Of course it’s no surprise that the new Religious Knives full-length is good. Like Smuckers, if it says Ecstatic Peace on the label, it has to be good. With that said, The Door is still a nice surprise, considering how different it sounds from Resin released earlier this year (though the latter is a collection of older material and some live renditions).

The most noticeable and significant difference between The Door and Religious Knives’ earlier drone trips is that the band, sometime between then and now, got really funky. This is established in the first few seconds of opening brain burner “Downstairs.” If the low end were of a higher tempo, you could easily lay it against a blaxploitation film score. No foolin’.

It’s a strange funkiness too: serious, fluid bass grooves at a slow, steady tempo reinforce the walls of a Loop-meets-Jackie O Motherfucker gale of hazy, foreboding fuzz squall that remains sparse and powerful. Combined this with smoky pipe organ, crystalline chants, and tribal percussion, and Religious Knives whisk you away on a very gnarly (in a good way) magical mystery tour. Religious Knives have also boosted the vocals in the mix and staved off a lot of the usual reverb. This has been a point of contention among a few of the early reviews for The Door, with some critics writing that the prominent vocals showcase a bored, detached quality. To me, though, Religious Knives’ approach to the vocals on this album help separate them from many other artists firmly planted in psychedelia. By making a stern attempt toward a different method of production, as opposed to liberally applying the typical reverb and pan treatment as most artists who make this type of music tend to do, The Door carves out a very distinct niche and yields a rewarding listening experience.

“The Storm,” despite its name, is one of the more subdued moments on The Door, and one of the best. The group makes brilliant use of space – the wide open chasm between measures provide more of a ominous mood than even the most sinister of minor chords. Shortly after “The Storm,” the volume cranks, dense layers of fuzz poke through, and the tempo is upped for The Door’s closing remarks, “Major Score” and “Decisions Are Made,” providing a sharp contrast to the album’s first half and slinging one more surprise your way. Moody and cavernous, The Door is, seriously, best enjoyed with the lights lowered. I know that sounds corny, but it’s true. I understood the album more profoundly in the dark than the daylight.

Though The Door doesn’t necessarily chart new territory, Religious Knives have demonstrated that they can try new directions without straying too far from the general sonic cathedral they’ve built. It’s a hard balance to strike, and one the group has proven they do well, and as such, Religious Knives are certainly a collective to get excited about whenever they release new material. Hopefully, with their newfound home on Ecstatic Peace, that will be often.

If you like what you hear below, go on and grip The Door directly from the label for an extremely reasonable price.

MP3 :::
Religious Knives – The Storm
Religious Knives – Decisions Are Made

One of the obvious standout tracks from the compilation, and his most standout collaboration in my opinion, is “Untitled Sketch” featuring Jessica Bailiff. This song originally appeared on his 2005 EP also titled Untitled Sketch, which I rocked religiously that summer. Jessica also contributed throat duty on the similarly titled but totally different “Untitled Three.” “Three” is slightly better than “Untitled Sketch,” but unfortunately didn’t make it on Pretty Swell Explode. Both are more than worthy for serious late night headphone listening. “Untitled Sketch” has some takeoff time, so be patient as it fades in. Let it envelope you, drop some science on ya’ dome.

Odd Nosdam feat. Jessica Bailiff – Untitled Sketch

This EP was, more or less, a teaser to his statement to the world, Burner, a much more focused follow up to his No More Wig for Ohio album and his work with Clouddead. Burner featured a dissonant, frantic instrumental piece called “Flying Saucer Attack.” This was no ode to sci-fi, this was a nod to Jessica’s work with David Pearce (who she later formed Clear Horizon with) and Rachel Brook (of Movietone), who were Flying Saucer Attack from 1992 to 2000 (or thereabouts).

Flying Saucer Attack is probably my favorite shoegazing group ever. And it makes me sad how under-appreciated FSA was then, and well, now too. Of course, there’s the paradox in the injustice one feels when a band isn’t recognized for their innovation yet annoyed when everyone’s bumpin’ their favorite tunes from said artist. Regardless, it’s time for their due props. Flying Saucer Attack wrote the loudest, fuzziest, most gorgeous, most embryonic sounding shimmering space rock ever laid to analog tape. Despite the fact that the production wonderfully sounds like shit, David Pearce’s crystalline voice is smooth and trenchant, paradoxically complimenting the swells and washes of Flying Saucer Attack’s intense rural psychedelia. “Make Me a Dream,” from their eponymous record, is dangerously loud, and as such, you should respect this arc of covenant jam hive by rotating your volume dial clockwise.

Flying Saucer Attack – Make Me a Dream

Flying Saucer Attack and Clear Horizon eventually split ways, and Jessica Bailiff took that time to pump out some excellent solo work for local heroes Kranky Records. Her last album, Feels Like Home, couples light touches of psych folk and slowcore for a heady, beautiful listening experience. “Evidence,” like, fuckin’ brings total damage around the 1:33 mark, so be prepared.

Jessica Bailiff – Evidence

Did ya follow all that? Very good. So there you go, the man who brought you Clouddead’s syrupy, disintegrating beats blew the dust off of some amazingly innovative, distinctive, but terribly underrated shoegaze. And on his journey to tonal divinity, Odd Nosdam brought along the amazing talents of Jessica Bailiff with him. And for that, among other reasons, I will forever love Odd Nosdam.

Alright heads, get your djembes out – it’s time for a campfire jam. Boredoms are recreating, to a larger degree, their celebration of 7/7/7 last year with 88Boadrum. On August 8 (that’s 8.8.08, you see) in both New York and Los Angeles, 88 drummers will perform an 88-minute composition written by Boredoms. The press release does not indicate whether Boredoms will actually be present at either of these performances, though. The New York performance/installation piece will be conducted by Gang Gang Dance (excellent), and the LA performance will feature musicians handpicked by Boredoms. So who knows. And Nike is involved, which is certainly strange. But when it comes to Boredoms, nothing is really strange. Like Eye rockin’ his own band’s shirt in their current press photo.

So yeah, do you wanna bang a gong or two for this shindig? Just respond to this Craigslist post. In the interim, enjoy footage from last year’s 77Boadrum event. Totally your mom’s worst nightmare.

MP3 :::
Boredoms – (Spiral)
Gang Gang Dance – Nicoman

So far, Nothing People is jammin’ LP only, with three introductory 7″wax stacks and their recently dropped full-length Anonymous on crazy clear vinyl. “Sickness” is an ionospheric jaunt with dirty, sharp angles. You can pick up Anonymous and more at the SS Records site.

MP3 :::
Nothing People – Sickness