Clavius Productions presents:
Monday, June 2
Velvet Lounge
915 U St NW WDC
http://www.velvetloungedc.com 202-462-3213
$7, doors at 9pm, 21+
Insect Factory (last show before Terrastock!)
Animal Hospital (Boston one-man psych band, ex-The Common Cold)
Corpus Callosum (DC cello/electronics improv, mem. of Field Shaman, ex-VOG/Piasa)
Animal Hospital http://www.animalhospitalmusic.com/ "There??s a lot of creative potential to be found in the deceptively simple act of repetition. Under the moniker of Animal Hospital, Kevin Micka explores this with little more than an arsenal of effects pedals and other assorted guitar gear. Micka??s method??adding layers of loops on top of one another until a song emerges??resembles in concept a Facebook-era Frippertronics. But the songs that Animal Hospital crafts are hospitable enough so as not to require a deep technical knowledge of their experimental underpinnings. Micka??s sonic surges, usually summed up under that broad umbrella term of post-rock, range from thunderous, crushing, doom-drenched blasts to spacey, twinkling soundscapes to light, mathy riffs running in rings of recurrence. Whatever atmosphere they reflect, Animal Hospital??s songs are always evocative." Animal Hospital performs with Insect Factory and Corpus Callosum at 9:30 p.m. at the Velvet Lounge, 915 U St. NW. $7. (202) 462-3213. (Matthew A. Stern, Washington City Paper)
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Tuesday, June 3
Velvet Lounge
$8, doors at 9pm, 18+
Shot x Shot (Philly avant-jazz quartet, High Two Records)
The Cutest Puppy in the World (DC improv duo)
Aaron Martin-Britton Powell-Scott Verrastro Trio (alto sax/upright bass/percussion free jazz a la Ayler/Frank Wright/Noah Howard/Marion Brown/Archie Shepp)
Shot x Shot http://www.shotbyshotmusic.com/ Shot x Shot is a Philadelphia quartet that has forged a distinctive sound through five years of steady collaboration. Their work is based in collective improvisational compositions that run the gamut from delicate to ruthless. The band was formed in 2004 while the members were students at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. They began performing at local venues and gradually extended their range to include New York, Boston, Chicago, Montreal and other major cities. Shot ? Shot has performed alongside Peter Brötzmann, Jeb Bishop, Chicago Luzern Exchange, Peter Evans, Jack Wright and Pete Robbins among others. In 2007, the band showcased at South by Southwest. Shot ? Shot??s self-titled live debut (High Two, 2006) was heralded in the pages of Downbeat, The Wire, Signal to Noise, All About Jazz??NY, and other publications. The Village Voice and All About Jazz??NY listed the album among the top debuts of 2006. Shot ? Shot??s second album Let Nature Square, their first studio recording, is due to be released by High Two in May 2008.
The band Shot x Shot excels in the art of group improvisation. A term tossed about too often without consideration for the words, 'group' and 'improvisation.'
This, their second recording, follows the self titled 2006 live date from St. Mary's church at the University of Pennsylvania. It had a ghostlike sound, a sort of archeological remnant, with echoey vibrations bouncing throughout the church. The quartet, formed at Philadelphia's University of The Arts, is comprised of saxophonist Dan Scofield and bassist Engle (members of Sonic Liberation Front, an African percussion-infused jazz group), saxophonist Bryan Rogers (Bobby Zankel's Large Ensemble), and drummer Dan Capecchi (Jeff Baumeister Quartet).
This studio date derives its sound more from the players than the space. Certainly, the acoustics play a large part again, exhorting the concept of a group sound that dominates individual improvisers. The five tracks presented, develop through organic or natural growth; the spark of genius here is the manner the band expands their music without resorting to traditional head-bridge-head with soloist each taking their bows.
The opener, ??Scans,? makes order out of seeming chaos and the closing track ??Autobonsai,? both written by Dan Scofield, speeds itself into a self-contained burnout completion. The two tracks by drummer Dan Capecchi (the confrontational ??Oh No? and the meditative ??Overlay?) highlight the wide range of music making this band is capable of. The sole contribution by bassist Matt Engle ??Triple Double,? might be mistaken for a Ken Vandermark 5 composition with its intricate, yet powerful horn driven paths.
No sophomore jinx here, this group continues to impress.
(Mark Corroto, All About Jazz)
