LOCAL BAND SPOTLI G HT ABOUT THE BAND:

The Idgits

The Idgits are Chris Chrockrem on drums, Cory Folz on bass and Jon Snyder on guitar. The three of us began playing together in a top 40 female led country band called Amy’s Shadow. When that band broke up, the three of us decided to get together every week and write some music. We had no intention of gigging or recording, we just loved hanging out and playing whatever we liked. After a fist fight in the parking lot of The Guitar Lab, we agreed on The Idgits. It’s a Yosemite Sam term that we took as slang for “idiots” which is fitting for us. WHAT THEY COVER/ DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE:

We tell people we are a honky tonk band and they assume we are a country band. We could not be further away from that. The only rule we have is that we like what we play. How can a band that covers Waylon Jennings also cover Sublime or The Black Keys? It’s all in how it’s covered. We do have and play originals. Some are the songs that go all the way back to the late 90’s and others are new. THEIR INFLUENCES:

Buck, Elvis Costello, Wilco, Hank III, Conway Twitty, Glenn Campbell, Willie Nelson, Keb Mo, Neil Diamond, The Traveling Willburys, Tom Petty, Kiss, Johnny Cash, Paul Simon, North Mississippi All-Stars, Elvis Presley, Steve Miller, Flock Of Seagulls (what????) and many more. WHERE YOU CAN CATCH THEIR PERFORMANCES:

So far, Mojo’s Boneyard, The Deerhead and Bokeh Lounge. Check out our Facebook page to see when and where we are playing next. “Like” our page to become a Fidgit (an Idgit fan).

cd reviews Anna Rose

Behold A Pale Horse Red Distribution 4/5 In 1997, Meredith Brooks released “Bitch,” a musical call to arms for women tired of playing nice all the time. The key line of the internationally popular song – “I’m your hell/I’m your dream/ I’m nothing in between” – certainly applies to rising star Anna Rose. From song to song, her personality confidently and effortlessly changes, embracing both the light and dark sides. It’s no coincidence that she is routinely compared to both Tori Amos and Janis Joplin – two singers from opposing musical camps. The diminutive singer can whisper seductively or belt out powerhouse lines in equal measure. Nowhere is this dichotomy more evident on Behold a Pale Horse than “Beautiful World” and “Electric Child” which appear back to back on the album. The former track is a melodic pop song with flowing, sugary vocals while the latter is a grimy, distorted blues with a stomping rhythm and a snarling delivery from Rose. Both performances are totally convincing.

Chrono Stellaris

Seasons Self-Released 4/5 It’s safe to say that you’re not going to come across another local band quite like Chrono Stellaris. After numerous line-up changes, the band has stabilized and gotten to grips with a strange mix of influences that range from The Sundays to 1960’s psychedelia. The band often stretches songs to the seven and eight minute mark with long, intricate instrumental passages that continually surprise. But nothing is more surprising than the assured, mature vocals of Ashley Frary. Her voice is a revelation – part Grace Slick, part R&B. More than anything, it’s her sense of melody that bewitches; she has a gift for choosing notes that are wholly unexpected but entirely complementary. Seasons is book-ended by two excellent, similarlythemed instrumentals awash in swirling bells and chimes, but it’s the middle of the album that truly dazzles. Tracks like “Autumn,” “A Way Out” and “Jack” perfectly marry the band’s pop and psychedelic intentions. The latter two songs feature inventive arrangements that go through a series of musical moods – reflective, pensive and joyful to name but a few. Frary, meanwhile, instinctively places her vocals in just the right spots, never intruding or attempting to steal the show despite being the main attraction. But even when she disappears, the music holds up beautifully.

88 | October 2013

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