Category: Rock

Gong Gong Gong release 7″ single ahead of tour dates with Flasher and Public Practice.

GONG GONG GONG’S DEBUT 7″ FOR WHARF CAT OUT NOW

STREAM “SIREN” AND “SOMETHING’S HAPPENING”

CATCH THEM ON TOUR WITH FLASHER AND PUBLIC PRACTICE
Beijing duo Gong Gong Gong pose an intriguing challenge to listeners. There are no drums in this band, but it is undoubtedly percussive. Singer Tom Ng’s lyrics are in Cantonese, but the urgency of previously shared single “Siren” is plain as day. Their driving, stripped-down transnational blues, tapping into the spirit of Bo Diddley, the Monks, and psychedelic music from West Africa to Southeast Asia, is both foreign and familiar. You can read an interview with them in Alt Citizen.

Last week, their debut single for Wharf Cat was released, featuring the aforementioned “Siren,” and now the b-side, the instrumental “Something’s Happening.”

Additionally, earlier last week, they shared a song off a forthcoming limited-edition (only 100 will be made) tour flexi-disc 7″ split, which also features tour mates Flasher and Public Practice. They’ve also announced a NY date opening up for post-punk legends Bush Tetras in December. Catch them on tour the US, and listen to the new output of this utterly unique and singular band.

LISTEN TO “SIREN” & ” SOMETHING’S HAPPENING”
https://spoti.fi/2BaVvwe

LISTEN TO “DOWN QUANTITY ROAD” OFF TOUR FLEXI
https://bit.ly/2PNLzku

GONG GONG GONG TOUR DATES
Fri. Nov. 30 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Sat. Dec. 1 – Philadelphia, PA @ Everybody Hits w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Sun. Dec. 2 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Mon. Dec. 3 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Tue. Dec. 4 – Chicago, IL @ The Hideout w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Wed. Dec. 5 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Thu. Dec. 6 – Patterson, NJ @ The Red Wheelbarrow w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Fri. Dec. 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ St. Vitus w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Sat. Dec. 15 – New York, NY @ The Kitchen w/ Bush Tetras
Tue. Feb. 12 – Brussels, BE @ Rotonde, Botanique w/ Bodega
Thu. Feb. 14 – Bottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms w/ Bodega
Fri. Feb. 15 – Glasgow, UK @ The Art School w/ Bodega
Sat. Feb. 16 – Dublin, IR @ Whelan’s w/ Bodega
Mon. Feb. 18 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla w/ Bodega
Tue. Feb. 19 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club w/ Bodega
Wed. Feb. 20 – London, UK @ Scala w/ Bodega
Sat. Feb. 23 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere w/ Bodega
Mon. Feb. 25 – Rotterdam, NL @ Rotown w/ Bodega
Tue. Feb. 26 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet w/ Bodega
Keep your mind open.
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Live: Windhand – November 07, 2018 – Subterranean – Chicago, IL

A place called “Subterranean” seems like a perfect fit to see doom metal rockers Windhand.  A lot of their songs cover subjects like graveyards, tombs, and ancient things best left buried.  They played to a happy crowd of metal heads, goths, and music geeks like yours truly in the small club.  Unfortunately for me, their opening band, Satan’s Satyrs, were wrapping up their set about the time I was walking up to the door.  Yes, I could hear them from outside and even across a busy Chicago street.

Windhand were just as loud, if not louder.  I hadn’t seen them since I caught most of their set at Levitation Austin earlier this year, and that was an open-air stage.  This would be my first time seeing them in an enclosed space.  I’m glad I brought my earplugs.

Emerging to a recording of spooky Halloween / haunted house noises, they opened with, what else, “Old Evil” and immediately unleashed thunder.

Lead singer Dorthia Cottrell was fully warmed up by the time they reached “First to Die,” and following it with “Forest Clouds” and “Grey Garden” had the entire crowd head-banging in unison.

