Sonic Lobotomy

Ep. 27: Resistance 77

tj — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:59:19 +0000

Boston punk rock can trace it’s roots back to the punk and Oi bands that originated in England 30 years ago, and Resistance 77 are on the forefront of that British scene. They are among the best punk bands that the Midlands has ever produced. Resistance 77 has punk rock energy and attitude, with the chops to back it up. More importantly, they have perservered since 1984, and they have gotten better with age. it is always a pleasure to have a UK band on the show, and as you can tell by my smile, this show was a particularly great one for me.

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Ep. 26: Dead Cats Dead Rats

tj — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:50:19 +0000

Dead Cats Dead Rats play and look like they could be brothers, but they are actually just friends. Still, they have that telepathic tightness that makes a listener think that they have been together since birth. These guys are a young trio from the North Shore of Boston. Their music is influenced by the raw and angular sounds that came out of the Sub Pop scene, before grunge became commercial. They have the angst of “Bleach” era Nirvana , mated with the raw aggression of Boston hardcore, and amplified by a hard hitting and busy rhythm section. these guys kicked out the jams on their original songs from their debut cd, and added a great cover of a Misfits tune for good measure. This was a great performance by a local band that came out of nowhere, and is heading to the top of the scene. Keep an eye on dead cats Dead Rats.

Ep. 25: Dead Friends

tj — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:53:49 +0000

Mark Doherty, the singer for Dead Friends, has been a friend of mine for many years. Mark is a fixture on the Boston music scene. If you go out to see punk shows in Boston, chances are that you know him. He was born and raised on the tough streets of Dorchester, and you can hear that in his music. He sings of the hardships of life in the city, and the band backs him with a brutal assualt, mixing punk and metal with memorable melodies that stick in your head. Dead Friends delivered the goods for Sonic Lobotomy, playing their high energy set with wreckless abandon.

Ep. 24: Superpower

tj — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:03:16 +0000

Episode # 24 was a monumental occasion for us. This particular episode represented the completion of two years of doing the show every month. Yes.. we are here to stay.. and we have no plans to stop. This episode also marked the first shoot that takes place in our new studio at Brookline Access TV. Sonic Lobotomy is moving on up ! Better lights, better sound, and better gear.

What better a band to christen the new room than Boston’s Superpower ? … featuring Dave Tree of the legendary band Tree. These guys came into the room, and blew the doors off the place. Tree delivered their brand of crushing , politically charged aggression, and made this one of the best episodes yet. I was fortunate to catch a bit of their band practice in their cellar also, and I included this raw video for good measure. This is Boston hardcore at it’s finest. Enjoy…

Ep. 23: The Uncomfortables

tj — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:01:04 +0000

The Uncomfortables are a treasure from the Western frontiers of Massachusetts. I must say that they really rocked my world. The band is made up of the remnants of the legendary local band, The Pajama Slave Dancers. These guys came into the tiny Sonic Lobotomy studio and set the place on fire. They mix the heavy , catchy sounds of Husker Du styled hardcore with the odd time signatures of prog rock, and top it off with virtuoso guitar pyrotechnics that are in a league with Hendrix. This was a very intersting sounding band composed of veteran musicians who know how to play their instruments. they have great song writing, and plenty of lean, uncluttered voltage that can only be created by a power trio. Look for these guys to be huge in the future, and rememmber where you saw them first..

Ep. 22: The Donut Kings

tj — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:56:57 +0000

Back in the 80’s I was at Fitchburg State College earning my degree in basket weaving, between bong hits, I would function as music director at the college radio station, WXPL. That is where Sonic Lobotomy started. I used to do a weekly punk radio show with the same name on the radio station….. Anyway…. there was this long haied dude who also worked at WXPL named Rick Desgres , and he became a good friend. He turned me on to all sorts of cool obscure music like Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators.

