by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Black Bananas - "Rad Times" (MP3)

Black Bananas

Jennifer Herrema soldiered on with RTX following the demise of Royal Trux on 2001. Now RTX has evolved into Black Bananas, who are welcoming their debut LP Rad Times Xpress IV via Drag City on 1/31. Art below.

Here's how Black Bananas was described in a recent press release:

"Black Bananas is set for the next all-inclusive rock and roll crusade, the one that includes even and especially all the shit you don't like, woven into all the shit you can't live without. This has been the name of Jennifer's game from day one; she owns the blueprints and if you don't know by now, don't even bother to Google it, cuz understanding is an investment not an action. Jennifer Herrema is not schizophrenic nor does she don many hats. She is simply a singer and simultaneously, a pioneer of comprehensive non-exclusive opposition rock, and Black Bananas is the latest addition to the oeuvre."

Black Bananas will celebrate Rad Times Express IV with an LA release party, followed by a string of dates supporting Sleigh Bells. Those dates include the now-sold-out Terminal 5 on February 17th. Full tour schedule, the album art and that album teaser below.

Continue reading "RTX are now Black Bananas, releasing LP, touring w/ Sleigh Bells (dates & MP3)"

by Andrew Sacher

A Dream A While Back

Psychedelic songbird Gary Higgins reissued the beautiful artifact Red Hash on Drag City back in 2005. The album was originally recorded in 1973 but Gary was jailed for drug charges before it was finished. His friends completed mixing the album, titled it, and released it on the small label Nufusmoon. The album was recorded with members of two of Gary's previous bands, Random Concept and Wooden Wheel. Upon Drag City's discovery of his music, with the help of Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance), Gary began playing shows with members of Random Concept and his son Graham, and eventually recorded Red Hash's follow up Seconds in 2009.

This past March, Drag City released the EP A Dream A While Back; six songs of pre-Hash material recorded soley by Gary Higgins and his guitar. It might just be because I tend to prefer my folk with minimal accompaniment, but while Red Hash is forever-brilliant material, hearing these six songs was even heavier. Pick up a copy (LP/CD/MP3) at Drag City's site.

Gary Higgins has one upcoming show scheduled this summer, and it's a NYC show on July 16 at Monster Island Basement with Oneida, Notekillers, and Call of the Wild.

Six Organs have shows coming up too. Oneida recently completed a tryptych.

Check out the EP's tracklist. some songs from the album and more Brooklyn show info below...

Continue reading "a new old Gary Higgins EP, an upcoming show w/ Oneida"

Six Organs at Europa in 2009 (more by Chloe Rice)

As previously mentioned, Six Organs of Admittance play a show on August 12 at Mercury Lounge. Tickets are still on sale. Six Organs have since added more dates, including another NYC show the next night (8/13) at Littlefield. Tickets are on sale.

Six Organs released the LP Asleep on the Floodplain in February on Drag City. You can purchase the album on LP/CD/MP3 at the Drag City webstore. The Cam Archer-directed (Xiu Xiu, Current 93) music video for the album track "Light of the Light" is below.

Check that video out, along with album art, tracklist, and all tour dates below...

Continue reading "Six Organs of Admittance tour dates, 2nd NYC show, video"

by Andrew Sacher

Upon first discovering Ed Askew's music a few years ago, I never thought I'd be able to see him live, but thanks to all the much deserved attention the psychedelic legend is now getting due to Drag City, Ed shows are becoming more and more common. Getting the chance to see him for the first time at St. Cecilia's Church on Saturday (6/17) (one night after Atlas Sound played there) was a pleasent surprise to say the least.

Although I was expecting/hoping to see him solo with either a guitar or piano, he was accompanied by a much younger keyboard player and stuck to just vocals and harmonica. He stood off to the side next to a podium which held his lyric sheets while his keyboard player was stationed in the middle of the stage. Despite admitting the sheets were there because he doesn't remember all of the lyrics, his voice was totally in tact and his delivery was excellent, lyric sheets or not. The humble setup was appropriate for Askew, who delivered his quirky songs with an awareness that they were far from marketable. It's with a completely straight face that he delivers lines like:

"Beautiful Tom smiled at me on the bridge.
Later on I sat and smoked a joint with beautiful Tom.
Beautiful Tom smiled at me on the bridge.
Later on I sat and smoked a joint with beautiful beautiful Tom.
smiled at me on the bridge.
Later on I sat and smoked a joint with beautiful Tom.
Beautiful Tom smiled at me on the bridge.
Later on I sat and smoked a joint with beautiful beautiful Tom."

