Alien Boy + Bory + Tbd

IVY ROOM PRESENTS THURS SEPT 3RD — BORY PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS — Doors 7pm / Show 7:30pm Advance Tickets Available — IVY ROOM 860 San Pablo Ave, Albany 21+ — — In nearly a decade, songwriter Sonia Weber’s ability to pen precise lyrics and memorable riffs has become laser-focused. As a result, the songs feel like they’ve been assembled with all the intention and care of a mixtape to a high-stakes crush. Caleb Misclevitz, A.P. Fiedler, Derek McNeil, and Ellie Conroy round out the band, bringing the giant loud guitar rock feeling these songs require. The Portland outfit crafts songs big enough to fill an arena, while simultaneously conjuring the emotional intimacy of making out in the bathroom of your favorite karaoke bar. Alien Boy does this by harnessing the raw power of PDX’s Wipers’ but not being afraid to embrace the pop catchiness of rock titans like Oasis or Third Eye Blind, all while crafting a tone and power distinctly their own. Whether listened to in your headphones in bed or witnessed live in person, Alien Boy leaves an emotional crater that’ll keep you coming back for more. — Listening to a Bory song is like stepping into a universe all its own, a kaleidoscopic journey filled to the brim with effortless hooks and guitar lines that get stuck inside your head for weeks on end. Following 2021’s Sidelined EP, songwriter Brenden Ramirez emerges onto the scene as a devout student of the pop song on Who’s A Good Boy, the long-awaited debut LP from Bory. Showcasing both Ramirez’s knack for a great melody as well as his versatility around the fretboard, Who’s A Good Boy is an absolute tour de force, an album where the lines separating dream pop, indie rock, and power pop are blurred to the point of being indistinguishable. Who’s A Good Boy is equal parts scrappy and starry-eyed in its sonic makeup. Album opener “The Flake” sets the stage with fuzzy guitars crashing in and Ramirez’s relaxed vocals placed front and center, as a result, the track feels like throwing on a warm blanket. And look no further than the album’s charming lead single “We Both Won,” a jangly earworm with the hypnotic refrain of “Don’t worry about me” lingering long after the track ends, serving as further proof that Bory has found the recipe for the perfect pop song and knows how to deliver it in two minutes flat. At every twist and turn of Who’s A Good Boy there’s something new to be discovered, making it one of the most exciting debuts you're likely to hear in a long time. -Michael Brooks