Freezepop 10th anniversary shows

Just when Boston goes and finally OD's on all things electro, the guys and gal in Freezepop halt the beat and remind us that they've been on that dance tip for ten years. It's quite a career for the city's true electronic music pioneers, and to celebrate they're pulling off a doubleheader-bill at Harper's Ferry in Allston July 25.


The lineup:
All-ages daytime show, 2pm: FREEZEPOP, with Mystery Roar (featuring members of Cassette, Bon Savants, and Westward Trail) and the Seedy Seeds (from Cincinnati)

21-plus evening show, 8pm: FREEZEPOP with The New Collisions, Provocateur, and DJ Michael V. from the pill (oh, snap!)

Tickets: In advance: $10 for one show, $15 for both; at the Door: $12 for one show, $20 for both

Pop notes: Way back in the summer of 1999, the Boston music scene was the last place you’d expect to find a happy-go-lucky electropop band. But out of this setting was born Freezepop, a trio based around a tiny handheld sequencer and a vocoder. Ten years, three albums, and a whole lot of synthesizers later, the band are still at it and would like to take this opportunity to have a big celebration. Freezepop will be playing two shows at Harper’s Ferry on Saturday, July 25, both featuring different setlists, special guest stars, and other fun surprises. Freezepop recently announced the departure of founding member Kasson Crooker (aka The Duke of Pannekoeken), and these will be his last local shows with the band. Freezepop are currently recording the follow-up to 2007’s Rykodisc/Cordless/Archenemy release, Future Future Future Perfect, which won Best Album honors in last year’s Boston Phoenix/WFNX Best Music Poll. The band are also continuing their streak of videogame appearances with their inclusion in the new Rock Band Unplugged PSP game.

Jon from Elkland is back: The Drums

...The Drums, the drums, the drums, the drums, oh! It doesn't take a tired-assed Ting Ting to sense that rosy Next Big Thing stench, and this one emanating from Brooklyn is soaked in John Frieda Beach Blonde hair spritz.

Remember Elkland? Oh you know, that band from NYC I had up at the pill a billion times around 2006, who had that insanely brilliant song "Apart" and the singer who made me question the distant reaches of my sexuality? Yeah them.

Well, the boy in question, Jonathan Pierce, is back with a new project, and fittingly, everyone is blowing their load over him. Like I wanted to. Back then.

They're called the Drums, and it's Jon and his old boyhood friend Jacob from Horse Shoes, setting out to sound like the Wake while combining elements of '50s surf-pop with Elkland's synthpop exuberance. It's Factory Records with tan lines, folks. Apparently moving to Florida to become a surfer has rounded the boy out, and now he's back to doing what he does best -- making everyone swoon. This is some tight shit, and will probably bring him the fame he deserved a few years ago.

They're at Great Scott on Aug. 4 (apparently), and I swear I had nothing to do with it. I just sing I want you to be here, I want it to be now... and la dee da poof! Good lord...

Oh. And Acid Girls at Middlesex

Speaking of that other jam down Mass Ave, they've enlisted IHEARTCOMIX and Kitsune Music production/DJ duo Acid Girls as their guest tonight, which is fairly notable. Quite the Tuesday night in Cambridge.

Throwed about in Central Square

Quick shout to my boy Jay K the DJ, who drops by the Throwed party at the Middle East in Cambridge this evening. I heard last week's jam was insane, and tonight it aligns with another dance party throwdown just down Mass Ave in what should be an orgasmic electro sadistic fuckfest. I'll be in Central early on doing some "business," so I just might hit this shit up, despite being pooped after the Handsome Furs last night. RSVP and other info here.

Improper Bostonian shows the pill some love

Despite the pill's emergence from late-'90s underground word-of-mouth Britpop-mod party in North Station to what it is today (I'll let you fill that in as you wish), it's still strange to see mags like the Improper Bostonian give us attention.

