Shaking Ray Levis - Biography
By Marcus Kagler
The Shaking Ray Levis are a free-form art rock collective from Chattanooga, Tennessee who take samplers, bizarre percussion, and old-time narratives then blends them into their own peculiar brand of cacophony. Based around core members and multi-instrumentalists Dennis Palmer and Bob Stagner, the group was the first Americans to release their debut full length, False Prophets or Dang Good Guessers (1993) on the late Derek Bailey’s U.K. avant-garde label, Incus. The duo’s sophomore full length, Boss Witch (Shaking Ray) followed in 1997 and featured guest appearances by Frank Pahl, Steve Beresford, and J.D. Parran amongst others. The Shaking Ray Levy’s ceased producing “traditional” studio albums shortly thereafter in order to focus on their first love, The Shaking Ray Levis Society (a non-profit collection of Chattanooga artists who produce film, music, and performance art). In 2003, the duo released a live performance featuring Baile titled Live at Lamar’s (Shaking Ray). Currently, the Shaking Ray Levis Society host various music and art festivals in the Chattanooga area, which have featured diverse artists such as David Pajo of Slint, Laurie Anderson, and Olivia Tremor Control.
