Wednesday, January 31, 2007

THE FLESH Announce Details on New Album "Firetower"

New York's underground cult-phenom THE FLESH Announce Details on Their Forthcoming New Album, “Firetower,” out May 1st on Gern Blandsten!



“"Dirty, sexy, sinister, and above all, fun." – Filter Magazine

“The Flesh has produced a distinct sound...both beautifully soulful, funky, and a bit creepy.” - CNN


* Stream the song "Firetower" HERE! *

On The Flesh’s new LP Firetower, this “fearless quartet” (Blogcritics) expands on and experiments with its sound, for an addictive set of alluring art-pop anthems: Switching up the boy/girl vocal attack of their debut, it spotlights the passionate vocals of keyboardist Gabriella Zappia; building beyond the signature “punk-goes-R&B” sound of their early work, it adds driving, melodic punk (a la The Pretenders), sly rhythmic changeups and key changes, searing guitars, and sweeping pop melodies. Tied together with an elliptical narrative thread of illicit love, Firetower’s delightfully diverse 11 songs trace an emotional journey through innocence and towards experience, for the band’s most direct, compelling work to date.

When the band previewed some of the new songs on a short American tour last month, CITYBEAT’s Mike Breen wrote: “The evolution of their sound is far from over and crossover success may be imminent,” praising the title track as “classic, dramatic Pop” with “sweeping strings” and “hip hop-ready beats,” and The Cradle, the Brothel, and the Bible School as a “sensual, propulsive, sure-fire hit in the waiting.”

The album opens with the rousing, guitar-driven, one-two punch of The Truant, and The Cradle, the Brothel and the Bible School, whose driving riffs and soaring vocals evoke an innocent yearning for love and escape. Well-placed, off-kilter time signatures give the latter track a glorious lift.

As the album continues, a dark undercurrent begins to emerge beneath the catchy melodies. At once romantic and foreboding, Firetower is a tail of illicit seduction set to a string-laden, pulsing pop track. The driving, dual-vocal anthem World to Come runs together romantic obsession with cult fanaticism, while the escapist In Paradise evokes The Flesh’s early work, with skittering R&B beats and throbbing punk choruses.

Compulsion pairs a Rick James groove with Lynchian atmospherics and sticky pop melodies, while Justice fuses drummer Pete Angevine’s dub beats to doom-laden strings (conducted by bassist Jason Binnick). The driving goth-punk of Loyale leads into the breathless Kelis-meets-Misfits groove of Morning Sickness and the triumphant, avant-garage of Hydra & Hercules. The wistful, unadorned ballad Cross the Ocean brings the record to a poignant close.

History, Releases, and Production Details

The Flesh split their time between Brooklyn and Philadelphia. The band formed in New York City in 2002 after newly relocated Texas native Gabriella Zappia caught New Yorker Nat Halpern and Philadelphians Pete Angevine and Jason Binnick, performing in an early incarnation of the band at a local underground club. They have released 2 EPs and a debut LP, praised in the pages of such publications as SPIN, the Village Voice, and Vice Magazine.



From 2004-2006, THE FLESH toured the United States and Europe, appearing w/ Death from Above 1979, Hot Hot Heat, Man Man, IQU, The Dirtbombs, Oxford Collapse, Suicide, Glass Candy, Xiu Xiu, These Arms Are Snakes, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Dresden Dolls, Tom Tom Club, and many more.

Upon returning home from a European tour in 2006, The Flesh began work on Firetower. Their only plan going into the sessions, Halpern says, was “to do things that would be fresh and new for us.” They worked with co-producer, engineer, and longtime friend Chris Sanchez at Studio Sanchez Dos in Bridgeport, CT, where they experimented with new approaches: Gabriella sang and layered lead vocals, Nat and Pete utilized increased multi-track capacity for guitar and percussion overdubs, and Jason brought up some classical musician friends, leading them through string and horn arrangements on several songs.

Firetower was then mixed by the band’s good friend Joel Hamilton (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Book of Knots, Beauty Pill) at Studio G in Brooklyn NY, and mastered by Fred Kevorkian at Absolute Audio in New York, NY.

The Flesh is:
Pete Angevine: Drums, percussion
Jason Binnick: Bass
Nat Halpern: Guitar, vocals
Gabriella Zappia: Vocals, keyboards

For more information, visit:
www.putontheflesh.com
www.myspace.com/theflesh
www.gernblandsten.com


ZOZOBRA Releases "Harmonic Tremors" Today!

Breaking News!

ZOZOBRA Releases “Harmonic Tremors” Today!




“Slow burning, like Zozobra’s namesake, Caleb Scofield snarls
fiercer than in Cave In, throughout this pair’s seismic mix of industrial
and psychedelic metal” - CMJ Magazine


"Simply put, ZOZOBRA's Harmonic Tremors is gigantic." - Pastepunk.com


Taking its name from the 50-foot effigy burned every year by a hysterical mob during the Fiestas De Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Zozobra is the brainchild of Cave In/Old Man Gloom bassist Caleb Scofield. Featuring live drums courtesy of fellow OMG institute liaison Santos Montaño, Harmonic Tremors deftly traverses the far-flung fields of transcendental space rock and explosive dirge metal (not to mention the occasional Godflesh-style pounding) with alternately snarling and oscillating riffery, crippling bass quakes and apocalyptic proclamations hurled end-over-end toward the cosmic unconsciousness. Echoes of Scofield’s previous devastations in both Cave In and OMG resonate throughout, but Zozobra ultimately follows its own smoke signals into the great beyond.