But that's the case in this week's "Best of Boston" issue, where our little 12-year-old dance party was named "Best Dancing For the Non-Clubber," which I think just means indie hipster alternative from the downtown scene. I hope. Cool write-up, cool pic, and it was all digested by an Improper staffer on a night when a pint glass flew through the stage, mic stands were violently swung and a riot nearly broke out. Ahhh, the pill.

But grab the issue and check it out, as well other cool shit they wrote up, and we'll see you Friday for Bodega Girls.

What happened to Bloc Party?

UK modern indie leaders Bloc Party have a new single out Aug. 10 called "One More Chance," and once again I have a fairly mixed reponse to it. Their debut "Silent Alarm" was one of the best albums of the decade, but since then the band has drifted off into electro territory, with their original passion and urgency somehow lost along the way. Still love this band, but they've lost more and more of me with each new release, and it's been a while since I was blown away by a Bloc Party single. Here's the new jam, I suspect it'll be a grower, but still... I dunno.

Handsome Furs in Allston tonight

Montreal's stylishly synthy-whatever duo Handsome Furs hit Allston tonight, a nice back-into-the-swing-of-things post-holiday weekend Monday night jump-off. I did my usual Boston Herald heads-up in the ol print Hotline today: All We Want Baby, Is Handome Furs

Each year a handful of under-the-radar albums appear on year-end best-of lists of both music critics and know-it-all hipsters.

That should be the fate of “Face Control” by Montreal-based synth-and-guitar duo Handsome Furs, which hits Great Scott in Allston tonight along with Kansas’ Dri and Virginia’s the Cinnamon Band.

The Handsome Furs - Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade and his wife, Alexei Perry - are starting to gain buzz in clubs and blogs based on the sterling track “All We Want, Baby, Is Everything.”

But not without a bit of controversy.

The song actually pushed back the release of the Furs’ album, their second for Sub Pop Records, because it needed clearance from British band New Order. “All We Want” references New Order’s track “Temptation” in its lyrics, and even playfully lifts a bit of the melody, yet somehow comes off sounding original and sincere.

As one of the best tracks released so far this year, it’s worth a listen (if only to look ultra-hip when you post your best-of-2009 list on Facebook in a few months).

Happy 4th

the pill 07.03.09: Get lit, blow up, look sharp

Celebrate our nation's independence from the British by dancing it up at a Britpop night. The usual added dashes of Modern Indie, electro, new wave and sixties thrown in for good measure by resident DJs Ken & Michael V. You bring the fireworks.

Lansdowne gets Starr*-struck, Banger fireworks

Two items from today's Hotline column, on Stellastarr* hitting Lansdowne next week for the Sandbox 2nd anniversary party and tonight's Star Spangled Banger bash downtown.

Lansdowne Pub gets Star-struck with FNX Radio party
The Lansdowne Pub, the Lyons Group’s new Irish bar in the former Jake Ivory’s space, may be destined to a fate of cover bands and Red Sox [team stats] fan clientele. But it gets a chance to genuinely rock out Wednesday when New York neo-new wavers Stellastarr* perform at the WFNX-FM “Sandbox” morning show second anniversary party.

The show arrives the day after the release of Stellastarr*’s third album, “Civilized.”

It’s a private gig, but the cavernous-yet-somehow-cozy pub, which has a capacity of about 600, should accommodate anyone looking to party with the band and radio boys. To get on the list, go to fnxradio.com or R.S.V.P. at promotions@fnxradio.com.

All bangers, no mash
The winner of the cleverest July Fourth weekend dance party title goes to Future Classic, the crew behind tonight’s “Star Spangled Banger” event at Underbar. For daytime society, “Banger” is nightclub parlance for “a heavy-hitting electro jam that’s certain to pack the floor,” which is what DJs Frank White, Texas Mike and Stenny plan to do tonight at the downtown night spot (275 Tremont St., $10).

Saturday, Future Classic brings the party to the Cape with “Star Spangled Banger Part 2” at Pufferbellies in Hyannis, with the Liberty Hotel’s “Fashionably Late” style party resident DJ Michael Savant filling in on the decks (183 Iyannough Road; $10).

For more information on both events, go to futureclassic.net