Anarchy in the G.Y.M. Punk Rock Aerobics is Back

Anarchy in the G.Y.M. Pnks against calories!

Punk Rock Aerobics is holding a one-off class fundraiser for Girls Rock Campaign Boston at The Sinclair in Harvard Square on January 31st. Bring a mat and wear your favorite workout gear. Soundtrack provided by DJ Sit and Spin. This event is all ages. Ticket price includes a 15% discount on brunch food after class. 

Get your tickets here.

About PRA

The work out that rocks out.™ No more sucky classes full of braindead bimbos in spandex thongs. PRA is for fun people with discerning taste. An hour and a half cardio and strengthening class that will have you pogoing and skanking your butt off!!!

Choke Up's Debut LP Leaves Us Speechless - Pre-order 'Black Coffee, Bad Habits'

Pre-order your copy of Black Coffee, Bad Habits today.

This band. This goddamn band. I need a moment to compose myself.

The production and orchestration of a Choke Up record never ceases to amaze. 

Black Coffee, Bad Habits (Black Numbers) is well-polished hardcore at its most sophisticated level. The type of punk you listen to with a cigar and a brandy snifter. Each incarnation of this band is an elaboration of the previous record. And each record is like a dramatic composition; Characters, plots, story lines, heroes, villains, damsels, foreshadowing, reflection and conclusions. In an effort to articulate the grandeur and intelligence of the debut LP from Boston's Choke Up, we can only muster, "Buy this fucking amazing record."

Pre-orders of the LP are available now in Forest Green (100), Clear with Blue Smoke (150) and White vinyl (250) for $12. CDs for $8. Test Press Pack for $50 and Three Pack for $30 are also available. Pre-orders ship on or around February 2nd.

Listen to "KC" below (courtesy of punknews.org) and "Thicket And Vine" currently streaming over at Brooklyn Vegan. And see Choke Up during their record release show with Pile, Raw Blow, Loom and Banquets (NJ) at O'Brien's Pub in Allston on January 24th, guaranteed to sell out so get there early.

Follow Choke Up on Facebook for additional release and show information. And find additional releases on Bandcamp.

Tour Dates

• January 23rd – Philadelphia – Golden Tea House
• January 24th – Boston – O’Brien’s Pub
• January 29th – Portsmouth, NH – The Red Door
• January 30th – Brooklyn, NY – Legion
• January 31st – Atlantic City, NJ – The Boneyard

Trophy Lungs Join Antique Records, Plan Debut Full Length, Drink More Beer

Boston's Trophy Lungs join local label, Antique Records

Boston party punks, Trophy Lungs, join local boutique label, Antique Records (Born Without Bones, Sledding With Tigers, Blind Mice) and announce plans for a debut full-length record entitled Day Jobs, out later this spring.

Trophy Lungs recently spearheaded the Solidarity Mixtape, a punk compilation to benefit the Black Lives Matter organization. The band will be hitting the road at the end of January to play the likes of Philadelphia and Brooklyn.

You can download their 3-song 2013 EP No Judgement (Death to False Hope Records) on Bandcamp for free (at a name your price donation) now. Follow the band on Facebook for additional release and tour details.

Local Punks Organize Benefit Compilation for Black Lives Matter

100% of the proceeds go toward Black Lives Matter. Get your copy now via Bandcamp.

42 punk rock bands donated tracks to Solidarity Mixtape Volume 1, a compilation to help raise money for Black Lives Matter. A unique contribution that goes beyond the narrow nationalism that can be prevalent within Black communities, #BlackLivesMatter is working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically and intentionally targeted for demise.

Duck & Cover Vinyl Release Show

Let’s all go to a punk rock show.

Charlestown ruckus quartet, Duck & Cover (ex-/current members of Acro-brats, Coffin Lids, Black Cheers, Bang Camaro, Marvels) is celebrating the vinyl release of their debut S/T EP on Friday, December 19th at TT the Bear’s in Central Square, Cambridge.

Your 2014 Punk Artist of the Year Award Goes To...

2014 BMA Punk Artist of the Year nominees

Congratulations to The Hotelier for taking home the "Punk Artist of the Year" Boston Music Award last night at the Revere Hotel. Home, Like No Place Is There is a great record, Tiny Engines is a fantastic label. The band sells out rooms, they play all ages shows for the kids. Deserved win. (Whether or not they even knew of their involvement in this year's BMAs).

And congratulations to St. Louis' Foxing, co-headlining band during The Hotelier's 2014 summer tour, for making their debut BMA appearance...

Because that's not The Hotelier.

Listen to "Among the Wildflowers" off of Home, Like No Place Is There, plus 9 other local songs released this year in our Local Picks for 2014 post.

View all this year's BMA winners.

4 Bands and 1 Rockin Holiday Flea Market to See in December

Support local music, go to a show.

