thePULSEBands, clubs, artists, and businesses that you may not have heard of yet…but that we think are going to make a name for themselves really soon ~ and you get to hear about them here, right before they make it big!
BAND
Nude Black Glass Redefines the Dirty “P” Word
By Matthew Erhartic
Nude Black Glass label themselves as “Progressive/Rock/Soul”. Rock? Nice. Soul? I can dig it. But Progressive? Oh no, not the dirty “P” word! The term progressive often conjures memories of cringe-inducing lyrics that reference cosmic beings from a distant world and come paired with self indulgent stage theatrics ~ a time when 1970s stalwarts The Moody Blues and Yes were selling out stadiums across the land. It’s safe to give this one a spin though ~ this isn’t your father’s “prog” rock.
The Southbridge-based quartet of 20-somethings definitely shares more common ground with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Incubus than King Crimson. Nude Black Glass abandons the simple pop formula to create challenging yet accessible sonic landscapes ~ songs that have an abstract quality but never veer too far off the deep end to ditch first class melodies.
In 2005, after a few years of playing college parties as an acoustic duo, singer Jonathan Greene and guitarist Dave Tourtellotte found themselves roaming the country in search of a rhythm section that would help take their eccentric brand of funk-flavored, bass-driven rock to the masses. While hunkering down in Somewhere, Colorado, Greene and Tourtellotte hooked up with an old schoolmate, Chris Casey, who came aboard as their bassist. Upon arriving back in the Bay State, Greene’s cousin, Tyler Haynes, hopped on the skins and the newly formed band began to make their rounds of the club circuit.
Their impressive self titled EP showcases a sense of maturity that far exceeds their age, capturing a white hot musicianship that most bands to which most bands never even aspire. With near perfect production by Bill Ryan at RMI Studios, the six song disc is essentially a monstrous rollercoaster ~ a thrill ride that twists and turns at every corner, leaving the listener in dizzy bliss. While songs like “Photography” and “Fancy Boxes” are erratic ~ with souped up guitar squeals and zero to sixty vocal acrobatics ~ they have the right amount of hooks that with any justice will land them on radio station playlists.
In March, the band will find themselves roaming the country once again, except this time it will be in the form of an East Coast tour ~ they’re on a quest to make true N.B.L believers. Redefining an essentially dead and gone genre of music is an enormous undertaking, but Nude Black Glass certainly has the chops and sprit to make it happen.
Catch Nude Black Glass at Tammany Hall January 26th.
Check out www.myspace.com/nudeblackglass
CLUB
Tammany Hall:
Revamped and Rediscovered
By Rachel Shuster
“It is what it is.” This phrase on a sign above the bar at the “new” Tammany Hall ~ still located at 43 Pleasant Street in Worcester ~ perfectly describes the historical neighborhood favorite. The oldest continuously running bar in Worcester, Tammany has been around for years, but new owners and best of friends Tom Hammond and Kevin Zona have taken it under their wings, giving it a new and rejuvenated feel. However, keeping its sense of nostalgia and uniqueness remain most important. “It’s one out of the ordinary,” Zona says. “It has its own character.”
The laid-back bar exuded great potential for fresh success when the guys set their eyes on it seven or eight months ago. “This is ours now. We cleaned it up a lot. We just want everyone to come down and see how it has changed,” Hammond and Zona comment. The revived Tammany Hall opened on October 4th, even though it never closed its doors. Some renovations include new coolers, carpets, restoration of the brick walls, and a redesigned “Tammany Hall” sign outside. “It just needed a little TLC,” Zona says.
During the 1920s, Tammany Hall served as a stepping stone for big bands and a speakeasy for those looking for a break from Prohibition. Flash forward to the present, and those aspects have shown little change. It has always been a popular place to sit down and relax with friends while sipping on a cold drink. “We have great regulars. It’s like Cheers, everyone here knows each other,” Zona and Hammond say.
