MAN MAN will be coming to the Bowery Ballroom in New York on January 5th, in support of their latest, critically acclaimed full-length, "Six Demon Bag," out now on Ace Fu!

*** Check out the new Man Man video for the song “Banana Ghost” here! ***






“[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

CLICK HERE To Listen to MAN MAN Live on NPR!

The time is upon us. Just back from a massive US tour performing w/ the likes of The Thermals, Grizzley Bear, Asobi Seksu, Mountain Goats, as well as their first ever European tour, MAN MAN (the reigning kings of what can only be called the epitome of heartfelt and honest music) have returned with another full US tour to support their critically acclaimed “Six Demon Bag.”

Continuing where they left off, and with a new cast of characters (featuring members of Philadelphia’s Coyote and including Need New Body / Icy Demons' 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.

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

Breaking News!

Cave In / Old Man Gloom bassist Caleb Scofield and fellow OMG band-mate Santos Montaño, otherwise known as ZOZOBRA, prep their eagerly awaiting fans by leaking yet another amazing track off the band's ridiculously sick, upcoming debut album, "Harmonc Tremors," out January 30th 2007 on Hydra Head!



“Slow burning, like Zozobra’s namesake, Caleb Scofield snarls fiercer than in Cave In, throughout this pair’s seismic mix of industrial and psychedelic metal” -- CMJ Magazine

Taking its name from the 50-foot effigy burned every year by a hysterical mob during the Fiestas De Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Zozobra is the brainchild of Cave In/Old Man Gloom bassist Caleb Scofield. Featuring live drums courtesy of fellow OMG institute liaison Santos Montaño, Harmonic Tremors deftly traverses the far-flung fields of transcendental space rock and explosive dirge metal (not to mention the occasional Godflesh-style pounding) with alternately snarling and oscillating riffery, crippling bass quakes and apocalyptic proclamations hurled end-over-end toward the cosmic unconsciousness. Echoes of Scofield’s previous devastations in both Cave In and OMG resonate throughout, but Zozobra ultimately follows its own smoke signals into the great beyond.

Zozobra is a concept parented by Cave In bassist and screamer Caleb Scofield. However, this is no bedroom-recorded, singer / songwriter project. This record is alive with dense guitar work, atmosphere, and live drums courtesy of Old Man Gloom banger Santos Montaño. It’s textured, riff-driven, and massively heavy.

Cave In's cannon of work is nothing if not expansive and diverse.
Fans who feel a strong affinity for their heavier compositions and vocal
delivery will rejoice in Zozobra’s first full length. Caleb Scofield’s
juggernaut basswork and snarled vocals are the lead boots that kept
Cave In's recent output firmly anchored in the heavy, and they are a
plenty on Harmonic Tremors.

Word on the street is these homeboys are going on tour with ISIS
and Jesu, but you didn’t hear that from us.






*** Listen to the tracks "Levitate" and "Soon To Follow" off the upcoming album "Harmonic Tremors" here! ***

"Harmonic Tremors" Tracklist:
1. The Blessing
2. Kill and Crush
3. Levitate
4. Soon To Follow
5. Silver Ghost
6. Invisible Wolves
7. Peripheral Lows
8. The Vast Expanse
9. Caldera
10. A Distant Star Fades

visit:
http://www.myspace.com/zozobra505
http://www.hydraheadlines.blogspot.com
http://www.hydrahead.com

***********************************************************************

ICY DEMONS Kickoff East Coast Tour w/ Zombi and Coyote in support of their latest album, “Tears of A Clone,” out now on Eastern Developments!



“One of the best records of the year. 5 out of 5” – TinyMixTapes

“Ape-shit yet sublime, connecting the dots between Chicago jazz, breathy pop and bedroom electro” – Philadelphia Weekly

“A mega creepfest” - Pitchforkmedia

Philadelphia and Chicago based, cooled out and electro-jazzy all-star-project, ICY DEMONS, is back w/ the follow-up to 2004's critically acclaimed "Fight Back!" entitled "Tears of A Clone," NOW OUT October 31st (Halloween!) on Eastern Developments (the label owned and operated by DJ / Producer Guillermo Scott Herren, aka Prefuse 73).

A relatively new band featuring bass player / producer Griffin Rodriquez (Bablicon / Need New Body), drummer Chris Powell (Need New Body / Man Man), and Chicago instrumentalists ilCativo, Ta-Freak-Ya, and Ali Hawkbar, Icy Demons are an epic journey into the nether regions of pop music, hallucinatory chamber jazz, and mid-70s German-style electronics, the rich / warm sound of the upright bass is perfectly captured within the exquisite orchestrations featuring layered woodwinds, occasional vocals, and complex percussion patterns.


