Night sounds
Paul Thurlow
Giant lush jazz chords get thrown in with African percussion and folk-rock vocal melodies. Thurlow often wanders out of traditional form into an intricate wilderness of instrumental jazz, borrowing world sounds in an alchemy that makes you want to invent a new kind of dance. Friday night at Che's Lounge in Vineyard Haven.
Eek-a-Mouse
This towering, charismatic Kingston hipster turns dancehall reggae into a dress-up party - cowboy, pirate, referee, more. The only sure thing is that his eccentric performances blur the lines between genius and insanity. "Bung bung bitty bung bung." Saturday night at Nectar's by the airport.
Venus deMars Black leather, blond pigtails, indecent exposure. From Minneapolis, Minnesota, comes the front woman of All The Pretty Horses, the transgender punk-glam outfit. She goes for dark pop with the spaced-out elegance and sinister seductiveness of David Bowie. For fans, sorry, the group's dancer, Evil Dawn, is a no-show, but not to worry, there's enough going on. Tonight at hastings in the alley, Oak Bluffs.
Ryan Montbleau Band
Montbleau's tender rasp rolls nicely over chord progressions that take unexpected minor turns. Pop-inflected folk, gypsy jazz, and Americana. The band has matured over the years, but retained the urgent soulfulness of buskers. Tonight at Nectar's by the airport.
