Tonight: Diamond Terrifier at Back Alley Theater

        

Don’t let the rain keep you in this evening because tonight’s show at the Back Alley Theater is worth slogging through a little drizzle to check out. Consisting of five different solo acts, the bill offers a veritable pu pu platter of assorted sounds and styles to sample from:

Joey Molinaro kicks things off with what’s described as “solo acoustic grindcore violin.” Judging from the bits we’ve heard online, this is a lot more accessible than it reads—Molinaro shreds on an amplified violin while his frantically tapping and stomping feet provide a solid rhythm. It’s high energy and there’s plenty of melodic hooks buried under the fast finger- and foot-work.

Valerie Kuehne does sort of long, meandering cello songs. We’re not sure how much is improvised and how much is mapped out ahead of time, but expect a lot of abrupt stops, starts, and unexpected turns. Also, being classically trained, Kuehne has a voice that’s vaguely operatic in tone, which certainly adds something.

There’s not a lot of info out there on Sam Lohman, though every time his name turns up online it’s followed by a string of folks he’s worked with including Nimrod, session saxophonist Steve Mackay, and the psych-rock collective Acid Mothers Temple. Judging by his preview show at Amma House, it looks like this set will focus on harsh noise and solo drumming.

Folks who grew up playing SNES will like this next one: Taking early video game soundtracks as his muse, Patrick Higgins creates fast, tangled compositions for the electric guitar. It’s kind of like The Advantage, except these are all originals and lean more toward baroque complexity rather than bassy grooves. Think Dustin Wong playing the soundtrack to Chrono Trigger.

Finally, the night closes out with a set of solo sax from Diamond Terrifier (Sam Hillmer, best known for his work with the NYC noise/jazz/experimental outfit Zs). Unfortunately, the sax often gets pigeonholed as an instrument appropriate only for free-jazz freakouts or slinkly soft-rock flourishes. However, Hillmer—along with other artists like Colin Stetson—has been proving that the much-maligned woodwind is capable of a great deal more. As Diamond Terrifier Hillmer dodges both these traditions, instead using the sax to produce long, sustained notes that loop and layer into deep, brassy drones. Manipulated with pedals and accompanied by a shifting mix of chimes, bells, and whirring electronics, the continuous buzz from the sax builds into trance-like dirges that are just incredibly satisfying to hear live. For a bill filled with interesting artists, this act alone is worth the price of admission.

Music at 8:00; $10.

Wednesday night you better hop on the Green Line and get out to College Park because UMD’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is hosting a seriously cool event: Electronic music pioneer Morton Subotnick will be preforming his 1967 composition Silver Apples from the Moon. Subotnick is currently an artist-in-residence at the school, but he’s best know for pushing the boundaries of music since way back in the sixties. Given that completely electronic compositions are now nearly the standard in pop music (and we live in a world where digital avatars of dead rappers are built to entertain us), it’s easy to forget what a fringe endeavor this type of music still was just 50 years ago. While Subotnick wasn’t the first in this field by a long shot—tape music and musique concrète was being made since the 1920s—he was still one of the first to use an analog synthesizer. The piece being performed on Wednesday uses a Buchla Music Box, which, along with the Moog, is one of the earliest pieces or technology that let musicians create and manipulate electronic sounds in real-time. Also of note: With its bits of melody, variety of textures, and quick, sustained rhythm, Silver Apples of the Moon leans closer to pop and classical timbres and structures than most other compositions being produced at the time—it even became a best seller. Within it’s half-hour run time you can hear the embryotic bits of music to come, from the synth lines of Kraftwerk, to the percussion of Gary Numan, to the textures of Dan Deacon. And if that’s not reason enough to come out, the show will be accompanied by live projection art by media specialist Lillevan. Show starts at 8:00, free?
View Separately

Wednesday night you better hop on the Green Line and get out to College Park because UMD’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is hosting a seriously cool event: Electronic music pioneer Morton Subotnick will be preforming his 1967 composition Silver Apples from the Moon.

Subotnick is currently an artist-in-residence at the school, but he’s best know for pushing the boundaries of music since way back in the sixties. Given that completely electronic compositions are now nearly the standard in pop music (and we live in a world where digital avatars of dead rappers are built to entertain us), it’s easy to forget what a fringe endeavor this type of music still was just 50 years ago.

While Subotnick wasn’t the first in this field by a long shot—tape music and musique concrète was being made since the 1920s—he was still one of the first to use an analog synthesizer. The piece being performed on Wednesday uses a Buchla Music Box, which, along with the Moog, is one of the earliest pieces or technology that let musicians create and manipulate electronic sounds in real-time. Also of note: With its bits of melody, variety of textures, and quick, sustained rhythm, Silver Apples of the Moon leans closer to pop and classical timbres and structures than most other compositions being produced at the time—it even became a best seller. Within it’s half-hour run time you can hear the embryotic bits of music to come, from the synth lines of Kraftwerk, to the percussion of Gary Numan, to the textures of Dan Deacon.