"Tears of a Clone" is a tripped out masterpiece of a collage, sure to please fans of Trans Am, My Bloody Valentine, and Louis Armstrong alike. Orginally started as an improvisational project, Icy Demons have truly progressed into one of the prettiest and more abstract jazz and post-rock outfits currently making music today.


Tracklist for “Tears of A Clone”
01. Jump Off
02. Mr. Squeezy
03. This Is It!
04. Bunny's
05. Golden Coin
06. Trial By Lasers
07. Vibes, Sweat, What's That?
08. The Only
09. As It Comes
10. The Flea Garden

ICY DEMONS US TOURDATES!
Nov 28 2006 @ Tonic in NYC w/ Buffalo Stance
Nov 29 2006 @ The Red and the Black, Washington DC w/ Zombi
Nov 30 2006 @ Johnny Brenda’s in Philly w/ Zombi and Coyote
Dec 1, 2006 Alfred University Knight Club Alfred, NY
Dec 2 2006 @ Glasslands Gallery Brooklyn, NY w/ Coyote

More dates to come!

for more information, visit:
http://www.icydemons.com
http://www.myspace.com/icydemons
http://www.easterndevelopments.com

click here for Spin.com article



Fucked Up on Tour
December (all dates with Fleeting Joys)
27.12. London (UK), Old Blue Last (w/ Uffie)
28.12. Manchester (UK), Star and Garter (w/ Electronic)
29.12. Leeds (UK), The Fenton (w/ Le Who)
30.12. Sheffield (UK), DnR Bar (w/ Heaven 17)
31.12. London (UK), The Luminaire (w/ Lily Allen)

January (all dates with Asobi Seksu)
01.01. Den Haag (NL), Hague (w/ Klaus Ule and the Archive Brothers)
02.01. Brugge (B), Bargehuis
03.01. Münster (Ger), Gleis 22
04.01. Hamburg (Ger), Hafenklang (w/ St Pauli Players)
05.01. Kiel (Ger), Alte Meierei
06.01. Leipzig (Ger), Zorro
07.01. Berlin (Ger), Cassopeia (w/ Peaches)
08.01. Prag (CZ), 007
09.01. München (Ger), Kafe Kult
10.01. Saarbrücken (Ger), Kleiner Club Garage
11.01. Mannheim (Ger), JuZ
12.01. Bielefeld (Ger), AJZ
13.01. Barcelona (E), TDN (w/ Eskorbuto)

As an added bonus, since we've been having some trouble with you-know-who, we've scheduled way too many shows in the general Ontario area, which is a province in Canada.
Here are some dates we'll have more info on later.

Nov 25 - Ottawa (Cafe Deckuf - that's "Fucked" spelled backwards btw)
Nov 28 - Toronto (CIUT Radio 730AM) *tentative
Nov 30 - Toronto (MTV)
Dec 2 - Sudbury
Dec 16 - Toronto (Opera House)
Dec 18 - Toronto (Kool Haus)
Dec 9 -Toronto (Kool Haus)
Jan 19 - St Catherines
Jan 20 - Guelph
Jan 27 - Kingston
Feb 3 - Peterborough
Feb 7 - Waterloo
Feb 9 - Toronto (Wavelength Anniversary @ The Horseshoe)

www.lookingforgold.blogspot.com
www.jadetree.com

"Aereogramme Prep New LP; Share Exclusive MP3



The last release from Glasgow's Aereogramme was an In the Fishtank collaboration with intelli-metal gods Isis. And their new album is titled after a quote from The Exorcist (the book).

So should we expect something nice n' scary from the LP, titled My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not Go, and due in North America on February 6, 2007 via Sonic Unyon Records (and on Chemikal Underground in the UK)?

Well, no.

From the sound of "Barriers", the album's first single (available for exclusive download below), it seems Aereogramme are headed into dangerous Coldplay/Snow Patrol waters. It's a sprawling legato, lushly orchestrated and romantic, without a hint of menace.

"Barriers" (with B-side "Dissolve") is slated for a UK-only release. A video for "Barriers" is in the works from animator Huge Cuellar.

Aereogramme's third full length was produced by the band and Martin Doherty. It was recorded at Glasgow's 4th Street Studios.

A North American tour, Aereogramme's first in four years, is in the works for Spring 2007. But first they'll hit the UK and Europe.

