Sounds Good: Big Gigantic, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Quiet Corral, Noise FM

What to do, what to do?…

There will certainly be plenty of costume parties to go along with some top notch shows to catch this weekend.  So you know what that means.

That’s right.  Slutty witches, slutty black cats, slutty nurses.  You get the drift.

Me?  I’m going as a slutty music reviewer.  And if you’re going to the Noise FM show on Saturday like me, you can even get a discount on the cover if you’re dressed up.  But please, people, if you’re going to dress up, keep it classy slutty ok?

On to the picks!…

Thursday, October 25^th

Big Gigantic at Liberty Hall in Lawrence

Apparently this dance music/ electronic hip-hop thing is getting very popular.  This Boulder, Colorado duo mixes electronic sounds and beats and samples with live saxophone and a live drummer.  Their most recent album, Nocturnal, hit #2 on iTunes’ electronic chart, behind M83’s massive release Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.  So there’s that.  This summer they headlined Red Rocks and sold that puppy out.  So this show at the intimate Liberty Hall should be a jam packed event, with plenty of ass shaking and an epic light show, from what I’ve heard.  And I’m told there are still a few tickets available for around $20, a bargain.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at the Uptown in KC

The deal with this band is Grace Potter’s whale of a voice.  Not that she’s a one trick pony because she also plays guitar, keys, and yes, tambourine. Over the years the Nocturnals sound has evolved into more of a rock thing, whereas they started out a bit more country-ish.  But what do you expect from a band that has released an album a year for the last eight years?  Something’s got to give.

And make sure to get there early enough to catch opener Rayland Baxter’s simple folk songs.  Baxter not only has a cool name, he also has a session player dad who played pedal steel for Steve Earle, Bob Dylan, and Ryan Adams among others.  Baxter’s been getting some props in the ultra-competitive Nashville scene by taking the folksy ethos of Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Townes Van Zandt and running with it in a thoughtful way.

Friday, October 26^th

Quiet Corral at the Granada in Lawrence

Over the past few years, this Lawrence-based Americana-ish sextet has really made a name for themselves. Starting out as most local bands do- just opening small venues for other, better-known acts (first time I saw them was opening for Noise FM at the Bottleneck, who are in town this weekend as well, see below) – they quickly evolved to headlining the small venues, to opening for national touring acts (Gomez, side stage for Dave Matthews at the Gorge), to playing festivals (Wakarusa, Austin City Limits) to national tours of their own, to now headlining bigger venues around town.  Come out to a show and you’ll see how they did it all so quickly.  Rather than relying on electronic elements or effects-heavy guitar and synth tricks, these boys do it the old fashioned way, with a variety of instruments, a bunch of harmonies, and catchy songwriting.  And they have a new record coming out sometime soon, so you may be able to grab a copy at the show.  Worth it.

Saturday, October 27^th

Noise FM at the Jackpot in Lawrence

These former Lawrence boys now reside in the Windy City, where they’ve been enjoying some decent success.  They swing back through the area a few times a year to show their loyal fans and friends just how far they’ve come, each performance seeming a bit tighter than the last.  I guess that’s what competing in the big city will do to a band – break ‘em or make ‘em. Style-wise, I would describe their sound as melodic rock, I guess, due to frontman Alex Ward’s excellent vocal range and even more excellenter guitar playing that includes intricate riffs and wailing solos.  Yes, guitar solos!  They’re still a thing!  A couple other bands are on the bill, too, most notably Heartscape Landbreak, a Lawrence band that plays mostly mellow indie folk rock.