parlour bells

When the Boston Globe recently reported that developers were planning to throw a predemolition party for the long defunct and dilapidated Faces nightclub, Parlour Bells naturally felt compelled to ask for one last dance with the fallen discotheque. After all, it was in the back lot of Faces where Glenn di Benedetto and Nate Leavitt found the perfect setting for Derek Kouyoumjian’s crime scene photography that would become the signature artwork for their debut release Heart Beatings. The band has created a Facebook page to gather support and petition the developers that they perform at the event, and even the Boston Phoenix has thrown their support behind the band’s effort to bid adieu to what has become both an eyesore but also a gritty, even romanticized icon of the Bay State’s landscape.

In its debut week, “Speak Up,” the new single from Parlour Bells was voted number one in the 7/31/11 local song poll on Boston Emissions on 100.7 WZLX. Thanks to all who voted! And, according to show host Anngelle Wood, the Top 5 made history of sorts as it featured singer Glenn di Benedetto twice in the same poll. His duet with Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, a cover of the Eurythmics classic “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” also made the Top 5, landing at number four. Help keep both of these tracks in the Top 5, by voting here on the Boston Emissions webpage!

Listen to “Speak Up”

“Speak Up,” the new single from Parlour Bells is now available for download from our Bandcamp page! The track also debuted on Boston Emissions on 100.7 WZLX and has been included in the 7/24/2011 local song poll. Click here to VOTE and keep “Speak Up” in the Top 5!

To promote their upcoming 7/22/11 show at Lizard Lounge in Cambridge MA, Glenn joined Michael J. Epstein and Sophia Cacciola of Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling for a dusky cover of the 1983 Eurythmics classic “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” Initially, it was just planned as a “top secret duet.” Glenn works on a multitude of projects with Epstein and Cacciola, including producing the second video from their The New Number 2 debut, a cover of “First We Take Manhattan,” which will also be premiered at the Lizard Lounge show. With this, and the locally produced Special Friends sitcom in development, it was only a matter of time before they teamed up musically. In fact, the duet worked out so well, they decided to record it in time for the show. Check out Michael Marotta’s take on their collaboration in the Boston Phoenix.

UPDATE! On 7/25/2011, Adam 12 of 101.7 WFNX featured the song in the “Undercover” segment of his afternoon program!

Stream it here!

Bands, DJs, Knobtweakers! We’re excited to kickoff a collaborative music experiment called The Heavy Dream REMIX Project. We want you to remix and put your own creative spin on the track “Heavy Dream” from our debut EP Heart Beatings. It’s not a contest! It’s just a way for bands and artists to cross-pollinate their styles with ours. Interested parties should drop us a line at ParlourBells@gmail.com.

THE FIRST TWO REMIXES ARE UP! Download the “Heavy Dream Remix Project” where you can also get a free copy of the original EP version from Heart Beatings.

VIDEO! We also produced this short video for the first remix.

On March 30, 2011, Parlour Bells opened for Dangerbird Records recording artist THE DEARS of Montreal at Brighton Music Hall. The Dears have been getting a lot of airplay lately for their new single “Blood” on 101.7 WFNX. Also on this exciting lineup was Garvy J, of the highly popular and adored Boston act The Elevator Drops. Check out video of Parlour Bells performing “Speak Up,” which also includes highlights of The Dears from their set.

Parlour Bells are excited to announce that they will be opening for Dangerbird Records recording artist The Dears at Brighton Music Hall on Wednesday, March 30, 2011. Doors open at 8PM. 18+

Tickets are available here at Ticketmaster.

Beautiful and Damned: The Winter Rock Formal, an event designed to stand apart from the traditional weekend rock show experience was a huge and memorable success. Parlour Bells singer Glenn di Benedetto worked with the acts and the venue to combine elements of a high school prom and a soiree ripped out of the pages of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, where guests were invited to get dressed up in creative formal wear. The event, held at Church on 69 Kilmarnock St in Boston, MA included a balloon-festooned trellis where decked out attendees could ham it up for the camera, DJ Dave Duncan who spun a mix of French pop, John Hughes era new wave and hip hop, and featured live acts Highly Personal Trash, Parlour Bells and Gene Dante & the Future Starlets. Photos from the event by Rachel Leah Blumenthal of The Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library can be found at a Facebook page built to commemorate the evening. The night also kicked off with a Boston rock version of the classic Dating Game TV show, infamously promoted with this video mashup:

Parlour Bells is performing in a unique, Valentine’s week event being billed as “Beautiful and Damned: The Winter Rock Formal,” at Church on 69 Kilmarnock Street in the Fenway area of Boston on Friday, February 18, 2011. The bill also includes Gene Dante & the Future Starlets, Highly Personal Trash, and a cocktail lounge dance set by DJ Dave Duncan of 101.7 WFNX. Guests are encouraged to get all decked out and glammed up in creative formal wear. There will a prom-style photo booth and a rocked-out version of the classic “Dating Game.” Doors are at 8PM and tickets are only $8, available at the door or online for advance purchase here. There’s also a Facebook event page for more show information.

Sincere thanks and gratitude to our fans and friends for making our Heart Beatings release show at Rosebud in Davis Square on January 15, 2011 a huge success. Here are some video highlights from the evening, including “Out of the Ether,” “O’ Holiday” and “The Gargoyle.”