Eclectic Vibes - May 2015
by Andrew Frey
Puddles The Clown
PUDDLE JUMPING
I am so excited that Puddles The Clown is singing his way through WI again! Known as the nearly 7 foot tall “sad clown with the golden voice,” Puddles catapulted to Internet fame thanks to his loungey cover of Lorde’s “Royals”(performed with New York ensemble Postmodern Jukebox) going viral last year. To date, the song has pulled in more than 11 million hits on YouTube, along with similarly deconstructed covers of songs by Sia and Leonard Cohen. He will be performing with his live Pity Party act, bringing with them a choice selection of gloomy cabaret covers to Turner Hall in Milwaukee on May 7. Let’s all get melancholy! puddlespityparty.com
PUSHING DEACON
Dan Deacon shows and large scale audience participation go hand in hand. He usually performs his quirky, frenzied electronica in a DJ booth on the floor in front of the stage so he can be “one with the crowd”. When he comes to town he will certainly be playing tracks off his newest, Glass Riffer, which was just released in Feb, but who knows what crazy antics this tour stop will elicit? Only way to know for sure is to go to High Noon Saloon on 5/15 and find out! www.dandeacon.com
TOTALLY FUNKADELIC
George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic are names that are iconic in American funk music. From the 1960s Clinton and crew have been pumping out their P-Funkiness across the planet. Touring in support of last fall’s Shake The Gate release, expect an over-the-top stage show and top-notch musicians to melt your mind and funk your body up! Your chance to get down with these living legends is on 5/16 at the Barrymore Theater in Madison and 5/17 at The Cabooze in Minneapolis. georgeclinton.com
SEPULTURA
I remember seeing Brazilian metal band Sepultura on their first US tour and it was awe-inspiring. That thrash metal angst and intensity I was so familiar with was infused with an invigorating South American flavor to create something my ears hadn’t heard before. I was hooked. Time passed and now the band is celebrating their 30th anniversary! Over the years Sepultura has sold over 30 million albums worldwide! Their most recent release, The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart, is a great addition to their legacy. If you want to see if they still can thrash it out, come visit them at High Noon Saloon on 5/21. Also on the bill is Destruction, Arsis, Boris The Blade and Micawber. sepultura.com
REVIVALing
Memorial Day means the kick-off of the summer festival season and this year I will once again be attending (and vending) the Revival Festival at Harmony Park in Minnesota. Although the top headliners are Xavier Rudd and Railroad Earth, I am most stoked to see Deli To Dublin, Dopapod, Future Rock, That 1 Guy, and The Main Squeeze again. Other worthy mentions include Split Lip Rayfield, Kung Fu, The Mustache and Tauk. Let’s make it a great one! www.harmony-revival.com
OPIUO BAND
The Opiuo Band is making a scant few stops in the US before returning to their Australian home. We are fortunate enough that one of these dates is part of the Infrasound Music Festival which takes place in Black River Falls, WI on May 28-31. Opiuo has won numerous awards for his infectious funkadellic bass music including winner of Best Electronic Album at the 2013 New Zealand Music Awards, and touring with a full band will only sweeten the experience! In addition to Opiuo, festival goers will be able to feast their ears on Ott, Tipper, Ozric Tentacles, Thriftworks, Androcell, Russ Liquid and TONS more. www.infrasoundfestival.com
MICRO REVIEWS:
This Month's Rating Scale is from 1 is Bromidic 10 is Delectable
Griz - Say It Loud
Griz
Album title: Say It Loud
Record Label: All Good Records
Rating: 10
Griz just keeps getting more awesome! This Colorado based producer (and Cannabis Cup Winner for his Griz Kush strain) amps up his electro soul compositions by adding more horns, jam session samples and soulful vocals as well as garnering assistance from Talib Kweli, Ivan Neville, Antibalas, the L.A.’s Children’s Chorus, and others. These fantastic future funk songs will have you doing dance floor gymnastics and gyrations from beginning to end! Grab your copy FREE at mynameisgriz.com
(2109) Page Views
Griz online:
• Website • Facebook • Wiki
• Download Say It Loud from Amazon
Various Artists - Uprising (Metal Alliance)
Various Artists
Album title: Uprising (Metal Alliance)
Record Label: Foss Face Records
Rating: 8
Feast your ears on this fist pumping slurry of 17 new and throwback metal tracks compiled of bands from around the country who are united in this new metal massacre. Serving as a roll call of contemporary metal musicians that are still emanating hot and heavy rhythmic churns and aggressive attitudes, this release will help you discover new names in the realm of metal goodness. Next time you are in the mood to bang your head, kick some ass and devour some new furious metal, look no further than The Uprising.
(2905) Page Views
The Various Artists online:
• Website
• Download Uprising (Metal Alliance) from Amazon