He humbly spoke between songs, saying things like, "This song is one of my more recent ones, well not actually that recent. It was recorded in 1984 on a harpiscord for an album called Imperfiction which was just released now on a label called Drag City." He seemed almost confused that the esteemed Chicago indie label would reissue his work. It's great that they did though, and even better that Ed is still performing and can expose his music to new generations who were far from existing when he released his incredible debut Ask the Unicorn in 1968.

Woods, whose lo-fi approach to folk may not exist without the influence of musicians like Ed, were the headliners of the show (though I left before their set).

You can catch Ed Askew again supporting his Drag City-labelmate Bill Callahan on a tour which hits Music Hall of Williamsburg on July 11 and Bowery Ballroom on July 12. Tickets for both NYC shows are still available.

--

Speaking of Drag City, Six Organs of Admittance is playing a NYC show at Mercury Lounge on August 12th. Tickets go on sale Friday at noon. No more Six Organs dates to report, but all Ed dates and a video of Ed playing in Philly last week, below...

Continue reading "Ed Askew played a church, Six Organs playing Merc"

by Andrew Sacher

Psychedelic folk legend Ed Askew reissued Imperfiction, initially pressed in 1984 on a small quantity of cassettes, on vinyl (and digitally) via Drag City on March 22. The album is Askew's second reissue and third overall. He released Ask the Unicorn in 1968 and quickly faded into obscurity. His 2nd album Little Eyes never got a proper release when it was recorded in 1970, but was reissued by De Stijl in 2003. Currently, Askew continues to record music and posts MP3 albums on his bandcamp. Listen to "Deep Water" off Imperfiction below.

Ed Askew will play a week of dates with The Black Swans in June. Their short East Coast trip starts with a hometown show at Bruar Falls on June 9. Askew also plays with Woods and Magik Markers as part of the Northside Festival on the day he gets back, June 17, at St. Cecilia's RC Church in Greenpoint. Tickets are still on sale.

As previously mentioned, Ed will also be opening for his label-mate Bill Callahan at five shows in July, Music Hall of Williamsburg on July 11 and Bowery Ballroom on July 12 included. Tickets for both NYC shows are still available.

All tour dates, "Deep Water" and the full album tracklist, below...

Continue reading "Ed Askew playing shows in support of 'Imperfiction'"

"Charity rock....that's not quite right. Charitable rock? Hmmm...anyway, Bonny and Cairo and Ben and Pete and Rachel and Cassie and Peter and Billy and Mark are bringing the message to you with this one, talking about God on both sides. Then they're playing for you and you're giving back to them, and they're giving back to Save Our Gulf (a Waterkeeper Alliance campaign) and The Turtle Hospital. Help maintain the waterways! And they say there is no God...."

Listen to/watch the video for "There Is No God", below.

That one's not out till June 21, 2011 via Drag City. Meanwhile pick up a limited copy of "The Mindeater", "a collaborative project birthed by ever-prolific Drag City recording artist Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Dominic Cipolla, multi-instrumentalist and main brain behind the elusive Phantom Family Halo." It's out now on "on vinyl from Sophomore Lounge. A corresponding CD/digital version will be available from our friends at Partisan Records in summer of 2011."

Bonnie plays Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago tonight (5/23), and then kicks off a free in-store tour of Florida on Wednesday. His other upcoming dates include ATP in NJ at the end of September. All dates are also below...

Continue reading "new Bonnie 'Prince' Billy single for charity, upcoming dates too"

Bachelorette (aka New Zealand's Annabel Alpers) is releasing a self-titled album on 5/17 via Drag City. The LP was "recorded around the world and mixed by Nicholas Vernhes at Rare Book Room." in Brooklyn. That's the cover art above. Listen to a song from the album below.

