by BBG

Testors in 1977

"Testors erupted on the New York scene at the epicenter of the punk rock explosion in 1976. Little has been known about this band until now, due to their fiery temperament and desire to burn every bridge in sight. Their incendiary sound consisted of dueling guitar noise, scrappy garage bashing and Sonny Vincent's street poetry. Their earliest recordings are considerably tougher, louder and more desparate than any other music made at the time (or since!). Testors were a beautiful mess. Absolutely one of the most raw, catastrophic, and shocking bands to ever grace the stage of Max's Kansas City and CBGB's during the mid-70s punk heyday." [Swami Records]

Testors will return to the stage for a "sneak preview performance in NYC" on April 9th at the Delancey, one of two reunion shows scheduled for the band that will feature the "original '77 line-up". The second show will see Sonny Vincent and his band at the Atlanta Mess Around Festival on April 16, where the band will will join Oblivians, Subsonics, Hunx & His Punx, Mind Spiders, and many many others.

The full lineup for the Altanta Mess Around Festival and some Testors videos below...

Continue reading "Testors reuniting for Mess Around Festival (and a NYC show)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: White Wires - Pretty Girl (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: White Wires - Ha Ha Holiday (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: White Wires - Did You Forget My Name? (MP3)

White Wires @ SXSW

I think the single best SXSW 2010 performance by a band I hadn't seen before had to have been Canadians The White Wires, who I caught at the Trouble in Mind party at the Longbranch Inn (my vote for Worst Bathroom at SXSW 2010).  The Ottawa trio ripped it up with a short, sharp set of hook-laden rock n' roll that reminded me a lot of late '70s new wave -- think the Nerves, Rezillos or even Tom Petty. Despite being mid-afternoon, they had the crowd dancing and left me wanting more. Seriously awesome.

This week, there's finally more. On their way down to this year's Atlanta Mess-Around (April 23-25), The White Wires are stopping at Cake Shop on Thursday (4/22) where they'll play alongside Alabama's also-good Thomas Function and locals We Are Country Mice. The show is put on by Daed Pizza which is a new label/party night from the Cake Shop/Bruar Falls folks. It's White Wires' only NYC performance, so don't miss it.

There are three White Wires MP3 to download above: "Ha Ha Holiday" from their debut LP which came out last year on Douchemaster Records; "Pretty Girl," the killer A-side to their single on 7"-only label Trouble in Mind; and "Did You Forget My Name" from their upcoming album on Dirtnap Records.

Thomas Function also play on Friday (4/23) at Monster Island with Harlem and Girls at Dawn -- that's a good show too. All tour dates for White Wires and Thomas Function, the full Mess-Around linep, plus some videos, below...

Continue reading "White Wires play NYC, with Thomas Function & this weekend's Atlanta's Mess-Around - MP3s, videos & 2010 dates "