Milo Minute: Black Shampoo, The Go Rounds, WhateverFest, Habibi
WhateverFest finds a new home at the Dequindre Cut and former Detroiter’s Habibi comes to UFO Factory
Longtime Detroit music journalist Jeff Milo’s byline appears in publications locally and globally. He’s been plugging ears into the Detroit scene for years with his prolific Deep Cutz blog and his YouTube series, The Milo Show.
Each week, Milo gives us a rundown of can’t-miss shows in and around the Detroit area.
May 31
Black Shampoo, LVRS, and Slizz at Old Miami
We’re on the cusp of summer, or at least it feels that way. But before we slide into festival season, we still have some sweet local music lineups.
Black Shampoo is a great band to soundtrack your early summer. It’s not rock, per se, even if it uses rock music instrumentation, but they channel a different kind of energy. A chill energy, a cerebral energy, a slow walk outside at sunset energy. They do have some rockers, but the pace can be a bit more peaceful and much groovier than your usual indie rock. Soft, woozy vocals glide over flowing drums and particularly expressive-yet-minimal guitars.
Take a listen to a song they put out one year ago, called “Lovejoy.”
The Go Rounds at PJs Lager House
I’ve been following The Go Rounds for almost 10 years, and since they’ve continued to evolve from album to album, I always feel strange boxing them into a category. This Kalamazoo quartet was founded by its lead singer/guitarist Graham Parsons as an eccentric and twangy indie-Americana, psychedelic blues outfit. But it’s had a core membership for five years now, and I think that the bond they’ve built really shows on their latest album, “Whatever You May Be,” because it feels like an odyssey through hard truths and weary self-discovery.
More than that, it sounds like four highly imaginative minds finding unique ways to create a graceful arrangement of dense and intricate musical phrasings into something that transcends indie-folk pop and reaches an almost cinematic sound.
The Go Rounds are a must-see live band and, since they’re from Kalamazoo, it’s rare that they get to meet Detroit audiences. Don’t miss it.
Listen to “Foxtrot” by The Go Rounds.
June 1
WhateverFest at Dequindre Cut Freight Yard
It’s time for WhateverFest again!
WhateverFest, true to its name, can be ‘whatever’ it wants; hip-hop, psych rock, indie-pop, gnarly punk and beyond. The event includes craft vendors, live artist creations and a food truck. It’s a cultural cornucopia along the Dequindre Cut Freight Yard. There’s even going to be camping, but those spots are sold out at the moment. The lineup includes Siamese, The Philter, The Band Mint, Saajtack, Bave, Tammy Lakkis, Slob, MotorKam and many more.
Listen to “Pink Salt” by Ypsilanti hip-hop artist Louis Picasso, backed up by a live band called The Gallery.
Habibi, Tiny Jag and Co-Stars at UFO Factory in Corktown
This Brooklyn-based quintet blends psych-rock and 60’s girl group harmonies. Lenaya Lynch and Rahill Jamalaford are former Detroiters who bring this area’s proclivities toward garage rock to the group, as well as Motown, punk and even hip-hop. They have a new EP called Cardamon Garden, their first batch of new music in four years, and it combines Rahill’s Iranian-American upbringing with their new approach to pop-rock music, including a song sung in Farsi. And you can anticipate some stellar sounds on their new EP, as the mastering was done by Heba Kadry, who’s worked with Bjork, Slowdive and Future Islands. This band’s eclectic, culture-fusing sound is sure to win you over.
Listen to one of their most popular songs, “Detroit Baby.“
