CONTRIBUTORS
LINKS
Funkee Grooves
One of the top artists in underground hip-hop, Oakland, Cali-based Del tha Funkee Homosapien has been in the game 17 years. He started as a lyricist for his cousin Ice Cube's group Da Lench Mob, then released two fairly well-received albums on the major label Elektra in the early '90s. After that deal fell apart, he turned toward the alt ranks with his own Hieroglyphics crew. Del (born Teren Delvon Jones) rejects most of hip-hop's thug posturing in favor of a glib, clever approach with plenty of humor. Gliding over deep funk grooves, his vocal style seems to purposefully distance itself from the street; Del delivers his rhymes with clear articulation and an ironic haughtiness. Cool thing about Del's music is that you don't have to strain to understand the lyrics -- and most of them are very worthwhile. Opening act, Texas rapper Devin the Dude, works the humorous tip as well; he's been called "the Richard Pryor of hip-hop."
Del tha Funkee Homosapien w/Devin the Dude, Sun. Oct. 7 (7 p.m. doors), State Theatre, St. Pete, $15 advance, $18 day of show. --Eric Snider
Dark Dondero
A gifted singer/songwriter with a penchant for dark, detailed narratives, David Dondero has been credited with influencing Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes. Both men adopt a pleading vocal style that's direct and compelling. Dondero's lyrics pair concrete images with surreal similes and metaphors; his songs are poignant and mystifying, often at the same time. Once again, the same could be said about Oberst's work. Fittingly, Dondero's latest release, Simple Love, is his second for Oberst's Team Love Records.
An interesting local angle: One of Dondero's best numbers is the five-minute title track to his 2005 album South of the South. The sweeping melody simmers with weeping steel guitar and mournful trumpet as the singer narrates a tear-stained trip through Florida. The song has a pile of Dylan-esque verses, including one that finds the protagonist jumping his "Pogo stick all the way to Ybor City" and lamenting how it was "once a Cuban district and a center for the arts" but now is "humogonous and insincere." Hearing him perform the song, while in Ybor City on Saturday, should be quite a treat. Equally recommendable are opener Modern Skirts, an Athens, Ga., band that won aBest of the Bay award in Tampa for Best Adopted Out-of-Towners. The group offers soulful neo-classic rock that's big on hooks and elicits strong, positive reactions in concert.
David Dondero w/Modern Skirts, Sat., Oct. 6, New World Brewery, Ybor City, $8. --Wade Tatangelo
Wednesday Night Disco
Disco Biscuits have been producing their electronica-infused brand of rock 'n' roll for more than a decade. Bisco (as their fans so affectionately call them) burst from the University of Pennsylvania party scene in the mid-'90s, determined to carve out a niche for themselves. Following the path of so many jam bands before them, they built up a keenly loyal fanbase with near-constant touring, a spirited live show with dazzling lights and a set list that changes from night to night. Longtime drummer Sam Altman left the band in 2005, and the younger, more enthusiastic Allen Aucoin took up the reins like he'd been playing with Bisco all along. Laid-back California jam-rockers Tea Leaf Green open.
Disco Biscuits w/Tea Leaf Green, Wed., Oct. 10, State Theatre, St. Petersburg, $22/$25. --Leilani Polk
