RCRD LBL Premiere's The Warlock's "Red Camera!"

huge thanks to the RCRD LBL staff for their support!



EXCLUSIVE NEW DOWNLOAD: The Warlocks - "Red Camera"



For a name that didn't fit early incarnations of both The Velvet Underground and The Grateful Dead, The Warlocks has done right by Bobby Hecksher, who adopted the name for his then eight-strong band of pranksters in 1998. Since their inception, Hecksher's Warlocks have released five albums of very strong, cataclysmic psych-rock, and "Red Camera," from their newest one, The Mirror Explodes, extends the trip further. After building on python-ish drones and tambourines hits for the better part of four minutes, the band really hit their stride in the closing moments, when what seems like the trillionth guitar covers everything in inches of beastly drone. MP3 premiere below; The Mirror Explodes is out May 19th through Tee Pee.

(((Click to download "Red Camera" here!)))

BrooklynVegan Covers Roadburn!

huge thank to BrooklynVegan and JJ Koczan for the great reporting!





It's really easy to tell as you walk around Tilburg who is here for Roadburn and who isn't. Even when I first got here from Amsterdam on the train, the front of the station looked like an Eyehategod show could have broken out at any minute, all the bearded longhairs and black t-shirts, including my own, standing around looking for a bus or a cab. Like some kind of convention for the International Society Of Social Awkwardness. But oh, we do have a good time.

Day One: To The Center Of The Universe
Day Two: Riding To The Sabbath
Day Three: Relearning What is Known

The Chariot Premieres Video for "Daggers"

Click to watch the video for "Daggers!"

Elfin Saddle Announce US Tour w/ Sunset Rubdown!

Elfin Saddle
Announce US Tour w/ Sunset Rubdown * Ready New Album, Ringing For The Begin Again, out May 19th on Constellation Records!



Elfin Saddle is the evolved musical project of scavenger artists Emi Honda and Jordan McKenzie. Prompted by their need to downsize an accumulation of musical instruments and objects in their migration to Montreal from Victoria, BC, Elfin Saddle focuses on the creative use of a compact array of acoustic instruments, including prepared accordion, banjo, and guitars, musical saw, and ad-hoc percussion setups. Having collaborated for years on various visual art and sound projects, Elfin Saddle is a fresh culmination of the ideas and ideals shared by both artists.

Emi, originally from southern Japan, moved to Vancouver Island in the late 90’s and was immediately fascinated with the lush landscape and local flora. She began gardening and building visually complex, mechanical assemblage sculptures, which she began to exhibit in local galleries. Jordan, who was also living on the island and working a similar vein in art school, happened upon one of these sculptures. Recognizing the eerily similar themes in each other’s work and sharing an affinity for the natural landscape, the two quickly became friends, triggering an extended wave of collaborations.

Sound Stories, a musical project of Jordan’s at the time that incorporated homemade sound machines, prepared records, storytelling, and a revolving cast of friends, was eventually joined by Emi. The two also began playing frequently as a duo and made several recordings that were released on Westhome, Jordan’s own small imprint. They also began to collaborate on unique multi-sensory art installations, comprised of old motors, timers, organs, plants, and other found junk, carefully composed to create bizarre landscapes and dream-like atmospheres and to execute loops of movement and sound. Their series of exhibitions with fellow Victoria artist Scott Evans, received considerable attention.

Since arriving in Montreal in 2006, Elfin Saddle has been steadily gaining audience and acclaim for their original and emotive live performances. Having released Gigantic Mother/Wounded Child on Kill Devil Hills Records in early 2008, they are proud to be releasing their follow-up, Ringing For The Begin Again, on Constellation. A recent addition to their recordings and live performances is Nathan Gage (Shapes and Sizes, owner of Phonopolis record store in Montreal), rounding out their sound with thick drones and subtle bursts on double-bass and tuba. Emi and Jordan are currently working on an extensive stop-motion/time-lapse film, featuring the growth of plants and the animation of a large collection of scavenged objects.



Ringing For The Begin Again Tracklist
1. The Bringer
2. Running Sheep
3. Hammer Song
4. Sakura
5. Muskeg Parade
6. The Living Light
7. The Procession
8. Temple Daughter
9. The Ocean

Elfin Saddle Live!
02-May-09 Canadian Center for Architecture Montreal, Quebec
16-May-09 Album Launch at Ukranian Federation Montreal, Quebec w/ Clues

US Tour w/ Sunset Rubdown!
11-Jun-09 Cambridge MA Middle East Downstairs
12-Jun-09 Brooklyn NY Studio B
13-Jun-09 Philadelphia PA Johnny Brenda's
14-Jun-09 Washington DC Black Cat
15-Jun-09 Chapel Hill NC Local 506
16-Jun-09 Atlanta GA Drunken Unicorn
20-Jun-09 Austin TX Mohawk
22-Jun-09 Tucson AZ Plush
23-Jun-09 Los Angeles CA Echoplex
24-Jun-09 San Francisco CA Rickshaw Stop
26-Jun-09 Portland OR Doug Fir Lounge
27-Jun-09 Seattle WA Chop Suey
28-Jun-09 Victoria BC Sugar Nightclub
2-Jul-09 Calgary AB Marquee
6-Jul-09 Minneapolis MN 7th Street Entry
7-Jul-09 Chicago IL Epiphany
8-Jul-09 Bloomington IN Jake's Nightclub
10-Jul-09 Toronto ON Lee's Palace
11-Jul-09 Montreal QC Il Motore



For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/elfinsaddle
www.cstrecords.com

Cinco De Mayo is Cryptomnesia Release Day

May 5th Rodriguez Lopez Productions release Cryptomnesia in Stores

* CLICK TO WATCH CRYPTOMNESIA I - PROMO *

* CLICK TO WATCH CRYPTOMNESIA II - PROMO *

Cryptomnesia is the first release in a series of three albums recorded in 2006 by EL GRUPO NUEVO DE OMAR RODRIGUEZ LOPEZ Despite the name of the group, Rodriguez Lopez is quick to point out that THE MARS VOLTA remains far and away his top priority. EL GRUPO NUEVO... is differentiated from the guitarist's other namesake projects by his selection of players, specifically Zach Hill (HELLA) on drums, Jonathan Hischke (HELLA) on synth bass, and Juan Alderete de la Peña (THE MARS VOLTA) on bass guitar. Additionally, Cryptomnesia features the vocals of guest frontman Cedric Bixler Zavala on eight of the album's eleven tracks.

Cryptomnesia Tracklist
1.TUBERCULOIDS
2.HALF KLEPTOS
3.CRYPTOMNESIA
4.THEY'RE COMING TO GET YOU, BARBARA
5.PUNY HUMANS
6.SHAKE IS FOR 8TH GRADERS
7.NOIR
8.PAPER CUNTS
9.ELDERLY PAIR BEATEN WITH HAMMER
10.WARREN OATES
11.FUCK YOUR MOUTH


To Order the Vinyl or CD now CLICK HERE

Xasthur Announces "All Reflections Drained," out May 26th on Hydra Head!

Announces New Album, All Reflections Drained, Out May 26th on Hydra Head Records!



"Consider it the sonic equivalent of a beautiful case of seasonal affective disorder during a locust invasion ("it's raining murder!"). To create that patented quicksand cocoon, he uses sundry effects and pedals, cello, guitar (classical acoustic and electric) and bass, keyboards, an army of drum machines, and some mics to capture his brilliant howl. - Pitchfork Media

When I close my eyes and listen, I think of a heartbroken demon sitting beside these ashes in hell and really missing his girlfriend. It’s like romantic death metal. The aggressiveness of his guitar riffs can be quite brutal. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s really clever. His flow is so authentically black metal; he knows how to make it orchestral and gothic. I don’t know all the rules to metal, but he seems to kind of be above them. - Ryan Adams for the NY Times

All Reflections Drained is another step in Xasthur's slowly evolving descent into psychic isolation and misanthropic darkness. All of the usual symphonic contempt is present; bordering on blurred beauty and solitary misery. Recorded in 2007/08, All Reflections Drained marks yet another crucial transition for Xasthur, with the inclusion of guest vocalist M.H., but to say it is the next logical step would be an uneducated statement.

Malefic’s musical progression is as reclusive and unsettling as the man himself, and that's a good thing.

* All Reflections Drained marks the first Xasthur release with guest vocalist and ambient afficionado M.H. The CD version includes a second disc of bonus material, tracklist to be released shortly but includes alternate versions, unreleased song and several covers. Though the extra songs should not be confused as supplement to the album proper, they do provide a rare glimpse into the process. The 2xCD is housed in DVD style digipack, with cover art provided by Tim Lehi and photography by Faith Coloccia.



All Reflections Drained Tracklist
1. Dirge Forsaken (5:42)
2. Maze of Oppression (5:16)
3. Achieve Emptiness Part II (4:59)
4. Masquerade of Incisions (15:53)
5. Damage Your Soul (4:53)
6. Inner Sanctum Surveillance (7:03)
7. Obfuscated in Oblivion (5:26)
8. All Reflections Drained (7:58)

Malefic's tortured roar, stacked against the head-hanging guitar melodies here, crescendos to an absurd extreme. Muffled shrieks of the asphyxiated at Pompeii. The hacking deathrattle of a peat-bog mummy. Puzzling, barely audible narration, like an obscene phone call from hell's fifth circle. - Dusted

An oppressive haze of mournful guitars, trudging drum-machine rhythms and super distorted vocals. - Time Out NY

Combining traditional black metal elements with forward thinking progression, Malefic has firmly cemented his place at the forefront of experimental, dark music. - Mouth For War



For more information, visit:
xasthur.mercurous.net
www.hydrahead.com

BrooklynVegan Posts Clues Tourdates and MP3's

huge thanks to the entire BrooklynVegan staff for their support!



Clues (ex-Unicorns) - new MP3's & 2009 tour dates (Santos)



Over four years after the break up of The Unicorns, founding member of that band Alden Penner will release the debut of his new project, Clues. That record, also called Clues, will come out on Constellation Records on May 19th. Check out two tracks from the album above (with a previously posted demo) and let us know if you think it sounds at all like Unicorns/Islands.

The band, who played SF's Noise Pop '09 earlier this year, will tour North America in support of the new record. That tour includes a Wednesday, June 17th show at Santos Party House. Tickets for the NYC show are on sale.



(((Click to read the full story and download songs off the debut Clues full-length here!)))

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground Reissue Debut Full Length * Announce US Tour

Reissue Self-Titled Debut Album, May 26th on Suburban Home * US Tour w/ MeWithoutYou and The Dear Hunter!



Kay Kay and his Weathered Underground is alternative pop with avant-garde cuts and old-fashioned lacings. The band’s self-titled debut album brings the theater to rock arenas and revamps ‘60s psychedelic pop to a modern pitch. - Absolute Punk

Seattle-based Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground is the lovechild of Kirk Huffman and Kyle O’Quin, and there’s plenty of love to be had. Formed shortly after the announcement of Gatsby’s American Dream’s hiatus, Kay Kay was putting out good vibrations before the year was up, releasing a handful of tracks on cassette, and an intermediate live show compiled onto a two-disc, live DVD (shot in a fashion boutique) with accompanying CD, and they hadn’t even made it out of Washington yet. Still, a copy of the DVD landed in the hands of Carson Daly, and after only a few shows outside their home state, Kay Kay performed an abbreviated version of their song, “Hey Momma,” on national television. Not bad for a band without a full-length!

If a cassette release is too retro for you, the band’s eponymous debut was released strictly on vinyl, and in true Kay Kay fashion, 1,000 copies of the double LP, and the release party in Seattle, sold out before doors ever opened. It isn’t just their production method that evokes the 1960s, though: Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground shimmers and soars like the greatest pop of that decade, with enough melody to lull songbirds into silence, and reverb to make your teeth chatter. Phil Peterson (cello, backing vocals), the third of the consistent members, lends his skills on strings to weave depth and darkness through the sunshine, and a revolving set of studio and live musicians (15 or so when all is said and done) round out the whole experience into an enormous orchestral affair.

