Tuesday, July 25

PROFESSOR MURDER Drop Debut Release TODAY!

Breaking News:

NYC Dub-Punx PROFESSOR MURDER drop their debut EP "Professor Murder Rides The Subway" TODAY on Kanine Records!



"Thrilling nervous energy" - 4 Star track review of 'Champion' on Pitchfork

"An amazing amount of high energy" - CMJ live review

"We love this band! - Insound.com

Spin.com Makes PROFESSOR MURDER Yesterday's Band of the Day!

Professor Murder is the Dub-rock 4-piece from the streets of NYC (by way of DC) whose undeniably catchy debut EP “Professor Murder Rides The Subway” brings to mind the sound of legendary UK dance legends The Specials or the almighty Blur. With two percussionists, live bass, cowbells, and samplers out the ass, PMurder has been lighting up the New York City underbelly with a refreshing new twist on the game.

Filtering in hip-hop, funk, reggae, and dance music, Professor Murder creates a sound that is as informed by Hot-97, bootleg mixtapes, downloaded mp3s and club nights, as it is by 70s and 80s post-punk.

The appropriation of beats, riffs, and vocals from various sources drives the band to possess a more open-ended approach to their songwriting, as well as sanctioning the members to switch between instruments as needed. This makes for one dynamic live show, characterized by a raucous playfulness, owing more to a dance party than the sterile atmosphere of the indie rock show or the clichés of rock and roll.


Recorded at Brothers Studio with brothers Joshua Ryan, formerly a techno producer, and Eric Emm, formerly of Don Caballero, "Professor Murder Rides The Subway" synthesizes the band's varied influences in a manner that sounds simultaneously cohesive and refreshingly new.

While the album is drawing comparisons to contemporaries such as Tussle, LCD Soundsystem, and Liars, as well as older post-punk bands such as Liquid Liquid, Talking Heads, Konk, and A Certain Ratio, it also resonates with fans of dancehall, funk, r&b, dance and dub.

PROFESSOR MURDER Live Dates Coming Soon!

Set to coincide with their first release, the band is currently booking their first nationwide tour for August. To date the band has shared the stage w/ the likes of !!!, Weird War, Chromatics, OK GO!, The Apes, and more.

Tracklisting
1. Champion
2. Pedigree
3. The Mountain
4. Cameron’s New Color
5. Free Stress Test

For more information, visit:
http://www.myspace.com/pmurdermusic
http://www.burncopy.com/pmurder
http://www.kaninerecords.com

Friday, July 21

AN ALBATROSS Announce US Tourdates, New Video, and First Child!

Breaking News!

Psych-grind masters of the spiritual and physical revolution, AN ALBATROSS have announced their first batch of US tourdates (and a new video for "Hairobics") in support of their debut full-length “Blessphemy (of the Peace-Beast Feastgiver and the Bear-Warp Kumite)” now on Ace Fu (*vinyl released through GSL)!


WATCH THE NEW VIDEO FOR "HAIROBICS" HERE

“The six-piece charge through layers of maniacal noise made complete with an onslaught of assaulting guitar riffs, machine gun percussion, squiggly synths, and Gieda's volatile vocal thrusts." Spin.com

“Each song is so chock-full of whirlwind Coney Island calliope flourishes that experiencing a little vertigo while listening is not only par for the crusty, avant-grind course—it actually makes the album more enjoyable.” – Decibel Magazine

Just back from their second European tour of 2006 (most recently w/ Lightning Bolt ), An Albatross are gearing up for their US Tour starting this August and extending through the Fall!

Brothers and Sisters! Aural Emancipation by the sacred sonic offerings of the An Albatross aggregation is on its way! Their mission is to attune you to the Kinetic-Life and yield an experience gratifying to the soul and the body alike: a communal gathering of bodies in motion devoid of inhibiting, hyper-individualized frame of thought!

An Albatross is a psychedelic sonic orgasm; a barrage of mechanical, jerky and discombobulated time signatures eclipsed by hectic Farfisa organ/synthesizer melodies. Not unlike sitting down with an average American family during primetime television, the music is unquestionably attention-span friendly for an ADD-diagnosed society: unbelievably short, complex, infectious bursts of polyrhythms and spirit.

After solidifying their early tour experiences and songwriting in the studio, a fledgling incarnation of the band in 2000 released the 12" EP "Eat Lightning, Shit Thunder" on Philadelphia upstart label When Humans Attack! The enhanced CD version, featuring explosive live footage that captures the unique synergism between the band and their audiences, followed soon afterwards on Bloodlink Records.

In 2002, An Albatross caught the attention of New York City’s Ace-Fu Label and forged a relationship that culminated in the 2003 release of the 8-minute merciless, aural onslaught, “We Are the Lazer Viking,” an enhanced CD EP produced by sonic savant Wharton Tiers (Sonic Youth, Helmet, Dinosaur Jr.). Quickly thereafter, the band released a follow-up split EP with Oakland’s legendary noise-rock outfit XBXRX on the Gold Standard Labs (GSL) label. September 2004 marked the beginning of the current line up featuring incendiary percussionist Edward Klinger, writhing, psychedel-evangelist vocalist Eddie B. Gieda III, rhythmic contortionista bassist Jay Hudak, circuit-bent breakneck speed-guitarist Jake Lisowski, and Farfisa-master, Phillip Reynolds Price.


With an unparalleled spirit stimulated by the current line-up and several recent releases in its pocket, the band set forth on an unbelievably rigorous tour schedule, crisscrossing the U.S. multiple times and making four transatlantic pilgrimages that amassed a staggering total of 600+ performances w/ the likes of Cave In, Pelican, Earth, Sunn O))), Aids Wolf, Lightning Bolt, and more. The most noteworthy of these dates included a slot on the July ’04 French Eurockeennes Festival, a March ’05 BBC session - initiated by the late John Peel - and a support slot for the East Coast leg of the legendary Melt Banana’s 2005 spring tour as well as romps w/ metal-gods The Dillinger Escape Plan and Japan’s equivalent to Led Zeppelin, DMBQ.

The band’s performances have now acquired a quasi-legendary status, surpassing the traditional concert schema by facilitating a complete fusion of band and audience. Under the mythical banner of future-primitive/psychedelic entities like the Lazer Viking and The Electric Coyote, An Albatross’ Revolutionary Politics of Dance are executed nightly through their electrifying performances.

An Albatross US Tour:
Aug 20 2006 First Unitarian Church (TBC) Philadelphia, PA
Aug 21 2006 The Ottobar Baltimore, MD
Aug 22 2006 Cumberland´s Charleston, SC
Aug 23 2006 The Milestone Charlotte, NC
Aug 24 2006 Common Grounds Gainesville, FL
Aug 25 2006 The Back Booth Orlando, FL
Aug 26 2006 The Orpheum Tampa, FL
Aug 27 2006 The Drunken Unicorn Atlanta, GA
Aug 28 2006 The End Nashville, TN
Aug 29 2006 The Dame Lexington, KY
Aug 30 2006 The Beat Kitchen Chicago, IL
Aug 31 2006 Grog Shop Cleveland, OH
Sep 1 2006 Howard´s Club H Bowling Green, OH
Sep 2 2006 Garfield Artworks Pittsburgh, PA
Sep 3 2006 Spacelab Buffalo, NY
Sep 4 2006 Sneaky Dee´s Toronto
Sep 5 2006 La Sala Rosa Montreal
Sep 6 2006 Great Scott Boston, MA
Sep 7 2006 Purchase College (SUNY) Purchase, NY
Sep 8 2006 Knitting Factory New York City, NY




CONGRATULATIONS to Blessphemy drummer Ed Klinger and wife Katie Murray on the birth of their new baby boy Colin Nathaniel Klinger!!!

Watch AN ALBATROSS Live @ Gilman St in San Francisco, 2006 (SICK!!!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HoM8PoWPaU




For more information visit:
www.analbatross.com
www.myspace.com/analbatross23
http://community.livejournal.com/an_albatross/
http://goldstandardlabs.com/an_albatross/analbatross_info.html
http://acefu.com/artist.php?bid=272



Wednesday, July 19

Hydra Head Industries Announces new XASTHUR and BOTCH Records

Breaking News:

Hydra Head Industries Announces the release of the new XASTHUR album, "Subliminal Genocide," and the re-release Botch's "Unifying Themes Redux"

XASTHUR "Subliminal Genocide" (9.12.06)


“One of America's most prolific and unapproachable underground metal musicians” - Billboard

"...idiosyncratic, The Cure-unto-Burzum melted strings/synth psychedelia..." - Metal Maniacs

As one of the most innovative black metal practitioners in the isolationist sub-underground, Xasthur has crafted some of the most mesmerizing and significant music of the last decade, regardless of genre.

Subliminal Genocide wallows in its creator’s well nourished acrimony and terminal disgust, fomenting a hellish vortex of shrill riffery, cavernous howls and psychedelic stormblasts that bears down on the psyche with primordial distress.

With tremendous respect and admiration, Hydra Head Industries is proud to release the work of one of the underground black metal scene’s most creative minds: Xasthur. For this release, we are working in association with Battle Kommand Records. The Illinois-based label has released an impressive stable of quality underground releases, including a Xasthur/Leviathan split.

Though it began in 1995 and featured other members until 1999, Xasthur’s entire recorded cannon (5 full lengths, 5 split albums, including an appearance on Sunn O)))'s "Black One") is solely the work of one tremendously prolific artist: Malefic. His sonic palette is HUGE.

The U.S. black metal scene is regarded by those in-the-know as tremendously progressive. Xasthur (along with Leviathan, Krieg, and Nachtmystium) is an American artist whose forays into lo-fi atmospherics, unique instrument and vocal textures, as well as exploratory song structures are heralded.


Subliminal Genocide adheres to the sonic and lyrics principles of malevolence contained in Xasthur’s past work, but further develops the use space and atmosphere. Though the significance and appeal of underground black metal remains largely experienced only by the few who dwell in dark corners, we hope this tremendous Xasthur record reaches the ears of all those who are even slightly fond of extreme art.

Tracklist:
1) Disharmonic Convergence
2) Prison of Mirrors
3) Beauty is Only Razor Deep
4) Trauma Will Always Linger
5) Pyramid of Skulls
6) Arcane and Misanthropic Projection
7) Victim of Your Dreams
8) Through a Trance of Dispondency
9) Loss and Inner Distortion
10) Subliminal Genocide
11) Malice Hidden in Surrealism


================================================================================

BOTCH "Unifying Themes Redux" (9.26.06)



“{Botch's} We Are the Romans lives on as one of the most influential ‘hardcore’ records of the last decade, its jagged grace and terminal discord revered by the likes of future noise-mongers Norma Jean, the Used and Every Time I Die—which is ironic when one considers that the album essentially called bullshit on the prevailing hardcore aesthetics of its time.” – Decibel Magazine


“Inspiring, original and loved, Botch has left this world for the next, leaving
behind what we all hope to leave when we pass into that dark night: a mark on
the world, a legacy and warm memories to comfort those who survive us.” – Stylusmagazine.com


The first in a series of four new Botch titles set for release on Hydra Head in the next year, this reissue of the band’s long-out of print collection of early seven-inch material, compilation cuts and other rarities provides an incisive look at the germination of Seattle’s legendary ass-kickers. Originally released by Excursion Records in 2002, Unifying Themes Redux features sixteen ferocious tracks that only Botch could deliver—complete with weird samples, postmodern anxiety, and unstoppable riffs. All paths lead to Rome

Although Botch’s two full lengths and final EP features their most progressive work, Unifying Themes Redux summarizes the creative path that led them to such stellar heights. It’s a goldmine of Botch material, with compilation appearances, out-of-print EPs, unreleased tracks, and other collector gems. The John Birch Conspiracy 7” alone warrants the purchase—few acts could do justice to the theme from Conan the Barbarian.

Botch is now widely regarded as having redefined hardcore in the mid to late 1990s. Few bands took as many chances, and everyone form Norma Jean to Every Time I Die owes them due respect.


If hardcore giants of the time relied on static song structures and bloated
breakdowns, Botch embraced off-kilter rhythms, mathy riffage, effects-laden tones and lyrical defiance. Embracing progress defines their oeuvre.

These days, the former Botch players forge ahead in These Arms Are Snakes,
Minus the Bear, and Roy. True to form, not one of them is treading old ground.

Tracklist:
1. God vs. Science
2. Third Part in a Tragedy
3. Inch by Inch
4. O Fortuna
5. Closure
6. Contraction
7. Ebb
8. Stupid Me
9. In Spite of This
10. End of Discussion
11. Wounded
12. Liquored Up and Laid
13. Leavers Take on Genesis
14. Rock Lobster
15. Frequenting Mass Transit
16. Sudam

www.hydrahead.com

Tuesday, July 18

MODWHEELMOOD embark on West Coast tour; Prepare for August 8th EP release!

Members of Nine Inch Nails & Abandoned Pools join forces to create stunning rock landscape; Release EP "Enemies & Immigrants" [Buddyhead Records] on 08/08/06; Tour West Coast!

ABOUT
You’ve entered a state of emotional turbulence, languishing one moment and inexplicably blithe the next. But before you call up your shrink, try reaching for the volume. This isn’t your Bi-Polar disorder flaring up -- this is Modwheelmood.
Modwheelmood is led by Alessandro Cortini, currently a member of Nine Inch Nails.and by guitarist Pelle Hillström. The two have performed together for nearly six years. Their sound is best described as alternative pop electronica, yet a stimulating departure from the typical laptop based bands who label themselves as electronica.
And what else could you expect from a duo whose backgrounds are so different you wonder how they find any common ground at all. Yet a brilliant balance is achieved somewhere in the chasm separating their diverse elements -- between despair and hope, narcotic and elevated, pain and pleasure. You don’t know where you’re going next, but the hypnotic lure is inescapable.
Modwheelmood is the product of impeccable composition, incorporating Cortini’s carefully structured analog synths and loops with Hillström’s raw, riffing guitars and sometimes sparkling, ambient guitars – depending on the mood. The experienced duo exercises restraint, never allowing the guitars to overpower the synths, and offering provocative vocal melodies that add just enough depth to create well rounded, richly textured arrangements.
Born and raised in Italy, Cortini’s family encouraged his interest in music from an early age. Cortini’s father played guitar, and his mother often listened to bands such as the Beatles, who Cortini agrees had an influence on his songwriting. Other songwriting influences include Cat Stevens, Francesco De Gregori, and Depeche Mode. From a programming perspective, Cortini recognizes Alva Noto and Brian Eno as influential in his development. In addition to his songwriting prowess, Cortini is a well seasoned live musician, having toured with such bands as The Mayfield Four, and is currently lending his talents as a keyboardist to Nine Inch Nails.
Hillström grew up in a small village in Sweden. His pursuit of music began early, playing saxophone in jazz orchestras in the afternoon and learning Iron Maiden riffs in the evening. Eventually, his desire to play music for a living led him to the U.S., where he met Cortini. Hillström is the former guitarist of Abandoned Pools and has also worked with famed producer Patrick Leonard. Hillström’s guitar playing is often described as intellectual and evocative, reminiscent of Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood.
Modwheelmood’s second EP, Enemies & Immigrants is scheduled for release in April 2006 on Buddyhead Records. Although they have many influences, both Cortini and Hillström agree that Enemies & Immigrants doesn’t necessarily reflect those influences. Hillström notes that there are decidedly more acoustics on this EP than the first, to give the tracks more of a lush, earthy, percussive sound. He adds that the material on the new EP took shape just from sitting in a room full of gear with open minds and the objective of “making music that meant something to us.”
With Enemies & Immigrants, Cortini and Hillström have carved a complex landscape that is evocative and deeply personal, making Enemies and Immigrants an EP that will surely keep your psychiatrist on speed dial.
Modwheelmood borrows their name from the mod wheel, a controller typically mounted at the left end of the keyboard that is used for modulation. It can provide positive or negative values. It can be easily raised or lowered at the artist’s whim.

TOUR DATES
Aug 1 - Portland, OR @ Fez Ballroom
Aug 2 - Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
Aug 6 - Santa Rosa, CA @ Last Day Saloon
Aug 7 - Fresno, CA @ Club Fred
Aug 9 - Phoenix, AZ @ Modified
Aug 12 - Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction


LINKS
www.modwheelmood.com
www.buddyhead.com/recordings/
www.myspace.com/modwheelmood

Crazy from the heat, y'all!


Click to RSVP to our rad Chicagoland parties!

Monday, July 17

WIRES ON FIRE on national tour in support of debut album out in August!

Fresh off a West Coast tour with The Bronx and Priestess, WIRES ON FIRE have started their Summer 2006 tour in support of their upcoming release* of their self-titled full-length debut record.
For those of you heading to CMJ, mark your schedule for WIRES ON FIRE's performance at the Buddyhead Showcase at this year’s CMJ Music Marathon.
*Release date is slated for August 8, 2006 on Buddyhead Records.


ABOUT
Wires On Fire, a collective of four young men from Los Angeles, have created a name for themselves with their balls-out live set, full of blood, sweat, and saliva. While the chaotic punk rock passion and energy from their acclaimed Homewrecker EP remains, the band has taken steps in a different direction on their new Self-Titled full-length debut. Wires On Fire have created an innovative style with hopes to inspire a new breed of rock and roll for this generation of colorless music.
Each track on the 12-song monster reveals a different side of Wires On Fire, with influences from The Birthday Party, Black Sabbath, Neil Young, The Damned and the The Beach Boys peeking through. The addition of singer/guitarist Evan Weiss’ younger (as in fresh-out-of-high-school) brother, Darren, on drums has given the band an even more explosive and dynamic edge. This observation is not only apparent during their live shows, but became evident while recording this Self-Titled debut with Alain Johannes and Natasha Shneider (Queens of The Stone Age, Mark Lanegan Band, Eleven).
After booking several national and west coast tours on their own (sharing the stage with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Fall, Death From Above 1979, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Dillinger Escape Plan, Mclusky, Hella, Two Gallants, etc.) Wires On Fire stand out from the rock band masses as a unique -- perhaps unclassifiable -- group. No genre aptly captures their sound, nor do they fit within a particular fan base. Still, these off-the-wall individuals are just as motivated to play for their merch guy as opening for any one of their influences (who are so diverse any laymen would asphyxiate trying to figure out where the unique strands in their layered passion came from). And if you can figure out where these cowboys came from, you will still asphyxiate. Assaultive, yet loving, these young hearts are free…


TOUR DATES
07/18 Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves w/ Riverboat Gamblers, Only Crime and Los Dryheavers
07/19 Austin, TX @ 423 Tillery
07/20 Houston, TX @ Walters On Washington w/ Danava
07/21 Baton Rouge, LA @ The Darkroom
07/22 New Orleans, LA @ Circle Bar
07/23 Little Rock, AR @ TBA
07/24 Nashville / Knoxville, TN @ TBA
07/25 Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn w/ A.R.E Weapons and The Mr. Move
07/26 Athens, GA @ Caldonia w/ We Vs. The Shark
07/27 Greenville, SC @ Gottrocks w/A.R.E Weapons and The Disease
07/28 Greensboro, NC @ The Corndale House w/ Secret Message Machine and Tiny Meteors
07/29 Charlotte, NC @ The Milestone Club
07/30 Norfolk, VA @ Relative Theory Records
07/31 Washington, DC @ TBA
08/01 Baltimore, MD @ TBA
08/02 Philly, PA @ TBA
08/03 Boston, MA @ TBA
08/04 Providence, RI @ TBA
08/05 Brooklyn, NY @ The Wreck Room w/ Wilderness, The Willowz
08/06/06 NYC, NY @ SIN-E w/The Willowz, The Lot Six
08/07 Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfeild Artworks w/The Willowz
08/08 Columbus, OH @ Skullys w/The Willowz and The Slide Machine
***08/08 WIRES ON FIRE debut full-length out today!***
08/09/06 Louisville, KY @ Rudyard Kipling w/ The Willowz, Ten To Midnight
08/10 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean w/The Willowz
08/11 Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club w/The Willowz
08/12 Des Moines IA @ Vaudeville Mews - Early Show w/The Willowz
08/13 Lincoln, NE @ Duffy's w/The WIllowz, Rentmoneybig
08/14 Witchita, KS @ TBA
08/15 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge w/ Don Caballero, Zombi
08/16 Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA
08/17 Las Vegas, NV @ TBA


LINKS
www.wiresonfire.com
www.buddyhead.com/recordings/
www.myspace.com/wiresonfire


Big Blackhawk in LA Weekly - Rock Out!

Rock Out
By Lina Lecaro
Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 6:00 pm


Remember when Thursday nights used to be totally bangin’ at The 3 Clubs? Well, looks like Hollywood’s OG (original guzzler) dive is busting eardrums once again, with a new stage and sound system — and promoter Big Blackhawk booking Thursday nights. We popped in last week to catch the noisy nymphettes in Rocket whipping the crowd to attention with their trashy, ’60s-tinged tart rock. The ladies have been everywhere lately: After opening gigs for Morningwood and The Ark, and notice from iconic producer Tony Visconti, they’re currently doing the West Coast dates of the Warped Tour. The 3 Clubs’ new stage is sure to renew interest in the space — it’s perfect for the club’s Monday comedy nights, Tuesday “Tease at 3’s” burlesque revues, and weekend DJ parties.

READ MORE: http://www.laweekly.com/music/nightranger/rock-out/13989/

Friday, July 14

PROFESSOR MURDER Announces US Tourdates!

NYC Dub-Punx PROFESSOR MURDER Announces US Tourdates in support of their debut EP "Professor Murder Rides The Subway" out July 25th on Kanine Records!



"Thrilling nervous energy" - 4 Star track review of 'Champion' on Pitchfork

"An amazing amount of high energy" - CMJ live review

"We love this band! - Insound.com

Professor Murder is the Dub-rock 4-piece from the streets of NYC (by way of DC) whose undeniably catchy debut EP “Professor Murder Rides The Subway” brings to mind the sound of legendary UK dance legends The Specials or the almighty Blur. With two percussionists, live bass, cowbells, and samplers out the ass, PMurder has been lighting up the New York City underbelly with a refreshing new twist on the game.

Filtering in hip-hop, funk, reggae, and dance music, Professor Murder creates a sound that is as informed by Hot-97, bootleg mixtapes, downloaded mp3s and club nights, as it is by 70s and 80s post-punk.

The appropriation of beats, riffs, and vocals from various sources drives the band to possess a more open-ended approach to their songwriting, as well as sanctioning the members to switch between instruments as needed. This makes for one dynamic live show, characterized by a raucous playfulness, owing more to a dance party than the sterile atmosphere of the indie rock show or the clichés of rock and roll.


Recorded at Brothers Studio with brothers Joshua Ryan, formerly a techno producer, and Eric Emm, formerly of Don Caballero, "Professor Murder Rides The Subway" synthesizes the band's varied influences in a manner that sounds simultaneously cohesive and refreshingly new.

While the album is drawing comparisons to contemporaries such as Tussle, LCD Soundsystem, and Liars, as well as older post-punk bands such as Liquid Liquid, Talking Heads, Konk, and A Certain Ratio, it also resonates with fans of dancehall, funk, r&b, dance and dub.

PROFESSOR MURDER LIVE
July 13 - Brooklyn, NY - Supreme Trading (Insound.com's pre-SirenFest Party)
July 15 - Chicago, IL - The Hideout
July 16 - Madison, WI - King Club
July 18 - Cincinnati, OH - live on-air performance at http://www.woxy.com/ 4:30 PM
July 19 - Cleveland, OH - The Church
July 21 - Worcester, MA - Forbes Mansion
July 22 - Boston, MA - performing as King Oppression at secret party

Set to coincide with their first release, the band is currently booking their first nationwide tour for August. To date the band has shared the stage w/ the likes of !!!, Weird War, Chromatics, OK GO!, The Apes, and more.

Tracklisting
1. Champion
2. Pedigree
3. The Mountain
4. Cameron’s New Color
5. Free Stress Test

http://www.myspace.com/pmurdermusic
http://www.burncopy.com/pmurder
http://www.kaninerecords.com





Thursday, July 13

MAN MAN @ Siren and Pitchfork Festivals!

Philadelphia's experimental rock monsters, MAN MAN, will be headed to New York and Chicago for the Siren and Pitchfork festivals, in support of their latest, critically acclaimed full-length, "Six Demon Bag," out now on Ace Fu!


“[They cram] boozy Brecht-flavored shout-alongs into shaggy waltz and oompah rhythms, with plenty of jazzy, engaging instrumental colors.” –
Entertainment Weekly


“Man Man exhibits a varied flair for macabre theatrics that includes a veritable world's fair of chaos and creation.” - Billboard Magazine

“Get ready to coo with delight or howl like a bandicoot, for the mighty Man Man is back.”
- Pitchfork


The time is upon us. Man Man, the reigning kings of what can only be called the epitome of heartfelt and honest music, have returned with the follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut full-length “The Man In The Blue Turban With A Face” entitled, “Six Demon Bag.”

Continuing where they left off, and with a new cast of characters (featuring members of Philadelphia’s Coyote) including Need New Body’s Chris Powell on the skins, MAN MAN are proving they have grown into one of music’s standout gems, and have created a record that pulls at the heartstrings and inspires a countless amount of emotions in its audience.

Their live show, (heralded by the likes of Spin, NY Times, and Rolling Stone as one of the best at this year’s past CMJ and SXSW marathons), now even more a spectacle than ever, has landed them on tour alongside the likes of The Arcade Fire, Fiery Furnaces, Okkervil River, and more.

Bringing to mind some of music’s legends, ie. Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, and Mike Patton, frontman Honus Honus has created a record of unparalleled beauty and mastery with the 13-song “Six Demon Bag,” out February 21st, 2006.


Man Man US Tourdates:

07.15.06 Coney Island, NY Siren Music Festival
07.27.06 Pittsburgh, PA The Brillobox
07.28.06 Newport, KY Southgate House
07.29.06 Chicago, IL Pitchfork Music Festival
08.3-5.06 Athens, GA Team Clermont Fest






Watch the video for "Engwish Bwood" here!

http://wearemanman.com/bwood.html

also visit:
www.wearemanman.com
www.myspace.com/wearemanman
www.acefu.com



Wednesday, July 12

FUCKED UP Announce West Coast Tourdates!

Toronto-based epic-psych-punks FUCKED UP have just announced a string of West Coast tour-dates in support of their debut full-length "Hidden World" out October 10th on Jade Tree!



"Ironically, their fast and sloppy early-80s-styled hardcore is a million times more musical and ferocious than 99% of professional myspace-era mosh bands, and their fans' postshow cuts and bruises remind us that this shit might have the potential to still be dangerous." - VICE


"I truly believe these guys are the second coming of hardcore... they are Incredible." - MRR


"Toronto's Fucked Up get it so right. Their hardcore telepathically bridges the early 80's, reaches even further back for intelligence, and is blazing across this great land of ours, one shitty stereo and uncool kid at a time." - THRASHER

Listen to "Baiting the Public" off the forthcoming album, "Hidden World"

Fucked Up isn’t the prototypical hardcore band. The songs on "Hidden World" average five + minutes and have violins, acoustic guitars, samples, piano and other instrumentation.

As a band, Fucked Up exist as miscreants, operating outside the parameters of traditional society. No one in the band (comprised of Pink Eyes- vocals, Concentration Camp- guitar, Mr. Jo- drums, Mustard Gas- bass, 10,000 Marbles- guitar) owns a cell phone or can legally operate a vehicle. Relationships between band mates are often strained (Pink Eyes has even avoided a European tour because, "The prospect of sitting in a van with those dudes made me sick to my stomach").

3/5 of the band is plagued by bouts of mental illness ("Pink Eyes has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Concentration Camp and I have been depressed for good parts of our adult lives," says guitarist 10,000 Marbles.) The band has been accused of championing fascism ("Mixing fascist imagery with a leftist anarchist punk band is like a bomb going off," according to the band.) The list continues; bewildering interviews in Vice Magazine, anarchist arrests in Canada, episodes of self-mutilation via razor blade and a slew of hard to find singles are but a few of the enigmatic characteristics that have embodied Fucked Up for the past five years.


Fucked Up came from nothing out of the Toronto, Canada punk scene, on their own accordance. Influences, both lyrical and musical, were mostly culled from within (though the band does cite Pink Floyd as a point of reference to their "more drawn out shit"), and the band slowly rose from obscurity without the obligatory tour and play with bigger band mentality of the modern punk scene. The band shuns full- length releases in favor of two-song singles, utilizes biological concepts to enact social change within their music, and has even been accused of mind control by some of their detractors. Illegible liner notes, being attacked onstage during live performances, self- releasing records with 17 minute long title tracks; all part of the deal for the convoluted world of Fucked Up.

What's worse? "The band exists within a culture of confusion," says manager/producer David Eliade, who additionally claims to have "Never attended a Fucked Up live show." True intentions and motivation are concealed under Internet hearsay, the band's inability to communicate with the public and obscure, hard to find releases. Fucked Up exist as a band, that much is known. But how, what and most importantly why continues to be a mystery. And if that's not fucked up enough, it gets even worse. People love Fucked Up, and their loyal fans include The Arcade Fire (AF violinist Owen Pallet plays on several tracks off of Hidden World), Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, Bloc Party and Vice Magazine (whom recently released a UK single for Fucked Up). In addition, throngs of eager listeners have tattooed their bodies with the Fucked Up logo, and many see no problem with paying outrageous amounts of money on eBay for out-of- print Fucked Up singles.

Somewhere amid the disparaging alienation, blatant offensiveness, and inter-band disillusionment, Fucked Up transformed into a highly sought after, enigmatic and essentially unconventional institution. In March of 2006, the band agreed to release their first full length album, Hidden World, on Jade Tree. Hidden World is cloaked in shades of unconventional aesthetics, symbolic overtones and an "Are you with us or against us?" burst of urgency. The album marks a turning point for the band, transcending the boundaries of punk with melody, aggression, expansive structures and enigmatic diatribes on what lies underneath the immediate, visualized world. Lyrically, Fucked Up continue to combine confrontational ideologies with deliberately skewed subject matter, producing a brutal yet alternative analysis on thought provocative punk.

Considering what we already know about Fucked Up, it's a feat that the tracks contained on Hidden World even made it out of the studio. Misunderstood revolutions are created and destroyed each day of our lives. With Fucked Up playing the role of bridge builder, demolitionist and subsequent analyst, there's no telling where this revolution may take us.....


Some more facts about Fucked Up:

Members:

10,000 Marbles - Lead Guitar. Previously of Ruination, Mike Haliechuk lives outside Toronto where he raises chickens.


Father Damian aka Pink Eyes
- Vocals. Abraham works as a producer in the film industry under his birth name, which he has so far managed to keep secret so that his participation in Fucked Up will not negatively affect his career.

Slumpy aka Laundry aka Mustard Gas - Bass Guitar. Occupation unknown.

Concentration Camp - Rhythm Guitar. Zucker is a transient who was chosen as the original frontman for Fucked Up due to his confrontational manner. Zucker was replaced as frontman after missing several crucial shows while in jail for punching a Toronto police officer who had stolen a ham sandwich from him. In order to remain active in the band after the arrival of new singer Damian, Zucker learned guitar.

Guinea Beat aka Mr. Jo - Drums. Falco splits his time between Fucked Up and Career Suicide, as well as being a full time student. He has had to keep the existence of Fucked Up a secret from his family, with whom he lives, after his father declared the band's name "...made him want to vomit."

David Eliade - Visuals, spiritual and political guidance. Eliade is the "fifth Beatle" so to speak, and manages Fucked Up from behind the scenes. He has designed their logo, records, and influenced most of their lyrics. Eliade has coordinated most of their interviews, except for those conducted live on the road. He has begun taking a more visible role, acting as management for the band of late and working with them in the studio on the production of their forthcoming LP. He is the one who taught Haliechuk to garden and Camp to hop trains. He is the only person involved with the band who knows how to tune a guitar. Unfortunately he has never attended one of Fucked Up's live shows.

The band doesn't get along, they get into fights (literally), and the singer has not gone on tours before. He's the modern day Darby Crash, and usually cuts his face just about every show with razorblades. He's got social anxiety disorder and Schizophrenia. The brainchild of the band Mike one of the guitar players (lead guitar) writes just about everything, has Asperbergers syndrome and is clinically depressed. The punk Daniel Johnston if you will. He wants everyone to listen to this album in it's entirety but said he will never listen this album.

Together for five years, Fucked Up has gotten big in the underground on their own, rarely opening for big bands. Their records sell for lots of $ on eBay. Kids are fanatical and obsessed with them. They are an enigma, which could be why so many people are talking about them (and not just punk kids).


To date, Fucked Up has released 10 7"s. No Paseran (sold 1000, oop), Police (sold 3500), Baiting the Public (sold 1000, oop), Dance Of Death (sold 3000) all came out on Deranged. Litany (sold 1500, oop) came out on Test Pattern. Generation (sold 2100, oop) came out on Slasher. Split with Haymaker (sold 1500, oop) came out on deep six, two European tour 7"s (sold 1000 each). Not to mention three 12"s. LET LIKES BE CURED BY LIKES Live 12" (limited to 500 copies, oop) came out on Schizophrenic Records. LOOKING FOR GOLD 12" (limited to 500 copies, oop) was self-released. Generation 12" (sold 1500) came out on Slasher Records, and one cd compilation of 7" songs (sold 5000) on Deranged Records.


The band has toured Europe once and hit the UK in May, also 2 east coast tours and one west coast tour (mostly as the headlining band but did some dates w/ The Gossip).

Influences: The Wipers, Ramones, Pink Floyd, Negative Approach, The Who “but at the base we are most influenced by ourselves.”

They don't have a website or Myspace page. Myspace page is a fake one done by a fan.

Photo diary of their recent UK tour:
http://www.viceland.com/viceDiary/photos/London-%20Fucked%20Up/

Illustration on “Hidden World” is influenced by the "Meddle" period Pink Floyd


FUCKED UP West Coast Tourdates:
July 27, 2006 Los Angeles, CA United States Zen Sushi
July 30, 2006 Ventura, CA United States Alpine - Sound and Fury Festival
August 1, 2006 San Francisco, CA United States Warm Water Cove
August 2nd - Seattle @ SS Marie Antoinette (boat factory) w/ Never Healed, more
August 3rd - Portland @ The Food Hole w/Never Healed, Criminal Damage, PRF
August 4th - Berkeley @ 924 gilman w/ Deadfall, Go it Alone, Set it Straight
August 5th - Long Beach @ Long Beach Warehouse w/ Never Healed, more
August 6th - Bakersfield @ Munoz Boxing Gym w/ Never Healed, more
August 7th - San Diego @ Che Cafe w/ Never Healed, more


Tracklisting for Hidden World:
1) Crusades
2) David Comes To Life
3) Invisible Leader
4) Carried Out To The Sea
5) Baiting The Public
6) Fate of Fates
7) Two Snakes
8) Hidden World
9) Manqueller Man
10) Blaze Of Glory
11) Triumph of Life
12) Jacobs Ladder
13) Vivian Girls

For more information, visit:
http://everything2.org/index.pl?node_id=1810056
http://lookingforgold.blogspot.com
http://jadetree.com/bands/artist/fucked_up





Monday, July 10

DAUGHTERS Announce US Dates w/ Red Sparowes!

Breaking News:

Providence, RI’s kings of thrash, DAUGHTERS, have just announced their first batch of US tour-dates (w/ Red Sparowes!), in support of their upcoming full-length“Hell Songs,” out August 8th on Hydra Head Records!

View the latest updates and listen to “Fiery” here:

http://hellsongsfromdaughters.com



"Galaxies heavier than its predecessor" - CMJ

"The band manages to express musically in a short timespan what many bands of this genre don't in their entire career." - Lambgoat

Providence, RI’s DAUGHTERS, are back w/ the follow-up to their “Canada Songs” album (Robotic Empire, 2003) w/ “Hell Songs,” an entirely new approach to music in general. Giving new meaning to the word brutal, DAUGHTERS have expanded their minds and abilities, introducing unholy and outrageous new elements to their sound, leaving behind whatever could be considered typical within their genre, and fitting in perfectly to the monstrous Hydra Head roster. At times sounding like label-mates Oxbow or cult-legends Arab-on-Radar (on steroids), “Hell Songs” hits like a Mac Truck, pummeling its listener in a way that is, to-date, unmatched.

