Live music in Lex: the next two weeks

Thursday, February 4

Mountains w/ Tape and Kraken Fury

Al’s Bar. $5. All ages.

Once again the progressive folks down at 88.1 are bringing the people of Lexington fresh and forward thinking sounds. On February 4th at Al’s Bar, WRFL will present Mountains, Tape, and Kraken Fury.

Both Brooklyn’s Mountains and Stockholm’s Tape incorporate tapestries of acoustic balladry with warm and smart electronic leanings. Both groups sound otherworldly. Mountains warble on a path between rustic and swarming, while Tape floats through a milky blizzard of nostalgia for European and Asian lands, past and future.

The two touring acts seem a fitting pair as both play on suspense without the shock. If you’re a fan of the post rock Chicago of yore, a la Gastr Del Sol, but without any over the top pretense and a hundred times the color, these bands are for you. This is soul music for sure. Lexington’s Kraken Fury are opening the show so expect either mind bending full on kraut inspired prog/doom rock or an acoustic set reminiscent of Jackson C. Frank/John Prine so intimate you’ll never want to leave because you think you’re home. —Ma Turner

Friday, February 12

GIVERS w/ Matt Duncan

Al’s Bar. $5. All ages.

One time I drove through Lafayette, Louisiana on my way to Baton Rouge from Texas. Tired and lost, passing sign after sign for emergency alternate hurricane routes, I finally deemed a coffee stop necessary. A fan of linguistics, I was pleasantly surprised to encounter one of the best accents I’ve ever heard, coming from three different people! Sultry, slightly gritty, but smooth – “What’re y’all doin’ ‘ere in LAFF-ee-yet? We sure are glad y’all’re ‘ere,” accompanied by beaming smiles and sweet faces. It seems minor, but the moment was so unexpected and endearing to a road-weary traveler that it’s one of the parts I still remember vividly from the trip.

GIVERS hail from Lafayette, and I can only imagine they’re friends with the sweet baristas we met. Their music evokes such joy that you find it pretty impossible to not let your heart fill with sunshine while listening. It’s music that makes you want to run around in a field with flowers in your hair, letting your skirt bustle in the wind. Combining everything that is good in the world, GIVERS mix indie-pop with cajun zydeco and afro-beat to create a magical blend of rock that can chill you to the bone yet quench your thirst for happiness. Imagine if Vampire Weekend was from the bayou and grew up listening to classic rock jams with dad in the garage…and you might have a start.

Fresh off a tour opening for Dirty Projectors, GIVERS are now embarking across the US on their own to spread smiles all around. And what better setting for a little pick-me-up than Lexington in February? Opener Matt Duncan, who is in my opinion the best pop outfit in town, couldn’t be a better match. Put your cares aside for the night and find yourself at Al’s on the 12^th—you won’t regret it. —Eli Riveire