The band is currently in the process of recording their second LP, and preparing the re-release of their debut, self-titled album to be released on CD for the first time ever on May 26th courtesy of Suburban Home. Look forward to new packaging for the vinyl, complete with new collages and a tri-fold design. At the end of 2008, Kay Kay hit the road with Rx Bandits and Portugal the Man for a jaunt down the West Coast, and this June they’ll be out again for a handful of weeks, touring the U.S. with MeWithoutYou and The Dear Hunter.

Rain or shine, Kay Kay and his Weathered Underground promise you “moon men conspiracies, giant rodents, hallucinations... true happiness and love... baffled love, hope, wild possibilities, and dreams.”



Kay Kay And His Weathered Underground Tracklist
1. Into The Realm Of The Unknown
2. Hey Momma'
3. Birds (On A Day Like Today)
4. Simon Courage Flees The Coop
5. Ol' Rum Davies
6. Bowie The Desert Pea
7. Santa Cruz Lined Pockets
8. Bloodstone Goddess
9. Cloud Country
10. Swan Ink
11. Night Of The Star Child's Funk
12. One Ought To See
13. All Alone

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground Live!

w/ MeWithoutYou and The Dear Hunter!
Jun 25 2009 The Hawthorne Theatre Portland, Oregon
Jun 26 2009 Neumo’s Seattle, Washington
Jun 27 2009 The Venue Boise, Idaho
Jun 28 2009 The Avalon Theatre Salt Lake City, Utah
Jun 29 2009 The Marquis Theatre Denver, Colorado
Jul 1 2009 The Granada Theatre Lawrence, Kansas
Jul 2 2009 Station 4 St. Paul, Minnesota
Jul 4 2009 The Magic Stick Detroit, Michigan
Jul 5 2009 The Metro Chicago, Illinois
Jul 6 2009 The Grog Shop Cleveland, Ohio
Jul 7 2009 Mr. Smalls Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Jul 9 2009 The Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn, New York
Jul 10 2009 The Bowery Ballroom New York City, New York
Jul 11 2009 The Middle East Downstairs Boston, Massachusetts



For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/kaykayunderground.com
www.suburbanhomerecords.com

Spin.com on Trash Talk: Top 5 Metal Bands You Should Know

huge thanks to the entire Spin Magazine staff for their support!



Listen: Top 5 Metal Bands You Should Know



Trash Talk

Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Why they matter: Frontman Lee Spielman channels infamous punk hellraiser G.G. Allin, while drums, electric guitar, and bass thrash through a riotous combination of West Coast punk and hardcore.
You should know: Talk about perfect pairings: The title track of Trash Talk's East of Eden EP (out now) features vocals from Black Flag and Circle Jerks co-founder Keith Morris.

LISTEN: Trash Talk, "East of Eden"

Alternative Press Spotlights Chamberlain Reunion

huge thanks to the entire Alternative Press staff for their support!



Web exclusive: A conversation with David Moore of Chamberlain



Fate's Got A Driver in 1995 marked a major transitory time for SPLIT LIP, a defining band of the '90s hardcore movement. The band changed their name to CHAMBERLAIN amidst a vocal re-recording of their sophomore full-length and moved from hardcore territory into something characterized far better by melody and restraint. Chamberlain would endure more surprising transformations over the course of the years that followed, but Fate's Got A Driver remains a diamond-in-the-rough album for '90s underground music. This week, Doghouse Records shed deserved spotlight on the album with a vinyl reissue, pressed on colored wax, including a few bonus tracks for good measure. While the band have a spate of reunion shows planned in support of the reissue along with the release of the book Burning Fight: The Nineties Hardcore Revolution In Ethics, Politics, Spirit, And Sound by Brian Peterson. BRIAN SHULTZ recently spoke with Chamberlain frontman DAVID MOORE about the band's history, the reunion and his long-gestating solo record.

(((Click to read the full interview here!)))

Interview Magazine Talks to Machinedrum's Travis Stewart!

huge thanks to the entire Interview Magazine staff for their support!



Let Me Hear You 1, 2 Step


Photos by Pearse Daly.

