What’s a man, anyway? It’s the central question at the heart of Minnesota-based songwriter Andy Cook’s new EP Modern Man—a 22-minute indie-rock/Americana ride that stokes twinges of nostalgia with jangly guitars, articulate synth lines and driving percussion. Modern Man is out now on Good Eye Records and is the fifth release from the Brooklyn, NYC-based label.

The EP follows Cook digging into life in this hyper-digital age as the music harkens back to classic American songwriters. Modern Man takes a hard look at the present in its lyric-driven, sonically-rich landscape. “We’re living in a wicked world, where nobody believes anything they’ve heard…just a picture of a pretty face, with lonely eyes and a made-up grace,” we hear over a bouncing guitar line in the lead track “Swirl”—a song reminiscent of Real Estate or Kurt Vile, and that oscillates between pessimism of social media-curated life and optimism that we can be happy in our own shoes.

Andy Cook Official Website

Jeremy Ylvisaker is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer who has recorded with and/or played with John Prine, Andrew Bird, members of Prince’s New Power Generation, Jenny Lewis, Justin Vernon, The Suburbs, Eyedea, Fog, Haley, Chuck Statler (maker of “The Truth About Devolution”) Merce Cunningham dance company, and many others. He has performed on five continents in venues such as the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The Cape Town Jazz Festival, The Ed Sullivan Theater (The Late Show with David Letterman), and other television programs including Austin City Limits and the Colbert Report. He composes and improvises a variety of instrumental music, some of which to accompany dance performances such as “Stripe Tease”, some of which for use in films such as “Pitchfork Unsung: Dan Corrigan”, “Rhythmic” (feat. Andrew Bird), and “Trophy Husband.” Some just for listening while you do what you do. Jeremy also writes songs for the band Alpha Consumer.

Jeremy Ylvisaker Official Website

LOTT is the solo project of Minneapolis musician, Leah Ottman (We Are The Willows). Classical Experimental Violin. The core inspiration for LOTT’s compositions is the Romantic Period of classical music. The chordal structures, intervals, and melodies heard throughout her songs are reminiscent of those used by Antonin Dvorak, Alexander Borodin, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, French Impressionist composer, Maurice Ravel, and then condensed into pop songs. She explores the range on her violin by utilizing a looping pedal and similar techniques employed by looping violinist pioneers, Andrew Bird, Kishi Bashi, and Owen Pallet.

LOTT has been likened to a modern day torch singer of indie music – both in her lyrical themes and vocal styling. She has been greatly influenced by Patsy Cline’s catalogue of songs about unrequited love and heartbreak.

The music project of LOTT started as a desire to express her creativity and love for the violin by merging the two worlds of classical and contemporary music.

LOTT Official Website

Music 8-10pm

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