Backseat Sandbar

Just saw this announced and couldn’t wait to post about it.  This fest has always been a great experience down in Lexington, and this year is no different.  Just check the line-up out and you’ll be sold.  Louisville is represented well by Lucky Pineapple, Phantom Family Halo, R. Keenan Lawler, Sapat and more…  Tickets should be available soon.  We’ll keep you updated.

WRFL’s BOOMSLANGFESTIVAL
SEPTEMBER 10-12, 2010
Lexington, KY
Weekend Pass $40, Various range from free – $25

WRFL presents second annual 3-day experimental music and art festival

HERE ARE THE INITIAL DETAILS:

LEXINGTON, KY – WRFL 88.1, the University of Kentucky’s college and community radio station
is excited to announce that Lexington will host the second-annual Boomslang: A Celebration
of Sound & Art during the weekend of September 10-12. Boomslang is a 3-day multivenue
festival extending WRFL’s mission to bring innovative, non-commercial music of various
genres to central Kentucky, and the line-up will include a mixture of national, international, regional
and local musicians, as well as a number of satellite events celebrating experimental art
of all forms.

Artists Performing at This Year’s Festival Include:

Full line-up at HERE.

Additional events will include haute couture art installation, film screenings (including the Kentucky
premiere of “Secondhand Sureshots”), literary events, a kid’s music event, an interstellar
cosmic journery orchestrated by Everyone Lives Everyone Wins, and the eclectically-curious,
always exciting Boomslang Carnival.

Tickets for various events will range from free to $25, with weekend passes available for $40.
Hold your horses, tickets will soon be available at www.boomslangfest.com.

Dominic Cipolla, frontman for Louisville’s Phantom Family Halo, gave us some time to pick his brain about everything from PFH’s show with Roky Erickson this Friday at Headliner’s to their most recent album to ear x-tacy to Interpol.  Check it out, then go pick up tix to Friday’s show.  Should be a wild time.  See you there.

INTERVIEW WITH DOMINIC CIPOLLA OF PHANTOM FAMILY HALO

BS: You are playing with Roky Erickson on Friday (the 25th) at Headliner’s. Any thoughts on what you might want to talk with him about before the show?

DC: White Faces or The Bloody Hammer, Maybe Mexican food…not sure.

BS: Do you see any of The 13th Floor Elevators in Phantom Family Halo?

DC: I do lyrically more then our sound. I think alot of the subject matter is the same.

BS: Every time I see you guys, you play in the dark. Are you going to have the Headliner’s light guy turn off the stage lights?

DC: Yes, except for the end of set we may bring up the lights for some special guests……

BS: The show is to celebrate Wild and Woolly Video’s 13th Anniversary. What was the last video you rented?

DC: Fear in the Night- 1972

BS: I’ve got your double LP Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die and it is one of my favorite albums to come out of Louisville in forever. Was the thought always to put it on vinyl? For me, it just is a great match

DC: Yes, I picture everything on a record.

BS: Having gone through the process, would you recommend pressing vinyl to other bands looking to get their music to the masses?

DC: Yes I would recommend pressing vinyl to anyone making music…not sure about the music to the masses part….

BS: Do you collect vinyl? How long? Why?

DC: Yes..15 years maybe…It’s a great package deal, I think the art work is as important as the music. When it all comes together right it is a great thing.

BS: What was the last album you bought?

DC: Secos and Molhados

BS: What’s your take on ear x-tacy moving? Is the world going to end?

DC: I thought they were just moving down the street? As long as it’s just a new location Ear x-tacy will be fine. The world’s gonna end all on it’s own.

BS: Your album titles are pretty unique. How important is an album’s name to the album as a complete package? What do you look for?

DC: Very important, I usually try to come up with something that ties the whole thing together.

BS: Are you at liberty to disclose any of the album titles that didn’t make the cut?

DC: That was the title from the start.

