[in my head] New song from Girls Against Boys, "It's A Diamond Life"

So I woke up this morning to a new track from GIRLS AGAINST BOYS, the NYC/DC band's first new material in at least a decade. It's like going downstairs to check the mail and as you wipe the nightsnot out of your eye, you unexpectedly see an old friend waiting at the door. Very cool. Then you scan the old friend up and down and think "Shit, you look great." And then, "Uhhhh, why are you here?"

This new GVSB track, "It's a Diamond Life," via Soundcloud, looks and sounds pretty fab, a fairly by-the-numbers full-frontal-awesome that retains the band's trademark crunch. According to P4k, the song might or might not be on a new EP due this fall, around when the band wraps up a 15-date European run and hits the States for a trio of gigs: Sept. 11 at New York's Bowery Ballroom; Sept. 12 at Johnny Brenda's in Philly; and Sept. 13 at a to-be-announced venue in DC.

Of course, no Boston date... yet. In the meantime we're left with a gritty new tune that makes it feel like the mid-to-late-'90s all over again. Time to dust off Freak*on*ica.

[awesome video alert] Andre Obin "The Arsonist" / 04.24.13 @ Great Scott

Andre Obin's music has always made for potentially great videos. The Boston electronic music producer [Disclosure: I consider him a good friend and last released released his "Valencia" 7-inch through my record label] creates lush, provocative sounds that I always tended to hear better with my eyes closed, allowing my mind to wrap itself around his beats, synths and morning-star voice.

Now with the latest single off his March record of the same name, "The Arsonist," premiered this morning by Prefix Magazine, pairs Obin with Boston visual artist Aaron Eskeets of meetyourbeat.com, and the video is an appropriate sensory-overload of colors and on-stage clips. Its brightness fits the song well; a kaleidoscopic five-minute daydream of glitchy sights is soundtracked by Obin's distinct dance music for the immobile.

Obin's previous video was a black-and-white Eastern Bloc espionage epic for "Valencia" that was masterfully directed by Theodore Cormey, so this back-to-basics approach works well to keep pushing Obin's dark techno to a global audience.

Catch Obin live with a full band Wednesday night at Great Scott in Allston for the Bynars record release party.

RELATED: April 2, 2013 -- In My Head: The Bynars "All I Wanna Do Is Have Some Fun Tonight"

Ghost Box Orchestra announce record release party details: May 10 @ the Middle East

A few weeks ago we got all worked up over a taste of the new GHOST BOX ORCHESTRA record, Vanished. "Vader" was the lead track, and it was a menacing tune that showed a more darker side of the veteran Boston psych band. We described it as such: "A feral groan trudges forward over mechanical doom for more than seven minutes, and terror unfolds slowly until you're just consumed by a swirling, ominous sound." We literally could not wait to get the rest of this sonic head trip lodged between our ear holes, and now we have a set date to dance with the rest of the sure-to-be-amazing record: Tuesday, May 14.

That's the official release date for Vanished, but no doubt we'll hear most or all of it in live, human form on Friday, May 10, when GBO celebrate their latest effort among friends and foes at the Middle East in Cambridge. Also on the record-releasing bill are Animal Hospital, Royal Wedding, and Ocular Audio Experiment. A DJ set from Ian Lawrence of Brobots, Soulelujah, and Barge Recordings keeps the music going after the bands until the Mid East kicks everyone out.

Get your Facebook RSVP on here.

And get back into the "Vader" below.

RIP Chrissy Amphlett of the Divinyls

Pouring one out this morning for Chrissy Amphlett of the Divinyls, who passed away yesterday age 53 as a result of "the effects of breast cancer and multiple sclerosis," according to her husband quoted by TMZ.

I really loved this song and video back in 1991. I might have only been 12-years-old, but it was an integral part of my MTV upbringing. It was another example of me being a pre-teen metalhead, and thinking to myself: "But I only like heavy music, why do I love this song so much?"

More than 20 years later and this song is still amazing.

Rumble Semifinal Night 2 re-scheduled to Monday, April 22 @ T.T. The Bear's Place

There were many cancelled and postponed events last night around Boston, and for good reason. Around the time a decision needed to be made on whether or not to host a show, party, event, whatever, Boston was engaged in a citywide lockdown. And while the situation resolved itself around 9:30 pm, leading many out into the streets to "celebrate," by then it was too late to reverse decision and suddenly open shuttered businesses. One of the first shows to announce postponement yesterday was the Rock N Roll Rumble, whose semifinal Night #2 was set for T.T. The Bear's Place in Cambridge.

