interview by Billy Jones, top photo by Michael Lavine

TV on the Radio guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and producer David Andrew Sitek has announced his new project Maximum Balloon. Not surprisingly, the TVOTR / Yeah Yeah Yeahs / Liars / Dragons of Zynth / Holly Miranda / Scarlett Johansson producer worked with a host of guest artists on the project, which will see the light of day in the form of a self-titled album on August 24th via DGC/Interscope Records.

"...Then Aku (Dragons of Zynth) called and said he was in town and asked what I was up to and I said, "Making a song that you have to come and fix!" So he came by the studio and he laid the vocals down. We pretty much started Maximum Balloon on that day."

Other guest artists on the album will include Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone from TVOTR, Karen O from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Yukimi Nagano from Little Dragon, Holly Miranda, Theophilus London and more. David Byrne is rumored. Aku from Dragons of Zynth is featured on "Tiger," the first track to be released off the album. "Tiger" will be available on iTunes and all digital partners on June 15th, but you can also hear it in a video below, or today at www.MaximumBalloon.com. In addition to "Tiger", Maximum Balloon will be regularly releasing a series of digital singles in the weeks leading up to the release of the album.

Billy Jones of new musical project New Moods, who last conducted an interview for this site in 2006, called up Dave on Friday to discuss the making of Maximum Balloon, barbershop quartets, Cyndi Lauper, the future of TVOTR and more. Their chat starts here....

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Billy: Hey Dave, Can you hear me?

Dave: Yeah...

Billy: I rigged this to be on the speakerphone of my Blackberry to be recording through GarageBand, a slightly complicated setup...

Dave: Awesome, put me through The Crystalizer...

Billy: I actually have you through Long Panning Ping Pong Delay right now...

Dave: I can't wait for Soundtoys to come out with an iPhone app.

continued below....

Continue reading "an interview w/ Dave Sitek of Maximum Balloon (the TVOTR guitarist/producer's new project w/ many guest vocalists)"

photos and interview by Keith Marlowe

Chrome Cranks @ Cake Shop

The recently reunited Chrome Cranks played two shows over Memorial Day weekend - Friday at the Cake Shop and Saturday at the Knitting Factory. I went to, and photographed, both. Unlike last year's reunion shows, the bands first since 1998, this outing featured many new songs which will be on an album the Cranks are recording this week. I had a chance to talk with William Weber and Bob Bert before their Knitting Factory show.

The Chrome Cranks first formed in Cincinnati around 1988, consisting of frontman Peter Aaron and William Weber on guitar. Weber recalls, "We tried playing with a lot of people, but we never had a line-up that jelled. We wanted to be a really swampy, raunchy band with a raw noise element and it just never came together." In 1991 Weber moved to New York City and Aaron moved here soon after. They added bass player Jerry Teel, from the Honeymoon Killers, and finally Bob Bert, from Sonic Youth and Pussy Galore among others, on drums.

pics and interview continued below...

Continue reading "an interview w/ the Chrome Cranks + pics, video & bloody setlists from the shows @ Cake Shop & Knitting Factory"

words and photos by Stefan Raduta, additional live photos by Steven Brown

Watain LIVE in Chicago during Black Metal Magic 2008

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Sweden's mighty Watain cannot be touched. In a class of their own, they embody the quintessence spirit of what true black metal was always meant to be; I'm talking about what Darkthrone started with A Blaze In The Northern Sky and ended with Panzerfaust.

Beginning with their venomous Rabid Dead Curse exactly ten years ago, this pack of hungry wolves from Uppsala has put a fist in every mouth that took this genre lightly. Casus Luciferi stands as one of the most insanely beautiful black metal pieces of all time, and without a doubt, their Sworn To The Dark can be considered a cornerstone of black metal as magnificent as Mayhem's De Misteriis. Each more crushing and devastating than the other, their recorded output is a volcanic eruption of pure black magic, a magnetic affiliation with the dark, and a spit of contempt against all and everything. This all says nothing of the otherworldly energy they intense rituals created on stage.

On July 8th 2010 they unleash their fourth opus, Lawless Darkness, via Season Of Mist and once more aim to devour every soul standing in their way. It's everything you'd expect it to be; I personally see it as their most epic and heartfelt work so far. Whether the LP is their masterwork is for you to decide, but one thing is sure: it's an impressive and beautiful piece of work.

With Lawless Darkness on the way and Watain's MDF live conjuring this weekend, front man Erik Danielsson, wild child of today's black metal scene, answered a few questions from his Stockholm stronghold. Danielsson's thoughts on the album, satanism, black metal in 2010, and his thoughts on his own death are below...

