THE LACK IS BACK: After doing time in Brooklyn,
Mountain Drive native and soulful SoCal singer/songwriter Gabe
Lackner has returned to S.B. and to the family recording studio,
where he’s been hard at work producing six tracks for a new EP.
“I’ve been trying to get more cohesive with my sound,” said
Lackner, whose debut solo album, Behind These Eyes, came out
exactly two years ago. “Living in New York, I was forced to base my
songs around solo acoustic guitar, so that determined the direction
of my work.”
The Canons and with alternative Latin rock band the ConGa PunKs
before moving to Brooklyn a few years ago, where he soaked up the
urban East Coast vibe. “There’s an amazing contrast between Santa
Barbara and New York, and I’m trying to find a balance between the
two,” he said. “In Brooklyn I’d sit on the subway for hours. Back
in Santa Barbara, I surf Rincon. All of it influences my work.”
Tracks on his new EP include the wistful, self-reflective
“Contradiction,” and the mellow, lilting ballad “Just Flow,” while
hand drums drive the organic rhythms of “Wind.” “I’m asking
questions in these songs,” Lackner said. “They’re almost like
prayers.”
Though he cites Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Nick Drake, and David
Gray among those whose sound has influenced his own, Lackner is
inspired by everything from progressive house to hip-hop, Jeff
Buckley to John Legend. Many styles converge in his work, but his
roots are deep in the SoCal soil. “The kind of music I want to make
feels like it’s born from here,” he said.
Lackner’s album release party is tonight, Thursday, January 18
at SOhO, with special guest Omar Cowan opening. The $10 cover
includes a free CD. To get a taste of Lackner’s soulful sound or
download a track, check out myspace.com/gabelacknermusic.
— Elizabeth Schwyzer
SO OVER IT: Despite what its name might imply,
the Huntington Beach pop band Over It hopes you are not, in fact,
over the pop-punk genre. The five-man band — which originally
called Alexandria, Virginia, home before relocating to
California — has been emulating their skate punk idols at Fat Wreck
Chords since 1998, though their sound has skewed more toward the
pop side of the genre. Formerly of the Santa Barbara-based label
Lobster Records, Over It released its major label debut, Step
Outside Yourself, in summer 2006. Catch the free show Thursday,
January 25 at noon at UCSB’s Storke Plaza. — Drew
Mackie
HARD EQUATION: To quote: “Three fat guys plus
two skinny guys, divided by spaghetti, equals hardcore dinner
music, which is a geometric code of Indorphine.” That’s how this
Orlando metal band sums itself up. Math seems like a poetic but odd
choice, however, as the band’s intense sound seems more of an
attack on the senses than an appeal to the logical side of the
brain. Known for raucous shows that incorporate audience
participation, Indorphine explains its whole take on rock star
status with the title of its newest album: Glowsticks for Clubbing
Baby Seals. Indorphine plays with similarly styled Invitro,
Reignition, and Waking the Destroyer at Velvet Jones on Friday,
January 19. — DM
the founding members of the Stone Poneys, Kenny Edwards has spent
some serious quality time with Linda Rondstadt, singing and
arranging her music. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had the
opportunity to play with some of the other great artists in the
country, folk, and rock genres — including Emmylou Harris, Stevie
Nicks, Brian Wilson, and Don Henley, just to name a few. In recent
years, Edwards has taken up residence in Santa Barbara and finished
polishing his singer/songwriter talents. He brings his experience
and creativity to a show on Saturday, January 20 at Trinity
Backstage at 1500 State Street. — DM