Tartufi, These Factory Days
After spending more than a decade as a duo, Tartufi added bassist Benjamin Thorne (Low Red Land, Minot) to its lineup two years ago. If these These Factory Days is any indication, the addition has helped the band’s sweeping wall of sound become more fully realized: the melodic builds are bigger, the drumbeats bolder, the tracks even explosive at times. Everything is layered and lush, including Lynne Angel’s vocals. Her ethereal oohs create the perfect contrast to the brooding bass and venomous electric guitar in “Furnace of Fortune,” and her creepy chanting on “8:1” is submerged in a swelling melody that breaks into a thrashing metal finish. (Southern Records)
These Factory Days by Tartufi
Guy Fox, The Wild
It seems Guy Fox has found its groove. Whereas its debut EP of traditional jazz and blues sounded a bit scattered, The Wild demonstrates a newfound confidence and urgency. The quartet has honed in on what it does best: funky, jazzy, rambling pop songs with a dash of catchy world beat — a style in which many bands, while aspiring to sound like Talking Heads, end up closer to Dave Matthews Band. Luckily, Guy Fox figured out the right formula, never veering into cheesy territory, and The Wild‘s five tracks feel exuberant and playful. (self-released)
At The Independent (628 Divisadero St., San Francisco) on Friday, Apr. 26. 9 p.m., $16, $18. ÂJoe Bagale, Yesterday Once Again
Jazz Mafia member and singer-songwriter Joe Bagale picks up where his debut album left off, capturing the spirit of vintage soul, funk, and R&B. The groovy horns and uptempo piano on “Lady J” hasve the energy of early Stevie Wonder tracks like “For Once in My Life,” while “Stop Waiting” has a bouncing bass line in the vein of P-Funk. Bagale’s gravelly vocals and the raspy female backup singers only add to the sex appeal. (self-released)
At Great American Music Hall (859 O’Farrell St., SF) on Thursday, Apr. 25. 9 p.m., $14.Â
