Lantern

Risen in the form of neon fume from Philadelphia side-street sewer lids come LANTERN. Orbiting around the songwriter duo of Zachary Devereux Fairbrother and Emily Robb (with the auxiliary addition of Montreal-import Christian Simmons on skins, also of Sheer Agony), Lantern is what rock 'n' roll was - loud, oozy, inspiring, perspiring, pummeling directly forward yet cloaked in the arcane. Over the course of three years and an impressive handful of releases (six EPs and a 7", for those of you studying the horses) on labels like Bathetic and Night-People, Fairbrother & Robb have spawned a sonically relentless dark-force, twisting, perverting, and penetrating open ears with the scent of rotten, sultry soul, fanged fuzz & wah, boogie-downers, jungle night-moves, exercises in exorcism, black leather, and sex. Inspired by their idols: The Rolling Stones, Stooges, Bo Diddley, Cramps, MC5, Bowie, and all the originators of R&B and blues, Lantern are taking their own whack at the punching bag that is the great American folk tradition/condition/religion -- Rock 'N' Roll music. For the release of their latest album (and 12" vinyl debut) Rock 'N' Roll Rorschach, the band enlists the help of fellow Philly engineering magick-maker, Jeff Zeigler (Purling Hiss, Kurt Vile, Clockcleaner) behind the boards, marking a shift in sound from the blown-out hiss of lo-fidelity, four-track home recordings toward a more balanced and discernable breed of raw, unflinching power. Lantern's sound melts genres together, rockabullying weirdo blues into a frenzy of fuzzed-up soloing and glammed-down dance beats, ultimately resulting in a mound of grooves garnering moves from the '80s/'90s garage-rock rattles of Dead Moon, Gibson Bros, and Billy Childish to the '60s/'70s pre-punk lore of Hasil Adkins, Flaming Groovies, or even The Velvet Underground. Rorschach is a testament to the age-old odyssey of rock 'n' roll, searching for something "advanced" (dare we say futuristic?) in paying homage to its primal whims and primitive-earth foundation. Have Fun Rock 'N' Roll