"What the fuck you guys? The vocals: What happened to them?”
- A fan posting on Daughters’ MySpace page

After staking out a reasonably comfortable bus-stop bench near the same wretched intersection where Lightning Bolt, the Locust, Oxbow and the Dillinger Escape Plan work their filthy corners, Providence, Rhode Island’s Daughters slowly unzipped and whipped out 2003’s Canada Songs (Robotic Empire). The art-school kids shit themselves; Some Girls, Melt Banana and Doomriders went on tour with them, and the dudes over at Three One G asked them to cover a Birthday Party song (”Marry Me (Lie! Lie!)”) for a tribute compilation (Release the Bats). Last but not least, the pimps at Hydra Head came calling for sloppy seconds. They brought a bottle of Cristal, a pile of limited-edition colored vinyl and some Astroglide; pants were charmed down to at least knee-level, and nine months later, a misshapen fetus called Hell Songs was delivered by Andrew Schneider (Scissorfight, Blue Man Group, Cave In, Keelhaul).

Within seconds, it began sucking greedily at the teat of mass dissemination. It was an ugly little bastard, with an encephalitic head, and it looked suspiciously like the mailman. It shit its pants a lot, just like those goddamn art school kids, and it would not fucking shut up. So, like the socially responsible parents they are, Daughters sent it out into the world to become a twitchy, axe murderer/chronic masturbator type with a veritable laundry list of physical and mental deficiencies. Nobody hires fidgety miscreants like this anymore (not even Catholic schools), so Hell Songs returned to that wretched intersection, looking vaguely familiar to the locals, only sweatier and more viciously deranged.

Sometimes that bus stop becomes too much to withstand; sometimes he/she drinks too much and puts the lotion in the basket. Sometimes he/she forgets to take his/her medication. But that’s okay; there are some things modern medicine will never cure. He/she is looking at you right now, as a matter of fact, and he/she thinks youíre kind of cute.



Daughters US dates w/ Red Sparowes!
8/12 - Providence, RI @ Livingroom HELL SONGS record release party w/ Athletic Automaton, Vaz, Tiny Hawks 1 more T.B.A - Guest Between Bands - D.J. Eric Paul (Chinese Stars) & Miss Allison and special guest "sushi cart" serving sushi outside all night 8pm $10
8/17 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East (downstairs) w/ Red Sparowes, Versoma
8/18 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Lawrenceville Moose w/Russian Circles
8/19 - Birch Run, MI @ Birch Run Expo Center "DIRTFEST"
8/20 - Buffalo, NY @ Soundlab w/ Red Sparowes, Versoma
8/22 - Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen w/ Red Sparowes, Versoma
8/23 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop w/ Red Sparowes, Versoma
8/24 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church w/ Red Sparowes, Versoma
8/25 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat w/ Red Sparowes, Versoma
8/26 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge w/ Red Sparowes, Versoma
8/27 - Brooklyn, NY @ North Six w/ Red Sparowes, Versoma

Additional album Info:

Tracklisting:

Daughters Spelled Wrong
Fiery
Recorded Inside A Pyramid
X-Ray
Feisty Snake-Woman
Providence By Gaslight
Hyperventilationsystem
Crotch Buffet
Cheers Pricks
The Fuck Whisperer

Band Members:
A.S.F. Marshall
Brent Frattini
Jon Syverson
Nicholas Andrew Sadler
Samuel M. Walker

*Produced by Andrew Schneider (Cave In, Scissorfight, Blue Man Group, Keelhaul) and Daughters
*Engineered and mixed by Andrew Schneider
*Additional engineering and assistance from Devin Charette
*Recorded at Mad Oak studios Allston Mass, and Translator Audio Brooklyn NY. in March 2006
*Mixed at Translator Audio Brooklyn NY. in April 2006
*Mastered by Nick Zampiello at New Alliance East, Boston, MA
*"Providence By Gaslight" features Kayo Dot members:

*Forbes Graham-trumpet & euphonium
*Mia Matsumiya-violin
*Ryan McGuire-upright bass

Woman With Horse painted by Steven Vallot

For more information on DAUGHTERS, visit these fine websites:
www.myspace.com/daughters1
www.wearedaughters.com
http://hydrahead.com/press/daughters
http://hellsongsfromdaughters.com


Thursday, July 6

Modwheelmood's new record coming soon!


KAIJU BIG BATTEL Returns To New York!

Breaking News!

MONSTERS RETURN TO DESTROY NYC!!!

Kaiju Big Battel’s first NYC performance in over 2 years!


Calendar: Performing Arts, Music, and Unrivaled Live-Action Comedy
Who: Kaiju Big Battel with musical guest, Peelander-Z
When: Friday, August 4th, 2006. Doors at 8PM

Where:
Warsaw in Greenpoint, 261 Driggs Ave., Brooklyn, NY
Tickets: Available at Irving Plaza box office, Earwax Music on Bedford St. in Williamsburg, ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets, all ages, $18.50 advanced, $20 day of show

The live spectacle of Kaiju Big Battel [sic] returns to New York to headline Warsaw on Friday, August 4th. Kaiju’s highly anticipated return will feature thirty-three blocks of crushable cityscape (including the Empire State building), 2 Kaiju Jumbotrons, the fan favorite Danger Zone (a Double-Dare-inspired audience participation area), and over twenty Kaiju fighters including favorites, Dr. Cube, Kung Fu Chicken Noodle, Pedro Plantain, and the evil Silver Potato. And wait, there’s more: very special musical guests
Peelander-Z will kick off the spectacle with their acclaimed “Japanese action comic punk” rock show.



Experience this year’s greatest night of live monster wrestling and see if Kung Fu Chicken Noodle can defend his Kaiju Championship title against Silver Potato of Dr. Cube’s Posse. This is Kaiju’s only scheduled New York performance, so don’t miss this rare chance to catch one of the best live-action comedy shows.



