The beauty of the Atari Star is in its relaxed subtlety, something I found out in an unexpected way.
I'd heard of them for almost a year but I didn't have a clue as to what to expect. After pursuing them for months, I was able to catch them at the Empty Bottle with three other bands ( they were third ) . I walked in on the second band, a raging punk/metal outfit that had the audience slam dancing. Imagine my surprise when the Atari Star took the stage and instead of thrashing/bopping/punking out they quietly and calmly sang pleasant sounding songs with such relaxed candor that the energy level in the room plummeted by a good 50 percent.
Which isn't a bad thing, really, it's a great thing. The Atari Star is about listening, not necessarily for interaction or watching. The group, led by Marc Ruvolo, is concerned with musical nuances and shadings—almost a completely sonic experience in itself. In fact the best way to take them is sitting down in an overstuffed armchair with a fragrant zinfandel.
On their latest CD, "shrp knf cts mtns," they display a definite identifiable sound—sort of a cross between the oriental picking on "Talking Heads '77," 1965 era Bryds, and a studied reflective aura like "Mingus" era Joni Mitchell. They sound like a lot of things, but they're actually their own.
Between Ruvolo's pristine near falsetto pitch, his consistent guitar riffing ( as a lead guitarist he seems to play the rhythm parts ) and keyboard-man Sevillesdotes bell-like chimes, the sound of the Star comes across like one thick gush of air. The result is near hypnotic; the CD and the band are set up to engage the ears—you have to listen attentively to get all the Star's rewards. "Someone More Deserving than Myself" is a definite distillation of their sound and probably a small masterpiece, a fleeting mosaic of still images and emotions, remembrances and sounds. The rest of "shrp knf" has the same strategy of compact phrasing, dreamlike imagery, and fleeting observations.
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After the Queer is Folk Fest in June, I had been pursuing seeing Aerin Tedesco in a full gig ( I've spent a lot of time chasing after people in the last two months ) . Lo and behold I was lucky enough to see her at her Ladyfest gig at the Local Grind. It was a nice surprise to see her in a bohemian-style coffeehouse filled with overstuffed couches and an attentive audience. Seeing her in a theater is definitely not the same experience, not nearly as personal. To be blunt, the Local Grind show blew my head off.
Looking totally boss in a suit and tie, Tedesco not only has a vocal range that goes from a quiet tear-stained whisper to a ferocious razor lilt, but also a telling feel for drama that's both arresting and vulnerable at the same time. The only vocalist that I can think of who comes close to such a combination is Prince. But there's nothing smug about her confidence in pushing across the lyric ( which served him well ) , nothing removed about the emotional punch that she delivers in her phrasing ( which served him well, until it got grating ) , and certainly nothing held back in her approach ( after all, it was just her and a guitar ) . Playing mostly solo-acoustic ( and I must add that this wasn't A.T.'s headlining gig, she had the same amount of time as everyone else on the bill ) , she displayed a stately suppleness that slid into furious emotionalism, subdued tremors of drama and back again. "Downside Up" and "Crush" were operettas of high drama, but " ( Look at ) Fire," where she and guest vocalist Andrea Bunch traded lilting choruses in a mesmerizing and intense volley, was on an alien plane. Music this powerful and haunting just isn't made anymore. Do yourself a favor, go see this woman.