Four Louies Live, by Bill Orcutt

Four Louies Live

by Bill Orcutt

supported by

more...

	/

Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Includes unlimited streaming of Four Louies Live via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Download available in 16-bit/44.1kHz.

shipping out on or around September 18, 2026

Purchasable with gift card

$25 USD or more
Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

Download available in 16-bit/44.1kHz.

$10 USD or more
Autographed Test Pressing Edition of Five
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Actual test pressing in black vinyl signed by yours truly.

Includes unlimited streaming of Four Louies Live via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Download available in 16-bit/44.1kHz.

Sold Out

	1.	PART ONE 10:22
	2.	PART TWO 11:42

about

“Upon seeing the Instagram post announcing the upcoming LP release of Bill Orcutt’s The Four Louies, an inspired mashup plonking excerpts from Steve Reich’s epochal Minimalist slo-mo phase variant Four Organs onto the Kingsmen’s equally canonical garage/frat/mumblecore chestnut “Louie Louie,” I immediately commented “Kingsreich as opposed to Qüeensryche” (not even realizing the Kingsmen and Qüeensryche both hailed from the Pacific Northwest). My bon mot was seemingly rewarded with a mailed copy, and upon receipt I luxuriated in Bill’s latest open-source leveling of rock and classical minimalist tropes, a worthy successor to A Mechanical Joey’s tautological tomfoolery. I was jazzed when a year or so later he inquired if I would be up for taking part in Louies live in New York. I wasn’t sure how familiar Bill was with my checkered history of untutored organ playing (both in Run On and solo contexts, not to mention a short-lived go at the pipe organ with Connie Burg and Haino Keiji), but he also tapped fellow guitarists/non-organists Wendy Eisenberg, Mari Rubio, and Cyrus Pireh, plus a couple of ringers (David Golightly and musical director Eli Knowles). So that’s already six organs instead of four, flanked by a full-fledged rock trio (the nimble Gumby’s Junk), a noise-tablist (Bryan Day), master percussionist William Winant, and frequent Orcutt sparring partner Chris Corsano—a veritable Orcuttstra, whose ranks exceeded the lineups of the Kingsmen and Qüeensryche put together.

With the performance scheduled as the fulcrum of a three-day weekend residency of various artists/projects on Bill’s label (which I dubbed “Palilaliapalooza”), I dutifully showed up at Roulette at noon on concert day, having carefully studied the provided staff notation, graphic scores, and recording so as to be confident I was playing the assigned single-note triplet in its properly appointed spots. Initially my part (“Louie Organ 2”) sort of hockets the original Kingsmen cha-cha-cha organ chords, and then I got to spread my knuckles and lend six to eight notes to the Reichian clusters in the rollicking second half. Much like my experiences playing in Rhys Chatham’s Guitar Trio or the Boredoms 77 Boadrum, the parts are simple but everyone can put their own spin on them. I opted for using a weird-ass 60s Teisco organ from the venue’s keyboard backline, which truly fit the bill. There were four hours allotted for rehearsal (one per Louie, I guess) but we managed to nail it in 90 minutes. Bill begged off playing in the rehearsal so he could oversee the proceedings (and perhaps also shop for a new hoodie online).

After some downtime and enjoyable band bonding backstage, we finally traipsed upstairs and hit the downbeat. Frankly, it exceeded all expectations. The Four Louies album is well-executed but, given its plunderphonic provenance, comparatively stiff. The live Louies was a blazing and expansive wall of sound, with impeccable time-keeping by Mr. Winant on maracas. The twin drums exploded immediately, and Bill’s riffing prodded Gumby’s Junk into some boisterous interplay. In the grand tradition of Kiss Alive, Frampton Comes Alive, Live at Leeds, or When the Shit Hits the Fans, Four Louies Live eclipses its studio predeccessor, and surely portends an attendant commercial breakthrough.” — ALAN LICHT

credits

releases September 18, 2026

Recorded live in concert March 21 2026 at Roulette Intermedium, Brooklyn NY.

Performed by Eli Knowles Organ/Musical Director William Winant Maracas Wendy Eisenberg Organ Mari Maurice Rubio Organ Cyrus Pireh Organ Alan Licht Organ David Golightly Organ Chris Corsano Drums Eli Streich Drums Jas Stade Guitar Emmalee Johnson-Kao Bass Bryan Day Noise Table Bill Orcutt Guitar/Composer.

Audio courtesy of Roulette. Engineers: Ian Douglas-Moore & Andrea Schiavelli. Big thanks to the ensemble, our audience and everyone at Roulette for their work.

license

subtotal
taxes calculated at checkout

about

Fake Estates San Francisco, California

contact / help

Contact Fake Estates

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like Four Louies Live, you may also like:

How to Rescue Things
by Bill Orcutt

supported by 115 fans who also own “Four Louies Live”

By engaging with the music seriously, Orcutt lets it deeply inform how he plays, and through his altered playing, he has in turn, seriously altered the music. The original no longer knows itself, precluding pastiche. It is not a homage, it is not satire, though there is humour at times. There is a crossing over from both sides, a reaching out and a clasping of hands... it is a rescue. SlithyToves
go to album
Music in Continuous Motion
by Bill Orcutt

supported by 115 fans who also own “Four Louies Live”

Mr Orcutt pours his white hot molten guitar tone into the musical mold of many a melody’s joyous filigree. His work could crown the brow of Dionysus and Apollo both. If development in the minimalism of Glass unfolds ‘horizontally’ by gradations across time, Orcutt generates variety within repetition ‘vertically’ by overlaying to produce emergent properties. SlithyToves
go to album
Another Perfect Day
by Bill Orcutt

supported by 112 fans who also own “Four Louies Live”
go to album
Me and the Glassbirds
by Heejin Jang

The Doom Trip label never misses, and the latest LP from the genius Heejin Jang is a trip into thrilling industrial terror. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 30, 2023
go to album
Raid on the White Tiger Regiment
by Sunik Kim

Sunik Kim pulls beauty and meaning out of dense yet accessible knots of textural noise and wordless chaos. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 20, 2022
go to album
In Succession
by Ben Peers

Riveting modular synth music built from repeating and non-repeating patterns, “In Succession” is a beautiful, kaleidoscopic work. Bandcamp New & Notable May 3, 2021
go to album
Four Guitars Live
by Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet

supported by 106 fans who also own “Four Louies Live”

It’s funny, I only recently became aware of Bill Orcutt via thee algorithm of YouTube, and had the same thought - “this NPR Tiny Desk Concert is great, but at 12 minutes it’s barely a taste, I wanna hear a whole show…” and then suddenly REPRESS! It’s like a spiritual algorithm or something ;) phantom_harlock
go to album

Four Louies Live

by Bill Orcutt

Limited edition 12" vinyl record Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

Buy Vinyl $25 USD or more

Send as Gift

Digital Album Streaming + Download

Buy Digital Album $10 USD or more

Send as Gift

Autographed Test Pressing Edition of Five Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

Sold Out

Share / Embed

about

credits

license

tags

Tags

Shopping cart

about

discography

contact / help

Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

$25 USD or more

Streaming + Download

$10 USD or more

Autographed Test Pressing Edition of Five
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album