Metro Pulse/Music/Eye on the Scene

Another installment from the boy who is plugged in:

Eye on the (Web) Scene
By Electroboy

A few weeks back, the Metro Pulse folks gave a swell review to the Balboa reissue, Live Like This (plus). I have nothing to add to that, except that you can hear it (and buy it) at www.mp3.com/terryhill if you're so inclined. Whether there or at the usual area stores, don't miss it.

Knoxville continues its role as home to interesting techno-type groups. One of these is Chapter Twelve (well, they're really from Morristown, so let's make it "Greater Knoxville.") On the Metro Blab, they've been compared to Mobius Dick and Digital Ritual. I hear the resemblance, but they have a sound all their own. You can hear 'em at www.mp3.com/chaptertwelve. "Transmission from the bunker" is my favorite.

Actually, Digital Ritual has some sort of snarky Knoxville connection that I haven't quite figured out. The sound is really cool: someone described it as sounding like "Trent Reznor, if he were a hippie." Yeah. The guitars snarl, with interesting Pink-Floydish vocals and techno/industrial synth lines swirling overhead. My favorites are "Gods and Monsters" and "Last Trip To Oz (Heavy Metal Hardfloor Edit)." Visit 'em at www.mp3.com/digitalritual.

Local legend Donald Brown is also up, at www.mp3.com/donaldbrown. My favorites: almost everything. Don't miss it.

As these URLs illustrate, MP3.com has become the hosting venue of choice for local bands on the internet. As I write this they've just been bought by Vivendi Universal, better known as Satan's Own Holding Company. Universal has been trying to bring Internet music under its control for a while (mostly through, ah, "creative" lawsuits), and this move probably bodes poorly for MP3.com, and independent artists in general, but we'll have to wait and see.

Local CD review

Pegasi 51
Le Petit Morte

Over the last four years and a handful of independent releases, Pegasi 51 has gradually refined their sound from a heavy, atmospheric space rock to what is now a sublime Goth-inspired dance rock. On several of the tracks on their latest CD, Le Petit Morte—"Manipulation," "This World Melts All Around Me," "Last September"—comparisons to Joy Division are inescapable; guitarist Greg McGuire's delicate minor-key lines build into giant washes of feedback on top of the supple rhythms of drummer Kiki Pena and his brother, bassist Tevy Pena. But singer Rusty Yarnell's vocals have none of Ian Curtis' dead, emotionless delivery. Instead, Yarnell alternates between a menacing snarl and cathartic outbursts.

Pegasi 51's not afraid to rock harder than their Goth forbears, either. One of the most striking songs on Le Petit Morte is "Take a Seat in the Back," a breakneck cautionary tale of crime and car chases set to a fuzzy rockabilly riff and frantic rhythm, and the disc closes with a punchy, energetic cover of Thee Headcoates' "Girl of Matches."

Pegasi 51 has been one of the best live bands in Knoxville for the last couple of years, and their records so far have always been inventive and interesting. With Le Petit Morte, however, the band seems to have finally found their groove in the studio.

To Do:

Thursday: After Left Foot Down with John Mayer and Llama at Market Square, stop at Walgreen's and pick up the Nads Home Waxing System, or whateverthehell they're calling it. Summer is more or less here, time for un-hairy bare legs. What a pain.

Friday: Guy, Candie and Evan Carawan with The Sean McCullough Project and Mary Johnson at the Laurel Theatre. It's a concert/fund-raiser/showcase of some great folk music designed to raise money for the Oak Ridge Peace Alliance. You know what all we are saying is, right?

Saturday: Drag M. to the Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 with Evil Twin at 319 Gay Street. While he's too straight-laced to truly grind to these dark, dingy, cross-dressing bands, I love 'em. Now what exactly do I see in M. again?

Sunday: Chill out with the Experimental Voodoo Jam at Sassy Ann's.

Monday: Mourn the start of the work week. Crawl into bed at 8 p.m. and count sheep. Oh, and finally try out Nads thing—or at least read the instructions. To be honest, ripping hair out by its roots makes me nervous.

Tuesday: Now that Buffy has climaxed, run to see Lucinda Williams with Kasey Chambers at the Tennessee. Now there's some girl power.

Wednesday: Stroll through Amanda Crandall's encaustic (wax issues again) landscapes at the Bennett Galleries.

—Emma "Ow!" Poptart