Tori Amos Here’s another righteous babe doing musical things right. The chanteuse takes a decidedly feminist twist and throws her loyal fans a curve ball on the new record Strange Little Girls (Atlantic). She covers tunes written and performed by males and reinterprets them from the femme perspective. The Beatles, Lloyd Cole and Velvet Underground are among those covered. Her sinister version of Slayer’s Raining Blood will make those speed rockers dive for cover. This is her most rocking and adventurous record to date, and it’s a much needed kick in the gonads of muscle flexing rockers/rappers. A message to Eminem: Get your thumb out of yer ass, listen to what a chick can do to one of your ‘songs,’ and weep, you wanker. With Rufus Wainwright. Thursday, Ovens Auditorium. — SS
Tab BenoitFollowing is a message on Tab’s official web site, exactly as it reads (ahem): We won’t know until later on possibly when it is too late how lucky that we got the chance in our lifetime to experience Tab Benoit’s music. Seldom does someone come along where it is so visibly evident that GOD has touched them and now they are to touch others. And here I thought Clapton was God. Tab’s Cajun-spiced rock and blues is pretty good, roadhouse music that you won’t remember the second you walk out the door, but powerful enough to have kept your foot tappin’ most of the night. His last recording, These Blues Are All Mine, is a pretty fair representation of what to expect. Friday, Double Door. — TD
Junior Brown Watching Junior Brown perform is like watching a man swallow swords: The trick is pretty cool, even though you’ve seen it already, the last time he was in town. Junior, of course, is the master of the guit-steel (a pretty short list anyway, as he invented the darn thing), a combination guitar/pedal steel that Brown proceeds to rip to shreds with blurs of karate-chop riffing. Songwriting-wise, he’s rather run of the mill, but that’s not the show here. We don’t want to see people juggling tennis balls; we want chainsaws, which Brown most assuredly is onstage. Saturday, Visulite. — TD
Galactic Acid jazz elements, 70s influenced funk, and the proper hipster jamming created by New Orleans’ Galactic wash right over contemporary sounds. The mostly instrumental band speaks through music, not flaky raps. The recent platter, We Love ‘Em Tonight (Live…) (Volcano), is a proper document of their command and respect of the past without getting mired in retro noodling. Sunday, Visulite Theatre. — SS
Jolene Charlotte’s popular Jolene have a new album out; I haven’t heard it yet, but if it’s anything like their recent live shows, it’s likely a nod to the mellower glow the band seems to be settling into nicely, akin to the vibe REM reached on New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Big Mike, John Crooke, Mike Kenerly, Rodney Lanier and Dave Burris may never grace MTV or appear on the cover of Spin, but the band is more of an audiophonic pleasure now than any point previous, big label deal or no. Incidentally, this gig is a CD Release show. Saturday, Amos’ SouthEnd. — TD
Jump Little ChildrenRecently jettisoned as Atlantic Records dropped the Hootie imprint Breaking Records (because they most certainly were not), JLC do draw a pretty healthy regional audience for their hippy-hop cello-laced alt-rock. They’ve probably lopped off a few of the rougher edges for maximum airplay, but, to their credit, they’ve replaced them with a little Maximum R&B and (surprise!) it doesn’t sound forced. However, it doesn’t sound particularly unique, either. Friday, Manifest Discs & Tapes (5:30pm); Tremont Music Hall. — TD
Michael Knott Whether with The LifeSavors, LifeSavers Underground (L.S.U.), the Aunt Bettys, or any number of other artistic permutations (including painter), Mike Knott’s core principle does seem to be the music, sort of rare in the Christian music pantheon — indeed, he’s good enough to stand on his own. As it goes, you could likely go through an album and never know the music wasn’t exceedingly secular. Knott’s Lenny Kravitz-like voice is likely part of the draw, but the songwriting certainly runs rings around, say, DC Talk. With Static. Thursday, Smokey Joe’s. — TD
Leukemia Lymphoma Society Benefit LLS is a long-running organization that helps fund research in the fight against blood-related cancers, and this evening presents some of the strongest power-pop purveyors lurking in our neck of the woods. The Showgoats, World Class Fad and Small Time Joe are slated to play this worthwhile benefit. Check withtonic.com for details. Friday, Tonic. — SS
Tool / Fantomas The massive and brilliant work known as Laterus (Volcano) by Tool has already etched out a place in this writer’s top 20 releases of the year. It’s one of the most percussion-dominated heavy rock albums since Sepultura’s groundbreaking Roots. The music of Tool is unlike anything out there and heaves sighs of relief for the life of rock & roll. Their epic live shows ain’t too shabby, either. The Fantomas are the bastard creation of Mike Patton (Faith No More / Mr. Bungle), Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer) and Buzz Ozbourne (Melvins’ guitarist). Expect nothing less than noise bursts of sonic lunacy from these way left of center musical misfits. Saturday, Verizon Amphitheatre. — SS
The TwangBangers A group of all-star twang-inclined artists who record for popular High Tone records, the TwangBangers feature Bill Kirchen, big ol’ boy and Robbie Fulks pal Dallas Wayne, Merle Haggard Telecaster demon Redd Volkaert, and Joe Goldmark. The group will undoubtedly be ripping through any number of standards and originals with notes to spare, all backed by a country-fried rhythm section. The group will be recording for a live album at the show, with Reflection Studios and engineer Mark Williams manning the controls. Recommended. Saturday, Double Door. — TD
Unsung Stragglers Pedal Steel player Joe Smith has joined up with the Stragglers, and they say they’re more focused than ever on their hillbilly jazz. The band, consisting of well-seasoned local players including Woody Mitchell and John Wicker, injects jazz elements into their rural roots music, which is certain to get your toes tappin’ or your hips a-shakin’. Always a real treat for the ears. Friday, Puckett’s Farm Equipment. — Lynn Farris
This article appears in Oct 6-12, 2001.
