Other reviewers have extensively described Jill Tracy’s influences and biography, so I will not repeat them here. I have been a long-time Jill Tracy fan, and I was very happy to see her for the first time at the Eccentrik Festival V. “The Bittersweet Constrain” is a worthy successor to “Diabolical Streak” and “Into the Land of Phantoms” , yet is by no means a clone of her previous works. “The Bittersweet Constrain” is a further refinement of her melancholy yet sultry style to a new, bleak plateau of dark elegance that is as unique as it is excellent. Instruments featured on “The Bittersweet Constrain” also include the sarod, harmonium, and Chapman Stick. A booklet with full lyrics is included with the CD.

“Haunted By the Thought of You” begins like a plaintive call in the night with piano, then vocals. Suddenly it gets heavier, with bass and percussion emphasizing the theme of visions that cannot be banished, but only grows deeper. “I revel in this Nightmare…” she sings. Strains of a violin accentuate the strange otherworldliness of memories so vivid that the singer sees “dark eyes peering through the wallpaper’s design”. An instrumental interlude provides a very effective crescendo, with the percussion in particular delivering an effective ‘hook’ to Jill Tracy’s meandering piano that fades away.

“Sell My Soul” is a bit ‘harder’ with a discordant piano that wonderfully highlights the shadowy search for the “Archangel of the Underground” who is beseeched to “wrap your cloven foot upon my high heeled throne”. Powerful percussion and heavy backing ambiance drives the song headlong down the path to “beneath the bottom of below”.   Snippets of violin add  touches of  delicious eeriness at just the right moments.   “Room 19” is exquisite. I first heard this when Jill Tracy performed it at Eccentrik. Based on a true story of a suicide in a hotel where “the door stays locked to keep Time away”, “Room 19” is very evocative and filled with a sense of longing and regret. The song warns us that “dreams are never what they seem”. Muted Sleigh bells remind the listener of the tragedy that took place on a Christmas Eve, where “he’s lost in the darkness” and “still waiting in Room 19”.

“The Water Flows So Slow” begins with almost a Middle-Eastern feel. This song is also about searching for a something, in this case “something that’s worth fighting for”. Jill Tracy’s sparse piano is complemented perfectly with steady percussion and strings that emerge at just the right moments. The singer laments that she is “sinking without a trace” and “tired of treading/where there’s someplace else to swim” with a profound sense of frantic longing for something not yet found. “I Can’t Shake It” is another song of poignant longing, this time for something never quite defined. From a languid beginning, the song rises to a rolling, almost snazzy refrain that reminds me a bit of Marlene Dietrich. “Held guilty of magnificent sin”. “grey #11” is dark, ambient interlude with distant percussion and a disquieting dissonance.

“In Between Shades” is quite danceable, with a full sound anchored in Jill Tracy’s hypnotic piano. Perfect for a smoky cellar speakeasy, where “Mr. Blue” might be a Mafia don on the run or a down and out star of film noir. “Caught in the grey/making my way/in between shades”. Another eminently danceable song, “Torture” was another one I heard Jill Tracy sing at Eccentrik. The menacing beginning echoes with the sounds of blades being sharpened. Detailing various implements of pain used through the ages, including the garrote, guillotine, and iron maiden. I love the interlude with the pounding percussion, and the sounds of an approaching mob in the background. This is a fabulous stage number, which reminds us that “desire is the cruelest pain”. “Where Shadows Fall” features Jill Tracy’s characteristic edgy piano. Rising to a near orchestral volume, then sinking back into the darkness, the song has all sorts of wonderful instrumental devices that are very effective, and “In the corner I’m waiting/in the place where shadows fall.” I love the very evocative piano in The Somnabulist Waltz”

which brings to mind a decaying mansion where shadowy figures silently dance. The militaristic percussion provides a perfect balance.

“Petrified” is another strong, dissonant piece, which is very theatrical. Tracy’s voice is alternatively sultry and beseeching, “Lost in this moment/Can we exist in this moment…for good?” The CD ends with “Treasure”. Simply awesome, the song has a slow dramatic cadence, and features superb strings and harmonium. “Treasure” is a love song, illustrating the strange dichotomy of the heart: “you’re the crown of thorns and the wishing well”.