And if that’s not reason enough to come out, the show will be accompanied by live projection art by media specialist Lillevan. Show starts at 8:00, free?

  • 20 Plays
  • 20k 17-01-2012

                      

Dysteria — Remy LBO — Peeling in the Drum Comical Cheating

The Only Valentine’s Day Failure — Prefuse 73 — The Only She Chapters

Doomed Ships — Tom Recchion — Chaotica

Bros (Terrestrial Tones Remix) — Panda Bear — Person Pitch Remixes

Five — Nuno Canavarro — Plux Quba

A Cheery Wave From Stranded Youngsters — Mogwai — Young Team

A1 — Etant Donnes — La Vue

Land Of Foot — Eric Copeland — Waco Taco Combo

Vanity Plate — Co La — Daydream Repeater

Ghost Facts — Pterodactyl — Worldwild

Cold War — Clams Casino — Clams Casino

The Landing — Louis and Bebe Barron — Forbidden Planet: Original MGM Soundtrack

What You Need — The Weeknd — House of Balloons

Glitter Blood (ft. Raw Moans) — Mickey Mickey Rourke — Inner Gazing

Scar Tissue — Richard Skelton — Landings

Bloom Perspective — Bastian Void — Horicon Sketches

Thirteen Eight B (V.3) — Greg Davis — Arbor

Parents — Lee Noble — Horrorism

Corto Maltese (Instrumental Version) — Jacky Chalard — Je Sus Vivant, Mais J’ai Peur De Gilbert Deflez

Pulses — White Rainbow — Prism of Eternal Now

Asusu — Fennesz — Venice

Girl — Suicide — Suicide

Seven — Nuno Canavarro — Plux Quba

City on Stilts — Panabrite — Frequency Bath

I Heart Musik — Oval — O

A — So — So

Screens — Ken Seeno — Invisible Surfer On An Invisible Wave

Shade — Emeralds — Does It Look Like I’m Here?

Data.vortex — Ryoji Ikeda — Dataplex

Intro to Imaginary Falcons — Peaking Lights — Imaginary Falcons

This House — The Softies — It’s Love

Stalactite Castle — Julianna Barwick & Ikue Mori — FRKWYS Vol. 6

Andy Wolff — Minus The Bear — Highly Refined Pirates Flunky — Mike Slott — Flunky Luck — Washed Out — High Times Eccojam B5 — Chuck Person — Chuck Person’s Eccojams Vol.1 Nuno — Prefuse 73 — Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives Feel Things Inside — Galapagos — Demos Beyondersville/Flight of Fance — Ponytail — Do Whatever You Want All The Time Sippy Cup — Shlohmo — Camping  Dysteria — Remy LBO — Peeling in the Drum Comical Cheating African Rhythms — Mi Ami — African Rhythms Head Dress — The Sunburned Hand Of The Man — Headdress  Bakiraq — Mo Kolours — EP1: Drum Talking Midnight Anthem — The Midnight EEz — The Midnight EEz Change — Gonjasufi — A Sufi And A Killer Morbius’ Study — Louis and Bebe Barron — Forbidden Planet: Original MGM Soundtrack Round And Round (C Powers Remix) — Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti — Pinglewood’s Ariel Pink Special Soundtrack EP Dandelion — Boards of Canada — Geogaddi Golden Desert Sun — Dirty Beaches — Solid State Gold A3-Triangle COP — Black Zone Myth Chant — Straight Cassette Burning Mirrors — Lumerians — Transmalinnia Rainbow — Boris With Michio Kurihara — Rainbow Untitled — Peaking Lights — Space Primitive You Kill Bugs Good, Man — Minus The Bear — Highly Refined Pirates Island Song — U.S. Girls — U.S. Girls on KRAAK Tim Davis — Teen Deams — Slow Jamz:  Songs 4 Friends & Family Close To Me — WHY? — Internet  Cut Your Teeth — Whom Do You Work For? — EP Tune — OOIOO — Gold & Green The Erhu Song — Mochipet — Bunnies & Muffins Summertime Clothes (Zomby’s Analog Lego Remix) — Animal Collective — Summertime Clothes Single Raagini — High Wolf — Atlas Nation Guitars — White Rainbow — Prism of Eternal Now
View Separately

Andy Wolff — Minus The Bear — Highly Refined Pirates

Flunky — Mike Slott — Flunky

Luck — Washed Out — High Times

Eccojam B5 — Chuck Person — Chuck Person’s Eccojams Vol.1

Nuno — Prefuse 73 — Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives

Feel Things Inside — Galapagos — Demos

Beyondersville/Flight of Fance — Ponytail — Do Whatever You Want All The Time

Sippy Cup — Shlohmo — Camping 

Dysteria — Remy LBO — Peeling in the Drum Comical Cheating

African Rhythms — Mi Ami — African Rhythms

Head Dress — The Sunburned Hand Of The Man — Headdress 

Bakiraq — Mo Kolours — EP1: Drum Talking

Midnight Anthem — The Midnight EEz — The Midnight EEz

Change — Gonjasufi — A Sufi And A Killer

Morbius’ Study — Louis and Bebe Barron — Forbidden Planet: Original MGM Soundtrack

