Every time Perpetual e-Motion (John Coté and Ed Howe) plays at Glen Echo, they draw a bigger-than-usual crowd (we even managed to get one of our regular servers from the Silver Diner to come to a dance when they were here!). Small wonder -- they're one of the few bands on the contra circuit that can make two people's playing sound like many more through the use of a small fortune in sound equipment -- that Ed controls with his feet, while playing. I therefore picked up their self-titled debut CD and it does not disappoint. The CD does a very good job of capturing their in-person presence, and also serves to add a little something new that we would not get just by going to see them, which in my opinion is the mark of a good contra band CD. But this is not what makes it special. I have it on my iPod and somewhere in my folkie and contra playlist their versions of "High Barbory" and "Sandy Boys" popped up in close proximity to others' renditions. At that point I realized what a cool thing they'd done.
While "High Barbory" is more or less a cover of the folk song performed with delightfully shivery low tones (who'd have thought they could sing, when they don't do so terribly often at the contra dances), "Sandy Boys" is all but re-imagined -- the melody is there, but the boys have really made it their own through the use of the feedback from the sound board and other electronic sounds.
The one thing that I do wish they had done on this CD was to give us more of what they can do that they haven't necessarily done on the contra floor. While I am exceedingly pleased that their usual last song -- a rollicking mix of the tunes "Red Haired Boy," "Cluck Old Hen," and "Lightning on the Lake" -- is included on this CD, I feel like, with the exception of the one track, it almost recreates the experience of going and hearing them live too well, to the point that I can mentally point out which songs on the CD they're playing at any given point. Hopefully we will hear more from them and they will expand their repertoire soon, as they are truly a delight to hear and dance to live.
Perpetual e-Motion's website (and some music samples!) can be found at http://www.Perpetuale-Motion.com. Their next 2011 gigs are in Rochester, NY on April 7; Toronto on April 8-10; and Concord, MA on April 11. They will also be at Footfall Dance Weekend in September in High View, WV.
Agree? Disagree? Want me to review another really rocking contra music source? Let me know! Check out the contact page (link at left) or leave comments here!
Carry on Dancing,
CS
Erratum: Edited 4/7 to correct the error that "Sandy Boys" is a traditional Southern tune, and is not Larry Unger's as originally stated.
While "High Barbory" is more or less a cover of the folk song performed with delightfully shivery low tones (who'd have thought they could sing, when they don't do so terribly often at the contra dances), "Sandy Boys" is all but re-imagined -- the melody is there, but the boys have really made it their own through the use of the feedback from the sound board and other electronic sounds.
The one thing that I do wish they had done on this CD was to give us more of what they can do that they haven't necessarily done on the contra floor. While I am exceedingly pleased that their usual last song -- a rollicking mix of the tunes "Red Haired Boy," "Cluck Old Hen," and "Lightning on the Lake" -- is included on this CD, I feel like, with the exception of the one track, it almost recreates the experience of going and hearing them live too well, to the point that I can mentally point out which songs on the CD they're playing at any given point. Hopefully we will hear more from them and they will expand their repertoire soon, as they are truly a delight to hear and dance to live.
Perpetual e-Motion's website (and some music samples!) can be found at http://www.Perpetuale-Motion.com. Their next 2011 gigs are in Rochester, NY on April 7; Toronto on April 8-10; and Concord, MA on April 11. They will also be at Footfall Dance Weekend in September in High View, WV.
Agree? Disagree? Want me to review another really rocking contra music source? Let me know! Check out the contact page (link at left) or leave comments here!
Carry on Dancing,
CS
Erratum: Edited 4/7 to correct the error that "Sandy Boys" is a traditional Southern tune, and is not Larry Unger's as originally stated.
