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Ours, Filter, Opiate for the Masses, North Mississippi Allstars and Amy Lavere
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North Mississippi Allstars
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Ours with Filter and Opiate for the Masses
Saturday · Bogart's
It could almost be the subject of a Rock & Roll in-joke: Who's in the band Ours? Jimmy Gnecco and whoever's in the club at the time. Since New Jersey native Gnecco followed his active high school band career by forming Ours in 1990, the vocalist/guitarist has employed 14 members (and there might even be a few that Wikipedia hasn't tracked).
The Ours story has been tumultuous over the past 18 years. Four years after forming, Gnecco and an early version of Ours independently released their debut album, Sour, and then promptly broke up. Three years later, Gnecco relaunched his AltRock outfit and scored a contract with DreamWorks, but it would be four years and a number of additional personnel retoolings before Ours released their sophomore album, 2001's Distorted Lullabies. Produced by veteran slickster Steve Lillywhite, Lullabies got middling grades but garnered the band some interesting opening slots with Pete Yorn and The Cult, among others.
Almost immediately, Gnecco set to work on the third Ours album as the band's physical profile continued to shift. 2002 saw the release of Precious, a more immediate and less glossy album than its predecessor, which was produced by Ethan Johns -- noted boardsman and son of legendary producer Glyn Johns -- who also provided the album's drums after the departure of then-drummer Darren Verpeut.
Four years ago, Gnecco relocated to Los Angeles in order to work with Rick Rubin on the fourth Ours album. Predictably, the band underwent another round of membership shifts before finally putting the wraps on their latest work, Mercy (Dancing for the Death of an Imaginary Enemy), which was released last month on Rubin's American Recordings imprint.
For the moment, Ours is the ever-present Gnecco with guitarists Static and Locke (who doubles on keyboards), bassist Race and drummer Pit Orbach (the stage name of Gnecco's younger brother, who is strangely absent from the band's lineup on their current MySpace page). Stay tuned for late-breaking departures and arrivals.
(Buy tickets, check out performance times and find nearby bars and restaurants here.)
North Mississippi Allstars with Amy LaVere
Tuesday #183 Southgate House
On their Blues recordings, beginning with their acclaimed 2000 debut, Shake Hands with Shorty, the North Mississippi Allstars have been linked to their Hill Country roots by geography, tradition and DNA. The Dickinson brothers -- Luther on guitar and vocals, Cody on drums -- carry the genetic predisposition to make earthshaking music from their iconic father, producer/artist Jim Dickinson. In partnership with thundering Gospel/R&B-driven bassist Chris Chew, the NMA have consistently explored their personal and cultural heritage through their funky, shuffling Blues interpretations.
With the hometown-titled Hernando, the NMAs fifth album and debut on their own Songs of the South label, the Dickinsons and Chew offer a set of songs that channel their Hill Country upbringing into the psychedelic electric church of contemporary Blues Rock. Maintaining the frenetic and fundamental bedrock of their early work, the band also nods subtly in the direction of DDT, the Dickinsons first Punk outfit in the early 90s that ultimately morphed into the pure Blues expression of the NMA.
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Ours
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¨Shake and ¨Keep the Devil Down swirl, rattle and fuzz with the visceral intensity of Jimi Hendrix at his most elemental, while ¨Mizzip and ¨Blow Out break the Blues down to molecular Chuck Berry/Jerry Lee Lewis levels, and ¨Long Way From Home finds the trio harmonizing like a swinging Southern Blues Gospel version of Crosby, Stills and Nash.
In less capable hands, the range on Hernando might be seen as a vain and arrogant attempt to serve too many Blues masters at the same time, but the North Mississippi Allstars are simply too accomplished and too well armed to restrict themselves to a single branch of the fruitful Blues tree.
(Buy tickets, check out performance times and find nearby bars and restaurants here.)
E-mail Brian Baker
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Previously in Sound Advice
Peter Mulvey, The Sword, Torche and Stinking Lizevata Upcoming concert previews of note
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(May 7, 2008)
Ra Ra Riot, Gods of Kansas, Ace Frehley Upcoming concert previews of note
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(April 30, 2008)
Backyard Tire Fire, Rev. Horton Heat, NAshville Pussy, The Cops Upcoming concert previews of note
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Other articles by Brian Baker
Brothers in Arms (and Legs) The Avett Brothers take their biggest album on tour while working toward their next (May 14, 2008)
The Host The Host takes another big step forward with a new EP, Transmit (May 14, 2008)
The Voices of May The Cincinnati May Festival remains one of the city's most popular and compelling musical events (May 14, 2008)
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