by Fred Pessaro // BBG

This is Hardcore have announced their initial 2013 lineup which, for the most part, doesn't have many uber-shocking additions unless you count a headlining set by Gwar (?). It includes names like Kid Dynamite, Tragedy, 7 Seconds, Panic, Trapped Under Ice and more. Full lineup is below. Tickets for the festival pass and the weekend pass go on sale at noon.

The one interesting addition is the reemergence of Modern Life is War, who called it quits in 2008. Though some are viewing the band's reunion as part of an April Fool's joke, the reunion is in fact real according to a valued source. The band issued the following statement regarding their return:

"Modern Life Is War is an active band again. In September of last year, we wrote an album in John's basement in Marshalltown, which will be recorded at God City in May and released on Deathwish in September. The original lineup of Chris Honeck, Matt Hoffman, Jeffrey Eaton, Tyler Oleson and John Eich will be in place. For what it's worth, we are not approaching this as a 'reunion' but rather as a band with a new record that will be working to contribute something worthwhile. Extensive touring is not in the cards for us at this point. Our first show back will be at This Is Hardcore Fest in August, followed by a record release show in Iowa. We will announce an official release date as well as specific show dates and locations as soon as they are confirmed."

Continue reading "This is Hardcore announces partial lineup, Modern Life is War included! (tickets on sale)"

PUSTULUS MAXIMUS

GWAR WRITES:

It was a little less than a year ago that the world was rocked by the passing of Flattus Maximus, back to the cosmos from whence he came. And since that day fans of GWAR have wondered how the mighty overlords of GWAR would deal with the void it left within the band. GWAR responded the only way they knew how-by soldiering on-and continued to play as a four-piece. But from the very beginning of that phase, the quest began to find the new Scumdog that was in every way as magnificent as his predecessor. Today the members of GWAR are pleased to inform their legions of followers, and even more so their many enemies, that once again the band is whole, with the proclamation that long-lost cousin of Flattus, Pustulus Maximus, has officially joined the band in the position of lead guitarist, and will join with the group on their upcoming "Fate or Chaos" tour.

Continue reading "Watch GWAR cover Kansas (with new guitarist PUSTULUS MAXIMUS) -- video"

Fiona Apple @ Winstar World Casino last night (via rideincircles)

The brouhaha surrounding Fiona Apple's drug arrest last week just keeps going. (They're calling it AppleGate!) Over the weekend, Apple talked about her jail experience, or something like that, in Houston. It involves two "lock boxes."

Then, Hudspeth County Sheriff's department spokesman Rusty Fleming offered an amazing rebuttal that included this bit:

Two weeks ago nobody in the country cared about what you had to say, -- now that you've been arrested it appears your entire career has been jump-started. Don't worry Sweetie, I won't bill you.

Fiona Apple ended up not playing Austin the night of her arrest even though she was let out that same day, but another woman musician making lots of news lately, Amanda Palmer did.

Meanwhile in Bushwick, Bill and Hillary Clinton were hanging out with indie musician Lia Ices, Joel Cohen, Gloria Steinem and other hip cats at Roberta's on Friday.

The great Amenra is preparing to launch Mass V, the band's new LP due via Neurot Recordings on November 26th. Check out the tracklisting, album art and a teaser video below.

Flying Lotus's new album 'Until The Quiet Comes' is streaming at NPR.

The Barclays Center opens this week. Will you be going inside or protesting out?

Speaking of protests, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is on strike. UPDATE: Were on strike.

More stuff below...

Continue reading "ALSO: more Fiona Apple, new Myspace, James Franco's band Daddy, Bill & Hillary @ Roberta's, Grizzly Bear, RIP baby panda & more"

Gwar at Irving Plaza in June (more by Chris La Putt)

Gwar, who played NYC last month as part of Irving Plaza's Zombie Prom, have just announced the 'Fate or Chaos' 2012 Fall Tour with DevilDriver, Cancer Bats and Legacy of Disorder which will invade NYC on October 16 on Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday, July 27 at noon.

October's MHOW show won't be the first time that Gwar plays the Brooklyn venue. The band brought their bloody mess to that venue back in 2011 too and it was packed, messy, and sold out, just as this next one is sure to be.

All dates on the 'Fate or Chaos' tour are listed below...

