Chris Brokaw of legendary indie bands Codeine and Come drops by Berlin yet again for another intimate show down in Madame Claude’s lovely basement joined by Geoff Farina of similarly legendary band Karate.
Chris & Geoff have been performing together since late 2006 and have recorded an album comprised almost entirely of pre-WWII blues songs. entitled “THE ANGEL’S MESSAGE TO ME” on DAMNABLY RECORDS. Geoff Farina fronts Glorytellers, but is probably best known for the abstract lyrics and jazzy, post-punk guitar style he developed over his 12 years with Karate, or as one-half of The Secret Stars, the seminal early-90s duo that passed around home-made cassettes of songs now covered by the likes of Ida and Death Cab for Cutie. Chris Brokaw is a great guitarist also blessed with a deep soulful songwriting skill and dry smokey voice. He was a founding member of Codeine; the band that started the Slowcore scene in the late 80’s, then he formed Come with Thalia Zedek, now drums in The New Year, plays guitar for Thurston Moore and Evan Dando and with a wealth of other high achieving acts. Chris Brokaw is a rare humble genius and one of the finest solo artists of our times. “one of the best performers in the country” Time Out New York
Anton Barbeau opens up the night and is no stranger to Berlin either. Accolades don’t come any better than the following:
“The 100 Greatest Bands You’ve (probably) Never Heard”. “More than two decades after pop-savvy acid-eaters like John Lennon and Syd Barrett cracked the cosmic egg, this Sacramento songwriter slithered forth with a pure distillation of lyrical jabberwocky, brain-burrowiing melody and mystical psych-guitar fuzz.” SPIN Magazine
“Anton Barbeau represents the Sacramento chapter of that nameless coterie of enduringly reliable, acid-tinged singer-songwriters that includes XTC’s Andy Partridge, Robyn Hitchcock, Julian Cope and the Bevis Frond’s Nick Saloman. His new album bathes beautifully constructed, thoughtfully arranged songs in a fading psychedelic sunshine, and it would be many casual consumers’ album of the year if only they got to hear it. Four stars.” Sunday Times
Here they are live at the lovely Tanned Tin Festival in Spain a few years ago:
