MUSIC . Music Picks

Brass

Fri., May 16, 9 p.m., $8, with Zelazowa, Captain of Industry and Metroplex, Khyber, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888, thekhyber.com.


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Published: May 13, 2008

rock/pop

Even though the majority of Philly's late North Star Infinite remains intact in the new band Brass, the name change was mandatory. NSI defined itself by percussion, an übercomplex jazz-metal blend of beats played up heavily and unwittingly burying all else. There's no questioning the talent of Rob Bowman, who drummed on the former's EPs, but the way he was presented seemed a bit ostentatious. A bit showoffy. Enter Ian Murray, who is just as willing to do 4/4 as he is 12/8. By introducing a more controlled, precise backbeat, Murray has allowed his Brassmates to step out from the shadows. Now we can hear actual details of the interplay between Jason Bucci's resounding guitar tones and Joe Webber's dramatic baritone. We can get hooked on songs like "The Optimist" and "Autumn Hex Signs," not because of the hypnotic rhythms, but because of their genuine hookiness. The songwriting, at its core, is similar and carries over, but the differences between bands are nonetheless pronounced. NSI was all about "hey everybody look we've got a fucking awesome drummer!" Brass, then, is about "we've got awesome songs, too!" Pay attention.

Fri., May 16, 9 p.m., $8, with Zelazowa, Captain of Industry and Metroplex, Khyber, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888, thekhyber.com.