This week in Freak Scene, we check out an improvisational duo project from Erik Rabasca and Bobo Lavorgna, and hear the latest tracks from Springfield rapper Karma Chelz. Plus, Willi Carlisle previewed a big chunk of his new album Wednesday at the Iron Horse.

On his own, Erik Rabasca gravitates toward old-school reggae, global fusion and, on his June album New Scrolls, a rootsy Americana sound (FS #124). Bobo Lavorgna can play just about anything on bass, holding down the low end on projects encompassing jazz, funk, roots-rock or whatever else you need him to do. Together, the Stamford guitarist and Killingworth bassist take an exploratory, improvisational trip on Inner Sky, their first release as the Rabasca-Lavorgna Project.

Inner Sky | Lavorgna-Rabasca Project

5 track album

Over five tracks here that range in length from just under five minutes to more than 20, Rabasca and Lavorgna follow each other through labyrinths of sound they create with guitars, bass, effects loops and the occasional synthesizer. Sometimes there’s an earthy cast to the music: opening track “Dimensions East” opens with bowed bass from Lavorgna that turns guttural and foreboding, with swiggles of guitar from Rabasca that evoke rivulets of water. Rabasca takes the lead on “Diffusion,” a 15-minute soundscape that starts with machine-like whirs and whines and eventually shifts into keening guitar and a kind of digital chirping before an ambient drone coalesces in the background and comes slowly to the fore.

“Weathered Onslaught” sounds at first like Lavorgna is hammering on a metal door with bass notes while Rabasca adds glitchy effects-treated guitar parts that call to mind the 8-bit soundtracks from Nintendo games in the ’80s (shoutout to Metroid). They end the album with the 20-minute title track, where a wash of guitars glowers in the distance as bass sounds fade in and out over what sounds like (but probably isn’t) the rattle of a snare reacting to the reverberations. By the end, the track consists of a subtly shifting guitar drone and swells of bass that fade into silence gradually enough that it takes a second to realize the music has stopped.

The duo write on Bandcamp that Inner Sky is the first in a planned “Invocation Series” for Rabasca’s Highest Frequency Records. It will be interesting to hear whatever comes next.

Karma Chelz Out-Works the Haters on String of Singles

It’s been a productive year for Karma Chelz. Along with the EP Cause & Effect in May, the Springfield rapper has released a string of singles, including five over the past month. The most recent, “Not Outside,” has a minimalist vibe with a stripped-down beat and hooky little coils of synthesizer that wrap around her voice while she delivers steely-eyed rhymes about outworking and outpacing any would-be rivals. “Bitches throw shade but they watch every move / Say they don’t like me but they all in my views,” she raps in a matter-of-fact way.

Chelz goes just as hard on the previous single, “Tweak.” The arrangement is fuller, anchored by rib-rattling bass, vocal samples and a repeating melodic figure that comes around like the revolving beam of a lighthouse. The standout, though, just might be “Face It.” With a beat by the German producer Buckroll, Chelz steers her flow through a blend of piano, guitar and a tight, compressed digital snare sound. She stays on the hard-work theme, rhyming about determination and perseverance: “Had to hustle through the storm just to dance in the rain,” Chelz raps.

Originally from New Haven native, Chelz has lived in Springfield for the past 15 years. Though there’s not much of her music online from before 2025, she’s been rapping since 2014, recording most recently in her home studio. “I’m an independent artist who takes a hands-on approach to my music, from creating my records to working on getting my music out to new listeners,” Chelz says by email.

Willi Carlisle Celebrates ‘The Universal Bubba’

Willi Carlisle paid tribute to the people who make the world function when he performed Wednesday at the Iron Horse in Northampton. They’re mechanics and teachers, landscape guys and contractors — people who work hard on behalf of others while their own needs often go untended. They are, in Carlisle’s cosmology, “the universal bubba,” which is also the title of the folk and country singer’s new album out today on Northampton label Signature Sounds.

