Laboratory Standard Recordings | ear candy for the aural adventurer

Bright Shuttle @ Lox Tonight

Bright Shuttle will be playing a set tonight @ Lox Salon in the Old City as part of Knoxville’s First Friday Artwalk. Music will begin at 8-ish. Artwork will be up all night.

Lay All Over It

Lay All Over It live in Poland 2008.

Lay All Over It

Still available: LSR-004 “Never Too Fat to Fly”

This Friday!

We’re not gonna have the records in time, so this won’t be record release show. However, that means we’ll have to make it twice as awesome. Good music, good beer, all your friends in one place.
BS Flyer

folie a deux

Thanks out to James Jackson Toth for giving us a nod in his column Sewers of Mars over at the great Your Flesh online mag. Reviewed are both Lay All Over It and Double Muslims. Dig it!

Upcoming Shows!

Friday, January 30th:
Au w/ Midway & Joseph Gillenwater
Pilot Light, Knoxville, TN

Friday, February 6th:
Hello City: A showcase of local music at Big Ears 2009
Bright Shuttle, Double Muslims, Fecal Japan, Mountains of Moss, New Madrid, & Psychic Baos
Catalyst in the Old City (formerly Blue Cats)
show at midnight

Friday, February 27th:
Bright Shuttle w/ Ian Henderson & TBA
Pilot Light, Knoxville, TN

Foxy Digitalis on New Madrid’s ‘Operation Aquarius’

nm new

New Madrid “Operation Aquarius” Sokno Records This CD-R is a grab bag of tunes from the sessions that produced a split 7” on the Laboratory Standard Recordings label. Questionable origin aside, “Operation Aquarius” is a cohesive, LP-worthy collection of country-fried slow-burning psychedelic gems from this mysterious Knoxville quintet. It’s been a long time since a band flying the ‘country-rock’ flag (or really, I should say ‘country-psych’) has turned my head, but New Madrid’s combination of quality song writing (even the covers that they do seem to sound original under their direction) and instrumental prowess forces one to take notice.The male/female vocals from Bill Warden and Lou Vesser carry a slightly downtrodden, off-kilter tone – as if they’ve been to several dark places and are singing their way to a sort of redemption. The effect is almost spiritual, even when the lyrics are espousing their penchant for cocaine (to the band’s credit, this only occurs on a cover song). Furthermore, the expressive violin playing of Liz Tapp and Cain Blanchard (one of the owners of Laboratory Standard Recordings, who also plays bass) adds a hint of sorrow to the already world-weary proceedings.There is a lack of information available on the web regarding New Madrid, so I’m assuming that the band’s presence outside of Knoxville is almost negligible. This is a shame, as this crew of half-broken songsmiths deserves to be recognized, and “Operation Aquarius” is the proof. Someone reissue this on vinyl, please!! 9/10 — Bryon Hayes (14 January, 2009)

http://www.foxydigitalis.com/foxyd/reviews.php?which=3980

Buy Operation Aquarius Now from the distro page or our MySpace site.

LSR-006!

lsr-006 img

LSR-006 is at the presses! Bright Shuttle formed sometime in the Eocene. The central figure in the group is guitarist Scott Murrin (Dark Logik, Newport, others), and the group has included a host of local Knoxville musicians as collaborators. Cold Nice Gold was recorded over many months in the group’s subterranean rehearsal space using a variety of technologies. Mixed by Murrin and percussionist/found sound/digitologist Tre Berney, LSR-006 is our first Long-Player release. What you’ll get is two lengthy sides of rocky soundscapes, basement mixes, and one fever dream. 300 pressed and numbered. Handmade covers made by local hands.

Track Listing
The Mountain City
Outer Dark
Flowers
Smatterings
Spooks
Meeho
Taking Up His Hammer
When It Gets Here
Caves
Out February 2009

Double Muslims / New Madrid / 3MB @ Pilot Light

It was a fun night at the bar last night despite the relentless rain we have been having here in the foothills. It was a night of old-timers as well as newcomers, as both Knox ex-pats and some fresh faces were in attendance. New Madrid opened the show with one of my favorite line-ups- Bill W. & Will Fist, guitars - Cain, bass- and Lou on (loud) drums. Double Muslims also fed the beast with a unique cast of players - Ben and Eric, guitars - Jason on keys- and Jon Asher (Grasslung, Phaserprone Records) on twisty-knobs & electronics. It was a vortex. Closing the show were crowd favorites Three Man Band. Good Times. Here are a couple of pics.

New Madrid
New Madrid
Double Muslims / Grasslung
Double Muslims
Three Man Band

Knoxville vs. Wire

We couldn’t be happier for local music/film/art/critic/editor-and-good-friend Eric Dawson. He’s written a piece published in this month’s issue of Wire Magazine- Global Ear: Knoxville!…
Check it out on newsstands later this month (or right now if you’re in Europe!)
 Go, Eric!

-lsr 

Pilot Light Knows the Score!

The Pilot​ Light​ has been Tenne​ssee’​s fines​t frien​d to local​ and touri​ng music​ that matte​rs for the last eight​ or so years​.​
Bare-​bones​,​ all-​volun​teer,​ and scene​-​drive​n since​ the door opene​d.​ Take a momen​t and read the follo​wing artic​le.​

http:​/​/​www.​ metro​pulse​.​ com/​news/​2008/​dec/​03/​makin​g-​scene​/​

-lsr