Exploding In Sound (delivering good rock music since 2008)

Quick Notes: The Mars Volta, Autolux, Mark Lanegan + More

2012-02-13T17:36:00.000-05:00

*[theprp.com] The Mars Volta are streaming their new single “The Malkin Jewel” online over at their official website [link above]. The song will see a release as a digital single tomorrow, February 14th.

Meanwhile, those who pre-order the bands forthcoming album “Noctourniquet” via the link above will receive an instant free download of the aforementioned single. “Noctourniquet” is due in stores on March 27th through Warner Bros. Records.

*[press release] ATP Recordings is releasing a limited edition A6 publication of still imagery for Autolux's "The Science of Imaginary Solutions" to coincide with the release of the Kill Pixie art / Thomas McMahan animated video for the track. The video, which saw its premiere at LAUNCH gallery in Los Angeles as part of the celebration for the book's release, is now available below for the world to see.

Transit Transit, called "cerebral, vibrant and dynamic all at the same time" by Q (4/5) and "full of the sort of implausible leaps of imagination that normally only happen in your sleep" by the BBC, was released to international acclaim last year. "The Science of Imaginary Solutions," the closing track on the album was hailed by Alternative Press as "the perfect aural denouement to summarize the various emotional highs and lows" of the album.

This physical edition is limited to 100 pieces and will include a code to download the track. Physical edition of the single will cost £4.50 and is available for pre-order HERE. ATP Recordings will also bundle the 10" of Supertoys featuring cover art by Kill Pixie with it for £9 at the above link until stocks last. The band are said to be in the studio working on the follow up to Transit Transit.

*[consequenceofsound.net] It took a little less than two years, but the video for UNKLE‘s Where Did the Night Fall collaboration with Mark Lanegan, “Another Night Out”, is finally here. Directed by Toby Dye, the clip follows a prize fighter from the training room to the ring, culminating with a big knockout win. Watch it below (via Stereogum).

UNKLE – ANOTHER NIGHT OUT dir: Toby Dye from Black Dog Films on Vimeo.

*[theprp.com] Isis are offering a free stream/download of a live rendition of their track “Gentle Time” below. This particular rendition of the song appears on the bands “Isis – Live VI” outing, due out digitally tomorrow, February 14th. A limited edition vinyl version of the set is also in the works with a release date pending.

*[theprp.com] Mastodon have discussed their pre-show rituals (or lack therefore of sans flatulence) in a new video segment posted over at Rock Sound. You can also view it below:

*[consequenceofsound.net] Foo Fighters took home five Grammys, including Best Rock Album (Wasting Light), beating Best Rock Song (“Walk”), Best Rock Performance (“Walk”), Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance (“White Limo”), and Best Long Form Music Video (Back And Forth).

*[theprp.com] Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell will return to the road in May for more solo “Songbook” performances. The shows will include rescheduled dates that were originally postponed this past fall. Here’s where he will be playing with more stops due to be revealed in the coming weeks:

05/12 Tampa, FL Tampa Theatre
05/13 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
05/16 Miami Beach, FL Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater
05/18 Gulf Shores, AL – Gulf Shores Public Beach (“Hangout Festival“)
05/20 Nashville, TN – War Memorial Auditorium

*[pitchfork.com] On March 20, blasted stoner rockers White Hills follow up last year's H-p1 with another new album, Frying on This Rock, via Thrill Jockey. "Pads of Light" is a cut from that forthcoming release. Stream or download HERE.

*Brooklyn alternative/grunge rockers Dead Stars have released a new three song EP, I Get By. The effort is available to stream/download on Bandcamp [or below] as well as a pre-order of the EP on blue vinyl coming March 7th...

I Get By by Dead Stars

*A message from Slow Animal... "SLOW-ANIMAL.COM is our new home. You can check out the first track (“Bliss Brain”) off our Self Titled LP. On February 29th you can download the whole album for free.

We’ve been sitting on this shit for over a year, after a lot of dead-end options we are just going to put this out for free ourselves.

We’ll probably throw up a donation link on the 29th. The recordings/site/videos/everything was done by me and Dan solely, so anything will help. We’ll probably end up throwing that money into getting this pressed on vinyl"

Jack White to Debut "Love Interruption" Video + Headlining Shows

2012-02-13T16:57:00.003-05:00

[thirdmanrecords.com] Jack White's self-directed video for "Love Interruption," from his upcoming debut album Blunderbuss, out April 23/24, debuts tomorrow morning at 11:30 am EST at VEVO.com. As on the single, the video features back-up vocalist Ruby Amanfu, clarinet/bass clarinet player Emily Bowland and Brooke Waggoner on wurlitzer electric piano.

A digital version of the ”Love Interruption” single is currently available to purchase for those residing outside Europe, while the vinyl 7″ featuring exclusive non-LP B-side ”Machine Gun Silhouette” was released February 7 on Third Man Records. Third Man Records has also produced 300 limited edition Tri-Color vinyl 45s of the single and will be selling 100 copies at their Nashville storefront and select independent record stores tomorrow. Additionally, 50 copies of the Tri Color 7”s will be inserted into random mail orders through White's official site [link above] and Third Man Records.

In addition to the previously announced festival dates, Jack is happy to announce his first ever headline shows:

March 10th: Track 29 in Chattanooga, TN
March 12th: WorkPlay Soundstage in Birmingham, AL
March 13th: New Daisy Theatre in Memphis, TN
March 15th: Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK

A limited number of pre-sale tickets will be available to Vault members starting Wednesday at 12 pm CST. Tickets go on sale to the public at 12 pm CST on Friday, February 17th.

The Polyphonic Spree Featured in New Orleans' OffBeat

2012-02-13T16:48:00.002-05:00

[offbeat.com] It’s been nearly 10 years since the Polyphonic Spree released their fuzzy, feel-good single “Light and Day.” Yet if you’ve seen the trailer for 2012 movie The Lorax, you’ve recently heard that familiar tune. The single first gained attention back when iPods only came in one size (huge), when Apple and Volkswagen used it for a joint ad campaign.

When Polyphonic Spree frontman and founder Tim DeLaughter wrote “Light and Day,” he didn’t imagine it becoming a literal commercial success. In 2010, a study concluded it was the most used song in advertising within the United Kingdom.

“Honestly, I was writing a 30-minute set for our first show and fell into that song, lyrically and all,” says DeLaughter. “I liked it as it was the only upbeat song I’d written at that time. But I didn’t think too much of it except that it would make a nice ending for the show. Weeks later when we went to record I nearly blew that song off, not because I didn’t like it but just because I wasn’t sure it really fit with the other material.”

For the Polyphonic Spree, a 20-plus-member band whose genre is closest to psychedelic choir rock, radio success was improbable. Psychedelic pop choir rock doesn’t exactly fit into a Top 40 station’s playlist. DeLaughter describes their commercial popularity as vital. It continues to expose the Spree to a wide audience, and since it’s used in scores so often, those audiences are consistently reminded of the song.

DeLaughter hasn’t focused all his energy on one single. Since 2003, DeLaughter and Polyphonic Spree toured, released numerous albums (including 2007′s The Fragile Army, which is also when they last played the House of Blues. The album and show marked a departure for the band as it traded in its white robes for a black, military uniform and long, hippy locks for shorter, razor-cut hair. Still, the music remained true to the sweeping, symphonic feel of what had come before, and last December the band returned with a Christmas song, “It’s Christmas,” a preview of the Christmas album DeLaughter intends to release in 2012. The Polyphonic Spree is on the first leg of their three-part You + Me tour, which comes to the House of Blues tonight.

Quick Notes: Autolux, How To Destroy Angels, Nick Reinhart (Tera Melos) + More

2012-02-12T17:53:00.000-05:00

*Autolux have posted a new video for their song "The Science of Imaginary Solutions". The track is taken from the band's exceptional sophomore album Transit Transit...

*[theprp.com] Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails, etc.) has revealed that the mixing sessions for the new album from How To Destroy Angels are nearly complete. Speaking through his Twitter, Reznor offered:

“The next to the last day of finishing mixing the new How To Destroy Angels record. Excited about this!”

How To Destroy Angels are of course Reznor‘s project with his wife Mariqueen Maandig and frequent collaborator Atticus Ross.

*Nick Reinhart, the frontman/guitarist of Tera Melos, has posted an acoustic cover of The Rentals' "These Days" on his Soundcloud page. The song is available to stream of for FREE download. Here's what he had to say about it via Facebook...

"here's a rentals cover i did. one of our favorite bands. our new record will not sound like this, just relax." -nick

*[theprp.com] A recent Twitter posting from Vicky Cornell, the wife of Soundgarden frontman/guitarist Chris Cornell, suggests that the band have still been in the studio as of late. You can view the post she made, complete with a photo of her husband Chris in the studio, HERE.

The band have previously stated that they were working on their reunion album in staggered sessions rather than one block of studio time.

*[theprp.com] A teaser trailer and website have been launched for “Sound City” — Dave Grohl‘s (Foo Fighters, Nirvana, etc.) upcoming film homage to the studio equipment once used in the now defunct Sound City Studios. You can view the trailer at the website for the film which can be accessed at the above link.

As previously reported, Grohl has recruited a number of artists to record songs with the gear, including the likes of Corey Taylor, Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, Stephen Pearcy and Warren DeMartini of Ratt and Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon.

Numerous musicians originally recorded influential albums using the aforementioned studio gear, with many of them appearing in the film itself including Trent Reznor, Josh Homme, Tom Petty, and more.

The Black Keys Discuss Success with The Sun

2012-02-12T17:20:00.003-05:00

[NME.com] The Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach has admitted that it used to "piss" him off that his band weren't bigger.

In an interview with The Sun, the singer said that he had grown frustrated with their lack of mainstream success, but claimed that he and his drummer bandmate Patrick Carney now appreciated it more because it had taken them longer to achieve.

He said, "Stuff used to piss me off and I'd moan about it. Like 'Why aren't we up here on the bill? Why aren't we playing a higher festival slot?" He went on to add: "I don't know. I'm glad it took us this long because we appreciate every opportunity that we've got. Every step up we feel better about it. I love our audience – that they are all so different. Old and new fans across the board. The shows have got bigger – but gradually, so it's lessened the blow."

Carney also criticized the Grammy Awards, which will take place tonight (February 12) in Los Angeles. "There's so much good music in the US and there is just a small section that gets recognized at the Grammys," he said. "I don't have any patience and I can't bullshit myself by sitting through a Justin Bieber song. I am not interested in that shit. I am an adult and really I don't know who the fuck listens to Justin Bieber."

The Black Keys, who are currently touring the UK, played a one-off show as part of the 2012 NME Awards Shows last night (February 11) at London's Alexandra Palace.

Kurt Vile, Band of Skulls, The Big Pink, Alabama Shakes and tUnE-yArDs will also all play gigs in February as part of the build-up to the NME Awards.

Black Sabbath Extend Tour Dates

2012-02-12T16:31:00.003-05:00

[theprp.com] Black Sabbath‘s spring/summer European touring plans continue to expand. Here’s how the schedule now runs.

[EIS note: No official word yet on if Bill Ward will be joining the band or not, thus making these tour dates potentially meaningless if the band are too concerned with their cuts they can't work out a way to include all four original members]...

05/18 Moscow, RUS – Olimpiski
05/21 St. Petersburg, RUS – New Arena
05/23 Helsinki, FIN – Hartwall Arena
05/25 Stockholm, SWE – Stadium
05/27 Jelling, DEN – Jelling Festival
05/29 Bergen, NOR – Bergen Calling Festival
05/31 Oslo, NOR – Spektrum
06/02 Malmö, SWE – Malmö Stadium
06/04 Dortmund, GER – Westfalenhalle
06/06 Prague, CZE – O2 Arena
06/10 Donnington, UK – Download Festival
06/12 Rotterdam, NET- Ahoy
06/15 Bilbao, SPA – Azkena Rock Festival
06/17 Clisson, FRA – Hellfest
06/19 Paris, FRA – Bercy
06/22 Dessel, BEL – Graspop Metal Meeting
06/24 Milan, ITA – Gods of Metal
06/26 Vienna, AUT – Stadhalle
06/28 Belgrade, SER – USCE Park
07/01 Athens, GRE – Rockwave Festival

Mojo Fury Announce Tour Dates

2012-02-12T15:57:00.003-05:00

Mojo Fury have announced dates for their longest tour to date, check out what they had to say and dates below...

"We are off on tour again in just over 1 week. This will be our longest tour yet and we're excited to be sharing a bill with InMe + Lost Alone for 6 weeks. We will be visiting lots of familiar places and lots of new ones too! Check out the dates below:

February:
21 - Colchester Arts Centre
22 - Sheerness The Ivy
23 - Brighton Concord 2
24 - Weymouth Ocean Rooms
25 - High Wycombe Wama
26 - Plymouth White Rabbit
27 - Exeter Cavern
28 - Swansea Sin City
29 - Bristol Fleece

March:
01 - Southampton The Cellar
02 - Milton Keynes Crauford Arms
03 - Rushden The Attic
05 - Cambridge Junction
06 - Leicester Firebug
07 - Norwich Waterfront
08 - Sheffield Corporation
09 - Liverpool Eric's
10 - York Fibbers
11 - Middlesbrough The Crown
13 - Newcastle Academy 2
14 - Aberdeen Tunnels
15 - Dundee Dexter’s
16 - Glasgow Cathouse
17 - Belfast Spring & Airbrake
18 - Dublin Whelans
20 - Limerick Dolans
21 - Cork Cyprus Avenue
22 - Leeds The Well
23 - Hull The Lamp
24 - Manchester Moho Live
26 - Stoke Sugarmill
27 - Nottingham Rock City
28 - Birmingham Hmv Institute
29 - Gloucester Guildhall
30 - Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach
31 - London Islington Academy

We will hopefully see lots of you over the next couple of months!

See you soon,
Mojo Fury"

Quick Notes: Primus, Ty Segall, Mastodon + More

2012-02-11T02:05:00.000-05:00

*[theprp.com] Primus were the musical guest on last night’s (February 09th) episode of “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon“. you can watch the band perform “Lee Van Cleef” on the show below:

*[pitchfork.com] In a recent interview with the Dartmouth College blog Dartbeat, Ty Segall said he will release two new albums within the next six months, in addition to his upcoming collaboration with White Fence. Thanks to Robert Szypko for the tip.

Segall says the first LP will be "a mini LP" for In the Red, collecting eight songs written and recorded with his touring band. Of the record, he said, "The live band is so much different than me recording stuff on my own, it's a lot harder and louder."

The other album will, as usual, be written and recorded by Segall on his own, and will be released via Drag City. Of his previously reported collaboration with White Fence, titled Hair and also forthcoming from Drag City, Segall said, "It doesn't really sound like either one of us. It's kinda like starting a new band." He added, "It sounds a bit more drug influenced, a bit more psychedelic and weird."

*Stereo Typing Music have reviewed Sandrider's self titled debut album. Check out a snippet below, and read the entire thing HERE.

"It’s been awhile since I’ve spotlighted a metal band and I can think of no better album to get back into the flow with than Sandrider’s self-titled debut. Sandrider is comprised of Jon Weisnewski (guitars, vocals) and Nat Damm (drums), best known as 2/3 of the excellent hardcore band Akimbo. Along with bassist Jesse Roberts, the trio creates some sludgy and groovy metal. Matt Bayles (Mastodon, ISIS, The Blood Brothers) is the perfect producer to bring out the band’s full potential and keep everything raw yet distinct. Right out of the gate, “Children” is a standout track with guitars that share hints of punk, blues, and metal, which are driven forward by crushing percussion and thunderous bass. The sound is not too far removed from that of Big Business or The Melvins."

Sandrider by Sandrider

*Stomacher have posted the first song "Carnival Rock" from their upcoming third album. The track is available for streaming [below] or free download HERE.

Carnival Rock by Stomacher

*[theprp.com] Live Mastodon footage will air on “Last Call With Carson Daly” on the Monday, February 20th episode of the program.

Crystal Antlers Interviewed in Filter Magazine

2012-02-11T01:25:00.002-05:00

[filtermagazine.com] The Che Café, located on UCSD’s campus in La Jolla, has been a staple spot for live music and social gatherings since its establishment in 1980. As a venue, it is famous for hosting indie rock and punk bands early on in their careers (e.g. Billy Corgan, Deerhoof, Green Day, Bright Eyes, Animal Collective, Bon Iver), but in recent years, The Che has been on the verge of bankruptcy and closure. As a response to this threat, the venue has been hosting a series of self-motivated fundraisers in the hopes to survive these tough economic and cultural times. The most successful and impressive of these fundraisers took place on Saturday, January 7th when the lineup of the 2nd day of I PROMISE FEST included: Lanterns, Weatherbox, FIDLAR, Crystal Antlers, and No Age.

We got a chance to ask Crystal Antlers a few questions about both themselves and The Che Café, which you can read the answers to below. To check out The Che’s upcoming schedule, or to donate to the cause, visit the venue’s website here.

There isn’t much info on the web about what “I PROMISE FEST” is. Could you talk a little about that?

Johnny: We actually weren't told a whole lot about "I PROMISE FEST," until a couple days before. As I understand it, the Che Cafe ran into some financial troubles due to budget cuts at the school & costs associated with replacing a stolen PA. The festival is being held to keep the Che alive.

PS/Full Disclosure: I'm actually doing this interview a week after the fest (my bad) and it was a huge success & the Che Cafe will continue to live on..

What is Crystal Antler’s history with the Che Café? How did you get involved with this fundraiser?

Crystal Antlers actually only played the Che Cafe once before this event, but it was one of the most fun shows we'd played in San Diego. They called us while we were in the middle of our US tour with Wu Lyf, & we weren't completely sure we'd be available to play, but we committed anyway. It's not easy to support an all ages venue & we didn't want to loose the Che. I was prepared to play by myself if that's how it had to happen...

From what I hear, Crystal Antlers is composed of a wide variety of personalities. Does this ever cause for any difficulties in the song-writing process?

Writing songs is easy, finishing songs and making them work in the context of "crystal antlers" is pretty difficult sometimes though.

Would you consider the sound that results as a sort of ‘clash of the genres?’

No, but I will admit that it's difficult to classify. It's been one of the toughest things for us because no one wants to write about something they can't easily describe. Most of what we get compared to we've never listened to. We're just a bunch of random people from punk bands trying to play everything we can and not be to conscious of whether or not it fits into a specific genre.

Tentacles, as an album title, relates brilliantly well to the sound onboard the record. With Two-Way Mirror as the title of the band’s 2011 album, was this one a little more of an introspective, or self-criticizing effort?

Tentacles was an incredibly difficult record to make, recorded + mixed in just a week & it nearly killed us. We approached Two-Way Mirror much differently and really took our time. Most of the record was written while we were living in a barn in Mexico, and we spaced out the recording sessions so that we'd have a chance to listen as we were putting things together. I think having that time especially while in Mexico. gave me a chance to dive pretty deep into what we were doing & question a lot about it.

What can we expect to see from 2012 Crystal Antlers? Any worthwhile resolutions?

Hmm, I'm thinking about hiring a hypnotist to help me take up smoking and cancel my gym membership... And put out a lot more music. As a band we're also resolving to keep our website up to date! There will be a new record of some sort (EP or full record) this March before a show at the Echo & a tour around SXSW.

F*cked Up's "Year of the Tiger" Reviewed on Pitchfork

2012-02-11T01:01:00.002-05:00

[pitchfork.com] Total running time of Year of the Tiger: 37:35. Total running time of the Ramones' debut album: 29:04. Total running time of Nick Drake's Pink Moon: 28:22. Total running time of Fela Kuti's Expensive Shit: 24:13. Let's call this an album, OK? In any case, Fucked Up have been releasing long songs for each year of the Chinese Zodiac since 2006, although they're running a little behind at the moment. (The Year of the Tiger ended in February 2011; we've passed through the Rabbit Year and are now in the Dragon Year.)

Year of the Tiger is a pair of tracks that have been around for a while-- the band claimed to have finished the title song almost two years ago. It's the first music we've heard from the band in a while that doesn't have some formal connection to their David Comes to Life project. "Year of the Tiger" itself is a 15-minute song with a very long lyric (apparently by guitarist Mike Haliechuk) about an aging tiger approaching his death. Fucked Up's lead bellower Damian Abraham gets most of the words to himself, although he's also got some support: former Del-Byzanteens singer/keyboardist Jim Jarmusch-- yes, fine, he's a director, too-- intones a few verses, and either Annie-Claude Deschênes (of Duchess Says) or Katie Stelmanis (of Austra) or both add the pretty hey-I-can-actually-sing vocals that FU have been using for contrast with Abraham's voice over the past few years.

The marvelous thing about "Year of the Tiger" is that it's actually a fully constructed song, not a vamp-with-solos or a chain of vaguely related pieces segued together; it builds and builds and builds, with one new riff after another uncoiling itself and wrapping around the pillar of all the others. It's bombastic as hell, of course-- the keyboard part is the closest Fucked Up have ever come to Meat Loaf-- but this is the product of a band that thinks big. The song's weak point is its lyrics, which have lots of sharply observed images ("his castle of gristle and bone"), but also too many passages with dodgy or overwrought diction ("that deathly coddle of light"). Abraham's guttural howl is a great equalizer of lyrics, but the sung sections reveal the words' awkwardness: Lines such as, "Light drips like paint from heaven/ A shining pall on the horizon," are easier to get away with screamed than chirped.

Fucked Up's blog describes the second side of Year of the Tiger, "Onno", as "a weird rager," which is about right. It appears to be a full-on 22-minute instrumental palindrome, a pyramidal stack of drones and riffs with a crashing forward-and-backward beat-- the closest thing they've ever produced to Melvins' more extreme recordings, or to Hüsker Dü's "Dreams Reoccurring". For a "studio experiment," it's exceptionally listenable: Again, this band is great at arrangements, and every five-second segment of this record sounds almost but not quite like the one next to it. If it were in a movie soundtrack, it'd have to be in a sequence with a violently strobing red light. It's too much, too much, too much-- exactly what we rely on Fucked Up for, that is. Who would ask for anything less?

Your 33 Black Angels Debut "Patient Love" + Tour Dates

2012-02-11T00:46:00.001-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] On Valentine’s Day, Brooklyn’s Your 33 Black Angels returns with their fifth full-length installment of psychedelic rock, Moon and Morning Star. Known for their rowdy live shows, this band of self-described “musical lunatics” can range in size from a core group of eight (with appropriately strange names like S. Sunshine, J. O!, and D. Zots) to “countless others.”

Check out the album’s first single, “Patient Love”, below. The organs backing Y33BA’s rock and roll texture coupled with singer Josh Westfalt’s languid delivery recall the early psych-rock of Roky Erickson and The Seeds.

DOWNLOAD: Your 33 Black Angels – “Patient Love” [right click, save as]

Moon and Morning Star will be released digitally February 14th and on CD and vinyl March 20th via Optical Sounds. Find their full tour schedule below.

Your 33 Black Angels 2012 Tour Dates:

02/11 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
02/12 – Washington, DC @ Velvet Lounge
02/13 – Raleigh, NC @ Slim’s *
02/14 - Wilmington, NC @ Calico Room *
02/15 - Atlanta, GA @ The Music Room
02/16 - Tampa, FL @ New World Brewery
02/17 - Mobile, AL @ The Blind Mule
02/19 – Houston, TX @ notsouH
02/20 – San Antonio, TX @ Boneshakers
02/21 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk
02/24 - Socorro, NM @ Capitol Bar
02/25 - Flagstaff, AZ @ Mia’s
02/26 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Lost Leaf
02/28 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Mint
02/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Trip
03/02 – Pueblo, CO @ Downtown Bar
03/03 – Denver, CO @ Lion’s Lair
03/04 – Boulder, CO @ The Laughing Goat
03/06 – Omaha, NE @ Barley St. Tavern
03/07 – Kansas City, MO @ Davy’s Uptown
03/08 – St. Louis, MO @ Crack Fox
03/09 – Chicago, IL @ Quencher’s

* = w/ Apollo Heights

The Dandy Warhols Announce New Album + Tour Dates

2012-02-11T00:38:00.002-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] Portland’s The Dandy Warhols will follow up 2009′s The Dandy Warhols Are Sound with a new LP this April. Titled This Machine, the group’s ninth album has little to no details yet, but last year, amidst their Australian tour, they did debut two new songs: “Rest Your Head” and “The Wow Signal”. No word on whether or not either of those will be on the LP, but it’s a little slice of material to consider.

