In 2006, your parents didn’t know what a blog was. But Jay Breitling did, and the Arlington resident and music writer created Clicky Clicky, both as a means to cover new music he felt was going undiscovered and as an outlet for his own writing talents (disclosure: Breitling was part of the editorial launch team at Vanyaland in May 2013; because we love his work).
This Saturday, February 27, Clicky Clicky celebrates its 10th anniversary with a noisy-ass show at Out Of The Blue Too Gallery in Cambridge’s Central Square, enlisting a trio of Massachusetts bands — Earthquake Party, Blew, and Bedroom Eyes — that reflect the demographic of his website, which veers towards the guitar ruckus found anywhere from the college rock landscape to Allston’s underground to ’90s British shoegaze and all the disciples that have tried to replicate that sound ever since.
“For the show, I wanted to pick bands representative of the past and the future of the blog,” Breitling tells Vanyaland. “Earthquake Party was an obvious choice, as ‘Pretty Little Hand’ is among the most devastating pop singles released in Boston over the last decade. And I think they’re long-in-the-works LP will blow minds when it sees the light of day. I’ve been writing about Bedroom Eyes for about five years, and was thrilled when they agreed to be on our RIDE comp a few years ago. As a huge shoegaze fan, I am stoked to have them on the anniversary show bill. They may not have the quirk factor that Swirlies and Drop Nineteens had, but I’d put Bedroom Eyes up there with them as one of the best shoegaze acts the city has produced. And I’m also very excited to get my first look at Blew, a ‘gaze-punk band that is part of same constellation of acts as Elizabeth Colour Wheel and Prom Night. As a publication we’ve been promoting their scene hard because it feels very consequential, and Blew’s EP certainly supports Clicky Clicky’s collective faith.”
The focus of Clicky Clicky has always been music first, so even its creator is uneasy with the notion of an anniversary or turning the attention on itself. If shoegaze was "the scene that celebrated itself", Clicky Clicky is the total opposite in the exploding world of digital media. And there's still no better way to showcase music than by presenting it on a stage for a crowd to hear.
"Turning 10 actually doesn't feel terribly meaningful," he admits. "I'm always looking ahead, and as I've gotten older the world continues to feel bigger and bigger, filled with more and more music to write about. I feel strongly that music is important, not just in nightclubs and Symphony Hall, but also in basements and school classrooms. Especially in school classrooms. I guess my hope is that by documenting things that are happening, we might be able to help sustain or even strengthen the community of musicians. Because we all benefit when the arts community is strong, even the sad bastards who may have never seen the inside of T.T. The Bear's or the ICA."
Breitling does admit he is proud of what Clicky Clicky has accomplished in the past decade. And knows there is more work to be done, especially as new bands are born every day, and "traditional" media is caught in a never-ending state of flux.
"There's so much going on in Boston that is worthy of thoughtful consideration," Breitling says, "and not enough of it is getting the attention it deserves."
CLICKY CLICKY 10TH ANNIVERSARY WITH EARTHQUAKE PARTY + BLEW + BEDROOM EYES + DJ JEFF BREEZE :: Saturday, February 27 at Out Of The Blue Too, 541 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, MA :: 8:30 p.m., $8 :: Facebook event page
