SOLID PR

La Dispute Announces New Album "Wildlife" * Premieres New Music at NPR

2011-08-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

La Dispute: Half-Spoken Explosions

La Dispute has all the hooks of a pop-punk band raised on At the Drive-In, as well as a surprising sense of restrained propulsion for a hardcore band. But La Dispute's most distinctive weapon is vocalist Jordan Dreyer, who alternates an almost conversational, raspy scream with spoken word.

(((Stream new song "Harder Harmonies" and read an interview w/ frontman Jordan Dreyer here!)))

400 Blows Release and Stream New Album "Sickness and Health"

2011-08-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

EXCLUSIVE FULL ALBUM STREAM: 400 BLOWS’ SICKNESS AND HEALTH

Replete with a name straight of a cinephile’s spank bank, noise rockers 400 Blows have returned after six years of relative silence with Sickness And Health, and let me tell you, ladies (ha!) and gents, it’s a beaut! If you don’t recall them from earlier albums like Black Rainbow or tours with bands including At The Drive In and The Locust, here’s your chance to catch up with our exclusive stream of the new record!

(((Read more and stream "Sickness and Health" here!)))

The Icarus Line Premieres New Song "We Want More" feat. Ariel Pink

2011-08-17T05:45:00.000-07:00

Song: Icarus Line feat. Ariel Pink, “We Want More”

The Icarus Line’s Joe Cardamone has an itch for those forgotten days when you could turn on the radio and hear a classic tune that made you just want to break a few laws. In the band’s 13-plus years, they’ve morphed from a post-punk punch in the face into a swelling, poetic, often tender and eyebrow-raising refraction of Cardamone’s retrospection. But there’s nothing like some big guitars to get the juices (creative or other) flowing.

(((Read more and listen to new song "We Want More" here!)))

The Sainthood Reps Release and Stream Debut Album "Monoculture"

2011-08-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

Stream of the month: Sainthood Reps, Monoculture

...the prettiness is periodically scraped away and chucked in the incinerator by Sherman and crew’s angular, post-hardcore noise-mongering. In fact, Sainthood Reps remind me at times of Frodus, and that’s a great thing.

(((Stream Sainthood Reps' debut album "Monoculture" here!)))

Nazca Lines Premiere New Song "Spike Them All" feat. Cody Votolato of Blood Brothers / Jaguar Love

2011-08-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

Nazca Lines post new song featuring Cody Votolato from the Blood Brothers

Seattle's Nazca Lines have released a new track called "Spike Them All" from their debut album Hyperventilation, out August 23rd on Stressed Sumo Records. The track features the Blood Brothers guitarist Cody Votolato and can be heard below.

(((Read more and listen to new song "Spike Them All" here!)))

Big Business Appears on Fox News Red Eye!

2011-08-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

Bomb The Music Industry! Release New Album "Vacation" and Kick Off US Tour

2011-08-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

Download Bomb The Music Industry's new album "Vacation" here!

Bomb The Music Industry! Live
8/2/2011 - Lansing, MI Mac's
8/3/2011 - Chicago, IL Beat Kitchen
8/4/2011 - La Crosse, WI Polka Place
8/5/2011 - Minneapolis, MN Dingus House
8/6/2011 - Lincoln, NE Mad Ave
8/7/2011 - Denver, CO M - Y Crawlspace
8/9/2011 - Sheridan, WY American Legion
8/10/2011 - Missoula, MT ZAAC
8/11/2011 - Longview, OR TBA
8/12/2011 - Seattle, WA Healthy times fun club
8/13/2011 - Portland, OR Backspace
8/15/2011 - San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill
8/16/2011 - Cupertino, CA Homestead Lanes
8/17/2011 - Santa Cruz, CA Catalyst Atrium
8/18/2011 - Pomona, CA Aladdin Jr.
8/19/2011 - Los Angeles, CA TBA
8/20/2011 - San Diego, CA Che Cafe
8/21/2011 - Phoenix, AZ Trunk Space
8/22/2011 - Flagstaff, AZ TBA
8/23/2011 - Albuquerque, NM TBA
8/24/2011 - Oklahoma City, OK The Conservatory
8/25/2011 - Lawrence, KS TBA
8/26/2011 - University City, MO Cicero's
8/27/2011 - Indianapolis, IN Vibes
8/28/2011 - Cincinnati, OH Baba Budan's
8/29/2011 - Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
8/30/2011 - Pittsburgh, PA 222 Ormsby
8/31/2011 - Baltimore, MD Charm City Art Space

"Vacation is the album that will attract new fans, win over detractors, and stimulate longtime fans. In other words, Vacation is Bomb The Music Industry!‘s best material to date." - The1stFive

"Vacation sees the band write songs that are tight, anthemia, and with a bit more gloss could easily be filling up an arena near you." - Sputnikmusic

"...easily their most standout and varied effort in the band’s career." - Punknews.org

"Vacation" Track List
1. Campaign For A Better Next Weekend
2. Vocal Coach
3. Everybody That You Love
4. Sponge Board Baby Waves
5. The Shit That You Hate
6. Hurricane Waves
7. Sick, Later
8. Why, Oh Why, Oh Why (Oh Oh Oh Oh)
9. Savers
10. Can't Complain
11. Everyone That Loves You
12. Sunny Place Shady People
13. Felt Just Like Vacation

Big Business Stream New "Quadruple Single" EP

2011-07-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

New Big Business EP - "Quadruple Single" (stream it here)

Big Business welcomes their Quadruple Single EP via their own Gold Metal Records. The offering is the band's first with Scott Martin (Crom / 400 Blows) and is streaming in full below! Meanwhile, the Big Biz/Torche/Helms Alee triple threat is ongoing. Full tour schedule is below.

TORCHE, BIG BUSINESS - 2011 TOUR DATES
07/27/11 Indianapolis, IN The Hoosier Dome*
07/28/11 Chicago, IL The Bottom Lounge*
07/29/11 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock*
07/30/11 Omaha, NE The Waiting Room-Street Stag*
07/31/11 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater*
08/02/11 Salt Lake City, UT Club Vegas*
08/03/11 Boise, ID Neurolux*
08/04/11 Seattle, WA Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room*
08/05/11 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
08/06/11 San Francisco Slim's**
08/07/11 Los Angeles The Troubadour**
08/08/11 San Diego, CA Casbah**
08/09/11 Scottsdale, AZ Martini Ranch**
08/10/11 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad**
08/12/11 Dallas, TX Club Dada**
08/13/11 San Antonio, TX Korova**
08/14/11 Austin, TX Red 7**
*w/ Helms Alee
**w/ Thrones

(((Read more and stream "Quadruple Single" here!)))

Årabrot Announces New Album "Solar Anus" Out September 13th on Fysisk Format

2011-07-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

Haunting The Chapel:
Årabrot – “Madonna Was A Whore” (Stereogum Premiere)

Norwegian noise-rock instigators Årabrot’s Bataille-referencing fifth album Solar Anus follows last year’s Bible and porn-influenced Revenge. Vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Kjetil Nernes expounds upon the collection’s concept:

"Gold indicates the sun as we hail Bataille’s take on the subject of abjection. Solar Anus betokened the Golden Calf — juxtaposed between utmost evil and greater sanctity. Such as the eternal radiance of heaven or the egregious iniquities of the abyss. Or the alchemist of The Holy Mountain converting faeces into gold."

(((Read more and download new song "Madonna Was A Whore" here!)))

Prurient Releases "Bermuda Drain" on Hydra Head * Announces West Coast Dates w/ Cold Cave

2011-07-19T18:11:00.000-07:00

Exclusive full-album stream: Prurient, Bermuda Drain

As you might have gathered from our review today, we love Prurient’s new Hydra Head Records full-length, Bermuda Drain. The brainchild of veteran noise manipulator Dominick Fernow, it’s a harrowing, faint-hearts-be-damned masterpiece that’s sure to be in contention for our year-end list.

Prurient Live
7/25 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall *
7/26 San Diego, CA @ Casbah *
7/27 Los Angeles, CA @ Los Angeles Ukrainian Center *^
9/8 Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Fest %

* = w/ Cold Cave and Austra
*^ = w/ Cold Cave, Austra and Soft Moon
% = w/ Cold Cave, Oxbow, and more

(((Stream "Bermuda Drain" here!)))

The Icarus Line Performs Live on Fuel TV's "The Daily Habit"

2011-07-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

WATCH: The Icarus Line "All The Little Things" Live on The Daily Habit

The Icarus Line - All the Little Things - The funniest bloopers are right here

400 Blows Announce Dates w/ Butthole Surfers! New Album "Sickness and Health" Out August 23rd

2011-07-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

Butthole Surfers w/ 400 Blows: US Tour

Following the news of their new album Sickness and Health out August 23 on ORG Music, LA noise-punk heroes 400 Blows have announced plans to set out on a series of US tour dates supporting the legendary Butthole Surfers. The shows will kick off in late August around the bands' upcoming appearance at Sunset Junction in Los Angeles, and bring them along the West Coast and into the Rocky Mountain portions of the US.

400 Blows Live w/ The Butthole Surfers!
Aug. 26 - San Diego, CA - 4th & B
Aug. 27 - Los Angeles, CA - Sunset Junction
Aug. 28 - Las Vegas, NV - The Pearl @ Palms Casino
Aug. 30 - San Francisco, CA - Regency Ballroom
Aug. 31 - Reno, NV - Knitting Factory
Sep. 2 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theatre
Sep. 3 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
Sep. 6 - Missoula, MT - Wilma Theatre
Sep. 7 - Boise, ID - Egyptian Theatre
Sep. 11 - Austin, TX - Emo's East

www.400Blows.net

Sainthood Reps Announce Dates w/ Brand New * Premiere New Music off Upcoming Album "Monoculture"

2011-07-15T17:29:00.000-07:00

DOWNLOAD: Sainthood Reps - Monoculture

Boy grows up in a suburb listening to local punk bands and picks up his own instrument. Boy makes demos and brings these to his usual partner in crime. The two realize they're onto something and find two more. So goes the story of Long Island's Sainthood Reps... "Monoculture," the title track from the group's upcoming LP, features a pointed distortion that ends up the driving force of its songs. Grab the record August 9 on Tooth & Nail.

Sainthood Reps Live

w/ Brand New
September 7th @ The Showbox Seattle, WA
September 9th @ Senator Theatre Chico, CA
September 10th @ The Regency Ballroom San Francisco, CA

(((Read more and download the title track to "Monoculture" here!)))

Aficionado Announce Dates w/ Tim Kasher of Cursive, Premiere New Music @ FilterMagazine.com

2011-07-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

MP3: Aficionado Fakes Their ‘Inspiration’ On New Track (FILTER Exclusive)

Nestled neatly in between the punk, hardcore, thrash, Troy-core, and pop-punk genres that make up the Albany, NY music scene, you will find Aficionado. Part indie, part rock, and a little bit of experimentation, Aficionado are set to release their new full-length on the world and we have a new track to premiere for you.

Tour Dates:

July
22 RECORD RELEASE SHOW @ Valentine's Albany, NY
23 RECORD RELEASE SHOW @ The Pine Box Rock Shop Brooklyn, NY

August
19 Pontiac, MI The Croofoot &
20 Columbus , OH Double Happiness &
21 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop &
22 Rochester, NY Bug Jar &
23 Boston, MA Great Scott &
24 New York, NY Mercury Lounge &
25 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's &
26 Washington, DC Red Palace &
27 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 &
28 TBD
29 Atlanta, GA The Earl &
30 St Augustine, FL Café Eleven &
31 Orlando, FL The Social &

September
01 Tallahassee, FL Club Down Under &
02 Birmingham, AL Bottletree &
03 Memphis, TN Hi Tone &
04 Little Rock, AR TBD &
06 Austin, TX Mohawk &
07 Dallas, TX The Loft &
08 Oklahoma City, OK The Conservatory &
09 Lawrence, KS Jackpot &
10 Omaha, NE Waiting Room &

& w/ Tim Kasher

(((Read more and download new song "Falsified Inspiration" here!)))

Helms Alee Kickoff US Tour w/ Torche and Big Business * Release New Album "Weatherhead"

2011-07-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

Helms Alee "Weatherhead" (Hydra Head Records)

This Seattle-based trio fronted by Ben Verellen, formerly of sludgy rumblers Harkonen, can get heavy when they feel like it, but just as often, if not more so, they drift into more psychedelic, shoegazey spaces. Verellen is supported by bassist Dana James and drummer Hozoji Matheson-Margullis, each of whom also sing. In fact, the two women sing more than he does, and not just because he mostly barks and roars. James’ voice has a cool detachment that recalls Kim Gordon’s vocals on Sonic Youth’s “Shadow Of A Doubt,” and the women’s sometimes woozy, sometimes edgy harmonies are crucial to the band’s expansive, dreamy sound. When James and Verellen harmonize, on the other hand, it can be like the second coming of John Doe and Exene Cervenka of X. Ultimately, Weatherhead (the second Helms Alee full-length, following 2008’s Night Terror) sits comfortably somewhere in the neighborhood of Kylesa, Totimoshi, recent Melvins and even (maybe most of all) Baroness. There are riffs and vocal melodies on this album that could have been cribbed straight from Blue Record. This is one of the best heavy alternative rock albums of the year, combining ’90s throb with ’70s stoner riffs and thick coatings of fuzz, swirling it all into something that’s recognizably of a specific subgenre (see the work of all the bands cited above) and yet unique and heartfelt. Highly recommended.

Helms Alee Live

w/ Torche and Big Business
7/07 Houston, TX @ Walter’s on Washington
7/08 Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
7/09 Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree Cafe
7/11 Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
7/12 Miami, FL @ Churchill's
7/13 Orlando, FL @ The Social
7/14 Atlanta, GA @ EARL
7/15 Greensboro, NC @ Greene Street Club
7/16 Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel
7/17 Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar
7/19 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
7/20 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
7/21 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Downstairs
7/22 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
7/23 Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop
7/24 Newport, KY @ The Historic Southgate House
7/25 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Pyramid Scheme
7/26 Detriot, MI @ Magic Stick
7/27 Indianapolis, IN @ The Hoosier Dome
7/28 Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
7/29 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
7/30 Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
7/31 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
8/02 Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Vegas
8/03 Boise, ID @ Neurolux
8/04 Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s

Stream "Weatherhead" here!

Greg Attonito of The Bouncing Souls Releases Solo Debut "Natural Disaster" on Chunksaah Records

2011-07-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

"After more than two decades as the lead singer of Jersey punk kings the Bouncing Souls, Greg Attonito will move into uncharted territory this summer when he releases his first solo album, 'Natural Disaster,' Tuesday."

(((Read Attonito's interview w/ Jersey Shore Metromix and The Asbury Park Press here!)))

Goes Cube Premiere Video For New Song "Thunderheads" @ AOL's Noisecreep.com

2011-07-06T17:11:00.000-07:00

Goes Cube Bring Metal Flavor to 'Thunderheads' -- Video Premiere

Genre tags have no place in the world of Goes Cube. The Brooklyn-based power trio's riff-heavy, brash and unforgiving, material appeals to everyone from forward-thinking metalheads to snobby hipsters, but good luck trying to find a category to file them under. Stereogum came closest when they cited the band's "sledgehammer assault."

Controlled Bleeding Announce East Coast Dates in Support of New Album "Odes To Bubbler"

2011-07-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

Controlled Bleeding releasing 'Odes to Bubbler' (song premiere), playing shows (dates)

Controlled Bleeding have stayed away from the studio for the past five years, but have returned with Odes to Bubbler, the band's new LP out NOW on Winged Disk/Soleilmoon Recordings. Check out the song "Controlled Bleeding", streaming below. It makes its premiere here.

Controlled Bleeding Live!
Saturday, July 23rd Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
Saturday, August 13th Brooklyn, NY @ The Acheron
Saturday, August 20th Brooklyn, NY @ Silent Barn
Saturday, August 27th Boston, MA @ The Great Scott

(((Read more and download "Controlled Bleeding" here!)))

O'Death Announce September US Tour Dates + Premiere Video for New Song "Bugs"

2011-07-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

"This raw and ragged New York band draws from the starkness and spiritual purity of Appalachian folk, the menace of punk and the rowdy theatricality of Tom Waits, jumbling sacred and profane." - Ben Sisario, The New York Times

In late July of 2010, New York quintet O'Death - Singer/guitarist Greg Jamie, Gabe Darling on banjo and ukelele, drummer David Rogers-Berry, bassist Jesse Newman, and violinist Robert Pycior - returned to the stage after a year-long hiatus to play a critically-acclaimed set at the Newport Folk Festival. In many ways it was the perfect start to a new era in the band's existence, and a logical precursor to their upcoming third LP, Outside. After endless touring on the rollicking one-two punch of their debut Head Home (Ernest Jenning) and sophomore barnburner Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin (Kemado), the band was sidelined in the midst of their 2009 tour when Rogers-Berry was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma. Ten months of chemotherapy and a shoulder replacement later, the group returned to the studio with a new outlook on life, and began work on their most fully conceived project to date - an affirmation of sorts.

In the past, O'Death has been most visible via their chaotic live shows, but the band was determined to add more depth to their catalog. "I think we were interested in making something more personal, and trying to write songs that are melodically engaging and not just the crazed ravings of mad men," says Rogers-Berry of the process behind Outside. Jamie continues, "None of these songs were played live before recording, which is a first for us. I think that's important to why the album sounds the way it does. We gave ourselves the chance to explore sound in a way that is not concerned with a high-energy live show." The result is a record that lives up to its name with spacious and cinematic arrangements, layers of subtle percussion, and at times an impenetrable wall of found sound.

O'Death recorded the album over a two-month period, easily the longest they've ever spent on a production. Producer/Engineer Billy Pavone, who was also behind the board for Head Home, came along for the ride. The extended recording time allowed the band to write in studio, as well as cultivate the organic noise for the record in an intimate setting. As Pavone observed, "Creating the album in the recording, and not in the mix, was a leap of faith for me. It was challenging to let go and allow the album to breathe a bit, and be its own creation– unique and very different from some of the sounds we hear so often in the world of digital manipulation.

The result is a record that is both the most subtle and massive accomplishment of the band's career, a darkly triumphant and free-flowing album that represents exactly where the songwriters have found themselves in this moment. As Pycior notes, "I love the dynamic disparity in the album: the fragile parts of 'Bugs,' 'Ourselves,' and 'Don't Come Back...,' the huge endings in 'Alamar,' 'Look at the Sun,' and 'Pushing Out.' and the demented final tone of 'The Lake Departed.'"

Watch the video for "Bugs" here!

O'Death Live
8/31 Red Palace Washington, DC
9/1 The Pinhook Durham, NC
9/2 The EARL Atlanta, GA
9/3 Muddy Roots Music Festival Nashville, TN
9/4 Hi Tone Memphis, TN
9/6 The Bottletree Cafe Birmingham, AL
9/7 One Eyed Jack's New Orleans, LA
9/8 TBA Baton Rouge, LA
9/9 Warehouse Live Houston, TX
9/10 Mohawk Outside Austin, TX
9/11 Rubber Gloves Denton, TX
9/13 Off Broadway St. Louis, MO
9/14 Empty Bottle Chicago, IL
9/15 Musica Akron, OH
9/16 The Crooked I Erie, PA
9/17 The Bug Jar - Rochester Indie Music Fest Rochester, NY
9/18 Space Gallery Portland, ME
10/8 The Bell House Brooklyn, NY

"Outside" Track List:
01. Bugs
02. Ghost Head
03. Alamar
04. Black Dress
05. Ourselves
06. Look At The Sun
07. Howling Through
08. Don't Come Back
09. Pushing Out
10. Back Of The Garden
11. The Lake Departed

For more information, visit:
www.odeath.net
www.ernestjenning.com

The Village Voice Interviews Charlie Looker of Extra Life / Sculptress / Last Things Records

2011-06-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

Yes In My Backyard
Download: Tracks By Charlie Looker's Extra Life And Sculptress

Charlie Looker has spent 10 years in New York art-rock anomalies -- Lavender, Zs, Period, Extra Life, Sculptress, even (briefly) Dirty Projectors. The common thread is always the place where the vulnerable sentiment of indie rock collides with the jagged rhythms of contemporary composition; Looker's unique cluttercore works like Antony channeling Anthony Braxton. His latest EP with Extra Life maintains the disjunctive bluster of bands like Kayo Dot or Xiu Xiu. Looker is increasingly hunching towards a sexually charged, darkly hued and perpetually windswept new romantic woosh—think Morrissey or Ian McCulloch had they grokked on 12-tone composition. Extra Life's recent Ripped Heart EP (out now) takes him down colder, synthier hallways; the six-minute title track is a heartbroken piece of progpunk that's somehow equal parts 4AD and Louis Andriessen.

(((Read more and download new tracks from Extra Life and Sculptress here!)))

Greg Attonito (Bouncing Souls) Announces Debut Solo Album Out July 12th on Chunksaah Records

2011-06-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

What a life - from sweat-soaked basements to sun-drenched outdoor festivals; making music with his band The Bouncing Souls, his wife Shanti, his contemporaries; making art, making food and making the most of every second. It’s the life of Greg Attonito - world famous rock frontman, children’s author, athlete and life enthusiast;. a creative wellspring who has learned over time to become timeless, invoking the same spirits as history’s great minstrels, jesters and Renaissance men.

With all the layers of Attonito’s creative resume to consider, it’s sort of perfect that his new solo record, "Natural Disaster," is an exercise in simplicity. These songs capture an intangible combination of spirits old and new - they're wistful, intimate, plaintive.. A waking dream of the most genuine kind, because Greg is a dreamer of the highest order.

"I'm happy I've been able to capture the vulnerable, sweet and loving parts of myself in these songs," says Attonito. "Its been liberating to let those parts of myself go."

So tell your ears to pack a bag, because they are going on a trip. And getting there is all the fun. - Ronen Kaufman

* Pre-order "Natural Disaster" at Chunksaah.com!

"Natural Disaster" Track List:
1. How Many Songs
2. Volcano
3. Cincinnati Dream
4. Sexiest Girl
5. Eyes
6. Teardrops

Greg Attonito Live!
GREGORY ATTONITO "Natural Disaster" Record Release Party. Tuesday, July 12th at 7:30pm at Watermark
(Boardwalk at First St., Asbury Park,NJ). All Ages Show. Five dollars to get in.
Buy a record at the door and get in for free!

The Bouncing Souls Live

07.06.11 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
07.07.11 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
07.08.11 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
07.09.11 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
07.13.11 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
07.14.11 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
07.15.11 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
07.16.11 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
29.07.11 - ESP, Viveiro - Resurrection Fest
30.07.11 - D, Bausendorf - Riez Open Air
01.08.11 - UK, London - O2 Academy Islington
02.08.11 - UK, London - O2 Academy Islington
03.08.11 - UK, London - O2 Academy Islington
04.08.11 - UK, London - O2 Academy Islington
05.08.11 - UK, Blackpool - Rebellion Festival
06.08.11 - UK, Kent - Heavy Fest
08.08.11 - D, Stuttgart - Universum
09.08.11 - A, Vienna - Arena Club
10.08.11 - A, Vienna - Arena Club
11.08.11 - A, Vienna - Arena Club
12.08.11 - A, Vienna - Arena Club
13.08.11 - SLO, Tolmin - Punk Rock Holiday 1.1
14.08.11 - CRO, Zadar - Trg Pet Bunara
16.08.11 - HU, Budapest - Durer Kert
17.08.11 - PL, Katowice - Klub Studencki Arkada
19.08.11 - BE, Hasselt Kiewit - Pukkelpop Festival
20.08.11 - D, Borkenberge - Area 4 Festival
21.08.11 - D, Grossposna - Highfield Festival
22.08.11 - SWE, Malmo - Malmoestivalen
11.02.11 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
11.03.11 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
11.04.11 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
11.05.11 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
11.09.11 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
11.10.11 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
11.11.11 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
11.12.11 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour

For more information, visit:
www.chunksaah.com
www.bouncingsouls.com

The Icarus Line Announce New Album, "Wildlife," Out August 30th on Cobraside / Roar Scratch Records!

2011-06-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

Exclusive Premiere: Listen to The Icarus Line's New Song, "King Baby"

Los Angeles punks the Icarus Line have just announced that their new album, Wildlife, will be released Aug. 30 through Cobraside Distribution / Roar Scratch Records.

Today, we're pleased to bring you the exclusive first-listen of "King Baby" from that album. And if that's not enough for you, as an added bonus we're also throwing in "We Sick" from last year's "We Sick/Holy Man" single. Listen to both those cuts below.

(((Read more and stream new song "King Baby" here!)))

Santah Streams Debut Album "White Noise Bed" at PasteMagazine.com

2011-06-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

Album Stream: Santah - White Noise Bed

PasteMagazine.com has premiered an exclusive stream of the debut album from Chicago's psychedelic Americana band Santah, entitled "White Noise Bed." Click the band's photo above to hear their new album in its entirety.

Bomb The Music Industry! Announces New Album "Vacation" Out July 26th on Ernest Jenning / Really Records

2011-06-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

Bomb the Music Industry! announces new album, Vacation

If you’re not up in your DIY punk collectives, Bomb the Music Industry! is a Long Island-based band led by Jeff Rosenstock (who, along with other members, was formerly apart of The Arrogant Sons of Bitches). Formed in 2004, the group has released a dozen or so albums, EPs, and splits since 2005′s Album Minus Band. Now, the outfit is readying their newest album, Vacation, which is set to hit stores July 26th.

(((Read more and listen to new track "Vocal Coach" here!)))

400 Blows Announce New Album "Sickness and Health" Out August 23rd on ORG Music

2011-06-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

Exclusive: 400 Blows- “We Killed Like Champions”

Noise punk. That’s a term I don’t get to swing around often enough. And 400 Blows are fucking noise punk. It’s been six arduous years since the release of Angel’s Trumpets and Devil’s Trombones but the half-crazed virtuosos are back with Sickness and Health.

The band can clearly still flagellate their instruments as Scott Martin (Crom/Big Business) winds caterwauling riffs and feedback around the bloodthirsty Whack-A-Mole rhythms of Kevin Fitzgerald (Circle Jerks). And Skot Alexander is still that incredible, sunglassed frontman, less a singer and more a drunken savior telling his disciples that we’re all doomed.

(((Read more and listen to new song "Sickness and Health" here!)))

Invisible Oranges Talks To Visual Artist Nader Sadek * New Album "In The Flesh" Out Now on Season of Mist

2011-06-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

Interview: Nader Sadek

In the Flesh is incredibly ambitious, but according to Sadek in the following interview, the album is just the beginning.

(((Read more here!)))

Helms Alee Announce New Album "Weatherhead" Out June 21st on Hydra Head Records!

2011-06-06T13:45:00.000-07:00

"Whether they are unleashing torrents of churning riffs, hypnotic waves of distortion or gruff or lilting calls into vast spaces, Helms Alee do so in limpid, atmospheric and unique fashion. No doubt, the crisp and cavernous production from Matt Bayles serves them well as tremolo-picked guitars gush like waterfalls, drums rattle timbers and the Pixies-esque male-female vocals sound like they’ve traversed continents." - PopMatters

"Helms Alee featuring Ben Verellen of ex-(current?) Harkonen seemed to be the clear winner of the "OMG-I-didn't-know-they-ruled-so-hard" award." - BrooklynVegan

"...part metal, part post-punk, part melody-driven rock, and all abandon... Think of Neurosis joining up with The Breeders for a quick outing into the wilderness." - Alarm Press

"The overall hype and general praise of Night Terror has sparked the curiosity of many fans who’ve wondered when a follow up might see the light of day." - The Synthesis

"Helms Alee are known for one thing: stoned freak-outs of the heavy, slow variety." - The Stranger

"...a noisy, nasty yang to Seattle's beardy, folky yin. Pastoral metal is a necessary thing." - Seattle Times

Helms Alee’s sophomore album, Weatherhead, could turn any cultural critic into a histori-cal revisionist. Let’s pull the buckshot back through the maw of a 20th century icon. Let’s reassemble the bloody mess and set a disenfranchised young man on a different trajec-tory, one devoid of celebrity and tragedy. Let’s re-envision the last twenty years. The other crucial variables can remain in place - hair metal still choked on its own excess, the beguiling mixed-gender vocal harmonies and alternating jangle and clang of The Pixies still seduced college radio, the antagonistic sludge of The Melvins continued to rumble across the globe, and the orchestrated discord of Sonic Youth still proved noise could hold artistic merit. But punk never broke, never became a cliche. Do you buy into Tolstoy’s belief that the individual is a mere pawn in history’s master plan? Would the lineage of rock music have found another reluctant voice of a generation?

Much as Tolstoy suspected that a stillborn Napoleon would not have prevented another
hegemonic ruler from sweeping across Europe, the tastes and tides of public demand
would’ve most likely elevated another unglamorous tortured artist into the limelight. But it’s still tempting to think of a parallel universe where the idiosyncratic marriage of wounded pop music and wrathful dissonant rock never found a footing in the mainstream world. It’s a dream not born out of a disdain for the pairing of the opposing musical tactics of brawn and sophistication, but the disappointment that the balancing act is so commonly butchered by popular artists. These men, lacking vision, have turned it into a cheap formula. In the alternate reality, a band like Helms Alee reigns above all. Here, no one seeks to tame guitar squall to fit in a radio format or, inversely, needlessly dirty up a good hook to provide an air of authenticity. Here, Helms Alee’s balance is the archetype - masterful and enthralling.

Given the history of the last two decades and the deepening sense that melody and
muscle compromise one another, Weatherhead becomes heroic. It’s not just gallant in intent, but in sound. Granted, heroism is subjective; listeners are bound to have their own preferred reverberations to conjure an inspired rallying cry. But Helms Alee’s gamut of timbres--from the most guttural blown-out roar to the most graceful lilting melody-summon a sense of triumph, empowerment, and conquest. The relentless chugging fuzz and vocal harmonies of “Elbow Grease”, the concrete thrust of the central riff of “8/16”, the thunderstruck arpeggio of “Pretty As Pie”, the siren song of “Pig Pile”, the unbridled scuzz of “Ripper No Lube”, and the alternating agit-punk and anthemic approach of the title track all reinforces Helms Alee’s position as masters of diametrically opposed tactics. They are the true heroes and heroines of the loud-quiet-loud.

Weatherhead was recorded by Matt Bayles at Studio Litho and Red Room Studios in the Winter of 2010-2011. It’s set for release via Hydra Head Records on June 21st, 2011. Helms Alee are currently scheduled to hit the road with label mates Torche and Big Business in June 2011. Bear witnesses to the path that never saw fame and fortune taint the beguiling rumble and bow to the throne of Helms Alee. -- Brian Cook

"Weatherhead" Track List
1. *
2. Elbow Grease
3. 8/16
4. Music Box
5. Pretty as Pie
6. Anemone of the Wound
7. Mad Mouth
8. Epic Adventure Through the Wood
9. Speed Sk8r
10. Pig Pile
11. Revel!
12. Ripper No Lube
13. Born in Fiberglass
14. Weatherhead

Helms Alee Live
6/07 Seattle, WA @ Comet Tavern w/ Young Widows
6/29 Seattle, WA @ Neumos w/ Akimbo, Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, Norska
7/6 Austin, TX @ Red 7 w/ Migas

w/ Torche and Big Business
7/07 Houston, TX @ Walter’s on Washington
7/08 Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
7/09 Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree Cafe
7/11 Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
7/12 Miami, FL @ Churchill's
7/13 Orlando, FL @ The Social
7/14 Atlanta, GA @ EARL
7/15 Greensboro, NC @ Greene Street Club
7/16 Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel
7/17 Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar
7/19 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
7/20 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
7/21 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Downstairs
7/22 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
7/23 Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop
7/24 Newport, KY @ The Historic Southgate House
7/25 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Pyramid Scheme
7/26 Detriot, MI @ Magic Stick
7/27 Indianapolis, IN @ The Hoosier Dome
7/28 Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
7/29 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
7/30 Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
7/31 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
8/02 Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Vegas
8/03 Boise, ID @ Neurolux
8/04 Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s

For more information, visit:
Helms Alee on Facebook
www.myspace.com/helmsaleemusic
www.hydrahead.com

The Boston Globe Talks to Eksi Ekso * New Album "Brown Shark, Red Lion" Out Now on The Mylene Sheath

2011-06-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

Prog lite
Eksi Ekso scales down the band and ramps up the rock

How many bands can cut their number in half — and then manage to sound twice as sonically expansive, richly layered, and epically ambitious? Boston’s Eksi Ekso is that rare example of a unit that seems to have grown bigger by reducing in size...

(((Read more here!)))

Big Business Announces New "Quadruple Single" EP Out July 26th * Adds Second Guitarist Scott Martin (400 Blows / Crom)!

2011-05-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Big Business – “Always Never Know When To Quit” (Stereogum Premiere)

Cheeky Melvins/Karp/Murder City Devils/White Shit/etc-associated sludge-rock heroes Big Business are celebrating the late 2010 addition of fourth member, guitarist Scott Martin of Crom/400 Blows, and upcoming tour with aesthetic allies Torche by following 2009′s Mind The Drift with the Quadruple Single 12″ EP on their very own, recently launched new label Gold Metal. As the EP’s title suggests, it’s four songs, each strong enough to be its own single. Get a taste via mighty opener “Always Never Know When To Quit.”

(((Read more and listen to "Always Never Know When To Quit" here!)))

The Village Voice Interviews Conceptual Artist and Metal Composer Nader Sadek

2011-05-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

Q&A: Nader Sadek On Wearing Deicide T-Shirts In Cairo And Humanity's Oil-Fueled Pursuit Of Its Own Destruction

Egypt-born visual artist Nader Sadek has been bringing the worlds of avant-garde art and extreme metal together for several years. His 2007 installation Faceless arose out of his experiences living as a metalhead in Cairo, and combined oddly Edward Gorey-ish drawings of a niqab-clad woman standing in landscapes not unlike the ones you might see on metal album covers or fantasy novels. The soundtrack to the piece had members of Morbid Angel, Emperor, Obituary and Testament performing an experimental piece that mixed death metal and Middle Eastern music alongside Middle Eastern musicians like Omar Faruk Tekbilek and Raquy Danziger. Sadek has also designed costumes and sets for the likes of Mayhem and Attila Csihar.

This week Sadek releases his first full-length album, In the Flesh (Season of Mist).

(((Read the full interview here!)))

Quintron and Miss Pussycat Premiere Video for "Face Down In The Gutter" at Impose.tv

2011-05-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Impose.tv »
Premiere: Quintron + Miss Pussycat, "Face Down in the Gutter"
(Video by Panacea Theriac)

Face Down in the Gutter from Panacea Theriac on Vimeo.

