Jay Som– real name Melina Duterte– has quickly risen through the ranks to become one of the hottest indie rock artists of this past year. After a year of touring, she returned to California and met singer and songwriter Justus Proffit. Soon after their meeting, a five track EP was made, and a short eight show tour was booked for the duo.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from their collaboration when I headed to this show. Was it going to be Justus opening for Jay Som, and them doing the last few songs together, or would it be the two of them doing an acoustic show together? What I ended up getting was a full-band combo with both of them switching vocals.

Boston noise band Kal Marks took the stage as the opener– an interesting choice, since noise rock doesn’t usually go with bedroom pop. Their songs were loud and heavy, which is definitely not something I thought I would be hearing that night, and it definitely left my ears ringing after their set.

The show was much shorter than I expected it to be at only thirty minutes, and the majority of the show ended up being their EP 

. With a mix between indie rock, garage rock, country, and bedroom pop, the EP covers a lot of material in its few tracks. They began their set with their track ‘Nothing Has Changed.’ This song has a mixed feeling containing all those genres that I mentioned before. This was a great start, and an indication of how the rest of the night was going to be a mix of everything they had.

In addition to playing through the EP, each artist added two songs from their own discography to lengthen the set. Justus added a brand-new original song he wrote while on tour, while Jay Som added her big hit ‘The Bus Song.’ ‘The Bus Song’ was definitely the biggest song of the night, getting the crowd together to sing along with the band.

My personal favorite moment of the night was when the duo played ‘Tunnel Vision’ from their EP. While I listened to the EP multiple times before the show, nothing really prepared me for how this song would play out live. With Duterte’s looping guitars and two other guitars putting in all their effects, the group created one of the greatest crescendos I have ever heard.

Even though their set was short and mostly comprised of material that the crowd didn’t seem too familiar with, Jay Som and Justus Proffit were able to show how well a mix of all these genres can work.

Jay Som and Justus Proffit bring their fresh new sound to Great Scott

On a quiet Wednesday night when most Bostonians were tuned into their TVs watching the Red Sox in the World Series something special was happening inside of the Great Scott in Allston. Australian singer and songwriter Stella Donnelly was able to completely captivate a small and intimate crowd and completely pull them out of what was happening outside.

Donnelly has been extremely busy since the release of her debut EP 

, touring her home country and traveling the world. During her performances, she tells personal stories that range from simple things like awkward dates to more serious topics such as sexual assault. She is able to create a landscape of sound with only her guitar and her voice. Stella shared stories about each song’s origin before performing them. Her storytelling made each song more meaningful when, since I could connect the lyrics to her mindset when she wrote them. She told tales of her times working at the old pub in her hometown and shared her experience getting a visa to come play these shows in America.

The setlist included her entire EP and some unreleased songs. The room lit up with smiles and enjoyment when Stella performed her hits such as “Mechanical Bull”. One song that stuck out during her set was “Boys Will Be Boys,” a song about her friend’s experience with sexual assault. Donnelly sang about others doubting her friend’s story and asked the crowd how they would deal with it, with lines like “Would you blame your little sister if she cried to you for help?” The song conveyed a strong message and emphasized her strength for bringing these complex and uncomfortable topics to light. My favorite song of the night was “Grey.” With fast fingerpicking and a smooth vocal melody on top, it beautifully showcased Donnelly’s musical ability.

One of my favorite parts of Donnelly’s set was the bond she created with the crowd. She made us feel connected through conversation and storytelling, which was something I didn’t realize I wanted from a concert. It felt like she was performing for a group of friends rather than separating us as artist and audience.

Stella Donnelly lights up Great Scott

Nothing’s twisted world of incarceration, violence, and melancholy colored their dark set, creating not only one of the loudest shows I’ve ever been to, but also one of the saddest and most moving.

