The Phenomenauts Release "For All Mankind!"

Release For All Mankind Today on Silver Sprocket / Springman * Prepare for US Tour w/ The AKA's!



Minding the gap between the aggro Cal punk that dominates the Warped Tour and the avant-psych pop that's justly favored in their hometown of San Francisco, this outfit proffers a thoroughly endearing summertime blend. A scattering of bizarro sci-fi effects somehow only adds to the logic. - CNET

These guys aren’t like anything you’ve seen or heard before...I saw Phenomenauts play in both New York City and San Francisco; each time the place was jam-packed with people chanting "Science and honor!" A few dozen were dressed as robots, and endless streams of chicks looked like they’d just landed in from an R-rated Jetsons episode. Fanfare of that sort doesn’t happen by coincidence.. - Thrasher Magazine

A band that lives, loves and rocks on the grand scale of the cosmos - SF Weekly

The east bay's craftiest and bravest band - East Bay Express

This is a band that NEEDS to be experienced live, by everyone. - Punknews.org

Inspired by new wave and 70's punk, the third full-length from the world's bravest space band has just landed. A call to arms to defenders of science and honor across the galaxy, The Phenomenauts new album, For All Mankind deals with the serious implications of science fiction, science fact, and offers new perspectives on Earth life as we know it. The album folds out to form a space ship and comes with a die-cast metal Phenomenauts pin.

In an effort to spread this discovery of Science and Honor throughout the galaxy, The Phenomenauts will be orbiting the planet with comrades The A.K.A.'s and Maldroid on the For All Mankind Tour, and if the band's recent sold out headlining CD release show at Slims in San Francisco is any indication, the upcoming US tour dates (listed below) will undoubtedly blow the roof off.

Early transmissions into space have been positively received, with Lou Brutus of XM Satellite Radio saying "Be sure to pick up the disc, which features soon to be classics as 'Man Alone' and 'Make A Circuit with Me,' currently the Number One most requested song on Fungus 53." Terrestrial broadcasts have also been a success, with For All Mankind debuting on CMJ's charts this week as the #16 most added album.

The Phenomenauts' intergalactic pummeling punk rock assault, and over the top, interstellar live shows, have helped create a massive cult following and buzz around the universe and appearances on the likes of the G4 TV, the Sci-Fi Channel, the Discovery Channel, Myspace.com artist profiles, and much more.

To date, The Phenomenauts have toured the world w/ the likes of The Slackers, Aquabats, Demented Are Go, The Epoxies, the mighty Vans Warped Tour, and have trekked the states on numerous headlining tours. This year will prove to be most exciting for The Phenomanauts as they start to leak news of the exciting things they have in store for humanity, including upcoming music videos by the AstroBase (Venture Brothers), massive US tourdates, and more that has yet to be revealed.

Be prepared as The Phenomenauts help keep us focused and guide us through the turbulent waters of what the future might become. If we follow their lead, things might turn out alright.



More about tomorrow's exclusive album stream on Punknews, The Phenomabomber, and Science and Honor here!

For Fans of
*Devo
*The Stray Cats
*Tiger Army
*Rock N Roll!



For All Mankind Tracklist
1. All Go For Launch
2. Man Alone
3. Cyborg
4. Make A Circuit With Me
5. Navitron
6. Tale of Europa
7. Heroes
8. She'll Launch
9. Infinite Frontier
10. Compensation
11. Don't Overheat on Me
12. Into a Time Warop
13. Science and Honor
14. The Colvin Moon

The Phenomenauts Live!

w/ The AKA's!
Apr 16 Medford, Oregon 8:30P JOHNNY B’S
Apr 17*Tacoma, Washington 6:00P HELLS KITCHEN
Apr 18 Portland, Oregon 7:00P SATYRICON
Apr 21 Salt Lake City, Utah 8:30P BURT’S TIKI LOUNGE
Apr 22 Denver, Colorado 7:00P MARQUIS THEATER
Apr 23 Lincoln, Nebraska 9:00P KNICKERBOCKERS
Apr 24*Minneapolis, Minnesota 5:00P TRIPLE ROCK SOCIAL
Apr 25*Chicago, Illinois 6:00P REGGIES
Apr 26*Grand Ledge, Michigan5:00P GRAND HALL
Apr 27 Cincinnati, Ohio 7:00P POISON ROOM
Apr 28 Cleveland, Ohio 8:00P BEACHLAND TAVERN
Apr 30 Cambridge, Massachusetts 9:00P THE MIDDLE EAST
May 1 *New York, New York6:00P THE KNITTING FACTORY
May 2 Asbury Park, New Jersey 8:00P ASBURY LANES
May 4 *Baltimore, Maryland 6:00P OTTOBAR
May 5 Washington, DC XM Live Solar System Broadcast:
May 6 *Virginia Beach, Virginia 6:00P STEPPIN OUT
May 8 Jacksonville, Florida 7:00P JACK RABBITS
May 9 Orlando, Florida 8:00P BACKBOOTH
May 10*Delray Beach, Florida 6:00P CITY LIMITS
May 12 Tallahassee, Florida 7:00P THE BETA BAR
May 15 Houston, Texas8:00P WALTERS ON WASHINGTON
May 16 Austin, Texas 9:00P RED 7
May 17 San Antonio, Texas 7:00P THE ROCK BOTTOM BAR
May 20 Phoenix, Arizona 7:30P THE BRICKHOUSE
May 21 *Las Vegas, Nevada 6:00P JILLIANS
May 23 Hollywood, California7:30P THE KNITTING FACTORY w/SuperNova
May 24 Petaluma, California 7:30P PHOENIX THEATRE
*early show
Stay tuned!
More dates added soon...



