April 15-21, 2004

musicpicks

Savath + Savalas/Juana Molina

Rock/electronic

If Scott Herren was a planet, he'd be Saturn -- an electronic galact-artiste whose rings are wound round the diverse sounds of broke-beat, sample-heavy pop, smooth funk-jazz and moist soul for one-man-band projects like Prefuse 73 and Delarosa and Asora. Now the man is in duo mode with the Barcelona-based Savath + Savalas. Joined by Catalan vocalist Eva Puyuelo -- plus several members of Tortoise on the new CD Apropa't (Warp) -- Herren makes down-tempo electronica close to latter-day tropicalistan folk with a trip-hop edge.

Argentinean songstress Juana Molina has -- on both 2003's Segundo and her brand new Tres Cosas (Domino) -- made squeaking minimalist electroperas that, like a Chuck Close painting or a David Sylvian demo, are coiled tight with colorfully quiet tones and emotionalism. Though Molina never cries or coos above a whisper, her damn-near somnolent, broke-beat and bloop-y acoustic-synth folksongs simply scream with weird anguish. Honestly, this is the show to see in April; one not to be missed or repeated.

Thu., April 15, 8 p.m., with Nobody, $10, First Unitarian Church, 22nd and Chestnut sts., 800-594-8499.

—A.D. Amorosi

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