Meanwhile, fans can look forward to seeing them on tour this year; already, they’ve issued a slew of European dates that take up much of April. Nothing like an overseas vacay in the Spring, eh? Peep the full itinerary below and stay tuned for more information on the new LP.

The Dandy Warholds 2012 Tour Dates:

04/14 – Bergen, NO @ Ole Bull
04/15 – Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller
04/18 – Dublin, IE @ Vicar St.
04/19 – Glasgow, UK @ Garage
04/20 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy 2
04/21 – London, UK @ Forum
04/23 – Zurich, CH @ Abart
04/25 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
04/26 – Dusseldorf, DE @ Zakk
04/27 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
04/29 – Paris, FR @ Olympia
04/30 – Luxemborg, LU @ Luxemborg den Atelier

Hydra Head Bands on Tour: Helms Alee, Steve Brodsky, Torche + More

2012-02-10T23:14:00.004-05:00

Several of our favorite Hydra Head Records bands are on tour. Check out the dates below and head over to their official website for a complete list of all their "Bands in Vans"...

HELMS ALEE:

03/03 Bellingham, WA @ Jinx Art Space w/ Sloths, Tearamanapart
03/31 Seattle, WA @ Comet Tavern w/ Thrones
04/01 Vancouver, BC @ Iron Roads Studio w/ Thrones
04/03 Bellingham, WA @ Shakedown w/ Thrones
04/05 Arcata, CA @ Alibi w/ Thrones
04/06 San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern w/ Thrones

STEVE BRODSKY:

02/11 New York, NY @ The Stone w/ Decimus

TORCHE:

03/1 New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre*
03/2 Baltimore, MD @ Sonar*
03/3 Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre*
03/5 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop*
03/6 Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme*
03/7 Chicago, IL @ Double Door*
03/8 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock*
03/9 Kansas City, MO @ Beaumont Club*
03/10 Little Rock, AR @ Downtown Music Hall*
03/11 Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Café*
03/12 Dallas, TX @ Trees*
03/17 Austin, TX @ The Jackalope
03/18 Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco w/ Corrosion Of Conformity, A Storm Of Light
04/6 Gainesville, FL @ The Atlantic w/ Hawg Jaw, Army of Ponch, Rose Cross
04/7 Miami, FL @ Churchill's w/ Hawg Jaw, Consular, Holly Hunt, 440
06/08 Long Beach, CA @ Ink N Iron Festival w/ Suicidal Tendencies, Corrosion of Conformity, T.S.O.L, Long Beach Vagrant

* w/ Corrosion of Conformity, Valient Thorr, and A Storm of Light

Screaming Females Debut "It All Means Nothing" on Rolling Stone + More

2012-02-10T22:51:00.002-05:00

[press release] As a lead up to Ugly, Screaming Females are sharing the album's first single, 'It All Means Nothing' via Rolling Stone and starting tomorrow at the Don Giovanni Records Showcase a 7" record will be available. The 7" features a live version of 'A New Kid' from a session recorded at the famed radio station, WFMU and "It All Means Nothing". The showcase will be followed by a week long tour of free shows at record stores (and a bookstore). The new single will be exclusively available for purchase from the band during this run of shows.

RECORD STORE TOUR:

2/11 Brooklyn, NY - Don Giovanni Records Showcase @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
2/12 - Manhattan, NY - Generation Records
2/13 - Cambridge, MA - Lorem Ipsum Books
2/14 - Northampton, MA - Feeding Tube Records
2/15 - Philadelphia, PA - Long In The Tooth Records
2/16 - Richmond, VA - Steady Sounds
2/17 - Asheville, NC - Harvest Records
2/18 - Nashville, TN - Grimey's New and Preloved Music
2/19 - Chicago, IL - Permanent Records

SCREAMING FEMALES new album UGLY will be released APRIL 3rd, 2012 on DON GIOVANNI RECORDS. Check out the tracklist below...

1. It All Means Nothing
2. Rotten Apple
3. Extinction
4. Red Hand
5. High
6. Expire
7. Crow's Nest
8. Tell Me No
9. Leave It All Up to Me
10. Doom 84
11. Help Me
12. Something Ugly
13. Slow Birth
14. It's Nice

Caspian "Tertia" Repress Pre-Order Now Available

2012-02-10T22:35:00.003-05:00

A message from Mylene Sheath...

"Pre-order time! Y'all know the deal with this one. Originally released in 2009, Caspian's Tertia went OOP on vinyl the following year, blowing through 1300 copies overall. So we thought it was high time to go ahead and press it up again since we have been getting so many emails about it. This will be in stores on March 20th and we'll be shipping pre-orders well ahead of that as manufacturing is currently wrapping up. This second pressing features overhauled artwork & layout in a conscious effort to keep it unique from the OG pressing. It features a full color 20pt gatefold jacket with gold foil stamping and two new colors of vinyl. 300 on gold vinyl and 200 on white vinyl. The records were split between the label, the band, and the distributor, so we all have very limited quantities on each color. Also, all pre-orders will ship with an 11x17 poster. Snag one up! Not convinced? Stream the entire album HERE. You'll believe. We'll keep it short and sweet, no need for all the bells and whistles here - thanks so much gang and please get in touch with any and all questions.

OH, and a quick heads up that we'll be changing websites and launching a new one on Tuesday, so the webstore links below in this post will no longer be valid - just visit www.mylenesheath.com to pre-order from the new website if you're reading this after February 13th!! Onward!

Tertia Track Listing:

Side A
1. Mie [4:09]
2. La Cerva [4:59]
3. Ghosts of the Garden City [7:31]

Side B
4. Malacoda [5:03]
5. Epochs in Dmaj [3:19]
6. Of Foam and Wave [6:16]

Side C
7. Concresence [4:26]
8. The Raven [7:10]

Side D
9. Vienna [6:14]
10. Sycamore [9:05]

CHECK OUT THE PRE-ORDER OPTIONS!!

ULTIMATE PACKAGE DEAL! - This is a package deal where you can get both colors of the Tertia 2xLP repress as well as the recent Live at Old South Church LP.

VIEW DETAILS / PURCHASE

BOTH COLORS PACKAGE DEAL! - Snag both colors of the 2xLP repress. White vinyl, limited to 200, and gold vinyl, limited to 300.

VIEW DETAILS/PURCHASE

White vinyl (limited to 200 copies) - PURCHASE / VIEW DETAILS

Gold vinyl (limited to 300 copies) - PURCHASE / VIEW DETAILS

So there are the ordering options and we'll of course keep everyone completely up to date as they begin shipping! The band is currently doing a short run of dates over in Europe, be sure to check out their official blog to see the dates and stay up to speed with all things Caspian RIGHT HERE!

Please spread the word of the pre-order if you would be so kind! To make it super easy you can use those little icons at the very, very, very, very bottom of this post to share on any of the social networking sites you might use, we honestly appreciate it and depend on word of mouth above all else :)

Much love! And many, many, maaaaaaaaaaaany thanks!!!"

Quick Notes: The Mars Volta, Clutch, Two Inch Astronaut + More

2012-02-09T19:05:00.000-05:00

*[theprp.com] The Mars Volta have posted a 30 second teaser of their new single “The Malkin Jewel” below. The song will be issued as a digital single this coming Tuesday, February 14th. The groups long-awaited new album “Noctourniquet” will follow, hitting stores on March 27th.

*[theprp.com] Clutch have announced a February 28th official retail release date for the double vinyl edition of their 2004 outing, “Blast Tyrant“. The expanded edition of the effort had previously only been available through the bands web store.

Beyond that the band are mapping out dates for a North American spring tour with an announcement due shortly. Furthermore, the group will have music featured in the upcoming February 12th return of AMC‘s “The Walking Dead“; and in the upcoming film “The Baytown Disco," which stars Andre Braugher, Billy Bob Thornton and Eva Longoria.

*Baltimore, MD's Two Inch Astronaut have released a brand new album Red Pancake and The Dark Energy which can be streamed HERE. Not only does the album have a terrific name and awesome artwork to match, but it sounds amazing too. Aggressive post-punk melodies, intricate guitar work, and shape shifting rhythms pick up where they left off on last year's Vimana, getting tighter and ever more dazzling since the line-up has solidified. The album will be available on CD and as a digital download soon, but be sure to give it a listen in the meantime.

The trio will be playing some out of town shows this weekend, including a stop in the Bronx at Teh Olive Garden with Speedy Ortiz, Fat History Month, Slothrust, and more! Check out all their tour dates and details HERE.

Red Pancake and the Dark Energy by Two Inch Astronaut

*[fourtheye.net] According to a recent post on various Maynard James Keenan related Facebook sites, Maynard will be appearing on the February 24th episode of MTV2’s 120 Minutes with Matt Pinfield. According to what I read “Matt Pinfield the legendary host and walking encyclopaedia of all things music is back at the helm and bringing his friends into the conversation.”.

In other news that I may or may not have posted before, Puscifer will be appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live on the 16th of February, and will be performing Telling Ghosts.

*[press release] Set your DVRs!! PRIMUS on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon! Tonight, February 9th. The band will be playing their new single "Lee Van Cleef"
off their first record in 11 years, Green Naugahyde, as well as the classic "Jerry Was A Race Car Driver" as a web exclusive.

*[theprp.com] With the recent contractual disputes between drummer Bill Ward and the reunited Black Sabbath; some have speculated that Ozzy Osbourne‘s wife Sharon Osbourne is to blame for the situation. Sharon has since taken to her Twitter to clear her name, offering:

“I am not in any position to hire or fire anyone in Black Sabbath. I don’t manage the band, I manage my husband.”

Sleepy Sun Extend Tour Dates

2012-02-09T18:42:00.002-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] San Fransisco psych-rockers Sleepy Sun have expanded their spring tour schedule in support of their upcoming third album, Spine Hits. The jaunt now runs from early March through the end of April. Along the way, they’ll share the stage with Crystal Antlers and White Hills. Peep the full tour schedule below.

Spine Hits is in stores on April 10th via The End Records. The band has released a video montage of the album’s recording sessions, featuring a live version of the album track “Martyr’s Mantra”. Watch it just below the album tracklist and tour dates.

Spine Hits Tracklist:
01. Stivey Pond
02. She Rex
03. Siouxsie Blaqq
04. Creature
05. Boat Trip
06. V.O.G.
07. Martyr’s Mantra
08. Still Breathing
09. Yellow End
10. Deep War
11. Lioness (Requiem)

Sleepy Sun 2012 Tour Dates:
03/07 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Catalyst Atrium
03/08 – Los Angeles, CA Echo &
03/09 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Monte Vista Lounge
03/10 – Scottsdale – AZ @ The Rogue Bar &
03/11 – Santa Fe, NM @ VFW Hall &
03/12 – El Paso,TX @ Low Brow Palace &
03/13 – San Antonio, TX @ The Korvoa Basement &
03/14 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/18 – Dallas, TX @ BRO FEST &
03/20 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
03/21 – Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
03/22 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
03/23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
03/24 – Reno, NV @ St. James Infirmary #
04/06 – Columbia, MO @ Mojos
04/09 – Brooklyn, NY @ Grasslands Gallery *
04/10 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge *
04/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ North Star Bar *
04/12 – Boston, MA @ Church of Boston *
04/13 – Burlington, VT @ Monkey House *
04/14 – Montreal, QC @ Casa del Popolo *
04/15 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern *
04/16 – Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place *
04/17 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern *
04/18 – Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub *
04/19 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Garden Bowl
04/20 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean *
04/21 – St Louis, MO @ Off Broadway Night Club *
04/22 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory *
04/24 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk Austin *
04/25 – Houston, TX 2 Orange Show Center for Visionary Arts *
04/26 – New Orleans, LA @ Siberia *
04/27 – Atlanta, GA @ The 529 *
04/28 – Raleigh, NC 2 Kings Barcade *
04/29 – Washington, DC @ DC 9 *
05/30-06/03 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound

& = w/ Crystal Antlers
* = w/ White Hills
# = w/ The Soft White Sixties

SS: Final_Part_1_2 from Jaren Lopez on Vimeo.

Maps & Atlases Ready "Beware and Be Grateful" For + Debut New Single

2012-02-09T17:23:00.002-05:00

[press release] Barsuk Records is excited to announce that Maps & Atlases will release their sophomore full-length Beware and Be Grateful on April 17th. Rolling Stone premiered "Winter," saying "['Winter'] finds the band merging tuneful songcraft with tight, dense rhythms."

The band released a teaser trailer for the album, featuring the track "Remote And Dark Years," available HERE. The band is also heading to South By Southwest in Austin, TX, and have just announced a string of Midwest dates before and after the festival as well as dates in Europe and the UK in April. A full headlining US tour starting in May will be announced shortly.

The album - which follows the Chicago-based band's acclaimed 2010 debut, Perch Patchwork - was recorded last year in a series of week-long sessions at Omaha's ARC Studios with producer Jason Cupp (Nurses, Good Old War) once again behind the board.

As ever, Maps & Atlases defy easy categorization, choosing to walk their own incomparable musical path. Beware and Be Grateful sees M&A's trademark experimentalism morphing to suit a more direct - though no less beguiling - songcraft. Fueled by a panoply of sonic influences, the album abounds with novel invention, spanning hymnal harmonies, percolating rhythms, even, in the case of centerpiece track, "Silver Self," a full-on guitar solo (though to be fair, it's unlike any solo previously committed to wax). Songs like "Remote And Dark Years" and "Fever" are gloriously liquid and lyrical, channeling M&A's tightly constructed creativity into a genuinely distinctive brand of boundary-busting, asymmetrical pop. Self-assured and astonishingly ambitious, Beware and Be Grateful is Maps & Atlases' finest, most fully-realized collection to date.

Since their formation in 2004, Maps & Atlases have captured the indie imagination with their extraordinarily artful amalgamation of polyrhythmic beats, elaborate melodies, and post-rock ingenuity. The band toured hard from the get-go, honing their kinetic time signatures and inventive energy through countless live shows as both headliner and alongside such artists as Broken Bells, Frightened Rabbit, Circa Survive, Cults, and RX Bandits. A major North American tour in support of Beware and Be Grateful will be announced shortly.

Maps & Atlases have also drawn extensive applause throughout their career, as Filter declared, "Maps & Atlases make technical virtuosity fun," while American Songwriter praised Perch Patchwork as a "beautifully oddball symphony...equal parts lo-fi and hi-tech." "Behind humble vocals and verbal conundrums," wrote the New York Times' Jon Pareles, "(Maps & Atlases') music might set up shifty progressive-rock counterpoint, harken back to late-1960s pop or turn into a percussion workout." SPIN hailed Perch Patchwork for its "intricately intertwined fretwork and drumming," noting, "genre tags seem pretty inadequate." "A 12-track collection of wonderful variation," agreed Paste, "at some points it's shoegaze-y and intricate, at others upbeat and sunny, and sometimes it's just dripping with sardonic malice."

Maps & Atlases On Tour

3/8 Bloomington, IN - The Bishop
3/9 Nashville, TN - The Mercy
3/10 New Orleans, LA - Foburg Festival
3/14 - 3/17 Austin, TX - SXSW 2012
3/18 Dallas, TX - Bro Fest
3/19 Hot Springs, AR - Valley of the Vapors Festival
3/22 Memphis, TN - Fareveller Festival
3/31 Bethelem, PA - NOWADAYS Festival
4/16 Bristol, UK - Cooler
4/17 London, UK - Garage
4/18 Manchester, UK - Night and Day
4/19 Glasgow, UK - Nice n Sleazys
4/20 Leeds, UK - Brudenell
4/22 Brussels, Belgium - Botanique
4/23 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
4/24 Cologne, Germany - Gebaude 9
4/25 Hamburg, Germany - haus III&70
4/26 Berlin, Germany - Bi Nuu
4/27 Frankfurt, Germany - Das Bett
4/28 Paris, France - Fleche D'or

Maps & Atlases Beware and Be Grateful Tracklisting:

1. Old & Gray
2. Fever
3. Winter
4. Remote & Dark Years
5. Silver Self
6. Vampires
7. Be Three Years Old
8. Bugs
9. Old Ash
10. Important

Mylene Sheath Records Update: Constants, Caspian, Gifts From Enola + More

2012-02-09T16:57:00.003-05:00

The Mylene Sheath have posted their February newsletter with some very exciting news regarding the upcoming Constants album and much more. Check out our highlights below and the entire newsletter HERE.

*Constants Announce New Album! "Pasiflora" Due Out June 19th!

It is with tremendous excitement that we welcome home our beloved boys in Constants! They've cooked up something reeeeally special in the cave known as Radar Studios. There simply must be something magic in them rocky walls because the band transcended to an obviously special place and came out on the other side with a record that is 100% certain to all at once surprise fans and blow they miiiindzzz!! Forget whatcha knew, it's what yer knowin'! On June 19th we'll be releasing their new album Pasiflora in all of it's glory! Read more about it from the recent press release:

"After releasing the heaviest album of their career with 2010's If Tomorrow The War (produced by Justin K Broadrick of Jesu/Godflesh), Constants' fifth studio album Pasiflora reveals a very different side of the band, this time with an emphasis on shoegaze and an almost retro-sensibility. Whispering vocal harmonies, walls of chorused synths and booming Peter Gabriel-esque drums coalesce into an album landing somewhere between M83 and Mew. Simply put, Pasiflora might just be their best and most creative release yet.

Late last Summer, with nine years, four critically acclaimed albums and countless international tours under their belts, the members of Constants began to feel pigeonholed into the "post-metal/post-rock/post-whatever" scenes. So they set out to write an album that would redefine their already genre-bending sound from the outset, but it wasn't until drummer Rob Motes presented a batch of bedroom demos that the new album really began to take shape. The group scrapped 6 months and 10 songs worth of material to embrace the vibrant and textural sound that would become Pasiflora.

"We aim to surprise people with every record and like to work outside of our own safe zone as much as possible. The challenge is to shape the result into a clear, consistent album," says guitarist/vocalist Will Benoit. "We're genuinely excited to have found something fresh at a point in our timeline where most bands become stagnant." Pasiflora was self-produced in Benoit's Radar Studios (Junius, Caspian) - New England's first and only Solar-Powered recording facility - and co-mixed by Daryl Rabidoux (Bad Rabbits, The Cancer Conspiracy). The album will see a release worldwide on June 19th, via The Mylene Sheath.

Of the merger, Constants' Will Benoit comments "it's always exciting to work with people that are as enthusiastic about music as we are, and The Mylene Sheath's passion always shines through. We're really happy to be back and teaming back up with them for this". Label owners Lindsay Palmer and Joel Proper say "Constants is part of the family, it's only natural to be working together again."

To date the Boston based trio has played over 700 shows since 2005 and has shared the stage at home and on tour with Pelican, Russian Circles, The Appleseed Cast, Rival Schools, The Sword, Genghis Tron, Brazil, Comeback Kid, Tombs, Wolves in the Throne Room, Maserati, Circle Takes The Square, Defeater, The Life And Times, Maps and Atlases, Kinski, Elliott, Chin Up Chin Up, Coliseum, The Mobius Band, Go Go Go Airheart, Year Future, Caspian, Kayo Dot, Junius, Lymbyc System, and This Will Destroy You.

So there you have it! Expect a brand spankin' new track premier VERY soon as well as a free download of a sick cover song they did. And remember that the band is currently touring Europe with Sights and Sounds, so be sure to catch them live at one of the dates listed HERE!

*Caspian Tertia 2xLP Repress

We wanted to let everyone know that yes, we are in fact repressing the Tertia 2xLP! Thanks for all the emails about it, glad to know they'll be going to good homes ;) We're going to launch pre-orders tomorrow (2/10) at 11am for this second pressing. Sorry for the short notice, but hey, we couldn't get a newsletter out last month! There's only 500 being pressed, with 300 on opaque gold vinyl and 200 on white vinyl, These will all be split between the label, the band, and our distributor - so everyone will have limited quantities. In an effort to keep each pressing easily distinguishable for collectors, the packaging has been completely overhauled for this pressing (courtesy once again of N.Shumaker/Northern Lights Industries) and now incorporates a thick 20pt stock, full color gatefold jacket, rather than the 5mm spine jacket from the OG pressing. Of course, the gold foil stamping will make its second consecutive appearance on this pressing, so obviously, sexiness is guaranteed to be achieved :) This pressing will be available in physical record stores worldwide as well as online distros on March 20th. Pre-orders through us will ship sooner than that as manufacturing is currently wrapping up. Right now the band is doing a short string of dates in Europe and you can check out the dates by peeping their official blog HERE. Go. See. Them. ;) And get you some Tertia vinyl tomorrow at 11am, be there or be square there Pierre!

*The Mylene Sheath Free Sampler / Facebook Page Joint!

Like, like, like, like, like, Like, like, like, like, like!!! We're currently giving away a free sampler to anyone that 'likes' our Facebook page. Cheesy? Wutevs - look, we're just tryin' to keep up man, Facebook is being built into TV's for cripes sake! But yeah, it's our newest sampler and features a lot of stuff from releases we put out in 2011 and earlier this year. Heeeeeere's the tracklist:

1. GIFTS FROM ENOLA - Angel Face
TAKEN FROM SHEATH036/TSR046 "WELL WORN" SPLIT LP W/CARAVELS (01.24.12)

2. CHASMA - Blue Jewel Destruction
TAKEN FROM SHEATH037 "DECLARATIONS OF THE GRAND ARTIFICER" LP (12.06.11)

3. JUNIUS - A Day Dark With Night
TAKEN FROM SHEATH035 "JUNIUS/ROSETTA SPLIT" LP (11.22.11)

4. BEWARE OF SAFETY - Crooked Nails For Catching Skin
TAKEN FROM SHEATH030 "LEAVES/SCARS" 2XLP/CD (07.12.11)

5. BENEATH OBLIVION - Empire
TAKEN FROM SHEATH033 "FROM MAN TO DUST" 2XLP/CD (09.27.11)

6. CASPIAN - ASA (Live)
TAKEN FROM SHEATH034 "LIVE AT OLD SOUTH CHURCH" LP (01.10.12)

7. GIANTS - A Near Life Experience
TAKEN FROM SHEATH029 "GIANTS" 7" (06.13.11)

8. ACTORS&ACTRESSES - Sleepyhead
TAKEN FROM SHEATH028 "WE LOVE OUR ENEMY" LP/CD (06.13.11)

9. LAVINIA - Fires
TAKEN FROM SHEATH025 "THERE IS LIGHT BETWEEN US" LP/CD (11.16.10)

10. EKSI EKSO - Carte De Viste!
TAKEN FROM SHEATH027 "BROWN SHARK, RED LION" 2XLP/CD (03.15.11)

11. HERRA TERRA - Lost In Labyrinth
TAKEN FROM SHEATH023 "QUIET GEIST" LP/CD (09.14.10)

You can download the whole thing over on da book RIGHT HERE! We encourage everyone to check out the songs, obviously, and pleeeeease help us spread the word! Thanks gang, enjoy the tunes!

Cults Update Touring Schedule

2012-02-09T16:42:00.002-05:00

[press release] Cults, outfitted with some hypnotic visuals and a beefed up set list, will hit the road this March headlining over 30 dates across North American. The tour kicks off with a sold-out performance at Maxwell’s in Hoboken on March 2nd and sees the band making a stop at SXSW, then heading west to play San Francisco and Los Angeles, before they head back east.

Check Out the band’s performance Of “Abducted” On Late Night With Jimmy Fallon HERE.