This CD not to be missed. Jill Tracy is one of the premier artists of the Dark Underground. For me, she is more “Goth” than most of the synth-laden, vampire-attired bands that we are so familiar with.  Her lyrics and music delve into the deepest recesses of the soul, with an intensity that will leave few untouched.

http://www.jilltracy.com/

http://www.myspace.com/jilltracymusic/

    Eccentrik Festival V was held October 23-26, 2008 at Hell, in Chapel Hill, NC.   Featuring some of the best contemporary Gothic, Dark Cabaret, Steampunk bands, Eccentrik also had a fine selection of vendors, art shows, and DJ’s from around the world.   From its beginnings in 2004, Eccentrik has grown steadily as a grass-roots level event that epitomizes the DIY philosophy of the authentic music underground.  

      I had intended to attend the Eccentrik Festival for several years, but each time something interfered.  Finally, in 2008 I was actually able to do so.  I was in the process of moving from South Florida to North Carolina, and so I was able to combine apartment hunting in the Raleigh area with a visit to the Eccentrik Festival.   My apologies to Emma Mouse; the bands; and our readers for the lateness of this review, and for any inaccuracies or omissions.  They are strictly my own.  The move and starting a new job proved more daunting than I had anticipated, and I lost my notes somewhere in the process.     I only hope that my recollections can do a glimmer of justice to this truly magnificent festival. 

        I was very happy to finally be able to cover Eccentrik, and I was not disappointed.   I worked as a staff member at UNC Chapel Hill back in the late ‘80s, but the area has changed so much that the only feature I recognized on campus was the Bell Tower.    Even though I was tired from the drive, the venue was very easy to find.  Parking is usually one of my personal banes when I attend an event, but parking for Eccentrik was very easy, just a block or so away from the venue. 

   I arrived very early. So early, in fact, that no one was at the door.  I took a seat at the bar and waited. I am a very sparing drinker, usually confining myself to a Guinness or two at most, but the friendly and knowledgeable bartender recommended several very good alternatives.  The venue was a bit smaller than I expected, but this only added to the underground ambiance.  Emma Mouse has my profound appreciation and respect for keeping Eccentrik at this level of artistic intimacy where this kind of  music can flourish, instead of succumbing to the lure of commercial expansion and popularity like so many promoters.   The line-up was entirely appropriate to the venue, which imparted a feel sort of like I imagine a cellar nightclub in Europe or an underground speakeasy in NYC to have felt like during the 1920’s.

   Everyone, staff, vendors, patrons, and performers, were extremely nice.  The event staffs were impeccably solicitous, and I would like to thank Mouse for providing me with a press ID.  I met some fellow (at the time) Floridians, and found we had a great deal in common, so much that I was sad to have met them on the eve of my departure from South Florida.  I had a very nice conversation with Josh of Vernian Process, who was the first DJ.   His set was outstanding, including things I had never heard before at a club.      Between the bands, the DJ’s kept the magic going, including DJ’s Poe; Klaude (one of the infamous Davenport sisters of the Clockwork Cabaret radio show), and others whose selections were simply superb.   

    Nathaniel Johnston started off the evening at around 10PM.  I was familiar with his work with Abney Park, but never having seen in person I was completely unprepared for the sheer brilliance of his performance.  Performing with Nathaniel was an ensemble of unparalleled talent including Paul Mercer on violin; Flutist Rachel Gilley; Davis Peterson on percussion; bassist Jean-Paul Mayden; and the incomparable Magpie Ratt, virtuoso of the accordion.   Seamlessly blending a plethora of elements into a completely original musical vision, Nathaniel and friends held the audience spellbound.  

   Paul Mercer’s The Ghosts Project took the stage next.   Along with Mercer’s mesmerizing violin and Davis Petterson on percussion; Nathaniel and Jean-Paul, the lovely Valerie of the Hellblinki Sextet lent their considerable talents. The second part of the performance featured the stunningly evocative vocals Minka Wiltz.  Guest performers included Nicki Jaine on the musical saw; Magpie Ratt, and more.  Ranging from a selection from Niccolò Paganini to Mercer’s incredible “War Zulu”, the music of The Ghosts Project ended far too soon.   (Paganini was thought to have made a pact with Satan due to his incredible skill on the violin.  How fitting that one of his compositions should be performed at a venue called Hell!)   If the night had ended after The Ghosts project, I would have considered the evening to have been one of the best concerts I have ever attended. And yet, the night was still young. 