27-year-old producer Travis Stewart is from North Carolina but lives in Brooklyn, and has been making music under different monikers for over a decade. He's perhaps best known as Machinedrum, a name he was sure had been claimed when he adopted it in 1998. Stewart has since released six discs under that pseudonym alone-and three others under three different aliases. Three years in the making, Want to 1 2? is Stewart's seventh Machinedrum record, and it's due to drop mid-May. If you can't wait for the hard copy, it's already available for download on iTunes.

(((Click to read the entire interview here!)))

BrooklynVegan Talks to Neurosis + Shrinebuilder's Scott Kelly!

huge thanks to the entire BrooklynVegan staff for their support!



an interview w/ Scott Kelly (Neurosis, Neurot, Shrinebuilder)


Scott Kelly on stage with Mastodon

From their crust punk origins of more than twenty years ago, Scott Kelly and Neurosis have forged their own path with searing imperial riffery and singular artistic vision. Over the course of nine LPs including 2007's critically acclaimed Given To The Rising, Neurosis's firebrand mix of hardcore, metal, psychedelia, and all-of-the-above has inspired fans and musicians alike, giving way to sub-genres and sub-sub-genres based on their compelling, emotive songwriting.

(((Click to read the full interview here!)))

Spinner Streams Chamberlain's "Fate's Got A Driver" Album

huge thanks to the entire Spinner staff for their support!



Chamberlain
"Fate's Got A Driver"
(Doghouse Records)



Chamberlain Reunion Shows!
May 1 2009 Headliners Louisville, KY
May 2 2009 Birdy's Indianapolis, IN
May 3 2009 The Metro Chicago, IL

Clues Announce US Tour!

we can't wait!



Clues Live!
16-May-09 Montreal QC Ukranian Federation Hall w/ Elfin Saddle
21-May-09 Toronto ON Sneaky Dees
22-May-09 Chicago IL Schubas
23-May-09 Minneapolis MN Triple Rock Social Club
25-May-09 Winnipeg MB Pyramid Cabaret
26-May-09 Saskatoon SK Amigos
27-May-09 Calgary AB Marquee
28-May-09 Edmonton AB Brixx
30-May-09 Vancouver BC Biltmore Cabaret
31-May-09 Victoria BC Lucky Bar
1-Jun-09 Seattle WA Neumos
2-Jun-09 Portland OR Backspace
4-Jun-09 San Francisco CA Rickshaw Shop
5-Jun-09 Los Angeles CA Echo
6-Jun-09 Costa Mesa CA Detroit
9-Jun-09 Dallas TX The Loft
10-Jun-09 Austin TX The Independent
11-Jun-09 New Orleans LA One-Eyed Jacks
12-Jun-09 Atlanta GA Drunken Unicorn
15-Jun-09 Washington DC Rock N Roll Hotel
16-Jun-09 Philadelphia PA The Barbary
17-Jun-09 New York NY Santos Playhouse
18-Jun-09 Montreal QC La Sala Rossa w/ The Dead Science

The Tripwire Reviews Red Fang's Self-Titled Debut!

huge thanks to the entire Tripwire staff for their support!



Red Fang
Red Fang
(Sargent House)



All of the metal planets have aligned on Red Fang. If you consider yourself a fan of heavy music, it would be impossible for you to not like this record. Each track has a barbarian swagger that doesn’t ignore the fact that while we are basically evolved apes, we’re not dumb apes. Check the average Red Fang crowd maybe four beers into their set and tell me you don’t see evidence of Darwinism. Red Fang the band will definitely appeal to your primal side, but Red Fang the record shows that you can bang your head and still think with it.

(((Click to read the full review here!)))

Metal Sucks Reviews Goes Cube's "Another Day Has Passed"

huge thanks for the entire Metalsucks staff for their support!



ANOTHER DAY HAS PASSED AND YOU STILL HAVEN’T HEARD GOES CUBE?



Goes Cube force us to discard our genre tags and recognize the rarity of the word “song” as it pertains to metal. They can write a damn fine one, complete with verses and a chorus and ye olde bridge. Without trying, they also de-compartmentalize all the genre prefixes – the divisions shrink between “post” and “retro,” “neo” and “prog” and “stoner,” “metal” and “rock,” ‘til they become different shades of a single house style. The opening line from “Back to Basics” says it all: “Wreak havoc / Take it all apart / Dismantle / Break it down to its most elemental forms.” Goes Cube write songs the way that Helmet and Quicksand used to, with compact shocks of riff and scrappy melody, loose strings and pneumatic heaviness.

