New England Music News

Boston music news: August 17, 2007

Notes on Dave Derby's new project

By JIM SULLIVAN | August 13, 2007

The Dambuilders

DAVE DERBY, the now NYC-based former frontman of Boston’s DAMBUILDERS, thinks of his newly released second solo album as a “bridge.” He says of Dave Derby and the Norfolk Downs, “I didn’t have a clear compass in terms of what I wanted to do. It took on this amorphous life. It’s a somber record, a product of the times.” Derby — who spent eight years in Boston with the Dambuilders — recorded it for the UK label Reveal, where his former bandmate JOAN WASSER has found success as Joan As Policewoman. Wasser played on Norfolk Downs, as did another former Dambuilder, drummer KEVIN MARCH. Derby is also joined by his close friends LLOYD COLE and JILL SOBULE, as well as by Boston guitarist CHRIS BROKAW. He’s celebrating the release of the new album with a show August 22, at the Midway Café, where he’ll be joined by ex-Luna guitarist SEAN EDEN. The opening act is yet another old friend, singer/guitarist HILKEN MANCINI (of Fuzzy) and her new group SHEPHERDESS. . . . The electro-funk band LOVEWHIP will celebrate the release of their single “Gimme That” by giving it away to anyone who buys a CD or T-shirt at the JP Electrofest 2007, August 19 at the Milky Way. Lovewhip will be joined by their choreographed dancers, the Whipettes. . . . ANDERSON LYNNE MAR, formerly at Skybar, will be booking her DARK SKY shows at Jacques, where she has KALTA EYE, the SHADOWS SMILE, and CYPHLINE on September 15, and the Cantab, where she’s got LUCRETIA’S DAGGERS, THYLACINE, MY MERCY, and UNCLE BIG TIME on October 28.

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