One of the newest mainstays of the local music scene, Tick Tick, a local show promoter and the Burlington equivalent of a society of hipsters, is hosting a CD release party for June Debris on Friday at the Monkey House in Winooski.
June Debris, an electronic duo based locally in Burlington, is currently on an East Coast tour for their third album. On Young Optimists Records, a small collective of artsy folk in Brooklyn, NY looking to say that they own a record label, Debris is hoping to make a splash in their hometown.
Based on overused, yet catchy drum, bass and synth roots, the solo act of Jonny Wanser has expanded recently to feature Teddy Georgia and Liza Miller for the upcoming album and tour. These additions have brought in much needed lyrical support to the experimental music in the vein of Beach House and Postal Service.
Although primarily focused in an almost video game-like, highly artificial, technologic band, Wanser pushes his luck with borderline Explosions in the Sky crescendos and dynamics. These post-rock melodies will impress, but they may have to wake up the audience first.
After experiencing a similar Tick Tick show starring ambient noise artists Dygn and Kira Kira in December, while this upcoming show may draw crowds to hear a band coming out of hiding after almost a year, the crowd will not be in their boisterous, Friday night spirits.
As a prelude to the experiment in sound, the Monkey House will be filled with a peculiar assortment of familiar faces in the Burlington music scene – melodic Liza/Lisa, raw Voles, comedic Nosebleed Island and the oddball, a token budding garage band, Vultures of Cult.
The night begins with Liza/Lisa, mellow coffee shop music. The combination of stripped, soft yet wide ranging voice and fragile background guitar might get lost in the shuffle of people arriving and chatting after not seeing their long lost friends for the previous five days. Yet, if Liza/Lisa’s Myspace is any proof, the girl band based on a Vermonters’ ideals of “raw bones. bare feet. green groceries.” might just stand a chance.
Voles follow with a preview to the main act: a raw guitar, bass and drum act with a slight resemblance to the beats of Massive Attack. In a city where jamming and music are synonymous, this simplistic approach may take many by pleasant surprise.
Then, fan favorite and omnipresent Burlington music aficionado Nosebleed Island will take the stage rolling around in his iconic wheelchair. Although putting casual concertgoers in a state of confusion, Joe Agresto’s comedic songs ranging from a “Rent a Cop” song based off of the melody of “A Whole New World” to the dancing favorite “Pterodactyl,” his set will be an enjoyable deviation from the mellow mood.
Leading up to the main act are the Vultures of Cult, distortion-heavy local garage band anomaly. Against the airy beats of June Debris and the fun mood of Nosebleed Island, the primarily instrumental collective akin to Queens of the Stone Age would do better on a different night at the Monkey House.
In other local music news, Radio Bean is hosting a full docket on Friday night starting at 9 pm. After a successful show last fall well attended by UVM students, Bostonians Truman Peyote are coming back for a second round. Accompanied by Many Mansions and the main act, Kegs of Acid, a Brooklyn, NY psychedelic band, this show would be at the top of my list if not for the aforementioned Monkey House gig.
After rocking the Monkey House Friday night, Nosebleed Island will be back in action the following night at Radio Bean at 9 pm. He will be opening up for a highly recommended singer from the local noise label, Aether Everywhere, Nuda Veritas. A 2005 graduate of UVM, she impressed a Friday night crowd a couple of weeks ago with her dynamic voice and experimental music comprised of loops, guitar, tapes, violin and xylophone.
All in all, should turn out to be a good weekend.
lo-fi rockin' burlington 