Unlike Boston Calling, Hassle Fest is truly a representation of Boston music scene – think 50/50 ratio of local/national acts vs Boston Calling’s 1/50. That and the fact that it costs only $75 dollars to see get 3-day pass to the festival makes it a great alternative to more established festivals in town.
Tickets to Hassle Fest 7 can be purchased via IndieGoGo – in the meantime here’s a look at artists performing at the festival this year.
Container (Rhode Island) – Container is nom de plume of RI native Ren Schofield (who also recorded as God Willing and Age Wave). Described as “The Diplo of distortion/The Skrillex of scuzz”, Schofield put out releases on his own label I Just Live Here as well as Editions Mego imprint Spectrum Spools.
Check out his disturbing take on Panda Bear‘s Mr. Noah as well as slightly less aggressive (but no less loopy) original Vegetation.
Guerilla Toss (MA/New York) – While their Bandcamp page says New York, New York, their move is a very recent development. Many of the bands early Boston basement travelling days were captured by Boston Hassle’s own Ethan Long including show at The New England Underground Music Fest and appearance at Boston Hassle 2014.
Throughout years they were called deranged, freaks, an art rock band and even a kind of band that anyone had a chance to see at least once during any basement party throughout GW Bush first term! That last one came from Pitchfork, but to these ears they sound like a slightly more approachable/danceable version of Melt-Banana.
You’ll be the judge, however – here are two cuts from their most recent releases (2014 Smack the Brick and 2015 Flood Dosed):
The Channels (MA) – Described by Impose Magazine as Boston ‘s craziest supergroup, Channels comprise members of aforementioned Guerilla Toss, Designer (RIP) and Aykroyd. Lo Fruit – their 2014 debut – comprises 9 untitled tracks of no-wavish madness, while the more recent Disposable Camera cuts the number of tracks to 6 (all of those titled, of course).
As evident by jagged lead track Pill, Disposable Camera finds the band that still refuses to follow conventions, trends or formulas:
Urochromes (MA) – Comprised of members of Sediment Club and Cheri Love, Urochromes are the youngest band on the list so far. Their very first (and so far only) release is Get In Line 4 Mental Decline demo that came out on Gut Freak tapes in June of this year.
If the photo on the cover of “Two Men / Ugly People” single won’t turn you off, then the music inside surely will and if it won’t…you ought to stay and listen because this music was written for people who don’t have anything nice to say about anyone (or anything) at all (and don’t mind being abused from time to time too).
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