Just when you thought there was nothing to do on a Tuesday night, two hot acts — psyche rock pioneers and an electro indie buzz band — stop right here in Tampa Bay.
Merging elements of ’60s psychedelic rock and pop with traditional Brazilian rhythms, Os Mutantes (“the Mutants”) carried the Tropicália movement torch after leaders Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso were jailed on a false charges, then exiled to London in 1968. The band’s distinctive, riotous sound was marked by unorthodox song structures, lyricism tending towards cultural irony and political activism, and experiments that incorporated distortion, feedback, Musique concrete recording techniques (looping, mixing, filtering), field recordings, and various other avant-garde sonics that have influenced anyone from Nirvana to Flaming Lips to Beck and David Byrne. Os Mutantes released seven albums and went through several lineup changes from 1968 to 1976 before calling it quits in 1978. But after playing a string of dates with Os Mutantes in 2006, founding frontman Sergio Dias Baptista found himself revitalized and ready to write. His new incarnation of the band signed with ANTI- and released the first new Os Mutantes studio record in 35 years, Haih or Amortecedor, in September. Their Tampa appearance, which is supported by Brooklyn world music quintet, DeLeon, is a rare treat and this show has definite sell out potential. Get your tickets ASAP. Tues., Oct. 13, 8 p.m., Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa, $25.
This article appears in Oct 8-14, 2009.