Wine-drunk in the churchyards, climbing burial mounds
And the band marched in circles, continued the sounds.
– Dark Meat, “Freedom Ritual”
You’ve never heard anything quite like Universal Indians before. No, really. You haven’t. While Detroit five-piece the Dirtbombs feature two bass players and two drummers, Athens, Georgia’s Dark Meat/Vomit Lasers Family Band/Galaxy–or just Dark Meat for short–boasts 17 musicians banging away on a variety of instruments: Celtic harp, didgeridoo, fiddle, horns, and a beer can (naturally). There’s also a group-within-a-group, the Phil Spector-inspired vocal trio the Subtweeters.
More conventionally, Dark Meat incorporates bass (one player), drums (two), guitars (three), and brass (fourteen), yet the effect isn’t as hippie dippy–or completely cacophonous, for that matter–as that line-up implies. Unhinged rave-ups, like “Well Fuck You Then,” “Assholes for Eyeballs,” and “There Is a Retard on Acid Holding a Hammer to Your Brain,” don’t exactly suggest sunshine and flowers.
North Carolina songwriter/guitarist Jim McHugh, the ringleader, has a vocal style that lies between Iggy Pop and Mark Arm, further distancing Dark Meat from the realm of freak folk or New Weird America. Granted, they’re weird all right, but except for the a cappella intro, there’s little folk to be found on their first record. Dedicated to the “Holy Ghost of Albert Ayler” (the free jazz sax player), Universal Indians comes on like the peyote-popping grads of a high school marching band reuniting to play proto-punk.
This expanded edition of Dark Meat’s 2006 debut adds three bonus tracks: two live numbers recorded in Gram Parsons’ not-so-happy hunting ground of Joshua Tree, and Ayler tribute “Universal Indians.” Apart from atonal instrumental “Disintegrating Flowers” (a little irritating, but it’s over in two minutes), the whole strange set works better than it should. Nonetheless, this collective probably makes an even greater impression on stage, where their costumes and confetti become part of the spectacle.
Tour dates:
Apr 25 2008 - Red Barn, Peoria, Illinois
Apr 26 2008 - Empty Bottle w/ ENON, Chicago, IL
Apr 27 2008 - Nomad World Pub, Minneapolis, MN
Apr 28 2008 - The Aquarium, Fargo, ND
Apr 29 2008 - The Waiting Room w/ Drakkarsauna, Omaha, NE
Apr 30 2008 - The Jackpot Saloon w/ Drakkarsauna, Lawrence, KS
May 1 2008 - Hi-Dive Saloon w/ Drakkarsauna, Denver, CO
May 2 2008 - Kilby Ct., Salt Lake City, UT
May 3 2008 - Friend Friend Friend Fest, Missoula, MT
May 4 2008 - The Comet, Seattle, WA
May 6 2008 - Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
May 8 2008 - Hemlock Tavern w/ The Ohsees, San Francisco, CA
May 9 2008 - The Cellar Door, Visalia, CA
May 10 2008 - The Echo Lounge, Los Angeles, CA
May 14 2008 - Walter’s on Washington w/ Quiet Hooves, Houston, TX
May 15 2008 - The Mohawk w/ Quiet Hooves, Austin, TX
May 16 2008 - Lola’s w/ Quite Hooves, Ft. Worth, TX
May 17 2008 - Good Records, Dallas, TX
May 18 2008 - The Conservatory w/ Quiet Hooves, Oklahoma City, OK
May 19 2008 - Mojo’s w/ Quiet Hooves, Columbia, MO
May 20 2008 - The Record Bar w/ Quiet Hooves, Drakkarsauna, Kansas City, MO
May 21 2008 - The Blue Bird w/ Quiet Hooves, St. Louis, MO
May 22 2008 - Mike N Mollys w/ Quiet Hooves, Champaign, IL
May 23 2008 - Summercamp Festival w/ Flaming Lips, Chillicothe, IL
May 24 2008 - Av/Aerie w/ Quiet Hooves, Chicago, IL
May 26 2008 - Lee’s Place, Toronto, ON
May 27 2008 - Zoobizarre, Montreal, QC
May 28 2008 - Music Hall of WIlliamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC
May 29 2008 - Space 1026, Philadelphia, PA
May 29 2008 - Johnny Brendas, Philadelphia, PA
May 30 2008 - Mountain Jam w/ Levon Helm, Woodstock, NY