The Peter Bjorn & John and Bachelorette tour is underway and reaches NYC today, 5/2, for three shows. Two of those shows are tonight at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets are still on sale for the late one which begins at 10:45. The early one (show at 7:30) and Tuesday's show at Music Hall of Williamsburg are sold out.

Bachelorette also headlines her/their own show at Brooklyn's Glasslands Gallery on Wednesday, May 4th, with Warm Ghost, Rarechild, Young Heel. Tickets are on sale. PB&J have that night off, but then continue on the road with Bachelorette the next night in Boston. All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Bachelorette releasing 'Bachelorette', on tour w/ Peter Bjorn & John, playing Glasslands too (dates)"

How were the Will Oldham audiobook readings that book place in NYC yesterday?

Will's Drag City labelmate Ed Askew is performing at the Suffolk tonight (4/30). It's his only scheduled date (at the moment) before he hits the road in July with his Drag City labelmate Bill Callahan. Ed opens for Bill at both Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets for both shows are still on sale. All tour dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Will Oldham was here (he read), Ed Askew plays a show tonight (Saturday), touring w/ Bill Callahan (dates)"

Ty Segall @ Death By Audio in March (more by Andrew St. Clair)

Ty Segall will release a new 7" single, I Can Feel It, on Drag City on 5/17 (you can listen to and buy it at the link). The a-side comes from Goodbye Bread, his next full length which is due out June 21st on the same label. His last release was a 6-song, limited edition 12" of T Rex covers. It came out on Record Store Day and you can get one now at Goner Records.

From now until the end of the summer, Ty and band have some dates scheduled across various countries, including three shows in Toronto in June for NXNE, and a July west coast tour with Audacity. There aren't any NYC shows advertised, but actually there is one coming up....TODAY (4/28):

Thursday, April 28 · 6:00pm - 7:00pm @ KcDc Skate Shop

Ty Segall will be playing a FREE solo evening affair at the KCDC Skate Shop this Thursday evening at 6pm. Get there early to make sure you get in - because it's going to get rowdy. He'll be doin' his thing on the ramp, and its not be missed.

Continue reading "Ty Segall announces single, LP & tour dates (and is playing a 'secret show' in Brooklyn TODAY)"

by Andrew Sacher w/ photos by Kellyann Petry

Death @ Purchase

"Forgotten except by the most fervent punk rock record collectors -- the band's self-released 1976 single recently traded hands for the equivalent of $800 -- Death would likely have remained lost in obscurity if not for the discovery [in 2008] of a 1974 demo tape in Bobby Sr.'s attic. Released [in 2009] by Drag City Records as "... For the Whole World to See," Death's newly unearthed recordings reveal a remarkable missing link between the high-energy hard rock of Detroit bands like the Stooges and MC5 from the late 1960s and early '70s and the high-velocity assault of punk from its breakthrough years of 1976 and '77. Death's songs "Politicians in My Eyes," "Keep On Knocking" and "Freakin Out" are scorching blasts of feral ur-punk, making the brothers unwitting artistic kin to their punk-pioneer contemporaries the Ramones, in New York; Rocket From the Tombs, in Cleveland; and the Saints, in Brisbane, Australia. They also preceded Bad Brains, the most celebrated African-American punk band, by almost five years." [NY Times]

BASEMENT OF WHAT WAS ONCE KNOWN AS GROOVESVILLE STUDIOS - DETROIT, MI - May 7th, 2010

"After searching for almost eight hours, I removed a box with a Master in it and vaguely saw some big red letters on the box below it. I shinned the light on this box to clearly see the writing in big red letters DEATH. I screamed with excitement DEATH!!, DEATH!!, DEATH!! Everyone in the building starting to scream and wildly cheer and applause. Upon seeing those tapes, it brought it all back, David had written those big red letters on the tape. Engineer Jim Vitti had jokingly drew a skull and crossbones on the box after the name to which David did not like telling him "We are not that kind of Death". I was full of emotion, I cried. We were all elated, Jacque was elated, I called up Dannis who was in Vermont and he began to joyfully celebrate. I thought about David. If David were here with us all that has happened to Death up to this point would pale in comparison to what we found today. The tapes were right where Brian said they were sitting there awaiting us for 34 years." - Bobby Hackney

--

BV: Welcome to New York, how was your trip?

