Like a lot of noise/art rock groups, Lightning Bolt began as an art-school project. Unlike a lot of those bands, Lightning Bolt has managed to last past graduation. Formed six years ago in Providence, Rhode Island, the band began as a trio that included drummer Brian Chippendale, bassist Brian Gibson, and singer Hisham Bharoocha. When Bharoocha eventually left to drum for Black Dice, Chippendale took over on vocals and started running his vocals through a processor while still playing drums. Though virtually unintelligible, his vocals add to the intricate, chaotic patterns that define the group's sound. Reminiscent of Japanese noise groups like the Ruins (another drum 'n' bass duo) and Omoide Hatoba, Lightning Bolt, like most American noise outfits, has a suburban rock influence at its core -- it sounds as if these guys listened to Rush and AC/DC while growing up. Not that that's a bad thing. Live, Lighting Bolt uses its songs as set pieces within a continuous stream of improvisation. The two have even been known to start playing prematurely, in order to incorporate the previous band's final notes into their own improvisation. New York's Sightings will open, with their throbbing, swampy version of noise rock. Pink and Brown, on the other hand, is a self-described mix of "DNA, the Stooges, and Spider-Man," and to accentuate its influences, its members dress in pink and brown full-body jumpsuits.
