Back in the post-Nirvana early ’90s, Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando became an alt-rock sex symbol, a rising star who disappeared for nearly a decade, reportedly as the result of a pretty bad drug problem. But now he’s back, with his first solo album, Baby I’m Bored, and a new lease on life. Dando’s rootsy alt-rock sound hasn’t changed much, though the times have. You can see how his music holds up this week at Newby’s, Sunday, October 5th. Dando will be joined by New Jersey’s The Love Scene, frequent Lucero tourmates whose strong rootsy rock sounds a bit like the local boys on their debut EP, Blood Is the New Black.
Chicago’s Trans Am headline the Hi-Tone Café Saturday, October 4th, but here’s betting that New York’s electroclash A.R.E. Weapons will be a lot more fun. Boston’s lovably mopey The Movies will get things started.
Nashville’s Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers, whose colorfully over-the-top mix of country, blues, and rockabilly evokes the likes of Rev. Horton Heat and Southern Culture on the Skids, will attempt to turn the Hi-Tone Café into an old-time tent show Sunday, October 5th.
Papa M is the musical nom de plume of David Pajo, an indie-rock cult figure who was a founding member of Slint and has also played with Tortoise, Royal Trux, and Stereolab, but who features slow, semi-bluesy songcraft on his latest record, “Whatever, Mortal”. Pajo will be backed up on the road by members of Zwan and A Perfect Circle. Joining Papa M at Young Avenue Deli Tuesday, October 7th, is Entrance, another indie-rock solo act doing the blues bit. In this case it’s Guy Blakeslee, formerly the bassist for Baltimore noise band the Convocation Of, who turns in an acoustic psych-blues ramble on his album The Kingdom of Heaven Must Be Taken By Storm!.
Joining Clem Snide at the Hi-Tone Café Wednesday, October 8th, is Califone, a Chicago band whose atmospheric Americana landed them on tour with Wilco recently. Spun off from beloved indie blues band Red Red Meat, Califone is experimental where most roots bands are conservative, their playful percussive sound meant to rattle rather than soothe –kind of like if Timbaland were raised on nothing but field recordings. The highlight of the band’s fine new album, Quicksand/Cradlesnakes, is a song called “When Leon Spinx Moved into Town,” which manages to be a metaphor for the singer’s sex life. — Chris Herrington