WEDNESDAY 8/3
PSYCH-ROCK
SPINDRIFT
Described as a “psychedelic, Western-influenced, cinematic rock band,” Spindrift sounds like a dusty old cowboy movie as viewed through a kaleidoscopic, drug-fueled road trip that would make Hunter S. Thompson proud. With yodels and yips layered with hazy soundscapes, experimental noise and a variety of influences ranging from mariachi to arena rock, the music of Spindrift is unlike anything you’ve probably heard. If you’re into unpredictable, country-inspired, tripped-out rock, this band, which hails from Los Angeles by-way-of-Delaware, may be your new favorite thing. Also on the bill: Bay Area psychedelic outfit the Spiral Electric. CAT JOHNSON
INFO: 8 p.m. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $10/adv, $12/door. 335-2800.
BRASS FUNK
NEW BREED BRASS BAND
With half of the nine members related to famous brass musicians, it’s not surprising that these New Orleans natives are breaking out of Louisiana’s scene. What is surprising is the young age of the players and of the band itself, and the impressive ground they’ve covered in a short amount of time. They have a sizeable YouTube following, including a library of fan videos that depict New Breed’s raucous street performances, which seem to draw massive crowds without fail. Their sound is literally a “new breed”—a combination of funk, jazz, hip-hop and rock influences. In late July, three nights into a 30-show tour, all nine instruments were stolen out of their van in a hotel parking lot in Oregon, but they have soldiered on to finish the tour, thanks to borrowed instruments and fan donations. KATIE SMALL
INFO: 8:30 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $10/adv, $15/door. 479-1854.
THURSDAY 8/4
FOLK
MEGAN SAUNDERS
Drawing comparisons to Emmylou Harris, Kate Wolf and Nick Drake, singer-songwriter Megan Saunders has a lonesome and lovely voice that is the perfect vehicle for her stories of sorrow, love and the natural world. A one-time Santa Cruzan who was born in Vermont and now calls Nashville home, Saunders is a fresh, quiet voice on the folk music scene. As one review put it, “[Y]ou could tell me that my house burned down, my car was stolen and my cat eloped and as long as she sang it to me, I’d still have to smile.” CJ
INFO: 6:30 p.m. Ugly Mug, 4640 Soquel Drive, Soquel, $5-$10. 477-1341.
ACOUSTIC/INTERNATIONAL
GLOBAL GUITAR SUMMIT
An international showcase of acoustic guitar virtuosos, the Global Guitar Summit brings together three of the finest players on the world scene: Konarak Reddy from India, Matthew Montfort, leader of the renowned group Ancient Future, from the U.S., and Teja Gerken from Germany. The evening promises to spotlight numerous sounds, styles and techniques, including nylon string, scalloped fretboard, fretless guitar, and fingerstyle. CJ
INFO: 7:30 p.m. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $12/adv, $15/door. 335-2800.
FRIDAY 8/5
SHOEGAZE
HAUNTED SUMMER
L.A.-based married couple Bridgette Moody and John Seasons call themselves Haunted Summer—a play on their last names that appropriately matches the duo’s ethereal sound. Brittle guitar blended with spacey synth, eerie vocals and the occasional clarinet: the resulting bedroom dream pop is hypnotic and the perfect soundtrack to a sleepy afternoon, or a mushroom trip in a meadow. Also on the bill are Subpar and Electric Magpie. KS
INFO 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.
SATURDAY 8/6
METAL
GAMMA
San Francisco’s Gamma has put out four albums so far, and their album titles are amazing: Gamma 1, Gamma 2, Gamma 3, and Gamma 4. This is exactly what all their albums should be called. It evokes the mystery and subtle sci-fi synthy-metal sound that they helped to carve in the late ’70s, early ’80s. The group broke up in 1983, and was more famous for the bands it spawned: Montrose and Night Ranger. You can really hear Night Ranger in those early Gamma recordings, but it’s heavier, darker, rawer, and just a little weirder. AC
INFO: 8:30 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $17/adv, $20/door. 479-1854.
MONDAY 8/8
JAZZ
MONSIEUR PERINE
A product of the creatively roiling Bogota music scene, the Colombian band Monsieur Periné has evolved considerably over the past decade. Inspired by the Gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt, the group recently hit on a winning formula combining the hot jazz Manouche sound with an array of Afro-Caribbean grooves (the band earned Best New Artist honors last year at the Latin Grammy Awards). Featuring the ebullient vocals of Catalina Garcia backed by the blazing tandem guitars of Santiago Prieto and Nicolas Junca, bassist Adinda Meertins, drummer Darwin Paez, percussionist Miguel Guerra, saxophonist/clarinetist Jairo Alfonso, and Abstin Caviedes on trombone and bugle, Monsieur Periné boasts a big, joyous sound. The Django family tree has clearly put down roots in Colombia. ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: 7 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 427-2227.
INDIE-PUNK
WAVVES
The story of Wavves is exactly the kind of thing that inspired thousands of young musicians every year to pick up the guitar. Leader Nathan Williams recorded tunes in his parents’ bedroom, and the next thing you know, he’s on Pitchfork, Spin, and A.V. Club. Williams wasn’t exactly prepared for the attention he got and suffered a few public breakdowns and some lackluster follow-ups. But he continues to come back, and, at his strongest he takes pop-punk fervor and mixes it with surf-pop bitter-sweetness. No matter who he’s enlisted to back him on any given record, he never seems to lose that bedroom intimacy that sounds like he’s revealing his deepest secrets. AC
INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $20. 429-4135.
IN THE QUEUE
SUBDUDES
Long-running roots-rock group out of New Orleans. Thursday at Moe’s Alley
REBECCA COUPE FRANKS SEXTET
Celebrated trumpeter, composer, producer, bandleader and vocalist. Thursday at Kuumbwa
CALICO
Cali-country all-female trio out of the San Fernando Valley. Monday at Don Quixote’s
LEE DEWYZE
American Idol-winning singer-songwriter. Tuesday at Catalyst
INTERNATIONAL REGGAE SHOWCASE
Reggae phenoms Million Stylez, Gappy Ranks and Ziggi Recado. Tuesday at Moe’s Alley