* Here's a brand spanking new Quintron video for the track "Face Down in the Gutter", which gives Miss Pussycat's puppets a whole creepy world of their own (a world that is apparently called Busters), with Quintron hanging out behind the bar in a tux and a handlebar mustache like it ain't no thing. Things get hairy as the puppet folk down more of the legal poison, but Q holds his own and Miss P. drops by for a cameo. The track comes off their new album Sucre Du Sauvage, which came out April 12 on Goner Records. Brooklynites rejoice: Quintron and Miss Pussycat will be playing 285 Kent on May 28. - Impose

Balance and Composure Release Debut Album "Separation" on No Sleep Records To Massive Fanfare!

2011-05-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

Balance and Composure have just released their debut full length album "Separation" on No Sleep Records and the response has been deafening. You can read just some of what critics are saying below:

"The quintet knock it out of the park on their debut full-length, Separation. With accomplished producer Brian McTernan at the helm, the group's brand of well-rounded post-hardcore has never sounded more engrossing." - Alternative Press Magazine 4/5

"...probably the best record released in 2011 so far. Separation doesn't just live up to the self-earned standards that Balance & Composure have given themselves by releasing good music in the past, it takes those standards, writes them all on a piece of paper, burns it to ashes and writes a book on how this genre should be done." - Absolutepunk

"Separation is an exhausting practice, riddled in catharsis and grinding tension. Balance and Composure always conveyed a certain level of tribal melancholy with their past material, but they've rarely employed it with this much thought and deliberation, nor as much originality. Brilliant." - Punknews

"‘Separation’ possesses tracks that are as mournful and introspective as Cobain’s funeral, others are as upbeat and energetic as Jimmy Eat World’s ‘Bleed American’" - Rock Sound

"Balance and Composure show surprising depth in their new album and the outcome of this is an extremely cleverly crafted album that makes us wonder just what exactly they are capable of doing in the future." - Sputnikmusic.com

"With Separation, Pennsylvania-based Balance and Composure have really made a statement. The talent that they hinted at in their previous two EP’s is fully expanded and fleshed out on this record. Their live show was already a sight to behold, a captivatingly intense and mesmerizing spectacle that can only be aided by adding some of these songs to the set.. Separation will undoubtedly end up on my Best of 2011 list come December, as it blew away my already high expectations." - Behind The Hype

"Separation isn’t just good, it’s surprisingly good. From first listen, you’ll be hooking into it’s calming, yet cathartic nature, and surely be bobbing your head and singing along after multiple listens. If you haven’t given this band a due chance, there is no better time than now." - Review Rinse Repeat

"...daring and breathtaking study in tone and atmosphere, it’s brilliantly realized and a stunning ensemble piece. Score: 9/10" - Under The Gun

"...one of the most notable releases so far this year. - 4.5/5" - Alter The Press

"The youth of 2011 want nothing to do with cherry-flavoured choruses about first kisses and instead, wrap distress and relatable emotions into a neat little package and hurl it straight towards your face. Separation does just this; it complexes, awes and entraps, letting fixed chords reverberate into an outbreak of grim vocals and drum abusing rhythms..." - Blare Magazine

"Balance and Composure is still miles ahead of most other bands operating in their genre. The reason? Authenticity." - Muzik Dizcovery

"Highly recommended!" - Elementary Revolt

Spin Magazine Reviews Debut Album from Nine 11 Thesaurus!

2011-05-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

Nine 11 Thesaurus
'Ground Zero Generals'
Not as spine-chilling as OFWGKTA, but less bloody!

Born of an after-school program in Bushwick, Brooklyn, this group of five MCs teamed up with ex–Gang Gang Dance drummer Tim DeWitt and Skeletons' Matt Mehlan to rhyme over some spare beats.

(((Read more here!)))

Alternative Press Magazine Spotlights No Sleep Records!

2011-05-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

pick up the new issue now!

Fuse TV Spotlights New Album from Title Tracks (feat. John Davis of Q and Not U)

2011-05-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

Fuse Free Music Downloads
Title Tracks "All Tricks"

In Blank contains 10 original songs from John, as well as a cover of the Flamin' Groovies song, "I Can't Hide." The mood on the new record is 32 minutes of nearly unflagging kinetic push from start to finish and is mixed in glorious mono. Starting with "Shaking Hands" ("a tongue-in-cheek glorification of a solipsistic apocalypse," John says) and ending with "Winners Cry" (about "tattered friendships and the pursuit of oblivion"), the record only slows down very slightly at the halfway mark for "Forget The Ghost," a spectral song cloaked in a wash of Doric organ, an insistent tandem of acoustic guitar and kick drum and a bass line that walks the song like the titular phantoms. "It's about feeling like you've maybe exorcised the worst parts of yourself," John explains, "as told through a few ghost stories I've been a part of and/or heard at points in my life."

(((Read more and download "All Tricks" here!)))

Nader Sadek Premieres New Song "Petrophilia" at MetalSucks.net

2011-05-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: NADER SADEK, “PETROPHILIA”

From the brain of Egyptian-born, New York-based conceptual artist Nader Sadek comes In the Flesh, a new album that centers on the notion of humanity’s relationship with petroleum and how this exhumation of ancient life forms serves as a self-destructive fuel to society’s greed (a subject that’s near and dear to my heart).

(((Read more and listen to "Petrophilia" here!)))

Nylon Spotlights New Album from Lil Daggers

2011-04-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

FREE MUSIC: LIL DAGGERS
Our friends from Miami have two tracks just for you.

When we arrived in Miami last year to research our annual America Issue, we expected to find swimsuit designers (check), surfers (check), and amazing rave nights (check).

But senior editor Natalie Shukur and art director Nicole Michalek also discovered a swarming punk scene, which featured homegrown, home-grimed bands like Lil Daggers.

(((Read more and stream two tracks from Lil Daggers' debut full-length here!)))

Capsule Talks To Fans Via Yowie.com!

2011-04-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

HOST: Capsule
Original Broadcast:Apr 25, 4 PM ET

Miami's own CAPSULE swing by the Yowie HQ to chat with fans as they scorch the country on tour in support of their upcoming album "No Ghost" coming April 12th through Rorschach Records.

(((check out the full interview here!)))

Santah Premieres Title Track to New Album "White Noise Bed" at Consequence of Sound

2011-04-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

Check Out: Santah – “White Noise Bed” (CoS Premiere)

While the title immediately brings to mind images of explosive noise, the song is a restrained and tightly constructed track of pure ’70s influence. With a hazy kind of twang, it should also garner comparisons to a more folksy version of Vampire Weekend or a younger, slightly more poppy Wilco and/or Whiskytown. However they got their sound, it’s definitely one worthy of lengthy exploration.

(((Read more and stream the song "White Noise Bed" here!)))

The Washington Post Reviews Title Tracks' "In Blank" Out Now on Ernest Jenning

2011-04-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

Critic's Pick:
Title Tracks "In Blank"

Where the first Title Tracks album was essentially a solo project, the new “In Blank” features a full band. Yet this set is more stylistically single-minded than its predecessor. Singer-songwriter-guitarist John Davis (late of Q and Not U) emphasizes headlong power-pop. Even the lone cover, a version of the Flamin’ Groovies “I Can’t Hide,” fits snugly into the album’s brisk, trebly mode.

The main change-of-pace number, “Forget the Ghost,” has a mid-tempo MerseyBeat feel that suggests Davis’s previous band, the ’60s-struck Georgie James. (So does “It’s Wrong,” but with more thump.) Placed at the middle of the album, the song is a nice breather. But the trio promptly increases velocity, with bassist Michael Cotterman (a Washington Post employee) and drummer Andrew Black galloping like ’70s popsters who sense that punk is gaining on them.

(((Read more here!)))

Baroness and Citizens Arrest Added to 2011 Chaos in Tejas Festival in Austin, TX!

2011-04-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Chaos in Tejas, the country's largest gathering of underground punk, hardcore, indie, grind, thrash, and heavy metal heroes old and new from around the world, has just announced the final additions to this year's 2011 event.

visit ChaosinTejas.com for full lineup and more information!

AOL Streaming New Quintron Album * Reviews from MTV, LA Times and More!

2011-04-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

Quintron's latest album "Sucre Du Sauvage" is out this week and already receiving accolades from the likes of AOL, MTV, The LA Times and more!

click below to check out more!

AOL's Spinner.com streaming "Sucre Du Suavage"
The LA Times reviews "Sucre Du Sauvage"
MTV Hive interviews Quintron
DustedMagazine.com reviews "Sucre Du Sauvage"

Impose Magazine Reviews Extra Life's "Ripped Heart" Record Release Show at Death By Audio

2011-04-11T05:53:00.001-07:00

Former Thieves Stream Debut Album "The Language That We Speak" at The AV Club!

2011-04-11T05:43:00.000-07:00

LOUD: by Jason Heller
Stream of the Month: Former Thieves, The Language That We Speak

Before we crack open this month’s case of all things Loud, let’s warm up with our exclusive full-album stream: The Language That We Speak, the debut by Iowa’s Former Thieves. I’ll admit it outright: I’m a sucker for this kind of stuff. Taking Converge’s metalcore template and beating it into a blunter shape, the band shoots straight and cuts deep. But it also slips in plenty of gnarled riffs and knotty rhythms, not to mention an overall pall of twisted menace that feels straight out of Louisville circa 2003—namely Breather Resist and Black Cross. And with production by former These Arms Are Snakes drummer Chris Common at the famed Red Room in Seattle, the record doesn’t lack in attack.

(((Read more and stream "The Language That We Speak" here!)))

The Village Voice and NY Press Interview Youth Hip-Hop Group Nine 11 Thesaurus

2011-04-07T06:32:00.000-07:00

Interview + Track Premiere: Nine 11 Thesaurus

All City (Take It To The Bridge) from Charlie Ahearn on Vimeo.

Nine 11 Thesaurus will be performing two record release shows this weekend in support of their debut album "Ground Zero Generals" out April 26th on The Social Registry / Sockets Records. Friday's event will take place at The Beacon Center for Arts & Leadership in Brooklyn, while Saturday's show will take place at Don Hill's in New York City.

The new album serves as the second release in Sam Hillmer's Representing NYC series, and serves as a creative outlet for New York's inner-city youth.

(((Read The Village Voice's interview w/ Nine 11 Thesaurus conducted by Christopher Weingarten, and download new song "Stressin'" here * Read NY Press' interview w/ Nine 11 Thesaurus conducted by New York writer and musician Sam Mickens here!)))

Revolver and AOL's Noisecreep.com Interview Capsule's Eric Hernandez

2011-04-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

Exclusive Premieres: Capsule's "Small Caps / Outline" + interviews w/ Eric Hernandez

Miami's Capsule (featuring Ryan Haft and ex-Kylesa member Eric Hernandez) will be releasing the followup to their 2008 "Blue" album, entitled "No Ghost," out April 12th via Rorschach Records. Catch them in a city near you as they tour the country in support of their new album throughout the Spring.

(((Read Revolver's interview w/ Capsule and download "Small Caps" here * Read Noisecreep's interview w/ Capsule and download "Outline" here!)))

Quintron and Miss Pussycat Announce US Tour Dates in Support of New Album, "Sucre Du Sauvage," Out April 12th on Goner Records

2011-03-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

"For most artists, the recording process is an intimate experience that sees them locked away from the world months at a time. However, in the case of Quintron and the creation of his new record, Sucre De Sauvage, the New Orleans-based “Swamp-Tech” musician chose to go an entirely different route." - Consequence of Sound

Quintron and Miss Pussycat have just announced their first full US tour to support their upcoming new album, "Sucre Du Sauvage," out next month on Memphis-based Goner Records.

After a successful run of dates leading up to and following this year's SXSW marathon in Austin, including performances at this year's Mardis Gras festivals and first ever Bruise Cruise event w/ Black Lips and more, the cult-worshipped "swamp-tech" duo will set out on two months worth on non-stop touring, including close to 50 dates, and accompanied by guests Wizzard Sleeve, Super Nice Bros, CAVES, and more.

From January 29th through May 2nd of 2010, Quintron punched a time clock and reported to work at NOMA (New Orleans Museum of Art) to write and record a new album (entitled "SUCRE DU SAUVAGE") in a public gallery space. The official title of the entire exhibit, which also included a Drum Buddy retrospective and an enormous Miss Pussycat puppet display, was “Parallel Universe – Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live In City Park.” Quintron's intent behind the museum recording studio was not to entertain visiting museum goers with any kind of performance, but to completely ignore them and go about the business of making this record. When needed, viewers would be pulled into the process and used for backing vocals, hand claps, grunting, etc.

During the final seven days of recording, Quintron chose to imprison himself within the museum and its surrounding grounds - a beautiful swampy nature preserve called “New Orleans City Park.” He would roam the park by night making field recordings and then weave them into the final mixes of the album by day. The week concluded with a blindfolded listening party in the NOMA auditorium (see album cover).

The result of this experiment is a severely schizophrenic dual album. Part one is Quintron writing the way he usually does but with far wider instrumentation. Tympani, vibraphone, whistling, and tape loops join the ranks of Drum Buddy and electric organ. There is also a noticeable increase in the number of chords used per song compared to previous Quintron albums - like from one chord to maybe more than one chord. There are also two dreamy Miss Pussycat tunes entitled "Banana Beat" and "Spirit Hair." You can hear noise and field recordings creeping into this first half of “SUCRE DU SAUVAGE,” attempting to take over the songs but failing.

In part two the noise and field recordings win the battle hands down as music and structure completely give over to the urge to let all these disparate sounds join hands and run wild. Electronic and acoustic instruments blur together with ducks, insects, birds, water, and even museum elevators until they all become brutal hypnotic madness.

The NOMA sessions produced literally thousands of hours of tape. What you have here is the cream of that crop - the sucre du sauvage. There was no post production or overdubs. When the exhibit closed, the album was finished. It is what it is and it probably ain't happening again any time soon.

“SUCRE DU SAUVAGE” FUN FACT:
For visual inspiration, The New Orleans Museum Of Art allowed Quintron to curate the paintings that were hung on the walls of his recording studio from their extensive permanent collection. He chose only female portraits (mostly from the 19th century) and one portrait of George Washington, America's first president.

Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live!
5/20 Birmingham, AL – Bottle Tree *
5/21 Atlanta, GA - the Earl *
5/23 Savannah, GA - The Jinx ^
5/24 Raleigh, NC – Kings Barcade ^
5/25 Richmond, VA - Strange Matter ^
5/26 Baltimore, MD - Golden West ^
5/27 Washington D.C. - Red Palace ^
5/28 Brooklyn – 285 Kent Ave ^
5/29 Danbury, CT - BOMB FEST @
5/31 Montreal, Canada - Il Motore
6/01 Toronto, Canada - Horse Shoe
6/02 Detroit - Lager House
6/03 Kalamazoo - The Strutt
6/04 Chicago, IL - Do Division Festival
6/05 Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club #
6/6 Iowa City, IA - Wherehouse #
6/07 Louisville, KY - Zanzabar #
6/08 Columbia, MO - Mojo’s #
6/09 Kansas City, MO - Record Bar #
6/10 Hot Springs, IA - Low Key Arts #
6/11 Memphis, TN - Hi Tone #
6/12 Nashville, TN - The End #
6/14 St. Louis, MO - Firebird #
6/15 Lincoln, NE – Knockerbockers #
6/16 Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews #
6/17 Minneapolis, MN – Turf Club
6/18 Fargo, ND- The Aquarium
6/21 Winnipeg, Canada - Pyramid Cabaret (Winnipeg Jazz Festival) !
6/23 Calgary @ Sled Island
6/24 Calgary @ Sled Island
6/25 Calgary @ Sled Island
6/28 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore
6/29 Bellingham, WA - Shakedown
6/30 Olympia, WA - Northern %
7/01 Seattle, WA – Chop Suey
7/02 Portland, OR - EAST END
7/04 Eureka, CA - The Alibi
7/05 San Francisco –Bottom of the Hill
7/06 Sacramento- The Hub
7/07 Fullerton, CA – The Continental
7/08 LA, CA – The Smell
7/09 San Diego, CA – The Casbah
7/10 Palm Springs, CA - Kings Highway Room (Ace Hotel)
7/12 Santa Fe, NM- VFW Hall
7/21 Dallas, TX - TBA
7/22 Austin, TX – Red 7
7/23 Houston, TX – Super Happy Fun Land
7/24 Lafayette, LA - Blue Moon
7/25 New Orleans, LA - SIBERIA

* w/ Wizzard Sleeve
^ w/ Super Nice Bros
# w/ CAVE
! w/ Pujol
% w/ The Hive Dwellers, Angelo Spencer
@ HEALTH, Dam-Funk, Snoop Dog, Weezer, & more

“SUCRE DU SAUVAGE” TRACK LIST
1. Ring The Alarm
2. Face Down in the Gutter
3. New Years Night (Boogie Children)
4. Kicked Out of Zolar X
5. Banana Beat
6. Sucre Du Sauvage
7. All Night Right of Way
8. Spirit Hair
9. Elevator
10. Deer in the Clouds
11. Bells
12. Train Ride
13. Jazz Bar
14. Morning

About Quintron:
Quintron has been making genre-defying noise and "Swamp-Tech" dance music in New Orleans for over fifteen years. The majority of his 12 full-length albums have the psychedelic soul of New Orleans garage R&B filtered through a tough distorted Hammond B-3 and a cache of self-made electronic instruments. He has also released strange soundscapes based on inner-city field recordings of frogs and neighborhood ambiance. Quintron regards his most significant creation to be his patented instrument called the DRUM BUDDY, a light activated analog synthesizer that creates murky, low-fidelity, rhythmic patterns. Notable DRUM BUDDY clients include performers Nels Cline of Wilco, Laurie Anderson, Fred Armisen, and DJ Mr. Dibbs.

