Persona Grata

By: Aaron Jentzen

Fans of the type of math rock proffered by Pittsburgh's Don Cab and Creta Bourzia should take note of newer blood exploring and expanding similar musical veins. That would be Persona Grata, a local trio consisting of Joe Kasler and Ben Hartranft (both trading off on guitar, bass and vocals) and Jeff "Pink" Shoemaker (drums and electronics). The band started in late 2006, when the three members laid to rest their previous instrumental band, Evergreen Movement.

Now, Persona Grata is releasing a CD entitled Frienemies on Sat., July 26, with a 9 p.m. show at Belvedere's, in Lawrenceville. Also on the bill are Red Team Blue Team and DJ Dickie Qwick.

Though the CD consists of only seven songs, clocking in at 26 minutes, the band displays a wide range of sounds as well as the genre-appropriate musical chops. In fact, if you compare the album's opening and closing tracks -- the guitar-heavy, punky "Nobot" and the trippy synth and electronics blowout "Electron Magnitude" -- it's hard to believe the same band made both.

In between, you'll find the collage of dance grooves that makes up "New Product," the Fugazi-esque dissonant noodling of "Building Up to Nothing," and my two favorites, the instrumentals "Exhibit A" and "Exhibit C." The two instrumentals seem to highlight the band's two poles: The driving, jagged guitars and odd-time grooves on "Exhibit A" show quite a contrast to the perky plinking on "Exhibit C," which wouldn't be out of place as a music bed for an evening news segment, or an episode of The Outer Limits. - Pittsburgh City Paper