|
The
Suggestions
Valentine’s,
Thursday
Remember the Suggestions? That pop band who were touring like
crazy a few years ago? Whatever happened to those guys? Well,
we have the scoop. Multi-instrumental musician (and Metroland
scribe) John Brodeur has been busy with, oh, three or four
other bands lately, and the bassist and drummer have moved
away, making gigs a bit harder to coordinate. Though the three
members (Brodeur, Keith Hosmer and Jay Schultz) now live in
three different states, they are getting together for a reunion
show tonight at Valentine’s to kick off their Gone and Gone
Again Tour, featuring a few rare concert dates this month.
Inside sources tell us that the band have been working on
a bunch of new songs, but you will most likely be able to
hear a couple oldies-but-goodies too. Check the Suggestions’
MySpace (myspace.com/the suggestions) for more tour dates,
and get out to a show are two. They will be just as excited
to see you as you will be to see them. Pittsfield pop princes
Hector on Stilts will open tonight’s show. (May 25, 9 PM,
$5, 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany, 432-6572)
 |
 |
|
josephine
foster
|
Josephine
Foster
Valentine’s,
Friday
“You
might call Ms. Foster’s eerie warbling old-fashioned, except
that it evokes a scrambled past that exists only in her own
vision: mountain songs that never were, spaced-out hybrids
that never will be.” So sayeth The New York Times about
Josephine Foster, and we’re in complete agreement. The Devendra
Banhart pal—Jesus, isn’t everybody pals with Banhart these
days?—has developed a formidable reputation for her eerie
(that word again), unnerving-but- compelling song journeys
into a past that harmoniously includes 19th-century American
and medieval Europe. And, now, 19th-century Europe: Her new
album, A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, is a collection
of art songs by the likes of Brahms and Schubert. We guess
that the Australian writer for the Melbourne City Search
was dead-on when writing that “new psychedelic folk fans”
will be “gobsmacked to hear from Josephine Foster.” Actually,
we just like to see “gobsmacked” and “folk” in the same sentence.
Arizona Drains and dry-as-a-glass-of-undiluted-gin noise-folkie
Connie Acher will open. (May 26, 9 PM, $5, 17 New Scotland
Ave., Albany, 432-6572.)
|
Boys
Night Out
Saratoga
Winners, Saturday
Boys Night Out, an Ontario-based, scream-laced, pop-punk band,
debuted in 2002 with their album Broken Bones and Bloody
Kisses. However, don’t expect to hear only what MTV calls
their “typical pop-punk/emo/lotsa yelling” style this Saturday
at Saratoga Winners. Their third album, Trainwreck,
has distanced them from the pop-punk identity and set them
toward a more melancholy, melodic pop-rock sound. Trainwreck,
written entirely by guitarist Jeff Davis, is a musical novella
that follows a man who has been admitted to a hospital for
killing his wife. Though this murder-plot concept album is
still prone to some abrupt bursts of shouting, most of the
vocals are more melodic and energetic. Boys Night Out undoubtedly
will play songs from their previous albums along with tracks
from Trainwreck that’ll reveal their new style. Boys
Night Out will be at Saratoga Winners this Saturday with special
guests Anterrabae, Just Surrender, and Drive By. (May 27,
7:30 PM, $12, 1375 New Loudon Road, Latham, 783-1010)
|
Mark
Kozelek
Iron
Horse Music Hall, Saturday
Mark Kozelek was the voice of 4AD recording artists Red House
Painters; over six releases, the Painters (along with Galaxie
500, to be fair) practically paved the way for “slowcore”
acts like Low and the Radar Bros. He’s also the guy behind
Sun Kil Moon, whose Ghosts of the Great Highway ended
up on about a bajillion Top 10 lists at the end of 2003. His
most recent solo release is Tiny Cities, a collection
of interpretations of songs from the Modest Mouse catalog.
It follows in the footsteps of What’s Next to the Moon,
Kozelek’s 2001 collection of Bon Scott-era AC/DC covers. (You
really wouldn’t know they were AC/DC songs if you weren’t
told; same goes for the Modest Mouse stuff.) This one should
be worth the drive. (May 27, 10 PM, $18, 20 Center St.,
Northampton, Mass., 413-584-0610)
Carl
Palmer Band
revolution
hall, monday
The Carl Palmer Band will hit Revolution Hall on Monday to
celebrate the music of supergroup Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
Palmer is known as a drummer with speed, excellent technical
skills and a flair for live performance. Over the years he’s
never really settled down with one musical project, jumping
around from supergroups to not-so-super groups. One of the
most decorated rock drummers since the beginning of his career
around 40 years ago, Palmer now owns and runs Drum Clinics
UK, whose mission is to teach the instrument to deaf and blind
children, among others. (May 29, 8 PM, $25, 425 River St.,
Troy, 273-2337)
Burning
Daylight Tour featuring DevilDriver
Saratoga
Winners, Tuesday
Dez Fafara of DevilDriver used to play in a nu-metal band
called Coal Chamber. They sang a little ditty called “Big
Truck” about, well, big trucks, and the song went: “Big truck,
big truck, big truck, big truck.” Now the lead singer of a
proper metal band, Ferara takes his writing a bit more seriously,
and sings a moving tune entitled “Die and Die Now,” that goes:
“Die and die now!/I wish you were dead/I wish you were dead/I
wish you were dead/I wish you were dead/I wish you were dead/I
wish you were dead.” Fafara also takes time to warn his audience:
“Don’t mistake kindness for weakness/Front and center for
another ass kicking.” We suggest you heed his warning: Don’t
be tardy for your DevilDriver beatdown, or you might wind
up the muse for his next eloquent “hate song.” (May 30,
7:30 PM, $17, 1375 New Loudon Road, Latham, 783-1010)
|
| Also
Noted |
 |
|
guy
davis
|
He
ain’t no fortunate son: Blues whiz Guy Davis,
son of actors Ruby Dee and the late Ossie Davis,
plays Great Barrington’s Club Helsinki tomorrow
(Friday, 9 PM, $20, 413-528-3394). . . . At MASS
MoCA’s Hunter Center this Sunday, it’s former
Living Colour ax-man Vernon Reid and his
new group, Masque; eight-piece jazz/hiphop/funk/hard-bop
ensemble Liquid Soul will open (8 PM, $24,
413-662-2111). . . . Woodstock report: Karl Wallinger’s
band World Party are back with a new album,
Dumbing Up, and they’ll play at Bearsville
Theater in Bearsville (near Woodstock) this Sunday
(8 PM, $25, 845-679-4406); also on Sunday, former
British soldier turned wispy pop crooner James
Blunt will deliver a special acoustic performance
at Belleayre Music Festival; the show is a benefit
for both the Belleayre Music Conservatory and
a Woodstock-area animal shelter (7 PM, $25-$100,
800-942-6904 ext. 344). . . . The New Age Cabaret,
evicted from its North Albany home early this
spring (“Music With No Home,” Newsfront, March
2), has settled into a new location at the Trinity
Church on Lark Street in Albany; Jupiter Sunrise,
Let Go, and Kaddisfly will play the
new space this Wednesday ($10, 6 PM, 436-3465).
|
|
|
Classifieds
