NOISER TOP TEN FOR 2014
The Noiser Top Ten are top ten lists put together by the writers of The Noise. Each top ten is in a category of the writer’s choice. These lists can be used to see the difference in the tastes of each of our writers. Congratulations to all those who made our top ten list.
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T MAX
Top Ten Shows Featuring New England Artists
1. MARTIN SEXTON (Brothers McCann opening) at Blue Ocean, Salisbury Beach, MA on 4/14/14.
2. TRINARY SYSTEM at Store 54, Allston, MA on 5/30/14.
3. CHRIS SMITHER at me & thee coffeehouse, Marblehead, MA on 1/24/14.
4. THE JON BUTCHER AXIS (Evan Goodrow opening) at Larcom Theater, Beverly, MA on 11/8/14.
5. JIM TRICK (Linda Sharar opening) at me & thee coffeehouse, Marblehead, MA on 9/26/14.
6. WILLIE ALEXANDER & PREACHER JACK at the Dog Bar, Gloucester, MA on 8/15/14.
7. WHAT TIME IS IT MR. FOX? at Old Sloop Coffeehouse, Rockport, MA on 3/8/14.
8. BIRD MANCINI at Tavern at the End of the World, Charlestown MA on 11/14/14.
9. JULIE DOUGHERTY & FRIENDS @ The Hawthorn Hotel, Salem MA on 12/24/14.
10. GUY ZACCARDI (aka MOSEY GREAMS) at Giuseppe’s (Singer Songwriter Shuffle), Gloucester, MA on 1/23/14.
Honorable mention: LORI McKENNA & MARK ERELLI at me & thee coffeehouse, Marblehead, MA on 2/28/14; THE DOUG MACDONALD BAND at the Newburyport Home-coming Festival, Newburyport, MA on 7/27/14; DENNIS BRENNAN BAND at Crocker Park, Marblehead, MA on 7/5/14; CONNOR GARVEY at me & thee coffeehouse, Marblehead, MA on 12/12/14; LYDIA WARREN at the Larcom Theater, Beverly, MA on 4/5/14; CLASSIC RUINS at In A Pig’s Eye, Salem, MA, on 5/23/14; SESSION AMERICANA at me & thee coffeehouse, Marblehead, MA on 9/12/14; BUTTERSCOTT at Store 54, Allston, MA on 6/28/14.
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FRANCIS DiMENNO
The Ten Best Releases of 2014 (and some strong contenders)
1. TELAMOR - Valentine to the Future
2. THINNER – Elevator to Mars
3. ERIN HARPE & THE DELTA SWINGERS – Love Whip Blues
4. THE REAL KIDS - Shake… Outta Control
5. RANDY BLACK & THE HEATHCROPPERS - The Sky Goes Clear
6. PETE WEISS & THE ROCK BAND - Sex Contest
7. DANIEL OUELLETTE & THE SHOBIJIN – Zizal! (The Land Is Moving! Look Over There!)
8. JAY DiBIASIO – Battuto
9. BUTTERSCOTT – In a World…
10. ERIC SALT & THE ELECTRIC CITY – Please Say Yes
Reissues and Compilations:
Live From Studio Dee: The Very Best of On the Town with Mikey Dee Volume One
OYSTERS - “Mine Caroline” b/w “Tell Me”
LEMONHEADS – Glad I Don’t Know.
GARY SHANE – In Perspective: Big Hits and Rare Finds 1979-1994
Honorable mention:
DAVID GREENBERGER & THE PAHLTONE SCOOTERS – Fractions by Stella
MARK MANDEVILLE AND RAIANNA RICHARDS – Hard Times & Woes
SOOL & INVERSE ROOM – Present a Problem
PADDY MILL – Race to the Bottom
THE SPLENDID NOBODIES – Shortcut to Now
ANSWERMAN – The Way You Want
MARK WHITAKER – Nowhere to Land
KERRI POWERS – Kerri Powers
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KIER BYRNES
Top Ten Up and Coming Local Bands/ Artists (in no particular order):
1. SUMMER VILLIANS
2. MAX HEINEGG
3. THE WHISKEY BOYS
4. DAD ROCK
5. COMACHERO
6. ELEANOR BIGSBY
7. SARAH BORRELLO
8. MUNK DUANE
9. FIL PACINO
10. WHITE DYNOMITE
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ERIC BAYLIES
Top 10 New England Rock ’n’ Roll Things of 2014 (in no real order)
10. MIKE MOUNTAIN playing live all over New England, sermonizing and destroying basements and clubs.
9. GUERILLA TOSS creating a post rock disco dance party.
8. SIX STAR GENERAL bringing the party like its 1989.
7. MINIBEAST bringing together the master maniacs of Mission of Burma, Six Finger Satellite, and the Eyesores.
6. DOOMSDAY STUDENT for keeping it real.
5. SEDIMENT CLUB for waving the Captain Beefheart flag high.
4. EXTINCTION MACHINE for coagulating Lolita Black, Dropdead, and Onleyville Sound System.
3. OUTLAW IN PERU for keeping it insane.
2. 28 DEGREES TAURUS for blowing our minds.
1. THE BOSTON HASSLE for pulling it all together.
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SLEAZEGRINDER
Best Bands In Town With the Worst Names
THE FAGETTES: They sound like the Dandy Warhols, who also had a terrible name, but at least you could wear their T-shirts without getting a stern lecture on the streets of Cambridge every fucking day.
FAT CREEPS: Disappointingly, they are neither.
AIRPORT: Ugh, I fucking hate the airport. But I dig Airport. But now I hate them because I’m thinking about the airport.
JOEY PIZZA SLICE: It might actually be the best name, not the worst. Can’t tell. Anyway this dude stepped right out of a David Lynch movie. He might be dead already.
THE GRUBS: Jesus, fellas. Get with it.
RICH PEOPLE FOOD: If you went to a record store and wanted their album, you’d have to go “Do you have Rich People Food?” and the guy would go “No, this is a record store.” Do you really need that kind of hassle?
PARTY BOIS: Boston’s greatest-ever ’80s retrowave arena-pop supergroup sounds like Boston’s worst-ever all-twink gay porn series.
UNICORN HARD-ON: Noisy electro-squall with beats that you can really bug out to saddled with a name that makes you want to punch your own nose for listening to it.
TOWNSHIP: Their sound is pretty cosmic, but their name makes me think of paperwork I don’t want to do.
BUTTERKNIFE: Ugh, I give up.
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RITA FLANGE
Best Photos Published in Each Issue of The Noise in 2014
January: WILLIE ALEXANDER (16 shots) by David Cox
February: MARINA EVANS by Sheila Roberts Orlando
March: SARAH RABDAU & THE SELF-EMPLOYED ASSASSINS by Shervin Lainez
April: MUNK DUANE by Michael Carroll
May: LYDIA WARREN by Joanne Silva
June: ANAIS MITCHELL by Denise Maccaferri
July: JON BUTCHER by Ray Dollard
August: TRINARY SYSTEM by Bill T. Miller
September: WALTER SICKERT by Walter Sickert
October: DREAMCHILD by Cheryl Fair
November: BIRD MANCINI by Bobbi Lane
December: CHRISTINE OHLMAN by Dina Regine
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HARRY C. TUNIESE
Top Ten Recordings of 2014
1. ANAIS MITCHELL: XOA
2. RICK BERLIN/ NICKEL & DIME BAND: When We Were Kids
3. RABBIT RABBIT: Swallow Me Whole
4. THE GROWNUP NOISE: The Problem with Living in the Moment
5. DR. X: Ambient Hours – Addendum 1
6. MARK MANDEVILLE & RAIANNE RICHARDS: Hard Times & Woes
7. WILLARD GRANT CONSPIRACY: Ghost Republic
8. ERIK LINDGREN: Yin Yang A-Go-Go
9. DUKE ROBILLARD BAND: Calling All Blues
10. T MAX: Fill ’Er Up
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A.J. WACHTEL
Top Ten Local Shows For 2014 (in ANY order)
* JOHNNY A’s record release party for Driven at Sculler’s Jazz Club, Boston (June).
* BIM SKALA BIM at The Middle East, Cambridge (August).
* THE FOOLS at Johnny D’s, Somerville (July).
* THE COWSILLS, JAY & THE AMERICANS, THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE at Lynn Auditorium, Lynn (May).
* ALBA’S EDGE (Southern and Irish traditional), EZEKIEL’S WHEELS (Klezmer) at Passim’s, Harvard Square (June).
* PAIGE FARLEY-HACKEL PLAYGROUND BENEFIT with THE JAMES MONTGOMERY BAND, JON BUTCHER, FLY AMERO, ALIZON LISSANCE, CHELSEA BERRY, ALLEN ESTES and LYNNE WITTY at Firstst Baptist Church, Newton (September).
* PREACHER JACK, LOS TEXICANOS, TOKYO TRAMPS, JOEY FINGERS, MIKE Q, and KENNE HIGHLAND (Geezer’s Garage Night) at The Granite Rail, Quincy (January) AND The Preacher’s 72nd birthday party (February).
* MAX CREEK on the Rock and Blues Cruise, Boston Harbor (July).
* BARRY & THE REMAINS, CARDINAL, THE DOWNBEAT 5 at The Regent Theatre, Arlington (September).
* FOGHAT and THE DAN LAWSON BAND at Blue Ocean Music Hall, Salisbury Beach (September).
* ERIN HARPE & THE DELTA SWINGERS, SARA COLB & THE SAGAMORE JAMES BAND: Record release party for The Delta Swingers’ Love Whip Blues at Johnny D’s, Somerville (November).
* Last two Boston area shows before JOHNNY WINTER died and the following JW memorial gig with local artists JAY STOLLMAN, JOHNNY A, and JAMES MONTGOMERY at The Larcom Theatre, Beverly (January) and The Narrows Center, Fall River (November).
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LARA JARDULLO
Boston’s Top Ten REAL DJs In no particular order.
Everyone on list is definitely respect due!
1. KON: Mr. You want it I got it! a true taste maker!
2. BRUNO: Boston’s legendary DJ house hip hop and anything you can dance to
3. SOUL CLAP: Achieved world wide success but still keep it real in Boston.
4. 7L (hip hop): One half of 7L ’n’ Estoric plays killin’ it joints.
5. VOYAGER SATELLITE: Sound (reggae) of Makka Mondays success and sound clash champ (bup bup).
6. CROOK N LENORE: Have longest running drum and bass night.
7. GNOTORIOUS: If he’s playing it’s a treat to your ears. Started soulchampion.com.
8. REEL DRAMA (Drama): This man will slay you with hip hop and breaks.
9. NOMADIK: Homegirls got flava for days… she kills any genre just how I like.
10. LAZ-E: Boy kid has nastiest skills on the ones ’n’ twos.
Honorable mention: TOMMIE and KNIFE (Fresh Produce), FRANK WHITE, and the DJs of SOULELUJAH (there are like five).
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LOLITA FLANGE
Top Ten Most Respected Earth-Beings Involved in the Music Business
1. NABIL & JOSEPH SATER (The Middle East)
2. JULIE DOUGHERTY
3. MR. CURT (Fun Era Fifty)
4. WILLIE ALEXANDER
5. CHUCK U. (WMBR/ WMFO)
6. JIM TRICK (MASU All Stars)
7. ROGER MILLER (Mission of Burma/ Alloy Orchestra/ Trinary System)
8. KIER BYRNES (Three Day Threshold)
9. PETER RINNIG (QRST’s)
10. KATHY SANDS-BOEHMER (me & thee coffeehouse)
Honorable mention: Billy Carl Mancini & Ruby Bird (Bird Mancini), Will Dailey, Trish DeCaprio (Wild Maple), Doug MacDonald & Patty Short (Doug MacDonald Band), Nate Morrison (Drum Shop North Shore), Jon Butcher (…Axis), Christine Ohlman (…& Rebel Montez), Wayne Valdez (Store 54), Karen DeBiasse (Girl on Top), Ken Field (Revolutionary Snake Ensemble), Linda Viens (Wild Kingdom)