When Jenee Halstead moved to Boston in 2006 to try her hand as a singer-songwriter, she was surprised to encounter a scene that was in someways a little foreign to her off-the-grid ways. Caught in that familiar middle-ground between pop and folk (we can both thank and blame Bob Dylan for that chasm), she leaned more towards the rootsy, folk story-teller side in her first five years in the city. However, a new album, Raised By Wolves finds the Pacific Northwest native taking a sharp right turn to the wild pop sounds of her alter-ego.

I have to admit, when I first heard of Battle House’s musical t-shirts, I was hoping they were going to be something like the t-shirt that caused a shut-down of Logan Airport in 2007:

But they actually look like this...which is at least wearable (see front/back):

Walter Sickert and Meff from the Army of Broken Toys are missing their musical 28 Seeds, which just closed at Boston Center for the Arts. And while I can't speak for you, I'm missing it too. In fact, I completely missed it all together, much to my sadness--especially since I like to pay special attention to intersections of local music and other mediums.

Watch the promotional video here, safe for work, especially if you work with animals.

28 Seeds was the biggest musical/theatrical performance from a live Boston act since Amanda Palmer did Cabaret at A.R.T. But this one was an original work. Frankly I'm not surprised that the show was a success. In some ways, the transition to stage for Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys is an organic one. After all, their live shows already include costumes (at least I think they are costumes) and a strong burlesque element. Gothic folk mixed with punk and Eastern European influences--a lot of which sounds like a more gypsy verison of Pere Ubu to me--Steamcrunk, they call it. Although, I think using a genre to describe the band is more a convenience for journalists than an accurate depiction of what the Army is really up to.

As primarily a Live Nation booking venue, Brighton Music Hall's schedule has been more or less in sync with the national touring scene in recent memory. But tonight, some Boston craziness is surely going to descend, with DOM and Needy Visions bringing in some much needed local love.

Can we really call DOM's singer/songwriter Dom (who chooses not to give his last name) local though? Talking to him on the phone today from his tour van, it sounds like he might as well be from parts unknown. According to the singer (who plays at Brighton Music Hall tonight) his story begins after bouncing around in foster homes and group homes until he finally ended up getting lost (or found) in Worcester's underground. Then there is a big blur, somehow writes these amazingly catchy songs on a lark, and ends up getting signed to EMI (Astralwerks) based on buzz alone.

Our hero goes so far as to actually crack Billboard with the bratty, punky, bubblegummy Family of Love EP before leaving the label in a burning wreck. "Pretty good, eh?" he tells me, sounding much like a 7 year-old learning a skateboarding trick.

While A.R.T. is bringing Woody Guthrie back to life with it's latest production, Woody Sez, one of Boston's own folk performers will get his chance to bask in his idol's glow.

Following the 5/16 performance of Woody Sez at A.R.T.'s Loeb Drama Center, Alastair Moock will treat audiences to a live performance that will give patrons quite a double-bang for their buck.

The hoarse-voiced singer has been kicking around the Boston folk-scene since the mid-nineties, having released several albums of original music in addition to his latest --2011's These Are My Friends--which finds the artist continuing his venture into children's music.

For those that just think that Community TV stations are for shows like Bird's Eye Nature with someone named Ron, or High School Hoops Weekly, you're right.

(Here's a show about Brookline's fine Washington Square, for those who need a refresher)

But probably little known to the surrounding community--off the air within the studio space of Brookline's BATV community TV station--the wackiest and crustiest of D.I.Y. music shows are being held.

If you are an aficianado of the Boston music scene, you may have noticed flyers around town (or on Facebook) that look like these:

These posters are the work of Blythe Russo--a graphic designer and illustrator who also promotes long-running area dance night "Videodrome," now held bi-monthly at Somerville's Radio (the next will be held Sat. May 5th--see details below).

If a good advertisement is supposed to give you a good idea of what the product is, then Russo's tableaus are killing it. Russo's posters scream of Videodrome's effortless memoralization of the eighties, complete with vintage MTV icons glowing beatifically and rainbow colored sans-serif banners (see also Videodrome's awesome gay-friendliness).

Live Music from Carousel @ 4/24
Bad Girls Upset By the Truth @ 4/25

Since it's opening in 2009, Cambridge's Oberon has been the of the fulcrum of Greater Boston's multi-media music scene. However a couple of events this week put Somerville's Davis Square Theater on the map as a venue to consider if you are ready to unfold your arms and skip the rock show.

