Felte Fifth Anniversary

FELTE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY

featuring: HOUSES OF HEAVEN + CHASMS

PICO UNION PROJECT, LA

16 NOVEMBER, 2018

CHASMS

HOUSES OF HEAVEN

LA-based Felte Records celebrated their 5th anniversary with a two-night showcase of the depth and breadth of their roster. The Pico Union Project served as the launchpad for an epic weekend, with the old Welsh Presbyterian Church lending gravitas to the proceedings. Here's a gallery of some Friday night action from Houses of Heaven's throttling set, and a special Chasms presentation, where they incorporated not just a live drummer, but the one and only Sandra Vu (Sisu/Dum Dum Girls). Happy Birthday Felte!

HOUSES OF HEAVEN

CHASMS

 

 

Pico Union Project

Wax Idols endings and beginnings

WAX IDOLS

HOUSES OF HEAVEN

FOIE GRAS

THE HI HAT, LA

16 JUNE, 2018

In the midst of York Blvd, the old Highland Park Billiards has found a new lease on life as live music venue The Hi Hat. In a nod to it's previous life, a few of the tables remain in front by the bar, while the back has been opened up with a stage abutting the brick walls, open space in the middle and steps to sit on, attached to the sound booth facing, it's an ideal setup. Wax Idols were in town, ending this leg of tour with a release show for their latest effort, Happy Ending, out now on their own label, Etruscan Gold. As always, the biggest pleasure is watching the new songs explode in a live setting, and the set was laced with the new, capped off by a guest appearance by previous bassist Marisa Prieto, to add vocals to her contribution, "Devour". In July, the band will head south for a series of dates in Mexico.
Keeping it, as per usual, a family affair, the show also featured Houses Of Heaven and soon to be LA resident and flyer artist Foie Gras. Foie kicked off the night with a set that found a luminous side to the darkness, making room for a Brian Eno cover along the way. Houses of Heaven was a highlight last year, and have only grown since, increasing both the tightness and the immensity of their sound, with this evening's set previewing a clutch of songs on a forthcomiing LP from Felte Records.

WAX IDOLS

HOUSES OF HEAVEN

FOIE GRAS

Destination: Darkness... Chasms Live

CHASMS

ZEBULON, LA

24 FEBRUARY, 2018

When I first met the ladies of Chasms, (was it really five years ago?), they charmingly self-referenced as "The 2nd Loudest Band In San Francisco". Witnessing their live shows, it was apparent that we were a long way from Baltimore, and charm was decidedly off menu. Concocting a stew of feedack and beat-driven dirges, their starting point was Out, and then they went further. A connection with Felte Records yielded their most recent work, 2016's On The Legs Of Love Purified, and that relationship looks set to continue as they embark on recording a new LP. 

Our treat this evening was a first visit to Zebulon, a delightful hideaway in the stern shadow of nearby I-5. The back room dance floor easily converted into a cozy dark cave, purpose-fit for the night. The band recently marked a year in their new home of LA, and refinement was the key takeaway, performance-wise. While they've evolved sonically, the focus remains on trance-like excursions, but the journeys into darkness now heads toward cathartic resolutions, with an emphasis on redemption. The emotional vein that they tap into renders their work a breathing soundtrack to this listener, and years down the road now, Chasms continue to grow and inspire.