BS: Unrelated to the show, but what’s your take on Pajo joining Interpol?

DC: I think Dave is great at everything he does.

BS: What is one thing that you think the Louisville music scene does better than other cities?

DC: Believing that it’s the center of the universe.

BS: What is one that that the Louisville music scene needs to work on?

DC: I think things a pretty good around here,Maybe more venues.

BS: Besides Louisville, what has been your favorite city to tour through? Why?

DC: I love the Brookdale lodge near Santa Cruz.It is a old hotel that is very “haunted”.The shows are in a old beautiful ballroom.People who come to the shows get rooms for the night and its just a all night creepy good time with ghosts and all.

Here are the details for Friday’s show at Headliner’s:

Wild and Woolly Video’s 13 Anniversary w/
Roky Erickson
with Phantom Family Halo
Montag
& Bad Blood

Friday, June 25, 8pm
Doors 7pm
Headliners Music Hall

Tickets: $15
On Sale 5/21 @ 10am
Available at:
TicketWeb & Wild And Woolly Video
Ages: 18 and over

6/11 New Albany Bicentennial Sculpture unveiling. 6pm 201 e. spring st. FREE

6/11 ROCK N’ ROLL BALLET w/Whistle Peak, Deloreans, Louisville Ballet co. New Albany Amphitheater. 7pm FREE

6/12 Pajama party @ 21 C (5th annual) 7pm donations=tickets

6/12 The Web and Phantom family halo at The Vernon Club 9pm $5

Wild and Woolly Video’s 13 Anniversary w/
Roky Erickson
with Phantom Family Halo
Montag
& Bad Blood

Friday, June 25, 8pm
Doors 7pm
Headliners Music Hall

Tickets: $15
On Sale 5/21 @ 10am
Available at:
TicketWeb & Wild And Woolly Video
Ages: 18 and over

Stardeath & White Dwarfs and Phantom Family Halo will be at Glassworks on May 8, 2010.  Tix are $8 (adv.), $10 (door).

Details:

While acid punk purveyors Stardeath & White Dwarfs are often mentioned in the same sentence as their friends The Flaming Lips – as both hail from Oklahoma, tour together, and just released their collaborative re-imagining of Dark Side of the Moon late last year – the strength of their debut, The Birth, and their theatrical live show stands on its own merits. Stardeath & White Dwarfs’s brand of fuzzed-out psychedelia gives up “what up” nod to The Swirlies, Spacemen 3, The Helio Sequence, Black Moth Super Rainbow, and Grandaddy, and synthesizes such celestial meditations into a personable, danse galactic party atmosphere.

The group has melted faces worldwide supporting the likes of Deerhoof, British Sea Power, and Explosions in the Sky. Stardeath is currently on tour with The Flaming Lips, and will perform Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety during their headlining slot at this year’s Bonnaroo. Hence, you need to see them in an intimate and amazing atmosphere on the Glassworks Rooftop, with their trippy visual show, the Louisville skyline, and a beautiful May evening as the backdrop.  Rarely is space rock this much fun, so do not miss ‘em!

Get your dome blown open by Phantom Family Halo, and hide the women and children. Phantom Family Halo dropped their sprawling 2LP post-apocalyptic lament on Karate Body last fall called Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die. It’s evil. While the entire body of work can be classified as psych garage rock or acid rock, the record’s all over the place within the parameters of “brain burning.” A bit of Warp-worthy ambient explorations here, a bit of krautrock motorik rhythms there… and then insanely reverberated crunchy guitars ascend from the primordial ooze scary enough to make Fever Ray poo her trou. If you love Brian Jonestown, Loop, Six Organs of Admittance, Boris, and the like, Phantom Family Halo is essential for you. These dudes are sonic warriors. The group just finished up big support slots with Russian Circles and Young Windows. And just last week they smoked WFPK’s Live Lunch. Did they tone down for the midday crowd? Hell no.

