Reviews

Loto Ball would resurface in Chicago with a new band that sounded like some sick version of James Chance and The Contortions fucking around to covers off the Nuggets box set. - http://www.imposemagazine.com/labeled-gifted-children-records/16653/

Their sound stood out, sure, but their live spectacle was an integral piece of the Phantom Limbs experience. Singer Loto Ball was something of a punk rock Artaud, encouraging involuntary audience participation by handcuffing himself to show-goers, hocking fake gold watches, or just covering himself in greasepaint that inevitably rubbed off on the crowd. - MidHeaven Mailorder

Levy on The Eyeway is one of my favorite releases of last year! - Derek, Midnight Eclectic KROK, Louisiana

Levy on the Eyeway makes Diane Kamikaze's (WFMU) top ten of 2008

Fensepost Blog Review of LEVY ON THE EYEWAY First off, the opening track "MC Kenney" is one of those annoying vocal-only introductions. At 35 seconds, it's a throwaway; likely an inside joke. But once you get past that, Levy On The Eyeway is a surprising ride. The true opener is "Dead Kiss", a song that begins with a pointed key riff but quickly dives into a loud, blaring punk-ish track & and it's pretty freakin' good. Loto Ball Show, then, fits the category of bands like Kickball and Wet Confetti. The trumpets draw comparison to the unfortunately defunct Seattle experimental post punkers Automaton Adventure Series (later, they droped a few words to simply be Automaton). "I Can See Your Blue Eyes" doesn't necessarily take the album up a notch, but it's noteworthy nonetheless. One also gets the distinct impression that Loto Ball Show has a special affinity for Old Time Relijun. (What other band blends classic wild punk songs with orchestration?) This namely comes via some crazy saxophone playing, though also heard are trumpets, keyboards and maybe a few other instruments. "Poseidon Waltz" and "Oriental Danzig" are instrumental tunes, showing the band's diversity in songwriting...not many bands can pull off a post-punk instrumental. The rest of Levy On The Eyeway continues what "Dead Kiss" and "I Can Be Your Eyes" started: the tunes are packed with wild percussion, blaring trumpets and screeching saxophones. The guitar riffs are loud and distorted, and the vocals are indistinctly indecipherable. This album is proof that one should not discount albums that come in those narrow CD sleeves.

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Sputnik Musick "excellent" poppybob | April 18th 08 Loto Ball Show's (starring Loto Ball from weirdo death punk band The Phantomb Limbs) debut album Levy on the Eyeway reeks of paranoid desperation - Bizarre to say the least... Like being sold tickets at a carnival to some hellride that won't let you off. Slightly reminiscent of Minimal Man's classic The Shroud Of, songs like "Dead Kiss" and "I Can Be Your Eyes" have that same synth art-damage quality but with more of a punk edge. "Poseidon Waltz", "Oriental Danzig", and "Loto Ball Show" sound like a death march performed at a late night cabaret held in an insane asylum. "Hoodlim" leans more towards No Wave influence. Like Arto Linsday singing for The Contortions, or Gilbert Godfrey fronting the Birthday Party with Lora Logic. Other songs on Levy on the Eyeway are variations of these ingredients, blending a cacophonous stew of very unique sounds. For those who like their synth/art-damage/no wave with more of a punk backbone, the Loto Ball Show is definitely for you.

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brooklyn vegan - re: Knitting Factory performance Loto Ball Show reminded me of Fugazi if you fed them a boat loat of crack cocaine. I was very surprised that they were the band preceding Silver Apples set - it was a bit of an odd pairing but somehow worked well together. -Zach

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L.A. Record online Loto Ball Show was setting up when I arrived. Loto Ball (Phantom Limbs) shuts up his bearded hype man mid-rant by swatting the microphone away from his face. His hype man exaggerates the real hurt he feels inside and turns his back to the audience. Loto is compelled to apologize. They hug and all is forgiven. Their sound has those same mixed signals, alternating from friendly pop to apoplectic madness. Loto Ball's manic trumpet and hype man's percussive beetle wing earring added a tense post-punk dub vibe to the otherwise familiar sound of Phantom Limbs/Le Shok-era punk rock. Rounding out the rogue's gallery were a Farrah Fawcett-Minor type keyboard player, a slick bassist, a nerdy guitarist and a mercenary drummer. Jon Hustad - L.A. Record online

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Hex Education Review I believe this is what St. Lester Bangs referred to when he was talking about "skronk." No Wave funk getting Skin Graft (the procedure and record label) onto the zombie of Albert Ayler. This will fuck with your head so good. In fact, this record sent me into 3 different emotional states upon the first listen, as ex-Phantom Limbs guy Loto Ball and his big band re-taught me how to dance. For this, I thank thee.