About Kaiju Big Battel


“Big Battels have become the hipsters ways to delight in the orchestrated mayhem of the WWE.”
-Newsweek


“An elaborate and athletic celebration of silliness…Part WWE SmackDown, part Saturday Night Live sketch.”
-Spin


“One of the weirdest things you’ll ever pay to see…”
-MTV News


“The thinking man’s answer to pro-wrestling.”
-Playboy Magazine


“Hey, any event that features a robotic box beating the shit out of a muscled can of chicken noodle soup is OK in our book.”
-Stuff Magazine


“Not to be missed.”
-The Village Voice



"A fascination with the wackier elements of junk culture, monster movie flicks, and pro-wrestling...a bizarre auxiliary cast...high energy hilarity."
-The Boston Globe


Kaiju Big Battel is a modern conflict of epic proportions. Planet Earth is under threat: scattered throughout the galaxy is a monstrous mob of maniacal villains, menacing alien beasts, and giant, city-crushing monsters that are waging war against one another. Presiding over this mayhem is the Kaiju Commissioner, an enigmatic human-arbiter appointed by a clandestine cadre of world leaders to regulate Kaiju rage. If the Kaiju Commissioner doesn’t do his job perfectly the entire world could get caught in the crossfire.


Currently, the Kaiju Universe maintains an active roster of approximately 50 monsters, including a factory-worker-turned-soup-can called Kung-Fu Chicken Noodle, a dirty hare-sage dubbed Dusto Bunny, a loser sea beast known as Call-Me-Kevin, and a despicable, square-headed mad scientist known as Dr. Cube. In addition to the Kaiju Commissioner, a few privileged humans also get a piece of the action, including Referee Jingi, a mustachioed official who enforces fairness and civility in the ring, Davio Salbino, an urban renewal expert who reconstructs crumbled cityscapes between
Battels, and one tuxedo-wearing, mouth-running MC, Louden Noxious.


About Studio Kaiju

Studio Kaiju, an independent Boston-based performance and media group, is the creator of Kaiju Big Battel, the world's only live monster mayhem spectacle. Producer of consistently sold-out events, Studio Kaiju is best known for its live tournament-style performances, which are a character driven, tongue-in-cheek hybrid of American prowrestling, Japanese monster-movies, and lowbrow pop-culture. These multi-media events, complete with video installations, monster-movie props, a towering "Danger
Cage"
, and crushable miniature cityscape, can also be enjoyed from a safe distance thanks to "Kaiju Big Battel: A Practical Guide to Giant City-Crushing Monsters" from Hyperion Books and the Kaiju Big Battel DVD series from Koch Vision. You can also tune into Action Blast on G4 TV every morning from 8-9AM to get your Kaiju fix. To fund its live event series, monster creations and metropolitan destruction, Studio Kaiju produces and distributes its own line of merchandise including T-shirts, "real" monster meat, magnets and a whole catalogue of other cool but useless, limited-edition designer collectibles. The world of Kaiju Big Battel is also supported by the fun-fun website, kaiju.com, which hosts Big Battel news, monster profiles, live event videos, arcade-style games, comics, and the most commercial online mall ever.


About Peelander-Z

Peelander-Z, the Japanese Action Comic Punk Band, was formed by Peelander-Yellow, Peelander-Blue, and Peelander-Red (claim they are from Z area in the Planet Peelander!!) in 1998, and came into action based in NYC. These three dress up in color-coordinated costumes about as if they came out of Japanese Animation (claim
those are not costumes, but the skin!!!) put on a fun entertainment. Yes, their
performance is not just playing music. Have you heard of human bowling, wrestling and
kung-fu action, or funny dance at the punk rock shows? Peelander-Z knows how to entertain the audience by dragging them into the show. One experience would capture you!! Peelander-Z is the best of the universe!


Schedule of events for Kaiju Big Battel
Pre-fight live music by Peelander-Z
Match 1) Kong Quest: Hell Monkey VS The Grudyin
Match 2) Dust Fungi Feud: Powa Ranjuru VS Shrooma Tango
Match 3) Hero-In-Training Test: Giii VS Hero-In-Training
Match 4) World’s Biggest Loser Contest: Call-Me-Kevin VS Super Wrong
Main Event) Big Battel, Fine Print: Soup and Pedro Plantain VS Potato and Dr. Cube


For more information, visit:
http://kaiju.com
http://www.myspace.com/peelanderz





PROFESSOR MURDER w/ Radio 4 in New York TONIGHT!

Breaking News:

NYC Dub-Punx PROFESSOR MURDER will be performing @ the Bowery Ballroom in NYC Tonight (w/ Radio 4!), in support of their debut EP "Professor Murder Rides The Subway" out July 25th on Kanine Records!



"Thrilling nervous energy" - 4 Star track review of 'Champion' on Pitchfork

"An amazing amount of high energy" - CMJ live review

Professor Murder is the Dub-rock 4-piece from the streets of NYC (by way of DC) whose undeniably catchy debut EP “Professor Murder Rides The Subway” brings to mind the sound of legendary UK dance legends The Specials or the almighty Blur. With two percussionists, live bass, cowbells, and samplers out the ass, PMurder has been lighting up the New York City underbelly with a refreshing new twist on the game.

Filtering in hip-hop, funk, reggae, and dance music, Professor Murder creates a sound that is as informed by Hot-97, bootleg mixtapes, downloaded mp3s and club nights, as it is by 70s and 80s post-punk.

The appropriation of beats, riffs, and vocals from various sources drives the band to possess a more open-ended approach to their songwriting, as well as sanctioning the members to switch between instruments as needed. This makes for one dynamic live show, characterized by a raucous playfulness, owing more to a dance party than the sterile atmosphere of the indie rock show or the clichés of rock and roll.


Recorded at Brothers Studio with brothers Joshua Ryan, formerly a techno producer, and Eric Emm, formerly of Don Caballero, "Professor Murder Rides The Subway" synthesizes the band's varied influences in a manner that sounds simultaneously cohesive and refreshingly new.

While the album is drawing comparisons to contemporaries such as Tussle, LCD Soundsystem, and Liars, as well as older post-punk bands such as Liquid Liquid, Talking Heads, Konk, and A Certain Ratio, it also resonates with fans of dancehall, funk, r&b, dance and dub.

Set to coincide with their first release, the band is currently booking their first nationwide tour for August, and will be performing @ the Bowery Ballroom on July 6th w/ Radio 4.
To date the band has shared the stage w/ the likes of !!!, Weird War, Chromatics, OK GO!, The Apes, and more.

Tracklisting
1. Champion
2. Pedigree
3. The Mountain
4. Cameron’s New Color
5. Free Stress Test

http://www.myspace.com/pmurdermusic
http://www.burncopy.com/pmurder
http://www.kaninerecords.com