On Friday, April 11, the Albion College Coffeehouse will be showcasing four bands from both the Philadelphia and Ann Arbor areas. According to John Vournakis, Alpharetta, Ga., junior and Coffeehouse booking manager, there is no cover charge and doors will open at 8 p.m.

     “A lot of these bands are self-made musicians,” Vournakis said. “I think that it’s really important to support that kind of art.”      

Hezekiah Jones

     When Raphael Cutrurfello needed to come up with an alias for when he performed on stage, he decided to use the name of his pet water-snail, Hezekiah Jones. The snail, Cutrurfello said, was named after the Joseph S. Newman poem “Black Cross” (which was later recorded by Richard “Lord Buckley” and performed by Bob Dylan).

     While his snail is no longer living, Cuturfello continues to use its name as he writes and performs under the record label Yer Bird. The Philadephia native, who said he once dreamed of writing music for soundtracks, produces music inspired by artists like Will Oldham and Chris Bathgate.

     “If you like acoustic, harmonies, and songs, you’ll probably enjoy the show,” Cuturfello said, who also enjoys playing covers with a twist—such as turning a Guns n’ Roses song into a waltz.  

Head and Toe

     Although the members of the classically-trained string trio Head and Toe write and produce music together, according to guitarist Jeremy Rizik, they have conflicting musical influences.

     “It’s hard when we’re all in the car trying to find something to listen to,” Rizik said. “There always two of us who are unhappy. We can usually agree on Bille Holiday, though.”

     Head and Toe includes violinist Brett McDowell and cellist Hillary Holman. According to Rizik, they will be playing songs from their newest album, “City of Leaves,” which depicts the life and abandonment of Flint, Michigan, as well as references Detroit and other factory towns.

     “We touch upon the economics and how it affects people,” Rizik said. “I don’t expect people to be dancing [at the show]. It’s going to be very personal, where people can just sit down and listen.” 

The Spinning Leaves

     Not a week after Michael Baker met Barbara Gettes on her birthday two Octobers ago, the pair came together to form the Americana folk band, “The Spinning Leaves.”

     “We [chose] a name that was in motion,” Baker said. “A big thing about us is that we try to bring people together—it’s a kind of movement.”

     And their latest album, “Love,” does just that. With over 50 people involved in the production, Baker said that even choirs participated during the recording.

     According to Baker, their strong belief in community rests in the need for social change, and bringing people together allows change to happen.

     “There’s just something different when you’re able to look someone in the eyes when you’re talking to them,” Baker said. “Our show will be a shared feeling we all make.” 

Matt Jones

     Matt Jones is not a fan of indie-obedience, a term he’s coined for people who go to concerts and “just sit there.” Instead, Jones said, he prefers the hecklers.

     “I like it when the audience gets really sassy,” Jones said, who believes that the audience is 50 percent of a show. “If I can win them over by the end [of the show], it’s an accomplishment. It’s fine if they’re going to sit there and drool, but it’s like playing for senior citizens.”

     Jones began taking piano lessons when he was eight years old, and said that he began playing in bands in high school because it was cooler than playing the tuba.

     While his latest album, the “Black Path,” recorded by Jim Roll at Backstreet Productions in Ann Arbor, has not yet been released, Jones will be selling his EP “Right to Arms” during his show.