B-Side
9 p.m., Friday November 12
In a city packed to the rafters with accomplished musicians, Alicja Trout’s track record still has the ability to amaze. Over the years, the guitarist and singer has often been the lone woman in a male-dominated scene, performing with some of Memphis’ most seminal bands of the past 20+ years. From synth punk innovators Lost Sounds to garage rockers River City Tanlines to whatever the hell you call Mouserocket (other than great), Trout’s long and winding resume reads like a roadmap of contemporary Memphis rock ‘n’ roll.
As Alicja-pop, which the artist describes as both “a solo endeavor and a group venture,” her unique contributions to each of these projects become crystal clear, as does her skills as a singer-songwriter. Five years after the release of her dynamic compilation Rats (Home Recordings 2009-2013), Trout is back with a new Alicja-pop project titled Howlin’ that is largely in the same vein as its predecessor, compiling tracks that span over the past several years. Released on October 15 on Black & Wyatt Records, the album has received glowing reviews for its stylistic range and inspired musicianship, neither of which should come as much surprise.
On Friday night, Alicja-pop will be performing songs from Howlin’ live for the first time at B-Side with band members Lori McStay, Jared McStay, and Andrew Geraci. As longtime fans can attest, her skills as a musician are on full display during her live act, and seeing her perform new music for the first time in years is an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed. In the meantime, you can check out Howlin’ Bandcamp or pick up a physical copy at either Shangri-La or Goner Records.
