I've been a music fan since my parents gave me a record player for Christmas when I was still in grade school. The first record I remember owning was "Sesame Street Disco." I've been a professional writer since 2004, but writing long before that. My first published work was in a middle school literary magazine and was a story about a zoo in which the animals could talk.
In 2018, Ty Segall and the Freedom Band — Mikal Cronin, Charles Moothart, Emmett Kelly, and Ben Boye — stormed the world in support of Freedom’s Goblin, playing songs from Ty’s catalog in a series of ecstatic setlists. Each night, they sought freedom for themselves and the audience, even it if was just one night of emancipation from the world’s numbing chill. Then they went and did it again the next night! That blunt-force impact of The Freedom Band in full effect is being presented via Deforming Lobes, out March 29th via Drag City. Get a taste early with “Love Fuzz.”
Recorded live on stage at Los Angeles’ Teragram Ballroom via mobile unit onto two-inch tape and mixed at Electrical Audio with Steve Albini, Deforming Lobes updates (and upends) numbers from Melted, Emotional Mugger, Twins, Manipulator, $ingle$ 2 and Ty Segall. From the start, the “Warm Hands” suite shows the growth of the group since recording the original version for the 2017 Self-Titled album. The feeling between audience and band at those shows was its own special thing; here, the band is somehow even more front and center, exploring every song with an unrestrained curiosity and fervor, never forgetting the collective experience they’re sharing.
Following Freedom’s Goblin, the epic double-LP that took the heroic arc of Manipulator and wadded it up into a much more aerodynamic (and harder-hitting) ball, Deforming Lobes is the first original statement from The Freedom Band, bookending the Goblin experience with an exclamation point.
Listen to “Love Fuzz” – https://tysegall.bandcamp.com/album/deforming-lobes
Turning Jewels Into Water is a live electronic duo led by Indian-born drummer/producer Ravish Momin along with Haitian electronic percussionist Val Jeanty. They seamlessly blend futuristic turntables, ritual chants, polyrhythmic percussion, live loops and synth melodies along with rhythms inspired by global dance music. Their new album, Map of Absences, will be released March 15th via FPE Records. They share the lead single, “Dark waters rushing in,” with an accompanying video directed by Travis Williams and featuring Flex Dancer Infinite.Brynn and Fire dancer RaNubi.
Watch Turning Jewels Into Water’s “Dark waters rushing in” Video – https://youtu.be/TAKwMvOgri0
This new project with Val Jeanty arose from her participation in a jam session at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn, NY while Momin was artist-in-residence there in September of 2017. Their collaboration, rooted in improvisation, evokes the esoteric realms of the creative subconscious. Drawing from the voodoo religion, Val recreates the ancient rhythm and pulse of Haiti through digital beats, while Momin, whose own musical background is rooted in Indian, North African and Middle Eastern traditions, has developed an original blend of electro-acoustic beats, drawing together the improvisational traditions in Jazz and Indian folk music. Together, they employ cutting-edge music-technological tools such as acoustic drums outfitted with Sensory Percussion triggers, Force Sensing Resistor (FSR) drum pads and Smart Fabric MIDI Controllers, but still emphasize the ritual aspects of creating music in the digital realm.
Their unique sounds quickly caught the interest of music curators and in 2018 they performed at the Bang On A Can Marathon (NYC), ZEZ Festival (Croatia), Tarcento Jazz Festival (Italy) and various venues in Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Italy. They closed out the year with a two-day run in Washington, DC where they performed at the Flash of the Spirit Festival at Georgetown University and the Anacostia Arts Center. They released a critically-acclaimed EP on FPE Records entitled Which Way is Home, which featured remixes from rising-stars Slikback and Zilla, both of whom came heartily recommended by the crew that operates the Kampala, Uganda-based Nyege Nyege Tapes record label.
