Chapel Hill
Nomo
Local 506Nearly 11 years after the death of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, those who claim the genre as their territory are generally preservationists, politely and inadequately walking in the gigantic, firebrand political footsteps of their forebear. But why would one ever make an imitation of what is inherently rebel music? NOMOan octet from (of all places) Ann Arbor, Mich.grasps Kuti’s charge on its third album, Ghost Rock. It first resurrects those Afro forms with tightly arranged horns and interstitial percussion. More importantly, NOMO then reinvigorates the forms with smart, Tortoise-like electronic interlace, passing phases of guitar dissonance and the occasional blue-note comedown. If you liked the new directions suggested by Antibalas on last year’s Security, NOMO nearly delivers in full for 48 minutes. With Polynya at 9:30 p.m. for $8. Grayson Currin