   Nicki Jaine was next, at the stroke of midnight.  I have been a huge fan of Nicki Jaine ever since the release of “Pigeons and Other Curiosities”, and seeing her perform in person was a sheer delight.  She began with one of my favorite WWII era songs, “Bei Mir Bist Du Shon” (actually written in 1932), and her set also included  Bertolt Brecht’s “Alabama Song”, complete with  the verse that is missing from the Door’s version.    To my pleasant astonishment, Nicki Jaine also performed “Lili Marleen”.    (During WWII, “Lili Marleen was immensely popular not only with Rommel’s Afrika Korps, but also with soldiers of the British Eighth Army in North Africa who were listening in to German broadcasts.   “Lili Marleen” became one of the great songs of WWII. In 1944, a version by Perry Como even reached number 13 on the U.S. charts!)    Along with classics from “Pigeons…” and her Live CD, Nicki Jaine also performed a new song never before heard by an audience. A human audience, that is, since she remarked that she had sung to her cat.  (Lucky kitty!)   Nicki Jaine was a true joy to hear.  I felt privileged to be able to speak with her later in the evening, and she is as friendly as she is talented.

   Next to perform was another one of my perennial favorites, Jill Tracy.   I was indelibly hooked by her 1999 release “Diabolical Streak”, and overjoyed to finally be able to see her in concert.  As great as her CD’s are, they paled before seeing her onstage.  I was thrilled to hear my favorites such as “Evil Night Together” as well as new songs like “Room 19” and even a bit of a history lesson with ‘Torture”.    For me, Jill Tracy puts the ‘cabaret’ in Dark Cabaret.  The term Dark Cabaret, though, scarcely conveys the depth of her musical and songwriting skill.  Her songs evoke everything from a hot-jazz style of exuberant, yet dark, decadence to a haunting despair of Victorian proportions.   Nathaniel was assisting on bass, and Ms. Tracy asked him how he could manage to keep such perfect time with no percussionist. He replied that he watched her butt and her feet!  Whatever the techniques utilized, the stage held nothing sheer, astounding talent that night.  I even had the honor of speaking to Jill Tracy after her set, and she was kind enough to sign a CD for me.

     One of the great things about this evening was the way that virtually everyone was a guest performer on each other’s sets.  With other types of bands, this may have seemed monotonous.  But with the line-up at Eccentrik, it was perfect.   Each performance seemed more like a social gathering of family and friends than a formal concert, as everyone brought their talents to bear.  The finale, when everyone took to the stage, was simply phenomenal.   I did not want the evening to end. 

     The DJ’s ascended to the booth for the last hour of the night, providing a musical tableau that got everyone onto the dance floor.  People were having fun, and this was great to watch.  Unlike a certain festival I attended a few years ago, there were no belligerent moshers deliberately trying to knock bystanders down, nor do I believe this would have been tolerated by the event community.  And community is what it was!  There was a sense of camaraderie that has grown all too rare at many so-called “underground” events.    There were no barriers between staff, vendors, performers and audience; no fashion snobbery; and no “scene” cliquery, dickory, dock.  It was truly about great music, friendly people and having fun.   Among others, I made the acquaintance of Ducky and Nicole, who also made the grueling trip from South Florida. I was rather chagrined to meet such kindred souls when I was in the very process of leaving that sun-blasted region. 

   Eccentrik has grown into one of the best underground events around, and holds even more promise for the future.   I urge everyone interested in underground music to attend. I look forward to the Eccentrik Festival 2009, and since I am now local, I will not miss a single evening of this great event.  Many thanks to Emma Mouse and her excellent staff.  (Be sure to read our interview with Emma Mouse.)

http://www.eccentrikfestival.com/

http://myspace.com/eccentrik festival/

http://www.clockworkcabaret.com/

Abrokeheartpro is the solo project of Jeanette Kantzalis, formerly of The Chubbies and The Tragic Hearts. In true DIY fashion, she writes, performs, produces, arranges everything herself, then records it on her 8-track at home. Abrokeheartpro cannot be easily categorized, but for those who like their music defined I would call it basic American ‘80’s pop leavened with healthy doses of rockabilly and alt-country;  punk; and what I call a ‘California’ sound, cemented with guitar that gives me flashbacks to Joe Strummer on the “Straight to Hell” soundtrack. . Exquisitely produced and arranged, the CD has an attractive cardboard cover (which I deeply appreciate after having innumerable plastic ones break off at the tabs) and includes lyrics

“Dark Red and Loud” has a Nick-Cave-ish intro and highlights Jeanne’s lovely voice, with an air of reflection and regret. Punk meets the West in the fast paced “You Don’t Know” with its blast of sound. “Charming Fucker” could be a meeting of Brit Invasion and New Wave with a very catchy chorus and harmonies. The catchy “The Kitten next Door” is a bit harder, with rockabilly vocals and biting guitar. “Keep this Devil Down” opens with a bit of poignant piano, then shifts gears into a rollicking piece with rebellion underpinned with overwhelming yearning. “I mean to get what I came for/ don’t regret anything, no”. A love ballad of sorts, “Sometimes Saviors End Up on Their Knees” has a strong alternative feel, laced with a strident urgency. The punk in Jeanette emerges full-blown in “Bleed On”, a Runaway’s type piece with sawing guitar and provocative vocals that stops abruptly as if for a pit stop, then thunders back onto the track. “Deep Suburban Joy” has an almost cabaret feel and a gothic sense of melancholy. Next is a cover of “Hard Way to Fall” by Ryan Adams with a country kind of twang offset by Jeanette’s soft vocals. It sort of reminds me of the Cowboy Junkies.

“Pink Mischief”, a remake of an early song from her 1992 album, is an acoustic piece, very sultry sounding yet somehow innocent. The CD concludes with a fine cover of The Killers’ “Bling, Confessions of a King”.

Every song on “The Kitten Next Door” seems intensely honest and personal, with no manufactured or trendy angst. Jeanette Kantzalis is very talented and original. Her mix of rockabilly, punk, country and more will appeal to everyone who enjoys music beyond the mainstream. Check her out!

http://www.myspace.com/abrokeheartpro

http://www.abrokeheartpro.com/

Here are a few pictures from the fabulous Eccentrik V. More pics will be added very shortly!

Mauerbercher is a music collective headed by Rane Knudsen. Characterized as medieval/electro/world, Knudsen’s music encompasses world music, neo-folk, and neo-medieval, all of which are represented on “Wilderness”, and more. Whenever I see the term “neo-medieval”, I have feelings of intense trepidation, bordering on impending doom. With Mauerbercher, this was thankfully unwarranted.

“The Heel of Winter” has a Middle Eastern sound, with synth drones that (surprisingly for me to say) do not detract. “Daz Die Milton” has a spooky horror-movie intro, that turns into a medieval epic, with spoken lyrics and plodding percussion that lends a sense of foreboding. “Nerve Candy” is an electro piece with a harpsichord-ish sound reminiscent of folk hymns or even holiday music. “The Holy Sepulcher” is another somewhat Middle Eastern sounding track, with both traditional instruments and electronics. “Helas Medame” written by Henry VIII is next, with mostly traditional instruements and strong percussion that lends a dramatic air. “Coming to Rocamadour”, one of my favorites, is truly epic, and would not be out of place on a soundtrack. This is a perfect song for gearing up for the Renaissance Faire or sword practice. Play it loud. In the same vein, “Son ar’ Merc’hed” is another mix of electro and traditional instruments with a decidedly medieval feel. “Elfin glades” is a haunting, plaintive air, with harp dominating. “Wilderness” is dark and ambient, with a steadily mounting sense of suspense. “Eske Litle’s March” finishes the CD with another grand epic style, with military percussion, hurdy-gurdy, and other traditional instruments that invokes a medieval army on the march or arrayed for battle with standards waving. ‘Wilderness’ is a very atmospheric CD that is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys early music, particularly those who are not ready for the purely period pieces, or those who seek a bit of variety in their medieval musical fare. But you don’t have to be a fan of medieval music to enjoy Mauerbercher. It will lend an air of majesty to any musical collection.

www.myspace.com/mauerbrecher

http://www.fossildungeon.com/fossildungeon/