It’s been four years since Ka Baird of Spires That in the Sunset Rise moved from Madison to New York, and while she continues to work with bandmate Taralie Peterson (who’s still in Madison), by necessity they’ve devoted more energy to solo projects lately. Tomorrow night they’re both in Chicago (where Spires came into their own in the aughts as an engagingly odd psych-folk combo) for a concert at the Owl, but they’re not actually performing together. Baird will play in the duo Body Love with percussionist Michael Zerang, who’s made a couple fascinating albums with Spires in the past few years. Peterson will perform under the name Louise Bock, which she also uses on the strong new solo album she’s celebrating at this show, Repetitives in Illocality (Feeding Tube).
The album is dense, and I’m not sure that listening to it all in a single sitting—as I’ve done a couple of times—is the best way to take it in. Maybe you should start with just this relatively brief track, the smudgy, snaking “The Animal Vegetable Mineral Confessional.” ANDY ORTMANN “Pataphysical Electronics” (Nihil 100) by NIHILIST
Today’s playlist:
