Horse Lords

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are the best rock band in america.

'An instrumental odyssey from Baltimore quartet Horse Lords: drums, bass, sax, guitar, and percussion fuse together to carve out deep, hypnotic grooves of bold new American rock and roll. Using a just intonation tuning system, the band constructs layers of punching, syncopated phrase that call upon elements of krautrock, African poly-rhythms, and classical minimalism.'

http://horselords.bandcamp.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfClXuKqjvA&spfreload=10

i was stoked to see some excitement for Horse Lords in the parquet courts thread & here we are

when is the new Jim O'Rourke album coming out (spazzmatazz), Wednesday, 28 January 2015 01:53 (ten years ago)

they need to get those three mixtape jams up on band camp. they're looser than the albums but they're the best

every once in a while I play 'church of anthrax' because how could an album by john cale and terry riley not be amazing, but now I can just go listen to these

Milton Parker, Wednesday, 28 January 2015 01:57 (ten years ago)

mixtapes II & III are up on bandcamp as name yr price downloads. i know cuz i ran off to their page right after they came up in the parkay quarts thread. you have to give your email address & they send you a link, otherwise painless.

A Severus of Snapes (contenderizer), Wednesday, 28 January 2015 02:04 (ten years ago)

sold

WRINKLEPAWSOME (sleeve), Wednesday, 28 January 2015 02:08 (ten years ago)

i saw a headline on these guys the other day.

"Horse Lords lay waste to indie rock bands treading water"

listening to stuff on their Bandcamp and am really impressed

hackshaw, Wednesday, 28 January 2015 03:34 (ten years ago)

going to see them next week at union pool

calstars, Wednesday, 28 January 2015 03:40 (ten years ago)

"Hidden Cities" sounds the coolest to my ears. U.S. Maple jamming in Africa?

https://soundcloud.com/nnatapes/sets/nna075

hackshaw, Wednesday, 28 January 2015 03:42 (ten years ago)

union pool show is w/ chris forsyth who owned at palisades last month, i am there

adam, Wednesday, 28 January 2015 04:20 (ten years ago)

holy cats these mixtapes are great

WRINKLEPAWSOME (sleeve), Wednesday, 28 January 2015 04:26 (ten years ago)

like, really really great

thanks Milton

WRINKLEPAWSOME (sleeve), Wednesday, 28 January 2015 04:29 (ten years ago)

I've only heard their 2014 release and these two long tracks are great

Dinsdale, Wednesday, 28 January 2015 07:14 (ten years ago)

blowing my mind, been looking for music like this

global tetrahedron, Wednesday, 28 January 2015 20:33 (ten years ago)

Guitars tuned in just intonation tunings Global. The next frontier ....

grandavis, Wednesday, 28 January 2015 21:04 (ten years ago)

one month passes...

finally got a copy of Max from HL's excellent solo album from last year, RED ANXIETY TRACERS, highly recommended, doesnt sound like HL, minimal noise/ music concrete i guess

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l6k9HXFdeM

flappy bird (spazzmatazz), Friday, 6 March 2015 02:21 (ten years ago)

Max is about to do a tour on the west coast w Luminous Kudler after playing some Horse Lords gigs so if you dig him solo definitely check those out, I just caught his new set with his new modular-to-computer-and-back-again rig and it was really righteous

the tune was space, Friday, 6 March 2015 03:19 (ten years ago)

I should prob nominate a song or two for the epics poll

the war on me (Drugs A. Money), Friday, 6 March 2015 18:01 (ten years ago)

I voted for Who Taught You to Hate Yourself? in the 2012 tracks poll so maybe that one...

the war on me (Drugs A. Money), Friday, 6 March 2015 18:04 (ten years ago)

Any info on the tour out there? Would love to catch him.

Tomás Piñon (Ryan), Friday, 6 March 2015 18:13 (ten years ago)

Horse Lords play VASSAR college tonight, FYI

their Facebook tends to list these things, and max is @420_horchata on Twitter if you wanna see what he's up to

the tune was space, Friday, 6 March 2015 18:27 (ten years ago)

Thanks! I might have to figure out how to swing a round trip to Olympia on Wednesday...

Tomás Piñon (Ryan), Friday, 6 March 2015 18:45 (ten years ago)

three weeks pass...

http://horselords.bandcamp.com/album/hidden-cities-remix

remixes by the tune is space, Milton Parker, etc.

the album still rules and is in my regular rotation

sleeve, Thursday, 2 April 2015 22:03 (ten years ago)

Great! Will get those tonight. "Outer East" is such a great track to play in the car, pedal to the metal at 10 minutes in :)
Who's Milton Parker on that list of remixers?

willem, Friday, 3 April 2015 09:24 (ten years ago)

I can't say, sorry, just remembered that

sleeve, Friday, 3 April 2015 14:00 (ten years ago)

Ha, ok, no problem.

willem, Friday, 3 April 2015 14:08 (ten years ago)

Oh, need to check that out. Only recently heard the impressive album.

curmudgeon, Friday, 3 April 2015 14:27 (ten years ago)

ten months pass...

new album!

http://horselords.bandcamp.com/album/interventions

the 'major tom guy' (sleeve), Monday, 8 February 2016 15:20 (nine years ago)

!!

I'm currently in an online essential oil class! (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 8 February 2016 15:24 (nine years ago)

and a tour!
4/27 Philadelphia, PA TBA
4/28 TBA, TBA TBA
4/29 Brooklyn, NY TBA
4/30 Cambridge, MA Out of the Blue Gallery
5/1 Western, MA TBA
5/2 Annendale-on-Hudson, NY Smog
5/3 TBA TBA
5/4 Quebec City, QB TBA
5/5 Montreal, QB Brasserie Beaubien
5/6 Toronto, ON Feast in the East
5/7 Buffalo, NY Sugar City
5/8 Detroit, MI TBA
5/9 Chicago, IL Situations
5/11 Minneapolis, MN TBA
5/12 Lincoln, NE Tr33 H0use
5/13 Denver, CO Glob
5/14 Salt Lake City, UT Diabolical Records
5/16 Seattle, WA TBA
5/17 Portland, OR Human Flesh Body World
5/18 Arcata, CA Richard's Goat Tavern & Tea Room
5/19 Oakland, CA TBA
5/20 San Francisco, CA TBA
5/21 Los Angeles, CA TBA
5/22 Tiajuana, MX La Caja Fuerte
5/24 Los Angeles, CA Live on The Unwrinkled Ear KCHUNG
5/25 Tempe, AZ TBA
5/26 Santa Fe, NM Radical Abicus
5/27 Oklahoma City, OK TBA
5/28 Austin, TX TBA
5/30 New Orleans, LA TBA
5/31 Atlanta, GA TBA
6/1 Asheville, NC TBA
6/2 Virgiania Beach, VA Back Bay Brewery
6/3 Washington, DC TBA
6/4 Baltimore, MD TBA

tylerw, Monday, 8 February 2016 15:27 (nine years ago)

Uggh, so pissed I missed them when they played Charlottesville. Why VA Beach? Didn't realize anyone played VA Beach ....

grandavis, Monday, 8 February 2016 15:33 (nine years ago)

The preview clip from the new record is fucking sweet.

grandavis, Monday, 8 February 2016 15:39 (nine years ago)

two months pass...

FRIDAY, i have been jamming "truthers" on the regular, i am excited to see them play new stuff/hear the record

adam, Tuesday, 26 April 2016 15:55 (nine years ago)

if you replace the Rs with Us, they are house louds

mandatory sex webinar (contenderizer), Wednesday, 27 April 2016 09:00 (nine years ago)

http://www.npr.org/event/music/476020413/video-horse-lords-hypnotic-truthers-will-blast-your-noodle cool video. listened to the record on my commute this morning and it is very good indeed.

adam, Friday, 29 April 2016 15:23 (nine years ago)

fuck, vinyl is sold out!

the 'major tom guy' (sleeve), Friday, 29 April 2016 15:26 (nine years ago)

i gotta listen a bit more to these guys, something isn't quite clicking with me. but i trust you guys.

tylerw, Friday, 29 April 2016 15:41 (nine years ago)

fuck, vinyl is sold out!

preordered a couple months back. hope i am not forgotten.

mandatory sex webinar (contenderizer), Friday, 29 April 2016 16:02 (nine years ago)

and the first LP is surprisingly hard to track down these days

mandatory sex webinar (contenderizer), Friday, 29 April 2016 16:04 (nine years ago)

yeah I've had that on my list for at least a year now, impossible

the 'major tom guy' (sleeve), Friday, 29 April 2016 16:05 (nine years ago)

i almost ordered the vinyl last night (said their were 4 left) but held off ... surely they'll have someone at the merch table on tour, yah?

alpine static, Friday, 29 April 2016 16:45 (nine years ago)

they are playing with friends of mine about 50 feet from my store on the 3rd of may. gonna buy all the records.

scott seward, Friday, 29 April 2016 16:49 (nine years ago)

yes i hit the atm just now in order to raid the merch table tonight. i might buy a t shirt if they exist. the last band shirt i bought was napalm death.

adam, Friday, 29 April 2016 18:04 (nine years ago)

this rules

global tetrahedron, Friday, 29 April 2016 18:14 (nine years ago)

like, too good. i love it. can't wait to see them

global tetrahedron, Friday, 29 April 2016 19:03 (nine years ago)

^^^

alpine static, Friday, 29 April 2016 19:06 (nine years ago)

they were so great when i saw them last year, looking forward to seeing them again in a week or so
they're playing a diy venue which seems a little weird but w/e

weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Friday, 29 April 2016 19:07 (nine years ago)

oh man, guess I am gonna buy some FLAC files here

excited

the 'major tom guy' (sleeve), Friday, 29 April 2016 19:14 (nine years ago)

rules

j., Friday, 29 April 2016 22:51 (nine years ago)

V good.

