Must-Hear: Refused Release New Music For First Time In 17 Years
–Written by Kevin Madert
Remember when words like “punk” and “hardcore” meant more than donning all black and playing the Vans Warped Tour? Refused does, and they’re here to give us a refresher. The long-defunct Swedish foursome – cited as an influence by everyone from Blink-182 to Rise Against – originally broke up in 1998, and other than a string of festival appearances in 2012 haven’t made much noise since.
That’s until today, when the group premiered “Elektra,” an acerbic, shot-from-a-gun track that will serve as the lead single for the group’s upcoming fourth album Freedom. “It’s not a reunion anymore,” frontman Dennis Lyxzén said in a press release. “This is one of the most radical things we’ve ever done, both musically and lyrically.” You can stream the video for “Elektra” below and decide for yourself.
Read More
AltFreq Weekly Planner (4/26/15-4/29/15)
–Written by Kevin Madert
It’s nearly impossible to keep track of all the events going on in the area, so we’re here to let you know what’s happening in live music over the next few days. Watch out on Thursdays for the “Weekend Planner” where we’ll cover the most important 72 hours of the week.
Read More
Weekend Wind-Down No. 15: Mixed Bag #2
-Words & list by Kevin Madert
This week, think less about why these songs belong together and more about how they coalesce to provide a soundtrack for your weekend decompression. It’s a collection comprised of vocal numbers – LCD Soundsystem’s lengthy & laid-back “All My Friends” kicks us off – and songs like “Catherine Wheel” and “Soft Trees Break The Fall” that at times are barely there. AltFreq recommends you grab a pair of headphones, find a comfortable place, and fade into the diverse soundscapes of this week’s Wind-Down.
Read More
Quick Six: The Best of Boston
In our recent piece on the debut full length album from Actor|Observer we got to talking about that signature style of Boston post-hardcore that has become such a staple of the region’s music scene. And it isn’t the first time we’ve talked about the music scene up in Boston either. The city is chock full of amazing talent and even more amazing dedication. So many bands have worked their way up through the Boston scene, some have grown up past that to reach national and international touring levels, but the majority of them never made it past the regional level. But regardless of their level of fame, so many of them will forever remain local heroes. That’s the thing about Boston, it isn’t concerned with fame, even the smallest local bands can reach the same level of acclaim as the internationally touring acts. Just ask any older Boston musician about The Cadence – which I would include in this list if there were any recordings of their music still available anywhere but MySpace – and you’ll realize that talent counts for a lot more than album sales in Boston. And here are six bands that have proved that point throughout their entire careers.
Read More
ICYMI: Actor|Observer – The Longer Now
Don’t feel bad if you haven’t heard about this week’s In Case You Missed It, I actually missed it myself, I hate to say, and either way, that’s why this piece exists in the first place. And fret not, you haven’t missed the boat by long, this album was released only last month, on March 10th. The album in question is The Longer Now, the debut full length from Boston’s Actor|Observer, and to get straight to the point, it is nothing short of spectacular. So spectacular I’m actually a little upset with myself for missing a month and a half of listening time I could have otherwise had with the album had I been paying attention. Now, some of you may be asking from the other side of your computer, “Who is Actor|Observer?” and you could certainly be forgiven for asking such a question. They are one of the best kept secrets in the Boston post-hardcore music scene; arguably one of the best bands of the genre to ever grace Boston, period.
Read More
News: Planes Mistaken For Stars Re-Release and Summer Tour
Last month, Deathwish, Inc. along with Brann Dailor, drummer of Mastodon, released a rather ominous and vague video that provided little insight other than the fact that it was regarding legendary early post-hardcore band, Planes Mistaken for Stars. There were rumors of a new project featuring members of the band, but nobody was really certain what was going on. Until today, that is.