Good news for Twin Cities music lovers who like to get out and shake it. New Primitives, who bring Afro-Cuban rock strong as a hurricane, are back in action on a weekly basis at Nye's in Northeast Minneapolis. And emerging phenom Mayda has released Stereotype, an EP guaranteed to get blood moving in a stone.
New Primitives devotees have gone through insulin shock since the band left its Thursday night gig at The Cabooze a few months ago. The faithful can again get their injection of reggae-and-salsafied funk, including music from the new album American Nomad, which founder Stanley Kipper still swears up and down will soon arrive (he's been saying that since this time last year, but you have figure one of these days it'll get finished). Bottom line, Kipper (voc, timbales), Javier Trejo (voc, gtr), Chico Perez (percussion, backup voc), Joel "Family Man" Arpin (drums) and Tommy Peterson and Matt Stevens alternating on bass with guest keyboardists and saxmen once more hold court.
Their first album, New Primitives, is part of a history that documents four Minnesota Music Awards as well as airplay all over America and throngs of delighted revelers at nightclubs and bars. The showcase cut, "Bring Me Down," is without a doubt one of the tightest crossover-reggae cuts you're apt to come by. Penned by founding member Brian "Snowman" Powers" (he produced both albums), it's got that lilting, one-drop anchor to make you shrug your hips and a streamlined melody that doesn't quit. How it escaped being a hit single is one of life's little mysteries (maybe Stan'll get around to that, too, one of these days). New material includes Trejo's house-burning arrangement of "Buscando La Gente," his ska gem "Sketchy Cat," Kipper's roiling "Must Be Love," "Didn't I Tell You" and much more heat.
As well as New Prims' return to regular duty, there's a side project from Stan Kipper. He produced Barbara Meyer, the solo CD from singer-songwriter Barbara Meyer, who was with Kipper, Perez, boss bass player Bill Hulett and a few others about a decade ago in the crowd-killing band One World. Anyone who caught Meyer at Acadia Café a little while ago, backed by Kipper and Hulett, will tell you that she throws down with strong rockabilly originals. New Primitives are at Nye's 112 E. Hennepin Ave. in Minneapolis, starting Turkey Day, Nov. 29.