The band ripped a 20-minute jam session with Steve Good from Sapat, summoning some serious Meddle-era Floyd and Faust shit (and probably provoking some listeners at the $150 level to turn off their office radios, so high fives all around). Hard truths were learned, and Phantom took up teaching duties with panache. And I just found out that two of the dudes work at my favorite video store, Wild & Wooly Video… which means that two of the dudes from my favorite Louisville act know about all the Freddy Prince Jr. flicks I rent. BUMMER! Before, between, and after the sets, look for a rotating cast of Louisville scaliwags hitting the DJ decks, spinning joints you love and hate and taking no requests (maybe they’ll take requests).

This show is also brought you by Crash Avenue, the good folks at Transpanther Group, and viewers like you. Major thanks to Papalino’s Pizza for providin’ some pies for our guys. Ya’ll don’t get none, though. Start a band if you’re tryin’ to grip that ‘za. Just joshin’… I’ll save you some pizza. Stardeath & White Dwarfs with Phantom Family Halo happens Saturday, May 8th on the rooftop garden of the 10-story Glassworks in downtown Louisville.

This event is 21+. There will be a cash bar. Advanced tickets are only $8, and you can get ‘em at Brown Paper Tickets, as well as at ear X-tacy.

Via WFPK:

April 9 – Phantom Family Halo
The Phantom Family Halo was formed in 2007 by members of Sapat and The For Carnation. Their debut record “The Legend of Black Six” was released on limited edition vinyl that year. The CD version followed in July 2007 on Cold Sweat Records.

In the ensuing year and a half, they toured the United States, sharing bills with Acid Mothers Temple, Guru Guru, Hawkwind, Slint, Dead Meadow, The Entrance Band, Black Mountain, Black Angels and many other notable acts.

Phantom Family Halo has been characterized as being part of a current neo-psychedelic movement, but the group’s music travels too far beyond that scope, existing in a world all its own.

Their double-LP “Monoliths and These Flowers Never Die” was released on Karate Body Records in October 2009. A split 7-inch with Meah on Sophomore Lounge Records is also out. —Rev. Mario Santo Belgravia

Recent Press:

“Repetitious psychedelic dreams give way to flickering space synthesizers, as Louisville, KY’s The Phantom Family Halo dig deep to create something fresh and vital out of something old and glorious. Think Syd Barrett and Scott Walker jamming with Hawkwind or the 13th Floor Elevators in the height of the “Krautrock” frenzy, or The Birthday Party subdued to play a rendition of “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.” Harkening back to the trailblazers of experimental rock music, while fitting nicely within the nest of neo psyche brethren Dead Meadow, Entrance, Six Organs of Admittance or Bright Black Morning Light. The Phantom Family Halo are the missing link to the past and future, rooted deeply in “the now”. Slip inside their house” – The Devil Has the Best Tuna

Myspace page

Live Lunch WFPK Radio Louisville hosts “Live Lunch” every Friday at noon. Come see your favorite local and touring artists perform live at the Louisville Public Media performance space at 619 S. Fourth Street in downtown Louisville. Due to fire code regulations, space in the performance studio is limited to 70 people.Doors open at 11:30 am. Brown bag your lunch, and join us for this free performance. If you’re a member of WFPK at the $52 level or higher, call to reserve a free lunch from the City Café! (First 50 callers receive a lunch.) Also, Family level members ($120) and above can call to enter for a chance to reserve a seat for the show! (Reserved seating is limited.) Call (502) 814-6565 to reserve your lunch or to enter for a chance to reserve a seat; lunch reservations will be taken from 1pm the Friday before the show to noon the Thursday before the show. Reserved seating entries will be taken from 1pm the Friday before the show to noon the Monday before the show. If you can’t make the performance in person, listen live at 91.9 WFPK Radio Louisville.

