Family Affair

By Lizz Kannenberg in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 4, 2008 8:00PM

Danielson's freaky folk-gospel music first caught our ear several years ago, when a friend included the bizarre but undeniably catchy "Did I Step On Your Trumpet" on a comp and left it in our car. Though the indie world had already filled our ears with weirdos - Devendra Banhart and Man Man come to mind as contemporaries - something about the celebratory nature of Danielson's freakiness stood out.

Two years later, band leader Daniel Smith and his expansive family -- the band includes his siblings, wife and daughter -- release Trying Hartz, a retrospective of the Danielson/Danielson Famile/Brother Danielson oeuvre from the beginning of the collective's career. It's a perfect primer for anyone who missed the evolution of one of America's most dynamic and ever-changing indie acts. As the liner notes to the record attest, Trying Hartz is an audio record of Smith's metamorphosis "from proto-minimalist eccentric gospel band to prog-metal-dread outfit to music hall choir to indie rock one-man band to outsider art celebrity to family man and family member."

To celebrate, Danielson is on the road with all the gooey visual accouterments that they've amassed over a 14-year career. The cavernous Reggie's Rock Club should accommodate the group nicely, leaving room for both the band and fans to shake it a little.

Danielson plays Reggie's Rock Club tomorrow night w/ Cryptacyze and Bird Names, 6:00 p.m., $12, all ages