MUSIC ON THE PARK STAGE
ArtBeat Saturday, July 19th

CuruBandè

Following the lead of band maestro Manolo Marien, this Latin ensemble serves up lively Son Montuno, bomba or straight-up dance-friendly salsa. With its surefire mix of thumping bass, an electrifying horn section, the constant rumbling of conga and bongo and soaring vocals, Curubandè defy you to stand still.

Frank Morey and band

This self-proclaimed blue-collar American troubadour churns out a swampy mix of bluesy roots rock evocative of legends like Ray Charles and Tom Waits. Complementing Morey's wonderfully gruff vocals is Scott Pittman on an authentic '20s vaudeville drum kit and Joe "Tub" Faria on upright bass.

Moussa Traore

Mali master musician Moussa Traore has been playing the jembe (a popular West African hand drum) for over 25 years. With rhythms that are alternately driving and sweetly melodic, Traore's act will be rounded out with the dynamic Timandi Drum and Dance Troupe. The result will be a vibrant showcase of colorful costumes, fierce energy and captivating showmanship.

The Darlings

One of Boston's top country acts, critics coo and coo over the band's gorgeous twang, which falls somewhere between oldschool country (Patsy Cline, Merle Haggard) and rockleaning rabblerouser Gram Parsons. The Somerville-based band, featuring singer/guitarist Simon Ritt and singer Kelly Knapp, is celebrating the recent release of their CD, New Depression.

The Rosebuds

A trio all the way from North Carolina, the Rosebuds are a three-piece pop outfit with a record coming out on Merge (Magnetic Fields, Superchunk) this fall. When pressed to cite their musical influences, they cite a mixture of early sixties euro-pop (Beatles and Kinks), with a twist of rock (Spoon and the Dandy Warhols). The Rosebuds experienced ArtBeat a few years ago when a fave band of theirs, Papas Fritas, were performing. They enjoyed the experience so much, they wrote a song about it, "Back to Boston," which will be on their Merge debut.

Kay Hanley

Former frontwoman of the global pop phenomenon Letters to Cleo, pop diva Kay Hanley recently stepped out on her own to record Cherry Marmalade, a collection of melodic songs that showcases her distinctive voice and knack for crafting infectious hooks. In the recent Boston Phoenix best music poll, Hanley was voted best local female vocalist (for the second year in a row), conveying Boston's ongoing love affair with the feisty songstress.

MUSIC ON THE ELM STREET STAGE
ArtBeat Saturday, July 19th

Tibetan song and dance

A performance featuring five dancers, a Tibetan fiddler, a damaru (drum) player and a singer named Tenba, who is famous among Tibetan exiles. While the ensemble performs folk songs about love and valor, dancers in traditional Tibetan costumes will round out the cultural celebration.

The Blind King

This ensemble of Boston musicians plays stark, hauntingly beautiful music reminiscent of the Tindersticks, Low, and the Red House Painters. Covering a broad range of styles, the band mixes country, pop, psychedelia and sometimes even sea chanties within its repertoire.

Yodel Daddy (Jared Mason)

A former cast member of the Broadway musical Stomp, Jared Mason is a multi-instrumentalist, a talented songwriter, and one heck of a yodeler. Jared's music includes a wide range of influences from western swing to jazz to folk. He's a natural entertainer and is currently recording his debut CD at Q Division with some of Boston's best musicians, including Dave Mattacks and Toni Lynn Washington.

Slim Jim and the Mad Cows

Slim Jim and the Mad Cows transform heavy metal classics into country favorites, much like turning water in to fine wine. Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" and Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law" become reborn as Merle Haggard honky tonk anthems. With a show that also includes country favorites by Loretta Lynn and Dave Dudley, Slim Jim proves that country and metal go together like bourbon and beer. Their current release is on Hogfat records and is entitled Country Fried Metal.