Substation Ballard
Mon., Dec. 21, 9 p.m. 2015
21+
It ain’t easy for an American prog-rock band in 2015. The group Alex’s Hand felt so, and recently left Seattle for Berlin, which is typically a techno producer’s move. But perhaps such a transition also makes sense for musicians who revere Frank Zappa, Henry Cow, and Mr. Bungle. Generally speaking, a higher ratio of Europeans tend to be more amenable to rock in weird time signatures than do Americans. Anyway, Alex’s Hand—led by multi-instrumentalist/composers Kellen Mills and Nic Barnes—return to their old stomping grounds to preview a new album, Künstler Sheiße. As with their past work, it’s a cerebrum-twisting amalgam (especially the winkingly titled “Mars Travolta”) of surprising tempo shifts, abrasive and beautiful guitar and keyboard textures, and vocals both enchanting and exasperating. Prog-rock fans should check out Alex’s Hand, one of the few modern exponents of the genre doing it as rigorously as their ’70s progenitors. DAVE SEGAL
645 NW 45th St, Seattle, WA 98107
http://www.substationseattle.com/