Shoegaze has always intrigued me. The genre includes bands from dream pop to aggressive punk, and Nothing has successfully been able to cover that entire range with their newest album 

 – an album that completely grabs the listener and throws them into the life of Nothing’s Domenic Palermo. The band focused their energy toward this album as the show’s setlist and theme heavily revolved around 

The entire show was played in near-total darkness, supplemented only by small white lights that occasionally lit up the musicians. Nothing opened with a monologue about how life is nothing that flowed into ‘Zero Day,’ bringing the crowd into a wall of sound only possible with shoegaze. There was not a single moment of silence as reverb and delay carried the band from one song to the next. Instrumentals sprawled throughout the set, concluding with a hooded man coming on stage to complete the somber monologue that began Nothing’s performance.

which sounded as good if not better than the recorded album. The guitar’s tone and ability to move in and out of the spotlight was not a small feat and Palermo’s vocals blended beautifully into the background with layer upon layer of reverb. The highlights were the few older songs the band placed throughout the setlist. ‘Vertigo Flowers’ and ‘A.C.D.’ brought out the crowd from being in a hypnotic daze to a full-on mosh pit with many people running on stage to jump back into the crowd.

The set ended with ‘Eaten by Worms’. Palermo entered the crowd to sing the final lines of the song, bringing the most dedicated fans of the band together screaming lyrics at the top of their lungs. It was an emotional end to the final show of their long tour.

The show was one of the most memorable performances I have experienced. Nothing absolutely shattered my expectations of what is possible on a stage. The darkness, somber attitude, and pure dedication brought forth a wall of sound that impacted the entire room. Since the show, their music fills me with more emotion. Nothing’s songs now feel so much more connected to each other and I am starting to understand the art that Palermo is trying to show with his songwriting.

Nothing brings their twisted, melancholic world to The Sinclair

[three_fourth]Knuckle Puck’s first album 

was a pop-punk dream. Simple yet meaningful lyrics and heavy, intricate guitar and drum instrumentals made them the perfect band to mosh to. However, on their EP 

, the band decided to shift their sound, with lead singer Joe Taylor’s vocals coming to the forefront. Their new album 

 has the same key components, but takes them in a new direction. With a train as their new logo, the band moves full steam ahead into new territory.

The album begins with “Nervous Passenger,” a song about someone who doesn’t know where they’re going, but hopes someone will be there for them when they get there. In the background, the sounds of a train platform play, signaling the start of the album. The sudden vocals and instrumental buildup move straight into “Twist.” Sadly, this is one of the only good transitions on the album, something the band excelled at on their previous record.

“Twist,” “Double Helix,” and “Gone” all recall the classic Knuckle Puck sound. Lyrics like “I’ve been wandering hopelessly/ Lost in my own skin/ Knowing nothing you say or bring” and “Can I rewrite my code? / Retain the good and purge the bad/ You’re fraying at the fabric/ I’m pulling at the strands” explore self-realization and overcoming the challenges surrounding it. These are the lyrics Knuckle Puck fans love to scream back at the band during shows.

“Gone” was initially released as the album’s first single. On first listen, I thought it felt too light. Single power chords and the lead guitar playing just three notes back and forth felt lazy. But in the context of the album, it makes sense. “Double Helix” and “Everyone Lies to me” are the rawest guitar tracks on the album. Having “Gone” in-between the two amplifies how heavy both of those songs are. After a couple listens, “Gone” has gone up on my list as one of the better songs on the album.

The last few tracks are totally new to the band’s sound. “Wait” and “Plastic Brains” have lush guitar chords layered beneath Taylor’s raw vocals. These songs also feature multiple layered guitar and vocal tracks, making the band sound fuller than ever.

 does a lot right, but there are some technical shortcomings. Some of the mixing on “Nervous Passenger,” “Twist,” and “Stuck in Our Ways,” is muffled and unappealing. Taylor’s lyrics are a bit convoluted at times, like on “Double Helix,” “Take take oh please just take it back/ I don’t want your double helix” repeated six times doesn’t really add anything to the song.

At only thirty minutes long, Knuckle Puck was able to create a much more in-depth sound on 

. It didn’t have any of the jaw dropping moments that 

 had, but it also didn’t have the dull moments that accompanied them either. 

is a positive entry to Knuckle Puck’s already amazing discography and is something old and new Knuckle Pucks can enjoy.