Via Robotic Empire:

During the height of touring on their “Old Wounds” album, YOUNG WIDOWS was invited to play an on-air show at the WMUC radio station in Maryland. A handful of people were present to witness them deliver the goods, and the college kids at the 88.1 FM station recorded the live transmission. Robotic Empire (traveling with the band) promptly swooped in, stole the lone copy of the session, had it professionally mastered, and this is the end result: A killer live LP capturing a powerful trio in their prime element. Comes on heavyweight 180 gram vinyl, limited to 500 copies.

BUY HERE FOR $12.99

Read our review of Young Widows’ recent show at Vernon Lanes in Louisville, Kentucky w/ Phantom Family Halo and My Disco.

My Disco,  Young Widows, and Phantom Family Halo kicked off their mid-west tour March 9 at Vernon Club and didn’t disappoint.  My Disco opened and set the bar for the rest of the bands.  Similar to some of PFH’s stuff, their sound was heavy and waves of sound hit you right in the chest, kind of like ambient music for the anxious.  I was really there to see PFH because their new album Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die (out now on Karate Body) was one of my favorites of 2009 and I haven’t seen them play it live. Needless to say their set was great.  They played in the dark so they look like ghosts (or phantoms), but oh well.  Young Widows finished off the night, and I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never seen them before.  People traveled from all over to see them play and now I can understand why.  They are one of the tightest and technically polished bands I’ve seen in a long time.  Check out Old Wounds for a taste.  It just got reissued (again) on vinyl.  You can buy it here.  Also, we took some video and you can watch them below…

Phantom Family Halo – Blackouts and Runaways
Phantom Family Halo – Alive and Well

(more…)

My Disco (second album engineered by Steve Albini),  Young Widows, and Phantom Family Halo are kicking off a mid-west tour March 9 at Vernon Club. $7. 18+. 8 p.m. Get ready for a sick show.

Here are some Karate Body related upcoming shows this month:

Nov. 2: eremy*JIrvin w/ Zee Avi @ Zanzabar. JIrvin’s exclusive track, “On My Own” appears on Vol. 9 of Louisville Is For Lovers. Copies of the limited edition red and white double vinyl available from karatebodyrecords.com.

Nov. 6: The Fervor w/ Smug Brothers @ Zanzabar. The Fervor’s new song, “No Apology” appears on The Green Belt limited edition split 7-inch, available now from us, ear X-tacy and Underground Sounds. Copies will be for sale at this show. Smug Brothers features former members of Guided By Voices. 9 p.m. $6.

Nov. 14: Wussy @ Headliners (Dare To Care Food-raiser). Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker open the show. Wussy’s exclusive track “Fly Fly Fly” appears on The Green Belt split 7-inch. Harper Simon and Company of Thieves also perform.

Nov. 14: Joe Manning @ Rudyard Kipling. Manning’s new song, “Lately at A Lesser Table” appears on The White Belt split 7-inch with riverboat soul provider Pokey LaFarge. Manning appears at The Rudyard Kipling alongside Scott Carney and Sardren Wells. It also happens to be Ken Pyle’s 69th birthday.

Nov. 20: Phantom Family Halo @ Zanzabar. Phantom Family Halo’s double LP Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die is out now, and available from us, ear X-tacy and Underground Sounds. The band hits the road for a tour of the east coast and Canada Nov. 27 with Russian Circles and fellow Louisvillians Young Widows. NOTE: Each double LP comes with a free download card of the entire Phantom Family Halo album.

I was in Underground Sounds the other day and Phantom Family Halo‘s new album Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die was playing.  I didn’t recognize it at first, but what I heard was epic.   Every track seemed lifted from a timeless album that changed music, but in a mirror reflecting PFH’s own image.  It’s messy, its distorted, it’s trippy, it’s perfect.  I’ve seen them a number of times in the past and I’ve always been a fan, but this album has taken them to a whole new level for me.  The album throws pretension and convention out the window and does whatever the fuck it wants.  Fast, slow, melodic, electric, old, new, hard, soft…they do it all at their pace, not yours.  White Stripes, Velvet Underground?  I raise my head and wonder if I’m listening to the same album, only to be reassured that, yes, it is still PFH.  Get a taste of the album below, but you MUST listen to this WHOLE album.  It’s one of my favorite albums of the year.  No question. Take notice.

