The Manglers / I.Z.A. / Lucky United / Mary Martin
Midway Café, Jamaica Plain, MA 1/19/14
The first performance I observe today is by Martha Martin. She is not from the new wave band of the eighties Martha & The Muffins who did “Echo Beach.” Ah, you say, Slimedog once again referencing something before we were born- how quaint!
She has a high voice and an electric, not acoustic, guitar. Along with originals she does a few covers that because they’re in a different setting (she’s doing songs originally sung by men with a full band) it takes me a bit of time before I recognize what song she’s covering.
“I’ll Stop The World And Melt With You,” an eighties hit by Modern English is done nicely. It causes me to get in a discussion with someone at the bar. I mention a movie this song is in, “Valley Girl,” an early Nicholas Cage movie. He knows the movie and agrees that it’s an underappreciated gem.
Another cover, this one by The Clash, follows as well. Not a bad solo performance is the verdict and a nice way to start the show off.
Now, Lucky United is next and a big reason I’m here today. You see, I’m a big fan of Sourpunch or really Jenn Lombari or Jenn Kitten. I find it funny she goes by Jenn Kitten because with her occasionally roaring vocals I feel Jenn Lion would be more appropriate and Sourpunch was her previous band.
This is her new project and consists of her on vocals and guitar with a drummer. Let it be known that I like two man bands almost as much as I like getting my head nailed to a tree but with Jenn I believe that her songs are so strong that they can stand all right on their own. And I should mention she does frequent solo shows as well.
It takes a few songs for the band and sound to jell but when it does I’m very glad that I went out of my way to be here today. Her voice which takes the best parts of Joan Jett and Courtney Love along with the superb songwriting creates a style that is emotion laid bare, bitter and sweet, toughness and vulnerability sprung upon us all at the same time.
When she performs, “Get Away Car,” towards the end of her set, which is a slower tune that builds into a high intensity, I’m reminded how much a song can mean and how much words can evoke a strong feeling. But then that’s par for the course with Jenn, check out her bands cd on bandcamp and the review of it that is on our site now.
Now I.Z.A. is next (Inevitable Zombie Apocalypse) who are certainly an interesting band. They cause me to turn toward, Brian McCaffrey, the high stakes international promoter of this show, and comment, “They sound like Morrissey fronting AC/DC,” and he readily agrees. They have hard rock, punk, surf all swirling around in their musical vortex but it all sounds pretty great once your head stops spinning.
The Manglers are up now to take this Sunday Matinee out. And they’re a cover band who, of course, play all the old favorites like “Brown Eyed Girl” “Mustang Sally” and “Freebird.”
Oh, snap- wrong info delivered here.
Actually they’re an early punk cover band and Lo and Behold!- we got righteous renditions of such revolutionary, revolting, raucous tunes with the hit songs by The Dictators, Johnny Thunders and The Dead Boys. A high point of the set, and we can use that term as many of the acts covered were on heroin, is a version of “Search & Destroy” by Iggy & The Stooges. This song did in fact cause grown men to weep, children to find refuge in their mothers bosoms and farm animals to clench their butt cheeks in fear!
It’s a great, fun set that is only topped off with lead singer Brian McCaffrey, riding naked a large silver ball extended from the ceiling across the stage singing a song, which I’m told is by Miley Cyrus.
I’ve now seen the future of rock’n’roll. And this my friend, is it.
(Slimedog)