Knuckle Puck release full-length ‘Shapeshifter’

After an amazing world tour in support of 2012’s 

, Japandroids took a bit of a hiatus. This quickly changed in late 2016 when they announced the release of a new album, 

. Upgrading their venue from the Great Scott to the Royale, the band brought a massive crowd last month, selling out the club the day of the show.

 and his band, The Uptown Controllers. Using many aspects of spoken word and rock’n’roll, Craig Finn did an amazing job of portraying a story in his music. With very slow spots in the set to highlight his lyrics, he was able to quickly change over to beating rock riffs to help convey a change in time in his narrative. Having only one opener felt beneficial for Finn, as most of the crowd was already there and giving him a bigger audience than usual for a set which it seemed like most enjoyed.

The setup for Japandroids was one of the more complicated ones I’ve ever seen at the Royale. With walls of lights, several spotlights, and more lasers on the floor, most of the stage was littered with moving gadgets. Guitarist and vocalist Brian King boasted about 3 amp heads and 9 cabs for one guitar, making a wall of amps. Additionally, drummer and vocalist David Prowse had his drums up at the front of the stage next to Brian as opposed to being behind him. The duo blasted the intro to the show by playing the title track of their new album, using every flashing light they had in the venue. The band made rounds around all three albums, making sure to hit most of their catalog

The crowd was very interesting to watch as well. They pulled people of all age groups, from kids to adults looking like they were 50. What was common, though, was that everyone was into the music–even the mosh pit was diverse. Songs with the most activity were “wet hair” and “The House That Heaven Built”. After what seemed to be the end of the set, they made an announcement. Bringing up Craig Finn, a Boston native, they played a song called “For Boston”, with flashing green lights to boot. Having those special words said for this city was the perfect way for the show and night to end.

With Japandroids headed on a world tour for in support of 

, there is no idea when they will be back to play a show in Boston. When they do return, it’s a must see act.

https://play.spotify.com/album/26hqnB0XF1ZFc31zY6NAgf

Japandroids @ The Royale

After the release of his hit debut album 

, DJ Porter Robinson teamed up with close friend Madeon (Hugo Leclercq) to work on new music together and on August 11th, 2016 “Shelter

, the product of their collaboration, was released. Seen as a perfect mixture of Porter’s more worldly and atmospheric style and Madeon’s flow, the single quickly gained popularity and the duo announced a collaboration tour where Porter’s 

It was pouring out on the Tuesday night when the Shelter Tour made it to Boston. First on the bill at the Orpheum Theatre was 

. A Toronto based DJ, he played a set that mashed up current top songs with popular throwbacks. With only a single visual aid to assist him and a very small crowd, his set left much more to be desired. The second opener was French DJ 

, who used intense drum beats and wore an ominous black outfit and mask. These two openers executed very different sets but served as a preview for what the headliners would bring, one showing their mixing side and the other showing off their original ideas.

As the lights dimmed for the headliner, a quiet piano played and gradually got louder in the darkness. Both Porter and Madeon made their way to the stage, which was fully equipped with two live edit stations with accompanying sound boards, pianos, and drums. As soon as the DJs got into position, all of the lights in the room went off and their single “Shelter” started playing. Using a giant screen behind them, they had the tour’s color, neon green, flashing as the whole room danced to the song. Even though they were confined to their stations, it didn’t stop them from jumping around and expressing themselves when playing their instruments. For most of the show, the duo would play one of their songs as the other mixed on top of it. The most notable songs they played were “Sad Machine x You’re On

