This Little Underground

LOCAL RELEASES

With a smart stitch of pop-punk and emo, Orlando’s Expert Timing have steadily woven their way into the hearts of the regional punk and indie scenes. It’s been a straightforward and affecting formula that they’ve been carving with increased precision for the past handful of years. But brand-new album Stargazing is a marked graduation for the beloved band. While Expert Timing’s winsome essence hasn’t changed, their incandescence beams here with notably more amplitude. Across 11 songs that demonstrate more span than ever before, their melodic punk template now packs indie-rock dimension. Sonically, their new canvas is more widescreen and their strokes are bigger and longer, particularly in the instrumentation and Katrina Snyder’s singing. The result is that Expert Timing’s famous heart now beats with deeper resonance. With this realized album, Expert Timing immediately become much more than a simple pleasure. It’s their most evolved look to date and puts them in an impressive new league alongside bands like That Dog and An Horse. Stargazing now streams everywhere, with vinyl coming in November through Count Your Lucky Stars Records.

Local indie-folk act Someday River and Orlando indie-pop expat the Dropout have lit an interesting joint in recent single “Light Again.” The Dropout lays the foundation with an electronic step and a prominent hook from his signature sax, and then Someday River’s Greyson Charnock infuses his band’s warm psychedelic melodicism. The gestalt is a lush, hazy zephyr that floats somewhere a little different than the usual pockets of the respective artists. If only all comedowns could be this chill. “Light Again” now streams everywhere.

With a smart stitch of pop-punk and emo, Orlando’s Expert Timing have steadily woven their way into the hearts of the regional punk and indie scenes. And new album Stargazing is a marked graduation for this beloved band

CONCERT PICKS THIS WEEK

KMFDM, Chant, MC Ocelot: With industrial music in the throes of an underground renaissance right now, the iron is hot and clanking for one of the genre’s most iconic bands to return and rip the system again. Besides one of the lengthiest and most distinctive catalogs in industrial music, KMFDM’s art-rock attitude always promises a show packed with provocative style.

Powered by Bradley Bills — who’s drummed for the illustrious likes of Pigface, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, Die Krupps and the Skatenigs — Austin opener Chant loads the bill with more industrial pedigree.

Salt Lake City rapper MC Ocelot will add some hip-hop spice to the affair. (8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, Hard Rock Live, $29.50$38.50)

Rage for Women’s Rights: Now that the War on Women is the official legal stance of the land and not just a punk band, a big swath of America has suddenly woken up to the culture war that’s been going on, largely one-sided, right underneath them. Those grapes of wrath have finally led to a groundswell of outrage and action across the nation.

Our local music scene has responded, too, with an uptick in rallies and benefit shows. This latest event will be a star-studded twonight affair across two venues to raise money for the crucial nonprofit Florida Access Network (flaccessnetwork.org) and spread awareness about looming abortion restriction.

Opening night will take over Uncle Lou’s (8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, $10) and feature bands Antagonizör, Problem Pack, Mother Juno, Super Passive and KT Kink. The next night will be just up the street at St. Matthews (8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, $20) with Surfer Blood, Wet Nurse, Tight Genes, Caustic Bats and Sagittarius Aquarius. Both events will be preceded during the day by food trucks, guest speakers, art vendors and raffles beginning at 1 p.m. Go have fun, rock out and let the SCOTUS know that what they just poked was a giant.

Let the Speakers Pump: Although long known as a battle-rap hero, Orlando’s Madd Illz is also a graphic artist. With this combination hip-hop art party and cypher, he’ll be merging those two sides under one roof.

In addition to both performing and showcasing some of his own new art, Madd Illz will preside over a curated night filled with live painting, performances and a big freestyle rap sesh by veteran MCs. Expect a multimedia art experience with hip-hop swagger. (8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, Austin’s Coffee, free)

BY BAO LE-HUU

EXPERT TIMING | PHOTO BY KARINA KISTLER

baolehuu@orlandoweekly.com orlandoweekly.com ● SEPT. 28-OCT. 4, 2022 ● ORLANDO WEEKLY 27