The weather is a little cooler, another Voodoo is in the books and November is swarming with excellent musical choices. If you didn’t get enough music over the festival weekend, you can start this month on Nov. 2 at Siberia with an excellent punk show: Strange Wilds opening for The Coathangers. Both bands have an excellent sound and should create a mighty noise from the Siberian stage.
The Psychedelic Furs will be at Tipitina’s on the 6th. Richard Butler is still in great form for a night of new wave classics.
The next night, Nov. 7, Slow Magic will be at Republic with Giraffage. Slow Magic is everyone’s imaginary friend, or at the very least an anonymous trickster. His particular blend of styles mixes digital and analog techniques to produce a unique sound and mesmerizing show. Make sure to get there for Giraffage’s meme-heavy insanity.
On Nov. 9, two heavy hitters on the indie scene will be in town on the same night: Grimes at Republic and Parquet Courts at One Eyed Jacks. Grimes is back on the road after her excellent 2012 record Visions. As of press we’re expecting a “surprise” record from her in October; hopefully we’ll get a healthy dose of that at the show. The same night Parquet Courts will be at One Eyed Jacks. Despite forming in 2010, this New York-based post-punk group has amassed a considerable collection of outstanding albums. Their last record, Content Nausea under the playful moniker Parkay Quarts, was one of my absolute favorites of last year. Their sound is quintessentially of New York; the echoes of Lou Reed and David Byrne are everywhere. If you’re going to see one show this month, pick this one.
Los Angeles-based Together PANGEA will play Gasa Gasa Nov. 10. Their sound is an excellent mix of indie rock and surf. This show is guaranteed to get you dancing. That same night another LA band, Girlpool, will be playing Republic. Girlpool is one of the outstanding bands of 2015. Their debut album Before the World Was Big was released in June and will certainly be on my “Best of” list for the year. The duo mixes a sense of wonder with the reality of interpersonal relationships in a profoundly interestingly way.
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats will be at Tipitina’s Nov. 15. This ensemble combines elements of folk and R&B into a rich sound. Check out their excellent new record S.O.B.
Finally, the GIVERS will be playing One Eyed Jacks Nov. 25. This Lafayette-based indie ensemble will be releasing their record New Kingdom on the 13th, so expect this show to be heavy on new material.
There are way more shows this month than I have room to highlight here. Keep an eye on my blog for weekly updates.
Note: Dates are subject to change. Playlist of mentioned bands available at: bit.ly/InTune11-15.
Experimental Experiences
There are a couple of experimental artists coming to town this month that I think you’ll really enjoy. First, on Nov. 7, Youth Lagoon (Trevor Powers) will be at One Eyed Jacks. Powers’ new record, Savage Hills Ballroom, is an excellent extension and refinement of his unique blend of Americana and synth.
If you’re looking for something a little darker, on Nov. 16 the noise rock ensemble HEALTH will be at One Eyed Jacks. The band is touring on their excellent new record Death Magic, which was released in August. Their sound is a dark electro-pop with just a touch of new wave.
Both of these bands are pushing at the limits of what we expect from the contemporary scene. They are definitely worth exploring.
