This will rule.

While I’ve always enjoyed Grouper’s recorded work, she’s a whole other beast live. The first 15 minutes of her performance at last month’s ATP festival *slamming head on desk for not going* is nothing but the most epic nature music ever. Flying over mountains, exploring oceanic trenches – her live shit is stratospheric and aquatic. I can’t stop listening to this excerpt. Thanks WFMU for winning at everything.

You can grip the entire bootleg here.

MP3 :::
Grouper – Live @ ATP [excerpt]

Oh, hello! That’s what’s up! This came out of left field and I’m stoked for it. Good work, bruhs! For any additional and/or pertinent info, go to the Ear X website. Otherwise, I’ll see you there. Bring drugs.

MP3 :::
The Entrance Band – Still Be There

You may remember in our interview with Mr. Lockett Pundt last spring that he said he may play live, and if he did, he would try it in front of friends in Atlanta. Well, he’s done just that. Mucho propso to the Aquarium Drunkard to getting me hip to this recording from Tuesday night (originally posted at ol’ Bradford’s blog – Internet moves fast, ya’llz).

MP3 :::
Lotus Plaza – Live at the Eyedrum in Atlanta

Have ya’llz voted yet in LEO’s Readers Choice? You should. That way, you can vote for this site for best music blog, and you can vote for Joel Hunt for best concert promoter. Jesus Lord, dude just brought the noise and the funk again with a last minute confirmation from the oft-reclusive Maserati!

A lot of so-called “post rock” that came about after its late ’90s heyday is rather boring drivel. Maserati is one of the few that keep the genre intriguing and amazing. While Mogwai sort of fell off after Mr. Beast, Maserati keep things fresh with a driving force by amalgamating everything from kraut and psych, to eastern mysticism, intense rhythms, and just plain well-crafted rock and roll. It’s not just the same tension-and-release song and dance that put instrumental psych rock on the map, Maserati have chops and an entrepreneurial spirit rarely employed these days. Maserati tour in support of their latest compilation Passages.

Louisville-based loud-as-fuck collective and recent Temporary Residence inductees Young Windows and The Gentialmen open.

Maserati with Young Window and The Gentialmen
Tuesday, September 15
Doors 9 p.m. / Show 10 p.m.
Zanzabar, Louisville (map that shizz)
21+

MP3 :::
Maserati – Join Us, Mystic Sister / No More Sages

Intricate splatter folk prophets The Books, whom rarely tour these days and assemble a mindblowing A/V show that’s essentially a live art installation, are coming to Lexington on Monday, September 21st. First… holy shit, right? Better yet, a portion of the proceeds from the show will go toward renovating the architecturally significant Miller House. And The Books will be playing at The Miller House as well, so expect a very intimate vibe.

I have two tickets to giveaway. You probably want these said tickets. Here’s how to enter:

You may either leave a comment below or shoot a message to kb [at] thedecibeltolls (dot) com telling me about your favorite book (see what I did there?!). The first person to name a title I have on my bookshelf claims the tickets. You must live in the area (i.e. reasonably be able to drive to Lexington the day of the show) to be eligible.

I will name the winner by Monday, September 7 via email, so if you comment, leave a valid address. Finally, if you’re going (and you should), please click the “map that shizz” link below to find out where it is if you haven’t been there. It took some digging because Google Maps and Mapquest have the Miller House’s address incorrectly listed.

The Books with TBA
Monday, September 21
Doors @ 7 p.m. / $15 (available at the door or by reservation – griffin@bullhornwill.com)
The Miller House
832 Lockmere Place, Lexington (map that shizz)
Sponsored by WRFL and Bullhorn Will

MP3 :::
The Books – A True Story of a Story of True Love

And it’s bullshit! I’m off to a family reunion. I like and love my family of course (that’s an important distinction). Fam hang time is definitely a great style. But ooooh goddammit, I want to be here for this. No doubt that if you’re within a 100-mile radius of where I’m currently typing, you probably know about Siltbreeze’s Sapat, but I’ll go on and give you the skinny on all three acts, in an effort to admonish you to spend your Friday evening – this Friday evening – at Germantown’s Swan Dive.

