SFR Picks: Solo Project

Heather Trost goes it alone with Agistri

A musician doesn't wind up collaborating with the likes of Hawk and a Hacksaw or Beirut if they're without ability, and Albuquerque's Heather Trost is certainly nothing if not prolific. Of course, she's thus far stuck to the background of things but, with her solo debut Agistri, Trost sets out to put herself on the map—and boy, does she.

Like a sugary-sweet take on the electronic rock and pop formula of M83 (but far more accessible to the indie rock crowd), Trost unleashes dreamscape pop pieces as full of subtly gorgeous moments and flourishes as they are of blips and bloops. Trost even knocks it out of the park with a stunning rendition of the ultimate friendship anthem—the criminally underrated Harry Nilsson's "Me And My Arrow"—from the bizarre 1971 animated film The Point.

Don't think a cover means Trost is short on original ideas, though, as her soundscapes are varied and listenable; like the soundtrack to a trance-like sojourn through some indescribably beautiful desert. It's an interesting direction for a musician who has, thus far, been known more for her work with stringed instruments (especially the violin), but one can't help but think Trost was perhaps learning and cataloguing the weirder indie-pop elements of bands she's previously worked with in an effort to release something that's all at once nostalgically familiar and yet groundbreaking. Hell, there are even members of Neutral Milk Hotel and Deerhoof present on Agistri, and that ain't half-bad for a violinist from Albuquerque.

Trost plays from the album (among other songs, we're guessing) at Zephyr Community Art Studio this Sunday alongside Athens, Georgia-based indie weirdo Max Knouse. Now, no one is saying Zephyr doesn't know how to do it (they most certainly do), but this particular show really ups the bar for what we know from the DIY arts/music space. (Alex De Vore)

Heather Trost with Max Knouse
7 pm Sunday May 28. $5-$10 suggested donation.
Zephyr Community Art Studio,
1520 Center Drive, Ste. 2

Proper Form

It’s been a whole damn year since form & concept took over the old Zane Bennett Gallery space on Guadalupe Street, and the new-wave monument to contemporary weirdness, performance art and all-around killer visual creation is still going strong. Celebrate this achievement with an anniversary party for which attendees are strongly encouraged to arrive dressed as superheroes (you’ll gain access to a VIP cereal bar from El Sabor Spanish Tapas y Masss if you do). Installation duo Noisefold also kicks off its new glass sculpture/video piece, DJ Miss Ginger throws out the jams and regularly represented artists like Matthew Mullins and Wesley Anderegg show their work as well. (ADV)

form & concept One-Year Anniversary Exhibition:
5 pm Friday May 26. Free.
form & concept,
435 S Guadalupe St.,
982-8111

Surf’s Up

Following the loss of original guitarist Thomas Fekete to cancer in May of last year and the exit of bassist Kevin Williams, Surfer Blood front man John Paul Pitts was at a crossroads for the band’s latest release,

Snowdonia

. But theirs is ultimately a story of triumph, and as the indie darlings recouped from being dropped by major label Warner and formed a new lineup, they’ve proven to be as relevant as ever. Surfer Blood hits this year’s Oasis Teen Arts and Music Festival, a teen-aimed precursor to AMP Concerts’ Summer Concert Series in the Railyard that also includes teen-led acts like DJ Oli, Take the Tide and Lily and Gray Pinto. If subtle surf-rock influences layered between dreamy indie-pop pieces and a reinvigorated focus on complexity are your thing, you’ll be the there. (ADV)

Oasis Teen Arts & Music Festival:
7 pm Saturday May 27. Free.
Santa Fe Railyard,
Guadalupe Street and Paseo de Peralta,
982-3373

All Hail the King

Fans of The Boss and Tom Waits who might also lean a little more toward a punk-esque mentality rejoice—Radiator King is here. The one-man project of Brooklyn-based Adam Silvestri, Radiator King marries gritty blues and bizarre rock sensibilities with an introspective bent on the fragility and the impermanence of existence; like a sort of philosophical musing on life and death that’s equal parts oddly-joyous New Orleans funeral march and upbeat Clash-esque fun. How does one guy do it? You’ll just have to go and find out. (ADV)

Radiator King:
7 pm Sunday May 28. Free.
The Bridge @Santa Fe Brewing Co.,
37 Fire Place, 557-6182


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