One thing I noticed live that I now can’t believe I missed when listening to their new record, Eternal Return, was how Garrett Morris‘ guitar work often brings in distortion and effects with shoegaze influences.  It’s no secret that I love shoegaze music, so this is probably one of the many reasons I like Windhand so much.

Everyone in the crowd was ready for the Grim Reaper to show up by the time Windhand got to “Red Cloud” and “Cossack.”  It was a heavy, powerful performance that I needed after a work week that had me dealing with a staggering amount of paperwork until my eyes were sore.

Another breath of fresh air at this show was something you don’t see much of anymore – affordable merchandise.  $20 T-shirts, $10 CD’s, cheap stickers, reasonably priced hoodies, and more were available at Windhand and Satan’s Satyrs’ booths.

Catch them before they leave for a bunch of European dates.  Heck, go to Europe and see them (where I’m sure they’ll sell out most, if not all, of their shows).  Let their power overwhelm you.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Public Image Ltd. – October 22, 2018 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL

I last tried to see Public Image Ltd. thirty years ago when a friend of mine in high school won tickets to see them play in Indianapolis.  She couldn’t make the show, or just didn’t want to go, and told me she’d give me the tickets once she picked them up from the radio station that held the conotest.  She kept avoiding me as the day of the show drew closer.  I tracked her down the day of the show and asked about the tickets.  She blushed and admitted that she didn’t make it to the station to get them.  I was out of luck.

PiL went through many lineup changes and hiatuses and went on many tours that never came close to my neck of the woods since then.  I finally got tickets to see them at Chicago’s Thalia Hall…and learned a couple weeks before the show that I was going to have to cancel the trip because a co-worker would still be recovering from surgery.  I was, as you can guess, bummed about that.

As fate would have it, however, my co-worker recovered faster than anyone imagined he would and I ended up with the night off…although I still had to work at 6am the next day.  I wouldn’t let that stop me, however.

PiL started their set with the low-key “Deeper Water,” and then slowly ramped up the energy from there forward.  John Lydon stood like a professor at a podium in front of his microphone and sheet music stand, delivering a lesson on how to own a stage and spit venom (all the while alternating sips of water and straight bourbon from the bottle between songs).  He even shimmed and shook a bit on “Bodies.”  The crowd was firmly in his hand when they followed it with “Disappointed.”

They were in a great groove when they reached “Death Disco,” “Cruel,” and “I’m Not Satisfied.”  The crowd went nuts for “This Is Not a Love Song,” and “Rise” gave me chills after finally getting to hear it live after three decades.  Album is one of my favorite records of all time, and getting to hear John Lydon sing even one cut from it was worth the wait.

“Does this look like a fucking cruise ship?” Lydon asked a drunk man in front of the stage as they came back out for the encore.  “We don’t do requests.”  That guy and his drunk girlfriend were soon removed by security while Lydon waved goodbye to them and he and PiL tore through “Public Image” and “Open Up.”

This was the first show in a long time at which I bought a tour shirt that cost more than twenty dollars.  I have a hard time paying more than that for any T-shirt.  The official tour shirt was $30.00.  I hesitated.  My wife said, “Thirty years, man.”  She was right.  A dollar for every year I waited was a fair price, and completely worth it.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Ron Gallo – Stardust Birthday Party

Made not long after he attended a week-long silent meditation retreat, Ron Gallo‘s excellent new album of Zen punk, Stardust Birthday Party, arrives at a crucial time in history when the rich are getting richer, the middle class is disappearing, the poor are being left behind, and people are still clinging to material and mental things that ultimately mean nothing.

“Who Are You?  Point to It!” is the short, existential question that opens the record.  Can any of us answer this question without words?  It jumps into the Alan Watts and Eckhart Tolle-inspired “Always Elsewhere.”  It’s one of the best singles of the year and has been my mantra since hearing it.  Everyone nowadays seems to be somewhere other than where they really are in space and time.  The song is a wild, blaring diatribe against this practice that will make you want to throw away your cell phone, take a breath, and experience the miracle happening right in front of you at this moment.

“Prison Decor” reveals Gallo’s love of Devo with the snappy sound and his playful  and slightly weird vocals.  “Party Tumor” brings forth Joe Bisirri‘s fat bass as Gallo sings about someone (himself, perhaps?) who constantly needs to be heard and craves attention (“I just need to be heard anytime, anywhere.”) even though this attention will bring no true satisfaction.

“Do You Love Your Company?” starts with a Tibetan meditation bowl clang and then asks if you truly enjoy being in the moment alone or if you seek verification from the illusionary world around you.  Gallo’s guitars squawk and chug as much as his intense vocals.  “‘You’ Are the Problem” is a wake-up call to everyone who thinks the world is against them but doesn’t realize the issue is within them.

“OM” has the universal chant layered over police sirens, wine bar chatter, and a warning from Gallo’s mind that the mind can’t be stopped, but his relationship with it can be changed.  After all, “It’s All Gonna Be OK.”  That track is full of fuzzed guitar riffs and some of Dylan Sevey‘s biggest rock drumming on the record.

“I Wanna Die (Before I Die)” is a Zen riddle.  “It’s the point of my life,” Gallo sings. It’s the point of all our lives, really.  Dying to illusion and freeing the true self is the only goal of all of our lives.  Caroline Rose guest stars on “Love Supreme (Work Together),” which has her and Gallo singing about the nature of love, what it means to each of us, and how “God loves it when we work together.”

“Everybody’s trying to be some kind of something,” Gallo sings on “The Password” – a quirky track that reminds me of one of Frank Zappa‘s work.  “I don’t even know the password to my own heart,” Gallo says.  We all know the passwords to multiple social media accounts, bank accounts, and shopping clubs, but we don’t know how to unlock our inner treasure house.

“Bridge Crossers” discusses how the fear of death is irrational and seems to be a salute to one of Gallo’s teachers of spirituality.  The album ends with “Happy Deathday,” a celebration of the end of illusions.  “How hard we have to work for a false sense of worth…” Gallo sings.  We all tend to lose sight of the joy inside us and right in front of us because it’s easy to succumb to fear.  It’s relentless and will overwhelm your life if you let it.

If, like the alien mentioned in “Happy Deathday,” you’re wondering “what the fuck happened” to you, your family, your friends, and the world in general, then this album will be a welcome pleasure.  It will remind you that you have what you need within you.  You always have.

Keep your mind open.

[I don’t need you to subscribe to make me happy, but I do admit that I would enjoy it.]

 

Live: Simple Minds – Fillmore Theater, Detroit, MI – October 14, 2018

When one of my best pals from high school said he had a free extra ticket to see Simple Minds in Detroit, I jumped at the chance to (1) hang out with him and (2) finally see a band that was a big part of our high school years.  I mean, come on.  1985’s Once Upon a Time is one of the best albums of that decade.  Plus, the tracks they played from their new record, Walk Between Worlds, aren’t too shabby either.

They started with “The Signal and the Noise” off that new record and then unloaded two sets’ worth of classic hits and new material including “Up on the Catwalk” (which I hadn’t heard in years), the lively “Promised You a Miracle,” “Midnight Walking,” before ending the first set with a cover of “Dirty Old Town.”

“Theme for Great Cities” opened the second set, and they were cruising by then.  The title track off the new record was well-received, as were “Someone Somewhere in the Summertime,” “All the Things She Said,” and “Don’t You (Forget about Me)”.

The encore included “Stand by Love,” “Alive and Kicking,” and “Sanctify Yourself.”  It was a fun show, with a happy crowd of Gen X’ers and even younger folks.  One woman was in happy tears as we were walking out.  “So many feels!” she yelled.

Keep your mind open.

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Flasher put out possibly the best video of 2018 for their new single – “Material.”

