Margarita Madness At The Purple People Bridge : May 17th

Sound Advice: Indie Pop Group The Ladybug Transistor to Perform at MOTR Pub

Word is the live sets will focus on songs from the band’s middle-era albums: 1999’s The Albemarle Sound, 2001’s Argyle Heir and 2003’s self-titled effort, which turned 20 this year.

Nov 1, 2023 at 5:23 am

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard - Inline - Content",
            "component": "16925999",
            "insertPoint": "5th",
            "startingPoint": "3",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "3",
            "maxInsertions": 100
          }
          
        ]

click to enlarge

Photo: Laurent Orseau

The Ladybug Transistor

This story is featured in CityBeat's Nov. 1 print edition.

The Ladybug Transistor founder and frontman Gary Olson has the type of modest voice that sneaks up on you. Think a less melodramatic Morrissey, a baritone that becomes another instrument amid the band’s lush jangle pop. Ladybug Transistor’s sonic influences are clear to the ear (‘60s masters The Beach Boys, The Kinks and The Zombies are most obvious), as are the pastoral lyrics that often find Olson ruminating on nature (song titles include “Fjords of Winter,” “Fires on the Ocean,” “Splendor in the Grass,” “Like a Summer Rain” and “Rushes of Pure Spring”).

Olson formed The Ladybug Transistor in the mid-90s, with a revolving lineup around him dropping seven full-length records through 2011’s Clutching Stems. The collective has largely been quiet over the last decade-plus as Olson focused on production work at his home studio in Brooklyn, New York. But he caught the songwriting bug the deeper the hiatus went on, eventually putting out a solo effort in 2020 just as COVID shut everything down.

Three years on, Olson was eager to play live again, so why not gather various Ladybug alumni for a tour? From a July post on the band’s Facebook page: “We have a run of shows coming up this autumn!” Word is the live sets will focus on songs from the band’s middle-era albums: 1999’s The Albemarle Sound, 2001’s Argyle Heir and 2003’s self-titled effort, which turned 20 this year.

The existence of Ladybug Transistor nearly 30 years in is obviously heartening to Olson and his revolving band of musical compatriots. From a Magnet magazine interview in 2011, no doubt as true as the day he said it: “I’m certainly thankful for the modest success we’ve had. It’s pretty tiny but has led us to a lot of places in this world that I thought I’d never get to see and plenty of enduring friendships. We do other things and have other interests outside of the band and music. I think the balance has been key to our longevity.”

The Ladybug Transistor plays MOTR Pub on Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. Info: motrpub.com.