Hi! I'm twice-coloured! (Sund4r), Saturday, 30 April 2016 00:56 (nine years ago)

OK, wow, the lossless version sounds great imo.

Hi! I'm twice-coloured! (Sund4r), Saturday, 30 April 2016 14:34 (nine years ago)

yes, it certainly does. listening now.

this is next-level, even better than Hidden Cities imo

drummer really shines on this so far

the 'major tom guy' (sleeve), Saturday, 30 April 2016 15:34 (nine years ago)

Nothing insufferable about that statement imo.
Started listening in bed yesterday and fell asleep, first three tracks I liked though :)

willem, Saturday, 17 December 2022 17:33 (two years ago)

I don't get the obsession here with accusing these guys of being any more pompous than any other arty post rock band

Paul Ponzi, Saturday, 17 December 2022 18:09 (two years ago)

Agreed, ESPECIALLY with a state as innocuous as the above

zacata, Saturday, 17 December 2022 23:02 (two years ago)

Statement of course

zacata, Saturday, 17 December 2022 23:02 (two years ago)

two months pass...

new live EP

https://horselords.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-leipzig

obsidian crocogolem (sleeve), Thursday, 2 March 2023 16:00 (two years ago)

eleven months pass...

live album out now

https://horselords.bandcamp.com/album/as-it-happened-horse-lords-live

Taylor Slift (sleeve), Tuesday, 6 February 2024 15:17 (one year ago)

four months pass...

i'm seeing these nerds live next month and am *stoked*

alpine static, Thursday, 6 June 2024 23:16 (one year ago)

ooh are they in the PNW?!?!

I painted my teeth (sleeve), Thursday, 6 June 2024 23:20 (one year ago)

saw them earlier this year, they do a fantastic job

budo jeru, Thursday, 6 June 2024 23:22 (one year ago)

xp

https://x.com/HorseLords/status/1798644570953335099

alpine static, Friday, 7 June 2024 04:25 (one year ago)

i'm not able to see that or really any links from twitter

budo jeru, Friday, 7 June 2024 14:45 (one year ago)

yeah I can't see that one either, here's a link with dates/venues:

https://igetrvng.com/events/

I painted my teeth (sleeve), Friday, 7 June 2024 15:03 (one year ago)

if you replace X with Twitter in the URL it will still embed

Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 7 June 2024 15:48 (one year ago)

sorry y'all

alpine static, Monday, 10 June 2024 05:37 (one year ago)

it's okay, i'm just giving that feedback because i think that not everybody realizes that people without accounts often can't see the post much less the comments and context surrounding it

budo jeru, Tuesday, 11 June 2024 14:35 (one year ago)

i definitely had no idea!

alpine static, Tuesday, 11 June 2024 18:40 (one year ago)

two weeks pass...

Saw them live last night for the first time. Loved it. I can see why they've put out various live recordings, the studio records are great but live there's an exuberance to the sound that's really engaging.

Position Position, Thursday, 27 June 2024 13:16 (one year ago)

I'm going to try to see them when I'm out in LA next week!

tylerw, Thursday, 27 June 2024 14:21 (one year ago)

I'll just echo what everyone else has said: absolutely worth seeing them live. I was only mildly into their studio output but I saw them at Big Ears this year and had an amazing time.

Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Thursday, 27 June 2024 17:06 (one year ago)

two weeks pass...

The live album is miles better than their studio stuff. Knew they'd be one of those bands lol

imago, Friday, 12 July 2024 13:41 (one year ago)

I saw them live the other night and they were the best thing I've seen in quite some time. I absolutely thought they backed up my occasional half-joking-half-serious declaration that they are the best band in America.

alpine static, Friday, 12 July 2024 18:46 (one year ago)

I knew nothing about them until I saw them at Solid Sound the other week where they played one of the late night sets. They were hypnotic!

henry s, Friday, 12 July 2024 18:56 (one year ago)

Would love to see them live, wish they were hitting the midwest

Jordan s/t (Jordan), Friday, 12 July 2024 19:04 (one year ago)

They did Minneapolis and Chicago in early spring. But I don’t think they’ll be back soon. While some are saying they’re the best band in America, I think 3/4 of them live in Europe.

