Brian Jonestown Massacre

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More About

• Anton Newcombe
• The Brian Jonestown Massacre
• Matt Hollywood
• Punk Rock
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media

With one of the few immortal puns in band names and a wonderfully shambolic yet driving live throb, the Brian Jonestown Massacre have always seemed a degree too close to their influences—'60s psych, '80s paisley, '90s shoegazer—to compel too much further listening by non-fans, even after a classic 2004 documentary, DiG!, argued for the genius of bandleader Anton Newcombe. Yet this year's Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? (a reference to both the Beatles and the Sex Pistols) is something else, and might surprise anyone familiar only with the film. With founding guitarist Matt Hollywood back in the fold, the album was recorded in Germany and Iceland with an international cast: "Dekta! Dekta! Dekta!" is gamelan disco Krautrock sung in Russian (by Felix Bondareff, a Berlin musician whose alias, Amazing Electronic Talking Cave, is lifted from a BJM song). "This Is the First of Your Last Warning" reenlists Unnur Andrea Einarsdottir to sing in soulful Icelandic. "Feel It" extends the dance vibe of those tracks with Newcombe himself singing under the densest cloud of fuzz since the band's titled-how-it-sounds 1995 debut, Methodrone. Mostly, though, the old gazey sound is merely spiked and focused amid electronics, world music, and Joy Division homage, with "Let's Go Fucking Mental" unleashing a more anthemic head case in Newcombe. All you need is love. 18+. (Photo by aurelien)
Fri., May 28, 8 p.m., 2010