THURSDAY, JULY 21
Tin Armor w/Andy Cook & The Wanderloons Life of Abundance is the just-released sophomore LP by Tin Armor, a Columbus, Ohio foursome that draws on '90s-era alt rock, piano pop, jangly punk and rootsy heartland influences. The band's sound is marked by the earnest nasally wails of singer/guitarist/keyboardist Matt Umland, off-kilter vocal harmonies by brother John Umland and bassist Matty Golightley, plenty of contemplative lyrics ("We're living a life of abundance / the squalor of rentals aside / We cherish our things and live beyond our means / to the tune of our paychecks demise" Matt sings in the title track), and the occasional drawn-out moments of pure rock 'n' roll, like in "Shake Up," which starts plodding and pained, and ascends with an expressive tension-building guitar passage carried on delicate keyboard melodies and steady-measured rhythms by drummer Matt O'Conke. The album is available at tinarmor.bandcamp.com for a name-your-price download. Soulful retro-pop makers Andy Cook & The Wanderloons, also from Ohio, support. (Transitions @ Skatepark of Tampa)
Greenhouse Lounge w/Sir Charles Jacksonville's eco-conscious Greenhouse Lounge is an electro-jam trio that fuses elements of dubstep, funk, jazz and breakbeats into a unique sonicscape with dub basslines, club-thumping beats, warped guitar riffs and psychedelic melodies. Music isn't the only thing that's important to these guys; they also care about the environment and in addition to boasting green Web hosting practices, they purchase Renewable Energy Credits to offset their energy consumption. Their new album, Right On Time, is available for free download at greenhouselounge.com. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —Kate Cillian
FRIDAY, JULY 22
Mogul Street Reserve w/Anonymous/Genolexis/Letters&Numbers The progressive rock-driving pop trio that once called Tampa home re-located to Atlanta several months back to expand their audience and tap into that city's more expansive music scene. Mogul Street Reserve returns to headline a hometown show, and according to their message on the Facebook Event, "We've been hard at work on new songs ... expect to hear a few at this show. Can't wait to see our friends!" Among the eclectic lineup of support acts is Tampa rhyme-slinger Anonymous (AND.ON.I.MUST). (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Lauris Vidal w/Billy Dean A free show featuring Florida's own high-spirited, sunshine soulful alt-folk troubadour and kitchen sink multi-instrumentalist, Lauris Vidal, who plays a ukulele he crafted from a banjo neck and cigar box, in addition to guitar, tenor banjo and lap steel. This is a full-band stop, which means local folks get the rare treat of experiencing his songs as lushly fleshed out as they are on recordings like his recent well-produced Better Part EP. (Ella's Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa)
Rude City Riot w/Unchecked Agreesion/The Long Johns An eight-piece self-styled "power ska" outfit from Vancouver, Rude City Riot mixes a bit of punk, hard rock, West Coast alt rock, reggae and soul into their upbeat music. Rah rah backing choruses feature all members joining in, and a two-piece horn section of sax and trombone bring fun and jauntiness to their eclectic sound. This tour the band celebrates the release of their first LP, Nothin But Time (Stomp Records). (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Marksmen w/Geri X/The Wanderer/Christie DuPree Marksmen adorn their thoughtfully somber alt-country with folk and acoustic rock textures. The Tampa foursome released a well-regarded full-length earlier this year, though for this gig, they've threatened to play some "oldies." Hopefully this includes the title track off their 2010 Blue and Grey EP, its crashing drums and animated guitar solos backing the gorgeous vocals of frontman-songwriter Matt Segallos and thoughtful verses like, "It's the blue and the grey / It's the call to arms / You're just fueling the fire / You're just playing a part." Singer-songwriter Geri X — who makes a cameo in the gloomy "Conformity is Key" off that same album — plays a support set, as do a few other local acts. (The Local 662, St. Petersburg) —KC and LP
Stephen Marley w/Ghetto Youths Crew In a recent CL interview, Stephen Marley described his 2011 full-length, Revelation Part 1: The Root of Life, as "mostly roots reggae ... I didn't really stray too far from the root. Like with 'No Cigarette Smoke,' it's lovers' rock, original reggae and 'Jah Army' is that type of '80s reggae like Sly and Robbie." Revelation Part 2: The Fruit of Life is due out this fall and according to Marley, the second installment "represents the bearing of fruit, which is the offspring of the root and the tree. Some fruits are tart, some are sweet, some are fully ripe, some are tangy, so you get a more eclectic sounding album." Click here to read the complete interview. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
SATURDAY, JULY 23
YOB w/Dark Castle/Flying Snakes/Shitdang "With some doom bands there can be a kind of numb glory in pure, matte-finish repetition," wrote New York Times columnist Ben Ratliff in his glowing review of a recent NYC show, "but that wasn't true here: the chords moved like a mamba snake, loaded with tonal variation." I know next to nothing about doom metal, so you'll have to take his word that Oregon-based doom metal trio Yob is good, real good — if you're into that sort of thing. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
