Ann Arbor’s Chris Bathgate returns to Kalamazoo tonight for a performance at the No Fun House. Those of us who have seen Chris before know that a show like this is an opportunity for catharsis and warmth. Those of us who haven’t seen Chris before may walk away with a small fire in the heart.
Joining him at the No Fun House will be tour mates Hezekiah Jones and Chris Kasper.
First band at 9pm. $2 for the touring bands. No drugs, no alcohol, no jerks.
One to remember…don’t miss this.
More kickin’ punk! Locals Bike Tuff and Ackley Kid are joining forces to welcome Detroit Psych Punk greats Frustrations (X Records) for their first ever Kalamazoo show.
The show is at the Ant Hill and starts at Punk Rock Time (whenever enough of you and your friends show up).
The third release from Kalamazoo/Chicago-based label Already Dead Tapes is ‘Seconds’ from Problems That Fix Themselves, the focus of former Kalamazoo resident and Rotten Wood Moon member Joshua Tabbia, who recently migrated to Chicago.
“Seconds” finds Tabbia (with a little help from Tori Blade and Grow Fangs’ Ray Jackson) exploring a wide palette of sound in the electronic/noise territory, but that double-description unto itself does not do justice to this widely varied release. The instrumentation ranges from synths, samples, and static to acoustic guitars, something that sounds like accordion and maybe a melodica (if they aren’t organ or keyboard imitation), recurring pieces of an oddly-phrased man doing spoken word and even bits of Conway Twitty songs. More often than not, there is a beat, groove, pulse or melody to latch onto, maintaining enough hooks amidst the madness to encourage even somewhat-sensitive ears to come back for repeated listens and find more to behold in the less-accessible sections.
The album begins with a peacefully sparse, subdued lullaby sang by Tori Blade entitled “Noelle”, a complete surprise to me upon first listening. It’s a wonderful album opener and, despite the reappearance of Blade’s singing toward the end of the tape and a reprise of the melody to “Noelle,” this is definitely an anomaly on ‘Seconds’. If this opening piece does nestle the listener into the cozy Land of Nod, their slumber shall quickly be disrupted by the jagged edges of sonic shrapnel which follow.
Despite the abrasive tone of much of the sound found on ‘Seconds’, it should be noted that little-to-none of it feels aggressive or, more specifically, violent. This is FUN noise, colorful and inviting. Even “Gone,” which ends side one and is a bit eerie, is far from threatening. Side two opener “Virginia Woolf” contains the random previously-mentioned Twitty bits bookending the most industrial soundscape found on this release, falling very close to sounding like Nurse With Wound before the electro drum beat kicks in half-way through the piece. This track can currently be heard at Problems website, http://www.problemsthatfixthemselves.com/
An exciting adventure that only gets better with repeated listens, this release shows a man (with a little help from his friends) on top of his game.
You wanna jump around, sweat, yell, and release? Chicago’s X Is For Eyes and Ontario’s Life In Vacuum are going to kick and crunch all over Fat Guy House on Friday night. If you’ve been craving a good punk show, this is it.
Michigan folk wonderkinds Breathe Owl Breathe will warm the insides of all who enter the Strutt this Friday. If you like soup, kissing, spirit animals, face paint or wandering in the dark, you will like this band. Indiana’s lo-fi cult favorite Elephant Micah will open. This show is 18+ and is $8 at the door.
WHO: Old Sledge House Concert at Redbud Farm.
WHERE: 9085 N Riverview Drive (about 11 miles from downtown Kalamazoo)
WHEN: Thursday, November 11th at 7 pm. Old time music jam to follow. Please bring a donation for the touring band! POTLUCK at 5:30 pm!
“Old Sledge is a group of young musicians from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Blowing the dust off old tunes and songs from the golden era of early country, hillbilly and blues music, Old Sledge represents the best and brightest of the new generation of traditional musicians from the south. Far from being re-enactors of old time music they bring creative arrangements and dynamic performances while still holding true to the mountain aesthetic in which they are rooted.”
Meet the Coathangers! This Atlanta quartet is a bunch of girls who want you to shut up and dance like a broken machine. SPIN Magazine called em “a swift kick in the teeth” and that sounds about right. Haphazard drummin’ and trashy garage rock guitar licks crash all around lyrics that sound like they could be lifted from a sixties underground comic-book. This is going to be a lot of fun.
Noisy guitar weirdos Forget The Times and old-school screamo kids That’s Blood will provide support. Louie’s Trophy House Grille is at 440 East North Street in Kalamazoo, MI. Show starts at 9 pm.