FLASHER SHARE MIND-BOGGLING NEW VIDEO FOR “MATERIAL”

WATCH THE VIDEO & CATCH THEM ON TOUR THIS FALL/WINTER

“Seriously, this is the most brilliantly bonkers clip I’ve seen all year” – Rolling Stone
Today, Flasher share their new video for Constant Image stand-out single “Material.” This strange and hilarious video, directed by Nick Roney, breaks the fourth wall in an utterly unique and post-modern way. It can confidently be said that a video similar to this does not exist (premiered earlier today via Rolling Stone). Rather than spoil it with tedious description, please view it for yourself.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “MATERIAL”
smarturl.it/MaterialVid
Additionally, the band has recently announced a batch of December US tour dates with Brooklyn’s Public Practice and Beijing duo Gong Gong Gong. On this stretch, the trio of bands will be selling a limited edition (300 copies) tour-only 7″ flexidisc, featuring previously unreleased tracks by all three.
FLASHER TOUR DATES

Wed. Nov. 7 – Sheffield, UK @ Picture House Social Club
Thu. Nov. 8 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Fri. Nov. 9 – Glasgow, UK @ The Glad Cafe
Sat. Nov. 10 – Manchester, UK @ YES
Sun. Nov. 11 – Brighton, UK @ The Hope & Ruin
Mon. Nov. 12 – London, UK @ Roundhouse w/ Parquet Courts
Tue. Nov. 13 – London, UK @ The Lexington
Wed. Nov. 14 – Paris, FR @ L’Olympic Cafe
Fri. Nov. 16 – Madrid, ES @ Teatro Barcelo
Sat. Nov. 17 – Barcelona, ES @ Sala Apolo
Fri. Nov. 30 – Washington, DC @ The Black Cat *
Mon. Dec. 3 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern *
Tue. Dec. 4 – Chicago, IL @ The Hideout *
Wed. Dec. 5 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups *
Fri. Dec. 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus ** = w/ Public Practice & Gong Gong Gong

PRAISE FOR CONSTANT IMAGE 

“Only one of this week’s albums feels like it alters my entire brain chemistry every time the next chorus hits, and that’s Constant Image.” – Stereogum, Album of the Week

“What’s surprising—and thrilling—about their debut full-length, Constant Image, is that its social commentary would have felt just as timely at any pointin the
past 30 years.” – Pitchfork

“This D.C.-based trio’s debut has the muscle and melodicism of modern rock’s brainy, brooding pre-grunge era” – Rolling Stone

“The thrill is in the call-and-response, heard on past songs, but here weaponized like an ecstatic hall of mirrors in the final minute of ‘Skim Milk.'” – NPR Music

“The band masterfully produce politically charged tracks situated in tales of the everyday struggle of people living in America’s political seat.” – Exclaim! (8/10)

“They play hook-filled rock songs, influenced by everything from post-punk to new wave via shoegaze and indie dream pop that’ll inspire the kind of exhilaration and joy that only comes from a group of people who fully understand what your day was like.”
– PopMatters (8/10)

“The band’s gentle, impressionistic lyrics contain careful considerations of how one might survive as an individual enmeshed in late capitalism, but the stakes of the songs don’t reveal themselves until you’re already immersed in their bright, optimistic energy.” – Bandcamp

Keep your mind open.
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Khruangbin cover Vince Guaraldi on a new single out November 16th.

Khruangbin Announce “Christmas Time Is Here” 7”,
Out Nov. 16th On Dead Oceans/Night Time Stories

Listen to ‘Christmas Time Is Here” – 
https://youtu.be/V4iWO73zPL4 

North American Fall/Winter Headline Tour Kicks Off Nov. 6th
(Khruangbin’s “Christmas Time Is Here” 7” Cover Art by Fuzzytown)

“…I defy you to put on ‘Con Todo El Mundo,’ the second album from Texas trio Khruangbin in the summer sunshine, or the winter dusk, and not be able to find some measure of peace and a source of animation.” — NPR Music (NPR Music’s 40 Favorite Albums Of 2018 [So Far])

“Buy it, stream it, hear it, get it, live it: It’s been a spell since one of those all-things-to-all-people albums has come along, but Khruangbin’s second full-length, Con Todo El Mundo, seems to be just that.”
— VOGUE

