Fuck! I just reported today how The For Carnation is playing their first show in, what, seven years or so at the Speed Museum’s Art After Dark event, then I realized that’s also the same night that Siltbreeze patriots Blues Control and locals Sapat bust brains across town. OMG MULTITASKING LOL.

Ya know, it is possible that The For Carnation will play a lot earlier than the general 10 p.m. start times at Lisa’s, so you may be able to do both. But then again, perhaps you might want to show up to the Blues Control/Sapat gig early, considering that Lisa’s is small, Sapat draws a fairly large crowd locally, and Blues Control spent a chunk of this year supporting Animal Collective on tour and probably picked up lots of fresh fans along the way. Good gravy, ya’ll, don’t know what to tell you. I’mma try to do both.

I submit for your consideration some previous write-ups I’ve done on both bands:

Blues Control (from the Puff EP write-up) – “Always on Time” is straight from space.  It’s the sound emitting from the SETI experiments.  Large, cavernous waves of radiation and solar wind flush around a simple, rarely changing Neu-esque piano melody with the reverb turned up all the way and dripping in condensation for 12 big minutes. The harmonica on “Behind the Skies” is the only indication that Blues Control is going to attempt to live up to its name, a mid-tempo, fuzzed-out burner reminiscent of Lightning Bolt on purple drank (perhaps there’s a connection between Ride the Skies and Behind the Skies?).  R-O-C-K in the U-S-A.

Sapat (from the Jana Hunter/Crazy Dreams Band preview) – 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.

Blues Control and Sapat
Friday, October 23
Lisa’ Oak Street Lounge
1004 E. Oak St., Louisville (map that shizz)
9 p.m.-ish
21+

Blues Control Unleash the Dragon World Tour 2K9*
*= not actually the name of the tour, though that might’ve been the name of an Aerosmith tour

10.12.09 – Princeton, NJ – WPRB – in-studio 3pm EST
10.16.09 – Philadelphia, PA – Pilam
10.18.09 – New Haven, CT – Bar
10.19.09 – Ithaca, NY – The Shop
10.20.09 – Scranton, PA – The Bog
10.21.09 – Pittsburgh, PA – Garfield Artworks $
10.22.09 – Cincinnati, OH – Art Damage Lodge $
10.23.09 – Louisville, KY – Lisa’s Oak Street Lounge %
10.24.09 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle – early show @
10.25.09 – Madison, WI – Good Style Shop
10.26.09 – St Paul, MN – Turf Club
10.27.09 – Kansas, City MO – Record Bar
10.29.09 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court – early show
10.29.09 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge – late show
10.30.09 – Boise, ID – Neurolux
10.31.09 – Olympia, WA – The Northern – Halloween &!
11.01.09 – Seattle, WA – Funhouse &
11.02.09 – Vancouver, BC – Little Mountain Studios
11.03.09 – Portland, OR – Someday Lounge
11.05.09 – San Francisco, CA – Hemlock Tavern =
11.06.09 – Oakland, CA – Continental Club +
11.07.09 – Sacramento, CA – Luigi’s Slice <
11.08.09 – Santa Cruz, CA – CREPE PLACE >
11.09.09 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Crossroads
11.10.09 – Irvine, CA – UC Irvine ^
11.11.09 – Los Angeles, CA – Synchrocity ^
11.12.09 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
11.13.09 – Phoenix, AZ – Trunk Space
11.16.09 – Denton, TX – J&J’s Pizza
11.17.09 – Austin, TX – The Mohawk
11.18.09 – Houston, TX – Mango’s
11.19.09 – New Orleans, LA – Allways Lounge
11.21.09 – Nashville, TN – Dino’s
11.22.09 – Asheville, NC – Harvest Records
11.23.09 – Chapel Hill, NC – Nightlight

$ Puffy Areolas
# Kurt Vile
! Tyvek
% Sapat
@ Ga’an
Chinese Stars
& Little Claw
+ Sic Alps
= Hank IV
^ Pocahaunted
< The Duchess and the Duke
> Lucky Dragons

MP3 :::
Blues Control – Behind the Skies
Sapat – Dark Silver

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

It’s gonna smoke. Two visionary locals and one band from Detroit to seriously start watching. Doors at 8 p.m., music at 8:30 p.m. or so (give or take a rock and roll curve of 15 minutes).  And DCE has a shit-ton of new craft beer. See ya there!

Totally stoked to bring in Detroit’s psych/shoegaze/kraut machine Oblisk with visionary freak folk noodler R. Keenan Lawler and Louisville’s Softcheque, featuring members of Sapat. This is an all ages show at the funky Derby City Espresso. See you there, dorks!