For more information, visit:
www.silversprocketlabs.com
www.myspace.com/thephenomenauts

Stereogum, BrooklynVegan, and NoneLouder <3 Torche's "Meanderthal!"

huge thanks to Brandon @ Stereogum, Fred @ BrooklynVegan, and Iann f'cking Robinson @ NoneLouder for their support!

Check out the praise below!



Stereogum * BrooklynVegan * NoneLouder.com

Ecstatic Sunshine Release "Way" Today on Cardboard Records * Announce US Tour w/ Cex!

ECSTATIC SUNSHINE
Release New Album “Way,” Today on Cardboard Records * Announce US Tour w/ Cex!



Pulsing electronics and guitar feedback all swirl together into a brightly textured drone that suggests both stasis and constant forward movement. It's the kind of stuff that gets better the louder you're able to play it, the sort of noise that-- for me, anyway-- always sounds joyous. - Pitchforkmedia.com

The outfit, now numbering three members and only one on guitar, have moved towards a loop-heavy wall of noise that, while still maintaining Matt Papich’s bright, tumbling guitar melodies, seems to have become a band more concerned with textures and intensity. - Impose Magazine

WAY, the second full length by ECSTATIC SUNSHINE, is a record of skewed minimalism and true, uplifting positivity. Recorded in the summer and fall of 2007, between trips and tours, WAY is ECSTATIC stretching to a point fully beyond expectations. The riffs that ECSTATIC explored in the past are deconstructed and reconsidered, effected and processed into melodic noise and chiming rhythm. WAY documents the most recent incarnation of this hyper drone trio, aptly described as "FULL POSITIVE ENO WORLD + PURE TRUST BRANCA CLOUD."

ECSTATIC SUNSHINE began as a way for founding members MATTHEW PAPICH and DUSTIN WONG to interweave 60's minimalism with 80's punk. Formed in Baltimore in the spring of 2005 (just before the avalanche of press began sweating the art damaged scene that was thriving around them), the two guitarists combined seemingly incompatible ideas tightly to make a new, unrecognizable force. ECSTATIC began touring extensively as a treble heavy, ear splitting symmetrical thrash band. In that summer, they recorded their acclaimed debut for Carpark Records, FRECKLE WARS, a 30 minute album full of purist, whimsical bursts.

Since then, the band has been on a quickly changing trajectory, leaving audiences equally confused and enthralled. In the summer of 2007 they released LIVING, a vinyl only EP on Papich's own Wildfire Wildfire imprint. The EP documents ECSTATIC's transition away from their brief and snappy roots towards a more noisy and blissful take on the tonal walls of Glenn Branca and Rhys Chatham. LIVING quickly sold out of its limited pressing of 500 copies and has become a gem to fans of the band. 2007 also brought the addition of KIERAN GILLEN (electronics) and a changing sound that relies more heavily on the repetition of Terry Riley or early Steve Reich. Despite such academic influences, their live performance has been noted for its swirling energy and overwhelming volume and tone -- ECSTATIC SUNSHINE is still a punk band at heart.



ES is DUSTIN WONG, MATTHEW PAPICH, KIERAN GILLEN

ES has performed with: BLACK DICE, DIRTY PROJECTORS, DAN
DEACON, EARTH, MAKE BELIEVE, GROWING, HIGH PLACES,
NO AGE, EX MODELS, WHITE WILLIAMS, CEX, BIG A LITTLE A.



WAY Tracklist:
01 B
02 Herrons
03 Perrier

Ecstatic Sunshine Live!

