Black Angels Gonna Bless My Heart

Oh, how I've missed you all! After the crazy weekend that was spent in New York, I needed to get everything together again, and the amount of music thrown my way at both work and for writing was a bit to handle. Nonetheless, I'm back in the driver's seat again, and going to far too many shows this week. To make up for last week and to keep up with this one, I will be loitering on Blogger much more than I should be. Promise.



Yesterday I received a copy of Passover by The Black Angels in the mail, and after seeing the gorgeous artwork in stores everywhere, I had no idea that it was textured and embossed. Glorious! Looking at it is quite a trip, so you can imagine how the album is. "Fans of Brian Jonestown Massacre will love..." and it's true. It was "The Prodigal Sun" that first blew my mind, but even the most circulated track, "Black Grease" is simply mezmerizing when played loud.

This is a band I'd heard of for some time, and was interested, but never got around to seeking them out. When I was in Seattle for the Capitol Hill Block Party, I happened to catch two songs, and then my friend (who is also the ubertalent of the above photograph, Justin Dylan Renney) played their record several times on our Portland <--> Seattle roadtrip.

Between The Black Angels and Serena-Maneesh - whose show from Sunday night will be discussed in an upcoming entry - my two month-or-so inability to listen to nothing but DJ/electronic music has diluted a bit and left me with epic, drugged out guitar riffage. Psychedelic vocal distortions. Atmospheric perfects for twilight car rides with the windows down.

Do not miss this band. The fact that they turned Greil Marcus' attention, which I noticed after I was swept by their record, is a big deal in and of itself.

Audible: The Black Angels - "The Prodigal Sun"
Audible: The Black Angels - "Black Grease"
Website: http://www.theblackangels.com