Cults on tour:

3/2 Hoboken, NJ Maxwells *SOLD OUT
3/3 Baltimore , MD Ottobar
3/4 Carrboro , NC Cats Cradle
3/6 Atlanta , GA The Earl
3/7 Birmingham , AL Bottletree
3/9 Orlando , FL The Plaza Live
3/10 Baton Rouge , LA Spanish Moon
3/11 Houston , TX Fitzgerald's
3/17 El Paso , TX Lowbrow Palace
3/18 Tucson , AZ Club Congress
3/19 Phoenix , AZ Rhythm Room
3/21 Solana Beach , CA Belly Up Tavern
3/22 Los Angeles , CA Music Box
3/23 Pomona , CA The Glass House
3/24 Santa Barbara , CA Velvet Jones
4/3 Santa Ana , CA Constellation Room
4/4 San Francisco , CA Great American Music Hall
4/5 San Francisco , CA Slims
4/6 Portland , OR Wonder Ballroom
4/7 Seattle , WA Neptune
4/9 Vancouver , BC The Rickshaw Theatre
4/11 Salt Lake City , UT Urban Lounge
4/12 Denver , CO Bluebird Theater
4/13 Boulder , CO Fox Theatre
4/14 Lawrence , KS The Granada Theatre
4/16 Minneapolis , MN Fine Line Music Café
4/17 Madison , WI Majestic Theatre
4/18 Milwaukee , WI Turner Hall Ballroom
4/20 Chicago , IL Metro
4/21 Bloomington , IN Rhinos
4/22 Ferndale , MI The Magic Bag
4/23 Buffalo , NY Mohawk Place
4/25 Toronto , ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
4/26 Montreal , Quebec Corona Theatre
4/27 South Burlington , VT Higher Ground
4/29 Northampton , MA Pearl Street Nightclub

ThePaintedMan.com Launches "Music Madness" Competition + Win a FREE PR Campaign

2012-02-09T16:32:00.003-05:00

[press release] THEPAINTEDMAN SEEKS UNSIGNED BANDS FOR TPM'S FIRST ANNUAL MUSIC MADNESS

Are you in a band that’s looking for its big break? Thepaintedman.com wants you for its own March bracket tournament, MUSIC MADNESS. Bands will go head to head in competition and the winner will be decided by thepaintedman readers.

The winning band will receive press from PRawr (prawr.blogspot.com), an independent music PR service based in Brooklyn, NY, as well as other prizes. Independent labels are currently being contacted for the contest as well.

Participating bands and artists must submit a short bio, a photo, and an MP3 of one song of the band’s choice. Bands must be unsigned. Readers will listen to all the songs and choose their favorite. The deadline to be entered into the contest is February 25. The contest will kick off on Monday March 1. Winner will be determined by
head-to-head voting, in a bracketed March Madness style.

Interested? Bands should send bio, photo and MP3 to justincharlesharlan@gmail.com with the title MUSIC MADNESS. Get ready for a rockin’ competition this March.

thepaintedman (www.thepaintedman.com) is a lifestyle website focusing on music, beer, culture, faith and life. Its primary emphasis is on independent music.

Grass Is Green Debut "Nice Guy of the Year Award" from RONSON

2012-02-08T18:30:00.005-05:00

Boston post-punk favorites Grass Is Green are poised to create a splash in 2012 with the release of their magnificent third album Ronson. After spending 2011 opening for the likes of Melt Banana, Tera Melos, Joe Lally (Fugazi), and DD\MM\YYYY, the band have established themselves as one of Boston's absolute best live bands on any given night and the time has come to take the nation by storm. The highly anticipated record's twelve tracks are dynamic as they are powerful, and the album is crafted with brilliant pacing and fury. Their longest and most developed record in their already stellar catalog will be released on March 1st 2012, but you can stream the album's first single "Nice Guy of the Year Award" below for a taste of what's to come.

The album will be available as a limited edition [only 500 copies] CD through Exploding In Sound Records, sold exclusively at Grass Is Green concerts and on tour. The digital is available to pre-order through their Bandcamp page courtesy of GHouse. Boston residents will get their first chance to grab a CD at the band's album release show, March 1st at Great Scott. Speedy Ortiz will join in the celebration with still more special announcements to come.

Stay tuned for complete tour dates as the band prepare to hit the road leading the way down to SXSW! Much more details to come shortly. In the meantime, let "Nice Guy of the Year" swirl around in your ears for a bit.

Nice Guy of the Year Award by Grass is Green

Quick Notes: Mr. Dream, Deftones' Chi Cheng, Electronic Anthology Project + More

2012-02-08T18:24:00.000-05:00

*[fluxblog.org] Mr. Dream’s second release is a slight curve ball, retaining the elemental appeal of their debut Trash Hit, while pushing the band beyond its early 90s reference points. “Fatherland,” the title track of the EP, is the most impressive in this respect, with its hefty bass lines giving structural support to guitar and percussion parts that shift, swing and pivot in often unexpected ways. It’s incredibly physical and dynamic music, and that feeling is amped up by Nick Sylvester’s production, which splits the difference between a dry, matter-of-fact bluntness and the subtle reverb of an accurate room sound. His drumming sounds especially good and powerful with this approach, which, along with other records co-produced by Spoon’s Jim Eno, suggests that more drummers should take charge in recording their own performances.

DOWNLOAD "Fatherland" HERE!!

*[theprp.com] Deftones bassist Chi Cheng has continued to show some signs of improvement and is now able to lift his legs on command. You can find footage of him doing just that below. Cheng has been in a minimally conscious state since being involved in a 2008 car accident. An update posted alongside the below footage over at Oneloveforchi.com reads:

“hey all, here is a video Juan (Deftones tour manager) sent me of Chi lifting his leg by request. you will also hear momma j encouraging him. it’s little baby steps like this that bring chi closer to recovery. he just has to keep trying and working hard at the little things.. eventually more progress will be made.”

*[pitchfork.com] Dinosaur Jr.'s catalog has been reissued and celebrated with full-album tours. But, as previously reported, J Mascis will now look back on his career in a very different way. Mascis has teamed up with Built to Spill bassist Brett Nelson's Electronic Anthology Project to remake nine Dinosaur Jr. songs as full-blown synth-pop. "Tarpit" from 1987's You're Living All Over Me is the first taste. The album will be released in a limited-edition run of 500 purple vinyl records, out April 21 for Record Store Day. A digital, CD, and standard vinyl release will follow.

*[theprp.com] Aron Ward, the son of Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward recently posted on a Black Sabbath Facebook fanpage regarding the situation between his father and the band. You can read his post HERE.

*[altpress.com] Check out this premiere of Junius' new video for "All Shall Float." The song is culled from the band's album Reports From The Threshold Of Death, out now via Prosthetic. They'll be kicking off a co-headlining tour with O'Brother next week; dates and the video can be seen HERE.

*[stereogum.com] Cults now have a video for their oldies-radio weeper “You Know What I Mean,” and some serious stunt-work went into it. The group’s two members play two of the sides of a carnival love triangle, and Brian Oblivion (or his stunt-double) gets to do some huge high-dives and fire-jumps. Also, warning: Oblivion’s fire-scarred makeup job is no joke. Isaiah Seret directs. Watch the clip below. Cults’ self-titled album is out now on Columbia.

*[newsletter] Cage The Elephant just wrapped up the Big Day Out tour in New Zealand and Australia, but they're still on the road! Shows with an * indicate that Cage is headlining:

February 8 | Waterfront at Aloha Tower | Honolulu, Hawaii*
March 24-25 | Festival Imperial | Alajuela, Costa Rica
March 31 | Lollapalooza Chile | Santiago, Chile
April 7 | Lollapalooza Brasil | São Paulo, Brazil
April 14 | Amos' Southend | Charlotte, North Carolina*
May 18-20 | Hangout Music Fest | Gulf Shores, Alabama
June 23-25 | Orion Music & More Festival | Atlantic City, New Jersey

Please note that the exact date of each festival performance will be announced soon. Check back next week for more tour announcements! And if you haven't picked up Cage's first DVD, Live From The Vic In Chicago, it's on sale at Best Buy all month.

*Sleeper Agent have posted their new video for "Get Burned". The song comes from the band's phenomenal debut album Celabrasion released last Fall. Check the band out on their recently announced tour dates, and watch the video below...

Get More: Sleeper Agent, Get Burned, Music, More Music Videos

*A message from Function Records... "Having sold out the first pressing of their new vinyl - Volume 4 within 6 weeks of it's release at the back end of 2011, Shield Your Eyes have just begun their second European trip in the last 3 months, this time taking in France and Spain. Full details of their upcoming shows can be found HERE [along with a handful of Nitkowski dates].

And for those who haven't already picked one up the album is now back in stock and available from the label store HERE, from the band at their shows or from good independent stores."

*[offtheradarmusic.com] One of my favorite bands to see locally, Madam Trashy, has a new creeptastic video out. Such a fan of their live performances. These guys play loud and really take me back to a time where good guitar playing reigned supreme and not everything was so lo-fi or computerized. Check out the video for "Book Of Dead" below. If you live in the New York area they are invading Spike Hill in Brooklyn for the whole month of February every Thursday...

*[theprp.com] Burning Love and Fight Amp are among the participants in a new 7″ split series dubbed “Hell Comes Home“. You can find more details on the run of upcoming split releases, including Burning Love & Fight Amp‘s forthcoming split, via Burning Love‘s Blogspot.

*[press release] We're pleased to introduce you to new Brooklyn upstart Little Racer - a pastiche of garage pop, light psychedelia, and upbeat, stomping grooves - and their new video for "The Town"

"The Town" is the A-Side of the band's recently released 7" on The Young and Lost Club. The song acts as a 4-minute narrative of discovery and travel, that trips and grooves along, conveying the freshness of arriving in a new place, with the wonder of familiar things seeming so spectacular in a new environment. “This song is about the excitement of travel and short-lived romances we have with foreign places” say Little Racer. The video encapsulates this idea, as the protagonist follows a series of fluorescent dream state images to a carnival that feels… kinda off. Check it out… and if you like it, share it!

*Antlered Man have posted the video for their new single, "Surrounded By White Men". The song comes from the band's full length debut Giftes 1&2, due out March 5th on Goo Grrrl Records.

Pink Floyd Considering Further Reissues

2012-02-08T18:11:00.002-05:00

[billboard.com] As the Pink Floyd camp prepares for the Feb. 28 release of "The Wall's" expanded "Immersion" and "Experience" editions -- the last scheduled title in the Why Pink Floyd? archival campaign -- talk is turning to what else can be culled from the group's vaults.

"The idea was always to see whether people like these things or not. If they do, of course we could do more," drummer Nick Mason tells Billboard.com. "I think it's an exercise that bears repeating... but I think there might be things to be done that would be rather different to what we've done so far."

Mason, in fact, says he'd like to see a package from Pink Floyd's early years rather than more expanded editions of a particular album. "We wouldn't do one album like 'Piper (at the Gates of Dawn)' on its own," he explains. "Maybe we'll take 'Saucer (Full of Secrets)' and 'Piper' and maybe one other one and do an early years thing -- partly because there just isn't the material in some cases. That might be a more interesting exercise."

If Pink Floyd does take that route, engineer Andy Jackson -- who worked on the expanded versions of "Dark Side of the Moon," "Wish You Were Here" and "The Wall" -- has one gem that he discovered from "a huge box of assorted tapes" Mason possessed. "There's quite a bit of very, very early stuff, before they had a deal, with Syd (Barrett) in the band when they were still trying to be an R&B band," Jackson relates. "It's not, like, early versions of songs that turned up on their albums or anything. It's R&B classics, the same as everybody else was playing back them. There's a lot of recordings that may be brilliant for a future project."

Fans, meanwhile, have been asking if 1977's "Animals" is in line for the same expanded treatment as Pink Floyd's other 70s albums. "The answer is I don't know," Mason says. " 'Animals' is the one record Roger (Waters) said he'd like to have a go at remixing. That might be an exercise worth doing. Maybe David (Gilmour) disagreed enough that we could release David's remix and Roger's remix and, ideally, my remix as well." Jackson, meanwhile, notes that, "There's only a finite amount of stuff in the archives. It's a question of what there is and can we find it? That will determine what we do in the future."

Meanwhile, Mason is happy to see "The Wall" getting the deluxe treatment, including Water's original demos and the band's demos that track the evolution of material into what became the final 1979 version that's sold more than 11 million copies in the U.S. Most striking is "The Doctor," which ultimately became "Comfortably Numb." The seven-disc "Immersion" set also includes 2000's "Is There Anybody Out There: The Wall Live 1980-81" remastered by engineer James Guthrie, and a DVD featuring a performance clip from that tour, a "Behind the Wall" documentary and an interview with "The Wall" cover artist Gerald Scarfe.

"What's great is we have a greater depth of material for ('The Wall') than we had for the other albums," Mason says. "We have Roger's demos followed by the band demos followed by the final thing, and that makes a big difference. You can really hear how ('The Wall') came together."

For Mason -- who joined Waters and Gilmour during the former's performance of "The Wall" on May 12 at London's O2 Arena -- the tales of great acrimony in the studio while Pink Floyd was making the album are somewhat overstated. "The sort of concept people have is that this was a record hewn out of rock by very angry people, and I think that's not really the case," Mason contends. "A lot of the album was pretty civilized in terms of people getting on with it. I think it all felt fairly positive. Things fragmented later on, quite late in the recording. There was a big blowup, particularly between Roger and Rick (Wright, who was kicked out of the band) towards the end of the process. But the majority of that process I remember as being pretty creative and businesslike, really."

Hot Snakes Announce West Coast Tour Dates + More

2012-02-08T17:41:00.002-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] Reunited post-hardcore outfit Hot Snakes will embark on a West coast tour this spring. The trek kicks off in San Diego on March 27th and concludes in Long Beach, California on April 5th. Also, as announced yesterday, the band is set to perform at Metallica’s Orion Music + more festival in June.

Check out Hot Snake’s complete tour docket below, along with video of them performing “Plenty For All” at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011.

Hot Snakes 2012 Tour Dates:

03/27 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
03/28 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
03/29 – W. Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour
03/30 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
04/01 – Portland, OR @ Dour Fir Lounge
04/02 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
04/04 – San Jose, CA @ The Blank Club
04/05 – Long Beach, CA @ Alex’s Bar
06/23-24 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Orion Music + More

Unsane Debut New Single + Ready "Wreck" For March

2012-02-08T16:32:00.002-05:00

[press release] Legendary NYC rock powerhouse UNSANE has completed work on its long awaited new album, titled "WRECK". The seventh full length recording of the band's storied career will see a March 20, 2012 release date via Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label. Today, Pitchfork gives music fans a first-listen to the new UNSANE record, premiering the heavy-handed new song "No Chance" - check it out now HERE!

Recorded by the band and producer Andrew Schneider at Brooklyn's Translator Audio (Pelican, Keelhaul, etc.), "WRECK" is an unfettered burst of pent up emotions and frustrations channeled into song and an unflinching glance into a type of life others probably should not lead. From the shock and awe of the LP's lead track "Rat" and the stunningly damaged "Decay" to the doom and gloom of the heavy handed "No Chance" and through to the transcendental brainwork of "Stuck", UNSANE's "WRECK" is darkly abrasive and poetic music delivered with a fearsome intensity. A punishing, but ultimately tuneful album, realistic in subject matter and as engaging as it is abrasive, "WRECK" features UNSANE at its legendary best. Chris Spencer's vocals and lyrics positively ache with fear and loathing (resembling the sound of a man trapped in the New York Subway system) while his searing Telecaster howl and pulverizing chords wreak havoc over Vincent Signorelli's drums and Dave Curran's thick as lava bass lines. UNSANE celebrates its 20th anniversary by delivering the darkest and most personal record of its celebrated career; "WRECK" is the band's defining moment.

"Making the album "WRECK" has been amazingly cathartic. Not only musically, but personally," comments Spencer. "Writing with Dave and Vincent is always great, and having been together so long made it easy to focus on what musically and lyrically would sum up this period of time. Recordings about modern urban life. The constant noise, confrontation, stress and alienation that goes with it, and the dysfunctional ways people try to deal with it. The death, drugs, attempted suicide and completely degenerative behavior of those around us really left a mark. I really was feeling like I needed to get it out of my system. There are some moments of redemption, but more often than not things did not end well. As the world population reaches seven billion it's impossible not to feel the overcrowding."

The track listing for UNSANE's "WRECK" is as follows:

1.) Rat
2.) Decay
3.) No Chance (Pitchfork premiere)
4.) Pigeon
5.) Metropolis
6.) Ghost
7.) Don't
8.) Stuck
9.) Roach
10.) Ha Ha Ha (* Flipper cover)

Upon the release of the new LP, UNSANE will team up with punk rock legends THE MELVINS for what promises to be one of the year's most anticipated underground rock tours. The like-minded bands will launch the 21 city trek on April 11 in San Jose, CA and will collaborate on an über-limited tour 7" EP featuring each band covering a song from the other. The tour-only vinyl release will feature cover artwork from Amphetamine Reptile Records founder Thomas Hazelmyer.

The UNSANE / MELVINS spring U.S. tour is shaping up as follows:

April 11 San Jose, CA The Blank Club
April 12 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
April 13 Los Angeles, CA The Troubadour
April 14 San Diego, CA Casbah
April 17 El Paso, TX House of Rock
April 19 Austin, TX Mohawk
April 20 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
April 21 New Orleans, LA One Eyed Jack's
April 23 Orlando, FL The Social
April 24 Gainesville, FL Double Down Live
April 25 Atlanta, GA The Loft at Center Stage
April 26 Charlotte, NC Amos' Southend
April 28 West Chester, PA The Note
April 29 New York, NY Webster Hall
May 1 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom
May 2 DeKalb, IL Otto's Nightclub
May 3 St. Louis, MO The Firebird
May 4 Nashville, TN Exit In
May 7 Dallas, TX Trees
May 9 Santa Fe, NM Santa Fe Brewing Company
May 11 Santa Ana, CA Galaxy Concert Theatre

About UNSANE:

Referred to as "Dirty and Noisy, on Purpose" and a "musical movement inspired by the clang and grind of the subway," by The New York Times, UNSANE's cold, urban synthesis of screaming, distorted vocal howls, gargantuan bass, strangled guitar wranglings and regimented drum assault is legendary. Formed in 1988 and emerging from the same NYC rock underground that launched the careers of Helmet, Sonic Youth, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, SWANS and Surgery, UNSANE's patented and oft-copied blend of "volume, velocity, and violence" has long spearheaded the international noise rock movement. The group's self-titled Matador Records debut, released in 1991, personified "noise rock," providing an irreplaceable paradigm for numerous bands to follow. The trio's 1995 music video for the song "Scrape" (from Scattered, Smothered & Covered), which alternated between lo-fi rehearsal footage of the band and a series of serious gnarly skateboarding injuries, became an overnight hit at MTV and saw the band tour the U.S. with Slayer. Over the course of its shining career, UNSANE has released a string of critically acclaimed releases on respected labels such as Amphetamine Reptile, Ipecac, Man's Ruin, Relapse and Sub Pop including Total Destruction (1994), Occupational Hazard (1998), Blood Run (2005) and Visqueen (2007).

"music that reflects life on the streets of the East Village. It's dirty, noisy and cluttered. This is not an insult; it's UNSANE's musical objective." - THE NEW YORK TIMES

"If success in metal were measured by the degree to which an act is the centerpiece of sadistic, forceful entertainment, Manhattan's UNSANE would be gold. These are young men so tough that if they swing at you and miss the wind gives you pneumonia. Plus they wear baseball caps made of cold-pressed tin!" - VILLAGE VOICE

"UNSANE is a powerhouse unmatched" - VICE

Quick Notes: The Jesus and Mary Chain, Steve Brodsky, Jack White + More

2012-02-07T18:51:00.000-05:00

*[pitchfork.com] Following last year's huge reissue package, the Jesus and Mary Chain have announced their first North American shows since 2008. The itinerary includes stops at SXSW and the 35 Denton Festival.

This time around, the lineup includes the Reid brothers, guitarist John Moore, bassist Phil King, and "a drummer to be announced," according to a press release.

The Jesus and Mary Chain:

03-11 Denton, TX - 35 Denton Festival
03-12 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
03-13 Houston, TX - House of Blues
03-14-18 Austin, TX - SXSW

*[theprp.com] Stephen Brodsky (Cave In) performed a solo set at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, NY this past Saturday, February 04th. He was joined by drummer Ben Koller of Converge/All Pigs Must Die for some intimate Cave In renditions and also performed a cover of Still Life‘s “Sometimes“ [and several new tracks]. You can watch fan-filmed footage of that HERE. [ed note: the video is pretty terrible, but the audio is good.]

*[stereogum.com] Last week, Jack White reentered our brains by announcing the solo album Blunderbuss and giving us the superlatively stripped-back new song “Love Interruption.” The “Love Interruption” single is out now, and it includes a non-album track called “Machine Gun Silhouette” as a B-side. It’s a jumpy, bluesy yarn with touches of old-school country, and someone uploaded it to YouTube, so listen now HERE before the powers that be yank it down.

*[consequenceofsound.net] The Black Keys have unleashed the video for “Gold on the Ceiling”, the second single off last year’s El Camino. It features footage from the album’s record release show in New York City last December. Watch it below.

Get More: The Black Keys, Gold On The Ceiling, Music, More Music Videos

*[consequenceofsound.net] As reported, Fucked Up return this week with “Year of the Tiger”, the latest installment in their ongoing Chinese Zodiac singles series. Described by the band as “honestly one of the best things we’ve ever done,” the track spans some 15 minutes and features acclaimed filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, Austra, and Annie-Claude Deschênes of Duchess Says. Stream “Year of the Tiger”, along with the four previous Zodiac singles, below.

The 12″ single, backed by a “22-minute long palindromic drone” entitled “ONNO”, is available now via Matador. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Save the Tiger fund.

*A message from The Twilight Sad... "Dear Friends, today is the day! Our new album, No One Can Ever Know, is officially released. Please take a moment and visit our WEBSTORE.

In addition to Ltd Edition Clear Vinyl, Ltd Edition Silkscreen and Bundle Only "Another Bed" Single Artwork T-Shirt, we've added CD and Digital Download formats and CD and Digital bundles. Supplies of Clear Vinyl and Silkscreens are dwindling fast so act soon.

We'll be visiting the states in just a few short weeks. Please be sure to come see us on tour. Tickets are still available for most shows. It's been a few years since our last release and 9 months since this records was finished. We hope you are as happy with the results as we are. As always, thank you for the years of support. We'll have more news soon," - The Twilight Sad

Red Fang Announce EU/UK Spring Tour Dates

2012-02-07T16:53:00.002-05:00

[theprp.com] Red Fang and Black Tusk will be touring together (there’s gotta be a joke in there somewhere) throughout the UK and Europe in April. Initial dates include:

04/05 Segrate, ITA – Magnolia
04/06 Rome, ITA -Traffic
04/07 Montecchio Maggiore, ITA – E20 Underground
04/08 Bulle, SWI – Ebullition
04/09 Lyon, FRA – TBA
04/10 Nantes, FRA – Le Ferrailleur
04/11 Paris, FRA – Les Combustibles
04/12 Tilburg, NET – Roadburn Festival Tickets
04/13 Torhout, BEL – Club de B
04/14 Marbehan , BEL – Bois Des Isles
04/15 Southampton, UK – Joiners
04/16 Manchester, UK – Star and Garter
04/17 Wrexham, UK – Central Station
04/18 London, UK – Underworld
04/19 Nijmegen, NET – Doornroosje
04/20 Leeuwarden, NET – Asteriks
04/21 Berlin, GER – Desertfest
04/22 Athens, GRE – An Club (no Black Tusk)
04/24 Helsinki, FIN – Tavastia
04/26 Hamburg, GER – Hafenklang
04/27 Wiesbaden, GER – Schlachthof
04/28 Winterthur, SWI – Gaswerk
04/29 Salzburg, AUT – Rockhouse Bar
04/30 Bozen, ITA – Halle 28
05/01 Wien, AUT – Arena
05/02 München, GER – Feierwerk
05/03 Wroclaw, POL – Asymetry Festival
05/04 Kiel, GER – Schaubude
05/05 Essen, GER – Cafe Nova
05/06 Kiev, UKR -TBA
05/07 Moscow, RUS – Plan B
05/08 St. Petersburg, RUS – Orlandina

Storm Corrosion (Porcupine Tree / Opeth) Sign with Roadrunner

2012-02-07T16:43:00.002-05:00

[press release] Roadrunner Records is pleased to announce the signing of Storm Corrosion.

Storm Corrosion is the long-discussed and highly anticipated collaboration between two of the modern progressive rock scene’s most innovative and multi-talented artists: Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth and Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson. The pair will release Storm Corrosion on April 24 via Roadrunner Records.

A little background information on the genesis of this project: Åkerfeldt and Wilson have been friends since the late ’90s, when Wilson co-produced Opeth’s revered Blackwater Park album. Over the years, they’d often spoken of working on a project together, but it wasn’t until recently that they managed to make something happen, when Mikael flew over to visit Steven in the U.K. and they ended up in Wilson’s home studio throwing ideas around. That visit was the nascence of a whole self-titled album, written and produced by the pair, and mixed by Wilson.

The sound of Storm Corrosion can best be described as enchanting, orchestral, ambient, epic (half the album’s tracks clock in around the 10-minute mark) and nothing short of surprising to the new ear. However, the musicians’ respective fanbases will be primed to appreciate the new output, with Wilson’s recent solo album, Grace for Drowning, and Opeth’s Heritage having brought them to a logical place to understand Storm Corrosion. This eponymous collection is almost viewed as one side of a musical triangle.

Says Wilson, “If you’d asked me three months ago about the music, I would have said, ‘Expect the last thing you would expect.’ But actually, now that Heritage and Grace for Drowning have come out, I don’t think it’s going to be that much of a shock to people, because it’s almost like a third part of the trilogy, in a way. If anything, it’s even more orchestral, even more stripped down, even more dark, twisted and melancholic… but it certainly feels like it comes from the same place as Heritage and Grace for Drowning, which indeed it does because it was written during the same period.”

“Some of the music on this record I think is the most beautiful music I have participated on ever,” adds Åkerfeldt. “There’s some magical sections on there. Musically I think we’ve created something earthy, a bit frightening, exhausting, profound and rather intense. All at the same time. I can safely say I don’t know any other band or artist that sounds anything like Storm Corrosion. I guess that was also one of our goals, so to speak.”

Roadrunner Senior VP of A&R, Monte Conner welcomed Storm Corrosion to the Roadrunner family, commenting, “I am honored to have the Roadrunner logo on the Storm Corrosion album. Steven Wilson and Mikael Åkerfeldt have demonstrated time and time again that they are two of the truest and most important artists working today, and it is not often that I get to work with musicians of this caliber. This album is a beautiful piece of work that will appeal to fans of Steven and Mikael’s past records, while at the same time exploring new avenues for both artists.”"

Kylesa Announce Spring Tour Dates with Gwar

2012-02-07T16:30:00.002-05:00

[press release] Southern psych-metal outfit KYLESA have announced a two week US tour. The line up will see KYLESA joining the mighty GWAR. Starting on April 13th in San Antonio, TX run for two weeks before ending in Allentown, PA.

The band is touring in support of their critically-acclaimed album Spiral Shadow (released by Season of Mist in October 2010). The album received the highest praises in the metal community, flooding Best of 2010 Lists such as Decibel, Pitchfork, Crave Online, and Pop Matters. It was the highest rated Metal Album on Metacritic and the #1 Metal Album from the Pitchfork Readers Poll.

Updated KYLESA news and tour information will be made available at the Season of Mist website and the KYLESA website, Facebook, and Myspace pages.

Tour Dates:

4/13 San Antonio, TX @ Backstage Live
4/14 Corpus Christi, TX @ House of Rock
4/16 Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
4/17 Orlando, FL @ Beacham Theater
4/18 Jacksonville, FL @ Freebird Live
4/19 Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
4/20 N. Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
4/21 Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
4/22 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
4/23 Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
4/25 Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom
4/26 Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
4/27 Hampton Beach, NH @ Wally’s Pub
4/28 Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock

“Spiral Shadow supersizes everything, from song lengths to layers of deep-focus space-rock effects, but the sprawling songs are still built around riffs as sweaty as a south Georgia summer.” - Spin

“The Savannah quintet completely upends expectations” - Decibel

“... Spiral Shadow is the sound of a band metamorphosing from a good one to something truly special.” - Terrorizer

Quick Notes: Chavez, Primus, Orange Goblin + More

2012-02-06T20:51:00.000-05:00

*[brooklynvegan.com] Chavez, after playing ATP NJ, a small NYC show and Fallon in 2011, will return again at Bowery Ballroom in NYC on 5/18.

As previously mentioned, the band are on board for an ATP in the UK in May, and they're also on the lineup of this year's Primavera Festival in Barcelona. All three dates are listed below...

Chavez - 2012 Tour Dates:

Fri 05/18/12 Bowery Ballroom, NYC
Sat 05/26/12 Alexandra Palace London
Fri 06/01/12 Primavera Sound Festival Barcelona

*[theprp.com] Primus will be the musical guest on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” this coming Thursday, February 09th.

*[press release] As of today, AOL Music is streaming A Eulogy For The Damned, the latest studio offering from U.K. stoner metal conjurers ORANGE GOBLIN. Set for North American release on February 14, 2012, the ten-track A Eulogy For The Damned is ORANGE GOBLIN’s seventh studio album and first for Candlelight Records!

The long-awaited new full-length has been reaping accolades from critics nationally. In an early review of the record, Popdose boasts: “…their first record for Candlelight is pretty damn fantastic. Rockin’, riff-tastic and possibly the best record from start to finish that they’ve released yet.” Blistering calls it “…a total pure-bred metal album,” adding that, “there's not a trace of fluff or even a sideways idea to be found, which makes its execution all the more impressive,” while Decibel proclaims: “Long-haired limeys, maximum riffage and turbo doom. Biker rock. From England. And it’s pretty awesome.”

To take part in the audio awesomeness, point your browser HERE. In related news, earlier today the band launched their “Red Tide Rising” video online. The video clip is loosely based on H.P. Lovecraft stories and was shot in a series of dilapidated buildings around the UK. Check it out at the THIS LOCATION.

*[noisey.com] Tomorrow, on Tuesday February 7, Brooklyn psych-garage powerhouse Royal Baths will release their 2nd record on Kanine. It’s called Better Luck Next Life, and we’ve got the full album streaming HERE — it’s a real doozy.

Royal Baths is dark. Like, really dark. They’ve got origins in San Francisco, but they’re on a different trip than their buoyant, supportive Bay Area contemporaries. This isn’t flower power emancipation—this is more like Manson’s death trip. That’s probably why they recently moved to the scummy streets of New York, far away from Dolores Park and composting and Blue Bottle Coffee. Well, they did recently open up a Blue Bottle in Williamsburg, but you get the point. The nine songs on their new record are expertly narcotized anthems, mucky downers about hate, voodoo, and psychic torture. Fun times!

If you live in Brooklyn, tomorrow night is their record release party at Death By Audio. Check it out, and check the video for “Black Sheep,” directed by Fatos Marishta, below.

Royal Baths - Black Sheep from Royal Baths on Vimeo.

*A message from Hawk Eyes... "Thank you to everyone who has pre-ordered our new album, the response has been amazing. 'IDEAS' is available HERE to pre-order on Download, CD and 12" vinyl along with new T-shirt designs, Artwork prints and Exclusive Sick Kids Jackets.

'IDEAS' will be released on 26th March through Fierce Panda in the UK and Vinyl Junkie in Japan. Everyone who pre-orders will have access to exclusive videos, downloads and demos. Listen to brand new track 'Headstrung' from the album HERE!

'IDEAS' ALBUM RELEASE GIGS ANNOUNCED:

Thursday 8th March, Old Blue Last, London supporting DZ Deathrays
Friday 16th March, Brudenell Social Club, Leeds FREE ENTRY w/ These Monsters, Hookworms and Shallows
Tuesday 20th March, Buffalo Bar, London
Tuesday 10th April, O2 Academy, Leeds, supporting Therapy? and Skindred

*[press release] Fresno, California band The Quiet Americans was formed in 2010 by songwriter Luke Giffen and drummer Eli Reyes. The Quiet Americans combine bright melodies and animal like drums with fuzzed out guitar squall. Sort of like Link Wray meets Dinosaur jr. filtered through an echo chamber.

The six song EP Medicine is their first release and is out on local cassette collective Coattrack Records. The recording of Medicine was a family affair, Eli is married to Luke’s sister, and Luke’s little brother Ross contributed moog synth to the record. The entire record was tracked to an old Tascam 8 track reel to reel recorder, in their practice space. The Quiet Americans have recently expanded their live lineup to include Simon Smeds on bass, and Steve Loveless on organ, and have played some cool shows including opening slots for A Place to Bury Strangers, The Fresh and Onlys, Royal Baths, and Light Pollution.

DOWNLOAD: The Quiet Americans - Selia HERE.

Dave Grohl To Represent Rock Music at the Grammys

2012-02-06T19:52:00.002-05:00

[old.news.yahoo.com] When Dave Grohl started in the music business, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars were tots; Rihanna and Adele weren't even born.

That makes Grohl and his Foo Fighters kind of the senior set as they face off against the new kids at the Grammys on Sunday for album of the year. It's one of the six nominations for the Foos, who tied Adele and Mars for the second-most nominations (behind Kanye West) and will be performers at the show, to air from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

"It feels great to be the guy with gray hair in his beard who is still invited to these things," said the 43-year-old frontman. "Twenty years ago, I never thought I'd even have a career in music this long."

Grohl considers the last year to be his best. The band had a top-selling tour and sold more than 663,000 copies of their album, "Wasting Light," which faces off against Adele's "21," Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," Bruno Mars' "Grenade" and Rihanna's "Loud" for album of the year.

Oh, and he had a brief cameo in "The Muppets" as a drummer for a Muppet cover band.

This year is starting off just as good. On a recent afternoon inside 606 Studio, the band's garage like headquarters in Northridge, Calif., Grohl discussed his Grammy competition, previewed what viewers can expect from the band's Grammy performance and mused about being the rock band with the most nominations at this year's ceremony, which is set to air live Sunday on CBS.

AP: The Foo Fighters have won six Grammys, and you're up for six more this year. What does it feel like to win one?

Grohl: When we won for best rock album for our third record, which we made in my basement, I was so proud — because we made it in my basement in a crappy makeshift studio that we put together ourselves. I stood there looking out at everybody in tuxedos and diamonds and fur coats, and I thought we were probably the only band that won a Grammy for an album made for free in a basement that year. I feel the exact same way about it this year for an album that was made in my garage.

AP: You were raving about Adele the last time I interviewed you, and now you're up against her for album of the year.

Grohl: I'm glad that we're with Adele in the same category. It means we've done something right. I think she gives us all hope. She's made an incredible record, and she's an incredibly talented artist, so maybe it is true that the cream actually rises to the top. There's a reason why that record is so (expletive) huge. It's good. It's inspiring when something legitimate gets recognized for what it is. It's such a cliche, but it's a huge achievement to be nominated.

AP: Tease me about what you've got planned for your Grammy performance. Will you be collaborating with anyone?

Grohl: Maybe. Ken Ehrlich, who produces the show, is no dummy. He's been doing it for 30 years. He's a very musical person, and he understands collaboration. He understands there has to be some common connection between the artists collaborating, but it has to be somewhat adventurous and unexpected. To be honest, how many (expletive) rock bands are on the show this year? Yeah, so they're not gonna put us with another rock band. Right now, there just aren't that many.

AP: How do you feel about the lack of rock in some of the bigger categories at the Grammys?

Grohl: I feel the same way about it as how I felt at this massive car show in Pomona last weekend that I entered my 1965 Ford Falcon van into. I've never entered a car show before, and I don't really know a lot about it, but we put the van into the competition. My friend Troy, who built the thing, said to me, "I think we're gonna win." I asked him, "Why's that?" He said, "Because there are no other vans here." I ended up winning first in class. It's kind of the same feeling.

AP: Tell me more about that feeling. It's kind of like you're the rock spokesman at the Grammys.

Grohl: I feel a little bit of responsibility and a lot of pride. I'm (expletive) proud to be in the (expletive) Foo Fighters. ... We're a real (expletive) band. If I were a kid in (expletive) Tulsa, Okla., who loves rock bands and plays with my rock band in the garage, and I turned on the Grammys and saw a rock band with choreographed dancers playing to computers, I'd be bummed until the Foo Fighters came on, and then I'd think, "Oh, good, humans that play instruments."

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW HERE.

Ty Segall + White Fence Announce "Hair" Details

2012-02-06T18:57:00.002-05:00

[press release] Whether you're walking, rolling and tumbling, flying, driving your car, or sitting still and meditating, wherever you go, Hair you are. You don't always see the wild mystery that comes with everyday life on this rock, but your connection to the Eternal is always present. You just can't see it. Today, you're in luck - up to your frontal eye-lobes in luck. Ty Segall & White Fence have thrown their X-ray vision upon you and see the blood rocking through your veins and all the blood vessels in your brain. They can see them...

Hair it is - to stuff the cracks in your mental chrome dome. Hair for you to stare for awhile. Hair grows like grass beneath your feet, opens up your mind and reflects you in the fun house mirror - spreading past your borderlines, bouncing like rubber, growing and grooving towards the sky (with diamonds). Was it yesterday or yesteryear or is it happening now, on five-second synaptic delay? You were tall, you were high...you went farther than you've ever been.

Chanting to and from the dome is your living soundtrack and providing the Hairdressing for your psychic salad are Ty Segall and White Fence sitter Tim Presley with Sean Presley and Mikal Cronin along on the carpet ride. It unrolls from within them and in between them, and electricity takes many forms, from poppy lunges to acoustic strolls to freak-downs at end of the side. Hair gets tangled deep in clouds of guitars and drums and counter-riffs and percussion, then pressed flat with harmony vocals and compression. Whatever got them through the night, it launches the ship into the stratosphere. And Hair you are again.

Coming April 28th, 2012 from Ty Segall and White Fence: Hair.

Track List:

1 Time
2 I Am Not a Game
3 Easy Ryder
4 The Black Glove/Rag
5 Crybaby
6 (I Can't) Get Around You
7 Scissor People
8 Tongues

TY SEGALL & WHITE FENCE:

3-2 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall #
3-3 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour #
5-3 Portland, OR - Star Theater
5-4 Vancouver, BC - Waldorf Hotel
5-5 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
5-6 Missoula, MT - The Palace
5-8 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
5-9 Madison, WI - High Horse Saloon
5-10 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall !
5-11 Detroit, MI - Lager House !
5-12 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern !
5-13 Montreal, QC - Il Motore !
5-14 Portland, ME - Space Gallery !
5-16 New York, NY - Webster Hall $
5-18 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
5-19 Raleigh, NC - King's Barcade
5-20 Atlanta, GA - Earl
5-21 Nashville, TN - The End
5-22 Memphis, TN - Hi Tone
5-23 Little Rock, AR - Whitewater Tavern
5-24 Houston, TX - Walter's
5-25 Austin, TX - Mohawk (outside)

# = w/ Mikal Cronin, Feeling of Love
! = w/ The Strange Boys
$ = w/ The Men

TY SEGALL ONLY:

4-13 Gambier, OH- Kenyon College [solo set]
4-27 Berkeley, CA - UC Berkeley

Electric Flower Ready "EP II" For March

2012-02-06T18:29:00.003-05:00

[press release] Electric Flower, the visceral realist duo consisting of guitarist/singer Imaad Wasif and drummer Josh Garza, will release their sophomore EP, entitled EP II, on March 27th via Narnack Records. The offering showcases the band expanding their sound beyond the rawness of their first EP to explore the dimensions of depth and width.

In Electric Flower, rock is not dead but realized. The chemistry between Wasif and Garza is undeniable. These are two true modern rockers that can and will break sound barriers. They create the kind of loudness that makes you glad, with songs that have an immediate and tangible impact on the contemporary pop musical landscape. Artifice is devalued; pure emotion is king.

"Eclipsed" is a standout single, part loose metaphor, part nod to Dylan's 'Don't Think Twice' and Big Star's 'September Gurls,' yet carving a space of its own. "Cocoon" is a markedly weirder track; the repetition of the mantra-like lyric "To see your love come shining" gives way by sudden schism into an unexpected extraterrestrial soundscape, veering between CAN-esque Mesmer beats and a guitar angularity akin to This Heat, all the while carrying the current of a song unlike either.

EP II is proof that music today can be cinematic and conceptual without the complications of over-instrumentation as demonstrated within the modern overarching epic. Conversely, it moves against the wake of new-fangled blues stomp rock and the limits of its obligatory two-piece bands. Side two of the EP is dedicated to a cover of Scott Walker's dark symphonic ode to S&M, "The Electrician," done to such effect that it cuts to the core of the original, its primitive brightness reaching far out into other corners.

If the world ever catches up to them, we can then be sure that times really have changed, that the end is nigh, that "the circle" is unbroken. Electric Flower are on a journey through a modern kaleidoscope of rock 'n' roll, transcending mainstream influence and incorporating strong minimalist elements into their modern psychedelic music. In Garza's pummeling beats and Wasif's vocal and guitar exorcisms, we are not listening to just two men, but to an orchestra of the damned. Electric Flower wakes the ghosts of rock's most daring days, while never following them.

ELECTRIC FLOWER EP II:

1. Eclipsed
2. Cocoon
3. The Electrician

"Think of this as a match made at a gloriously noisy station in heaven" - Buzz Bands LA

"Raw post-punk psychedelia" - RCRD LBL

ABOUT ELECTRIC FLOWER:

Imaad Wasif has released three solo albums, including 2010's highly acclaimed The Voidist, and has established himself as one of the L.A. underground's most electrifying guitar players. Josh Garza, a Texas native and the drummer of Secret Machines, is widely recognized for his fearless sound, channeling the spirit of Bonham and the space between the beats. Together, their sound is part Motorik, part psychedelic, with strains of post-punk, Japanese Group Sounds and East Indian drone. It's raw, yet richly detailed and atmospheric, with booming beats and often obscure lyrical themes.

Dog Shredder Reveal "Brass Tactics" Details

2012-02-06T17:44:00.003-05:00

[press release] Planet Earth, behold the mighty prog-strewn high-powered trio DOG SHREDDER. The Bellingham, Washington-based outfit's rambunctious metallic output is about to bore its way into your head like a pissed-off electrified sixty-pound millipede on a brain-drilling mission.

Several years of regional touring and countless performances alongside everyone from Melt Banana to Marnie Stern, Helmet to Black Cobra, and everywhere in between has amassed DOG SHREDDER a wealth of bewildered reactions from show-goers and media alike throughout the Pacific Northwest. Even Seattle’s major weekly arts paper The Stranger referred to the band's unhinged live energy as "downright unfuckwithable" in a show review.

Following their self-released two-song Boss Rhino EP in 2010, DOG SHREDDER are preparing to lay waste to faces worldwide with their next invasion of aural decimation this Spring. The forthcoming Brass Tactics bears three brand new slabs of calculated chaos that captures DOG SHREDDER’s live attack. Recorded and mixed by Adam B. Pike at Portland's Toadhouse Studio and Paul Turpin at Bellingham's Champion Street Sound Studios, and mastered by Levi Seitz at Black Belt Mastering in Seattle, Brass Tactics will be released as a 12" EP via Seattle's Good To Die Records this April.

Stay tuned for more info on Brass Tactics, DOG SHREDDER live updates and more in the weeks ahead. For now check out a free high-quality download of the Boss Rhino EP at their official Facebook outpost [link above].

Brass Tactics Track Listing:

1. Battle Toads
2. Battle Snake
3. Battle 07

DOG SHREDDER is:

Noah Burns - Drums
Josh Holland - Guitar, Vocals, Programming, Synths
Jeff Johnson - Bass

Blacklisters + Shapes Announce March UK Tour

2012-02-06T17:09:00.003-05:00

[press release] Blacklisters are bringing their unique style of ear shattering rock for a tour with Shapes this March.

About to release their debut album in April on Brew, BLACKLISTERS is an unrelenting noise rock tour de force. Billy Mason-Wood’s skewed and often terrifying vocals with Dante Beesley’s sharp, distinctive guitar demand you undivided attention. Whilst underneath, Owen Griffiths’ marauding bass lines and Alistair Stobbart’s unrelenting drumming drive the songs with genuine menace. Taking cues from Leeds favorites Pulled Apart By Horses and label mates Kong, Blacklisters have drawn comparisons to 400 Blows, Shellac and early Glassjaw. With Dan Carter (BBC Radio1 Rock Show) likening them to noise rock giants The Jesus Lizard, Blacklisters pull no punches.

Stream Blacklisters - Trickf*ck - Released Monday 27th February 2012 HERE!

Three long–term friends SHAPES play music they love. Since their first gig in January 2008 and a wide variety of releases including their acclaimed spiraling riff-heavy angular attack rock debut album Monotony Chic. The band have shared stages with Glassjaw, Pulled Apart By Horses, Adebisi Shank and many more.

Stream Shapes - Monotony Chic - Album out now HERE!

March Tourdates:

Friday 16th - Birminham, The Rainbow
Saturday 17th - London, The Wilmington
Wednesday 21st - Glasgow, Bloc - Free entry
Thursday 22nd - York, Stereo
Friday 23rd - Hartlepool, The Clarendon
Saturday 24th - Leeds, The Library

On Blacklisters:

“A wonderful wake-up call.” – Drowned in Sound

“The filthy, quivering grooves sound face-cavingly immense – Kerrang!

On Shapes:

"On Monotony Chic - A statement of intent that says in just over half an hour what most bands spend a whole career trying to" - Rocksound

"There's really little to dislike about the way that Shapes go about things, and refreshing to get punch in the face after punch in the face on a record that begs you see the band live." - Punktastic

Quick Notes: Baroness, Dave Grohl, Black Sabbath + More

2012-02-05T05:11:00.000-05:00

*[theprp.com] While perhaps criminally unpublicized, Baroness have in fact been in the studio recently working on their new album. A photo of frontman/guitarist John Baizley looking lonely in the studio was posted over at the bands Facebook on January 31st.

*[consequenceofsound.net] Apparently, just being the frontman of our band of the year isn’t enough for the ever-evolving Dave Grohl. According to Deadline, the Foo Fighter is currently developing a thirty-minute sitcom for FX with the help of comedian Dana Gould (The Simpsons, Family Guy). Grohl serves as an executive producer, while Gould will both write and star in the show, which has yet to be titled.

The plot centers around a rock band in turmoil who is forced to go into therapy to keep their dreams of making it big alive. Their therapist turns out to be a negative, fatalistic couple’s councilor who himself is struggling with his own marriage.

No word yet on which one of these characters will be played by Gould, or if Grohl will be making any guest appearances on camera. Although we wouldn’t be surprised considering his penchant for the comedic.

*[theprp.com] Bill Ward has thanked fans for the recent support shown during his ousting from the Black Sabbath reunion following contractual disputes. Speaking through his site, he stated:

“Dear Sabbath Fans,

This is Bill. I just wanted to humbly thank you all. Your support from across the world has given me further strength and hope for a positive resolve. I have been moved and overwhelmed by the thousands of messages. I love you all.

Rock forever,
Bill“

*[theprp.com] Quality fan-filmed live footage of Mastodon‘s January 22nd, 2012 show in Lisbon, Portugal has made its way online and can be seen below:

Check out more HERE.

*[theprp.com] Kylesa have been officially confirming the departure of bassist Corey Barhost from their ranks in recent interviews. As those who have seen the band live in the past few months can attest, he has been replaced by former band drummer, Eric Hernandez.

Meanwhile, the group have also stated that they will be spending the majority of this year working on a new album; which they plan to have out in early 2013. Vocalist/guitarist Laura Pleasants has also revealed that a b-sides & rarities record is in the cards for a release later this year.

You can watch her discuss that with Acordes De Quinta below:

*Junius, Caspian, Pile, (Damn) This Desert Air and more are just some of the artists featured on the new free digital compilation, “Escaping The Ordinary: Volume 3“. You can grab it at Escapingtheordinary.net.

*[consequenceofsound.net] Deerhunter’s contribution to the Japan benefit album We Are The Works In Progress recently hit the web. It’s an instrumental entitled “Curve”, and you can stream it below (via Stereogum).

*Denmark's The Foreign Resort have released a video for their song "Take A Walk" which can be found below. The song comes from the band's latest self titled EP. The band will be doing an extensive US tour in March, including a stop at SXSW as an officially showcasing band.

