What once was the Frontier Bar in Austin’s East Side is now the Lost Well, opened by biker-friendly, former Lovejoys bartender Marcello Murphy. To keep heaviness afloat Saturday night, Austin indie-psych-noise band the Suspirians released their self-titled debut album to a supportive group of fans and friends. The group is made up of lead singer/guitarist Marisa Pool, noise-maker Sheila Scoville, and drummer Anna Lamphear who along with bassist Stephanie Demopulos, almost commandeered the set with heavy tom-centric percussion securely linked with solid low end.
The band finished the evening, playing to a well-lubricated audience that simultaneously fed and fueled the pyromaniacs better known as the Suspirians. While there may not have been actual flames, but the way the sonic waves licked and lashed the ears was a conflagration of intense euphoria. As mentioned, the drums and bass drove the group forward, often over simple chord progressions calling to mind a psychedelic amalgamation of garage art-rock a la Television, The Stooges, and live Crazy Horse, but fronted with an angular intensity delivered by these four ladies. PPI is always happy to support an eclectic range of artists, and this female-dominated lineup embodies the diversity we like to see out at shows. Songs often travelled deep into instrumental washes of sound into krautrock territory, Scoville sending noisy swirls into the ether and pushing the chaotic train ride to maximum speed.
But before the Susprians and opening the night was Austin-via-Oakland punk duo Amnesia Babies. Lead singer and guitarist Vanessa Smith used the entire stage, at times thrashing of and into the crowd, priming us for the heaviness. Her conspirator Jules Luvray played drums with cymbals a bizarre seven feet off the ground, giving an alluring DGAF affability to the group that muscled its way through a fast-paced set littered with four-letter words thrown at the audience with little discretion, thank God. Their honesty was immediate and helped the sometimes sloppiness of the duo come off with attitude and charm. Smith’s vocals are strong and soaked with endearing swagger. She smiles and coyly talks into the microphone in between songs before diving back into “Thrill Me,” a song demanding some excitement from her ostensible partner, which tonight, is us.
Hard rock three piece the Surlys played the middle of the female fronted rock and roll sandwich, offering up a hearty plate of high-paced bar rock with heavy doses of distortion, guitar solos, and enough pleasant melodic touches to make Chrissie Hynde tap a foot. The group complimented the lady-oriented hard-rocking bill and was the most traditionally heavy by ways of guitar solos, back-to-back guitar and bass posturing, thick drums fills, and the occasional screaming.
All photos © Lukas Truckenbrod & Pop Press International; all rights reserved. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.