(((Click here to read the full review!)))

Pirates Press Announce 5-Year Anniversary!

Announces Five-Year Anniversary * New Cock Sparrer Album and More!



The best stories are those that write themselves, when all the writer has to do is expressly write what they see (or in this case, see AND hear)... and all the reader has to do is envision their role. The story of vinyl records and especially its burgeoning resurgence is this type of story, and the proud leading role PIRATES PRESS has been playing in it is one as well. Their family of salespeople, production coordinators, project managers, and graphic designers have experience from all over the manufacturing, sales, and distribution industries and care deeply about the experience people have working with them.

Putting their customers ideas to life is the essence of Pirates Press' true goal... helping artists, record label owners, and other entrepreneurs do what the market and industry are demanding of them to survive; bring collect-ability back. Helping create tangible products that reflect an artist's visions in such a way that creates a real demand to purchase it (rather than download it) is important in an increasingly downloadable world that too-often looses the tangible dimension that once [financially] drove the industry.

Vinyl collecting has for generations been the baseball card of the non-jock (and even the occasional jock), and remained present in certain scenes and genres (underground for the most part) regardless of the pressures from the industry to exclusively digitalize. It was always that tangible element of vinyl in combination with the nostalgic sound and feeling you get from playing records which resonated with collectors through vinyl's darkest moments. Now, when the digital world that everyone assumed would replace it entirely has brought such strain to the industry, vinyl and other creatively packaged albums sales have made a tremendous resurgence, once again giving people something their passionate about going out (or [ironically] going online) and buying. Pirates press believes that the sky is the limit at this point for vinyl and other types of creatively packaged music and ideas, and we'll continue doing everything in our power to bring our customers there in as powerful and prominent of a way as possible!

Pirates Press Statistics in the last three years:
- 680,000 records produced in 2006
- 1,100,000 records produced in 2007
- 1,750,000 records produced in 2008

High Profile Projects: Spiderman3, MyChemicalRomance, Beck's "Odelay" Deluxe 4LP Package, AgainstMe!, The Dark Knight, Madonna's "Hard Candy" & a slew of singles, Talib Kweli, Brian Posehn&Lewis Black&PattonOswalt, Pulling Teeth (Holographic Record Jacket), Murder By Death 16pp Foldout, Bob Marley Boxset, Isis Boxset, The Watchmen, All the WBR Singles, & Much More...

High Profile Customers: Warner Brothers Records, Reprise, Sire, Atlantic, Original Recordings Group, Relapse, Robotic Empire, HydraHead, Deathwish Inc., Troubleman Unlimited, Anticon Records, Temporary Residence, Suburban Home & Vinyl Collective, Southern Lord Records, Tank Crimes, Chunksaah Records, Fat Wreck Chords, Vagrant Records, Slumberland Records, & Many More...

Pirates Press Unique products include: Gatefold Jackets, Tip-On (casewrapped) Jackets, Boxsets, 5th and 6th Color Printing, Foil Stamping, Embossing, Spot Gloss and other special finishes, Insertion of CDs/Digital Download Cards into the vinyl, BIG Posters, Slipmats, Stickers and other Merch, Unique Types of Colored Vinyl, Limited VERSIONS to create immediate collect-ability! Looking to the future, we're also working to redevelop the technology to make flexidiscs, as well as new technology, a multiformat CD/DVD/Vinyl Disc, Shaped Records and Picture Discs as well as diecut shapes of vinyl pressed directly into the records. Lots in store in 2009 and beyond!




PIRATES PRESS CURRENT & UPCOMING EVENTS:

- Pirates Press 1500 piece Jigsaw Puzzles have been released on PiratesPressRecords.com!
- Pirates Press & Pirates Press Records both have new websites!
- Pirates Press Records to release CockSParrer's first studio record in 10 Years "Here We Stand" on LP & CD (for the USA!) on May 19th!
- Come celebrate! Pirates Press 5th Anniversary Weekend with COCK SPARRER at the Great American Music Hall, Nov. 13th & 14th, 2009. * also featuring: DETOURNEMENT, THE RE-VOLTS, SMALLTOWN (Sweden), OFF WITH THEIR HEADS, HARRINGTON SAINTS, REDUCERS SF & MORE!

