3/29 Twin Limb on Belle of Louisville

This sounds like a good Saturday night: The Humana Fest Soiree will be on the Belle of Louisville 3/29 at 10 pm with music curated by the Motherlodge folks (including Louisville's Twin Limb) and it is FREE.

Review: Megajoos, Roman Polanski's Baby, Thelma and the Sleaze at Keghunters (Lexington)

After a fiasco that resulted in The Haymarket canceling the March 22 Megajoos, Roman Polanski's Baby, and Vibrolas show just two days prior to the scheduled date, we at 37flood were worried that there wouldn't be a chance to catch some of Nashville's finest before they headed further North on tour. Luckily though, they were able to score a couple slots at Keghunters MCC Clubhouse in Lexington. With only a small handful of promotions online, one telling attendees to "bring your own bullwhip," we knew we were in for an experience. Good or bad, it's a story to tell, right?

Immediately upon entry to the clubhouse backyard all doubt was devoured, we were greeted by a single member taking money at the gate and throwing in "free limited edition beer koozies while supplies last." 

With such a small audience and most of the bands showing up early to get situated before the performance, the atmosphere was more like a community cookout than the conventional show dynamic where artists and audience are separate at all times. Everyone was just hanging out by the fire and having a good time, which provided a very intimate environment for performers and spectators alike.

Lexington natives Tenth House performing in an early slot

There were five bands total performing, including Lexington natives Tenth House and The Jive Hounds. Megajoos took the stage right as the sun was setting, opening their set with "Salads and Greens." Immediately the presence of this band was overwhelming. Similarly to their studio work, Megajoos' live performance had an energy and depth that is rarely achieved by a two piece band. We've never understood how they get such a huge sound. In a rare move, the frontman removed his mask after the second song, which added an unusual amount of familiarity to this performance. They even shared "Hungry for Souls and Funyuns" from their upcoming Culture Cringe split 7" with Roman Polanski's Baby.

Megajoos (sorry. all identities protected on 37flood)

Up next was Roman Polanski's Baby, and at this point Lexington was in the low forties with strong winds. However, this didn't deter guitarist Rachel Warrick from delivering a knockout performance with supercharged punk riffs and precision accuracy. Lead singer Katie Miller set the trend for the rest of the evening, deciding to forego the stage altogether and sing from the audience, running back and forth with a presence reminiscent of Darby Crash (sans self mutilation). RPB also shared new material from Culture Cringe's approaching split single.

Roman Polanski's Baby

For those who believe showmanship is a dying art, I submit Thelma and The Sleaze. Adorning less-than-insulate stagewear, these girls played for nearly two hours into the night with temperatures steadily declining. Vocalist and lead guitarist LG was stationed in the audience with the rest of the band playing from the stage accompanied by an illuminated nativity angel that had its face painted like King Diamond. Their sensually natured subject matter and explicit stage presence combined in a manner that was both speculative and engaging for the audience. In true rock n' roll fashion, they kept jamming until the cops arrived to break up the party.

LG rides Chase's bass drum while shredding

In all, this was a unique experience that I've never found anywhere else. Shoutout to Keghunters MCC for knowing how to have a good time, and shoutout to all the bands for being genuinely cool people.

Megajoos and Roman Polanski's Baby Spring tour dates:

3.20 Athens, GA at The Caledonia Lounge with SHEHEHE

3.21 Asheville, NC at The Skanktuary with The Dimarcos
3.22 Louisville, KY at The Haymarket with The Vibrolas
3.23 Cleveland, OH at Now That's Class Matinee show
3.23 Bowling Green, OH at BLV House with Don't Get Bored and Dog Bosser
3.24 Detroit, MI at Garden Bowl with Peach Pit
3.25 Chichago, IL at The Burlington Bar with The Holy Alimonies
3.26 Minneapolis, MN at Eagles Club 34 with Vellhouse, Blood Cookie, & Kitten Forever
3.27 Omaha, NE at O'Leaver's
3.28 Kansas City, MO at Mills Record Company matinee in shop
3.28 Kansas City, MO at Vandals with The Bad Ideas & Faultfinder
3.29 St. Louis, MO at Foam with SKULL & Kenshiro's

