Everyday people Routine 8’s debut is more than a daily grind BY BOB GULLA

Routine 8 finally has something to show for all its hard work, and on Saturday night, they’ll trot it out for the whole world to hear, or at least the Providence/Pawtucket area. It’s a brand new disc, their first, and it’s titled Playtime. Fans of the band won’t be disappointed. It’s what you’d expect from the boys: growling guitars, passionate singing, and a rhythm section with some serious oomph. The eight tracks embody the Routine 8 live sound; little studio polish gets in the way of that crackin’ guitar/bass/drums combo, and it sure doesn’t shortchange the way the band likes to be perceived: as a no-nonsense bunch that considers the music above all else.

Songs such as "Say What You Want," "Get Up," and "Breaking Point" (snippets of the first two are currently on the Web site) are post-grunge chestnuts a la Soundgarden. There’s also a hint of Hatebreed-style thrash/punk thrown in, especially on "Chaos." The quartet manage to elude many rock clichés as they attempt to find a sound for themselves, which is an achievement in itself. And while a little restraint instrumentally would have been welcome, especially on "Say What You Want," they only infrequently lapse into overdoing things. Routine 8 plays a straight-on rock style that doesn’t need bells and whistles to get it done — just volume. And my guess is there will be plenty of that when they jump onstage to celebrate the long-awaited release of this sucka.

The Routine 8 CD release party will happen at Cats in Pawtucket at Saturday, December 18, with Anomalous, Reason to Fight, and Smart Bombs and Apple Pie. You can find out more information about the band if you surf on over to www.routine8.com.

RECORDING NEWS. Johnny Mac, also known as "Crawlin’ Snake," is celebrating three and a half years of Sunday nights at the Custom House Tavern. He’s also been kickin’ out the jams on Monday nights at Lot 401 on Hospital Street in Providence. He calls what he does "Blues 4 an Alternative Universe," and if you’ve seen him you know it’s an appropriate title. Mac also finally finished his new disc, the provocatively titled Satan in Heaven, which is pretty much in line with his off-balance thinking. It will be out this month and you can likely snag one at the weekly showcases. When you see him, ask him about his new single. Lastly, Mac’s been nominated for, uh, Best Poet of the Year by the Poets International Society. Yep, that’s right.

Whassup with Torn, you ask? Well, their first full length CD, Reincarnate, is now available at www.tornband. com for only $5 (including shipping and autographs). In April the band says we’ll all be able to find it at Target as a part of a new promotion called America’s Best Unsigned Artists series. Look for the display near the registers. Torn’s also gigging across New England these days; they’ll be at Giza on December 31. That night, Torn will be the special guest of a Pearl Jam Tribute band from NYC to help put an end to a horrendous 2004 and ignite some hope for 2005. Torn also enrolled with MySpace, a group that allows them to network and meet people that we normally would not get on their Web site. You can also hear four tracks from the new CD. Things are starting to roll for several area bands, Torn being one of them. Could it be that Providence will at last send a band into the upper crust in 2005?

The Goners are putting the finishing touches on their debut disc, an as yet untitled punk opus. All the tracks are recorded, and they’re just now beginning the mixing phase. Early 2005 is the suggested release date. Planet Groove will also start recording their fifth album at the end of January. Ajay and the boys have been recording their practice sessions lately and the new stuff sounds hot hot hot. Keep an ear out for that.

Wandering Eye. Sasquatch and the Sick-a-Billys’ gig in New London has been cancelled, which should allow the good folks down on Bank Street to breathe a sigh of relief. They were to play with the Midnight Creeps, an event that would have turned that shambling burg upside-down. On Saturday, Sasquatch will stick around town to play the Green Room, this time with the mega-awesome Six Gun Republic (NYC) and our own fab Demon Truckers. On Sunday (the 19th), there’s a punk rock Christmas party gone bad up at the Blackstone with the Goners, the Boneheads, and the Leftovers. The show starts at 9 p.m. and will cost you absolutely nothing to get in. Go to www.blackstoneclub.com for details.

There’s a promising night of music at AS220 this Friday, with Alec Redfearn and the Eyesores playing with the lovely and darkly talented Thalia Zedek, who many of us have been listening to in various incarnations for more than a decade in Come and Live Skull. Those following Redfearn’s music most likely saw his troupe set the crowd a-twitching with their chaotic noise in their opening slot for the Walkmen at the Living Room last week. It’s only a $6 cover and the Eyesores play at midnight. On Saturday, the Stumbleweeds and the Revival Preachers (former Kilgore/Haymakers) will smoke the closet country-punk fans outta their holes and into Jake’s, where there’ll be some mighty twang hangin’ heavy in the air.

It’s a rockin’ few days at Cats in Pawtucket. On Saturday, Pimp Rock Pete throws another great benefit to raise funds for Scuba Steve’s family. This time 16 Stitches, Lost Cause, Stryk Nine, Lucid Sky, and Hostile Ground all stump for the cause. Then there’s a gonzo gig on Sunday with a jillion bands, called Joey Riot’s 30th Birthday, which I guess is as good a reason as any to see a jillion bands even if you don’t know Joey Riot. (But I’m assuming many, many people do.) The Gobshites, the McGunks, Robby RoadSteamer and the Sweatpant Boners, Zippo Raid, Soma City Ward, the Fury 3, the Numbskulls, the Dimwits, Stolen Bike Crusade, Pure Impact, and Far From Finished all celebrate. Yep, that’s Robby Roadsteamer and the Sweatpant Boners. The show starts at 5 p.m., and Pete and the Gobshites go on at 10. Admission is only $5, and do you think Joey’s gonna tie on one?

Switching gears into something less, uh, sordid . . . As the winter solstice quickly approaches, those long nights leading up to the holidays remind us of the traditions we have kept from year to year. At Stone Soup Coffeehouse, those traditions always lead to the sounds of the New England Christmastide Musicians, who bring carols and songs from all over the world to our stage. The concert is on Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Arts Center of the Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket (210 Main Street). Tickets are $10. The artists include Jon Campbell, Everett Brown, Chris Turner, Rachel Maloney, Cathy Clasper-Torch, Katy Roth, and Rory McLeod. Bring your voice; we hear there might even be a sing-along.

Heads up. Someone ripped off Myles Baer’s Washburn acoustic guitar. The guitarist for the Stereobirds and Heather Rose had it snagged from his car. Here are the details: it’s a blue, right-handed guitar converted to left-handed. Because of that conversion, the pick guard is upside-down and the bridge is set up differently. It also has a yellow Radiohead bear sticker on it. If you see it, or if you want more details on the instrument, go to www.HeatherRose Rocks.com/stolenguitar.html

E-mail me with your music news: big.daddy1@cox.net