August 28-September 3, 2003

musicpicks

Stromkern

Rock/pop

American EBM (Electronic Body Music) acts have a tendency to travel incognito by Deutschifying everything (which leads the equally rare American EBM critic to suddenly lapse into stretches of stilted German). But despite Stromkern's ominously European-sounding name and their tremendous popularity on the German alternative charts, the Madison, Wis.-based band has taken the Euro-dominated techno-industrial genre and infused it with a healthy dose of hip-hop. The results -- on their current release, Armageddon (WTII) -- are surprisingly alive and organic, taking the usual sterile march and kicking it into a playful shuffle and eschewing the highly quantized plug 'n' play compositional structure of most EBM works in favor of rich, classically influenced orchestration. All this serves as a rich backdrop for Ned Kirby's vocals, which straddle a fine line between forceful spoken word and melody, often achieving both at once. Bonus deal? These New World symphonists don't believe in DAT sing-alongs. Armageddon, indeed.

Draculaís Ball, Sat., Aug. 30, 9 p.m., $13-$15, all ages, with Carfax Abbey, and DJs Black Badtz, Addam Bombb and Mark Jackson of VNV Nation, Shampoo, Seventh and Willow sts., 215-925-9259.

—Helen H. Thompson

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