Friday Night High-lights

Tomorrow night brings quite a lineup to the Troubadour.  PELICAN plays its first LA show since being signed by Southern Lord, and will be joined by labelmates WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM as well as TOMBS.  Pelican's live sets fail to disappoint, and I'm anxious to hear if the label change refects a heavier direction that I quite frankly was not expecting.  I know the new WITTR record, Black Cascade, has been leaked but I cannot imagine that version does any justice to the real deal that was reportedly recorded onto two-inch tape and mixed on a 1973 Neve console by producer Randall Dunn.  I'll wait to get my first taste live.  I saw Tombs at SXSW and was pretty impressed.  They're recent release, Winter Hours, has drawn comparisons to Neurosis, which is easy to make and not quite right, but I understand the struggle people are having to uniquely describe their sound in words.  A little more time with them might help.  

If that scene isn't motivation enough to trek to West Hollywood, my next musical choice would be GORT over at the Relax Bar.  I keep missing this two piece because of conflicts.  They sound like like traveling in space with the emergency brake on.  There's also BATTLEFIELDS from Minnesota at the Knitting Factory who like to shift between metallic instrumental ambient bliss and metallic dual vocal hardcore.  It works.  And finally, if you find all these options just too overwhelming, then kick back and let the ladies get it on, pirate-style: