[music]
Danger! Tacos! Theme bands just want to have fun Every band has a theme. For vast swaths of rock and roll, that theme is partying, drinking and relationships. But sometimes, bands manage to break out of that mold, in ways both serious and goofy. Missoula has the funny happenstance of hosting two Seattle-based theme bands in one week. On March 28, there’s Tacos, a metal band that advocates for tacos, and on April 3, Warning! Danger dresses up in construction outfits and plays punk rock. If you’re tempted to view these bands’ artistic merit with suspicion, Warning! Danger let’s pause and consider how many other rock bands have already made their name on pleased to find that I would totally want to headunlikely themes. The Aquabats started out playing bang to this at a show. In the case of Warning! Danger, the construction ska in superhero costumes. Masked Intruder wore balaclavas, pretending to be robbers. Now they’re theme only goes as far as the album titles; the songs signed to Fat Wreck Chords and a roadie runs are all snotty, irreverent pop punk. I can’t help but around dressed as a cop during their stage show. like “Pluto is a Planet God Dammit” and “Captured! There’s GWAR, whatever you want to call that theme By Robots.” ( Yes, that song is about the band Cap(RIP Dave Brockie). The Spits’ aesthetic and vocal tured! By Robots.) “Raves Are Dumb” is probably my delivery is inspired by robots. And there’s Fartbarf, favorite track on Warning! Danger’s Keep Out album, a trio that plays electronica while wearing Nean- with an Oi! kind of vibe to the chorus: “We really think that raves are dumb/ You’re better off at a rock club.” derthal masks. Warning! Danger’s songs don’t break any musical These days, bands have to be pretty clever to get attention. (The band named Jawbreaker Re- ground, sure, but critiquing the musicianship is missunion did a hell of a job at this.) Sometimes a band’s ing the point. These dudes are definitely having fun. theme is more of a loose veneer. This appears to be That’s the point of a gimmick. And sometimes, gimthe case with Tacos, a two-piece that plays satisfy- micks have surprising staying power. (Kate Whittle) Tacos plays the VFW Fri., March 28 at 10 PM, ingly chunky, short metal songs with bellowing vocals and a sense of humor, like “Sexy Nap” and along with Mordecai, Buddy Jackson and Shahs. “Cobra.” I couldn’t hear nary a reference to salsa or $5. Warning! Danger plays the VFW Thu., April 3, tortillas on Tacos’ eponymous album, but I was at 10 PM. Cover TBA.
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718 S. HIGGINS March 28-30 • 7 & 9 PM
FALCON SONG Filmed in Montana! March 28-30 • 7:15 & 9:15 PM
THE 400 BLOWS (1959) Classic French Cinema!
Total Combined Weight/Juveniles 7-inch Two of Missoula’s finest, Juveniles and Total Combined Weight, have joined forces on this 7-inch split record. There doesn’t appear to be any label involved. Instead, it’s a case of some band guys just saying, “Let’s do this!” and making it happen, a punk rock aesthetic that extends onto the grooves themselves. The handcrafted and photocopied insert is perfection; TCW’s shout-out to “the Total Combined Wives & TCW Children’s Auxiliary” made me smile. Each band claims a side of the album and seeds it with dual compositions of speedy rock. These are
punk-based tunes that come in fast, hit hard and leave. There are more similarities in the bands than differences, and those are subtle. TCW might be just a little meaner sounding, but if you’re into the Black Flags and DRIs of the world this record will suit you fine, either side. There’s no “this is what you should do” pretension in the lyrics either, which punk often careens into. It’s just a pack of musicians who have been around the block a time or two, like to play loud and yell and realized that just because you know more than three chords, it doesn’t mean you have to play them. (Chris La Tray)
The Dexter Payne Quartet, Pra Voce While metal aligns itself nicely with Missoula’s winters, Brazilian roots music is the best means of escape. On Pra Voce, the Dexter Payne Quartet serves up nine songs from dance-party-style forró to samba. “Alma Brasileria” feels like a brisker, lighter version of Charles Trenet’s “Boum.” Payne’s clarinet propels the song forward like the current of a river while drummer Raoul Rossiter punctuates the fluid melody with swift, ticking rhythms. “Chorinho Pra Voce” would be a good song for an outdoor dance club under a summer night’s sky. You could lose yourself in it, especially with just enough fresh fruit cocktails. “Doce de Coco,” with the
romantic purr of Dave Willey’s accordion, Payne’s willful trilling and the warm plucking of Bill Kopper’s guitar strings, is perfect for a final stroll alongside a lantern-lit river. Maybe you take off your shoes and let your feet feel the grass. See? It’s like a fever when you start listening to this album—the way summer gets in the brain. By the time you get to the final song, “Lembrei do Ceara,” you’ll be contemplating a plane ticket to the Southern hemisphere. (Erika Fredrickson) Dexter Payne plays with Canta Brasil for Jazzoula Thu., March 27, at St. Anthony’s Parish. Doors open at 6 PM, show at 6:30. $12/$9 students and seniors. Tickets at Rockin Rudy’s and at the door.
missoulanews.com • March 27–April 3, 2014 [19]