New England Music News

Boston music news, December 14, 2007

Notes on a benefit for the son of Jawbox's J. Robbins and the return of the Rudds

By JIM SULLIVAN | December 11, 2007

The Rudds

Before he was the cellist for the now defunct Betwixt, GORDON WITHERS was a fan of the DC post-hardcore band Jawbox, a ’90s outfit who’ve been in the headlines of late because frontman J. Robbins’s son Callum suffers from a debilitating — and costly — neuromuscular disease. Withers had even written cello arrangements for Jawbox tunes as a student at Brandeis in 2000. Then, earlier this year, he felt inclined to revisit the idea, so he and producer Alex Nelson went into Nelson’s Fort Lauderdale studio and recorded Jawbox on Cello: A Benefit for Cal Robbins. They completed 12 songs, and they plan to release the music digitally December 18 through Ioda distributors. Withers also hopes to schedule Boston-area performances of the material in early 2008. . . . The ever-gigging Grand Guignol–inspired DREAMCHILD are taking a break from the stage to head into Allston’s Moon Pool Studio to work on their fourth CD, a follow-up to Lullabies for the Dead. . . . The RUDDS are back from a short hiatus: they’re playing New Year’s Eve with the UPPER CRUST at Church. Frontman John Powhida reports some changes: Tony Goddess has moved from bass to guitar, Nathan Logus has moved from drums to bass, and Neighborhoods drummer John Lynch will take over the kit. There’s also a new Rudds CD in the works, and Powhida’s other band, JOHN POWHIDA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, have a full-length in the can. . . . The BOSTON HORNS — led by former Heavy Metal Horns frontmen Garret Savluk (trumpet) and Henley Douglas Jr. (sax) — just released a New Orleans–styled funk and jazz disc, Shibuya Gumbo, with guest singer Barrence Whitfield and former Soulive saxophonist Sam Kininger on board. They play the Acton Jazz Café on December 15.

Boston music news: July 6, 2007
Notes on the Unseen and the Secret Stars
Polvo give it another go
After a decade-long hiatus, the progenitors of math rock find their chemistry still exists
Boston music news: September 22, 2006
Notes on Frank Smith and the Rudds
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