For more information, visit:
www.piratespress.com
www.piratespressrecords.com

Stereogum Premieres First Track From "Cryptomnesia!"

huge thanks to the entire Stereogum staff for their support!



New El Grupo Nuevo De Omar Rodriguez Lopez - "Half Kleptos" (Stereogum Premiere)



Omar Rodríguez-López has a new band. The Mars Volta songwriter/multi-instrumentalist is calling it El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodríguez-López because it rolls off the tongue but he could also call it Hella Volta. That's because alongside Omar the psych/prog/fusion outfit features Hella's Zach Hill and Jonathan Hischke on drums and synth bass and Mars Volta's Juan Alderete and Cedric Bixler-Zavala on bass guitar and vocals. Basically El Grupo is designed to kick your ass.

(((Click to read the full article and listen to "Half Kleptos" here!)))

Alternative Press Interviews The Chariot's Josh Scogin!

huge thanks to the Alternative Press staff for their support!



It's a metaphor, fool.
The Chariot - Wars And Rumors Of Wars



Josh Scogin leads his musical merrymakers in more manically pounding, distortion-soaked exercises of catharsis that sound more fully realized than any of their past work. Opening track "Teach" lurches forth as a brutal waltz, while its exasperating follower, "Evolve," releases stuttered aggression in deliberate bursts. "Impress" wields a surprising punk-rock tempo one moment then sneaks in chords lifted from a Neurosis record the next. "Giveth" explores lows and highs with admirable depth and floor-stomping dynamics, making it one of the band's most epic compositions to date, especially with Scogin's vicious self-exploration ("Does this mean I'm a threat?"). The next track, "Abandon," bleeds boiling, brooding textures better than ever. The only rumor that should be spread about this album is that it's The Chariot's best yet.

(((Click to read an interview w/ Josh Scogin of The Chariot here!)))

Hopewell Announces US Tour in Support of New Album "Good Good Desperation!"

Hopewell Live!
May 19 2009 TBA - Record Release New York, New York
May 20 2009 The Fire Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 21 2009 Talking Head Club Baltimore
May 22 2009 The Milestone Charlotte, North Carolina
May 23 2009 TBA Asheville, North Carolina
May 24 2009 The End Nashville, Tennessee
May 25 2009 Skully's Columbus, Ohio
May 26 2009 The Lager House Detroit, Michigan
May 27 2009 Schuba's Chicago, Illinois
May 28 2009 The Highdive Champaign, Illinois
May 29 2009 Turf Club St. Paul, Minnesota
May 30 2009 Replay Lounge Lawrence, Kansas
Jun 2 2009 Larimer Lounge Denver, Colorado
Jun 3 2009 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, Utah
Jun 5 2009 The Comet Seattle, Washington
Jun 6 2009 East End Portland, Oregon
Jun 7 2009 The Hemlock San Francisco, California
Jun 8 2009 Spaceland Los Angeles, California
Jun 11 2009 The Redwood Los Angeles, California

www.myspace.com/hopewell

BrooklynVegan Announces Goes Cube Record Release Show - May 14th @ Webster Hall!

huge thanks to the entire BrooklynVegan staff for their support!



Goes Cube - new MP3 from their debut LP + upcoming shows



In cooking, it's called a reduction. If you filled a pot with post-hardcore from the 90s and simmered it down to the essence, that culinary delight might be Goes Cube. They cherry-pick the best moments from Quicksand, Helmet, and Jawbox, and deliver it with a thunder that would make an Orange amp technician proud. Don't take my word for it though, check out "The Only Daughter" from their debut LP Another Day Has Passed available for download above.

(((Click here to read the full article and download "The Only Daughter" here!)))

The Tripwire Leaks New Paper Chase Song!

huge thanks to the entire Tripwire staff for their support!



