Soft Prog-Pop band ZS joins Big Ears Festival in TN

[battema]

I know these guys have a few fans on the board, even if they are a bit mellow/tame for most...

Anyhoo...ZS (whose latest release was the mellotron-laden triumph "New Slaves") just got added to the Big Ears Fest lineup in Knoxville TN, held the last weekend of March. They are joining Terry Riley, Laurie Anderson, Kronos Quartet, Swans, Ben Frost, Harold Budd, Bad Plus, Bill Frisell, Grouper, Winged Victory for the Sullen, Clarke, and a crapload of others.

Festival site: http://bigearsfestival.com/

This will be a good weekend...

[Scrotum Scissor]

They're a bit like Air Supply meeting Heaven and Earth by way of recent Toto, right? With Wilson Stevens producing?

[Morpheus]

Styx with less ballz.

[battema]

They're a bit like Air Supply meeting Heaven and Earth by way of recent Toto, right? With Wilson Stevens producing?

I can't agree at all with the Toto reference. Those guys in recent Toto are serious musicians. Zs is a bit more like the above, but Yoso instead. Or maybe Transatlantic, but with less of a gospel angle.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Transatlantic, but with less of a gospel angle.

Do you mean to imply... More like... Transatlantdeath? The extremely metallic and evil janus of theirs? Morse with a heavy hangover, so to speak? A bit, like, Neal-meets-Johnny Thunders?

[battema]

Do you mean to imply... More like... Transatlantdeath? The extremely metallic and evil janus of theirs? Morse with a heavy hangover, so to speak? A bit, like, Neal-meets-Johnny Thunders?

See...now you're totally on the right track. Portnoy with his beard dyed blood red, and Roine's flowers are all wilted and somber, man. 'Cause that's the deep stuff right there.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I'd travel pretty far to see them if ZS came to Europe. They're absolutely one of my most-wanted live experiences these days. I still regret not going to Copenhagen to catch Kayo Dot in 2013, and I don't really see them coming back anywhere near me anytime soon.

[battema]

I'd travel pretty far to see them if ZS came to Europe. They're absolutely one of my most-wanted live experiences these days. I still regret not going to Copenhagen to catch Kayo Dot in 2013, and I don't really see them coming back anywhere near me anytime soon.

I'm going to apologize in advance, because I may be having a "doofus American" moment here...but Kayo Dot is on the bill for Roadburn this year. Not sure where you are in proximity to Roadburn (i.e. my doofus American self assuming it's all just "around the corner" when it could be halfway across Europe), but at least it's on the right continent for starters. "Coffins on Io" hasn't gripped me as strongly as some of their other works, but they should still be a good show.

ZS at Big Ears will be very cool, as the festival generally puts acts in venues well-suited to their sound. I'll have my hardcore earplugs ready to go ;-)

[walt]

ZS is probably a bridge too far, decibel wise, for me, even with my cheapo CVS earplugs at Big Ears.

It'll be the quieter acts for me in Knoxville that weekend. Luckily, there are more than a couple that should fit my prescription.

[Scrotum Scissor]

"Coffins on Io" hasn't gripped me as strongly as some of their other works, but they should still be a good show.

In total agreement here; their "weakest" record, so to speak. Or at least their most uneven. There's some alright material there, but KD as "conventional rock/prog" whatever doesn't exactly cut it.

[battema]

In total agreement here; their "weakest" record, so to speak. Or at least their most uneven. There's some alright material there, but KD as "conventional rock/prog" whatever doesn't exactly cut it.

Yeah...I respect Toby for stretching out a bit, but in the end I don't really find myself interested in revisiting the album too often. I'd rather reach for Hubardo, Coyote, and Choirs when I get the Kayo Dot "itch" as it were.

[battema]

ZS is probably a bridge too far, decibel wise, for me, even with my cheapo CVS earplugs at Big Ears.

It'll be the quieter acts for me in Knoxville that weekend. Luckily, there are more than a couple that should fit my prescription.

Looking at the schedule it looks like Sunday is max noise day for me. ZS and Swans. Ben Frost will be another likely loud one, but is (I think) Saturday...his set half overlaps with one of Budd's sets so I guess I'll be catching Budd on Friday too (whomever thought putting Budd at midnight on Saturday must think we're all insomniacs ).