About Miss Pussycat:
Miss Pussycat is a New Orleans based photographer and puppeteer who has toured the world with Quintron for the past 15 year conducting puppet shows in rock clubs and at international festivals. Her three full-length movies, North Pole Nutrias (2002), Electric Swamp (2005), and most recently Trixie and The Treetrunks (commissioned by VBS TV in 2007), have featured the voices of numerous New Orleans musical, political, and literary celebrities. In addition to her full length puppet movies she has also worked on several puppet-cast music videos and will definitely be creating one or two for "SUCRE DU SAUVAGE"!

For more information, visit:
www.quintronandmisspussycat.com
www.goner-records.com

Alternative Press Premieres New Balance and Composure Song "Quake"

2011-03-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

Exclusive Stream: Balance And Composure’s “Quake”

Check out this exclusive stream of "Quake" from Balance And Composure's debut full-length, Separation, out May 10 on No Sleep Records.

(((Read more and stream "Quake" here!)))

La Dispute Announce Split Release w/ Koji * US Tour Dates w/ Defeater, Native, Former Thieves and More!

2011-03-31T11:52:00.000-07:00

"Traveling, hanging out, and playing music. Three of our favorite things with three of our favorite bands and closest friends. Split with Koji to be released soon, studio time booked, and a new full length very much on the horizon. Couldn't be more excited. Come say hello." - Jordan Dreyer / La Dispute

La Dispute is set to head out on their first official headline tour following the release of "Somewhere At The Bottom Of The River Between Vega And Altair" via No Sleep Records in November 2008. The band has kept busy touring in support of their debut ever since. The support for the recent set of dates comes from Defeater (who released their second album, "Endless Days and Sleepless Nights," on March 8th via Bridge 9), Native (Sargent House), and Former Thieves (who will release their debut album "The Language That We Speak" via No Sleep Records on April 19th).

La Dispute has also announced they will be releasing a new split 12" with their good friend, singer/songwriter/activist Koji, via No Sleep Records on May 3rd, 2011. Songs were recorded by Thursday's Andrew Everding and Mark Michalik respectively, and preorders are available now at the No Sleep Records Webstore.

La Dispute is five close friends from the Upper Midwest with a firm passion for the concept of music and art as a medium for making new friends. As a result, La Dispute makes (or strives to make) music that is both artistically, technically, and emotionally engaging in hopes of establishing legitimate connections with any and all interested people, while encouraging dialogue between those people and themselves about things in life that truly matter and that truly last. La Dispute also carries a firm passion for the relevance of a live show, both for the bands involved and for the people in attendance, and will go to the grave believing that the environment created when strangers come together despite their differences to celebrate one important thing is invaluable and should not under any circumstances be taken for granted.

* La Dispute will be in the studio this Spring with Thursday's Andrew Everding finishing their still untitled second album for No Sleep, which is expected to come out early this the Fall. 12" available in 3 colors, limited t-shirt only available w/ pre-orders of split release (lp must be in cart to purchase shirt) - vinyl is one-sided w/ etching on the b-side. All pre-orders while supplies last receive a free 1" button.

La Dispute Live!

w/ Defeater, Native, Former Thieves
Thu 5/5/11 Magic Stick - Detroit, MI tickets
Fri 5/6/11 Beat Kitchen - Chicago, IL tickets
Sat 5/7 House Cafe - Dekalb, IL
Sun 5/8 Vaudeville Mews - Des Moines, IA
Mon 5/9 Outland Ballroom - Springfield, MO
Tue 5/10 Hi Tone Cafe - Memphis, TN
Wed 5/11 Rocketown - Nashville, TN tickets
Thu 5/12 The Firehouse, Birmingham, AL
Fri 5/13 Sweet Melissa's - Savannah, GA
Sat 5/14 New Brookland Tavern - Columbia, SC tickets
Sun 5/15 The Brewery - Raleigh, NC
Tue 5/17 Canal Club - Richmond, VA tickets
Wed 5/18 Charm City Art Space - Baltimore, MD
Thu 5/19 Archway Center - Altoona, PA tickets
Fri 5/20 Altar Bar - Pittsburgh, PA (w/ Cave In)
Sat 5/21 Krazy Fest - Louisville, KY tickets
Sun 5/22 The Barbary - Philadelphia, PA tickets
Mon 5/23 Webster Underground - Hartford, CT tickets
Tue 5/24 Studio at Webster Hall - New York, NY
Wed 5/25 Palladium (upstairs) - Worcester, MA tickets
Thu 5/26 Underworld - Montreal, QC tickets
Fri 5/27 Wreck Room - Toronto, ON tickets
Sat 5/28 Bled Fest - Howell, MI tickets

La Dispute / Koji "Never Come Undone" Track List
1. La Dispute - Sunday Morning At A Funeral
2. Koji - Peacemaker
3. La Dispute - Last Blues
4. Koji - Biomusicology

For more information, visit:
www.nosleeprecs.com
www.facebook.com/ladisputemusic
twitter.com/ladisputeband
La Dispute Webstore
www.ladisputemusic.com

Title Tracks Premiere Music off Upcoming New Album, "In Blank," Out April 19th on Ernest Jenning

2011-03-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

"Davis' music is awash in bouncy hooks and sing-along refrains, but a close listen to his lyrics reveals sharp pain and an obsession with conflicted relationships." - NPR

Title Tracks is a band from Washington, D.C. that began in 2008, as John Davis decided to start a solo project after several years playing in the bands Q And Not U and Georgie James (not to mention side gigs as a fanzine publisher, DJ, record label head and more). As Georgie James was breaking up in the spring of 2008, John went into his practice space and put together an album's worth of new songs. In the summer of 2008, Title Tracks began to play shows with a lineup of John on guitar and vocals, Michael Cotterman on bass, Meredith Munoz on guitar/keyboards/backing vocals and Andrew Black on drums. Later that fall, that lineup recorded the debut Title Tracks 7", "Every Little Bit Hurts"/"Found Out," which was released by Dischord in April 2009.

A few months before the Dischord release, John went back into the practice space and, along with producer/engineer Nick Anderson, recorded the first Title Tracks album, "It Was Easy." Having written all of the parts to all of the songs, John wanted to see what it would be like to play and sing everything on an album. He nearly succeeded, though Kriston Capps played saxophone on "No, Girl" and Tracyanne Campbell (from Camera Obscura) sang on "No, Girl" and "Tougher Than The Rest." As enjoyable as it was for him to play everything, he also
realized he missed having a band on the record and would come back to that concept for his next recording.

Following the release of the Dischord single in April 2009, Meredith moved away from D.C. and was replaced in the live band by Nick. In February 2010, "It Was Easy" was released by Ernest Jenning Record Co. (with the vinyl being a co-release with Safety Meeting Records). This lineup of the band (John, Nick, Michael, Andrew) toured around the U.S. throughout 2010 with the likes of Pretty & Nice and Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, as well as one-offs with kindred spirits like Tommy Keene, The Points, The Paul Collins Beat and plenty more. In late
Summer of 2010, Nick left the band and John, Michael and Andrew settled into the current trio format of the live band.

Throughout 2010, John set about writing another record, this time exploring more of his passion for the biting, taut power pop of some of his favorite bands like The Mice, The Vertebrats and The Nerves, as well as Stiff-era Any Trouble and Nick Lowe. These songs were recorded in November 2010 by Nick Anderson at The Bastille (in Arlington, VA.) and will be released as the album, "In Blank," in April 2011 by The Ernest Jenning Record Co. (the vinyl is a co-release with Windian Records). As with the first record, John wrote all of the songs and parts on “In Blank,” but this time Michael
and Andrew joined him for the recording.

Following the recording of "In Blank," Andrew moved from D.C. and was
replaced in the live band by Mike Sneeringer and Elmer Sharp
(depending on the show). The new live lineup will tour the U.S. and Europe in 2011. Both “It Was Easy” and “In Blank” have been licensed in Europe to a German label, Gunner Records, who will be issuing them in the Spring of 2011.

“In Blank” contains 10 original songs from John, as well as a cover of
the Flamin’ Groovies song, “I Can’t Hide.” The mood on the new record is 32 minutes of nearly unflagging kinetic push from start to finish and is mixed in glorious mono. Starting with “Shaking Hands” (“a tongue-in-cheek glorification of a solipsistic apocalypse,” John says) and ending with “Winners Cry” (about “tattered friendships and the pursuit of oblivion”), the record only slows down very slightly at the halfway mark for “Forget The Ghost,” a spectral song cloaked in a wash of Doric organ, an insistent tandem of acoustic guitar and kick drum and a bass line that walks the song like the titular phantoms. “It’s about feeling like you’ve maybe exorcised the worst parts of yourself,” John explains, “as told through a few ghost stories I’ve been a part of and/or heard at points in my life.”

Elsewhere on “In Blank,” you’ll hear:

“All Tricks”: “a diss track,” John reports. “Just making fun of a lot of what I come across in the music world.”

“Cain And The Twigs”: “After wandering the Earth for ages, Cain was supposedly ultimately banished to the Moon with nothing to his name but a bundle of twigs. This reminded me of someone I knew who had left town fairly ignominiously, so the song kind of pokes fun at that person.”

“Turn Your Face”: “Probably my favorite of the bunch. I would never want to go back to being who I was in the past but that doesn’t mean I don’t sometimes yearn for some perceived simplicity that I think I used to possess, I guess. This whole record is pretty much about change, whether you want things to change or not, and this song is where I feel I address that best.”

“No Air”: “About artists whose real skill, fleeting or not, is that they don’t have anything to say but still seem to interest people by the tropes they use when they say it.”

“Clench Your Fist (A Little Closer To Me)”: “That one is about forgiveness and about realizing that I can often do wrong, even when I’m right.”

“Light Sleepers”: “Saying good luck to those who leave you”

“It’s Wrong”: “Robert Goddard said something like ‘God pity a one-dream man’ and that’s sort of what this is about.”

TITLE TRACKS DISCOGRAPHY

"Every Little Bit Hurts"/"Found Out" 7" - Dischord - April 2009
"It Was Easy" CD/LP - The Ernest Jenning Record Co./Safety Meeting - February 2010
"In Blank" CD/LP - The Ernest Jenning Record Co./Windian Records - April 2011

"In Blank" Track List
1. Shaking Hands
2. Turn Your Face * stream
3. Clench Your Fist (A Little Closer To Me)
4. Light Sleepers
5. I Can't Hide
6. Forget The Ghost
7. All Tricks * download
8. Cain And The Twigs
9. No Air
10. It's Wrong
11. Winners Cry

Title Tracks Live

European Tour Dates
24.03. DE, Dresden - Beatpol +AN PIERLE & WHITE VELVET
25.03. DE, Leipzig - Zoro +STEVE ADAMYK BAND +SONIC AVENUES
26.03. IT, Verona - Interzona
27.03. IT, Pescara - Mono Spazio Bari
28.03. IT, Bari - Taverna Vecchia del Maltese
30.03. IT, Villadossola (Vb) - Titty Twister
31.03. DE, Gießen - AK44 +CAVES
01.04. DE, Bremen - Friesenstrasse +LES ASPIRATEURS
02.04. DE, Braunschweig - Nexus +LES ASPIRATEURS +KÄFER K
03.04. DE, Berlin - Privatclub +LES ASPIRATEURS
04.04. DE, Hamburg - Gruener Jaeger +GNILL
05.04. DK, Aalborg - 1000fryd
07.04. DE, Munster - Gleiss 22 +TRIP FOUNTAIN
08.04. CH, Luzern - Treibhaus
09.04. CH, Winterthur - Kraftfeld +HADDOCKS
10.04. DE, Munich - Orangehouse/Feierwerk +AN HORSE +PERISCOPE
11.04. CZ, Prague - 007
12.04. DE, Nurnberg - K4 +TRIP FONTAIN +SEX JAMS
13.04. DE, Würzburg - TBA

For more information, visit:
titletracksdc.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/titletracksdc

Chicagoist Talks Upcoming Debut Album from Lil Daggers

2011-03-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

Sharp And Ready, Lil Daggers Debut

Now that another South by Southwest festival has wrapped up, music fans can catch their collective breath before attempting to sift through the scores of up-and-comers that debuted in Austin.

Post-festival, new bands tend to move in one of three ways: Breaking out and gaining a national audience, riding the buzz for a few more months (or years) before blowing up, or going home to toil in obscurity...maybe forever. Miami-based psych-rockers Lil Daggers made the rounds at SXSW in 2009 but didn't quite rocket to blog and viral video-fueled stardom. Instead, like a savvy young band should, the group used that momentum to tour and record material. The result isn't quite as glamorous as becoming overnight sensations, but in the two years since their turn at SXSW, Lil Daggers have built up a strong library of EPs and 10" records. The band is finally about to drop (on April 12) its first full-length, Lil Daggers--and it ain't half bad.

(((Read more here!)))

Wharf Rats (P.O.S / Anti-Flag) Premiere New Music at Spin.com * Announce Debut Release May 2011 on No Sleep Records

2011-03-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

EXCLUSIVE: Anti-Flag, P.O.S. Team as Wharf Rats

When bands tour the country each year in the punk rock bacchanal that is Warped Tour, many party hard and BBQ even harder. But sometimes, true collaboration emerges on the road, like Wharf Rats, the new musical partnership between Chris #2 of Anti-Flag and Minneapolis rapper P.O.S., which was conceived on Warped Tour and recorded in the festival's traveling recording studio.

"All of us had expressed interest in working together in some way or another," P.O.S. tells SPIN of the project, which also features members of Alexisonfire and the AKAs. "Warped Tour has lots of down time and the John Lennon Bus, this super, way-too-nice mobile recording studio. It was really fun -- we all like making things."

Two songs emerged from those sessions -- "Oh No!" and "Capital Gains," the latter of which you can hear here. Both will be pressed on a limited edition 7-inch single set for physical release on May 31 via No Sleep Records.

(((Read more and stream "Capital Gains" here!)))

Capsule Kick Off US Tour * New Album "No Ghost" Out April 12th on Rorschach Records

2011-03-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

"No Ghost is relentlessly catchy, a collection of post-hardcore freakouts and math rock seizures reassembled with immensely pleasing results." - MetalSucks

"With only a couple of releases under their belt, the Miami trio has developed a
great formula. Maniacally playing with and against each other, they demand your
attention to detail. A fluid combination of cross-eyed songwriting and
methodical execution, the band’s precision is all that keeps the tangle of riffs
and time changes from giving you vertigo." - Decibel Magazine

"A band that has always impressed with over-the-top technicality piles hooks into their math-y post-hardcore to great effect. Dig on exhibit A from No Ghost, 'Neuralize So Numb'" - BrooklynVegan

Capsule was born June 2005 in Miami, Florida, when Eric Hernandez and Colin Smith decided to procreate and spawn a hellion forged of speed, ferocity, and limitless expectation, yet delicate and graceful and seemingly impervious to categorization and formula subjection. Eric and Colin had previously cut their
teeth on punk / power violence and post-hardcore with groups like Tunes For Bears
To Dance To and Tyanny of Shaw – both featuring drummer Rick Smith from Torche/Shitstorm - as well as other groups in the Miami area and beyond (Colin played drums in Dead Lions, Devices, We’re Scissors,etc., while Eric, an ex-member of metal heroes Kylesa, played in various recording projects as well as Contrabass in the Florida International University symphony).

After their first release on Robotic Empire (a seven song EP on tape recorded
by Eric – drums/bass/vocals, and Colin –guitars/vocals) the duo recruited Ryan Haft (bass/vocals) and Capsule’s road dog approach to touring ensued with
tours from 2005-2008 with bands like Torche, Brainworms, Graf ‘Orlock , Comadre,
Furnace, Birthday Boyz, Thank God, and others as well as a slew of splits and
7inches.

In 2008 Capsule released their debut LP Blue on Robotic Empire, a record that culminates the fruits of their previous releases in ten tracks at just past the half hour mark; Capsule’s signature riff-to-face guitars and start/blast/stop drumming are prevalent, as well as the searing mid-shred pick slides and towering feedback swells, yet there are progressive –and often epic- elements that upsurge through the tidal wave of layered vocal choruses, unsettling blast beat shifts, and seemingly other- worldly melodies wielded through a current of undeniable hooks and dissonance. Along with hyper speed tracks ‘Cobalt Connection’ and ‘Symptom of Spectacle’, Blue broadens the scope with slower tempo-tantrums like ‘Title Track’ and the sludge crawl climax of ‘Determinal’, proving that Capsule’s brand of fast-paced, no-boundaries thrash was only the tip of the iceberg.

