Old Time Relijun is a three-piece ensemble based in Olympia, Washington. With frequently rotating drummers (the current drummer is Germaine Baca, but past drummers have included Phil Elvrum a/k/a the Microphones), the main stalwarts are Arrington de Dionyso (vocals, guitar. Dionyso is also a respected throat singer and has a degree in ethnomusicology) and Aaron Hartman (stand-up bass). The band has added Aaron’s brother Benjamin to the mix, taking over the horn and woodwind work.
Pulling influences from no-wave sax machine James Chance, Howlin’ Wolf, and Captain Beefheart, Old Time Relijun creates a frenetic, challenging sound. Longtime members of Calvin Johnson’s K Records’ stable, Old Time Relijun has received divided reviews amongst critics. Many critics deride the band for being inaccessible but others see the band as visionary.
While there is a great split over their recorded albums, Old Time Relijun has a solid following amongst anyone who has seen their frenetic live show. In these live shows, it is not beyond Arrington to be playing in nothing more than his tighty whiteys while he and the band kick out the jams.
There is great live footage of them from 2007’s SXSW music festival over at MP3.com. http://www.mp3.com/sxsw/ |
