The Magik Markers have been prowling the hills of Western MA for the better part of 2 decades. Michigan ex-pat Pete Nolan first teamed up with Elisa Ambrogio and Leah Quimby to form a skronky-tank act to open up for Tart and the Bunny Brains at a house party in Hartford, CT way back in 2001. They subsequently hit the Western MA scene of the early naughties playing lots of gigs with bands like Astral Blessing, Noise Nomad, and Angst Hase Pfeffer Nase. Early shows were marked by a fierce improvisational style that drew comparisons to no-wave, but the Markers had a rough edged sound that was all their own. Early performances were driven to the level of performance art by Elisa’s confrontational and charismatic brand of frontmanship. Over the years, the Markers have taken it on the road for several spins around the United States and Europe. John Shaw has taken Leah’s spot on bass guitar for the past several albums adding a new layer of power and menace to the band’s sound. The Magik Markers are beyond stoked to be a part of the Summer Thunder series at the Union Pool outdoor lounge. They’ll be jamming tunes off their forthcoming album for Drag City tentatively titled “Shaw’s Rebellion”.
The Telepathic Band (Daniel Carter, Patrick Holmes, Matthew Putman, Hilliard Greene, Federico Ughi).
This project is the exciting, unusual and at times unexpected result of five musicians from different backgrounds getting together and making music. This unlikely group that features a scientist on piano and an array of musicians from different places around the world is able to communicate on a level that is not only beyond planning and speech but also rational thought. The resulting music goes from moments that are exquisitely soft to deep juicy grooves. When studied attentively, it’s as if you are entering into the musicians’ collective subconscious. The chemistry of this group is so particular and unique, it is as if the music is being driven by a telepathic understanding, hence the title of their debut album Telepathic Alliances (577 Records, 2017), their second work, Telepatia Liquida (577 Records, 2018), recorded live at the Forward Festival and the upcoming Electric Telepathy (fall 2019).
Daniel Carter was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in Massachusetts. His musical background includes recording and performances with legendary artists such as Sun Ra, Yoko Ono, Cecil Taylor, Living Colour, TEST, Other Dimensions In Music, MMW (Medeski Martin and Wood), Jaco Pastorius, Sonic Youth and many many others. Pianist Matthew Putman grew up in Ohio where he studied classical music and theatre. He is a renowned scientist and educator, best known for his work in nanotechnology, the science of working in extremely small dimensions. Drummer Federico Ughi grew up in Rome, Italy. He has developed his own style through the years, studying with master Ornette Coleman and playing and touring the world with celebrated bands like The Cinematic Orchestra and Blue Foundation.
The other members of the group are Texas-born clarinet player Patrick Holmes (a brilliant up-and-coming member of the New York downtown scene) and veteran bassist Hilliard Greene, a mainstay of the avant-garde for the last 20 years. He has played with Cecil Taylor, Don Pullen, and Charles Gayle among many others.
Weak Signal
I am too much of a fan of Mike Bones’ songs and guitar playing to sound objective here.
So do yourself and me a solid—put on “Lying” for thirty seconds with your eyes closed. I’ll wait.
That’s like a thousand times better than most things you ever get asked to hear in this life, right?
Mike Bones has been making deep and deeply loved albums in NYC as a singer and guitarist with Soldiers Of Fortune and under his own name, and has guested on albums by Cass McCombs, Endless Boogie and Run The Jewels.
The band he’s put together with Sasha Vine and Tran Huynh makes Weak Signal his hardest and leanest group. The quality of the songs and music on this album is matched by the supreme style of the band members.
So rare.
I fuck with Weak Signal hard. No jokes.
-Matt Sweeney