New Yorks White Magic isnt prolific, but the band sure is ambitious. Over the last five years, the duo of Mira Billotte and Douglas Shaw (plus a revolving cast of extras) has been researching different ways to fuse moody acid folk, Kate Bush-inspired art pop, gothic country and the trance-inducing exotica of their pals Gang Gang Dance. Sometimes they succeed; other times they dont. Yet the results are always worth investigating, especially in a live setting. Your typical White Magic set might open with delicately picked acoustic guitars floating about Billottes deep, mournful wail and end in a psychedelic wash of quasi-Eastern melodies, looped grooves and shimmering piano. Then again, whats typical for a band thats touring the United States for the first time since 2007?
Mon., March 23, 8 p.m., 2009
