Update: Maggie Nicols (2/15) + Fishbone Live (+ Shameless Plug Time!)

Got two updates for the week, although if I get my shit together, there’ll hopefully be a few more reviews going up soon…

First of all, I owe a big thank-you to new writer Michelle, who tracked down Scottish free-improvisation vocalist Maggie Nicols for what turned out to be an intriguing interview (check it out here). I haven’t been familiar with Nicols’ work before now, but she’s been around since the late ’60s, was a part of the feminist movement in the ’70s, and has been a vocal free-jazz pioneer since, working with folks from all over.

She also happens to be playing in town this weekend, Sun., February 15th, courtesy of Nameless Sound (formerly aka the Pauline Oliveros Institute, if I remember correctly), over at DiverseWorks. She’s playing with guitarist Fred Frith and pedal steel player Susan Alcorn, whom some of those with long memories might remember from our very own H-town scene back in the day.

I’m not entirely certain what Nicols & co.’s performance will be like — the few snippets I’ve heard of music Nicols has done is all over the place, from almost Etta James-esque scatting to rhythmic clicking sounds that I think she makes with her mouth — but whatever direction it goes, it should be an interesting show. (It’s $13 general admission, $10 for students, and young’uns under 18 get in for free. The show starts at 8PM.)

On top of the interview, by the by, we’ve also got a review up by SCR vet and “Young Texas Horror” filmmaker Mel, of ever-badass funk-soul-thrash-whatever heroes Fishbone, who rolled through town this past December. It’s good stuff, as always; check it here, and keep a look out for more…

Oh, and it’s Shameless We-Love-Our-Peeps Plug Time: keep an eye out for both Mel, who’ll be hitting the Fangoria fest April 17-19 in L.A. to do a panel for his creepy-ass new movie, Walking Distance (partly filmed on The Strand in Galveston), and Michelle, who’ll be playing Sun., March 1st at the Avant Garden with Roberta Michel. Both very cool, very talented people, well worth checking out, and no, I’m not just saying that ’cause they happen to write stuff for this little e-zine/site thing. That’s not how we roll ’round here.