Monthly Archives: December 2012

12/4: The Reptilian, Edhochuli, Ronnie Dobbs, and Lost in Translation @ Milhouse

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My days may be numbered, but I’m bad at math. When I feel bad at math I wear my headphones and listen to math rock.

A particularly dense genre, math rock is filled with unconventional time signatures and complex rhythms, though the intertwining melodic phrases holds a listener in place. Culminating during the ‘90s in urban music centers such as Pittsburg, Washington D.C., and L.A., math rock found itself a name through a combination of its atypical meters (for example, 7/8, 11/8, 13/8) and the exploration of sonic textures through layering guitars.

It’s a genre that becomes more rewarding upon repeated listenings. Curious? Come to Milhouse on the 4th for local and touring “mathy” bands.

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Four different bands for your enjoyment. We have The Reptilian, who might be a familiar name to you folks. They’re playing more shows later in the week, so keep yourself posted on DIT updates.

As a special treat, Edhochuli travels from the far away land of Pittsburg, after riding the Interstates for about three months. Be sure to familiarize yourself through their bandcamp, as their music is heavy, their singer is intense, and their guitars are loud.

From Chicago we have Ronnie Dobbs have been touring with Edhochuli. Take a look at their bandcamp too, as any band name alluding to the TV show “Mr. Show” deserves it. Ronnie Dobbs employs similar complex rhythms as Edhochuli, but they offer surprises in terms of melody and dynamics. You can find a track titled “Bong Iver” off the link. That wasn’t a typo. Give them a look and a listen.

Lost in Translation is another local Kalamazoo group, and while they fit in the math rock genre, they also provide more groove for the average listener. Three guys who know how to jam well, their fluctuations in rhythm will pull you in. They’ll make your feet move too.

Our days may be numbered, but what better way to spend them than watching math rock musicians. Please bring a few dollars to Milhouse for the touring bands.

Respect the bands, respect the music lovers, and respect yourself. Respect math.

12/1: Double Felix produced peace-jams to wobble-about Kalamazoo Peace Center; Lasso, del Brutto, and Mike Savina

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"...except that one scruffy musician, you know, the one that drinks beer"

“All are welcome…even scruffy musicians!”

Western’s Wesley Foundation seems to be the hosting-site for all sorts of acoustic assemblies lately: both the punk-show held last month, and Saturday night’s Double-Phelix themed Peace Phest at 8 p.m., both hosted by the folks of the Kalamazoo Peace Center. Usually the college’s hub for the United Methodist Ministry, the KPC uses the Wesley Foundation and such events to minister doses of green-sense  to the college-aged populace of our fair city; a perusal of their website reveals showings of Gasland, If A Tree Falls, and various public announcements against corporate tyranny. On the website there is even some attention thrown towards the ECO anti-frackers that were being legally lionized over at the Stabbin’ Cabin Friday–but that’s just a distraction. Saturday’s festivities, just like Friday night’s, are all about the fundraising–or merely about fund raising, as there is a suggested donation of five dollars to go towards continuing such activities.

As for the music, it’s regional with a spit of local flair–flavor provided primarily by production/ musical rotating cast Double Phelix Studios. del Brutto, the blues psycho folk sounding fellows from Ann Arbor playing Saturday night, had their recent album Greenhorn produced by Andy Caitlin over at the studio behind Black Owl. The result is garage sound filled with notes of a tin-rattling blues-guitar and a vocal style akin to the maddening rambles of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Sounds like it could be playing in someone’s back porch somewhere with Christmas lights and stuffed hunting prizes, through a lo-fi microphone. Good for the blurry-bar romp, or the exhalation of twitching music nerves. Mike Savina of the Double Phelix collective is also slated to join the group for some added mellow melodies.

Lasso, Andy Caitlin’s solo-soundtrack-western-project, will be providing the other half of the Double Phelix themed performances Saturday night. Like Ennio Morricone bumping into the medicine cabinet and tripping on some smooth Valium (although the metaphor is ruined when realized it isn’t a psychedelic.) Though tomorrow seems to be calling for the 8-piece collective effort  it can be hoped that the goofy, plunking piano, and moseying guitar that seem so aware of the genre Lasso is emulating,satirizing, and ultimately will remain the premise and fun of the project, and in-turn the performance will be just as endearing. Lasso’s newest EP  Lasso, Arizona was released this past Wednesday:

Wesley Foundation is right across from the Flagpoles of Western University, the pinnacle of the hill–or for more tech savvy users just use this address (2101 Wilbur Ave.,  Kalamazoo, MI 49006) with Google Maps.

Respect the venue, respect the bands, and mayhaps donate a few dollars for less broken bones around the world. Or least in Kalamazoo.