god of blues: death by audio

This past February I found myself smack dab in the middle of a heady set by Key of Shame where my ears & mind were essentially melted by the duo's grey-matter dirge. It is a sound embedded with the sounds of a dystopian electronic future wherein they are constantly reconfiguring the concept many have that synthesis & electronics provide the golden opening towards some unforeseen future of leisure & bliss. Totally cracked guitars, synth textures that warp in & out of the mix, & the constant squeal moaning of what sounds like the World's Fair running out of batteries.
Considering the dudes behind KoS, Pat Murano (Decimus, NNCK) + Mark Morgan (Sightings), the overall sound isn't so surprising as it follows upon some similar aesthetic elements both members other projects, bits of screeching guitars, soundtrack vibes, industrial murk as a result of urban living. What is surprising is the ease in translating the recorded sound into the live environment and vice-versa. Needless to say that fans of any project Murano & Morgan are in will find much to love here.
For those in the NYC are May 15th be sure to come catch a special collaboration between Decimus + Tom Carter at Death By Audio. The show will also feature an exclusive US performance by Charalambides and locals Pigeons as part of another Last Nights Presents event.

Last Nights Presents: Magik Markers // Key of Shame // Colour Bük // Michael R. Bernstein THIS SATURDAY

Last Nights Presents:

Magik Markers

Key of Shame (members of Sightings & NNCK)

Colour Bük

Michael R. Bernstein (of Religious Knives & Double Leopards)

Saturday February 18th

Death By Audio

49 S. 2nd Street Brooklyn, NY

8pm | $7 | All Ages

Key of Shame - Threnody for Marcus Junius Brutus

Key of Shame- Threnody for Marcus Junius Brutus by Decimus kelippah records

Possibly needing a little introduction, Key of Shame is the project of Mark Morgan (from noise-rock luminaries Sightings) & Pat Murano (i.e. Decimus & of No Neck Blues Band). The duo explorations into the nether regions of noise come to full fruition here unrestrained by the larger group setting each normally inhabit.

It may even be possible that noise isn't the prime word choice for this work. The extremes in volume and grating frequencies are somewhat absent while listening to Threnody for Marcus Junius Brutus. Instead there is more of focused intent to mine the grey matter of sound with a buzzing, hissing, & all together dilapidated sonic trajectory which underneath all the grime sounds like a horror film soundtrack attempting to be plugged into the movie. Those who have followed Murano's Decimus moniker in the recent past will have an idea of what's in store for them here.

Key of Shame's Threnody for Marcus Junius Brutus will be available via Italy's Holiday Records. For those in New York Key of Shame will be playing Feb. 18th at Death By Audio with Magik Markers, Colour Bük, & Michael R. Bernstein (of Religious Knives & Double Leopards) as part of a Last Nights curated event.

Last Nights Presents: Magik Markers // Key of Shame // Colour Bük // Michael R. Bernstein

Last Nights Presents:

Magik Markers

Key of Shame (members of Sightings & NNCK)

Colour Bük

Michael R. Bernstein (of Religious Knives & Double Leopards)

Saturday February 18th

Death By Audio

49 S. 2nd Street Brooklyn, NY

8pm | $7 | All Ages

Last Nights Presents: Hubble, Woodsman, Man Forever, Images

Last Nights Presents:

Hubble

Woodsman

Man Forever

Images (Cassette Release)

Thursday February 2nd

Death By Audio

49 S. 2nd St. Brooklyn, NY 11211

8pm | $8 | All Ages

Facebook Page

Tonight Last Nights Presents: Gunn-Truscinski, Samara Lubelski, Pigeons

For those in New York be sure to come out to Williamsburg's Death By Audio tonight for a very special show featuring some of today's best contemporary psychedelic folk-rock Gunn-Truscinski Duo, Samara Lubelski, & Pigeons. Check out what people have to say about it;

"Samara Lubelski, a veteran underground-psych purveyor known for her work with Hall of Fame and Tower Recordings, shares a bill with the pleasingly droney avant-blues duo of Steve Gunn and John Truscinski, and folk-minded experimentalists Pigeons." - Time Out New York

"Psychedelic, improv world of songcraft. A tight bill." - Impose Magazine

Last Nights Presents

Gun-Truscinski Duo
Samara Lubelski
Pigeons

Thursday January 12th
Death By Audio
49 S. 2nd Street Brooklyn, NY
9pm | $7 | All Ages

Facebook event page here

Last Nights Presents: Gunn-Truscinski, Samara Lubelski, Pigeons

Last Nights Presents

Gun-Truscinski Duo
Samara Lubelski
Pigeons

Thursday January 12th
Death By Audio
49 S. 2nd Street Brooklyn, NY
9pm | $7 | All Ages

Facebook event page here

LastNights: Spectre Folk / Colin L. Orchestra / Images Tonight Nov. 21st

Flier by Scott Ryan Davis

Hey those of you in the Brooklyn area should be sure to check this show out tonight. Colin L. Orchestra will be getting the evening started allowing the early birds to weep the rewards while the late comers try to catch up.

