Freak Scene #124: Erik Rabasca Shifts Gears on 'New Scrolls'
Plus, the latest single from Northampton electro-pop act Deep Trees
This week in Freak Scene, the latest album from Connecticut’s Erik Rabasca departs from his past work, and Northampton’s Deep Trees are back with a wistful summer single. Also, Downtown Boys were ferocious Wednesday night at Holyoke Media, a show presented by Flywheel. The Providence punk band’s heavily political new album Public Luxury is out today.
With an abiding fondness for dub reggae and world music, recording a rootsy album of folk and Americana was never something Erik Rabasca thought he would do. Yet there’s a certain logic to New Scrolls, the Stamford singer and songwriter’s latest.
The album takes a turn away from the sound of Rabasca’s various other projects. He spent years making socially conscious funk rock as Light Warriors, playing roots reggae and Afropop in the New York trio Lions Gate, global fusion in Brooklyn’s Human Tribes Collective and experimental psych-rock in the Connecticut act Ecstatica. Yet Rabasca’s approach on New Scrolls came naturally.
“I realized that it’s really a sum of my influences,” Rabasca says by email. “I grew up loving Dickey Betts’ southern rock and country tunes, loved outlaws. Dylan’s Nashville Skyline is one of my favorite albums. And the last handful of years, whenever I’m on the road I found myself listening to Willie’s Roadhouse” on satellite radio.
Those influences come together in the eight tracks on New Scrolls, a reflective and understated collection that Rabasca calls his most personal work so far. These songs have a philosophical bent, reflecting Rabasca’s own form of Zen as he seeks equanimity in a world seemingly designed to disrupt it. He advises steering clear of fools on opener “Wise Up,” a low-key country-swing tune with an easy flow, while “Better Than What You Gave” has a slower, waltz-time feel and the suggestion in his lyrics that life is always a work in progress. With organ and reverberating vocals, “Come All Ye Faithul” differs from the Christmas carol, but has the stately resonance of a hymn, and “Foolin’ Yourself” shows the influence of John Prine in the wry, conversational lyrics and gently rolling melody.
Rabasca sang and played guitar throughout, and bass and keyboards on some tracks. New Scrolls also features contributions from some stalwarts on the Connecticut scene, including vocal parts from Frank Critelli, Lys Guillorn and Denise Jones; bass from Bobo Lavorgna; and mandolin from Shandy Lawson. They help flesh out an album that often sounds effortless — maybe because it was.
“These songs just started coming through me and I said yes to them, to embracing these classic influences,” Rabasca says. “My younger self would have said ‘make it sound different.’ I decided to embrace the ease at which these songs came to me.”
Deep Trees Count Raindrops on ‘Hollowed Out’
Today is a special day for Summer Redko, the mastermind behind Northampton electro-pop project Deep Trees: she plays a rare full-band show tonight, Friday, June 26, at Luthier’s Co-op in Easthampton on the eve of a milestone birthday, just a few weeks after releasing the new single “Hollowed Out.”
The track rides on a big, booming drum part, fleshed out with swiggles of trebly funk guitar, horns and synth textures, plus Redko’s airy voice. Though she sounds a little downhearted on lyrics about counting raindrops and looming thunder clouds, “Hollowed Out” is nonetheless a minor-key party perfect for any of your crying-on-the-dancefloor needs.
It’s also the latest in a string of great singles. “Hollowed Out” follows Deep Trees’ January release “Turn Out the Light,” a banger of a track with an irresistible groove. Redko says she has plans for additional shows soon, in a more stripped-down configuration.
Upcoming Concerts
These are new shows announced this week. The full concert calendar is available here for paid subscribers.
It's not a show, but if you're an aspiring songwriter seeking tips, or one looking to bring your writing to the next level, the Iron Horse brings back the From Page to Stage songwriting day camp Aug. 25-28, with Heather Maloney, Kimaya Diggs and Don Mitchell of Darlingside. Details here.
Béla Fleck performs Dec. 2 at the Academy of Music in Northampton (tickets).
Bombyx in Florence hosts Suzanne Vega Oct. 20 (tickets).
Mark your calendars (or go buy a 2027 calendar, and then mark it): Green River Festival returns June 18-20 to the Franklin County Fairgrounds (three-day passes are already available).
The Pioneer Valley Ska Fest returns July 24-25 in Springfield, with Buck-O-Nine, Thumper, Pwrup, Sgt. Scag, Girth Control, Codename Rocky, the Goodwin Club, Skarmy of Darkness, Jokers Republic and more (tickets).
The Iron Horse in Northampton hosts jazz combo Sally Baby's Silver Dollars Aug. 6 (tickets), the Po' Ramblin' Boys Aug. 21 (tickets), bluegrass fiddler/singer Bronwyn Sept. 4 (tickets), soul band Monophonics Oct. 1 (tickets) and Mark Erelli Oct. 16 (tickets).
The Parlor Room presents Old Hat Stringband Oct. 2 (tickets), Bandits on the Run Oct. 14 (tickets) and the Mammals in duo form Nov. 20 (tickets).
Concerts are back at Black Birch Vineyard in Hatfield: Bebe Stockwell Aug. 7 (tickets), Ryan Montbleau in trio form Aug. 14 (tickets), High Tea and Cloudbelly (tickets) Aug. 21 and Valerie June Aug. 27 (tickets).
Coming to the Drake in Amherst: Buffalo indie-rock band Orange Dog Club Aug. 22 (tickets), surf-rockers Old Mervs Sept. 4 (tickets), comedian, musician and puppeteer David Liebe Hart Sept. 9 with Perennial and Radical Joy (tickets), Thank God It's Almost Monday Sept. 29 (tickets) and Bailen Nov. 14 (tickets).
College Street Music Hall in New Haven hosts Dark Star Orchestra Sept. 17 (tickets), Ziggy Marley Sept. 22 (tickets), the Fixx Sept. 26 (tickets), Hot Mulligan Nov. 7 (tickets) and Rival Sons Nov. 20 (tickets).
The Space Ballroom in Hamden features Harbour Oct. 27 (tickets), Sophie Hunter Nov. 13 (tickets) and Nicole Atkins Nov. 25 (tickets).
That’s it 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!
Add a comment: