Arrived at the 9 a little later than normal only to realize the evening's lineup had been jumbled. Unfortunately missed the entire set from solo guitarist Mendoza. The website listing clearly had Ava as the headliner, but she went on first. A note to all establishments, please post a chalkboard with band names and times so as to not annoy your local blogger. I have seen Mendoza in the past and her angular chops reminded me of Marc Ribot. She has also guested on recordings by Sir Richard Bihop et. al.
I did get to see a full set by local fuzz warriors Headroom. The lineup has 3 guitars, bass and drums. Headroom is the brainchild of Kryssi Battalene ( sometimes DJ Kryssi B) who lays down dense layers of droney guitar with some spare vocals. Alexander aka David Shapiro is another axe-wielder. Rick Omonte, talent scout for the nearby State House, plays bass. Add another guitarist and drums and you have the makings for a noisy affair. The set started with their wordless, fuzz-drenched, shoegazey take on what sounds to be Wharf Rat. This band has chops and I urge their viewing and local support.
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Multiplex 1/27/19 The State House, New Haven
Multiplex was an afternoon of regional jazz improvisers convening for a skronk fest. First up was New Haven Improv stalwarts Bob Gorry and Jeff Cedrone guitars, Adam Matlock on accordion, and Tom Hogan on drums. The quartet careened through their set, Cedrone squiggled and Gorry squaggled. Matlock, coming off a stint performing in Anthony Braxton's recent "opera", was a focal point. The accordion brings to mind the circus and Tom Waits, Matlock intervalled between speedy runs and slow screeches, his expression looked like a serial killer on Thorazine.
The second set was a young solo alto sax player named Chris Pitsiokos. The first tune unfolded like a Russian doll of sax improv with a layer of John Zorn giving way to a layer of Pharoah Sanders further unfolding to a juicy center of Roland Kirk. Pitsiokos was adept at the technique of circular breathing, the second tune was an avalanche of notes that had Chris playing for ten minutes without coming up for a breath. The dizzying pace and onslaught of noise was difficult to assess to just one musician. A frenetic staccato piece sounded like what I can only imagine to be what a pileated woodpecker connecting with ones eardrum would sound like, the woodpecker gave way to a repeated phrase of a car leaving a crime scene. Chris had this odd technique of snuffing out sound by moving the sax bell into his crossed knee.
The third group was local guru Joe Morris on guitar with Dan O'brien on clarinet and saxes. Morris, largely responsible for this outing spidered up and down the guitar neck while O'brien moved from clarinet to baritone sax...
The final group was Damon Smith on double bass, Jeff Platz on guitar, Matt Crane on drums, and extra-terrestrial cornet player Stephen Haynes. Haynes used a variety of flower pots and pans to bend his sound. Happy to see this crew of like-minded jazzbos move this event from Real Art Ways to the local State House, a sandbox for musical outsiders to get together and wow with sound
The second set was a young solo alto sax player named Chris Pitsiokos. The first tune unfolded like a Russian doll of sax improv with a layer of John Zorn giving way to a layer of Pharoah Sanders further unfolding to a juicy center of Roland Kirk. Pitsiokos was adept at the technique of circular breathing, the second tune was an avalanche of notes that had Chris playing for ten minutes without coming up for a breath. The dizzying pace and onslaught of noise was difficult to assess to just one musician. A frenetic staccato piece sounded like what I can only imagine to be what a pileated woodpecker connecting with ones eardrum would sound like, the woodpecker gave way to a repeated phrase of a car leaving a crime scene. Chris had this odd technique of snuffing out sound by moving the sax bell into his crossed knee.
The third group was local guru Joe Morris on guitar with Dan O'brien on clarinet and saxes. Morris, largely responsible for this outing spidered up and down the guitar neck while O'brien moved from clarinet to baritone sax...
The final group was Damon Smith on double bass, Jeff Platz on guitar, Matt Crane on drums, and extra-terrestrial cornet player Stephen Haynes. Haynes used a variety of flower pots and pans to bend his sound. Happy to see this crew of like-minded jazzbos move this event from Real Art Ways to the local State House, a sandbox for musical outsiders to get together and wow with sound
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Sun Parade w/ James Darling and The Nuclear Heartbreak 1/14/19 Cafe 9
JDATNH is a local power trio. Energetic guitar, bass, and drums with original songwriting. The band had a healthy local following in attendance. The sound was reminiscent of Green Day with sharp lyrics and a punk backdrop.
