Philadelphia

Eric Carbonara and Vavoom Quintet at Highwire Gallery Oct. 9

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From noise rock to acoustic roots music, as far as Andalusian Flamenco guitar and as wide as North African folk, Eric Carbonara is a musical mystic to has transcended every style and genre of playing guitar imaginable. This guitar guru started out mastering his own self-taught free-form gypsy styles, and has traveled as far as India to hone his skills even further. And album titles such as Selections From The Void… and Toward A Center Of Infinite Flux summarize his playing style far better than any music journalist can. And when he performs in a smaller venue like Highwire Gallery, you’ll have a chance to catch each intimate note and chord progression. He’ll also be sharing the bill with the likes of the Vavoom Quintet, the newest project from multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Alan Sondheim that also features psych-folk cellist and Espers member Helena Espvall. This event will benefit Partner’s In Health’s very commendable Haitian relief work efforts. Highwire Gallery, 2040 Frankford Ave., 8pm, $6, All Ages (Photo by Noah Levey) – Bill McThrill
 
Austin

ACL Early Wonderful Ripples: Sahara Smith, Blind Pilot, Spoon @ Four Seasons

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One of the best things about our two annual massive festivals is the spillover – free shows and cheap shows and free drinks and after parties and such. Case in point, this morning on the sun-dappled lawn behind the downtown Four Seasons, for a $5 donation fee, I caught a set from Sahara Smith, the newest youth export from Wimberley, who killed it, then a set from Blind Pilot, who are from Portland and so aren’t really supposed to get coverage here, but nevertheless, excellent show my northwestern brethren, and then one from none other than the melanin-challenged Britt Daniel and his operation Spoon. My neighbor and fellow audience member theorized ragweed allergies as the issue, but for whatever reason he turned in a shortened, not particularly vibrant set – but Spoon even at their worst are quite good. Here’s hoping he recovers somewhat to put on a show for the Zilker masses. 

Nashville

Starry Nights Music Festival Pt. 1, Friday 10/1/10

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Starry Nights Music Festival celebrated its third birthday this year, and celebrate we did. Born and raised in the heart of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Starry Nights was held at the same sound location as previous years. A seemingly smaller and colder version of Wakarusa, this festival had all the well-liked components of your camping festival experience. Consisting of two stages encircled by merchants, food, and what I thought was a UFO light structure, the main area left ample room for hoopers, dancers, and shade dwellers alike. Campers set up just outside the music allowing trips to coolers, bonfires, and port-o-potties to be effortless. And then there was the music…

This year’s Starry Nights was nothing shy of an honorary party for Nashville’s hardest working talent, brought to us by our hardest working promoters. A very “coming of age” moment for Happy Salmon Productions, this festival showcased the endless success of Nashville’s industry professionals and their sought out artists alike.

Tesla Rossa and Rayland Baxter started things off Friday with early afternoon sets, and I rolled in just in time to see an unfortunate cancellation by The Ettes turn into a fortunate set by The Kingston Springs. Sun shining and crowd rushing, the Springs sounded as natural as their debut EP Vacation Time had promised.

Armed with serious components of musicality, chemistry, performance, and originality, I’d say they have an ideal thing going right now. Lead vocalist Ian Ferguson doesn’t hesitate to let his high-pitch vocals resonate atop the tightly knit drum and bass duo cutting up the background, as guitarist James Guidry jumps in with rivaling harmonies. As much as I hate to compare them to other artists, their sound is very Vampire Weekend moves to the West Coast – has a baby with an indie rock woman with Beatles influences that plays the tambourine…if that makes sense.

With consistent and contagious energy throughout, I couldn’t help but think to myself, ‘they don’t even know what they have right now’. Fresh out of high school, their stage presence was almost frightening – starting out songs like “Little Girl” with a bass riff and keyboard fusion resembling that of a Flaming Lips intro. Does anyone smell a record deal? Needless to say, my expectations for this group were high, and it was a pleasant surprise to see them generate hype both on and off the stage.

In a nutshell, Friday’s highlights consisted of a beautiful appearance from HoneyHoney, an energy hyping set by Sleeper Agent, and the unpredictable and perfected crowd surfing by front man Matthew Shultz from Cage The Elephant. Cage ended their set in collaboration with Autovaugn covering “Killing In the Name Of” by Rage Against The Machine…and leaving the set with a chipped tooth and side cramp I couldn’t have been more pleased.

