JOOST VISSER 5/17, EMPTY BOTTLE This Dutch oddball once fronted De Artsen, the swell band that later became Bettie Serveert, but based on his superbly bent solo debut, Partners in Hair (Ajax), Joost Visser would probably be stifled by a regular band. Aided on some songs by members of Holland’s like-minded Furtips, Visser explores his idiosyncratic notion of pop, happily incorporating anything he stumbles upon. Between off-center acoustic ditties and the occasional shambling rocker, he cohesively splices in “field recordings” of marching bands and nonsensical lo-fi splatter, suggesting that sullied pop music has antiseptic perfection beat hands down. Simon Joyner, Gitbox, and Two Dollar Guitar also perform. DERAILERS 5/17, FITZGERALD’S; 5/18, SCHUBAS On their terrific Dave Alvin-produced debut, Jackpot (Watermelon), Austin’s Derailers sport some genuine Texas twang, but more than anything they walk the streets of Bakersfield. Tony O. Villanueva sings with the soulful power and boozy swagger of Buck Owens, while the vibrant, jaunty guitar playing of Brian Hofeldt mirrors the old verve of Buckaroos axman Don Rich. The Derailers can also whip through rockabilly and western swing-tinged material, and with their greased-up DA’s and vintage C and W suits they offer a delightfully charged evocation of one of country music’s golden eras.
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Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Norma Jean Roy.