Continue reading "an interview with Watain (who play Maryland Death Fest)"

DOWNLOAD: Shearwater - Castaways (MP3)

Jonathan Meiburg @ All Points West 2009 (more by Chris La Putt)

Wye Oak's Andy Stack @ Pianos - BV CMJ 2008 (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Shearwater, who released their The Golden Archipelago LP on February 23rd (MP3 above), toured with Wye Oak earlier this year. That trip included a stop at Bowery Ballroom where...

"...Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater joined Jenn and Andy [of Wye Oak] on stage for their final song, a cover song, and then he came back about 20 minutes later with his own band. Jordan Geiger from Hospital Ships was on the stage for the set, and Andy Stack joined them for a couple songs, so there were upwards of 6 performers on stage, bringing Shearwater's beautifully dramatic songs to life. They played a long set, probably 70 to 80 minutes I'd guess, and played almost every song I'd ever heard of in their catalog... [Vague Space]

The tour was one of a few examples of recent collaborations between Shearwater and Wye Oak. Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg recently joined Wye Oak to cover the Kinks' song "Strangers" at as part of A.V. Club's Undercover series (25 bands covering 25 different songs). Video of the performance is posted below.

Next up, Wye Oak's Andy Stack will join Meiburg for a performance at the Whitney Museum on Friday, June 25th at 7pm...

Charles Burchfield reveled in the sounds, sights, and sensations of nature. He often wrote about his experiences in his journals, and his close study of nature is apparent in his paintings. Join us for a reading of excerpts from Burchfield's journals by Jonathan Rosen, author of The Life of the Skies: Birding at the End of Nature, paired with a performance of songs by Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater who will be joined by Andy Stack of Wye Oak. Rosen and Meiburg both share Burchfield's enthusiasm for nature, particularly birds. Tonight discover the wonders in paying attention to the backyard bird.

This event is free with Museum admission, which is pay-what-you-wish on Fridays from 6-9 pm; no special tickets or reservations are required.

Speaking of the Whitney, the museum is currently open 24 hours a day as part of its Biennial exhibit. The open-24-hours-ness stops May 28th at midnight. The Biennial runs through May 30th. When that closes, the hazy, somewhat-psychedelic-tinged watercolors of Charles Burchfield will run at the museum from June 24-October 17 (as noted above, the concert is June 25th).

Shearwater don't have any other dates coming up. Wye Oak, who are releasing an EP, My Neighbor/My Creator, June 8th on Merge, do have some. You may have noticed them (Philly and DC) in Deer Tick's tour dates. No NYC date announced for Wye Oak, but when we contacted Andy with some questions about the Whitney show, he hinted that there was "one really fun" show coming in July (Siren?) (answer = yes). Those questions and answers, with a bunch of videos and other stuff below...

Continue reading "Wye Oak & Shearwater recently toured, covered the Kinks, are playing the Whitney (sort of) (and other shows)"

by Andrew Frisicano

Laura Marling @ MHOW at BV-CMJ 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

Laura Marling will be in New York tonight (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday) as part of her US tour that runs through May. Tickets are still on sale for tonight's Music Hall of Williamsburg show (tomorrow's City Winery gig is sold out).

Laura Marling's current tour comes on the heels her sophomore LP, I Speak Because I Can, which came out in the US at the beginning of April. The record builds on her vigorously personal debut with songs that are measured yet fiery, taking inspiration from wartime love letters and fables, as well as fellow folkies (at a recent gig she covered upstate songwriter Jackson C. Frank's "Blues Run the Game"). The rest of the year will have Laura touring the world, playing for a second time at Glastonbury (and other high-profile UK gigs like at London's Serpentine Sessions in Hyde Park), and recording and releasing a third LP.

On this tour, Pete Roe, Laura's pianist and banjo player, will be opening with his own material from an EP due out in June (a track from it is streaming here). Also on the tour are dusky-voiced London duo Smoke Fairies. They released a single on Jack White's Third Man Records late last year (which features Jacks White and Lawrence on drums and bass, respectively), and just released Ghosts, a compilation of singles and b-sides, in the US.

Laura talked with me over the phone about her upcoming projects, tours and playing New York. That's below...

Continue reading "an interview with Laura Marling (who plays MHOW tonight)"

by Stefan Raduta

Agalloch in Brasov

As you may be aware, Stefan Raduta hit the road with the great Agalloch, logging miles with the band as they played Romania in late March including with Alcest at their first ever live performance. While out on the road, Stefan sat down with vocalist/guitarist John Haughm for an interview -BBG

On March 20th and 21st, Portland's Agalloch flew all the way to Romania to play two very special, exclusive concerts. Last summer when the promoter (who happens to be one of my best friends) told me of his discussions with John Haughm, I immediately started making plans for this trip, feeling that it would turn into a really precious memory. Agalloch is one of those few bands that go really deep with me, at times I think what they create becomes a genuine elixir of emotion; a personal healing experience.

