THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Whores w/Primate Straight from Atlanta comes Whores, a trio that delivers sludgy noise rock that grinds and oozes in waves of deep and menacing bass, crunchy distorted guitars, and pounding rhythms, the growl-roar of frontman Christian Lembach a raging exclamation point. CL Atlanta gave high marks to Whores’ 2011 debut EP, Ruiner, commenting that each song “punches with reactionary and ultimately rewarding fits of pure psychosis.” The paper also gave Whores a Best of Atlanta award in 2009 (“Best Sign That Cock Rock Is Back”) and likened their live show to “being crushed under the tread of a Panzer tank as it charges into battle.” (Orpheum, Ybor City)
Enter the Haggis This little indie band from Toronto pushes the limits of what most consider Celtic rock, experimenting with Africanesque drumbeats, French lyrics, and even distorted fiddle solos on 2009’s Gutter Anthems (United For Opportunity), a tribute to the little guy that embraces the band’s cultural ties to their Canadian homeland. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater) —Lindsey Collette
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
“Saving Sperandeo” w/Buffalo Strange/The Hip Abduction/Lounge Cat/Nathalia Estrada/Ngaire Young/Jun Bustamante Another group of local musicians band together to help a friend in need. This one is staunch scene supporter Christina Sperandeo, who was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in May. Dubbed “A Benefit Concert for Christina’s Cure for Cancer!” with all proceeds to benefit a trust set up to support her treatments, the show features a diverse cast of performers, from Afro-reggae groove, jazz and funk-rock outfit The Hip Abduction, to lively nouveau swingin’ jazz ensemble Lounge Cat (led by sharp dressing singer-guitarist Eddie Rosicky), to rich and velvety singer and songwriter Jun Bustamante, who wields acoustic guitar and banjo, and delves into the sounds of folk, Americana, jazz, soul and even hip-hop. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
The Aggrolites w/Peelander-Z/Magadog They originally met as session artists backing up reggae great Derrick Morgan on an album that was never released, and eventually formed The Aggrolites in 2002. The LA outfit mixes the more traditional sounds of swaying reggae with echoing dub and faster-paced ska, and deliver it on a bed of dirty funky organ grooves. Though they lean instrumental, lead guitarist Jesse Wagner doles out rough-soulful vocals when the need arises, sometimes hitting falsetto high notes as in “Trial and Error” off this year’s Rugged Road, their fifth album and first on new label Young Cub Records. (The Local 662, St. Petersburg)
Southern Routes: The Constellations w/Maylene & the Sons of Disaster/Geri X Band and more After several stops in town that saw them opening for a diverse array of artists — Electric Six, Toots and the Maytals, Robert Randolph, and most recently, Minus the Bear — The Constellations finally return for top billing. The Atlanta sextet draws on electro psyche rock, salacious funk and sauntering soul, their heavily textured sound marked by fuzzy twisting synths, aggressive organ and bass grooves, mood-setting backing vocals, hand claps, retro percussion, and an overall shimmy-slinky vibe as commanded by vocalist Elijah Jones, who adopts sneering Lou Reed conversational-rhyming style when he’s not singing in a low growl or lazy croon. The Constellations wrote and recorded their Virgin debut, 2010’s Southern Gothic, with producer Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley). The result is a high quality nod to their hometown, “all about what happens in Atlanta from 2 a.m. until noon,” with guest spots by the likes of hip-hop luminary Cee-Lo Green, who adds verses to the upbeat “Love Is A Murder,” as well as an over nine minute tribute to Tom Waits, “Step Right Up,” that samples a cut off Waits’ 1976 classic “Small Change,” and adds customized lyrics about the ATL. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
The Fixx The English rock band best known for their New Wave hit “One Thing Leads to Another” hits Largo on their current tour. Though they haven’t released new material since 2003’s Want That Life, the classic lineup is back intact and working on their 10th studio album, Beautiful Friction, due out in spring of 2012. (Largo Cultural Center, Largo)
Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls w/Andrew Jackson Jihad/Into It Over It The one-time vocalist of post-hardcore outfit Million Dead is a fast-rising force on the indie folk-punk circuit. UK singer-songwriter Frank Turner is another artist who returns to town as headliner after playing support on his last few stops (to Flogging Molly and Social Distortion, respectively). He’s earned a loyal U.S. following despite his distinctly British sensibility, which he explores ever further in his fourth full-length, 2011’s England Keep My Bones (Epitaph). Songs like “Peggy Sang the Blues” — an ode about his late grandmother visiting him in his sleep and sharing some words of wisdom — reveal his emotional depth, while barroom stompers like “I Still Believe” show his loose, upbeat side and knack for penning anthemic choruses (“Now who would have thought, that after all / Something as simple as rock and roll would save us all?”). Concerts tend to dissolve into sing-fests, with everyone yelling along to Turner’s brash lyrics. A popular one from “Photosynthesize”: “I won’t sit down, I won’t shut up and most of all I will not grow up!” He’s currently touring with a handpicked backing band, The Sleeping Souls. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1
D.P. w/Big Blu House / Breakdown/Effex / The Boom Bap Eclectic Danny Perez, aka D.P., is an independent rapper from Gainesville, a town where he’s gained a rep as much for his mic skills as for his tireless self-promotion. His 2009 concept album fortyeighthours was written, produced and recorded in just two days, a process he documented in a series of YouTube webisodes. In 2010 he dropped Bar Tab Blues, and has since opened for bigger acts around the state like Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Goodie Mob and Afroman. As a trained pianist, D.P. crafts bouncy, piano-heavy beats to go with his distinctly Southern rhymes and catchy hooks. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) —Christopher Spata
Variance CD Release Party & Cancer Benefit w/Goodnight Neverland/A View From The East Coast/Airsickness/Air Like Oceans/No Inside New Port Richey post-hardcore/alt-rock foursome Variance celebrates the release of their first album, Live Every Day, and donates a portion of proceeds from each ticket to the American Cancer Society. A big bill of young like acts support. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
Joe Jonas / Jay Sean Proving that one-third of the Jonas Brothers is enough to make the cut, Joe Jonas has earned rave reviews from Billboard and Entertainment Weekly for his single “See No More.” In his solo debut album, FastLife, Joe trades up his Disney pop star image for that of R&B songster. And he’s in good company with British singer-songwriter, rapper, beatboxer and record producer Jay Sean, who co-headlines on their current 19-city tour. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —LC
DaM-FunK + Master Blazter Crowned as Los Angeles’ “Ambassador of Boogie Funk,” Dam-Funk (pronounced “Dame” as in Damon, sometimes stylized Dâm-Funk or DaM-FunK) represents a new breed of renaissance artists whose sound is rooted in modern soul, boogie and electro funk of the late ’70s and early ’80s. His debut LP, Toeachizown (Stones Throw Records, 2009) is considered by some to be a benchmark for the burgeoning movement. Read more about the intriguing artist (and his backing band, Master Blazter) on p. 41. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Eilen Jewell Band w/The Nouveaux Honkies/Barren River Trio “I’m the queen of the lonely tunes, queen of the high shelf booze, the queen of the melancholy, the queen of the minor key,” Eilen Jewell sings in the title track off her fourth full-length, 2011’s Queen of the Minor Key. Her music is a dark mix of Western swing, vintage Americana, 1950’s honky-tonk and rambling folk blues, her songwriting straightforward and informed by the imagery, landscapes and classic themes of the West, and her enchanting velvety drawling vocals have a rich tone that’s earned her comparisons to anyone from Billie Holiday to Nancy Sinatra. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Audrey Sinead w/Mute Speak/John Gold/ Victor Florence/The Music Box Audrey Sinead is one half of local indie-rock outfit Aria Novos; as a solo artist, her honeyed vocals accompany pretty folk pop. The other half, Gerard Sison, performs down-tempo trip hop as Mute Speak, his sweetly high-toned vocals adding emotive urgency to otherwise low-key music. Also of note on this local bill is blissfully rambunctious alt folk singer-songwriter John Gold. (Transitions Art Gallery @ Skatepark of Tampa)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2
honeyhoney / Joshua James w/Levi Lowrey LA’s Nashville-influenced alt-roots rock two-piece honeyhoney is made up of 20-something musicians Suzanne Santo (husky haunting vocals, fiddle) and Ben Jaffe (guitar with slide action included). They released their debut on Kiefer Sutherland’s label but signed to Lost Highway to record their sophomore full-length, Billy Jack, produced primarily by Raymond Richards (Local Natives) and due to drop Oct. 24. They take their full band on the road for a co-headlining tour with Utah-based indie folk singer-songwriter Joshua James, whose warm and intimate vocals match his gorgeous rasping tone and bittersweet lyrical style. (The Local 662, St. Petersburg)