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berkeley place review LOTO BALL SHOW-"Levy on the Eye Way" As you can imagine from the name of the band ("Loto ball show," get it) and the names of some of their songs ("Hoodlims;" "Oriental Danzig"), the Loto Ball Show make hard-edged fratboy rock. I found the album a little uneven, but there was enough there to impress me. I bet they're a lot of fun live.

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readjunk review Loto Ball's new band/experience, post-Phantom Limbs. Similar to the Phantom Limbs, this new incarnation has a dark, sinister circus-punk sound with synths, horns, frenetic noise, and Loto's nasal, anguished vocals. It's not particularly listenable, but it might make for a soundtrack to your next Halloween party, if all your friends are meth heads and/or cannibals. Although I don't really dig the album, I heard the band puts on puppet shows when they play live. That's worth a star.

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20 Jazz Funk Greats For example Chicagoan outfit Loto Ball Show, about whom we wouldn’t have found out perhaps in a long time if it hadn’t be for a fortunate coincidence on the myspace place, another object of constant derision which has nevertheless been a steady source of goodness.

Loto Ball Show look and sound business, they are the sort of band you would expect to see playing in some dingey and damp basement cellar where people dress in black jack it old school style, you know, get sweaty and dance the mess away, that is the way to go. They make a dark, muscular and intense hick garage blues racket with the relentless gusto of The Bad Seeds fucking Deanna, sharpened by the non-cliched post punk apocalyptic edge one finds in Public Image Ltd. (also exemplified in early-day Liars), sexy horns add an extra bit of epic omph to their clanging and banging onslaught, the outcome sounds awesomely instantaneous in the same excellent way as, for example, the Black Lips or In The Red days Deadly Snakes, now kids, that is a rare thing.

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AUGENMUSIK Loto Ball Show demo CDR The second song on this 5 track demo CDR is called "Poseidon Waltz," and it's actually a good point of reference for ex-Phantom Limbs' vocalist Loto Ball's newest effort. Loto has some good experience in circus acts and marching bands, so perhaps it's no surprise to find his current outing putting him in the position of deranged Master of Ceremonies-- not uncharming, but quite comfortable to tell a little story about driving with your eyes closed. Loto alternates between vocals, trumpet and keys alongside a host of other instruments like guitar, bass, drums and saxophones (and the likes of Centimeters and Indian Jewelry members, I believe). But unlike circus and cabaret shows, the music doesn't play second fiddle to the spectacle, as the 4 songs on here (one track is an introduction by Chicago's MC Kenny), stand on their own quite well. The demo sounds as though it had been recorded live and but is still very effective. A studio recording might put a little more pop in the horns, but for a demo this works quite nicely. I guess I could have expected as much.

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KFJC Loto Ball Show - I Can Be Your Eyes EP
The newest project from Oaklander transplanted to Chicago, Loto Ball, former frontman of The Phantom Limbs. A five piece featuring Loto Ball on keys, trumpet & vox, Brandon Davis on guitar, Dan Browning on drums, David Smith on sax and Max Gomberg (Centimeters) on bass. Debut EP of 5 songs, beginning with a 6m 05s track about a fun game involving driving with eyes closed & creepy lyrics that aptly paint a gruesome picture. Nice saxaphone work. Track 2, Poseidon Waltz is a 5m 45s carnivalesque instrumental, envision drunken clowns stumbling through the bigtop, a trapeze artist dangling by a foot, in the corner a monkey eats cotton candy. Track 3 I Saw Your Lines runs 3m 38s has a groovey bass feel with saxophone work remniscent of James Chance. Track 4 is a 32s with MC Kenny giving words of intro- duction and advice (perhaps this track would be more appropriate as an opening track for this reason.) The EP ends with a 3m18s track Dead Kiss which could be about a dying relationship, once again props to the horns. Great stuff from the Loto Ball Show. No Language. Reviewed by ophelia necro on June 24, 2007 at 5:53 pm

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