Well, it’s about damn time we started to hear the first fruits of Ratboy Jr.‘s labor on their long-awaited second LP — and to sweeten the deal a little (okay, a lot), they’ve added Dog on Fleas to the mix for their new single, “Backyard Camping.” But wait, it gets better: Unlike last weekend, when the band was passing out Brooklyn-certified cassettes of the song at KindieFest, this week finds them joining the digital age and sharing “Camping” in good old-fashioned mp3 form. Enjoy it below, and keep your fingers crossed for a new full-length soon
Read More »Greenfield, MA isn’t necessarily known as an entertainment mecca, unless you count the fact that it’s the birthplace of Penn Jillette. But last weekend, while folks in Philly were sweating it out during the XPoNential Festival held by our pals at WXPN — and hipper listeners were at the Pitchfork Music Festival — New England was busy being blessed with its own live music extravaganza: the 24th Green River Festival. It’s held on the grounds of a community college in rural northern Massachusetts, but the Green River Festival isn’t the collection of acoustic guitar-toting folk singers you might expect. This year’s lineup, which sprawled out over two hot summer days and nights, included a touch of the traditional (Brooks Williams opened the main stage on Saturday), but made plenty of room for the unexpected (Allen
Read More »They’re called Ratboy Jr., their album comes in a brown sleeve made out of 100% recycled paper, and its second track includes the words “everything is wonderful, including the dirt.” I probably don’t need to tell you what kind of music to expect from Smorgasbord, but just in case you’re still unclear, I’ll spell it out for you: Don’t expect a lot of studio polish, and if you’re the type of parent who’d rather see your kid at Gymboree than splashing in the mud, or if you greet things like composting with an eyeroll, then you should probably stick with your Laurie Berkner CDs. But if you like wild and woolly funky folk, feel free to dive face-first into Ratboy Jr.’s Smorgasbord‘s 15 tracks of fun. Charmingly ragged harmonies, warm brass, and a slightly jammy
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