NORTH ADAMS — An underground music blog doesn't have to keep its parties hush-hush.
On Friday night, North Adams-based Digital Wheat Paste will celebrate its first year online by hosting a night of underground music at MCLA's Design Lab. The show, which will begin at 7, features Adrian Aardvark, Schmave, Winnebago Vacation and Forks of Buffalo, under-the-radar bands that the blog has deemed worthy of more attention. The idea is to not only appeal to music-heads but also to, well, anybody, according to Digital Wheat Paste editorial director Francesca Olsen.
"Everybody, come to this," Olsen said of her attitude toward Friday's show, noting that there will be no drinking allowed at the event. Admission is a "sliding scale" price of $5-10, but "no one will be turned away for lack of ability to pay," according to a press release from the organizers.
Like its anniversary event, the blog has an inviting quality. The goal of Digital Wheat Paste, which gets its name from the material used to secure flyers to telephone poles and other surfaces, is to bring ears to new music rarely heard on airwaves and streams. The site covers bands in the U.S. and beyond, providing much-needed media coverage for these groups.
"It's hell getting a clip," said Olsen, a musician herself.
The site lists seven writers. Reviews are common, and while Olsen wants to help groups promote their artistic endeavors, she is quick to note that negative write-ups aren't out of the question.
Some of the music on Friday night has been covered on the blog. Adrian Aardvark is a four-piece group from Plattsburgh, N.Y., that describes its music as psychedelic grunge folk, according to the band's website. Led by Avery John, New Paltz, N.Y.-based Schmave plays indie rock tunes. Another indie from New Paltz, Winnebago Vacation, navigates more pop terrain. Forks of Buffalo, a North Adams group, samples a number of genres with guitar and synthesizer.
Benjamin Cassidy can be reached at bcassidy@berkshireeagle.com, at @bybencassidy on Twitter and 413-496-6251.