MP3 :::
Oblisk – Beirut
R Keenan Lawler – Live on ‘Phoning It In,’ WELH Providence

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

I’d like to be candid with you all before beginning this review of last night’s Sir Richard Bishop performance, saying that what I’m providing you right now is a piss poor concert review. It’s entirely possible that I might spend the majority of this review discussing how goddamn hot it was instead of the actual music that was performed. But that was the reality of the situation – it was practically impossible to bring you all any quality photos and videos since well over a hundred people were packed into the basement of the Swan Dive, there was no stage, and it was about 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the room. Trying to make it to the front was like standing in the entrance to the mouth of hell (and some Oaxacan songs could provide the soundtrack for that). I mean, I do… I like you guys. But I don’t volunerably-standing-in-the-burning-depths-of-a-boiler-room like you. No offense, dude.

At this point, it’s also worth mentioning that I have to plug The Kin Ship gallery. Based on the type of event they were promoting their current exhibit at and the design of the flier, I can assume this is a pretty cool art gallery. However, I’m mainly plugging them because they were a life saver last night. That flier became a makeshift fan that I’ve never been more thankful for having. Thank you, Kin Ship.

Now, on top of my inability to properly cover this show, I missed the legendary, reclusive local freak folk collective Sapat’s opening set. So I can’t even give you an account of how awesome that probably was. We did, however, make it in time for the beginning of Oaxacan’s set. And holy smokes.

It’s very clear why Richie B invited Oaxacan on his tour. Not only were they a perfect example of an incredibly talented, compositionally tight, blisteringly intense noise band (almost in the vein of Lightning Bolt), Oaxacan exhibited a very strong traditional Middle Eastern influence. While they carried the instruments of a rock band (drums, bass, guitar, samplers), Oaxacan sounded like a crazed, futuristic, Persian prog collective. Amy Friebertshauser used her voice, manipulated through samplers, to sound like a cross between incendiary lute riffs and deranged yodeling, cutting through the layered percussion and guitar textures like poisonous tentacles. The 45-minute opening set, with encore, provided a great sondtrack to a Mad Maxian desert documentary… or perhaps the current unrest in Tehran. I was delightfully shocked and emotionally spent after Oaxacan’s set. New fav band alert.
(Oaxacan on MySpazz)

Here are two samples of the exorcism that took place. The second video prominently features the dome of one Matt Minter (ex-Hair Police). We run a professional ship here at The Decibel Tolls, replete with videos of the backs of people’s heads.

Like clockwork, after Oaxacan fizzled out with a soft crash tap, crazy ol’ Richard strolled through and began to set up. Oaxacan did double duty as his backing band, and it was basically like seeing an entirely different band perform. I was impressed… again.

The knighted one ripped right into selections off of The Freak of Araby, using electric guitar as his new divining rod of choice. The former Sun City Girl again, as with his acoustic show I saw opening for Animal Collective, showcased an unreal musical prowess and exploration across vast lands of the Ottoman Empire. As mentioned, it was too hot to even attempt to see the Freak of Araby Ensemble, so this was my view for most of the show:

So Lana and I found the “awesome zone,” the area of the bar in line-of-sight of the basement’s sole AC unit. We camped out there, drank La Fin Du Mond, and enjoyed the acoustics of Bishop’s live renderings. We really had no intention of leaving this spot. Even if we did make it to the front, there isn’t much to see with Richard Bishop. Without visuals or the like, Bishop’s show consists of a longhair noodling on guitar, probably in a sitting position. This, of course, would be the perfect ambiance for a campfire or intimate outdoor performance, but due to the sweltering conditions inside, it was hard to keep attentive. The music was excellent, but the setting was wrong, I believe. Swan Dive is certainly an awesome locale, but it was a small, narrow space with no stage and a lot of people crammed in the front – all of which happened on an evening in the middle of a very nasty heat wave here in Louisville.

My final thoughts on the show, as if I didn’t already drive this point home – despite Bishop’s mastery of guitar technique and international fusion, Oaxacan kinda stole the night. They were simply amazing.

POSSIBLY RELATED :::
Sir Richard Bishop The Freak of Araby Review

MP3 :::
Oaxacan – Tokyo Lazrs
Sir Richard Bishop – Sidi Mansour

This will be a must see show. Sir Richard Bishop, supporting his latest beastly jam hive The Freak of Araby (The Decibel Tolls review), is coming to town with Oaxacan (who also serve as his touring backing band), and local reclusive freak folk collective Sapat. It’s all going down at a newish restaurant/music venue The Swan Dive in the up and coming Germantown neighborhood. Save this date, dudes.

Sir Richard Bishop
with Oaxacan and Sapat
Wednesday, June 24, 9 p.m.
The Swan Dive
921 Swan St., Louisville (map that shizz)

MP3 :::
Sir Richard Bishop – Enta Omri
Sapat – Dark Silver