“Sad Machine” is one of the most vibrant songs that Porter has ever written, showing off his mastery of modern audio programs and synthesizers which then mix with “You’re On,” which is mostly composed of vocal tracks and Madeon’s singing; the same can then be said about “Divinity x Technicolor.” For some songs, one of the duo would play the other’s song while putting their own twist on it. Madeon did his own edit on Porter’s “Flicker” and Porter did one on Madeon’s “La Luna.” Their song pairings were often unpredictable, mixing “Fellow Feeling

 and “Icarus,” one of which is a soft orchestra of strings and the other a heavy EDM song. My favorite combination of the night was “OK” and “Lionhearted.” While Madeon’s “OK” has the same style as Porter’s track “Lionhearted

 by the latter carries a lot more lyrics but the duo basically swapped the primary function of these tracks and let the lyrical content of “OK” serve as the focus while “Lionhearted

 was the backing track. The duo ended on Porter’s “Goodbye to a World”; It felt like the perfect ending to an amazing night, but the duo came back out to hundreds of people shouting for an encore. Returning to a lone piano at center stage, the duo played another amazing, acoustic rendition of “Shelter” with Porter on piano and Madeon singing. As the night ended the duo thanked everyone for coming out. With Madeon stating he’s going to be releasing a new album next year and Porter working on his new one, both should be back in Boston sometime in the future but this show was not one to soon be replicated.

Porter Robinson and Madeon @ Orpheum Theatre

For 19 years, Big D and the Kids Table have been putting on the spookiest ska show in the Boston area. Every year, 800 people in different costumes come down to the Paradise for a night of stomp and stroll. This year’s openers for Big D were 

Being Boston residents, Big D has had a huge connection with the music community here, from attending Berklee College of Music to working and putting shows on at the Paradise. Featuring an ever changing line-up, as most ska bands do, the band has always given their hometown great shows year after year. The Halloween show started only three years after their inception in 1995, growing from house shows to bigger and bigger venues to where it is now.

That night, I was only able to catch A Wilhelm Scream. From New Bedford, MA, these guys brought hardcore music to the Paradise off their newest album, 

, and some tracks off their older records. Dressed up in green costumes, they rocked hard as a pit opened up to their songs “Boat Builders” and “The King is Dead”. At the end of their set, the band invited the crowd to their restaurant in New Bedford for a cozy show the next evening.

As soon as the lights went down, three ghostly figures emerged from the right side of the stage. The “Doped up Dollies,” came out hand in hand as ghouls led by one of the crew,. They took their position on the right side of the stage as Big D emerged. Covered in all black and wearing rabbit masks, the darkness of the venue and the low, red backlighting made this a very eerie experience and brought a shiver down my spine. That eeriness quickly disappeared when the band began playing their signature stroll ska music. A pit quickly emerged and consumed most of the dance floor in front of the band. Frontman Dave McWane brings so much energy with his fast rap style of singing and, after playing a selection of their signature ska, told the crowd to get ready for the “other side of the coin,” referring to the two types of music they play. While their stroll is very upbeat and reggae based, their punk sound is very guitar heavy with loud lyrics. Within a moment they began playing “Lax,” a song off their album 

. The crowd went insane as every fan in the room screamed the lyrics and a pit erupted, swallowing me and everyone on the floor into it. The band threw off their masks and introduced the Doped up Dollies and played three songs that featured them as vocalists. The band from there on switched between their slower and faster songs such as “My Girlfriend Is On Drugs” and “Bender.” They also announced during their set that they are recording a new album in January, and to expect good things from it.

The encore ended with their top track “Shining On,” which brought all the fans together in singing the last lines of the show. The show ended with a heartfelt thank you from Dave thanking everyone for coming out year after year. Exiting the venue to 50° air was a much-needed breather, as seeing them for the third time was just as exhilarating as the first time I saw them at Paradise four years ago. So much has changed for me since then, but Big D and the Kids table music hasn’t changed at all. I greatly await the 20th Halloween show and hope to see you at it!

Big D and the Kids Table @ Paradise Rock Club

Like Pacific with Broadside, Rarity, Boston Manor, and Acadia
October 12th, 2016 at Out of the Blue
By: Moin Khwaja

Art galleries are usually known for being quiet and peaceful, so throwing crazy punk shows at one would not be the first thing that comes to mind. During the day, Out of the Blue Art Gallery, located in Central Square, Cambridge, boasts a variety of local art and handmade clothing for sale, but at night all of the stands are moved to the side to play host to some local shows. Hosting only 100 people, and with bands playing on the floor, the shows are very intimate. This particular night the space hosted three bands in support of Like Pacific and their new album.

