MusiCal (April 2012)

 APRIL

By Don Allred

Lost In The Trees/Poor Moon

 Lost In The Trees have no problem finding an eerie, rhythmically distinctive pathway through inevitable sonic associations with Bon Iver, among other leading chamber rock ensembles. Guitarist Ari Picker’s vocal ventures veer through those of multi-instrumentalist Emma Nadeau and violinist Jenavieve Varaga, while LITT’s cinematic reveries get refreshingly edited by memory. Poor Moon officially converges two Fleet Foxes, Christian Wargo and Casey Wescott, with their long-time off-duty musical associates, Ian and Peter Murray. Illusion, PM’s debut EP, wryly weds idealistically translucent harmonies to frankly sketchy real-life complications.

04/04 @ The Wexner Center, 1871 N. High St.

8 p.m.

Lovedrug/Receiver/Big Sweet

Suave yet excitable veterans Lovedrug sometimes recall the Golden State sweep of Lindsay Buckingham’s vintage vantage points. The telescopically melodic progressive rock of Columbus quartet The Receiver is even more vivid with Winter Makes Sailors’ Sean Gardner added on guitar and keyboards. Lovedrug’s Canton neighbors The Big Sweet are still in high school, but they’ve already released two albums, in between breezing into clubs for another show (keep those IDs handy, lads). They deliver a fresh crop of jangle-pop originals sporting mid-60s style, thus already experiencing psychedelic twinges.

04/07 @ The Rumba, 2507 Summit St.

8 p.m.

Van Hunt

Like Prince, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/bandleader Van Hunt knows the price and the rewards of holding out and keeping his mercurial vision in focus, even on seemingly burned bridges, as domineering labels collapse and quirky keepers of the funk-rock flame stay on the road. Live At The Troubadour 2011 churns, marches and flows through electric valentines to his picky muse, and Lady Luck as well. Hunt’s romantic quest keeps even the speedy “Watching You Go Crazy Is Driving Me Insane” sustained, like a hummingbird in spring.

04/09 @The Basement, 391 Neil Ave.

Doors Open: 7 p.m.

Zakir Hussain & Masters of Percussion

Bouncing, sliding and rattling Indian classical and folk rhythms through adapted influences and inflections, Zakir Hussain’s tabla hand drums maintained the ricocheting rigor and vigor of John McLaughlin’s pioneering world music groups, Shakti and Remember Shakti.  Hussain’s also played with Pharoah Sanders, George Harrison, Van Morrison, Mickey Hart, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Yo Yo Ma. Equally adept as soloists and accompanists, Hussain’s Masters of Percussion include trans-Asian players of strings and reeds, along with members of Meitei Pung Cholom Performing Troupe, who combine dancing, drumming and martial arts.

04/10 @ The Southern Theatre, 21 E. Main St.

8 p.m. 

Patrick Sweany/Shivering Timbers

Like a good pork chop, singer/songwriter Patrick Sweany’s folk-blues-rock is pleasingly greasy, never cheesy. He picks electric and acoustic guitars, the latter with resonating metal cones. For this solo show, he pledges to continue his practice of “sportsmanlike unpredictability.” Electric-acoustic male-female alt-folk duo Shivering Timbers, plus drummer Brad Thorla, present some new material from their album in progress. It includes: “a few ‘kid’ songs not actually for kids, love songs, a murder ballad, a couple gospel songs, a Neil Diamond cover, and an original with D.H Lawrence's poetry.”

04/14 @ The Rumba, 1151 N. High St.

9 p.m.

Boombox/Alpha Data/The Loyal Divide

DJ/musician Zion Godchaux is the son of Keith and Donna Godchaux, former members of the Grateful Dead and related bands. Godchaux, along with Russ Randolph, distills his jam-rich heritage into the livetronica of Boombox. Laptop programming meets spontaneous mixing and many instruments, with no song-list. Alpha Data keeps his tuneful bass grooves and listeners on their toes, via glitch-hop tweaks. Columbus-born, Chicago-based The Loyal Divide have slimmed their line-up from five to four and tightened up their moon-rocking atmospherics. Live At The Bishop offers the latest taste from TLD’s levitating punchbowl.

04/20 @ The Newport, 1722 N. High St.

Doors Open: 8 p.m.

GWAR/Kylesa/Ghoul/Legacy of Disorder

Majestic malcontents GWAR return, metallic armpits laden with ripe Kylesa, Ghoul and Legacy of Disorder, plus a very special message from lead thing Oderus Urungus:

"GWAR gunk actually helps to hold the Newport together. But get rid of that horrible spiral staircase to the stage! Last time, my armored war suit got ‘corkscrewed,’ and they had to call a pipe cutter! Of course, I could have just flexed my pinky and destroyed the whole joint, but the Newport will always hold a special place in my heart, if I had such a thing!"

04/22 @ The Newport, 1722 N. High St.

Doors Open: 6:30 p.m.

Overkill/Belphegor

Crate-digging collectors sometimes mistake perennial thrash metal pioneers Overkill for the long-gone headbangers of the same name who once recorded for punk-owned label SST. Appropriately so: our surviving Overkill built on the kinetic, frenetic crossover potential which SST’s punk prophets glimpsed. 2012’s The Electric Age soon evokes the historic, histrionic skull-butting of buzzcuts and mullets, while deftly alternating speedy onslaughts with looming interludes. Austria’s diabolically defiant Belphegor, notorious for flaunting knowledge of Goethe, de Sade, and more, in German, English, and Latin lyrics, take a studio break for another assault on the States.

04/23 @ Screamin’ Willies, 1921 Channingway Center Dr

6:30 p.m.

Mr. Gnome/Town Monster

Mr. Gnome’s cute ‘n’ spooky name easily advertises their sound, but also challenges it: will they play it safe? No. Often enough, singer/guitarist Nicole Barille and drummer Sam Meister use such cool, shady charms to conjure new kaleidoscopes, tumultuously tunneling from the mighty indie heritage of their sweet sweatshirt home, Cleveland. The Town Monster still consider Columbus a lily pad worth launching their own animated ambitions, following an epic series of EPs with bold psych-funky propositions, “Forget” and “Burn My Heart.” Invitations to “dance your freak out” are more about exercise than exorcism (maybe).

04/28 @ Skully’s, 1151 N. High St.

9 p.m.