Local News Roundup: December 2

This Saturday, Boston Band Crush will host a very special daylong benefit concert at TT the Bear’s Place. The show, dubbed “Calling all Angels“, will benefit the Natal ICU at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and will feature sets from Bang Camaro, Sidewalk Driver, Antiques, Casey Desmond, Gem Club, Lovewhip, Spirit Kid and Stereo Telescope. Tickets are $12 and the show will run from 12:30 to 7 p.m. Learn much more about the show’s moving inspiration and amazing cause here.

The 23rd Annual Boston Music Awards will take place at the Liberty Hotel on Sunday. As previously reported, Worcester-based outfit Dom dominated this year’s nominations with five, including Artist of the Year and New Artist of the Year. J. Geils Band frontman Peter Wolf followed with three nominations, including Artist of the Year. Amanda Palmer, Eli Paperboy Reed and The True Loves, Mean Creak, Kingsley Flood, Ad Frank & The Fast Easy Women, Bad Rabbits and Sarah Borges each earned two nominations. Get the full lowdown over here and be sure to pick up tickets for the event, which we here is nearly soldout.

Cassavettes, one of our favorite local bands, is parting ways after five years together. The Boston rockers by way of Texas will play their final show at the Middle East Upstairs on Saturday, December 18 with help from The Luxury and the Autumn Hollow Band. Fans can help select the Cassavette’s final setlist through a survey on the band’s website. Tickets for the show are available through TicketWeb for $12. Attendees are asked to bring canned food items to benefit Boston Medical Center’s Preventive Food Pantry and Demonstration Kitchen. The Cassavettes will award all those who bring items with free band merchandise. As for why the Cassavettes are parting ways and what they have planned for the future, Guitarist and vocalist Glen Yoder explains each in an extended message on the group’s official website. Give it a read here.

Amanda Palmer, who is just finished touring the nation on The Dresden Dolls reunion tour, has announced plans for Tristan Allen’s CD release show. Who’s that? Allen is a 17-year old piano player from upstate New York who happened to be hanging out in front of Berklee College of Music one day when Palmer walked by him on her way home one night in August. He gave Palmer some music, eventually played at her apartment and was later convinced by Palmer to return to Boston to record an album. Thanks to a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter (an impressive $8,000 in under 48 hours), the project was completely funded. The two will celebrate the release of the EP, which featured four Allen originals and one collaborative tune, with a show at the Berklee Performance Center on Sunday, December 12. Tickets are $10 and all proceeds will benefit scholarship funds for Berklee’s five-week summer performance program, which is the same program Allen had finished the day he met Palmer.

The Low Anthem recently announced that they will release Smart Flesh, the self-produced follow up to their critically lauded 2009 release Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, on February 22 through Nonesuch Records. The majority of Smart Flesh’s eleven tracks were recorded in a cavernous, vacant pasta sauce factory in Central Falls, RI. Additional tracking was done in a Providence garage, dubbed the “gator pit.” Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Monsters of Folk) mixed the record in Omaha with additional mixing by engineer Jesse Lauter (Elvis Perkins) in New York.

Former Bostonians The Dead Trees, who are up for Best Boston Artist That Doesn’t Live In Boston at Sunday’s BMAs, recently released a limited edition vinyl 7″, Back to L.A. Produced by Noah Georgeson and Matthew Compton, the limited edition vinyl 7″ is available through White Iris Records. The title track is available as a free download through Pitchfork. The band is also prepping a 2011 release of their new record, WHATWAVE produced by Noah Georgeson.

Bleu, who is also nominated for Best Boston Artist That Doesn’t Live In Boston at Sunday’s BMAs, has partnered with American Songwriter for the ‘Bleu Writes A Song for You” Contest. Now through December 15, fans are invited to enter the contest at www.americansongwriter.com by simply submitting their contact information. Bleu will pen and record a song solely the winner while other winners will recieve an autographed copy of his new release, Four. The album, which was funded by fans through a $40,000 Kickstarter campaign, features pop-rock gems “B.O.S.T.O.N.” and “Singin’ in Tongues”. You can download the latter for free here.

The Everyday Visuals will play their first show in Boston since July when the open for Liz Phair at the Paradise Rock Club on Wednesday, December 15. The band was on rest after frontman Christopher Pappas departed for California with guitarist Joseph Seiders to record and play out as Miracle Parade.

The Organ Beats have released a new, original Christmas song for charity. Head over  to the band’s bandcamp page to download “This Christmas” for a minimum donation of $1. All the proceeds will go to the MSPCA.

The Have Nots will join up with fellow Boston punk rockers Street Dogs next week when the band takes on the opening slot for the veteran group’s ongoing tour with Flatfoot 56. The band will start in Houston and remain on the tour through its conclusion at the Paradise Rock Club on Friday, December 17.

Dance recording artist Bylli Crayone of Lawrence will release the first single, “It’s Okay Boy”, off his forthcoming album Presto: Element of Surprise next week. The song features guest vocals from Tiffany (yes, of “I Think We’re Alone Now” fame. The new album, which will be released on February 8, will feature several other guest spots including Boy George, Bu Shooz and U.T.F.O.