2005 Noise Awards

December 7, 2005

Scamper has been nominated for four awards in the prestigious 2005 Noise Poll; please head over to The Noise and vote for us in the following categories:

Album of the Year (Leave Your Glasses On)
Song of the Year (The Proof is Altogether Too Late)
CD Cover Art (Leave Your Glasses On)
Disappointment of the Year (Scamper doesn't open for Hanson)

And while you're at it, our fifth man Tom Polce has been nominated for producer, so throw him a bone, won't you?

Voting begins today and runs through December 20. Thanks!

We'll meet in Barcelona

November 14, 2005

Just another quick update to let you know that we'll be streaming the very unreleased song "Barcelona" on MySpace this week. The song, featuring Kay Hanley on backup vocals, was debuted on WFNX 101.7FM this past Sunday. The song can currently only be heard on MySpace and WFNX (781-595-WFNX).

Music Is The New Music

November 7, 2005

Want new music? Want more Kay Hanley in your Scamper? On Sunday November 13, tune in to New England Product on 101.7 FM WFNX in Boston to hear BRAND NEW MUSIC from Scamper, including a new collaboration with the amazing Ms. Hanley. This will be the only place you can hear this material; the show starts at 10pm and will include an interview and cuts from Leave Your Glasses On and, of course, the new songs.

New England Product is the featured local music show on WFNX, Boston's largest alternative music station. The Product "focuses on bringing you the most information to point you they way of the best club shows or the best new up-and-coming acts." The signal can be heard at 101.7 FM in Boston, and at 92.1 FM in New Hampshire and Southern Maine.

A Million Ways to say...

October 28, 2005

Just a quick update to thank everyone involved in last night's OK Go! show. WFNX, The Middle East, our crew, OK Go!, Juliette & The Licks... everyone was just superb and accommodating, and made the night a success for us all.

Brendan has a show wrap-up in the journal, and we expect photos to be posted sometime soon.

Life is what happens

October 23, 2005

Lots going on this week in Scamperland. First, we have new t-shirts (finally) in the online store. We will have them available for the first time at our show this Thursday (10/27), but you can pre-order them right now. Anyone who orders before the show on Thursday will get a FREE old-school Scamper t-shirt AND a special musical surprise along with their order. Swell, no?

Second, we are thrilled to be supporting OK Go! and Juliette Lewis on Thursday at the Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge. Stop by, won't you?

Last, voting wraps up this Friday in the Hanson opening band contest. Yes, you've heard it many, many times before, but... we'd still really appreciate your vote if you haven't already.

MmmVote

October 10, 2005

Scamper has been nominated to open for national popsters Hanson when they perform at the Avalon Ballroom on November 4. Hanson is holding a contest for each stop on their tour, and Scamper needs your vote to land the gig.

Vote for the hometown team here!

Oh No, OK Go!

September 30, 2005

Wouldn't you know, one of our absolute favorite bands is coming to town on October 27. OK Go! (contractual exclamation point) is touring in support of their stellar sophomore album Oh No, and wouldn't you know, Scamper will be kicking off the night for them at the Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge. Juliette Lewis (Old School, Natural Born Killers) is bringing her band to play the middle set and to "revolutionize the state of commercial rock-n-roll through the use of pure unadulterated chemical free raw energy." Reports from her live shows indicate she may very well be succeeding.

More details are on the shows page, but really, you must come. Juliette is an Oscar nominee (Cape Fear). Damian of Ok Go! is one of our generation's foremost lyrical and songwriting talents, not to mention his paisley suit collection.

Hurricane Relief

September 3, 2005

During Labor Day weekend (including Monday), 100% of the fees collected from advance ticket sales of the New England PopFest — Thu 9/15 through Sat 9/17 (Scamper plays Thursday) — are being donated to America's Second Harvest hurricane relief program. Advance tickets are being sold through Virtuous.com.

When It Rains

August 29, 2005

Scamper hates to cancel shows. Only once before has the band succumbed to extenuating circumstances and been forced to pull out of a booked gig. It's just not their style. But when Mother Nature reminds us who's the boss (ABC, Tuesdays @ 8PM), sometimes we all just have to shut up and listen.

Hurricane Katrina has stranded Keith in Alabama (safely, thanks for asking) and that leaves Scamper one guitar and one vocal shy of a full house for September 1 at Dodge Street in Salem, MA. The band extends its regrets, but directs all angry email to tdanza@alumni.abc.com.

