Aquarian Blood
Generating dark and moody sounds in a variety of styles, Aquarian Blood is an eclectic group whose common thread is found in the ominous undercurrents and Southern gothic sensibilities of their songs. Capable of feral synthesizer-infused punk rock as well as spare, whisper-quiet acoustic music rooted in blues, folk, and gospel, Aquarian Blood sound like the haunted denizens of a town that lives under a bad sign in every aspect. Very much a part of the Memphis underground scene that crossbreeds punk and roots music, Aquarian Blood sounded especially electric and chaotic on their 2017 debut Last Nite in Paradise, while 2019's A Love That Leads to War was a more subtle, acoustic-oriented effort and 2021's Bending the Golden Hour was a more textured variant on the second album's approach.
Formed in 2014, Aquarian Blood was a project launched by guitarist and singer J.B. Horrell, a member of the noisy Memphis punk band Ex-Cult, and his wife, drummer and singer Laurel Horrell (aka Laurel Ferdon), who had worked with the "weird punk" act Nots. They were already collaborating in the group Moving Finger when they brainstormed Aquarian Blood as a means to mix experimental punk and rootsy sounds. The duo issued a pair of cassettes on the Zap Cassettes imprint and performed live with a variety of musicians that sometimes stretched the band into a septet. They partnered with the respected Memphis independent label Goner Records for the release of 2017's Last Nite in Paradise, an expressively fractured effort that added keyboards, horns, violin, and sitar to the traditional guitar/bass/drums rock & roll format. When the drummer who had been playing with the group broke his arm, J.B. and Laurel opted to push their music in a new direction that would put less emphasis on volume. The result was 2019's A Love That Leads to War, a low-key project that put the emphasis on acoustic instruments and Southern roots music rather than punk and noise music. While some of the electric touches returned on 2021's Bending the Golden Hour, the music maintained the subtle but ominous attack of A Love That Leads to War. Recorded at J.B. and Laurel's home with help from guest musicians Coltrane Duckworth, Jesse Davis, Keith Cooper, and Graham Winchester, Bending the Golden Hour was compiled from 43 tracks the group wrote and recorded during 2020, with Zac Ives of Goner helping them edit the material down to a 17-song album.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
Similar artists
Discography
13 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
-
Bending the Golden Hour
Alternative & Indie - Released by Goner on May 28, 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
A Love That Leads to War
Alternative & Indie - Released by Goner on Oct. 11, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Last Nite in Paradise
Alternative & Indie - Released by Goner on Feb. 10, 2017
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
There's a World
Alternative & Indie - Released by Goner on Aug. 23, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I Never Lied to You
Rock - Released by Paradise Design on May 4, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Counting Backwards Again
Rock - Released by Black & Wyatt Records on Apr. 19, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Forecast Paralyzed
Rock - Released by Black & Wyatt Records Beluga Records Head Perfume Records on Mar. 22, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Bolted and Embossed
Alternative & Indie - Released by Goner on Mar. 25, 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
A Love That Leads to War - Single
Alternative & Indie - Released by Goner on Sep. 20, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Savage Mind
Alternative & Indie - Released by Goner on Apr. 18, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cold Jet Steel
Rock - Released by Black & Wyatt Records Beluga Records Head Perfume Records on Feb. 21, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -