OC WEEKLYgo to articleLast night the Gypsy Lounge in Lake Forest hosted Locals Only veterans
the Steelwells, the New Limb and We Are the Pilots, who were, of
course, reliably solid. But the real discovery, to both the audience
and the other bands themselves, were trio
The Delta Mirror, who played third on the bill.
It was a weird fit for a couple reasons: their slow, deliberate
electronica didn't really fit the usual Lake Forest fare, and they
didn't much resemble the more conventional, guitar-based rock of the
other three bands playing. Which is what made their set memorable.
Thanks
to some snags setting up, there was about an hour between preceding act
the New Limb and the Delta Mirror, which added to the "what are they
gonna sound like?" uncertainty. Consisting of singer/guitarist Craig
Gordon, bassist Karrie K. and multi-keyboardist David Bolt, they
crafted thoughtful and unexpected melodies that were much more
atmospheric than typical rousing Gypsy Lounge shows. The band
themselves seemed aware that they were in a unique position, even
commenting that the other bands were different than the ones they
usually play with--but that they were all really good. (And they are!)
Watching
them, a distinct feeling of "they can't be from Orange County, can
they?" sinks in, and indeed, no, they are not. They're from LA. But
hopefully they'll be back soon--right now they're on a bit of a
southwest tour, hitting Arizona, Texas and Colorado. Oh, and they
worked a smoke machine into their set, too. That was surprising. And
cool. Theatrics!
LAS VEGAS WEEKLYgo to articleBay Area buzz band Sleepy Sun played the Bunkhouse Friday night, and
shockingly few people—like, three dozen, tops—paid their way into the
Downtown venue to witness it (that despite promoter James Woodbridge’s
usual tireless promotional efforts, and preview articles in both
alt-weeklies). Shame, since the tightly packed six- and sometime
seven-piece outfit thundered thick slabs of heavy-psych goodness—topped
by the sublimely intertwined voices of Bret Constantino and Rachel
Williams—down upon the few dazzled supporters who encircled the stage
past 2 a.m. Seriously, Sleepy Sun sounded so righteous, it could have
eaten Wolfmother for breakfast and left room for a few more Blue Cheer
riffs at lunchtime.
Making the somewhat surreal night even more memorable: a blissful
opening set by LA’s The Delta Mirror, a trio specializing in epic,
drummer-less panoramas perfect for late nights and introspective
moments (a cover of TV on the Radio’s “Blind” was particularly
mesmerizing). Here’s hoping both visiting acts can overlook Vegas’ sad
showing when mapping out future tour routes.
SYNTHESIS
Most people hate hospitals - visiting them, being rushed to them, even thinking about them. Yet The Delta Mirror has created an entire album based on stories set within a hospital, each song in a different room. In Machines that Listen we hear all of the haunting gory details of life in this sterile setting. Lyrics like "You can see all your blood/but this room is filled with my blood too," should make one shudder, but has an unusually calming effect instead. In their first long play release, the duo of Craig Gordon and Letdown, aka David Bolt, experiment by intertwining synthesized sound with shoegaze-y guitar, steady beats and soft vocals. The resulting music actually vibrates through the body and must be tried at home. - Sarah Kirkpatrick
EAR EYE NOSE CANDY
In order for one to truly enjoy The Delta Mirror, one must listen at
higher than normal volumes. Doing so will allow you to fully partake in
the ethereal experience that is their album, titled "Machines That
Listen". Their music is clever, haunting, and lingering.