CULTURE

Two fine fringe acts unite for double-header

Quietly tucked away, perhaps overshadowed by the prospect of larger-scale shows in Athens in the coming days and weeks – among them cult trio the Violent Femmes and reformed ’80s post-punk-psychedelia band Echo and the Bunnymen – lies a less trumpeted yet promising event. Two indie bands from New York and Melbourne meet up in the Greek capital tomorrow night for a double-header rock event. Oneida, a genre-defying trio guided by the sound of ’60s garage and punk, with elements of bluesy ’70s stoner rock, synth-pop and avant-garde jazz thrown in as well, began generating interest in New York circa 1997 on the strength of fervent live performances, many of them conducted in lofts and warehouses. Since then, the New Yorkers from Brooklyn have put out several releases, including last year’s album, «The Wedding,» an acclaimed outing that stresses the trio’s multifaceted musical curiosity. The double-header’s Australian contribution, grungy pop-rock band Hard Candy, return to action after having disbanded several years ago. A fixture on Australia’s club circuit throughout the ’90s, Hard Candy put out several spirited self-financed releases before calling it a day in 2000. It was a long musical spell that had begun long before the time of Hard Candy. Core members Erika Bach and Demetri Vlass were previously involved with a Melbourne-based goth-grunge band in the ’80s called Ape the Cry, before ending it and relaunching their adventure with Hard Candy and the new act’s guitar-dominated workings. By 2000, when this came to an end, Bach and Vlass, probably feeling restless after years of endless musical activity, relocated – indefinitely – to Ithaca, where they run a website about the Ionian island (www.ithacagreece.com). For tomorrow’s comeback show, the duo will be joined by Bach’s daughter, Jessica Bell – an upcoming and worthy performer in her own right who has played sizzling solo sets in Athens over recent months – on additional guitar and vocals, as well as two local musicians, Stavros Dellas on bass and Dimos Kostopoulos on drums. Tomorrow, Underworld (Themistocleous & 5 Gamveta, Athens). 26 euros.

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