THURS 07
Animal Collective NYC-based experimental-psyche outfit Animal Collective came to St. Pete a little over two years ago in support of their 2009 studio album, Merriweather Post Pavilion. While AC hasn't put out any recordings since then, individually, the band members have been busy. Avey Tare put out his first solo LP, 2010's Down There; Panda Bear issued his fourth, 2011's Tomboy; Deakin toured extensively as a solo artist and has been working on his debut, due out in 2012; and Geologist got married, had a kid and enjoyed some down time with the fam. Collectively, the foursome played the odd date but only surfaced with any regularity this spring with a string of shows and festival appearances. They kick off a handful of summer dates in Orlando this Thursday night. All four members will be present to perform a set of new music as is their practice when working on an album: write and develop songs in a live setting, hit the studio when satisfied. Expect reverb-drenched, multi-layered electro-sonics drawn out into moments of noisiness, the musicians tweaking and bending the soundwaves on nob-studded boards and mixing in live percussion or synthified keys or guitar distorted beyond the point of recognition while sing-calling or tribal chanting or whooping over it. (The Beacham Theatre, Orlando)
American Aquarium American Aquarium frontman B.J. Barham writes a lot of booze-drowned odes about women — one he's trying to avoid ("Ain't Going to the Bar Tonight"), one who's got "the kisses of a thousand angels and the bite of a rattlesnake" ("Rattlesnake"), one that fucked up his life in a night ("Hurricane"), another who cussed "like a back-row Baptist" and went home with him after he bought her drinks all night ("Katherine Bell"). The Raleigh-based sextet's sound is alt-country steeped in Southern rock twang, Barham's husky-drawling vocals carrying more than a hint of Springsteenian influence. For fans of Drive-By Truckers. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Rock the Park Three local acts with disparate sounds take the stage for the July installment of THX MGMT's concert-in-the-park series — propulsive, balls-out rawkers The Beauvilles, heady funkadelic jazz makers Infinite Groove Orchestra, and up-and-coming hip-hop artist, emcee Imagiin360. (Curtis Hixon Park, Tampa)
FRI 08
Ringo Deathstarr w/Empire Cinema/Fever "Imagine Hearts," the lead track on Ringo Deathstarr's 2011 debut, Colour Trip, introduces their fuzzy skuzzy noise pop with a burst of static, its crunchy, effects-twisted and feedback-heady guitars carried on sauntering percussion-dressed alt-rock rhythms and coated in a shimmering haze of femme-surreal vocals. The official first single, "So High," showcases the Austin trio's more upbeat indie pop side with acoustic guitar textures and dronish girl-boy vocals that trade off and harmonize in longing sighs. Ringo Deathstarr gets a lot of comparisons to Jesus & Mary Chain and Sonic Youth; definitely worth checking out if you like either or both of those bands. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Lighthouse Music A young avant rock five-piece with progressive and gypsy jazz tendencies, Lighthouse Music hails from St. Augustine, tours in a converted vegetable oil bus, and is made up of singer-instrumentalists who jump from one instrument to the next throughout their live shows — trumpet, flute, trombone, alto and tenor sax, tuba, xylophone, sitar, various percussion, turntables, accordion, melodica, keys and synths — along with the usual vox-bass-guitar-drums set-up. The band's debut full-length, Only Human, is due to be released in July. (Ella's Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa)
The Dead Popes w/The Funeral Dazies Dishing out a tight and raucous mix of psychobilly, hardcore punk, surf and garage rock is well-seasoned Tampa four-piece The Dead Popes. Frontman Ray Vega bark-shouts about subjects ranging from the "Bitchin' and Complaining" that's driving him insane to a "Roller Derby Queen" who looks like an angel and plays like a demon. The band's dual guitar assault — one player ripping through solos, the other serving distorted riffs and progressions — is laid out against a solid low-end foundation of thick, conspicuously thrumming basslines and machine-gun fast and hard drumming. (Emerald Bar, St. Petersburg)
The Human Condition The roots-rock staple from across the Skyway cranks out acoustic guitar-driven songs marked by lots of nice slide guitar, world rhythms and chilling vocal harmonies. This should be a great concert for the intimate Hideaway Café setting: dim lighting, perfect sound and a cozy crowd of music lovers. I can't wait. (Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg) —Kate Cillian
Eric Lindell Harmonica-wielding singer-songwriter Lindell is a California native who has embraced the sounds of his New Orleans home after a dozen years as a resident. His dynamic grooves mix funky hip-shaking and foot-stomping R&B, blue-eyed soul, Delta blues, roots rock, and a taste of swamp pop and shuffling zydeco. In March, Lindell released his sixth studio album, Cazadero, named for an isolated Cali town where he and his wife vacationed, and released in March via his own label, Sparco Records. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
SAT 09
Sixth Annual Americana Fest WMNF hosts a range of themed musical benefits throughout the year to keep afloat. This Saturday's shindiggy — which begins at 4 p.m. — celebrates the roots of American music as purveyed by the deep pool of Florida talent practicing those homegrown sounds on a daily basis. Highlights include the earnest alt-country rock of Orlando's Sweetkisses, recently re-united after several years apart; the Gainesville folk-punk banjo-driven sounds and three-part harmonies of Greenland is Melting; Tampa guitar-riffing roots rock mainstay Ted Lukas & the Misled; and closing out the night, Sarasota's blazing old-timey Americana makers, Have Gun, Will Travel, currently hard at work on the follow-up to 2009's Postcards from the Friendly City in the midst of steady gigging. Also on the bill: Black Finger, Mike Dunn & the Kings of New England, Rebekah Pulley & the Reluctant Prophets, John Ralston, Memphis Train Union, Alexander & the Grapes and Sunset Bridge. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
