On The Verge

The Lava Children

Tulsa, Okla.
Hot Lava
www.myspace.com/thelavachildren

Just when you thought it might be safe to visit Oklahoma, the state that brought you The Flaming Lips and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Tulsa has cooked up yet another freaky band. Formed by self-described “good-time music nerds” Taylor Clark and Sherri West in 2004, The Lava Children combine the trippiest aspects of The Byrds or The Beatles vibe with the zaniness of Ween and the hipness of Beck. “One word that I tend to use [to describe our music] is psychedelic, in the true sense of the word,” said Clark. “We hope the music is transformative of someone’s [state of mind]; that the music acts to take people somewhere or envelop them somehow.” Clocking in at just over 20 minutes, the group’s first release—an eponymous “mini-LP”—is marked by scary synths, weirdo folk stomps, jingle-jangle guitars and West’s ethereal vocals. Its unrecognizable cover of Phish’s “Fly Famous Mockingbird,” further evidence of strangeness, is available on the Gamehenge 09 compilation from the Brooklyn-based Little Fury Things label.