evangelista.

i'm way overdue on this one, but it's still worth making some notations on Carla Bozulich's Evangelista live at Schuba's, way back on April 10. Carla Bozulich (music maker/performer/artist formerly of Geraldine Fibbers, Ethyl Meatplow, Scarnella, etc. etc. etc.) has been making these righteously beautiful albums for Constellation Records, and if you are unaware of these, please get your filthy hands on them. the first, titled "Evangelista," is a solo album with a little help from her friends in A Silver Mt. Zion. a break-up album of epicly tortured propotions, the most scraped-up screaming and intense piece of wax that i have ever laid ears upon, Carla takes elements of her avant-alt-country background and mixes them perfectly with atmospheric noise experimentation, instrumental interplay, and straight-up misery (captured both vocally and instrumentally).

the most recent album, titled "Hello, Voyager" and credited to the band Evangelista, is a step beyond stunning; Bozulich's collaboration with core bandmate, bassist Tara Barnes, proves to be a duo of perfection. the delicate balancing of crackled feedback with gorgeous orchestration, brutal doom with jazzy lightness, and screaming ferociousness with damaged childlike innocence is the best kind of mindfuck that you could ever hope and ask for.

live, Carla had a full band in tow (another guitarist, cellist, drummer, bassist and keyboard/pedals/synths dude) and despite the small crowd (what the fuck, people?!) and slight sound issues (what the fuck, Schuba's?!) she pulled off one of the most emotionally heartwrenching performances that i have ever witnessed. by the second song i was (embarassingly) in tears, and by the first few notes of her fantastic cover of Low's "Pissing" i was a plain ole' glorious mess. seriously for real, i needed my hand held for the rest of the show. the sadness and emotional intensity that wells out from her performances is ridiculously catching. and that fucking voice! that fucking whiskey & cigarettes 'been there done that' angry loud sad pained and tortured voice...it's seriously killer X1000 live. Carla didn't play guitar a whole lot due to a wrist injury (i think?) but danced around the stage in a Twin Peaksian manner and sang her fucking heart to the moon, cried a little and smiled a lot and got off the stage and sang right up to us. her band was awesome and perfect- band members getting on and off stage as needed, creating the perfect creepily orchestrated soundscape, and keeping a rather serious demeaner behind Carla's psychological intensity. it was a beautiful and painful (in the most positive sense of the word) set, for sure.

i'm not kidding when i'm saying you should get your filthy hands on these records, and go see Evangelista live, she's still touring for quite a while!