“Our full-length record, Map of Absences, is a reflection on the regressive state of human rights, deepening refugee crises and the worsening impacts of climate change worldwide. Imagine a world where refugees of color are free to cross borders, LGBTIA people are treated fairly and respectfully, and environmental healing technologies are widespread. These ideas are unfortunately absent from our current reality. We say ‘absent’ instead of ‘forgotten’ as the latter implies an instance of memory or a record of those things having existed. Musically, we drew inspiration from artists such as DJ Lag, Nidia, DJ Rashad, Nihiloxica, and Epic B amongst our other varied global influences. For the album artwork we tapped Marissa Malik, a UK-based artist whose work evokes the mystical and empowered mythical beings. For remixes, we returned to Kenyan maverick Slikback (Hakuna Kulala) and also approached PlayPlay (who ran the legendary Party Illegal in Durham, NC for years) and the modular-synth wielding producer Nueve Vidas from Mexico City.”
Turning Jewels Into Water will tour in support of Map of Absences this spring. A list of dates is below with more to be announced soon.
Watch “Dark waters rushing in” Video – https://youtu.be/TAKwMvOgri0
Pre-orderMap of Absences – https://fperecs.bandcamp.com/album/map-of-absences
Turning Jewels Into Water Live: Saturday, March 16 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Warhol Museum Wednesday, March 20 – Boston, MA @ MassArt Friday, March 22 – Brooklyn, NY @ Arete Saturday, March 23 – Williamsburg, MA @ Grange Hall (Collider 5 w/ Noura Mint Seymali)
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“Sludgy garage punk with truly evil vocals that are coated in just the right amount of distortion and echo. Come for the rowdy punk, stay for the slowed-down Sabbathy bridge.” — Brooklyn Vegan
“Warish totally rules… An awesome mixture of punk energy, biker rock fuzz, and grunge growl.” — Kerrang!
Hear and share Warish‘s cover of “Human Being” by Lobby Loyde’s cult Australian band Coloured BallsHERE.
Imagine if Incesticide era Nirvana were crossed with Static Age era Misfits. You’d have sinister low budget horror rock with a visceral, twisted weirdness and bludgeoning riffs. Some might call it nightmarish, we call it Warish.
Warish is a very newly minted SoCal trio formed in early 2018 that has wasted no time making its presence known. The band formed when guitarist/vocalist and pro-skater Riley Hawk (son of skating legend Tony Hawk) and drummer Bruce McDonnell decided they wanted to try their hand at something more distinct than they’d done previously.
“We wanted to do simpler riffs and a fun live show,” Riley explains. “A little more punk, a little bit of grunge… a little evil-ish.”
Their sound takes cues from a variety of cool underground sounds and twists it all into an energetic and exciting fist to the face of dark fury. Hawk’s effect-laden vocals hearken to early Butthole Surfers and David Yow’s tortured caterwaul in Scratch Acid. The guitars are heavy and powerful, though decidedly not straightforward cookie cutter punk; more like Cobain’s and Buzz Osbourne’s wiry contortions. The rhythms bash and pummel right through it all with aggressive force ensuring that nothing gets overly complicated and the horrors keep coming throughout the 5-track, 11-minute debut.
Warish will be available on 7″ vinyl and download on February 1st, 2019 via RidingEasy Records.
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“Landing somewhere between My Bloody Valentine’s poppiest moments and Wavves least bratty missives, the result is something like if Nirvana had had a surf rock phase.” — Noisey
“The kind of fuzzy, driving garage punk that you can always trust Burger to put out.” — BrooklynVegan
Brooklyn, NY trio Pink Mexico share the first track from their forthcoming third album Dump via surf/skate culture outlet What Youth? Hear and share the garage-grunge surf-pop track “High Dive.” (Soundcloud and Bandcamp)
Dump will be released March 1st, 2019 on cassette and digital via Burger Records and vinyl via Little Dickman Records. After playing drums for countless other bands, including Shilpa Ray, WALTZ and Lola Pistola, Robert Preston Collum went for a change and began his solo project, Pink Mexico. After moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, Preston self-released the first Pink Mexico LP, pnik mxeico, in June of 2013, attracting the attention of Austin-based record label Fleeting Youth Records, who then re-released pnik mxeico the following December.
Preston relocated to Brooklyn in the fall of 2014 to begin recording his next album while continuing other releases: a split 7″ with Los Angeles-based band SunLikeDrugs as well as a 12″ vinyl pressing of pnik mxeico by Bordeaux, France based label Big Tomato Records. The underground buzz surrounding the first LP led Preston into the Burger Records family. Following countless Brooklyn shows and making the rounds at this year’s SXSW, Pink Mexico has grown as a band comprised of Grady Walker & Ian Everall.
After the release of Fool via Burger Records Summer 2016, Pink Mexico toured as direct support for Honus Honus (aka Man Man) for his “Use Your Delusion” Tour in November 2016. Spending most of 2017 and 2018 dedicated to recording Dump, the 3rd studio album with Jeremy Scott (Vivian Girls, These Are Powers) at Civil Defense in Brooklyn, NY. The band relentlessly toured North America to support Fool, while Collum also played drums on the new Lola Pistola record Curfew and went out on tour in support of the album in early 2018. Unlike previous records, where Collum manned all instruments, this release includes both Everall and Walker on bass and drums, respectively.
“their harmonies – emerging both on and off kilter – run against the grain of the music in a way that ignites feelings all too familiar in a post 2016 world. Something insightful, something penetrating, and something leaving you feeling imbalanced. In this case, it’s a great thing.” — Aquarium Drunkard, 2018 Year In Review
“Ohmme play with the confidence and abandon of musicians who are scared of nothing and capable of almost anything.” — SPIN, The 51 Best Albums of 2018
“From vibrant art-pop and brooding, melodic rock to contorted, genre-less collages of lush pulses, guitar sketches and gleaming vocals, OHMME perfectly embody the city’s musical diversity and artistic spirit.” — Paste, 15 Chicago Bands You Need To Know in 2018
“one of the city’s best bands” — Chicago Reader
Ohmme, the Chicago duo of Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart, are releasing ‘At Night b/w Give Me Back My Man’ 7″ February 1st via Joyful Noise. The 7” features a new original, “At Night” and a cover of the B-52’s’ “Give Me Back My Man.” Choosing the B-52s because “their love of all things retro and kraut-rock created this amazing aesthetic that still feels so unique,” Ohmme puts their own spin on the track, roughing up the edges by using distorted, electric guitars and a vivacious spirit. “We love ‘Give Me Back My Man’ in particular because it is one of their only tunes to really feature Cindy Wilson at the center and she kills it. The dynamic changes between her level voice in the verses and the explosion of rage in the choruses give such a strong statement of emotion.”
‘At Night b/w Give Me Back My Man’ follows the release of their debut full-length, Parts, on Joyful Noise Recordings in August 2018. The release found them adding drummer Matt Carroll and headlining a 6-week North American tour alongside critical acclaim from Pitchfork, SPIN, Aquarium Drunkard, Paste and The Chicago Reader. Ohmme continues to tour North America and Europe in support of Parts. All tour dates are below.