As far as what to expect from this uncompromising steamroller of high volume
and vast devastation, Capsule's new album, "No Ghost" is set for release on April 12th via Rorschach Records (Amateur Party, Ultra Dolphins, Brainworms) and was recorded between October 2009 and July 2010 by Ryan Haft (guitars). The album is packed with the kind of punches you'd expect from the band including standouts "Neuralize So Numb" (short, fast, and pissed), "Small Caps" (still fast and pissed, but it’s all about the hooks on this track), and "Outline" (shows it doesn’t have to be fast to be short and sweet).

Drummer Eric Hernandez says of the new album "It was great since we could really take our time on it; we did some touring in between making the record and the songs would sink in and begin to take shape as we’d play them live, then we’d get back to the studio and re-record a guitar or vocal track and it would take the song in a different direction that we didn’t think of a month before. In a way we got to see/hear the record from multiple perspectives and take the time to re-visit what we’d already done so we can take it a step further. The process was similar with Blue (recording, touring, recording), but this time we could literally wake up, fix up some lucky charms, and hit the record button; the music starts to feel like a family member that you’ve watched grow since birth, and that closeness with the music was something we didn’t have with Blue.

We’re psyched it worked out with Rorschach records, who are also based out of
Richmond, VA. We really feel at home in Richmond thanks to Robotic Empire, so
it's just a natural step for us."

Capsule are out to put their own stamp on extreme music, and the ink is starting to soak.

"No Ghost" Track List
Neuralize So Numb
Small Caps / Outline
Ton Work
World Citizen
Graft
Rylan
Isn't Us
Kayso
Gown of Frost
Miscology

Capsule Live!
Mar 15- Orlando,FL @ Wills Pub
Mar 16- Gainesville, FL @ Wayward Council
Mar 17- Athens, GA @ Flicker Bar
Mar 18- Nashville,TN @ Little Hamilton Collective
Mar 19- Indianapolis, IN @ The DojoMar 20- Chicago, IL @ Kostner House
Mar 21- Grand Rapids, Mi @ DAAC
Mar 22- Cleveland, OH @ Now That's Class
Mar 23- Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Arts
Mar 24- Bethlehem, PA @ St.Bernards
Mar 25 - NYC ,NY @ The Acheron
Mar 26- Boston, MA @ OBriens (two shows)
Mar 27 -NYC, NY @ Silent Barn
Mar 28- Philadelphia, PA @ Marvelous Records
Mar 29- Baltimore, MD @ The Bell Foundry
Mar 30- Washington, DC @ Corpse Fortress
Mar 31 -Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
April 1-Greensboro, NC @ Legitimate Business
April 2 -Harrisonburg, VA @ Macrock (Blue Nile)
April 3 -Chapel Hill, NC @ The Resevoir
April 4 -Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern

For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/capsulefl
www.rorschachrecords.net

Balance and Composure Announce Debut Album "Separation" Out May 10th * US Tour w/ Dredge, The Dear Hunter and More!

2011-03-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

According to Balance and Composure, they can be loud, quiet and everything in between. A pretty apt description in a nutshell. Once you get down to an intricate school of thought, though, the lyricism of singer/guitarists Jonathan Simmons and Andrew Slaymaker show things in a different light. Having all met in the Philadelphia suburb of Doylestown, PA through mutual projects during their high school years, Balance and Composure decided to start what they called a "real band" once former projects dissolved. Once completing the formation of the band, Balance and Composure hit the ground running and have yet to look back.

A sonic assault melding influences such as Sunny Day Real Estate, Neutral Milk Hotel and Nirvana, their upcoming full length "Separation" adheres to the band's namesake. A cohesive listen of anthemic and melodic guitar blitzes with poignant lyricism, rhythmic thrusts and an abrasive pop knack in its overall deliverance, "Separation" churns in a fortified enclave of guitar fuzz and impending rhythms that drive heavily. Balance and Composure may wear their love for early 90's underground alt rock on their sleeves, but they are in no way merely a "throwback" band as much as they are an outfit who respects their influences, and pushes them forward into brash sonic terrortory with the us vs. the world ethos of geniune punk rock.

After self releasing their first EP “I Just Want To Be Pure” in 2008, followed by their "Only Boundaries" EP and split EP with Tigers Jaw, both on No Sleep Records, Balance and Composure are now on the verge of releasing their debut full length, "Separation," out May 10th, 2011 on No Sleep Records.

* More details including album art, track list, and new music off "Separation" coming soon!

Balance and Composure Live

w/ Make Do and Mend
March 11th- Plains, PA: Unnamed Venue w/ Tigers Jaw
March 12th- Baltimore, MD: Charm City Art’s Space w/ Pianos Become The Teeth
March 13th- Cleveland, OH: Now That’s Class
March 14th- Cincinnati, OH: Fogarty’s
March 15th- Nashville, TN: Rocketown

SXSW
March 18th - Austin, TX / SXSW The Scoot Inn (Thrasher Magazine Party)
March 19th - Austin, TX / SXSW Emo's (Alternative Press Magazine Showcase)

w/ Dredg + The Dear Hunter
Tue 5/3 Los Angeles, CA Roxy
Wed 5/4 Los Angeles, CA Roxy
Thu 5/5 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Fri 5/6 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Sat 5/7 Sacramento, CA Ace of Spades
Tue 5/10 Salt Lake City, UT Avalon Theatre
Wed 5/11 Denver, CO Marquis Theatre
Fri 5/13 St. Louis, MO The Firebird
Sat 5/14 Chicago, IL The Bottom Lounge
Sun 5/15 Pontiac, MI The Eagle Theatre
Mon 5/16 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop
Wed 5/18 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
Thu 5/19 New York, NY Highline Ballroom
Fri 5/20 Philadelphia, PA The Trocadero
Sat 5/21 Baltimore, MD Bourbon Street
Mon 5/23 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
Wed 5/25 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
Thu 5/26 Houston, TX The Studio @ Warehouse Live
Fri 5/27 Austin, TX Emo's
Sat 5/28 Dallas, TX Granada Theatre

For more information, visit:
www.balanceandcomposure.com
www.myspace.com/balanceandcomposure
www.facebook.com/balanceandcomposure
balanceandcomposure.bandcamp.com
www.nosleeprecs.com

Filter Premieres New Music From TS & The Past Haunts feat Travis Shettel of Piebald!

2011-03-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

MP3: TS & The Past Haunts Show How To ‘Caveman Rock’ (FILTER Exclusive)

TS & The Past Haunts may be a new ensemble, but the members are no stranger to the scene.

While out on the road with The Duke Spirit as tour manager, Travis Shettel’s (guitarist, singer and ring-leader of the band Piebald) musical past was discovered and he was asked to assist the band in the studio on keys and percussion. Since The Duke Spirit had their own full schedule, Travis had to look elsewhere to find members that could perform live with him. Cue drummer Ben and bassist Heather Heywood. A married duo who front bands such as Summer Darling and Kissing Cousins. TS & The Past Haunts were born.

Now the trio is planning to record a full-length with Robert Cheek (RX Bandits, Deftones) in Sacramento, recording live to capture the raw energy of their performances.

TS & The Past Haunts will debut their full-length album this summer on No Sleep Records.

(((Read more and download "Caveman Rock" here!)))

Evan Caminiti of Barn Owl Announces New Solo Album on Handmade Birds

2011-03-04T08:37:00.000-08:00

"When California Falls into The Sea", the product of more than a year's work, finds Caminiti shifting away from the evocation of the land elements and towards the urban - the coarseness of blood on the streets and people living in squalor juxtaposed with beautiful, fleeting moments like sun reflecting off of glass buildings into dingy puddles - to produce a dialogue where guitars float through the air weightlessly, weaving around each other like butterflies and other moments that are more solitary, monolithic excursions into the night.

"When California Falls Into The Sea" Track List:
1. Heavy Whisper
2. For Now The Streets Are Nearly Silent
3. Trembling Moon
4. Reflections in Puddles
5. World Goes Dark
6. Rising
7. A Single Flame
8. Woven Into The Moon
9. Burning A Hole Through The Sky
10. With Fog As My Blanket
11. The Obsidian Curtain

* Pre-order of the new album is available now at HandmadeBirds.com (500 first edition LP's in 400 black, 100 white).

For more information, visit:
www.handmadebirds.com

Extra Life Premieres Laurel Halo Remix at Stereogum.com

2011-03-02T05:51:00.000-08:00

Laurel Halo Remixes Extra Life

Occasionally overlooked New York BTW Extra Life have trimmed down to a saxophone-free trio and are set to release a more electronic-leaning four-song vinyl/digital EP, Ripped Heart. It was produced beautifully by Colin Marston (Krallice, Gorguts, etc.). In additional to the vinyl, there are four bonus remix tracks by Laurel Halo, Xiu Xiu, Former Ghosts, and Brooklyn black metal punks Liturgy. Laurel Halo’s remix of “Strong Brother, Weak Brother” demolishes the anthemic, surprisingly poppy original and finds a pretty lift-off in the rubble.

(((Read more and stream "Strong Brother, Weak Brother (Laurel Halo remix) here!)))

Former Thieves Premiere New Music at Revolvermag.com!

2011-03-02T05:46:00.000-08:00

Exclusive: Former Thieves Premiere “Trust Fund Kids” Off of Their Upcoming Debut

REVOLVER: What’s this song about?
JOSH SPARKS: Bad people in great situations

Which part of it did you come up with first? And what was the inspiration?
They sort of happened in tandem with one another. Musically it was riffs we’d had floating around for quite a while and finally felt we had a direction for.

Was this an easy song to write or record? Why or why not?
Yes, actually it turned out to be both. We wrote the song literally a week before we went to Seattle to record. The song took three days to complete, so we had just enough time to get it solid before the studio and not enough time to over think it while we were in the studio.

What sort of feedback have you gotten on this song so far?
Great so far. Stylistically it stands out a bit more than our other material, mostly due to the D-beat in the first half of the song, and that’s been a positive. Honestly, I think it’s collectively one of our favorite songs on the record.

(((Read more and download "Trust Fund Kids" here!)))

Altered Zones Premiere New Music from Lil Daggers * Debut Album Out April 12th on Livid Records

2011-02-28T06:49:00.000-08:00

Lil Daggers: "Slave Exchange"

Here come Lil Daggers, groping every passerby and staring at dogs until they pee. Well, maybe they aren't the swaggering soldiers I imagined at first listen, but the Miami-based outfit's psychedlic nuggets do give off that brashness originally patented by The Doors. "Slave Exchange," a cut from the band's forthcoming LP, moves like spilled honey, building a languid landscape of sludgy bass, slack vocals, and creeping organ. -- Ryan Ellis, Weekly Tape Deck

(((Read more and download "Slave Exchange" here!)))

TS & The Past Haunts Announce Debut Album for No Sleep Records

2011-02-28T06:40:00.000-08:00

Formed out of the demise of Boston indie/punk rock royalty, TS & The Past Haunts came to be through mutual friends sharing common interests. Travis Shettel (TS/Totally Travis), guitarist, singer and ring-leader of the band Piebald, met The Duke Spirit (Shangri-La Records) when he was invited to take on tour manager duties for the band during one of their first US tours. Acting as a US Ambassador-of-sorts for the band, a friendship was formed and The Duke Spirit soon learned of Travis’ musical past. After asking TS to join them both on the road and in the studio playing keys and percussion, it would only be a matter of time before they would return the favor. Travis and The Duke Spirit knuckled down in between their tours of Australia and the UK and recorded a handful of his songs; learning, writing and recording along the way.

Since the Dukes have their own schedules full with... well, The Duke Spirit, Travis wanted an outlet to perform the songs live. The recordings with The Dukes were a catalyst for the formation of a true band. He found his rhythm section in Ben (drums) and Heather (bass) Heywood, a married duo who front bands of their own (Summer Darling and Kissing Cousins, respectively). The power trio version of TS & THE PAST HAUNTS has been busy; playing shows and writing songs. In the very near future, they will be heading north to Sacramento to record a full length album with Robert Cheek at the tape-op darling studio, The Hangar. They plan to record live to capture the energy and rawness of their live performances. The new batch of songs are energized blasts of dark rock that still maintain pop sensibilities. It's all here...Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you...TS & THE PAST HAUNTS!

TS & The Past Haunts begin production of their debut album Monday, February 28th at The Hangar in Sacramento, CA with Robert Cheek (RX Bandits, Deftones), set for release this Summer on No Sleep Records. A remixed and remastered version of the band's "Caveman Rock" EP will be released through all major digital retail outlets for the first time on March 29th, also through No Sleep Records.

"Caveman Rock" EP Track List
1. Caveman Rock
2. Good Times
3. Know What I Know
4. It's So Hot

TS & The Past Haunts Live
March 29th @ La Cita in Downtown Los Angeles, CA
(last night of HELP Residency)

For more information, visit:
www.tsandthepasthaunts.com
www.facebook.com/tsandthepasthaunts
www.nosleeprecs.com

Lifeguards and The Forms Stream New Albums at AOL's Spinner.com

2011-02-16T08:34:00.000-08:00

Spinner.com: Full CD Listening Party

* Stream Lifeguards' "Waving at the Astronauts" here!

* Stream The Forms' "Derealization" here!

Extra Life Announce New "Ripped Heart" EP Out April 12th on Last Things Records

2011-02-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

Listen to new song and title track "Ripped Heart" exclusively @ Consequence of Sound!

The title track, off the forthcoming Ripped Heart EP due out April 5th, clings to its poppy hooks and transitions down a winding path of postprog ideas, all while wearing its heart on its sleeve. - Consequence of Sound

Existential terror is a rather difficult feeling for a piece of art to inspire. For it to work, the artpiece has to be able to pull the audience out of their selves and place them in the point of view of a foreign mind... One might ask though why we need art like this, art that produces dread and foreboding, art that violently pulls the audience out of themselves. In that very formulation though is the answer. Without this tension, without artworks that inspire it, we never leave ourselves - Dusted

Scarily focused and ruthlessly complex in a postprog sort of way, but also flirts with a dark, sumptuous art-pop vibe. The end product is relentless, enveloping and frequently gorgeous. - Time Out NY

These are master works... this stuff feels somehow religious in its fervor. - Stereogum

On April 5 2011, Brooklyn art rock audience-dividers Extra Life will release their new EP Ripped Heart on the newly launched Last Things Records (digital and limited edition 12” vinyl) in the US, through LOAF Records (digital only) in Europe. Their third proper studio release, it includes four new exclusive tracks.

Since 2007 Extra Life have challenged and uplifted the underground music scene with their dark, epic, unclassifiable blend of goth, pop, prog, metal, classical and ancient folk aesthetics. The group was founded by singer Charlie Looker after his departure from influential New York noise-chamber group Zs and his brief stint with the Dirty Projectors. For Extra Life, Looker brought together a quintet of diverse talents from the Northeast avant rock scene: drummer Nick Podgurski, formerly of Yukon; violinist/guitarist/producer Caley Monahon-Ward of Snowblink; saxophonist/keyboardist Travis Laplante of Little Women; and bassist Tony Gedrich of Stats.

Extra Life’s 2008 debut Secular Works (Planaria/LOAF) was met with wide critical acclaim both at home and abroad. The band toured twice in the U.S. and then in Europe, performing at festivals including Primavera Sound (Barcelona), Villette Sonique (France), Moers (Germany) and Kilbi (Switzerland) alongside Sonic Youth, Sunn 0))) and Deerhunter. In 2010 Extra Life released their second full-length Made Flesh (LOAF), a concept album about weightlifting, spirituality and death. Earning many new devout fans and a few impassioned detractors, Extra Life toured both the U.S. and Europe again. This was immediately followed by the release of Splayed Flesh (Sockets), an EP of remixes including Justin Broadrick and Tyondai Braxton.

On Ripped Heart, Extra Life continue in their spirit of dramatic intensity and experimentalism, while also exploring their more accessible side. Amidst the gothic harmonies, lurching rhythms and noise there are infectious melodies, hypnotic repetition, and lush synth textures, making the compositions closer to pop songs than anything Extra Life has made yet. One can still feel the influence of classic crushing New York bands such as Swans and Unsane and composers such as Phillip Glass and Glenn Branca. The new EP however, touches more than ever on the synthetic pop beauty of later Cocteau Twins and Depeche Mode.

While Looker’s lyrics still address the eternal themes of love, sex, death and power, on Ripped Heart they leave behind the macroscopic heights of philosophy and occult spirituality and focus more on emotive personal storytelling. The songs are rooted firmly on the plane of human desire. Still with a touch of humor, here Extra Life more than ever speak directly to the heart.

Ripped Heart’s vast sound was captured by modern metal luminary and longtime Extra Life producer Colin Marston (Krallice, Gorguts). In contrast to indie music’s current trend of sonic murkiness and vagary, the EP’s shimmering orchestration cuts through with a decidedly hi-fi aesthetic.

The limited edition 12” of Ripped Heart will be the premier release by Last Things Records, a new vinyl-only label founded by Charlie Looker. Along with purchase of the vinyl, Last Things will offer a free download of four remixes including up-and-coming techno shaman Laurel Halo, as well as kindred spirits Xiu Xiu, Liturgy, and Former Ghosts (featuring Sam Mickens).

With the release of Ripped Heart, Extra Life will begin performing in a new trio incarnation, having parted ways with bassist Gedrich and saxophonist Laplante. In the spirit of refined focus, and in accord with the EP’s more electronic sound, Charlie Looker’s cold analog synth will provide the band’s trademark pummeling low-end. Caley Monahon-Ward, while still wielding his classic piercing violin, will also realize the new material with his own swirling, effects-drenched guitar work. Nick Podgurski’s brutally precise drum assaults continue to propel the band. In this new trio incarnation, Extra Life will embark on a two-week tour of Europe in April 2011, sharing bills with Deerhoof. In July, the band will do a month-long U.S. tour alongside Portland’s Parenthetical Girls.

