RECOMMENDED

The fact that this Montreal-based band writes most of their material in French should not be a reason for alt-rock fans not to check them out. These guys have been packing venues with 3000-plus capacity back home while performing at much smaller rooms in the United States, but it’s just a matter of time before they are discovered by more mainstream audiences Stateside, in the same manner that folks like Manu Chao and Sigur Rós have before them.

Their sound is pretty aggressive. Guitarist and vocalist Louis-Jean Cormier sings and plays with great passion, and his band mates (keyboardist François Lafontaine, bass guitarist Martin Lamontagne, percussionist Julien Sagot, and drummer Stéphane Bergeron) keep up with gusto in tunes like the psychedelic-inspired  “Le  Pyromane” (from their recently released “Les Chemins De Verre”) or the grunge-y “Le Coup D’ Etat.” Read the rest of this entry »

RECOMMENDED

When I was a kid, the Meat Puppets’ “Too High to Die” was released on a major label as a result of big business’ realization that independent bands could be marketed just like everything else. At some point, in my adolescent enthusiasm, I proclaimed the band inspiration to Kurt Cobain during a discussion with my father. His response was, “What’d they inspire him to do, kill himself?” Read the rest of this entry »

Photo: M Sharkey

RECOMMENDED

Listening to Brooklyn-based alt-Latin band Pistolera (“female gunslinger”) you’d think they hail from the north of Mexico. Their sound is strongly influenced by “corrido,” a fast-paced, syncopated beat with lyrics about  various issues—heartbreak, social issues and, more recently, the tension involving immigration to the United States. That influence can be felt in songs like “Cazador,” a protest song about the Minutemen vigilantes on the Mexico-US border, and the very danceable “Policia.” Read the rest of this entry »

The Lemonheads' Evan Dando

RECOMMENDED

While it’s clear that we don’t all have the same sort of disposable income as a few years back, strangely, though, there hasn’t been a dramatic drop-off of iWhatever sales of late. People are also buying cars, even prompting GM to hire back handfuls of day-laborers. The fact that the middle class is no more or less screwed than it was a decade or so back probably didn’t play into Evan Dando’s decision to pick up some backing players and hit the road with a live rendition of his band’s 1992 album “It’s a Shame About Ray.” Read the rest of this entry »

Mavis Staples

RECOMMENDED

Saying goodbye to summer means a farewell to beaches, outdoor seating and, perhaps the saddest of all, festivals. Fear not! The Hideout is squeezing the last out of the festival fun with the return of its legendary block party after a two-year absence. Perhaps the most impressive element of the festival is the diversity of style of the artists. The ten-hour event is a variable platter of sound, and it all looks delicious.

Andrew Bird, the biggest name on the bill, will provide the intricate indie tunes he’s known for. Lofty soul calling your name? Mavis Staples and her syrupy low voice at your service. To take that one step further, Booker T. Jones will be around to inject some serious funk into said soul. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo: João Wainer

RECOMMENDED

When Luisa Maita’s debut CD “Lero-Lero” first dropped in the U.S. in 2010, she joined the roster of many talented young Brazilian artists (Bebel Gilberto, Ceu, Seu Jorge—to name a few) to make it into the world music scene. Back then, she did a mini-tour that included small venues in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles that helped solidify her career and generate a buzz about her.

Maita’s sound is a mix of samba, rock and Afro-Brazilian influences. Read the rest of this entry »

RECOMMENDED

Jake and Jamin Orrall are brothers. As spawn of musical mastermind Robert Ellis Orrall, it’s not difficult to see why they eventually formed the duo known today as JEFF the Brotherhood. It’s also not difficult to understand why they’re so good at what they do, and seemingly without trying too hard, considering their extensive history with music. Though they were involved in other bands before, the bond of blood and beats proved an undeniable force. That shows in their ten-year history together and in the continual experiment that is their music. Read the rest of this entry »

RECOMMENDED

It wasn’t easy for Mexican alt-rockers Zoe since their 1994 inception. Like many indie bands, they took the DIY approach until they were discovered by a major label four years later—which subsequently dropped them—leaving them to fend for themselves until they finally got a distribution deal from Sony Music in 2000.

In the meantime, they made their name by playing in Latin alternative festivals and opening for established names like Gustavo Cerati (formerly of Babasonicos) and Franz Ferdinand—which helped broaden their fan base and led them to semi-superstardom in Latin America. Read the rest of this entry »

RECOMMENDED

Among the rising stars of the Latin Alternative movement—the growing trend of mostly Spanish-language performers who do not play traditional beats—Mexican-born Ximena Sariñana is the one to watch. Daughter of a behind-the-scenes show-business couple (her father is a film producer, her mother a screenwriter), the 26-year-old singer and songwriter started out as a child actress, playing several roles in telenovelas in her native country until 1998. Since then, while she continues to act (mostly in feature films), Sariñana has devoted most of her time to music and last year released the extremely well-received debut “Mediocre” (Warner Music Latina).

She is currently touring in support of her self-titled English-language debut. “Shine Down,” the first single off the album, is a club-ready uptempo tune filled with smart keyboard riffs and drum loops that blend both her Latin and North American music influences. Sariñana’s voice has a bit of Alanis Morissette’s anger coupled with Sarah McLachlan’s softer notes; according to her online bio, both Tracy Chapman and Paul Simon were early influences. One can hear a bit of jazz in her style as well, which probably crept in while Sariñana studied at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. (Ernest Barteldes)

July 22 at Metro, 3730 North Clark Street, (773)549-4140, 7pm. $24. 18+.

RECOMMENDED

The former child performer (and daughter of late producer and arranger Don Costa) shows on her new EP that she is in constant evolution as a performer. After dabbling in electronic and soul music on her previous efforts, Costa meets halfway by blending all her influences into a very personal musical form. The record opens with the bass-heavy “Head First,” a soul-inflected pop song that sounds ready for remixers and DJs to dabble with. “Never Wanna C U Again” shows her angry-girl side—it’s a female empowerment rocker about not allowing herself another lover’s deceit.

The title track is a bit unimpressive. Costa tries a bit too hard to mix a punk attitude with electronic elements, but the result is at least danceable even if it falls flat musically in comparison with the rest of the material on the disc. On the other hand, the downtempo “Chase the Thrill” has just the right blend of soul and psychedelics without sounding overproduced. The tune shift tempos towards the end, allowing for the instruments to take over and carry on its dreamy state—think of it as a cross between Alanis Morissette and the more trippy sounds of the late sixties in a well-balanced package. (Ernest Barteldes)

Nikka Costa
“Pro Whoa!”
(Go Funk Yourself/Giant Step)
www.nikkacosta.com