So successful in October, we’re doing it again! What any self-respecting music lover will tell you is, “you gotta see the live show man.” Spontaneous, interactive, at some points vastly different from the recordings, you can’t have a true opinion about a band until you catch them live. Also cocktails, mingling and sometimes fancy outfits. Here are 4 bands and 1 rockin holiday flea market to see before the end of December.

Rock Out With Your Cocktail Out Vol. XXX

Hey guys, it's our 30th #ROWYCO playlist! Cheers! (image credit)

Hey man, holidays, whaddyagonnado. No matter how many times you’ve done it, nothing can quite prepare you for the onslaught of meaningless questions and passive aggressive accusations about your alternative life style. When are you going to get married? Is that another tattoo? You’re in band? I love Bruno Mars. He's great. Is your band on the radio yet? Here, hold the baby. Seriously guys, it’s a universal discomfort. That is why we are here to provide an escape via new, sometimes local, but always awesome music and a drink to match.

The Stereo State is Back #TSS2015

Holyoke's The Stereo State is back and ready to rock your brains with a new LP.

Back in June of 2013, the Holyoke melodic punk band, The Stereo State, called it quits, citing member migrations.

Brandon Spence took to Facebook to announce the news. "It kills every one of us to say this but unfortunately The Stereo State will not continue past the end of the year. Andy has decided to move on to bigger and better things and we will not play under the moniker "The Stereo State" without him." Stereo State officially folded after their appearance at FEST12 in Gainsville FL.

Roughly one year later, the band's Facebook page was resurrected with big news.

Choke Up Latest Boston Band to Join NJ Label, Black Numbers

Boston's Choke Up sign to Black Numbers. Set to release debut LP in early 2015.

All the big news. One of our favorite bands emerging from the local Boston punk scene, Choke Up, has signed with independent New Jersey label, Black Numbers (Great Lakes USA, The Color and Sound). Yay!

Dead Cats Dead Rats Refresh Their Name, Sign to Ocelot Records and Get Real with "Raw" EP

DCDR's Raw EP out this November. Pre-order available now.

An uncompromising combination of 1990’s punk and grunge, and in the most effective manifestation of short bursts of adrenaline, Raw is Boston-based DCDR's best album yet.

Rock Out With Your Cocktail Out Vol. XXIX

Garnish with cranberries and punk rock.

 

Did you know that songs featured in each edition of Rock Out With Your Cocktail Out are curated via upcoming concert calendars, college radio playlists and new local music? And did you also know that each cocktail has been personally tasted and approved by Bishop And Rook? We're like this super trustworthy BFF that stays on top of the scene and the bar to keep you current and inebriated. So make your fancy cocktail, press play, and look for these bands in a venue near you soon.

Sneeze + Raw Blow Fall Tour

Boston's post hardcore/grunge/punk/loud bands Sneeze and Raw Blow will be heading out on a fall tour beginning November 7th in support of their 2014 records Wilt and Slow Choke respectively. The 18-stop gallivant hits the East Cost and Midwest, ending in Harvard Square, Cambridge for a homecoming show at Charlies Kitchen on November 24th.

You can snag a free download (at a name your price donation) of Raw Blow's very new EP, Slow Choke, on Bandcamp now. And purchase Sneeze's Wilt LP for $10 via the band's Big Cartel site.

UPDATE 10/31/14:

One week before tour, Sneeze took to Facebook to report van loss.

"Our van was just totaled in a car accident yesterday morning. We leave in one week. Does anyone have any suggestions / willing to rent us their van? If you can help in anyway that would be awesome. Everyone involved in the accident is OK and we really don't want to cancel this! Thanks!"

Sneeze can be contacted via email at sneezeband@gmail.com.

A Wilhelm Scream Announces Holiday Shows with The Holy Mess

Happy early Christmas. Dying Scene reports that A Wilhelm Scream have announced two holiday punk shows with The Holy Mess (PA).

12/12/14 with The Holy Mess and Chumped at Boot & Saddle in Philadelphia, PA (TICKETS)

12/13/14 with The Holy Mess, Blind Mice and Sweet Jesus at The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA (TICKETS)

The Best Part of Oklahoma was in Boston Last Night

I'm just saying. Monday night is alright for punk rock. Beers and cheers and rock and roll. (image credit)

Five Boston Bands to See in October

Friends tell friends about good music. Five Boston bands to see before the end of the month.

Friends tell friends about good music, and hey, you seem cool. Out of the DOZENS of shows happening this month, we’ve pulled five must-see Boston bands you need to catch in person before the end of October. So immerse yourself in cultural activities, sleep when you're dead and go to a local show.

Rock Out With Your Cocktail Out Vol. XXVIII

You're Not My Real Dad cocktail, garnished with a cigarette (image credit)

We went to Portland, Oregon and all I got was an ironic, thrift store t-shirt. Portland is exactly what I think a town would be like if it were run by children. Every restaurant serves pizza, burgers and macaroni and cheese. If it’s at all possible to put a car seat on a unicycle, someone in Portland will do it first. A ridiculous, pretentious town were people say idiotic things like “I’m pretty religious about cassette tapes” and homelessness is the final stage of hipster. Needless to say, you’re better off staying in Seattle.

