Austinist Weekend Music Preview: Cry Blood Apache @ the U.S.A.A.

Cry Blood Apache drops its latest output in the form of Northern Travelers (on Ghetto Pagoda Records) this Tuesday. The EP will be available starting April 1st at Waterloo Records and End of An Ear, and also online at listen.to/crybloodapache. CBA formed in 2005; currently the trio consists of Jason Chrien, Ben Ellis (or “Kaspar Glass”), and Mitch Hinrichs (or “Hans Hinrich.”) So what exactly are the band's influences? According to bassist Chrien, “The three of us take stylistic cues from old-school reality television shows like Real TV and Max X. The low-fidelity presentation of those programs makes it clear the power immediacy has in art, regardless of medium. We apply a 'hand-held' aesthetic to our music in tribute.” CBA's most interesting discography includes an Untitled CD Demo (2005) and a Self-Titled Cassette EP (2005) along with the Performing Diversion Acrobatics LP from 2006 and the Industry MixTape Vol. 1 EP from last year. CBA’s latest 4 song effort was recorded in January of this year, clocks in at just over ten minutes, and was produced by Chrien.

The opener and title track starts off with all the urgency of a Joy Division or Interpol song. Ellis however, is not inclined to be restricted strictly to monotone vocals, and his contributions are expertly matched by an insistent guitar riff and pulsating bass. CBA sticks to that formula for most of the ten minutes on this EP, conjuring up noisy pop tunes with more than a hint of new wave bearings. “I Fly Towards You” and “Boy’s Night Out” continue with the template, combining Ellis’ convincing vocals with driving guitars, electro nuances, and an unwavering rhythm section. “Gone From My Mind” slows things down a tad bit and allows the lyrics to take centre stage -- “Pieces of things gone from my mind / How did I ever end up in this cold place with you? / I guess it’s best the deaf are leading the blind / I can’t see..”

Northern Travelers is a welcome encapsulation of Cry Blood Apache’s talent and potential but does not capture the essence of their powerful live performance. In concert, CBA embodies the term “post-rock,” “post-electro” even, but their recordings offer a much more organized product. Most experimental acts tread this line carefully; CBA on record seems to be a restrained younger brother of the uninhibited organism we have witnessed during past live shows but we’re sure there’s a method to the madness! In fact, this apparent difference is something the band strives for. Ellis adds, “CBA LIVE (is) an extension of the band's overriding belief that live performance should be an ecstatic event and not just a group of guys on stage regurgitating material that the audience is already familiar with.”

Catch their eccentric concoctions live at the United States Art Authority this Saturday. Per Chrien, the audience can expect to hear “renditions” of the various tracks from the EP and the band may “even debut a new number or two, depending on the crowd's response, the quality of the P.A. system, and the quantity of free libations.” Single Frame headline with their spastic spurts of synth-pop while art from Amelia Winger-Bearskin and Cari Palazzolo (and many others) rounds off the entertainment at this event titled “Live From Juvie Hall!”

But that’s not until Saturday. Follow the jump for information on more fun events!