Bucket List 9/17/26 Wesleyan

 The original listing for this show featured a group called The Splice Ensemble but changed to reference Bucket List a few weeks prior. No matter, Wesleyan prof Paula Matthusen and her band of merry knob twiddlers are pals with the fringe contingent of unknown electronic musicians from all corners of the world. On this evening, San Francisco was the corner. Bucket List had Travis Andrews on guitar and percussion, Andy Myerson on vibes and percussion, and composer Mark Applebaum on keys and percussion. I say “ and percussion” because all three had a table with assorted flotsam and jetsam to add sounds to their main instrument. The performance was billed as Achievement, and they called themselves The Achievement Institute for the purpose of the show. They all wore hard hats and fake labcoats with the Institute logo as if to legitimize their expertise. Applebaum had mustard colored rims on his glasses, French’s, not Grey Poupon, as if to emphasize caution or I’m crazy, or both. Located in the nicely appointed Ring Hall, the stage backdrop had a screen highlighting the “achievements”  that corresponded with the sounds. The 13 achievements were obviously tailored to the student audience: Enhance REM sleep, Pass a breathalyzer test,  Submit a successful insurance claim, Excel as an online influencer, Microdose lucratively; Invent algorithm that will destroy democracy, Apply for a mortgage and research the best infant car seats, were some of the screened achievements. The guitar swooped and droned, the vibes were sometimes bowed with a cello bow, the variety of keyboards created a myriad of sounds. The percussion was a treat, they did one passage where they each used various sized triangles, they plinked empty bottles and Ehrlenmeyer flasks for a cartoonish sound, sandpaper and those ovoid fridge magnets all make for great listening when mic’d properly. There was one fascinating piece where old mustard rims says “ment” over and over again in a monotone fashion. The others expertly spoke, what turns out to be an insane number of choices, prefixes or suffixes to the ment. The timing required for success on a piece like this is palpable. To reinforce their abilities as legit musicians, they played a couple difficult modern classical passages and a familiar tune that was not familiar enough for me to name. Another juncture had them each shaking what looked like metallic shakers that were apple shaped. Let’s be clear, the music had nothing to do with the achievements on the screen, which I’m sure is the point. They did a “planned encore”, which was “subject to audience consent”. We acquiesced for two versions of the minute long Canon VI from 6 Canons for vibraphone and electric guitar. The versions differed in that one had Applebaum on drums.  The result was a snarl of sounds that did somewhat resemble each other. Fitting for Applebaum to end on drums, nothing is spared with this guy in the room.

Cetilia, Gibbs, Wellins/ Zach Rowden/ Shipworm 9/13/26 Best Video

 A noise show in a video store was billed as “cinema for the ear”. I enter to the sounds created by Shipworm. A duo used synthesizers to create noisy soundscapes. It might have been my imagination, but it seemed that one guy made metallic industrial sounds, while the other shaded the racket. Wind, underwater were just a few of the shade effects I could discern. Next up was Zach Rowden. Zach has been reviewed in this blog as one half of the experimental group Tongue Depressor. On this evening, he took a stab at modular synths. Different than the first group, Zach’s sounds were more shrill. The room was completely dark and it was unclear whether it was choice or necessity. While stage antics are usually absent in a synth/noise show, the darkness allowed the listener to concentrate on the sounds being made. The final group was a trio helmed by Matt Wellins. Local noisenik Wellins seemed to be responsible for this evening of sounds. Matt arranged the Strategy of Lakes series, a showcase of regional talent performing synth-based experimental music. Matt, dressed in a dysentery green mechanics jumpsuit, addressed the crowd in his usual “on the spectrum” fashion. He explained that he always wanted to perform exclusively with found sounds and field recordings. The three forge through the final set. Metallic whirs and whooshes had spots of familiarity. Vocal snippets start to appear. The sound collage was fascinating, truly cinema for the ear.

Cousin Oven, Calendula, Sotto Voce 9/6/26 Best Video

 Difficult to discern from the website, this Sunday matinee triple bill had three regional acts appearing in no particular order. I enter to Brooklyn trio Sotto Voce. It is the brainchild of Pittsburgh native Ryan Gabos. Ryan played guitar and sang, joined by bass and drums. Homespun bedroom pop had a good edge. Ryan sent one out to “the public domain” as they played a syrupy Freres Jacques melody with lo-fi lyrics.

Next up was Calendula. Single female Abigail Golec on open tuned acoustic guitar and vocals. Introspective singer songwriter fare was nicely delivered. She’s from Stafford Springs and reminded me of Sharon Van Etten. She explained that Calendula is a flower in the marigold family.

Headliner was Cousin Oven, another trio from Brooklyn. Guitar with vocals, bass, and drums picked up the pace. Good pop hooks and the bass was active. All three of these acts have available material on Spotify and are worth doing a deeper dive.