Zozobra is a concept parented by Cave In bassist and screamer Caleb Scofield. However, this is no bedroom-recorded, singer / songwriter project. This record is alive with dense guitar work, atmosphere, and live drums courtesy of Old Man Gloom banger Santos Montaño. It’s textured, riff-driven, and massively heavy.

Cave In’s cannon of work is nothing if not expansive and diverse. Fans who feel a strong affinity for their heavier compositions and vocal delivery will rejoice in Zozobra’s first full length. Caleb Scofield’s juggernaut basswork and snarled vocals are the lead boots that kept Cave In’s recent output firmly anchored in the heavy, and they are a plenty on Harmonic Tremors.

ZOZOBRA on tour w/ ISIS and JESU!
Mar 17 2007 Middle East Downstairs Cambridge, Massachusetts
Mar 18 2007 Theatre National Montreal, Quebec
Mar 19 2007 Barrymore's Ottowa, Ontario
Mar 20 2007 Opera House Toronto, Ontario
Mar 21 2007 St Andrews Hall Detroit, Michigan
Mar 22 2007 Metro Chicago, Illinois
Mar 25 2007 Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mar 26 2007 The Picadour Iowa City, Iowa
Mar 27 2007 Granada Theatre Lawrence, Kansas
Mar 28 2007 Marquis Theatre Denver, Colorado
Mar 30 2007 In The Venue Salt Lake City, Utah
Apr 1 2007 The Big Easy Boise, Idaho
Apr 2 2007 The Big Easy Spokane, Washington
Apr 3 2007 Neumos Seattle, Washington
Apr 4 2007 Hawthorne Theatre Portland, Oregon
Apr 6 2007 Blimbos 365 San Francisco, California
Apr 8 2007 Henry Fonda Theatre Los Angeles, California

For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/zozobra505

www.hydrahead.com
www.hydraheadlines.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/hydraheadindustries


HYDRA HEAD Announces 2007 SXSW Lineup!




HYDRA HEAD ANNOUNCES 2007 SXSW SHOWCASE!

Come take part in what will be the heaviest night of music in Texas, March 15th @ Emo's Annex Tent (7pm)

featuring:
PELICAN * JESU * BIG BUSINESS * DAUGHTERS * OXBOW * and STEPHEN BRODSKY'S OCTAVE MUSEUM






Pelican
Chicago's instrumental rock masters, Pelican, are currently spending their time finishing up the recording of their new album (and follow-up to 2005's critically acclaimed "The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw") @ Chicago's Electrical Audio Studios, concluding 11 days of intense concentration and furious rocking. The album (due out this May on Hydra Head) will be engineered by none other than Andrew Schneider, the villain behind this years' prime offender Hell Songs by the Daughters, Cave In's latest jaw dropper Perfect Pitch Black, and the previous years' Summer bar fight soundtrack Subject to Change Without Notice by fellow Midwesterners Keelhaul. Those who witnessed Pelican on their West Coast/Canadian jaunt with Daughters had the opportunity to preview four of the new tunes, "City of Echoes", "Bliss in Concrete", "Dead Between the Walls", and "Spaceship Broken - Parts Needed". These songs only begin to scratch the surface of just what Pelican are up to w/ their new material. On a whole, the songs are more concise and more aggressive than prior work. Relentless repetition has taken a backseat to intensity and a desire to pack as many riffs as possible into each tune. Following the bands sure-to-be earth shattering performance in Austin, the band will be crossing the pond to play Holland's Roadburn Festival in April (along with the Melvins, Neurosis, Blue Cheer, OM, Red Sparowes, Growing, Thrones, and several others; see www.roadburn.com for more details), followed by a few weeks of dates preceding the fest, including dates in Germany, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, and the UK. Catch this very rare performance as it will be a while (Summer maybe?) before these axe-slayers the road for their next full US tour.

www.hydrahead.com/pelican




Jesu
"As has come to be expected from Jesu, Conqueror obliterates everything in its path" - Pitchforkmedia.com
The mighty JESU is back, lead by the godfather of all things heavy, Mr. Justin K Broadrick (see also Godflesh, Napalm Death, Techno Animal, Final) brings us his latest treasure, "Conqueror," out 2.20.07 on Hydra Head. Taking a slight detour from their US tour w/ ISIS, Jesu will perform songs off their majestic new album and continue to demonstrate how Broadrick endlessly pushes the envelope of extreme and heavy music (and all music in general for that matter), w/ an ambient and trance-inducing set sure to mystify and amaze. Do not miss this very special and rare appearance from a true legend in his own right.

www.justinkbroadrick.blogspot.com





Big Business
Holy balls! LA by way of Seattle's Big Business will have just dropped their latest "Here Come The Waterworks" (3.6.07) by the time this monster show comes to be, and their set will likely be one of the highlights of the year. Big Business are some heavy mothers who blaze a trail of rock freedom for your soul and tell you it's ok to wile-the-fuck-out. Big Business is bigger and better than ever, with better hair, bigger hits, and the kind of overwhelming Norman
Schwarzkopf-style force that rolls like thunder, stings like a missile, and—above all—takes no shit. On their second full-length, bassist/vocalist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis (both of whom also happen to be the newest members of underground super-legends the Melvins) unfurl all the mammoth riffs, furious vocals and blazing drum work you’ve come to expect—nay, DEMAND—from LA’s answer to Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. No, wait… make that Sonny Crockett and Rico Tubbs. Either way, there’s a new sheriff in town—two of ’em, actually.

www.bigbigbusiness.com






Daughters
You know Daughters. Odds are you love them or you hate them, but either way there is no denying just how dynamic and powerful this band truly is. On their latest (and Hydra Head debut) "Hell Songs," Daughters warp the fabric of the cosmos like a black hole sucking us into its depths and completely fucking w/ our equilibrium. Their live show is second to none and their dizzying instrumental arrangements, combined w/ vocals sung by a hill-billied Satan himself (aka Lex Marshall), are monstrous and unyielding. This set will likely leave you in a pile of your own puke and blood begging for another round of organized chaos. Daughters is the soundtrack to Armageddon, or some insanely violent snuff film played at warp speed. Enjoy kiddies!



www.wearedaughters.com






Oxbow
As Reported by CMJ.com at the end of 2006:
San Francisco avant-rock quartet Oxbow is finishing their new album, The Narcotic Story, right now with a June 2007 release date on Hydra Head. Teaming with Grammy-winning engineer Joe Chiccarelli (Bon Jovi, Counting Crows, Tori Amos), the album will surely contain many surprises. Known for frontman Eugene Robinson’s penchant for disrobing onstage as much as the band’s bombastic caterwauls of post-grunge dissonance, this album (five years since their last album, An Evil Heat) will loose the dam of confused ill will that’s likely been brewing inside the band. In a letter to Hydra Head manager Mark Thompson, reprinted in Oxbow’s newsletter, Robinson wrote, “You guys have no idea what you got yourself into.” We checked in with Robinson and guitarist Niko Wenner to find out exactly what they did get themselves into.


What is “The Narcotic Story”?

Wenner: It is indeed a story, and accordingly the music follows a linear development also… People make films now where before they made opera, and let’s not be coy this is a perfectly joyously tragic pompous operatic expression by a beautifully loud noisy guitar bass drums and vocal band, with orchestra.

How could you possibly make listeners feel more uneasy?

Robinson: Many hundreds of ways: Pictures of their mothers urinating. Taking showers with their fathers. Helping their girlfriends around the house. All of which we’re not really likely to do as this is not our primary motivation for why we do what we do. But maybe you’re really asking, “Why does your music make listeners uneasy?”

Anything you can tell us about The Narcotic Story?
Robinson: It’s quiet and creepy and desperate and successfully broken. Like me when I wrote it.
Wenner: If I live through the making of this, I can die with a smile on my face.


www.theoxbow.com





Stephen Brodsky's Octave Museum
Cave In and Octave Museum frontman and guitarist Stephen Brodsky recently released what many of us consider to be one of the best pop albums of 2006. On the self titled debut, Brodsky and his Octave Museum create an album of lush, psychadelic, Beach Boys inspired pop gems, that rival just about anything being created in it's genre to date. Bear witness to one of our generations greatest song-smiths and experience the creativity and genius that has been lacking in songwriting for way too long.

www.myspace.com/theoctavemuseum

for more information, visit:

www.hydrahead.com
www.hydraheadlines.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/hydraheadindustries

KAIJU BIG BATTEL Shoot TV Pilot * Live Performance February 21st in Boston!

Kaiju Big Battel to Shoot Live TV Pilot February 21st 2007 @ Avalon in Boston!



Calendar: Performing Arts, Music, and Birth of Kaiju TV Series
Who: Kaiju Big Battel with Japanese musical guest, Peelander-Z
When: Wednesday, February 21st, 2007. Doors at 7:00 PM. Show at 8:00 PM
Where: Avalon Boston, 15 Lansdowne St. (behind Fenway Park) Boston, MA
Tickets: Available at Ticketmaster.com. All Ages. $15.25

Be a part of television history as Boston’s own Kaiju Big Battel films their acclaimed live show for a TV pilot. Don’t miss your chance to join Dr. Cube and the rest of the Kaiju combatants at Avalon Boston when G4 TV captures the night’s live performance for television screens across America.

To help celebrate Kaiju’s media milestone, very special musical guest Peelander-Z will kick off the night with their acclaimed “Japanese action comic punk” rock show.

According to the Kaiju Commissioner, it’s no accident that Kaiju Big Battel: The TV Pilot is filming in Boston. “We are very excited about the prospects of a Kaiju TV series, and its only fitting that we film the pilot in Kaiju’s hometown. Boston has been very generous in their support of Kaiju over the years and we wouldn’t want to hold this Big Battel anywhere else.”

This multi-media event will be a full-scale Kaiju Big Battel performance, complete with 42 blocks of crushable cityscape, a massive Midtown Tower, a gigantic Mocky Tomb of Doom, and a veritable who’s who of Kaiju Big Battel stars, including Dr. Cube, Kung-Fu Chicken Noodle, Pedro Plantain, Hell Monkey, Unibouzu, Call-Me-Kevin, and a host of others.

Experience the live monster wrestling spectacle and see if Kung-Fu Chicken Noodle can defend his Kaiju Championship Title against an army of time-traveling Space Bugs and Dr. Cube’s evil Posse. This is Kaiju Big Battel history in the making, so don’t miss this rare chance to be part of Kaiju’s leap to television.

Visit kaiju.com for more info and full descriptions of the match ups!



“Big Battels have become the hipsters ways to delight in the orchestrated mayhem of the WWE.”
-Newsweek


“An elaborate and athletic celebration of silliness…Part WWE SmackDown, part Saturday Night Live sketch.”
-Spin


“One of the weirdest things you’ll ever pay to see…”
-MTV News


“The thinking man’s answer to pro-wrestling.”
-Playboy Magazine


“Hey, any event that features a robotic box beating the shit out of a muscled can of chicken noodle soup is OK in our book.”
-Stuff Magazine


“Not to be missed.”
-The Village Voice




About Kaiju Big Battel

Kaiju Big Battel is a modern conflict of epic proportions. Planet Earth is under threat: scattered throughout the galaxy is a monstrous mob of maniacal villains, menacing alien beasts, and giant, city-crushing monsters that are waging war against one another. Presiding over this mayhem is the Kaiju Commissioner, an enigmatic human-arbiter appointed by a clandestine cadre of world leaders to regulate Kaiju rage. If the Kaiju Commissioner doesn’t do his job perfectly the entire world could get caught in the crossfire.

Currently, the Kaiju Universe maintains an active roster of approximately 50 monsters, including a factory-worker-turned-soup-can called Kung-Fu Chicken Noodle, a dirty hare-sage dubbed Dusto Bunny, a loser sea beast known as Call-Me-Kevin, and a despicable, square-headed mad scientist known as Dr. Cube. In addition to the Kaiju Commissioner, a few privileged humans also get a piece of the action, including Referee Jingi, a mustachioed official who enforces fairness and civility in the ring, Davio Salbino, an urban renewal expert who reconstructs crumbled cityscapes between Battels, and one tuxedo-wearing, mouth-running MC, Louden Noxious.

About Studio Kaiju

Studio Kaiju, an independent Boston-based performance and media group, is the creator of Kaiju Big Battel, the world's only live monster mayhem spectacle. Producer of consistently sold-out events, Studio Kaiju is best known for its live tournament-style performances, which are a character driven, tongue-in-cheek hybrid of American pro-wrestling, Japanese monster-movies, and lowbrow pop-culture. These multi-media events, complete with video installations, monster-movie props, and crushable miniature cityscape, can also be enjoyed from a safe distance thanks to "Kaiju Big Battel: A Practical Guide to Giant City-Crushing Monsters" from Hyperion Books and the Kaiju Big Battel DVD series from Koch Vision.



To fund its live event series, monster creations and metropolitan destruction, Studio Kaiju produces and distributes its own line of merchandise including T-shirts, "real" monster meat, magnets and a whole catalogue of other cool but useless, limited-edition designer collectibles. The world of Kaiju Big Battel is also supported by the fun-fun website, kaiju.com, which hosts Big Battel news, monster profiles, live event videos, arcade-style games, comics, and the most commercial online mall ever.

About G4 TV

G4, the fastest growing network on television for 2006, launched in April 2002 and is now available in 61 million cable and satellite homes nationwide. The #1 podcasted cable network in America and a leader in VOD, G4 embraces the male 18-34 audience and their fascination with video games, the Internet, broadband, technology, comics and animation. Additionally, G4 provides breaking news and insider opinions on these topics as well as the broader culture young men are interested in. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles and is owned by Comcast Corporation. To learn more, log onto www.g4tv.com.

About Peelander-Z

Peelander-Z, the Japanese Action Comic Punk Band, was formed by Peelander-Yellow, Peelander-Blue, and Peelander-Red (claim they are from Z area in the Planet Peelander!!) in 1998, and came into action based in NYC. These three dress up in color-coordinated costumes about as if they came out of Japanese Animation (claim those are not costumes, but the skin!!!) put on a fun entertainment. Yes, their performance is not just playing music. Have you heard of human bowling, wrestling and kung-fu action, or funny dance at the punk rock shows? Peelander-Z knows how to entertain the audience by dragging them into the show. One experience would capture you!! Peelander-Z is the best of the universe!”



Watch the Kung Fu Chicken Noodle Dance!

FUCKED UP Bleed On and Destroy MTV Live

beautiful:



www.lookingforgold.blogspot.com

AN ALBATROSS East Coast and Eurpoean Tour!

Psych-grind masters of the spiritual and physical revolution, AN ALBATROSS have announced they will be heading out on an East Coast tour of the US, followed by a European tour (including trips on France's amazing Generiq Festival!) TONIGHT in support of the band's debut full-length “Blessphemy (of the Peace-Beast Feastgiver and the Bear-Warp Kumite)” out now on Ace Fu (*vinyl released through GSL)!




WATCH THE NEW VIDEO FOR "HAIROBICS" HERE

“The six-piece charge through layers of maniacal noise made complete with an onslaught of assaulting guitar riffs, machine gun percussion, squiggly synths, and Gieda's volatile vocal thrusts." Spin.com

“Each song is so chock-full of whirlwind Coney Island calliope flourishes that experiencing a little vertigo while listening is not only par for the crusty, avant-grind course—it actually makes the album more enjoyable.” – Decibel Magazine

Recently back from US dates w/ the likes of Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, Blue Cheer, and their second European tour of 2006 (most recently w/ Lightning Bolt ), An Albatross are gearing up for their first US and European tours of 2007 starting in January and extending through the Spring!

Brothers and Sisters! Aural Emancipation by the sacred sonic offerings of the An Albatross aggregation is on its way! Their mission is to attune you to the Kinetic-Life and yield an experience gratifying to the soul and the body alike: a communal gathering of bodies in motion devoid of inhibiting, hyper-individualized frame of thought!


