The Lost Sounds “Memphis is Dead” 2001. Big Neck Records on smoky vinyl (2018 repress I believe). Experimental, dark garagey noise rock with elements of punk, surf and psychedelia. The Lost Sounds were Jay Reatard (aka Jay Lindsey who died in 2010, from the Reatards), Rick Crook (also from Reatards, Sweet Knives) and Alicja Trout (Sweet Knives, River City Tanlines). We saw Trout perform with River City Tanlines last month at Dirtnap Records Fest where she and her band blew us away; we got this record from her then (the River City Tanlines LP is long out of print). Memphis is Dead is super-witchy (see their reworking of The Lollipop Shoppe‘s 60’s psychedelic “You Must Be a Witch” if there’s any doubt) and weird with creepy keyboards, wailing vocals (courtesy of Trout) and a lot of raw noise. It’s great! “It’s My Dream” is a total nightmare, “Disease” is an all-out angry punk rager and “Don’t Bother Me” is both evil and totally danceable.  “Inside My Head” and “I’ve Lost It” are the most accessible songs on the record, both are quick 60’s-style organ-forward garage boppers sung by Jay Reatard and provide a tiny bit of musical levity to an overall super-dark album.

While the title track “Memphis is Dead” does not actually appear on the record – it appeared on the EP 1+1=Nothing (Empty Records, 2000) – it’s one of the only videos of the band from that time available.