Take A Trip With Truman Peyote

By Sarah Cobarrubias in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 16, 2010 6:20PM

We first came across Truman Peyote in January at Tomorrow Never Knows, opening for Neon Indian at Schubas, and their set stunned the audience into a state of awe. Aside from the hypnotizing light show, no one expected the intensely passionate psychedelic performance that this young, little-known Massachusetts-based duo would deliver. Comprised of Caleb Johannes and Eric Farber (who also plays under the moniker Easyboy), the twosome combines guitar, synth and a whole slew of samples and found sounds to create mesmerizing psych-pop that balances between lo-fi experimental and densely layered, textural dance music. You can check them out for yourself tonight at Phyllis’ Musical Inn, before they head down to Austin for SXSW.

Truman Peyote gained some well-deserved attention in late 2009 with their Animal Collective-ish track “New Wife, New Life,” off their debut full length album, Light-Lightning. It’s a bouncy, playful song that opens with a lively guitar riff and group vocals, incorporating sounds of children laughing, a steady clapping effect and tribal chanting. As a whole, the album has a freshness, a genuine and unpolished quality, perhaps due to Peyote’s youth and novelty. They’re still establishing their own sound, teetering between danceable synth-pop and something more profound and introspective. Hopefully, however their sound evolves in their doubtlessly long musical career, they manage to maintain that disequilibrium and along with it the dizzying, electric energy that makes their sound so intriguing.

Sadly, Light-Lightning is only available on CD, and has been sold out since soon after its release and isn’t available for download. But the duo’s got a couple other projects in the works. Breakfast of Champions just released a 7-inch split vinyl titled after and including “New Wife, New Life,” featuring Peyote and another MA-based duo, Turtle Ambulance. And Peaced Together, a split album with Many Mansions, is scheduled to be released March 30, but available for pre-order now. Most of Peyote’s material is available strictly on vinyl and CD and sells out quickly, so tonight’s show may be a good opportunity to pick up some rare albums from this quickly rising band.

Truman Peyote plays tonight, Tuesday, March 16 at Phyllis' Musical Inn, 1800 W Division, $5, 21+