Let’s face it, we’re into a new decade, and while some of the previous decade’s fads and styles will continue to trickle on into 2010 and beyond, some need to respectfully wither away. There’s nothing wrong with this idea, it is just the cutthroat nature of our culture’s sensibilities. Yesterday’s flavor of the month is now today’s fish out of water, slowly gasping for air before that drawing final, fatal breath. Freak folk had its unprecedented heyday in the latter part of last decade - yet it still lumbers around this earth like a Sasquatch decked out in flannel with a crappy haircut and acoustic guitar. Some bands, like Raleigh, North Carolina’s Bowerbirds, came up during this freak folk explosion. It’s all they know; they must continue to bombard their fans with acoustic guitars, single bass drums and an accordion. Theirs is a folk smattered with pop, yet the original sentiment still reigns supreme. Phil Moore’s vocals are painfully indie rock, but his band’s sound gracefully bails him out since the two compliment each other so frighteningly well. If freak folk/nu-folk/neofolk has a stranglehold in contemporary music for a few more years, then Bowerbirds is most likely the culprit.
Tue., Feb. 2, 8:30 p.m., 2010