Ripped Heart track listing:
1. Strong Brother, Weak Brother
2. Run Cold
3. Ripped Heart
4. Elegy (cartoon piano)

Extra Life Live
Feb 10th Extra Life @ Glasslands Brooklyn, NY w/ Liturgy
March 11th Seaven Teares (feat. Charlie Looker) @ Roulette New York, NY
March 18th Extra Life @ Death By Audio Brooklyn, NY w/ Zs Black Crown Ceremony, and Noveller
April 1st Extra Life @ Bruar Falls *Ripped Heart EP release party* w/ Starring, Hume and tba

Charlie Looker playing in Tyondai Braxton's orchestral pieces:

March 3rd @ Alice Tully Hall / Lincoln Center New York, NY
March 4th @ Walker Arts Minneapolis, MN

US and European Dates w/ Deerhoof, Parenthetical Girls Coming Soon!

For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/extralifetheband
www.extralifeblood.com
extralifetheband.blogspot.com
www.lastthingsrecords.com
www.l-o-a-f.com

Capsule Announce New Album, "No Ghost," Out April 12th on Rorschach Records * Premiere New Song "Neuralize So Numb"

2011-02-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

Listen to the debut track "Neuralize So Numb" here!

With only a couple of releases under their belt, the Miami trio has developed a great formula. Maniacally playing with and against each other, they demand your attention to detail. A fluid combination of cross-eyed songwriting and
methodical execution, the band’s precision is all that keeps the tangle of riffs
and time changes from giving you vertigo. - Decibel Magazine

A band that has always impressed with over-the-top technicality piles hooks into their math-y post-hardcore to great effect. Dig on exhibit A from No Ghost, "Neuralize So Numb" - BrooklynVegan

Capsule was born June 2005 in Miami, Florida, when Eric Hernandez and Colin Smith decided to procreate and spawn a hellion forged of speed, ferocity, and limitless expectation, yet delicate and graceful and seemingly impervious to
categorization and formula subjection. Eric and Colin had previously cut their
teeth on punk / power violence and post-hardcore with groups like Tunes For Bears
To Dance To and Tyanny of Shaw – both featuring drummer Rick Smith from Torche/Shitstorm - as well as other groups in the Miami area (Colin played drums in Dead Lions, Devices, We’re Scissors,etc., while Eric played in various
recording projects as well as Contrabass in the Florida International University symphony).

After their first release on Robotic Empire (a seven song EP on tape recorded
by Eric – drums/bass/vocals, and Colin –guitars/vocals) the duo recruited Ryan Haft (bass/vocals) and Capsule’s road dog approach to touring ensued with
tours from 2005-2008 with bands like Torche, Brainworms, Graf ‘Orlock , Comadre,
Furnace, Birthday Boyz, Thank God, and others as well as a slew of splits and
7inches.

In 2008 Capsule released their debut LP Blue on Robotic Empire, a record that culminates the fruits of their previous releases in ten tracks at just past the half hour mark; Capsule’s signature riff-to-face guitars and start/blast/stop drumming are prevalent, as well as the searing mid-shred pick slides and towering feedback swells, yet there are progressive –and often epic- elements that upsurge through the tidal wave of layered vocal choruses, unsettling blast beat shifts, and seemingly other- worldly melodies wielded through a current of undeniable hooks and dissonance. Along with hyper speed tracks ‘Cobalt Connection’ and ‘Symptom of Spectacle’, Blue broadens the scope with slower tempo-tantrums like ‘Title Track’ and the sludge crawl climax of ‘Determinal’, proving that Capsule’s brand of fast-paced, no-boundaries thrash was only the tip of the iceberg.

As far as what to expect from this uncompromising steamroller of high volume
and vast devastation, Capsule's new album, "No Ghost" is set for release on April 12th via Rorschach Records (Amateur Party, Ultra Dolphins, Brainworms) and was recorded between October 2009 and July 2010 by Ryan Haft (guitars). The album is packed with the kind of punches you'd expect from the band including standouts "Neuralize So Numb" (short, fast, and pissed), "Small Caps" (still fast and pissed, but it’s all about the hooks on this track), and "Outline" (shows it doesn’t have to be fast to be short and sweet).

Drummer Eric Hernandez says of the new album "It was great since we could really take our time on it; we did some touring in between making the record and the songs would sink in and begin to take shape as we’d play them live, then we’d get back to the studio and re-record a guitar or vocal track and it would take the song in a different direction that we didn’t think of a month before. In a way we got to see/hear the record from multiple perspectives and take the time to re-visit what we’d already done so we can take it a step further. The process was similar with Blue (recording, touring, recording), but this time we could literally wake up, fix up some lucky charms, and hit the record button; the music starts to feel like a family member that you’ve watched grow since birth, and that closeness with the music was something we didn’t have with Blue.

We’re psyched it worked out with Rorschach records, who are also based out of
Richmond, VA. We really feel at home in Richmond thanks to Robotic Empire, so
it's just a natural step for us."

Capsule are out to put their own stamp on extreme music, and the ink is starting to soak.

"No Ghost" Track List
Neuralize So Numb
Small Caps / Outline
Ton Work
World Citizen
Graft
Rylan
Isn't Us
Kayso
Gown of Frost
Miscology

Capsule Live!
Mar 15- Orlando, FL @ Wills Pub
Mar 16- Gainsville, FL @ Wayward Council
Mar 17- Athens, GA
Mar 18- Louisvile, KY
Mar 19- Indianapolis, IN @ The Dojo
Mar 20- Chicago, IL @ Kostner House
Mar 21- Grand Rapids, MI @ DAAC
Mar 22- Cleveland,OH @ Now That's Class
Mar 23- Pittsburgh, PA
Mar 24- Bethlehem, PA @ St. Bernards
Mar 25 - NY,NY @ The Acheron
Mar 26- Boston, MA @ O'Brien's
Mar 27 - NY,NY
Mar 28- Philadelphia, PA @ The Brothel
Mar 29 Baltimore, MD
Mar 30 Washington, DC @ Hole in the Sky
Mar 31 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
April 1 Greensboro, NC @ Legitimate Business
April 2 Blacksburg, VA @ Macrock
April 3 Chapel hill, NC @ Nightlight
April 4 Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern

For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/capsulefl
www.rorschachrecords.net

Former Thieves Announce Debut Album On No Sleep Records * Play Krazy Fest 2011 in Louisville!

2011-02-09T07:14:00.000-08:00

Former Thieves have been a band characterized by their hard work and grueling tour regimens in their seemingly short life span. But, that's about to change with their debut full length on No Sleep Records.

Coming from the barren and simple fields of Iowa, Former Thieves have created a pummeling new record that personifies the feelings and emotions of coming from nothing and fighting the entire way to what they have created. "The Language That We Speak" takes the listener through a thorough commentary on the frustration of Midwestern life. Articulate, sharp, and sincerely pissed.

Recorded December 1st through 10th 2010 at The Red Room in Seattle, WA with Chris Common (Mastodon, The Sword) at the helm, No Sleep Records looks to release "The Language That We Speak" on Tuesday April 19th 2011. The record will be released on CD, vinyl, and digital formats.

* Watch the first short video feat. studio footage of the band here!

"The Language That We Speak" Track List
01. Dead Horses are Turned into Glue
02. I Can’t Get There From Here
03. Brilliant Exceptions
04. Trust Fund Kids
05. First World Blues
06. Everything has a Price, Everything is Stolen
07. Pacemaker Trendsetter
08. What’s Real and What’s Not
09. Bad Friends
10. The Language That We Speak

Former Thieves Live!
03/16/11 - Kansas City, MO @ Salt Walter Taffy House
03/18/11 - Austin, TX @ The Mellow Mushroom
03/19/11 - Austin, TX (SXSW)
03/20/11 - Austin, TX (SXSW)
03/23/11 - Hattiesburg, MS @ 1126 House
03/26/11 - Columbia, SC @ House of Hardcore
03/28/11 - Greensboro, NC @ Legitimate Business
03/29/11 - Richmond, VA @ The Barn
03/30/11 - State College, PA @ La Casa Blanca
04/01/11 - Louisville, KY @ Ear X-Tacy
04/02/11 - St. Louis, MO @ Lemp Arts
05/20-22 - Louisville, HY @ Krazy Fest!

For more information, visit:
www.formerthieves.com
facebook.com/FormerThieves
twitter.com/formerthieves
www.nosleeprecs.com

The New York Daily News Interviews Wires Under Tension Frontman Christopher Tignor

2011-02-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

The sound of 'Science': Wires Under Tension's stunning instrumental album rises from the South Bronx

"Meeting people who are just like you is not why you come to New York."

Tignor, who grew up in northern New Jersey, arrived in the city after getting a degree at the prestigious Bard College. (He's finishing up a doctorate in composition at Princeton.) His goal was to find a space where he could both live and record. "If I have an idea in the middle of the night, I want to be able to just go and work on it," he says. "Also, I'm cheap."

The anxiety of needing to find both a new home and studio after the eviction would up informing the music Tignor would make in Mott Haven.

"It was a really tense time," he says.

Ergo the name, Wires Under Tension. The album "Light Science" sets a shadowy and anxious pace right with its opening piece, "Electricity Turns Them On." A gorgeously throbbing sprawl of synths coil around an evocative violin line, reminiscent of the one in King Crimson's "Larks' Tongues in Aspic." A steady beat from Metz keeps the music as sharp as it is beautiful. As the disk progresses, guest players weave in, providing everything from horns to clavinet.

Tignor's ban on singers for this album isn't iron-clad. "It's just that once you have a vocalist, that defines the narrative," he says. "I wanted the instruments to create the narrative."

(((Read the full interview here!)))

Quintron Premieres New Music From Upcoming Album "SUCRE DU SAUVAGE" Out April 12th on Goner Records

2011-02-07T07:41:00.000-08:00

Listen to "Face Down In The Gutter" and "Elevator" exclusively @ Brooklynvegan.com!

Studios are for suckers. - Brooklynvegan

One-man whompin’ stompin’ electro-bayou band. - CMJ

....an adjective-busting blend of electroclash 'tude, the White Stripes's reconstructed authenticity, X's skull-piercing organs, LCD thump, Electric 6's heavy-handed satire, the Frogs's transgressive mugging, Le Tigre's rave-along skate rink jams, gospel conviction and N'awlins bayou boogie, circuit-bent acid house squelch, et al. - Pitchfork

For most artists, the recording process is an intimate experience that sees them locked away from the world months at a time. However, in the case of Quintron and the creation of his new record, Sucre De Sauvage, the New Orleans-based “Swamp-Tech” musician chose to go an entirely different route. - Consequence of Sound

New Orleans' own originator of "swamp tech" and inventor of the Drum Buddy, Quintron, has never been one shy of trying new ideas. Case in point, his forthcoming LP for Memphis' Goner imprint - XLR8R

Remember when you were a kid and you went to a serious art museum and you could not wait to leave because it was so boring? The lives of painters and their subjects seemed so far removed from your pre-teen reality that you could not possibly drag yourself into caring. No matter how hard you tried, you just wanted to go home and listen to your music, read your comics and dream a little dream.

Well imagine being a kid in 2010 and you find yourself on a trip to the famous New Orleans Museum of Art. You pass by the Rodin sculpture on the grand marble stairway and the vaults of ancient Japanese pottery on the third floor; You breeze through the French impressionists, the Faberge collection, the Joseph Cornell, and the Warhols in the modern wing. Then suddenly you pass through a soundproof glass door into a room with a crazed looking person wearing headphones, banging on an organ and screaming into an old microphone. Is this an exhibit? The cacophonous display is indeed behind a velvet rope with a sign cautioning us not to speak to the screaming man. Hmmmm, why are there portraits of sexy ladies covering every inch these solemn white walls? What the F@#!!K is going on here???

What's going on here is that you are witnessing the recording of the latest Quintron album “SUCRE DU SAUVAGE” (sugar of the savages). From January 29th through May 2nd of 2010, Quintron punched a time clock and reported to work at NOMA to write and record this album in a public gallery space. The official title of the entire exhibit, which also included a Drum Buddy retrospective and an enormous Miss Pussycat puppet display, was “Parallel Universe – Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live In City Park.” Quintron's intent behind the museum recording studio was not to entertain visiting museum goers with any kind of performance, but to completely ignore them and go about the business of making this record. When needed, viewers would be pulled into the process and used for backing vocals, hand claps, grunting, etc.

During the final seven days of recording, Quintron chose to imprison himself within the museum and its surrounding grounds - a beautiful swampy nature preserve called “New Orleans City Park.” He would roam the park by night making field recordings and then weave them into the final mixes of the album by day. The week concluded with a blindfolded listening party in the NOMA auditorium (see album cover).

The result of this experiment is a severely schizophrenic dual album. Part one is Quintron writing the way he usually does but with far wider instrumentation. Tympani, vibraphone, whistling, and tape loops join the ranks of Drum Buddy and electric organ. There is also a noticeable increase in the number of chords used per song compared to previous Quintron albums - like from one chord to maybe more than one chord. There are also two dreamy Miss Pussycat tunes entitled "Banana Beat" and "Spirit Hair." You can hear noise and field recordings creeping into this first half of “SUCRE DU SAUVAGE,” attempting to take over the songs but failing.

In part two the noise and field recordings win the battle hands down as music and structure completely give over to the urge to let all these disparate sounds join hands and run wild. Electronic and acoustic instruments blur together with ducks, insects, birds, water, and even museum elevators until they all become brutal hypnotic madness.

The NOMA sessions produced literally thousands of hours of tape. What you have here is the cream of that crop - the sucre du sauvage. There was no post production or overdubs. When the exhibit closed, the album was finished. It is what it is and it probably ain't happening again any time soon.

“SUCRE DU SAUVAGE” FUN FACTS:

1. Quintron claims to have listened only to M.O.T.O., KEITH FRANK, and PHILIP GLASS during this three month period.

2. For visual inspiration, The New Orleans Museum Of Art allowed Quintron to curate the paintings that were hung on the walls of his recording studio from their extensive permanent collection. He chose only female portraits (mostly from the 19th century) and one portrait of George Washington, America's first president.

“SUCRE DU SAUVAGE” TRACK LIST
1. Ring The Alarm
2. Face Down in the Gutter
3. New Years Night (Boogie Children)
4. Kicked Out of Zolar X
5. Banana Beat
6. Sucre Du Sauvage
7. All Night Right of Way
8. Spirit Hair
9. Elevator
10. Deer in the Clouds
11. Bells
12. Train Ride
13. Jazz Bar
14. Morning

About Quintron:
Quintron has been making genre-defying noise and "Swamp-Tech" dance music in New Orleans for over fifteen years. The majority of his 12 full-length albums have the psychedelic soul of New Orleans garage R&B filtered through a tough distorted Hammond B-3 and a cache of self-made electronic instruments. He has also released strange soundscapes based on inner-city field recordings of frogs and neighborhood ambiance. Quintron regards his most significant creation to be his patented instrument called the DRUM BUDDY, a light activated analog synthesizer that creates murky, low-fidelity, rhythmic patterns. Notable DRUM BUDDY clients include performers Nels Cline of Wilco, Laurie Anderson, Fred Armisen, and DJ Mr. Dibbs.

About Miss Pussycat:
Miss Pussycat is a New Orleans based photographer and puppeteer who has toured the world with Quintron for the past 15 year conducting puppet shows in rock clubs and at international festivals. Her three full-length movies, North Pole Nutrias (2002), Electric Swamp (2005), and most recently Trixie and The Treetrunks (commissioned by VBS TV in 2007), have featured the voices of numerous New Orleans musical, political, and literary celebrities. In addition to her full length puppet movies she has also worked on several puppet-cast music videos and will definitely be creating one or two for "SUCRE DU SAUVAGE"!

Watch the Miss Pussycat Bruise Cruise promo video here!

Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live!
Mon, Feb 21 - Mobile, AL @ Alabama Music Box *
Tues, Feb 22 - Tallahassee @ Engine Room *
Wed, Feb 23 - Orlando, FL @ Backbooth *
Thurs, Feb 24 - Miami, FL @ GRAND CENTRAL ^
Fri, Feb 25 - Bruise Cruise (from Miami to Nassau Bahamas and back, hopefully) &
Fri, Feb 25 - Special Bruise Cruise Nassau show @ Senor Frogs
Sat, Mar 5th - New Orleans, LA - Mardis Gras @ SPELLCASTER MARITIME BALL $
Mon, Mar 7th - New Orleans, LA - Mardis Gras @ One Eyed Jacks - annual Lundi Gras show !

