Friday Five highlights music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.

This edition features hard rock from Black Note Graffiti, worldly electronica via KUZbeats, psych-funk by Davis Caruso, modern classical by Alexis C. Lamb & Andy P. Smith, and folk-pop by Bekka Madeleine.

Black Note Graffiti, Resist the Divide
Black Note Graffiti exists at the crossroads of heavy metal, hard rock, and '90s alt-radio rock. But I know the Ann Arbor band's tastes are even more eclectic based on their annual Burn Fest event at The Blind Pig, which brings in acoustic singer-songwriters and rappers to play alongside groups of the crunchier variety. Some of the band's previous recordings hinted at the group's diverse influences, and sometimes even leaned into the poppier side of '90s guitar music. But the new Resist the Divide is a straight-up headbanger, filled with extra-chunky riffs. There's little messing around on this record: 11 songs in about 31 minutes, nearly every track reveling in loud-soft dynamics. Those wild mood swings are employed by singer Gabrielle-Gloria, too, who loves to go from a whisper to a scream.

Black Note Graffiti will host an album release show at Ziggy's Tipsy Ypsi Xmas on Friday, December 20, 2024. 

KUZbeats, Unsubstantiated Rumours
Michael Kuzmanovski cranks out music as KUZbeats, which means we crank out blurbs about KUZbeats. The Ann Arbor artist's latest recording, Unsubstantiated Rumours, is a collection of what he calls "random mess of unfinished singles" alongside some previously released works, but it holds together to my ears. Maybe that's because all of KUZbeats music is a bit random—or rather, eclectic and varied. The music on Unsubstantiated Rumours is primarily electronic in nature, but KUZbeats draws from world music, ambient, dance, modern classical, post-punk, and everything in between to form his sound.

Davis Caruso, Dreaming on Paris EP and "You Who" video
Ann Arbor's Davis Caruso makes self-proclaimed "psychedelic funk R&B," and his new EP, Dreaming on Paris, fulfills that promise—even if it's a li'l light on the psych. His whisper-sung vocals are butter smooth, and the music is as laidback as the summer bike ride he takes through Ann Arbor that was captured by drone for the EP's video accompaniment. We get even more Tree Town scenes in the full-on proper video for "You Who."

Alexis C. Lamb, Andy P. Smith, "Trigon"
Percussionist Alexis C. Lamb is a doctoral candidate in composition at U-M—and she's very, very smart. Me? Not so much, which is why I could never write a tune based on the Pythagorean Theorem. (Need a three-chord indie-rock tune in G? I'm your guy.) I'll let Lamb describe the inspiration behind "Trigon":

Remember that Pythagorean Theorem equation your math teacher made you memorize in middle school? A² + B² = C²? Upon my reflections, Pythagoras has fascinated me on several fronts, including for this equation and whole-number ratios for just intonation. 'Trigon' incorporates the resultant whole-number combinations of a “Pythagorean triangle” from the Theorem (such as the “3/4/5” triangle) along with plucked string sounds reminiscent of the ancient, triangle-shaped harp by the same name and improvised material from the performer to create a collage of number mappings between the drumset and electronics.

Lamb enlisted fellow percussionist and educator Andy P. Smith to perform "Trigon," which holds together way better than my math knowledge. It's a little angular (hey now, geometry jape), but the edges aren't all that sharp and the music is frequently lovely and whimsical.

Bekka Madeleine, "Home Town"
Huron High School junior Bekka Madeleine has been working hard this year. Not only has she continued to release original songs, such as this new simple folk-pop ballad "Home Town," but she has also been hitting stages across Michigan in various increasingly higher profile gigs. I think her sister, Hannah Port, writes most of Madeleine's lyrics, which she then sets to acoustic guitar or piano accompaniment. But it's Madeleine's mature, rich voice that's the star of her songs.

Christopher Porter is a library technician and the editor of Pulp.