Pre-order Ohmme ‘At Night b/w Give Me Back My Man’ 7″ – https://www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com/products/at-night-b-w-give-me-back-my-man
Ohmme tour dates: Tue. Jan. 22 – Fort Wayne, IN @ The Brass Rail * Wed. Jan. 23 – Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe * Thu. Jan. 24 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar * Fri. Jan. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Drkmttr * Sat. Jan. 26 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop * Fri. Feb. 8 – Besançon, FR @ Festival Génériq Tue. Feb. 12 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique Witloofbar Wed. Feb. 13 – Amsterdam, NL @ CINETOL Fri. Feb. 15 – Leeds, UK @ Hyde Park Book Club Sat. Feb. 16 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint Mon. Feb. 18 – Birmingham, UK @ The Hare and Hounds Tue. Feb. 19 – London, UK @ The Shacklewell Arms Wed. Feb. 20 – Bathurst Terrace, UK @ The Louisiana Sat. Feb. 23 – Brighton, UK @ Mutations Festival Fri. March 1 – West Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern # Sun. March 3 – Miami, FL @ Gramps # Mon. March 4 – Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub # Tue. March 5 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade Wed. March 6 – Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight # Sat. April 27 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village *= w/ The Ophelias #= w/ Speedy Ortiz
7″ artwork
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Black Belt Eagle Scout (aka Portland-based Katherine Paul) has shared a new video for the song “Soft Stud” off her debut album, Mother of My Children, which came out last year via Saddle Creek. In the coming months, Paul will embark on a North American tour with opening slots for Julia Jacklin, The Beths, and Bad Hats. Here’s what Paul had to say about the video:
“Demien DinéYazhí and I created this video on the traditional lands of the Chinook people along the Columbia River, where most indigenous people of the PNW travel to this day. We played with symbolism a lot within the work. Our relationship to water is prevalent in this video as well as the joy of being an indigenous woman. Release of feelings with birds flying away as well as connection to land play a part in the video.”
After Mother of My Children was released to glowing endorsements from outlets like Bandcamp, FADER, Paste, and NPR’s All Songs Considered, Paul and her debut album landed on multiple “Best Of The Year” lists, including Pitchfork’s “Best Rock Albums of 2018,” Stereogum’s “40 Best New Bands of 2018,” Under The Radar’s “Top 25 Debut Albums of 2018,” and more. All tour dates and their tribal territories are below.
Watch “Soft Stud” video https://youtu.be/di2rv4gmHlo
Watch/Listen/Share:Mothers of My Children stream – https://bbes.lnk.to/MOMC
“Indians Never Die” video – https://youtu.be/aInrLRdBJuU
Black Belt Eagle Scout Tour Dates: Sat. Mar. 16 – Wichita (Dallas, TX) @ Not So Fun Wknd Thu. April 18 – Očeti Šakówin (Sioux Falls, SD) @ Total Drag Tue. April 23 – Osage (Pittsburgh, PA) @ Mr. Roboto Project Wed. April 24 – Lenape (New York, NY) @ Bowery Ballroom Thu. April 25 – Lenape (Philadelphia, PA) @ Johnny Brenda’s Fri. April 26 – Wampanoag/Massachusett (Allston, MA) @ Great Scott Sat. April 27 – Iroquois/Mohawk (Montreal, QC) @ Bar Le Ritz PDB Sun. April 28 – Anishinabewaki/Huron-Wendat (Toronto, ON) @ Horseshoe Tavern Tue. April 30 – Pamunkey/Piscataway (Washington, DC) @ DC9 Wed. May 1 – Powhatan Confederacy (Richmond, VA) @ The Camel Thu. May 2 – Catawba (Carrboro, NC) @ Cat’s Cradle – Back Room Sat. May 4 – Muscogee/ Creek (Atlanta, GA) @ 529 Club Mon. May 6 – Cherokee/ Shawnee (Nashville, TN) @ Third Man Records Tue. May 7 – Miami (Columbus, OH) @ Ace of Cups Wed. May 8 – Peoria/Potawatomi/Miami (Chicago, IL) @ Schuba’s Thu. May 9 – Anishinabewaki/Očeti Šakówin (Minneapolis, MN) @ 7th Street Entry Fri. May 10 – Omaha/Očeti Šakówin (Omaha, NE) @ Reverb Lounge Sat. May 11 – Osage/Kaw/Očeti Šakówin (Kansas City, MO) @ recordBar Mon. May 13 – arapaho/Cheyenne/Ute/Sioux (Denver, CO) @ Larimer Lounge Tue. May 14 – Eastern Shoshone/Goshute (Salt Lake City, UT) @ Urban Lounge Fri. May 17 – Tsleil-Waututh/Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw/ S’ohl Téméxw/Stziuminus (Vancouver, BC) @ The Fox Cabaret Sat. May 18 – Duwamish/Puget Sound Salish (Seattle, WA) @ Tractor Tavern Sun. May 19 – Cinook (Portland, OR) @ Mississippi Studios Tue. May 21 – Ramaytush/Ohlone (San Francisco, CA) @ Swedish American Hall Thu. May 23 -Tongva ( Los Angeles, CA) @ Teragram Ballroom Tue. June 4 – Tonkawa/Comanche (Austin, TX) @ Barracuda Wed. June 5 – Sana (Houston, TX) @ White Oak Music Hall Thu. June 6 – Chahta Yakni/Chitimacha (New Orleans, LA) @ Gasa Gasa
