By Jillian Locke

It’s been one of the most heinous winters in years, so here’s to hoping for warmer weather in the month of April! So, for the approval of any and all Locke on Rock readers, I now submit some sweet bands and some equally sweet shows to usher in the sweet smells and sounds of Spring!

Fan of Michael Cera’s (Arrested Development, SuperBad) latest film venture Juno? Fan of the soundtrack? Then you’re probably, whether you know it or not, a fan of The Terrordactyls, an indie-powerpop explosion comprised of Michael Cadiz (somewhere in Maryland) and Tyrel Stendahl (somewhere in Washington). They’ve received much attention and acclaim for their contribution to the Juno soundtrack, “Devices,” as they’re joined by Olympia, WA’s folk extraordinaire Kimya Dawson, who has a slew of her own songs on the aforementioned soundtrack. And what’s that I hear? Kazoos? This is a must for any fan of quirky acoustic tune-age and any fan of Seattle, WA’s The Pharmacy, as The Terrordactyls upcoming five song EP, Mike Bowers, includes only cover songs that pay tribute to them. www.myspace.com/theterrordactyls

JimmyEatWorld will be making a rare appearance in Lowell at the Tsongas Arena on April 30th with Franklin, TN’s pop-rock explosion Paramore. The Tsongas show is scheduled on the heels of their full-blown international tour ~ including Europe, the UK, and Japan ~ for their 2007 release, Chase This Light. The ensuing whimsical, alternative rock tornado will surely be an eye and earful to behold, sending fans whirling and bouncing off the arena walls. www.myspace.com/jimmyeatworld, www.myspace.com/paramore

Think of how green the trees and grass look when the sky is grey, most notably in the fall. The brightness of the leaves stand out radiant against the gloomy backdrop of the sky; this is the imagery that Between the Buried and Me’s 2007 release Colors,brings to mind. Flowing piano licks, soul-crushing drums, ethereal vocals spanning through throat-caving growls complimented by classic, soaring metal guitars, and even a tinge of circus music (say what?) makes Colors a truly epic and thirst quenching masterpiece. Having been compared to the likes of Pink Floyd, Tool, and King Crimson, BTBAM’s latest installment of experimental progressive metal overtures offer a little something to satisfy even the most extensive musical palette. Take the beautifully tragic collision of light and dark on the third track, “Informal Gluttony,” as vocalist Tommy Rogers spews the beautifully spiteful lines, “First come, first serve. The all you can eat trumpet, playing the tunes of our death. Breathe…now blow. Now blow. Feed me fear. Informal gluttony.” Or the perfectly blended melodic cacophony of the final track, “White Walls,” one of the most satisfying and fulfilling closing tracks on any album I’ve heard in too long. Complete, unadulterated, unmitigated rancor accurately encompasses the full spectrum of this metal Picasso. Want to experience it in person? BTBAM is joining 3 and Opeth as they open for Dreamtheater at the Orpheum Theatre on May 20th. I’ll be catching up with the band 3 next month for some previews of the show, and hopefully will have a review in May’s column…the 20th is a Thursday night, but I’ll do my best to make it happen! www.myspace.com/betweentheburiedandmeband, www.betweentheburiedandme.com

Pissed I Missed: Firestorm Fest, featuring the likes of Earth Crisis, Terror, Shai Hulud, and Since the Flood (new vocalist Nate Johnson and all) melted the Palladium February 29th, and was, in the words of one of my most trustworthy show-goers, Matty-O, “delightful.” Worcester was rocked again the very next night when the legendary Murphy’s Law took over Ralph’s Diner, a make-up date for their January 12th show which they had to miss due to a severe illness sustained by Pico, ML’s bassist. I’m sure everyone over at Ralph’s spent the rest of the week recovering from the punk-fueled mayhem that surely ensued! Also, One Vein, Before the Rise, and NH/MA’s hard rock outfit, Till We Die stormed the Palladium on March 29th. I caught up with guitarist Joe Demarco, who describes their sound as “energetic, very riffy, and straightforward” and had this to say about vocalist Mitty, bassist Mike B., and drummer Dave Stewart’s second Screaming Ferret Wreckords release: “We’re half way done writing the material for our 2008 release. It’s a lot heavier than Pressing On, and very energetic. We want to capture the feeling of a live performance on this next album, because I don’t feel we did that with Pressing On. It’s hard to do, but that’s what we’re aiming for.”

