The folks at Spruce Peak Arts in Stowe have booked one hell of a show for Thursday, February 15: Sons of Mystro, a unique violin duo featuring two Black brothers, Malcolm and Umoja McNeish, who reinterpret reggae and dancehall songs for strings.
The McNeish brothers were motivated to create their sound as young men after meeting the groundbreaking duo Black Violin, who also came out of Florida and interpreted hip-hop music on violin. Inspired to try their hand at adapting music from their father’s home country of Jamaica, Sons of Mystro fuse classical mastery with a vibrant take on reggae and hip-hop.
For tickets and more information, check out sprucepeakarts.org.
It’s a busy week in new releases from Vermont artists! First up are Burlington indie-rock act Robber Robber. Formerly known as Guy Ferrari, the young trio showcased huge potential with the excellent Caldera in 2021. The group’s latest single, “Sea or War,” was released in January and delivers on that promise and then some.
Riding a frenetic, distorted beat from drummer and Dari Bay mastermind Zack James, bassist and vocalist Nina Cates creates a sinewy groove reminiscent of the Beatles‘ epic freak-out “Tomorrow Never Knows.” The song pulses and throbs, brimming with energy and indie-slacker cool. Be sure to give it a spin over at robberrobber.bandcamp.com.
Next up is “Self Help,” from Vermont hip-hop project Provisions, the nom de guerre of producer Garrett Heaney, which debuted in 2022 with the superb and sprawling Know Thyself. That record featured some of the 802 rap scene’s best, such as Teece LuVv and Nahte Renmus, as well as Chicago rapper Defcee. On the latest Provisions track, Heaney taps producer Es-K for beats and rappers A-F-R-O and Hughie! on the verses to make a classic boom-bap. It’s available now on Bandcamp.
Twenty-year-old Middlebury College student Marina Prikis dropped her new single, “don’t wanna be your friend,” at the end of January. The Cyprus native wrote, recorded and produced her first dance song as part of an electronic music production class. A classically trained pianist, Prikis takes to EDM with style, making a club banger that puts the spotlight on her powerful pipes and clean, effective arrangements. Check it out on all major streaming services.
Calling all Wookies and Custy kids: Vermont’s fab phour are bringing back a beloved tradition among their fervent fan base. Phish have announced a four-day festival called Mondegreen for August 15 to 18 at the Woodlands in Dover, Del. It will be the band’s 11th self-produced multiday event and first such endeavor in nine years, since Magnaball at Watkins Glen in New York.
I was hired to film the band’s ill-fated “farewell fest” in Coventry in 2004 and still remember bribing a very drunk farmer to pull my car out of the mud, so I’ll probably skip this one. Hey, more goo balls for you guys!
Eye on the Scene
Photographer Luke Awtry surveys local nightlife
Cotter Ellis with Dobbs’ Dead, Nectar’s, Burlington, Tuesday, February 6: We all love to see it when a local musician gets called up to the big leagues. Such was the case last week when local drummer Cotter Ellis was named the new drummer for the band Goose. I first photographed Cotter with Tar Iguana at Burlington’s SideBar in January 2017, but it wasn’t until December of that year that I saw Swimmer and really appreciated Cotter for the drummer he is. He immediately evoked the spirit of Levon Helm. Not only was there a striking resemblance, he also exuded a similar sense of leadership, confidence and creativity that few have behind the kit — indeed, he formed Cotter & the Hawks in 2022 to pay tribute to the Band. As Nectar’s celebrated its 11th anniversary of Dead Set/Grateful Dead Tuesdays last week, Cotter played his heart out all night with Dobbs’ Dead, knowing it would most likely be a long time before he played a stage that small again.
Doomsbury
Comic by Farnsworth & Slayton
Listening In
Spotify playlist of Vermont jams
This article appears in Feb 14-20, 2024.
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