Sapat is a local collective that features between eight and one million people (depending on the type of show), all of whom have a like-minded approach to fringe music. Sapat is a pulsating orb of eclecticism and mysticism – never cateogorizable, but always freaky, funky, and brain splattering. Sapat’s expansive beauty and unwavering experimentation is what makes Louisville amazing. They are truly a breath of fresh air. Remember that part in Amistad when they’re in the court room and the bro is all ike “give us… free!”? Sapat gives you free with every show.

The mighty Holy Mountain writes up Crazy Dreams Band better than I could, so I’ll let them do the talking. All I’ll say is that the first thing I noticed in the press photo above is Lexie Mountain sporting the infamous “hand diamond,” first utilized by the WCW’s Diamond Dallas Page right before his opponent was bested by the “Diamond Cutter,” then reappropriated by former University of Kentucky point guard Ramel Bradley when court ownage was about to commence. You know this show is going to be fuckin’ treated.

Grooves that confuse? Crazy Dreams Band is an outfit that presents its guitar free “thug pop” of dirge rather than drone with creeping crooning and brassless horn blasts [note: Crazy Dreams Band will actually have a guitarist in tow at this show --ed.]. Like the best of Giallo films you’ll be as turned on as you are terrified. As tender as Coco Rosie, as brutal as Magik Markers and as cool as Royal Trux “Radio/ Video” vibe. Imagine if Bruce Springsteen and Martin Rev collaborated on songs for Patti Smith or Catherine Ribeiro. Channeled inner voices are expelled as cave anthems into neon text in Linear A while bones poke through the skin atop a witch’s brew of venomous sludge. This is the urban tribal music that survives whatever “end is nigh” theory you choose. They’re jamming this music outside the thunder dome, beneath the planet of the apes and the day after tomorrow. CRAZY DREAMS BAND has released one self-titled album on Holy Mountain, and features members of Lexie Mountain Band, Harrius, Religious Knives, and Mouthus.

If Jana Hunter isn’t a name you heretofore recognize, now’s the time to change that. Jana Hunter has been a callaborator with groups like Indian Jewelry and Castanets, and has toured with flawless hometown hero Tara Jane O’Neil and Cocorosie. To quote Walter Sobchak, this young lady is “not exactly a lightweight.” Her goregous, sparse, midtempo dusty rides through dark deserts lit by twilight should enthrall fans of Grouper who wish she would give caffeiene a try every now and again.

If you go, and take photos/videos, please send them my way. I will give you the credit, a link, and a high five. Send ‘em to kb [at] thedecibeltolls (dot) com, playa.

Sapat, Crazy Dreams Band, and Jana Hunter
Friday, August 28
Doors at 9 p.m. / $5 / 21+
Swan Dive, Louisville (map that shizz)

MP3 :::
Crazy Dreams Band – Separate Ways
Jana Hunter – Completely Golden
Sapat – Dark Silver

Another bangin’ Deerhunter bootleg. This is a high-quality audience recording, taken from June of this year in Sydney. It comes to you courtesy of the groovy blog down under Bastard Squad (via Fuck Yeah, Deerhunter), which has an array of bootlegs from other great groups, as well as photos of pandas and other radness.

ZIP :::
Deerhunter – Annadale Hotel, Sydney (approx. 136 MB)

UPDATE 8.4: While I’ve made some rather cute, possibly uncouth comments about the insane weather today in this entry, the flooding has gotten serious in Louisville. I’ve been adding news as I get it on The Decibel Tolls’ Twitter. Be careful out there, ya’ll.

Sweet sassy molassey! The concert event I’ve been waiting for all summer, Deerhunter, is tonight at the Southgate House in Newport! And I better not be stymied by our ill-tempered God in our attempt to hang tough with Braddy C, Lotus P, and the whole rabble rousin’ gang. As of right now, rather gnarly, apocalyptic weather abounds. WHAS is reporting that it’s all 1937 up in this bitch. I’m currently listening to NOAA weather radio, and to paraphrase, everything is “fucked” in Louisville as we speak, especially the suburbs on the Indiana side. Large stretches of the expressways are shut down, the buses are running 90 minutes behind schedule, and lots of mellows are harshed throughout the area. LEO Weekly’s Jonathan Meador has very good (and contextual) coverage of the insanity in the River City today on our news blog.