“The result is a border-blurring convergence, one likely to propel whatever dance floor is lucky enough to receive it.” — Los Angeles Times

“…funky, jumpy tendrils of guitar, mixed with hazy washes of surf rock…” — Vulture

“On their second album, the Houston-based instrumental trio crafts a unique, psychedelic vibe that hangs between continents and eras.” — Pitchfork

“Drop a needle on Khruangbin’s latest album—and really, you should drop a needle on it because this music is meant for spinning on vinyl—and you’ll see visions.” — Relix

“It’s impossible not to like them.” — XLR8R
At the close of a marathon year supporting their breakthrough album, Con Todo El Mundo (out now on Dead Oceans/Night Time Stories), Khruangbin return with an exciting addition – an update on Vince Guaraldi’s timeless “Christmas Time Is Here.” 

“Growing up the three of us all had very different Christmases,” says bassist Laura Lee. “But we recently discovered we all had the exact same favorite Christmas song. When we realized it, we sat down to play it and it came together instantly. In 15 minutes we had this recorded. It was like the best Christmas present ever.”

With ambling sweetness and a fresh, beat-driven groove, Khruangbin have taken this oft-covered classic and made it wholly their own.

Having just wrapped up a massive tour supporting Leon Bridges, Khruangbin will hit the road next month for a slew of headline dates across North America. The tour kicks off in Phoenix on Tue. Nov. 6th and includes shows at The Fox Theatre in Oakland, The Wiltern in Los Angeles, The Vic in Chicago, the 9:30 Club in DC, two nights at Brooklyn Steel in NYC, and more.  A full list of dates are below.

Listen to “Christmas Time Is Here” —
https://youtu.be/V4iWO73zPL4

“Christmas Time Is Here” 7” Tracklist:
A) Christmas Time Is Here
B) Christmas Time Is Here (Version Mary)

Pre-order Khruangbin’s “Christmas Time Is Here” 7” —
https://khruangbin.ffm.to/christmas

Khruangbin Tour Dates (new dates in bold):

Tue. Nov. 6 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
Wed. Nov. 7 – Las Vegas, NV @ Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel Casino
Fri. Nov. 9 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater — SOLD OUT
Sat. Nov. 10 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park — SOLD OUT
Sun. Nov. 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
Tue. Nov. 13 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
Wed. Nov. 14 – Chico, CA @ El Rey Theater
Fri. Nov. 16 – Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theatre
Sat. Nov. 17 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom — SOLD OUT
Sun. Nov. 18 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
Tue. Nov. 27 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Wed. Nov. 28 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theater
Thu. Nov. 29 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall — SOLD OUT
Fri. Nov. 30 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Sat. Dec. 1 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
Thu. Dec. 6 – Boston, MA @ Royale — SOLD OUT
Fri. Dec. 7 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club — SOLD OUT
Sat. Dec. 8 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel — SOLD OUT
Sun. Dec. 9 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel — SOLD OUT
Tue. Dec. 11 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
Wed. Dec. 12 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse — SOLD OUT
Fri. Dec. 14 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
Sun. Dec. 15 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre — SOLD OUT
Tue. Jan. 15 – Mon. Jan. 21 – Miami, FL @ Jame Cruise 17
Fri. Mar. 8 – Adelaide, SA  @ Womad Festival
Sat. Mar. 9 – Launceston, TAS @ Panama Festival
Sun. Mar. 10 – Meredith, VIC @ Golden Plains Festival
Wed. Mar. 13 – Melbourne, VIC @ Croxton Bandroom
Fri. Mar 15 – Sydney, NSW  @ Oxford Art Factory
Sat. Mar. 16 – Brisbane, QLD @ The Zoo
Thu. Mar. 21 – Shangri-La, Osaka  @ Umeda
Fri. Mar. 22 – Quattro, Tokyo  @ Shibuya Club