BH: Trip was great, thank you for welcoming us, first time in Purchase.

BV: I know it's not the most conventional setting to play, being that it's a small college an hour outside the city, but from what I gather, you guys have performed as Lambsbread at a number of colleges, so you are no stranger to performing at colleges.

BH: Oh no. We've played a lot of colleges in New England, just about every college in New England. A lot in the state of New York too, so you are correct about that.

BV: How is that, performing for kids at school, especially being that Death is now appreciated by younger fans who weren't even born when you first formed?

BH: It's amazing, I mean it's really magical to us, we just really appreciate the fact that people are tuning in to our music. It's great, it's really great.

continued below...

Continue reading "an interview with Death (about the new LP, reggae, unreleased material, Iggy Pop & more) "

by BBG

Dwarr is Duane Warr, a solo artist who has released a few obscure LPs under the moniker, including 1986's Animals. Animals was released independently in its first go around (good luck finding one), but now Drag City/Yoga Records has breathed new life into the record by re-issuing the long lost LP. Pick up a copy, and stream portions of it at Drag City's site.

While some might call Animals doom metal in the Trouble/Saint Vitus/early Sabbathian vein (and be semi-correct), Animals is much more than that, a psychedelic LP with doom influences as opposed to vice versa. An excellent example of that psychedelic doom can be found in track "Are You Real" which has a video that is reportedly making its first appearance in this post! Duane filmed the footage himself in 1993 with an old camcorder, a tripod, strobe lights and dry ice. God then spoke to him through the video and his whole life changed. Seriously. Check out the results, below...

Continue reading "new-old Dwarr video from the Drag City-reissued 'Animals'"

Rangda kicked off a tour with their labelmates Major Stars at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory last night (8/28). The Drag City supergroup consists of Ben Chasny of Six Organs of Admittance, Sir Richard Bishop of Sun City Girls and Chris Corsano in what Drag City describes as "a guitar-guitar-drums mind-melt for the ages". Their upcoming shows include the Godspeed-curated ATP in Minehead this December and Cake Shop in NYC TONIGHT (8/28). Their debut record, False Flag, is out now...

"Calling it "noise music" would be an insult. Rangda is, more than anything, "classic rock," a perhaps ultimate optimization of the breakdown. If you listen to the worst of SCG, you'll stop caring. If you listen to Rangda, with an attentive ear, you'll hear an ass-thrashing rock and roll coda that never starts and never ends." [Dusted]

Continue reading "Rangda = Ben Chasny+Sir Richard Bishop+Chris Corsano, played Brooklyn, playing Manhattan & other dates w/ Major Stars"

Neil Young is going on a tour of the Gulf Coast (aka Florida & MS) in September:

Music legend Neil Young will perform several shows in the Gulf Coast in September to aid residents affected by the oil spill. Young has teamed up with his friend John Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods, Inc., which will donate 100,000 pounds of chicken products to be distributed to the Bay Area Food Bank. Tyson will deliver four truckloads of chicken, the equivalent of almost 400,000 meals, to the Bay Area Food Bank, which serves Central Gulf Coast communities in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi.
Young is also asking concert-goers to bring non-perishable food items, which will be given to the food bank. All proceeds from the sale of unique, limited-edition Neil Young t-shirts, available only at the concerts, will also be donated to the food bank.

The hunger relief effort is the result of the long-standing friendship between Young and Tyson. "Millions of people who live along the Gulf Coast struggle with hunger and the economic impact of the oil spill has only made matters worse," Young says. "I appreciate the willingness of John Tyson and his company to get involved by helping the regional food bank help feed those in need. We both encourage concert-goers to spend money locally and support local business."

After supporting Neil, Bert will then play a series of more intimate shows with Pegi Young. That run kicks off October 6th at the Bell House in Brooklyn. Tickets for the NYC show go on sale Friday at noon. All dates below...

As far as new records...

"Bert's latest studio album was 2006's highly acclaimed The Black Swan which was greeted with accolades worldwide. Last year (2009) Drag City brought out the long-awaited first time CD releases of the three albums Bert recorded in the 1970s for The Famous Charisma Label: The seminal LA Turnaround, Santa Barbara Honeymoon and A Rare Conundrum. These most sought after albums in Bert's catalog had been out of print for decades and had never been available on CD before. We also reissued them in handsome new vinyl packages. Bert is currently working on new material so stay tuned!" - Drag City

Continue reading "Bert Jansch touring w/ Neil & then Pegi Young (dates) "

words & photos by Keith Marlowe

Brahms @ 450 Union Street, Brooklyn, NY - July 15, 2010

I felt weird as soon as I walked in the room, which had a girls giving out candy standing by two Toyotas, opened up like they were in a showroom. There was a DJ playing club music, and signs that read Toyota and the Village Voice everywhere, because everyone knows the only thing more important than throwing a party is constantly reminding people WHO is throwing the party. On the other hand, there were pretty women giving out free Cabo Wabo tequila, so I decided to have some drinks and try to relax. As I watched people take photos of themselves in a car turned into a makeshift photo booth, I still felt more like I was at a mall than about to witness one of the most unique touring rock bands in the world.

Brahms was the opener, and they seemed a curious choice to me - not only their music, but because the band stood almost motionless behind orange pieces of plexiglass or something. They were the exact opposite of what was gonna happen when Monotonix came out. I listened to a couple songs, and went backstage to watch my friend Haggai (the drummer) do push-ups in Garfield underwear.

While getting warmed up for the show he told me they had just come from Chicago where they finished a third recording session with Steve Albini. They had originally planned on doing a single, but it went so well they went back two more times and ended up recording an entire album, still untitled, that will drop this winter on Drag City. "I'm really excited about this record, I feel like it's the first time we really got the live show energy into an album format," he said. Monotonix formed in Tel Aviv, Isreal, in 2005. This record will be their third.

continued below...

Continue reading "Monotonix Up The Antics @ Siren Fest pre-party (pics & more) "

by Andrew Frisicano

Andrew W.K. w/ Fucked Up in Brooklyn on November 5th (more by Jake Forney)

One of the best kept secrets in the entertainment industry, Jonté is known to the stars as a virtuoso choreographer, able to bring out the beast in his clientelle, which includes Beyonce Knowles among others. As a solo act, he brings it on all fronts, executing the freshest moves while spitting the fiercest vocal heard. His unique urban fem style is shattering culture barriers and leaving liberation in its wake. - Santos website

As previously mentioned, Andrew W.K. has quite a bit going on in the coming months. He appears at Joe's Pub on February 11th as part of Gonzales' residency there. He'll be answering your questions at Santos on February 23rd (the same day he releases a new album), and he'll be on Warped Tour this summer.

Andrew W.K. produced a new album for performance artist/cabaret singer/songwriter Baby Dee, though not her next upcoming record A Book of Songs for Anne Marie, which comes out March 23rd on Drag City (pushed back from its original January release date). An album and book with the same name was released by Dee in 2004, but Dee points out "this is a new version of the album, now produced and arranged by Maxim Moston from Antony and the Johnsons." The album Andrew worked on does not yet have a name or release date. He has also played as part of Baby Dee's band in the past,

On February 4th Andrew will be part of "We Sing Baby Dee! #3," a night at Joe's Pub organized by composer Sxip Shirey and dedicated to "Interpretations of the songs of Baby Dee." Also performing will be Corn Mo, Little Annie and Paul Wallfisch, Curtis Eller, Aimee Curl, Lance Horne, Mathew and Sarah, Philip Raia and Lila, "a special guest appearance by 9 year old singer Frankky Lou Hightower from Kansas City" and Baby Dee herself. Tickets are on sale.

Baby Dee will also be performing at The Stone the next night (2/5) with cellist Matthew Robinson. Baby Dee will be touring extensively this February and March in Europe and April and May in North America.

All tour dates, contest info and videos are below...

