New England Music News

Boston music news: May 26, 2006

Notes on the Snowleopards and Darkbuster's BMP win

By SARAH TOMLINSON | May 23, 2006

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The Snowleopards

The SNOWLEOPARDS, featuring local singer-songwriter HEIDI SAPERSTEIN, celebrate the release of their new single “Stuck in the Middle” this Friday, May 26, at Sally O’Brien’s in Union Square (next to P.A.’s Lounge), opening for local singer-songwriter EMILY GROGAN. A long-time fixture in the band’s live set, the song was mixed by local power-pop songsmith BLEU and recorded at the band’s home studio; you can hear it at www.myspace.com/thesnowleopards, and they’ll be giving out free copies at their show. “It’s guitar-oriented pop, like a merge of the modern retro ’80s sound [with the synth-sounding e-bow guitar] and ’70s guitar pop like Fleetwood Mac,” says guitarist Mike Oor. The band, whose line-up also includes drummer Paul Trudeau and bassist Jim Zavadoski (ex–Damn Personals), will record their debut full-length at their home studio this summer; Bleu will produce two of the songs and mix the entire album. “The record will be very pop- and guitar-heavy,” says Oor. In the meantime, Saperstein will sing on Grogan’s upcoming album and perform with Bleu’s Get Up Choir at the Paradise on June 16. . . . DARKBUSTER are riding high from their recent Best Music Poll victory. “Finally won something,” says singer Lenny Lashley. “I was getting that always-a-bridesmaid-never-a-bride feeling.” But they’re already getting back to work — namely the video for “Skinhead,” from their 2005 album A Weakness for Spirits (Dumb Trumpeter). It’ll be shot by I’m Macon Movies’ Joseph Macon over several days in July and will feature a mock rumble between rival gangs of punks and skinheads played by children ages five to 10. “It just seemed like a funny way to comment on the ‘scene,’ ” says Lashley. “Plus, who don’t love kids in a video?” The band stress that no children will be harmed in the making of the video and that they’re not promoting violence. Any parents who’d like their kids to get a free mohawk or shaved head — from none other than Lashley himself — can get more information at www.darkbuster.net. The band plan several week-long tours this summer, and they’re hoping to do a month of dates in Europe this fall. They’ve also just signed up with I Scream Records, which will re-release “A Weakness for Spirits” in the US and Europe on August 8. . . . A memorial service for local musician and promoter TEO LEYASMEYER, who died on May 16, will be held at the Hancock United Church of Christ, 1912 Mass Ave in Lexington, on May 27 at 2 pm.

On the Web
Snowleopards: //www.myspace.com/thesnowleopards
Darkbuster: //www.darkbuster.net/