Last Night: Malas Semilla, Light Travels Faster and Dark Meat @ hi-dive
Malas Semilla, Light Travels Faster and Dark Meat
August 28, 2007
The hi-dive
Better than: A psychedelic tent revival

Malas Semillas was the sound of an alternate universe where hipster culture spontaneously generated in the Appalachians, complete with irony and punk rock roots intact, but lacking all other indie touchstones. These kids pumped out hillbilly pop on banjos, mandolin, acoustic guitar and standup bass, with the occasional dollop of saw, washboard and spoons. It was silly and chock full of fun. The song about Pauly Shore and the cover of the Dead Milkmen’s “Punk Rock Girl” were fun if inessential; the cover of Ween’s “Baby Bitch” did little for me; but the original song “Bowl Me” – an innuendo and entendre-laden tune built around a bowling metaphor – was charming, catchy and funny as hell. The closer, a high-speed hoedown that references the Devil himself, was pretty fine too.











Jason Roth, Cap’n Fresh & the Stay Fresh Seals, and All Teeth And Knuckles



Korn guitarist Munky appeared to be more than a little befuddled during a conversation with Westword for an 





Question: What do you get when you add a musical comedian, an old-timey girl group and a smooth, downtempo chanteuse? Answer: Last night’s show at the Walnut Room. It started an hour after it was supposed to and I was getting restless and cranky by the time Jim Bianco took the stage. With just his voice – a rough croon with a raspy edge – and his slight, spare guitar playing he managed to change my mood instantly. He was genuinely funny, enough so that he could have ditched the guitar and done his act as straight stand up and it would have worked. That’s a compliment to his sense of humor and connection with the audience, not a knock on his music, which was excellent. By the time he ended his set with a sing-along version of “Rainbow Connection” he’d made more than a few new fans among the audience.