Lamps

Lamps earned their standing as creators of irritable, unruly garage punk from Los Angeles through a raw, minimal sound occasionally interrupted by electronic disruption while the group hammered out the pulse. Known for extended intervals between recordings, the band first appeared with a self-titled EP in 2005, after which the more organized yet still frenzied follow-up Under the Water Under the Ground finally surfaced in 2012. A refreshed lineup sustained the same high-strung energy on People with Faces, issued in 2020.

The project originated with vocalist-guitarist Monty Buckles and drummer Josh Erkman. Buckles, who also works as a filmmaker and has directed videos for Be Your Own Pet, the Intelligence, A-Frames, and Black Lips, maintained loose connections to the Los Angeles underground before teaming with Erkman to launch Lamps. The pair managed only scattered rehearsals in Buckles’ apartment before the effort stalled, yet they revived the idea and recruited bassist Tim Ford. Following two early demos—one captured on cassette, the other tracked in Ford’s eight-track home studio—the trio played their debut show at a friend’s party, which led to a paid engagement opening for the Orphans and American Death Ray at the underground L.A. club Juvee. Larry Hardy attended a later performance shared with the Deadly Snakes and soon added the group to his roster. Their nine-song self-titled debut EP, featuring Piranhas guitarist Nai Sammon on several tracks, appeared in 2005. The first full-length, also called Lamps, followed in 2007 and displayed a broader yet persistently irritable and abrasive palette.

Buckles’ film work and the other members’ separate obligations created a five-year gap before the next album. Under the Water Under the Ground, released in 2012, delivered a richer and more deliberate architecture while retaining the gritty core of their approach. Another lengthy pause preceded the third album, during which bassist Tim Ford departed. People with Faces, issued in 2020, welcomed bassist and vocalist Denée Segall and was produced by garage-punk mainstay Ty Segall.