An Albatross is a psychedelic sonic orgasm; a barrage of mechanical, jerky and discombobulated time signatures eclipsed by hectic Farfisa organ/synthesizer melodies. Not unlike sitting down with an average American family during primetime television, the music is unquestionably attention-span friendly for an ADD-diagnosed society: unbelievably short, complex, infectious bursts of polyrhythms and spirit.



After solidifying their early tour experiences and songwriting in the studio, a fledgling incarnation of the band in 2000 released the 12" EP "Eat Lightning, Shit Thunder" on Philadelphia upstart label When Humans Attack! The enhanced CD version, featuring explosive live footage that captures the unique synergism between the band and their audiences, followed soon afterwards on Bloodlink Records.

In 2002, An Albatross caught the attention of New York City’s Ace-Fu Label and forged a relationship that culminated in the 2003 release of the 8-minute merciless, aural onslaught, “We Are the Lazer Viking,” an enhanced CD EP produced by sonic savant Wharton Tiers (Sonic Youth, Helmet, Dinosaur Jr.). Quickly thereafter, the band released a follow-up split EP with Oakland’s legendary noise-rock outfit XBXRX on the Gold Standard Labs (GSL) label. September 2004 marked the beginning of the current line up featuring incendiary percussionists Edward Klinger and Stevie Vaiani, writhing, psychedel-evangelist vocalist Eddie B. Gieda III, rhythmic contortionista bassist Jay Hudak, circuit-bent breakneck speed-guitarist Jake Lisowski, and Farfisa-master, Phillip Reynolds Price.


With an unparalleled spirit stimulated by the current line-up and several recent releases in its pocket, the band set forth on an unbelievably rigorous tour schedule, crisscrossing the U.S. multiple times and making four transatlantic pilgrimages that amassed a staggering total of 600+ performances w/ the likes of Cave In, Pelican, Earth, Sunn O))), Aids Wolf, Lightning Bolt, and more. The most noteworthy of these dates included a slot on the July ’04 French Eurockeennes Festival, a March ’05 BBC session - initiated by the late John Peel - and a support slot for the East Coast leg of the legendary Melt Banana’s 2005 spring tour as well as romps w/ metal-gods The Dillinger Escape Plan and Japan’s equivalent to Led Zeppelin, DMBQ.

The band’s performances have now acquired a quasi-legendary status, surpassing the traditional concert schema by facilitating a complete fusion of band and audience. Under the mythical banner of future-primitive/psychedelic entities like the Lazer Viking and The Electric Coyote, An Albatross’ Revolutionary Politics of Dance are executed nightly through their electrifying performances.

An Albatross US and European Tour:
Jan 18 2007 First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jan 19 2007 Mojo 13 Wilmington, Delaware
Jan 20 2007 Cake Shop New York City, New York
Jan 21 2007 Great Scott Boston, Massachusetts
Jan 22 2007 Spacelab Portland, Maine
Jan 23 2007 Living Room Providence, Rhode Island
Jan 24 2007 Trinity on Main New Haven, Connecticut
Jan 26 2007 Uncle Paulies Brooklyn, New York
Feb 16 2007 Youthclub Tydeeh Mol (Antwerp), Belgium
Feb 17 2007 Kulturfabrik Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
Feb 18 2007 Megasine 4 Brussels, Belgium
Feb 19 2007 K4 Numberg, Germany
Feb 20 2007 007 Prague, Czech Republic
Feb 21 2007 Fri-Son Fribourg, Switzerland
Feb 22 2007 La Poudrière (Generiq Festival) Belfort, France
Feb 23 2007 La Vapeur (Generiq Festival) Dijon, France
Feb 24 2007 Le Noumatrouff (Generiq Festival) Mulhouse, France
Feb 25 2007 Le Kab Geneva, Switzerland
Feb 26 2007 Cafe Schlachthaus Dornbirn, Austria
Feb 27 2007 Ulisse Social Cafe Firenza, Italy
Feb 28 2007 Arena Vienna, Austria
Mar 1 2007 PMK Innsbrucke, Austria
Mar 2 2007 JuZ Südstadt Karlsruhe, Germany
Mar 3 2007 AJZ Bielefeld, Germany






For more information visit:


http://www.analbatross.com
http://www.myspace.com/analbatross23
http://community.livejournal.com/an_albatross/

http://acefu.com/artist.php?bid=272
http://goldstandardlabs.com

7000 DYING RATS Release "Season in Hell!"

Chicago-based grind-thrash-all-around-punk-heroes 7000 Dying Rats release their latest, "Season in Hell” TODAY, Tuesday January 9th on HeWhoCorrupts!



“A fever dream starring two superconductors a chainsaw and a clown with 12 mouths” – Alternative Press

“7000 Dying Rats did the jerky rhythm change, one musical style to the next, song routine long before it was cool and overdone.” – Punk Planet

"Extreme... killer... special." - Zero Magazine



One of the more historic and important bands in grind-core and punk rock are back, beware!

Formed over 10 years ago in an age when bands like Los Crudos, Reversal of Man, Jenny Piccolo, Get Fucked, An Albatross, and The Locust were ruling the world of underground thrash, 7000 Dying Rats have been a largely influential staple in the scene, taking their brand of fast and furious mayhem to basements and halls nationwide. Their revolving door of band members have also performed in Cattle Decapitation, Lair of the Minotaur, My Lai (one of the best bands of all time?), Flying Luttenbachers, XBXRX, and the steady drumming (still) of punk legend Weasel Walter, just to name a few.