Sun Parade is a Northampton MA quintet. The sound pinged with a variety of influences. MGMT, Animal Collective and modern pop psych amalgam was a heady stew. Two guitar/vocalists, keys, bass, and drums were a tight knit group. The lead guys were complimentary, one was tall inked and gangly, the other was short spectacled and nerdy. They both had a falsetto delivery which blended nicely with the psych noodlings.
Sun Parade is a Northampton MA quintet. The sound pinged with a variety of influences. MGMT, Animal Collective and modern pop psych amalgam was a heady stew. Two guitar/vocalists, keys, bass, and drums were a tight knit group. The lead guys were complimentary, one was tall inked and gangly, the other was short spectacled and nerdy. They both had a falsetto delivery which blended nicely with the psych noodlings.
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Mdou Moctar/ Rob Noyes/ Major Stars 1/3/19 The State House
Caught the last frenzied tune of western Mass. psych outfit Major Stars. Crunching guitars, swirling hair, and sweat flew around the stage. Unfortunately earplugless, it was good to see this group's finale.
Rob Noyes is a monster 12-string picker from Cambridge who has been lauded in this blog before. Nerdy and seated, his approach to frenzied delivery comes in the form of speedy runs and note-heavy fills. His trance-like focus made me realize his disparate but logical pick for a second act. Rob told me once that he runs the warehouse for Forced Exposure, the now defunct zine that evolved into a punk, world, outsider music distributor in Boston. It would make sense that the FE people would be keen on Mdou Moctar.
It was a year and a half since my last viewing of MM. The capacity crowd was treated to Touareg music and dress ( the band wear robes and turbans with their faces obscured). On this evening, it was Moctar on lead guitar and vocals, rhythm guitar backing vocals, drums, and bass. The bass was new, and the player did not appear to be of the same ethnicity. The sound has evolved, the bass lent an almost EDM flavor to the music. Moctar, from the Saharan region of Niger, had to make his own guitar and learn in secret due to his religion. His lefty playing is trancey, bluesy, Hendrixy and yes frenzied. They sing in their native tongue, and songs seem to ebb and swell with Moctar's tempo. At my last viewing, an ecstatic patron hopped on stage and reverently bowed to the guitar master. I bristled at this act of adoration, thinking the fan must have scared the shit out of the wailing nomad. On this evening, for the final tune, Moctar hopped off stage and egged on the throng of undulating freaks and hipsters. I guess frenzy crosses cultural barriers.
Rob Noyes is a monster 12-string picker from Cambridge who has been lauded in this blog before. Nerdy and seated, his approach to frenzied delivery comes in the form of speedy runs and note-heavy fills. His trance-like focus made me realize his disparate but logical pick for a second act. Rob told me once that he runs the warehouse for Forced Exposure, the now defunct zine that evolved into a punk, world, outsider music distributor in Boston. It would make sense that the FE people would be keen on Mdou Moctar.
It was a year and a half since my last viewing of MM. The capacity crowd was treated to Touareg music and dress ( the band wear robes and turbans with their faces obscured). On this evening, it was Moctar on lead guitar and vocals, rhythm guitar backing vocals, drums, and bass. The bass was new, and the player did not appear to be of the same ethnicity. The sound has evolved, the bass lent an almost EDM flavor to the music. Moctar, from the Saharan region of Niger, had to make his own guitar and learn in secret due to his religion. His lefty playing is trancey, bluesy, Hendrixy and yes frenzied. They sing in their native tongue, and songs seem to ebb and swell with Moctar's tempo. At my last viewing, an ecstatic patron hopped on stage and reverently bowed to the guitar master. I bristled at this act of adoration, thinking the fan must have scared the shit out of the wailing nomad. On this evening, for the final tune, Moctar hopped off stage and egged on the throng of undulating freaks and hipsters. I guess frenzy crosses cultural barriers.
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