Page 28 - the Noise July 2016

lil BOBBy and tHe HOrSey HOuSe Band / gene triPP / Wanda JuneS by beverley napalm
live at stinkweeds, phoenix, may 27th 2016
T his is the second performance in a record store I have reviewed in the past couple of months. Purely coincidence I assure you. Although I do enjoy seeing a band up close and personal in an intimate environment such as a record store, without many of the boozy distractions often found in the more traditional gig setting. Stinkweeds has been a cornerstone of independent music in Phoenix since 1987. It’s testament to how well loved the store is that it’s still fighting fit 3 decades on. Great selection, awesome staff and, it also would appear, a cozy place for the occasional gig. CD racks are pushed aside, equipment hustled in, slide projector set up and the small crowd assemble themselves into the nooks
and crannies.
Tucson-based desert darlings The Wanda Junes kick off the proceedings with their endearing home-fi take on 70s style alt country. I have seen The Wanda Junes on several occasions over the past few years, and each time has been with a different line up. Whether this is by accident or design I have yet to figure out. But no matter, the band has talent aplenty to put on a confident performance regardless. Tonight the band performs as a 4-piece with 3 members missing. Both guitarists are absent, leaving vocalist / drummer / trombonist Adam Frumhoff to pick up the slack and play the missing guitar parts. It highlights the band’s collective ability to adapt to their surrounding that, unless you knew it, you wouldn’t be aware there were any missing band members. The piano is given a more focal role than in previous Wanda performances, which is most welcome. Pianist Allison McGillivray sings the set closer “River Baby,” which for me is the uplifting highlight. The lady next to me leans in and whispers, “Oh this is good, who are they?”
Phoenix 4-piece Gene Tripp offer up a sonically intriguing set of dreamy twang psyche pop. Minimal bass (Caleb Dailey) and barely-there drumming (Lonna Kelley) hold steady as the delightful pedal steel (Matt Wiser) swells the sound, leaving a calculated space for the dark brooding vocals and acoustic strum of Jay Hufman. It makes me think of how Duluth based slow-fi band LOW would sound if they ever contemplated re-recording the Twin Peaks Soundtrack. There are quite a few 3⁄4-waltz time tunes, which is refreshing. It’s an oft
photo by bryan juareZ
overlooked time signature in popular music! And the almost over-the-top reverb’d guitar breaks are moody and cool. Their entire set is very well constructed, almost an exercise in fragility in places, with the respectful audience unsure when to break the silence after the songs trail off into the ether. At times only by taking a visual cue from the band are we aware the song is finished. Gene Tripp are ideally suited to such intimate settings. I saw them perform a few weeks ago at Mia’s Bar in Flagstaff, and at times the band were competing with the bar room banter. Maybe they should only play in record stores? Or libraries ... hehe ...
I enjoyed both support bands, though Lil Bobby Jr & the Horsey House Band dazzle me from start to finish. Comprising of members of both Wanda Junes and Gene Tripp, they encompass both band’s strong points while retaining their own identity. Songwriter / Vocalist / Guitarist Lil Bobby (Carlson) is relaxed and confident, seated hunched over an acoustic guitar, clearly enjoying holding court surrounded by his 5-piece band. I enjoy all of Mr. Carlson’s musical endeavors, (and there have been plenty to date), but for me the Horsey House band provide a remarkable vehicle for Lil Bobby’s songs. It just seems effortless at times.
The interplay between his vocals and Lonna’s is golden, trading lyrically astute tales of broken love with a playful humor. “The Wedding Song” captures the vibe nicely, with a mock insult tradeoff, ending with the refrain: “Let’s just have ourselves a good time / It’s not as if we’re getting married...”Elsewhere in the set there is a convincing country themed take on a song by “an up and coming singer songwriter” Miley Cyrus — a cover of “My Heart Beats With Love.” It is toe-tappingly great to the point that I’m curious enough to want to check out the original. Mid-set Lonna performs a song on her own, “Smile,” which is chokingly beautiful, both lyrically and in delivery. I consider all three of the evening’s bands to be shining examples of Arizona home grown talent, continuing the fine tradition of outsider art. Next time you are able, pay them a visit. Be that in a noisey bar, or a quiet library!
the nöísẽ | the best of arizona | JULY 2016 {online at thenoise.us} • 28