Eclectic Vibes - November 2014
by Andrew Frey
RL Grime
Caterwauling kittens create caustic prowls of feline saunter with tickle my tummy tumbles and time outs. Good Kitty, bad kitty, cat but gum.
NAHKO KNOCKOUT
On October 9ths sold out show at the Majestic Theater in Madison, Nahko Bear took the stage solo to begin the set and began by offering a beautiful invocation and blessing for the evening, which flowed and flowered as he effortlessly added his keyboard accompaniment. After a couple more, he was joined by the 3 other members of Medicine for the People and the evening unfolded. And a splendid evening it was! Song after song, they administered their therapeutic music and open heart messages to the eager audience. A few changes since last I saw them (and that was only 2 months prior): Hope Medford was not part of this performance, but a new kit drummer was. Also, songs enjoyed clever new intros or outros and other delightful embellishments. Bassist Dustin Thomas opened the evening, warming the crowd with his freshly inspired solo singer-songwriter materiel. The crowd was electric, the room was vibrating and the music was thrilling to the very last note. www.Nahko.com
MEGA METAL WEDNESDAY
On the same night that Mötley Crüe and Alice Cooper invade the Alliant Energy Center Coliseum, extreme metal legends Carcass along with Macabre, Exhumed and Noisem will be tearing up Madison as well. Touring in support of their new Surgical Steel release, the newly reformed Carcass (after first disbanding in 1996) features original members Jeff Walker and Bill Steer along with Daniel Wilding and Ben Ash. See if they are still capable of Descanting the Insalubrious! This blast from the past all happens on 11/12 at the Majestic Theatre in Madison.
A VERY SHINY DIAMOND
Shara Worden was born in diamond-rich Arkansas, but was raised all around the country thanks to her musical family of traveling evangelists. This singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist went on to study operatic voice and then classical composition, but her art rock band, My Brightest Diamond, is what she will be remembered for. Touring in support of her fourth album, “This Is My Hand”, she demonstrates her mastery of composition while touting new explorations into things electronic. See her shine on Friday 11/14 at High Noon Saloon in Madison and 11/15 at Vogel Hall in Milwaukee. www.mybrightestdiamond.com
SET TO GRIME
In the exploding new electronic genre known as Trap, which features particular deep bass rhythms and rumbles with a hip hop backbone, the artist known as RL Grime is one of the top producers out there, reshaping electronic production by connecting the roots of southern hip hop with the new age of electronic dance music. After numerous singles, mixes and an EP, his first full-length, “Void”, hits the streets this month! Get trapped on 11/18 at Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee or 11/19 at Majestic Theater in Madison or 11/20 at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis, MN. www.facebook.com/RLGrime
SUPERSTAR SUNDAY
Suave synth pop throwback and R&B anomaly Har Mar Superstar is out and about touring again, showing off his assets to all in eyeshot. He will undeniably be gyrating and gallivanting his fantastic and flamboyant self about the stage when he appears with youth screenstar Macaulay Culkin’s Velvet Underground tribute band, The Pizza Band, on Sunday 11/30 at High Noon Saloon along with Candy Boys and Tickle Torture. Do you dare? harmarsuperstar.com
MICRO REVIEWS:
This Month's Rating Scale is from 1 is Overblown, 10 is Sonorous
Androcell - Imbue
Androcell
Album title: Imbue
Record Label: Altar Records
Rating: 10
According to Androcell (aka Tyler Smith), the definition of his fourth full-length release, “Imbue”, is “inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality.” He accomplishes this by showing off a deep passion for blending a multitude of music styles, instruments, and cultures within the realm of electronic dub inspired music. Such an immersion of flowing ambiance and vivid organic textures has captured my listen repeatedly.
(2149) Page Views
Androcell online:
• Website
Zonra - Is, Was, and Always Will Be
Zonra
Album title: Is, Was, and Always Will Be
Record Label: self-published
Rating: 9
Beautiful, complex and thought-provoking multi-layered melodic textures and churns flow throughout mid-tempo electronica. Complex and compelling psychedelic glitch-hop nuances and breakbeat grooves litter the lively landscapes, highlighting this Denver producer’s attention to detail.
(2145) Page Views
Zonra online:
• Website • Facebook
• Download Is, Was, and Always Will Be