“2016’s Mangy Love vaulted [Cass McCombs] to a deservedly bigger audience. Happily, on Tip of the Sphere, his idiosyncratic folk-rock seems unaffected by the extra attention, with his same core band indulging occasional jazz and Latin flourishes.” — Pitchfork, Albums We’re Most Excited for in 2019
“[Cass McCombs’] spellbinding and truly quixotic tunes break past the shackles that a cult following typically entails.” — Vulture, Winter Music Preview
“Much of Tip of the Sphere evokes the Grateful Dead at their most mellow and agreeable, but just as the listener is starting to get comfortable, something like the bizarre electro-spoken-word of ‘American Canyon Sutra’ pops up to remind you that McCombs plays by no one’s rules but his own.” — Boston Globe, 15 Artists We Can’t Wait to Hear in 2019
Today, Cass McCombs shares “The Great Pixley Train Robbery”, a new single off of his forthcoming album, Tip of the Sphere, out February 8th via ANTI- Records. Following two previously released singles, “Sleeping Volcanoes” and “Estrella”, “The Great Pixley Train Robbery” kicks it up a notch, acting as an Old West-tinged tale that describes scenes of a violent train robbery, the greed for gold, and claims of insanity. Based on a newspaper article McCombs uncovered from the 1800s, the track shows off McCombs’ pure creativity and apt for vivid storytelling.
Recorded at Shahzad Ismaily’s Figure 8 studios in Brooklyn, Tip of the Sphere was engineered by Sam Owens (aka Sam Evian) and features the core band of McCombs (guitar, vocals), Dan Horne (co-producer, bass), Otto Hauser (drums), and Frank LoCrasto (piano, organ, and more), plus a range of guests including Jason Quever (A and Not The Way) on drums and additional engineering in “The Great Pixley Train Robbery.” Tip of the Sphere sees McCombs’ with a newfound confidence, resulting in rock songs that have more fervor, ballads that are more beautiful, and an overall heightened sound.
Watch “The Great Pixley Train Robbery” Video – https://youtu.be/tJweioHk6t0
Listen To “Sleeping Volcanoes” – https://youtu.be/aJd_bd9vBFc
Listen to “Estrella” – https://youtu.be/sJTR-d8X2jk
Pre-orderTip of the Sphere – https://ffm.to/cm_tipofthesphere
Cass McCombs Tour Dates: Mon. March 4 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage * Tue. March 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live * Thu. March 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ Murrmr Fri. March 8 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom * Sat. March 9 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair * Mon. March 11 – Toronto, ON @ The Horsehoe * Tue. March 12 – Cleveland, OH @ The Beachland * Thu. March 14 – Nashville, TN @ The Exit-In * Fri. March 15 – Indianapolis, IN @ HiFi * Sat. March 16 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall * Sun. March 17 – Milwaukee, WI @ The BackRoom at Collectivo * Mon. March 18 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club * Wed. March 20 – Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre * Sat. March 23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room * Mon. March 25 – Vancouver, BC @ St. James * Tue. March 26 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey * Wed. March 27 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater * Fri. March 29 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s * Sat. March 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre * Thu. April 4 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Moe’s * Fri. April 5 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore * Fri. April 26 – Marfa, TX @ Marfa Myths Sat. May 25 – Madrid, ES @ Tomavistas Tue. May 28 – Prague, CZ @ MeetFactory Wed. May 29 – Berlin, DE @ Franzz Club Thu. May 30 – Copenhagen, DK @ ALICE Fri. May 31 – Hamburg, DE @ Nochtspeicher Sat. June 1 – Gent, BE @ DOKBox Mon. June 3 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Noord Tue. June 4 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie Thu. June 6 – London, UK @ Hackney Arts Centre * = with Sam Evian
Tuareg guitarist and songwriter Mdou Moctar is proud to announce his new album – his first recorded in a proper studio – Ilana (The Creator) – out Mar. 29th on Sahel Sounds. He has shared the first single, “Kamane Tarhanin,” and has announced spring tour dates in support of the new record.
