Lightning Bolt played 1896 Studios

Lightning Bolt, the monumental noise band from Providence, Rhode Island were an unstoppable force at Brooklyn's 1896 Studios.

Lightning Bolt played The Brooklyn Monarch

The lords of noise, Lightning Bolt, decimated The Brooklyn Monarch with deafening power and brutal force.

Lightning Bolt - "Spaceman"

Gods of Noise, Lightning Bolt, have shared a new song following last year's awesome Sonic Citadel. It's called "Spaceman" and is part of the Adult Swim Singles series.

Lightning Bolt played Pioneer Works

Noise masters Lightning Bolt dropped by Brooklyn's Pioneer Works in support of their great new record, Sonic Citadel.

Lightning Bolt played Pioneer Works

For nearly two decades, Lightning Bolt have come to define the American underground noise scene. As part of Pioneer Works' exhibit Grand Ole Opera, the duo brought their live experience to Brooklyn for a night of intense pleasures.

Lightning Bolt played The Wick

Hailing from Providence, Rhode Island, noise luminaries Lightning Bolt descended onto Brooklyn for a night of brilliant mayhem.

Lightning Bolt - "The Metal East"

Noise legends Lightning Bolt are set to drop their first new album since 2009's Earthly Delights this March and earlier this week their shared the first single from the new album.

Lightning Bolt played 285 Kent

For over a decade, noise duo Lightning Bolt have been massacring ear drums with their astounding records and even more relentless live performances. As always, the band was in top shape as they annihilated 285 Kent leaving heaps of sweat and fury in their trail. Behind the drum kit, Brian Chippendale is an absolute machine and his jackhammer style onsalught is unmatched by any other person in modern music. The sheer force and terror with which he plays is of a caliber all his own. Their live display has been likened to standing next to a demolition site or jumbo-jet at close range and three times during their set they blew a fuse leaving Chippendale to carry out frantic drum solos shrouded in blackness. You think you've seen some stellar pits until you're in the dark at a warehouse with that man pummeling away until Kingdom Come. Not to go unnoticed, Brian Gibson used his bass to spark the powder keg of pure energy unleashed by the band that ignited the audience into total chaos in just a matter of seconds. Without the slightest look of effort, Gibson's assault was pure distorted bedlam and the ear-splitting frequencies are nothing short of a jaw-dropping experience. The intensity of a live performance from these legends is an unparalleled experience that few will dare to replicate and while the magnitude and nature of their style is not for everyone, those who care to indulge will be converted to their brilliance. For over an hour, these two proved that they are true masters of their craft and are a sonic force to be reckoned with.

*Photo courtesy of Griffin Sandberg

Lightning Bolt played Le Poisson Rouge

Lightning Bolt pummeled the crowed at Le Poisson Rouge last night with their standard blitzkrieg attack of sound. For over an hour the noise duo blasted away through classics from their excellent discography sending the crowd into a near frenzy. Brian Chippendale did his best impersonation of a jackhammer playing the drums and Brian Gibson stood by, ever so effortlessly, as he turned his amps up to 11 and ripped through distorted blasts of thundering bass. Despite the breaks between songs, the non stop bombardment of escalated sound sent shock waves through the crowd that more then likely split a few ear drums. The relentless assault proved that these two men are masters of their craft as they powered aware with such force and precision that kept the crowd screaming for an encore. When the band answered the call they came back to the stage and began to tear through the epic track "Ride the Skies" which nearly sent everyone over the edge after an already incredible performance of hurricane like forces of sound crushing the crowd.

Albums of 2009

One of my favorite parts of the end of the year are all of the year end lists posted by various blogs, magazines, and other websites. I think it's one of the best ways to catch up on notable releases throughout the year and reconsider some music I brushed off after one listen. So here are the ten albums I enjoyed the most in 2009.

01. Grizzly Bear | Veckatimest
It is hard to say that Veckatimest was a refreshing hit when it was released in the spring since two of the singles had already been receiving heavy blog play for almost a year. However this album packed a subtle punch that proved it's strength after repeated listens. Taking the ambient and orchestrated sounds of Yellow House, the four piece expanded their well crafted tunes into perfect pop snippets blended with clever arrangements of striking guitar and topsy-turvey percussion.


02. Animal Collective | Merriweather Post Pavillion
There has been apparent love for this album since it leaked at the end of 2008 and it has all been warranted. Animal Collective have been some of the hardest working musicians of the decade and MPP has been a sort of culmination record most bands dream of making. They take their strong ability to mix together folk/jam/noise efforts into pop appeal for the masses in what is their most accessible album to date.



