The April rain is seemingly behind us, the flowers are springing, but we're not yet upon summer festival season. Soon enough we won't be able to go a weekend without a sleepless night with ringing in our ears as we spent too many hours in the heat a little too close to a bank of speakers broadcasting to the masses. Well, that or a sweet show at Harbor Lights The Pavilion.
Tuesday, 5/8
Grant-Lee Phillips
Grant-Lee Phillips has succeeded in captivating one diverse crowd. The rocker's alternating growls and falsettos soar above heavy driving rock on his 2007 release, "Stranglet" - in the release, Phillips seems to pick up the sound that Jeff Buckley abandoned on the banks of the Mississippi during the demo process for what would become "Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk." But many fans relatively new to the sound know Phillips as the mysterious busker who roams the streets of Stars Hollow on The CW's "Gilmore Girls." To those fans, we say two things. First, Bostonist too mourns the fact that the show's totally gone downhill this season. Second, don't expect to see Lorelai, Rory, Logan or even rock mama Lane at Paradise on Tuesday (they'll be on television that night, duh!).
Paradise Rock Club, 7 p.m. doors, 18+ $16
Grant-Lee Phillips: website | myspace
Wednesday, 5/9
Blonde Redhead
It's difficult to wrap Blonde Redhead into a tidy descriptive blurb, primarily because the band has been so focused on shifting its sonic approach over the years (recently noted by the savvy folks at The Globe). But we can tell you that the New York-based trio is composed of three brunettes and that electronic-infused dreamy pop on recently released "23" manages to sound comfortably familiar while somehow still fresh and unique. The tunes will fill Paradise on Wednesday night. Fields will kick off the show.
Paradise Rock Club, 8 p.m., 18+ $20
Blonde Redhead: website | myspace
Thursday, 5/10
Arcade Fire -- Sold Out
For those living under a rock unfamiliar with the Arcade Fire story, we'll break it down for you quickly: Montreal band releases "Funeral" and is quickly much-loved by the critics, bloggers and industry types. A few magazine covers, blog reviews and a performance at Coachella sends both the band and album into the stratosphere. A couple of Grammy nominations follow and anticipation grows for the follow-up album, "Neon Bible." Band member Win Butler smashes his guitar on SNL a couple of weeks before the album drops and everyone goes crazy over it. The End. Now enlightened, you can go check out the albums or search online for a ticket to Thursday's sold out show at the Orpheum.
Orpheum, 8 p.m.
Arcade Fire: website |
Mingus Dynasty and Big Band
Mingus was not only a phenomenal bassist, but one of the best jazz composer this side of Duke Ellington. The 7-piece Mingus Dynasty Band joins the 14-piece Big Band to pay tribute to Mingus's music -- which, at its best, was a boisterous, bluesy mix of driving hard bop, rousing call and response gospel, soaring free jazz, and group improvisation. As the New York Times Jon Pareles noted, the groups have "revived Charles Mingus's repertory and the brawling, muscular, hard-swinging, bluesy way he wanted it played." The line-up includes noted trumpeters Randy Brecker and Eddie Henderson, along with trombonists Robin Eubanks and Conrad Herwig.
Regattabar, 7:30pm & 10pm, $28
Charles Mingus: website | wikipedia
Mingus Big Band: website
Mingus Dynasty: website
Friday, 5/11
LCD Soundsystem
More Cowbell!! James Murphy brings everyone’s favorite disco-fried dance-punk party band back to Boston. Their new album, Sound of Silver has been universally hailed as damn fine. Pitchfork gushed that it comes "as close to a perfect hybrid of dance and rock music's values as you're likely to ever hear," adding that "there's not a single weak track here, and many more already feel classic." Add those new classics to LCD Soundsystem's' DFA canon ("Losing My Edge," "Disco Infiltrator," and, of course, "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House"). The show quickly sold out Axis and has been moved to Avalon. Tickets still available as of Sunday night, but Bostonist urges you to get your tickets soon if you want to join the party.
Avalon 7pm, $15
LCD Soundsystem: website | myspace
Fluttr Effect
If their singer's Gwen-Stefani-off-her-meds theatrics don't do it for you, their dense synth-vibe-and-cello arrangements will.
Harper's Ferry, 21+, $10 advance, $12 DOS
Fluttr Effect: myspace | web site | Say Goodbye .mp3| Fat Lady of Limbourg .mp3 | purchase
Saturday, 5/12
Flora Purim and Airto Moreira (also Friday)
Longtime partners (professionally and personally), Flora Purim and Airto Moreira are Brazilian jazz superstars. Flora's six octave yet "light as a feather" voice and phrasing have graced albums by Chick Corea, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Jaco Pastorius, and Santana, to name just a few. And Airto's percussion was an integral part of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew era group, early Weather Report, and, along with wife Flora, the first incarnation of Chick Corea's Return to Forever. Since then they've each worked with a who's who of jazz and Latin musicians and issued scores of well received solo albums. Catch two of Brazil's finest this weekend.
Scullers Jazz Club, 8pm and 10:30pm, $25
Flora Purim: website
Airto Moreira: website
joint Flora/Airto: myspace
Sunday, May 13
Arctic Monkeys with be Your Own Pet
Artic Monkeys with The Spinto Band. About a year ago VH1's Best week Ever summed it up best with the 4 Stages of Artic Monkeys (video): Infatuation, Betrayal, Acceptance, Heartbreak.
They take stage with Be Your Own Pet. The Arctic Monkeys have a history of taking some great up and comers along for the ride. From what we've heard of be your own PET they are no exception to this rule. They've broken out of the Paradise and into the bigger venue of the Avalon for this spring's appearance in Boston.
Avalon, 18+, 7pm
Arctic Monkeys: Myspace | I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor.mp3 | purchase
Be your own PET: website | myspace
Thalia Zedek
Sometimes a great local act slips past us on the radar. Lucky for us Tourfilter is there to pick up the slack. Tourfilter founder Chris Marstall informs Bostonist ("freakin' awesome, local girl") that this week Thalia Zedek will be taking her guitar, and her band, to the stage at PA's Lounge for a set. She's been rocking the world for more than 20 years, including a stint with Come. She's flying solo these days and this is your chance to catch great music by a local musician at a truly local club. Thalia Zedek shares the bill with Lady of Spain (second week of residency), Territories, and Guilford
PA's Lounge, 8:30pm doors, $7 over 21, $10 for 18-20
Thalia Zedek: website | myspace | Everything Unkind.mp3
Matt Durutti and Victoria Welch contributed to this week's picks
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blonde redhead is SOLD OUT