THURSDAY, JAN. 29
Von Iva The all-girl electro punk trio may be well known to you if you’ve seen the latest Jim Carrey movie, Yes Man. They were the backing band for Zooey Deschanel – Munchausen by Proxy. They performed here last November, but they’re back again as part of the Hell on Heels tour with Semi Precious Weapons and Nico Vega. Milestone (Jeff Hahne)
FRIDAY, JAN. 30
Prabir and the Substitutes Among the FAQs on this Richmond, Va., band’s Web site you’ll find the following: Q: “Do you sound like the Killers or the Strokes? A: “Yes, and you are a dumbass.” You are a dumbass because Prabir Mehta’s outfit roots firmly in the infinitely less-derivative rock ‘n’ roll songwriting of the Kinks, Beatles, Zombies, etc., only cranked up to 11, handsomely adorned with skilled harmony singing, and spiced up with a hair-afire live show that makes the Strokes and Killers look like the model-courting poseurs they are. Still touring behind last year’s little gem, Five Little Pieces. Opening for rural pop icons Lou Ford. Snug Harbor (John Schacht)
Starling Electric Flip the CD booklet. Starling Electric’s Clouded Staircase was recorded a couple of years ago, not in the ’60s. This quartet makes period music, circa mid-’60s-mid-’70s, that’s smashingly psychedelic and stitched with paisley melody and prog-rock guitar work that harks back to the classic hippie era, yet sounds damn fresh. Formed by singer/songwriter Caleb Dillon, they’ve fused into this quaintly eclectic combo. With Foxchase, Naked Gods and Ultimate Optimist. Milestone (Samir Shukla)
The Benjy Davis Project Folk rocker Davis and crew play solidly written rock tunes. The Louisiana quintet isn’t flashy, or even innovative, but its songs swirl around in the head long after they’ve stopped playing. The band’s on the road plugging the new album Dust, which is stacked with cohesive pop and electric rock. RIYL: Dave Matthews Band, 3 Doors Down, John Mayer. With Milhouse. The Evening Muse (Shukla)
Tropic Culture The last time the band performed at the Visulite, the place was packed with people shaking their collective asses off to the funky, tropical, groovy, rockin’, Latin beats. This time around, they’re even supplying some Latin food. Good food, good music. What else do you need? With Solos Unit and DJ Nelson. Visulite Theatre (Hahne)
SATURDAY, JAN. 31
Citizen Cope Clarence Greenwood, the estimable “Citizen Cope,” was a former DJ and keyboardist with the underrated folk/rap/rock/industrial complex Basehead. Sort of like G. Love with a little less Philly and a little more chili, Cope does a fair enough job at masking his record spinning and genre-blending on the new Acoustic Tapes Vol. 1, a record that manages, despite its sonambulant title, to do a fair enough job of engaging the head and hooves equally. Neighborhood Theatre (Timothy C. Davis)
Snagglepuss w/ Bruce Hazel and Some Volunteers Most regular readers (irregular readers, eat more fiber!) likely know the origin stories of these two titans of Q.C. rock ‘n’ roll. Snagglepuss (not to be confused with the shitty Florida metal band of the same name) is led by the husband/wife team of Hope Nicholls and Aaron Pitkin, two folks who’ve helped guide and nurture local music for decades now. Along with a crack band also featuring Scott Weaver, Amy Kennemore, Darrin Gray and Michael Anderson, the pair’s brass-spiked punk punch tastes extra good in this buttoned-down era of bearded acousto-mumbling. Meanwhile, Hazel and his merry mob recently made the finals of a contest run by Little Steven of E-Street fame (the winner got a record deal) but ultimately fell a few votes short. Regardless, someone needs to get this man – sonically, a mix of The Boss, Mike Ness, and not a little Howlin’ Wolf – signed soon: His mixing of moods, way with melody, and meat-and-potatoes writing chops deserves more ears. Snug Harbor (Davis)
Otis Gibbs According to lore, this gruff-voiced Indiana native spent part of his youth singing in a bar for his caretaker uncle’s beer money, worked all manner of menial jobs until discovering Henry Miller and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, then slept in hobo jungles, walked with nomadic shepherds in the Carpathian Mountains, played labor rallies and anti-war protests, and (surprise!) earned an FBI file. His peripatetic life also includes a catalog of honest-to-goodness country-folk songs, like his brand-new Chris Stamey-produced Grandpa Walked a Picketline, highlighted by the legendary Al Perkins’ gorgeous pedal steel. With Death on Two Wheels and Lollipop Factory. The Evening Muse (Schacht)
TUESDAY, FEb. 3
Wayne “The Train” Hancock Step up to the juke box in an old-time honky tonk in the middle of rural Texas circa 1950s. The juke contains usual suspects, Hank Sr., Bob Wills and Wayne Hancock. What? Hancock? Wayne Hancock is a Texas country crooner who sounds so authentically old-school and twangy that you wanna buy the dude a beer. This is unslick country, twilight twang, Western swing and vintage country-blues that happily flips the finger to contemporary Nashville. Snug Harbor (Shukla)
This article appears in Jan 27 – Feb 3, 2009.