Exclusive Download - The pAper chAse “What Should We Do With Your Body? (The Lightning)”



The pAper chAse will be releasing their new album Someday This Could All Be Yours (Part 1), late next month on Kill Rock Stars Records, so we thought we would share a taste of what is to come from John Congleton and his band with an exclusive listen to “What Should We Do?.”

(((Click to read the full story and download "What Should We Do With Your Body (The Lightning)" here!)))

MetalSucks Talks New Chariot Song "Evolve"

huge thanks to the entire MetalSucks staff for their support



THE CHARIOT “EVOLVE”



I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Norma Jean started to go downhill after Josh Scogin left. Maybe that’s just a coincidence, an incidental observation about a circumstantial event, but listening to The Chariot’s new song, “Evolve,” I’m inclined to believe there’s a connection.

(((Click here to read the full article and listen to The Chariot's new song "Evolve!")))

Khanate Announces New and Final Album, "Clean Hands Go Foul"

Khanate
Announces New and Final Record, "Clean Hands Go Foul," out May 26th on Hydra Head Records * Vinyl Edition in Stores Now!



It's rare that a band truly leads by example, particularly in metal, where stylistic and genre parameters are strictly patrolled. The New York City avant-doom quartet Khanate, though, followed its own path from 2001 to 2006, combining a crushing musical and spiritual heaviness with a mastery of silence that created and sustained suspense without any of metal's usual horror-movie theatricality. - The Village Voice

If your standards of musical beauty are confined to things like melodies, beats, tracks that are less than 10 minutes long and lyrics that aren’t about sharp objects and their application to human flesh, bone, and other tissues, KHANATE indeed is ugly. And if the molten-aluminum sheets of feedback and magma waves of minorseventh power chords aren’t dark enough for you, KHANATE’s poor vocalist shrieks like he’s being sacrificed, a centimeter at a time, to some particularly grim, bloodthirsty power. - EQ Magazine

Dubin and company aren't aiming for easiness, but they offer patient listeners the chance to burrow into a seductive cocoon, into a sound as chilling and ominous as a pool of black icebergs. After a healthy brainstorm-- The Cure and Current 93's ouevres included-- I can't think of a three-minute pop song offering a similar effect. - Pitchfork Media

Clean Hands Go Foul represents the final nail in the KHANATE coffin, and a more fitting ending could not have been devised. Having left hordes of imitators in their wake there is and will only ever be one KHANATE.

Below are excerpts from our initial comments to the band after finally hearing the completed mixes: "...I can safely say that it is some of, if not your most interesting material and certainly telepathic in it's cohesion... ...While I've always enjoyed the oppressive nature of past KHANATE output, as well as it's generally forceful approach, the delicacy, restraint, and implied, rather than overt horror and violence inherent in the recording is tremendous... ...I'm a sucker for tragic music as you well know, and this air of tragedy in the tracks is quite a satisfying new element that's been injected into the mix - apparent in the first two tracks especially. It seems the emotional current in past KHANATE recordings really only went from hate to anger to overt violence, but this stuff has almost a resigned and tender sadness to it - really resonates with me in a way that I hadn't expected. The last track is nice too - lots of tension, but no easy cathartic release is given... ...There's a crescendo, but it's short lived and leaves the you feeling more tense rather than relieved. A nice closer for the band as well as the album..."

* Clean Hands Go Foul has been made available on black, gold, and vanilla bean swirl vinyl starting NOW through BlueCollarDistro.com and upon its release, the initial 1000 copies of the CD edition will include the limited DVD release "End: Capture & Release Live DVD"...but more on that later... In the meantime, check out Phil Freeman's amazing Khanate retrospective in New York's Village Voice newspaper.



Clean Hands Go Foul Tracklist
1. WINGS FROM SPINE (6:47) * click to download song excerpt here
2. CLEAN MY HEART (11:05)
3. IN THAT CORNER (9:13)
4. EVERY GOD DAMN THING (32:52)

Each swipe of the guitar, pound of the drum, and pluck of the bass is offered up individually, left to burn slowly as the band plots a sparse course throughout the span of their lengthy tracks to assemble all of these sounds into one massive fist that slowly (but insistently) sets about punching the listener in that gray matter that exists in between the ears. - Dusted




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