Don’t forget to bring your Inception totem to the Angie and the Nightmares performance on Friday, Feb. 15, at 6 p.m. at Naughty Oak Brewing Co. in Orcutt. The real nightmare would be if that spinning top of yours just keeps spinning, uh-oh! You realize you’re not even at the show, you’re asleep on the couch, right in the middle of an impromptu catnap. You try to convince your friends that the dream world version of the Lompoc-based Americana group still sounded pretty darn good, but they just sneer in disbelief. “You should see them live, they’re much better live,” one of them utters.
Even if the top does stop spinning, though, there’s still an inherent, archetypal dreamlike quality to the songs found on the band’s debut album, If I Fall, which is laced with references to folklore, tall tales, a few comedy podcasts, and other mythologies.
“As a songwriter, I’m mainly interested in stories,” lead vocalist, bassist, and principal songwriter Angelina LaPointe told the Sun. “I look to old-school country storytelling like that of Willie Nelson and Patsy Cline but also tongue-in-cheek tales of more contemporary artists like Lily Allen or Ben Folds.”
Contrary to the aforementioned dream aesthetic, the songs of If I fall, all written and composed by LaPointe, can be brutally frank when depicting more down-to-earth stories of love, loss, and family.
“Each song expresses an emotion or a situation in a humorous, heartfelt way that is very personal yet, I hope, universal,” LaPointe said.
Since the release of If I Fall at the end of last year, LaPointe and bandmates Anna Cole (drums and vocals) and Aaron France (guitar) have been touring up and down the Central Coast promoting their inaugural album. LaPointe has known Cole since childhood, and the two started performing together as a musical duo, The Luck, in 2011. The transition from The Luck to Angie and the Nightmares encompassed the adoption of a more blues-based sound and the addition of France on guitar.
“The three-piece arrangement has allowed us to play with riffs and experiment with multiple part vocals that were not possible as a two-piece,” LaPointe said. “If Anna is my rock, then Aaron is my kick in the pants. It’s an honor to have these extremely talented, passionate, and patient folks support my creative vision and bring my stories to life.”
If I Fall is available for digital purchase on bandcamp.com. The band shot a music video with local filmmaker Casey Fera for one of the album’s songs, “Tennessee,” which can be viewed on YouTube. Spoiler alert: There is a train involved, but it’s not the one from Inception. Totem still advised.
Friday I’m in love
As part of Presqu’ile’s Third Fridays Live series, jazz, soul, and R&B artist Jineanne Coderre visits the Santa Maria winery on Friday, Feb. 15, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Coderre will perform a special set of love songs just in time to kick off Valentine’s Day weekend. A wine pairing with Kumamoto oysters will be offered to guests during the show.
Speaking of wining and dining, Vino et Amicis Wine Bar in Orcutt presents Santa Ynez Valley-based singer and songwriter Kelly Irelan the same night, Friday, Feb. 15, from 7 to 9 p.m. This timetable allows Presqu’ile peeps to hop on over to Vino, only a few miles away, right after Coderre’s show if they please. Irelan plays jazz, folk, and indie and some of her influences include Feist, Cat Power, Beach House, and Sia.
Further south, country artist Randy Houser performs on Friday, Feb. 15, as well, at 8 p.m. at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez. Houser’s set will include old favorites including “Goodnight Kiss” and “Like a Cowboy” along with newer songs from his latest album Magnolia.
More music
Americana/country/folk performer Noach Tangeras can be heard Thursday, Feb. 14, at 6 p.m. at Blast 825 Brewery in Orcutt. The brewery also hosts blues rocker Sweet Charlie Vee at 7 p.m. with Southern rock/country band Joe Daddy and the Sumthings at 10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 15, and classic rock/country artist Keith Cox at 7 p.m. with soft rock group Smokin’ Gunz at 10 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 16.
Moxie Cafe in Santa Maria presents soloists Dan Haller on Thursday, Feb. 14, from 5 to 8 p.m. and Bob Clark on Friday, Feb. 15, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. as part of its weekly live music series. The cafe also welcomes the Sun Dragon Duo on Saturday, Feb. 16, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Soul artist Cheyenne Skye, whose influences include Patsy Cline, Nina Simone, and Janis Joplin, takes the Cold Spring Tavern stage on Friday, Feb. 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. This particular spring remains one to draw from week after week in terms of live music, as the tavern’s roundup continues with bluegrass group Salt Martians from 1 to 4 p.m. and classic rock band The Youngsters from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16.
Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote this week’s Local Notes. Contact him at cwiseblood@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Feb 14-21, 2019.