St. Chimerae – with Little A at T.T. the Bear’s – Review

St. Chimerae

with Little A at T.T. the Bear’s
by Amanda Nash

It seems it’s Uncategorizable Music Night (they don’t write that in the club listings – they can’t spell it) at T.T.’s. I come early because I love Little A. They’re fronted by guitarist David Kirkdorffer, formerly of Womb to Tomb, and singer Bruce Grover. Both the guitar and voice have an earthy, dense quality that appeals to me on a visceral level, and a floating, hypnotic character that’s more ethereal. Grover can growl as well as lilt; Kirkdorffer can adroitly play Goth, rock ‘n’ roll, ambient, grunge, or folk, but Little A is none of these. There’s some Robert Wyatt here, some David Sylvian, but I’ll avoid labeling them ‘cuz they’re too good for that. They’re strong but with finesse, and no posturing, like a well-crafted wrought iron gate.

On the other hand, David Bowie’s footsteps are tough to follow, and perhaps Daniel Liszt of St. Chimerae is trying too hard. He’s not without talent, and the band is a motley assortment (they look like a computer programmers, Appalachian whittlers, and a guy in a suit) of capable, interesting musicians, but somehow it doesn’t come together. The vocal counterpoint evades the instrumentation. You could say they’re a Goth/funk band with a little bluegrass thrown in, but their track on the Soon compilation, “Midnight,” comes across like Vegas Goth. I like the stand-up bass and electric violin, but the bass doesn’t stand out, and the violin gets used like a Stratocaster in a ’70s acid rock band. Confused? Me too.