Listen Live: Jesu's Justin Broadrick Interviewed Today on WFMU!

Interview: Justin Broadrick of Jesu / Godflesh / Napalm Death



Coming up on the Kamikaze Fun Machine from Noon to 3pm: Diane will air an interview with Justin Broadrick -- the human behind Godflesh, Jesu, Napalm Death, Grey Machine, etc. His body of work spans decades and is more varied than most artists' record collections! In the past year, Godflesh did a couple of reunion performances, and have another one scheduled for 2011! The program will also feature a lot of Broadrick's music, past and present! Tune in for an afternoon of hearing Justin, his machines and his music!!

(((Click to listen live or to download the archive here!)))

Stereogum Premieres New Music from Norway's Årabrot!

Haunting The Chapel:
Årabrot – “Interim Me”



I interviewed the main members of the Haugesund, Norway noise-rock group Årabrot a few years ago in Trondheim, during the same trip I met up with old Varg pal Snorre Ruch. We spoke in some kind of bright bar/coffee shop. I remember there were something interesting things said. I have no idea what happened to the tapes, unfortunately, but their new album reminds me why I tracked them down in the first place.

(((Read more here!)))

The Village Voice Premieres New Music from Wires Under Tension

Yes In My Backyard
Download: Wires Under Tension, "Mnemonics In Motion"



Bronx duo Wires Under Tension play a fluttering post-'90s post-rock churn without the introspection or meandering--in essence, they go in for the kill. Like Tortoise fueled by Hot 97, the cycling minimalist rhythms of violinist Christopher Tignor and drummer Theo Met (both of YIMBY vets Slow Six) are more a suckerpunch than a slow boil, aiming straight for the chiming, resonant and anthemic in five-minute bites. The songs on their debut album, Light Science (due February 8 on Western Vinyl), explode with multi-layered walls of strings, Eyvind Kang-informed horn lines, and all sorts of digital love--all held down by the roiling and naked drumming of Metz. First taste "Mnemonics In Motion" is more music than two men should reasonably be able to make at once, Tignor's violins going through a gauntlet of funhouse mirrors while Metz holds down a devilishly funky groove. - By Christopher Weingarten

(((Read the full article here!)))

The Forms Recruit Members of The National, Shudder To Think + More For "Derealization"

Download The Forms' "Steady Hand" (featuring Pattern Is Movement's Andrew Thiboldeaux) exclusively at Stereogum.com!

"I think musical ideas are almost alive in a way," says Alex Tween, keyboardist and lead singer of The Forms, the New York-based duo. "Some of them, especially the good ones, will simply not go away until they have been sufficiently expressed. They haunt you like ghosts and refuse to leave you alone until they've been fulfilled."

On Derealization, their new EP, The Forms have taken some of the most compelling ideas from their previous releases and completely recreated them, enlisting the help of some of their favorite musicians, from The National's Matt Berninger to Shudder To Think's Craig Wedren. The result is an astonishingly original new sound.

"It started as an accident," explains Matt Walsh, the multi-instrumentalist and producer who is the other half of The Forms. "We had just received the vinyl of our last record. I was so excited that I dropped the needle down without checking the speed on the turntable, which was set to 45 instead of 33. Immediately, we were blown away at how the songs took on a whole new character at that speed. We spent that afternoon listening to the record at different speeds and made the decision on the spot to do a 'remix album.'"

But Derealization turned into something much more ambitious: a
transformation of existing compositions into hybridized combinations of new and old. Melodies and lyrics from the bands' two previous records – Icarus and The Forms – provide the basis for the six tracks on Derealization. But the ideas have been pushed farther, distilled to their essence and then fleshed out and augmented with new arrangements, chord progressions and words. It was an intense process of deconstructing and recombining, all of which took place in a new studio in Ridgewood, Queens, which Walsh designed and built himself. The duo recorded Derealization there with producer Scott Solter (Superchunk, St. Vincent). "The sound on this record is much more aestheticized and more fully formed than on our first two records," says Walsh. "We have always been into mystery in music. We always wanted listeners to get into
the shape of the music, and let that shape speak to them. But this time, we set about creating a more specific, almost visual world within each song."

To help achieve that goal, Tween and Walsh called on a group of high-profile musicians to collaborate on particular tracks, including a string section that features Nat Baldwin of Dirty Projectors and Daniel Hart of St. Vincent. The most dramatic contributions are guest vocals by three singers who re-worked Tween's original vocal lines to fit their own distinctive styles.
Matt Berninger of The National sings the opening track, "Fire To The Ground," imbuing the existing melody with a richer, more sonorous tone. Andrew Thiboldeaux of Pattern Is Movement adds layer upon layer of harmony to his lead vocal on "Steady Hand," creating an almost dizzying gospel chorus effect. And "Finally"
features a virtuoso vocal performance by Craig Wedren of Shudder To Think, a band The Forms consider a source of musical inspiration. "I had been struggling with that song for months," said Tween. "Craig took it, and within two days he had added these heavenly vocal parts."

The Forms are planning a North American tour in support of the new EP, which will be released on February 15th, 2011. In the meantime, they are looking forward to introducing their new sound to long-time fans and new listeners, as well. "I think Derealization includes some of the best ideas that we've had over the years," says Tween. "In the case of pretty much every song, I think we
have finally been able to properly fulfill them."

* In support of the new release, the band will be offering a free alternate version of "Derealization" on or around the week of release...

more details forthcoming.



Derealization Track List
1. Fire to the Ground (feat. Matt Berninger)
2. Same Path Mantra
3. Steady Hand (feat. Andrew Thiboldeaux)
4. Alpha Wave
5. Finally (feat. Craig Wedren)
6. Derealization

The Forms Live!
Dec 23 2010 Cameo Gallery Brooklyn, NY
Dec 28 2010 TT The Bears Boston, MA

+ US Tour Dates Coming Soon!




For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/forms
www.threespheres.com
www.ernestjenning.com

Jesu Release "Heart Ache & Dethroned" This Week on Hydra Head!

Justin Broadrick is in it for the long haul -- he started with grindcore legends Napalm Death at age 15, spent decades making brilliant industrial sludge as Godflesh, and has created endless electronic projects. He's six years and counting into Jesu, blending ambient guitar buzz with hypnotic rock rumble. This set re-releases his 2004 debut EP, Heart Ache, two songs (at near 20 minutes each) halfway between Godflesh and shoegaze, plus the Dethroned EP, four old songs that lay unfinished until now. It's the sound of a man moving to his next stage, unsure how he should make his machines howl. Mournful or loud? Why not both? - Spin Magazine

The more metal, shoegaze, various “posts,” and electronics intersect, the more obvious it is ex-Napalm Death/Godflesh/Techno Animal Justin K Broadrick’s been at the forefront of something even before he started Jesu seven years ago. Of all his projects, though — the older Final, more recent Pale Sketcher included — Jesu crystallizes his personalized blend of drone, metal, industrial, electronics, shoegaze, ambient, noise, and disarmingly fragile melodies. This re-release of Broadrick’s first Jesu offering, the 2004 Heart Ache EP, proves the point in shimmering, crunchy spades. - Stereogum

There are few artists operative at the fringes of popular music today whose sound has not been in some way or another informed or shaped by the works of Justin K Broadrick. As a founding member or sole proprietor of seminal outfits such as Godflesh, Napalm Death, Techno Animal, and Final, Broadrick has managed to help change or even define the now widespread genres of industrial and death metal, abstracted hip hop and dub, grindcore, and ambient electronics. So is also the case with his work in Jesu, who in the course of a very productive seven year existence have taken the churning pummel of his former project Godflesh, augmented it with the textural melody of 90s shoegaze rock and spawned a new sub-genre and the inevitable legions of imitators. And while imitators may abound, as the originator of this relatively newfound musical territory Jesu is still the clearly visible leader.

For those who may only be vaguely familiar with the history and subsequent
trajectory of Jesu the re-release of the debut EP, Heart Ache, may function as the most suitable starting place for the process of initial immersion and discovery. Over the span of two towering 20 minute tracks one can hear not only the smoldering remnants of Godflesh embedded in the aural tapestry, but also the foundational elements that would define the future of the Jesu lexicon - extended and hypnotic structures, overlapping multi-layered melodies, alternately harsh/beautiful sonic embellishments and a palpable sense of the human capacity to express feeling through the mode of song craft. While Heart Ache itself may be reason enough to warrant investigation by the uninitiated, the inclusion of the recently completed Dethroned EP as a part of this release gives further reason for new listeners and long time devotees to discover (or remember) why so many accolades lay heaped at the altar of Jesu. The 4 tracks from Dethroned were originally conceived and
partially finished in 2004, but were only finally completed in 2010. Perhaps due to the length of time over which these tracks were created the full evolution of Jesu is apparent within their structures, fluctuating from suffocatingly heavy to delicately sparse and covering an emotional spectrum of considerable depth. While "full circle" might not be quite the appropriate term to describe the content of Dethroned there is a completeness to its statement, recalling the monuments of Jesu past while simultaneously pointing towards the ever widening path of its future.

* Order "Heart Ache & Dethroned" here!



Track Listing

DISC ONE: heart ache
01 heart ache [19:42]
02 ruined [20:14]

DISC TWO: dethroned
01 dethroned [07:12]
02 annul [07:16]
03 aureated skin [06:46]
04 i can only disappoint you [07:09]



For more information, visit:
www.hydrahead.com

Lavinia Release Debut Album, "There Is Like Between Us" On The Mylene Sheath

Vocalist/guitarist Nate Shumaker croons in a hoarse near-whisper as the band’s music surges majestically around him, like deep green Atlantic Ocean waves threatening to swallow and drown the listener. The addition of slide guitar (and occasional banjo) makes the band’s tribal/post-rock throb that much more cosmic/atmospheric, and hints at prog-rock without going all the way out. - Alternative Press 4/5

In a sense this band is as much an outlet for its members as a project in its own right, an opportunity to let loose the darker dreams lurking within. - Rock-A-Rolla

Lavinia offset any navel-gazing tendencies with muscular post-rock dynamics that ultimately makes ‘There Is Light Between Us’ such a captivatingly beautiful listen. - Rock Sound 8/10

In Roman mythology, Lavinia was the daughter of Latinus and Amata. She was the lone child of the king and was eventually courted by many men in Ausonia who hoped to become the next king of Latium. Turnus, ruler of the Rutuli, was promised Lavinia, having the favor of Queen Amata. However, King Latinus is later warned by the oracle Faunus that his daughter is not to marry a Latin, and eventually Lavinia weds Aeneas, son of Aphrodite and progenitor of the Romans. In Book 7 of the Aeneid, during the sacrifice at the altars of the gods, Lavinia's hair catches on fire, an omen promising glorious days to come for Lavinia and war for all Latins.

It is within the shroud of this same mythological fire that Lavinia, a new band hailing from Boston, MA, introduces their debut EP "There Is Light Between Us." The band consists of current & former members of indie rock heavyweights such as Caspian, Eksi Ekso, The Burning Paris, On Fire, and the Fatal Flaw, but should never be confused as some sort of "side project." Bleak, dark, and unforgiving - Lavinia trudge through terrain that is much different than any of the members other projects. And while there is an underlying hope in each song - the album dwells in an unshakable depression. A feeling of isolation and loneliness further exposed by the heart-on-the-sleeve vocals of guitarist/vocalist Nate Shumaker (ex-Eksi Ekso, On Fire, The Burning Paris, Everdown), that brings to mind a combination of Red House Painter's Mark Kozelek and The Cure's Robert Smith. Pair that up with the commanding bass wielding of Philip Jaimeson (main axe man of Caspian), the towering drum fills of Alex Mihm (Eksi Ekso), and the slide guitar & banjo atmospherics of Josh Megyesy (ex-On Fire, The Burning Paris, The Fatal Flaw), and you've got the makings of a band who's sound shares more in common with roman mythology, than it does their own contemporaries and peers.

Recorded in multiple locations throughout 2010, including New Alliance with Ethan Dussault and Verse Media with John Helmig, mastered by Jason Martin (Starflyer 59) at Jason Martin Recording in Riverside, CA, the album captures the sound of a band discovering new and exciting sonic territory with no rules in place. A band creating music that they want to create, for the sake of creating it to exist. Doesn't sound like a novel idea to you? Well, unfortunately it is in today's music industry and it's incredibly refreshing to hear how easily this sound of creative freedom can come across when a band effortlessly executes without paying mind to outside pressures or expectations. The band takes us through five tracks in just under 28 minutes which brings to mind the moodiness of bands such as Red House Painters, Mogwai, The Cure, early Crooked Fingers, Starflyer 59, and Scott Walker while incorporating the heaviness of behemoths such as Black Sabbath, My Bloody Valentine, Isis, Jesu, and The Twilight Sad. The combination of these elements seamlessly meld together to create a document of visionary proportions.

Much like Turnus declaring war on Aeneas after losing the mythological Lavinia to him, our Lavinia comes forward with all the emotional intensity of such a war. Turnus was ultimately destroyed and his people captured by Aeneas, though Lavinia's father, Latinus, died in the war, teaching us progress cannot be made without sacrifice. The sound of Lavinia's debut EP "There Is Light Between Us" embodies this philosophy to it's very definition.



There Is Light Between Us Track List
1. Destroy Yourself
2. A Damning Confession
3. Fires
4. Windmills
5. Bone & Arrow

Live Dates Coming Soon!



For more information, visit:
www.laviniamusic.com
www.myspace.com/laviniaus
Lavinia on Facebook
www.mylenesheath.com

Nightmares For A Week Premiere Video for New Song "Veins" at AltPress.com!

Watch the video for Nightmares For A Week's new song "Veins" here!

Wires Under Tension Announce Debut Album, "Light Science," Out February 8th on Western Vinyl

MAKING computers coexist in harmony with acoustic instruments in a live setting is more easily imagined than achieved. But Christopher Tignor, a young composer and performer shaped as much by his work in downtown nightclubs as by his formal education....proves that it can be done. Using custom-designed software and a MIDI keyboard Mr. Tignor samples and manipulates sounds... adding new strands within the diaphanous webs he composed for it while cutting loose its acoustic moorings. – The New York Times

Tignor's beguiling compositions move seamlessly through several stages of development, often ending up somewhere distant from where they appeared to be headed at the outset. - The Wire Magazine

...imagine a dream collaboration between Philip Glass, Miles Davis, Cluster, and Battles... – Foxy Digitalis

For nearly thirteen years Christopher Tignor lived in the 3-story commercial space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn where he conceived and practiced with his band Slow Six. In 2008, thanks to a tipped off fire marshal, a move was inevitable, and the walls had to come down. Drastic measures would be necessary in order to keep making music on his own terms - living completely immersed in his studio and practice space. Step one was relocating to the Mott Haven neighborhood of The Bronx. Far removed from an overwhelming hipster scene he had never connected with, he found himself surrounded by the working-class grit and intensity typically associated with The South Bronx. The new musical landscape Wires Under Tension creates uncannily echoes this transition.

Charged with the desolation of a Mad Max dystopia, the songs on Wires Under Tension's debut Light Science form a narrative in motion from lightness to darkness. The band's name reflects the duo's ongoing struggle to balance this tension as they wrestle with an unpredictable and unforgiving machine of their own making. Wordless voices of the horns and violin feel like lightning riding a stormy sea of drums and drones. That lightning illuminates the duo's muscular rhythms, formidable dynamic, and unique musicianship. As they beckon us into their storm, they seem to effortlessly sidestep the cliches found in much of today's instrumental music, delivering exciting and mysterious gems from their unique netherworld.

* Light Science will be available digitally through all major retail outlets December 7th



Light Science Track List
1. Electricity Turns Them On
2. Irreversible Machines
3. A List of Things To Light on Fire
4. Wood, Metal, Bone
5. Position and Hold
6. Mnemonics in Motion
7. Сказал, Сказала

Wires Under Tension Live Dates Coming Soon!



For more information, visit:
www.wiresundertension.com
www.westernvinyl.com

Kayo Dot Announce Limited Release of New "Stained Glass" EP Out November 26th as Part of Record Store Day's Black Friday

Some bands really do defy easy encapsulation. Kayo Dot make music of a perpetually shifting kind, a writhing, transfiguring sound that possesses elements of prog and jazz and avant-garde composition and art-rock, but inhabits none of them and all of them at once. - Rock-A-Rolla Magazine

Kayo Dot has become a protean entity that draws equally upon goth rock, free jazz, prog, contemporary classical music and much, much more. - Time Out New York

Scenes of rapture, agony, and consecration are arrayed as windows in this latest EP by the avant-rock maestros. With a large ensemble of glimmering malleted percussion, shrieking distorted organs, crystalline guitars, and sighing horns, violins, and vocals, Stained Glass' translucent passages of unearthly beauty set a new standard in soothing terror. Stained Glass features the return of original Kayo Dot lyricist Jason Byron, as well as a guest appearance by electric guitar genius Trey Spruance (Secret Chiefs 3, Mr. Bungle).

* The Stained Glass EP will be see a limited US release date of November 26th as part of Record Store Day's Black Friday, and will see an official worldwide release date of January 11th, 2011 on Hydra Head Records.



Stained Glass Track List:
1. Stained Glass

Kayo Dot Live
11/06 Boston, MA @ The Middle East Upstairs
11/07 Purchase, NY @ SUNY Purchase Student
11/08 Montreal, QC @ Les Katacombes
11/09 Ottawa, ON @ Cake Dekcuf
11/10 Toronto, ON @ Sneaky Dee's
11/11 Middletown, CT @ Eclectic House (Wesleyan University)
11/12 Baltimore, MD @ Orion Studios w/ Newspeak
11/13 Bethlehem, PA @ Secret Art Space w/ Newspeak
11/14 Brooklyn, NY @ Littlefield w/ Newspeak



For more information, visit:
www.kayodot.net
www.hydrahead.com

Around The Web This Week w/ Jesu, Clutch, Masters of Reality and More!

