Jack Diablo
Diablo Sez: Music News for October 2014 – EU’s Jack Diablo stays on top of the Jacksonville music scene, so you don’t have to! Check in every month for album reviews, show recommendations, and local music news.
SHOW RECOMMENDATIONS
October 11 The Veldt, Cassius Claye & The Youngbloods at Burro Bar
Draw a line. On one end, put My Bloody Valentine and on the other, The Cure. In the middle you’ll find The Veldt, the ambient shoegaze project of twin brothers Daniel and Danny Chavis. That’s right, twin brothers named Daniel and Danny. They cut their teeth in the early nineties Chapel Hill art-rock scene. After an extended hiatus in 1998 (and moving to Leeds, UK) The Veldt is back exploring new territories and collaborating with the likes of Mos Def and David Sitek (TVOTR). Also from England, Cassius Claye & the Youngbloods bring it back with psychedelic blues rock reminiscent of MC5, The Rolling Stones, and Hendrix.
October 25 Amon Amarth, Sabaton, Skeletonwitch at Freebird Live
I don’t really like melodic death metal. In fact, I hate it. I feel like it’s what many people associate with metal when they throw shade your way for saying you’re into the genre without specifying, “but only really black metal and doom and stuff.” I do however like fantasy shit. It’s not even a guilty pleasure, but something I genuinely think is awesome. Amon Amarth automatically win major points for taking their name from Tolkien and singing about Viking-stuff, but I’m willing to go out on a limb here and bet they probably don’t take themselves too seriously. Yeah, the vocals are pretty lame and predictable, but so are Skeletonwitch’s, and Skeletonwitch is actually pretty amazing. So deal with it, and enjoy the theatrics.
October 27 Jealousy Mountain Duo at Burro Bar
Around this time every year, Jealousy Mountain Duo make their way through Northeast Florida. It doesn’t have anything to do with the FEST, it just seems to happen that way. What makes it a thing is that they come all the way from Germany to play chaotic, experimental prog-jazz. It’s really good; it’s just not anything anyone who’s never done drugs will even remotely begin to understand. At times you think it’s going to come together and follow a mathy path of post-rock, but it never quite congeals. It’s not supposed to. In fact, it kind of resembles two guys playing really cool solos – one on guitar, the other, drums – yet completely unaware of each other’s existence. Like it’s not even supposed to work but it does. Whatever, it’s stupid to even try to explain it. Just go experience it for yourself.
October 30 Brief Lives, Cigarette Crossfire, Sandratzz at Burro Bar
I’m not sure which is more awesome, the story of how Valient Himself joined this band or the music that resulted. It’s pretty much exactly what you would expect when you put the Valient Thorr frontman at the helm of a post-hardcore band. It’s like time and space folded upon themselves to join old DC and modern Richmond, and oh wait, I just realized I was listening to their old stuff. They haven’t released anything with Valient yet, but you can use your imagination or take advantage of this thing called FEST. It brings all the relevant punk, hardcore, and metal to Gainesville and leaves us to deal with the Florida/Georgia jocks fucking up our town. At least there’s radical bands like Brief Lives and Finland’s Cigarette Crossfire to make up for it.
November 1 Angel Olsen, Lionlimb at Jack Rabbits
Angel Olsen popped through town about a year ago, and I slept on it. I’ve regretted it ever since, and since I’ll be out of town this year, it makes the sting all the worse. You don’t have to feel that remorse. There’s nothing standing between you and the haunting, psychedelic, and hypnotic sounds of the lovely Angel Olsen on a well-managed stage in an intimate-enough venue. Burn You Fire For No Witness is easily one of my favorite albums of 2014. Angel earned her stripes in the Cairo Gang playing backup for Bonnie “Prince” Billy, which is a darn fine bullet on the ol’ resume but she really shines as a solo artist. I don’t mind likening her to what Patsy Cline’s gothy granddaughter would sound like, and you won’t mind hearing it.
November 3 Melvins at Jack Rabbits
Oh yay, more FEST fallout! The Melvins actually do tour quite a bit and seem to play Jacksonville often enough, but it’s always rad to see them come back. The only thing that sucks about The Melvins is that they just have so much music when all you really want to hear is Houdini all the way through. It’s kinda like Weezer. Hit or miss as it may be, I’m sure The Melvins have put out far more quality in later years than Weezer, but I just don’t have the time to sift through it all! I’m a casual Melvins fan at best, but I did see them once in Paris opening for Sleep though. It was pretty killer.
OTHER NOTABLE SHOWS
October 10 – ‘68, Sack the City, Modern Art, Carry the Weight at Burro Bar
October 10 – Caitlin Mahoney, Ruffians, Jesse Montoya, Bethany & the Troubadours at Rain Dogs
October 11 – The Shivas, Tomboi at Underbelly
October 12 – Soko, Sweet Bronco, Jesse Carol Montoya, New Strangers at Underbelly
October 16 – Sons of Tonatiuh at Shantytown Pub
October 22 – The Devil Makes Three, Cave Singers at Freebird Live
October 23 – il songo del marinaio, Hey Mandible at Jack Rabbits
October 29 – Paint Fumes at Burro Bar
October 30 – OBN III’s, Golden Pelicans, Burnt Hair, Riverside Party Girls at Rain Dogs
November 3 – Paul Collins Beat, The Lifeforms at Underbelly
November 4 – 7 Seconds, The Interrupters, Poor Richards at Jack Rabbits
November 6 – Destroyer of Light, Loudon at Burro Bar
ON THE HORIZON
November 15 – Sick of it All, Negative Approach, Rhythm of Fear at Jack Rabbits
November 15 – Justin Townes Earle, Cory Branan at St. Augustine Amphitheatre
November 28-29 – Wvrm Fest at Burro Bar
December 5 – Koffin Kats at Burro Bar
December 20 – Underhill Family Orchestra at Burro Bar
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