the hum / By Bob Doran

No Use for Retro

Lila sings again on Monday, Nov. 10, opening a show at the Arcata Playhouse for songwriter Peter Mulvey, who was here not so long ago opening for Patty Larkin when she played the Playhouse. Mulvey is a skillful song craftsman adept at dovetailing words and music; he’s also a helluva guitar fingerpicker. Want to learn from a master? He’s teaching a guitar/songcraft workshop at 5 p.m. before the show.

Another big reggae week: Friday at Mazzotti’s you have the I-Grade Showcase with artists from the Virgin Islands known as the Lions of Kush: Abja, Tuff Lion, Danny I and Volcano, all backed by The Red Eye Band. Sunday at the Red Fox it’s Jamaican dancehall star Warrior King. Monday at Humboldt Brews Brooklyn-born white-dread Rocker T takes the mic, with Winstrong from Suriname and Lady Passion, another Virgin Islander. Local faves Ishi Dube and Massagana hit HumBrews next Wednesday — they’re also at the Arcata Farmers’ Market Saturday morning.

In the jammy world: Play Dead does just that Thursday at Humboldt Brews. While guitar jammer/looper Keller Williams typically plays solo (and sounds like a full band), right now he’s on the road with a full band. The members: bassist Keith Moseley from String Cheese, drummer Jeff Sipe from Leftover Salmon and guitarist Gibb Droll. They play a Passion show Tuesday at the Eureka Theater followed by an afterparty at the Red Fox with Steve Watts Band. Another Leftover Salmon alum, Vince Herman, hits town Wednesday for a gig at the Red Fox with his neo-Americana band Great American Taxi.

Some time last year, while surfing the music blogs, I downloaded an instrumental called “My Only Swerving” by the band El Ten Eleven, about whom I knew next to nothing. The mesmerizing track ended up on about a dozen different comps made for friends, and when the band released an album this summer, These Promises Are Being Videotaped, I added that to my music collection too. El 10/11 is Tim Fogarty creating complex rhythm beds on acoustic and electric drums for Kristian Dunn‘s fretless bass and double neck Carvin guitar. The two necks (one bass, one regular) and a battery of effects pedals allow Dunn to turn the duo into at least a trio, although 10/11’s sound is often even bigger, as you’ll see if you come to the Alibi Saturday, Nov 8. Humboldt Free Radio booker Francois’ description of them: “electro rock from Los Angeles,” seems inadequate. On the “about” page at elteneleven.com, the guys offer a list of more descriptive words and phrases: “instrumental, indie rock, post rock, math rock [the complex rhythms apply there] and post post rock.” All of the above apply. They’re also “hypnotic, druggy, cathartic, anthemic, ethereal, atmospheric, spacey, elegant, emotional, avant-garde, ambient, crap” — I’d throw out the final self-deprecating word, but keep the rest. Note that Alibi shows typically start late. I’ll need to take a nap Saturday afternoon.

1 2 SHARE