Spectre Folk

Images

Colin L. Orchestra (ex USAISAMONSTER)

Monday, November 21st

Death By Audio

49 S. 2nd Street Brooklyn, NY

8:30pm | $7

RVSP on Facebook here

Last Nights Presents: Spectre Folk / Colin L. Orchestra / Images

Happy to announce an upcoming Last Nights show this Monday, November 21st at Death By Audio in Brooklyn, NY. The night will see Spectre Folk, Colin L. Orchestra, & Images hit the stage for a special night of some laid back psychedelic jammers.

Pete Nolan (aka Spectre Folk) and his band have been on a winning streak as of the last year or so. The band's ferocious appetite for playing out as often as possible has seen Spectre Folk grow into a live band not to be missed around Brooklyn and New York as a whole, which can be a city gorged with talent. If one is to combine the live show with their recorded output of Nolan/the band then it becomes obvious why Fader called them a "New York supergroup".

Some may know Colin Langenus from his time as one half of USAISAMONSTER but his work with the Orchestra is a different matter. Justin Farrar wrote for the Village Voice that the Colin L. Orchestra are "big band that produces a cloudy blend of classic rock, country folk, and Rhys Chatham-inspired minimalism." Letting their hair way down the group loosely work their way the tunes at hand allowing some inspiration to lead the way.

Though keeping a low profile in recent memory Images will be making a special appearance. The show is set to be the first live show since playing Creepy Teepee in the Czech Republic this past summer and haven't played NY since this past spring, which coincidentally also with Spectre Folk. A new album titled Know What I Mean, created as a duo version of the group, has recently been finished with it's release details TBA.

Spectre Folk

Images

Colin L. Orchestra

Monday, November 21st

Death By Audio

49 S. 2nd Street Brooklyn, NY

8:30pm | $7

RVSP on Facebook here

Dog Daze Tapes

Dog Daze Tapes, of Portland, OR,has been popping up on my radar recently. The label only a handful of releases to it's name, each available in cassette and mp3 formats. What's more is that each displays a keen sense of taste and curatorial prowess that can sometimes be lacking in the cassette label scene. This includes releases by Excepter, Marnie Stern, and Blues Control's alter-ego Watersports. When looking beyond the curatorial choices made by Parrish, the label distinguishes itself by keeping each title in-print as often as possible. A move which is in contrast with most other labels around these days.

Watersports - Natural History by dogdazetapes2

Watersports Natural History is so far the most satisfying cassette from Dog Daze yet. This double tape release is a compilation of the duo's out-of-print cassette and CDR releases over the past couple years. This is a needed look into the alter-ego of Lea & Russ as their other project Blues Control has seemingly become M.O. of these two. The releases brings light to the duo's noisy new age compositions. These sparse, often aquatic themed, tracks showcase a juxtaposition of grainy noise/drone & plenty of insect samples along with the previously mentioned new age vibes.

Dog Daze's first release Excepter's Maze of Death was recorded in a "within the ad-hoc labyrinth, Excepter performed obscured to the audience and alienated from each other, starting early and playing late. Shares title with a Philip K. Dick novel in which an isolated group of space colonists consider the absolute as their mutual hallucination crumbles around them" according to the cassette's press release. For those familiar with Excepter then this translates to pretty much what they do best, extended synth and drum machine jammers that follow a logic all their own. This release is a special version of the performance edited by Robert Giradin and was recorded at one of Last Nights favorite brooklyn DIY spaces Death By Audio.

Marnie Stern - Demo by dog daze tapes

I'll admit that I wasn't too familiar with Marnie Stern's work outside of seeing her name name coming up here & there. Each of time she was mentioned the word "shred" always tagged along. Dog Daze's release of Stern's initial home recorded demos really showcase why. Even more so though a great deal of credit must be equally given to the overall compositions & song craft that appears even as early as these demos.

Dog Daze has some exciting stuff lined up for it's future releases including music by Twins & Occasional Detroit. Also be sure to check out the label's mixtape offshoot Foggy Notion Tapes which has Mitch Hedberg (note from editor: love that dude) mix on the way.