The Revenge of Snidely Whiplash

August 1, 2005

Joseph Stalin, while seeing the Soviet Union successfully through World War II, oversaw mass repression, wrongful imprisonment and death of his population. Snidely Whiplash (Dudley Do-Right's archnemesis) would kidnap women and tie them to train tracks in order to forclose on their mortgages. Tom Selleck was cast as Indiana Jones but the producers of Magnum P.I. would not release him to film the movie. To what do these villians atribute their fates? Of course: their memorable moustaches.

Scamper attempts to revitalize the depressed state of the misplaced eyebrow in their Second Annual Moustache Show, this year at the Abbey Lounge in Somerville MA on Thursday, August 18. Brendan will don his lip tickler, Nate will reveal his dense soup strainer, Keith will bring out his cookie duster, and Mike will sport a handlebar to envy all handlebars in a yet-unannounced theme night (last year had a 70's groove). Bonus points for attending in the spirit of the evening, though you'll have to start soon if you're a guy, or borrow some upper lip plumage from a friend if you're a gal.

Meet Scamper

July 1, 2005

Scamper will pay homage to one of their greatest influences, The Beatles, at a tribute night at the Abbey Lounge in Somerville on July 27. Joining several other bands playing 5- and 6-song sets, Scamper will concentrate on the Fab Four's early years. You'll have to come out on a Wednesday night to hear which ones are on the setlist, but you're sure to approve.

This show will sell out, so plan on coming early -- Scamper has an early slot in the night in any case.

Pity the Fool

May 26, 2005

Four years ago, Nate and I released an album of acoustic pop songs at the now sadly defunct Kendall Cafe in Cambridge. It was a modest success, but both of us would say definitively that something far more meaningful developed that night. Randomly sharing the stage with us were a just-as-unknown troupe of pop rockers known as Fooled By April.

Their lineup have shuffled some over the years, with original members Eric and Phil both hitting the bricks early on. But our friendship and partnership hasn't missed a beat since we met. "Brothers in rock" may be cliche, but there's hardly a better way to describe how we've grown together, learned from each other, and -- at least on our end -- used the other's successes as inspiration to always improve and always strive for the best that's in us.

And truly they've done wonderfully for themselves -- releasing two smashing EPs, appearing as regulars in some of Boston and New York City's most revered rock clubs, and even landing their songs on national TV ads.

Gordon has held things together magnificently as acting manager and lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist. He and I can always fill a lunch hour quite quickly discussing the state of the Boston music scene or how best to attack a new musical project. The majority of FxA's (I've always envied that cool acronym) existence has been anchored by Joe on lead guitar, Pete on bass, and Jordan on drums, all contributing much to the songwriting, 3- and 4-part harmonies, and stage show that makes their band so great. Joe was gracious enough to lend his Extremely Talented guitar playing (don't believe a word he says -- he's a real master) to a song on our first record. I only wish we could have worked more in the studio together.

In all, we've played a dozen shows together, and will do it again one more time on Saturday June 4 at the Paradise in Boston. It will be Fooled By April's last show, as various members are leaving town to have new adventures. We wish them all well, and want to thank them for their help and fellowship as Scamper grew from four hacks with loud instruments into four hacks with loud instruments and an album with a truck on it.

-Keith

Wait Wait

May 9, 2005

For anyone out there who has yet to pick up a copy of our critically acclaimed and dentist recommended disc "Leave Your Glasses On," we've decided to tease and tempt you with one more tune from the record. As of today, "Wait Wait" is available ONLY via our myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/scamper. Add us as your friend while you're there, and together we'll build something beautiful.

If you like what you hear, show your love by calling your local radio station and requesting "Wait." A complete list of stations that have the disc can be found at here.

Please Feed The Brendo

April 27, 2005

We know how techno-savvy our readers are. We know how consistently ahead of the curve you are when it comes to new technology. And we know how you love your daily dose of Brendo. Brendan's Journal rivals only breakfast as the most important consumption of the day.

We've put all that together and made an RSS feed available for the Journal. So feel free to hook the feed up to your favorite RSS aggregator (i.e. Bloglines, and coming soon to Gmail) and never miss another Brendan classic again.

Brendan's Journal RSS feed can be found at: http://www.scamper.net/journal/rss.xml

Search me

April 5, 2005

Do you ever wake up in a stupor, wondering just what you've already forgotten about the previous night's rock show? Ever forgotten where you spent a wild night, not even sure which city's police department you need to make your bail check out to? We can help.

With growing competition from Google and Microsoft, Scamper has taken steps to assure its fans that they can find information about past shows quickly and efficiently. Check out our new and improved shows search page and find out something you didn't know, or even something you'd like to forget. If you find anything particularly interesting, share your search over on the message board.

Thank you for your attention

March 11, 2005

Since releasing our album in December, we've received orders in our online store from around the country and even overseas. It's refreshing to see people buy something because they heard it once and they liked it, not because it was hammered into their brain ad nauseam on TV or top 40 radio.

