sarah tillman

Black Angels are from Austin, Texas, where they practice making drones inside their haunted house. The Passover 2XLP is out now on Light In The Attic Records, who also put out Pretty Purdie’s porno soundtrack. Guitarist Christian Bland speaks from the middle of who knows where.

What’s the most touching moment you’ve ever experienced at a historical marker?
We like to stop at historical markers, especially when we go out east—at civil war battlefields. One of my favorites we’ve been to was Chickamauga, in southern Tennessee. Supposedly it’s one of the most haunted civil war battlefields. There’s an eerie feeling about the place. I could have sworn I saw a soldier walking across the field. Looked like he was wearing grey. Pretty crazy.
Don’t you live in a haunted house?
We think that it’s haunted. Weird stuff happens there, too. Especially in the practice room. One time the girls were home by themselves watching TV and they heard the tambourine—like playing a beat. And there’s a utility room by the bandroom—always a weird feeling in the air when I pass through there.
Which one of you was raised in the cult and which was in the funeral home?
[Organist] Jennifer Raines was raised in the funeral home. It’s actually still operating—in Gun Barrel City, Texas. And [bassist/guitarist] Nate [Ryan] was born in Utah on a cult compound—The Way ministry.
What’s the difference between an ‘evil’ sound and a ‘hostile’ sound?
An evil sound is more of a kind of feel—a dirge-y kind of hypnotic drone-y thing.
Who made the best evil music?
The original bluesmen probably did it the best. John Lee Hooker—they used to call his stuff ‘hypno-drone.’ I read about it in an old blues book. It gets in your head. I don’t think there’s any better kind of music for that kind of driving repetitive hypnotic thing. And of course the old country music. Hank Williams. And early rock ‘n’ roll—Bo Diddley is another.
What do you listen to when you’re going to sleep?
The Louvin Brothers. It makes my soul feel at rest.
Sterling Morrison said rock ‘n’ roll should have no social consciousness—agree or disagree?
I disagree—I think it should. When you can combine a message with art, that’s the most effective way of communicating a message. Like Dylan’s early protest stuff—I think there’s a message in there, and that promotes the social consciousness of rock ‘n’ roll. Like ‘The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll’ or ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’.’
Who is the most underrated Texan of the twentieth century?
I’m probably biased but I’d say Roky Erickson. There’s a big old statue of Steve Ray Vaughan in downtown Austin but they don’t have anything for the 13th Floor Elevators or Roky. I think they’re the founding fathers of psychedelic music. They should at least be recognized. They always caused trouble in Austin—they were always busted with drugs and the FBI was monitoring them constantly. They were involved in LSD and all that stuff back in the ‘60s, when all of Austin was like the rest of the state is now. They helped bring in liberal times in Austin. Though we haven’t had any run-ins with the police except in Austin—they’ve come several times because we practice at our house. We’re fortunate because it’s always a warning, but next time, they say it’s $500 and we go to jail.
Who is your favorite Texas band that is not 13th Floor Elevators or Red Crayola?
It’s tough to say. There’s tons. Have you heard those Norton garage compilations from Ft. Worth? And Bubble Puppy was pretty cool.
What’s the tiniest town you ever played?
Kenyon College, in Gambier, Ohio. I think a guy who lived in Austin when to Kenyon, and the university has bands come through, so they asked us.
Did they give you ten thousand dollars to do it?
Nowhere near that, but big money to us at the time. They lodged us, and Kenyon is one of the top most haunted places, so we heard all the ghost stories and we had an experience there, too! [Keyboardist/bassist] Kyle [Hunt] was sleeping in a room in this house that was from the 1920s—there was a bunk bed and he was on the bottom, and at like two in the morning, he felt someone push on his chest and woke up in a panic.
What’s the most constructive thing you’ve learned from your experiences with the other world?
If you’re friendly to them, they’ll be friendly to you. And you won’t have any worries.

THE BLACK ANGELS PLAY FRIDAY, JUNE 1, WITH VIETNAM AND SPINDRIFT AT THE TROUBADOUR, 9081 SANTA MONICA BLVD., HOLLYWOOD. 8 PM / SOLD OUT / ALL AGES. WWW.TROUBADOUR.COM.