One of my very favourite bands, The Black Angels, have finally got a new song to hear.
Some of the good things about The Black Angels:
1. Their motto is “Turn On, Tune In, Drone Out”
2. They manage to compress The Velvets, The Doors, The 13th Floor Elevators into a super dense ball of heaviosity
3. Their bassist was born in a cult compound
4. Their first record was a stand against the current war, with songs like “Young Men Dead”
5. They’re just fucking fantastic
6. They have an actual instrument called a “Drone Machine” that one of them built from shrapnel
7. They are lovely people
8. They rock like no one else
Blimpy, thanks for turning me on to these guys – fantastic stuff; takes me right back to the Avalon Ballroom! BTW, did you do the Easter ‘spill graphic? It’s really neat.BTW 2 – I see MachineGunMounTain are now claiming to be Management!
hi ghe,1. I’m really glad you like ‘em. What’s an Avalon Ballroom, please?2. Um, i “appropriated” the bunny and tree and added the vinyl record to it (and text etc)3. Aye, tricky buggers that they are!!
I think i prefer machinegunmountain to management!
Avalon Ballroom, Winterland and Filmore were all great ‘Frisco concert venues in the bummer of lurve (’68) where I was then living briefly, and I saw many bands that are rolled into Black Angels’ influences, like Canned Heat, Quicksilver, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead and the Doors. I see Black Angels are playing at Camber in May (All tomorrow’s parties) – are you going? Looks like a great line up, but I’ll be a the Brighton festival instead…
And blow me down if the Great Escape at Brighton doesn’t also have Black Angels, as well as Laura Marling, Okkervil River, Pete & the Pirates, Frightened Rabbit, et al. Gotta get me some tickets, me thinks…
I wish I was going (damn my wife and child, damn them all!)How was the summer or love? Did you drop acid and spawn a summeroflovechild on a hippy commune?
Man, it was too much! (Takes a toke on the number, and passes it on)
black angels, frightened rabbit, laura marling – it;s like a list of my most recent blog posts.
DON’T EAT THE BROWN ACID!!(it’s got poo on it)
I hadn’t realised the Great Escape is rapidly becoming the UK’s SXSW – 200 bands at 25 venues over 3 days for £35. Phew! Check out the stellar gig list at http://www.escapegreat.com/home/
..i’m jealous enough as it is….
Wife and Bairn no probs at All Tomorrow’s Parties – the ticket includes three nights in a holiday camp chalet at Camber Sands!Line up at http://www.atpfestival.com/index.php
I’m going to be at Camber and Minehead. Anyone else going?
GHE: Not to argue .cos you’re dead right, but THE Avalon Ballroom is in Avalon on the Island of Catalina, about 20 miles offshore from LA. In the 30′s and 40′s there were regular weekly big band national broadcasts from there, several pop hits mention it, specifically ‘Avalon’ by Benny Goodman and ‘I left my heart in Avalon’ by I forget. Take a look at their website and see what a fabulous location it is, there’s a regular ferry service from Long Beach [where I used to live.] http://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/avalon/even_casino.phpPlus I was in SF also about then, spent a lot of time with Quicksilver talking about doing a film together.
GF – Did they do dance marathons there, like in ‘They shoot horses, don’t they’? If it’s 20 miles off the coast, I guess not…
GHE: It was a very popular resort, easily accessible from the mainland, not sure about the marathons but it wouldn’t surprise me. Haven’t seen that film since it was released, it had an effect on me.
re ATPs etc – i wish i was going. Dammit.Have fun! blimp