The 7000 Dying Rats sound is dirty and pissed, a perfect fit for the HeWhoCorrupts imprint (a label who represents the best in underground punk and grind-madness), they keep alive a sound that has become watered down and stale in the genre over the past few years and reminds us it's ok to have some fun while being technically masterful and completely vicious.

Having shared the stage over the years w/ the likes of Brutal Truth, Anal Cunt, Neurosis, Suffocation, Drop Dead, Trail of Dead, Motorhead, Wesley Willis, Pelican, and Wolf Eyes, and backed on drums by legendary punk hero Weasel Walter, it’s no surprise the band has stayed alive and relavent for so long. Their brand of extreme and in-your-face punk-rock has made fans the world over, and with “Season in Hell,” a 28-track monster, the ski-masked quintet is sure to terrorize for at least sometime more, if we’re lucky.


7000 Dying Rats US Tour Coming Soon!


For more information, visit:
http://www.7000dyingrats.com/
http://www.myspace.com/7000dyingrats
http://www.hewhocorruptsinc.com/

TOTIMOSHI Kickoff West Coast Tour w/ Helmet!

San Francisco sludge-grunge-metal heroes, TOTIMOSHI, are kicking off their West Coast tour (w/ Helmet!) TONIGHT in celebration of the band's recent signing to Southern Cali's legendary surf / skate / punk-rock record label Volcom, and the upcoming re-release of the band's latest, critically acclaimed, pummeling exploit, entitled “Ladron” (out March 6th, 2007)... See tour-dates below!



"Totimoshi’s fourth CD has the syncopated looseness of early Sabbath and
the howl-and-hammer rumble of late-Eighties grunge… the rugged, garagey production (courtesy of Helmet’s Page Hamilton) lends a genuine authenticity to the Oakland-based trio’s retro-sounding sludge. Though more civilized than High on Fire and less dramatic than Neurosis, Totimoshi prove capable of delivering equally devastating music.” - REVOLVER MAGAZINE


“Totimoshi, however much they can and likely will appear to stoner rockers and even indie folks, are simply a great metal band..” – DECIBEL MAGAZINE

“Run bongwater-soaked '70s hard rock through Melvins and Sleep, sprinkle touches of blues and pop on top, and you have Totimoshi. This Oakland, CA trio does the stoner Sabbath thing as well as any band, but stands out with tones ranging from acoustic to twangy to fuzztones at 11. The group has a fearsome live reputation, and the nicely natural production (by Helmet's Page Hamilton) hints at that.” – STYLUSMAGAZINE.COM

Oakland, CA’s sludge-grunge-alt-hell-rock trio TOTIMOSHI are back w/ the follow-up to 2003’s “Monoli” and 2005’s re-issue of Mysterioso? to bring we mortals one of the heaviest and doom-ridden masterpieces the world of heavy rock has seen in way too long (no wonder bands like Helmet, Mastodon, Fu-Manchu, Kylesa, High on Fire, and the Melvins have tapped the band to tour and perform alongside on more than one occasion).

Bringing to mind some of history’s heaviest hitters (see Blue Cheer, Tool, Nirvana, Oxbow, Helmet), “Ladron’s” sludge-heavy guitar riffs, hugely-powerful bass-lines, and pummeling drums take their listener on a pseudo-psychedelic journey through space and time, and leave them wallowing in the depths of hell.




A Brief History:

Totimoshi was formed by singer/guitarist Tony Aguilar and bassist Meg Castellanos in Nov. 97'. After a slew of drummers-some lasting longer than others, Chris Irizarry joined the band in late 06'. Totimoshi have recorded with acclaimed producers Billy Anderson, Alex Newport, and most recently Page Hamilton who worked on the upcoming "Ladrón". Past releases have included 1999's self titled, Mysterioso? (Crucial Blast 2002, enhanced re-issue 2005) and Monolí (This Dark Reign 2003).

Touring constantly across the US, they've gained a strong loyal following due to their innovative approach to heavy music. Highlights have included being handpicked by the Melvins, Mastodon, Fu Manchu, and Helmet to open for their respective tours, and headlining the Emissions and Stoner Hands of Doom Fests. A live performance in Dallas, TX for Budweiser's True Music can be seen on HD TV and now their myspace site. All 3 releases have seen high praise and their music has reached the airwaves in Europe, Australia, Brazil, Cuba, and the US. Totimoshi continues to carve out it's own path with it's explosive performances, dark emotive lyrics and hypnotic sound... truly a force and new direction for music made by musicians who follow no trend but thier own.





Band Members:
Tony Aguilar - singer/songwriter/guitarist
Meg Castellanos - bassist
Chris Irizarry - drums

TOTIMOSHI US Tour-dates w/ HELMET!
1.07.07 Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
1.09.07 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
1.16.07 Sacramento, CA @ The Boardwalk
1.17.07 San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
1.20.07 San Luis Obispo, CA @ Downtown Brew
1.31.07 Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour
2.01.07 Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour
2.03.07 Oakland, CA @ 21 Grand w/ Triclops and guests

visit:
http://www.totimoshi.com/
http://myspace.com/totimoshi
http://volcom.com

AUTONYM's Upcoming "Shall We Skip To Excessive Celebration?" Recieves Early Acclaim in t



“If Autonym continues on in the direction of this album, their noisy hardcore may just lead them to the promise land.” – Pastepunk.com

“Shall We Skip To Excessive Celebration? bombards the listener from start to finish with songs acting as short bursts of speed and intensity that evoke an urgency and sense of purpose welcome in the hardcore genre.” – Absolutepunk.net

These are just some of the early praises for the new album by LA (by way of Philadelphia) based discordant punk attack (and soon to be heroes in the scene), AUTONYM, entitled "Shall We Skip To Excessive Celebration?" (2.20.07 on Alarmor Records).