In case you missed it, Monday featured the filming of a new arts & culture TV show, Carousel, at Saloon--Davis' Square Theater's adjoining bar. Patrons tried to get on camera for their parents taping on the VCR at home, while hosts (and Boston favorites) Luke O'Neil and Hayley Thompson-King chatted with friends and guests in the ever-so-natural habitat of a fine underground bar. (television station, TBD).

Now tonight (Tuesday 4/24) like a swag-bag from outer-space, these fine enterprising folks will be throwing a free show at 7:00 P.M. at the Davis Square Theater. You Can Be A Wesley, Wheat and Field Effect will be featured on this free carousel ride. Early rocking is almost an act of performance art in and of itself. It's over and it's 9:00 P.M. What the heck to do then except carouse some more?

One of the benefits of being a one-man-band is that you can pack up your suitcase if opportunity knocks and take the traveling rock show on the road. That's exactly what Boston-based Samuel Yager will be doing later this month when he packs up his musical suitcase and heads over to Japan for 9 scheduled performances, and hopefully some additional DIY shows.

The funny thing is here is that Yager, who performs under the moniker Birthdays, literally plays out of a musical suitcase. "Yea it's a big red suitcase," says Yager. "With pedals and keyboards and samplers and loopers mounted in there. It looks kind of crazy but gets the job done."

When I spoke to electronic artist André Obin last week, he was so fast and methodical in providing me with information about his music that I knew I had to try and stump him.

on Friday, April 6th, Obin dropped his latest release "Valencia"/"A Star As Torn." A 7-inch in 2012 is a pretty specialized format choice, and if it says one thing about an artist it is that they feel pretty serious about the music. This is the first 7-inch is Obin's impressive discography (he also plays in Endless Wave); and is also his first release from Boston-based Vanya Records, whose other releases include Bearstronaut and the New Highway Hymnal.

It's hard to cast much doubt that Obin isn't serious about his music. "Valencia" and "A Star As Torn" show two different sides of the very much the same coin.

For many of us that play music or play in bands (and lots of us do), sometimes you just have to throw up your hands and admit that you will not top what you have just seen. I have had two of these experiences recently. One was catching sampler-pop act Grimes at Great Scott last week; the other was watching Wild Flag at the Paradise this past Saturday.

In the case of Vancouver-based Grimes, it was more a situation of being bowled-over by her ability to make sublime/approachable pop music whilst rendering rock music completely useless.

In the case of former-Bostonian Mary Timony's Wild Flag, it was quite the opposite case of seeing how rock music, so recently rendered useless by Grimes, was resuscitated back to life.

For those who still struggle with the idea of musical theater as a barrier to enjoying good music, I give you Futurity, which runs at A.R.T. through April 15, 2012. While true, there are a portion of songs in the performance which don't really have legs outside the show, most do pretty darn well on their own.

Futurity is a musical largely written by and performed by Brooklyn indie-folk band, the Lisps. I say 'largely' because the grandeur of the Civil War era production, with its elements of time/space play, ala "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," and ironic weird-science (ironic because we *know* what the future became, while the characters project their vision upon us), was not accomplished by the Lisps without a little help from their friends.

In 2011, two releases that caught my ear were the Rationales (who play TT the Bears 4/1 at the Rock 'N' Roll Rumble) and Danielle Miraglia. I like both of these artists because they are honest--in the case of the Rationales, honest American radio rock, and in the case of Danielle, honest blues-oriented coffee house folk.

Boston's music scene might be a little too big and a little too diverse for a battle of the bands, such as one which will take place this April at TT the Bears (see the 2012 Rock 'N' Roll Rumble schedule here: http://wzlx.radio.com/rockandrollrumble/).

However, WZLX DJ Anngelle Wood's annual event plays a certain role in holding the city's music together; sort of like how retired numbers keep baseball fans united through the ages despite changes in players and ownership. My favorite thing about Boston's Rumble is that it creates bills of bands that would probably all be headliners on their own nights. Makes for a great excuse to see a bunch of solid bands that you've been hearing about in a single night. Isn't that what any good music event does? While it's hard to imagine NYC having a battle of the bands, my guess is that on any given night, someone from Boston *might* be able to win. So good luck bands, and have fun!

Dear Readers,
Welcome to the launch of Inbound Sounds!

I'm happy to get this blog moving in the Spring, as there are so many things going on right now worth writing about before the sweltering blooms of Summer land us all at the beach. Local Shows, Festivals, Sounds on the Performing Arts Stage, Albums, Personalities, Opinions, Commerce, Performing Arts, Songs on Film....lots to come.