LISTEN TO “KAMANE TARHANIN” https://bit.ly/2QOrZBh
Mdou Moctar immediately stands out as one of the most innovative artists in contemporary Saharan music. His unconventional interpretations of Tuareg guitar have pushed him to the forefront of a crowded scene. Back home, he’s celebrated for his original compositions and verbose poetry, an original creator in a genre defined by cover bands. In the exterior, where Saharan rock has become one of the continents biggest musical exports, he’s earned a name for himself with his guitar moves. Mdou shreds with a relentless and frenetic energy that utterly sets him apart.
Mdou Moctar hails from a small village in central Niger in a remote region steeped in religious tradition. Growing up in an area where secular music was all but prohibited, he taught himself to play on a homemade guitar cobbled together out of wood. It was years before he found a “real” guitar and taught himself to play in secret. His immediately became a star amongst the village youth.
In 2008, Mdou traveled to Nigeria to record his debut album of spacey autotune, drum machine, and synthesizer. The album became a viral hit on the mp3 networks of West Africa, and was later released on the compilation Music from Saharan Cellphones. In 2013, he released Afelan, compiled from field recordings of his performances recorded in his village. Then he shifted gears, producing and starring in the first Tuareg language film, a remake of Prince’s Purple Rain (Rain the Color Blue with a Little Red in It). Finally, in 2017, he created a solo folk album, Sousoume Tamachek, a mellow blissed out recording evoking the calm desert soundscape. Without a band present, he played every instrument on the record. “I am a very curious person and I want to push Tuareg music far,” he says.
A long time coming, Ilana is Mdou’s first true studio album with a live band. Recorded in Detroit at the tail end of a US tour by engineer Chris Koltay (the two met after bonding over ZZ Top’s Tres Hombres), the band lived in the studio for a week, playing into the early hours. Mdou was accompanied by an all-star band: Ahmoudou Madassane’s (Les Filles de Illighadad) lighting fast rhythm guitar, Aboubacar Mazawadje’s machine gun drums, and Michael Coltun’s structured low-end bass. The album was driven by lots of spontaneity – Mdou’s preferred method of creation – jumping into action whenever inspiration struck. The resulting tracks were brought back to Niger to add final production: additional guitar solos, overdubs of traditional percussion, and a general ambiance of Agadez wedding vibes.
The result is Mdou’s most ambitious record to date. Ilana takes the tradition laid out by the founders into hyperdrive, pushing Tuareg guitar into an ever louder and blistering direction. For Mdou, his style is to draw on both modern and traditional sources and combine elements into new forms. In “Ilana” Mdou reaches back into Tuareg folklore for inspiration, riffing on the hypnotic loops of takamba griots, or borrowing vocal patterns from polyphonic nomad songs, and combining them with his signature guitar. You can hear the effect in tracks like “Kamane Tarhanin,” where a call and response lyric lifts up over a traditional vocal hum before breaking into a wailing solo with tapping techniques learned from watching Youtube videos of Eddie Van Halen.
As Mdou travels the world, he divides his time between two places, alternating from lavish weddings in Agadez to sold out concerts in Berlin nightclubs. It offers a unique perspective, but also means that he needs to address different audiences. At home, his compositions send a message to his people. Abroad, his music is an opportunity to be heard and represent his people on a world stage.