Continue reading "Baby Dee playing shows, touring, releasing album --- collaborator Andrew WK playing too (win tix & champagne)"

by BBG

The Entrance Band (more by Bao Nguyen)

The Entrance Band has scheduled a show at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory on Jan 30th as part of a US tour with Brooklyn's Lights. Tickets are on sale, full dates are below.

The Entrance Band released their self-titled Ecstatic Peace debut in September of last year. Lights recetly dropped their new LP Rites on Drag City which features "Fire Night". Dig on the video for that, as well as all tour dates, below....

Continue reading "The Entrance Band & Lights - 2010 Tour Dates"

DOWNLOAD: Death - Politicians In My Eyes (MP3)

Death of Detroit

Forgotten except by the most fervent punk rock record collectors... Death would likely have remained lost in obscurity if not for the discovery last year of a 1974 demo tape in [bassist] Bobby [Hackney]'s attic. Released [in February] by Drag City Records as "... For the Whole World to See," Death's newly unearthed recordings reveal a remarkable missing link between the high-energy hard rock of Detroit bands like the Stooges and MC5 from the late 1960s and early '70s and the high-velocity assault of punk from its breakthrough years of 1976 and '77. Death's songs "Politicians in My Eyes," "Keep On Knocking" and "Freakin Out" are scorching blasts of feral ur-punk, making the brothers unwitting artistic kin to their punk-pioneer contemporaries the Ramones, in New York; Rocket From the Tombs, in Cleveland; and the Saints, in Brisbane, Australia. They also preceded Bad Brains, the most celebrated African-American punk band, by almost five years. [NYTimes]

No word on who will fill the shoes of guitarist David Hackney (he passed from lung cancer in 2000), though odds are one of the Hackney's sons in Rough Francis will probably be elected. Rough Francis, who routinely cover material by Death, will provide support on all dates (minus Fun Fun Fun). Earlier this year they appeared with members of Death at Joey Ramone's 58th birthday show on May 19th at Irving Plaza. Videos of their performance are posted below.

Death's back story is an interesting one:

In 1975 at Detroit's United Sound Studios with engineer Jim Vitti, they recorded seven songs written by David and Bobby. According to the Hackney family, Columbia Records president Clive Davis funded the recording sessions, but asked the band to change its name to something more commercially palatable than Death. When the Hackneys refused, Davis ceased his support. The following year they self-released 500 copies from the session on the 7" single "Politicians in My Eyes" b/w "Keep on Knocking," on their Tryangle label, which eventually became a collectors' item.

Continue reading "Death played Ramones gig, playing FFFFest & other shows"

by Black Bubblegum

Om live at ATP 2008 (more by Zach Dilgard)

It's been over a year, but they haven't been forgotten. Om, who will declare that God Is Good on Sept 8th, have announced a string of US tour dates including TWO in NYC... Europa on Oct 11th and Bowery on Oct 13th. Tickets for Europa are on sale. Bowery details are still TBA.

Om is bringing some pretty strong support with them as well, all of which were recently featured on Al Cisneros's compilation for Arthur Magazine, Transmissions from Sinai (available here). Look for Lichens on all dates, with Grouper on a pair of dates and Six Organs of Admittance (Ben Chasny) bringing up the rear of the tour which includes both NYC dates.

Although Grouper is NOT scheduled to play at any of the Om dates in NYC, look for Liz Harris at ATP NY on Sept 11th, as well as on few US dates in September. Om played ATP NY in 2008.

Meanwhile, Ben Chasny's previous collaborators, Sunburned Hand Of The Man, have scheduled a show with Oneida (who are also playing ATP NY in 2009) at Broadway backyard, one of a four tour dates scheduled for the pair.

All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Om, Lichens & Six Organs of Admittance - 2009 Tour Dates"

Monotonix are playing the free Siren Festival in Coney Island on July 18th (this Saturday). They'll surely be responsible for one of the most memorable sets of the day, though possibly not for their songs.

This fall, the band will set out on tour in support of their debut LP, Where Were You When It Happened?, which comes out September 8th on Drag City. The cover art (above) seems like a perfect match for a band whose antics include wearing hardly any clothes, mooning the crowd, and, just generally being hairy guys. The tour's NYC stops include a show at Santos Party House on October 9th and the Market Hotel on October 10th. Tickets for the Santos show are on sale now.