The “live music club” welcomes all types of talent and encourages new acts and different ideas. “We have a wide variety of acts, from hip-hop to funk to soul to country to pop, we welcome all,” Hammond says. Some past bands that have performed include 2Adam12, The Franks and Traphiq. Check out Tuesdays for the no cover open mic night and Wednesdays through Saturdays for $5-$7 cover live bands. “The cover goes right to the support of bands,” the guys say.
Take note of Tammany’s additional features while the hardwood pine floor leads you to the spacious stage, the fully equipped bar, the DJ booth, the two pool tables and the three plasma TVs. Don’t miss the wall decorated with framed and autographed photos from past bands who have performed there ~ or the tucked-away corner room with dim lighting and plush leather couches, either.
Put on your poker face on Wednesdays for some Texas Hold ‘Em from 7pm-11pm, or grab a drink after work at Tammany’s Business After Hours on Thursdays and Fridays from 5pm-8pm. Keep an eye for Keno which will also make its way to Tammany in the future.
As Zona and Hammond say, “Come on down” to Tammany and rekindle that old feeling of comfort, entertainment and community. Whether it’s your first or hundredth visit to Tammany Hall, always expect to feel welcome and have a one of a kind experience.
Tammany Hall is open Tues – Sat, 4pm-2am and is 18+.
Want to know more? Contact Tom at (508-801-1640) or Kevin (508-733-8999) or www.myspace.com/Tamhall
SOLO
Delatone
Perfecting the Beat
“The Mouse is The New Band Mate”
By Matthew Erhartic
Worcester has always been a safe haven for garage bands ~“Wormtown” practically built its whole reputation around weekend warriors cutting their teeth in someone’s garage, jamming on Led Zeppelin tunes. But as hip hop and rap became a predominant musical force, and as the genre spread into suburbia, more and more young aspiring artists in the area started to take interest in perfecting the beat as opposed to playing “Stairway to Heaven”….again.
25 year old Delatone is one of those artists. “Nowadays the average person can get a program for under $200 and start making beats right out of the box,” the Sterling native explains. “That’s why it’s become less garage band oriented and more soloist oriented, the mouse is the new band mate.”
After amassing an impressive library of recorded drum loops and song structures, Delatone set out to find someone who could lay the right lyrics over his material. After hitting the local rap battles, though, he found that in order to be taken seriously, he would have to step to the mic himself. “I didn’t want to rap in the beginning…to be completely honest, I wanted to find a black emcee for the lyrical part. I couldn’t get over the white rapper stereotype, as contradictory as that may sound.”
Although Hip Hop has achieved considerable universal appeal, it still appears that not everyone is receptive to a white MC. “Most people see a white kid get up on stage and start rapping, there’s an automatic image that appears in people’s heads. Most people will think, “Another white kid trying to be Eminem, wow…what else is new?” That stereotype is what keeps Delatone hard at work at his craft ~ combining introspective lyrics with world class beats that would leave any Hip Hop artist ~ black or white ~ envious. “If you can have your lyrics truly mean something, and also have a great vocal delivery to them, that’s the greatest one-two combo you can have.”
With broad influences ranging from wide groove masters Dr. Dre and Timberland to the “I Think We’re Alone Now” crooning Tommy James and The Shondells, Delatone’s material is razor sharp ~ he’s a passionate storyteller that delivers engaging songs that rise above cookie cutter, booty- shaking anthems. His vision? “Give people something they’d never expect and can’t wait to hear more of…Within two years I’ll have a song on national radio. People just have to be able to share the same vision you have, and when it eventually sinks in, I’ll have reached the end of the beginning.”
Check out www.myspace.com/delatone to hear new music off of Delatone’s new release, What Lies Inside.
BAND
One Bullet Solution
By Mary Ouellette
Bastard children of Thor, God of Thunder, One Bullet Solution have been storming their way into the Worcester music scene since their inception in early 2007. Their blend of melodic meets headbanger riffs compete only with their almighty, hair-raising vocals and commanding rhythm section to deliver a sound that is reminiscent of old school metal with a modern day makeover.
