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Layering guitar, bass and occasional live percussion over laptop loops and electronic clamor, the New York trio painted soundscapes that were part sci-fi, part film noir. (Futuristic and steeped in tradition, after the jump.) Outpost vocalist-keyboardist Stuart Argabright is a Northern Virginia native, and played local clubs with the punky Rudements before moving to New York three decades ago. His many accomplishments include founding Ike Yard, the first American band to sign to Britain's revered Factory Records, and co-creating "The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight," a 1984 dance-club novelty hit. His new group, with guitarist-keyboardist Mark C (formerly of Live Skull) and bassist Kent Heine, folds flailing guitar and floor-shaking pulses into surprisingly poised songs. There were moments during such numbers as "Ice Planet" when Outpost sounded something like the Urban Verbs, the leading D.C. art-punk band at the time Argabright left town. The similarity was probably just a coincidence, but it showed that the trio upholds a tradition that dates as far back as Roxy Music: declaimed vocals, synthesized coloration and rhythms that are more cabaret than punk. Outpost's technology - and it had loads of it - was new. But the band's futuristic music was a form of classic rock. - Washington Post

When bringing up the rich history of D.C. music, certain names (Gaye, Ellington, MacKaye) and record labels (Dischord, Slumberland) immediately pop into mind. Factory Records is not one of those familiar names. Granted, Factory Records is based on the other side of the ocean and some of the names on that label (like Ike Yard) aren't ones that necessarily ring a bell. However, Ike Yard's Stuart Argabright hails from Arlington and the bands that were influenced by Ike Yard and other Factory Records no-wave pioneers reads like an all-star lineup of no-wave, experimental, and electronic heavyweights. Autechre, Black Dice, Aphex Twin, Liars -- all have Factory Records bands like Ike Yard and Live Skull to thank for opening up the door.

Argabright and Mark C from Live Skull have combined forces and formed Outpost, which features all the sonic ambient brilliance you'd expect from a couple of No Wave heavyweights. - DCist.com

All three members of Outpost have an unabashed obsession with J.G. Ballard. The group's eerie sounds, which teeter between song and ambience, structure and formlessness, confirm that the collective agenda here is to make music as evocative and atmospheric as Ballard's unimitable prose. - The Vinyl District

"Stuart Argabright finally got his due a few years ago with the release of Ike Yard’s compendium of works. While Ike Yard traded in a cerebral mix of deep, bottom-heavy grooves and synth-driven chaos, Argabright has participated in numerous other projects including the Futants, Death Comet Crew, and the Voodooists. His first new tracks as Dominatrix in many years were released on REC /Rapid Expansion Corp in March, while a new album is scheduled for next year. Argabright is also working with Nomi of Hercules and Love Affair, and Kent from Holy Ghost on projects that should see physical release late this year or early next year." - Dusted Magazine

"Droning and dragging rusty guitar streaks and deep stormy basslines as dark as bus exhaust, Live Skull combine great grating sheets of guitar shimmer with deliberately monotonous vocals to create swirling intense tunes that you couldn't hum if a loaded gun were aimed at your head. As part of the same New York avant-noisy scene that spawned Sonic Youth, Lydia Lunch and the Swans, Live Skull records come complete with creepy lyrics, circular melodies and nod-out drum beats designed to lull you into their macabre world." - Trouser Press

New York City's the Holy Ghost is off to a quick start, with its fourth release since forming in 2001. Bassist Kent Heine and drummer Eric Willhelm's loping rhythms leave ample room for Alec Ferrell's jagged, angular guitar riffs; their interplay is immediate and physical. Frontman Christopher Heine spins literate, stylish, almost surreal tales — "Ghettobird" evokes a Tarantino-esque landscape populated by Yakuza and CIA, while southern gothic undertones lace "Clarice and the Schoolboy." . . . If the Holy Ghost keeps this pace up, they just might become New York City's next great band. Maybe they already are.
- RollingStone.com