SEX BBQ, a band from Atlanta, has released a debut LP with a musical twist, to say the least. The band formed in 2012 when the guitarist and neuropsychologist, Kate Jan, moved from New York to Atlanta and met Steve LaBate, the former editor of Paste magazine. The two began recording acoustic demos in Jan’s apartment and gathered other musicians to bring their new music to life. Because of the large assortment of tastes in music among the group, their sound is extremely unique. The debut LP, Sex Noir City, begins with angelic choirs followed by twisted demon surf riffs. The music also breaks into a Flamenco indebted chorus, tied together by precision drums, explosive bass, and Morricone-channeling guitar and vocal melodies. The track, titled “Concrete Disciples,”conveys their unique sound better than any of the other Sex Noir City tracks. The band talks about this track with explanation,
When asked what our band sounds like, we liked to tell people that it’s “dark tower music for gunslingers.” I don’t think that any other track on Sex Noir City conveys that sound as much or as well as “Concrete Disciples.” Where the lyrical content is built around a love of skateboarding and falling in love, the sound itself has this otherworldly space western vibe. It’s as if a female version of Clint Eastwood’s man-with-no-name were to wonder into a dystopian punk rock neighborhood on our new Mars colony. We’ve been closing with this one at all our live shows lately and it’s been a blast getting the crowd to sing along with us on all the howling, haunting vocals at the end of the song.
Once Sex Noir City was complete, was mixed in New York by one of Jan’s friends, Paul Suarez, a sought-after metal engineer. The album was finalized and mastered in Atlanta by Chris Griffin (Swans, Angel of Light). When the record-making process was finished, two of the members, Palmer and Steele, had decided to leave the band, and a new bassist named Rob Bellury joined full-time.
SEX BBQ will hit the road this fall with their new lineup in place, in support of Sex Noir City. Their latest album comes out on August 28, so be sure to check it out.