New Thaniel Ion Lee release

Louisville artist and experimental musician Thaniel Ion Lee has a a new project, A Warm Dark Place,  that combines both worlds. The project is an art album that includes an individually hand cut 6" poly-carbonate record that comes with an additional 30 min CD as well as "other objects" all  for the sticker price of just $19 (or you can download just the music for $3).

Give-A-Way: 2 tix to The Sea The Sea 3/25

The Sea The Sea will be playing The New Vintage in Louisville on Tuesday, March 25th to support their new release Love We Are Love, and we have 2 tickets to give a way to the show! Just leave a message here or email me and share your favorite Springtime playlist (or just your name if you like) and we'll randomly pick a winner on Sunday.

The Sea The Sea
w/ Mipso
The New Vintage
Tuesday, March 25th / 9 PM

3/27 Rachel Grimes @ Green Building

Rachel Grimes will be playing the Green Building on Thurs 3/27 with Susanna (from Norway). Grimes will be accompanied by Jacob Duncan, Helen Money, and Cheyenne Mize. This show could be just what your early spring needs.

 

Rachel Grimes @ The Green Building

7:00 doors, 7:30 music

limited capacity- advanced tickets encouraged

$15, available at Guestroom Records on Frankfort Ave.

Editorial: Jason Molina A Reflection

One year ago today the world lost Jason Molina; the prolific force behind Magnolia Electric Co. & Songs: Ohia, as well as countless one off and solo records. To many it was a complete shock, to his friends it was a crushing end to a long dramatic battle with alcoholism. To everyone it was an instant mourning for a life left too soon as well as a mourning for all the songs left unwritten, unrecorded, unable to console us during a time of grief.

The following are excerpts from a conversation about remembering Molina over at 500 Albums 500 Days, a unique music site the reviews music in relation to life and human emotion as well as personal connection rather than the sound theory:

Cydde:
i can’t tell you how much i’ve cried since i found out he had passed away. i was at work. someone came to talk to me just after i’d read the news. i think they knew. but what do people usually cry about in public? maybe receiving bad news about a loved one or a close friend – not a musician on the other side of the world who ended up meaning more to you than you could ever have imagined. it’s inexplicable and perhaps, impenetrable. 
of course, much of his music from across various releases came to mean so much afterwards – those who listened heard the lyrics anew. there’s a level of predictability that makes the pain that much greater. but i completely disagree that if you appreciate and love music such as jason molina made, you are prone to want to hurt yourself or hate yourself or slowly/quickly kill yourself. 
what layers beneath the obvious in all of his creations is a sense of resilience and sometimes paradoxical joy about the simplicity of the world and universe around us, and sometimes even the pain. you know you feel that; it makes you and it real. i think people react negatively to music like this because most can’t deal with being alone, in their own mind and body, and grasp what that truly means. it’s like the avoidance of thinking about death because of the prospect (reality) that there’s nothing there. as the sticker on the back of my car implies, the end is infinite. regardless, i’m not sure i’ll ever get over his early death. 
the fact that there will be nothing new ever again for the remaining years of my own life before that nothingness that he now inhabits, when there was probably so much more to be sung. unlike molina’s music, the pain in my chest whenever i think of him is nearly unbearable. and that’s remembering forever. 

