05.07: 'We Are The Mods' afterparty @ le pill

In a bit of stylish kismet, tonight the pill joins forces with the "We Are The Mods" screening at the Museum of Fine Arts (6:30pm, $10), busting out the classics and partying like it's 1999 at the Upstairs Lounge in North Station. We're also in bed with the Because Sound Matters folks, giving away vinyl records from Oasis, Muse and others, all while DJ Ken and myself spin the best in Britpop, Modern Indie & Beyond. Tonight's "Beyond" will have a bit more soul then usual...

Look sharp! Deets from the pill boston.com:

friday may 7:
'We Are The Mods' screening afterparty
Because Sound Matters vinyl giveaway

Contaminated water crisis in Boston. Bomb scares in New York City. Oil spills on the Gulf Coast. Flooding in Nashville. Angry Icelandic volcanoes throwing down with European air travel. These are indeed sour times.

So while our dirty water city makes the Standells proud and stirs up near-riots in the markets, the pill strikes forward in a mod life clash of post-millennial disco fury. This week we team up with two entities dear to our modern indie dance party core, offering the official after party destination for the Museum of Fine Arts’ Friday evening screening of 2009 film “We Are The Mods” (465 Huntington Ave., Boston, 6:30 p.m., $10) as well as a British vinyl giveaway explosion from the folks at Because Sound Matters.

In conjunction with both promotions, this Friday night DJ Ken & Michael V add extra dashes of sixties, soul, mod and Brit classics to their usual dance party mix of Britpop, modern indie & beyond. Last year’s stunning directorial debut from West Coast-based filmmaker EE Cassidy centers around a 17-year-old who becomes engulfed in ‘60s British mod culture in present day Los Angeles.

The word: “Naive high school student Sadie sees the world through her 35mm camera. When she becomes infatuated with eccentric mod chick Nico, Sadie finds inspiration in Nico's world and emerges as part of the mod scene, both documenting and embracing the subculture's natty fashion, vintage scooters and soul music.”

Once the pill gets underway at 10 p.m., Because Sound Matters will be giving away records by Oasis, Muse, Tegan & Sara, the Black Keys and Talking Heads, complete with a merch booth by the door kicking in other free swag as well. Look sharp, dance proper, show off that purple heart and roll up in a Lambretta.

The mods return to Allston, the pill is forever. xo

Cheaps: Boston khed, subway raves & free zoos

Thursday brings about another round of Cheap Thills, my weekly column in the Boston Herald. There is word the column will continue after I leave the newspaper later this month, which rules.

WICKED GOOD
The Good Life’s Boston party
Friday at 28 Kingston St., Downtown Crossing; 21-plus, $5 (free admission requirements below) and the cover is $100,000 if you’re from New York.

Yo, khed, wheartha pahtee at? If you hear someone shout that in the vicinity of the Good Life Friday night, you’re in the right place. Not since Everlast broke out the Larry Bird Celtics [team stats] jersey in the House of Pain “Jump Around” video has Boston been so fashionable, and now the kids behind the So Dope parties are bringing the flavor of the Hub to the nightclubs. Sure, it can be said that every downtown party is a Boston party, but few have such promotional whimsy behind them. Free admission to anyone wearing Sox, Bruins [team stats], Patriots [team stats], Celtics or Revolution sports apparel, and bonus points for Bill Belichick hoodies, old, ratty Steve Grogan jerseys or anything suggesting the Yankees are not a very good baseball team. DJs Brek.One, Damien Paul and Dorchester’s own Jay K hold down the music.
Info: goodlifebar.com, 617-451-2622

UNDERGROUND PARTY
Boston Subway Rave
Friday from 5 to 10 p.m., on any Boston MBTA subway car; general meet-up at South Station at about 4:30 p.m.; all ages, FREE