It turned out to be a killer adventure, one that acted as primer for an open discussion with John Haughm, a musician who I feel is surrounded by a certain aura of misconception. Let's face it, Agalloch has achieved a cult status in Europe maybe too rapidly, and a lot of people/bands here in the states have become a little envious with that. Because they're very selective with the shows they do, many have attached them to a self-proclaimed "elitist' image - nothing could be more absurd and further from the truth. Then, John himself refuses to do interviews left and right, and when he does, he really speaks his mind which again bothers certain people. Haughm left me with the impression of a very honest, forward-thinking person, pursuing a goal in the face of any adversity... either coming from the music industry or listeners. My discussion with John Haughm is below...

Continue reading "an interview with Agalloch"

by Kim Kelly

Dave of Coffinworm (photo by Samantha Marble)

Coffinworm play ugly music for ugly people. The doomhauling quintet first came crawling out of the primordial ooze of Indianapolis' D.I.Y. underground in 2007, and have kept themselves busy doing the devil's work ever since. On the strength of an incredibly nasty 2009 demo, Great Bringer of Night, Coffinworm were recruited by Profound Lore to unleash the wretched, heaving slab of noxious, blackened death sludge they christened When All Becomes None, which came out earlier this month. A successful infiltration of the hipster hustle of SXSW, including a triumphant performance at BrooklynVegan's showcase at Hoek's Death Metal Pizza (and the Profound Lore/20Buck Spin official showcase sponsored by BV), marked their place on the map in blood. Now, with a fan-fucking-tastic new record on the loose and plans for further domination set, Coffinworm have embarked on an unstoppable death march towards destruction. Start saving for your funeral....

Continue reading "an interview with Coffinworm"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Clinging To The Trees Of A Forest Fire - "Made of Coal" (MP3)

Clinging To The Trees of A Forest Fire at Prosthetic's Showcase at SXSW (more)

The name Clinging To The Trees Of A Forest Fire doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but that's how they like it. Uneasy. It's a methodology that runs throughout the band's second LP and Prosthetic debut Songs of Ill Hope and Desperation, which rolls up grind, doom, and elements of blackened filth into a nice, neat (and explosive) package. Dig on the lead track "Made of Coal" available for download above.

Their live show ain't no picnic either. At the Prosthetic showcase at SXSW, Clinging's performance was pummeling and a surprise in the best way, providing a pitch black counterpoint to the stoner madness going on in the other room along with time-tested killers Withered, The Funeral Pyre, and Landmine Marathon.

With all this as primer, we threw a handful of questions at Clinging vocalist Ethan McCarthy to ask him about the new record, the Denver metal scene, and his experience at SXSW 2010

Continue reading "Clinging To The Trees Of A Forest Fire interview & new MP3"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Trap Them - "Carnage Incarnate" (MP3)

Ryan of Trap Them at Lit Lounge (more by Paul Birman)

Trap Them, like many of my favorites, is a band that lies in the in-between. The bi-coastal band cherry-picks its brutality from metal, grind, and hardcore to create the unique blend exhibited on critically acclaimed releases like Seance Prime and Seizures In Barren Praise. The journey down the path to misanthropy continues on their latest EP, Filth Rations, which is out NOW via the venerable Southern Lord Records. Check out a song from that EP above.

With their new EP out now and their Prosthetic Records debut due soon, we sat down for a few questions with vocalist Ryan McKenney to discuss their forthcoming LP, the state of heavy music, and their recent live dates both past and future (at Maryland Death Fest and Dudefest). The results are below...

Continue reading "an interview w/ Trap Them & an MP3 from their new EP "

by BBG, Touche Amore pics by Brain Reilly

Converge at Hammerstein Ballroom (more by Ryan Muir)

Thursday (the day) can't get here soon enough. That's when the great Converge (currently on tour with Thursday the band) will headline a bill of killer young hardcore/influenced upstarts at Santos Party House (presented by BV, 1000Knives & AEG Live). Tickets for the May 6th show are still on sale.

Opening the NYC show are Black Breath, Lewd Acts and Touche Amore. We're fans and think you should get there early to catch the whole show, but we asked Converge's Jacob Bannon what he thought of these young'ns. His answers along with the chance to win one of THREE pairs of tickets to the Santos show, below....

Continue reading "Jacob Bannon discusses the bands opening for Converge in NYC (win tix) ++ Touche Amore pics from Austin"