My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not Go tracklist:
01 A Conscious Life for Coma Boy
02 Barriers
03 Exits
04 A Life Worth Living
05 Finding a Light
06 Living Backwards
07 Trenches
08 Nightmares
09 The Running Men
10 You're Always Welcome

Aereogramme dates:
02-04 Leeds, England - Joseph's Wall
02-05 Manchester, England - Night & Day
02-06 London, England - 93 Feet East
02-07 Southampton, England - Joiner's
02-08 Oxford, England - Zodiac
02-10 Nottingham, England - Social
02-11 Birmingham, England - Bar Academy
02-12 Glasgow, Scotland - Classic Grand
02-14 Brussels, Belgium - VK Club
02-15 Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands - W2-concertzaal
02-16 Groningen, the Netherlands - Vera
02-17 Haarlem, the Netherlands - Patronaat
02-19 Munich, Germany - Backstage Werk
02-20 Nuernberg, Germany - Hirsch
02-21 Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
02-22 Bochum, Germany - Zeche
02-23 Berlin, Germany - Postbahnhof
02-25 Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
02-26 Cologne, Germany - Buergerhaus Stollwerck
02-27 Saarbruecken, Germany - Garage
02-28 Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage

Link-arrowMP3: Aereogramme: Barriers [from the forthcoming My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not Go LP]

For more information, visit:
http://www.aereogramme.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/aereogrammeofficial
http://www.sonicunyon.com

Midwest-based legendary monsters of thrash, 7000 DYING RATS (featuring legendary punk all-star Weasel Walter providing the brutal drum duties), have announced their latest, 28-track onslaught, "Season In Hell," out January 9th on Hewhocorrupts!



“7000 Dying Rats did the jerky rhythm change, one musical style to the next, song routine long before it was cool and overdone.” – Punk Planet

“A fever dream starring two superconductors a chainsaw and a clown with 12 mouths” – Alternative Press

Head for the hills! One of the more historic and important bands in grind-core and punk rock are back with their latest effort for the HWC imprint, beware!

Formed over 10 years ago in an age when bands like Crudos, Johnny Angel, Jenny Piccolo, Get Fucked, An Albatross, and The Locust were ruling the world of underground thrash, 7KDR has been a largely influential staple in the scene, taking their brand and fast and furious mayhem to basements and halls nationwide. Their revolving door of band members have also performed in Cattle Decapitation, My Lai (one of the best bands of all time?), Flying Luttenbachers, and XBXRX, just to name a few.



The 7000 Dying Rats sound is dirty and pissed, a perfect fit for the HWC imprint (a label who represents the best in underground punk and grind-madness), they keep alive a sound that has become watered down and stale in the genre over the past few years and reminds us its ok to have some fun while being technically masterful and completely vicious.

Having shared the stage over the years w/ the likes of Brutal Truth, Anal Cunt, Neurosis, Suffocation, Drop Dead, Trail of Dead, Motorhead, Wesley Willis, Pelican, and Wolf Eyes, to name a few, it’s no surprise the band has stayed alive this long. Their brand of wickedness has made fans the world over, and with “Season in Hell,” a 28-track monster, the ski-masked quintet is sure to terrorize for at least sometime more, if we’re lucky.



7000 Dying Rats Live:
Nov 25th @ The Beat Kitchen in Chicago w/ HeWhoCorrupts and Plague Bringer

For more information, visit:
http://www.hewhocorruptsinc.com/press_7000dyingrats.php
http://www.7000dyingrats.com/
http://www.myspace.com/7000dyingrats

www.wearemanman.com
www.myspace.com/wearemanman

Congratulations to the Solid PR bands nominated for this year’s Plug Awards! Please vote @ www.plugawards.com and give the Underground your support!



The Nominees Are!

Metal Album of the Year
Jesu “Silver” (Hydra Head)
Xasthur “Subliminal Genocide” (Hydra Head)

Punk Album of the Year
Daughters “Hell Songs” (Hydra Head)
Fucked Up “Hidden World” (Jade Tree)
(shout out to Year Future!)

Live Act of the Year
Man Man!!!

That’s it! We couldn’t ask for better categories to have our band’s nominated so big shout to the Plug Awards! please vote @ www.plugawards.com and feel free to include Hydra Head as criminally overlooked best label of the year and any of our other amazing artists who released stellar albums in 2006. We love you all.

Breaking News!

Montreal (by way of Vancouver) pop-heroes, THE WINKS’ new album, “Birthday Party” is out TODAY on Ache Records!


