The Black Angels

The Black Angels
From deep in the heart of Texas, armed with the home-grown mantra "Turn On, Tune In, Drone Out," The Black Angels ring real and rugged like a crimson full moon-lit night. Formed in May of 2004, the band's sanctified holy racket was breech-born out of life-long friendships drawn up in blood and sealed with a kiss. Their self proclaimed "Native American Drone 'N' Roll" genre has progressed from communal living and the members' eclectic upbringings. Bassist Ryan was born on a cult compound, guitarist Bland is the real deal son of a Texas preacher man, and drummer Bailey and vocalist Maas believe a little girl in a red linen dress haunts the group's home.

Taking their name from the classic Velvet Underground tune "The Black Angel's Death Song," these Angels are far more than classic revisionists with extensive record collections. This is heavy-duty psychedelic rock with an incessant primitive beat that echoes the spirit of the 13th Floor Elevators and early Stones.

Calling the ghetto outskirts of Austin, TX their HQ, these hungry-to-create touring nomads crave taking their love for music out on the road. Their densely-layered songs feature Bland's acid-infused finger-painting guitar and the melodic incantations of lead singer Mass within guitar/bass labyrinths from Ryan and Kyle Hunt. The music is martial-drummed into apocalyptic bliss by garage-punk goddess Stephanie Bailey.

Following the success of the band's self-titled debut EP and the 2006 full-length "Passover" comes "Directions To See A Ghost" — over seventy minutes in length and the band's mind-numbing psychedelic opus. DTSAG was brilliantly recorded by Passover's Erik Wofford at Cacophony Recording Studios in Austin, Texas.

The Warlocks
After forming in America during 1999, the ever-changing personnel of The Warlocks meant that the band had already featured nineteen different members before it was slimmed to the seven-piece outfit that they are today. Consisting of Bobby Hecksher (Vocals/Guitar), JC Rees (Guitar), Corey Lee Granet (Guitar), Bobby Martinez (Bass), Laura Grigsby (Tambourine/Keys), Danny Hole (Drums) and Jason Anchondo (Drums) - their two drummers with four guitarists formation produces a relentless, hypnotic wall of sound that suggests a collision between classic psychedelia, Krautrock and Velvet Underground style rock and roll. It's just what the head doctor orders if you wish to be an underground stateside phenomenon and that's exactly what The Warlocks became.

Front man Bobby Hecksher grew up in the swamps of Tampa Bay, Florida where he was practically raised at a radio station owned his Grandfather and where his mum also worked as a secretary. As a result Bobby was soon eating and breathing rock'n'roll on a daily basis.

Bobby recalls, "My granddad was an inspiration. He created the radio station out of thin air. And from it all these nuggets of rock'n'roll came toward me".

At sixteen his family left the swamps and moved to LA where Bobby soon found kindred spirits. He jammed with Beck playing bass on "Stereopathetic Soul Manure"; he hung out in the in the decadent atmosphere of the 'Mad Hatter' club and moonlighted in the Brian Jonestown Massacre whilst also attending parties with legendary acid guru Timothy Leary, a potent cultural and creative mix that led to the formation of The Warlocks.

Their debut album ''Rise & Fall' (Bomp 2000) set out their template allowing The Warlocks to build upon their reputation as a forceful live act but it was the band's signing of a worldwide deal with Mute (in conjunction with City Rockers in the UK and with Birdman in America) that led to the release of "Phoenix" (2003) a record that raised their profile significantly. The album's varying moods and atmospheres range from the driving power of "Shake the Dope Out" to the 14-minute, hallucinogenic opus "Oh Shadie". "Baby Blue", the pretty and deliciously retro 7" and CD single taken from the LP arrived awash with sitars, a touch of feedback and a melody that sounded like it had blown in from the West Coast of pop. The single's extra tracks featured two songs from the album recorded on their British tour, "Hurricane Heart Attack" boasting a guest appearance from ex-Spaceman 3 front man Sonic Boom that together with "Inside Outside" successfully conveyed a sense of the band's gigantic live sound.

Having left those who have experienced the sheer power of The Warlocks hungry for more, "Phoenix" is sure to be the first step on a ladder that could escalate the band to some lofty heights, a fact that Bobby Hecksher seems highly aware of.

"All that concerns me is making The Warlocks the best I can possibly make it. I want to move people. If they walk away from a show feeling something, or just experience a feeling that they didn't feel before then we've achieved something. We've been through chaos and now, finally our destiny is whatever we want it to be..."