Monotonix tour-mates Turbo Fruits (who are playing Mercury Lounge this Saturday, July 18th - same day as Siren) are confirmed as the opener for Santos and elsewhere on tour. As mentioned many times before, Jonas Stein and John Eatherly of Be Your Own Pet play in Turbo Fruits. BYOP member Jemina Pearl is now solo, and was last seen playing an opening set on the Williamsburg Waterfront this past Sunday.

Monotonix's new album track list, with all tour dates, below.....

Continue reading "Monotonix - new album, Siren Fest & 2009 tour dates w/ Turbo Fruits (Santos Party House & Market Hotel)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Sir Richard Bishop - Kaddak el Mayass (MP3)

Om in Brooklyn 9/23/08

On September 8th, Drag City will proclaim that God is Good. The duo of Al Cisneros (who recently played his final show in Sleep) and Emil Amos (also of Grails/Holy Sons) will release their new four track LP of that name, their first LP together and the first Om LP since 2007's Pilgrimage. More details on the Steve Albini-produced album to come.

In addition to the new Om album, Al Cisneros has also helmed a new compilation for Arthur Magazine. Entitled Transmissions from Sinai and featuring art from the legendary Arik Roper, the disc contains contributions from some of the usual Cisneros suspects (Current 93, Scott Kelly, Holy Sons, Grails, Wino) as well as previously unreleased tracks from J. Mascis, Six Organs of Admittance, Lichens, and Sir Richard Bishop. The full tracklisting is below. For more information and to order that disc, head to Arthur.

A few contributors to Transmissions From Sinai will be in NYC in the VERY near future! Lichens has a show at Cake Shop on June 15th with New Zealand's Bachelorette and Pikelet.

     Sir Richard Bishop

Arthur CD contributor, Sun City Girl, and Om's Drag City label-mate, Sir Richard Bishop double teams NYC in the coming days, with a show on June 13th at The Studio @ Webster Hall with Zaimph, and then two nights later with Bill Callahan (and a BV photo show) at MHOW. Sir Richard Bishop's new album THE FREAK OF ARABY was released by Drag City in May. All of his tour dates are below.

Om's previously mentioned live document, Live Conference, will be released (vinyl only!) via Important Records in the coming weeks.

Current 93 recently dropped Aleph at Hallucinatory Mountain, as well as Monohallucinatory Mountain, the mono version of said record. Pick that up at David Michael Tibet's site. Spanning eight tracks over it's 53+ minutes, the LP features contributions from James Blackshaw, William Breeze (ex-Coil), Ossian Breeze (Coil), Rickie Lee Jones, Matt Sweeney, Andrew WK, Sasha Grey, and many many others.

Holy Sons (aka Emil Amos of Om / Grails) recently dropped Drifter's Symphony

Grouper recently toured with Animal Collective, and has a few additional tour dates in the Northwest laid out through the summer.

All tour dates and stuff below...

Continue reading "Al Cisneros made a CD for Arthur, Drag City releasing Om, released Sir Richard Bishop in May - 2009 tour dates"

DOWNLOAD: Azita - I'm Happy (MP3)

Azita

Azita's newish album, How Will You?, is on the high-standard Drag City label, giving it a kind of cachet, of course, but bringing expectations of the left-field, kranky and experimental, which the Iranian-born singer's music/performance art/punk-noise has been in prior incarnations. The new one, however, boasts a full brace of beautifully spare, not-so-ironic, piano-driven paeans to her friends, lovers, time, life and nothing in particular, given the odd little late-Beatles or '70s lite-jazz shades here and there. [LA Weekly]

Azita plays two NYC shows with Wrekmeister Harmonies. The first is Friday, May 15th, when the two acts perform at Bruar Falls, also with Bear in Heaven. The second, Monday, May 18th is at the Mercury Lounge. Tickets for that show are on sale.