Mos Def and Talib Kweli: Black Star While each is considered icons of indie hip-hop in their own right, back in 1998, when Mos Def and Talib Kweli were still up-and-comers, the Brooklyn emcees decided to put aside their respective solo debuts and collaborate. The fruit of that effort, Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star, has since been heralded as a classic in the genre of “conscious rap,” weaving themes of politics and empowerment over quintessential ’90s boom-bap. Both have gone on to enjoy successful solo careers, but hip-hop heads have never stopped clamoring for a follow-up to their one and only album. (Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa) —CS
Lynne Arriale Tampa Jazz Club opens their 2011-12 season with a solo concert by acclaimed jazz composer/pianist Lynne Arriale, who plays select cuts from her 11th and latest album, Convergence, which includes five original pieces as well as arrangements of songs by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Nine Inch Nails and Sting. (HCC-Ybor Mainstage Theater, Ybor City)
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3
Decapitated w/Decrepit Birth/Fleshgod Apocalypse The Polish trio founded and fronted by composer guitarist Waclaw “Vogg” Kieltyka has paid their due to the technical death metal pantheons with five well-regarded LPs, and dealt with what could’ve been a band-ending tragedy along the way when a car accident claimed the life of Vogg’s drummer brother, Vitek, in 2007. Decapitated disbanded shortly after but was revived by Vogg in 2010 and issued their fifth album, Carnival Is Forever, in July. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4
Junior Boys w/Egyptrixx We love Junior Boys. No Canadian band marries the sounds of electro-pop, R&B, disco and UK garage into a sexy and sophisticated style of mid-tempo dance music quite like the indietronic duo, their distinctive sound buoyed by the whispery high-toned vocal caress of keyboardist/guitarist Jeremy Greenspan and the subtle wall-of-synths layering by programmer/electro technician Matt Didemus. They’ve treated Tampa to three of their American headlining tours, including their latest to promote their 2011 fourth LP, It’s All True (Domino). While I’m not completely sold on the album, I’d go see Junior Boys based on their live show alone, since they usually get the bodies moving from the start with their supple hip-shaking grooves and pretty much keep it going all throughout. Well worth the price of a Tuesday night outing. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5
Murs w/Tabi Bonney Los Angeles underground hip-hop giant Murs is not a gangsta rapper. In fact, on “The Pain,” he grumbles that part of his problem is “I’m more Coldplay than I am Ice-T.” But don’t get the wrong idea. Murs’ rhymes about struggling to attract women are tinged with an L.A. hood sensibility that allows him to pull off being sensitive without losing an ounce of street cred. His earnest, straightforward delivery turns everything from a walk to the corner store to a B.S. session at the barbershop into a gripping story. For his latest LP, the soon-to-be released Love & Rockets Vol. 1: The Transformation, the vegan emcee underwent a literal transformation, chopping off his trademark dreadlocks and Grizzly Adams beard in favor of a new, clean cut image. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —CS
The Script Pretty Irish boy Danny O’Donoghue (vocals/keys) and bandmates Mark Sheehan (guitar) and Glen Power (drums) are at it again. The Script’s second studio album, Science and Faith, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with help from their first platinum-selling single, “For the First Time.” Danny O’s emotion-packed songs of love lost are a little too tween swoon-worthy, but the rockers touch on more than just young heartbreak — sometimes it’s about mature (ages 21 and up) heartbreak. Take newly released single “Nothing,” in which O’Donoghue sings about going down to the local bar with his buds in a feeble attempt to get over his ex, who he calls up and hears “nothing.” (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —LC
Lindsey Buckingham Lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of Fleetwood Mac since 1967 and a solo artist who’s put out six full-length albums beginning in 1981, Lindsey Buckingham is obviously not the sort of artist to rest on his laurels. His 2011 soft melodic AC pop-rock album, Seeds We Sow, marks his first DIY release that he wrote, performed every song on, produced and mixed all on his own. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.
This article appears in Sep 29 – Oct 5, 2011.