Continue reading "Gwar plot 'Fate or Chaos' 2012 tour (dates)"

photos by Chris La Putt

If you're gonna have a band play at Zombie Prom, Gwar has to be the ultimate get. The undead, white walkers, and recently deceased came out on Saturday (6/9) dressed in their finest tuxes, frilly dresses and entrails for the big bash at Irving Plaza with the post-apocalyptic metal legends being the evening's main attraction. Part of the proceeds went to the toward The Smoot Family Fund, in honor of fallen Gwar member Cory Smoot (aka Flattus Maximus).

Lots more Prom pics are below.

Continue reading "Gwar played Zombie Prom at Irving Plaza (pics)"

Gwar at MHoW (more by Chris La Putt)

How do you up the ante on a Gwar show? Have them headline a Zombie Prom.

This is a zombie event like no other!! Irving Plaza will be full of the undead!! Booze, Blood & GWAR!!

...Take your official prom photo. Receive your official prom pin.
The Zombie King and Zombie Queen of the prom will receive special prizes...

There will be a "Pageant of the Undead" - Zombies don't do beauty pageants...they do gore pageants!

There will be a crowning of the King and Queen of the prom. Yes, there are prizes!

The grand finale is when the sickest band in metal history...Hark to the hideous majesty of your MASTERS, rulers of Earth, the MIGHTY GWAR will take the stage.

In related news, Ghoul recently returned from a tour with Gwar, will head out on the road for some dates on their campaign toward Maryland Deathfest and Chaos in Tejas. Look for that tour to hit Saint Vitus on May 23rd with Nashgul, Occultist, and Pizza Hi Five. Tickets are still available.

All tour dates and some video is below.

Continue reading "Gwar playing Zombie Prom benefit for Cory Smoot (dates)"

by BBG

Ghoul at California Discord Fest (more by BBG)

Ghoul, who are now on board for Chaos in Tejas 2012 and scheduled to play Saint Vitus in May (tickets), will hit the road for a string of dates with Gwar, Municipal Waste, and Legacy of Disorder that will include a stop at Starland Ballroom on 3/18. All dates are listed below. Municipal Waste is readying their new LP The Fatal Feast via Nuclear Blast on 4/10.

In related news, Cannabis Corpse will now feature Landphil of Municipal Waste on vocal duties, and you can cath them on the road for a string of dates with Revocation and Ramming Speed. The dates include a stop at Saint Vitus on April 28th. All tour dates are below.

Sathanas will headline the first ever live appearance from Vrolok, along with NY's Hubris & NJ's Mortum at Cake Shop on Saturday (tonight, 2/11). $12 gets you in the door for this night of local black metal. Show flyer is below and Facebook event page is here.

Some great artists that are definitely metal friendly: Paul Romano, Mike Wohlberg, Kat Gun, Buddy Nestor, and Caitlin Hackett, will band together for an art show at Gristle Tattoo (178 N8th St) on 2/25. More details can be found at this link.

Black Breath has a new track, "Mother Abyss", currently streaming below. The track, which debuted via Revolver Friday, is from the band's forthcoming LP Sentenced to Life. Look for the LP on March 27th via Southern Lord.

More suggested NYC shows, some live Coffins video, tour dates and that Black Breath stream, below...

Continue reading "Evillive (Coffins, Black Breath, Ghoul, Municipal Waste, Gwar, Cannabis Corpse & more)"

Cory Smoot (right) @ one of his last shows (more by Carmelo Espanola)

North Dakota coroner William Masselo, MD has released a statement regarding the death of Cory Smoot, better known as Gwar guitarist Flattus Maximus, who passed on November 3rd at the age of 34.

"We have finalized the autopsy report and death certificate. I have determined that Cory died from a coronary artery thrombosis brought about by his pre-existing coronary artery disease."

The band, which will continue as a four-piece until the current tour schedule is complete, has officially retired the character of Flattus Maximus, and has announced no plans regarding a new GWAR-tarist.

Metal Blade and GWAR have since set-up the Smoot Family Foundation to raise funds for Cory's wife, Jaime, and their unborn child.

Gwar is forging on as a four-piece for the forseeable future. Full tour dates (all in Europe in the New Year) are below.

Continue reading "Gwar guitarist Cory Smoot's autopsy details revealed"

by BBG

RIP Flattus Maximus (more by Chris La Putt)

The show must go on...

Gwar will still perform Friday at Edmonton Event Centre, despite the death of one of the band's guitarists. Cory Smoot was found dead as the U.S. band was about to enter Canada on Thursday morning, according to Gwar's frontman. -[Edmonton Journal]

The above story was confirmed by Tankcrimes Records, the label home of Ghoul. No words.