Watch/Listen/Share:
Stream Khruangbin’s Con Todo El Mundo — https://spoti.fi/2DN1Y2N
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert — https://youtu.be/vWLJeqLPfSU
Pitchfork Live Session — https://youtu.be/q4xKvHANqjk
Book A Playlist Curated By Khruangbin via AirKhruang.com — https://www.airkhruang.com/
“Como Te Quiero” video — https://youtu.be/cxrotrIvqyY
“Friday Morning” video — https://youtu.be/KjQSSYOTXzk
“Maria También” Video — https://youtu.be/7hlGqj3ImQI
“Evan Finds The Third Room” video — https://youtu.be/QcD_YXCxxZM
“Cómo Me Quieres” video — https://youtu.be/GHzIl82165g

Purchase Con Todo El Mundo — https://khruangbin.lnk.to/contodoelmundo

Download hi-res images & album art for Khruangbin — pitchperfectpr.com/khruangbin

(Photo by David Salafia)
Keep your mind open.
[A subscription would be a great, free gift for me this year.]

BODEGA releases “Name Escape” from their excellent debut album, “Endless Scroll”

BODEGA Shares “Name Escape” Video
https://youtu.be/-NeudVwxFsU

Ahead of their upcoming tour dates, BODEGA have shared the video for “Name Escape.” A typically stylish yet tongue-in-cheek visual complete with freeform dancers, the “Name Escape” video was directed by band members Nikki Belfiglio and Ben Hozie.On the video, Hozie says, “‘Name Escape’ details at-this-moment observations from a night out at the now-defunct (and missed) Bushwick venue Palisades. The Smiths blare out of the P.A. as I chat with people I’ve seen hundreds of times but will never really know. For the advertisement clip of the memory malfunction, Nikki directed us doing big rock hype in a big rock warehouse hyperlinked from early aughts ‘alternative’ vids. The strange thing about alienation is that it’s often beautiful and fun.”

“Name Escape” is the third BBC Radio 6 Music playlisted single taken from BODEGA’s debut album, Endless Scroll. The album was met with rave reviews in the UK from the likes of Observer, Guardian, Independent, Financial Times, The Times, DIY, Uncut and more. Recalling the rich history of New York’s musical heritage while keeping its sight on the future, Endless Scroll revitalizes the rock and roll vocabulary under the influence of post punk, contemporary pop, hip-hop, kraut rock, and folk-derived narrative songwriting. Endless Scroll was recorded and produced by Austin Brown (Parquet Courts) on the same Tascam 388 tape machine used for their album Light Up Gold.

Come February 2019, the band will return to Europe for a new run of dates – which includes their largest headline show to date at London’s Scala on Wednesday, February 20th. BODEGA will be joined by Beijing duo Gong Gong Gong as main support for the tour. Tickets for all dates are available now.

Watch BODEGA’s “Name Escape” Video:
https://youtu.be/-NeudVwxFsU Watch:
“Charlie” video – https://youtu.be/CAxRuZt3xYE
“Gyrate” video – https://youtu.be/Pyr-gS3LCCA
“Jack In Titanic” video – https://youtu.be/2PmC3y-ktBM
“Can’t Knock The Hustle” video – https://youtu.be/sm5fWJDJicI
“How Did This Happen !?” video – https://youtu.be/TKAzK41-YHM