Toronto’s Like Pacific released their debut album, 

, earlier this year, grabbing the attention of many pop punk fans. As part of their first headlining tour, the band brought Broadside, Rarity, and Boston Manor on the road. The Keynote Company, who hosted the show, brought local band Acadia for the show at OotB. The crowd knew all of the opening acts, with pits opening up and crowd surfers up in the air. Broadside, who may be considered bigger than Like Pacific, brought the most energy that night with their hit, “Coffee Talk.”

My favorite thing about these types of floor shows is that there is nothing separating the band from the crowd. The crowd rushing the singer, fans surfing right above the equipment, and the band dancing with the crowd make these shows feel alive. By the time the main band came on, the crowd was ready to make sure the night ended on a high note. Like Pacific hit it off from the get-go with their album opener “Richmond,” following the tried and true formula for pop punk songs – catchy guitar intros, fast power chords, and sing along choruses. The crowd was brought off their feet and in the air jumping to the beat. The band was also very active while they played – the guitarist frequently unplugged his equipment from jumping and shredding too hard. The set itself was only thirty minutes, but felt like only five due to how much fun the band and the crowd enjoyed it. The band frequently thanked the crowd, saying how surreal it was for them to be so far from home and still be able to find people who knew the words to their songs, encouraging the crowd to get closer and sing louder. It seemed like the group definitely got one of their first tastes of fame during this show despite the intimate atmosphere. The show ended with their song, “Distant,” the most popular track off their album, 

, and definitely brought out the right emotions from the crowd, causing everyone to go crazy. After the show, members of the bands chilled out by their merch tables, taking photos and signing CDs. There were promises exchanged to be back in the Boston area next year. With a following that seems to be quickly growing and large acts to support them on their rise, Like Pacific is going definitely going to be playing bigger and bigger shows every year and I urge you to check them out at one of them.

Like Pacific @ Out of the Blue

Modern Baseball
October 16th, 2016
Run for Cover Records, Allston, MA

Announced on Run for Cover’s Instagram only four days before the show, Modern Baseball made a special stop at the label’s headquarters in Allston, MA for a quick acoustic set. The office only hosted about 35 people so everyone got cozy, chatting as we all sat on the floor together awaiting the performance. I soon found out that Run for Cover employees made up a large chunk of the show’s audience and assume that Modern Baseball played the space due to a break in their current tour with The Front Bottoms supporting Brand New.

The last time I saw Modern Baseball was at the House of Blues in June of this year. Going from the screams of 2,000 fans dancing and jumping to the silence of 35 people sitting on the floor was such a stark difference – it made me realize how lucky I was to be there. Out of the four, only the guitarists/vocalists, Brendan and Jake, performed while the other two sat in the crowd watching. Jake was playing an acoustic guitar, and a running joke throughout the set was that one of them would turn the distortion up as if they were at one of their rock concerts. The set started off with the opener from their new album 

, and the duo proceeded to play all the way through the album until “Hiding”. This album has been regarded as their best work and the audience was very excited to hear the songs, everyone quietly singing along to themselves. After “Hiding”, Jake switched to electric guitar and Brendan took over for vocals and acoustic. He then started singing “Fine, Great”, to which everyone in the room instantly cheered for, quickly transitioning into to the group’s biggest song, “Your Graduation”. At the breakdown half way through the song, where the drummer sings, Brendan asked the crowd to sing as loud as they could, and the crowd delivered. The duo couldn’t stop laughing as the room erupted in vocals for the song. Video of this was posted to the Run for Cover Instagram and I highly encourage you to check it out.

This show felt so different from the last time I saw Modern Baseball, where I was dancing and moshing with my friends, but the vibe was so similar, everyone present at both shows connected by the music. The band is incredibly talented at generating a memorable atmosphere for their audience and I would highly recommend experiencing it for yourself.