A Puff Adrift on the Riverboat Styx
Saturday, June 21st, 2008I’ve been under the spell of Blues Control for some time now. The meandering boogie guitar adrift on seas of keyboard arpeggios, hushed with soothing tape hiss and field recordings — this duo has a take on new age that shuns the digital slickness coming out of the electronic camp. And while that has its place, there is an unmistakable grime and to this ambience coming from Queens that I’ve yet to hear attempted anywhere else. At times the groove sets in, and you wonder if the disembodied boogie riffs emanate from the vinyl or through your downstairs neighbor’s old Mountain records floating through the floorboards. When that feeling hits, it’s endless riffing and celestial keys for all.
Semi-Complete Blues Control Discography
- Self Titled Cassette (Palsy)
- Split with GN’R Cassingle (Uzi Suicide)
- Riverboat Styx Cassette (Fuck It Tapes)
- Puff LP/CD (Woodsist/Fusetron)
- Self Titled CD/LP (Holy Mountain)
- A Full Tank CDR (Managing Expectations) compiles the first cassette, split cassette, and a track from the WFMU set
- Bored Fortress #3 Split with Heavy Winged 7” (Not Not Fun)
Keep an eye out for upcoming singles due out on Sub Pop and Richie Records.
Extras: Live in the studio at WFMU, Live at Big Jar Books on March 27th, 2007, Live in Austin on March 19th, 2007, White Tapes, label run by Russ from Blues Control, Collective Voice podcast feature with Blues Control phone interview.
Above video captured by Mark Schoneveld in Philadelphia on June 15th, 2007.