Most of us were not yet settled emotionally from the night before, Thursday evening, where news of an MIT incident started circulating during the Daily Pravda's set, and things culminated after Lifestyle's headlining performance with the entire room watching the news broadcast, live from Watertown, on the TTs bar television. The 7-11 that was involved in the madness is a few blocks from the venue, but I really don't think anyone at the Rumble knew exactly what was going on. I walked outside to Brookline Street at one point, I think just before Lifestyle, and there were choppers over Central Square. It was an insane night.

The winner was announced after the last band played, I think just before 1am, but I'm unsure how many people heard it: Glenn Yoder & the Western States took home the prize, and deservedly so. Guitarist Jeff Katz stole the entire evening with his efforts, and roots-rock gems like "Pretty Little Girl," "Everything You Want," and "Younger Brother" (one of my favorites from any '13 Rumble band) showed why Yoder's Western States could win the whole thing. All are off his recent LP< Javelina.

But now that the dust and panic has settled, perhaps unsurprisingly, the Rumble is one of the first events to announce their new rescheduled date for Night 2, keeping the rock moving forward: Night 2 of the semis will go down Monday, April 22. Same bat-channel.

It'll feature previous Rumble prelim night winners Eddie Japan, Camden, and the New Highway Hymnal; wild card band Twin Berlin; and a new twist due to scheduling. There was a show already planned for Monday at TTs, but coincidentally, the headliner is a Rumble alum and efforts have been combined.

Here's word from Anngelle Wood:

In an effort to make good on the date as soon as possible, and fit it in before the scheduled Finals on Friday, April 26, we are pleased to announce that we will resume the Semifinals this Monday night!

We worked it out and TT the Bear's was able to come up with a timely resolution. Randy Black (who is a 1982 Rumble winner with his band Limbo Race!) and his band the Heathcroppers have been invited to do a special opening set. Many thanks to Randy, as well as Brendan Boogie and the Broken Gates and Tsunami of Sound, for graciously allowing us to have their previously scheduled night. Thank you, Richard Bouchard, thank you, Kevin Patey, thank you Bonney Bouley. We really appreciate it.

Due to the special circumstances of changing dates and out of state travel, the wildcard band Twin Berlin has been moved from the first slot to the last. Rather than upset the entire night even more, I made the decision to swap the two bands. Probably another first for the Rock 'n' Roll Rumble history books.

Please support all of these bands - for their graciousness, for their flexibility, and for their understanding.

Here's the night's lineup:

8:45pm - Special opening set by Randy Black and the Heathcroppers

9:30pm - Eddie Japan

10:15pm - The New Highway Hymnal

11:00pm - Camden

11:45pm - [Wildcard] - Twin Berlin

[tonight in allston] Vanyaland presents: RIBS, Color Channel, Year Million @ Great Scott

As we around Boston pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off after one of the most heartbreaking and surreal weeks in our city's history, a return to some sort of normalcy is in order. And for many of us in our Boston music community, that normalcy involves attending live shows. So I'm excited and proud that Vanyaland is teaming up with Bowery Boston tonight for the RIBS homecoming show at Great Scott. Also on the bill are Color Channel and the Year Million.

When we all set this up a few weeks ago, the event would serve as both RIBS' first show back in Boston after their tour with Joy Formidable, and the relaunch party for our new music website, the new Vanyaland 2.0. After last week's tragedy and unforgettable days that followed, including yesterday's manhunt and citywide lockdown, we've delayed unveiling the new site (I just don't have the self-promotional cheerleading in me right now).

But the show! The show will go on.

And it's a good one: RIBS' mechanical rock and roll is even more polished after fine-tuning their craft in the road, and their 2012 record Russian Blood was one of my favorite releases of last year; Color Channel bring an instant-dance-party live energy to any room, their Pyramid Of Love EP a true Saturday night electroni-funk fever; and The Year Million's towering post-prog pop-rock is as uplifting as it gets, as they're still riding high off the recent release of Broken Circuits.

Here's a preview of each band, see you in Allston. Boston Strong.

Boston Bruins fans singing the National Anthem, last night @ TD Garden

This is a music blog, based in Boston, and what happened last night at TD Garden sent chills down my spine. I'm a hardcore New Jersey Devils fan, born and raised, but no doubt I'm rooting for the Bruins, from last night through the playoffs. Because We Are Boston.

What a display last night by the Garden faithful. I get chills every time I watch it, and I've watched it many times since last night.

130 Strong: Allston Pudding's Marathon Relief Benefit Mixtape to raise money for the One Fund

The Boston music scene continues to amaze and inspire.

Tuesday morning, the Allston Pudding music blog put out a call for submissions for a charity mixtape, with the funds raised going to the victims of Monday's marathon bombings. Forty-eight hours later, and the result is massive: a 130-track (130!!!!) compilation, featuring everyone from Speedy Ortiz to Parlour Bells to Kingsley Flood to Mei Ohara to Fedavees to Plumerai to Nemes to Slowdim to Freezepop to Mellow Bravo to... oh my goodness just read the full track list below. It's huge. It's overwhelming. It's Boston.