Another show I’m also super pissed I missed is the Dropkick Murphy’s at the Tsongas Area Saturday, March 15th, especially since I was insanely lucky enough to get tickets! After my rock-to-die partner in crime cancelled at the last minute, I had no trouble finding some very, VERY fortunate souls to bestow two tickets to drunken Irish paradise upon. I was told the show was amazing…no sh*t. At least someone got to enjoy the St. Patty’s Day shenanigans!

One show I did NOT miss was the 3/27 powerhouse line-up at the Palladium, including In Vitro, 36 Crazyfists, and Napalm Death (ok, so I kinda lied…I missed Straight Line Stitch because I got there late ~ I really hate early week day shows! ~ and I left before DevilDriver, because now I’m all grown up and can’t stay up as late on a work night!). In Vitro was an hilariously pleasant surprise as they bombed the stage wearing headpieces fashioned from tin foil. Vocalist Jeff Weber whipped around the stage with crazy vocals and goofy-as-all-hell antics that were all reminiscent of what you would expect out of Jello Biafra, which was in and of itself worth the price of the ticket alone. I actually can’t remember the last time I saw the crowd so amped for an opening band. 36Crazyfists followed suit, playing songs off their upcoming 2008 Ferret Release, as well as opening with their hit “I’ll Go Until My Heart Stops.” What I love so much about 36CF is that yeah, they’re melodic, they’re kinda emotional sometimes, but it’s the kind of music you jam out to, get your emotional fix from, but also rock the f*ck out to. They’ve been at it for a while, and with their latest effort, they’re delving into a heavier sound, but the uplifting and positive message is still there.

Speaking of uplifting and positive, let’s talk about the next band, the UK’s Napalm Death. I have no idea what vocalist Mark Greenway was saying, but I was extremely entertained by his stellar yet boldly awkward stage presence. It was complete and utter chaos, but at the end of the day, everyone needs a little nonsense and metallic tomfoolery. The three bands I saw represented everything that makes metal music legendary and forever: completely ridiculous, completely poignant, and completely out of control. A satisfactory show all around!

Any Tool or Perfect Circle fans reading this? If so, you’re in for a ginormous treat. L.A.’s Kaura picks up where these two titans of experimental and righteously ethereal metal leave off. The brain child of Benjamin Jones and Malcolm Guess, Kaura utilize their lofty, exotic travels to such locations as Thailand, Java, and Bali to combine spiritually explorative and darkly coated themes and tones in the same vein as their influences to expand on the beauty and essential nature of combining the darkest of the dark with the most gleaming light. Check them out at www.myspace.com/kaura

Even though The Company Band EP Sign Here, Here, and Here was released a few months ago, I feel it pertinent to share one of the best side-project line-ups of pure rockers of fury. Including Clutch’s bearded visionary Neil Fallon on vocals, CKY’s rhythm master Jess Margera on drums, Fireball Ministry’s frontman James A. Rota on guitar, Puny Human bassist Jason Diamond, and guitarist Dave Bone, The Company Band has come together to offer up a four-track EP that doesn’t necessarily stray far from the down and dirty rock sound these musicians are so famed for, but presents a small body of work that is absolutely rock-able and refreshing nonetheless. The message behind the first track, ‘Company Man,’ is straightforward in its message: “Do it for the money, do it for the cash. Sh*tloads of cash,” streamlining perfectly into the next track, ‘Fortune’s a Mistress,’ as Fallon calls out the state that harbors the ‘Biggest Little City in the World,’ with the line, “Reno, Nevada, a curse on you. Fortune’s a mistress and a fool.” ‘Spellbinder,’ my personal favorite, spins a lyrical web, “You’re just a cool spellbinder, shakin’ up a bag of tricks…Only a blind man knows the road. Only the faithful can let go.” Last but certainly not least, ‘Heartache & Misery’ is a true blues track through and through with the lines, “I’m a terrible suffering man, you want no part of me. Cause everywhere I go, only heartache and misery.” I highly recommend you log onto iTunes and pick this little ditty up. It’s so choice. www.myspace.com/thecoband

Until next month, then, keep thoughts of warmer weather flowing, as we emerge from a very frigid and metal winter to a [fingers crossed!] face-melting spring and summer!

Pics: Terrordactyls, JimmyEatWorld, Between the Buried and Me, Napalm Death, & Kaura