Pygmy Lush at Golden West Cafe 11/1/11 + MEGAPOST

Most of you are probably very familiar with Pygmy Lush by now. The project has grown to be the most popular of any post Pg. 99 project. In a career that now spans three full length albums and 4 years, as well as tours with groups like Des Ark and Ghastly City Sleep, Pygmy Lush's steady output and presence has made them a mainstay in the DIY scene which most of them have been a part of for over twenty years.

They are infamous for their "loud" and "quiet" sets, with fans often left wondering which band they will see that night - a loud, raucous rock and roll band, or a dynamic folk group. 2007's Bitter River, their debut record showcased both the band's distinctive, and very different, sounds. Lately, the band has embraced mainly their folky side. Their last two LP's contain no "loud" songs, but their excellent offering on their side of 2009's split with Turboslut showcases some of their best material, both loud and soft. Their newest offering, 2011's Old Friends was recorded with Des Ark's Aimee Argote serving as a back up singer/musician on a few of the songs (she is pictured in the photo of the group above), and may be their best recording yet.

Tuesday night's show in Baltimore at the Golden West Cafe on 36th St. came on the heels of an all day recording session with J. Robbins of Jawbox fame. The band was apparently recording a version of "Serve The Servants" for a Nirvana tribute compilation. I missed the first band, Big Mouth, so I can't really say anything about them. Bad Biology played next, a really great kind of grimy, rock and rolly hardcore band featuring members of a couple of other Baltimore bands. It was their first show in about 6 months.

Pygmy Lush headlined, and played mostly material from Old Friends, and opened with the album's excellent first song, "Yellow Hall", a kind of demented sea shanty that translates beautifully to the live stage. They also played "Asphalt", the most instantly recognizable Pygmy Lush song, as well as "Big Black River" from Bitter River upon request from the crowd as an encore.

It was by far the best set I've ever seen the band play, loud or soft. They seemed to be truly enjoying themselves; as they jammed away on the last two songs of their set you could see smiles breaking out on their faces. After the show, Chris Taylor said that they felt liberated by the freedom of playing live after being in the studio all day - they could embrace their mistakes and just have fun. It was certainly visible to everyone in attendance.

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Bitter River (2007)



Mount Hope (2008)



Pygmy Lush/Turboslut Split (2009)



Old Friends (2011)



Cold World/Guilt 7" (2011)

OTHER SHIT

Homegrown (B-sides and demos circa Mount Hope)

In A Hole (Live Set 10/24/09, Richmond, VA)

Original blog post from Robotic Empire containing In A Hole recording

Des Ark

Some songwriters are widely praised and well known. Their stature as masters of their craft and acclaim for their songwriting abilities spreads, and they become nationally, or even world famous. All too often, however, some of the most talented, gifted songwriters get swept under the rug, or hug the coattails of obscurity willingly. There are those songwriters who develop intense cult followings, suspended on a pedestal for lucky individuals in the know.

Aimee Argote's consistent output since 2005 under the moniker Des Ark has suspended her to such a cult status. Argote's early material, raw, blistering post-punk with a heavy nod to the blues, has given way in more recent years to a restless, Appalachian-laden folk style since the loss of her drummer, the only other true "member" of Des Ark. Loose Lips Sink Ships, the band's first true LP puts Argote's talented guitar playing on display as she rails through eight songs, howling, sobbing, and sometimes outright screaming.

It is a far cry from the place we find her now in recent recordings; live she may bring the electric band with her, but on the live recording from WXDU, we find Argote as her most intimate and delicate, where newer songs like "Bonne Chance, Asshole" show off her incredible voice, as well as her creative and under appreciated guitar playing and tunings. The first song on Live on WXDU Vol. 1, "The Artistic Possibilites of Sub-Standard Housing and Food Stamps" even features Argote's parents clapping and stomping along. And the first two songs on Vol. 2 feature banjo, and are perhaps some of the finest tracks Argote has ever laid down.

2008's Battle of the Beards, a split with Ben Davis and the Jetts, is Argote's finest studio outing. A coherent EP that showcases her newer, country-tinged anarcho/blues/folk/punk/what-the-fuck-ever styling perfectly with accompaniment from piano and a string section.

If you have been sleeping on giving Des Ark a try, wait no longer. Aimee Argote deserves to be recognized as one of the greatest songwriters alive today; one that is able to capture and dissect the most secretive, taboo parts of the human psyche. Casual sex, homosexuality, alcoholism, and self-loathing are often given the nod amidst a wave of gentle, article finger-picking and a voice that creaks, moans, coos, and shrieks, demanding your immediate attention.

I am missing her first release, a split 7" with Bellafea put out in 2005. Anyone got it?

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Day of Prole (20??)



Loose Lips Sink Ships (2005)



Live on WXDU Vol. 1



Live on WXDU Vol. 2



'Battle of the Beards' Split with Ben Davis and the Jetts (2007)