The Bob James Quartet, Porter Ray, Trentemøller, And More Picks For March 6-12
by Stranger Things To Do Staff
This week, our music critics recommend everything from the guy responsible for setting the tone for early modern sitcoms, to a classic rock powerhouse still belting out the best, to the man who's finally going to get you into techno.
TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY
Lydia Pense and Cold Blood with Guests
Lydia Pense and Cold Blood were a 1960s/’70s Bay Area powerhouse group of hippies who played high-energy, horn-driven, soulful blues rock and R&B. They gave no quarter in delivering earfuls of their proper “East Bay Grease” to the punters, y’all. Damn if they ain’t still at it, too—touring, recording, and releasing albums! The current Cold Blood lineup has been together since the 1990s and has evolved into something of a tight, easy-groovin’ funk group. That being said, the 1960s Cold Blood version of Barbara Lynn’s R&B classic “I’m a Good Woman” still rates on dance floors and reportedly still appears in Lydia Pense and Cold Blood’s shows. MIKE NIPPER
WEDNESDAY
Ann Wilson of Heart
Reasons to go see Ann Wilson (once and future singer of Heart): She boasted one of the purest, soaringest operatic voices in all of pop music and she might well still have it. She tried to take it when the Seattle Times’ Patrick MacDonald kept making fun of her weight, but eventually let Heart’s manager take ads out in the paper (sample counterpunch: “Get a grip, boob brain”). People called Heart “Little Zep,” as though that solved the case, never mind that Heart came on somewhat more melodic and considerably less bombastic. Then the band hit the 1980s and embraced synths and song doctors. If they were ever hip, that sealed their tomb. For hipsters, not listeners. ANDREW HAMLIN
Neumos & The Runaway Grand Reopening
Neumos will celebrate their reopening and newly completed renovations with a live performance from Brothers From Another, plus DJ sets from Sassyblack, Reed of Beat Connection, and DJ Evie of KEXP. Before Brothers From Another's show last December, Todd Hamm wrote this (which is still applicable in near-freezing March days): "Brothers from Another, now long past the days of colleging in sunny places like California, are playing a one-off show at Neumos tonight. December may seem like an odd time of year to catch such summery flavor, but consider the fact that the trio’s jovial, pos-ativa strain beach party hiphop might be the perfect thing to knock the frost off your cold, dying sense of hope. It could be like hitting the defrost button on some frozen summer leftovers, salmonella be damned."
Porter Ray, Jarv Dee, Cam The Mac, Bruce Leroy, BROC
I still worry about you, Seattle—and your frustrating propensity for missing the moon, staring at the finger pointing at it. Porter Ray, as a millennial Black rapper from Seattle that’s not necessarily cast as an antidote/alternative to contemporary rap music, has a hill to climb with his new album, Watercolor. Sub Pop is a venerable label with worldwide cachet, but if its fan base only has room for the kind of rap act that’s too often invoked to prove that other kinds of rap are dumb, how are they going to relate to the well-crafted vignettes of a Central District hustler? And are real rap heads in Seattle and everywhere else even checking for hiphop bearing Sub Pop’s two-toned masthead (like they should)? It’s a windfall that he landed on the biggest game in town, yes, but don’t get it twisted—Porter’s artful shit is top-shelf, town-bred intergenerational (peep revered CD MC Infinite on “Arithmetic”) game, served neat. Newest single “Lightro” is proof and pudding. LARRY MIZELL JR.
We Are All Here Culminating Performance
Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Symphony, and Path with Art—an organization that facilitates art projects between teaching artists and those experiencing homelessness—teamed up to create this multimedia performance. Back in 2016, students transformed art into poetry, and then transformed that poetry back into art in the form of giant poetic banners. Later on, during a 16-week course, orchestra members in the symphony collaborated with other PWA students to create an original composition based on those poems and banners. All of that work comes together in "We Are All Here" a show that displays Seattle's considerable local artistic and implicitly demands its citizens view those who struggle with housing as neighbors, not just numbers. RICH SMITH
THURSDAY
Grounded: Chaos in the CBD, R-PAL
New Zealand brothers Ben and Louis Helliker-Hales of Chaos in the CBD deal in a suave brand of house whose tracks abound with convincing simulacra of “real” instruments in the service of making your cares erode like sand castles in gentle tides. They go ga-ga for vocal-augmented tracks and percolating hand percussion; however, you should know that their sets admit no darkness whatsoever, so proceed cautiously. Up-and-coming local techno/house DJ R-Pal (aka Rachel Kramer of the technodad and TUF collectives) proved her mettle—to mention but two examples—with a moving mix of deep, spiritual house tracks on KEXP’s Midnight in a Perfect World show and a luxuriously spacey techno set opening for the Orb at Neumos last October. DAVE SEGAL
Hayley Kiyoko
These days, we don’t get the pop star we want, we get the pop star we deserve. Mainstream pop music is currently past its peak of genre fusion, rapidly becoming just a milquetoast shelf from which EDM shillers can sell festival tickets. Because of this, social issues in pop music, possibly better tackled by other genres, take form as trending lyric topics. Hayley Kiyoko, a young singer riding just that trend, has reached her current popularity thanks to her hit “Girls Like Girls,” an effigy to burn of summertime boyfriends that simmers with the (obvious, yet still handy in example) declaration that that boyfriend wasn’t necessary in the first place. Because girls will always like girls, and it turns out we always have. From a Disney Channel seedling, it’s a positive start. If anything, Kiyoko puts a simple face—monosyllabic terms against a warm suburban backdrop—to a complex name: dissecting and declaring one’s sexual identity, which is sometimes all pop music is capable of. KIM SELLING
Helado Negro
Sure, Roberto Carlos Lange (stage name: Helado Negro) can get weird when he wants to. Catch him onstage with the Tinsel Mammals—twirling, tinsel-covered dancers he counts as bandmates—while he performs his Zoloft-coated glitch-pop and you’d agree. But Lange’s strangeness isn’t of the acid-eating, mind-stretching, societal-norm-testing variety, it’s a mirror held to the very human strangeness that exists within all of us. The longer Lange makes music as Helado Negro, the more he seems to stray from the wispy, lo-fi Caribbean grooves of his early days, increasingly embracing his lyrical side, his bare voice, and emotion in similar fashion to other lovable oddballs like Devendra Banhart. TODD HAMM
Lettuce with The Russ Liquid Test
Boston-brewed funk-jazz faves Lettuce celebrate 25 years in 2017. More impressive than their longevity, however, is the fact that the septet still features the core five of its original 1992 lineup, held down by the tight dual work of guitarists Eric Krasno and Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff, ramped up by rhythm-section monsters bassist Erick Coomes and drummer/percussionist Adam Deitch, and a horn section driven by sax-juggling extraordinaire Ryan Zoidis. Last year’s Mt. Crushmore EP might be seven songs short, but it hits hard with dark shades of psychedelic soul, stealthy, chugging grooves, and 1970s-era Tower of Power–inspired brass arrangements that add an urgent quality to the instrumental propulsion. These dudes are pros, no doubt about that. LEILANI POLK
THURSDAY-SUNDAY
Bob James Quartet
Bob James wrote the theme to Taxi, which seals his fame in my book! No, but (more) seriously, he’s one of Quincy Jones’s discoveries, in a long Quincy Jones career of discovering people; James pioneered the use of electronic keyboards and synthesizers in mostly mainstream jazz; his fans include Ghostface Killah, Run-D.M.C., and LL Cool J, who have all sampled his revelatory cover of Paul Simon’s “Take Me to the Mardi Gras” (think of that tinkling groove you hear in Run-D.M.C.’s “Peter Piper,” LL Cool J’s “Rock the Bells,” and, bless my soul, Missy Elliott’s “Work It”); and he titled his early albums with weird references to numbers. Check him out with guitarist Perry Hughes, drummer Billy Kilson, and bassist Michael Palazzolo. If you’re lucky, you’ll hear that “Rock the Bells” bit thrown in with a grin. ANDREW HAMLIN
FRIDAY
Capitol Hill Series Release: Said in Zest
Celebrate the release of the newest beer in Elysian's Capitol Hill Series, a collection of new and old beers from the brewery's original Capitol Hill brewhouse, and the second to be released this year: Said in Zest, featuring "five pounds of freshly grated grapefruit zest, top secret saison yeast, and Chinook Cascade, and experimental 5256 hops all combine for an aroma of citrus and pine with banana, clove, and bubble gum flavor." There will be a ceremonial tapping of the beer and a toast from Capitol Hill Lead Brewer Hiawatha Rhyans, plus a performance from Boyfriends, about whom Robin Edwards once wrote, "Ripped straight from the pages of Tiger Beat, Seattle's dreamiest all-boy band Boyfriends sing bop-along pop songs that will make you swoon with their groovy bass lines, feminist subject matter ("Future Is Female" is a total hit), and on-point fashion choices." All proceeds from Said in Zest sales will go to nonprofit thrift store Out of the Closet.