Many of the folks we've heard from are flat-out independent music devotees, going out of their way to search out and support musicians who put their own hides on the line to create what's important to them, never expecting to break even but hoping to stay afloat for the next album or song.

Just a special thanks to them, and to all of you who help us make the music we do.

(We've only got a little over 20% of the United States geographically covered -- so if you live in a state other than California, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Rhode Island, or Wisconsin... please do make an extra effort to pick up Leave Your Glasses On, and add a thumbtack to our wall. It'll keep pop-up ads off our next CD.)

The Abbey: Week 2

March 8, 2005

Week 2 of the March '05 Scamper residency at the Abbey Lounge in Somerville reunites The Brett Rosenberg Problem and The Dents, both finalists in the 2004 WBCN Rock and Roll Rumble, and both nominated for multiple awards in the 2004 Noise Poll. Each band has reloaded with a new album in the year since, and we personally suggest a visit to the merch table Wednesday night to stock your collection.

Jason Liebman & The Uprising will open the night at 9pm, bringing their varied sound up from New York City with a caravan of loyal supporters. Recent reviews in Billboard magazine have this band pegged as one to watch.

Scamper on Pipeline!

February 24, 2005

To help promote the March residency at the Abbey Lounge, Scamper will be performing live on 88.1 WMBR's local rock show, Pipeline! (exclamation point required) on Tuesday March 1. The show begins at 8PM; Scamper will be playing a live full-band set at 9PM, followed by a half-hour of Brendan making jokes as we sit in with the host.

Residency Week 1

February 14, 2005

Week One of the 2005 Scamper residency at the Abbey Lounge brings together a diverse collection of bands, all with a positive trajectory in 2005...

The Halogens are in the midst of recording a new record, which promises to be loaded with talked-about tunes. In fact, "Rockets and Wrecking Balls" was nominated for best song last year in the annual Noise Poll. Only a demo of it existed at the time, but still Boston was noticing.

The Valhalla Kittens created an instant buzz as soon as they took to the stages in and around Boston in 2003. Do they bring art-glam-sass-rock to a new level, or did they invent this altogether? Sizzling rock replete with glitter and a trio of sexpot girls throwing out three-part harmonies and choreographed hotness, the Kittens will have your booty wagging whether you like it or not. Look for their long-awaited full-length debut this fall.

Furvis was recently noted as a young "Band To Watch" in the Boston Globe A&E section: "For Furvis, writing good songs has never been as tough as finding the right musicians to play them. Singer-guitarist Mike Cummings, drummer Noah Rubin, and guitarist Matt Borg (they're all 18) were on the verge of losing yet another bass player when they happened into good luck one night at T.T. the Bear's in Cambridge. Their electric set so impressed the T.T.'s soundman that he passed word on to Francine frontman Clayton Scoble, who got hooked on the band's Pavement-like melodies and art-rock sensibilities. 'I was dying to work with them from the get-go. The songs had loads of depth and were frighteningly mature considering their age,' Scoble says. 'They were mature songs, period.'"

March residency

February 2, 2005

Scamper will set up shop at the Abbey Lounge in March, welcoming a Pro Bowl lineup of bands to share the bill each and every week. Confirmed for the residency are Raymond, The Dents, Orange Park, The Halogens, Furvis, The Brett Rosenberg Problem, Harris, Fooled By April, Nonfamous, The Valhalla Kittens, and more. Check the shows section soon for updates on dates and times.

Leave Your Glasses On was reviewed in the February issue of Northeast Performer. Pick up a free copy in New England or read the review in our press section.

Allston-Brighton

January 13, 2005

Two cities divided in name only, Allston and Brighton have been described as "two of the most popular areas for college students" in Greater Boston. BU and BC surround the sister neighborhoods, and we'll be in town scraping together the Psych 301 crowd this winter. Scamper will be playing a couple of intimate shows in January and February, the first at O'Briens in Allston and the next literally a block down the road at Great Scott in Brighton.

The album continues to get play in the press and on local radio -- you can do your part to let your favorite station know how you feel by calling in a request for "Sophie", "Wait Wait", or "Escaping Flatland".

An Evening with Kay and Mike

January 3, 2005

Scamper is honored to welcome back for the holidays Boston's own wandering superfamily of Kay Hanley and Mike Eisenstein. Mike has been playing guitar behind Kay since their Letters To Cleo days, and this Wednesday night they are back from L.A. at TT the Bear's in Cambridge, MA. Scamper is on at 9:30, and Kay follows - be sure to bone up on your Hanley history and get your tickets early.