Eugene weekly., February 16, 2012, Page 20, Image 20

music
Same Scene, Different Style
Narrative Indie Rock, Omaha Style
Is I Am Gemini a concept album or a rock opera? “People can call it whatever they feel comfortable
calling it,” says Cursive vocalist and primary songwriter Tim Kasher of his group’s upcoming release.
Regardless of how it is categorized, I Am Gemini continues Cursive’s tradition of wedding a
narrative arc with raw and emotional Omaha-style indie rock. The album pushes Kasher’s usual
storytelling into surrealist territory — telling a Cain and Abel story of twin brothers Cassius and
Pollock, who are separated at birth.
Rounding out the cast of characters (the album’s liner notes resemble the script of an opera,
complete with a cast listing) is a chorus of angels, a chorus of devils, and twin sisters conjoined at the
head. Backing up the story is Cursive’s signature hard-hitting indie rock with metal, hardcore and
prog-rock flourishes.
In today’s Mp3-dominated music market it might seem odd to put out a piece of work better suited
to listening as a whole. “We grew up with albums. We listen to albums,” Kasher says. “I feel good we
carry that flag.” But Kasher assures that I Am Gemini needn’t be listened to in one sitting to be
enjoyed, nor does the band plan on playing the album from start to finish live.
“We suggest you listen to it in one piece, but that’s up to you. You’re the listener,” says the
storyteller.
Cursive plays with Ume 8 pm Monday, Feb. 20, at WOW Hall; $15 adv., $18 door. — William Kennedy
Beauty and the Brass
Well, it’s more like beauties, beats, brass and bass when MarchFourth Marching Band
(M4) is in town. For those unfamiliar, the Portland-based improv troupe is an experience
of ruffled burlesque panties, bass guitar and the sonic blaring of saxophone. It’s as if
Charley Grapewin met Sgt. Pepper and a Mardi Gras parade on its way to Black Rock City
— or if Gogol Bordello and Les Claypool conceived a project together, then abandoned it in
the French Quarter.
M4 is more than just a party. It is a well-devised, meticulously tailored, immersive event
where sound melts into a blur of flaming hula hoops and trapeze acts. The group’s
uniforms, a montage of leopard print and bejeweled shakos, embroidered vests and
jackets, striped pants, frilly corsets and steampunk goggles, are all individually designed
and crafted by the band.
M4 demands all of the senses at once, propelling its audience into an interactive world
of dance, exhilaration and ecstasy. Much like other marching bands and burlesque troupes,
M4 presents itself as one-half performance art and one-half musical outfit, the latter
fusing New Orleans brass with Eastern European folk, jazz and world music.
There’s no shortage of muttonchops or Victorian apparel for M4 or its Portland
counterparts Vagabond Opera , which gigs Friday, Feb. 17. This leaves only a final logistical
question — how to cram stilt performers and fire spinners inside WOW Hall? I’m sure
there’s a way.
MarchFourth Marching Band and Samba Ja play 9 pm Saturday, Feb. 18, at WOW Hall;
$12 adv., $15 door. Two day pass (Feb. 17-18) available at WOW Hall
for $20. — Andrew Hitz
20 FEBRUARY 16, 2012 EUGENE WEEKLY
As far as contemporary hyper-relevance goes, Sazon Booyah is
another supernova internet meme, exploding before discovery and
peppering pop culture with the remnants. Equipped with a new spin-off
style called Moombahton, NYC producers Mr. Vega and DJ Sav integrate
a minimal Dutch-house foundation with ramped-up reggaeton. Similar
to dubstep, techno, R&B and hip hop, Sazon Booyah is poised for heavy
mainstream taxation and diluted redistribution — but that hasn’t
happened yet.
Despite heavy praise from electro-heavyweight Skrillex, Sazon
Booyah does not ascribe to the trends of contemporary electronica. The
group’s existence proves that American producers can veer from the
thrash path of reprocessed whomp-and-rattle that has become standard
procedure for electronic music shows.
Along with a cadre of well-received pop remixes (already itching for
commercial duress), Sazon Booyah’s original cuts, particularly from the
group’s recent release, Take Over Volume 1: Moombahton, offer a twisted
scattering of tantalizing sounds that don’t completely overwhelm the
listener. It is easy to hear different percussive layers and rhythms
without succumbing to waves of distorted bass. It is this unique blending
that sets Sazon Booyah apart from the routines of contemporary
electronic music producers. These guys are more like nimble-fingered
barbers, as opposed to just another set of DJs trying to haze a pre-
heated audience. This will be a solid show, more than worth its weight
in wattage.
Sazon Booyah plays 9 pm Thursday, Feb. 16, at WOW Hall; $5-$8.
— Patrick Newson
6 Strings, 19 Frets, No Limits
Today’s musical generation has transcended guitar. There are
probably a thousand objectors who could claim this statement is
erroneous, but long gone are the days when guitar gods were held at
the highest tier of mainstream music. Who’s today’s Jimmy Page? I
once heard somebody say that Lil Wayne is the Hendrix of our time,
and in a sad, callous, downright sickening way, it’s true — he’s
supposedly doing things with his genre that nobody previously
thought possible, just like Jimi did.
If it weren’t for those musicians out there on the front lines, trying
their best to prove that there are no limitations attached to six strings
and nineteen frets, this writer would weep. Andy McKee is one of
those musicians.
McKee plays with a virtuosic finger-picking technique that’s as
enigmatically idiosyncratic as it is impressively familiar. Every note
and compositional detail is deliberate, like tiles in a Roman mosaic,
and the finished product is always a jaw-dropper.
After spending his teenage years learning to play guitar from
instructional videos in Topeka, Kan., McKee drew influence from other
solo acoustic players — notably Don Ross. Then, within a decade of
picking up the guitar, McKee released his debut LP. That’s fast work by
anybody’s standards, not to mention that releasing five more records
in the next decade is also pretty badass.
Gathering a following on the internet has its pros and cons, a
severe con of course being piracy, and McKee has responded to the
world of file sharing like the boss he is. A comment beneath a torrent
for one of McKee’s albums on The Pirate Bay — a popular file-sharing
hub — reads:
“Yeah thanks a lot for uploading! It’s not like I need to make a living
with my music or anything. 8,676 thieves. If you really appreciate what
I am doing, buy my CD legitimately so I can continue to compose music
rather than work at Kmart. I’m not Metallica. I don’t have hundreds of
thousands of dollars, much less millions.”
Three guesses on who wrote that.
Andy McKee and Antoine Dufour play 7 pm Sunday, Feb. 19, at WOW
Hall; $15. — Andy Valentine
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