But if you must visit, check out the Sapphire Hotel for a “You’re Not My Real Dad” cocktail. A cerveza that up until recently, was garnished with a cigarette. Turns out you legally cannot do that. Or you can just grab the recipe after the jump, turn on Portlandia and rock out to the October playlist featuring Weird Womb, LVL UP, Black Beach and No Bails.

Boston Ska (dot) net Presents 'Get It Together, a Ska and Punk Night'

A night of local ska and punk September 22nd in Allston.

Wagering they have a better alternative to your typical Monday night, Boston Ska (dot) net is presenting Get It Together!, a ska and punk night at O’Brien’s Pub (Allston) on Monday, September 22nd.

“Here at Boston Ska (dot) net, we think a lot about community: communities of musicians, communities of show-goers, the larger Boston music scene and our smaller ska scene. We set out to help build that community by promoting bands, telling stories, and keeping folks informed about shows in the area. We like to think we’re doing an okay job of that but we know we can do more.”

The line up for your better than average Monday evening includes:

The Pomps
The Srew-Ups (RI)
Meracula

And more TBA, MCed by Boston Ska’s Jacob Wake Up! (8p/21+/$5). Horns and righteousness and good vibes to be had. Details surrounding Get It Together! can be found on the official event Facebook page. Follow Boston Ska for additional shows and local ska music news.

Rebuilder "Punkin' Spice Tour" This Fall

Hey ladies, Rebuilder is going on tour.

Always keeping it classy, Boston’s gnarly rock band, Rebuilder, has announced they will be hitting the road mid-October during the eleven-show, East Cost/Midwest "Punkin' Spice Tour" to promote their first full length record due out in early 2015. The soon-to-be released record will be recorded at Getaway Recording with Jay Maas (Defeater) and released by Panic State Records (NJ). The tour kicks off in Burlington, VT, crosses into Canada and ends in Baltimore, MD during the Feed the Scene Birthday Show with The Dead Milkmen, before playing their homecoming show at historic O'Brien's Pub in scenic Allston.

In lieu of a Kickstarter campaign to fund the new recording, people are encouraged to purchase merchandise that includes strategically placed Bill Murrays and Bill Cosbys, via Rebuilder’s Bandcamp page. Donations can also be made to refuserethinkrebuild@gmail.com via PayPal.

The 2014 Rock N Roll Rumble alumni's 2013 S/T EP and Rebuilder Christmas EP can be downloaded for free (at a name your price donation) on Bandcamp now. Follow Rebuilder on Facebook and Twitter for additional show and release information.

Listen to Rebuilder live on Boston Emissions with Anngelle Wood (9/14/14).

Tour Dates

October 16 242 Main Street Burlington, VT
October 17 Atomic Cafe, Montreal, QC, Canada
October 18 Hard Luck Bar Toronto, ON, Canada
October 19 Small’s Hamtramck, MI
October 20 Reggie’s Chicago, IL
October 21 Candlekeep House Cleveland, OH
October 22 TBA Pittsburgh, PA
October 23 House show Richmond, VA
October 24 The Hook Up Virginia Beach, VA
October 25 Metro Gallery Baltimore, MD w/ The Dead Milkmen
October 30 O’Brien’s Allston, MA

Bundles - S/T EP

The S/T debut EP from Boston's indie rock trio, Bundles, available now.

Maybe it’s my long-standing fondness for Jetavana Grove, but Bundles’ debut S/T EP is quickly moving up the submission food chain to becoming a top favorite for 2014.

Emerging from just below the radar at an accelerated pace, the Boston indie rock trio has played their first show, racked up appearances at several venues including The Cantab, O’Brien’s and Great Scott, and released a 4-song 7”, all within what seems to be a five month period.

But it was a strategic matter. Taking shape in the fall of 2013, Bundles quietly developed their sound before pressing a record and playing a sold out release show. After a lineup change earlier this year, bassist Brian Jones explains, “We decided it was time to record and hit the ground running. This whole thing was a long time coming. It just seems that things are starting to come together now.”

With lyrics so intensely fanatical that they're sung at a partially inaudible level, Bundles mirrors the feverish and desperate pleas of The Lawrence Arms. Painting a picture of a habitually plagued protagonist and representing the underdog endeavor with energetic and infectious live shows. Also, this mustache.

Rightfully hitting their stride, Bundles plans to continue writing and potentially release another EP in 2015. In the meantime, you can and should see them rock out at O'Brien's Pub in Allston on November 23rd with Astpai (Austria) and Art Thieves, and purchase their S/T 7" (available in coke bottle clear, white and black vinyl, limited to 300) on Bandcamp today. Follow Bundles on Facebook for additional show dates and release information.