bbq, Friday, 12 July 2024 20:49 (one year ago)

i hope they never release a studio album again. i will 100% see them when they're next in London

imago, Friday, 12 July 2024 20:57 (one year ago)

les rallizes deneighdes

imago, Friday, 12 July 2024 20:58 (one year ago)

absolute props to them for having the self-generosity to piece together a concise 48-minute live album from 4 different performances in 4 different years. to select the very best shit they've done and present it as a single document. utterly magnificent

imago, Friday, 12 July 2024 21:02 (one year ago)

i saw them last week at a small club in portland and it was pretty easily the best show i've seen since covid restrictions ended

Clay, Friday, 12 July 2024 21:08 (one year ago)

Listening to the live album now. It's not bad, but so far the only track where I think the live version is clearly superior to the studio version is "Bending to the Lash".

o. nate, Friday, 12 July 2024 21:31 (one year ago)

I saw them live the other night and they were the best thing I've seen in quite some time. I absolutely thought they backed up my occasional half-joking-half-serious declaration that they are the best band in America.

― alpine static, Friday, July 12, 2024 1:46 PM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

they don't even live here

budo jeru, Friday, 12 July 2024 21:45 (one year ago)

to be fair, they WERE from Baltimore

I painted my teeth (sleeve), Friday, 12 July 2024 21:51 (one year ago)

i mean, i didn't know they don't live here. they have always been identified as a Baltimore band, and that's what i'm talking about. but if they're not ... well, OK.

alpine static, Saturday, 13 July 2024 06:46 (one year ago)

I was just goofin around. I too think 4 Americans in a band is an American band. But if turns out one of them is Canadian…

bbq, Saturday, 13 July 2024 21:48 (one year ago)

same, and if i had seen that somebody had already brought it up, i wouldn't have mentioned it. not trying to pile on, lol

budo jeru, Sunday, 14 July 2024 17:21 (one year ago)

all good, my brother in Horse Lords

alpine static, Sunday, 14 July 2024 20:00 (one year ago)

three months pass...

I didn't realize that their multi-instrumentalism is so intense, what a band.

https://www.ursss.com/2023/04/horse-lords/

Jordan s/t (Jordan), Friday, 25 October 2024 16:30 (one year ago)

They do, indeed, rule. Sad I haven't seen them live in a while as it is cool to watch them do it.

grandavis, Friday, 25 October 2024 18:29 (one year ago)

wowwwww

go polish your nose ring (sleeve), Friday, 25 October 2024 19:14 (one year ago)

Great video!

o. nate, Friday, 25 October 2024 21:27 (one year ago)

Gotta say this (incredible) video is a good polyrhythmic companion piece:

https://www.ursss.com/2023/03/mark-ernestus-ndagga-rhythm-force/

Jordan s/t (Jordan), Friday, 25 October 2024 21:38 (one year ago)

four months pass...

Label for their solo projects:
https://omaeditions.bandcamp.com/

Jordan s/t (Jordan), Tuesday, 11 March 2025 22:09 (eight months ago)

six months pass...

oh hell yes, collaboration with Arnold Dreyblatt

https://horselords.bandcamp.com/album/frkwys-vol-18-extended-field?

sleeve, Wednesday, 24 September 2025 14:48 (two months ago)

well that makes a lot of sense.

Kudos to RVNG. I contributed to the kickstarter for the original FRKWYS series and have all the original ones. Was made a few of the suggestions/connections for the Mirror Mirror volume.

dan selzer, Wednesday, 24 September 2025 15:09 (two months ago)

Andrea Belfi, formerly of Il Sogno Del Marinaio, is an honorary Horse Lord on this one. One step closer to the Watt/Horse Lords collab you didn't know you wanted till now.

wronger than 100 geir posts (MacDara), Wednesday, 24 September 2025 16:08 (two months ago)

one month passes...

this is out, yo. sounds great.

challopvious (sleeve), Friday, 21 November 2025 20:55 (three days ago)

Pretty great but...

not sure I like it better than say, Animal Magnetism or my favorite Horse Lords records!

sum better than the parts? Maybe not. Def some moments where I felt like it was a cool merging of two things. Other times where it seemed like two things. Only listened to it once and not that closely though.

dan selzer, Friday, 21 November 2025 21:42 (three days ago)

yeah my first time through and I think too much of this is beatless

challopvious (sleeve), Friday, 21 November 2025 21:42 (three days ago)

drum-less, whatever

challopvious (sleeve), Friday, 21 November 2025 21:43 (three days ago)

also weren't there four of these guys? this is three plus Belfi & Dreyblatt.

challopvious (sleeve), Friday, 21 November 2025 21:44 (three days ago)

no Booker Stardrum, who is plenty busy with SML at the moment

not sure if his other gig or the drum-less collaboration came first, but they certainly seem aligned

alpine static, Friday, 21 November 2025 22:04 (three days ago)


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