By Andrew Hertzberg
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| Indian Jewelry (photos: Shannon Aliza) |
Prince Rama is bizarre. Their history is steeped in as much mysticism as their music. The current incarnation involves sisters Taraka and Nimai Larson. They lived on a Hare Krishna farm in Florida, recorded their newest album
Trust Now in a 19th century church in Seattle and now live in Brooklyn where they hold “group exorcisms to the score of old VHS workout music and re-staging apocalypses through chopped and screwed pop songs.” As for the music? It sounds tribal, touching multiple ethnic backgrounds, and values ritual at its core. They rely only a keyboard and drumkit (which makes ample use of the splash cymbal). They both sing and absolutely everything is covered in a thick layer of reverb (a bit too much for the recipe in my opinion). "Rest in Piece" sounds like it would be perfectly at home in a late 19th century Chinese opium den. The absolute best part of the night Tuesday: the music stops – the sisters whisper the word “trust” – Takara moves to the front of the stage, turns her back, and successfully trustfalls into the audience, carrying her stiff body throughout the SubT floor. Far out.
Taking the stage next was Houston’s
Indian Jewelry (aka Corpses of Waco, aka the Turquoise Diamonds, aka, the Perpetual War Party Band, aka…). Lots of droning noise and psychedelic experimentation and you can tell they’ve listened to a PIL album or two. The blaring strobe lights on the floor made for a very uncomfortable effect, but really were quite appropriate to the disorienting nature of the music itself. It had a brainwashing, or even amnesiac quality to it. As soon as it was over, I felt like I woke up from out of some absurd dream that I can only vaguely recall.
Peep some more photos after the jump:
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| Prince Rama |
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| Ghost of Nimai Larson |
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| Indian Jewelry |
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| Indian Jewelry, now with more strobelights! |
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Check out more show reviews:
Shonen Knife at the Empty Bottle
Mister Heavenly at Subterranean
Supreme Cuts, Memoryhouse, Balam Acab at the Empty Bottle
tUnE-yArDs at Lincoln Hall
Wooden Shjips at the Empty Bottle
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