Eclectic Vibes - March 2013
by Andrew Frey
wax tailor
The Month of Many Shows
February was dotted by a ton of amazing shows. Good thing, too, or Cabin Fever would have certainly done me in!
First on the 1st was Papadosio at the Majestic. On an evening of steadily-falling powdery snow, the palindromic Dopapod threw down their heavy-rockin’ jams and warmed the crowd up appropriately. Papadosio then blew us all away with their third-eye-open electronica, splashed with sacred geometrical imagery and wonderfully loving vibrations. A blissful evening. (dopapod.com)(www.papadosio.com)
Next on the 6th, Wax Tailor brought his groovy, jazzy, hip-hip electronica to the High Noon Saloon. The moderately-filled room was very receptive to the male rapper and female vocalist that Wax had brought with him to spice up his otherwise one man show. The dark musical themes were met with video imagery of an equating effect, spliced with the quirky samples that Wax is renowned for. (waxtailor.com)
On Feb 9th, I found myself for the first time at Segredo (www.segredomadison.com). Segredo is Madison’s newest dance club and it is about time! This very college-centric club features scantily clad house dancers on elevated cubes for your viewing pleasure and to keep the dance floor hopping. By the time Mimosa (who I came to see) hit the stage, it was after 12:30 am and I had endured hours of local Djs who spun tediously clubby beats with just to enough whompy dubstep to keep the crowd tolerant. Once Mimosa finally was at his decks doing his thing, the tone of the club immediately changed and responded accordingly to the smoother, more conjugated rhythms. Great but late. (www.facebook.com/mimosamusic)
I was back at the Majestic Theater on the 21st. Another snowy evening slimmed attendance, but we were set to party and staunch on making the evening happen. Break Science opened the show with their cool, calculated electronica. The smooth synergy between the duo was very evident in their dynamic opening set that built to an intense whomp-filled culmination. (breaksciencemusic.com)
The four-man full band, Conspirator, was quite a change from the unassuming duo prior. They launched into some tracks from their new EP, Unleashed, which shows off great uptempo dubstep attacks and head space, before falling back on lots of slow heavy grooves topped by screaming guitar solos and tamer electronic ramifications. The crowd began to wane as the musical cadences were reduced and the coldness of the night became apparent. (conspiratorband.com)
Get Your Hot Licks!
Get fired up! When Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks come to the Stoughton Opera House on 3/15, be prepared for a raucous evening filled with his untamable eccentric combination of tongue-in-cheek cowboy folk, gypsy, bluegrass, jazz and swing. We’ll see if the building is still there in the morning… (danhicks.net)
Motet Time
Afrobeat, Funk, Salsa, Jazz, and Samba are just part of the musical toolbox that The Motet utilizes and melts into their techno-fueled dance improvisations that are as hard to classify as contain. Ever evolving, this hard-touring unit always has new tricks up their sleeve and more delights to deliver. Find out what they have in store on 3/28 at the Majestic Theater in Madison. (themotet.net)
MICRO REVIEWS:
This Month's Rating Scale is from 1 is Vapid thru 10 is Intrepid
Emancipator - Dusk To Dawn
Emancipator
Album title: Dusk To Dawn
Record Label: Loci Records
Rating: 10
What at first may appear to be simple downtempo electronica unfolds into a plush musical ride elaborated with violin, mandolin, cello, saxophone, hammered dulcimer and more. At the helm of this mesmerizing project is Portland-based producer extraordinaire Doug Appling and this is his newest masterpiece. Enjoy!
(2244) Page Views
Emancipator online:
• Website • Facebook • Wiki
• Download Dusk To Dawn from Amazon
Lotus - Build
Lotus
Album title: Build
Record Label: SCI Fidelity Records
Rating: 10
Sadly, I missed Lotus last month at their Barrymore show. Had I gone I’m sure I would have been treated to selections from Build. Once again they brandish an effortless and ambitious yet extremely danceable prog rock electronica, but are now showing a bolder sophistication that is equally delightful, befitting and welcomed.
(2402) Page Views
Lotus online:
• Website • Facebook • Wiki
• Download Build from Amazon
• Purchase Build on Amazon
Tomahawk - Oddfellows
Tomahawk
Album title: Oddfellows
Record Label: Ipecac
Rating: 8
After a 6 year hiatus, I was pleasantly surprised to find out their fourth LP briefly hit the Billboard charts. Not sure if that’s due to it being produced by Black Keys producer Collin Dupuis or from the lineup being more stellar than ever with Trevor Dunn (Fantomas/Melvins) on bass and John Stanier (Helmet/Battles) on drums joining Duane Denison (Jesus Lizard) on guitar and the ever phenomenal Mike Patton (too many bands to list) on vocals. The stripped down heavy rock veers to and fro, venturing down dark alleys and introverted assessments, blessed with Patton’s ever morphing and changing vocals while rubbing up against delirious guitar flows and their weirdly urgent thematic repartee.
(2336) Page Views
Tomahawk online:
• Website • Facebook • Wiki
• Download Oddfellows from Amazon
• Purchase Oddfellows on Amazon