NOISEY 111: BASS DRUM OF DEATH

Lo-fi is a technique, not a genre. But that doesn’t stop critics from lumping the “genre” on so many disparate bands. Oxford, Mississippi’s Bass Drum Of Death got the lo-fi treatment at first, but when you listen to their layered recordings you’ll hear influences from punk, garage, and rock ‘n’ roll, combined in a sonic Long Island Iced Tea.

You can find them in the Cat’s Purring scene, a collective of musical brethren that’s been nurturing the Oxford DIY arts scene for the past few years, with BDOD at the center. The collective hosts regular gigs and parties in a 5000 square foot barn called the Cats Purring Dude Ranch.

BDOD’s front man is a self-described perfectionist. John Barrett did everything except the mastering on their debut long-player GB City, which was released in April 2011 on Fat Possum Records. We caught them in the middle of a Napolean-esque tour in support of their Fat Possum debut at the Urban Lounge, one of Salt Lake City’s most enduring dive bars.