Sounds of NOLA with Alex

Alex Abramson

This will be the first of my weekly picks section in which I’ll recommend four to six bands/artists (really, any musical performances) in New Orleans that you should go see this weekend. I’ll make sure you’re informed and give you something to listen to, so that you know what you’re getting yourself into. As for me, I love music and love to write. So this is really as good as it gets. My Spotify is alexabramson1 and I have a playlist (“Electric Avenue,” if you want to check it out) that is closing in on 5,800 followers. I’ve been a DJ on 91.5 FM WLUR Lexington for more than a year now. My co-host and I play ’70s/8’0s funk and soul. But I’m a believer in Duke Ellington’s philosophy: “There are simply two kinds of music, good music, and the other kind.” Hope y’all enjoy.

Quick Note: The Revolution is at the Joy Theater tonight (Feb. 22). Doors open at 8 pm. There are some tickets still available around $40.

Exactly two years and a day after the passing of Prince, the music icon who started the band back in 1983, The Revolution will take center stage at Joy Theater. The band will be performing from the catalog of music that members created with Prince. If you know anything about Prince and The Revolution, it should be a real treat. And if you don’t, well, you should probably stop reading here.

Fruit Bats and Vetiver – Sunday, Feb. 25, 8 pm at One Eyed Jacks

Sunday night One Eyed Jacks will welcome Eric D. Johnson and Andy Cabic, better known by their stage names Fruit Bats and Vetiver, respectively. I’m sure the first thought that popped into your head was, “What an awesome indie-folk rock combination; how lucky.” You would certainly be right about that. However, the two are no strangers to each other. They were labelmates, tour companions, and have even played together a number of times. The duo will be fresh off a performance together Friday night at Austin City Limits Live. Here is a taste of what you’ll be in for:

It’s a great opportunity to see two of the best in their genre who maybe haven’t made it as big as some of their peers. The two together make me think of Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. If you would go see that band, then I would definitely recommend going to see these two. While Johnson and Cabic have talked in the past about collaborating on an album, unfortunately, nothing has come of it yet. For now, you’ll just have to settle on seeing them at One Eyed Jacks on Sunday night.

Diet Cig + Great Grandpa + The Spook School – Friday, Feb. 23, 9 pm at Hi Ho Lounge

Fellow Indie Pop groups Great Grandpa and The Spook School will open for Diet Cig Friday night at Hi Ho Lounge. Diet Cig is just your every other day, normal story of how a band got together. (Yep, you guessed it. They’re not.). Guitarist and singer Alex Luciano interrupted her current bandmate, drummer Noah Bowman, in the middle of a set asking him for a lighter. Just a couple of months later Bowman had left his band and the two had formed Diet Cig in the summer of 2014. The duo really knows how to put on a show. Live music is always entertaining when you’re watching a band enjoy themselves as much as these two do. They know who they are, they’re going to let you know, and they’re going to have fun doing it. It is a sort of unforgiving freedom.

It’s pretty difficult, and probably unfair, to try to muster a comparison. So I won’t. With that said, there’s a lot more where this came from, and if that’s up your alley you should check them out. Here’s a link to their hit song Harvard:

https://open.spotify.com/track/2eTioKDu4klzCrcceLOn5d

Marshland (formerly Nola County) — Saturday, Feb. 24, 9:30 pm at Old Point Bar

Old Point Bar is one of the coolest hole-in-the-wall bars around (at least that’s what I’ve heard). As David Lee Simmons put it in a NOLA.com article, “On any given visit to the Old Point Bar, you’re reminded why it’s the best neighborhood bar across the Mississippi River.” Now to the important stuff. Marshland, formerly known as Nola County, will be headlining the festivities on the West Bank Saturday night. The band has a great description with respect to the name change on their website. Check it out. While you’re there, get a feel for some of their music. I’m sure you’ll agree the change definitely suits them. Although they began as a self-described “country music genre experiment,” they’re now a neat blend of Americana, bluegrass, and down-South folk. For me, the eight-man quartet is the most intriguing of all the groups this weekend. They may not have found big-time popular success just yet, but they sure are pleasurable to listen to. As one of my friends put it, “There’s nothing like some jangly banjo and smooth violin to complement those folksy vocals.” Couldn’t have said it any better myself. I’m going to go with early Mumford & Sons for the comparison on this one. Mumford & Sons are incredibly successful and one of my personal favorites, so that’s saying something.

P.S. – For the record, Marshland’s songwriter and lead vocalist Blake Mogabgab has one of the coolest last names I’ve seen.

Hyperphlyy – Friday, Feb. 23, 3 pm at Balcony Music Club and Saturday, Feb. 24, 9 pm at Vaso

The talent of these two women is undeniable. They can do it all and put everything on display. If you take one of these opportunities to go see the local duo, you’ll be bombarded with awesomeness ranging from pop hits to all things country to funky rap. Trea Martinez and Danica Hart have been performing together since they were toddlers and the chemistry shows. The pair weaves in and out of these different genres seamlessly and engages with the crowd throughout their performance. Yet at the same time, it seems as though they would be having just as much fun if the crowd wasn’t even there. Again, this is another group that you really cannot compare to anyone else, for obvious reasons. I love the fact that they don’t confine themselves to one genre and it is impressive how well they are able to do everything. Renaissance women? I think so.

Here are a couple YouTube videos that tell you everything you need to know:

Alex Abramson is a writer for NolaVie who is a student at Washington and Lee University when he’s not in town listening to music, attending his brother’s sporting events, and updating his playlist. Email him at alexabramson1@yahoo.com. Please send your thoughts, any recommendations, and info if you have live music playing at your venue.