2010

by Andrew Carver

published: 29 / 4 / 2010

Lullabye Arkestra - Cafe Dekcuf, Ottawa, 30/4/2010

intro

At the Cafe Dekcuf in Ottawa, Andrew Carver sees bass-and-drums duo Lullabye Arkestra kick up a heady and floor-shaking, but immensely pleasing and enjoyable racket

The bass-and-drums duo has enjoyed something of a renaissance of late, with groups like Nadja and Death From Above 1979 enjoying cult cachet. Now along comes the husband and wife duo of Justin Small (also of Toronto post rockers Do Make Say Think) and Katia Taylor-Small, a pair with a pronounced affection for both Black Flag and Black Sabbath. Having recently released their sophomore album ‘Threats/Worship’ on Vice Records (also the home of DFA 1979 during that band’s existence) and embarked on a United States tour with another married couple, Jeff and Toody Cole of Pierced Arrows (and of course Dead Moon), they apparently weren’t quite played out and snuck in a couple of dates in Montreal and Ottawa before heading home to Toronto. For their Ottawa show they were accompanied by two local bands, Doll and Klovenhoofs. Doll is a quartet of loud rockers with a fondness for the likes of Babes in Toyland and L7 and a relentless urge to merchandize (the band’s logo can be seen on both T-shirts and the calf of singer and creative force Christina. Fortunately for those without a taste for female angst set to ear-bleeding volume the band has plenty of self-deprecating banter between songs, a hammy drummer and musical skills hardened by years of solid gigging around town. The other opener, Klovenhoofs are still shaping their punk-metal hybrid. While a set at the beginning of the month opening for Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine leaned closer to the doom metal of High on Fire, for their Cafe DeKcuf set they sped things up and headed into punkier territory. This extra speed may also have been due to the fact that their singer and bassist had to play bass for two other bands that night. Lullabye Arkestra played an equally speedy set. On record their music is garnished with trumpet and piano. Live they eschew the extras and motored through a set drawing heavily from their latest effort, and also a cover of ‘Carpenter’ by prolific Winnipeg, Manitoba, noise rockers Kittens. Before things got underway they hauled four sizable bass cabinets, some bright lights and a smoke machine on stage. While not up to the volume or haze of, say, Boris, the twosome certainly made a heady, floor-shaking racket. While Justin hammered away on his kit, his wife twisted and turned with her vintage Rickenbacker. Between songs they praised tattoos and dedicated a song to one member of the audience who declined to be identified (2I’m way too stoned for that.” “Oh, sorry, I hate to be called out when I’m stoned too,” replied Justin.) They were also gratified that the audience had tripled in size since their last visit, albeit only to about 30 people. They finished things off with a particularly feedback-heavy version of ‘Ass Worship’ and skipped on the encore. Set List: Floating Graveyard Get Nervous Nihilism The Icy Hand That Guides Us Nation of Two We Fuck the Night Art Liar Voodoo Telepathic President Lookout! Soul is Back Carpenter Ass Worship