Flight and Dead Gaze may share the same state and similar musical tastes, but that’s not to say their identities are shared, as they team up to create a whole new genre of haunted garage rock — the perfect music for a Halloween throw down.
Flight and Dead Gaze both hail from Mississippi and call the lo-fi scene home.
The bands are relative newcomers, but are quickly making names for themselves with quality releases and, especially for Dead Gaze, some impressive live shows, including performances at SXSW 2010.
Dead Gaze is the main project of songwriter R. Cole Furlow. The band is more pop-oriented than Flight (not to say Flight isn’t catchy), mixing elements of synth pop with fuzzed overtones. While Dead Gaze might not be the first to this party, Furlow’s melodic ear puts them at the head of the pack.
What’s immediately apparent is how their hometowns influences their sound. The recordings sound as if they were recorded in the swamps, the masters dropped in the mud. The vocals sound a bit like Furlow was gargling water during the takes, and the songs give the eerie sensation of walking through the woods in the middle of the night.
I caught Dead Gaze at this past SxSW before hearing about them. After their show, everyone I was hanging out with was singing and whistling the melody for “The Simple Man (Wishes & Daydreams)” which will stick with you like herpes.
Flight is the brainchild of Steven Bevilaqua. It’s an eerie, lo-fi project that pays homage to early grunge and punk. The drums are up front and unapologetic, and the guitars sound like they were recorded through an answering machine. Bevilaqua uses the wall-of-sound technique, with a blown-out guitars always present, and a synth thrown in every now and then for good measure.
The recordings are just Bevilaqua in his garage, but he has since gathered a group of musicians for live shows including John Barrett of Bass Drum of Death. They have the same spooky feeling that Dead Gaze has, but offer a more piercing anthemic sound.
Flight haven’t played any shows out of the Southeast but that will change when they make their way to New York for CMJ. Dead Gaze will also be making the trek. What better way to spend an autumn night than rocking out to some haunted rock n’ roll?
Flight have a new EP out on Zoo Music titled “Lead Riders.”
Dead Gaze has a new 7″ coming out in November by Fire Talk titled “Take Me Home or I Die Alone.”
Dead Gaze – Take Me Home or I Die Alone by Death And Taxes
Dead Gaze – The Simple Man (Wishes & Daydreams) by Death And Taxes
Songs courtesy of Fader and Weekly Tape Deck.
Photo: Alan Chin