While the name One Bullet Solution may bring to mind visions of street fights and dark alleys, the true significance of the name digs a little deeper than that. According to the band, “The irony in the name is that we believe there is no ‘one bullet solution’ to any problem. No matter how easy it may seem, any and all issues have to be resolved through hard work and patience.” The same hard work and patience that they have applied to their lives they seem to have applied to their music, a perfect blend of speed and an intricate layering of sounds ~ not an easy feat!
The band ~ Steve Vitiello on vocals and guitar, Tom Rogers on drums, Josh Thompson on lead guitar and vocals and Tom DeAngeli on bass and vocals ~ all have deep roots in music but vastly different influences, a combination which lends itself to their songwriting process. The results of drawing from their backgrounds and personal experiences are quality songs that clearly illustrate their passion and diversity.
One Bullet Solution wants fans to walk away from their live show experiencing their pure energy. “Each song has its own feel and rhythm to it, giving people the opportunity to take away whatever they want from our show. We try to maintain a high energy level on stage through our stage presence and playing.” To date, the band has shared the stage with the likes of Nonpoint and Skindred, to name but a couple, but they cite their best performances as those where they share the stage with other local bands that are also fighting and clawing their way up the musical ladder. “The best bands that we have played with so far are the local bands. We’re talking about the guys who just breathe, sweat and bleed music, the guys that are working their asses off day in and day out to put on the best possible show for their fans.”
The band is heading into the studio in January, and fans can check out their single Needlepoint on their MySpace page. Caution: Neck brace required.
Catch OBS on Jan. 5th at Good Time Emporium in Somerville, then mark your calendars for Mar. 29 when they storm The Palladium in Worcester w/ Till We Die, Before the Rise, and more!
www.onebulletsolution.com
www.myspace.com/onebulletsolution
BAND
Crimson Bile
By Mary Ouellette
“Stand up, never backing down no! Just raise your fists up to the sky and let them know that you won’t die!” Not only is that the chorus to Crimson Bile’s track “Stand Up,” from their upcoming album “Out of the Ashes,” it could very well be their personal battle call. Embracing the challenge of combining the elements of rap and rock, Crimson Bile has had to “Stand Up” on more than one occasion to prove that their musical fusion is a formidable force.
Born from the ashes of a hip-hop side project started by emcee Crakd (Anthony Santilli) and emcee Ice-Pic (Matt Joyce), Crimson Bile ~ now familiar faces at Worcester favorites The Lucky Dog, Tammany Hall and Club Oasis ~ had very humble beginnings. The two put together a concept-based rap album and thought that was the end of it, but when the underground scene took hold of it and wouldn’t let go, they realized they may have stumbled on to something bigger.
Crimson Bile soon evolved into something larger than life, not only did the duo adopt a full band to back their rap and vocals (Greg Burrows on drums, his brother Chris Burrows on guitar, and Donny Hayes on bass), but they went even further and added a third emcee to the mix (Frantik/Shane Nadeau). Adding these missing parts has given the band additional depth, allowing them to reach new heights as a cohesive unit with their new songs.
Their new album “Out of the Ashes” is scheduled to drop in 2008 and, according to emcee Frantik, “It’s about real life situations that everyone has to deal with.” Understanding each others’ musical strengths seems to be a key contributing factor to the overall success of their writing process. “95 percent of the time Ice-Pic and the band members start working on the instrumental parts and after that we all sit around and decide what kind of mood the song is. Ice-Pic has a great voice so he’s the one that sings all of the choruses, as well as having a verse in each song. Crakd and I are lyricists at heart so we stick with doing the verses and the occasional chorus.” reveals Frantik about a typical writing session. This kind of symbiotic songwriting leads to well-crafted songs that deliver like a sucker punch to the gut and win over live audiences instantaneously.
Pushing the envelope in an industry that is drowning in wannabes and copycats, Crimson Bile waves their flag of individuality loud and proud. While the concept of mixing rap and rock is not a new one, it’s definitely not one that is easy to pull off on any level, and Crimson Bile seems to have it down to a fine art.
Catch Crimson Bile live at Milly’s Tavern in Manchester, NH on Jan. 5th.
This article is proof in its self that Post Script needs to get off his ass and write more….he’s an amazing lyricist and needs to be heard right along with CB.