THE BLACK ANGELS

DIRECTIONS TO SEE A GHOST

Christian Bland – guitar, drone machine/organ * Alex Maas – vocals Stephanie Bailey – drums, percussion * Nate Ryan – bass, guitar Kyle Hunt – keyboards, percussion, bass, guitar

While there are those who refuse to acknowledge it, the evidence is everywhere. For the Black Angels, it was clearly natural progression which led to its stunning sophomore outing, "DIRECTIONS TO SEE A GHOST." The Austin-based outfit has unleashed an epic work of modern American rock 'n' roll, a collection which expands on the turbulent dynamics and post-millennial disquiet of their acclaimed debut, "PASSOVER." Tracks such as "You On The Run" and "Mission District" are fired by massive, slow-burning riffs and sheets of effects, driven to hypnotic heights by a primordial tribal rumble and mysterious, shamanic vocals. With "DIRECTIONS TO SEE A GHOST"," the Black Angels have grown into something extraordinary – a pulse-pounding, mind-bending beast of a band, capable of both transcendent heaviosity and raw numinous power.

Formed in 2004, the Black Angels took up the dark mantle of neo-psychedelic drone rock and infused it with revolutionary realpolitik and the expansive Americana of their home state. The band's 2006 debut, "PASSOVER," drew international praise, while the hard- touring band's powerful and evocative live sets earned them an ever-growing fanbase.

The Black Angels got back to the business of creation mere months after the April release of "PASSOVER," working once again with engineer Erik Wofford (My Morning Jacket, Explosions In The Sky) at his Cacaphony Recorders. The converted warehouse, located on the banks of the Colorado River in East Austin, proved the ideal atmosphere for the band's work.

"What's interesting about the space is it just feels like Texas," singer Alex Maas enthuses. "The back side is all windows, so you have tons of natural light coming in and you never get tired. You're not in this stale fluorescent-buzzing recording studio environment. It's more of an outdoor feel, just a good Texas feel."

BLACK MOUNTAIN

Black Mountain doesn't have a creation myth, or not exactly: "Most of us were found standing 'round parties wearing similar T-shirts or shoes and nodding our heads to something cool on the stereo," Stephen McBean explains. "Others were heard from behind walls but never seen 'til years later. You share a smoke, do a shot then end up in a van together for what seems like the rest of your life."

In the late 1990s, Vancouver wasn't particularly renowned for its raucous, all-encompassing psych-rock scene. "Just like everywhere else, Vancouver's music scene has had its 'up' years, followed by its 'down' years," Matt Camirand says. "When a city is in a musical honeymoon everyone goes to shows, more places start having shows, more people start bands, etc. Soon it's too much of a good thing, people begin to take it for granted and eventually it all dies out like the dinosaurs. I think when Black Mountain started, Vancouver was near the end of a musical honeymoon."

That lack of sonic spirit, however disheartening, led to a certain kind of aesthetic freedom. It helped birth a sound – swampy, psychedelic, ecstatic, wild – unlike much else in the indie-rock universe. "The complete indifference here to rock music in general – at least at the time of our formation, it's a bit different now – made us completely unselfconscious about what we were doing," Josh Wells adds. "Nobody gave a shit, so we weren't making music for any people in particular."