Weekender: 3/2-3/4/07

FRIDAY

Bobby Conn/Faux Fox/Laura Palmer (J & J's Pizza): Somewhat big name for a fairly small venue, Bobby Conn might be a glam overload for the dingy confines of J & J's basement. Faux Fox is a perfect fit since both artists seem to inspire strong reactions from their fans and detractors alike. Though mostly well written and meticulously arranged, something about the kitsch of Bobby Conn's music can veer dangerously into Rocky Horror or Bat Out Of Hell territory so proceed with caution. Laura Palmer relies mostly on inside jokes reminiscent of Moldy Peaches projected through a monotone filter that implies she might not even find her own jokes funny. I certainly don't.

Sarah Reddington/George Neal/Daniel Folmer/Chris Garver/The New Science Projects (Rubber Gloves): This Sarah Reddington CD release show is a "who's who" of local singer-songwriters. George Neal is the veteran in this lineup who earned his stripes in Little Grizzly and continues to draw praise for his current solo work. WSJR fave Chris Garver has continued to impress with his live backing band adding a charmingly unbalanced and rough-edged quality not found in his solo acoustic recordings. New Science Projects have employed hand shakers, trumpets and even audience participation to lend a certain uneasiness to the dark, Tom Waits-like growl of the material. Daniel Folmer is probably the most traditional sounding out of this bunch and of course Sarah Reddington will cap things off with or without animal face paint, but certainly with their light and lazy country rock.

Matthew Dear (Minc Lounge): Micro House pioneer (though considerably less "micro" with his alter-ego, Audion) who also co-owns the Ghostly International label. Depending on which moniker he chooses to go by, this set could prove to be either withdrawn and minimal or dark and direct. Perhaps all of the above.




SATURDAY

Frenetic Love presents Electro-Acoustic Forum with Berckplage (Terry Horn)/Oveo/Wanz Dover/Sarah Ruth/Echo Toll/Nicholi Bobereus (House of Tinnitus): This show is centered around a broad and loosely defined genre with a diverse cast of performers of various musical disciplines and approaches, from some who spend their time mostly in rock bands to music school intellectual heavyweights. It has been predicted that this will probably be a more laid-back affair than the usual intense volume workouts you might experience at Tinnitus. Electro-Acoustic music can basically mean anything but often includes found sounds, field recordings, electronic sound-scapes and many other ideas outside of the bass/drums/guitar realm. Since the sound samples on these artist pages are everything from lone voice manipulation to what sounds like a gamelan orchestra falling down a flight of metal stairs, the possibilities are endless. Highly recommended.

Maria Taylor/The Dust Congress/The Lemurs (Hailey's): (Hailey's): Maria Taylor is famous for being one half of Azure Ray. Her solo work naturally tends to sound more inward with less emphasis on the electronic flourishes that characterized that duo's output. It will certainly still appeal to sad photo majors in universities everywhere. The Dust Congress is also a solo artist working in a one-man band setup and utilizing accordion, banjo, guitar and kick drum to play his songs. Occasional marimba and musical saw work as bright spots to counter the epic sorrow of the music. The Lemurs, with their slightly distorted singing, standard pop rock and excellent taste in blazers and jeans would have been really good at selling Jettas circa 2002.

Totally Michael/I Want To Kill Every Human/Sydney Confirm/Galuc Dadu (1919 Hemphill): Totally Michael's unbelievably happy electronic pop is so over the top he makes Best Fwends look like Simon and Garfunkel. Galuc Dadu has been compared to Japanther but their complex guitar work negates the comparison. I've not been able to completely figure out what they're going for and their songs are memorable so I'm pretty interested to see them. The song "Down The Hall" in particular is not like most of the pop music you hear locally. It's never bad to be unlike what you hear locally. Keyboard retro duo Sydney Confirm also play.


SUNDAY

Dr. Dog/What Made Milwaukee Famous (Gypsy Tea Room): Dr. Dog continues to put out strong work with the release of their newest record, We All Belong, which they are touring extensively to promote. It seems like they were just here. The album pretty much continues where last year's Takers and Leavers EP left off. Though it's a little less immediate than some of their past music, it would be hard for any band to capture the magic of their first two full-lengths. Maybe I have to give it a few more listens. Dr. Dog's live show is a guaranteed joy since the band plays with a conviction missing from much of the cookie cutter performances of their peers. Note: Dr. Dog also perform an instore at Good Records Sunday at 3 PM. Free beer and barbecue, though I hope it's not from Spring Creek.

Documentary: Afropunk + performance by Roman Beats (1919 Hemphill@7PM-Free): This award-winning documentary deals with the rarely explored issues surrounding identity and race relations in what tends to be a mostly white genre. Includes interviews with members of Bad Brains and The Dead Kennedys. Roman Beats is a local beatboxer that will be playing Hailey's, 1919 Hemphill, and Minc lounge all within a month's time. I mention this since I was amused at how these three establishments couldn't possibly be any more different from each other.