9th Ward Marching Band (100 piece band directed by Quintron and Miss Pussycat) Parade Schedule:
Fri, Mar 4th - Krewe De E'tat - 6pm roll time, uptown route
Sat, Mar 5th - Spellcaster to Siberia Parade - 2pm (time subject to change) roll time, exact route secret until roll time
Mon, Mar 7th - Krewe of Proteus - 5 or 6pm roll time, uptown route

SXSW

Fri, Mar 18th @ Beerland (Goner Records Party) #
Sat, Mar 19th @ Mohawk (Panache SXSW Showcase) %

* = w/ Ty Segall
^ = w/ Vivian Girls, OH Sees, Strange Boys, Ty Segall, Turbo Fruits, DJ Jonathan Tobin, More.
& = w/ Black Lips, Vivian Girls, OH Sees, Strange Boys, Ty Segall, Turbo Fruits, DJ Jonathan Tobin, Surfer Blood, Jacuzzi Boys.
$ = w/ Cave, Thee Oh Sees, MC Trachiotomy
! = w/ The Black Lips, Vockah Redu, Turbo Fruits, More TBA
# = w/ Ty Segall, John Wesley Coleman, Overnight Lows, Limes, Harlan T Bobo
% = w/ Ty Segall, Strange Boys, JEFF the Brotherhood, Bellrays, Pujol, Turbo Fruits & More

Full Summer Tour with Wizzard Sleeve, Cave, and Jeff the Brotherhood Coming Soon!

For more information, visit:
www.quintronandmisspussycat.com
www.goner-records.com

Lavinia Announce First US Appearances at Boston's Great Scott and Austin's SXSW Marathon

2011-02-07T07:31:00.000-08:00

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

Lavinia Live!
February 24th @ The Great Scott Allston, MA
March 18th @ Valhalla Austin, TX (SXSW)

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

Quintron Announces New Album, "SUCRE DU SAUVAGE," Out April 12th on Goner Records!

2011-01-24T07:33:00.000-08:00

Quintron and Miss Pussycat's shows are no Von Trapp home theatre. Instead of yodeling, this duo likes to color their live plays with synthy drums, distorted accordion wheezes and tripped-out disco beats. Mix in a little of the punk-rock attitude the duo's label, Goner, is known for, and you get an idea of what a spectacle a Quintron/Pussycat show can be. - Paste Magazine

New Orleans-based Quintron is no stranger to making a scene. The avant-garde musician constantly turns heads with his Drum Buddy, a hand-built, light-activated analog synthesizer that is "played like a turntable" and creates otherworldly electric sounds. - Filter

Seeing Quintron and Miss Pussycat live is a unique experience. I know we rock writers like to say that someone is “peerless” or “one of a kind” or “does something no one else does” and that isn’t really true. For Mr. Quintron, that is entirely accurate. Most artists work within the bounds of their instruments. Mr. Quintron invents his. - Three Imaginary Girls

You will dance; you will sweat; you will likely be amazed. - Time Out New York

Remember when you were a kid and you went to a serious art museum and you could not wait to leave because it was so boring? The lives of painters and their subjects seemed so far removed from your pre-teen reality that you could not possibly drag yourself into caring. No matter how hard you tried, you just wanted to go home and listen to your music, read your comics and dream a little dream.

Well imagine being a kid in 2010 and you find yourself on a trip to the famous New Orleans Museum of Art. You pass by the Rodin sculpture on the grand marble stairway and the vaults of ancient Japanese pottery on the third floor; You breeze through the French impressionists, the Faberge collection, the Joseph Cornell, and the Warhols in the modern wing. Then suddenly you pass through a soundproof glass door into a room with a crazed looking person wearing headphones, banging on an organ and screaming into an old microphone. Is this an exhibit? The cacophonous display is indeed behind a velvet rope with a sign cautioning us not to speak to the screaming man. Hmmmm, why are there portraits of sexy ladies covering every inch these solemn white walls? What the F@#!!K is going on here???

What's going on here is that you are witnessing the recording of the latest Quintron album “SUCRE DU SAUVAGE” (sugar of the savages). From January 29th through May 2nd of 2010, Quintron punched a time clock and reported to work at NOMA to write and record this album in a public gallery space. The official title of the entire exhibit, which also included a Drum Buddy retrospective and an enormous Miss Pussycat puppet display, was “Parallel Universe – Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live In City Park.” Quintron's intent behind the museum recording studio was not to entertain visiting museum goers with any kind of performance, but to completely ignore them and go about the business of making this record. When needed, viewers would be pulled into the process and used for backing vocals, hand claps, grunting, etc.

During the final seven days of recording, Quintron chose to imprison himself within the museum and its surrounding grounds - a beautiful swampy nature preserve called “New Orleans City Park.” He would roam the park by night making field recordings and then weave them into the final mixes of the album by day. The week concluded with a blindfolded listening party in the NOMA auditorium (see album cover).

The result of this experiment is a severely schizophrenic dual album. Part one is Quintron writing the way he usually does but with far wider instrumentation. Tympani, vibraphone, whistling, and tape loops join the ranks of Drum Buddy and electric organ. There is also a noticeable increase in the number of chords used per song compared to previous Quintron albums - like from one chord to maybe more than one chord. There are also two dreamy Miss Pussycat tunes entitled "Banana Beat" and "Spirit Hair." You can hear noise and field recordings creeping into this first half of “SUCRE DU SAUVAGE,” attempting to take over the songs but failing.

In part two the noise and field recordings win the battle hands down as music and structure completely give over to the urge to let all these disparate sounds join hands and run wild. Electronic and acoustic instruments blur together with ducks, insects, birds, water, and even museum elevators until they all become brutal hypnotic madness.

The NOMA sessions produced literally thousands of hours of tape. What you have here is the cream of that crop - the sucre du sauvage. There was no post production or overdubs. When the exhibit closed, the album was finished. It is what it is and it probably ain't happening again any time soon.

“SUCRE DU SAUVAGE” FUN FACTS:

1. Quintron claims to have listened only to M.O.T.O., KEITH FRANK, and PHILIP GLASS during this three month period.

2. For visual inspiration, The New Orleans Museum Of Art allowed Quintron to curate the paintings that were hung on the walls of his recording studio from their extensive permanent collection. He chose only female portraits (mostly from the 19th century) and one portrait of George Washington, America's first president.

“SUCRE DU SAUVAGE” TRACK LIST
1. Ring The Alarm
2. Face Down in the Gutter
3. New Years Night (Boogie Children)
4. Kicked Out of Zolar X
5. Banana Beat
6. Sucre Du Sauvage
7. All Night Right of Way
8. Spirit Hair
9. Elevator
10. Deer in the Clouds
11. Bells
12. Train Ride
13. Jazz Bar
14. Morning

About Quintron:
Quintron has been making genre-defying noise and "Swamp-Tech" dance music in New Orleans for over fifteen years. The majority of his 12 full-length albums have the psychedelic soul of New Orleans garage R&B filtered through a tough distorted Hammond B-3 and a cache of self-made electronic instruments. He has also released strange soundscapes based on inner-city field recordings of frogs and neighborhood ambiance. Quintron regards his most significant creation to be his patented instrument called the DRUM BUDDY, a light activated analog synthesizer that creates murky, low-fidelity, rhythmic patterns. Notable DRUM BUDDY clients include performers Nels Cline of Wilco, Laurie Anderson, Fred Armisen, and DJ Mr. Dibbs.

About Miss Pussycat:
Miss Pussycat is a New Orleans based photographer and puppeteer who has toured the world with Quintron for the past 15 year conducting puppet shows in rock clubs and at international festivals. Her three full-length movies, North Pole Nutrias (2002), Electric Swamp (2005), and most recently Trixie and The Treetrunks (commissioned by VBS TV in 2007), have featured the voices of numerous New Orleans musical, political, and literary celebrities. In addition to her full length puppet movies she has also worked on several puppet-cast music videos and will definitely be creating one or two for "SUCRE DU SAUVAGE"!

Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live!
Mon, Feb 21 - Mobile, AL @ Alabama Music Box *
Tues, Feb 22 - Tallahassee @ Engine Room *
Wed, Feb 23 - Orlando, FL @ Backbooth *
Thurs, Feb 24 - Miami, FL @ GRAND CENTRAL ^
Fri, Feb 25 - Bruise Cruise (from Miami to Nassau Bahamas and back, hopefully) &
Fri, Feb 25 - Special Bruise Cruise Nassau show @ Senor Frogs
Sat, March 5th - New Orleans, LA - Mardis Gras @ SPELLCASTER MARITIME BALL $
Mon, Mar 7th - New Orleans, LA - Mardis Gras @ One Eyed Jacks - annual Lundi Gras show !

9th Ward Marching Band (100 piece band directed by Quintron and Miss Pussycat) Parade Schedule:
Fri, Mar 4th - Krewe De E'tat - 6pm roll time, uptown route
Sat, Mar 5th - Spellcaster to Siberia Parade - 2pm (time subject to change) roll time, exact route secret until roll time
Mon, Mar 7th - Krewe of Proteus - 5 or 6pm roll time, uptown route

* = w/ Ty Segall
^ = w/ Vivian Girls, OH Sees, Strange Boys, Ty Segall, Turbo Fruits, DJ Jonathan Tobin, More.
& = w/ Black Lips, Vivian Girls, OH Sees, Strange Boys, Ty Segall, Turbo Fruits, DJ Jonathan Tobin, Surfer Blood, Jacuzzi Boys.
$ = w/ Cave, Thee Oh Sees, MC Trachiotomy
! = w/ The Black Lips, Vockah Redu, Turbo Fruits, More TBA

Full Summer Tour w/ Wizzard Sleeve, Cave, and Jeff the Brotherhood Coming Soon!

For more information, visit:
www.quintronandmisspussycat.com
www.goner-records.com

Caspian Announce US Tour w/ Native * Live DVD + Documentary Out Later This Year

2011-01-24T07:23:00.000-08:00

Boston's instrumental-rock juggernaut Caspian have announced an upcoming, headlining US tour with friends and contemporaries Native and Chiaroscuro. The tour will take the bands down the East Coast and into the South, where they'll then ultimately head to this year's SXSW marathon.

In addition, Caspian have announced plans to record later this year for a new album due in 2012, as well as release their first ever live DVD that will include a full live performance from Germany filmed in November 2010, a short documentary of the band's recent UK tour, and other bonus materials (both courtesy of The Mylene Sheath). Full details on all new releases coming soon.

Caspian Live!
Mar 4 - Baltimore, MD - Golden West Cafe $*
Mar 5 - Vienna, VA - Jammin Java $*
Mar 6 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter $*
Mar 9 - Charlotte, NC - Snug Harbor $*
Mar 10 - Nashville, TN - The End $*
Mar 11 - Athens, GA - Caledonia Lounge $*
Mar 12 - Orlando, FL - Will's Pub $*
Mar 13 - Gainesville, FL - The Atlantic $*
Mar 15 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon $
Mar 18 - Austin, TX - SXSW / Mylene Sheath Showcase - Valhalla !

$ = w/ Native
* = w/ Chiaroscuro
! = w/ Junius, Lavinia, Gifts From Enola, Eksi Ekso, Herra Terra

Nothing less than an exemplary and genuinly revelatory excercise in emotionally devastating post-rock. 8/10 - ROCKSOUND

Caspian, a Massachusetts post-rock crew, knows that "epic" doesn't have to mean an album of five 16+ minute songs, and the crew have the melodies to prove it. - BROOKLYN VEGAN

This batch of songs is anchored by brilliant, restless songwriting. No boring twenty-minute crescendos here. Tertia is full of surprises... There's scarcely a better post-rock record on the horizon. 9/10 - PREFIXMAG

Tertia is just as effective when it sparkles as when it storms. Caspian has the instrumental firepower to make a big noise when it feels like it. But the melodies, timbres and harmonics are so fully realized that "Tertia" would be mighty, even without its climaxes. - THE WASHINGTON POST

A dense work of post-rock with purpose. - RHAPSODY

For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/caspiantheband
www.mylenesheath.com

Lifeguards Premiere New Song "Paradise Is Not So Bad" * New Album Out February 15th on Ernest Jenning / Serious Business

2011-01-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

Hear a New Song From Robert Pollard's Lifeguards

Lifeguards is one of the many musical projects that the insanely prolific Guided by Voices frontman Robert Pollard currently maintains. In Lifeguards, Pollard teams up with former GBV member Doug Gillard. And on February 15, Serious Business Records/Ernest Jenning Record Co. will release their new album Waving at the Astronauts.

On this album, Gillard wrote and recorded instrumentals, then sent them to Pollard to handle the lyrics and vocal melodies. Up above, you can download the leadoff track "Paradise Is Not So Bad", and we've got the tracklist below.

Waving at the Astronauts:
01 Paradise Is Not So Bad
02 Nobody's Milk
03 (Doing) The Math
04 Product Head
05 You're Gonna Need a Mountain
06 Sexless Auto
07 Trip the Web
08 They Called Him So Much
09 Keep It in Orbit
10 What Am I?

(((Read more and download "Paradise Is Not So Bad" here!)))

The Mylene Sheath Announces 2011 SXSW Showcase * AOL's Noisecreep.com Talks To Metal Supergroup Lavinia

2011-01-19T07:29:00.000-08:00

The Mylene Sheath 2011 SXSW Showcase
Friday, March 18th @ Valhalla, 7:30pm
(710 Red River Street Austin, TX)
w/
Caspian
Junius
Gifts From Enola
Eksi Ekso
Lavinia
Herra Terra

(((Read AOL Noisecreep's interview w/ metal supergroup Lavinia here!)))

RCRD LBL Spotlights New Music from La Dispute!

2011-01-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

DOWNLOAD: La Dispute - How I Feel + First Snow In Grand Rapids

The Midwest's La Dispute has posted on its site some lines from an excellent John Berryman poem. There is little more you could do to woo me, aside from offering up a track to a for-charity Christmas album and putting out two of the most lyrically engaging records of the past year.

(((Read more and download music here!)))

The Giraffes Announce Final Show w/ Frontman Aaron Lazar, February 5th at The Mercury Lounge in New York

2011-01-13T10:19:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, February 5th at Midnight, longtime Brooklyn surf-metal mischief-makers THE GIRAFFES take the stage of the Mercury Lounge for an extended set of songs, drawing from the entirety of the band’s career thus far. The show will be the last to feature heart-attack-addled singer Aaron Lazar, who is amicably abdicating the mic after ten years.

But, this departure does not spell the end of the band, as THE GIRAFFES are currently in the process of auditioning new singers to fill Mr. Lazar’s estimable motorcycle boots.

In addition, THE GIRAFFES have begun producing a weekly podcast, available on their website, containing a mix of previously unreleased tracks, instrumental demos of new material, and NC-17 updates on the state of the band. The podcasts can be found at thegiraffes.com, and are available free through iTunes.

Crustacean Records will release THE GIRAFFES' previously-unreleased full-length album RULED, the band’s most audacious disc to date, in hard copy and available for download on iTunes in March. Heady, heavy, dense, tense and unpredictable, fans of the band’s shout-along choruses and punishing rhythms, razor-sharp wit, and guitar pyrotechnics will find this to be their greatest work. Newcomers will have the perfect introduction to the band in all their volatile glory. RULED is the last studio release Lazar recorded with THE GIRAFFES before announcing his departure.

* Check back frequently to thegiraffes.com for routine updates on the status of the band.

The Giraffes Live!
Saturday, February 5th @ The Mercury Lounge New York, NY (Last Show w/ Singer Aaron Lazar) tickets

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

The Forms Premiere New Song feat Matt Berninger of The National + Dates w/ The Dismemberment Plan!

2011-01-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

Listen: The Forms With the National's Frontman
New York duo teams with Matt Berninger for "Fire to the Ground"

On February 15, Threespheres/Ernest Jenning will release Derealization, new EP from New York indie duo the Forms. On this EP, the group reworks some musical ideas from their previous releases, accompanied by an impressive supporting cast. Shudder to Think's Craig Wedren and Pattern Is Movement's Andrew Thiboldeaux contribute guest vocals, and up above, you can download "Fire to the Ground", which features the National's Matt Berninger. (Check out "Steady Hand", featuring Thiboldeaux, over at Stereogum.) The EP also features a string section that includes members of Dirty Projectors and St. Vincent.

The Forms Live!
1/28 Boston, MA @ Paradise w/ Dismemberment Plan
2/12 Brooklyn, NY @ Rock Shop - Record Release Party
2/17 Pittsburgh, PA @ Lava Lounge
2/19 Cincinnati, OH @ Southgate House
2/20 Chicago, IL @ Metro w/ Dismemberment Plan
2/21 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
2/22 Ann Arbor, MI @ Arbor Vitae
2/23 Milwaukee, WI @ Mad Planet
2/24 Daytrotter Session
2/24 Madison, WI @ Project Lodge
2/26 Omaha, NE @ Barley Street
2/28 Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
3/2 Nashville, TN @ The End
3/4 Chapel Hill, NC @nightlight
3/12-13 New Orleans, LA @ Foburg Music Festival
3/16-19 Austin, TX @ SXSW

+ More Dates Coming Soon!

(((Read more and download the new track here!)))

Native Announce West Coast Dates w/ RX Bandits and Fake Problems

2011-01-10T13:38:00.000-08:00

Clearly growing up under the influence of classic post-punk bands like Fugazi and Shellac, Native have succeeded in forging something original from the discordant madness of those bands and the catchy, intricate guitar interplay of '90s Midwest staples like Braid and American Football. - Exclaim Canada

Being this EP is close to a year old and about to enter its fourth pressing or so, I imagine we might get something new from the band later this year. If We Delete; Erase is any indication, it's something to look forward to. - Punknews.org

It lands somewhere between a pissed off Minus the Bear and a caged up Botch. - Surfing Magazine

Native’s self-released debut EP, We Delete; Erase, has been recently unleashed online, and their fresh, confident sound is filling their listeners with hope for some great things to come. - CMJ

Sargent House recording artists Native will set out on a series of US tour dates kicking off later this month and extending into February 2011, in support of their latest album "Wrestling Moves," and will be joined by fellow label mates RX Bandits and Side One Dummy artists Fake Problems.

