Jesus Lizard Guitarist Duane Denison Ignites ‘Challenging’ New Jazz Trio With Ex-Silver Jews, Lambchop Members
It’s unclear whether the Jesus Lizard are an active band to any degree at the moment – an ambiguous status level the noise-rock tricksters seem to enjoy as much as they do occasionally reuniting for an unexpected swing of shows or even a new record. But with vocalist David Yow having ditched the U.S. for Poland, the chances seem slimmer than usual for another reunion of any sort.
But that’s not to say the other band members – we’re looking at you, guitarist Duane Denison – are inclined to rest on their laurels. At the end of a 20-minute video conversation with Melvins main man Buzz Osborne that Consequence posted two days ago, Denison mentioned – almost as an aside – that he’s formed a new band in Nashville, where he currently resides. It’s called D2 Archipelago and features two other players: guitarist Matt Swanson and drummer Brian Kotzur, formerly of Lambchop (also based in Nashville) and Silver Jews, respectively.
Denison disclosed that D2 Archipelago coalesced approximately two months ago and have played some gigs since. It’s too early to tell, but the way Denison described his new outfit leads one to think it might sound closest to The Denison/Kimball Trio, a.k.a. DK3. That jazz-centric three-piece issued three full-lengths in the mid-’90s – again, when the Jesus Lizard were in their heyday.
Hardly known for verbosity, Denison told Osborne: “It’s just a three-piece instrumental, kind of noir, jazzy … but not jazz. We’ve played a couple shows. We opened for Kid Congo and Echo & the Bunnymen. It’s very enjoyable and challenging and fun.”
[Go here to read exclusive comments that Denison’s fellow bandmates in D2 Archipelago recently provided to The Bad Penny.]
D2 Archipelago have already performed at least a couple of times in concert already, including a set opening for Echo & the Bunnymen at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville on May 29.
And that appears to be all we know about D2 Archipelago thus far. Denison didn’t immediately reply for comment when The Bad Penny reached out to him on Saturday. Swanson and Kotzur didn’t immediately reply for comment when The Bad Penny reached out to them on Sunday.
Among the four core members of the Jesus Lizard – which also include(d?) bassist David Wm. Sims and drummer Mac McNeilly – Denison is the one less apt to take a break from music than his three amigos. Sure, during past Lizard hiatuses, Yow bided his time fronting noise project Qui and filling the shoes of vocalist on Flipper reunion tours. But Denison is the dude who seems to have the toughest time swearing off band activity completely. When the Lizard were still active, he maintained an avant-garde jazz project called Denison/Kimball Trio and occasionally supplied his trademark smooth licks to Firewater, Pigface, a solo record by beloved Mekons member Sally Timms, and other forays.
In closing, here’s a piece of trivia you’ll probably only find on The Bad Penny: Denison is also currently performing in Tomahawk, a fairly recently reunited Nashville project featuring Osborne, ex-Melvins bassist Trevor Dunn, drummer John Stanier of Helmet and Battles note, and Faith No More frontman Mike Patton. Melvins, of course, were arguably the greatest influence on Kurt Cobain and Nirvana … and the only split 7-inch Nirvana ever recorded was with the Jesus Lizard.
If that kind of trivia is up your alley, take a shot at The Bad Penny‘s “Labyrinth: The History of the Jesus Lizard” and/or, for that matter, “Labyrinth: The History of Nirvana.”
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