Grass Widow, Broken Water, Atrina

Wednesday, April 27 2011 - Manic Productions brings

BAR
254 Crown Street
New Haven, CT

9:00pm - 21+ - Free



Grass Widow:
Although it makes some sense to lump Grass Widow in with the Vivians, Dum Dums, and various other "girl groups" that rushed onto the indie underground stages of the late 2000s, the San Francisco-based trio is actually a slightly different animal. Formed, predictably enough, in the late 2000s, the group is comprised of Hannah Lew, Raven Mahon, and Lillian Maring; the three utilize the same sort of egalitarian, D.I.Y. embrace of collective creative possibility embodied by Rough Trade heroes such as the Raincoats, Essential Logic, and Kleenex/LiLiPUT. There's simply no denying the influence of the first wave of British D.I.Y. bands here -- whether it's deliberate or not -- yet while Grass Widow certainly work with the raw ore of a bygone era, the final product remains of their own time.

Like the aforementioned bands did with the more derivative, brutish aspects of England's Dreaming-era punk, Grass Widow subvert the laconic fuzzed-out punk wallop of their contemporaries by embracing a skittering, disarming approach to rhythm, one born equally out of innovation and necessity. The group's distinctive three-part vocal approach likewise creates an off-kilter moodiness that further complicates what are ultimately rudimentary post-punk tunes. The effect, when it works, can be quite impressive; when it doesn't, it still feels inspired. The band's debut, a self-titled full-length, appeared on the tiny Make a Mess label in 2009; it was followed shortly thereafter by an EP on the prodigious Brooklyn label Captured Tracks. After a move to the Kill Rock Stars label, the trio released their debut record, Past Lives, in August of 2010. (bio via allmusic.com)



Broken Water: Formed in August of 2008, and hailing from beautiful Olympia - WA, Broken Water are the latest noise vehicle for Kanako Wynkoop and Jon Hanna of Sisters. Abigail Ingram of Olympia's Congratulations joins the pair playing bass. All three members contribute vocals which adds to the depth of the sound. Arguably a forward progression from what had been created by Sisters, Broken Water now stand as one of only a few Olympia bands that carry the torch that'd been lit by Unwound in the 90's. (bio via Radio is Down)




Atrina makes music that is equal parts minimalist melodicism, counterpunctal cacophony, and decibel-pushing dissonance. Angular, but accessible. Complex, yet catchy. Eclectic, and electrifying, Atrina sounds like they mean it—with an " earnestness matched by technical expertise and solid songwriting, deep, heavy riffing, a brooding and moody sensibility. Singer Kelly L’Heureux sounds impassioned and entirely straightforward, her voice creating a compelling push-and-pull between vocals and band." Effortlessly blending sharp melodies, dynamic guitar rhythms and honest intensity, Atrina's sound harkens back to some of indie rock's greatest—Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, The Breeders, Blonde Redhead, Slint, Radiohead, Helium—while looking forward to create a sound that’s all their own, as evidenced on their 2 self-released EPs, including 2008's {beautiful evidence}. (bio off Manic's site)




Grass Widow tour:

April 2011
27 -- New Haven, CT @ BAR -- w/ Broken Water, Atrina
28 -- Providence, RI @ Building 16 -- w/ Broken Water, Songs for Moms
29 -- Portland, ME @ Aphoadion -- w/ Broken Water
30 -- Belfast, ME @ Free Range Music Festival

May 2011
24 -- London @ Tufnell Park Dome -- w/ Chain and the Gang
25 -- Paris @ TBA
26 -- Zurich @ Binz
27 -- Munich @ TBA
28 -- Graz @ Ladyfest
29 -- Budapest @ Szabad Az A
31 -- Vienna @ The Arena

June 2011
01 -- Clandestino @ TBA
02 -- Chiasso @ TBA
03 -- Geneva @ TBA
04 -- Lyon @ Grrrnd Zero
05 -- @ TBA
06 -- Marburg @ Cafe Trauma
07 -- Berlin @ Marie Antoinette
09 -- Amsterdam @ OCCII
10 -- Utrecht @ dB's CAB
15 -- London @ Dalston Victoria


Broken Water dates:

April 26th 2011
The Loft
New Brunswick, NJ

April 27th 2011
BAR
254 Crown St. - New Haven, CT

April 28th 2011
Building 16
Providence, RI

April 29th 2011
The Apohadion
107 Hanover St. - Portland, ME

April 30th 2011
Free Range Music Festival
Belfast, ME

May 4th 2011
The Magic Stick Lounge
4120-4140 Woodward Ave. - Detroit, MI

May 5th 2011
The Dojo
4640 E. 10th St. - Indianapolis, IN

May 6th 2011
Cooper Permanent Records (Day)
1914 W. Chicago Ave. - Chicago, IL

May 6th 2011
Mortville Permanent Records (Evening)
2106 S. Kedzie Ave. - Chicago, IL

May 8th 2011
19th and Charlotte
Kansas City, MO

May 9th 2011
Jackpot Saloon and Music Hall
943 Massachusetts St. - Lawrence, MO

May 13th 2011
The Comet
922 E. Pike St. - Seattle, WA

May 15th 2011
Waldorf
1489 E. Hastings St. - Vancouver, BC