Willi CarlisleThe Universal Bubba

The first half of Carlisle’s show featured rootsy songs from The Universal Bubba — including parts one and two of the title track, along with wry songs about hunting for unhealthy road grub on “Gas Station,” the gentrification of good ol’ boys on “Marlboro Vinyasa” and yearning for someone whose heart is elsewhere on “She Only Loves Horses.” Carlisle switched among guitar, fiddle and a nineteenth-century fretless banjo, backed by guitar, bass, drums and hand-drawn illustrations from an old-school overhead projector on the screen at the back of the stage.

He’s an animated performer with a versatile voice, and his between-songs patter often had the cadence of a tent-revival auctioneer with a wide progressive streak as he preached in rapid-fire patter about the benefits of mutual aid, body positivity and hand-made culture. Those values extended to craftspeople still plying disappearing trades on a full-band version of “Tulsa’s Last Magician” and the irresistible allure of a perfect derriere on “Big Butt Billy,” older songs that he played in the second half of the set, along with a cover of Richard Thompson’s “Beeswing.”

Carlisle also prizes the sense of community that comes with singing together, and that’s what he and the band did with the capacity crowd on “I Won’t Be Afraid.” The musicians double-timed the tune and the audience joined in on the chorus, singing, “Lord knows I’ve done some dumb shit / And I plan to do some more / But I won’t be afraid anymore.” It felt like a benediction.

This Week’s Shows

The Living Room in Florence hosts Kristine Leschper, Hoonah and Mr. Michael Motorcycle tonight, Friday, Nov. 6. Jeff Coyne Purse, Beets Blog and Jetties are there Saturday, Nov. 7.

All Feels, Wallball and Red Loves Blue play Saturday at Haze in Northampton.

Autumn Phoenix, Xinef Afriam and Mare Berger play tonight, Friday, at the Brick House in Turners Falls, preceded at 5:30 p.m. by a community potluck and open-mic.

Figurine, Sable Island Pony and Hauzu play Saturday at Two Ghosts Vinyl Cafe in Turners Falls.

The full concert calendar is available here for paid subscribers.

Upcoming Concerts

Next year's Back Porch Festival includes Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives March 19, Sam Bush March 20 and Larkin Poe March 21 (premium tickets go on sale today; the general on-sale is Nov. 13 for Academy of Music shows and Nov. 18 for Ramble Passes, all here).

L.A. indie-pop band Slippers, Rhode Island’s Time Thief, Stoner Will & the Narks and Jake Latakas Orrall (from Jeff the Brotherhood) play Nov. 13 at the Rendezvous in Turners Falls ($10 suggested donation).

Transfury Fest takes place Nov. 21 in the former Forever 21 store in the Brass Mill Center in Waterbury, with Eevie Echoes & the Locations; Wow, Okay, Cool; Deadname; Virgo's Moon; Yellow Eyes; Wolfears and Void Ripper. The all-ages show is free, and masks are mandatory. More details here.

Connecticut folk-pop duo Carlyle (FS #134) performs Nov. 14 at Nightingale's Acoustic Cafe in Old Lyme.

The Iron Horse in Northampton hosts Old Blind Dogs March 7 (tickets), Ana Popovic March 9 (tickets), and Patty Larkin and Lucy Kaplansky March 26 (tickets).

The Parlor Room has Lyle Brewer and Max Wareham & Jack Holland Dec. 18 (tickets) and Louise Coombe and Cliff Eberhardt Jan. 30 (tickets).

Vermont singer Mihali performs Dec. 8 at the Drake in Amherst (tickets). Boston's Either/Orchestra are there Jan. 14 playing the music of Armenian-Ethiopian composer Nerses Nalbandian (tickets).

The Marigold Theater in Easthampton hosts Whip Appeal Nov. 28 for the album release show of John Wesselly Harding, their version of Dylan’s album "reimagined with less harmonica," they write (tickets). Jeff the Brotherhood are there Dec. 13 with Cliffrose and Ian St. George (tickets).

The Space Ballroom in Hamden hosts Cloud Nothings Feb. 9 (tickets).

That’s all for this week. Thank you for reading! Previous issues are available in the online archive. Freak Scene is free, but donations help make this happen and are gratefully accepted. If you’re able, please consider a paid subscription!