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SXSW review: Black Angels at Cedar Street
Almost by definition, psych rock bands create a sort of sonic barrier between themselves and their audience. All that fuzz and drone makes for an other-worldly presence - on record especially - that can often make it hard for the music to resonate without the help of foreign substances.
But here’s the thing about Austin’s Black Angels at this point in their creative lives; the band makes psych rock sexy. From the very beginning of the new “Bad Vibrations” the band had a swing and sway to its drone that lent a sense of danger beyond what they got on record with the new “Phosphene Dreams.”
Lead singer Alex Maas also has learned how to channel just the right touch of Jim Morrison up on stage, sort of daring you to look away from him while he’s howling the chorus to “Entrance Song,” pounding on an organ or leaning back and taking in the thunderous noise his band can generate when all of its sounds lock in amidst its shifting time changes. When that happens - especially in a place like Cedar Street where tall brick buildings on either side of the stage create a sort of audio wind tunnel - it’s hard to think of another band matching their power.
Lots will try when the fourth annual Black Angels-curated Austin Psych Fest kicks off on April 29. Pack your earplugs. There’s a chance it could get kinda loud.
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