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C. Gibbs with Mack West
Thursday · Northside Tavern
Christian Gibbs may or may not have an extraordinary wanderlust, but his musical style and career certainly bespeak a lifetime of mobility. A San Diego native, the guitarist's first move was to the U.K., where he found work touring with Modern English. Even though they were in their waning years, this was an exciting prospect for the then 20-year-old Gibbs. Next up was a relocation to New York City, where he formed the jagged Power Pop trio, Morning Glories, who released three discs in the '90s. In 1997, he released his first solo album, Sincerity's Ground, under the name C. Gibbs Review. It was a straightforward but strong set of acoustic numbers, portending his later work but somewhat dismissed as a Morning Glories sidebar. Following a brief stint supporting Industrial forefather Foetus, he gambled on another solo foray and this time it paid off. In 1999, recording as The C. Gibbs Group, he released 29 Over Me on Atlantic, highlighting his mature songwriting chops and a gothic style that immediately earned comparisons to Nick Cave. After playing with John Mellencamp, Everclear and Son Volt, Gibbs returned to the West Coast in L.A., where he found time to collaborate with The Damned's Dave Vanian as a bass player in Phantom Chords. Then, after parting ways with Atlantic, he returned to NYC and assembled a backing band dubbed The Cardia Brothers to record a new "solo" disc, The Pinkerton Set, which became a lauded AltCountry gem.
Tired yet? Me too. Reflecting on the musical lives Gibbs has lived gives some insight into the style he is asymptotically approaching, a haggard but lively combination of Neil Young and Wayne Coyne. His newest release, Parade of Small Horses, sounds like what would have happened if Tom Waits had fronted The Soft Boys. It's folky but dark, traditional yet subversive. And Gibbs' hectic and varied career was the perfect vehicle to bring him to this spot, full of confidence but still aching for experimentation. (Ezra Waller)
Ordinary Peoples
Saturday · Soupie's
You won't find much thoughtful, non-bling Hip Hop on the Billboard charts but, in the underground, there is a fervent fan base eagerly seeking out the multitudes of less predictable MCs and DJs operating in the trenches. You also won't find many Hip Hop acts whose live shows transcend the usual DAT-tape-backed "public appearance" showcases and become a part of their artistic reputation. Columbus seems to be a hotbed for the new school (which is usually actually quite "old school," but I digress ...) and out of that hub comes Ordinary Peoples, who have been rousing college and Hip Hop crowds all over the country since their formation at Ohio State in 1998. Unlike most of their peers outside of The Roots and a few others, OP quickly became known for their live performance, an organic, groove-and-rhyme feast that enthralled audiences in their previous seven-piece-band incarnation. In 2002, core members Gerard Garrelts, Ben Levels and Scraps made the decision the strip down, dropping the expanded "band" idea in favor of a more loops/samples/scratches-friendly trio format. They may have lost some bodies, but they didn't lose any steam. On the threesome's latest release, Cause & Effect, OP pimps a blunted, creative and largely laid-back style that draws from various facets of Hip Hop, Funk and Rock (from G-Funk to P-Funk and well beyond) for a grounded concoction that doesn't lose any of the "natural" vibe of their full(er) band days. In fact, most of Cause & Effect is still lifted by "real" instrument performances — Levels handles the bass and dominating keyboards (which guide much of the album with an old Soul/Funk/Jazz vibe), Garrelts works the drum kit to great, pocket-dominating effect and a slew of guests flesh things out, including O.A.R. guitarist (and longtime OP collaborator) Jerry DePizzo. Spacious and uncluttered, the new-look Peoples have found a sound breathes well. MC Scraps takes on the bulk of the rhyming duties, rapping in a mellow croon that has led to endless comparisons to A Tribe Called Quest. Lyrically, Cause & Effect is occasionally trite (one of the opening lines is "Like The Rolling Stones, (I) can't get no satisfaction"), but the themes are generally dynamic and clever, ranging from the everyday (the ladies) to the more big-picture (the Bush administration gets a poetic take-down on "Brainwash"). One of the trio's strong suits is "the hook": Cause & Effect is laden with memorably melodic choruses, giving the tracks an accessibility without stooping to base pandering, like so much mainstream Hip Hop and Rap. (Mike Breen)
Rilo Kiley with Neva Dinova
Tuesday · Southgate House
Indie Pop sensations Rilo Kiley began when songwriter Jenny Lewis and guitarist Blake Sennett met in California in the mid '90s with music and childhood acting careers in common (she starred in Troop Beverly Hills, he was a regular on Nickelodeon's Salute Your Shorts), which led to their romantic and professional involvement. They formed RK in 1998 with bassist Pierre de Reeder and drummer Dave Rock, self-releasing their eponymous full length and an EP the following year. In 2000, the band scored a cameo on the critically acclaimed TV series, Once and Again, after the show's creators wrote them into an episode. 2001 was momentous as RK released Take Offs and Landings, then signed with Barsuk who re-released the album that summer. By fall, Lewis and Sennett's relationship was over, and Rock departed, opening the drummer chair for Jason Boesel; the band then moved from L.A. to Nebraska and joined Conor Oberst's Saddle Creek roster. Their label debut, The Execution of All Things, was Rilo Kiley's breakthrough album as college radio and Indie fans embraced it while critics anointed it. 2004 was particularly frenetic as the band pursued a number of projects including material that would ultimately become their latest album, More Adventurous. Lewis joined Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard in his wildly successful Postal Service project, and Sennett and Boesel launched The Elected, signed to Sub Pop and recorded their stunning debut, Me First, a melange of acid-washed psychedelic Country/Folk Pop originally intended for Sennett's solo album.
With all of the organic elements influencing Rilo Kiley, the band also had conscious changes in mind. "I think we wanted a cleaner sound," says Boesel. "Especially for me and the drums, a less roomy, reverbed-out sound. We wanted a tighter, punchier sound, and I think that goes across the board with the guitars and vocals."
The biggest change came with RK's split from Saddle Creek to form their own Warner Bros.-distributed label, Brute/Beaute, in order to gain a broader audience and radio exposure. Boesel notes the band wasn't necessarily dissatisfied with Saddle Creek, just looking to rise above their limited resources.
With more intricate arrangements on Adventurous, RK has been faced with presenting a set list that reflects their expanding musical consciousness. "It's been a challenge to find the right balance," says Boesel. "We've got two string players and two horn players and an auxiliary musician to play guitars and keyboards so that's helped a lot. They play things on the older songs that smooth the transition." (Brian Baker)
