Eclectic Vibes - December 2017
by Andrew Frey
Puddles The Clown
Time to tie up the tinsel, get out your Grinch costume and buy a new dreidel, otherwise there will be no presents for Kwanza, cause Santa got ran over by a Reindeer at Jack Frost’s holiday party for kissing mommy under the mistletoe.
GREAT GROOVULOUS SCUBA
It has been quite a while since this trio of my favorite local funky progressive jam groups has played out, much less played together, so I was overjoyed to find out that Little Marsh Overflow, Baghdad SCUBA Review and Groovulous Glove were all playing and all on one ticket! December tends to be a musical wasteland, so this marvelous musical meltdown on 12/15 at High Noon Saloon in Madison is certain to keep the winter warm for sure!
MASKED INTRUSION
Colorful ski masks in Wisconsin may not be anything out of the ordinary, but when they are worn by four power pop slinging punks they can only mean one thing. Masked Intruder! Punk isn’t supposed to be pretty, but it certainly can be colorful. Catch these anonymous individuals performing live with Direct Hit! and Arms Aloft on 12/29 at High Noon Saloon in Madison. www.maskedintruderband.com
PITY PARTY
Sometimes I’m behind the times. The amazing performer known as Puddles the Clown was on America’s Got Talent last summer and I missed watching the episodes air! Come to find out that after several several simply stunning performances, Puddles was eliminated from the show. What a pity! Thankfully that was not the end of the Pity Party though. In fact, Puddles is once again out touring, packing in the crowds with his unique spectacle of entertainment and I couldn’t be happier. It’s gonna be a bit, but he’s appearing in Wisconsin on 3/22 at Barrymore Theater in Madison, 3/25 at Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, and on 3/29 at Meyer Theater in Green Bay. It’s sure to be a royal treat! www.puddlespityparty.com
MICRO REVIEWS:
This Month's Rating Scale is from 1 is Execrable thru 10 is Convivial
Cosmoganic - Harness The Soup
Cosmoganic
Album title: Harness The Soup
Record Label: Swamp Music
Rating: 10
Electronic music can flow in many directions, with some composers creating hybrids of earthy organics with spacey synthetics. Cosmoganic (aka Ollie Jackson) has formulated a delicious audio meal of squishy, creamy psydub atmospheres blessed with wandering whomps and happy harmonies spiced with tribal tendencies. Consider it an 8 course feast of musical treats for your ears to eat!
(1280) Page Views
Cosmoganic online:
• Website • Facebook
• Download Harness The Soup from Amazon
• Download Harness The Soup
Earthcry - Modular Improvisation at Isis Music Hall
Earthcry
Album title: Modular Improvisation at Isis Music Hall
Record Label: Earthcry
Rating: 10
Earthcry is the brainchild of Asheville, NC based producer Anthony Thogmartin (also of Papadosio). This is the recording from his one off improvisational experimental performance on 11/11/17 utilizing modular synthesizers. The result is a flow of colorful cascading rhythms and drumscapes patched together with in the moment effects, looping and frequency blending. Another unique compositional approach with a prodigious end result!
(1475) Page Views
Earthcry online:
• Website • Facebook
• Download Modular Improvisation at Isis Music Hall
• Purchase Modular Improvisation at Isis Music Hall
Shpongle - Codex VI
Shpongle
Album title: Codex VI
Record Label: Twisted Records Ltd
Rating: 8
Complex, layered and highly anticipated, this, their sixth full length release, is recognizable Shpongle at every musical turn and twist. Codex VI offers a wider range of styles and natures while exploring a more dramatic range of influences and output. That being said, great as it is, for me overall it didn’t reach the levels of mystical musical ecstasy offered by their prior releases.
(1408) Page Views
Shpongle online:
• Website • Facebook • Wiki
• Download Codex VI from Amazon