Dark Americana Night: Division Men + Spermbankers + Table Mountain String Band

Dark Americana Night at Čítárna Unijazz presents three groups that blend traditional Americana folk music with darker, more atmospheric elements - inspired by roots from the Texas-Mexico border, the Appalachian mountains, Southern Gothic, dark country, gospel, and psychedelic grunge.


THE DIVISION MEN

The Division Men are a haunting duo from the borderland of El Paso, Texas. Jesus Spencer Portillo sings and plays acoustic guitar. His wife Caroline Rippy Portillo sings and plays bass. She is the former bassist of Tito & Tarantula -- the "undead house band" in Quentin Tarantino's film "From Dusk Till Dawn."

The Portillo's 2025 European tour supports their new album, "Hymns and Fiery Dances." Five years in the making, the album includes musicians from the bands of Leonard Cohen and PJ Harvey, Los Lobos, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Afghan Whigs, Morph*ne, Calexico, Queens of the Stone Age, and Beastie Boys.

The Division Men live on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFWNVw3NH5E?si=aXvp_X_WYtIPCq3x


THE SPERMBANKERS

The Spermbankers are a Prague-based trio that plays heretical gospel garage rock on vintage 1960s gear. Czech guitarist Martin Růžička (Sketa Fotr, ex Echt) and Dutch sound engineer/drummer Bert Neven are joined by Finnish experimental theatre artist Pasi Mäkelä on lead guitar and vocals.

Spermbankers Bandcamp: https://thespermbankers.bandcamp.com/

Spermbankers' latest album: https://poli5.bandcamp.com/album/death-takes-us-all

Spermbankers "Say No To The Devil" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UoabVZG1Ko?si=vwGDgP2dm3yuThGH

Pražské trio s českým kytaristou Martinem Růžičkou (Sketa Fotr, ex Echt), nizozemským zvukařem Bertem Nevenem na bicí a finským zpěvákem a kytaristou Pasi Mäkelä (jinak experimentální divadelník, spolupracoval s Handa Gote, hostoval u B4), vzniklo v roce 2011.

Jejich druhé album Death Takes Us All (2023), které vydává nahrávací společnost Polí5, pokračuje cestou oldschoolových syrových groovů a drtivého zvuku bez nostalgických odboček a retro triků.


TABLE MOUNTAIN STRING BAND

Table Mountain String Band play authentic old-time shuffle-bow-fiddle folk songs from Appalachia with Nick Jennings on clawhammer banjo and his wife Eliška Jennings, a Prague native, on guitar. Their tight vocal harmonies are joined by fiddler Ludvík Jacek, also from Prague, and bassist Petr Pijáček from Moravia.

Table Mountain String Band website: http://www.tablemountainstringband.com/

Table Mountain String Band live on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNwnsx7WUHw?si=PGip_CP_L9Y7VLyG