Charlemagne, Fiona Apple, Mobius Band, Tosca

CHARLEMAGNE
History pegs Charlemagne as the greatest of medieval kings and, as the saying goes, it’s hard to keep a good man down. More than 1,200 years after his death, it appears the good king has been resurrected in the form of one Carl Johns, who’s swapped the kingdom – and his old band, the alt-country NoahJohn – for some chocolate-covered cherries and harmonies so sweet they’ll rot your teeth. But you may not mind, as Johns revives the beautiful studio pop of groups like Jan & Dean and The Beach Boys on his second album under the Charlemagne moniker, Detour Allure (SideCho). With a little help from his friends, including The Arty Bastard (a.k.a. Curtis Whaley), Johns delivers an adjective-worthy album packed with luscious whimsy, a whiff of melancholy, and even a bit of cock-rock fuzz. Not bad for a guy who grew up in southern Indiana hunting squirrels and listening to Duran Duran. (Appearing with The High Dials and Le Concorde at Schubas on Dec. 4) –text: Sara Farr

FIONA APPLE
Emanating from the darkness induced by a 6-year absence, Fiona Apple returns in glory. Though she probably would have preferred a quiet return, the storm that surrounded the release of her new album, Extraordinary Machine, was deafening – due in large part to rabid fans and the power of the internet. An early version of the album leaked and fans famously sent apples to her record company demanding the album’s release. This gave Fiona the strength to put up with her label’s bureaucracy until they officially released the album on October 4. Thankfully, there isn’t one song on this album that is a dud. Each track is more powerful, more personal than the last. To sum up the optimism and hope the album provides, I give you a sample lyric from the song “Parting Gift”: “It ended bad but I loved what we started.” In other words, through adversity there’s hope. Welcome back Fiona. (Appearing at the Riviera on Dec. 4) –text: Virgil Dickson

MOBIUS BAND
The Mobius Band has had a busy year with the release of their critically acclaimed EP City vs. Country in March, their first full-length The Loving Sounds of Static a couple of months ago and now a full-blown tour. Ben Sterling, Peter Sax and Noam Schatz comprise this group originally from Massachusetts. In their earlier oeuvre, a couple of their EPs displayed a proclivity for alt-country and instrumental arrangements, but now their music has progressed solidly into the electro/pop category. The track “Starts Off With a Bang” from City vs. Country signifies what the band is all about – dreamy and textured tones with New Age beeps, bleeps and humming vocals. Mobius Band writes about coping with life, especially on “Twilight”, where they sing: “I will keep my shit office job.” In concert, the three have to multi-task sans keyboard player – proving they are a band that does it all. (Appearing with Palaxy Tracks at Empty Bottle on Dec. 5) –text: Garin Pirnia–photo: E. Keegin

TOSCA
If you’re a fan of laid back, hypnotic electronic jams, then you’re a fan of Tosca. Or at least you will be, once they play their first North American show ever in our city this month. Tosca is the brainchild of Austrians Richard Dorfmeister (of famed but now defunct duo Kruder & Dorfmeister) and Rupert Huber. For over a decade the pair has been creating lush, melodic sounds with sky-high production levels. This year saw the release of J.A.C., an album offering a few classic Tosca standout tracks but not quite as mysterious or haunting as past records and remix projects like Suzuki or Chocolate Elvis dubs. With Dorfmeister on turntables and Huber on piano, the live show will add an MC, live vocalists/collaborators Rob Gallagher (Two Banks of Four) and Tweed (Rockers Hi-Fi), as well as Fritz Fitzke – the man responsible for what’s rumored to be an unbelievable light show that perfectly compliments the music. (Appearing at the Vic on Dec. 3) –text: Spencer Lokken–photo: Marcus Rossle