I love and hate the bipolar skronk of Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death. I have ever since I bought their "Diamonds In The Mine" (a Leonard Cohen cover) 45 at Easy Street Records a few years ago. That first bitter taste of their smeared mediation between old world magic and new chaos, between folk and punk and noise and song and anti-song, can be found in their hasty approximation of a song based on moral outrage and spat out brusquely.
Years down Highway 99, after a smattering of releases and a sputtering of shows, on the new Don't Stop Believin' full-length Some Of Us Are In This Together, the dead hooker's bruises still haven't healed. Who can expect them to? Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death is as cold as they come. It's still-born squalor, between abyss and existence. The ten tracks on Some Us Are In This Together are as tribal-loyal, exclusive, paranoid-defensive, and elitist as the LP title sounds. Drummer Andrea Zollo (ex-Pretty Girls Make Graves) is at the center of the activity, pounding away like an embittered Moe Tucker pummeling on an abusive boss's balding cranium with a Walmart price gun, allowing Corey J. Brewer (guitars, Cold Lake) and Joel Cuplin (bass, Constant Lovers) to churn death-pasta into a bile casserole.
photo by Steve Louie
Tonight (a Monday night! How lucky can we get?) Past Lives plays the Showbox at the Market's Green Room, a nicely intimate way to get to know this new challenging, more melodic material from these brother punks.
There is plenty of Friday and Saturday afternoon to catch the route 60, 131, 134, or 170 to catch this little festival with a big Northwest line-up.
Even though we're in the midst of a celebratory time of year, the shock of the sudden closing of the legendary Crocodile Cafe is still with us.
Latest comment by: Beehive: "That sounds like a great idea Liz! Right on.. It's awesome when the music community can come together! "
Burn to Shine photo by Molly Moon Neitzel
Recent comments
Imaginary exclusive! More Than Shapes, starring John Roderick of the Long Winters
For the (whole) love of Wilco
Imaginary exclusive! More Than Shapes, starring John Roderick of the Long Winters
Imaginary exclusive! More Than Shapes, starring John Roderick of the Long Winters
Imaginary Mixtape: Shuffle Surprise!
Imaginary Mixtape: Shuffle Surprise!
Imaginary Mixtape: Shuffle Surprise!
Imaginary Mixtape: Shuffle Surprise!
Imaginary Linkage: Stuff We Spied Online This Week {1/28-2/3}
Imaginary Linkage: Stuff We Spied Online This Week {1/28-2/3}