Discover Top Posts Tagged with #age rings

Gelandet by Petra Wruck Via Flickr: Foto: Petra Wruck

#flickr #wood #age rings #leaf #macro #dof #nature photography

Age Rings - Lemonade

Awesome Boston-based band

#Age Rings #Boston

#log #tree #age rings

A record player that plays slices of wood, translating the year rings into sound.

http://traubeck.com/years/

#record player #year rings #age rings #trees #music #Bartholomäus Traubeck #Years

It’s always nice to see local bands take over the Middle East Downstairs for a night. Rarely do we get the treat to see four of Boston’s finest dominate the spacious Cambridge club the way Age Rings and friends did on Saturday night. After a week of damp, brutal weather and last-minute preparations for the Rapture, there was nothing more rewarding than soaking in some of the area’s best up-and-coming sounds amidst a swarm of several familiar faces.

Just as nine o’clock struck and nobody disappeared, either signifying that we were all destined to hell or this Rapture thing was a load of poppycock (at this point, it’s safe to say the latter came true), young Allstonians You Can Be A Wesley took the stage. These young’ns are hard at work on their follow up to last year’s Heard Like Us. Tearing through a set of fuzzy pop riffs from their previous full-length as well as more seasoned constructions in their new material, YCBW gave some exciting hints of what is to come in their future. Pretty & Nice were a spectacle as well, matching YCBW’s energy, but in more of a choppy groove. Their tunes delivered short and powerful punches of rhythm guitar, paired with a furiously over-caffeinated stage presence. Pretty & Nice proved their true talent for the live setting and kept the flames growing for Taxpayer. While not displaying the same youthful vitality as the previous two bands, Taxpayer displayed a masterful grasp on their genre, and caught my ear with their layered instrumentation and keen songwriting. With hints of Muse or even some Nine Inch Nails stuff, they proved why they are one of the area’s most recognizable bands. The three openers alone were worth more than the price of admission and we were yet to experience the night’s headliners.

Age Rings have been a household name around Boston for years now, having gone through a number of stylistic progressions and refining their sound over time. With the release of their new double-album Black Honey, Age Rings have really outdone themselves. Songwriter Ted Billings and the seven-man wall of sound behind him have crafted a beefy collection of studio brilliance. Saturday night, we found out just how well these songs translated to a live setting.

Kicking the set off with “Rock and Roll is Dead,” the lead track off of Black Honey, Age Rings proved quite the opposite. An eight-person onslaught of rhythm and power, the band’s near-deafening display of energy provided a righteous alternative to the Rapture. Capturing souls, kicking ass, taking names— whatever you want to call it, Age Rings cast their line out the crowd early on and kept reeling as the set progressed.

Song like “Déjà Vu” showed the importance of each band member to the band’s overall sound, and attested to just how dynamic that sound can be. Clearly, it is impossible to simultaneously hear each instrument on its own, but there were certain moments when an individual contribution would shine through, realizing its value to band’s product. Whether it was guitarist Will Spitz attacking his axe with furious downstrokes, drummer Steve Sherwin holding a strong backbone and rattling out explosive fills, or Billings howling passionately into the mic while tossing and tugging it like a ragdoll, every Age Ring was an integral thread in the overlying fabric.

Age Rings may have a few years on them, but they approached the momentous show with the excitement of a band in its infancy. From a songwriting standpoint, the group took a whole different route. Their lyrics reflected handfulls of stories, influences, and experiences accrued from their years of playing. Wilco is an easy and instant comparison, but it only starts with them. Their studio stuff might draw similarity to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot era Wilco, or even some of Josh Rouse’s stuff— tunes you can listen to with an afternoon cocktail or driving in a car with your parents. Live, they are a beast of a different brand, channeling a Wilco circa “I’m a Wheel” or even some of Paul Westerberg’s later stuff. Whatever classification you give them, it was clear that this is a band that gains a lot of respect. Just looking around the venue, there were many recognizable faces from some of Boston’s best bands. Whether you consider them a matured influence, or a budding band on the rise, there is no denying that Saturday night’s set was a terrific example of just what kind of heat Age Rings can bring.

-Perry Eaton

YCBW

Pretty & Nice

Taxpayer

Age Rings

Photo credit: Daniel Schiffer [email protected]

#Perry Eaton #age rings #Daniel Schiffer #you can be a wesley

Age Rings have been kicking around Boston for a while, and anyone who has seen them live is probably extremely grateful that they continue to grace us with their presence. This Saturday, Age Rings will not only hit the stage downstairs at the Middle East, they’re gonna do us fans one better. This show will celebrate the release of their new double-album, Black Honey. Their new release shows a tremendous step in the band’s progression, as songwriters, musicians, and production wizards. Black Honey is a work that grips you from start to finish— drawing inspiration from Bret Easton Ellis novels, Nilsson tunes, and their home city of Boston. As anticipated as the new Age Rings album is, their return to the stage is met with great expectations as well. A six-piece collective with a sophisticated hold on instrumentation, Age Rings, like common comparisons Wilco, take an indie tone and stretch it as far out as it goes, taking advantage of every note and sustaining every lyric. They are a true local talent not to be missed, especially at a venue as intimate and impersonal as the Middle East. To make matters better, they are headlining an absolutely incredible bill that also features Taxpayer, Pretty and Nice, and You Can Be a Wesley. To give a small taste of what’s in store, Allston Pudding is giving up a free download of the track “Ups and Downs.” We especially liked this tune because of its multiple references to Boston destinations. Listen and learn because Age Rings are gonna make it count this Saturday at the Middle East.

-Perry Eaton

#age rings #Perry Eaton