Flattus Maximus (right) in Chicago on 10/31 (more by Carmelo Espanola)

Metalsucks is reporting that Cory Smoot, aka Flattus Maximus has passed away:

It is with a sense of profound loss and tragedy that the members of GWAR must announce the passing of their long time guitarist and beloved friend Cory Smoot, also known to thousands of metal fans worldwide as Flattus Maximus. Cory was found deceased this morning as the band prepared for a border crossing. There is no word as to the cause of death and the members of GWAR are completely shocked and devastated that this has occurred. At this point there is no word on arrangements and the disposition of the remainder of GWAR's current North American tour, nor are there any details regarding long term plans. At this point we are just dealing with the loss of our dear friend and brother, one of the most talented guitar players in metal today. We ask that our fans and the media be respectful of our request for privacy for those that have suffered this terrible loss. A full statement will be coming in the next day or so, in the meantime please give your thoughts and your prayers to Cory, his family, and all the people that love him.

-Dave Brockie-

Gwar played Irving Plaza in NYC back on 10/23. Cory's third to last show was on Halloween in Chicago (his last was last night in Minneapolis). More pictures from the Chicago show are HERE

R.I.P. Cory Smoot, your humor, stage prescence, and contribution to one of the most theatrical bands ever will be missed..

by BBG

Ghoul at California Discord Fest (more by BBG)

If ever there was a match made in tour-pairing heaven, its Ghoul with Gwar on the upcoming Return of the Maggot tour. Both Gwar and Ghoul practice faceless heavy music with a ultra-black sense of humor. Both aren't afraid to let a little blood spray on the crowd. Both have a highly entertaining live show. But while Gwar's chemistry relies heavily on stage theatricality, Ghoul's is quite the opposite, using minimal stage props and focusing on what matters the most, well-honed songwriting.

If you believe the rumors about Ghoul's genetic makeup, it makes sense that they'd crank out excellent records; the nameless, faceless fiends may or may not contain members of Ludicra, Dystopia, Stormcrow, Impaled, Asunder, Engorged and many others. And while Ghoul is definitely a serious band, they're definitely one to disembowel you with their blunt-death metal riffs and then make bad jokes while they play with your spilled entrails. Metaphorically speaking. I hope.

Ghoul is preparing to follow-up 2006's Splatterthrash with their latest opus of guts & gore Transmission Zero. The new LP, currently up for preorder, hits the racks on November 8th, but you can preview four of the eleven songs below. Check out "Off With Their Heads", "Blood Feast", and "Metallicus Ex Mortis" below alongside the album title track, which makes its debut here. Listen to those those alongside previous releases Splatterthrash and We Came for the Dead / Maniaxe also streaming below.

The Return of The Maggot tour kicks off today (10/18), so make sure and catch Ghoul (like at Irving Plaza on 10/23, tickets) at the dates below.

Continue reading "Ghoul releasing 'Transmission Zero' (song premiere), now on tour with Gwar (dates)"

by BBG

Gwar at MHOW (more by Chris LaPutt)

Gwar will take their pus-ridden tour on the road with Every Time I Die, Warbeast, and Ghoul(!), hitting Irving Plaza on October 23rd. Tickets for that show go on sale today (August 12) at 10AM.

The tour, dubbed the "Return of The World Maggot Tour", will kick off in middle October in North Carolina and loop the country, eventually heading back to the East Coast by the end of November. Full tour schedule is below. Gwar is also headlining the Gwar-B-Q, which will feature the debut of Argonauts, as well as performances from Darkest Hour, Battlemaster, and many others.

Ghoul (who may or may not contain members of Impaled, Ludicra and Engorged) will perform material from their forthcoming eleven-track Transmission Zero LP, due on Tankcrimes. The band will also dip into that new LP at the California Discord Fest in Los Angeles, alongside Rattus, Dropdead, Lack of Interest, Despise You, Magrudergrind, and many many notable others on 9/24 and 9/25 at the Vortex. Tickets are still available.

All tour dates and some classic Gwar video on Joan Rivers and Jerry Springer is below.

Continue reading "Gwar announce Fall Tour w/ Ghoul & others (dates)"

photos by Chris La Putt

Gwar played an intimate, high-energy, sold-out, blood-filled show with a setlist full of classics at Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn last night (2/20). Sarah Palin was not in the house unfortunately, but Lady Gaga was. Other characters that made appearances included Sawborg Destructo, Bonesnapper, and of course the slaves. Sleazy P. Martini was nowhere to be found.

Favorite audience member award goes to the girl who was holding up the big sign that simply said "Seculorum of a Goat." If I had only seen her doing that in the middle of the moshpit, I may have not been a fan, but I first experienced her on the street outside the venue where she was running up to people and just screaming "A goat!!! Seculorum of a Goat!!". I still have no idea what it means, but it was awesome.

The setlist was a great mix of old and news, and like when I saw them recently in Austin, they closed with one of their best and most famous songs which is now 21 years old, "Sick of You." It's the perfect show closer, so I'm glad Oderus is not sick of singing it (or maybe he is).

Mobile Deathcamp and Mensrea both opened the show. Gwar is now on tour. More pictures and the setlist from the Brooklyn show, below...

Continue reading "Gwar @ MHOW w/ Mobile Deathcamp & Mensrea (pics, setlist)"

photos by Chris La Putt

I don't know how Lady Gaga is going to make it to her shows with Scissor Sisters at Madison Square Garden tonight (2/21) and tomorrow (2/22) - not because of the snow, but because I watched Gwar kill her with my own eyes at Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn last night (2/20).

More pictures from the Gwar show coming, but in the meantime more from the Lady Gaga skit (NSFW?) (and videos from past shows where they did the same thing), below...

Continue reading "Lady Gaga (and Gwar) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg -- pics"

Gwar @ Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010 (more by Tim Griffin)

"GWAR has been touring the world for 25 years, leaving concertgoers with clothing soaked in blood and other bodily fluids (fake, of course). They murder monsters onstage, sacrifice celebrities and politicians, and encourage their fans to beat the holy hell out of each other. That's all well and good, but what really concerned me as a gaming journalist was whether or not they'd ever be able to experience Kinect for Xbox 360. Considering that they are alien creatures that are constantly adorned with spikes, gladiator gear, and codpieces made out of alien sea creatures (yes, that's what that thing is), I wasn't sure if Kinect's technology would be able to sense them. There was only one way to find out, so I invited them to our office." [Does Kinect Work If You Are GWAR?]

And though Gwar did end up playing that 12/26 NYC show, the snow stopped them from making it up to Vermont right after that. The rescheduled Higher Ground date is 2/22 (right between Brooklyn and NJ). More dates TBA? Full tour dates now announced and listed below...

Continue reading "GWAR playing MHOW (and other dates)"

by BBG

Snapcase

It's 1PM in Texas and I just tied a bandana around my face before its time to get down to business. I'm not some outlaw out to rob a bank and hop on a speeding stagecoach; With the dry dirt and the hordes of kids in full-on circle-pit/floorpunch mode, a bandana or a surgical mask is a key tool in dealing with the clouds of dust that form around the chaos.

Chaos it was, off-stage that is, as the crowd popped for the likes of Suicidal Tendencies, Snapcase, Dwarves, Municipal Waste, Gwar, Mastodon and others on Fun Fun Fun Fest's Black Stage (where I spent a good bit of my time). Though I wandered to the Orange Stage to catch amazing performances from Cap'n Jazz, The Hold Steady & Descendents (among many others) and the Blue Stage to catch scorching shows from Big Freedia, Pharoahe Monch, Dam-Funk, and A-Trak, but it was the Black Stage where I caught pretty much every single band in action.

And that's a lot! One of the great things about the Black and Orange stages is that they are actually TWO stages each. A band will finish their set, and then on a stage right next to it, another band will line check and play. Times between bands varied (due to set time length and on occasion, technical difficulties), but there were moments when it was as low as 5 minutes between sets. More music and less downtime.

I started out my Saturday (11/6) with Black Congress, whose powerful post-hardcore impressed the early crowd. Hatred Surge followed, and even with a new singer in tow, the brutality has stayed a constant. Power Trip was next, and they do crossover-thrash that is less DRI/ Municipal Waste, and more serious/furious. Bands this good shouldn't play this early.

I'm very picky about sung vocals and punk rock, so it's sort of no surprise that I didn't care for either Bad Religion (who had no guitar in the mix for the first three songs), The Briggs or The Vandals, but I did enjoy what I saw of Strike Anywhere's live set (even though I am not into their recorded output). Dreadlocked singer Thomas Barnett is as energetic a frontman as I would see on the Black Stage all weekend, and really added tremendous power to the band's melodic hardcore.

Muncipal Waste (more here)

Strike Anywhere is from Richmond, and the band got a "Richmond represent" shout out from the great Municipal Waste that day. The band thrashed their way through one of my favorite sets of the afternoon, complete with thrown trash cans, a wall of death, stage diving, and an "execution" courtesy of fellow Richmond band Gwar. Gwar was fun in a kitschy way and delivered a great set later in the day, but the crowd energy and the precision of MW's live show was the most memorable.

Also on the Black stage were Valient Thorr and The Casualties who both delivered energetic sets, with the latter giving a crusty spin on the Ramones classic "Blitzkrieg Bop". The mohawk-ed kids went ape, and a wall of death, which was later faux-mocked by Municipal Waste when they initiated their own wall of death, was called upon by vocalist Jorge Herrera.

On the Orange stage, I managed to catch Woven Bones, The Appleseed Cast, and Jeff The Brotherhood. Jeff The Brotherhood is a staple of the small stage in NYC, so it was a bit odd to hear that guitar tone blaring out of 50 feet of PA speakers. Odd, but no less fun/impressive.

Along with Municipal Waste, Big Freedia was another one of my favorite sets of the day. Her nonsense odes to ass, ass, and ass-clapping were a pure sugar-rush and left 90% of the crowd in hilarious amazement and the other 10% with a big old "WTF" look. The Freedia set was tamer than her usual appearances, but no matter, it was still much fun and much booty-shakin. Dam-Funk would also get the crowd moving on that same stage hours later.

Seeing Big Freedia meant missing a good portion of Cap'n Jazz, who announced on stage that Fun Fun Fun would be their last show. Unbelieveably kinetic and powerful, Cap'n Jazz reminds me that emo is short for "emotional" and not just a psuedonym for pop-crossover. Mesmerizing and awesome.

Peelander-Z

Sunday (11/7) was a late start for me, so I got to the venue to see the tail end of Junius (who played 2nd, after Eagle Claw on the Black Stage). They're a band I'm very familiar with for their latter-Isis crunch-and-clean vocals steelo. It was surprisingly the next band that really got me going: Peelander-Z. With a large crowd looking on, Peelander-Z delivered an incredible mix of energy, stage presence, audience participation, fun and simple song-craft, and plain old good times. They played from the crowd. They stage dove. They led the audience in a giant game of limbo. They had a footrace. Totally fun.

I have a lot of recent experience seeing OFF!, High on Fire, Kylesa, Floor, Mastodon, and The Bronx, who all played the Black Stage that day. All gave predictably excellent shows though Kylesa in particular seemed a bit more energetic that usual (lots of Laura pogoing). It might have been the fact that FFF marked the end of their US tour with Torche and High on Fire, but they were particularly good on that sweltering Sunday afternoon. Floor was great as usual, though I enjoyed them more at Red 7 later that night... possibly because their music felt like a bookend to a great weekend. Both High on Fire and Mastodon's setlist delved into all of their recorded efforts which, as a long time fan, was comforting.

I'm not particularly scared of anyone, but Human Furnace of Ringworm gives me the shakes. His gravelly voice propels the rest of the Clevo-hardcore band forward and blew my mind that afternoon. They were one of my highlights of the day, and if I had only seen them and Snapcase on Sunday, I would have been content.

If my dad listened to modern music anymore, he would go apeshit for The Hold Steady. The band cranked out a crunchy Springsteen-esque set and sounded better than I have ever heard them before. Though they were killing on the Orange stage, I made the hard decision to bounce to catch the rest of Suicidal Tendencies' set.

Nothing against Mike Muir, but he isn't in the same shape that John Joseph of the Cro-Mags is (Muir and the rest of the known universe). No matter, it doesn't stop him from zigging and zagging back and forth on stage as the rest of Suicidal Tendencies runs through hits like "You Can't Bring Me Down" and "I Saw Your Mommy". High energy stuff; I can't imagine running in circles while trying to recite the words to "Institutionalized". Catch Suicidal and Cro-Mags together at Terminal 5 on November 14th.

If I was to pick two of my favorite sets from Sunday, the winners easily go to Snapcase and Descendents. Snapcase was brutal, technical, confrontational, and totally fun; the crowd gave back every ounce of energy that the band put in. From the opening notes of their third song, "Zombie Transmission" from Progress Through Unlearning, I knew that this was going to be a highlight. We need more shows from Snapcase.

Descendents, who we also need more shows from, are one of the few bands that pass my "no clean vocals in punk rock" test. Their songs are funny without being goofy, melodic without being overtly pop, and driving/hard when they want to be. Classics like "Suburban Home", "Bikeage" and a good portion of Somery, "Everything Sucks" and many of the highlights from that LP, and tons of others all made their way onto the setlist that night. And yes, the band made sure to fit in "All" and "Weinerschnitzel". Too fun, and though I left Mastodon early to catch them, I have no regrets.

As far as pictures go, we already split the fest up into ten other posts, my pictures from Saturday included. This post is number 11 and it includes all my pictures from Sunday (and it is our final set of Fun Fun Fun pics from this year) which continue, below...

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest in review w/ more Day 3 pics (part 4) - Snapcase, Floor Suicidal Tendencies, Kylesa, Ringworm & more"

by BBG

Digital Retribution: When I last interviewed you, you said of the Dead Kennedys reunion, "I thought it was fucking pathetic, though, when The Dead Kennedys went out without Jello as their singer." What I meant to say instead of whatever monosyllabic witticism I spouted is: What's the difference between DK and the reformed Misfits, who GWAR toured with?

Dave Brockie (aka Oderus): I think there is a big difference, but don't expect the original product in either. I like Jerry and I would rather have him out touring and having fun than have him working in his machine shop. You can't blame him for wanting to cash in on how great The Misfits were, and enjoy himself in the process, plus give all of his pals jobs in his crew, and show his kids the time of their lives! So in that aspect, I think Jerry and what's left of The Misfits is cool, as long as you don't go in there expecting to see Glenn Danzig! I feel Jerry has earned the right to do whatever the fuck he wants through 30+ years of dedication to this music. Jerry never lets up, he is always gigging. Whereas the Dead Kennedys thing was just a one-shot money grab. They knew they could get away with it, do a year or two, cash in, and bail...and also, The Misfits actually got away with replacing their singer, with Mike Graves, and did a couple of great records! That was when we toured with them, and that was great! American Psycho is a great fucking album!

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010 - Day Two in pics (part 4) - Gwar, Jeff the Brotherhood, Municipal Waste, Dam-Funk & more"

Tim's complete set of pictures from FFF Fest Saturday are split into two posts: HERE and HERE. A third set, that I took with far inferior skills and camera, but that fills in some blanks and includes stuff like a dude being thrown into a pool filled with thumbtacks, a member of Gwar storming the stage during Municipal Waste's set, and people waiting in line to get Wavves' autograph, continues below...

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010 - Day Two in pics (part 3) - Jacob Calle, Butcher Bear and Charlie, Gwar vs Municipal Waste & more"

photos by Tim Griffin

The Dwarves

Appreciative crowds turned up at all four [Fun Fun Fun Fest] stages [this past weekend], and the festival's vaunted circus atmosphere was out in force -- with plenty of traffic at the mechanical bull, the Eurobungy, the skate ramps and the arcade games set to free play. After a few weeks with unexpected, last-minute cancellations and other problems, Moody said the organizers were able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"All the snafus [like Devo cancelling] happened before the fest. We don't have a record of great luck, you know? Whether it be weather or bands or whatever," said Moody. "So when that kind of thing starts happening you start to wonder, 'Oh (expletive), is this gonna be another year with some weird curveball?' We were just hoping it wasn't a run of bad luck and it wasn't. We got a little bad luck before the festival but all kinds of good luck at the festival."

Even the dust cloud had a silver lining.

"We love the dust this year, because at least it's not raining," Moody said. "We hated the dust when it first happened a few years ago, but after it rained last year we were like 'Bring on the dust!'" [Austin 360]

You saw pictures from Friday night, and the first half of Tim's shots from Saturday (11/6). Here are the rest of that day (with more coming soon). They continue below...

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010 - Day Two in pics (part 2) - Cap'n Jazz, Dwarves, MGMT, Dirty Projectors, GWAR, Delorean & more"

by BBG

Cough at CMJ (more by Keith Marlowe)

Did I book this show and not realize it? Cough will team up with Naam and Batillus to play The Charleston on 12/11. If you missed them at the BV-BBG show, this is an excellent chance to catch Cough in a small (and suuuper loud) environment. Must.

The previously discussed Incantation-plays-all-of-Onward to Golgotha show with Mortician, Funerus, and Fatalist has a new home :Europa on 11/20 (tickets) (a BrooklynVegan/1000Knives production). The show is the day before Gaza teams up with Tiger Flowers and Meek is Murder at Cake Shop.

Nachtmystium will hit Best Buy Theater on March 3rd, 2011 supporting Cradle of Filth, with Turisas and Daniel Lioneye as part of the "Creatures From The Black Abyss Tour" which also hits Starland Ballroom on March 5th . Tickets are on sale. All dates below.

Those looking to get away from their families after Christmas can scoot on down to Best Buy Theater to join Gwar with The Casualties, Infernaeon, and Mobile Deathcamp on 12/26. Tickets are on sale. Both Gwar and The Casualties will also play this weekend at Fun Fun Fun Fest (11/5 - 11/7, tickets). Gwar's new album, Bloody Pit of Horror hits store shelves next week via Metal Blade. They recently appeared on Fallon. Video of that with all dates below.

Speaking of FFFF, Suicidal Tendencies are on tour and will play the fest this weekend and are scheduled to play Terminal 5 on 11/14 with Cro-Mags, Underdog and Death Before Dishonor. Tickets are still available or you can try your luck at winning a pair! Details are at the bottom of this post with updated dates.

Dub Trio will play Mercury Lounge with CSC Funk Band on November 10th. Tickets are on sale.

Great day show at ABC No Rio on 11/13 with Cali killers Punch and Loma Prieta teaming up with the great Vaccine and Death First. Shows start early, and this is a pretty killer bill so get there!

Kayo Dot will support Newspeak at a record release party for the band's new album Sweet Light Crude. loadbang will support at the Littlefield shindig on November 14th. Tickets are on sale for $8 or you can buy entry with a CD for $15.

All tour dates, details on how to enter the Suicidal Tendencies contest, and some video is below.

Continue reading "Cough, Nachtmystium, Suicidal Tendencies, Gwar, Incantation, Kayo Dot, Punch & other upcoming shows & tours"

photos by Gabi Porter

Pete Steele, RIP

Troma leader Lloyd Kaufman, The Toxic Avenger, Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta, Our Lady of PMS, illustrator Tara Mcpherson, "Medical Marijuana activist and werewolf" Adam Green, and "Sexpert and Troll-Museum curator" Reverend Jen were the guests of Oderus Urungus at the MF Gallery in Brooklyn Friday night. The event streamed online though I tried to watch it for a bit and the UStream video quality was too low to be able to enjoy it. On Saturday Kembra Phaler and Andrew WK were among the guests. Dusen Dusen reports...

"i walked in as kembra phaler and oderus were finishing up their previous set, singing "take my breath away" or some other 80s jam that i cant remember. she was all dressed up in her usual garb (paint), but with clothes, which was weird...

...they pretty much got drunk and treated andrew wk like a piano bar. they sang songs by billy joel, the eagles, the beatles, and closed with john lennon's "give peace a chance," but instead "give crack a chance." the crack rock got tethered to my chair and it hit me in the back of the head at least 3 times. "

Continue reading "Gwar Crack-a-thon night 1 in pictures (and a bit about night 2)"

"Fund-raising spectacular CRACK-A-THON set to be unleashed this Friday and Saturday nights! Watch it all stream live at CRACKATHON.TV. Join the "Crack-Munity" and donate your hard-earned cash for a truly great cause...your entertainment future! With a final flourish, GWAR prepares to forever change the face of fund-raising, with their CRACK-A-THON 2010! With less than 24 hours left until the beginning of the all-free web-streaming event, the MF Gallery was the scene of laconic activity as drug-addled slaves lurched about, all seemingly clueless. But this final schedule of celebrity guests was nevertheless semi-enthusiastically announced!

Continue reading "Gwar Crack-A-Thon this weekend (stream it) - full schedule, all guests & more 2010 tour dates announced"

Gwar fan @ MWTX (more by Leia Jospe)

Gwar is playing Starland Ballroom in NJ on June 18th. Tickets are on sale at noon.

Tickets are now on "Live Nation Presale" (no password required?) (or else password = popstar) for the Broken Bells / Morning Benders show at Irving Plaza. General sale begins Saturday at 10am.

Tickets are on sale at noon for Nas/Damian Marley show at Williamsburg Waterfront.

As previously mentioned, Josh Ritter has added a 3rd NYC show to accompany the two he's playing at Town Hall in in May. The new one happens May 22nd at the more intimate Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn and tickets go on sale at noon.

Tickets are on sale at noon for Camera Obscura's upcooming show at Grand Ballroom.

Tickets are on sale at noon for Jay Farrar's show at Bowery Ballroom.

Tickets are on sale at noon for They Might Be Giants at Town Hall.