La Dispute Announce Tour Dates

2012-02-05T05:01:00.002-05:00

[lambgoat.com] La Dispute will be touring extensively this spring with Balance and Composure, All Get Out, and Sainthood Reps. The schedule is as follows:

3/24 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
3/25 Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
3/26 Iowa City, IA @ Gabe's
3/27 Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Music Hall
3/28 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
3/29 Ogden, UT @ The Basement
3/30 Boise, ID @ The Venue
3/31 Seattle, WA @ Vera Project
4/1 Portland, OR @ Branx
4/3 Oakland, CA @ Oakland Metro Operahouse
4/4 San Francisco, CA @ Sub-mission Art Space
4/5 Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
4/6 Los Angeles, CA @ Center For The Arts, Eagle Rock
4/7 Camarillo, CA @ Rock City
4/8 San Diego, CA @ Che Cafe
4/9 Phoenix, AZ @ The Underground
4/11 Midland, TX @ The Pine Box
4/12 Austin, TX @ Red 7
4/13 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
4/14 Dallas, TX @ Rubbergloves Rehearsal
4/15 Oklahoma City, OK @ Conservatory
4/16 St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
4/17 Nashville, TN @ The End
4/18 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
4/19 Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
4/20 Pembroke Pines, FL @ The Talent Farm
4/21 Jacksonville, FL @ The Pit
4/22 Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern
4/24 Raleigh, NC @ Southland Ballroom
4/25 Richmond, VA @ Kingdom
4/26 Baltimore, MD @ Otto Bar
4/27 Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon
4/28 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
4/29 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
4/30 Boston, MA @ The Middle East Downstairs
5/2 Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rosa
5/3 Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
5/4 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
5/5 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
5/6 Chicago, IL @ Metro

The Twilight Sad's "No One Can Ever Know" Reviewed on Pitchfork

2012-02-05T04:46:00.002-05:00

[pitchfork.com] Here's an incomplete recap of the Twilight Sad's self-reported listening syllabus leading up to their third album, No One Can Ever Know: Cabaret Voltaire, Magazine, Autechre, Public Image Ltd., Nine Inch Nails. In other words, a group that has to this point been either compared to shoegazers or other Scottish acts (Aereogramme, Mogwai) was looking to completely overhaul its sound. That's a good thing-- while their debut Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters was the work of a powerful and fully realized band, its follow-up Forget the Night Ahead suggested it wasn't a particularly versatile one. Whether it was a result of familiarity or just its suffocated production, the torrential downpour of Andy MacFarlane's guitars and James Graham's heavily accented howl didn't have the same impact.

Now here's a nearly complete list of who No One Can Ever Know actually sounds like: The Twilight Sad. That's also a good thing. No One Can Ever Know is kind of a failure as a total sonic rebranding, but it's a strong transition for the band into something a little more form-fitting while carrying over their commitment to morose atmosphere and Graham's handsome vocals, deeply entrenched characteristics that just so happen to be their strengths.

Still, that they brought in Andrew Weatherall to produce is proof enough that they meant business. The mention of Weatherall's name most instantly brings to mind his work on Primal Scream's Screamadelica and Fuck Buttons' Tarot Sport, two records whose wildly bright timbres and celebratory attitudes exist somewhere way the fuck on the other side of the world from where the Twilight Sad set up shop. That's still the case if song titles like "Kill It in the Morning" and "Dead City" are any indication of what's to come, and they sure are. It's tough to pinpoint the exact contributions, but whether Weatherall was meant as a spiritual adviser or a contributor is a moot point-- the Twilight Sad intended for this to be a frigid, militant, and rhythmic record, and they got it.

The main difference is the shape these songs allow themselves to take: "Cold Days From the Birdhouse" and "I Became a Prostitute" achieved weapons-grade catharsis by cresting and crashing unexpectedly, visually represented by right-angle dynamics. No longer able to fall back on volcanic distortion to bring the big moments, the Twilight Sad have more curvature and forward motion, something closer to the color-drained gothic clangor of Pornography-era Cure ("Don't Look at Me") or "Street Spirit"/"Knives Out" Radiohead (particularly "Sick") than any of the post-punk firebrands they namechecked. Accordions (or approximations thereof) wheeze, artificial strings moan, and guitars are thick with distortion, yet everything feels of a single piece, and at first it makes No One feel a bit limited dynamically compared to its predecessors. But it's a record more about obsession than release, and the mesmerizing, cyclical guitar figures of "Sick" and the throttle-down locomotion of "Don't Move" make the best use of repetition as a conveyance of passion.

READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW HERE.

Pop. 1280's "The Horror" Reviewed on Pitchfork

2012-02-05T04:37:00.002-05:00

[pitchfork.com] If the hardest thing for a new rock band to do is be original, then the second hardest is to be scary. Most artists deploying horror-movie imagery and shock tactics inevitably succumb to campy theatricality (as seen in everyone from Marilyn Manson to the earliest iteration of the Horrors), or are quick to explain it away as just a ruse (e.g., Odd Future saying they're just joshin' with all that rape-and-murder business), and lest we forget that the most well-worn metaphor used to describe death metal invokes a character from Sesame Street. But the songs that have startled me the most-- Suicide's "Frankie Teardrop", Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' "Hard-On for Love", the Jesus Lizard's "Killer McHann"-- are unnerving to me not so much for their overt aggression as their matter-of-fact realism, where the line between singer and subject is blurred, and sound and fury coalesce into a vivid, very real portrait of violent psychosis.

New York foursome Pop. 1280 are not shy about showing their hand-- they take their name from a Jim Thompson crime novel about a killer cop, and they've given their first full-length album the self-explanatory title of The Horror. Pop. 1280 wallow in the same pool of pigfuck sloppy seconds as East Coast contemporaries Pissed Jeans and the Men, but where those bands respectively soften their blows (somewhat) with wry observations about domesticity and knowing classic-rock references, Pop. 1280 offer no such salve. If the ray-gunned synth-punk stylings of the band's debut 2010 EP, The Grid, suggested a certain fondness for cheeky, B-movie thrills, The Horror is a far more traumatic experience, conjuring all the dystopian futurism of an early David Cronenberg film, but delivered with merciless, medieval brute force. The first words we hear on the album are "two dogs fucking"; it proves to be The Horror's most romantic lyric.

Band co-founders Chris Bug and Ivan Lip recorded The Horror with a different drummer and keyboardist from The Grid, and the difference is immediately palpable-- rather than provide a clear separation of bass, synths, and Lip's Birthday Party-esque guitar scrapes, the three elements are often compacted into one monolithic, doomy frequency that hangs over the record like a cloud of black smoke. But new drummer Zach Ziemann does a fine job of pushing the proverbial boulder up the mountain. For all its oppressive heaviness, The Horror has energy and verve to spare: "Bodies in the Dunes" sets its apocalyptic death-toll imagery to a heart-racing tribal stomp that doesn't relent for five minutes, while "New Electronix" sounds like a summit between 1990s Touch and Go greats Brainiac and Girls Against Boys. Ironically, when Bug starts shouting out explicit dance-move instructions ("Hips to the right/ And hips to the left!") on "Nature Boy", the song's convulsing groove slows to a sludgy grind, making his directives sound less like an invitation to shimmy than militaristic orders shouted at some poor captive trapped at the bottom of a well.

Bug isn't the most dynamic vocalist-- sounding not unlike Liars' Angus Andrew played at 16 rpm-- but for a band as harsh as this, he need not display a range of emotions so long as he convincingly conveys the right ones: grim and grimmer. And it's The Horror's dirgey digressions that actually best showcase his cold-blooded character, whether shaming a submissive subject into acting like a dog on "Beg Like a Human", or taking no small amount of glee in describing the agonizing process of dying by the noose on "Hang Em' High". In a world this bleak, the best you can hope for is a quick, easy death, and yet even then Pop. 1280 won't let you off that easy-- as Bug cautions us at the outset, "Life after death is a painful life." But he can rest assured that, with an album as unabashedly grim and unforgiving as The Horror, he needn't have to worry about being granted eternal salvation.

Jack White Announces Several Festival Shows

2012-02-05T04:21:00.002-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] Sasquatch! isn’t the only music festival to have scored a performance by Jack White. As a press release now confirms, the former White Stripes frontman will also headline the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama on May 18th.

Tickets for Hangout Festival go on sale Friday, February 10th, while tickets for Sasquatch! go on sale on Saturday, February 11th. White will play Sasquatch! on May 26th.

In addition, White will be performing at Radio 1′s Hackney Weekend 2012 on the weekend of June 23-24th in London. Tickets are free, but quantities are limited. Registration for tickets begins at 8:15 am GMT on Monday, February 6th via the BBC’s website.

As previously reported, White will release his solo debut, Blunderbuss, on April 24th via Third Man/Columbia. Below, you can listen to the album’s lead single, “Love Interruption”. It’s available now digitally and will be released on vinyl on February 7th. Third Man Records has also produced 300 limited edition Tri-Color vinyl 45s of the single and will be selling 100 copies at their Nashville storefront and select independent record stores on Feb 14th. Additionally, 50 copies of the Tri Color 7″s will be inserted into random mail orders through both White’s website and Third Man’s website.

Trent Reznor Discusses The State of the Music Industry

2012-02-05T04:05:00.002-05:00

[theprp.com] Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, How To Destroy Angels, etc. fame recently took part in a very insightful (and admittedly lengthy) interview with Tunecore.com. Along with his recent film score work, Reznor shared his thoughts on upcoming projects, the state of the record industry and more.

When asked why he originally parted ways with Interscope Records and abandoned the traditional record company models, he offered:

“Well [pauses], that time would’ve been about two thousand…eight-ish, somewhere in that neighborhood, and, the true reality of that situation was: the record deal that we had signed years and years before had escalating advances based on the current state of the industry when that was negotiated. Meanwhile, the industry has collapsed, and those advances didn’t make any sense for the record label at that point.

They were astronomical compared to what an expected return would be. We were kind of presented with the situation of, “Hey, if you wanna stay here, let’s renegotiate something that’s more realistic for us in terms of an advance, or, do it on your own.”

Now, at that time in my life, it felt very much like, “OK. The record business is broken. The model is broken.” I’d go through periods of having to look in the mirror and say, “Let’s see. I just made an album I spent a year working on. I turned it over to the record label to get manufactured. It leaked, and I’m online, just boiling furious, at fans who’re talking about how much they love this new album, that they just stole.”

And then I’d think, “Wait a minute. They’re not standing outside my house, bootlegging copies out the back of their van, y’know, to make money. They’re sharing their excitement about songs I’ve written, and music I’ve done. And they’re excited about it. And I’m pissed off at ‘em, because what?

They didn’t wait until a month from now, when they’d have to drive to a record shop (if they can find one,) to buy a piece of plastic they don’t want, then rip it back to their computers, to…man, this sucks.

Ok, something’s not right.” Or they can buy it from iTunes at a lower bit quality, which at that time was also copy protected, which I was strongly against.

It becomes very clear, if you can remove the emotion from the equation, that, OK. The delivery system is broken. And the relationship between fans and artists and record labels is also broken. I thought I was smart enough to get that right. What I learned is it consumed… The following years coming up to the present, have been spent trying to experiment with different business models.

First and foremost, spending time paying attention to what consumers want. You know, it all sounds like market research and boring marketing-type crap, and it is, but it also became clear: nobody else has figured it out. And managers aren’t gonna tell us what to do, and record labels, it’s clear they don’t know what to do.

And the internet at large, their proposition that everything should just be free? That’s great if you’re a kid at home, it’s not so great if you’re a content provider that’s thinking “OK, how am I supposed to keep doing this if everything is just free?” That’s not right, in my opinion.

But nobody wants to be Metallica and, stand up and [say] “Hey, on the one hand look how rich I am. On the other hand hey man, you should be paying me, poor college kid.” Nobody wants to be on that side of the argument, including them.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE.

ISIS Announce Upcoming Release Details

2012-02-05T03:49:00.002-05:00

[theprp.com] Isis‘ Facebook page has been updated with the following info regarding some new posthumous releases from the band:

“Hello and happy new year. We hope it’s off to a great start for everyone. We have a few things in the works that we’d like to talk about. Some of you may have seen our Facebook post about a new release in the works.

As you may have guessed this is Live VI. It will be released digitally on Feb 14, 2012 and on limited double vinyl through our web-store soon after. This is a multi track recording from our 10 year anniversary tour.

It was performed at the Hawthorne Theater in Portland, OR in 2007. The sound quality is great as it was recorded and mixed by Aaron Harris, and mastered by James Plotkin. The track listing for Live VI is:

1. Hive Destruction
2. So Did We
3. Not In Rivers, But In Drops
4. Gentle Time
5. In Fiction
6. Holy Tears
7. Weight (featuring Ayal and Maria from 27)
8. Red Sea
9. Carry (featuring Maria from 27)

You can pre order Live VI on iTunes, and listen to track previews by going HERE.

Also we are compiling some material for a new CD of B-sides, demos, alternate versions, and other unreleased tracks, AND a DVD containing all of our videos in HD, along with an unreleased video for the track “Piable Foe” previously released on our split 12″ with the Melvins. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it. Thanks!”

††† (Crosses) Live Debut Footage Available

2012-02-05T03:38:00.003-05:00

[theprp.com] Higher quality live footage of ††† (Crosses) debut live show at The Glass House in Pomona, CA last night, January 31st, has arrived online. One unexpected performance of the night saw the band team up with Annie Hardy for a Giant Drag cover. Those with long memories will recall that Hardy (herself a member of Giant Drag) was involved in an early version of †††. You can find footage of the pairing below.

The setlist for the show ran as follows:

01 – “†hholyghs†“
02 – “†his Is A †rick“
03 – “Bermuda Locke†“
04 – “Fron†iers“
05 – “Prurien†“
06 – “†elepa†hy“
07 – “1987“
08 – “†“
09 – “The Years“
10 – “Op†ion“
11 – “Swan Song” (Giant Drag cover) (feat. Annie Hardy)
12 – “†rophy“

See more HERE. In other Crosses news...

MTV.com spoke with ††† (aka Crosses) guitarist Shaun Lopez (also of Far) on January 31st. The interview took place just prior to the bands first-ever live show. Lopez spoke on a number of topics, confirming more releases are in the works, more shows are a possibility and just how they came to have two drummers in a live capacity. You can read the feature at MTV.com.

Battleme Offer Debut Album Details

2012-02-05T03:31:00.002-05:00

[press release] Austin’s Matt Drenik aka Battleme is set to release his self-titled debut album on April 24th via Trashy Moped Recordings. Drenik (of Lions fame) explores a much different side of rock on his new project. The 10 song record was produced by Thomas Turner from Ghostland Observatory and is being released on Turner’s label.

Matt Drenik has made a name for himself over the past few years fronting the Austin-based rock-outfit Lions. Lions spent a lot of time on the road and shared stages with notable acts including the Toadies and Monster Magnet and were a crucial part of the blooming Austin scene alongside bands like White Denim and The Sword. In the summer of 2009, Matt was diagnosed with uveitis, an incurable auto immune disease that affects the eyes. As his illness increased, Matt re-discovered classic albums like Beck’s Mellow Gold and the Flaming Lips’ Clouds Taste Metallic and began recording new material with a different outlook towards songwriting. He sought to create songs without boundaries and limitations. He named his new project Battleme.

A year after his diagnosis, he relocated to Portland, OR where he was found a new love in his life and a great eye institute. During this time, he spent countless hours recording basement demos. Matt eventually came out with a 10 song record and sent it around to family and friends. One of those was Turner, who upon hearing the album back in Austin, TX offered to produce and release it.

With Turner signed on to produce, the two lived and breathed the songs for the next six months. They sent mixes back and forth, collaborating and expanding on the sound. With Drenik’s uveitis in remission, the songs took on new forms – adding drums and synthesizers alongside edgy guitar riffs and drifting falsetto vocals, creating an adventurous mix of post-modern rock and soul – the sound that ultimately defines Battleme.

On April 24th 2012, the world will finally get to hear the debut album from Battleme on Trashy Moped Recordings. A USA tour is in the works to promote the album.

Quick Notes: Torche, Black Sabbath, LaFaro + More

2012-02-04T20:03:00.000-05:00

*[theprp.com] Torche‘s new album is complete and off to the pressing plant. The group oversaw the production duties for the outing themselves while Converge‘s Kurt Ballou handled the mixing. It is expected to see a release in the coming months through Volcom Entertainment.

*[theprp.com] The recently reunited Black Sabbath have decided to continue on without drummer Bill Ward. The news follows Ward publicly voicing his concerns yesterday, February 02nd, regarding the contracts being offered to him for the reunion.

Speaking through the official Black Sabbath Facebook earlier yesterday, February 03rd, the other members of the band stated:

“We were saddened to hear yesterday via Facebook that Bill declined publicly to participate in our current Black Sabbath plans… we have no choice but to continue recording without him although our door is always open… We are still in the UK with Tony. Writing and recording the new album and on a roll… See you at Download!!! - Tony, Ozzy and Geezer“

*A message from Smalltown America Records... For most bands, their frontman shattering his ankle would stop them in their tracks, but not LaFaro. Instead Jonny traveled by car for two days to reach the Dutch festival where an headline spot awaited them and judging from the reviews, Jonny's predicament only added to the performance. The festival also saw the first big test of nerve for new bassist Oisin O'Doherty who flourished in his new role.

This month sees LaFaro return to Europe for a 25-date headline tour that encompasses 9 countries.

*[theprp.com] Constants‘ forthcoming album “Pasiflora” will see a June 19th release date through The Mylene Sheath. The self-produced outing was co-mixed by the band and Daryl Rabidoux (Bad Rabbits, The Cancer Conspiracy).

Puscifer Taking Control of YouTube Footage

2012-02-04T19:59:00.002-05:00

[theprp.com] Puscifer have apparently begun a campaign to cut down on unauthorized Puscifer footage uploaded to Youtube, be it promotional or live. The following message was posted on Puscifer.com February 01st:

“We are currently working on some form of reciprocal exchange. Almost 100% of the copyright infringement on uTube from other channels never gives a nod to the source. No mention of Puscifer.com or www.youtube.com/pusciferdotcom being the official channels for Puscifer, Caduceus, A Perfect Circle, and Tool. No traffic is sent our way. This recent barrage of cease and desist notices is an attempt to correct this.

People/artists doing videos using our work without permission deliver an added sting when they don’t even mention our sites. We are independent. We NEED the traffic to OUR URL’s and channels to survive as an independent project.

So some form of reciprocating gesture needs to be put in place for us not to be pricks about it all. Then and only then will we consider allowing people to use our art and product in conjunction with theirs.

Having said that, NO live footage is EVER permitted. The live experience is to be enjoyed in the moment. Not on the internet.

We’ll be in touch.”

At the time of this news posting numerous unauthorized videos from Puscifer, Tool, etc., without any return links, were still available for viewing on Youtube.

Refused Continue to Expand Tour Dates

2012-02-04T19:57:00.001-05:00

[theprp.com] Refused have been added to this years editions of the annual “Nova Rock” and “Roskilde” festivals overseas. Here’s how their schedule now runs:

04/13 Indio, CA – Coachella Festival
04/18 San Francisco, CA – The Warfield
04/20 Indio, CA – Coachella Festival
04/22 New York, NY – Terminal 5
04/23 New York, NY – Terminal 5
04/27 Berlin, GER – Monster Bash Festival
04/29 Meerhout, BEL – Groezrock Festival
05/31 Barcelona, SPA – San Miguel Primavera Sound
06/04 Milano, ITA – Arena Fiera Di Rho
06/08 Nickelsdorf, AUT – Nova Rock Festival
07/05 Roskilde, DEN – Roskilde Festival
08/09 Gothenburg, SWE – Way Out West Festival
08/10 Oslo, NOR – Øya Festival

Ume Add New Tour Dates + More

2012-02-04T19:41:00.002-05:00

[press release] When Ume's incendiary video for lead single "Captive" premiered it was shown on mtvU 24 times in 24 hours. It has now moved up the ranks and today made its debut on MTV2's "120 Minutes." The clip features the band performing in a burning abandoned house along with some scorching guitar heroics by frontwoman Lauren Larson. Check it out at over at MTV Hive or watch below.

The Austin-based trio will be heading out on tour with indie rock dynamos Cursive next week (new dates have been added). The tour will begin in Denver on February 12 and hit Los Angeles on February 24 before ending in Omaha on March 3.

Before leaving for tour Ume will headline a hometown show at The Parish in Austin on February 10 for the Oh Snap! Blackout Party. Just before the band were to play a headlining set at the Oh Snap! benefit show last Friday night the power on 6th Street went out leaving hundreds of fans in the dark. This show will make up for that and feature several bands that weren't able to play due to the outage.

UME ON TOUR WITH CURSIVE:

February 10 - Austin, TX @ The Parish - Oh Snap! Blackout Party
February 12 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
February 14 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
February 15 - Boise, ID @ Neurolux
February 16 - Pullman, WA @ The Bell Tower
February 17 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos
February 18 - Vancouver, BC @ The Media Club
February 19 - Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
February 20 - Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
February 22 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
February 24 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
February 25 - Pomona @ The Glasshouse
February 26 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
February 27 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
February 28 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
March 1 - Wichita, KS @ Abode
March 2 - Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
March 3 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown

*Without Cursive

PRESS QUOTES:

"Ume are your new favorite band, and you don't even know it. The Austin, Texas based group is a post-punk mix of Dirty-era Sonic Youth and early Breeders, fronted by the totally rockin' singer and guitarist Lauren Larson." - Alternative Press

"Distortion-heavy jams (and the whole marriage thing) invite comparisons to Sonic Youth, but Ume do more headbanging and wailing." - Rolling Stone

"This band is ready to break out in a whole new way... A little like fuzzy shoegaze, raw garage rock and irresistible pop all rolled into one fiery package." - NylonMagazine.com

The Coathangers Release New Split Single w/ Davila 666

2012-02-04T19:23:00.002-05:00

[press release] The Coathangers have premiered the "spunky" new song, "Smother" -- from their forthcoming 7" split single with Davila 666 -- via SPIN.com. The limited edition single (500 black, 250 gold) will be available worldwide on April 17 via Suicide Squeeze. The single features "Smother" as the A-side and Davila 666's "No Crees Que Ya Cansa" as the AA-side, along with artwork from Westin Glass of the Thermals.

Stream The Coathangers' new single "Smother" below.

The Coathangers have also scheduled a month long tour, which begins March 12 in New Orleans, LA at Siberia, and currently wraps up on April 7 in Nashville, TN at The End, and includes appearances at SXSW. For the March 21-April 7 dates, the band will co-headline with White Mystery. Full tour dates below.

Tour Dates
March 12 - New Orleans LA @ Siberia***
March 13 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's Downstairs**
March 14 - Austin, TX @ Swan Dive (SXSW)
March 18 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada @ BROFEST
March 19 - San Antonio, TX @ Korova Basement
March 21 - Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
March 22 - San Diego, CA @ Tin Can Alehouse*
March 23 - Los Angeles, CA @ Los Globos*^
March 26 - Portland, OR @ The East End*
March 28 - Seattle, WA @ Comet Tavern*
March 29 - Vancouver, BC @ Waldorf Cabaret*
March 30 - Spokane, WA @ Mootsy's*
March 31 - Missoula, MT @ Zoo City Apparel*
April 1 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge*
April 2 - Denver, CO @ The Hi Dive*
April 4 - Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar*
April 5 - Carbondale, IL @ Hangar 9*
April 6 - Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone*
April 7 - Nashville, TN @ The End*

* w/ White Mystery
** w/ Eternal Summers
*** w/ Mikal Cronin + Pujol
^ w/ Strange Boys + Wounded Lion

Quick Notes: Puscifer, Guards, Big Scary Monsters Records

2012-02-04T11:25:00.000-05:00

*Puscifer have released a video for "Telling Ghosts," the third single off last year's exceptional Conditions of my Parole. Check the video out below and catch the band on tour this Spring. Dates can be found HERE.

*[SPIN.com] In a nicely timed tribute, the new video from New York City pop-rockers Guards plays like a hipster version of Soul Train, whose creator, Don Cornelius, passed away on February 1.

In the Kaylie Schiff-directed clip, a succession of stylishly dressed duos boogie down a runway, Soul Train-style, at the Echo Club in Los Angeles while Guards' "Do It Again" soundtracks the proceedings. The song itself is an anthemic, peppy rocker with a vaguely '60s vibe. Indeed, it's not a world away from the sound of Cults, which makes sense given that Guards' Richie Follin and that band's Madeline Follin are brother and sister.

*A message from Big Scary Monsters Records... "We've recently uncovered a few forgotten gems whilst moving offices and so, along with some lovely discounts on a handful of other releases, are running a bit of a sale.