Produced and engineered by Year Future bassist Pete Lyman (see also Neon Blonde and The Locust) at Infrasonic Sound (The Mars Volta, VSS) in Los Angeles, CA, “Shall We Skip To Excessive Celebration?” documents an underground hardcore-punk revival last heard to be this amazing by championed legends Swing Kids and Yaphet Kotto, and more recently, citing influences by the likes of The #12 Looks Like You, Fear Before the March of Flames, The Red Chord, and more.

The band has also recently brought some controversy their way after vocalist Will Angelos (also self-proclaimed author releasing an internet-only novel later in 2007) posted some commentary on religion in the punk rock community (the entire article can be read on the band’s myspace blog: www.myspace.com/autonymla) which, after a successful US tour with Secret Lives of The Freemasons and Across Five Aprils, brought fans and foes alike responding to the band’s stance on the issue (Angelos has also been defending his opinion to the likes of Absolutepunk.net who’s fans have had their share of reaction, as did the manager of christian-core heroes, Underoath)



Vocalist Will Angelos comments on the band’s debut album:

“Shall We Skip To Excessive Celebration? is the debut full length from Autonym. The band set out to create a sound that redefined both the hardcore and punk genres and create a concept album more far reaching and genuine than the many others that have flooded the music scene as of late. With the help of Producer/Engineer Pete Lyman (Neon Blonde, The Locust, Bassist of Year Future), Autonym created a new sound that pushes the boundaries of hardcore. With innovative guitar work, inventive time signatures ex. 23/7 on The Sinner and His Patient Wife, landmark drum work, and groundbreaking vocals and lyrical content, Autonym has put together a debut full length that is both original and sincere.

With a 200-page novel and video accompanying the entire album, Autonym has found a way to return to the traditional values and earnest sound of early punk while creating music arranged intricately in both style and concept. The upcoming debut album and accompanying novel, along with constant touring, has caused a stir in independent music as Autonym makes its grand entrance asking Shall We Skip To Excessive Celebration?”


Upcoming US Tour Dates Coming Soon!


For more information, visit
www.myspace.com/autonymla

CLOUDS Announce Details on "Legendary Demo" * Tour the UK w/ Stephen Brodsky!

* CLOUDS *
Announce Details on Debut Full-Length "Legendary Demo" out 2.6.07 on Hydra Head
Tour the UK w/ STEPHEN BRODSKY'S OCTAVE MUSEUM!




“Crisp guitar work” – Dusted Magazine on Adam McGrath of Clouds and Cave In

“A 21st Century guitar-god.” – Boston Phoenix on Adam McGrath

“jaw-dropping rhythmic perfection” – Delusions of Adequacy on
Adam McGrath

“Cave-In's progressiveness is hypnotic” – NME on Cave In

“Listen closely and you will hear four men with chops for days creating
a complex web of guitar, bass and drums to build a wall of metallic
sound so thick and beautiful that your ears will ring and chime for
days.” – Harp Magazine on Cave In

“Each of Cave In's albums to date has marked a distinct shift and
change of approach, and Perfect Pitch Black's strength lies with their
ability to seamlessly intertwine their past and present, experimenting
with a diverse array of progressive genres and styles while remaining
true to their metalcore roots. ” – Pitchforkmedia.com on Cave In

“Boston's Cave In have been writing soundtracks to non-existent sci-fi
movies for about a decade, and with Pitch Perfect Black, they've finally
made their 2001.“ – SPIN on Cave In

They say you can take the kid out of the rock, but you can’t take the rock out
of the kid…or some shit like that. This is especially difficult when “the kid” in
question is Cave In’s Adam McGrath, fearless leader and vocalist/guitarist of
Clouds, an outfit that delivers unbridled action-rock harking back to the
mid/late-’90s Man’s Ruin garage onslaught—which, in turn, owes its
collective hearing loss to the likes of the Wipers, the Bad Brains, the Stooges,
and the MC5. So you can see what kind of lineage we’re talking about here.
But wait—that’s not all these Boston gents have to offer: From nasty psych
and Southern power grooves to (believe it or not) “Party Grunge” and
sax’d-out dub, Legendary Demo has it all. Unlike anything else in Hydra
Head’s vast back catalogue, this is truly a revelation.



Clouds defines band incest like no other! Their ranks feature current and/or
former members of Cave In, Kid Kilowatt, 27, Miltown, Suicide File, Hope
Conspiracy, The A-Team, Righteous Jams (for two shows), Panic, Green
Island (ska band), Permanent Damage, Piebald’s touring band, Zozobra’s
upcoming touring band, and even a former Cast Iron Hike roadie! How’s that
for a “selling point”?

Though they wear their influences on their sleeves proudly, Clouds stand
apart from their progenitors because the melting pot sounds unique. They
lock and stock their way through a full length’s worth of manic tracks that
meld (seriously, folks) ZZ Top, the Stooges, Karp, Sun Ra, and the Bad
Brains. Backed by in-the-pocket rhythm chops and fronted by dual vocals,
Legendary demo amalgamates tight riffs with moodier passages.