Rick had a band called the Donut Kings. That was 1986. The band is still around today. Rick and I have kept in touch through the miracle of Facebook. I decided to have Rick’s band on the show.

The Donut Kings put on a great performance of catchy originals, and some great , obscure covers. They opened up with their version of “I’m your vehicle” , a great throwback to the sexually liberated 70’s , and they did not let up after that. After the performance, we all headed down to the Beer Works for a beer soaked interview. After all these years, it was great to get The Donut kings on the show.

Ep. 21: The Beantown Boozehounds

tj — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:47:10 +0000

Sometimes, a band’s name is right on target with who they are. The Beantown Boozehounds definately live up to their moniker. They are the drunkest band in Boston, and they are proud of that fact. Frontman Chad Gilligan is a graduate of Berkely School of Music,.. but you will not find him playing any Berkley jazz crap, instead he leads his band of merry alcoholics through a set of great punk music, occasionally throwing in a bit of traditional sounding mandolin.

The day before this performance.. the band played a late night party to celebrate the release of their debut cd. The band was hung over on the Saturday morning that we shot this show…. yet they played in top form. I am convinced that the Boozehounds play better with more alcohol in their blood streams. It was great to capture them in this state. Hair of the Dog !!!!

Ep. 20: The Gobshites & Yesterday’s Heroes

tj — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:38:23 +0000

The Gobshites perform a rowdy mix of Boston flavored celtic rock. Lead man Pete Depressed is also the front man for local punk favorites Meat Depressed. He is a talented band leader, and with The Gobshites, he has put together a top quality group of musicians that can rock any pub where Guiness is served.
For their Sonic Lobotomy performance, the band chose to play a few traditional Irish tunes with a punk twist, and a few traditional punk tunes with an Irish twist. They also threw in a few originals. This episode is one of my favorites. The cover version of the Waterboy’s tune “Fisherman’s Blues” was incredible. I’m half Irish, and these guys made my Irish half dance like an enebriated , red headed leprechaun. Great performance.

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Yesterday’s Herpoes are one of a group of new, talented punk bands from Boston that play with a genuine passion that is characteristic of youthfull angst. These guys are influenced by the punk bands that their parents listened to.. like the Clash and the Jam. they bring this familiar sound into the context of Boston street punk, and bang out catchy three chord anthems that stick in your head. It’s great to see that bands like Yesterday’s Heroes are keeping the punk rock torch lit. This was a great performance by an up and coming local talent. I was glad to capture Yesterday’s Heroes on my show.

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Ep. 19: The Murder & Refuse Resist

tj — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:32:11 +0000

The Murder are a new band from Boston. They play with fury and rock and roll abandon. Their songs have great hooks. They have a powerful twin guitar attack, with well constructed songs and unforgettable singalong choruses. These guys have a sound steeped in Boston punk rock tradition.They also are influenced by the best of the British punk. Kudos to them for giving Cock Sparrer a nod by covering “Because you’re young”

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Refuse Resist play fast and hard. They draw their influences from the golden age of hardcore punk rock, before the metal merger of the late 80’s. They have no time for guitar solos, but plenty of time for breakneck beats, and grinding breakdowns. Lyrically, they are rebellious and politically charged. they are also one of the tightest bands that I have had on the show. They represent everything that was good about hardcore punk rock, but by no means are they a throwback band. Their new disc is out on Rodent Popsicle records. Buy it now.

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Ep. 18: The Bermondsey Joyriders

tj — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:28:36 +0000

The Bermondsey Joyriders are a punk rock supergroup of sorts. The band consists of Gary Lammin, one of the original members of Cock Sparrer, and Martin Stacey, who joined British punk band Chelsea (after Billy Idol left the band) … regardless of all this name dropping, these guys rock hard. They are able to merge the bluesy slide guitar rock and roll sound with furious punk rock. I was fortunate to have them as my guests on this episode, and they put in a memorable performance. It was also great to have an opportunity to play guitar on Running Riot. Enjoy….