Don't Look Back: The Remains

The Remains were Boston's first great rock n' roll band.  In the mid 60s when the British Invasion bands like The Beatles, Stones, Animals and Kinks were releasing hit after R&B-inspired hit, The Remains were Boston's answer.  The singles were tough and gritty, less like the sugary Motown-inspired early Beatles hits and more like Eric Burdon's Animals - as far as I'm concerned "Don't Look Back" is a classic that should have propelled the band to stardom.

While The Remains had a hit with "Diddy Wah Diddy" and even garnered national attention with a performance on the Ed Sullivan show and opening slot for The Beatles on their final tour.  However, by the time The Beatles, Kinks and Stones started to mature, polish their sound and experiment with psychedelia, The Remains had called it quits. 

Now the band that has been described as "America's Lost Band" will be honored as Hall Of Fame inductees at the Boston Music Awards on December 5.  They will also perform at the event (tickets available here).  A well deserved and overdue honor for a band that never saw the success they deserved.  In the words of Jon Landau, "they were how you told a stranger about rock'n'roll."

The Remains - Don't Look Back by visible voice 

Bruce Springsteen - Diddy Wah Diddy live at Fenway Park

Preview: Boston Music Awards 2010

It's been a big year in Boston music.  The rise explosion of Passion Pit continued as they conquered huge crowds around the world, and Dom burst onto the scene as the next Pitchfork-endorsed buzz band to emerge from the Boston area.  On the Americana side, 2010 saw David Wax Museum triumph at Newport Folk Festival, Kingsley Flood emerge as a country-punk tour de force and Josh Ritter release another masterpiece of an album.  The legendary Harper's Ferry closed its doors for good (kinda) and the Paradise closed temporarily, only to reopen with a new, larger floorplan.  Royale took over the old Roxy space and added another world class venue to the Boston scene, booking a consistently great lineup of artists.  And that's just the beginning. [Ed's note:  oh yeah, and visible voice launched]

The 23rd annual Boston Music Awards will celebrate all of this and more on December 5 at the Liberty Hotel.  With a killer lineup of musical acts that includes Jenny Dee And The Deelinquents, Kingsley Flood, Dom and The Remains(!).  And of course, it wouldn't be an awards show without the awards.  Nominees across 30 categories include Peter Wolf, Amanda Palmer, Josh Ritter, Eli "Paperboy" Reed, Dropkick Murphys, John McCauley (of Deer Tick), The Low Anthem, David Wax Museum, Mean Creek, Bodega Girls and lots more.  Get in on the act and vote for your favorite artists here.

Standard tickets are available for $20 - a great deal for a night full of great music.  VIP tickets, which include access to an exclusive cocktail hour with artists and industry insiders, are $99.  Get tickets here.  Check Visible Voice for full post-event coverage.

Check out free tracks by some of our favorite BMA-nominated artists below:

Viva Viva - Valentine
Dom - Living In America
Josh Ritter - Change Of Time
David Wax Museum - Born With A Broken Heart (Live at the Paradise)
Kingsley Flood - Roll Of The Dice
Mean Creek - The Comedian