It began at 12pm on Wednesday and will run for one week only. We have less than three copies each of many of the items (such as the debut EPs from Secondsmile and Blakfish, as well as the square-shaped Andrew WK 7" and a promo copy of the Talons/And So I Watch You From Afar split single), just a few more of others (including Tall Ships recent 7" single, Hit The Floor) and pounds knocked off amazing albums from the likes of Shoes And Socks Off, Shapes, Algernon Cadwallader, Walter Schreifels and Mimas.

Get over to the sale page and start shopping before it's too late. Many items won't be around for long at all."

Quick Notes: Mark Lanegan, Jack White, Foo Fighters + More

2012-02-02T19:15:00.000-05:00

*[consequenceofsound.net] On February 7th, Mark Lanegan Band will release Blues Funeral, the group’s long-awaited follow up to their 2004 album, Bubblegum. We’ve already heard the menacing and bluesy cut “The Gravedigger’s Song”, and now there’s an equally freaky music video. Directed by Alistair Legrand and produced by Jack Richardson, the video pulls bits and pieces from dozens of famous horror movies out there. From scythe-wielding children to taxidermy a la Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, it’s enough to keep you squirming in your seat for the entire duration. It also provides a quaint backdrop for Lanegan’s rough growl and the track’s sinister imagery. Check it out below.

Blues Funeral is out February 7th via 4AD.

*[consequenceofsound.net] It’s about time: Jack White has announced his first-ever solo album. As his new website points out, Blunderbuss will arrive April 24th via Third Man Records/Columbia.

Produced by White and recorded at Third Man Studio in Nashville, Blunderbuss has been described by White as “an album I couldn’t have released until now. I’ve put off making records under my own name for a long time but these songs feel like they could only be presented under my name. These songs were written from scratch, had nothing to do with anyone or anything else but my own expression, my own colors on my own canvas,” according to an issued press release.

The album’s lead single, “Love Interruption”, is now available to stream below and has been released digitally, coming to 7″ vinyl on February 7th (pre-orders are ongoing). The single is backed by a non-album track called “Machine Gun Silhouette”.

*[consequenceofsound.net] After a whirlwind year, Foo Fighters return with another video, this time for their new single “These Days”. Another choice cut off of last year’s equally choice Wasting Light, the track’s video soundtracks culled footage from the band’s recent travels to Australia and New Zealand – y’know, where they caused seismic activity? It’s not easy being a full-time rock star (e.g. leaving your family, constantly packing your bags, and traveling each day) – but we’re sure the whole “performing to millions of fans each week”-sort of thing is pretty cool. Get a glimpse of this alternative lifestyle in the video below, and then start practicing your chord progressions shortly after. To quote Ben Stiller via Tom Cruise, “Go for it!”

*[consequenceofsound.net] Says The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne of the band’s first release in 2012: “Sound construction piece featuring Lips, Erykah Badu, Siri, and Biz Markie backwards. It’s called ‘Now I Understand’ It’s funny and will be available on SoundCloud for one week only!!! Life is beautiful. Music gets you high.” Glad to see nothing has changed.

*[pitchfork.com] Noise rock duo Noah Kardos-Fein and Rick Daniel, aka Yvette, are set to release a limited edition 7", "Erosion", via God Mode, the label run by Mr. Dream member Nick Sylvester (who recently wrote a feature on the Wipers for our new series, Underscore), on March 27 (the single sees digital release on February 14). "Cold Sweat" is a cut from that 7"; along with the title track, it was recorded by Sylvester and Pitchfork contributor Matt LeMay.

MP3: Yvette: "Cold Sweat" [right click, save as]

Holy State Announce New Single "Dial "M" For Monolith"

2012-02-02T19:01:00.002-05:00

[press release] Holy State is a band about tone and intent. The band established themselves in Leeds, UK, through a mutual passion for '90s alternative rock, particularly from labels such as Dischord, Touch & Go, Swami, and from pioneering artists such as PJ Harvey & Girls Against Boys. They played their first show in the basement of Royal Park Cellars, where their infectious loud and warm sound turned unsuspecting ears.

The band released their first demo in February 2009, and since then have continued to release material on a variety of labels, including split singles with Pulled Apart By Horses, Brontide, Suckers, & Das Racist. Ethics of hard work and friendship have led to extensive touring and festival appearances, sharing stages with the likes of Oxbow & Melt Banana, tours with Rolo Tomassi, Blood Red Shoes & been hand selected by Biffy Clyro to join them on their UK arena tour. This flurry of activity has cemented Holy State a place in the dynamic UK music scene.

Three years after the release of their first demo, Holy State unleash their second single entitled Dial 'M' For Monolith from their upcoming debut album. Recorded at Lightship95 moored on the River Thames & produced by Ben Phillips & mastered by John Golden at Golden Mastering it is an energetic exploration of all their tone and intent. A sonically-inspired vision, it is an example of their passion to create honest, driving songs.

Dial 'M' for Monolith by Holy State

Buy on Itunes HERE.

A music video accompanying this release will also be made by long time friend and collaborator Robin Fuller - Available 6th February 2012.

Holy State joined the ever expanding Brew roster earlier this month. The gritty post-punk merchants formed in 2008 and offer a constant array of loud & warm dynamics. They have been busy recording their debut album on a ship (Lightship95) and the band's debut album will be released on Monday 30th April 2012 with a UK tour.

On Holy State:

"A Refreshing slap in the face to knock off all the indie dross out of your earholes" - Artrocker

"It feels like your head is so full, that you need to delete something before it explodes." - Steve Lamacq band of the week.

"Finely-crafted songs, mixing angular shards of strident guitar with warm melodies." - Kerrang

In other news we have had a handsome new t-shirt designed by Tom Hudson. These are highly limited and are available from our shop HERE. Thanks for looking.

Pulled Apart By Horses Offer Post-Release Week Update

2012-02-02T18:43:00.004-05:00

A message from Pulled Apart By Horses...

*Tough Love

Wow - last week was a pounding riot for us in the PABH camp! Tough Love was released last Monday and it was great to celebrate with so many of you at the Rough Trade Instore. If you haven't got yourself a copy yet it's available from all reputable record shops. Or we'll lend you a copy of the album for a week via our Facebook app - we'll even give you an exclusive free download too. The pleasure is all ours people.

GET THE APP
BUY TOUGH LOVE NOW

*Tom and James Live Chat

Have you ever had any questions about what it's like to be in Pulled Apart By Horses, or been lying in bed at night wondering what James eats for breakfast or maybe what Tom sings in the shower? You have? Well here is your chance to find out you lucky diamond! The pair of them will be sat by a webcam on Sunday 5th February at 4pm to answer all your questions. Below is the link where this live web-chat will be taking place, so now all you have to do is think of some insightful and thought provoking questions for James and Tom. FIND OUT MORE.

*PABH On Tour

Now the album is out we're ready to pump some hot gig iron once again. We haven't been on tour in a while and we can't fricking wait to play the new stuff (and some old) live. We literally might explode this time around! Have a look at the dates below and come and join us in a town near you!

Gigs:

13/02/12 GLASGOW, King Tuts
14/02/12 ABERDEEN, Tunnels
15/02/12 NEWCASTLE, Digital Other Rooms
16/02/12 SHEFFIELD, Leadmill
17/02/12 MANCHESTER, Club Academy
18/02/12 BRISTOL, Fleece
20/02/12 BIRMINGHAM, Library
21/02/12 NORWICH, Waterfront
22/02/12 SOUTHAMPTON, The Cellar
23/02/12 LONDON, Electric Ballroom
24/02/12 BRUSSELS, Rotonde
25/02/12 AMSTERDAM, Sugar Factory
27/02/12 COPENHAGEN, Vega
28/02/12 BERLIN, Magnet
29/02/12 HAMBURG, Molotov
01/03/12 COLOGNE, Blue Shell
02/03/12 DORTMUND, Visions FZW
03/03/12 PARIS, Fleche D'Or
04/03/12 BARCELONA, La
05/03/12 MADRID, Moby Dick

Baroness Announce Spring Tour Dates

2012-02-02T18:37:00.003-05:00

The Black Belles Announce New Tour Dates

2012-02-02T18:27:00.002-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] Gothic garage rockers The Black Belles will embark on a U.S. tour next month in support of last year’s self-titled debut album. The tour kicks off on February 5th in Muncie, IN, runs through February 16th in Farmington, MO, and picks back up in March for a series of shows around South by Southwest. Along the way, the band will share the stage with Bleached and The Strange Boys.

Check out the tour schedule below, along with the Jack White-directed video for “Lies”.

The Black Belles 2012 Tour Dates:

02/05 – Muncie, IN @ The Center Stage *
02/06 – Lexington, KY @ Cosmic Charlie’s *
02/07 – Nashville, TN @ The End *
02/08 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl *
02/09 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook *
02/10 – Harrisonburg, VA @ James Madison University *
02/11 – Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory *
02/13 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom *
02/15 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *
02/16 – Farmington, MO @ The Vault
03/13-17 – Austin, TX @ South by Southwest
03/18 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live ^
03/19 – Laredo, TX @ Old No. 2 ^
03/20 – Dallas, TX @ La Grange
03/21 – Hot Springs, AR @ Valley of Vapors Festival

*= w/ Bleached
^ = w/ Strange Boys

Mogwai Reschedule Tour Dates

2012-02-02T18:23:00.002-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] Glasgow post-punk rockers Mogwai are hoping the third time’s a charm. Having twice postponed their latest North American tour, the first because of visa issues, the second because of medical problems, the band will give it another go this summer. The rescheduled leg launches in Vancouver on May 29th and ends in Chicago on June 20th.

According to the band’s website, “It will likely be the last extensive touring we do for some time so we hope it will be a very special tour.”

Tickets for the newly announced dates go on sale February 1st at 10:00 am local time. Tickets for the original Boston and Washington, DC shows will be honored at the door.

Check out Mogwai’s current schedule below, along with the video for “San Pedro” from their most recent LP, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will.

Mogwai 2012 Tour Dates:

02/16 – Brussels, BE @ Tour and Taxis
05/04-05 – Murcia, ES @ Estrella Levante SOS 4.8
05/17 – Santiago, CL @ Teatro La Cupula
05/26 – London, UK @ ATP’s I’ll Be Your Mirror
05/29 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
05/30 – Portland, OR @ Wonderball Room
06/01 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
06/02 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Music Box
06/03 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
06/08 - Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
06/11 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
06/12 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
06/14 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
06/15 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
06/16 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
06/17 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
06/18 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
06/20 – Chicago, IL @ Metro

Mastodon Announce Co-Headlining Tour Dates with Opeth

2012-02-02T18:12:00.003-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] Here’s one for the metal kids: Mastodon and Opeth are teaming up this spring for a massive co-headlining tour. Taking its name from the two bands’ most recent studio efforts, the “Heritage Hunter Tour” kicks off on April 4th, and hits 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada before wrapping in Mastodon’s hometown of Atlanta on May 12th. Each date will see Mastodon and Opeth alternate as headliner, with Ghost providing support. Check out the full schedule below.

A fan pre-sale begins February 1st via Mastdon’s website [above], with a public on-sale following on February 3rd/4th. Visit Mastodon’s website for complete ticketing information.

Heritage Hunter Tour Dates:

04/04 – Portland, ME @ State Theater *
04/05 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre #
04/06 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis #
04/07 – Toronto, ON @ Sony Centre #
04/09 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory *
04/10 – Wallingford, CT @ The Dome *
04/11 – New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom *
04/13 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre *
04/14 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection *
04/15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE *
04/16 – Knoxville, TN @ Tennessee Theater #
04/18 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom *
04/19 – Dallas, TX @ Palladium Ballroom #
04/20 – San Antonio, TX @ Back Stage Live #
04/21 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street #
04/23 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium #
04/25 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues *
04/26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Ampitheatre #
04/27 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre #
04/28 – Reno, NV @ Grand Sierra Resort *
04/30 – Seattle, WA @ The Paramount #
05/01 – Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre #
05/03 – Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Events Center #
05/04 – Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall *
05/05 – Saskatoon, SK @ The Odeon #
05/06 – Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre #
05/09 – Washington, DC @ The Fillmore #
05/10 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore *
05/11 – Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues *
05/12 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Music Park *

* = Mastodon closes
# = Opeth closes

Ty Segall To Record Collaborative Album with Tim Presly

2012-02-02T18:06:00.003-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] Ty Segall will follow up last year’s Goodbye Bread — which we had as the 47th best of all albums– by teaming with fellow psych wizard Tim Presly (aka White Fence) for a collaborative LP, entitled Hair.

According to SPIN.com, the duo wrote and recorded Hair last fall in San Francisco. Segall handled drums and rhythm guitar, while Presley played bass and lead guitar. The end result will arrive in late April via Drag City, and the duo plan to tour behind the album (a couple of the dates are listed below.)

In addition, SPIN reports that Segall’s next solo LP is tentatively set for September. Says Segall of the effort: “Right now, this one just sounds really fast and hard and aggressive.”

Also below, you can find the video for Segall’s “Goodbye Bread”.

Ty Segall 2012 Tour Dates:

02/02 – Middletown, CT @ Wesleyan University
02/03 – Hanover, CT @ Darmouth University
03/02 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall *#
03/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour *#
03/04 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah #

* = w/ White Fence
# = w/ Mikal Cronin

Archers of Loaf Announce Tour Dates

2012-02-02T17:59:00.002-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] Reunited alt-rock crew Archers of Loaf have scheduled new U.S. tour dates, including a pair of California shows later this month, and an East coast jaunt in April/May. They’ll also appear at this year’s Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona. Check out their current tour schedule below.

The band also plans to reissue all four studio albums this year, kicking off on February 21st with 1995′s Vee Vee. Available via Merge Records, the set will include 16 unreleased, out-of-print, or demo tracks, in addition to an updated take on the original cover art. We have the track “Harnessed in Slums” streaming below, as well.

Archers of Loaf 2012 Tour Dates:

02/25 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall (Noise Pop) *
02/26 – W. Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour *
04/26 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
04/27 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
04/28 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
04/29 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
05/10 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle
05/11 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom
05/12 – Raleigh, NC @ King’s Royal Barcade
05/25-27 – London, UK @ ATP’s “I’ll Be Your Mirror”
05/30-06/03 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound

* = w/ Hospitality

Black Sabbath's Bill Ward Threatening to Sit Out Tour

2012-02-02T17:51:00.003-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] As previously reported, reunited metal legends Black Sabbath plan to spend 2012 recording a new studio album and touring the world, even with news of guitarist Tony Iommi’s battle with lymphoma.

However, as Metal Hammer points out, the band’s drummer Bill Ward has revealed that his participation in the reunion is now uncertain due to “unsignable” contract negotiations.

“At this time, I would love nothing more than to be able to proceed with the Black Sabbath album and tour. However, I am unable to continue unless a ‘signable’ contract is drawn up; a contract that reflects some dignity and respect toward me as an original member of the band,” Ward said in an issued statement. “Last year, I worked diligently in good faith with Tony, Ozzy and Geezer. And on 11/11/11, again in good faith, I participated in the L.A. press conference. Several days ago, after nearly a year of trying to negotiate, another “unsignable” contract was handed to me.”

You can find Ward’s entire statement below, followed by a list of Sabbath’s currently announced tour dates.

"Dear Sabbath Fans, Fellow Musicians and Interested Parties,

At this time, I would love nothing more than to be able to proceed with the Black Sabbath album and tour. However, I am unable to continue unless a “signable” contract is drawn up; a contract that reflects some dignity and respect toward me as an original member of the band. Last year, I worked diligently in good faith with Tony, Ozzy and Geezer. And on 11/11/11, again in good faith, I participated in the L.A. press conference. Several days ago, after nearly a year of trying to negotiate, another “unsignable” contract was handed to me.

Let me say that although this has put me in some kind of holding pattern, I am packed and ready to leave the U.S. for England. More importantly, I definitely want to play on the album, and I definitely want to tour with Black Sabbath.

Since the news of Tony’s illness, and the understanding that the band would move production to the U.K., I’ve spent everyday getting to or living in a place of readiness to leave. That involves something of a task, and as I’ve tried to find out what’s going on with the U.K. sessions, I’ve realized that I’ve been getting “the cold shoulder” (and, I might add, not for the first time). Feeling somewhat ostracized, my guess is as of today, I will know nothing of what’s happening unless I sign “the unsignable contract.”

The place I’m in feels lousy and lonely because as much as I want to play and participate, I also have to stand for something and not sign on. If I sign as-is, I stand to lose my rights, dignity and respectability as a rock musician. I believe in freedom and freedom of speech. I grew up in a hard rock/metal band. We stood for something then, and we played from the heart with honesty and sincerity. I am in the spirit of integrity, far from the corporate malady, I am real and honest, fair and compassionate.

If I’m replaced, I have to face you, the beloved Sabbath fans. I hope you will not hold me responsible for the failure of an original Black Sabbath lineup as promoted. Without fault finding, I want to assure everyone that my loyalty to Sabbath is intact.

So here I am. I lay my truth down before you. I’m good to go IF I get a “signable” contract. I don’t want to let anyone down, especially Black Sabbath and all the Sabbath fans. You know I love you. It would be a sad day in Rock if this current situation fell to the desires of a few.

My position is not greed-driven. I’m not holding out for a “big piece” of the action (money) like some kind of blackmail deal. I’d like something that recognizes and is reflective of my contributions to the band, including the reunions that started fourteen years ago. After the last tour I vowed to never again sign on to an unreasonable contract. I want a contract that shows some respect to me and my family, a contract that will honor all that I’ve brought to Black Sabbath since its beginning.

That’s the story so far. Stay safe and stay strong. I love every single one of you." – Bill Ward

Black Sabbath 2012 Tour Dates:

05/18 – Moscow, RU @ Olimpiski
05/20 – St. Petersburg, RU @ New Arena
05/21 – St. Petersburg, RU @ New Arena
05/23 – Helsinki, FI @ Hartwall Arena
05/25 – Stockholm, SE @ Stadium
05/26 – Jelling, DK @ Jelling Music Festival
05/29 – Bergen, NO @ Bergen Calling
05/31 – Oslo, NO @ Spektrum
06/02 – Malmo, SE @ Malmo Stadium
06/04 – Dortmund, DE @ Westfalenhalle
06/06 – Prague, CZ @ O2 Arena
06/10 – Leicestershire, UK @ Download Festival
06/12 – Rotterdam, NL @ Ahoy
06/15 – Bilbao, ES @ Azkena Rock Festival
06/17 – Nantes, FR @ Hellfest
06/19 – Paris, FR @ Bercy
06/22 – Dessel, BE @ Graspop Metal Meeting
06/24 – Milan, IT @ Gods of Metal
06/26 – Vienna, AT @ Wiener Stadthalle
06/28 – Belgrade, RS @ Usce Park
07/01 – Athens, GR @ Rockwave Festival

Neil Young Confirms Two New Crazy Horse Albums

2012-02-02T17:33:00.002-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] In a new video (via RollingStone.com), Neil Young reveals that he has already finished one new Crazy Horse album, titled Americana, which features rearrangements of “songs we all know from kindergarten” with help from a children’s choir. A second album is currently in the works.

The Neil Young and Crazy Horse news just keeps galloping in (sorry, we had to do it). With plans in motion for two new albums and a 38-minute tease already kicking fans into a frenzy, word now comes that Young and his long-time backing band have scheduled their first joint live performance since March 2004.

As Rolling Stone reports, the performance will come as part of the GRAMMY Foundation’s MusiCares Person of the Year Gala in honor of Paul McCartney. Taking place February 10th at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the charity event will also feature Coldplay, Foo Fighters, James Taylor, Katy Perry, Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, Tony Bennett, the cast of The Beatles’ Cirque du Soleil production LOVE, and of course Macca himself. Comedian Eddie Izzard will act as emcee.

Crazy Horse hasn’t joined Young in public since the ’03-’04 Greendale tour, making the eight-year gap the longest of their careers. Whether this will lead to a full-fledged tour is unknown, though a postponed Buffalo Springfield reunion trek was also intended for this year. Keep as many fingers (and toes?) crossed as you can, and we’ll keep you updated.

Mr. Dream Debut "Fatherland" Tracks + More

2012-02-02T17:20:00.005-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] On February 28th, Brooklyn’s Mr. Dream will follow up last year’s debut LP, Trash Hit, with a new six-track EP, Fatherland. While we’re still a few weeks away, the band has issued two cuts off the EP with “What a Mess” and “The Room” (via Stereogum). Both sport thudding percussion, ominous riffage, and dusty production, essentially recalling the late ’80s/early ’90′s vibes their debut echoed. Take a listen to both tracks below, and check out the band’s forthcoming itinerary alongside fellow garage rockers Cloud Nothings.

[ed note] The band has described the new EP by saying, "What can we say? It’s a fucking EP. Six songs we wrote and recorded. The end. Take two. Fatherland is about an amusement park for fathers.

The songs are bigger, looser, weirder, sexier. If pressed, I’d blame large doses of James/LCD, Iggy Pop, Siouxsie, Wire. We’ve also been reading a lot of Dostoyevsky. Who knew that in the middle of Crime and Punishment there’s a section on how to get cool bass tones?"

DOWNLOAD: Mr. Dream – “What A Mess” [right click, save as]

DOWNLOAD: Mr. Dream- “The Room” [right click, save as]

Mr. Dream 2012 Tour Dates:

3/01 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room *
3/02 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echo *
3/03 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill *
3/04 – Portland, OR @ Holocene *
3/06 – Vancouver, BC @ Media Club *
3/08 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux *
3/09 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *
3/10 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge *
3/12 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room *
3/13-17 – Austin, TX @ South by Southwest

* with Cloud Nothings

A Place To Bury Strangers Streaming New EP + More!

2012-02-02T17:15:00.002-05:00

[press release] Onwards To The Wall, the new EP from A Place To Bury Strangers, is available for streaming right now - a week in advance of release date - on Hype Machine. The disc has 5 brand new face-melting tracks and will officially be released on Dead Oceans next week on February 7. The Boston Phoenix calls it "indebted to the pleasures of pressure... a suicide tease," and KEXP recently made "So Far Away" their Song of the Day. You can also check out the new video for "So Far Away" created by band member Oliver Ackermann using a collage of his own Hipstamatic photos [below]. SPIN called it an "animated flipbook. There are kissing sequences, driving sequences, mustaches, and cameo appearances from both the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Alamo."

A Place To Bury Strangers have also added new dates to their tour with The Joy Formidable and Exitmusic across North America this Spring. The new shows include Chicago, Toledo, and Salt Lake City in early March. The bands will hit up the West Coast, Midwest & East Coast before wrapping it up with dates in Montreal and Toronto. A full list with details is below. APTBS will also tour Europe soon - dates are forthcoming.

RECENT PRAISE FOR APTBS:

"A wall of sound does not even begin to describe the effect on the ears when the New York band A Place to Bury Strangers performs. From the pulsing floor, through your toes, and up your spinal column, everything in your body starts to tremble… a must-see. More than just a shock to the system, the trio’s music is completely solid." - NYTIMES T MAGAZINE

"There's a '60s paisley pop structure to this, to which layers of doomy sonics and volume are added in typical APTBS style…Theirs is a sound you need to feel in your chest, even if you (wisely) wear earplugs." - BROOKLYN VEGAN

"There's no coy nerdery here. A Place To Bury Strangers are as upfront and as lurid as they always are when they're simultaneously torpedoing one's notions of the melodic and the blaring." - RCRD LBL

TOUR DATES:
03/08/12 - Toledo, OH - Frankies w/ Big Black Delta
03/11/12 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
03/12/12 - San Francisco, CA - Independent*
03/13/12 - San Francisco, CA - Independent*
03/14/12 - Los Angeles, CA - The Music Box*
03/17/12 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre*
03/19/12 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe*^
03/20/12 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre*^
03/21/12 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle w/ Apteka
03/22/12 - Bloomington, IN - The Bluebird*^
03/23/12 - Cincinnati, OH - 20th Century Theatre*^
03/24/12 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade*^
03/25/12 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel*^
03/26/12 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club*^
03/28/12 - New York, NY - Terminal 5*^
03/29/12 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer*^
03/30/12 - Boston, MA - Paradise*^
03/31/12 - Montreal, QC - Cabaret Mile-End*^
04/02/12 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace*^

* = w/The Joy Formidable
^ = w/Exit Music

A Place to Bury Strangers "So Far Away" from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

Dead Leaf Echo Debut "Kingmaker"

2012-02-02T17:07:00.002-05:00

[press release] Dead Leaf Echo is proud to debut the new single "Kingmaker" from their upcoming album "Thought and Language" on Rock Edition [below]. Now available on iTunes and Bandcamp!

