J. DAVIS TRIO 6/21, MARTYRS’; 6/22, ST. HEDWIG STREET FEST This local hip-hop outfit–a quartet, not a trio–makes its backing tracks the hard way, getting their grooves mostly from real bass and drums. Ron of Japan’s trumpet skitters around them, but competes only slightly with rapper Nerd Stuart’s lucid poetry, which would give these guys an edge even if they used samples. This is a release party for their second album, The New No. 2, on their own Yo-Yo Smuggler label; the guest list includes MC Lunchbox Law, singer-songwriter Stolie, and guitarist Jeff Parker.
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LIGHT FM 6/21, THE NOTE Most members of this Chicago quartet have been culled from other well-regarded locals: guitarist Josiah Mazzaschi fronted mid-90s almost-rans Motorhome; drummer Mark Ruggiero also keeps time in Tom Daily & the Volunteers, the Men’s Group, and the Fruit Bats; Cory Verblen, who plays almost everything else, is also with Daily’s band. Their three-song demo contains the sort of solid, fuzzy, anthemic indie pop that would be radio friendly if only radio itself were a little more friendly.
AMERICAN PATCHWORK TOUR 6/25, SCHUBAS British electro-folk freak Momus organized this package tour to show off the talent on his American Patchwork label: the Super Madrigal Brothers make faux-Renaissance madness out of video-game sounds; the Gongs, a quartet of Oberliners, use homemade acoustic and electronic instruments and, yes, gongs, to generate intense atmospherics; and Phiiliip is a young writer who generates Bowie-esque songs like some sort of idiot savant. None of these artists has much in common with the others, unless you count the drive to entertain oneself first and others second. But there’s bound to be something here that anyone with a sense of wonder might like.