The commute home Friday evening just got a bit more interesting. Scott Trano, the man behind spontaneous and nontraditional all-are-welcome community events like the zombie march and silent disco, is taking the rave to the subway. Participants are asked to divide into groups of 20, which means that even if half the 1,300 R.S.V.P.’d guests on Facebook take part, subway cars from the Red to Orange to Green lines will have party-people raving out alongside the weary just trying to get home. This could get ugly, and will no doubt be interesting, even if you get the car without Boston subway legend DJ Night Train. The rules are simple: no offensive music, no strobe lights and no invading people’s personal spaces. Trano is hosting a meet-up at South Station about an hour before things get rolling down, and all are welcome. It’s the kind of event that’s as cool as participants make it, like last weekend’s epic water-boiling house parties.
Info: search Facebook or e-mail strano317@yahoo.com; subscribe to event notices by texting your name to broadtexter.com/waldo

MATERNAL KINGDOM
Free admission to mothers at the Stone and Franklin Park zoos
Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Stone Zoo (149 Pond St., Stoneham, $11 adults/$7 children 2-12) and Franklin Park Zoo (One Franklin Park Road, $14 adults/$8 children 2-12); all-ages, FREE for moms with proof of child
Cheap Thrills has said it before and we’ll say it again: Mom doesn’t want lavish gifts for Mother’s Day, she wants to spend quality time with the kids. The evidence is in that still-wrapped iPod you got her last year when you thought you were “the man” and tried to outspend your broker-than-you siblings. Whether or not Momma Dukes will be impressed with the Stone Zoo’s new baby emperor tamarin twins or the Franklin Park’s baby lemur is anyone’s guess, but if the weather holds up, she’s certain to enjoy chillin’ out with the fam. She gets into both parks for free all day as well, saving you a few dimes before you go out and buy another fancy-pants electronic device she has no use for.
Info: zoonewengland.org, 617-989-2000 (Franklin) or 781-438-5100 (Stone)

New Grum dance mix by DJ LucasWade

A few weeks ago I posted the hungrylicious Grum video for "Can't Shake This Feeling," and now I stumbled along this killer This Is Grum mix off NYCelectro.com, done by Austin DJ LucasWade and featuring solely Grum production. Love the remix of Passion Pit's "To Kingdom Come." Thursday fun times...

THIS IS GRUM - mixed by LucasWade (2010 mix)byLucasWade

“THIS IS GRUM” tracklisting:
1. Grum - Can’t Shake This Feeling
2. TV Rock vs Axwell - In The Air - Grum remix
3. Priors - What You Need - Grum remix
4. Jump Jump Dance Dance - Show Me The Night - Grum remix
5. Magistrates - Gold Lover - Grum remix
6. Love Motel - Cosmic Love - Grum remix
7. Time Healey - Out Of Control - Grum remix
8. Grum - Sound Reaction
9. Moulinex - Break Chops - Grum remix
10. Revolt - Ironical Sexism - Grum remix
11. Anoraak - Nightdrive With You - Grum remix
12. Tommy Sparks - Miracle - Grum remix
13. Passion Pit - To Kingdom Come - Grum remix
14. Freeland - Borderline - Grum remix
15. Keenhouse - Ari-es - Grum remix
16. Chelly - Took The Night - Grum dub mix
17. Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy - Grum remix
18. Grum - Runaway
19. Grum - Heartbeats

This jam already passed by I dig the flyer so I'm posting it anyway..

Video: Felix Cartal's "Volcano"

Been playing Felix Cartal's "Popular Music" at the pill for a few months now, but maybe it's time I slid over to "Volcano" and mixed it up a bit. The Vancouver DJ/producer just dropped the new video for his latest joint, and with pleasing results "Volcano" is a bit more disco-glitz than than power stomp electro banger of the previous release. With apologies to the Icelanders, I'm digging this hard. #toosoon

Simpsons intro Ke$ha's "TiK Tok"

Anyone who knows me knows there are few things I hate more than the Simpsons -- and maybe only beer, coffee and the theme song to Family Guy makes the list. However, I have a very strange obsession with Ke$ha, so naturally I'm torn when I saw this. God damn I hate the Simpsons, yet I still yearn for the day when this god damn song isn't stuck in my head at some point.