The band is also giving away their critically acclaimed debut EP "We Delete; Erase" for free this week only (fans can download the record here) and look out for more dates to be announced for their March tour with Mylene Sheath recording artists Caspian that will end at SXSW.

Native Live
Jan 15 - Valparaiso, IN @ BlackBird Cafe
Jan 17 - St Louis, MO @ Lemp Art Center
Jan 18 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory w/ Fake Problems
Jan 20 - Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theatre **
Jan 21 - Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Cafe - Vegas Strip **
Jan 22 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues **
Jan 23 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo w/ Fake Problems (AA early show)
Jan 26 - Santa Barbara, CA @ UCSB Storke Plaza at NOON - Free open to public
Jan 27 - San Luis Obispo, CA @ SLO Brewing Company **
Jan 28 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill **
Jan 29 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill **
Feb 01 - Mesa, AZ @ The Undergeround w/ St Ranger
Feb 03- Austin, TX @ Red 7 w/ Brother Ghost & Pswingset
Feb 04- Fort Worth, TX @ 1919 Hemphill
Feb 18 -Indianapolis, IN @ The Hoosier Dome

** = w/ RX Bandits & Fake Problems

For more information, visit:
native.bandcamp.com
www.sargenthouse.com

follow Sargent House at
twitter.com/sargenthouse

The Associated Press Names New Into It. Over It. / Koji Split An Overlooked / Best Album on 2010

2011-01-07T13:48:00.000-08:00

Into It. Over It. / Koji, "IIOI/KOJI" (No Sleep)

Best friends and singer songwriters Evan Thomas Weiss and Andrew Koji Shiraki pulled off a wonderful musical mind-meld on their split release album, "IIOI/KOJI." Each man handled one side of the album that is filled with heartfelt rock songs that proved both cohesive and candid.

(((Read the full review on Yahoo here!)))

(((Read the full review on ABCNews.com here!)))

Wires Under Tension Partner w/ Ableton Software For New Live Packs

2011-01-05T08:05:00.000-08:00

Watch the new video for "Mnemonics In Motion" here!

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 Metz (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. - The Village Voice

South Bronx duo Wires Under Tension have partnered with music software developers Ableton to bring the band's fans and technology's users a free Live Pack to ring in the New Year. Their "live pack" includes all the sounds, instruments and programming used to create their new remix "Bronx Science." Built from material from their forthcoming debut "Light Science," Ableton users can now tweak the track out for themselves. Using pitch shifted violins, fractured drum breaks, and pulsating electronic filters, they've invented a neo hip-hop landscape which celebrates the energy of their home turf. Named after the public high school, "Bronx Science" is a lesson in new-school instrumental alchemy with an addictive urban bounce.

Be on the lookout for the new Wires Under Tension mp3 created using the Ableton technology premiering soon. Tignor describes the experience: "The cold snap has arrived here in the Bronx. Feral cats huddle together for warmth beneath old Chevys. It was on such a winter's day that I began experimenting with the violin loops that I record live while playing the song "Wood, Metal, Bone" off the new Wires.Under.Tension record Light Science. This violin technique, known as bariolage, makes use of high-energy string crossings to create melodic arcs which convey the very essence of the instrument. That song gets a lot of practice because the technique is challenging, but more importantly, all that bowing is a great way to keep warm down here in my underground studio.

We're always looking to get the instrumentally idiomatic to speak in new tongues. By taking these samples and subjecting them to some automated transformations, a sort of neo hip-hop flavor fell out. Using drum samples taken off another track, "Mnemonics in Motion" played by Wires.Under.Tension's better half, Theo Metz, these fantastic, off-kilter hi-hat grooves arrived. The core sounds of the band then all found their way in: digitally extended glockenspiel melodies, punchy brass hits and even some overdriven clavinet. Theo and I were impressed at how the whole thing uncannily expressed the vibe of my newfound neighborhood and in a nod to the public high school of the same name, "Bronx Science" was born.

I've divided the song up into many finely grained scenes. In each scene name, you'll see the number of bars that I let each last before moving on. Of course, feel free to linger or hurry as you like or skip the script entirely.

So season's greetings and enjoy. Maybe take a break between meals to reinvent what you can do with strings, drums and the rest. You've earned it. And if living as a musician has taught me anything, it's that to keep pushing what excites you is to keep warm."

* Fans can download the free Ableton Live Pack here. Wires Under Tension's debut album, "Light Science," will be released on February 8th on Western Vinyl.

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

NPR's All Songs Considered Names Harvey Milk and Pyramids "Best of 2010"

2011-01-04T10:03:00.000-08:00

2010's Best Metal And Outer Sound
(2.) Harvey Milk, 'A Small Turn Of Human Kindness'

A Small Turn of Human Kindness is like one long, depressing joke. But as Harvey Milk albums tend to go, it's the longest the Athens, Ga., trio has gone without cracking up. From what I can gather, it's a story about a broken man and the potential for grace, but Creston Spiers wrangles every ugly memory out of his guitar and howls at every gaping wound in what might be the sludgy Southern rock band's most fulfilling album yet.

The Best Cassettes Of 2010
(3.) Pyramids, 'Wvndrkmmer'

R. Loren has a penchant for large-scale collaboration. In 2010 alone, the musicians involved in two of his projects -- Sailors With Wax Wings and White Moth -- read like a dream-list of metal, drone and ambient music. But with Wvndrkmmer, he outdid himself. Spread over five cassettes and six hours of music, 52 drone, ambient and noise artists were selected to remix, reinterpret and rework audio segments by his avant-metal band Pyramids. No two tracks are alike, yet all convey the unique sound-world of the Denton, Texas-based band. Key contributors include Nicholas Szczepanik, Exit in Grey, Jeremy Bible, Josh Lay, Wicked Messenger and Windy & Carl.

Lifeguards (feat Robert Pollard and Doug Gillard) Announce New Album, "Waving At The Astronauts," Out February 2011

2010-12-20T07:52:00.000-08:00

* artwork by Robert Pollard

Robert Pollard and Doug Gillard of Guided By Voices are LIFEGUARDS. The two first worked together outside of the GBV realm on the 1999 fan-classic Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Dept, which included "Do Something Real" the anthemic theme to Steven Soderbergh's film Full Frontal. Their debut release as Lifeguards, Mist King Urth, emerged in 2002 on Pollard's own Fading Captain Series label to fervent fan approval. In 2010 Pollard and Gillard reconvened for the first time since the end of GBV in 2004 to create the astounding follow up: Waving at the Astronauts. Gillard wrote and recorded 10 complex and beautiful instrumentals at home then sent the finished compositions off to Pollard who graced the tracks with some of the most unforgettable melodies and strangely poetic lyrics of his career. In May 2010, Pollard recorded his vocals with Gillard and Travis Harrison at Serious Business Music in NYC where drums and overdubs were added and the record was mixed.

From the ragged and triumphant rock masterpiece "Paradise Is Not So Bad," to the chugging "Sexless Auto" and the off-kilter ramble of "What Am I," this is the latest gem from a songwriting team whose limits are larger than any arena you might try and squeeze them into.

While there are no Lifeguards shows announced at this point, you can catch both Bob and Doug in one night when Gillard opens for GBV on New Year's Eve at New York's Irving Plaza!

Nearly sold out, the final copies of the album's first 7" single "Product Head b/w Naught Windsor" are available right now.

WAVING AT THE ASTRONAUTS TRACK LIST
PARADISE IS NOT SO BAD
NOBODY’S MILK
(DOING) THE MATH
PRODUCT HEAD
YOU’RE GONNA NEED A MOUNTAIN
SEXLESS AUTO
TRIP THE WEB
THEY CALLED HIM SO MUCH
KEEP IT IN ORBIT
WHAT AM I?

For more information, visit:
www.ernestjenning.com

The Wall Street Journal Talks To Kayo Dot Frontman Toby Driver

2010-12-16T08:57:00.000-08:00

Superfund Site Morphs Into Cultural Hot Spot

On a recent Sunday night, the seven-piece band Kayo Dot entertained about 100 fans inside the airy, industrial-chic music room, filling the space with complex, flowing instrumental rock music. "They really respect the music here," said Toby Driver, the band's leader, who was more accustomed to playing at "small DIY rooms with bad sound." He was impressed that such a professional setting would eschew more commercial choices in favor of creative bookings.

(((Read more here!)))

Jambase Calls Clutch Best Rock Band in Past 20 Years!

2010-12-14T08:46:00.000-08:00

Clutch: Unstoppable Watts

The past 20 years have produced no better rock band than Clutch. A bold, blunt statement but 'bold' and 'blunt' are two things Clutch excels at. Yes, there are a handful of great bands that reside in the same line, but in terms of rock's key fundamentals – real craftsmanship, a rebellious undertow, a boogie addled soul, an unabashed willingness to speak truth to power, a love of volume and electricity – Clutch has it locked down and has continued to evolve in fascinating ways with every album and tour. The force and quality of what they do is a sound to crush the lazy and distracted with profound focus & broad dynamics. Heavy and subtle, complex and brute force, Clutch is simply mighty rock 'n' roll kung-fu.

(((Read more here!)))

Crave Online Calls New Harvey Milk and Masters of Reality Best Metal Albums of 2010

2010-12-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Metal Albums of 2010

So much music crosses our ears throughout the year it becomes hard to focus on what really is the best. Finding the worst music is easy, it’s an instant reaction that shoots through you and signals to the brain you’re listening to absolute crap. With great music, even good music, it hits on multiple levels that you need time to really work out. Sometimes the music hits you in the head, making you think, sometimes it hits you in the soul, creating an emotional reaction. Neither of these are mutually exclusive, but with some albums they need to even out.

(((Read more here!)))

About.com Top 40 Blog Spotlights Stay Ahead of The Weather

2010-12-10T08:35:00.000-08:00

Artist In the Wings - Stay Ahead of the Weather

The act called Stay Ahead of the Weather have only been together approximately a year. That is because they are a sort of indie punk pop supergroup encompassing members of the bands Into It. Over It., Castevet, and Native. They all have played music as part of the Midwestern music scene and decided to embark on this project for fun. If you have a taste for solid, uptempo, guitar-based punk pop, listen to Stay Ahead of the Weather.

(((Read more here!)))

The Attack Cover The Kinks' "Father Christmas!"

2010-12-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

listen and download exclusively @ TheAttack.us!

Jesu Announce "Christmas" EP Out Now on Avalanche Recordings

2010-12-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

buy it now exclusively @ avalanchinc.co.uk

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

2010-11-30T08:59:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-30T08:53:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-23T12:13:00.000-08:00

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"

2010-11-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-16T13:42:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-15T13:29:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-08T08:08:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

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

Torche Endorsed by Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee on Fox News' Red Eye * New Album "Songs For Singles" Out Now on Hydra Head!

2010-10-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

Watch Part 1 of Torche on Fox Red Eye here! // Watch Part 2 here!

"It's Black Sabbath meets U2 mixed with a vat of delicious chocolate sauce... it's Jane's Addiction, only louder and scarier... it's Nirvana without the depression... it's the Foo Fighter with, you know, songs... it's heavy, thunderous, melodic, exhilarating, and most of all, huge. That's Torche." - Mike Huckabee on Fox News' Red Eye

Check out the video from Monday night's episode of Fox Red Eye featuring Torche's Steve Brooks and Jonathan Nunez above!

The first video includes an intro by Red Eye's resident doom metal expert, former presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, who, extolling the many virtues of Torche, says they're "the world's greatest band" and "heavier than something really heavy like a tractor or something."

In the next video, Gutfeld interviews the band members, asking the openly gay Brooks "Do you get lots of groupies?" at one point and later adding, "I could smell David Lee Roth coming out of you." See how it's handled (above).

* Text courtesy of our friends at the
Broward Palm Beach New Times

** Purchase Songs For Singles digitally at iTunes today! Order Songs For Singles on CD or LP format at BlueCollarDistro.com!

Stream "Songs For Singles" here!

Songs For Singles Track List
1. U.F.O.
2. Lay Low
3. Hideaway
4. Arrowhead
5. Shine On My Old Ways
6. Cast Into Unknown
7. Face The Wall
8. Out Again

Torche Live!
10/27 Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle w/ High on Fire and Kylesa
10/29 Gainesville, FL @ Common Grounds (FEST 9)

For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/torche
www.hydrahead.com

Koji Partners With Humility Now * Announces New Album, "Some Small Way," Out November 9th on Run For Cover Records and Upcoming Split Release w/ La Dispute!

2010-10-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

* photo courtesy of Gene Smirnov

In my life, the two worlds of art and activism exist because of each other. At the heart of things, what I want is positive change and to have done my part. - Andrew Koji Shiraki

Andrew "Koji" Shiraki might best be known around the world for his activism/social justice work centered around achieving peace in central and east Africa, specifically working to end the LRA's use of child soldiers in the war torn northern region of Uganda.

Through advocating on behalf of organizations like Invisible Children (www.invisiblechildren.com) and Resolve (www.theresolve.org), Shiraki has played countless benefit concerts, but more importantly, has taken to the streets by organizing for Invisible Children's 100 city demonstration last April, called The Rescue, and has been actively organizing meetings with legislators across the country on behalf of this issue. Just this year their efforts have resulted in the landmark passage of the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, which has been called "the most significant action ever taken by our leaders to end this crisis." (* citation taken from www.theresolve.org)

Domestically, Shiraki has collaborated with the Miami-based homelessness advocacy group, Humility Now (www.humilitynow.com) to bring attention to the issue of homelessness in the United States (look for their table at The Fest 9 in Gainesville). He's also performed at childrens' hospitals, camps for special needs kids and adults, youth centers, and schools, using his voice as a source for change and positivity in the community. "It's been one of the defining aspects of my career thus far." says Koji.

With his last release, "Spring Song Vol. 1" (September 2010 / Run For Cover Records) Shiraki took an intimate approach in creating a live recording. "Growing up in Pennsylvania, the DIY scene that brought music affordably and for all ages to VFW Halls, American Legions, living rooms, basements, barns, and backyards across the state instilled within me a sense of self reliance and empowerment. Some places in the world aren't so fortunate to have public spaces where people can gather around the arts. Even in communities where it is available, that freedom of expression is often challenged or put at risk. It's our responsibility to make a place for that freedom and keep it safe. I hope this recording will stand as a small testament to the connection people share through music and how the arts can build bridges and strengthen communities. A sound can be a spark."

Now, on "Some Small Way" (his first studio recording for the label), Koji takes his upbeat and sometimes tortured pop approach (think Chisel meets Jeff Buckley) to its greatest heights yet. Engineered and co-produced by Gabe Liberti at Seaside Lounge in Brooklyn, NY and mixed by TW Walsh (Sufjan Stevens, David Bazan, Rocky Votolato), the new album features longtime collaborator Chris Sigda on guitar and vocals, Jim Tomlinson on synth and keys, and rhythm section which includes Dave Goletz and Willie Rose of Settle (Epitaph).

* Koji has also announced the upcoming Spring 2011 split release w/ La Dispute. Koji is currently collaborating w/ La Dispute drummer Brad Vander Lugt on the upcoming Koji split w/ Into It. Over It. and will be writing and performing together starting with Koji's first full band tour ever taking place this December.

Some Small Way Track List
1. Eating Lemons
2. Waking Up
3. Stay
4. Windows (live)
5. Color Quiet Loud

Koji Live!
Oct 31 Civic Media Center (The Fest 9) Gainesville, FL *
Nov 2 Swayze's Venue Marietta, GA **
Nov 3 Humankind Nashville, TN **
Nov 4 House Show Columbia, MO **
Nov 5 TBA Chicago, IL **
Nov 6 Mac's Bar Lansing, MI **
Nov 7 It's A Kling Thing House Akron, OH **
Nov 8 The Smiling Moose Pittsburgh, PA **
Nov 9 Eldolyn Terrace Altoona, PA **
Nov 10 The Fire Philadelphia, PA **

* = w/ Into It. Over It., Dave Dondero, Jared Grabb (of Scouts Honor)
** = w/ Into It. Over It. and Such Gold

For more information, visit:
www.kojisaysaloha.com
kojisaysaloha.tumblr.com
www.myspace.com/kojisaysaloha
www.runforcoverrecords.com

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

2010-10-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

This week has seen some pretty great attention for new releases from Envy, Clutch, Masters of Reality, Knights of the Abyss and more, here's just a sampling of quality reading:

* Envy's Tetsu Fukagawa interviewed by horror website Bloody-Disgusting

* Sailors With Wax Wings and White Moth frontman R. Loren submitted a piece on his daily routine to the newly updated Decibel Magazine website

* Clutch frontman Neil Fallon sat down w/ Iann Robinson and Crave Magazine to talk about their new releases

* Masters of Reality's new album "Pine / Cross Dover," received some glowing words from AOL's Noisecreep.com, and Antiquiet.com has also just posted their piece w/ frontman Chris Goss

* Pepper's new EP "Stitches" was reviewed at Consequence of Sound

* Knights of the Abyss' new album, "The Culling of Wolves," was reviewed on PopMatters.com

Torche on the Cover of The Aquarian!

2010-10-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

huge thanks to The Aquarian Weekly for their support!
Full interview running online soon!