BY B AO L E - H U U THE BETH MCKEE BAND | PHOTO BY ALLISON ISLEY
LOCAL RELEASES
After teasing single “Swamp Sistas Cosmic Drifter” in March, local songbird Beth McKee now makes a fuller outing with brand-new mini-album Monday After Sunday, her first collection since 2018’s Dreamwood Acres. While she’s spent a career exploring the many sides of Southern style, this work is probably McKee’s most honed and cohesive capture of its essence to date. Although it’s another of McKee’s trademark Southern mosaics, Monday After Sunday is the one that coalesces all her best sensibilities. It’s also her most Americana record yet, due largely to the excellent pedal steel work of renowned North Carolina Sacred Steel guitarist DaShawn Hickman. It’s a look that McKee wears well. In fact, the two songs featuring Hickman — “Strange Cookie” and “Railroad Ties” — are instant standouts because of his twangy grace. Another highlight is McKee’s regal rendition of Tom Petty’s “Down South,” which strokes the great original with impressive elegance. Among the rest are some of the best distillations of Southern soul in McKee’s catalog. Overall, the sixsong suite is a lush affair where rich, easy vibes of pianos, organs, pedal steel and accordion are further bolstered by lots of backing vocals from longtime collaborator John Pfiffner, Jeffrey Dean Foster, Terri Binion and Swamp Sistas E-Turn, Rachel Decker, Amy Robbins and Bunky Garrabrant. Although still prismatic as McKee likes to be, this concise work benefits from more focus and judiciousness. Never before has she been more contemporary and tasteful as she is here. A document of refinement and renewal, Monday After Sunday is the best angle from McKee so far and is the monument of a veteran at the top of her game.
While Beth McKee has spent a career exploring the many sides of Southern style, her newest album, Monday After Sunday, is probably her most honed and cohesive capture of its essence to date
Permanent Makeup, Wet Nurse: Usually, the Will’s Pub patio shows are understandably chill. But this one’s gonna get loud. Tampa Bay art-punks Permanent Makeup blend progressive ethos and aggression into a high-tension attack. Bad news for the neighbors perhaps, but great news for us. (6 p.m. Saturday, June 18, Dirty Laundry, free)
Sad Halen, The TransDimensionalizers, Surf Witch, LeLe and the Bloodspitters: A little later and a block over will be this notable local bill anchored by two solid native bands in superlative fuzz-rockers Sad Halen and punk group the TransDimensionalizers. But it’ll The EP now streams everywhere and is also feature peeks at some new homegrown available on CD through Bandcamp. bands. LeLe and the Bloodspitters, whose debut EP will be released this very day, are an outlandish punk act whose members CONCERT PICKS THIS WEEK This week, some good freebies and fresh pack heavy pedigree from bands like Bubble Boys and Country Slashers. And Surf Witch looks. are a young band fronted by Megan Cahill Gene Loves Jezebel, Rosegarden and backed by Chris and the Chemtrails. Funeral Party, Super Passive, (7 p.m. Saturday, June 18, Uncle Lou’s, free) Sandman Sleeps, DJ Lavidicus: Jordan Foley & the Wheelhouse, When I first saw Gene Loves Jezebel in their prime, my teenage excitement was Feverdreams: As one of the area’s leadsomewhat blunted by the incestuous stage ing Americana acts today, Jordan Foley interplay between twin brothers Jay and and company are always a reliable force Michael Aston. Well, what you get isn’t of power and soul. But this will be the first always what you seek — SU-GAR! — and Orlando peek at Feverdreams, a promisfraternal acrimony ultimately split them ing new act that’s risen from the ashes into two separate versions of GLJ. In case of excellent Ocala band the States. With you’re keeping score, the one coming here is this year’s sweeping debut single “Wildfire the U.K.-based Jay Aston band. The loaded (Everything Dies),” Feverdreams are stakbill also features pre-eminent Dallas goth ing claim to territory that’s as rootsy as rockers Rosegarden Funeral Party, Orlando it is indie and should make fans of Mike post-punk group Super Passive, South Dunn and Gasoline Heart swoon hard. Florida’s Sandman Sleeps and Memento (8 p.m. Saturday, June 18, The Imperial Mori’s DJ Lavidicus. (8 p.m. Friday, June 17, Orlando, free) Will’s Pub, $20) baolehuu@orlandoweekly.com orlandoweekly.com
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JUNE 15-21, 2022 ● ORLANDO WEEKLY
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