Wrekmeister Harmonies is sound artist (and Ace Frehley fan) JR Robinson. Live, he'll be accompanied by "cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm (Wilco, etc.) and guitarist Mark Shippy (US Maple)." The project's first collection, Recordings Made In Public Spaces Volume One, is out now on Atavistic.

More info on Wrekmeister Harmonies' album, which was recorded at museums around the world, with live videos of Azita and all tour dates (with Bruar Falls flyer) below...

Continue reading "Azita (Drag City) + Wrekmeister Harmonies - 2009 tour dates (2 NYC shows) & MP3"

DOWNLOAD: Bill Callahan - Eid Ma Clack Shaw (MP3)

I'm not sure whether Bonnie Prince Billy's May 21st show at the Apollo Theater has completely sold out yet or not, but a 2nd NYC show has been added, much farther downtown, at Santos Party House. Tickets for the the May 20th show are on sale now (thx Keith!). Lightning Dust opens.

BPB's new album, Beware, was released by Drag City on March 17th. The same label is releasing Bill Callahan's new album, Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle, on April 14th. Download "Eid Ma Clack Shaw" from that album, above.

photos by Ryan Muir, words by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Monotonix - Summers & Autumns (MP3 from the upcoming Body Language EP out April 22.)

Take Eugene Hutz (almost literally... a similar manic energy, voice, even looks to some degree, but with a more impressive 'stache) and dial him up a few notches, put him in front of an insane-o heavy garage punk two-piece with a blues bent, and you have Israeli madmen Monotonix. Comin' straight outta Tel Aviv, Monotonix have a new EP on the way (Apr.22 on Drag City) recorded by Tim Green (ex-Nation of Ulysses, current member of The Fucking Champs). And if "Summers & Autumns" (download above) & "Body Language" (streaming at their myspace) are any indication, Body Language is probably a killer.

For now though, I'll stick with what I know: there is alot of buzz about their live show. Flaming drum heads, hanging from the rafters, beer baths.... check out the mayhem for yourself in videos (below). Check out the pics Ryan took at their March Noise Pop show with The Gutter Twins (in this post).

Monotonix and their much talked about live show will swing into Union Hall tonight (April 7) with the colorful recent VICE-signees Dark Meat, as well at Cake Shop (again with Dark Meat) on the 20th, and Death By Audio on the 25th (a Todd P show). More pictures, the videos and full tour dates, below.......

Continue reading "Monotonix - MP3, 2008 Tour Dates, videos, pics, Dark Meat (Union Hall tonight, Cake Shop, Death by Audio)"

by Black Bubblegum

Jennifer Herrema (ex-Royal Trux) has brought the sleaze back in town with her band RTX, first hitting up the Knitting Factory Tap Bar tonight (March 4th, tickets are still available) with locals Blues Control, Bogan Dust, and Polite Sleeper, and then Glasslands in Brooklyn tomorrow with Telepathe and Necking. If you're going to Knitting Factory tonight, note that Boris and Growing are also playing right upstairs.

Child Abuse will be on hand (the band, not the action) for the Glasslands show as well, reppin Lovepump United (Mookie Singerman from Genghis Tron's label). Lovepump United will also play host to their own shindig at SXSW this year with Monotonix, HEALTH, Clipd Beaks, Old Time Relijun, and Apes. Look for RTX to also make an appearance at the Tee Pee Records party with J. Mascis's band Witch (who have a great new album), the awesome Graveyard, Titan, and others. All dates below...

Continue reading "RTX (Drag City) - 2008 Tour Dates (tonight, tomorrow, SXSW)"

DOWNLOAD: Baby Dee - Teeth Are the Only Bones That Show (MP3)

I was happy to find out that Baby Dee is playing Joe's Pub again in February. And even better: the show is part of a North American full-band tour. It made me feel better for missing the (solo) show she just played there at the end of December. Band members will be John Contreras (a cellist that plays with Current 93, Calexico and others), Alex Neilson (a drummer who has played with Will Oldham, Jandek, Isobel Campbell and many more), Emmet Kelly (guitarist - The Cairo Gang), and Paul Oldham (Will's brother). All dates below.....

Continue reading "BABY DEE - 2008 Tour Dates (full band, Paul Oldham)"