Comprised of Russ Waterhouse (guitar, electronics) and Lea Cho (keyboards), Queens-based noise rock duo Blues Control established themselves as an enthralling live act. They made their recording debut in January 2006 with a self-titled cassette on the Palsy label. The Riverboat Styx cassette followed in September 2006. A year later, the duo released the LP Puff, the CD-R A Full Tank (a compilation featuring the Palsy tape and other recordings), and the CD/LP Blues Control. Among these many releases, the Blues Control album garnered the most acclaim among critics, particularly in the blogosphere. Local Flavor (2009), the Laraaji collaboration Frkwys, Vol. 8 (2011), and Valley Tangents (2012) followed in quick succession. ~ Jason Birchmeier