the washington post friday, december 17, 2010 l


6 EZ


NewMusic He has found his groove


JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE “Harlem River Blues”


Kindred spirits: Teddy Thompson, Jakob Dylan, Shooter Jennings, Colin Gilmore Show: Sunday at the 9:30 Club. Doors open at 7 p.m. 202-265-0930. www.930.com. $20.


Justin Townes Earle was born with a


lifetime challenge built into his name.His last name is from his father, Steve Earle, and his middle name is from his dad’s mentor, Townes Van Zandt—two of the best country-folk songwriters of the past 50 years. When Justin became a singer- songwriter, he had a high mountain to climb. But against all odds, he climbed it on his 2009 album, “Midnight at theMov- ies,” with such indelible songs as “Some- day I’ll Be Forgiven for This,” “Black Eyed Suzy” and, especially, “Mama’s Eyes.” There aren’t any songs that good on Ear- le’s newalbum, “Harlem River Blues,” but that’s not what this record is about.


SIDEWALK DRIVER “For All the Boys and Girls” Kindred spirits: Rooney, David Bowie, the Cars Show: Saturday at Comet Ping Pong. Show starts at 10:30 p.m. 202-364-0404. www.cometpingpong.com. Free.


In tie-dyed 1972, playing sprightly pop-


rock while wearing gold or silver lamé was widely considered outrageous. It’s a lot less scandalous these days, yet Side- walk Driver manages to retain something of glam-rock’s edge. The Boston quintet’s debut album, “For All the Boys and Girls,” emulates David Bow- ie in style and themes, flirting with bisexuality and gen- der reassignment— as topics, at least— in “Jenny Don’t Real- ly Like the Boys.” Yet if frontman TadMcKitterick accidently locked his capes and platform shoes in the van, what would be left is a solid power- pop band. The album includes two songs that


open simply withMcKitterick’s piano and vocals, recalling Bowie’s cabaret side. But then the tunes swell to arena-rocking size, with massed vocals and instrumental du- els between guitarists Jared Egan and KateMurdoch.More often, the quintet evokes the great (or at least engaging) bands that thrived in its home town about 30 years ago. From the tick-tock guitars of “Dancing WithHer Friends” to the open- ing hand claps of “Radio,” the band jubi- lantly regresses to the days of the Cars, the Sidewinders and the Real Kids. In other words, there’s nothing newhere—except the energy and ingenuity that keep rein- vigorating rock-and-roll.


—Mark Jenkins On this project, Earle is less concerned


with lyrics than with finding his sound, and he finds it in a fat-toned, unhurried country-blues. That greasy groove allows his handsome tenor to relax until he sounds as if he’s talking off-handedly and confidentially, even as he hits every note with dead-on pitch and a resonant hum. The 10 original songs are mostly juke-


joint numbers, finger-snapping tunes about fickle women and footloose men. Some of the best musicians inNashville— drummer Bryan Owings, bassist Bryn Da- vies and keyboardist Skylar Wilson—lay down an understated but irresistible throb beneath such songs as “Move OverMama” and the title track. But it is Earle’s voice, shrugging off a thousand bumps and bruises to look forward to the next scene, that sells them.


—Geoffrey Himes


DROP ELECTRIC “Finding Color in the Ashes” Kindred spirits: Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, Sigur Ros Show: With Emily Wells and the Sweater Set on Saturday at the Black Cat. Show starts at 9 p.m. 202-667-4490. www.blackcatdc.com. $10 in advance; $12 at the door.


If the title of Drop Electric’s debut al-


bum, “Finding Color in the Ashes,” sounds dramatic, it’s because these songs grew out of a personal tragedy: The family of the group’s former vocalist, Padma Soundararajan, died in a car accident in India in 2008. That sorrow is ap-


parent in these most- ly instrumental songs. Still, the locally formed group (its members met as students at St.Mary’s College ofMaryland) also imparts a soar- ing serenity that recalls post-rock groups Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky. When guitaristNeel Singh plays with a violin bow on the trancelike “ScrapingHerself Off the Bottom Rock,” the effect is a flut- tering drone that lends the song a rum- bling, expansive sound. Elsewhere, the band’s use of volume


swells is striking. “Bones Beneath the Bridges” begins as a smoldering growl be- fore bubbling over to a dramatic climax, while the title track sounds like a dream that awakens with a vibrant xylophone melody. Though shaped by a sorrowful event, this album surges with a tranquil hopefulness.


—Catherine P. Lewis Justin Townes Earle is in a good place on his newalbum.


TIM WARFIELD “A Sentimental Journey” Kindred spirits: Stanley Turrentine, Ben Webster, Sonny Rollins Shows: Friday and Saturday at Bohemian Caverns. Shows start at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. 202-299-0800. www.bohemiancaverns.com. $20 in advance; $25 at the door.


Glancing at the song titles onsaxophon-


istTimWarfield’s latest release, “ASenti- mental Journey,” youmay bedisappointed to finda selectionof overly familiarpop standards.Nomatter. Playing tenor andso- prano saxes, andsup- portedby seasoned bandmates,Warfield frequently stamps this quartet session withsomething fresh and, quite often, surprising. Take the title track. It’s introducedas a


creeping, odd-meter shuffle beforeWarf- ield’shard-boptenor anddrummerByron Landham’s insistentprodding come into sharpfocus.Likewise, similarly colorful turns byHammondB-3 organistPatBi- anchi andtrumpeterTerell Staffordhelp dust off the vintage theme.Of course, the presence of aHammondB-3 all but guaran- tees a soulful air.But as theperformances of “SpeakLow” and“CrazyRhythm”dra- matically illustrate, themoodshere are var- ied, ranging frompensive topropulsive. Among themore subduedcharmers is


“Here’sThatRainyDay,” a showcase for Warfield’s soprano andStafford’s flue- gelhorn. Intentionally ornot,Warfieldcon- jures strong influences throughout the al- bum. Inthe linernotes,he credits reedmen JohnColtrane andBillyPierce for inform- inghis confident approachto “Ina Senti- mentalMood.”The result?Awarm, lyrical andresonant albumhighlight.


—Mike Joyce


BLIND GUARDIAN “At the Edge of Time” Kindred spirits: Helloween, Gamma Ray, Kamelot Show: With Holy Grail and Seven Kingdoms on Wednesday at Jaxx. Show starts at 8 p.m. 703-569-5940. www.jaxxroxx.com. Limited number of $28 tickets at the door.


Blind Guardian’s latest album, “At the


Edge of Time,” might not break much new ground for the German power-metal group. Still, the prog- heavy approach to speed metal has been pioneering in the genre since the quar- tet’s formation in the mid-’80s, and this re- cording shows off the group’s strengths. The thrashing


“Ride Into Obsession” zooms so fast that the song’s mere sound imitates its title. Hansi Kuersch’s soaring vocals are both fervent and masterfully controlled. The tracks aren’t always so frantic—“Curse MyName” has an obvious folk influence, and the prominent piano melody in “Road ofNo Release” gives the song a softer edge.


Blind Guardian has continued its tradi-


tion of seeking inspiration from fantasy andmythology. “Valkyries” refers to the fe- male figures inNorsemythology, and the nine-minute album closer, “Wheel of Time,” is based on Robert Jordan’s fantasy novels. Its copious sonic and time-signa- ture shifts give the album a triumphant- sounding ending, as well as a thunderous reminder of Blind Guardian’s enduring in- tensity.


—Catherine P. Lewis


Bands performing here this week.


KYLE GUSTAFSON FOR THE WASHINGTON POST


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