Kurt Vile will be taking a short pilgrimage down from Philadelphia to meet up with Gary War and US Girls on Friday at the Silent Barn in Brooklyn. This past year, Mr. Vile reminded many of us of a couple of things. First, this folk/psych thing that's been going on is everywhere, even in the back streets of Philly, a city responsible for such mythic-less monstrosities as the Philly cheese steak sandwich, and the Sickidz. Second, Gulcher Records has got their aging talons in deep by signing both Vile and and Home Blitz, and proving the label might have a few more hits in them before the dust settles back on their catalog. On his debut, Kurt Vile's breathless and wispy folk tunes spring out of the budding reemergence of psychedelia like a bent, inward-looking kaleidoscope, and his live set should be nothing less than brilliantly awkward, sincere, and mind-blowing. Check out the brand new vinyl version of the Gulcher album, Constant Hitmaker out now on Woodsist Records, along with his 2 newer records God Is Saying This To You. on Mexican Summer Records and Hunchback on Richie Records.
The supporting act Gary War, is definitely on the same page as Vile, taking as many cues from Syd Barrett as from any number of far off genres, but melds them with his own weird, warbling style that equates to songs that are serene and panic-inducing at the same time. Along with his Blank Dogs collaboration known as Roman Soldiers, he has the odd ability to weave the disconnected synth aesthetic into the righteous air of the singer/songwriter pulpit, without coming off as some preachy, goth pre-teen, but instead he pulls it off with an effective stab at modern psychedelia. It's simply brilliant, and he really drives it home by showing us his nads when he decided to cover Allen Parson's Project on his album.
The openers are US Girls, the one-woman act of Megan Remmy, who released a full-length on Siltbreeze this past winter. Playing tape loops, pedal effects and keyboard to a haunting and often dissonant, her music seems a bit witchy and displaced at times, and fits perfectly on this bill. Get there early Friday!
You can get Kurt Vile's new LP here, and Gary War's newest here.