Ghostland Observatory dipped into the morning with a light show that yielded confirmation from the US Air force, leaving the late-night crowd more than content. I’d say despite my choice to wear flip-flops and a skirt in mid-40’s weather, it was a fine start to the weekend.–Mackenzie Grosser

Nashville

Shooter Jennings & Hierophant @ Exit/In

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Shooter Jennings returns to his Nashville tonight at Exit/In. The only child of Jessi Colter and the legendary country artist Waylon Jennings, Shooter takes after Dad not only in looks; he’s most famous for doing the country thing, and he does it with a hard riff to make good old-fashioned Southern rock. But this time he’ll be playing with band Hierophant, which formed in 2009 and in 2010 released “Black Ribbons,” a concept album featuring narration and dialogue by Stephen King. With Hierophant, Jennings abandons alt-country for rock that’s more on the psychedelic side. Either way, it’s going to get rowdy, and J-Roddy Walston and The Business will be opening, so come check it out at 8 p.m. – Deli Staff

San Francisco

EP Review: The Phantom Kicks

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Short, to the point, and swimming in reverb, the Phantom Kicks’ first EP concisely demonstrates the promises of their sound. Fusing electronic concepts with the looped and layered melodic tendencies of post-rock, the Phantom Kicks have created a soothing and fascinatingly intricate soundscape.

“Cut From a Different Clay” opens the album with a hypnotic driving high-octave guitar melody – a feature of each song on the album – supported by an unobtrusive electronic drum track and omnipresent synthetic bass tone. As the layers of the song build it’s almost two minutes before any vocals are heard. Distant and charming, it’s as if the singer is calling from another plane, perhaps the one the music is building towards. Crescendoing and abruptly ending this ascension, the song makes an abrupt change to a brief and more abrasive rock sound, before dwindling out in delicate vocal harmonies.

Rapidly building back out of the brief lull, “Eyes Familiar” bursts open with a second wind of energy. Powerful syncopated guitar strikes bolster the melody lines as the song takes a sharp turn dragging the listener on its ride. As with the song before, and the one after, the Phantom Kicks’ music is defined by its dynamic richness. Tempos and environments change rapidly and there is a rich texture to each of the song’s compositions.

Lyrically the songs on this EP live in a space of blissful innocence with amenable differences, late nights transforming into tender mornings and peaceful inquiries into another’s patience become song topics. Juxtaposed against the complexities of the music, this functions as a welcome foil. The vocals serve as an additional instrumental layer instead of a competing distraction, and with such awe-inspiring harmonies their function is well served.

“Coming Home” closes out the EP building yet another hypnotic set of melodies. For a song built around the patience of waiting for someone’s return, it is fitting that with a little patience comes the most stunning portion of the album. The song reaches its peak and with a temperate reverence; a beautiful set of harmonies float the ears out of the album.

All in all as debuts go, Phantom Kicks’ EP illustrates a great amount potential. It ebbs and flows in intricate and captivating motions that maintain attention throughout. It will be interesting to see how they develop their electronic-infused muted post-rock sound in what I’m sure will be a successful full-length release.

 

–Ada Lann

Philadelphia

Weekend Warrior, Oct. 8 – 10

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We are proud to present at Johnny Brenda’s tonight with Dock Street Brewing Co. one of Philly’s best kept secrets. Join us as we celebrate the long-awaited release of Grandchildren’s buzzworthy debut LP Everlasting! They will be showcasing their stellar album with what is sure to be an inspired performance of precision, collaboration, and good time vibes. Those vibes will get kick started by Philly retro-pop heavyweights The Armchairs, who seem to play every release party under the sun. We here at the Deli are not complaining though, because since much of the Elephant Six collective have retired/given up, it is nice to have these hometown boys keeping up the tradition. The show only gets stranger with experimental folk popsters Hermit Thrushes, who recall Pinback without a need for song structure, and special guest Absolutely Koshers’s Little Teeth, who will be coming in from San Fran for the festivities. It’s about to get awesomely weird very soon! Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ (Photo by Tiffany Yoon)
 
Other things to do when you are not watching the Phillies…
 
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI The Young Werewolves SUN King Kong Ding Dong
 
North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI Bleed Radio Bleed, The Silence Kit, The Last Barbarians
 
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI (Early) When I Was 12 and Slutever, (Late) El Fuego, SAT The Jean Marie and The Fleeting Ends
 
M Room (15 W. Girard Ave.) FRI The Sideshow Prophets Album Release Party
 
Tritone (1508 South St.) SAT Prowler and Sunny Ali & The Kid, SUN Fill Catalogue
 
Danger Danger Gallery (5013 Baltimore Ave.) FRI Doctor Scientist and Extra Tongue
 
Millcreek Tavern (4200 Chester Ave.) FRI Razorblade Skin
 
Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd St.) SAT Ben Arnold
 
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI La Violencia and Jill Jacobs and The Know How
 
Highwire Gallery (2040 Frankford Ave.) SAT Eric Carbonara
 
JR’s Bar (2327 S. Croskey St.) FRI Ganto Barn, SAT Invisible Friends and The Midnight Beat
 
Greenline Café (4239 Locust St.) FRI Your Children is Beautiful and Shannon Pelcher
 
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) SAT Big Terrible
 
The Ellen Powell Tiberino Museum (3819 Hamilton St.) FRI Carnivolution Finale
 
The Blockley Pourhouse (3801 Chestnut St.) SAT The Fractals and Dukes of Destiny
 
NYC

Weekly Special #221b: The Depreciation Guild

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Two Japanese school girls are filmed meeting up for a day out together throughout the city of Tokyo. As the gentle-yet-sonically-powerful keyboard synths begin, two friends greet each other and head out to explore the city. The gorgeous clarity of at times super slo-mo camera imagery shows the girls with their pink earmuffs and headbands, sharing an iPod headset (listening to The Depreciation Guild‘s "My Chariot", of course) as they put on makeup, brush their hair and eat ice cream. Kurt’s vocals provide the perfect soundtrack for this delightful and intoxicating travelogue through a magical city of Tokidoki and Hello Kitty dolls. “The hope you feel, it will gratify you instantly,” Kurt sings. However, it is tempered by a fear that one may “wake up obsolete.” Thematically the lyrical content, with its references to “data” and things being “digital” more closely match the images of a cutting-edge electronic Japan. In fact, perhaps the song title itself refers to some kind of space chariot, rather than the ancient vehicle one might initially think of. The song and video climax together in an uplifting blend of new discoveries, wonderment and that magical feeling of shared experiences. – Read Dave Cromwell full feature on The Depreciation Guild here.

NYC

Weekly Special #221a: Wakey!Wakey! – Live at Bowery, 10.22

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Wakey Wakey! sounds like an indie-pop musical. Front man, Mike Grubbs has been rocking out on the piano since choir practice as a little kid. He fosters his roots in classical music, but also has a strong affinity for the indie sound. His first full length album, “Everything I Wish I’d Said The Last Time I Saw You” is dynamic and theatrical. The piano and strings driven title track begs for Broadway choreography, while tunes like “The Oh Song” sounds like MGMT. Grubbs has been a regular face in New York for years performing at Bar4 and Rockwood. Ever since his songs were featured on the show “One Tree Hill” the outside world has been getting a taste of Wakey Wakey! Grubbs just spend two weeks touring solo all over the southern states and only has a short stint back in the city before heading west again, this time with his full band. He’ll be back in NYC for a CMJ show at Bowery Ballroom on 10.22. – Read Jenny Luczak Q&A with Mike Grubbs here.

NYC

Oberhofer release 7″, play Deli CMJ show w/ Keepaway and Bear Hands

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Brad Oberhofer’s taught, melodic post-punk has won his musical project, Oberhofer, quite a lot of praise lately, and that praise is warranted, as the music is a frantic, energetic, and ultimately satisfying treat. Each song is laced with manic drums, quirky melody and sharp, angular guitar riffs that give way to pensive moments of xylophone, keys and samples. There’s sing-along “oohs” and “whoa’s,” and choral hooks like that on “Landline” that will never cease being stuck in your head. Comparisons can certainly be made to the likes of Wavves or Beach Fossils, but Oberhofer owes as much to reverb-heavy punk-pop as it does to the carefully crafted indie-pop of Spoon or MGMT. For a bedroom project (complete with a backing band in the live setting), Oberhofer sounds surprisingly huge on record, with layers of instrumentation and vocals that belie the solo status of this talented one-man project. The band just announced a 7" release on Inflated Records for November 31 and a tour with The Morning Benders and Twin Sisters. More importantly though, they will be playing The Deli’s flagship CMJ show at Brooklyn Bowl on Wednesday October 20 with Bear Hands, Keepaway and Brahms. – W.D.