the hum / By Bob Doran

Bess Dove 2007

A few of this week’s shows and some CD faves

(Dec. 20, 2007)  ‘Tis the week before Christmas and through most of the county, not much is stirring — with a few exceptions. We’ll run through a handful of notable shows and then move on to some ideas for last minute Solstice/Xmas/Kwanzaa/belated-Hanukkah holiday shopping for music lovers — yes, the annual “best-of” lists.

Most touring bands must be sticking close to home for the holidays. However South Lake Tahoe’s Blue Turtle Seduction returns to Humboldt Brews for a two-night run of “high-altitude Bohemian tribal funk grass,” which is to say an eclectic blend of roots music liquefied in a jamband blender. The relatively new Wolf Navarro Band is at HumBrews Saturday with some angular rock.

GALLERY >

Dragged by Horses has a rare all-ages gig Friday evening at Mosgo’s with an early start time. The Vista was supposed to have an all-ages thing this weekend with a Bellingham band, but it’s canceled along with all future all-ages shows at the venue due to what booker Jon Fussell describes as ” a series of horrible events that transpired last Saturday.” (See NCJ Blogthing for details.)

As you may have heard, the Indigo Nightclub and Lounge is closing up shop for good this weekend. The “Going Out with a Bang Bash,” Friday, Dec. 21, is the final DJ dance party. DJ Hazzy, DJ Itchy Fingaz, Mixmaster Crushington and DJ Ray will take turns spinning for the occasion. Saturday’s show is the last ever; it also happens to be the annual home-for-the-holidaze gig for The 3 Heads, a Eureka-born rock combo (a quartet not a trio) who moved down to L.A. to make it big. They’re joined once again by Strix Vega, a band that seems to be moving up. A recent radio campaign put their fine Drunken Sky CD in the hands of disc jockeys nationwide and resulted in a Nashville booking agency taking the Arcata boys on, which means we may see less of them in 2008. Can’t make the show? The 3 Heads play an acoustic set at Old Town Coffee and Chocolate Sunday evening.

I almost skipped the Bess Dove list this year. Then I got an e-mail from Halimah “the Dreamah”Collingwood, world music DJ and host of “Ethnic Excursions” on KHSU. Could she send me her list? Sure. Why not? Here’s what she chose and her comments:

Maskarada— Taraf de Haidouks. This Balkan Roma band from Romania ventures into “classical” music from Bartok and others as well as featuring world singers and musicians, like cimbalom player Virginica Dumitru, in their traditional style.

Rough Guide to Indian Lounge. Great compilation of seductive sounds and hypnotic grooves, the music ranges from Indian reggae with Apache Indian to the innovative slide guitarist and composer, Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya. Check out all the Rough Guides.

Putumayo Presents: Israel. From a land that melds, often in conflict, three major cultures, this collection of mostly unknown artists (in the U.S. anyway) represents a window into the many voices of this tiny country. Up and coming is Idan Raichel who has established warm collaborative ties with immigrant musicians from Ethiopia.

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