Wet Bandits dance party tonight in Allston

DJ Shuttle (Nate, the Passion Pit drummer) is DJing a rad party over at the Good Life tonight, but we here in Allston have not one but two -- TWO! -- Passion Pitters partying healthy in the face of Cinco de Mayo. The Wet Bandits' bash features not only Ayad and Jeff from da 'Pit DJing, but also Worcester future superstars DOM (the band with the irresistible "Living in America" single) and a host of others sure to please.

Plus, there's this Rad as Fuck flyer being posted all around Allston. Fucking dance parties -- how do they work?!?!!

Bruins Advice: Never date a Flyers fan

Holy shit this is so awesome I'm blatantly stealing it from my girl Katie (@misskaykee). Apparently found tod a outside the TD Garden. Ahhhh, playoff hockey...

Tonight: Free Drug Rug show on Lansdowne

Last week I mentioned the launch of the free House of Blues live music series on Lansdowne Street, and tonight brings the highlight of the month's slate with the first of TWO free Drug Rug shows. Word is the heralded local indie duo will hit the Front Room stage just as Jonsi (Sigur Ros) wraps up his gig in the main ballroom, so this is a pretty sweet deal of extra rockness on a Wednesday.

If I had to go to one of these free gigs, however, I'd hold off until tomorrow, when Quilt joins Drug Rug forces for one hearty Boston rock party. Plus there's a billion other things going on tonight, anyway.


Drug Rug FREE back to back shows
@ House of Blues Front Room
Wed 5/5 w/ Man Alive!
Thur 5/6 w/ QUILT
-
21+
Music starts at 9:30
-
Room holds 150 so will probably fill up quick
$3 Naragansett tall boys and $5 menu

VIDEO: Class Actress @ the pill

Every time I'm in love with a band, I end up seeing them live and then immediately put away their music. I've always been like that -- watching a band live scratches this weird itch where I then have no need to re-hear the songs for several weeks or months.

This phenomenon is just not so with Class Actress, who played the pill last Friday and continues to be all I'm listening to (in fairness, aside from the new Crystal Castles). Mick Murray caught the first two songs of their set, which rules but also is a bummer as I think "Careful What You Say" was played third. Woken the guards, Miss Harper, you certainly have...

Golden Filter: June 17 in Cambridge

Was poking around on a loony Tuesday, killing time on Valentine's, waiting for the Day 2 End, when I found a slew of Golden Filter tour dates for the spring/summer, including a posted date of June 17 at the Middle East in Cambridge. Nothing up yet on the Mid-Easy's website, but it looks kinda legit and I'll roll with it. VERY excited to see who else is on support or DJ duty, despite the glitzy NYC synth-disco trio coming off rather dull when opening for the Presets atthe Dise backintheday.

The songs -- from "Solid Gold" to "Hide Me," both pill dance staples -- remain in Ace territory. New album is a grower so far... Dates after the "Solid Gold" jump.

The Golden Filter - "Solid Gold" from The Golden Filter on Vimeo.

GOLDEN FILTER TOUR DATES
05-14 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
06-05 San Francisco, CA – Mezzanine (with Matt & Kim)
06-09 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
06-10 Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
06-11 Detroit, MI – Majestic
06-12 Toronto, Ontario – Wrongbar
06-17 Boston, MA – Middle East
06-18 Washington, DC – DC9
06-19 Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
07-09 Trecin, Slovakia – Pohoda Festival
07-11 Dublin, Ireland – Oxegen Festival
07-16 Arvika, Sweden – Arvika Festival
07-17 Tonsberg, Norway – Slottsfjell Festival
07-24 Cambridge, England – Secret Garden Party
07-31 London, England – Field Day Festival
09-10 Raleigh, NC – Hopscotch Festival