Here’s the garage of the main branch of the Louisville Free Public Library. Dude, it’s like Fahrenheit 451, but like, the opposite:

Churchill Downs now hosts water polo:

And here’s a visual aid representing what we’re driving in later this evening for Deerhunter times. Groovy:

Should be a wavy gravy time on the roads this evening. However, and this is important to you all reading this particular entry, northbound I-71 is golden. Deerhunter is one of the best bands ever, performing at one of the finest music venues in the nation. So I’m goin’, I don’t give a shit. I suggest you do the same if you’re traveling from Louisville as well. Eat it, Mother Nature.

Moreover, tonight’s performance is part of Deerhunter’s “Round Robin” tour wherein they’ve invited some friends to play along in collaboration, seamlessly weaving through each others songs. The Southgate rockshow is one of only seven dates that are part of this special showcase. The friends they’ve invited along are folks you might like, specifically the No Ages and the Dan Deacons. And that’s cool. But for me, all that matters is Rowdy Roddy B. Cox and Motherfuckin’ DEEEEEERHUNTERRRRR!!!!1!!11!!ones1!!! Tickets, I think, are sold out, but there are usually some friendly scalpers around The Levee should you need to resort to that. Perhaps they will trade you tickets some reliable umbrella technology.

See you there? In one piece?

P.S. – In other news, B Cox is totally hilarious and a rad bro, even when tripping on flu meds, as evidenced in this highly entertaining interview with Buddyhead:

MP3 :::
Deerhunter – Death Drag
Deerhunter – Octet
Deerhunter – Wash Off
Deerhunter – Little Kids
Lotus Plaza – Antoine
Atlas Sound – Ativan

I halfway feel like no further elaboration outside the title of this entry is needed. But whatever, this is a music blog, so let me sHaRe mY feeLinGs.

I’ve heard for a couple of years that I need to see Phantom Family Halo. Like, everyone I know has told me I need to see them. So, instead of doing either Forecastle or Lebowski Fest last weekend, I opted to spend my money at Lisa’s Oak Street Lounge with the yokel locals to catch Phantom Family Halo’s opening set Saturday night for new Temporary Residence signing and stalwart Louisville boys Young Widows.

Is it cool to describe a show as trenchant? Phantom Family Halo were trenchant. For the uninitiated, Phantom Family Halo formed from the mighty and mysterious local freak folk collective Sapat and The For Carnation. Obviously, these guys are heavy hitters.

A large projection of, for the most part, some visual pastiche of anthropology films illuminated the stage and the band, which included two drummers and a guy whose sole function was to create insane noise from his keyboard and Boss SP-303. PFH were extremely loud, and while listening to their recorded stuff right now, are still extremely uncategorizable. Loosely speaking, Phantom Family Halo function as a psychedelic band. However, their live show is anything but navel gazing. The group becomes a breathing, menacing behemoth purveying nasty, swampy, ultra-distorted acid rock with a rhythm and vocal section closer to the urgency of a punk tent revival, like 154-era Wire informed by Six Organs of Admittance (or perhaps its the other way around).

Phantom Family Halo is awesome. I mean, if Julian Cope is stoked on the record, you know it’s good:

I’m also right blown away by the catchy and compelling all-purpose psychedelia of THE LEGEND OF BLACK SIX by power trio The Phantom Family Halo. I say ‘all purpose’ because this stuff is useful and should be available by the vat on prescription, because it’s good for the mental health. I say power trio, but this lot are greedy motherfuckers with a hefty set of auxiliary members. The sound is totally reminiscent of that 1970 period when no fucker could control the number of overdubs, and these guys pass through every stage from The Youngbloods and Kalackakra to a kind of Amon Duul PARADIESWARTS DUUL-informed take on David Voorhaus’ White Noise project via early (very early) Chrome on their way to the proto metal of ‘Electric God In Your Galaxy’.

If they come to your neck of the woods, make haste to see them. Their web presence is at good ol’ MySpazz.

MP3 :::
Phantom Family Halo – Child of Love
Phantom Family Halo – Black River