"Birthday Party, the Winks' latest album, sees Todd MacDonald and Tyr Jami in a moodier state than usual, with minor chords and moaning strings galore. Primarily cello, mandolin, vocals, and percussion, The Winks' setup might be void of any instruments traditionally used within rock music, but their hook-laden song structure keeps the spirit of the genre firmly in place, so the music remains as accessible as it is unpredictable." - XLR8R Magazine

"From the very opening of "Slumber Party Let's Go," THE WINKS present themselves as a mega-quirky indie-rock sensation." - Pastepunk.com

“Cute in the case of the Winks cuts its sweet with enough salt to keep you
snacking for hours. Not unlike a car trip sing-along with Ida and the
Unicorns...” - Exclaim

An elegant blend of modern fervor with an old-world charm, Birthday Party glistens with a timeless yet quirky pop panache. Primarily cello, mandolin, vocals, and percussion, The Winks are entirely void of any of the instruments traditionally used within rock music. Yet the delivery is easily The Winks most ‘rock’ performance; grand and driving. The structure, song writing, and execution suggests a contemporary and pop spirit, rich with “hooks”. However, Birthday Party is, no doubt, the darkest of The Winks creative output, slanting the album title towards a moodier implication; a birthday party representing the overwhelming, daunting, and powerful sensation of growing older; celebratory, yet severe. It is an exploration of the bitter-sweet act of life itself.



Essentially a duo, with the rest of the band in rotation, The Winks is Todd MacDonald on mandolin and vocals, and Tyr Jami on cello and vocals. An ambiguous couple, Todd and Tyr have been The Winks for a number of years, initially an improvised instrumental duo which gradually obtained more and more structure. Other members, whether on a more permanent level or as a sit-in for the studio, include Tim Sars on baritone saxophone, Paul Patko (Winning, The Red Light Sting) on drums, and Juno award winning violinist, Jesse Zubot.
The result has a collective essence; a kind of open-door ease and sense of relaxation, like a musical party, or laid-back cult.

Birthday Party is technically The Winks eighth release, the first five being limited edition CD-Rs, followed by a full length on Swim Slowly Records, and a split with their side-project (with Andy Dixon AKA Secret Mommy), Tights, on Drip Audio Records. With each release, the duo harvests a sharper focus and deeper sense of purpose, which garners an escalating amount of critical acclaim.

Enter Birthday Party, The Winks at their most luxuriant and spectacular. Full of profound, vivid melodies, it chimes and lulls with a staggering originality and mood. There is a focus to this full length so powerful that one can’t help but feel that there is a ‘right place at the right time’ alignment of the stars.


Track Listing:
1. Slumber Party Lets Go
2. Correct
3. Green Pen
4. Guitar Swing
5. Woolongong
6. Ship Wreck
7. O[]
8. Snakes (revisted)
9. Hope So
10. To Talk
11. Nolan Ryan

/// Produced by JC/DC (The New Pornographers / Tegan & Sara / Destroyer)
/// Voted Best New Vancouver Band by the Georgia Straight
/// Featuring guest musicians like Juno Award winning violinist, Jesse Zubot, and experimental electronic musician, Secret Mommy

Live dates coming soon!

www.thewinks.net
www.myspace.com/winks
(check out the pictures!)

Breaking News!

BLUE CHEER (the legendary rock band responsible for heavy music today), has just announced they kicked off their US tour this Saturday @ the Khyber in Philadelphia and will be headed down the East Coast, through the Mid-West, and more (see full tourdates below)!




"In 1968, nothing but nothing in America and Britain sounded as brutal as Blue Cheer except for the Velvet Underground." - Julian Cope

"These guys well may have been the first true heavy metal band" - Lester Bangs

BLUE CHEER are legendary cult heroes of all things rock n' roll. Formed in the late 1960's in San Francisco, the band helped blaze the trail of heavy metal music in America. A "power trio" named after a brand of LSD created by Owsley Stanley (Grateful Dead), the band broke through to the masses in 1968 when their cover of the song "Summertime Blues" climbed to #14 on the Billboard top 100 (the song appeared on the band's debut release "Vincebus Eruptum" and would later be covered by the Who in 1970).

While going through several lineup changes through their career, BLUE CHEER went on to release a catalogue of stellar albums that would go on to impact the world of heavy music (and many largely successful bands) forever, including "Outsideinside," "New! Imroved! Blue Cheer," "The Original Human Being," "Oh! Pleasent Hope," and also performed w/ legends such as the MC5, Jefferson Airplane, Vanilla Fudge, Ike & Tina Turner, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Clear Light, Captain Beefheart, and more.

After a temporary split in 1971, the band reunited in '79 and toured the world w/ the likes of The Yardbirds, Biohazard, Danzig, Mucky Pup, and other heavy bands of great stature at that time.

Currently, the band is together and active, having just performed this year's CMJ Marathon (w/ An Albatross, Totimoshi, and more) and within this past year, have toured the US w/ the likes of Witch (featuring J Mascis), Dead Meadow, Goblin Cock, and others, as well as performing at Vice's 2006 Intonation Festival (alongside the likes of Bloc Party, Ghostface Killah, The Boredoms, Dead Prez, Annie, High on Fire, and others.)

The current Blue Cheer lineup features 2/3 of the original band, Richard "Dickie" Peterson on lead vocals and bass, and Paul Whaley on drums. The two are joined by Duck MacDonald on guitar and have plans for an upcoming release in 2007.


Blue Cheer US Tourdates:
Nov 11 2006 The Khyber Philadelphia, PA w/ Pearls and Brass
Nov 12 2006 Satellite Ballroom Charlottesville, VA
Nov 13 2006 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC
Nov 14 2006 The Earl East Atlanta, GA
Nov 16 2006 Beta Bar Tallahassee, FL
Nov 17 2006 One Eyed Jacks New Orleans, LA
Nov 18 2006 Hi Tone Memphis , TN
Nov 20 2006 The Dame Lexington, KY
Nov 21 2006 Southgate House Newport, KY
Nov 22 2006 Champs Rock Room Burbank, IL
Nov 24 2006 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, OH

+ more to follow!


Blue Cheer Image Gallery:




For more information, visit:
http://myspace.com/bluecheer

Breaking News!





After a massively successful 2006, (featuring releases from Jesu, Daughters, Botch, Knut, Oxbow, Stephen Brodsky, Khlyst, and Agoraphobic Nosebleed, a trip into the world of black metal with releases by Xasthur and Heresi, the avante-art-beauty of Everlovely Lightningheart, and sister label Tortuga releases by Scissorfight, The Gersch, and 5ive), the "thinking man's metal" label, HYDRA HEAD INDUSTRIES, is back with an onslaught of new releases set to dominate the New Year!

Kicking off the madness, just in time for the Holidays, is the release of BOTCH's "061502" DVD + CD set for release on December 5th 2006
(pre-order starts now @ www.hydraheadshop.com)!


*** Hydra Head Release Schedule for 2007 ***


January 23rd
HYH-113
PELICAN- "After the Ceiling Cracked" DVD/3"CD


January 30th
HYH-125
ZOZOBRA- "Harmonic Tremors" CD
* stunning and pummeling, atmospheric brutality featuring Caleb Scofield of CAVE IN and Santos Montano of OLD MAN GLOOM
* listen to the track "Soon to Follow" here!


February 6th
HYH-131
CLOUDS- “Legendary Demo” CD
* Yes! balls-out, tripped-out, dirty southern-style rock featuring Adam McGrath from CAVE IN
* Listen to "Mountain Jim" and "Guardian's Eyes" here!


February 20th
HYH-126
JESU- "Conqueror" CD


March 6th
HYH-121
BIG BUSINESS- "Here Come the Waterworks" CD

And then down the road, new releases by...

Botch * Oxbow * Dalek * Xasthur * Drawing Voices (feat. Aaron Turner and Craig Dongoski) * Huguenots * Gridlink * Tusk * Scissorfight * and more!


For more information, visit:
http://www.hydrahead.com
http://www.hydraheadlines.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/hydraheadindustries

STAGE 1

Birdmonster 2pm - 3pm
RX Bandits 3pm - 4pm
The Wrens 4pm - 5pm
Sage Francis 5pm - 6pm
Clipse 6pm - 7pm
Living Legends 7pm - 8pm
Explosions in the Sky 8pm - 9pm
Metric 9pm - 10pm
Girl Talk 10pm - 11pm
The Rapture 11pm - 12am

STAGE 2

Showbread 2pm - 3pm
Heavy Heavy Low Low 3pm - 4pm
Tokyo Police Club 4pm - 5pm
Fall of Troy 5pm - 6pm
Asobi Seksu 6pm - 7pm
The Presets 7pm - 8pm
Weird Science 8pm - 9pm
Guest Artist 9pm - 10pm
Deerhoof 10pm - 11pm
closed 11pm - 12am

STAGE 3

Guest Artist 2pm - 3pm
Fingerbangerz 3pm - 4pm
Dance Competition 4pm - 5pm
X-Clan 5pm - 6pm
Busdriver 6pm - 7pm
Dance Competition 7pm - 8pm
Saul Williams 8pm - 9pm
Visionaries 9pm - 10pm
Breakestra 10pm - 11pm
Zion-I 11pm - 12am

---

On November 11, 2006 attendees will flock to the 10,500-seat historic Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco to witness the most cohesive representation of cutting edge music, fashion, and art in the nation. The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium has hosted some of the most legendary artists in history, from Elvis Presley to The Grateful Dead and Madonna, and it doesn't stop there. We've formulated a seamless bill with leading artists and talents to make BE THE RIOTTT! the very best of its kind.
Bill Graham Civic Center: 99 Grove Street | San Francisco, CA 94102

For more information - please hit up Celeste!

Breaking News!

STEPHEN BRODSKY'S OCTAVE MUSEUM Out Today on Hydra Head!


On his third full-length solo release (his first for Hydra Head Industries), Cave In vocalist/guitarist Stephen Brodsky parlays his formidable song-writing chops and solid gold power-pop sensibilities into a sparkling sea of shimmering chords, glorious vocal harmonies and infectious acoustic ditties. With the expert musical assistance of Scissorfight's Kevin J. Strongbow (drums) and Thee Electric Bastards mastermind Johnny Northrup (bass/Casio SK-1), Stephen Brodsky's Octave Museum is all gorgeousness and gorgeousity, the kind of album that makes you wanna sing along to your old Elvis Costello records and cry yourself to sleep thinking about Elliot Smith. And, like, Paul McCartney. In Brian Wilson's sandbox. In outer space. Seriously, this shit is almost too good to be true.

Stephen Brodsky, who’s vocal stylings have been described as “Psychedelic and experimental” (Decibel Magazine) and “a clear, gliding vocal style that more closely resembles the hard-rock singers of the 70s” (Pitchfork) discusses The Octave Museum:

“Lo-fi solo simplicity morphed into collective digital madness.

Organic was married to mechanic. It started with the cassette tape 4-track machine that I brought to Kevin Shurtleff's rehearsal space in Waltham, MA. Posters of Scissorfight and other familiar giants both local and beyond graced the walls. With an air conditioner blaring in the background, we blew through takes of tunes while capturing the immediacy of Kevin's unique ability to perform the songs instinctively without ever having played them before. "The Voice Electric" was an idea that was explained to him quite vaguely, which he proceeded to nail in one take -- this, and many empties of Bass Ale, is what ended our first recording session together. The second time around went in similar fashion, and thus marks the drum tracks recorded for the album.

It began to matter more that we try and make a live experience out of the songs being worked on. Laboring over them in my bedroom did not seem to aid in their development any more than initial attempts at playing them with other people. And so, the births of "Voice Electric", "Kid Defender", and "Prove Myself" were delivered by Kurt Ballou at God City, then packaged very plainly and given to folks I'd see at shows.



One of those folks happened to be Johnny Northrup, who's early works of home-recorded fashion do exist also in mighty form with Thee Electric Bastards. His high-bass shiverings of "Kill The Queen" developed quickly in the recording environment, as did the low-end lumberings of both "Sentimental Case" and "Spirals In Her Eyes," which came to be during early writing stages. By necessity of human Kevin's prolific musical schedule, we enlisted "Canned Kevin" during early rehearsals for The Octave Museum - this was a compact disc of raw drum tracks in a boombox that we played along with. Practicing took place either in our apartments or at the world famous Club Awesome, which is also where this version of "Ploo" was given its third or fourth life.

The moments when all three of us played live together in Kevin's multi-postered rehearsal space gave The Octave Museum a better sense of completion. In the spirit of the live and raw foundation set during the initial drum-tracking sessions, Johnny and myself enlisted the Mac-enamoured Andrew Schneider to work on a PC computer using "a hand with five thumbs". And, accompanied by a very hi-fi sounding Canned Kevin, the four of us continued to work on what was to be one of the final sessions done at the original Fenway location of the New Alliance Studio.

To complete the cycle, Schneider's Translator Audio mixes were mastered by Nick Zampiello in what was one of the first sessions done at the brand new Central Square location of the New Alliance Studio. Sonic morphing was complete. "Bluebell" is a favorite of Kevin's and also my only solo moment mutated with success out from the demo tape clutches. "Red-Headed Butterflies" took on three different aural appearances, from more chromatic to less elongated by nearly five minutes before landing here, while "Swingin' In The Sky" has remained somewhat faithful to its original composition.

Enjoy what was two years in the making. And more racket will follow...”

Steev'n Brawdskeee



Track Listing for The Octave Museum:
1. Voice Electric (4:21)
2. Sentimental Case (3:40)
3. Kid Defender (4:00)
4. Prove Myself (3:34)
5. Bluebell (2:00)
6. Red Headed Butterflies (4:57)
7. Kill the Queen (4:04)
8. Swingin' in the Sky (2:37)
9. Spirals in Her Eyes (3:45)
10. Ploo (2:32)


Stephen Brodsky Live:
11/15 @ The Great Scott - Boston, MA

For more information, visit:

www.hydrahead.com
www.myspace.com/theoctavemuseum

SAYS THE PRESS OF THE STARLITE DESPERATION
"Where some psychedelic rockers come off passive and fey, the feral psych garage trio the Starlite Desperation incite an intense and raw reaction with their signature blend of dirty blues and urgent guitar dissonance..."
-Hayley Elizabeth Kaufman, San Francisco Bay Guardian

