ISO- Musicians- New Phoenix-based Doom-Country act "Here Lies."

Ok, Phoenix... I have a new act in the works, and I'm looking for players.

The band is called "Here Lies."

This is a live-show focussed, conceptually-driven project. The goal is mostly original-music (as opposed to covers), aimed at performing in music-venues (rather than primarily as bar-entertainment.) 

The concept? In simplest terms, maybe call this "Doom-Country." In a more specific sense, think old-school Country & Western (most specifically from the Murder-Ballad and Outlaw-Folk traditions) played in a slower, doomier, louder, darker, stompier, dustier, scarier, heavier, high-lonesomer high-lonesome, sense... The darker end of old-school country mixed with big-beat and doom-punk, if you will? 

I have recorded a demo-track to capture the sound in my head for this one... As an original-music, venue-focused concept-act, I'm aiming to keep cover songs limited to a maximum of two per set, but, in the name of demonstrating an example of what my sonic intentions are here, I decided to start by recording a cover-song. This is a 1965 C&W classic by Dick Curless, called "Tombstone Every Mile." (For other covers that might fit into future sets- think Cash- "Long Black Veil," Robbins- "Big Iron," Cave- "Where the Wild Roses Grow"... etc. Important additional influences, in terms of sound, include The Cramps, Bauhaus, Decemberists, Misfits, Joy Division, Soilent Green, Clutch, My Dying Bride... etc.) Check out the demo... and keep in mind that I recorded absolutely every instrument on this recording by myself (with the exception of some backing-vocals by my lovely-and-talented girlfriend Catherine Klabouch), so the sound will undoubtably become further fleshed-out by the influence of additional hands and ear-bulbs.

I intend to play bass (starting on electric, hopefully switching to stand-up once we get going) and vocals. I'm searching for a guitarist, a drummer, and "something else" (a dedicated lap-steel, fiddle, banjo, accordion, honky-tonk-piano, organist, etc. would be ideal... but a versatile multi-instrumentalist who understands the concept and desired sound would also be a good fit.) 

Please email me if interested... or feel free to share with friends if you think you might know people, or know people who know people. 

Updates, art, etc.

A few updates...

My acoustic duo, Old Vine, is working on 3 simultaneous demo-records, and posting new content regularly to our Bandcamp page as they become available. One is our "real" EP, Cavernous Spaces... an album of original-material and original-arrangements of creative covers.

The second is a live-demo of covers from our bar-entertainment set, called Voodoo-Folk Live; B-Sides and Covers.

 The third is a record of oddball remixes of our tracks, called Voodoo-Folk Reconjured!

So... Listen, "like", and follow us on Twitter.

We are currently in the process of sculpting our content for two different sorts of sets, both as bar-entertainment, and playing original content in music-venues. We are always for hire, so book us as entertainment for your bar/ event/ party, or to play creative indie-rock shows in your performance-space. Email for details.



I've also re-started an old habit of posting video-demos of new songwriting material to my youtube channel... Here's a brand new one.

In other news, I'm having a sort of "friends and family" liquidation-sale at my Etsy site. If I know you personally, or you're "local" enough to know who I am in any sort of personal way, message me personally before making an offer on any pieces that you might want from my site... I have WAY more of my own material on the walls of my studio than I would like at the moment, so any reasonable offer will be considered.

Help Wanted- Consummate Performer/ Snazzmobb Keyboardist.

Want to play the coolest key-rig in the business? My band Snazzmobb is looking to fill a hole in our live-lineup. 

We are looking for a consummate, energetic performer to join our show, to spazz out behind this contraption while filling in some holes in our live sound. 

While a skilled keyboard player would be the ideal fit, this role, to be perfectly honest, is not particularly musically challenging if the right person doesn't choose to make it such. First and foremost, we are looking for an absolutely electric performer with a basic working knowledge of music, the ability to push buttons and follow directions. Someone who is, say, usually a guitarist, with a good sense of rhythm and the desire to put on an explosive show, could be as good a match for this role as someone with professional synth experience.

Job responsibilities would involve playing some very basic keyboard parts (many of which are already written) on this rig, which is extremely simple and easy to use (it's built from a mid-'80's Casio- an ultra dummy-proof keyboard.). Additionally, this person would be responsible for controlling a rack of assorted noise-making junk... pushing play-buttons on sampling-devices, cuing loops, etc... basic tasks that would free up the hands of other members, to allow us to do more of our trademark spastic performing and less gear-juggling and button-jockeying. All such tasks are carefully and clearly documented on extensive set-notes ("$nazz-Note$") that we meticulously (compulsively?) update following each weekly session. 

This act has been practicing primarily as a bass/ drums/ vocal/ noise duo for the past several months, following some complications with the original lineup that was put together in the Fall of 2012. With this arrangement, we have an entertaining set of songs written, a demo, a press-kit, and a stage-rig, all nearly complete and ready to start booking shows, waiting mostly on finding the right person to fill this particular role. We also collaborate remotely with a cast of talented individuals for song-craft, sample-production, etc, such as Adhesiveslipper (Noise-wizard/ Headhat Records bossman), Sammie Ryan (Sinestetici), etc. 

Ideally, this act will perform live (hopefully soon) as an extremely high-energy bass/ drum/ keys trio. Despite the stage-rig built extensively out of modified pieces of mannequins (this keyboard rig is just one of several elements that work within a coherent visual theme) this is most definitely NOT a concept-art project. Our goal is is merely to entertain people, to make weirdos dance, to offer audiences a crazy good time, to turn concert-venues into really wacky parties while we play. If this sounds like something you could get passionate about, you might be the person we're looking for. If so, we practice on Friday mornings, usually 10:30 to 2 or so, in Hudson, New Hampshire. Email me at bernard.levautour@yahoo.com if you're interested in giving it a try. Feel free, of course, to share this with your friends if YOU'RE not who we're looking for, but you think you might know someone who is.

In the meantime, here are a couple examples of the sort of thing we're doing, a couple teaser-videos we've dropped with some content from our forthcoming demo "The Violent Taste of Hot Sauce"-