They’re hitting the UK in February with Stephen Brodsky, and if we pray
hard enough will follow up with a US tour this spring.

CLOUDS / STEPHEN BRODSKY's OCTAVE MUSEUM - UK Tour!

Dec 15 2006 the Oasis Pub New London, Connecticut
Dec 22 2006 Stone Church Newmarket, New Hampshire
Dec 27 2006 Great Scott Allston, Massachusetts
Jan 25 2007 Trash Bar Brooklyn, New York
Jan 28 2007 Elks Lodge Cambridge, Massachusetts
Feb 18 2007 Peel Kingston
Feb 19 2007 Fenton Leeds
Feb 20 2007 King Tuts Glasgow, Scotland
Feb 21 2007 Head Of Steam Newcstle
Feb 22 2007 Joiners Southhampton
Feb 23 2007 Barfly Cardiff, Wales
Feb 24 2007 Monsta London, London




Tracklist for "Legendary Demo"
1. New Amnesia
2. Pressure
3. Live It For Now
4. Party Grunge
5. Mountain Jim
6. Guardian's Eyes
7. Magic Hater
8. Quartulli Dub




other recent Cave In related releases from Hydra Head Records for the collector at heart:

HYH-116 STEPHEN BRODSKY’S OCTAVE MUSEUM “s/t” CD (out now!)
HYH-125 ZOZOBRA “Harmonic Tremors” CD (1.30.07)


for more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/cloudsrock
www.hydrahead.com
www.hydraheadlines.blogspot.com

JESU Announces US Tour w/ ISIS!

*** ISIS AND JESU Tour the US * CMJ REPORTS! ***



Break out the Prozac, because here comes a long, strange trip. Supporting their stellar new album, In The Absence Of Truth, Isis is embarking on an ambitious headlining tour next spring. Supporting them on most dates are gloomy, British indie-metallers Jesu, masterminded by ex-Godflesh/ex-Napalm Death songwriter Justin Broadrick, who will have a new album, Conqueror, out February 20 on Hydra Head. Noise-metallers Torche and angsty metalloids Zozobra will also join them on different legs. Isis is not responsible for broken bones or egos.

Isis / Jesu Tour Dates:
02/22 - San Diego, CA - Casbah*
02/23 - Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse*
02/24 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad*
02/26 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Conservatory*
02/27 - Ft. Worth, TX - Ridglea Theater*
02/28 - Austin, TX - Emo’s*
03/01 - Houston, TX - Numbers*
03/02 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon*
03/03 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree Lounge*
03/05 - Orlando, FL - The Social*
03/08 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt*
03/09 - Charlotte, NC - Tremont Music Hall*
03/10 - Richmond, VA - Alley Katz*
03/11 - Washington, DC - 930 Club*
03/13 - Philadelphia, PA - TLA*
03/14 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza*
03/16 - Cambridge, MA - The Middle East**
03/17 - Cambridge, MA - The Middle East***
03/18 - Montreal, QC Theatre - National***
03/19 - Ottawa, ON - Barrymore’s***
03/20 - Toronto, ON - Opera House***
03/22 - Chicago, IL - Metro***
03/25 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club***
03/26 - Iowa City, IA - The Picador***
03/27 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theatre***
03/28 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater***
03/30 - Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue***
04/03 – Seattle, WA - Neumo’s***
04/06 - San Francisco, CA - Bimbo’s***
04/08 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre***

* w/ Jesu and Torche
** w/ Torche
*** w/ Jesu and Zozobra


for more information, visit:
www.avalancheinc.co.uk/jesu.html
www.isistheband.com
www.hydrahead.com
www.hydraheadlines.com

BIG BUSINESS Leak New Song off "Here Come The Waterworks" * Tour UK w/ The Melvins!

* BIG BUSINESS *
Leak New Track off 2007's upcoming "Here Come The Water Works" (Hydra Head) * Kickoff UK Tour w/ The Melvins!




After the massive US mind-fuckery of a tour w/ rock legends THE MELVINS, Seattle's (check, now LA's) heaviest hitters BIG BUSINESS are headed to the UK to blow some minds, and eardrums, but not before they tease us a bit more, this time by leaking the track "Grounds for Divorce," off their upcoming March 6, 2007 release of "Here Come The Water Works" on Hydra Head... click HERE to listen!

BIG BUSINESS UK (and select US) Dates w/ The Melvins
Dec 9 2006 ATP Nightmare Before Christmas Somerset
Dec 10 2006 The Point Cardiff
Dec 11 2006 Scala London
Dec 12 2006 tba Oxford
Dec 13 2006 Acadamy 2 Manchester
Dec 14 2006 Garage Glasgow
Dec 15 2006 Ireland Roisin Dubh Galway
Dec 17 2006 The Village Dublin
Dec 30 2006 the Roseland Theater Portland
Dec 31 2006 The Showbox Seattle


* upon returning, the band plans to tour south to this year's annual SXSW festival in Austin where they can be found at the sure to be earth-shattering Hydra Head Showcase (performing alongside label-mates CLOUDS, OXBOW, DAUGHTERS, STEPHEN BRODSKY'S OCTAVE MUSEUM, PELICAN, and more!)... more on that soon.

for more information, visit:

www.bigbigbusiness.com
www.myspace.com/bigbigbusiness
www.hydrahead.com
www.hydraheadlines.blogspot.com