BODEGA Tour Dates:
Fri. Nov. 9 – Kowloon, Hong Kong @ Clockenflap Festival
Sat. Nov. 10 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia @ Urbanscapes festival
Sun. Nov. 11 – Singapore City, Singapore @ Neon Lights Music & Arts Festival
Sat. Dec. 8 – Rennes, France @ Les Transmusicales
Tue. Feb. 5 – Munich, Germany @ Unter Deck (tickets)
Wed. Feb. 6 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Bogen F (tickets)
Thu. Feb. 7 – Düdingen, Switzerland @ Bad Bonn (tickets)
Fri. Feb. 8 – Besancron, France @ Festival Generiq
Sat. Feb. 9 – Belfort Cedex, France @ La Poudriere
Sun. Feb. 10 – Dijon, France @ Le Consortium
Mon. Feb. 11 – Mannheim, Germany @ Kulturbrücken Jungbusch (tickets)
Tue. Feb. 12 – Belgium, Brussels @ Botanique (w/ Gong Gong Gong) (tickets)
Thu. Feb. 14 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms (w/ Gong Gong Gong) (tickets)
Fri. Feb. 15 – Glasgow, UK @ The Art School (w/ Gong Gong Gong) (tickets)
Sat. Feb. 16 – Dublin, Ireland @ Whelan’s (w/ Gong Gong Gong) (tickets)
Mon. Feb. 18 – Manchester, UK @ YES (The Pink Room) (w/ Gong Gong Gong) (tickets)
Tue. Feb. 19 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club (w/ Gong Gong Gong) (tickets)
Wed. Feb. 20 – London, UK @ Scala (w/ Gong Gong Gong) (tickets)
Fri. Feb. 22 – St. Malo, France @ La Nouvelle Vague
Sat. Feb. 23 – Paris, France @ Le Point Ephemere
Mon. Feb. 25 – Rotterdam, Netherlands @ Rotown (w/ Gong Gong Gong) (tickets)
Tue. Feb. 26 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Bitterzoet (w/ Gong Gong Gong) (tickets)
Thu. Feb. 28 – Berlin, Germany @ Berghain Kantine (tickets)
Fri. Mar. 1 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Stengade (tickets)
Sat. Mar. 2 – Hamburg, Germany @ Molotow MusikclubUK Praise for Endless Scroll:

“A revelation” – Uncut (9/10)

“This five-piece nail the absurdity of contemporary life with that surprisingly evergreen formula” – Observer (4/5)

“BODEGA’s attack on digital life comes wrapped in winning post-punk noise” – Sunday Times

“Streamlined and minimal but bursting with intelligence, humor and ideas, BODEGA are the real deal” – DIY (5/5)

“…a fantastic debut from one of the most exciting new bands around” – Independent (4/5)

“The music has a hypnotic drive, and clever lyrics are chanted or intoned in hard-boiled New York fashion” – Financial Times (4/5)

“…there is something of a New York Mark E Smith about the way Hozie uses mockery (and self-mockery) to ponder modern life’s absurdities and insanities” – Guardian

“‘Endless Scroll’ is a record filled with potential and a perfect snapshot of what’s still to come” – Dork (4/5)

“Snappy, spirited guitar explorations that tap into New York’s art-rock lineage” – Clash (8/10)

[Endless Scroll artwork]

Keep your mind open.
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Protomartyr and Preoccupations to release split 7″ single covering each other’s tunes.

PROTOMARTYR AND PREOCCUPATIONS ANNOUNCE SPLIT 7″,
OUT 11/16 ON DOMINOLISTEN TO PROTOMARTYR COVER PREOCCUPATIONS’ SONG “FORBIDDEN”

CO-HEADLINING TOUR BEGINS NEXT MONTH

(photo by Daniel Topete)
Today, Protomartyr announce the upcoming release of a split 7″ with their friends and future tourmates Preoccupations. Conceptually similar to Protomartyr’s recent split 7″ with Spray Paint, the release features each band covering the other, with Protomartyr performing their rendition of Preoccupations’ “Forbidden,” while Preoccupations give Protomartyr’s “Pontiac ’87” a reworking. You can listen to Protomartyr’s cover of “Forbidden” now, with the 7″ being released by Domino on Nov. 16th. Protomartyr’s singer Joe Casey had this to say of the band’s cover: “There’s an old adage that goes something like, ‘if you’re going to cover a song by a beloved Canadian band, it’s best to pick the second shortest one.’ So, ‘Forbidden’ it is. We all really liked the outro part and had the brilliant idea to extend it. And that, my friends, is how you make musical history.”For those who find this sonic pairing palatable to the ear, the two bands will join up for a co-headlining tour in late November, almost exactly one month from now and shortly after the release of the 7”. Additionally, Protomartyr have just been announced as the “special guest” for the anticipated grand reopening of Detroit’s UFO Factory, a much beloved venue that was damaged by developers one year ago.

