photos by Markus Shaffer

Helms Alee @ the Charleston

Helms Alee have started a Kickstarter to raise dough for a video for "8/16" the track off of their new LP Weatherhead (stream it in full). The band is halfway to their goal, so help them get there if you can. Check out a promo video for the video below.

Helms Alee played TWO shows on Wednesday night (7/20), starting with a support slot at Music Hall of Williamsburg with Torche/Big Business and concluding with an unannounced appearance at The Charleston with NYC faves The Austerity Program. The show, which was advertised as "Special Hydra Head Guest" (the band's label, Hydra HEad Records), was announced after their Music Hall of Williamsburg appearance via Twitter.

Pictures from MHOW are forthcoming, but until then, check out pictures from The Charleston, that Kickstarter video, and all tour dates below.

Continue reading "Helms Alee played a secret show @ the Charleston w/ the Austerity Program (pics), raising money for a video"

by BBG

Disma at Union Pool last year (more by BBG)

The previously discussed August 6th mega-record release at Saint Vitus for Disma with Coffinworm, an exclusive east coast appearance from Loss, and Oak will be a whopper of a show, and now tickets are on sale. Get 'em while you can. Meanwhile, Disma's mammoth new LP Towards The Megalith is due via Profound Lore next week and you can stream one new track, "Purulent Quest", for the first time below!

Raw Nerve, who ripped it at Chaos in Tejas, will team with White Load and Brain Slug to play Acheron on 7/24. Raw Nerve have a new LP and EP available now at Youth Attack. Speaking of Youth Attack, Mark McCoy's band Failures will play 538 Johnson on 7/31 with Vaccine, Confines, and Salvation. McCoy's other band Veins played the venue last week with Ceremony.

Reminder, tonight (7/8) is the return of Sourvein (who blessed our 2009 Northside showcase) at Saint Vitus with Kings Destroy, Strong Intention, Pristina, and Night Bitch. Cannabis Corpse has unfortunately dropped off.

The Austerity Program has scheduled a late show at The Charleston on 7/20 with a "special surprise guest". No word on who exactly it is, but we have our suspicions...

Ramming Speed will team with Barn Burner and Natur for a show at Saint Vitus on 7/31 as part of a larger tour for the former two. Their tour dates are below.

More suggested shows and some classic video from Dystopia, Keelhaul, Diocletian, and Benumb is below. What did we miss?

Continue reading "Evillive (Disma, Raw Nerve, Ramming Speed, Sourvein, Austerity Program & more)"

words & photos by BBG

After an awesome show the night before at Public Assembly, Coliseum played a second show in Brooklyn at Union Pool last night/Sunday (5/15), this time with The Austerity Program, The Year is One, and Masakari who was added to the bill late on Saturday night, and ended up playing four shows during their two-night NYC stay (Public Assembly, ABC No Rio, and C-Squat as well).

If you missed Coliseum last night or Saturday, it may be some time before you catch them again. Guitarist/vocalist Ryan Patterson announced that this tour would be their last for a while, as the band is taking some time to focus on their follow-up to their well-crafted LP House With A Curse.

Seeing Coliseum twice this past weekend confirmed what I already knew, that this Louisville band has a deep and varied catalog that not only destroys, but also challenges. Coliseum could easily churn out record after record of well-crafted by-the-books d-beat, but they want more. And with their excellent songwriting, I think they'll get it. It'll be interesting to see where Patterson & the boys take it next.

More pictures from Union Pool below...

Continue reading "Coliseum, The Austerity Program, The Year is One & Masakari played Union Pool (pics)"

by BBG

Art for the Superchunk/Coliseum split

Now that Coliseum has given their epic Goddamage EP a revamp (a must, if you don't have it already), the band is currently tearing up the streets of the EU with Rise Against. After returning from that trek, Ryan Patterson & the boys will hit the US highways/byways for a string of US dates that will include NYC twice: May 14th at Public Assembly with Gods & Queens & May 15th at Union Pool with The Austerity Program. Both shows are presented by BrooklynVegan/1000Knives.

Coliseum are waving their (black) flag in support of Record Store Day, and will team up with Superchunk to release a split 7" of Misfits covers. Limited to 2000 copies in three colorways (yellow, magenta, black), Superchunk will take on "Horror Business" while Coliseum tears down "Bullet". The 7" is not the first time that Coliseum has paid tribute to Danzig, as Coliseum teamed up with Doomriders in 2005 to record the Not of This World split of Danzig covers for Level Plane.

Coliseum is also teaming up with Burning Love (ex-Cursed, hitting the road with Converge in May) for another split, this time a live record recorded at the Atlantic in Gainesville, Florida in 2010. Sound Study Recordings will release the limited LP of 1000 copies, with a CD version due via Tee Pee with bonus tracks (and also limited to 1000). You can see the cover art for that, below.

