PIEBALD

Oh what is this now?  I bet you thought I was gone.  Well I'm back, and I'm ready to set things on fire, NBA Jam style.  Boomshakalaka!

So I came out of my hermitage today to talk about the most rockingest band to ever lace up a pair of PF Flyers.

I first got turned on to Piebald early on in High School.  Their albums are a little bit of an acquired taste (The lyric structure is more or less free verse and a lot of their early stuff is not particularly melodic), but I'd dare you to not be absolutely obsessed if you ever got the chance to see them live.

They had the tenacious double threat of thoughtful angst and sing-a-long power which, when they unleashed live, they deliver with such unforgiving pace that you barely have anytime to recover between songs.  Oh yeah, and they had some pretty rawkus fans to boot (if I do say so myself).

But in a way, this is a eulogy for the boys from Andover.

Sadly, it looks like they have hung up their guitars for good after a farewell show two years ago and only coming together once for a special one-off show last month since (which I was lucky enough to be present for).  The worst part of being a musician is knowing how much amazing music out there will never be heard.  Nothing can last forever, but at least Piebald was heard.  At least we'll always have Grace Kelly.

Piebald, good sirs, you were underrated.

The Innocence Mission

If you have the Empire Records soundtrack you might have heard of these peeps already.  Even if you had, you haven't heard enough of 'em.

Folk music may not be the hippest thing on the block these days but The Innocence Mission do it anyway, and they're not half bad at it.

They don't really tour anymore but they have a new album coming out in a few months, if the rest of their catalogue is any indicator it is definitely worth checking out.

The Innocence Mission, a little bit underrated

All Night Chemists

Out at my usual stomping grounds this weekend I came across a band known as the All Night Chemists.

They were pretty great.  I cool sound, little bit Big Star, little bit Wilco.

After the show I was in a good mood so I decided to see if they had any music on them to buy.  I go up to the singer and ask, he gives me their entire catalogue... for free.

As if that was enough, he let me know that I could get their newest album (also for free) off of there site.  And you can too.

Now, I'm an incredibly cheap person so free stuff is probably the fastest way to get on my good side.  Even if they weren't awesome I still probably would have given them some props, but seeing as how they rock socks I really have no excuse.

So check out the All Night Chemists.  Download their album, try and go out and see them sometime.  They're definitely underrated.