The Cult Comes Back

Heads-up... Cult of Youth are back in town tomorrow, opening for Zola Jesus at The Empty Bottle. Our new friends Population will be kicking off the night. Pretty solid line-up...

BLOODYMINDED Live 3/22 Recap

BLOODYMINDED
22 March 2011
The Abbey Pub
Chicago, IL

With Cult of Youth, Socially Retarded, Population

BLOODYMINDED
James Moy - Synth + Mix + Vocals
Isidro Reyes - Synth + Vocals
Mark Solotroff - Vocals + Synth

01: LAKE STREET
02: ANGEL OF DARKNESS
03: TROPHY
04: WITHIN THE WALLS
05: GIRLFRIEND ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN SCHIZOPHRENIC EPISODE BY REVEALING CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE
06: IN THE MOOD
07: MIND THE GAP
08: PORN LORDS
09: A SONG FOR LISANNE, A YOUNG MODEL
10: LEAK (CADAVER IN DRAG)
11: GENITAL PANIC
12: PRO-ANA
13: BLIND FURY
14: TWO DROPS OF BLOOD
15: VISITING AN EX-GIRLFRIEND IN THE HOSPITAL – AIDS WARD
16: OUTSIDE THE GATE
17: CHALK EATER
18: CHINATOWN

Population kicked off the night with a great blend of coldwave, post-punk (ugh, that term), and death-rock inspired songs. It was great to see them live and I hope to do more shows with them in the future, particularly with Anatomy of Habit. I think that would be a good match-up. I would definitely recommend picking up their CD demo.

Socially Retarded were crushing, this being their first club show, blasting out from a full PA. Brutal hardcore/punk... power-violence? Sure, I guess. But with a strong power-electronics foundation. I got a feeling of Flux of Pink Indians for some reason. Maybe it was the noise element, the non-stop feedback tones, and the vocal delivery.

We had a pretty fast, heavy and loud set. We slid in under the 24-minute mark. Not bad for this set-list. Great sound from Steven, who has mixed Anatomy of Habit a few times at the Abbey Pub, but not BLOODYMINDED. He kept some great rumble in the bass, kept the ring in the more shrill synth tones, and allowed the feedback to blast out. Heber was a no-show, so we played as a three-piece. James is on probation for bringing a Roland SH-101 to the venue. I know we are in pretty rough shape, synth-wise, but that is crossing a line! That said, it sounded excellent. Everything felt good that night, even if the whole show seemed stripped down. No lion taming. No climbing. Just a go-for-it kind of performance .

Cult of Youth put on a great show... Sean is such a good front-man... and it was nice to have a bigger and more enthusiastic crowd for them, compared to their Viaduct Theater show in October 2009, with Anatomy of Habit. It was a pleasure to hang out with Sean, Glenn, Micki, and Christiana, and I am looking forward to the band's quick return visit with Zola Jesus, next month.

Thanks to Sean and The Abbey Pub, for hosting the show. Thanks to Steven for such great live sound all night. Thanks to all of our friends, who made it out to support us on a cold and rainy Tuesday night!

Tonight - 3/22

Time Out previews 3/22 show

From Time Out

Cult of Youth matches intensity and menace with disarmingly tactile, even deceptively delicate arrangements. Long-running local noise-monger Bloodyminded delivers more traditionally aggro synth-rock, with even more agitated postpunk noise and industrial grime from openers Socially Retarded and Population.

Flavorpill on 3/22

From Flavorpill

Editor Pick

"If you're a fan of the Todd Pendu school of event booking, you have most likely encountered Sean Ragon's band Cult of Youth at some point. And while its sound is dark, this band's darkness is decidedly uplifting, its martial rhythms transporting you alternately to the barren West and to the heart of battle. Called a band to watch by Stereogum, Cult of Youth head off on tour shortly after their performance. So catch them before they go. They appear tonight with local noisemongers Bloodyminded, Socially Retarded, and Population. This is music that rises clear and strong above the noise and confusion of your internal battlefield.”

Rozalia Jovanovic, Flavorpill

Sneak Peek: 03/22/11

Event links:
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/6yexnt7
Last.fm: http://tinyurl.com/6j7zkes
MySpace: http://tinyurl.com/6cnukd8

Status - 1/15

It was great to attend Terence Hannum's opening last night. The installation in the gallery looked beautiful. I encourage anyone in Chicago to stop by Western Exhibitions to check out the show.

The Indian, Sweet Cobra, Might Could show last night was great, was packed, and was rather LOUD. Might Could offered me everything that I used to wish Alabama Thunderpussy could deliver... doomy, sludgy, catchy, Southern-rock-drenched heaviness. Sweet Cobra blasted through their trademark blend of doomy hardcore with a groove. Indian simply tore the roof off of The Empty Bottle. They were devastating. I am looking forward to April, to say the very least.

Work continues this weekend on BloodLust!Digital initiatives. More news soon...

New BloodLust! shows now in the works:
3/15: Silk Flowers
3/22: Cult of Youth
More details to follow ASAP...

In recording news, Isidro will be in the space this weekend, tracking vocals for a guest appearance on a new recording by Los Heraldos Negros, from Mexico City. That is an unanticipated and exciting development!

And, finally, work is progressing on the BLOODYMINDED "Within The Walls" recordings and we should have some actual news to announce soon...