I arrived a little late for the opening set from locals Onoma, but I was happy I didn't miss Jazzfinger. Conjuring weird synthetic/earthen feelings -- submerged and lushly monolithic -- the set focused on ultra-low-frequency free-noise with bass-heavy rumbles to create natural rhythmic patterns. It was an astonishingly immersive set. Afterward, Dragging An Ox Through Water (the solo project of Brian Mumford from Jackie-O) hit the stage, taking Dirty Projectors-style vocal gusto and backing it with various textures of harsh ambience and fake blues riffs to create some truly skewed pop/folk. With a wide selection of pedals and other weird contraptions (including one that made sound in correspondence to the flicker of a nearby candle), his splicing of noise and pop linearity made his set the all-round surprise of the night
And then on came Jackie-O Motherfucker. The group is from Portland, OR, but the American mythos buried in its rock seems much more widespread. Such is the success of Jackie-O's heavily majestic, drone-oriented rock, especially when heard by British ears. Here, in the context of Newcastle's always-endearing Star & Shadow cinema, their oblique, desert-inspired riffage flourished in front of a mid-sized audience.
Jackie-O are at their best when splitting time between their free-jazz and free-noise approaches, when embracing both burnt-put sonics and more fluid sounds. But since they were without Valet/Honey Owens (whose distinct evocations are easily heard on the the new Ballad Of The Revolution LP) tonight, there was a proclivity towards more band-oriented structures. But the set still maintained a comfortable balance between rigidness and exploration, gaining even more immediacy because of the low-key setting. Dragging An Ox Through Water might have upstaged Jackie-O's set, but it was still a perfect way to end the night.