First of all, Fresh Espresso play the High Dive tonight—Charles Mudede, in his profile of the local duo, said this:
Fresh Espresso are all about the post-Jay-Z mood. The money is gone. No one can dream of selling millions of records and hiring a posse of hundreds to follow them to heavyweight fights in Vegas. Recently, Ice-T pointed out on CNN that he went to a fancy club and found it had 90 percent women. Why, he wondered? And then he realized it's because sisters can get in for free and expect booze from brothers who are bling-blinging. But the recession has hit hard, and brothers can't afford to go to "da club" and spend twenty at the door and fity for the Hennessy. The bling is out. The recession is in. And what are the brothers doing? They are in the studio, like Rik Rude, making beats and rhymes.
Also tonight, as Data Breaker will tell you, is Dietrich Schoenemann. Who? Exactly:
Dietrich Schoenemann is a very busy man with a huge, quality-laden discography—but you've probably never heard of him, let alone heard his music. With that mouthful of a handle, he's not exactly a household name, even among underground-electronic-music aficionados—although he has remixed Philip Glass's "The Thin Blue Line." So, much credit should go to the Knightriders and Bonkers! crews for bringing Schoenemann to Re-bar on May 8.
But that's not all, my friends. This week's Up & Comings have even more options:
Damien Jurado, Laura Gibson
(Crocodile) Local singer-songwriter Damien Jurado has been churning out emotionally bruised indie rock and folk/country-inflected acoustica for well over a decade now, laboring not exactly in obscurity but perhaps in less limelight than he deserves. His latest album, last year's Caught in the Trees, is one of his stronger works, recalling the relatively amped-up tone of 2002's I Break Chairs, in service of another batch of bitter, heartbroken songs with just slight linings of hopefulness. On Trees, Jurado's singing, alternately sturdy and softly shrinking, is supported by bandmates Eric Fisher and Jenna Conrad on a variety of instruments, allowing for such highlights as the upbeat barroom swing of "Gillian Was a Horse" and "Go First," whose carefully paced electric guitars and choral harmonies recall Low at their liveliest. ERIC GRANDY
Spaceman, No-Fi Soul Rebellion, Captain Oh Captain, Thee Satisfaction
(Comet) The dirty, smelly, wonderful Comet exists for acts like No-Fi Soul Rebellion. The dive bar's less-than-flawless sound system will make No-Fi's pre-recorded beats sound even fuzzier and dirtier, and the cramped "showroom" floor will be the perfect stage for singer Mark Heimer's constant thrashing, dancing, and dry-humping. Bonus: The married duo (Mark's wife, Andrea, mans [womans?] the music while Mark takes the mic) will no doubt be in the mood to party extra hard tonight, as they're celebrating the release of their new full-length, Oh Please Please Please, which is the sonic equivalent of Prince dropping a lot of ecstasy and trying to cover every song on the Valley Girl soundtrack. My only question: Why the fuck aren't these two opening for Lily Allen to a sold-out crowd at the Showbox? MEGAN SELING
Cloud Cult, Say Hi, Ice Palace
(Neumos) Led by Craig Minowa, Minneapolis septet Cloud Cult mongrelize scrappy indie rock, underground hiphop, and orchestral pop with whimsical glee. Winsome melodies and dramatic song structures conspire to make Cloud Cult's deft, patchwork compositions a warmhearted delight; this music embraces you with sincerity, and only the most ornery curmudgeon would push it away. On their second album, Wonder Subtly Crushing Us, fellow Minnesotans Ice Palace create knotty, rustic rock that bears a Midwestern toughness about it, which comes from enduring soul-destroyingly cold weather for nearly half the year. Seattle's Say Hi (Eric Elbogen) pens literate, understated pop gems that come off as casual as web-surfing at Bauhaus—especially that one with eight Ohs in its title from the newish Oohs & Aahs. DAVE SEGAL
Staxx Brothers, Mad Rad, Prof & Rahzwell, T-Spade, Vaughn Kreestoe
(Nectar) Who is Sylvain Debusschere? He is a Parisian. What does Monsieur Debusschere love to listen to? He loves Seattle hiphop like nobody's business. The 206-hiphop-obsessed Frenchman says: "At the moment, all I listen to is from Seattle. The Saturday Knights, Mad Fucking Rad, Fresh Espresso, Champagne Champagne—all is so good!" Which Seattle hiphop artist is at the top of Monsieur Debusschere's list? P Smoov. Who is this P Smoov? He is a member of Mad Rad and Fresh Espresso. Why does Monsieur Debusschere like this P Smoov? "The man is a genius as a producer." What makes him a genius? "His flexibility and beat instincts." Have you told the truth? "Nothing but the truth." CHARLES MUDEDE
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