All tour dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Coliseum announce tour dates & a Misfits split w/ Superchunk"

words & photos by BBG

Goes Cube

Goes Cube celebrated the release of their new LP Of Tides & Drifts and kicked off their campaign toward SXSW with a show at The Studio at Webster Hall last night (3/9). Support came from The Austerity Program, Rosetta, & Naam. Goes Cube's new material thundered through the venue and impressed live, while The Austerity Program's live show was empassioned and awesome despite their own opinion on the subject ("It was OK, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5"). As usual, Rosetta knocked it out of the park with their delicious reverb-drenched space metal. Pictures from that show are in this post.

Goes Cube's trek SXSW calendar includes a set at Full Metal Texas on 3/17, where they'll play the BV/1000K stage alongside headliners YOB, Trap Them, Hull, Kvelertak (I hope), Rwake and All Pigs Must Die.

The flyer for Full Metal Texas and more pictures (though I unfortunately missed Naam), below...

Continue reading "Goes Cube @ the Studio w/ Austerity Program & Rosetta (pics)"

by BBG

Goes Cube at Bell House (more by Keith Marlowe)

Goes Cube will celebrate their bruising new LP In Tides And Drifts (due March 29th via The End) in the best way possible, by inviting a crew of killers along for the ride! The NYC band will be joined by a Rosetta (who just blew the roof off Santos), Naam (who are touring with Orange Goblin), and The Austerity Program at The Studio at Webster Hall on March 9th (they're celebrating a little early). Tickets for their Record Release show are on sale.

The March 9th show is the first of a string of tour dates for the band on the way to SXSW, where they'll play a gang of shows including The End Records Official Showcase on March 17th at The Ale House with Hull (who also plays Full Metal Texas this year), Braveyoung, Novembers Doom, Daniel Lioneye, and Dead By April. All Goes Cube dates are below.

In other Rosetta news, the band recently started a Kickstarter project to help raise funds for a split with Junius.

Rosetta had a great tour last month with Kylesa, but upon returning home we were faced with $2000 worth of repair work on our van. We had studio time scheduled with Andrew Schneider, who recorded A Determinism of Morality, booked for early March. Faced with potentially having to cancel those sessions due to lack of funds, we've decided to give the Kickstarter model a try --- letting our friends and fans help us finance the recording and be a part of the project as it's created.

All tour dates and some video is below.

Continue reading "Goes Cube book NYC Record Release show, tour to SXSW"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: The Austerity Program - "Song 26" (MP3)

Justin Foley of The Austerity Program at The Charleston (more by Samantha Marble)

The Austerity Program have proclaimed that Backsliders And Apostates Will Burn. During the four tracks of fist-shaking and ear-splitting noise rock, their new EP builds upon the aggro sounds of Am-Rep angular punk while retaining an identity of its own. The Backsliders And Apostates Will Burn EP is due on May 4th via Hydra Head, and will be available in the expected forms (CD, digitally, vinyl with accompanying CD) in addition to a "data-DVD-R that will include 24 bit .wav versions of all tracks on the CD so that you can remix it yourself". Hmm, do I smell a Gucci Mane - The Austerity Program remix album? Grab the unremixed "Song 26" above.

The band has a pair of shows with Disappearer and Phantom Glue on their calendar at the moment, including an album release party on May 2nd at Union Pool in Brooklyn. Flyer for that show, a video, and both tour dates are below...

Continue reading "The Austerity Program playing shows, releasing an EP (MP3)"

by BBG

STATS at Public Assembly (more by Justina Villanueva)

The city is always brimming with great art, whether from MSG to a loft in Bushwick. Here are some more NYC shows that are definitely worth a look over the coming weekend...

Continue reading "Gospel, STATS, Vaz, Psychic Limb & other upcoming shows "

words by Ilya Blokh, photos by Samantha Marble

Dysrhythmia

Though the band played ashow in early November at Union Pool, it was a treat to see Dysrhythmia at a recent show at Union Pool on 12/17 with support from The Austerity Program, DBCR, and Bad Girlfriend.

I got to the venue just in time to catch the 3-piece Bad Girlfriend, missing DBCR aka Drunken Belligerent Confrontational Rock. Bad Girlfriend is clearly a vehicle for Aubrey, who steals the scene with her soulful, bluesy rasp, then turns to shrieks and growls on a dime. Unfortunately, the guitars muddle the overall sound and distract from the singing; I would be curious to hear these guys with vocals/drums only.

The Austerity Program - a guitar/bass duo backed by a drum machine - were up next. The prominent bass, dissonant guitars, industrial beats and clean vocals ooze Godflesh influence - a sound we don't hear often these days. I wonder if live drums could still work here and add a little more sonic variety. Nevertheless, the thick, overwhelming sound was a good match for the grimy, claustrophobic confines of the Charleston basement. When asked to play "two more", lead singer Justin commented that "tumors" were not a laughing matter.

Last up were Dysrhythmia - a local band we barely get to see because of all the other projects the members are a part of (Krallice, Byla, Behold...the Arctopus, etc.). A perfect mix of musicianship and good songwriting, the songs swirled in long, tense passages of complex guitars, jazz influence and strange time signatures, without losing focus or devolving into full-blown technical masturbation; the crowd was in motion the entire time. There were apparently some issues with girls and amps, but I wasnt able to determind the issue from my vantage point. All in all, a night out and a great chance to see some locals acts that don't play too often.

More pictures of all four bands below...

Continue reading "Dysrhythmia, Austerity Program, Bad Girlfriend & DBCR @ The Charleston in Brooklyn - pics "

by BBG

Dysrhythmia at Union Pool (more by Justina Villanueva)

In the spirit of giving, Dysrhythmia will present a holiday gift to us all in the basement of The Charleston when they team up with The Austerity Program, Bad Girlfriend and DBCR on Dec 17th. It's $8 to get in and it kicks off at 8PM. Dysrhythmia have no other US dates on their calendar, they do have a full slate of European dates in June & July. Check those out below.

In a tidbit of related exciting news, The Austierity Program are heading towards the finish line with their new three-song EP:

When we start out recording stuff, it is a while before we hand anything off to anyone. We figure out the songs, practice them, fix them, demo them, fix them again.... Then it's time to buckle down and record the thing and it's still just the two of us, trading turns punching in and playing music. After that's all done, we spend late nights listening to the stuff, walking around through the day with it on headphones, sending messages back and forth about the mix. The whole thing ends with a few reels of tape and we're the ones who bring it to the Post Office, tape it up into boxes and pay to ship out.

So it's kind of odd when we finally hand it off to someone else. John Golden at [Golden Mastering] has these things sitting in his inbox right now. For the moment, it's someone else's work that will move it along. And we say odd, but it's the best kind of odd.

This thing is scheduled to be out in the Spring. We've got a renewed sense of excitement listening to the final product.

Continue reading "Dysrhythmia add a show w/ Austerity Program (new EP soon) "

photos by Justina Villanueva, words by Black Bubblegum

Young Widows, Tournament, a bass-less (we'll explain) My Disco, and The Austerity Program played Europa on April 1st part of a trek that had YW scooting all over the US including down to SXSW to play the BV day party with The Bronx, Annhilation Time, Trash Talk, Garotas Suecas, and Psychedelic Horseshit.

My Disco also made it down to SXSW, as well as the Bell House, though not much further, it seems:

Hello,
Due to a theft that occurred at our show in Toronto over the weekend, we can no longer continue the rest of our tour dates in North America. I cannot re-enter the USA as a passport was taken in the theft. I am being sent home to the UK tomorrow night. Our apologies to those who have helped in organising these shows, and for those that were hoping to see us. A special thanks to Young Widows for inviting us to join them on this tour. All shows will continue, just without us. Please support these shows. Young Widows are an amazing band, and now close friends of ours. We thank them most of all...

Thanks, we're hopeful we will return in the fall.

Liam Andrews, Ben Andrews, Rohan Rebeiro.

Continue reading "Young Widows, My Disco, Tournament & The Austerity Program @ Europa, NYC - pics"

words By Black Bubblegum

Young Widows @ Red 7 in Austin - March 21, 2009

Young Widows are in town, and the Louisville Sluggers will be joined by like-minded Aussies My Disco, as well as punks Tournament and caustic drum machine killers of The Austerity Program. I'm talking about the show at Europa in Brooklyn TONIGHT (4/1). Tickets are still available. Fans of The Austerity Program can also check for the band at Union Pool on April 26th if you can't make it tonight (shame on you).

In other news, Young Widows' current -uh- recording residence, Temporary Residence Limited, recently announced the signing of Pinback to their label... a move they proudly label "PINBACK + TEMPORARY RESIDENCE = PB&J W/ THE CRUSTS CUT OFF!". Agreed, though I guess it depends on the type of jelly.

Pinback would like to thank Touch and Go Records for putting out our last 2 releases. We have nothing but good things to say about the label. It's hard to see them go. The releases that they did over the last 25+ years have been an inspiration to us, and it was an honor to be on the label.... At the same time we are looking forward to starting a new chapter in Pinback's future with Temporary Residence... We can't wait and are looking forward to writing a solid new record for them."

Pinback played Music Hall of Williamsburg with Kylesa in October, and Rob Crow's "alleged" side project Goblin Cock played Highline Ballroom in February.

Young Widows were busy-as-all-get-out during SXSW, but still found time to add a last minute, late show at Red 7 on March 21st (the final night of SXSW). They did it to open for the almighty Frodus who used a lot of Young Widows' gear (and who also played hours earlier at Radio Room). Young Widows pics from that show are above and below (Frodus pics coming one day soon).

Continue reading "Pinback sign to Temp. Residence ++ Young Widows are here "