4/17 = PRINCETON UNIVERSITY w/ ATLAS SOUND, HIGH PLACES

w/ Cex and High Places!
4/18 = BROOKLYN NY @ MARKET HOTEL also w/ Zs
4/19 = SUNY PURCHASE @ CULTURE SHOCK

US Tour w/ Cex!
4/20 = BARD COLLEGE @ SMOG
4/22 = BUFFALO NY @ SOUNDLAB
4/23 = DETROIT MI @ SCRUMMAGE w/ Future Islands
4/26 = CHICAGO IL @ SOUTH UNION ARTS
4/27 = MINNEAPOLIS @ TRIPLE ROCK
4/30 = DENVER CO @ RHINOCEROPOLIS
5/2 = BOISE @ 406 O’FARREL ST
5/3 = PORTLAND OR @ BACKSPACE
5/5 = SAN FRANCISCO CA @ ATA
5/6 = OAKLAND CA @ TBA
5/7 = LOS ANGELES CA @ THE ECHO w/ Barr
5/8 = PHOENIX AZ @ MODIFIED ARTS
5/9 = ALBUQUERQUE NM @ HIGH MAYHEM
5/10 = LUBBOCK TX @ KTXT
5/11 = AUSTIN TX @ THE MOHAWK
5/12 = DALLAS TX @ KETTLE ART
5/13 = FAYETTEVILLE AR @ KXUA
5/14 = KNOXVILLE TN @ PILOT LIGHT
5/15 = ATHENS GA @ CALEDONIA LOUNGE
5/17 = WASHINGTON DC @ COMET’S PING PONG

For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/ecstaticsunshine
www.cardboardrecords.com

Torche Release (and Stream) "Meanderthal" Today on Hydra Head * US Tour w/ The Sword and Stinking Lizaveta!

Release New Album "Meanderthal" Today on Hydra Head * Full Album Stream and US Tour w/ The Sword and Stinking Lizaveta!


photo by Janette Valentine

Meanderthal is an album people will be talking about all year. - Iann Robinson // Nonelouder.com

The group’s definitive statement - Decibel Magazine

With a full-length and an EP under their belt, finally Torche's anthemic melodies, psychedelic freak-outs and foundation-rumbling tones have been captured on tape in a way that does justice to their notorious live show, as well as housing their most indie-rock-inspired melodies to date. - PaperThinWalls

One night some months ago we had a dream that one of our favorite bands would be on one of our favorite labels and together would release one of the most satisfying records in the history of forever. And the heavens would part, the Billboard charts would collapse under the sheer sonic awesomeness, and the world would become a better place — a place where everyone had free health care and a money tree in their backyard and a hot trophy wife or strapping young houseboy or whatever. And that band, ladies and gentlemen, was Torche.

And wouldn’t you know it, that shit totally came true (we’re waiting on the health care, the money tree, the houseboy and the Billboard thing, but still). And that record is Meanderthal. Call it the band’s second official full-length (entrusted to us by our good friends at Robotic Empire) and follow-up to last year’s six-song mini-epic In Return. Call it the latest and greatest bomb-string stoner pop/thunder rock/doom pop classic from Torche mastermind Steve Brooks and his fellow hook heroes. Call it the sweetest, catchiest, hugest riff colossus since Sky Valley. Shit, call it Album Of The Year if you want. That’s what we’re going with, anyway.



Stream all of Meanderthal here!

Meanderthal Tracklist
1. Triumph of Venus
2. Grenades
3. Piranha
4. Sandstorm
5. Speed of the Nail
6. Healer
7. Across the Shields
8. Sundown
9. Little Champion
10. Without A Sound
11. Fat Waves
12. Amnesian
13. Meanderthal

Torche Live!

w/ Stinking Lizaveta
May 7 2008 Downtown Music Little Rock, Arkansas
May 8 2008 Emo’s Austin, Texas
May 30 2008 One Eyed Jacks New Orleans, Louisiana

w/ The Sword and Stinking Lizaveta
May 9 2008 Lola’s Fort Worth, Texas
May 10 2008 Hi Tone Memphis, Tennessee
May 11 2008 Exit/In Nashville, Tennessee
May 12 2008 The Mad Hatter Covington, Kentucky
May 13 2008 The Magic Stick Detroit, Michigan
May 14 2008 Ravari Room Columbus, Ohio
May 15 2008 Rock and Roll Hotel Washington DC
May 16 2008 First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 17 2008 Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn, New York
May 18 2008 Middle East Cambridge, Massachusetts
May 20 2008 Lincoln Theater Raleigh, North Carolina
May 21 2008 The Jinx Savannah, Georgia
May 22 2008 The Beta Bar Tallahassee, Florida
May 23 2008 Common Grounds Gainesville, Florida
May 24 2008 The Social Orlando, Florida
May 25 2008 State Theater St Pete, Florida
May 26 2008 Lenny’s Atlanta, Georgia
May 27 2008 Bottle Tree Birmingham, Alabama
May 28 2008 Spanish Moon Baton Rouge, Louisiana
May 29 2008 Rudyard’s Houston, Texas




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

Pitchfork Forkcast: Pyramids "Sleds"

thanks to Mark Richardson and the entire Pitchfork staff!



