Gnarled guitars, breathless rhythms, and feral vocals. Northampton, Massachusetts’ Dérive are a punk band, and they’re every bit as intense and cathartic as you’d hope. But musically, lyrically, and conceptually, there’s a lot more going on here. Dérive’s Greg Nahabedian is a composer and piano teacher with a formal music education. The band’s album “All My Demons Are Coming Loose” is structured as a two act drama, complete with intermission. And they take their name from the Situationist “technique of rapid passage through varied ambiances.” Art punk, if you will, can be a tough balancing act, but Dérive never topple into either ornate pretension or simple aggression. They walk that fine line with daring and style.
Saratoga Springs, New York’s Katie Bennett isn’t just a singer, songwriter, and guitarist; she’s also a zinester. (Her zine “Sticking Around” is carried by the wonderful Doris Distro.) And her songs are like many of your favorite zines: filled with tiny, personal observations, that add up to a huge emotional impact. Bennett is adept at crafting an accurate description from a few plain but well-chosen words. So when she says her band Free Cake For Every Creature plays “scrappy twee,” you know just what they sound like. Their music is always sweet and breezy, but never polished or polite. In short: it’s exactly what you want to hear on an aimless summer evening.
Mariachi and punk. From the moment Pancho Villa’s Skull starts playing, it’s clear this is a beautiful combination. With uplifted voice and rapidly strummed guitar, Fortino Ybarra stirs two deep pools of musical tradition, bringing all their treasures to the surface. Romance and protest, joy and rage: they mingle and shine as they fill the room. Fortino and the Trumbullplex have enjoyed a long friendship, but it’s been a while since he’s played here. So be sure and get to the show in time to welcome him back!
Wednesday, August 6
7 pm
All ages
$6 suggested donation
Trumbullplex
4210 Trumbull
Detroit