Kingmaker 7" Release Party this Saturday at Spike Hill in Brooklyn with special guests Apollo Heights, Her Vanished Grace and Washerwoman (ex-Screen Vinyl Image).

Catch them on their US Tour this spring and down at the SXSW Festival:

Feb. 04th Brooklyn Spike Hill (7" Release Party)
Feb. 09th Chicago Darkroom
Feb. 10th Detroit Magic Stick
Feb. 11th Columbus Ace of Cups
Mar. 07th Baltimore Metro Gallery
Mar. 08th DC Velvet Lounge
Mar. 09th Chapel Hill Nightlight
Mar. 10th Atlanta TBA
Mar. 11th New Orleans TBA
Mar. 12th Houston Deans
Mar. 14th San Antonio The Big Spill Festival
Mar. 15th Austin SXSW
Mar. 16th Austin SXSW
Mar. 17th Austin SXSW

Kingmaker by Dead Leaf Echo

Bio: Dead Leaf Echo. The words invoke rich literature. Nabokov. Conjured images of drugged passions fading into nihilistic apprehension. An Art Project blossomed in 2006, DLE has matured rapidly and released numerous EP's, Singles and Remixes in addition to creating a collection of experimental film videos unveiling their unique style of Nouveau Wave.

Time Out NY called them "Some of the best live music in the city." The band played the Escape to NY festival and SXSW last year on bills with The Psychedelic Furs and A Place to Bury Strangers and rocked sold out shows opening for 90's shoegaze legends Chapterhouse and Ulrich Schnauss.

Dead Leaf Echo's previous work with Ulrich Schnauss on their Pale Fire EP caught the attention of famed 4AD producer John Fryer (Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil) who mixed their debut LP "Thought and Language" to be released this spring. This concept album follows the conception and birth of a child and his discoveries in thought and language.

By incorporating elements of ambient, baroque, dream-pop, shoegaze, New Wave, and Goth, DLE casts a spectrum of influences in every aspect of their sound and vision. Chiming guitars in twin stereo reverbs with shimmering vocals and silky basslines, you'll find DLE running at the forefront of the indie music scene.

"We love Dead Leaf Echo's dreamy pop" - The L Magazine

"Resonates like a glass of old school Absinthe" - The Huffington Post

BRAIN DAMAGE FOR BEGINNERS presented by Exploding In Sound

2012-02-01T01:00:00.001-05:00

We're going to keep this short and sweet... BRAIN DAMAGE FOR BEGINNERS has arrived with twenty five ear pleasuring tracks for you and yours. True musical variety that is sure to stimulate your minds, so don't try to fight it. Our love for these bands goes deep, and we're going to be spotlighting each of the band's with their own personal full blown feature article over the next few months. Listen now, embrace the rock, and get yourself educated real soon. Get yours for free at Bandcamp... we've got ours. Tell your friends and everyone you know. Yell from a mountaintop or a high rise building if you feel so compelled. Your help and kind words are always appreciated. Enjoy at max volume for greatest results.

Artwork comes courtesy of Jon Parkton. Check out more of his work at JonParkton.com. Special thanks to all the bands, labels, PR companies, and everyone who helped make this possible.

FREE DOWNLOAD HERE... rad times ahead.

TRACKLISTING AND ARTIST INFORMATION:

1. Office of Future Plans - Harden Your Heart
2. Radical Dads - Skateboard Bulldog
3. Grooms - Imagining The Bodies
4. Mikal Cronin - Apathy
5. Creepoid - Wishing Well
6. Extra Happy Ghost!!! - Mercy, Mercy
7. Fat History Month - No Safe
8. Love Among The Mannequins - Raoul Duke
9. Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers - Liquidation Sale
10. Part Chimp - Starpiss
11. Sandrider - The Corpse
12. Indian Handcrafts - Red Action
13. EULA - Maurice Narcisse
14. Porches. - Being Alone
15. Holy State - Lady Magika
16. Junior Astronomers - Settle Down
17. Speedy Ortiz - Cutco
18. Dead Wives - Don't Stop Bleeding
19. Alvin Purple - Huh Her
20. Shores - Faith Hill
21. The Due Diligence - Flannery
22. Totimoshi - Mainline
23. Heliotropes - Ribbons
24. HotChaCha - Aorist
25. Monogamy Party - Pus City

OFFICE OF FUTURE PLANS
"Harden Your Heart" (from Office of Future Plans)

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RADICAL DADS
"Skateboard Bulldog" (from Skateboard Bulldog 7")

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GROOMS
"Imagining The Bodies" (from Prom)

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MIKAL CRONIN
"Apathy" (from Mikal Cronin)

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CREEPOID
"Wishing Well" (from Horse Heaven)

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EXTRA HAPPY GHOST!!!
"Mercy, Mercy" (from Modern Horses)

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FAT HISTORY MONTH
"No Safe" (from Fucking Despair)

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LOVE AMONG THE MANNEQUINS
"Raoul Duke" (from Radial Images)

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SHILPA RAY & HER HAPPY HOOKERS
"Liquidation Sale" (from Teenage and Torture)

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PART CHIMP
"Starpiss (Alternate Version)" (previously unreleased)

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SANDRIDER
"The Corpse" (from Sandrider)

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INDIAN HANDCRAFTS
"Red Action" (from Indian Handcrafts)

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EULA
"Maurice Narcisse" (from Maurice Narcisse)

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PORCHES.
"Being Alone" (from Je T'aime)

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HOLY STATE
"Lady Magika" (from Electric Picture Palace)

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JUNIOR ASTRONOMERS
"Settle Down" (from I Just Want to Make a Statement.)

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SPEEDY ORTIZ
"Cutco" (from The Death of Speedy Ortiz)

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DEAD WIVES
"Don't Stop Bleeding" (from Scuz Bucket)

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ALVIN PURPLE
"Huh Her" (from Huh Her 7")

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FREE DOWNLOAD.

SHORES
"Faith Hill" (from To Volstead)

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THE DUE DILIGENCE
"Flannery" (from I Will Wreck Your Life)

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TOTIMOSHI
"Mainline" (from Avenger)

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HELIOTROPES
"Ribbons" (from Ribbons 7")

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HOTCHACHA
"Aorist" (from Do It.)

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MONOGAMY PARTY
"Pus City" (from Pus City)

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Dirty Dishes Offering New Single "Hush" For FREE Download + More

2012-01-30T19:56:00.002-05:00

Boston's Dirty Dishes sophomore EP The Most Tarnished Birds has been a long time coming. The anticipation has reached its boiling point and luckily for ever their ever growing audience, the band has debuted the EPs first single, "Hush". Available via their Bandcamp page as a "name your price" download, the wait has proven to be more than worthwhile.

The warm guitars and gorgeous vocal melodies of "Hush" provide a haunting aura as the rhythmic force pulls forward with spiraling tension. The calm before the storm builds to a stunning and cautious crawl before the inevitable explosion flattens all in its path. It's safe to say the Dishes are only getting better and better, and The Most Tarnished Birds is solid proof.

The Most Tarnished Birds by Dirty Dishes

The Most Tarnished Birds will be released on March 4th, and the band will be celebrating at Great Scott in Boston. Joining Dirty Dishes for the release show will be Team Spirit (Members of Passion Pit), Magic Magic, & The Devil and a Penny. Stay tuned for more details and RSVP for the event HERE.

For those in the Brooklyn area, don't forget Dirty Dishes will be playing this Thursday, February 2nd at Cameo Gallery together with Weird Owl, EULA, and Appomattox. You're not going to want to miss this show. Check out more details HERE, and we hope to see you there.

Sleeper Agent Extend Tour Schedule

2012-01-30T17:43:00.002-05:00

[press release] mom+pop music's Sleeper Agent today announced live U.S. dates this spring supporting fun. The run of dates will kick off on February 29th at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT and wrap up in Little Rock, AR on March 11th at Juanita's. Shortly after, the band will hit the road supporting Ben Kweller through April. The Bowling Green, KY natives and Rolling Stone "Band To Watch" will also perform both weekends of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival on April 15th and 22nd.

Released on September 27th, Sleeper Agent's riotous debut album Celabrasion quickly garnered immediate features and stellar reviews from the blogosphere straight to the top of the national music media. The band toured nonstop last year and will continue to do the same in 2012.

Sleeper Agent Live Dates:

2/29 - Higher Ground - Burlington, VT^
3/1 - The Met - Pawtucket, RI^
3/2 - Recher Theatre - Townson, MD^
3/3 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC^
3/7 - State Theatre - St. Petersburg, FL^
3/8 - Beacham Theatre - Orlando, FL^
3/9 - Center Stage - Atlanta, GA^
3/10 - Workplay Theater - Birmingham, AL^
3/11 - Juanita's - Little Rock, AR ^
3/20 - Wadsworth Atheneum, Museum of Art - Hartford, CT*
3/21 - Union Transfer - Philadelphia, PA*
3/23 - Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA*
3/24 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY*
3/26 - The Basement - Columbus, OH*
3/27 - High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI*
3/28 - Fine Line Music Café - Minneapolis, MN*
3/30 - Off Broadway - St. Louis, MO*
3/31 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL*
4/1 - Mercury Lounge - Nashville, TN*
4/15 - Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival - Indio, CA
4/22 - Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival - Indio, CA
4/26 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA*
4/27 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR*
4/28 - Neumo's - Seattle, WA*
4/30 - In The Venue - Salt Lake City, UT*
5/1 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO*

^Support dates w/ Fun.
*Support dates w/ Ben Kweller

Wet Nuns Announce UK Tour Dates

2012-01-30T17:33:00.002-05:00

[press release] It’s been a crazy start to 2012 for death-blues punk duo Wet Nuns. Named one of NME’s “Bands To Watch for 2012”, remixed by Arctic Monkeys’ Matt Helders, having the most watched video on NME.com on the day of its release, and performing with super-group Mister Heavenly for ATP, it seems like there’s no stopping WET NUNS right now.

And now those red-necks from the deep South (of Yorkshire) are hitting the road on a mammoth 21-date tour this February and March.

If you haven’t witnessed a Wet Nuns show yet, then you’ve missed something damn awe-inspiring. The two-piece from Sheffield have been blowing venues around the UK apart with their hell-bent explosion of songs about “women, death and beer”.

Stomach-churning guitars and downright ugly drumming combine to produce the trademark modern lo-fi, blues-stoner-punk sound of Wet Nuns. While their recent single, ‘Heavens Below’ is everything you’ve come to expect from this big-riffing, crowd-surfing, cursing, rock duo.

Tickets for the Throttle tour are available NOW. Look out for the some exciting news on the release of the title track of the tour, ‘Throttle’, coming very soon!

Wet Nuns single ‘Heaven’s Below’ is also available as a free download, along with a remix by Arctic Monkeys’ Matt Helders HERE.

THE THROTTLE TOUR 2012:

10th Feb – LEEDS – Santiago’s
18th Feb – PRESTON – Mad Ferret
21st Feb – LONDON – Old Blue Last
24th Feb – BRIGHTON – Green Door Store
25th Feb – HASTINGS – Brass Monkey
28th Feb – SOUTHAMPTON – Joiners
29th Feb – LEICESTER – Soundhouse
01st Mar – MANCHESTER – Trof
02nd Mar – EDINBURGH – Electric Circus
03rd Mar – GLASGOW – Berkley Suites
04th Mar – DUNDEE – Reading Rooms
09th Mar – LIVERPOOL – Shipping Forecast
10th Mar – HULL – Fruit
16th Mar – MILTON KEYNES – Sno! Bar
17th Mar – BEDFORD – Esquires
21st Mar – BRISTOL – Start The Bus
22nd Mar – BATH – Moles
23rd Mar – TRURO – Bunters
24th Mar – ALDERSHOT – West End Centre
27th Mar – YORK – Fibbers
29th Mar – LONDON – Blues Kitchen

“Snarling, sweaty, boisterously hurling expletives at you like great big lumps of molten rock… ridiculously appealing” Clash Music

“This totally rocks” NME Radar

“Make sure you see this band as soon as you can” Musical Mathematics

“What’s a girl like me to expect from a Wet Nuns gig? I saw pictures of Terence crowd surfing on two people...” Toast Magazine

DZ Deathrays Ready "No Sleep" For March

2012-01-30T17:04:00.002-05:00

[press release] Many people have been saying it, but you probably won't believe it until you see it. DZ Deathrays is a two-piece band: Shane Parsons (vocals/guitar) and Simon Ridley (drums). Since the first house party the Brisbane-based duo ever played, they have been noted as a relentless live act. 2011 proved to be no different as the two friends hit the highways of Australia with many acts including Foo Fighters, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, F*cked Up, and Dananananaykroyd. DZ Deathrays quickly fell into the good graces of NME and Q Magazine who both placed the band in their "Top 10 Bands of The Great Escape," while NME took their praise even further and placed them as the 4th Most Exciting New Band of 2012. Upon returning to Australia in early November 2011, Shane and Simon finally ventured into the studio to record their highly anticipated debut LP with Richard Pike (of PVT) and Neil Coombe at the White Room Studios in Mt. Nebo. What they surfaced with is a killer album that we're thrilled to be able to present to you later this year.

On March 6, 2012, DZ Deathrays will release their U.S. debut EP, No Sleep, via 3|4 (OFWGKTA, Bass Drum of Death). Shortly after the release, don't miss your chance to see DZ Deathrays at SXSW. Much more exciting news to follow - we promise.

"They're Australian, there's two of them, they're hairy, they have great riffs, they're very shouty, amazingly energetic and really rather scary onstage. Winner!"
- Huw Stephens, BBC1

"Finally got to see DZ Deathrays who are like a more punk Death From Above 1979 and totally awesome." - Jen Long, BBC1

"I love DZ Deathrays - this kind of hardcore band, they have a brilliant videos and songs and a great sense of humour and style." - Mark Ronson

"They're a two-piece but somehow they manage to sound like four hardcore bands."
- Ruban, Unknown Mortal Orchestra

#4 on NME's "20 Most Exciting New Bands Of 2012"

Orange Goblin Post Behind The Scenes Video Footage

2012-01-30T16:47:00.003-05:00

[press release] Noisecreep premieres behind-the-scenes footage of ORANGE GOBLIN’s “Red Tide Rising” video, the opening track off the band’s forthcoming A Eulogy For The Damned full-length, set for North American release on February 14, 2012. The video clip is loosely based on H.P. Lovecraft stories and was shot in a series of dilapidated buildings around the UK.

Elaborated vocalist Ben Ward of the video: “We made the terrible decision to make the video for ‘Red Tide Rising’ the day after the London Christmas show so it meant we all had to be up bright and early, with very severe hangovers and head down to the New Forest. Luckily it was a bright, sunny day so everyone was in good spirits and the production crew went to work setting up at the location, which was some sort of abandoned army barracks in the middle of nowhere! It could have doubled as the location for Hostel 4! In the meantime, the band was dragged halfway across Dorset to do a photo shoot whilst being attacked by rampaging horses! When we returned, thankful to be alive, we were ready to go and the recording process was very pleasant and quite a lot of fun! We already knew that the footage of us would be mixed with some animation that we’d acquired the use of so we weren’t required to do anything too ambitious, just repeatedly go over the track imagining we were playing it to 100,000 people at Wembley stadium! Fueled by tea and biscuits we got the job done and the results look great!”

Check out the making-of video below.

A Eulogy For The Damned is ORANGE GOBLIN’s seventh studio album and first for Candlelight Records. The ten-track offering was recorded at The Animal Farm studio in South London, UK, produced and engineered by Jamie Dodd and mastered by two-time Grammy-nominated Pink Floyd engineer Andy Jackson at Tube Mastering.

“Long-haired limeys, maximum riffage and turbo doom. Biker rock. From England. And it’s pretty awesome.” – Decibel

“Overall, their first record for Candlelight is pretty damn fantastic. Rockin’, riff-tastic and possibly the best record from start to finish that they’ve released yet.” – Popdose

“With a sound that splits the difference between Sabbath and Motörhead, ORANGE GOBLIN serves up a potent dose of '70s-style metal on A Eulogy For The Damned. Gloomy doom and punk power have seldom sounded so good together.” – Metal Underground

The Black Heart Procession Featured on Dirty Laundry

2012-01-30T16:20:00.002-05:00

[dirtylaundry.tv] Hello Dirty people, this week on Dirty Laundry, we get all dark and dirge-y with San Diego stalwarts The Black Heart Procession. Host Karrie K shoots the shit (along with some pool) with the self-proclaimed "doom-folk" duo.

The Black Heart Procession spiels riffs on Three Mile Pilot, Touch And Go & Lee Scratch Perry.

CHECK OUT BLACK HEART PROCESSION EPISODE HERE [or watch below]...

Dirty Laundry: The Black Heart Procession from Dirty Laundry on Vimeo.

Here's a free download of "Rats" [right click, save as] off The Black Heart Processions 2009 album Six (Temporary Residence)

BLACK HEART PROCESSION CONTEST: We're giving away a Limited Edition copy of Black Heart Procession's Six (on Flash Drive). To enter, follow us on Twitter and tweet us.

Antlered Man Debut "Platoono of Uno" Video

2012-01-30T16:14:00.002-05:00

[press release] The laws of probability dictate that living in Bermondsey leads to a high chance of spending your life getting twatted at the weekend in between the 9 to 5 grind. Forming a heavy rock band in this part of the world makes you somewhat of an anomaly and that's just how Antlered Man like it.

The have debuted the video for their track "Platoono of Uno," which can be found below. You can download the song for FREE from the band's Bandcamp page HERE.

The band have always lived a nomadic, hand to mouth existence and squandered their limited earnings on various botched musical campaigns. Now with the economic downturn hitting our pockets hard, we’re all preparing for a taste of what it's like to be in Antlered Man and this is one of many themes mused in début album “Giftes 1&2”.

Hailed by Artrocker as an “Intriguing mash between the metally poetic darkness of SOAD and our own favourite Future of the Left” , the band describe themselves as “fucked up shape-shifting band with lots of punk-ethic goo spattered on top”. This becomes ever so clear on the upcoming single “Surrounded By White Men” released on 13th February.

This Mike Patton infused, dirty political power house of a band also captured the attention of Belfast's finest And So I Watch You From Afar who took them on tour across Europe in late 2011.

Antlered Man's début is a schizophrenic beast. A record that would nestle happily on the Ipecac roster and again like Patton they have maintained that things are always done better when they actually do it themselves. A little narcissistic, yeah, but when you're this badarse - you deserve a label. So with this in mind the band set up their own imprint in the form of Goo Grrrl Records

Plans for a full UK/European tour in March/April are under way and with the release of “Giftes 1&2” and more recording in the pipeline - both lyrically and musically it will be hard for anyone to come close to this band in 2012

Antlered Man are Danny Fury (guitar), Damo Ezekiel Holmes (vocals), Sam Ray (bass) and Oliver Parker (drums).

"Driven by a dirty, fuzzy bass, anti-establishment types Antlered Man go a bit SOAD with this rather good anti-capitalist rant" - Kerrang, April 2011

"As soon as we heard the filthy, dirty hulking bassline of AM's debut single, we were hooked, line and sinker" - Rock Sound, April 2011

"Intriguing mash between the metally poetic darkness of SOAD and our own favourite Future of the Left” - Artrocker.com, March 2011

Quick Notes: Shiner, Fiona Apple, Black Sabbath + More

2012-01-26T20:52:00.000-05:00

*[theprp.com] Current Shiner reunion plans have them playing four shows this year. The group expect to return to the stage for dates in New York City, NY, Los Angeles, CA, Kansas City, MO and Chicago, IL. At least one of the shows (Kansas City) will take place in August. As previously reported, a vinyl release of the bands 2001 album “The Egg” is currently in the works.

*[pitchfork.com] Given Fiona Apple's history of album delays, it seemed a little fishy when Epic Records CEO L.A. Reid tweeted that we'd be hearing her new music within the next few weeks. TIME got in touch with Epic to reach the bottom of it and found that Fiona Apple's new record is not, in fact, coming in a few weeks - but will arrive "absolutely" during 2012.

Reid's tweets were, "taken a little bit out of context," the Epic spokeswoman said. "It'll absolutely be this year... but timing wise, I don't know exactly when." But what's a few more months after six years?

Tide yourself over with the Zach Galifianakis-starring video for Apple's "Not About Love"...

*[theprp.com] Black Sabbath have checked in from the writing sessions for their new album with the following update:

“The guys have moved writing sessions from Los Angeles to Birmingham, England. Sabbath has gone back to where it all started and it’s been just amazing. This is where the writing of the album will be completed. Funny how it all goes full circle sometimes.”

*[consequenceofsound.net] Aside from collaborating with everyone on god’s green earth, The Flaming Lips’ other current fascination appears to be covering The Beatles. We’ve already witnessed Wayne Coyne and co’s tripped out version of “I Am The Walrus”, and now Hidden Track points us to pro-shot footage of the band’s recent New Year’s Eve show in Oklahoma City, where they teamed up with Wilco’s Nels Cline for a 17-minute rendition of “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”. Watch it below.

In other Lips news, the band is continuing to work on their collaborative album, tentatively due out on Record Store Day 2012 (April 21st). As Pitchfork points out, snippets of their efforts with Bon Iver and Erykah Badu have hit the web, and you can check ‘em out HERE. They’ve also been “working” with Ke$ha.

*[FMQB.com] Iggy Pop has been named the ambassador of Record Store Day 2012, which will take place on April 21. Pop posted a message on www.RecordStoreDay.com that reads: "A person should have a personality. You won't get one dicking around on a computer. It helps to go somewhere where there are other persons. Persons who are interested in something you are. That's how a record store or any shop that's got some life to it should work... As Record Store Day Ambassador for 2012 I feel like a representative from some exotic jungle full of life and death and sex and anger, called upon to wear a leopard skin and translate joy to the world of the dead."

*[consequenceofsound.net] On January 31st, Leonard Cohen will release Old Ideas, his first studio album in eight years. In honor of his return to the spotlight, Columbia Records is holding a cover series called Old Ideas With New Friends, where various musicians and devotees rework classic tracks from Cohen’s catalog.

Kicking off the series is Afghan Whigs head honcho Greg Dulli‘s cover of “Paper Thin Hotel” (from 1977′s Death of a Ladies’ Man). In explaining his decision to tackle this particular cut, Dulli said it ranked as one of his favorites, adding, “I wanted to do a version of this song because I think they might be my favorite set of Leonard Cohen lyrics. I think they kind of explain and validate love all at the same time.” The resulting performance feels incredibly personal and romantic, with Dulli’s jagged vocals a great companion to the classical-sounding violin. Watch it below.

Other participants in the series are to include Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox, Old 97s’ Rhett Miller, Cold War Kids, and The New Pornographers’ A.C. Newman. Stay tuned for more on those performances.

*[theprp.com] The upcoming Mastodon, Opeth and Ghost North American tour has a name according to recent (now pulled) venue listings. Apparently the trek will be titled the “Hunter Heritage Tour“. Thus far the following two stops have leaked out for the trek:

04/25 Las Vegas, NV – House Of Blues
04/26 Universal City, CA – Gibson Amphitheatre

*[stereogum.com] Royal Baths, a band from San Francisco’s [EIS note: I'm fairly certain they're from Brooklyn these days] ridiculously fertile psych-rock scene, are gearing up to release their new album Better Luck Next Life. We’ve already posted their song “Darling Divine.” And below, we’ve got another one: “Faster, Harder,” a deep fuzz-groove that somehow does not sample Daft Punk.

DOWNLOAD: Royal Baths – “Faster, Harder” [right click, save as]

Better Luck Next Life is out 2/7 on Kanine.

Dreamend Debut "The Face on the Tintype" + New Album out in February

2012-01-26T19:50:00.004-05:00

[press release] Dreamend's “And the Tears Washed Me, Wave After Cowardly Wave” is Part 2 to “So I Ate Myself, Bite By Bite,” which came out in August of 2010. Part 1 is the true story of a normal man’s unraveling psyche and his grisly misdeeds. Years ago, I bought one of the real life serial killer’s journals at an auction in the woods. I was so moved by his seeming mediocrity, that I had to write about him. Part 1 covers a fairly large span of time in his life - childhood to his thirties. Part 2 takes place after his initial taste for blood and accurately ends with his death.

A million things have changed in my life since I recorded Part 1: I’ve changed cities, lost a ton of stock in a flood, am involved in a lawsuit with my former distro, opened a record store and lost 2 loved ones that I was incredibly close to. In the move from Chicago to Savannah, the moving company I hired to haul my things not only charged me several thousand dollars more than my quote, but when the stuff finally arrived (3 weeks later than promised) a great deal of it was destroyed. My cello neck was snapped in half, my banjo was butchered, my expensive bell set was somehow obliterated, my organ’s insides were ripped to shreds, my main vocal mic was broken, not to mention all the damage they did to my non-musical possessions.

I was scheduled to record Part 2 in December of 2010, but I was unsure how to proceed. Since the main instrumentation was in shambles, I was forced to change my outlook on the album-making process. I recorded only using things mangled in the move. I felt that would parallel the storyline quite nicely. The result is a great deal of out of tune, broken and raw emotional sounds. You can hear these instruments dying with each note. Most of the percussion on the record is done by me bashing my anxiety pill bottles onto the floor or table. Oftentimes they are not even in beat. For the three weeks I recorded this album, I was at an all time low. This is some real downer music, but looking back, it was quite fun to make.

Like Part 1, the LP version of “And the Tears Washed Over Me, Wave After Cowardly Wave” is presented like a phenakistoscope, a classic Victorian animation machine. You can see an example of it in action from Part 1 here...

Listen to my new single, "The Face on the Tintype," on Prefix HERE [or below].

Pre-order Dreamend's And the Tears Washed Me, Wave After Cowardly Wave HERE.

Also, some really talented folks and I will be going on the road to promote this beast starting in April. Those dates will be announced soon.

Good To Die Records Signs Dog Shredder

2012-01-26T19:31:00.002-05:00

[press release] Good to Die Records has proven itself to have its finger firmly on the pulse of the Seattle heavy music scene with its signings of such vital acts as Sandrider, Absolute Monarchs, Monogamy Party, and most recently Brokaw. You can consider that reputation solidified, but for the first time the label has ventured outside the confines of the Emerald City, and has signed one of the NW’s most remarkable heavy bands, Bellingham, WA’s Dog Shredder.

This spring Good to Die Records will unleash “Brass Tactics”, the follow-up to Dog Shredder’s debut vinyl release the “Boss Rhino” EP. For anyone that has ever seen the band’s unique brand of heavy music in a live setting, the slight play on words of this next release’s title should ring familiar. A Dog Shredder show is an intense and cacophonous musical experience that is nothing short of controlled chaos – these dudes flat out bring it – and that live energy is more than present on “Brass Tactics”.

“Ever since I saw Dog Shredder’s second show in Seattle back in 2009, I’ve been completely floored. Not only because of their immense talent, but because of their incredible live energy. “Brass Tactics” is brilliant, and if people aren’t already impressed by this trio, they will be soon enough. I am very excited that they have joined the Good to Die family, and believe they add a very exciting dimension to the current roster.” - Good to Die Records owner Nik Christofferson.

Led by Josh Holland, Noah Burns, and Jeff Johnson, Dog Shredder is best known for impeccably played metal, overlaid with impossibly fast technical guitar playing and ridiculously nimble drumming, anchored by strong bass lines, broken up by tricky time signatures and informed by a collective love of bands like Botch, Battles, and Nomeansno. Needless to say, this is a band that purposefully defies easy categorization. Dog Shredder somehow manages, through sheer musicianship, to dance on the razor’s edge between innovation and inaccessibility—a neat trick they pull off with seeming effortlessness. That high-wire act, performed at their unbridled live shows, has led Seattle’s Stranger to dub them “downright unfuckwithable,” which is a description as accurate as it is succinct.

As for the matter of the songs on “Brass Tactics”, those were meticulously crafted in a dark, often cold and sometimes sweaty rehearsal space over the course of more than a year, so that when they were unleashed on a by-now anticipatory public, they would be fully formed and crackling with energy. From the beginning, Dog Shredder’s music was designed to be a jaw-dropping onslaught of sound and technique that would leave audiences in awe—and if the bands that followed them onstage were ever-so-slightly intimidated that would be O.K. too.

The band has played frequently, sharing stages with everyone from Melt Banana to Marnie Stern, Helmet to Black Cobra, earning dedicated fan bases in the highly critical and discerning music scenes of Seattle and Portland. As well, they’ve toured regularly, garnering new fans up and down the West Coast and beyond. “Brass Tactics” was recorded and mixed at Portland’s Toadhouse Studio by Adam Pike (Red Fang, Black Elk, Norska), and mastered by Levi Seitz at Black Belt Mastering.

"Dog Shredder aim to play the most blaring, technical, breakneck thrash you've ever heard. Though sheer musicianship is at the forefront, Dog Shredder are more than just a group of guys who excel at their instruments--they're striving to write monumental prog masterpieces, and their chops and their intentions work well together most harmoniously... Dog Shredder possesses that rare combination of lofty ambitions and phenomenal skill that is downright unfuckwithable." - Jeff Kirby, The Stranger

Good to Die Records is a venture by Nik Christofferson, the man behind the metal/hard rock blog Seattle Rock Guy. One of the loudest voices in support of the NW music scene, Christofferson has been expanding his influence through the many local shows he helps organize, and spinning metal and punk at local bars and clubs. Through Good to Die, Christofferson is handpicking the best acts in the NW underground rock scene, with releases both large and small... on vinyl, of course.

Boss Rhino EP by Dog Shredder

Mr. Dream Debut "Fatherland" Cover, Tour Dates + More

2012-01-26T19:16:00.004-05:00

Mr. Dream, our favorite new band from 2011 are wasting no time this year. The band are readying a brand new EP entitled Fatherland tentatively set for release on February 28th. The guys have debuted the cover art which can be seen above. Mr. Dream will join Cloud Nothings on a west coast tour before heading down to SXSW. Check out all the dates below as well as their phenomenal full length debut, and our favorite album of the last year, Trash Hit.

MAR 01 COSTA MESA, CA: Detroit Bar*
MAR 02 LOS ANGELES, CA: Echo*
MAR 03 SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Bottom of the Hill*
MAR 05 PORTLAND, OR: Holocene*
MAR 06 SEATTLE, WA: Crocodile*
MAR 07 VANCOUVER, BC: Media Club*
MAR 08 BOISE, ID: Neurolux*
MAR 09 SALT LAKE CITY, UT: Kilby Court*
MAR 10 DENVER, CO: Larimer Lounge*
MAR 12 KANSAS CITY, MO: Riot Room*
MAR 13-17 AUSTIN, TX: SXSW

* w/ Cloud Nothings

Dinosaur Jr. Ready "Bug Live at 9:30 Club" DVD Release

2012-01-26T18:56:00.002-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] Fans who missed out on Dinosaur Jr. performing their 1988 classic Bug in London and along the American coastline last year will soon have the chance to experience the concert from the comfort of their home. On February 21st, footage of the trio’s June 25th, 2011 set at Washington, D.C.’s famed 9:30 Club will be released on DVD and Blu-ray, as Slicing Up Eyeballs points out.

Entitled Bug Live at 9:30 Club: In the Hands of the Fans, the film was shot by six fans under the direction of Dave Markey (Sonic Youth’s 1991: The Year Punk Broke). The show features all nine tracks from Bug, in addition to “Sludgefeast” and “Raisans” from their sophomore album, You’re Living All Over Me.

Bonus material includes interviews with both Markey and frontman/icon J Mascis, plus an on-stage interview between Dinosaur Jr. and Henry Rollins. Backstage footage with fans and bonus performances of Living track “In a Jar” and Sub Pop single “The Wagon” are also included. Check out the film’s trailer and tracklist below.

Bug Live at 9:30 Club: In the Hands of the Fans Tracklist:

01. Freak Scene
02. No Bones
03. They Always Come
04. Yeah We Know
05. Let It Ride
06. Pond Song
07. Budge
08. The Post
09. Don’t
10. Sludgefeast
11. Raisans

Red Hot Chili Peppers Debut "Look Around" Video

2012-01-26T18:53:00.002-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] Fulfilling some hardcore fan fiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers portray a world where they share an apartment complex in the music video for “Look Around”. Each band member creates his own life inside the rectangle, each rich with metaphor: Flea’s half-naked whip cream fight, Josh Klinghoffer’s lonely, clutter-free space, Anthony Kiedis’ choice of prison attire amid loving family and dog, and Chad Smith’s combination bathroom/sparring gym. In the end, though, the band comes together, proving that they can unite despite their differences. Oh, and splitting the rent is probably much cheaper, too. Watch the video below.

The band’s latest album, I’m with You, is out now via Warner Bros. As previously reported, the band will be on tour this spring/summer, with the full schedule below.

Red Hot Chili Peppers 2012 Tour Dates:

03/29 – St. Petersburg, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
03/31 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Arena
04/02 – Sunrise, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
04/04 – Raleigh, NC @ RBC Center
04/06 – Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena
04/07 – Columbia, SC @ Colonial Life Arena
04/09 – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
04/10 – Atlanta, GA @ Gwinnett Center
04/12 – Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum
04/27 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Center
04/30 – Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
05/02 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
05/04 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
05/07 – Boston, MA @ TD Bank North Garden
05/10 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
05/11 – Philadelphia,, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
05/25 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Arena
05/26 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
05/28 – Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
05/30 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
06/01 – Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
06/02 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
06/04 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
06/06 – Cincinnati, OH @ U.S. Bank Arena
06/07 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum Center
06/23 – Stevenage Herts, UK @ Knebworth Park
06/24 – Sunderland, UK @ Stadium of Light
06/26 – Dublin, IE @ Croke Park
06/28 – Nijemegen, NL @ Goffert Park
06/30 – Paris, FR @ Stade de France
07/01 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/03 – Berne, CH @ Stade de Suisse
07/20 – St. Petersburg, RU @ Petrovsky Stadium
07/25 – Kiev, UA @ Olympisky Stadium
07/27 – Warsaw, PL @ Bernowo Airport
08/01 – Tampere, FI @ Ratina Stadium
08/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
08/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
08/14 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
08/15 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
08/29 – Zagreb, HR @ Hoppodrome
09/01 – Sofia, BG @ Georgia Asparuhov Stadium
09/10 – Tel Aviv, IR @ Hayakron Park
09/23 – San Diego, CA @ Vally View Casino Center
09/25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Jobing.com Arena
09/27 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
09/29 – San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
10/02 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Arena
10/04 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena
10/20 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
10/24 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Arena
10/22 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Arena
10/25 – Little Rock, AR @ Verizon Arena

Low Set to Join Death Cab For Cutie Tour Dates

2012-01-26T18:48:00.002-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] Death Cab For Cutie will hit the road this spring, performing alongside members of San Francisco’s Magik*Magik Orchestra, and Youth Lagoon, who will open the second-half of the tour. Now, as an issued press release reports, slowcore titans Low have been confirmed as the main support for the first-half of the tour.

Check out Low's tour dates below:

04/10 – Denver, CO @ Ellie Caulkins Opera House
04/11 – Omaha, NE @ Music Hall
04/13 – Louisville, KY @ Louisville Palace
04/14 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Calvin College
04/15 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theatre
04/16 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
04/19 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
04/20 – Montreal, QC @ Eglise St-Jean Baptiste
04/21 – Boston, MA @ Wang Theatre
04/23 - Providence, RI @ Veterans Memorial Auditorium
04/24 – Buffalo, NY @ Kleinhans Music Hall
04/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Tower Theatre

The Polyphonic Spree Debut "What Would You Do?"

2012-01-26T18:40:00.002-05:00

[consequenceofsound.net] We first got a taste of The Polyphonic Spree‘s new song ”What Would You Do?” in a teaser trailer for the band’s upcoming U.S. tour. Now, you can hear the entire thing — and watch the song’s acetate disc spinning at the band’s Good Records Recordings’ HQ — in the video below.

“What Would You Do?” is now available digitally in both MP3 and FLAC lossless formats, as well as a regular black 7″ vinyl release and a limited-edition colored 7″ vinyl release that includes a signed and numbered silkscreened print/cover by GRR house artist Nevada Hill. The vinyl releases include a surprise b-side from the band, not available anywhere else. Order your release format of choice via Good Records Recordings’ webstore.

The Spree are also holding a video contest for the song, with the official clip set to premiere on February 14th. Click here for more information.

After the video is the band’s updated tour schedule. Stay tuned for East and West coast dates, which will follow in late winter and spring.

The Polyphonic Spree - "What Would You Do?" (Acetate Video) from Good Records Recordings on Vimeo.

The Polyphonic Spree 2012 Tour Dates:

02/06 – Tulsa, OK @ The Marquee *
02/07 – Norman, OK @ Opolis *
02/08 – Little Rock, AR @ Rev Room *
02/10 – Atlanta, GA @ Centerstage *
02/11 - Tallahassee, FL @ The Moon *
02/12 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree *
02/13 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues *
02/14 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s *
02/15 – Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa *
02/16 – Dallas, TX @ Sons of Hermann Hall *

* = w/ New Fumes

Fu Manchu Announce "The Action is Go" 15th Anniversary Tour

2012-01-26T18:18:00.002-05:00

[blabbermouth.net] Southern California’s heavy fuzz rock legends FU MANCHU are thrilled to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their 1997 classic “The Action Is Go”. To follow up on the overwhelming response they received from their “In Search Of… 15 Years” tour, the hardworking group will be undertaking a headlining tour with a set comprised of this entire fourteen-track album from start to finish. Many of these songs will be performed live for the first time ever.

To coincide with the tour, the band will be reissuing the original album on 180-gram vinyl with double gatefold packaging on the band’s own At The Dojo Records worldwide. The band will also be selling the vinyl reissue as well as the original CD at these shows. On September 14, FU MANCHU will launch their European trek in the U.K. A full listing of the 24-city, 15-country, four-week FU MANCHU “The Action Is Go 15″ tour can be seen below.

Recorded at Grandmaster Studios in Hollywood, California and Sound City in Van Nuys, California and produced by Jay Yuenger of WHITE ZOMBIE, mixed by Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, MELVINS) and mastered by Dave Collins (SOUNDGARDEN, BLACK SABBATH, MONSTER MAGNET), “The Action Is Go” was the band’s fourth full length album and the first to feature current lead guitarist Bob Balch. This collection is considered a classic of the band’s catalog. Highlights include the lead single, “Evil Eye”, “Hogwash” and concert classic “Saturn III”.

Originally formed in 1985 as a BLACK FLAG-influenced hardcore punk band called VIRULENCE, FU MANCHU has since become one of hard rock’s most celebrated names. The band released its first single “Kept Between Trees” in 1990 and in the years following, helped give rise to a celebrated style of heavy music tagged “stoner rock” alongside peers such as KYUSS, MONSTER MAGNET and SLEEP. Since its inception, the quartet has built itself a fanatical army of loyal enthusiasts all drawn to the group’s ridiculously catchy, unpretentious music, guitar-driven sound and carefree lyrics centered on “old muscle cars, choppers, vans, skateboarding and science fiction.”

The track listing for “The Action Is Go” is as follows:

01. Evil Eye
02. Urethane
03. The Action Is Go
04. Burning Road
05. Guardrail
06. Anodizer
07. Side Hoax
08. Unknown World
09. Laserbl’ast!
10. Hogwash
11. Grendel, Snowman
12. Strolling Astronomer
13. Saturn III
14. Nothing Done

“We’re stoked that the fans are into us doing the complete album thing again. We look forward to bringing these songs back live to the fans after 15 years,” states FU MANCHU frontman/guitarist Scott Hill.

FU MANCHU intends to bring this tour to the U.S. and potentially other countries throughout 2012 and 2013. Details are expected to be announced in the immediate future. Additionally, the band is currently writing new material and plans to release an all new album in 2013.

In addition to Hill, FU MANCHU features guitarist Bob Balch, bassist Brad Davis and drummer Scott Reeder.

FU MANCHU European “The Action Is Go 15″ tour dates:

Sep. 14 – Manchester, UK @ Ruby Lounge
Sep. 15 – London, UK @ Islington Academy
Sep. 16 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell
Sep. 17 – Birmingham, UK @ Academy 2
Sep. 19 – Paris, France @ Maroquinerie
Sep. 20 – Karlsruhe, Germany @ Substage
Sep. 21 – Schaffhausen, Switzerland @ Kammgarn
Sep. 22 – Romagnano Sesia, Italy @ RNR Arena
Sep. 24 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Plaza Club
Sep. 25 – Munich, Germany @ Hansa 39
Sep. 26 – Vienna, Austria @ Szene
Sep. 27 – Berlin, Germany @ Lido
Sep. 28 – Warsaw, Poland @ Hydrozagadka
Sep. 30 – Tallin, Estonia @ Rock Café
Oct. 01 – Helsinki, Finland @ Nosturi
Oct. 03 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Strand
Oct. 04 – Oslo, Norway @ Rockefeller
Oct. 05 – Gothenburg, Sweden @ Sticky Fingers
Oct. 06 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ The Rock
Oct. 08 – Hamburg, Germany @ Knust
Oct. 09 – Cologne, Germany @ Luxor
Oct. 10 – Luxembourg City, Luxembourg @ Den Atelier
Oct. 11 – Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Effenaar KZ
Oct. 12 – Antwerp, Belgium @ Trix

Refused Frontman Discusses Ticket Scalping of their US Shows

2012-01-26T18:07:00.002-05:00

[theprp.com] Refused frontman Dennis Lyxzén is not oblivious to the rampant scalping surrounding the bands more intimate upcoming U.S. shows. A cursory glance around the net reveals that the lowest price scalpers are selling tickets for the bands instantly sold out April 23rd show at Terminal 5 in New York City, NY is $117.95 U.S. per ticket.

Posting through his own personal Facebook, Lyxzen addressed the situation, offering:

“To all my friends and to all the people that are trying to go to the Refused shows in San Francisco and New York: It is a complete bummer that there has been some problems with scalpers buying up tickets and selling them back at double the price. That is indeed capitalism in it’s prime.

As a band there is very little that we can do about it. I know that there is a limit to 4 tickets per person but that doesn’t seem to help as much as we want. Also, it is frustrating that we are not going to have the time to play and hang out with everyone that wants to see us. The demand has been way crazier that we ever expected.

On the other hand it is pretty amazing that so many people are working hard to get tickets and that there are so many people that have been giving us a lot of love these last weeks. It means a lot to me.

Hopefully we will be able to play more show so that more people will be able to see us. I will keep you posted on everything.

Tomorrow it is however time to go out and play with Invasionen a couple of shows. Please check out our music as well would make me very happy. See you soon my friends.

Ps. Yesterday we practiced the song "The Slayer," it sounded pretty great!!

Love,
D.”

Red Fang Debut "Hank Is Dead" Video

2012-01-26T17:57:00.002-05:00

[press release] Portland, Oregon's RED FANG are premiering their new video today on YouTube for "Hank Is Dead", which is taken from their critically acclaimed release Murder The Mountains. RED FANG worked with director extraordinaire, Whitey McConnaughy on the video which can be viewed below.

Drummer John Sherman spoke about the "Hank is Dead" video:

"Another great concept from the brilliant mind of Whitey McConnaughy. This one came together super quick with the help of some insane Portland locals and their sick air guitar skills. We basically just threw a big party and had a blast while a bunch of cameras ran. That is my shower Aaron and Bryan and Bobcat are in at the intro, btw. It still has a weird ring around it..."

RED FANG are currently on tour in Europe with Mastodon. The tour runs through February 11th in London and includes RED FANG headline dates in addition to the shows with Mastodon.

RED FANG are streaming Murder The Mountains in its entirety at this location. The band recorded Murder The Mountains with THE DECEMBERISTS' Chris Funk and the album was mixed by three-time Grammy Award winner Vance Powell (WHITE STRIPES, THE RACONTEURS). Murder The Mountains is now available on CD, 12" vinyl, and deluxe digital. The album is available via Relapse and on iTunes.

Updated RED FANG news and tour information will be made available at the Relapse Records website, the RED FANG Facebook and RED FANG Official Site.

RED FANG EUROPEAN TOUR WITH MASTODON

1/26 ITA, Milan venue tba
1/27 GER, Stuttgart Juha West*
1/28 SWI, Zurich Xtra
1/29 GER, Frankfurt Batschkapp
1/30 GER, Munich Backstage Halle
1/31 GER, Berlin C-Club
2/1 GER, Osnabruck Bastard Club*
2/2 GER, Cologne Essigfabrik
2/3 HOL, Tilburg 013
2/4 FRA, Le Havre Le Mate L'Eau*
2/5 ENG, Bristol Academy
2/6 ENG, Manchester Academy
2/7 SCO, Glasgow Barrowland
2/9 Norwich , UEA
2/10 ENG, Birmingham Institute
2/11 ENG, London Brixton Academy

*Denotes headlining dates*

Russian Circles Announce UK/European Tour Dates

2012-01-26T17:37:00.002-05:00

[press release] Chicago trio Russian Circles today announce extensive Spring 2012 tour dates throughout Europe and the UK in support of their critically praised new album Empros. Please see complete dates below.

SPIN Magazine recently featured a full album stream of Empros. The band also recently premiered an MP3 from the album via RollingStone.com. The song, "Mladek" is available to listen/download HERE.

Russian Circles return with not only their fourth and heaviest album to date -- but also with Empros they're poised to take the crown as innovators reinvigorating the staid trappings of genre. Empros picks up where the anthemic riffs and melodies of 2009's Geneva left off and injects evermore slithering rhythms amid skull-crushing heft with all the visceral intensity of Godflesh, Swans and Neurosis. Put simply, Empros is Russian Circles' Master of Reality: a radical revision of both heavy and melody that is monolithic in its clarity and perfection. Or, like a lone surviving wooly beast emerging from a brutal winter's frost, Empros is the sound of a band shaking the ages from its shoulders with all the brutal force of a behemoth awakened.

Empros is Russian Circles' first full-length to be released worldwide exclusively via Sargent House, the band's longtime management company and record label that had previously released only the vinyl editions of its three prior albums. It was released worldwide on LP, CD and Download on October 25th, 2011.

RUSSIAN CIRCLES LIVE:

Apr 05 - Prague, CZ @ Matrix
Apr 06 - Vienna, AT @ Arena
Apr 07 - Munich, DE @ Feierwerk
Apr 08 - Dresden, DE @ Beatpol
Apr 09 - Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg
Apr 10 - Warsaw, PL @ Hydrozagadka
Apr 11 - Vilnius, LT @ Propaganda
Apr 12 - Riga, LV @ Gertrudes 101
Apr 13 - Tallinn, ES @ Electric Storm Festival at Tapper
Apr 14 - Helsinki, FI @ Virgin Oil Company
Apr 15 - Moscow, RU @ Gogol
Apr 16 - Stockholm, SE @ Strand
Apr 17 - Oslo, NO @ Revolver
Apr 18 - Gothenberg, SE @ Truckstop Alaska
Apr 19 - Copenhagen, DK @ KB 18
Apr 20 - Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang
Apr 21 - Utrecht, NI @ Tivoli
Apr 22 - Brussels, BE @ Magasin 4
Apr 23 - Esch-Sur-Alzette, LU @ Rockhal
Apr 25 - Glasgow, UK @ Stereo
Apr 26 - Belfast, IE @ Speakeasy
Apr 27 - Limerick, IE @ Dolan's Warehouse
Apr 28 - Dublin, IE @ Button Factory
Apr 29 - Manchester, UK @ The Ruby Lounge
Apr 30 - London, UK @ Scala Theater
May 02 - Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere
May 03 - Kortrijk, BE @ De Kreun
May 04 - Koln, DE @ Gebaeude 9
May 05 - Karlsruhe, DE @ Jubez
May 06 - Zurich, CH @ Rote Fabrik
May 07 - Geneva, CH @ Le Kab
May 08 - Milan, IT @ Magnolia
May 09 - Lyon, FR @ Le Clacson
May 11 - Bilbao, ES @ Azkena
May 12 - Porto, PT @ Hard Club
May 13 - Lisbon, PT @ Musicbox
May 14 - Madrid, ES @ Ritmo & Compas
May 15 - Barcelona, ES @ Apolo 2