“Plenty of bands write good songs, but precious few possess a powerful and immediately recognizable personality like the Starlite Desperation”
-Dave Clifford, Skyscraper Magazine

“…a cool-rockin’ Venn diagram where punk, garage and old-school glam intersect.”
-Alternative Press

“Records like this make my day.”
-MM, Maximum Rock and Roll




SAYS THE PRESS OF THIS BLUSH
"Just when it seems requisite that every imaginative band must hail from Canada (or Iceland) along come This Blush."
-Lauren Mooney, OC Weekly

"This Blush’s music is a sweet mix of dance, fashion and lip gloss that breaks my heart with words and tapes it them back together with beats."
- Kat Jetson, L.A. Record

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THE WALLET-SIZED LUCKY CHARMS TOUR
OCT 20 - SAN DIEGO, CA @ BEAUTY BAR*
OCT 21 - LOS ANGELES, CA @ SPACELAND
OCT 27 - LAS VEGAS, NV @ ART BAR^
OCT 28 - DENVER, CO @ MEADOWLARK BAR^
OCT 29 - LAWRENCE, KS @ JACKPOT MUSIC HALL
OCT 30 - CEDAR FALLS, IA @ THE REVERB
OCT 31 - COLUMBUS, OH @ CAFE BOURBON STREET^

NOV 1 - AKRON, OH @ THE LIME SPIDER
NOV 2 - NEW YORK, NY @ KNITTING FACTORY TAP BAR (CMJ: Onitsuka Tiger™ Party)**
NOV 3 - NEW YORK, NY @ LIT LOUNGE (CMJ: Cold Sweat/GSL Showcase)**
NOV 4 - CLEVELAND, OH @ PARISH HALL^ **
NOV 5 - HAMTRAMCK, MI @ THE BELMONT
NOV 6 - CHICAGO, IL @ SUBTERRANEAN
NOV 7 - OMAHA, NE @ SADDLE CREEK BAR
NOV 9 - SALT LAKE CITY, UT @ URBAN LOUNGE^
NOV 10 - SEATTLE, WA @ HIGH DIVE
NOV 11 - PORTLAND, OR @ DUNES**
NOV 12 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA @ HEMLOCK TAVERN

(* = This Blush only.)
(** = The Starlite Desperation only.)
(^ = indicates venue change.)
(!!! Those listed in bold are newly updated show announcements.)

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Los Angeles' The Starlite Desperation (left image)
and Long Beach's This Blush (right image)
are set to embark on a U.S. tour - just in time for CMJ's Music Marathon! We're all stoked!
On this tour, The Starlite Desperation will have a tour-only release for sale including rarities and b-sides. In addition, this is the band's first tour in almost a year, first since being freed from Capitol Records, first with hot new bassist Hethur Suval; While this is This Blush's first national tour period. Both bands are equipped to "WOW" crowds with new songs, new moves, and new tricks up their sleeves. With three members each, the kids are going to pile up in one van and bring their infectious brand of rock to your town! Jinkies, indeed!


CLICK HERE FOR:
THE STARLITE DESPERATION press materials
THIS BLUSH press materials

Thanks to everyone who attended our CMJ events! Here's a picture of Alessandro Cortini of ModWheelMood playing Fanatic's afternoon "Take It Back A Notch" party at Mo' Pitkins. Alessandro was a trooper playing Buddyhead's showcase at Lit on Wednesday 11/1, Onitsuka Tiger™'s lounge at Knitting Factory's Tap Bar on Thursday afternoon, DJing Solid PR's showcase Thursday evening at the Knitting Factory's Tap Bar, and playing the Mo Pitkins show on Friday; Proving that any time of day or night is perfect for ModWheelMood's brand of electronic music. (Thanks so much AC!) Anyone who was there can tell you the set was fantastic, we have a live recording of the Mo Pitkins performance - and as soon as Alessandro directs us to the song he wants to release - we'll have it ready for you to listen to! More CMJ updates to come!
Thanks again to our colleagues at Fanatic for having ModWheelMood play.

For Immediate release:

Riottt.Com, The Innovative Online Community Presents
BE THE RIOTTT!
A Cultural Exposition Featuring The Most Visionary Talents
In The Worlds Of Music, Street Fashion And Art


Progressive, Genre-Spanning Festival Takes Place November 11, 2006
At Bill Graham Civic Auditorium In San Francisco – Noon to Midnight
Lineup Includes The Rapture, Clipse, Diplo, The Wrens, Girl Talk, Explosions In The Sky, Metric, Asobi Seksu, Sage Francis and Tokyo Police Club.