As we do every week, we've highlighted some of the amazing press attention coming through the doors - this week sees a nice bit of attention around the new albums from Jesu, Masters of Reality, Torche, Clutch and more!



* Jesu's new album "Heart Ache & Dethroned" was reviewed by Spin Magazine and had a nice spotlight on MagnetMagazine.com, and just today Consequence of Sound posted a great spotlight on Justin K. Broadrick in their Icons of Rock column

* Masters of Reality's Chris Goss was interviewed by The Obelisk and PlugInMusic.com

* Junius was interviewed by Austinist.com to coincide w/ their appearance at Fun Fun Fun Fest

* Clutch's Neil Fallon sat down w/ GunShyAssassin

* Torche's new video for "U.F.O." was named video of the day from AOL's Spinner.com

Clutch Announce New Year's Show at Asheville, NC's The Orange Peel * Appear on Fox News Edge and Ready "Blast Tyrant" Reissue out January 2011!

Maryland hard rock band Clutch is coming up on their 20th year, maintaining a consistent following with constant touring, unique wit, and fearless tendency to mix metal with genres like blues and funk. - Billboard

With over a dozen recordings, Clutch has routinely pushed itself creatively for each album. The progress has been subtle enough that the band has never been accused of abandoning its core musical ideals, yet noticeable enough to create an expectation for new sets of ideas with each new release. - Relix

Neil Fallon, Tim Sult, Dan Maines, and Jean-Paul Gaster will say goodbye to 2010 the same way they began it 365 days prior, kickin' out the jams on the big stage. Asheville, North Carolina's "The Orange Peel" will be the site of veteran rock band Clutch's traditional American New Year's Eve performance. In recent years the four piece Maryland hard rock act has LOUDLY rang in the New Year with epic performances in such great American cities as Detroit, Washington DC, Baltimore, Atlantic City (Sayerville, NJ), Flint, and Grand Rapids, MI. Tickets are available exclusively to fanclub members beginning today, and will be open to the public this Friday. Next week, Clutch will announce a short December tour which will lead up to this special NYE date, as well as the support package which will accompany the band on the road.

2010 has seen Clutch release a plethora of well received international audio, video and digital product via their new label Weathermaker Music, including notable double disc re-issues of "From Beale Street to Oblivion" and "Robot Hive/Exodus." The expanded double disc edition of "Blast Tyrant" will be released in January 2011, with further details to be announced next week at www.Weathermakermusic.com. Weathermaker will also be issuing forth special vinyl editions of all three re-issues, to be ready for turntables in the Spring.

2010 has also seen Clutch experience an increased amount of exposure (due not only to the formation of Weathermaker Music and the band's massive touring schedule) but also due to higher billing on visible events
such as Austin City Limits (Austin, TX), The High Voltage Classic Rock Festival (London, UK) and The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (Nashville, Manchester, TN). In addition, television appearances such as Comcast Cable's "In Concert - On Demand" and most recently Fox News TV (see below) have given music fans the long awaited visual to match the bands classic sound.

In other Weathermaker Music news, Thanksgiving day (November 25th) will be the live stream debut of the one of a kind (4) hour podcast counting down the Top 20 Clutch songs of all-time! These songs are 100% voted on by the fans during a special Weathermakermusic.com fan-poll which began on October 1st and will close on November 9th. There are currently over 4000 votes to date! If you have not done so already, get your Pure Rock Fury out at www.Weathermakermusic.com!



Watch Clutch's recent appearance on Fox News Edge here!

Clutch Live!

w/ Black Label Society, Children of Bodom, and 2 Cents
11/2 Austin, TX @ Stubbs Waller Creek Amphitheater
11/3 Tulsa, OK @ Brady Center
11/4 Sauget, IL @ Pop’s *
11/5 Grand Rapids, MI @ DeltaPlex
11/6 Chicago, IL @ Congress Theatre
11/7 Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
11/9 Rochester, NY @ Main Street Armory
11/10 Columbus, OH @ The LC Pavilion
11/11 Jonesboro, AR @ Brickhouse Grill *
11/12 Wichita, KS @ Cotilion
11/13 Kansas City, KS @ Uptown Theater
11/14 Denver, CO @ The Fillmore Auditorium
11/15 Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theater *
11/16 Magna, UT @ The Great Salt Air
11/18 Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theatre
11/19 Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
11/20 San Francisco, CA @ Warfield

New Year's Eve Performance
12/31 Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel w/ The Bakerton Group *

* = Clutch headlining performance



For more information, visit:
www.pro-rock.com
www.myspace.com/clutchband
www.weathermakermusic.com