Butterbirds
Sweet Little Honey Nothin'
(Seizure Man)
Relaxed, upbeat indie pop from the locals; sophisticated sounds and clean production offset cute, somewhat naïve material. Dueling male-female vocals and group choruses lend a party vibe that's reminiscent of indie outfits like Kickball. Recommended for a sunny day.
BUTTERBIRDS CD/CASSETTE RELEASE. 8 p.m. Fri., Dec. 6. The Shop, 4314 Main St., Bloomfield. $5. All ages. 412-951-0622
Larry Nath
Visions and Revisions
(Self-released)
Collection of straightforward rock, blues and folk-y songs by the local singer-songwriter, recorded with some help from folks like virtuoso guitarist Jimmy Adler. Soft ballad "Mystery" might be the highlight of this one, with a quiet beauty and slightly uneasy vibe that sets it apart from the rest; Nath's talents (and voice) shine especially when he strays from the blues-rock formula.
Kontrol Cow
twenty-two
(Self-released)
Simple, silly songs with an irreverent vibe. A little punk, a little throwback rock, a lot of sex jokes and angry tirades about mainstream culture and the suburbs. Nothing particularly new or nuanced here, but a fun listen if you're into lighthearted double-entendre and making fun of suburban parents.
Mike Stout
Time to Build a New World
(Self-released)
Some new tunes from the lefty songwriter who's based here and tours worldwide. The music — mostly folk-rock — is fine, but that's not what people listen to this type of stuff for. Stout brings to the fore problems like privacy ("Big Brother's Watching"), covert war ("I Was Killed By a Drone") and the like — plus, on the title track he talks about moving beyond protest. If that's your jam, you'll like this one.
