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Blue
State Blues Festival
Valentine’s,
Thursday
The
organizers of this evening’s Blue State Blues Festival describe
the event as “not really the blues.” But, we ask, why not?
Sure, the show might not be full of the “since my baby left
me” and “born under a bad sign” sentiments typical to the
blues-music idiom, but we’re fairly sure the blues—as in the
downtrodden, depressive emotional state—will be in full effect
as a gaggle of experimentally minded performers assemble to
“celebrate a one-month anniversary of what was not exactly
an exercise in better judgment.” Ahhh, we get it now. The
Not Marching Band, a seven-or-more-piece band of “risk-takers,
floor-shakers, and peace makers,” will make its debut tonight,
along with a number of unique ensembles: the James Keepnews-Mike
Lopez Duo, Adichatz (Mitch Elrod, Nicole Peyrafitte and Mike
Lopez), Faking Trains, and a collaboration between Tom Burre
and Matthew Loiacono. (Dec. 2, 8 PM, $5, 17 New Scotland
Ave., Albany, 432-6572)
Babaloo
club
Helsinki, Friday
OK,
first off, we’ve got to tell you that this is not our description,
so stay off our backs about the clichéd construction, got
it? Babaloo describe themselves as the “bastard child
of King Sunny Ade and the Ramones.” (It’s their job to make
the music, not to write about it.) The Boston-based band’s
fans don’t bother with the rock-crit formulations, though,
content as they are to turn out in droves and dance their
asses off to Babaloo’s multilingual punk mambo (in which you’ll
find not only mambo but elements of soukous, cha cha, samba,
reggae, ska and cumbia). Due to the loyalty of the hometown
music cognoscenti—and to their high-energy shows and anarchic
take on dance music of the world—Babaloo scored the Boston
Phoenix’s Best Local Band award in 2002, which meant that
some Beantown scribbler had to come up with a whole new bastard-child
metaphor. (Dec. 3, 9 PM, $15, 284 Main St., Great Barrington,
Mass., 413-528-3394)
Two
if by Sea, Oxford Collapse, Bible Study
King’s
Tavern, Friday
Lately,
the name Franz Ferdi-nand is often thrown around when describing
Baltimore quintet Two if by Sea. So what exactly, if anything,
do the well-dressed Marylanders have in common with their
equally well-dressed Scottish counterparts? Besides the sharp
suits and sharper haircuts, both bands pair the syncopated
dance beats of early new wave with choppy guitars and smooth,
disaffected vocals. But while the Scots tend to aim their
rock at both the mind and body, Two if by Sea seem perfectly
fine with providing the soundtrack for a sweaty, late-night
bump-and-grind on the floor of a Manchester discotheque. The
group currently are on tour with New York-based dance freaks
Oxford Collapse. Art-rockers Bible Study will make a rare
appearance to round out the bill. (Dec. 3, 9 PM, $5, 241
Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, 581-7090)
Preservation
Hall Jazz Band
The
Egg, Saturday
First
and foremost, the Preser-vation Hall Jazz Band would like
to make clear that New Orleans jazz (what they play) is not
the same as Dixieland (what others play). “The tempo is a
shade slower than the other jazz forms and the melody is always
clearly heard with improvisation at its heart. Unobscured
by complicated arrangements, its greatness lies in its simplicity,”
they say. It should be a special treat, then, to hear the
group take on standards of the holiday season when they present
“A Creole Christmas” this weekend. Expect trees trimmed with
Mardi Gras beads, a Christmas ham spiked with Tabasco, and
a whole lot of happy dancing feet. (Dec. 4, 8 PM, $24,
Empire State Plaza, Albany, 473-1865)
Drag
the River, the Enablers, the Nerds
Valentine’s,
Monday
Colorado-based
alt-rock-country band Drag the River (composed of punk veterans
Chad Price of All, Jon Snodgrass and Paul Rucker of Armchair
Martian, and JJ Nobody of the Nobodys) will perform tonight
at Valentine’s with their new labelmates the Enablers. The
Enablers, featuring former Fay Wray frontman Rob Coe, and
Dan Bonebrake from Dashboard Confessional, came out with their
debut EP, Sweet Fuck All, last year on Newest Industry.
The six songs on the disc have been described as, among other
things, “country-tinged and punk-inspired rock.” Drag the
River’s label, Mars Motors, will rerelease Sweet Fuck All
as a new full-length album called To Thine Own Ruin Be
True—this version is actually due out today (Thursday);
Drag the River’s latest EP Hey Buddies is also scheduled to
hit stores today. Catch these bands on Monday as they celebrate
their new releases. Local indie-rockers the Nerds will open.
(Dec. 6, 8 PM, $6, 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany, 432-6572)
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Lars
Frederiksen and the Bastards
Saratoga
Winners, Tuesday
“I
don’t go anywhere without my switchblade, I don’t go anywhere
without my crew,” sings Lars Frederiksen on 2004’s The
Viking. The album’s liner notes are covered with pictures
of Lars and his bastards carousing with various prostitutes
in different stages of undress and manages to combine the
street attitude of punk with the tough posing of gangsta rap
and ’80s hair metal. The straightforward, brutal-yet-catchy
punk music that backs up Lars’ bragging and threats may scare
away the usual baggy-pants-wearing Good Charlotte worshippers
and MTV programmers. Then again, Lars’ style of M.C.-ish gangster
bravado may just as easily slice the face of popular punk
music. (Dec. 7, 8 PM, $12, 1375 New Loudon Road, Latham,
783-1010)
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Figgs
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Grateful
Dead tribute act Dark Star Orchestra will
re-create an entire Dead set from the past at
Revolution Hall tomorrow (Friday, 8 PM, $22, 273-2337).
. . . The Figgs are back for their annual
holiday throwdown at Valentine’s this weekend;
handling opening chores will be Brent Gorton
and the Tender Breasts on Friday, the Rudds
on Saturday (9 PM, $8, 432-6572). . . . Northern
Lights will host the final round of Channel 103.1’s
“Most Original Band” contest on Saturday night;
Rory Breaker, Lynch, Edison
and the Brian Kaplan Band will duke it
out for the honor of opening next weekend’s Cake
show (7 PM, free, 371-0012). . . . In the mood
for some intelligent hiphop? Head over to Northampton
and catch Definitive Jux recording artists the
Perceptionists, featuring Mr. Lif,
Akrobatik, and DJ Fakts One, with
special guest Cold Duck Complex, at Pearl
Street on Saturday night (8:30 PM, $18, 413-584-7771).
. . . On the heavier side of things, Twelve
Tribes, E-Town Concrete, Diecast
and Devilinside will rock Saratoga Winners
on Saturday (8 PM, $10, 783-1010). . . . The College
of Saint Rose will host a fund-raising benefit
for the Albany Pop Warner football program on
Saturday, featuring a live performance by Ernie
Williams (8 PM, $10-30, 372-4382). . . . Get
a double dose of metal on Sunday, starting with
a matinee show at the Hudson Duster, featuring
Merauder, Agents of Man, Heart
of Darkness and Scucca (3 PM, $5, 687-2391).
. . . Later on, head up to Northern Lights and
catch Damageplan (featuring Dimebag Darrell
and Vinnie Paul of Pantera), Shadows Fall
and the Haunted (7:30 PM, $15, 371-0012).
. . . The roster of shows at King’s Tavern is
looking real good these days, and this Tuesday
is no exception, as the fine Philly-based group
Matt Pond PA will take the stage, with
Kamikaze Heart-about-town Matthew Loiacono
opening (9 PM, $5, 581-7090).
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