Video by Whitney Alexander & Ricky Gonzalez
Beneath a relatively shiny exterior, the city of Boston boasts an impressive roster of gritty, dynamic musical inhabitants. Here's a glimpse at the contributions of two local acts - The Dirty Dishes and Art Decade.
How Do You Pronounce Worcester?
Back in my younger, wiser days, I spent almost a year living in downtown Boston. I don't know everything there is to know about the place, but I think I have a decent understanding of it.
There are more than 100 colleges in the greater Boston area. This lends to it's outward demographic appearing to be largely comprised of junior yuppie frat types, who holler and philander after one too many pints of beer. The T (that's "subway" to the common New Yorker) stops running just around midnight. The bars tap out at 2am. Boylston Street, a main transportation vein in and out of the downtown area, is dotted with shops selling power suits that only Nancy Grace could love. And I swear, even the tourist-trodden pavement on that particular strip smells oddly like laundry detergent.
All of that, however, is just the surface of Boston, and it's a largely misleading surface at that. Dig a little deeper, and there's a serious amount of subculture to be found in this New England metropolis. The city's music scene has been steadily redesigning and defining itself as well as the prominent, symphony standardized world of academia, with which Boston has come to be explicitly associated.
Dirty, Dirty
The Dirty Dishes began playing together in 2008, and have since crafted "...their distinct musical style which has been compared to My Bloody Valentine, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Deerhoof and Smashing Pumpkins." The "four piece indie/shoegaze band" released their 5-track album "The Most Tarnished Birds" on March 4th. Boston publication "The Dig" referred to front woman Jenny Tuite's vocals as being "mesmerizing...comatose poetry with a kung fu grip."
Their live performance is like a musical version of synchronized athletics. It feels like members Zack Fierman (drums), Alex Molini (synth/guitar), Doug Wartman (bass) and Tuite (guitar/vocals) , make moves within assigned plays, never losing site of the construct of their songs, and how to best transfer their overwhelming energy to the audience. It's hard to tell whether that understanding is instinctual, learned or both, but I don't think that pinpointing the root of their talent as a unit really matters. What does matter, and what is clear as day, is that, on stage, The Dirty Dishes capture and covey both the calculations of science and the consciousness of art.
They recently wrapped up a series of shows at SXSW, and tonight will be performing with Cloud Nothings at Brighton Music Hall, as a part of "MTV Hive Live in Boston." Entry is $10, and the show will be live streamed to a global audience. Below are photos I shot of The Dirty Dishes' January show at Brooklyn's Shea Stadium.
Define: Art
The core members of Boston's Art Decade include Ben Talmi (guitar/vocals) and Binod Singh (bass/vocals). With a name derived from David Bowie's album "Low," the band utilizes a drummer, second guitarist and occasional string ensemble for live performances. In an interview with The Peverett Phile, Art Decade's musical influences were associated with ELO and Muse. Talmi cited respect for the arrangements of legendary Beatles producer George Martin, and stated, "I would be so happy if I ever got the opportunity to score a film, definitely a dream of mine...".
The title of Art Decade's debut album, "Western Sunrise," extends the astute, educated, classical thread running through the core of this band. It is based on the title of a poem, and was interpreted by Talmi as being a description of achieving the impossible. Though the album has yet to be released to the public in full, a preview of the title track is available.
The track is also accompanied by a beautiful visual explosion, reminiscent of the stylings of 19th C. Impressionist painters. Produced by Ricky Gonzalez and directed by Whitney Alexander, the "Western Sunrise" video has been featured in Motionographer, as well as Stash 90.
The gritty, dynamic musical inhabitants of Boston definitely reflect and expand upon the city's history and classically influenced culture. They do, however, take it to another level, by weaving that intellect with a fervent desire to create and publicize their independent endeavors. So, here's to you, Boston. If any of you ever travel there, don't hesitate to further explore the city's music scene. And if you stumble out of a bar after the T has shut it's gates for the night, just call a cab. It's not that hard.
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