Release. Even better, the show also serves as a CD release party for Dave Crespo & the After Party. Two for two, I can hardly stand it. Also playing and releasing nothing but the rock (you’d think Cat was writing this, wouldn’t you?), is Anomopoly and High Speed Steal. 9 PM, 18+, $10.

Tomorrow, you will likely be hungover and feeling a little bit poorer.  No fear, we have a free show for you. Beautiful Lies CD Release, presented by Boston Music Spotlight, will be at Kings. 9 PM, 21+, FREE.

No excuses. We’ll see ya there!