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Concert Mon Mar 24 2008
Gild Your Idols
With his 2007 debut full-length Secret Lawns, the Portland-based artist known as Panther (aka Charlie Salas-Humara) served up a bedroom-recording spread that ran wall-to-wall with buzzing electro-ish keyboards, punchy thuzzed-out beatbox rhythms, and plenty of white boy faux-soul warbling -- the jittery, lo-fi equivalent of a Jamie Lidell record, effectively. After Secret Lawns, Salas-Humaras signed to the Kill Rock Stars label and met up with drummer Joe Kelly; and the two have been working together to bring Panther one step in the direction of being a proper, functioning band. As a result, aanyone looking for more of the same from Panther in 2008 might be in for a mild surprise.
Panther's new album, 14 kt God, finds the pair tucking into a 13-song batch of tight-yet-ragged, funk-tinged pop tunes. The album's long on grooves and gusto, with Kelly providing most of the propulsion throughout. Expectedly, its stylistic trimmings are of the ubiquitous punk-funk pedigree; but in a leaner and less polished manner that's often closer to a suburban basement than it is to, say, Brooklyn. And while the larger part of 14 kt God runs a little thin on hooks or much that's likely to weigh any heavy anchor in your memory, a few tracks like "Her Past Are The Trees" and "Total Sexy Church" reveal Salas-Humara making attempts to branch out as a songwriter in transition -- fleshing out the arrangements with cello and small-ensemble stringwork that brings some rich, moody contrasts and coloring to the tunes.
Panther plays a headlining set at The Abbey this Thursday evening. The biggest draw here, however, most likely will be local "crypto-Christian" punk jesters Detholz!, who'll be playing third on the bill. U.S. Girls and Slow Gun Showgun open. 3420 W. Grace, at Elston. Doors open at 8pm and the show starts at 9pm. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Ages 18 and up.
[video]: Panther – "Diamonds, Violence"
[video]: Panther – "You Don't Want Your Nails Done" (2007)