Tickets are on sale at noon for the 2nd Black Keys show (with The Morning Benders) at Central Park Summerstage.

Tickets are on sale at noon for Metric's show at Terminal 5

Tickets are still on sale for one LCD Soundsystem show at Terminal 5 (one is sold out).

Tickets are still on sale for The Clean at the Bell House.

Phish tickets went/are going on sale today and tomorrow.

photos by Leia Jospe

Preparations for GWAR's CRACK-A-THON continue as another round of celebrity-esque guests have been announced. Sources revealed that host Oderus Urungus will be joined by legendary weirdo, filmmaker, and founder of Troma Films, Lloyd Kaufman, who will of course be accompanied by mutant mop-wielder and star of stage and screen, The Toxic Avenger. Also fresh on the block of unwitting victims/guests is New York artist Joe Simko and cyber-warlord Mecronos of the band Dethrace. These guests will be joining the first confirmed guest Andrew W.K. and the many other yet-to-be-confirmed sort of stars that are rapidly turning the CRACK-A-THON into the most fudge-packed event since the Buddy Ebsen roast!

All the fun starts on April 10th, when the MF Gallery in Brooklyn, N.Y. hosts the CRACK-A-THON kickoff party, which will feature an exhibit of prints of both classic GWAR art and other hideous visions created by some of the artists of Slave Pit Inc, the company responsible for bringing the world GWAR, the X-Cops, and numerous other side projects to ridiculous to mention in this press release. This print series is being created exclusively for MF Gallery and will also be available for purchase online at MFGallery.net. The evening shall be capped off with the music of Mecronos' band, Dethrace, and homeless animal rights activist and avowed organ-grinder Chippy the Chippopotamus!

All of this is just a lead-up to the actual First Annual (even though that is impossible) GWAR CRACK-A-THON, Oderus Urungus' desperate attempt to raise funds to pay off the heaping crack-debt he owes to underground mogul Sleazy P. Martini. Starting at 7:00 pm on April 16th, anyone with internet access will be able to witness all of the shenanigans, via a live broadcast from the MF Gallery in Brooklyn, New York. For those of you in the area, reserve your seats NOW to be in the live studio audience with a ten-dollar pledge!

Continue reading "GWAR announces Crack-A-Thon guests, played MWTX (pics) "

by Dominick Mastrangelo

SXSW Day Three started over at the free Dickies Sounds Day Party. Free silk-screened posters with all the bands playing that day (including She & Him and Surfer Blood at the official showcase that night) were printed up and handed out on the spot. People played ping pong next to the house while around the corner Greg Laswell played a few new songs, several old ones, as well as his incredibly depressing take on Cyndi Lauper's "Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun". After a quick dash over to the convention center it was back to Dickies, where there was suddenly a long line, to catch the all-girl quartet, Warpaint, who were fantastic. Then Rogue Wave closed out the day portion. I still can't get excited about their new record, but live Zach Rogue and his newly configured lineup have it down and the crowd we're into it from the start. The highlight being "Lake Michigan" and a slow-building, two-minute intro.

For the evening I set up camp at the Mohawk for the Slumberland/Cake Shop Showcase. Sheffield's indiepop trio Standard Fare opened inside and their performance was great. A better batch of indie pop songs you'll be hard-pressed to find this year. Philadelphia drum-guitar duo Reading Rainbow were next and another indie pop band, the excellent Summer Cats (from Australia), followed. Frankie Rose and the Outs were up next with their hazy, lo-fi rock. I skipped out after that to nip over to the Galaxy Backyard to catch The Antlers (completely forgetting I would see them the following afternoon at another Party.) Their third show of the festival and they just nailed it. People around me who had not heard of them were won over after just one song (the increasingly uptempo "Sylvia".) By the end, one girl put her hands up in the shape of a heart right in front of Peter Silberman, eliciting a smile from the frontman mid-verse. From there it was a quick dash back up Red River to the Mohawk where both inside and outside were at capacity with Miike Snow about to go on outside (followed by Mayer Hawthorne, neither of who I caught) and Pains of Being Pure at Heart inside. "Welcome to the Cake Shop," said Kip Berman at the start of the New York indie pop band's set, pointing at the Cake Shop banner on the wall behind them.

Day One HERE. Day Two HERE. Day Three continued below....

Continue reading "SXSW 2010 day 3 in pics & review (Pains of Being Pure of Heart, Rogue Wave, Antlers, Cake Shop, Warpaint, more) "