Gamelatron 9/5/26 The Dome at Woolsey Hall

 A sonic immersion “sculpture” was assembled in the Dome at Woolsey Hall. Artist Aaron Taylor Kuffner uses the gongs and bells of the Indonesian gamelan to create sonic sculptures specific to unusual spaces. The Dome at Woolsey is one such place. Up three flights of stairs, I happen upon two coeds. They welcome me to the installation and tell me to cover my shoes with these flimsy one pass booties. After a brief struggle, I ask if I can ditch my shoes and the booties. The purpose is to not track sand or dirt into the Dome, I was happy to comply in my socks. I enter the Dome, an inner circle with comfy chairs and high pile carpet housed a few sonic travellers. Around the perimeter, banks of gongs, percussive bells, were mathematically struck to create the immersive sound. A player piano gamelan, the sculpture was connected in series so the electromagnetic pulses forced the sound. The echo and sustain were meditative and forced me into a deep listening mode for about a half hour. I circled the Dome to get a feel for the frequency of striking the individual pans. Some were struck every few seconds while others took minutes as intervals. A guidebook accompanying the sculpture showed other spaces that housed Kuffner’s work. When an electromagnetic gamelatron comes to your town, get off the couch and check it out.

John Zorn’s Flatlands 9/4/26 Firehouse 12

 Billed as a “special event” and not the premiere of the Fall series, Zorn’s current project Flatlands takes the stage. A power trio in the true sense had Matt Hollenberg on electric guitar, Simon Hanes on electric bass, and Ches Smith on drums. John Zorn, an avant renaissance man, observed the proceedings from a stool near the sound board. A pillar of the downtown music scene of the late 80s and 90s, John Zorn was a sax wailer in the vein of Pharoah Sanders or Albert Ayler. His restless spirit provided early recordings paying homage to the likes of Mickey Spillane and Ennio Morricone. He founded Tzadik records dedicated to “radical Jewish music” which, in today’s world, sounds like a “defund the police” level misnomer blunder. The label has provided him a cadre of talented young free thinkers jumping at the chance to be conducted. Ditching the sax, Zorn has taken the route of conducting the next generation to carry out his wide ranging musical ideas. One of my favorites from John’s early canon is the Naked City record, a whiplash of ideas that runs the gamut from slinky lounge music to head banging hardcore. He even hung out with the hardcore stalwarts Napalm Death to sponge ideas. It is with this mindset that Flatlands takes shape. The trio march through a series of blasts that threaten the eardrums of the sold out crew of listeners. Let’s start with Ches Smith, a firehouse regular, I’ve described him as a used car lot ballon man on drums and my assessment holds. In this setting, he is prodded to unleash behind the kit. I’m not familiar with Hollenberg or Hanes, but they both seem to be rooted in metal. The music is a barrage of calculated racket that is fascinating to view. The trio’s ability to start and stop on a dime was miraculous. You can’t be in Zorn’s stable without ability to play all styles. These guys easily shifted from shards of metal to choogling funk for a face melting experience. Hanes cajoled Zorn to come up front to “conduct” a piece. His conducting included non-traditional hand gestures like roller coaster or thumbs up or downing the trio. Their wide-eyed attention emphasized their virtuosity and shone a light on just how difficult this music is to play. The Firehouse may need to install seatbelts, this ride made the Cyclone blush.

Strawberry Hands w/ The Regal Drug 8/26/26 Best Video

 Local ambient act The Regal Drug was playing when I enter. The brain child of Scott Amore, it was a trio on this evening. Scott played laptop and synths, another musician played guitar and sax, while another played guitar and trumpet. The music was ambient drone, Scott’s table was a tangle of patch cords that looked like a George Clinton wig. The sax guitarist played an electric 12 string with an unusual hand held object that looked like a cordless Norelco. I was told the item was an E-bow, it sends a magnetic pulse to the strings to force the sound. The trumpet too had a Mark Isham feel, almost cinematic. Safe to assume any show with RD will take you on a sonic excursion.

Strawberry Hands is a psychedelic quartet from the Philly area.  Lead guitar, drums,  bass, and front man on acoustic and vocals. The singer was a big fella with poorly constructed pigtails who explained they almost missed the gig. His car was smashed the previous evening, his dog sitter was awol, and he popped a crown off his tooth. They did seem genuinely happy to play. Often, when we think of psychedelic music, it’s virtuosic noodling punctuated with obtuse lyrics. Pink Floyd had the perfect mix of noodlyrics, while someone like Robyn Hitchcock leans heavier on wordplay. SH followed that lead, with lines like “ogre patina” and “obsidian ax” ( and those were just the ones that started with O). The trap is keeping the listener focused and not checking vocabulary. Strawberry Hands achieves the focus with shock lines like “don’t fucking tell me that the future is good”. Strawberry Hands occupy an interesting niche in the world of psychedelic music.

Derek Piotr 8/21/26 Ely Center

 New Ely center welcomes regional knob twiddler Piotr for a dj set. Light crowd of about ten occupy the darkened modern art gallery. Derek is a folklorist, researcher and performer whose work focuses on the human voice. He is the lead archivist and creative director of something called Fieldwork Archive. Armed with a laptop on one pedestal and a synth box with a tangle of patch cords on another, Derek goes to work. First piece has some bird samples mixed with some metallic backdrop drones, Derek too supplied some wordless vocal cooing. Next piece had some early political banter, slightly obscured stretched out over some mechanical whooshes. Next up, was a recording of a friends mom’s recollection of southern gospel tunes. Another piece had Derek splicing voice mail messages he received from his grandmother during the last ten years of her life. The material was fascinating, a modern day Alan Lomax. Spotify Derek and you’ll see he has recordings dating back to 2010. He also takes part in some fringe festivals that showcase modern field recordings. He has collaborated with the likes of avant Appalachian banjo picker Nathan Salsburg. Happy to be one of ten for this highly original music,