Fans of Pete Yorn would be wise to check out Matthew Mayfield’s performance at Rumba Cafe on Saturday night. The Alabama singer-songwriter fronted Moses Mayfield (2002-2008) before embarking on a solo career that has yielded a couple of EPs and a full length, Now You’re Free, which contains 11-tracks of mid-America somber/soundtrack pop.
Snag four free tracks through NoiseTrade.com in exchange for your email address.
Saturday night’s show is a co-headling gig with Matt Duke. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door and should run you about $8.
All testosterone, these men of Alberta Cross, despite what one of the local rags says (surprisingly, it wasn’t Petric that made the mistake).
Early this year, at SXSW, I stumbled into a day party at the Red-Eyed Fly and while waiting for the band I wanted to see (I think it was Rumspringa) play on the indoor stage, I made my way towards the back doors to the outside stage where I caught the last song of Alberta Cross’s set. You ever get those moments where you hear something for the first time or you see a band live for the first time and you get chills? I swore I was looking at Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon) as I watched Petter Ericson Stakee swing his head back and forth and the voice … not only did he look like Hoon, but he sounded like Hoon too!
Veterans of Bonnaroo, Coachella, Lollapalooza, South by Southwest, and Glastonbury, Alberta Cross released the amazing Broken Side of Time (listen to it in full at the end of this preview) – a swirling and noisy blend of dark, gothic southern-rock and psychedelic-tinged grunge evoking comparisons to the already-mentioned Blind Melon, Dead Confederate, Mother Love Bone, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Kings of Leon among others.
Like Blind Melon was back in the day, Alberta Cross has been on some questionable bills, opening for artists that don’t pack nearly the wallop that these guys do (The Dave Matthews Band, Oasis) and Sunday night they’ll be opening for … Pete Yorn (whu? huh?) and, undoubtedly, blowing him off the stage.
I can’t recommend this band enough (Broken Side of Time will end up near – or at – the top of my “Favorites of 2009″ list) so make sure you’re settled into the Newport Music Hall by 8pm to witness what I guarantee will be a memorable performance.