LISTEN TO “FORBIDDEN (PREOCCUPATIONS COVER)”
http://smarturl.it/ForbiddenYT

PRE-ORDER PROTOMARTYR/PREOCCUPATIONS SPLIT 7″
http://smarturl.it/Telemetry7inch

PROTOMARTYR TOUR DATES
Fri. Oct. 26 – Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory w/ Deadbeat Beat, Double Winter
Fri. Nov. 23 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace * ^
Sat. Nov. 24 – Ottawa, ON @ 27 Club * ^
Mon. Nov. 26 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall * ^
Wed. Nov. 28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw * ^
Thu. Nov. 29 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage * ^
Fri. Nov. 30 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry * ^
Sat. Dec. 01 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement * ^
Mon. Dec. 03 – Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place * ^
Tue. Dec. 04 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig * ^
Thu. Dec. 06 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall * ^
Fri. Dec. 07 – Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room * ^
Sat. Dec. 08 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar * ^
Mon. Dec. 10 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird *
Wed. Dec. 12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall *&
Thu. Dec. 13 – Boise, ID @ Olympic *&
Fri. Dec. 14 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios *&
Sat. Dec. 15 – Vancouver, BC @ Venue *&
Sun. Dec. 16 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile *&
Tue. Dec. 18 – San Francisco, CA @ Independent *&
Wed. Dec. 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Regent *&* = w/ Preoccupations
^ = w/ Rattle
& = w/ Hurry Up

Download album art & hi-res images of Protomartyr – http://pitchperfectpr.com/protomartyr/

Purchase “Consolation E.P.”:
Domino Mart – https://protomartyr.dominomart.com/
iTunes – http://smarturl.it/ConsolationEPDL

Purchase Relatives In Descent:
Domino Mart – https://protomartyr.dominomart.com/
iTunes – http://smarturl.it/RIDDownload

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SOM release shoegaze / metal track “Open Wounds” from their upcoming debut.

SOM share animated video for first song from forthcoming debut

 Ex-members of Constants, Junius, Caspian. Animated video by Josh Graham (Neurosis, Soundgarden, A Storm of Light)

Watch & share “Open Wounds” (YouTube) (Brooklyn Vegan)

 

“SOM craft songs of epic melancholy that stagger the ears as well as the heart.” — Onion AV Club
“Serenely slowdive into shoegaze.” — SPIN
“A big, atmospheric mix of shoegaze, post-rock, space rock, and sludge metal, all led by Will’s ethereal vocals.” — Brooklyn Vegan
Post-metal shoegaze trio SOM premiere the first track from their forthcoming debut album today via Brooklyn Vegan. The animated clip for “Open Wounds” is created by visual artist Josh Graham (Neurosis, Soundgarden) and available to watch and share HERE. (Direct YouTube.)
On their debut record, SOM “craft songs of epic melancholy that stagger the ears as well as the heart” (Onion AV Club) and “serenely slowdive into shoegaze” (SPIN). Drummer Duncan Rich and bassist Justin Forrest build thunderous rhythms that give drive and pulse to the fuzzed out wall-of-synth-and-guitar-noise. Dark and heavy throughout, their music is complemented by memorable hooks and melodies in singer/guitarist Will Benoit’s somber, lamenting vocals.
Featuring founding members of seminal Boston space rockers Constants — and former and touring members of Adai, Junius, Rosetta, and Caspian — SOM wrote and recorded their debut album at Benoit’s solar powered The Radar Studio, along with engineer Daryl Rabidoux (Doomsday Student, Drowningman).
The Fall will be available on CD, cassette and download on November 9th, 2018. Pre-orders are available via Bandcamp HERE.

Artist: SOM
Album: The Fall
Record Label: self-released 
Release Date: November 9th, 2018
01. Prayers
02. Chemical Joy
03. Open Wounds
04. Black Out The Sky
05. Ten Years
06. Starless Sky
07. Stranger
08. Reflection
09. Aerosols
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