And it's for a great cause.

All proceeds are going to the One Fund Boston, and anyone can donate the mix for as little as $1 (quite a deal). Anyone donating $10 or more are entered to win a sweet Allston Pudding sweatshirt, which is guaranteed to get you laid instantly wherever you wear it.

"Enormous thanks to all who contributed to this," wrote the Pudding this morning on their site. "Boston Music 4ever."

I'm not religious, but a-fucking-men.

Full track listing after the Bandcamp jump.

1. Kal Marks - Born Again 2. Speedy Ortiz - Bigger Party
3. Krill - The Troublesome Horse Gets The Milk
4. M. Reverdy Rhodes - My Bird
5. Hall Of Mirrors - Keep
6. Mean Creek - Do You Know
7. Duke & The Drivers - What You Got
8. Vegans - Sandslash
9. Trophy Lungs - Exit 28
10. The Box Tiger - Knives
11. DadFight - Patty Hearst
12. Chris North - Thanksgiving Day
13. The Deep North - Wake Up
14. Twin Berlin - Kill This Low
15. Red Oblivion - Simple
16. Andrew and The TV Cowboys - Sun Damaged
17. Bearstronaut - A Better Hand
18. Ruby Rose Fox - Old Fashioned
19. Old Abram Brown - Summer Home
20. Chandeliers - Temperance
21. Ian James - No Harm
22. Billy Dodge - Reach
23. Supermachine - Broken
24. Jones & Burns - Pack What You Can Carry
25. FEDAVEES - Prettybirds, Fly
26. Fishing The Sky - Sven
27. The Homing Bureau - To Only Have Come Back
28. Grey Season - Winter That Wasn't
29. Parlour Bells - Airwaves
30. Cowgill - Plans
31. The Interrobang - Zirconia
32. Found Audio - Queen of the Road
33. Endation - Sex Partner Sex
34. The Difference Engine - The Day That I Forgot You
35. Plumerai - Trip
36. Preacher Roe - Elise Elise
37. The Strange Avenues - Passing Time
38. The Daily Pravda - Holidays on the Run
39. Eddie Japan - A Town Called Nowhere
40. Moniker - Burn This City
41. The Life Electric - Carried Away
42. The Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library - The Violinist
43. Cahill - Tired Man
44. Rob Potylo - Quiet Desperation
45. Peter Campbell - Good Heart
46. The New Highway Hymnal - Out With The Lights
47. Kingsley Flood - Sun Gonna Lemme Shine
48. Big Girl - Broken
49. Brian Carroll - Devil Won't Get Me Down
50. Frank & Dependent - Earthworm Smoothie
51. Green Line Inbound - Mars
52. Brenda - Fix Your Eyes
53. Glenn Yoder & The Western States - Row
54. Cease the Wheels - Downcity Armory
55. The Field Effect - Headwrecked
56. Adam Jensen - Redemption Man
57. Nemes - Everest Isle
58. Eksi Ekso - Traitor Traitor
59. Muy Cansado - Not For Nothing
60. Idiot Genes - Drunk Consistenly
61. Aloud - Justice & Forgiveness
62. Mei Ohara - Deep Sea Vinyl
63. Guillermo Sexo - Emerald Comets
64. Velah - Glass Heart
65. Airport - I Got Love
66. Adam PC - Yeah Fuckin' A Right!
67. The Moan - You Ain't Mine
68. The Adventures Of - Edges
69. Bunny's A Swine - Greetings From The Bottom
70. Black Norse - Kill The King - Reign of Fire
71. The Milling Gowns - Arc & Pale
72. Alen of Dale - Morning Light
73. Slowdim - Uh Oh
74. Whysowhite - Get Busy
75. J / Q - A Savior Of My Own
76. Ginger Ibex - Catnip
77. Brighton MA - Good Kind of Crazy
78. Wide Iris - Tomorrows
79. The Suicide Dolls - Brand New and Close By
80. Dead Cats Dead Rats - Bad News
81. Modern Lighting - Grey Skies Tiny Stars
82. Ryan Scally - Near Beyond Alone
83. The Novel Ideas - The Field
84. Snow's House - Walk
85. Rebuilder - Heroes to a Sun
86. Friendly People - New York
87. Lara Ewen - One Day
88. The Rare Occasions - Scarlet Lies
89. The Spearmint Sea - Two
90. School for Robots - Insomniac
91. Banquet Hall - Ruins
92. Machines Learning - SatAMcoffee
93. The Russians - Sober and Un-Upsetting
94. Faux Ox - Colourform
95. Freezepop - Peptalk
96. Mount Peru - Psalm
97. The Hollow Sound - Cope
98. Ruby Ridge - Don't Turn Around
99. Mellow Bravo - When Im In Pain
100. The Electrical Fire - Rhythm of My Heart
101. Devil and a Penny - Steamboat
102. Eric Baro - In Love With A Broken Heart
103. Future Carnivores - Twice
104. Michael Maloney - Back To Boston
105. Satellites Fall - One Night
106. The Bynars - All I Wanna Do Is Have Some Fun Tonight
107. Howling Boil - Brighton, 1983
108. Butterknife - Coattails
109. I, Pistol - I Don't Care
110. Zip-Tie Handcuffs - Book Worm
111. The New Warden - Long Walk Home
112. The Blind Woods - Two Fish
113. The Saints of Sorrow - We Carry On
114. Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys - Radioactive Brush
115. Sawtooth - Boston, Je T'aime
116. Eros and the Eschaton - Carry The Water
117. Nervous - Decode
118. Blue Moon Harem - Finland
119. EXH4LER - Skinny Girl From New York
120. Kangaroo Court - Unplanned
121. Axemunkee - Acid DJango
122. Royal Wedding - S.C.U.M.
123. Strange Mangers - Handmaids
124. Jay Wightman - I'm Green
125. The Shills - Move A Mountain
126. Courters - Dead Eye
127. Ryan Jackson Troika - Sink Piles
128. Marc Pinansky - Back In Boston
129. Bear Language - Mary Go Round
130. Sand Reckoner - Too Many Voices

