The shows are at nearby Ft. Lauderdale venues and include the following:

Thursday 3/8:

• Sound Tribe Sector 9 @ Revolution
• Tea Leaf Green and New Monsoon @ the Culture Room

Friday, 3/9:

• Disco Biscuits @ Revolution
• MOFRO @ the Culture Room

Saturday, 3/10:

• Michael Franti & Spearhead @ Revolution
• North Mississippi Allstars @ Culture Room

Sunday, 3/11:

• Perpetual Groove @ Culture Room

Tickets for both the festival and the late-night shows go on sale this Friday, 12/1 @ 10 AM at the Langerado site. A Spring-time festival in Florida is very tempting, hmmm…

The Bays have taken over quite a bit of space on my iPod and have become a constant in my day-to-day listening. They’ve made it onto my “Live electronica” playlists, and continue to help me zone out in front of the computer screen for reading, writing, and other boring activities that need not be mentioned.

While several bands on this side of the Pond have been fusing live, electronic beats and improvisational rock (with the Disco Biscuits, the New Deal, and Sound Tribe Sector Nine leading the way since the late 90s), the Bays not only bring an entirely different feel of live electronica (being that they’re European), they also have decided to remain entirely improvisational, professing to never rehearse before walking on stage. While the New Deal, Canada‘s “live, progressive, breakbeat house” champions probably come closest to this open, improvisational approach, I really dig the Bays’ purely spontaneous take no matter how contrived it might seem when they’re bassist picks up the mic to explain it at seemingly every single show (you’ll see what I mean). They also have a uniquely open approach to releasing their material, professing that they do not sell albums, merchandise, or anything beyond the concert experience for their audiences. Best of all, much of their music is posted online for download, allowing people like me (who do not live in Europe) the chance to check them out…and you can be sure that if they ever tour the U.S., I will definitely not miss the chance to check them out in person.

If you’re a fan of electronic music, but really enjoy the “liveness” of a more traditional rock’n'roll concert, I would certainly point you to any of the aforementioned bands. But, the Bays just seem to come from a purely electronic perspective and it plays out in their performances. I will undoubtedly post about them again (esp. if anything new gets posted on their site), but for now, interested folks can stream their live show from the BBC Peel Sessions, catch an interview about their approach, and download a few shows from their website (note: you need to add your email address, but rest assured, no spam and they rarely ever send out emails).

Lotus is bringing its live, electronic dance party to Schuba’s this Saturday 4/22, with an opening slot by DJ Harry. They’re on the road in support of their latest release, The Strength of Weak Ties, and will follow-up their Schuba’s gig with a free performance Sunday afternoon at Tower Records (3 pm at 2301 N. Clark St. #200).

I caught Lotus back in early 2004 and while they definitely got down and dirty enough to make me shake the backside, my sense was that they were a bit derivative of Sound Tribe Sector Nine in the live, electronic instrumental realm. They certainly hit on most of the “hippy techno” stereotypes, with long funky jams laid over danceable beats. But since then, they’ve toured heavily across the country, released a more mature album (even mixing it up with some vocals), and sound as though they’re trying to develop a more unique sound. The focus is still guitar-laden electronic rock, but there are cuts from the album that venture in to new territory (one even sounds like old Tortoise). It’ll be interesting to see what they bring to Schuba’s on Saturday.

Disco Biscuits @ the Vic – Fri. 5.5

Speaking of jambands playing electronic dance music, the Disco Biscuits (arguably the originators of this “genre”), will bring their signature “Trance-Fusion” to the Vic Theatre on Friday May 5^th. They’re currently on tour (doing a southern swing) and breaking in their new drummer, Allen Aucoin, who has his work cut out for him after replacing Sam Altman, tDB’s drummer of 10 years and fierce layer of intricate “four-on-the-floor” beats.

Last time tDBs were in Chi-town (2/3/04), they had a short, one-set slot at the Aragon (opening for Moe), and only really managed to touch on some of the dark and trancy territory they’ve been known to dominate. The Vic gig will be their first, full two-set appearance in Chicago since the Spring of 2003, so this is a big comeback gig in the heart of the Midwest. Of course, in the grand scheme, it’s really only a primer for their August appearance at Lollapalooza this summer. Should be an interesting showcase, and reports from the current tour are mixed, although many suggest their showing signs of improvement. But I remain cautious about their ongoing evolution…C’mon tDB, prove me wrong!

Secret Machines at Metro Sat. 5/13

The indie experimental atmospherics of the Secret Machines are coming to the Metro on Saturday, May 13^th. With the release of their new LP, Ten Silver Drops (Reprise), Secret Machines are launching a worldwide tour taking them to cities throughout the U.S. and Canada, across the Pond to Europe, and then to Japan, for the Summer Sonic Festival. U.S. dates will also include several summer festival appearances, with the a notable stop in Grant Park for Lollapalooza on August 4^th, and some TV appearances on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” on April 25 and on “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” on May 3.

Pitchfork has the whole breakdown, but for Chicagoans, tix for the Metro show go on sale Saturday, 4/22 at 10AM and Lollapalooza tix have been on sale for some time.

…And if you want a taste of their live show, the always-generous NPR live concert series has a Secret Machines show from last August available for streaming.