With the Bad Plus's Dave King as its drummer and the almost equally busy Jacob Hanson for a guitarist, it's no surprise the lightly electronic whir-rock band Halloween, Alaska hasn't found time to perform for almost three years. A bigger factor, however, was the fact that frontman James Diers spent a year living in Europe with his family.
That hiatus finally ends Friday when Halloween, Alaska reintroduces itself at the Turf Club, and here's the surprising part: The quartet has a new album in the can, "Le Centre," which it will be previewing at the gig. A new song and video were even released ahead of the show, "Ginger," a playfully jostling tune up now up at halloweenalaska.com.
Under Violet opens Friday's show, a hazy new band with Web of Sunsets' Sarah Bischoff and Poliça's Chris Bierden (9 p.m., $10-$12). …
Another act that's making a comeback of sorts: Six years went by between the release of Now, Now's last album, "Threads," and their new one, "Saved," both issued on ex-Death Cab guitarist Chris Walla's label Trans-Records. The group lost guitarist Jess Abbott in that time, and high school pals KC Dalager and Brad Hale took on a decidedly more Chvrches-like synth-pop sound instead of the moodier rock brooding we've known. The transition sounds too slickly produced and yet weirdly downbeat on "Saved," but many fans will likely still dig Dalager's confessional, angsty tunes.
The duo only has one hometown gig currently on the books to tout the month-old album, and that's a free in-store next Thursday at the Electric Fetus (7 p.m.). …
There isn't actually a print edition of Teen Vogue anymore — hard to sell magazines with "teen" in the title these days — but Lizzo nonetheless earned a proud distinction as this month's official cover-girl at TeenVogue.com, which posted an excellent in-depth feature with a headline that declares her "The Sex-Positive, Twerking, Gospel-Singing Artist the World Needs." Sounds like Lizzo went back to work on her new album after finishing her tour with Haim last month. …
An unprecedented lineup of multi-talented Twin Cities women will gather under comedy hero Lizz Winstead's wings at the Cedar Cultural Center on July 26 for an event whimsically dubbed the Vagical Mystery Tour, featuring "Crappy sexist songs and great comedy by righteous feminists," including Lori Barbero, Tina Schlieske, Jen Schaal, Chastity Brown, Laurie Lindeen, Janey Winterbauer and members of Bruise Violet. The show benefits Winstead's Lady Parts Justice League and Women Organizing Women ($20, TheCedar.org). … Brown will follow up her well received Rock the Garden set with another grassy celebration, HazelFest, happening again Aug. 4 at the Hazelden Betty Ford campus in Center City also with Brother Ali, the Cactus Blossoms, Davina & the Vagabonds and more ($15, Hazelden.org). …
With a new live album recorded at the south Minneapolis basement space he co-helms, the Warming House, John Louis is playing there again Saturday as a do-over for the release party that got lost in our mid-April blizzard (8 p.m., $10). … Another weekend, another outdoor fest with the Big Wu: The jam kings play the Solstice Outdoor Music Festival on Saturday at the Land of Memories Park in Mankato, with a two-day lineup that also includes Frogleg, Armchair Boogie and Irie Minds ($10-$25, FestivalSolstice.com). …
Dillinger Four is putting on its D4th festival this summer even without the Triple Rock. The party will move to Grumpy's Downtown on June 30 and features Off With Their Heads, Murf, Speedweed and Green Bay's Boris the Sprinkler ($20, eventbrite.com).
COMING SUNDAY: See our annual "Best Minnesota Albums of the Year (So Far)" roundup in the Variety section or online at startribune.com/music.
chrisr@startribune.com
612-673-4658
Twitter: @ChrisRstrib
Facebook: cjriemenschneider
