There’s something in the water: A few months after Foo Fighters paid tribute to Roky Erickson’s “Two Headed Dog,” Austin’s Lord Buffalo returns with their own take. The quintet is known for its atmospheric spin on folk-rock, at times sounding like the Anthology Of American Folk Music beamed from outer space. Last year, Longhorn Cavern proved to be the perfect venue for Lord Buffalo’s dark songs. The Cavern–which once served as a popular music venue and a hideout for Prohibition-era bootleggers–took on a church-like feel, reverberating the band’s unfolding music.
Lord Buffalo brings this same reverence to Roky, the patron saint of psychedelic rock. Last November, the band holed up in their studio with the help of Thor Harris, known for his work with Shearwater and Swans. The Castle Tapes EP presents “Two Headed Dog” alongside a few experimental originals, and it’s an interesting stopgap ahead of a full-length later this year. The original is all fury, but Lord Buffalo tease out the mystery, drama, and pure evil in their exceptional take.
–Art Levy