[Scrotum Scissor]

Looking at the schedule it looks like Sunday is max noise day for me. ZS and Swans.

Christ! They're appearing on the same day?! Knowing Gira, he'll probably pull all the stops and just squash the place flat with volume then. No competition, I suspect.

[walt]

Budd is playing at midnight?!!!!

Shit.It'll probably take rites of necromancy to keep me awake for that.

I have to consult the schedule, map out what i want to hear the most.

[battema]

Christ! They're appearing on the same day?! Knowing Gira, he'll probably pull all the stops and just squash the place flat with volume then. No competition, I suspect.

Honestly, all three days of the festival are pretty jam-packed with serious doses of awesome. The one gotcha for me with ZS is that it also overlaps with Terry Riley's set, and he's another bucket list. So, I might duck out of one a bit early to sneak over and catch the other.

[battema]

Budd is playing at midnight?!!!!

Shit.It'll probably take rites of necromancy to keep me awake for that.

I have to consult the schedule, map out what i want to hear the most.

He is playing more than one set...and the other set is a bit earlier on Friday

The initial schedule is up on the site...definitely worth checking out. Last year I didn't start watching bands 'til almost 11 PM (Vatican Shadow) but this year it looks like I need to be ready to roll by early evening

[walt]

I'll see Budd and Levene Friday night.Saturday i'll catch Loscil and Jozef Van Wissem(must support my home boy).Perhaps i'll see Bing & Ruth Saturday night.

Sunday i don't know what i'll see, yet.

Decisions, decisions.

I'm hoping for a command performance by John Battema...by popular acclaim.

[battema]

Man, my weekend is going to be slammed:


Friday:

Harold Budd/Keith Rowe, Demdike Stare soundtracking Haxan, and either Kronos doing Terry Riley, or Bad Plus doing Rite of Spring (that is a tough call).

Saturday:

Loscil, Winged Victory, (maybe) Josef Wissem, Holly Herndon, Laurie Anderson/Kronos, Max Richter, Grouper, Ben Frost, at least part of the Bing + Ruth set, the first half of the 2nd Budd set (before Ben Frost kicks in), or maybe check out Omar Soulyman instead.

Sunday:

Terry Riley, ZS, maybe some Bill Frisell, Silver Apples, Swans, maybe some more Laurie Anderson/Kronos action.


Not gonna lie...I'm freaking excited about this fest. As for command performances...except for watching me geek out like a Trekkie when Budd hits the stage, I'm keeping a nice low profile

[JKL2000]

Soft prog-pop? Is it ZS like Zzzzzzzzzzz...?

[trurl]

I've never heard of the band so it took me a few posts to grasp the irony...

[battema]

I've never heard of the band so it took me a few posts to grasp the irony...

Yeah...it was my own lame-assed attempt at a mildly-inside joke...as enthusiasm for Zs wouldn't exactly be considered widespread across the site. Far from my finest hour.

[trurl]

I did get it though!

[Steve F.]

I've seen Zs twice. Once was utterly insanely amazing and once was a little slow to take off, but overall 'quite good'.

I think they are in their 'quite good' phase now, but I'd be interested in your take on it when you return for your debriefing.

re: volume. I'm pretty sensitive to volume and neither time I saw Zs would I say the volume was more than what a typical ROCK show in a club is like these days.

Swans, however, I assume with flatten the town.

[battema]

I've seen Zs twice. Once was utterly insanely amazing and once was a little slow to take off, but overall 'quite good'.

I think they are in their 'quite good' phase now, but I'd be interested in your take on it when you return for your debriefing.

re: volume. I'm pretty sensitive to volume and neither time I saw Zs would I say the volume was more than what a typical ROCK show in a club is like these days.

Swans, however, I assume with flatten the town.

Yeah, I'll be packing the "Sunn 0)))" level earplugs for the trip regardless...pretty sure several of the acts will push the volume envelope considerably. Last year Keiji Haino just about made my ears bleed with his set.

Was listening to "New Slaves" earlier...it'll be super cool to watch that stuff pulled off live, regardless of the volume

[walt]

The Bad Plus on Friday night will be on my agenda.Saw them a couple of times in NYC over the past few years, good players.