MDOU MOCTAR TOUR DATES Tue. January 22 – Harrisonburg, VA @ The Golden Pony Thu. March 28 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Andy Warhol Museum Fri. March 29 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class Sat. March 30 – Detroit, MI @ Trinosophes Sun. March 31 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Tue. April 2 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Wed. April 3 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop Thu. April 4 – Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle Fri. April 5 – Milwaukee, WI @ Milwaukee Psych Festival Sat. April 6 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center Mon. April 8 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall Tue. April 9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge Fri. April 12 – Olympia, WA @ Octapas Sat. April 13 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater Sat. April 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon Sun. April 21 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah Tue. April 23 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Thu. April 25 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas Fri. April 26 – Lafayette, LA @ TBA Sat. April 27 – Lafayette, LA @ TBA Sun. April 28 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Pre-order Ilana (The Creator) – https://mdoumoctar.bandcamp.com/album/ilana-the-creator
“…a fervent after-hours sound world, complete with woodwinds, in which euphoria and melancholy collide.” — Pitchfork, on Adjust EP
“Bendik Giske makes dazzling saxophone music.” — Resident Advisor
Norwegian saxophonist, Bendik Giske, will release his debut album, Surrender, on January 25th via Smalltown Supersound. After sharing advance singles “Adjust” and “High”, today Giske is pleased to shared “Up”, a euphoric collage of sound, driven by Giske’s saxophone and rhythmic finger tapping on the instrument’s keys. “Up. A direction. A state of flux. In direction of an elevated state,” says Giske. “I often find my self aware of where I want to be, but uncertain of how to get there. My chosen city of residence offers many remedies, music being just one of them.”
Listen to Bendik Giske’s “Up” — https://soundcloud.com/smalltownsupersound/3-up-1/s-Qh1HM
Surrender takes listeners on a true journey through the wanderlust of nights spent clubbing — using little more than his voice, his instrument of choice, and more than a few well-placed microphones. Recorded in Oslo’s Emanuel Vigeland Mausoleum, Giske and producer Amund Ulvestad conceived of the method in which they placed tiny microphones over the saxophonist’s instrument and body, right down to being able to capture his breathing between notes.
An impressively coherent statement that brims with purpose and energy, Surrender heralds Giske’s arrival as an artist unafraid to think outside the confines of his artistry and pursue the furthest-flung ideas with successful aplomb.
Bendik Giske Tour Dates: Sun. Jan. 27 – Berlin, DE @ CTM Festival Thu. Feb 7 – Mexico City, MX @ Material Art Fair Sun. Feb. 10 – Mexico City, MX @ Traición Fri. Feb. 15 – Utrecht, NL @ Uncloud Festival Wed. Feb. 27 – Graz, AT @ Elevate Festival Fri. March 1 + Sat. March 2 – Oslo, NO @ byLarm Festival Sat. April 20 – Rotterdam, NL @ Motel Mozaïque
Pre-order Surrender — smarturl.it/sts334-preorder
Purchase Adjust EP — https://bendikgiske.bandcamp.com/album/adjust-ep
“Burger Boogaloo is the perfect cult gathering of young and old music rebels who hate everybody in the world except each other. Being asked to host this lunatic festival for the fifth year in a row makes me feel all warm and scuzzy inside” – John Waters
“Burger Boogaloo brings underground acts back to life” – The San Francisco Chronicle
But wait, there’s more! The Burger Boogaloo staff has committed themselves to helping those affected by Oakland’s ongoing housing crisis and will host a series of fundraisers both before and during the festival to raise money for those in need. Additionally, staffers will be volunteering with the organization Punks With Lunch, including a Benefit Show at The Uptown on Friday, January 18th with 100% of ticket sales going to the organization.
To that end, Burger Boogaloo is partnering with The Homeless Action Center in 2019; the only legal service program in the Bay Area that focuses exclusively on public benefits advocacy as a critical tool to reduce and end homeless. HAC provides legal advocacy that is no-cost, barrier-free, culturally sensitive, and non-judgmental. Attendees can join the cause by donating while purchasing tickets or in person at the festival.
Snag your tickets and learn more about how to help those in need!
