If you like Iceland, Auto-Tune or Japanese screamo, boy, you're in luck tonight!
Jónsi at Verizon Theatre
Sigur Ros frontman Jónsi stops through the region tonight, touring behind his first solo record, Go,
which finds him discarding his "Hopelandic" language in favor of
English. If nothing else, that means listeners might finally understand
what he's saying, and, surely, that's a good thing. This new music isn't
all too different from Jónsi's output with Sigur Ros, although it is
somewhat of a nice change in direction for fans who wanted the band to
head off in more of a noise-pop direction. Those people bound to
salivate over this collection of lush instrumentation, for sure.
Jason DeRulo and Auburn at the House of Blues
Between his appearance on Dancing with the Stars
and touring with Lady Gaga, Jason DeRulo has rather quickly (and
quietly) become a rising star. His self-titled debut came out in March
of this year and has already gone gold. It's not that sales figures
equal greatness or anything, but songs like "Whatcha Say" and "Ridin
Solo" are pretty damn catchy slices of urban pop that DeRulo delivers
with ego in check. Also, anybody who samples Imogen Heap is fine by me.
Minneapolis' Auburn opens up tonight's show with her own brand or smooth
pop and R&B.
Envy, La Dispute, Touche Amore and And So I Watch You From Afar at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio
For
almost two decades, Envy has been one of the leading hardcore/screamo
bands hailing out of Japan. The Tetsuya Fukagawa-led band has actually
mellowed out (a bit) on the recently released effort Recitation,
though. It's still fairly brutal, but the band has added in some
interesting post-rock elements that allow the listener some needed
respite. Also on tonight's crowded bill is La Dispute, a fine punk band
hailing out of Michigan. La Dispute is currently working on its
sophomore effort, but fans of melodic hardcore should check out the
band's 2008 debut, Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair,
post haste. Also, be sure to get to the venue early and catch Ireland's
And So I Watch You From Afar, an all-instrumental outfit that knows how
to bring the noise.