photos by Jason House

...lo and behold, to my amazement, after Saturday's show, I've now seen The Gories do their thing threefold. And each time has been better than the last, as if they've picked up where they left off to become meaner and leaner. This time, they started with the obvious ("Hey, Hey We're The Gories"), but as they announced, tonight's performance delved into lesser known cuts from singles and comps. As such, we heard their wooly version of The Keggs' "To Find Out" (included on Crypt's Back from the Grave, Volume 2) and "You Little Nothing," which showed off Kroha's wily vocals. That same approach, with Dan taking lead instead of Mick, made "I Think I've Had It" standout early on too.

Still, it was the combination of Collins' tenor and the thumping hipshake on the band's best known tracks that proved to be the highlights. It is hard to think of a cut more pure in its intent than "Feral," a near-perfect dissertation on the evils of the fairer sex, while the potency of "Sovereignty Flight" has never been measured by its number of chords. While the band joked about its lack of skill and even still managed to start a song in different keys from one another, it's always been the manner in which it tapped into R&R's central nervous system that defined them... [Agit Reader]

More pictures and setlists from the Brooklyn show below...

Continue reading "The Gories played the Bell House with Mark Sultan & the Mighty Fine (pics)"

by BBG

Saint Vitus @ Irving Plaza in 2011 (more by BBG)

Chaos in Tejas (May 31-June 3 in Austin) have announced ANOTHER batch of bands to add to their ridiculous lineup including Saint Vitus, Church of Misery, No Statik, Toys That Kill, Pegasus, Martial Canterel, Anasazi, Bloodwing (mems of The Spits, who are on tour soon), Harm's Way, Hatred Surge, the Hex Dispensers, John Wesley Coleman, Joyce Manor, and many many others. The current full lineup and flyer is below and tickets are FINALLY going on sale TODAY (1/31).

Doom legends Saint Vitus are currently preparing their new LP Lillie: F-65 for Season of Mist. The record, their eighth and first in seventeen years (!), is tentatively set for release at the end of March. More details are forthcoming.

In related news, members of Mind Eraser also serve as personnel in Magic Circle, another Chaos in Tejas band. Look for Magic Circle to team with Pilgrim (who we recently interviewed), Windhand, and Natur at Public Assembly on March 1st.

The updated Chaos in Tejas lineup is below along with the flyer.

Continue reading "Chaos in Tejas 2012 expands again; tickets on sale today"

by BBG

Dropdead at Europa (more by Keith Marlowe)

Chaos in Tejas have announced another round of bands for their 2012 shindig (first round here), including rare appearances from legendary post-hardcore band Moss Icon (a one-time only reunion), as well as Japan's Reality Crisis and Skizophrenia (their only US dates), and repeat offenders/favorites like Dropdead, Municipal Waste, Midnight, Ares Kingdom, Puerto Rico Flowers, Xeno & Oaklander, Thou, the Rival Mob, Boston Strangler, Crazy Spirit, Brain Killer, Power Trip, Wiccans (who just played one of the final shows at Emo's), and many many others. A full list of additions and the new flyer is below.

Since the original announcement, two previously announced bands have dropped off the original lineup: Mexican black metal band Nyogthaeblisz disappeared from the lineup after their anti-Islamic/Semitic/Abrahamic stance and involvement in known NSBM (National Socialist) label Satanic Skinhead was pointed out by a few blogs. That led to Antisect and The Mob even threatening to not play. Word then spread that Disma's Craig Pillard released nazi-glorifying records under the name Sturmfuhrer. Disma then dropped out as well due to "the drama" that ensued. Craig would not comment on the matter, but other members of Disma say he has changed.

In related news, Thou will hit the road for a string of dates with The Body this week on the West Coast. Both bands will also be at the inaugural Gilead Media festival (chaired by the Gilead Media label) in Oshkosh, Wi on 4/28 and 4/29 which will feature appearances from (in alphabetical order) Arms Aloft, Aseethe, Ash Borer, Baby Boy, Darger + Plague Mother, False, Fell Voices, Get Rad, Hell, Loss, Mutilation Rites, Northless, Protestant, A Scanner Darkly, and Sleepwalker. More details are available at the site.

All tour dates, new additions to Chaos in Tejas, and the show flyer is all below.

Continue reading "Chaos in Tejas adds bands & loses some due to controversy; Gilead Media launches festival"

Mark Sultan in Austin (more by Tim Griffin)

Back in October, even before he played the Norton party at The Bell House, Mark Sultan (aka BBQ) told Spinner:

"I understand and appreciate instantaneous music and artforms in general," he maintains. "But I will say a lot of that is so phony to me. To talk about dubstep, for example: Maybe that's cutting edge for the next month in Williamsburg, but the fact is, I call bulls--- and I don't believe you. I think you're doing that just to be part of something that's popular for the moment, and if you want to take art as disposable fashion, that's your business. But I don't."

To be clear, I don't even know dubstep. I am a hypocrite. I also like to lie. Live however you wanna live. I realize it's better to print the worst parts of interviews, but I honestly don't think I am better or worse than anyone - just living my life. I enjoy being facetious and if that gets you to listen to my music, I'm happy, cuz it seems there is no other way.

Xray Eyeballs also play the Cake Shop show tonight, either before or after they play Brooklyn Bowl with the Dum Dum Girls (yes, they play twice tonight). Speaking of, the above picture was actually taken at a show in Austin that Mark played with the Dum Dum Girls.

Mark has a new video for "Graveyard Eyes" that features Jared Swilley of the Black Lips. You can watch it below...

Continue reading "Prince of dubstep Mark Sultan is on tour, back in NYC, plays with Xray Eyeballs (at one of their two shows)"

photos by Jason House

Great Gaylord @ the Bell House

After a raucous, sold-out first night of Norton's 25th Anniversary celebration at the Bell House, the party continued at the Brooklyn venue on Friday (11/11) where once again the night was opened by The Nor-Tones ("Norton's all-employee band includes members of the Little Killers, Daddy Long Legs, Stalkers, Girls At Dawn and LiveFastDie playing the hits of the Norton catalog.")

Night two also featured a set by mysterious cover band the Condo Fucks (aka Yo La Tengo) with Great Gaylord ("the Greatest Lousy Singer of all time"?). For the Condo Fucks it was their second NYC show in a short amount of time, though their first one at Mercury Lounge was sans Gaylord. Yo La Tengo will play eight more sold out shows over Hanukkah at Maxwell's (where Sunday's Norton show headliner The Sonics played on Saturday).

Also on the Friday night bill, some of which fell under the "R&B/Soul revue" umbrella, was Jackie and the Cedrics, a new lineup of Greg Cartwright's band Reigning Sound (featuring members of The Jay Vons), Mark Sultan (aka BBQ whose old partner King Khan played the night before), Lonnie Youngblood and the Bloodhounds with special guest Mick Collins (of the Gories and the Dirtbombs) on guitar, The Mighty Hannibal, Andre Williams (who also stopped by the night before), and Happy Organ man Dave "Baby" Cortez on keys.

More pictures and videos from most of Friday's bash, below...

Continue reading "Norton Records party @ the Bell House - night 2 pics & video (Condo Fucks, Reigning Sound, Mark Sultan, Mighty Hannibal & more)"

photos by Tim Griffin

Mark Sultan @ the Mohawk

Mark Sultan (also known as BBQ) is welcoming three new releases via In The Red in October. Two are vinyl LPs titled Whenever I Want and Whatever I Want, and one is an abridged version called Whatever / Whenever, seven songs from each combined on one CD, due on 10/25. Check out "Song in Grey" from Whatever I Want and the companion CD, below.

Sultan will celebrate with a string of North American dates that will kick off just two days later, heading from coast to coast and including a stop in Puerto Rico. Look for Mark Sultan to hit NYC at The Bell House on November 11 (part of the Norton Records anniversary celebration) and Cake Shop on December 1. All tour dates are below.

In related news, Mark Sultan recently reunited with his former bandmates in Les Sexareenos at Pop Montreal over the weekend. Sultan describes the reunion as "just a bunch of friends playing for kicks" but hints at a possible new single in the works.

Sultan also recently performed his second show ever as The Ding Dongs, his band with Bloodshot Bill (who plays the Norton party at the Bell House with The Sonics). The "newly revamped" Sultan Records will release a four-song EP from The Ding Dongs in the near future, though no definite date has been released.

Sultan recently opened for the Dum Dum Girls at the Mohawk in Austin. A set of unpublished pictures from that show is also in this post. More of them with the song and dates below...

Continue reading "Mark Sultan releasing stuff, touring (new song, dates & a set of belated pics from the Mohawk)"

"The Sonics? Wow!" - Anonymous | May 15, 2009 9:52 AM

Classic NYC garage rock label Norton Records will celebrate their 25th Anniversary over the course of four nights at The Bell House (Nov 10-13). The shows feature some pretty incredible artists, including most notably The Sonics, whose 1965 garage rock classic Here Are The Sonics is regarded by some as the first punk rock album. Norton Records reissued the album in 1999. The Sonics headline the last night (11/13) of the run. Tickets are on sale now for all four nights.

Tickets are also on sale for a daytime Sonics show happening November 12th at Maxwell's. You can hit this show and still not miss the show later that night at the Bell House. Sunday during the day is the Brooklyn Record Riot at Warsaw.

The Sonics need no introduction, but those not familiar should consider that Kurt Cobain said in a Nardwuar interview that "They got the most amazing drum sound I've ever heard. Still to this day, it's still my favorite drum sound. It sounds like he's hitting harder than anyone I've ever known." The White Stripes call them the "epitome of '60s punk," "harder than The Kinks," and say that "life becomes better after buying a Sonics record." Newer band Japandroids love them too, and say, "When you listen to it, even at low volumes, it sounds like it's blasting. And I like how you can feel they would melt your face if you saw them live." Don't sleep on catching them live. Last time they were in NYC was 2007. Who saw them at Warsaw? How was it? Check out videos from a December 2010 KEXP appearance below.

Fellow '60s garage rock vets ? and the Mysterians, best known for their 1966 single "96 Tears," headline the night before them. Other noteworthy bands include The Real Kids, led by John Felice of the The Modern Lovers, and The Randy Fuller Four. Randy Fuller was part of his brother's group The Bobby Fuller Four in the 1960s, who recorded the first successful version of the single "I Fought the Law," popularly covered by The Clash. Folllowing Bobby's untimely death in 1966 at age 23, Randy took over the group, which he renamed The Randy Fuller Four.

Reigning Sound, Mark Sultan (BBQ), The Condo Fucks, A-Bones, Flamin Groovies.... there are so many people on these bills, it's too much to list. Full lineup and some videos, below...

Continue reading "Norton Records anniversary shows happening at the Bell House, two Sonics shows too!"

So much shit is coming up for me this year. I am pretty excited. Let's see... By the time anyone reads this, you may know that The King Khan & BBQ Show played a secret (albeit chaotic and disasterous, but FUN) reunion show in Venice, Italy. We are both back to 'normal' and are brothers once more. Expect a new single this fall, I think. We discussed it. Even some Almighty Defenders talk.... Who knows about that one, though. So, ya, I will be playing a few random shows in June in a few US cities and also a couple in Mexico. Two new albums are coming out for me this year on In The Red. The first, 'Whatever I Want', will have 14 songs and come with free download code to side A of my album '$' from last year, which was handled horribly and which I now have back as my own. Maybe people will actually find it when In The Red rereleases the vinyl next year. The second album, 'Whenever I Want', will come out at the end of 2011. It contains 12 songs and has free download codes to side B of '$'. The CD version of it is 14 songs long and will be a mix of stuff from both albums. Guests include: Jared and Cole from Black Lips, Choyce, Erin from The Spits, Danny from The Gories and more! Covers of Ultravox, Four Lords, The Stains, etc..! I'll also be putting songs up online incrementally in the future on my website. Dunno if I'll bother announcing them.
Somewhere in the midst of all of that will be a split 7" on Hozac with Black Lips, as well as a 7" EP on my label! Yes, I have revamped the damn thing - Sultan Records - and will start releasing stuff SOON. First few things: my 7" EP, a Black Lips/ King Khan & The Shrines 7", and hopefully something by Red Mass. Nice! Also this summer, recording a new Dong-Dongs album with Bloodshot Bill, I think. In September, shows in Brazil, Chile and Peru. And then in the Fall, a fullscale US tour, including Alaska and Puerto Rico (hopefully). Lastly, don't forget to get my 'Calloused Hands/Git It' limited, hand screened, coloured vinyl etc 7" OUT NOW here. - Mark Sultan

BBQ also announed a US mini-tour which includes a NYC date at Knitting Factory on June 24th with Bleeding Knees Club, and Daddy Long Legs. Tickets are on sale. All dates and a video below.

King Khan also has some dates coming up though none on the east coast, unless you cound Bruise Cruise 2012 which sails out of Florida. All of his date also below...

Continue reading "BBQ aka Mark Sultan is friends with King Khan again, releasing stuff, playing shows (dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Mark Sultan - The Wind (Nolan Strong cover) (MP3)

Mark Sultan at Bowery Ballroom in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

With King Khan and BBQ apparently going their separate ways, BBQ (aka Mark Sultan) has scheduled a one-man-band tour of his own.

King Khan and BBQ were originally scheduled to play shows this month, including one at the Bell House, but those were all cancelled and an October King Khan and the Shrines tour quickly showed up instead.

Now Mark 'BBQ' Sultan, who released his new LP $ via Last Gang Records (Metric's label) earlier this year, has an October tour of his own including an October 16th early show at Mercury Lounge in NYC. Tickets for that show are on sale now. The tour ends with Mark opening a bunch of dates for Deer Tick.

Mark also has a track on a new Nolan Strong tribute album. Nolan was a 50's R&B singer, and his fans (other artists who contributed songs to the album) include Lenny Kaye, Reigning Sound, Gentleman Jesse, A-Bones, and the Dirtbombs. Order the album at The Wind Records. Grab Mark's track for free above.

Full comp tracklist, Mark's new NSFW video for "Status", and all tour dates below...

Continue reading "Mark 'BBQ' Sultan plans a tour (dates), makes NSFW video, contributes to Nolan Strong tribute comp (MP3)"

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: The Almighty Defenders - Bow Down and Die (MP3)

It's supergroup day on BrooklynVegan. Some of it is catch up news. We have a new MP3 and tour dates from the new Black Keys-related Drummer band, and then there's the signing of Dum Dum Girls whose first live show over the weekend brought together member of four other bands. Jack White's new supergroup The Dead Weather is streaming their new album today, and we finally did a post on the Monsters of Folk album (Bright Eyes+My Morning Jacket+M Ward). Supergroups are not to be confused with side projects which were sort of a theme today too - first with Wolf Parade-related Handsome Furs, and then the Mazzy Star/My Bloody Valentine-related Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions (which I guess could be considered a supergroup too). Next up....

The Almighty Defenders (Black Lips + King Khan + BBQ)

The Almighty Defenders, a meeting of might between Atlanta garage goblins The Black Lips, Berlin-based soul punker King Khan, and Mr. BBQ himself, Mark Sultan. Conceived during the Lips' Berlin exile (after their VBS-documented ejection from India), the band's self-titled debut is a madcap, liquor-drenched revival, a blissfully fucked up realization of one of garage rock's most fitting collaborations. "Bow Down And Die," the "booming, chivalrous third song," is an off kilter, beer-swilling chant-along that borrows just as much from choral church music as it does from skuzzball rock n roll.

No tour dates for the Almighty Defenders yet, but The Black Lips will be at the July 26th Williamsburg Waterfront Pool Party, playing with Health, Grupo Fantasma and Trail of Dead. The Black Lips are actually one of the only artists to play a 'Pool Party' two years in a row. Ironically(?), when they played last year, it was on the same bill as King Khan. Maybe they'll bring him along again, or maybe they should just make an Almighty Defenders show which would be cool.

The Black Lips are also playing a few other festivals this summer, including Pitchfork Fest and Seattle's Capitol Hill Block Party. The band was recently featured on the soundtrack of the Gael Garcia Bernal & Diego Luna film Rudo Y Cursi, which came out in May. That disc includes contributions by Devendra Banhart, Juana Molina (who's playing tonight, July 8th, in Central Park) and even Bernal himself. Album art and tracklist for that below.

Bernal is hardly the only actor getting into music these days. Dead Man's Bones, the combo of actors Zach Shields and Ryan Gosling, is set to release a self-titled album, produced by Tim Anderson of I'm A Robot, October 6th on Anti-. Silverlake Conservatory Children's Choir, who you can see below, also pitched in vocals. Two videos of the band are below.

You can catch a different kind of supergroup in NYC at the Bowery Ballroom on August 1st. Dangerous, an "All Metal Tribute To Michael Jackson," features members of Tragedy (the "Heavy Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees" who are playing the Beach at Governors Island this summer) and the 2 Skinnee Js. Tickets to that are on sale now.

And if that's not enough...

Members of Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age are working together on a new project...The as-yet-unnamed supergroup unites Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, and lead Foo Fighter (né Nirvana drummer) Dave Grohl. The trio are presently in Los Angeles, recording their debut album.[Guardian UK]

Check out Almighty Defenders videos, album art and tracklist, with Rudo Y Cursi album info and Dead Man's Bones videos, below...

Continue reading "Supergroup day continues: Zeppelin/Grohl/QOTSA, Almighty Defenders (Black Lips+King Khan), Dead Man's Bones, more"

DOWNLOAD: King Khan and The Shrines - Torture (MP3)

King Khan & the Shrines @ SSSEaport (more by Jason Bergman)

If you don't know by now, King Khan basically releases music and tours with two separate soulful garage rock projects. There is the simpler, punkier King Khan and BBQ Show, and the more complex (9-12 members) and psychedelic King Khan and the Shrines.

BBQ, when not calling himself BBQ or one of many other pseudonyms, goes by his real name Mark Sultan. And when not playing with KK or with one of his other bands, or running his own label, he is out performing solo. In the past year, KK & BBQ (in all their various incarnations) have been touring, and performing plenty in NYC. And King Khan has been showing up on stage with his friends almost anywhere he happens to be when he isn't playing himself. Each and every time he leaves people talking about his crazy antics and outfits, probably more so than about the music itself. Regardless, it's usually a good time (if you let it be).

We will get a taste again this May when King Khan and the Shrines hit the road with Mark Sultan for an east-to-west coast tour that currently includes three NYC-area shows. Tickets are on sale for all of them: Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on May 1st, Maxwell's in Hoboken on May 2nd, and Santos Party House in Manhattan in May 3rd. The tour will be in support of their 2007 album "What Is?!" that "is finally getting a proper domestic release on April 21" via Vice Records.

King Khan & the Shrines are also playing some dates in the South in March (they were supposed to play Langerado) which then turns into their previously-announced tour-to-SXSW with Golden Triangle. All dates below...

Continue reading "King Khan & the Shrines - 2009 Tour Dates w/ Mark Sultan (BBQ), SXSW, What Is?!"