Preview: Shilpa Ray, She Keeps Bees, Blond / The Union
By Garrett Bower, Staff Writer
Saturday, September 20 / The Union
This Saturday The Union will be hosting New Yorkers She Keeps Bees, Shilpa Ray and Athens locals Blond.
Blond is no stranger to the scene, having played all over town. This practice has certainly made something close to perfect. The band offers psych-tinged indie rock that is as sure to entrance as it is to incite crowd members to hop, shake, and shout. With a new EP released this past spring, Blond has a whole bunch of wonderfully polished jams up their sleeves.
Shilpa Ray meanwhile is a blues-punk outfit that boasts prowess and punch. Ray and company blend beautifully executed melodies with anthemic ferocity that translates terrifically onto a live stage.
Eponymous vocalist Ray has unparalleled vocal tenacity that often culminates in stirring wails that are hard to shake off. When she’s not screaming, Ray and her backing band offer up an interesting mix on instrumentation, incorporating steel guitar and Ray’s signature harmonium, from which she twists all nature of sound.
“I like music that sounds sincere, regardless of whether it’s slower or fast,” said Ray of their live performance.
Fans of Shilpa Ray will be in for a few new songs as well this time around. “We’re finished with the record and we’re trying to put it out next year,” said Ray. “It’s definitely a darker, more raw sound…it’s a little more polished than [our first album] Teenage & Torture.”
Despite their distance, Shilpa Ray is also no stranger to Athens, having passed through a handful of times over the past years. “We love it [in Athens]. It’s just fun. It’s a fun town to play. Everyone’s really into music,” said Ray.
Athens will mark the last of three dates Shilpa Ray plays in Ohio on their tour with She Keeps Bees, still early on their current tour fueled by old Art Bell recordings and Wikipedia disputes. The band focuses on the day to day to run the gauntlet of shows. “You’re just in this weird zone. I mean, I don’t even know what day it is, to be honest with you, and I can’t remember where I played two days ago.”
She Keeps Bees pours out their own brand of crunchy blues-rock with a smooth confidence that’s sure to not disappoint live. The instrumentation is thick and heady with vocalist Jessica Larrabee’s voice filling every crack. The duo is touring in support of their just-released album Eight Houses
which offers up well-thought out, highly polished tracks that feel rich and expansive.
The Union’s doors open at 9 pm with a nominal cover for those under 21.
