black lips

Atlanta's Black Lips are back with 'Good Bad Not Evil', their fourth studio album and second for Vice Records

From start to finish the album is a truly engaging combination of alt country, swirling psychadelia and garage rock, with vocals from Cole Alexander reminiscent of a John Cale drone - for example 'Veni Vidi Vici' with the "I caaaaame, I saaaaaaaw, I conquered aaaaaall..." chorus. The guitar and vocal is lazy and meandering and the drum just paces - I can imagine a long humid car ride through the Northern Territory (or anywhere hot, that was just the first place that came to mind OK) with that song on repeat...

Black Lips released their debut EP in late 2001 through Die Slaughterhauslabel (their own label.) Their first tour was booked for December 2002, but tragically days before they were due to leave, guitarist Ben Eberbaugh was killed in a driving accident - someone was drunk and going the wrong way on a highway. The band continued, believing that Eberbaugh would have wanted them to keep playing. Its been claimed 'Transcendental Light' is about that accident, and it may be, but it also could not be at all... their lyrics seem nostalgic sure, but also kind of dismissive. Listen yourself, and see what you think.

They're playing the Meredith Music Festival, and a solo show in Sydney at Oxford Art Factory December 18. Buy tickets here - but do so at your own risk! I have never seen them perform live, and people tell me their shows are phenomenally loud and super violent. Plus, I hear they once pissed in each other's mouths ON STAGE. Seriously. If you're a toe-in-the-water-before-you-jump-right-in kind of person, take a listen to 'Los Valientes Del Mundo Nuevo.' It's a live record that was released through Vice last February and should give you some indication of the raucousness of their sets.

Read their thoughts at their blog and keep your eyes out for a film next year - the band are starring in a Hollywood release as a ficticious 70s group of struggling musos called 'The Renegades.' Why? Who knows! Lets just hope they're better than The Wonders