somesurprises, Great Spiders, Von Wildenhaus
Originally the solo project of guitarist/vocalist Natasha El-Sergany, somesurprises have doubled in size twice in recent years, first with the addition of excellent folk-rock guitarist Josh Medina, and then again in live contexts with drummer Nico Sopheia and bassist Andrew Scott Young. Now they’re poised to release their debut album, Serious Dreams, on Seattle’s Eiderdown Records (copies of the cassette will be on sale tonight). A gorgeous display of spectral balladry in the Mazzy Star and MV & EE vein, these five hypnagogic songs make you feel as if you’re dissolving in solitary bliss under a brilliant constellation. It’s very hard to make music like this that doesn’t lull you to zzzzz. Instead, somesurprises tap into a wavelength that induces the most sublimely tranquil feelings, while placing a frosty halo on your undeserving noggin. It’s wholly holy. DAVE SEGAL
SATURDAY
Black Mountain, zZz
A reductive take on Vancouver quintet Black Mountain is that they split the difference between the folk of Pentangle and the metal of Pentagram. Impossible as that may sound, it’s not that far off the mark, as Amber Webber’s mellifluous vibrato anchors their flights of prog-rock fancy. Webber trades vocals with guitarist Stephen McBean, a solid singer in the David Gilmour vein, but she’s the band’s secret weapon, much like Rabia Shaheen Qazi was for the late Rose Windows. On their fourth full-length, the Randall Dunn–produced IV, Black Mountain segue with grace from the gentle ballad “Line Them All Up” to the slow-burn freak-out “(Over and Over) The Chain,” but there are unexpected detours along the way, like “Constellations,” a surprisingly successful attempt at Romeo Void–style noir-pop. KATHY FENNESSY
Blue Oyster Cult
New Jersey’s Blue Oyster Cult are the kind of band someone could get lost in, even though most listeners know them best for their ubiquitous singles “Burning for You” and “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” And those are great songs, but the band’s whole discography, including deeper favorites like “Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll” and “Hot Rails to Hell,” have fostered an obsessive following. On BOC’s official site, their fans have assembled a nearly complete list of every single date and set list the band has ever played, so you can know the last time they played “Dominance and Submission” (April 17, 2016, in Beverly Hills). JOSEPH SCHAFER
Gibraltar, Head Like A Kite, Wiscon
A tumultuous rock group with a knack for surging dynamics and rousing buildups, Gibraltar sound like a passionate convergence of Interpol and Built to Spill. Tonight they’re celebrating the release of their latest album, Let’s Get Beautiful. Leader Aaron Starkey cites Lou Reed’s Transformer as an inspiration, but Beautiful has a heart-on-sleeve brashness that reveals a more blustery take on glam-informed rock—plus, Starkey has way more range than Reed. If anything, Beautiful leans more toward New York Dolls’ flamboyant dynamics and emotional fireworks. Seattle’s Head Like a Kite began life as a fun-loving dance-rock band—with sporadic forays into motorik krautrock—headed by ex-Sushirobo guitarist/vocalist Dave Einmo. But recent HLAK releases skew darker and more introverted, as exemplified by 2016’s No Two Walk Together EP. Forgoing vocals, Einmo explores a deep vein of post-rock intrigue and orchestral somberness à la Tortoise and Rachel’s. “Return to Order” is the jam. DAVE SEGAL
Sandrider, Wild Powwers, Pink Parts
While it might not always get hyped, the Northwest has always had a strong contingent of bands blasting out high-quality heaviness. One of the more recent bands that churned out said heaviness was thinking man’s hardcore project Akimbo. It wasn’t easy for Seattle to say good-bye to this long-lasting band, but if it weren’t for their split three years back, drummer Nat Damm and guitarist/vocalist Jon Weisnewski wouldn’t have the time to focus on the awesomeness that is Sandrider. If you’re a fan of big riffs played out of loud amps atop ear-piercing screams and a punishing rhythm section, do yourself a favor and indulge in one of the city’s heaviest. KEVIN DIERS
Tafelmusik
Award-winning Canadian period instrument ensemble Tafelmusik, referred to by Gramophone Magazine as "one of the world’s top baroque orchestras," will present their latest production, J.S. Bach: The Circle of Creation, which melds text, music, and video projection in an exploration of the world of the artisans who assisted Bach in realizing his major works.
Trentemøller
Long the poster boy for brooding yet accessible techno, Denmark’s Trentemøller rolls into town with his band to perform cuts from Fixion, which came out last September. Ten years after the producer debuted with the ambient-techno classic The Last Resort, he’s moved on from that album’s organic compositions to straight-up electro-pop on Fixion. This tour has seen him taking on lead-singer duties, backed by his band, save for tracks like “River in Me,” which features guest vocals courtesy of Savages’ Jehnny Beth. Having gotten his start as a musician in several indie-rock bands, Trentemøller has seemingly come full circle by returning to more song-focused productions and is hitting Seattle after two months of touring in Europe, guaranteeing a tight and bracing performance that may delight fans old and new alike. NICK ZURKO
SUNDAY
Emily Wells with Guests
My intro to New York–based songstress Emily Wells came via Dan the Automator, her collaborator on the hiphop- and groove-oriented Pillowfight project, and my appreciation of her talents only grew after hearing her dark, poignant, rather lovely 2012 release Mama. Her solo output has an ambient, experimental sound, with roots in classical music and blues and jazz-flecked influences that come up most clearly in old-soul, low-toned vocals that can also hit high expressive notes. Her multi-instrumental chops include violin (which she’s played since age 4), viola, and cello (bowed and plucked pizzicato style), as well as analog synths and guitar. She also programs her own beats, practices looping and live sampling when she performs, and isn’t traditionally accompanied by a band. She’s on tour in support of the 2016 full-length Promise and its just-released follow-up, the In the Hot EP, of B-sides, remixes, and live arrangements. LEILANI POLK