Altered Zones

Last year, the inaugural Cropped Out Fest kicked off with a bang, featuring the likes of AZ favorites Julianna Barwick, Moon Duo, Spectre Folk, Fielded, and more. A celebration of all things fringe, the festival returns this year with an equally impressive lineup. Taking place the second weekend of November at a warehouse space in the funky Midwestern enclave of Louisville, Ky., Cropped Out is a low dough, all-ages barn burner that "aims to turn heads, if only for one weekend, toward the concentrated talents of those often omitted, overlooked, or cropped out of the bigger picture."

Just announced today is the inclusion of the legendary Scratch Acid, David Yow and David Wm. Sims' pre-Jesus Lizard supersonic freakout vehicle, and the scorched acid dub of Sun Araw. Some other heavy hitters include the warped electric folk of MV & EE, the haunting Angel Olsen, WFMU favorites Shit & Shine, Baltimore’s noise shamans Dope Body, reclusive ex-Harry Pussy medicine man Bill Orcutt, noise pop thrashers The Men, and a slew of killer regional and international under-the-radar acts.

Beyond just the festival, Cropped Out is a multi-city collective-- one that slings some crazy wax on the Sophomore Lounge imprint, promotes various events around the country, and was even responsible for that amazingly weird Internet puppet talk show from Hell that you may have seen when looking for that last Bill Callahan video. Follow them on Tumblr to keep up with all their happenings throughout the year. -- Kenny Bloggins, The Decibel Tolls

MP3: Scratch Acid: "Owner's Lament"

MP3: Sun Araw: "Crete"

MP3: MV & EE with The Bummer Road: "Big Deal"