Stage Buzz: Turbo Fruits and Kat Edmonson
Recorded in eight days, Butter (Serpents & Snakes), Turbo Fruits‘ third album, is the result of touring by van, sleeping on floors, cranking out singles, and being the rough and wild garage rockers that make legends unforgettable. The Nashville natives take us through tracks of intermingled punk, surf, and power-pop rhythms to create a truly visceral experience. The righteous guitars on “Gamble Tamble” and “10 Years” reflect their instrumental mastery. But that’s not to suggest the band doesn’t excel lyrically. “Catch & Release,” a slower track than most on the album, is a commentary on the dangers of dating . . . or sleeping around. Sweet love lyrics juxtapose the raw guitar in “She Said Hello.” And the words hit hard in “Gotta Get Along.” Basically, it advises to get your shit together, because we all have someone we have to get along with in our lives. “Sweet Thang,” the album’s first single, shows how the Turbo Fruits manage to remain accessible while maintaining their hard rocking, roughneck attitude. Closing track, “Aint The Only One Havin’ Fun” closes out *Butter, epitomizing their rough, wild, and debaucherous nature. Intrigued yet? (Saturday@Hideout with White Mystery.)
Kat Edmonson‘s second album and song-writing debut, Way Down Low (Spinnerette Records), could be from another era. The vintage tunes on the album range in atmosphere from a smoky ’60s jazz club to a ’60s French record. On love ballads like “I Don’t Know” and odes to drinking like “Champagne,” the jazzy guitar rhythms and snare allow Edmonson’s voice to shine through. And shine it does. Her perky pitch cuts through the clutter and remains prominent. Yet, on other tracks like “Hopelessly Blue,” and, especially, “Nobody Knows That,” she manages to deepen her range to reflect the tone of those sad songs. Throughout the album, she’s accompanied by strings, horns, and percussion, but most commonly by the piano. From solos like on “What Else Can I Do?” to the deep and confused notes on “Whispering Grass,” the pertinent jazz influence permeates. (Saturday@Chicago Theatre with Chris Isaak.)
— Mary Scannell
Category: Featured, Stage Buzz, Weekly