Sleepy Vikings w/Zillionaire/Sleepy Eye Giant Sleepy Vikings, the local alt-roots/folk sextet, has returned home after their first-ever national tour supporting their debut full-length, They Will Find You Here (New Granada Records), which received plenty of positive attention from AbsolutePunk.net and Chromewaves.com, and snagged them a cover spot on CL. They are joined by fellow labelmates, indie alt-rockers Zillionaire (featuring New Granada's Keith Ulrey on drums and vocals), and Sleepy Eye Giant, a post punk band from Charleston, S.C. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) —Adam Richards
SUN 10
The Beth McKee Trio Beth McKee is an Orlando-based singer, songwriter, pianist and accordion player whose mix of R&B and rootsy blues is suffused with an ambling country-Cajun feel, a sonic cue McKee took from living and performing in N'awlins for several years in the 1990s. Her last album was 2010's I'm That Way, which pays tribute to the songs of late Louisiana musical legend Bobby Charles ("See You Later Alligator," "Last Train to Memphis"). (UU Dome, Tampa)
Taking Back Sunday If you were an angsty teen around 2002, Taking Back Sunday was your go-to band and "Cute Without the 'E' (Cut from the Team)" was your anthem. But let's be honest, even as you screamed along to the refrain — "And will you tell all your friends / you've got your gun to my head" — you didn't really know what it meant, only that blasting it at top volume along with the rest of Tell All Your Friends as you cruised around in your crappy white 1991 Honda Accord seemed really important at the time. The band is back to the original 2002 lineup — John Nolan and Shaun Cooper having returned to the fold — and they released a self-titled full-length on June 28 under the newly reunited front. Southern-bred indie rockers Colour Revolt and pop-punk outfit We Are The In Crowd round out the bill. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City) —AR
Eric Stone Band He's dubbed his sound as "nautical Americana," and the music of Texas-native musician Eric Stone definitely has a laid-back Jimmy Buffett sort of islandy feel. Good music for sittin' in the sand, soaking in some rays and sippin' on piña coladas. All aboard! (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa) —KC
MON 11
Torche w/Big Business/Helms Alee Hitting town for a Monday night bill of heavy on the "Hydra Head Records Tour" are three bands repped by the label. Co-headlining are Miami's Torche, a foursome that crafts user-friendly stoner metal and as of January includes guitarist Andrew Elstner (Riddle of Steel, Tilts); and Big Business of Seattle, their sound a little more sludgy and dark and intriguing overall. Helms Alee, also from the Great NorthWet, opens. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
TUE 12
Harry and the Potters w/The Jones Street Boys J.K. Rowling sparked multiple phenomena with her Harry Potter fantasy book series: millions of diehard fans, a blockbuster movie series, controversy with the Catholic Church, and … wizard rock. Harry and the Potters, the founders of said genre, are known for themed albums (all pertaining to Harry Potter, of course) and live antics. Primary members Joe and Paul DeGeorge perform as personae from the famous series. But it doesn't stop there. Songs like "Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock" and "Save Ginny Weasley From Dean Thomas" are quirky testaments that take their topics from the series and the DeGeorge brothers' crafty imaginations (Transitions Art Gallery @ Skatepark of Tampa) —AR
WED 13
An Evening of Jazz with Kym Purling & Friends A charity concert staged by local jazz pianist Kym Purling to benefit the Global Action Coalition and its food programs for children in Nepal. Purling's regular band (which includes bassist Allejandro Arenas and drummer Mark Feinman) are joined by a roster of guest vocalists and musicians, among them jazz songstress Denise Moore, sax extraordinaire Jeremy Powell and trumpeter Dwayne White. For more info, visit globalactioncoalition.org. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
The Glitch Mob w/Phantogram/Com Truise The L.A.-based electro glitch-hop trio known for their mixtapes, remixes and dancefloor-burning live shows finally released a debut LP of original material last year. Drink The Sea showcases Glitch Mob's knack for creating futuristic soundscapes marked by whirrs, blips and other robo fragments, undulating static waves, atmospheric prisms of aural drama, deep bass pulses and fuzzed-out fattiness, and skittering aggro beats. On their current tour, Glitch Mob presents a new We Can Make The World Stop EP, out July 12 via Glass Air. Their live show has been described as an immersive, multimedia experience with producers/instrumentalists Justin Boreta, Ed Ma and Josh Mayer performing against heady, high-tech visuals. New York indietronica duo Phantogram supports; read more aboutnthem here. (Czar, Ybor City)
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts She's the sexy, tattooed, inky-haired mistress of rock who dished out 1980s hits like "Bad Reputation," "I Hate Myself for Loving You" and "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," and set herself apart from the pack with her take-no-prisoners attitude and overall lack of sugar-coating. In an era when most of her female peers were working hard on their MTV pop appeal, Joan Jett was practicing her most ferocious sneer. Three decades into her career, she has it down to a dynamic science. (Hard Rock Café, Tampa)
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This article appears in Jul 7-13, 2011.