Round And Round (C Powers Remix) — Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti — Pinglewood’s Ariel Pink Special Soundtrack EP

Dandelion — Boards of Canada — Geogaddi

Golden Desert Sun — Dirty Beaches — Solid State Gold

A3-Triangle COP — Black Zone Myth Chant — Straight Cassette

Burning Mirrors — Lumerians — Transmalinnia

Rainbow — Boris With Michio Kurihara — Rainbow

Untitled — Peaking Lights — Space Primitive

You Kill Bugs Good, Man — Minus The Bear — Highly Refined Pirates

Island Song — U.S. Girls — U.S. Girls on KRAAK

Tim Davis — Teen Deams — Slow Jamz:  Songs 4 Friends & Family

Close To Me — WHY? — Internet 

Cut Your Teeth — Whom Do You Work For? — EP

Tune — OOIOO — Gold & Green

The Erhu Song — Mochipet — Bunnies & Muffins

Summertime Clothes (Zomby’s Analog Lego Remix) — Animal Collective — Summertime Clothes Single

Raagini — High Wolf — Atlas Nation

Guitars — White Rainbow — Prism of Eternal Now

Wormwood — MF Doom — Metal Fingers Presents… Special Herbs Vol. 7 and 8 Egyptian Peaches —Co La — Daydream Repeater 8 Hours — Mo Kolours — EP1: Drum Talking Patchouly Leaves — MF Doom — Metal Fingers Presents… Special Herbs Vol. 5 and 6 Red Horse (Judges ll) — Colin Stetson — New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges The Big Ship — Brian Eno — Another Green World Tape Hiss Orchid — Deerhunter — Cryptograms Rainbows — Noveller — Red Rainbows Go Outside — Cults — Cults 7” How to Be Clean — Landing — Brocade Cloud Center — City Center — City Center Choose — Julianna Barwick — Florine Ghost Science — Teeth Mountain — Teeth Mtn CD-R Key Sparrow — Peaking Lights — 936 Wake Up Pretty — A Sunny Day In Glasgow — Scribble Mural Comic Journal A Visit From Drum — Liars — Drum’s Not Dead Ghost of Structure — Lee Noble — Horrorism Lucky 1 — Avey Tare — Down There Porch Projector — Ducktails — Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics This Night Has Opened My Eyes (Smiths cover) — Arial Pink — Yas Dudette Endless Sunshine — Joseph Nanner — New Star Broadcasting Drone — Panda Bear — Tomboy Rain On Lake I’m Swimming In — Lightning Bolt — Earthly Delights Marro — Harry Deerness — Harry Deerness Mulu(me) — Allá vs Basokin — Tradi-Mods vs Rockers Alternative Takes On Congotronics Vol. 2 Black Creek — Kontrolorgan — Kingfisher Exile CD-R Cloud Pleaser — Black Dice — Creature Comforts Sushi on a Hot Day — Chubby Wolf — Turkey Decoy The Story Of Yo La Tengo — Yo La Tengo — I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping — Grouper — Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill
View Separately

Wormwood — MF Doom — Metal Fingers Presents… Special Herbs Vol. 7 and 8

Egyptian Peaches —Co La — Daydream Repeater

8 Hours — Mo Kolours — EP1: Drum Talking

Patchouly Leaves — MF Doom — Metal Fingers Presents… Special Herbs Vol. 5 and 6

Red Horse (Judges ll) — Colin Stetson — New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges

The Big Ship — Brian Eno — Another Green World

Tape Hiss Orchid — Deerhunter — Cryptograms

Rainbows — Noveller — Red Rainbows

Go Outside — Cults — Cults 7”

How to Be Clean — Landing — Brocade

Cloud Center — City Center — City Center

Choose — Julianna Barwick — Florine

Ghost Science — Teeth Mountain — Teeth Mtn CD-R

Key Sparrow — Peaking Lights — 936

Wake Up Pretty — A Sunny Day In Glasgow — Scribble Mural Comic Journal

A Visit From Drum — Liars — Drum’s Not Dead

Ghost of Structure — Lee Noble — Horrorism

Lucky 1 — Avey Tare — Down There

Porch Projector — Ducktails — Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics

This Night Has Opened My Eyes (Smiths cover) — Arial Pink — Yas Dudette

Endless Sunshine — Joseph Nanner — New Star Broadcasting

Drone — Panda Bear — Tomboy

Rain On Lake I’m Swimming In — Lightning Bolt — Earthly Delights

Marro — Harry Deerness — Harry Deerness

Mulu(me) — Allá vs Basokin — Tradi-Mods vs Rockers Alternative Takes On Congotronics Vol. 2

Black Creek — Kontrolorgan — Kingfisher Exile CD-R

Cloud Pleaser — Black Dice — Creature Comforts

Sushi on a Hot Day — Chubby Wolf — Turkey Decoy

The Story Of Yo La Tengo — Yo La Tengo — I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass

Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping — Grouper — Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill