music
Attack of the Colorado Mountain Bands
Bringing more classic folk/bluegrass bands
to Eugene is like bringing sand to the beach, so it
can be easy to burn out on bluegrass in Eugene.
But Head For The Hills and Elephant Revival are
worth checking out.
Both bands hail from Colorado and have two
studio albums under their belts. Voted Best Bluegrass
for 2010 by Westword Magazine, the four-piece Head
for the Hills has a full festival season booked for the
months ahead.
Elephant Revival is said to be creating a new
genre of transcendental folk. The quintet mixes
old time string band, Celtic infl uences and good
songwriting to create a memorable folkgrass
sound, sure to leave you feeling like you’ve
seen more than just another bluegrass band.
Head for the Hills and Elephant Revival play at
9 pm Friday, April 8 at the WOW Hall; $12 adv.
$15 door. — Bronwynn Manaois
All Stars of Cuban Musical Heritage
Cuba, the little island that has caused so much political consternation over the past 50 years or so,
is a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities, producing music that is rich in both European and African
traditions. Cuban music — the sensual interplay of Spanish guitar, African rhythms and European
dance forms — is the most popular form of world music since the dawn of the recording industry.
Since the 1990s, the Afro-Cuban All Stars have become unoffi cial cultural ambassadors, bridging
the divide between the economically and politically isolated island country and the rest of the world.
The Grammy-nominated Afro-Cuban All Stars rose to fame with the 1997 album A Toda Cuba Le Gusta,
recorded at the Buena Vista Social Club Sessions and produced by guitarist Ry Cooder. The ensemble
is led by Juan de Marcos González and features a revolving lineup of all-star Cuban musicians, notably
Rubén González, Ibrahim Ferrer, Guillermo Rubalcava and Manuel “The Guajiro” Mirabal. The orchestra
is devoted to playing and promoting the diverse music of Cuba, incorporating in its sound bolero,
chachachá, salsa, son montuno, timba, guajira, danzón, rumba and abakua. Bandleader González also
believes in evolving Cuba’s musical heritage while honoring its traditions, refl ecting contemporary
Cuban sounds and using the rotating lineup to represent a diversity of generations and ages ranging
from 13 to 81. The Afro-Cuban All Stars play at 7:30 pm Saturday, April 9 at the The Shedd. Ticket
prices vary. — William Kennedy
Get Shpongled!
A solemn drumbeat in the distance gradually picks up intensity. An
echoing ghostly voice announces that you are spinning into a circular
vortex. Multi-colored beams of light seem to be coming at you from all
sides. You fi nd yourself feverishly dancing in front of these fl ashing
lights, weird ambient sounds and hypnotic trance beats in a dark
sweaty room. This is what it means to be shpongled.
Shpongle is a down-tempo psychedelic trance group from the UK
formed by Simon Posford and Raja Ram. Their music incorporates a
heavy dose of Eastern ethnic instruments, fl utes and synthesizer-
based psychedelia. In 1996, the duo reportedly witnessed a solar
eclipse in India, then rushed into their basement to try to translate
that experience into music; this is how Shpongle was born.
The word “shpongle” is not listed in the dictionary, but after
you take in one of their high energy, rave-like live performances
complete with garishly costumed dancers, the meaning will be
clear — and being shpongled just got updated.
On April 13, Posford and his Shpongle project will bring the
new Shpongletron Experience to the McDonald Theatre. The
Shpongletron is an 18-foot tall structure with three screens,
a DJ box, wings, two small platforms for dancers, an eye on top
and a glow-in-the-dark replica of the Shpongle mask ornamenting
the center. But don’t worry, the fl ashing multi-colored lights are
still there. The weird audio samples are still there. The hypnotic
beats are still there. But now video clips, a refl ective azure mask
and an even more impressive light show accompany those visceral
experiences. Shpongle plays with San Francisco-based Random Rab at
7 pm Wednesday, April 13 at the McDonald Theatre; $18 adv. $22 door.
— John Locanthi
Waiting for Morning
From the familiar local voice of Kathryn Claire comes the fresh new CD,
Morning Comes Too Soon. If you’re a fan of Irish music, chances are you know
Claire from her work with Circled By Hounds — she also recorded with popular
local Irish band Toad in the Hole for its 2004 album Alleyway Rover, and in
2003 she released a solo album of music for children called Kinderqueen. The
Portland-based vocalist and fi ddler has a lot of experience as a collaborator and
as a solo performer—Morning Comes Too Soon follows her previous releases,
2005’s Wanderer and 2007’s Homespun.
Unlike Claire’s collaborations with musicians in the Irish community, her own
albums tend to be more folk oriented. Morning Comes Too Soon continues her
tradition of personal, refl ective music accented by the graceful fi ddle playing
she is known for.
The album was recorded with Jeff Baxter on piano, Jules Holbrook on bass
and Scott MacPhearson on drums, with guest performances from Ezra Holbrook
(The Decemberists), Skip Von Kuske (Vagabond Opera, Portland Cello Project),
Hanz Araki (Casey Neill), Matthew Hayward-
McDonald (Toad in the Hole) and Andrew
Lorish (who also co-produced Morning
Comes Too Soon).
It’s hard to decide which is more
appealing about Claire’s music,
her voice, which soars high over
everything, or her unique take
on the beauty and hardship
of daily life. One song, “Tea
in the Kitchen,” exudes
desperation over the loss of
a romance and yet she also
seems to be holding back
her emotions, resulting in
a tension that’s palpable in
the song. Her website says
the new album is about
themes of “transition, loss
and discovery.” By the
album’s gentle wrap-up song
“Little Red Bird,” she seems
to be longing still, as she asks
the birds to stay and share their
songs. Kathryn Claire and Jonah
play at 9 pm Saturday, April 9 at
Sam Bond’s; $5. — Vanessa Salvia
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