The Black Angels

A play on Timothy Learyism, the Black Angel's mantra is "Turn On, Tune In, Drone Out." This is a fairly accurate dictum, given the Austin quintet's similarity to the darker works of the Lizard King matched with the stoned-out "woos" of the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the lingering drones of Spacemen 3. Formed in Austin, Texas, the band released its debut album, Passover, in 2006. Filled with languid, dim and buzzing dirges, the disc is packed with morbid references to the Vietnam War and its similarities to the war in Iraq. Two years later, the Black Angels followed in the same drone-driven, war-weary vein with their second release, Directions to See a Ghost, another swirling mix of hypnotic fuzz, wavering reverb and vocalist Alex Maas' eerie resemblance to Jim Morrison.