April 2, 2011 Sleeping Hedgehog, Concert Preview Club d'Elf on Tour By Joseph

At the end of winter, people living in the salt-belt can feel a bit groggy. The unfamiliar sun jars them awake. They're shocked to find this welcome but strange visitor in their bedroom so early. The timing of ritualistic fasting and contemplation for various Christian sects is no coincidence. People need to be eased into spring's wild ride. For those looking for a more aural method of centering, Club d'Elf's stop in Portland, Maine on 15 April 2011 may just be the best way to welcome the new season.

Club d'Elf will be appearing at the Port City Music Hall on 21 April 2011. Voted best rock venue last year, Port City Music Hall is one of Portland's and newest spots to hear some amazing rock, hip-hop, and alternative performances.

Promoting the release of their double album, Electric Morrocoland / So Below, the tour features Club d'Elf's exploration of trance in Moroccan music. The result feels more grounded than what one expects from the trance scene. The synergistic layering of voice, tablas, and turntables evoke an earthy vibe and compliment the seventy's-funk organ.

This will be Club d'Elf's second stop in Portland in as many months. With any luck, this relationship will last for several more releases and years to come. One hopes something this good won't just be a spring fling.

(2011, Face Pelt Records)