03. Dirty Projectors | Bitte Orca
No one has timing like this band. Nothing on this album happens in the way that you would expect and that is probably the reason why one can listen to it over and over and never hear the same thing twice. The swaying vocals and off kilter guitar jams are pure art rock and the vocal work is nothing shy of a Mariah Carey R&B hit. The fact that this band can make those two things fit together is pretty impressive.



04. The xx | xx
On paper (or computer screen) nothing about this record sounds exciting. It is hollow, quiet, simple, yet oh so powerful. These London teens recall overcast 80's British post-punk and add in some dub-step for one of the most daringly plain yet understated records of the year. It seems that this record should satisfy after one listen since it is so bleak, yet the ability to draw back repeat listens is nothing short of genius.

05. Phoenix | Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
For almost a decade, Phoenix has written jubilant indie-pop smashes that have always held them just at the cusp of fame. This time around, their savvy synths launched them to stardom. "1901" and "Lisztomania" were two of the biggest pop songs of the year and the best 1-2 punch to kick off an album in recent memory. They have the rock sensibility of the Strokes and a John Hughes synth-pop power that stretches just enough past the indie scale that made these guys the biggest sensation of the year.



06. Fever Ray | Fever Ray
When the Knife released Silent Shout in 2006 the album was sighted as icy, synth driven electronica. Well that album was the avalanche and Fever Ray is the tundra. These slow driven, pulsating sounds are the calm after the storm, but are just as harsh and dense as anything that has come before it.





07. Japandroids | Post-Nothing
This Vancouver duo takes you front and center in the garage and power through eight songs of pure teen angst that combines harsh fuzzed out guitars with simple hooks and melodies. Never have two youngsters given so much grief towards aging past 25 and so much hope to live life to the fullest all at the same time. What could be better than getting to France to french kiss some French girls? Not much, but listen to this album until the flight leaves.

08. Girls | Album

Christopher Owens, the main man behind garage-surf-pop band Girls, is just as unsure about his future as you and me. The only catch, his band is rising to fame for their acclaimed songwriting not only in terms of melody, but lyricism as well. Their tunes breeze by yet their disheveled lives catch-up to them and songs begin to contort into rocking bliss. Is Owens ready to step up as the next promising artist of his generation? Probably not, but he'll take a stab at in anyway.

09. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart | The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Take one part Belle and Sebastian, one part The Smiths, and one part My Bloody Valentine and you will have yourself one whole The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. These dream-pop songs have the freshness of 2009 with the nostalgia of 1989. The hooks are monstrous and the jangly shoegaze guitar bleed in with the vocals creating this haze of beautiful pop melody.



10. Lightning Bolt | Earthly Delights
Never have two people ever sounded as loud as Lightning Bolt. The obnoxiously loud bass drones of Brian Gibson are matched by the ballistically brilliant Brian Chippendale in one of the most aggressive attacks on a drum kit (and attacks on music) I have ever heard. This album is certainly not for everyone and might be the hardest to approach on this list, but for those willing to take the journey, Lightning Bolt can certainly take your ears to places they have never been before.

Lightning Bolt played Above the Auto Parts Store

I am not sure if I could think of a band I would rather see on Devil's Night. Since being introduce to Lightning Bolt back in 2005, their live show has been held to such high regard in my head that I was unsure if I would ever actually be able to witness it. However about fifteen minutes after midnight on what was technically Halloween Brian Chippendale and Brian Gibson began their audio assault. The space above the actual auto parts store was jammed with people and the sweat poured out the second you came in contact with anyone. While Lightning Bolt is typically known for playing on the floor of venues this was not the case for the evening, which I will admit was a disappointment for me. However the band still packed a punch with their all out driving and pounding performance. Seconds after the band started I was split up from my friends and enjoyed the rest of the show alone. Although it was difficult to see the band, Chippendale made up for it with his bombastic drumming that was unlike any I have ever heard before, and Gibson played with plenty of distortion and fuzz that it felt like an entire ensemble was blasting music in front of me, not just two men. After everything I had anticipated from these guys, they did not leave anything out. The band was a force with sonic fury that allowed nothing to stand in their way. Chippendale's screams and palpitating drumming are among the best I have ever seen and I can only hope to re-witness something of his caliber again one day.