Junior Rocket Scientist, Ugly Hussy and Heart Hunter @ Neurolux (6/4/13)

Originally, I'd considered passing on this show.  No offense meant to Junior Rocket Scientist; I'd just written about them a few times already and had a bunch of work to do.  When I heard that this would be Joey Jeter's last gig before he moved to San Francisco, however, I decided that I should check this out.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one.  I counted about twenty-five people when I got down to Neurolux.  When Junior Rocket Scientist played, there were almost ninety.  A big chunk of that number opted to hang out on the patio, but that still left fifty people watching the band.

Heart Hunter, a new local act, opened the show.  She titled one song "Lullaby," but between her sweet murmur, her church-like organ and her pretty, hymn-like tunes, the name would've fit most any of them.  Her simple, suggestive lyrics had some bite, however ("You're breaking my heart... You're shaking my belief in myself.").  Also, I can't think of many local artists who could bust out a George Gershwin cover and not come off as unbearably priggish (played a pretty good solo on that one too).  A little raw--she didn't quite sing into the mic while playing a number on accordion--but still promising.

Ugly Hussy played next.  I've always liked this guy's work, but this was something else.  This set featured mainly new numbers (they were new to me, anyway) and a more confident, aggressive sound--harsher noises, a more intricate layering of licks and riffs.  Even the numbers I recognized sounded darker and heavier than I remembered.  There were times where, if I'd closed my eyes, I could've almost sworn that I was listening to Red Hands Black Feet.  Very well done.

Junior Rocket Scientist closed out the night.  It's a shame that Joey Jeter won't be around to follow up on this gig, but at least he got to go out on a high note.  Their angular grooves sounded more limber, their vocals more confident and their guitar noise fiercer than I've ever heard them.  These rendered their tart melodies even more agreeable.  The crowd gave this performance some suitably loud applause.  Here's hoping that this group can find a good replacement or that Jeter comes back to visit regularly.

You can find info on Ugly Hussy and Junior Rocket Scientist on Facebook and elsewhere online.  If you like what you've read and would like to help keep it going, click the yellow "Give" button and donate whatever you can.  Even $5 would help.

Parenthetical Girls, With Child and Ugly Hussy @ the Flying M Concert-Garage (4/4/13)

Show me a band I've never seen who's set to play the Flying M and I'll show you a band I want to check out.  That was most of the thinking that went into my putting this concert on the calendar.  It helped too, though, that people whose taste I respect were excited about Parenthetical Girls coming to Idaho.  The presence of With Child and Ugly Hussy on the bill seemed promising as well.

I counted fourteen people or so wandering around when I got out there.  When Parenthetical Girls played, I counted about forty-five.  Not bad for a Thursday in Nampa, I suppose.

Ugly Hussy opened the night.  This gentleman seemed to have grown in confidence since I saw him back in January (playing Treefort can help with that).  He conjured up his mist of sunny tunes, chiming licks and clanging beats with impressive ease and gracefulness.  Since he only had a guitar, his music had a lighter and airier feel than that of, say, Iconoplasty.  That's not a bad thing; indeed, that just means that he has his own sound.

With Child played next.  I know it's petty, but families like the Hustons and the Redgraves frustrate me just a little.  I mean, c'mon--why they gotta hog all the talent?  Why can't they spread some of that around?  I felt a little bit of that as I listened to Noah Jensen's curling basslines, to Jeremy Jensen's clipped, elegant, melodic soloing and to Elijah Jensen's friendly croon, intriguing lyrics and mega-catchy melodies (his solos were pretty sharp too).  Good thing Ethan Smith, whose strong work behind the drumkit hammered the whole package home, isn't related.  Otherwise, it just might be more than I could bear.

Parenthetical Girls closed out the night.  Between their bouncy, shiny tunes and frontman Zac Pennington's moves like Jagger and voice like Wainwright (Rufus, that is), this Portland group probably could've done well at a place like the Knitting Factory.  Of course, if I'd seen them there, I wouldn't have seen Pennington strut among the crowd, sing while stretched out on a table, walk on the wooden wall that runs along the stage and climb up to the Flying M's mezzanine.  Besides, while their hard beats, chicken-scratch guitar and serene synthesizer would have held up fine, the wit and sass of the lyrics might have lost something in a larger venue.  The intimacy of Pennington's dry, friendly banter would have suffered too (I especially appreciated his shout-out to the late Roger Ebert).  It took the crowd a little while to loosen up (Pennington teased a particularly stoic cluster of kids seated up front), but a bunch of people were up and dancing by the end.  They also helped make sure that the mic cord didn't get tangled while Pennington was roaming around.

You can find info on these acts on Facebook and elsewhere online.

CAMP, Lucid Aisle and Ugly Hussy @ Neurolux (1/8/13)

I decided to check this show out because it was the first time that CAMP would play a Radio Boise gig.  Actually, as far as I know, this was the first time that CAMP would play a show at Neurolux.  Anyway, this show also gave me the chance to see Lucid Aisle, whose set at the MV & EE show had impressed me greatly, and Ugly Hussy, an act I'd never heard of before.

I counted twenty people when I arrived at Neurolux.  The crowd would double by the time that Lucid Aisle played.  Not bad for the first Radio Boise Tuesday of the year.  Also, I saw among the audience Cameron Andreas's bandmates from the new Green Jello: Dustin Jones, Geno Lopez, even Bill Manspeaker.  Wow, guy must really dig this town...

Ugly Hussy opened the show.  With just a Fender guitar and some looping pedals, this local musician conjured up a dense fog of chiming riffs and licks, clanging beats and ethereal tunes.  He got some much-earned whoops and cheers, and not just from the friends/family (I'm guessing) who moved up front to take pictures with their smartphones.  If someone's looking to fill a bill with Iconoplasty, this guy would fit nicely.

Lucid Aisle played next.  About midway through this set, I started feeling kinda sorry for CAMP.  If I were in a rock band, no way in hell would I ever want to follow a performance like this.  Between their muscular drums, their coursing basslines and their carpet-bombing guitar, this trio called to mind Brett Netson and Snakes but with better tunes and stronger vocals.  The audience's reaction was much less subdued here than it was at the Red Room back in November: they whistled and cheered as if this was the headlining act (I also saw one gentleman hold up his lighter).  Just a matter of time, I expect...

Lucid Aisle may have stolen some of their thunder, but CAMP's set was still worthy of its live broadcast on Radio Boise.  Pops Miranda's nimble drumming, Aaron Ajeti's rumbling bass and Cameron Andreas's screeching guitar bounced and surged and skanked together in fine style.  Cameron Andreas's croon sounded in good form, and he tossed in some pleasantly weird synthesizer noise as well.  This performance received some warm applause as well as some dancing from Geno Lopez and an unidentified lady.  The dancing was pretty adorable, I must admit.

You can find info on these acts on Facebook and elsewhere online.  Special thanks to Eric Gilbert and Radio Boise.