Riottt.com was created to become a symbiotic interface between all aspects of culture, a one-stop destination that will act as a catalyst for an emerging generation that’s not content with the corporate homogenization that often passes for pop culture. The Riottt website is a place where like-minded individuals can engage in dialogue and join a community that will align itself with the most creative writers, artists, musicians, designers of our generation. BE THE RIOTTT!, The Festival, will plunge participants into a multi-disciplinary circus of sight, sound and sensation, allowing people to experience the Riottt ethos for themselves.

“This is the definitive showcase of our generation – a quality culure expo unparalleled to all the mundane “music and arts” festivals our there” says Riottt.com founder Sean Miyashiro. “BE THE RIOTTT! will communicate our distinct tastes through the live experience as we will throw a genre spanning celebration that will bring together many of the forces that continue to influence our world view. We are bringing together the elite in music, art, fashion and dance – the splinter cell of the constant evolution of our culture.”

BE THE RIOTTT! will be a 12-hour celebration – from Noon to Midnight - on four stages. The main stage will feature The Rapture, Clipse, Metric, Explosions in the Sky, Sage Francis, the Wrens, Living Legends, Deerhoof, Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Diplo, Saul Williams, Asobi Seksu, Breakestra, RX Bandits, Visionaries, The Presets, Tokyo Police Club, Girl Talk, the Fall of Troy, Busdriver, Showbread, Weird Science, Fingerbangerz and surprise acts still to be named. There will be two smaller music stages on the main floor as well as a stage dedicated to street culture, art, and style. The Festival is also sponsoring on the largest dance competition in the US, a free style battle featuring the best B-Boys in the world, with representatives from France, Korea, New York City, Seattle, and more.

“BE THE RIOTTT is our formal introduction to the world and there is no better place to do it then San Francisco.” Miyashiro says. “San Francisco is a city with such unparalled diversity and progressiveness that we felt like it was without question that it should be the home of the festival. We chose San Francisco in large part because San Francisco is home to us, and it doesn’t have a music festival of this magnitude to call its own. It’s really a for the people, by the people event, a gathering with a rooted touch to propel sound and culture. With mix of groundbreaking music and an emerging community of culturally relevant art galleries and street fashion collectives, BE THE RIOTTT! will be a progressive, genre-spanning throw down for the ages.”

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RIOTTT.COM MANIFESTO

Mass Culture has forced most people into accepting a monotonous mindset pervaded by ignorance and inaction. Riottt’s aim is to engage, enable and align like-minded cultural movers: those who already have an agenda, those who will not settle, those living to make change, those dedicated to inciting independent thinking and righteous dialogue. Whereas a riot is a militant, physical reaction to injustice, our battle will be fought on the intellectual plane, through the sharing of ideas and the creation of an empowered community. Through your participation, a new paradigm will arise to engage and encourage the constant evolution of this movement. Join the cause! Others are already poised and ready to rebel - The cliché must meet its demise.

Riottt’s goal is to subvert the “mass culture” that has been forced upon the majority of the population by creating an on-line community of writers, artists, musicians, designers and activists with the goal of becoming the on- line destination for a new generation, a home for the 5% of people who influence the other 95% the population - the forever-forward sect. The site includes a peer-to-peer interface, a magazine, video and musical content and plans for an e-commerce platform.

The company’s principals include:
Sean Miyashiro, co-founder and Director of Marketing. Miyashiro created Sole Division, a local San Francisco Bay Area confabulation of music, art and design that foreshadowed the BE THE RIOTTT! gathering. He has conducted various alternative marketing campaigns for companies such as Scion, Red Bull, and Hudson, “I was born and raised in the Bay Area, did the corporate thing for about a minute, then did Sole Division and started producing events for various companies before conceptualizing Riottt”
Sky Gellatly oversees the video content of the site including music videos and self-generated video content. He was the host? Of MTV's Sneak Attack and was the force behind a lot of MTV shows, although he didn’t get credit for them. He’s based in New York City.
Rickey “Mr. Kim,” creative director, web design and over all esthetic. Rickey was the man behind Evil Monito, an online magazine that deconstructed popular culture. He’s a noted photographer and runs his own photo studio The Social Trust.
Kevin Craft editor and curator of editorial content.
Craft is formerly editor of Vapors magazine and will oversee original content as well as culling the best relevant material from other sources for the site.

The list closes for the party below closes tonight at 6p Eastern Time.
rsvp to cmj2006@solidpr.com



---tell a friend. an enemy. a frenemy...