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Tag: Sun Blood Stories

Sun Blood Stories and their Strange New Journey

Sun Blood Stories

We first introduced you to the cosmic sounds of Boise-based Sun Blood Stories back in 2015. Their music should warm the heart of anyone with a special fondness for ’70s spacey prog rock. We’re pleased to announce their upcoming (third) album, It Runs Around the Room with Us, which is due out on April 21. If you’re not afraid to lose your mind for about six minutes, feast your eyes and ears on the first single, “Great Destroyer.” This mind-melting video is by Jason Sievers.

The new album begins as an ocean odyssey, drifting along in mysterious waters, as one can feel oneself being slowly engulfed by subconscious thoughts and distant memories. There are languid contemplations like “Step Softly Ghost” that gradually build to epic proportions, with tribal rhythms ushering in wailing guitars, keyboards and other less familiar sounds. Gentle human voices offer calming and a tether to the shore amidst a maelstrom of aural exploration. At times peacefully drifting, at other times violently shrieking, It Runs Around the Room with Us stretches to the farthest reaches of the imagination and then says farewell, to venture out to explore new galaxies. The musical environment is otherworldly. Some of the songs become quite intense (most especially the aptly named “Burn” and the closer, “The Enemy”). What begins as a friendly and comforting choral gathering is infiltrated by swearing belligerence. It’s a strange yet enjoyable ride.

It Runs Around the Room with Us can be preordered on Bandcamp. It will be available on vinyl, cassette and compact disk, in addition to digital download.

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Introducing… Sun Blood Stories

photo by Kate Grosswiler

photo by Kate Grosswiler

Are you looking for some spacey, densely-layered primordial psychedelia to accompany you on those long nomadic journeys across the desert range on your trusty black stallion? I have just the music for you. It’s Sun Blood Stories, so named for the annual Boise phenomenon whereby the smoke of forest fires gets trapped in the valley and colors the sky pinkish-brown, transforming the low-setting sun to a eerie blood red orb. That seems quite fitting for an exotic pilgrimage where mystical melodies have invaded the mind and taken it on a mind-altering road trip. Along the way, ethereal, haunting and otherworldly voices weave in and out of these complex sonic hallucinations like long-lost entities looking for a home. Why not yours?

Sun Blood Stories rose out of the solo experiments of Ben Kirby. He released an EP and then eventually found other musicians with whom he had that tribal interaction he had been searching for. On a winding aural excursion, he’s now joined by the vocalizing voodoo of Amber Pollard, Judah Claffey’s supernatural viola, Nik Kososik’s haunting bass lines and tribal drumming courtesy of John Füst. Suffice it to say that none of these instruments sound like anything you’ve heard before. Especially not the “vocals.” They’ll be releasing Twilight Midnight Morning on June 23, and you can preorder now on bandcamp, with different configurations available.

They’ll be touring to support the new album, and have a few shows scheduled for now. On June 13 they’re at Neato Burrito in Spokane, Washington; on June 23 they’re in hometown Boise, at Neurolux; on July 3 they’re at Crazy Horse, also in Boise (performing with Ancient River, whom we’ve also enjoyed here at ‘musings’). They’re off to Denver on July 23, performing at the Underground Music Festival. Follow them on Facebook to hear about other gigs that pop up.

This is quite an adventure. By the way, if you listen to this music in the car, you may wish to be safely parked first. But what’s a little brain melt between friends?

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