SHONALI BHOWMIK
At 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27
Sentient Bean, 13 E. Park Ave. $5.
With 4th Ward AfroKlezmer Orchestra.
Her name is hard to pronounce, but Shonali Bhowmik is, well, kind of unforgettable. The native of Nashville, now a resident of New York City, has just put out her first solo record, 100 Oaks Revival ... and its sweetly emotive pop-flavored folk reminds me - a lot - of Bangle Susanna Hoffs and the stuff she did with David Roback and Kendra Smith on a little-heard Paisley Underground album called Rainy Day.
That came out in 1984, and I doubt Shonali Bhowmik had yet been born.
Aha! As it turns out, Bhowmik was a charter member of Atlanta's late and lamented Ultrababyfat, a power pop band that joyfully blended influences of the Bangles (yes!), Cheap Trick, the Breeders and the Fab Four. Savannah, Bhowmik tells me, was one of the band's favorite cities to play, and she's excited to be coming back, showcasing the richly textured acoustic-pop of 100 Oaks Revival.
Her current band, the harder-edged Tigers and Monkeys, has been rocking the Apple since 2007.
Bhowmik is also - are you ready? - a lawyer (she attend Emory in Atlanta) AND a standup comedian. Which are not, as we all know, always mutually exclusive. "For some reason," she says, "the craziness of doing all those three things keeps me sane."
Told you she was unforgettable.
This Bean bill also includes a showcase set from the 4th Ward AfroKlezmer Orchestra, a nine-piece ensemble performing original music integrating Klezmer and Balkan styles with jazz, funk and Afro-pop.
The Atlanta group solders together Big Band-style jazz and improvisation with traditional European Jewish klezmer music.
A splendid time is guaranteed for all! See shonalibhowmik.com, myspace.com/4thwardafroklezmerorchestra
DAVIN McCOY & COMING ATTRACTIONS
At 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26
Live Wire Music Hall, 307 W. River St. $5
With Eddie the Wheel, White Violet, Ruby Kendrick
"It's very rootsy soul, but definitely kind of a current feel, plenty of folk influence, too" is how bandleader McCoy described his sound to Connect Statesboro. "I guess maybe white boy soul or something."
None other than Georgia soulmeister Randall Bramblett had this to say: "He reminds me a lot of Otis Redding, with a little bit of Eddie Hinton and Chris Robinson - he's got that soul voice that you don't hear too much from younger singers. His song structures are really cool too ... he's a very strong talent, and if he keeps it together, he's going to be a great one."
Bramblett and his Sea Level bandmate Chuck Leavell both played on So Good, So Cruel, McCoy's second album.
Albany-born McCoy and his four-piece band are sharing this bill with three offbeat Athens singer/songwriters: Ruby Kendrick, White Violet (aka Nate Nelson) and Eddie the Wheel (aka Eddie Whelan). See davinmccoy.com