Ps It’s Taco Tuesday at Louie’s!
We here at DITKalamazoo are stoked about every show we promote, but there’s something about the event taking place at The Strutt tonight, Friday, that has us feeling an extra-bit amped and tingly. Masaki Batoh of the legendary Japanese psych-rock band Ghost shall be treating Kalamazoo to a solo performance.
For those familiar with the music of Ghost, there’s no more promotion needed than the information above, but in case you’re not familiar with this band, we don’t want you to miss this potential life-changing experience. We shall spare you the details and let a few choice Ghost cuts speak instead.
Also playing are Philadelphia improvisational wizards Kohoutek. These boys definitely have an old school Parson Sound/Baby Grandmothers/Krautrock drone-dirge. Dig it!
Local experimental boys Unitard are kicking off the show at 9 p.m. sharp with their newest unique-to-this-performance piece. Always a guaranteed trip, yah’ll!
Hear that? 9 p.m. SHARP! The Strutt is located at 773 W. Michigan in Kalamazoo, MI. Cover is $8, and you must be 18 and up to enter unless you have a guardian present. Don’t be the only schmuck standing around the water cooler that’s not discussing your favorite Japanese psych bands come Monday morning!
Despite the pun, it’s true: Local math-rock experts Good News and Hometown Fight-for-the-tuna-winning heroes Coma Nova are tearing up the No Fun House basement tonight.
If you haven’t caught Good News yet, then you should make an extra-special trip out tonight to see these boys. Two-piece technical 
rock-and-roll wizardry at it’s finest, the tunes that Good News lays down are high-powered and friendly all at once. If you want to hear good music, check it. If you want to see two excellent players rip it up like it’s goin’ out of style (whatever ‘it’ may be), check it. If you just like the name Good News, check it.
Coma Nova is another most excellent local band tha
t hits hard and gets weird. Stretched out garage jams are good for the soul (just ask any doctor), and Coma Nova’s special brand of awesome is no exception. Plus, these boys (and girl) won this year’s Fight For the Tuna, and made it on the front cover of November’s West Michigan Noise, so you know they’re good. Now I’m no medical professional, but I’ve been watching a lot of House, M.D. this past week, and I’m fairly confident in stating that seeing this set will be good for your health.
Finally, the real reason to come on out tonight, is a Chicago trio by the name of DICK WOLF! They’re tight, technical, and super sweet, with lyrics that will make you reconsider what lyrics are really all about in general anyway. Math Rock meets excellent songwriting. I personally have been anticipating this show for quite some time. Come on down if you know what’s good for ya, dig?
Listen: Bronson BLVD – “Certainly, I’ll Grow”
Local writer/musician/producer Tim Tapper has been hard at work in Kalamazoo, producing a new body of work almost bi-annually for the past few years. His primary project The Number Eight has released several excellent albums, blending elements of expansive shoegaze, pastoral folk, and brooding slowcore with precise and powerful lyrics. The band appears to be on haitus; it seems Tapper is focusing on releasing more folk-oriented material under his birth name. In the meantime, electropop/chillwave side project Bronson BLVD has flourished quietly in the background.
“Certainly, I’ll Grow” features a lush, full landscape where ethereal vocals and hazy guitars float like smoke over electronic drumbeats and thick buzzsaw basslines. This is music for swimming in cold water. The melody here is dreamy and simple, lingering in the room long after each listen (and believe you me, if you download this one, there will be many listens). Keep your ears peeled for forthcoming singles and performances.
In case you haven’t received the memo, tonight’s show at The Strutt
is going to be totally killer!
Black Swans are a hot new up and coming indie band that is drawing praise from all over. They’ve toured with Okkervil River, Magnolia Electric Company and just released a spit 7″ with Bonnie Prince Billy.
They’ve got that perfect kind of hauntingly beautiful indie sound that just makes you want to turn the lights down and curl up with a blanket all day long. If you’re into bands like Iron & Wine, Fleet Foxes or Arcade Fire then you owe it to yourself to be at The Strutt tonight.
White Pine's Joesph Scott
Joining the Black Swans is fellow touring artist White Pines and the ever amazing Michael Beauchamp. The fellow likes old timey music and eating strawberries in an old canoe. He is one of my local favorites.
The indelible Michael Beauchamp
Doors at 8:30, first band at 9:30
ONLY $5 FOR ALL THIS AMAZING MUSIC
See you there.
DITKalamazoo 
