Alt-Nation: Pixels’ Latest and Weekend Shows

Pixels – Hello (P.O.P. Records)
With their new EP, Hello, the Pixels have created a throwback pop gem. Hello starts out with “Memory Boy” that tells the tale of moving to New York not knowing anyone. It’s ’50s rock played with an indie rock band feel. To give you an idea, some bands I think of when listening to Hello are The Shangri-Las, Beat Happening, and The Jesus & Mary Chain (Darklands era.) “Nitro Apollo” has kind of an early Talking Heads version of funk. “FTP” has a breezy ’50s AM meets Pixies feel complete with sugary harmonies that make the chorus of “fuck the patriarchy” seem the wind whispering in your ear. In doing so, it cleverly creates a much more subversive feel than a million punk songs that are trying to express the same thing. Even the bonus track “Career (of Losing)” is great with kind of an Elvis impersonator fronting a surf rock band. What I love most about Hello is the Pixels have succeeded over the course of a mere five tunes to take the listener to another place. Go see the Pixels live this Friday at Dusk. Who knows where they may teleport you!

The CD Release show for Hello will take place on February 26 at Dusk in Providence featuring performances by Pixels, Future Generations, Von Donovan and Little Tomb.

Smith & Weeden
Another Saturday night chock full of big shows in the city, but if you’re torn, it is really tough to mess up with a free Smith & Weeden show at Nick-a-Nee’s. Smith & Weeden mix in influences like ’70s rock and country, Zevon, Stones and Faces, and grind them into their own biscuits.  This show will be a hoot!

Smith & Weeden and Wes Buckley and The Chums rock Nick-a-Nee’s in Providence on February 27. The music starts around 9pm and goes all night and the show is free to boot.

Arc Iris and Friends Present: The Music of David Bowie
The passing of David Bowie has spawned a few tribute shows throughout town, but this should be one of the better ones. For starters, Arc Iris has done this before. I caught them last summer when they covered Bowie’s Hunky Dory from cover to cover and they did a great job putting their own touch on the tunes without wandering too far away. For this show, Arc Iris has recruited a bunch of friends to help out. The list includes MorganEve Swain (Brown Bird and The Huntress and Holder of Hands), Death Vessel, Rafay Rashid (Ravi Shavi and Happiness), Roz Raskin (Roz and the Rice Cakes), Brian Webb, Big Nazo, Allysen Callery, Chris Daltry (The ‘Mericans), Emma Corbin, The Sun Parade and The Horse-Eyed Men. This should be a great night to remember the man, the legend and his music performed by some tremendously talented local musicians.

Arc Iris and Friends Present: The Music of David Bowie will take place in the upstairs at the Columbus Theatre in Providence on February 27th.

Email music new to mclarkin33@gmail.com