Johnking: 
Just this weekend I was traveling with a friend through the Appalachians in North America on a road trip; and as long roads normally remind me of Jason Molina, we went through many of his most popular albums: Magnolia Electric Co., Fading Trails, Sojourner, What Comes After The Blues.. 
We began speaking of his prolific catalogue and began speaking about his many solo projects, as well as his many sides from Near-Country as Josephine, the Lo-Fi beginnings of Songs-Ohia, and the sort-of Singer Songwriter recordings such as Pyramid Electric Co. 
I had forgotten about Pyramid, and was a little embarrassed, especially since it holds one of my favorite Molina tracks, Honey, Watch Your Ass. My friend also admitted that two of his favorite Molina songs, Red Comet Dust and Spectral Alphabet, were also on Pyramid Electric Co. It wasn’t until I read Cydde's wonderfully insightful eulogy that I saw Mr. Molina’s work sectioned into different categories as well, in lyrical content. 
Which you are absolutely right, my traveling buddy is decidedly on the side of the in “astronomical and philosophical” side of Molina where as I tend to fall deeply for the “everyday experiences” songs (which could also be called Confessional songs)  such as Just Be Simple, Don’t Fade On Me, and The Dark Don’t Hide It. Whatever your preferences, it’s truly a testament to Molina’s wide scope and ability to speak to a large variety of people. Why Pyramid Electric Co. was met with such skepticism is beyond me. It has that unabashed personality that I so love from In The Human World/No Moon On The Water with the clear warm and unique guitar sounds from Magnolia Electric Co. Demo recordings. 
Honestly I picked up Pyramid due to a conversation I had with Molina; I can’t recall exactly how the conversation went, as after his death I have been trying to recall all our conversations but as experiences go, we aren’t aware of the true value until other experiences remind us that we have lost the chance to experience them again, but anyway he didn’t give the normal musician’s pitch about it, just saying they were songs he needed to record. 
I too was completely shaken by his death. I called a mutual friend to offer my respects, although in retrospect I needed consoling myself, even though I didn’t know him really, and definitely not nearly as well as my friend. My friend said “John, people are leaving this planet, aren’t they?” which at the time didn’t help. But later I found these words strangely consoling after all; and possibly something Molina would have agreed with, considering his astral affinity. He has left this world, but not before giving us some consoling for the all darkness we are bound to encounter before we leave this world too. And now it’s not just the long road that reminds me of Molina, but also the vast night sky and the idea that he might be there in some Philosophical/Metaphysical way.
 Read the full text here.

 

an incredibly unique Documentary on Magnolia Electric Co.

Members of Magnolia Electric Co. and Songs: Ohia are now playing as Songs Molina: A Memorial Electric Co.
recordings of their live sets as well as Magnolia Electric Co. live recordings can be found here.

Review: Black Birds of Paradise

          Ever since I first heard Black Birds of Paradise cover Washington Phillips’ song “I Had a Good Father and Mother” on There is No One I wished they had more of a catalogue. Tonight marks the release of their first full length release, a DIY self-titled LP pressed by the drummer himself.

            Since their only other track before now was the upbeat summer-y song “I Love You (But I Don’t Know Why)” on Gubbey’s Head Cleaner compilation, I was pleasantly surprised with the needle-drop opener “Future Man,” which is reminiscent of a Sergio Leone score with Scott Carney on Theremin. The heavy bass and steady ride imply a sinister, mischievous presence.

One of the things that sets Black Birds of Paradise aside from other young rock bands right off the bat is Regan Layman, who plays vibraphone, percussion, and sings backup. Throughout the whole album, her textures and frequencies add a depth to the sound that plays a large part in shaping the tune around them. “Exotica” is an instrumental track torn between Regan’s vibraphone solos and Nick Layman’s synth styles. Despite the song’s major key and more positive demeanor, there’s a tension between the two that is really special.

Right in the middle of the record, the entire band backs out for a quieter, more somber acoustic song titled “The Way, The Truth, The Light.” This only accentuates the band’s diversity by providing contrast to the following louder more aggressive “Pour a Drink.”

With their first release, Black Birds of Paradise have proved that they are capable of effortlessly playing a wide range of musical styles without compromising or betraying their vision. Let’s hope their second album has the same charm. Come out to the New Vintage tonight for the release party with Lady Pyramid and Murals.