New Music: Pyramids: "Sleds" [MP3/Stream]



Not a concept band about yet another past-prime Nicolas Cage film, nor a timely sequel to Alan Parsons Project's two-decades-old Pyramid, Pyramids are a Denton, Texas-based band alternating between guitar-driven ambient pieces and a hazier approximation of Hydra Head labelmates Jesu's slow-diving metallurgy. I put on "Sleds", the opening track from Pyramids' self-titled full-length, thinking I was supposed to be hearing a metal record, but this one's squarely on the ethereal side of the dichotomy. As multi-layered guitars crumble and burn out, a high, incomprehensible male voice reverberates and decays, bringing to mind Deerhunter's more ambient moments, such as "White Ink". "Sleds" may not have the rewarding details, the perceptual drift-encouraging repetitions, or the broader album-related significance of that gorgeous track, but it's not a bad way to wind down at the end of another hectic Monday. Fine, a manic one, either.

Kayo Dot Announces New Album "Blue Lambency Downward" May 6th on Hydra Head * US Dates w/ Earth!

Announces New Album Blue Lambency Downward, May 6th on Hydra Head * US Dates w/ Earth!



If you like your prog dark and your subject matter obtuse, Kayo Dot’s your band. - Dusted

Those willing to give this Boston octet a chance will discover a musical vision unlike anything else out there. - DeadTide.com

The more we write these things, the more we begin to think that words simply don’t suffice. It’s like, first Pyramids, then Torche, and now this: Back-to-back-to-back WTF?s. We were thinking about how we should describe Blue Lambency Downward, and all kinds of phrases popped up—phrases like “a sonic experience unlike any other,” “Kayo Dot send irreverent compositional colors and supreme tonal iridescence bursting through the underground’s monotonous black & white” or “Kayo Dot levy a jazz-tinged sadness upon experimental rock’s triumphalist tendencies”—phrases sullied by overuse, vague incompatibility and the fact that if you’re reading this with even a passing interest, the word “jazz” probably bums you out.

And yet multi-instrumentalists Toby Driver and Mia Matsumiya lull you into a dream state with a small cavalcade of instrumentation, plying an almost noir-ish sensibility at once moody and contemplative, bristling and demure. With a history that includes avant-metallurgists Maudlin Of The Well (Driver was the band’s, uh, driving force), John Zorn’s Tzadik Records (2003’s Choirs Of The Eye), Robotic Empire (2006’s Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue), and instruction from renowned jazz musician Dr. Yusef Lateef, Kayo Dot have delivered an unclassifiable masterpiece.



Track Listing for Blue Lambency Downward:
Blue Lambency Downward 10:00
Clelia Walking 5:29
Right Hand is the One I Want 6:54
The Sow Submits 4:02
The Awkward Wind Wheel 3:29
The Useless Ladder 2:40
Symmetrical Arizona 10:48

Kayo Dot Live!

US w/ Earth!
May 4 2008 Rock and Roll Hotel Washington DC
May 5 2008 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 6 2008 The Knitting Factory New York, New York

Europe
May 25 2008 TBA, France w/ Gregor Samsa
May 26 2008 Main d’Oeuvres Paris, France w/ Gregor Samsa
May 27 2008 TBA, Switzerlandw/ Gregor Samsa
May 28 2008 Treibhaus Luzerne, Switzerland w/ Gregor Samsa
May 29 2008 Belvedere Namur, Belgium w/ Gregor Samsa
May 30 2008 Dqliq Luxembourg w/ Gregor Samsa
May 31 2008 Gleis 22 Munster, Germany w/ Gregor Samsa
Jun 1 2008 TBA with Gregor Samsa TBA, Benelux w/ Gregor Samsa
Jun 2 2008 Cassiopeia Berlin, Germany
Jun 3 2008 Lades Kaelder Copenhagen, Denmark
Jun 4 2008 Az Conni Dresden, Germany
Jun 5 2008 Chateau Rouge Prague, CZ
Jun 6 2008 Feierwerk Munich, Germany
Jun 7 2008 Elfer Frankfurt, Germany
Jun 8 2008 Worm Rotterdam, Netherlands




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

PaperThinWalls Interviews Torche * Streams "Meanderthal!"

huge thanks to Brad Angle, Chris Weingarten, and the entire PTW staff!



Torche
Meanderthal
(Hydra Head)



(((click for full interview and album stream!)))