On a related note, Karate Body Records is KILLING IT!! Let’s review:  This album (a beautiful 2xLP), Bonnie Billy and Cheyenne Mize (10″ Cream), Louisville is For Lovers Vol. 9 (Pink/White mix), Ben Sollee (White LP), Rachel Grimes (w/ Sheet Music), Wussy/The Fervor (Green Vinyl), Ume EP (Gold vinyl), Pokey LaFarge & Joe Manning 7″ (heavy as hell white vinyl)… It’s all ridiculously awesome and I can’t get enough of it.

Phantom Family Halo will open for Russian Circles and Young Widows on the following tour dates:

FRI NOV 27 – Detroit MI, Magic Stick
SAT NOV 28 – Buffalo, NY Soundlab
MON NOV 30 – Milford CT, Daniel Street
TUE Dec 1 – New York NY, Bowery Ballroom
WED DEC 2 – Cambridge MA, The Middle East
THU DEC 3 – Washington DC, DC9
FRI DEC 4 – Philadelphia PA, First Unitarian Church
SUN DEC 6 – Montreal QC, Il Motore
MON DEC 7 – Toronto ON, Lee’s Place
WED DEC 9 – Kalamazoo MI, The Strut
THU DEC 10 – Cleveland OH, The Grog Shop
FRI DEC 11- Louisville, Kentucky, Skull Alley

Also:

PFH’s double LP Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die is out now and you can get it online at Karate Body or at a fine record store near you.  Mark it down: Their record release show will be Nov. 25 in Louisville at Lisa’s Oak Street Lounge with Softcheque. Cost is $5.

Phantom Family Halo – Blackouts and Runaways
Phantom Family Halo – Alive and Well

Photo via The Decibel Tolls

I just saw Softcheque play at Rock the Whole Lot and was blown away.  I can’t believe that I haven’t heard this band yet, but better late than never.  Softcheque is driven by its two female singers with absolutely enchanting voices and supplemented with a mellow drone of keys and percussion.  Immediately, Bat for Lashes came to mind and the similarities are scary.  Each combine hypnotizing vocals with a dark and eerie journey sound.  Keep on on on this group, they have a ton of talent and will win you over after a single song.  You can catch them at Phantom Family Halo’s album releases party at the Z bar on October 17th.  Check out a video from their show at DCE below (via The Decibel Tolls)…

Phantom Family Halo will open for Russian Circles and Young Widows on the following tour dates:

FRI NOV 27 – Detroit MI, Magic Stick
SAT NOV 28 – Buffalo, NY Soundlab
MON NOV 30 – Milford CT, Daniel Street
TUE Dec 1 – New York NY, Bowery Ballroom
WED DEC 2 – Cambridge MA, The Middle East
THU DEC 3 – Washington DC, DC9
FRI DEC 4 – Philadelphia PA, First Unitarian Church
SUN DEC 6 – Montreal QC, Il Motore
MON DEC 7 – Toronto ON, Lee’s Place
WED DEC 9 – Kalamazoo MI, The Strut
THU DEC 10 – Cleveland OH, The Grog Shop
FRI DEC 11- Louisville, Kentucky, Skull Alley

Also:

Pre-order PFH’s double LP Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die now at Karate Body. Mark it down: Their record release show will be Nov. 25 in Louisville at Lisa’s with Softcheque.

Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die
Double vinyl gatefold LP and digital formats
Coming Oct. 6
Cover artwork: Derrick Snodgrass

No clue how this whole album sounds, but I’ve been a big fan of PFH and what Karate Body Records has been putting out.  You can pick up a copy HERE when it releases in October.

You can listen to a two track preview here.