Hailing from the ATL, The Black Lips arose from the ashes of The Renegades and The Reruns, and now make beautiful, gentle harpsichord music. I’m kidding, of course. This insane band is known for raucous garage rock and live shows that involve spewing bodily fluids, and sometimes consuming the same. Kind of like The Plasmatics, only without a hot blond but with a better singer and better tunes. Or like Mr. Bungle, but slightly (only slightly) less insane. Wait, I got it. They’re like The Stooges.
Most of the reviews I’ve read categorize the Black Lips’ sound as 60s blues/garage rock, which is pretty accurate, but it doesn’t give the full sense of how rough and ragged this band can get. Usually, I’m a fan of well-produced material—and this ain’t it. But it has its own allure. Vocalist Cole Alexander snarls like a caged animal being poked with a stick while he’s trying to sleep. The rhythm section seems to be fighting with the guitars. It’s primal.
The band works best when it’s live, which is why their fourth release is such a treat. “Los Valientes Del Mundo Nuevo” (“The Brave Of The New World”) is a live album recorded in Tijuana, Mexico. The sound quality is a little muddy, but you can’t beat the energy.
See it here:
Taste it here:
Black Lips – Not A Problem (Live from Tijuana)
Black Lips – Everybody’s Doing It (Live from Tijuana)
To cap it all off, the band is touring with one of my favorite current garage bands, The Ponys. Catch ‘em here:
February
22 Birmingham, AL @ BottleTree (no Ponys)
23 Roswell, GA @ WhirlyBall Atlanta (no Ponys)
24 Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club (no Ponys)
March
18 Houston, TX @ The Mink
19 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks 21 Atlanta, GA @ EARL
22 Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
23 Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar
24 Washington, DC @ Black Cate
25 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
26 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
27 Boston, MA @ T.T. The Bear’s
31 Chicago, IL @ Logan Square Auditorium
