DESERT DOOM: DEATH MOTH

An over-saturated Polaroid. Dreamy, desert-fried blues. Death Moth inhabit a world that's both mysterious yet infinitely familiar, bridging gaps between rock and country and soft-psychedelia that were always there, just not completely obvious. These are the kind of tunes that stand ready against late spring storms, apocalyptic clouds rolling over some mountain somewhere and crest right up against your stupid, feeling heart.

We've heard something like this before, when Death Moth's June West played Total Fest years ago with the stellar Julie & The Wolves. West is a sometime-Missoulian who's returned intermittently, recruited some serious fellow travelers (Travis Sehorn and Best Western's Dave Martens play on Death Moth's True Blues) and delivered some incredible shows that feel as equally momentous as they do effortlessly casual. Death Moth is a treat that I'm lucky to say we get to see again, this time at Total Fest XIV. 

A REAL SUBTLE BEAUTY: MISS LANA REBEL

There's been a theme running across country music journalism for the last year and the more I think about it the more it really seems to ring true: modern country music is in what the Guardian UK has termed it's "hair metal moment," and what it really needs is something akin to the alternative rock explosion or its own "Nirvana;" something to lay waste to the mountains of vapid auto-tuned country stars that keep walking out of the Nashville machine and are only discernibly different based on the brand of their bedazzled jeans. I know, I know, the argument for "authenticity" can turn into a minefield pretty quickly but if we're talking about Country Music (which we are), we're talking about one of the very things that's supposed to set that genre apart: these singers have lived their stories, it's supposed to be about authenticity. Thank g-d there's been bubbling in the underground and we've got people like Sturgill Simpson, Jonny Fritz Corndog, Bloodshot Records, and yes, Miss Lana Rebel holding down country for the rest of us.

From Tucson-by-way-of-Portland, Miss Lana Rebel has been crooning for years and we're lucky to have her again for Total Fest this summer. I think this particular review out of the Portland Mercury sums Miss Rebel up way better than I could do:

“Lana Rebel is the badass matriarch of local dust bowl country. Sounding like the coal miner's daughter trapped in a collapsed mine, the music of Rebel is gorgeous and morose, a sad waltz of cowgirl balladry that can't be cured by even the most generous whiskey pour.”

LENGUAS LARGAS TOCARÁ EN TOTAL FEST.

Lenguas Largas

Tucson is one of those "It's the water" kinds of places for me, like Olympia and Tumwater, like Bellingham, San Pedro and Missoula. It's kind of a second-tier city in terms of size, but extremely fertile where the excellent underground and punk bands are concerned. Of course I kind of default to some of my all-time favorites like the outsider metal of Last of the Juanitas, and the forlorn country of Miss Lana Rebel, but you've also got The Pork Torta (who describe themselves as like E.S.G. and Thin Lizzy), Swing Ding Amigos (a raging fast Latin punk band) Shark Pants and Lenguas Largas in pretty recent memory. What's kind of special about all those groups is how uniquely they each own a sound. So, I attribute that to a town with something going on, and thus the "it's the water..." quote up there.

Lenguas Largas are the band that's playing Total Fest XIII this August, if that got lost up there. And to say I'm excited about that is kind of underplaying the significance of getting Lenguas Largas onto our bill. This band is one of those deeply-marinated in music sets of lifer musician guys, kind of like the Arrivals (who's new group Treasure Fleet is also playing) a couple of years ago. They just exude great tunes and play with the kind of shared band DNA that only comes with a longer commitment. They're part of the Recess tour with the Underground Railroad to Candyland and Treasure Fleet and White Night. Isaac Reyes from Swing Ding Amigos sings and plays guitar in Lenguas Largas, and he's got one of those super memorable voices and styles, like Todd Congelliere and David Merriman, Isaac Thotz that just helps you have a good day, regardless of what might have happened. I'll be up front for this. (Josh Vanek)


 

MISS LANA REBEL AND KEVIN MAY MAYFIELD: TF-BOUND.

Lana Rebel's one of those few musicians I can think of whose music occupies a completely timeless and gut-level excellence that just kind of reaffirms why you go through the sloggier parts of life. And it's not the most upbeat and cheery stuff either, it's got its darkness and full spectrum of booze-drenched melancholia, joy, sadness and soforth. It just somehow, has that ability to contextualize the rough spots and find some beauty in all of it. Technically, Lana's and Kevin's music is probably closest to country. We refuse to use "A-word" around here. Sort of rhymes with Texarkana. You know. But stopping there is a little like saying "Black Sabbath played metal."  or "Tammy Wynette played country."  "Erkin Koray's a guitar player." Technically correct, but absolutely limiting language. Whatever.

Lana's last band band, before she relocated to Tucson's Saguaro-speckled hills and valley, was the Broken Promises. They put out an excellent record in 2010, I think. It's called "Mistakes We Can Live With"  and it's been on repeat around here since it came out. That one's approaching the couple hundred hours of play mark for our household. Before that, there was the Juanita Family and Friends, and the great set of west coast players who backed her on the All I Need LP. More recently, there's some traditional Mexican tunes, some children's music and talk of opening up a record shop in Tucson. She's been teamed up with guitar player/singer Kevin May Mayfield who might've been a Burrito Brother were it 30 years earlier. Kevin adds a partner and  player who brings even more depth to the tunes. We like it all. We're completely excited, proud, and yes, stoked to have Miss Lana Rebel and Kevin May Mayfield up here for TFXII. It's been too many years, five in fact, since a Total Fest's had the pleasure of a Miss Lana Rebel set.