Nearly $8,000 raised for Mass General Hospital at T.T. The Bear's Place Tuesday night

I was giving an interview to WBUR Tuesday evening when I made some variation of the following comment: "Some of us are doctors, some of us are counselors, some of us aren't. I'm involved with the music scene, and what I do is music." We were just about to open doors at TT The Bear's Place in Cambridge, a room Richard Bouchard and I secured just five hours earlier, to host a benefit show for the victim's of Monday's Boston Marathon bombing.

And already the response was overwhelming.

The lineup went beyond music, but the music was pretty incredible: Mean Creek, the Field Effect, Earthquake Party, Endation, Ruby Rose Fox, Dan Nicklin of Old Jack, Cameron Kieber, and Brendan Boogie.

The venue, TTs, donated the room, and its owner, Bonnie Bouley, an additional $500 contribution. Bartenders donated all their tips, more than $1300. All merch sold from the bands was donated to the cause, almost $300. And a raffle -- which featured everything from Red Sox tickets to gift cards to an online class at Berklee -- brought in more than $950.

At the door, we set up a Pay What You Can system: anything from $1 to more, handled anonymously. The door man said he noticed many people quietly stuffing $20 bills into the donation box. Incredible.

Yesterday, Richard and I brought a check for $7,740 to Mass General Hospital, and donated it to MGH's Emergency Medicine Fund, which they said would have the most impact on Monday's events. The check was signed, "from the "Boston Music Scene."

Thank you, Boston. xo

PHOTOS: Mick Murray @ For Boston /// Daykamp Music @ For Boston

Here is the final breakdown of Tuesday's fund raising efforts:
$4,175 at the door
$500 from TT's owner Bonney Bouley
$500 from Defunct Tees
$957 from the raffle
$1,337 from the bartenders (who all donated their tips)
$271 from band merch

Total $7,740

[tonight in cambridge] FOR BOSTON benefit show @ T.T. The Bear's Place

I still can't fully wrap my head around what happened yesterday at the Boston Marathon. My adopted hometown of 13 years is truly my home, and will be for the rest of my life. I love it here. I love this city's music scene. I love this city's passion for sports. It works for me.

And people cope with hardship in different ways. I'm involved with the music scene, and one way I can help is through music. So I'm teaming up with Richard Bouchard (Indie Rock Ranger) to help organize the FOR BOSTON benefit show tonight at TT The Bear's Place, the home of the Rock and Roll Rumble, which picks back up on Thursday.

About two hours ago we got word that a touring show scheduled for TTs tonight had been cancelled, so we rallied up some of our friends for a last-minute fund raiser to benefit Massachusetts General Hospital.

Join us for music from Mean Creek, The Field Effect, Endation, Dan Nicklin of Oldjack, Cameron Keiber of the Beatings/Eldridge Rodriguez, and more. I'll DJ a few sets as well, the usual stuff you hear at the pill.

Doors at 8pm, it's 18+, and it's Pay What You Can. Seriously, pay $1, pay $20, it's up to you. We're happy to report that 100% of the door will be donated to MGH on behalf of the Boston music scene. Vanya Records and the Field Effect will also donate 100% of sales from all merchandise to the cause.