Pretty people

Pretty people

They were everywhere Friday night, sauntering across the stage at the Zones fashion-rock event at the Majestic and strolling through the sold-out crowd at the Sea and Cake upstairs at the Magic Stick. Fabulous. I ambled between the two venues in my feeble attempt at fashion and soaked in the rock ’n’ tonic until the chic shtick didn’t matter anymore. Perpetual Hype Engine, Broadzilla and Crud gunned the momentum, and the electro-pop fantasy of Broadcast and The Sea and Cake contributed the cool-down.

More Warn

In case you’re left wanting to know more about Warn Defever after reading this week’s cover story, check out Liz Copeland’s on-air interview with the man behind His Name Is Alive Thursday night (technically Friday morning) on WDET-FM 101.9. She broadcasts the show from midnight to 5 a.m. On Saturday (confused yet?), His Name Is Alive will perform at the Magic Stick in celebration of its 10-year anniversary. Ectomorph and the Midnights open the show. Enough already.

Music + math = art

Some music just makes you feel smarter — Mozart, for example, or let’s say, Electric Light Orchestra. OK, maybe not the last one. But, really, how can you go wrong with a little ELO? Anyway, it takes a few extra brain cells to figure out what’s happening when Olympia, Wash.’s The Need starts rocking. And that’s why they get to play their artsy-fartsy music in a fancy-shmancy art gallery. Well … fancy’s kind of pushing it, but detroit contemporary is definitely a gallery. And while experimental music has artsy inclinations, The Need’s music doesn’t give off a single whisker of pretension. Rachel Carns’ wavering punk-rock vocals top off her stand-up, crash-heavy drumming and the intricate bass and guitar work of Radio Sloan. The duo co-wrote a rock opera called The Transfused. The soundtrack was released on YoYo recordings. Also on the bill are This Is Adelaide and Lovesick. This Is Adelaide is made up of a bunch of math nerds from Lansing who don’t mince notes. They divide, add, multiply and subtract them until the equation blows up with the clack of chalkboard erasers. Lovesick, from Ypsilanti, rumbles and crashes like a rainy day when it feels good to feel sad. Don’t miss this show. It’s Thursday at detroit contemporary, 5141 Rosa Parks in Detroit. Call 313-898-4ART.

Science nonfiction

Earlier this year, three of the most innovative artists from Detroit’s musical history released Secrets & Space to critical and audience acclaim — and not only because Carolyn Striho, Luis Resto and David McMurray had something to do with it. It was a hit because it looked to the future instead of dwelling on past formulas and successes. You can hear hints of the Cubes or Was (Not Was), but Secrets & Space is a unique creation. A calm excursion through a 2012 folk-jazz-funk odyssey, a sci-fi spaghetti western or a spacious piano romp past Venus, each track leaves you longing, sad and strangely fulfilled. Get that feeling live Friday night when Striho, Resto, Joey Mazzola, Darrell “Peanut” Smith and Mario Resto perform the songs at the Music Menu, 511 Monroe in Greektown. Call 313-964-6368. The group also is performing on Backstage Pass (WTVS-Channel 56) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1 a.m.

History in the making

Some other popular acts from the area will be performing at an upcoming Detroit Music Awards Winner’s Ball. The show will take over St. Andrew’s Hall from 7 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 25. Gracing the stages will be a diverse group of winners from the 2000 awards. Soul Clique, the Forbes Brothers, the Volebeats, Bugs Beddow, Thornetta Davis, the Articles, Jere Stormer and The Impaler are just a few of the 13 acts scheduled to perform. A portion of the proceeds are going to the Rainbow Connection and the Motor City Music Foundation.