September 2005

Cambodian pop

Eddie September 29, 2005 0 Comment

Just when you thought you understood every musical sub-genre, along comes a band that defies categorization. Los Angeles’ Dengue Fever, which blends a wicked concoction of Cambodian pop with not-so-traditional psychedelic fare, is currently on a short West Coast tour in support of the album Escape From Dragon House. The band plays both original songs and Cambodian songs from the 1960s sung in the native Khmer language by vocalist Chhom Nimol. She is backed by a bevy of well-known musicians: Senon Williams from the Radar Bros., David Ralicke from Beck’s band, Zac Holtzman from Dieselhed, Holtzman’s brother Ethan on Farfisa organ, and drummer Paul Smith. Dengue Fever plays the G Street Pub, located at 228 G Street in Davis, on Tuesday with Eat the People as part of KDVS’s weekly music series. DJ Brendan from KDVS will spin modern Southeast Asian music in between. The show starts at 9 p.m., and the cover is $4. If you’re curious about how the band will go over in Davis (as I am), make the sojourn to Yolo County. For the price of an order of num cha gio pale, you can’t beat it.
(SN&R)

Working on the Wolfgang

Eddie September 22, 2005 0 Comment

Being a working musician of any sort can seem daunting these days. Not only are there a finite number of venues to play, but also fewer and fewer are willing to take a risk on bringing in new talent. Pianist Lara Downes, the Mondavi Center’s current artist in residence, doesn’t seem to have any problem finding gigs. Although Downes enjoys interpreting the works of newer, younger composers, she’ll return Sunday (at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.) to the center’s smaller-capacity Studio Theatre to explore the works of Mozart, as part of the appropriately dubbed “Sundays with Mozart” series. If you haven’t checked out her American Ballads release or her first record, Invitation to the Dance, it might be time to revisit the ol’ classical sections in your local Borders stores. If you’re looking for a player who isn’t afraid to stray from the ever-so-confining boundaries of classical repertoire, Downes’ upcoming performance should be a good starter. Call (530) 754-ARTS or visit www.mondaviarts.org for information.

(SN&R)

West Africa meets the West

Eddie September 15, 2005 0 Comment

Sometimes inheritance can be a good thing. Take the talented Mali-born Mamadou Diabate, son of legendary kora player Djelimory Diabate. Like his father, he has mastered the art of the kora, a 21-stringed West African harp. Mamadou’s latest release, Behmanka, on the tiny World Village boutique label, is as much a homage to traditional 19th-century music as it is a storybook for the present. His delivery is highlighted by his awkward tunings—he prefers to play in the key of D major—and his stellar musicianship. His current West Coast tour brings him to Grass Valley, Chico and, thankfully, Winters. He is accompanied by Walter Strauss, a gifted guitarist from Wyoming who is supporting his new album, Pulling Shadows. The Palms Playhouse schedule seems to be all over the map these days, but that may be the venue’s greatest attribute. Mamadou and Strauss play the Palms, located at 13 Main Street in Winters, on Thursday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. Visit www.palmsplayhouse.com for more information.

(SN&R)

Cut City

Eddie September 8, 2005 0 Comment

This four-song EP came out virtually unnoticed in late May, a testament to the music industry’s overpopulation. Unlike many Gothenburg, Sweden, exports, Cut City is anything but an At the Gates rip-off. From the bass-driven “Postcard,” with its 16th-note disco beat, to the brisk, fantastic “Blank Calls,” this effort dares you to categorize it. Imagine the early works of the Fall colliding with Sub Pop-era Rapture, and you’re getting close. Guitarist and lead vocalist Max Hansson recalls early Joy Division in one breath and angular ’80s U.S. pop in the next. The rhythm section—Oskar Andersson on bass and David Hagberg on drums—weaves an intricate spell, with the players bouncing off one another as if in defiance of the downbeat. The Interpol-worshipping masses finally have something cooler to buy. Visit www.goldstandardlabs.com for samples if you don’t trust your intuition.

(SN&R)

Not bad live, either

Eddie September 8, 2005 0 Comment

It’s odd how the touring circuit has worked for the past 50 years. Record an album, release an album, play the primary markets (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, etc.), go back and play them again, hit the secondary and tertiary markets (at last, Sacramento) and then start writing and recording another opus. New York’s Interpol, while maintaining the same regimen, has remained the anomaly in the indie-rock consortium solely for its live shows, which rely less on stage antics and more on an inherent shared vibe. If you’re a fan of Turn on the Bright Lights or the brilliant “sophomore” album, Antics, you’ll be tickled pink to see how well the music reproduces in a live setting—like UC Davis’ Freeborn Hall this Wednesday, September 14, at 8 p.m. Of course, Matador Records, the band’s current label, has just released a timely special edition of Antics, including bonuses. Coincidence? I think not.
(SN&R)