Friday, July 31, 2020

OUT TODAY: Doubtfire - "Spewtrid" EP

Doubtfire's debut EP, Spewtrid, is out now! Order the cassette or download digitally, here:

Doubtfire is Matt Wild (drums/vocals), Nick Crider (guitar/vocals), and Joey Anderson (bass/vocals/synth). Formed in 2014 in Richmond, VA, Doubtfire was created by Nick Crider (Dumb Waiter) and Matt Wild (Hellbear). Joey Anderson (Night Idea) soon joined as the bassist. After several years of experimenting with their sound, Doubtfire has honed in on a more avant-garde perspective on thrash, black metal and hardcore. Drawing influence from a variety of bands including Liturgy, Krallice, Yowie, Daughters, Birthday Party, Gorguts, and Kayo Dot, Doubtfire focuses on a sound that rejects complicity through somber and inspiring aggression.

Spewtrid was recorded by Dave Watkins (Dumb Waiter, School Dance) in Richmond, Virginia. Mastered by Colin Marston (Atheist, Behold the Arctopus, Gorguts, Liturgy, Zs).

Spewtrid EP: 

1. Bronzed Bull

2. Sheltered

3. Cramp

4. Debt


" Today and onward, let your mind zero in on this Richmond, VA trio and their avant-garde twist that acts as the crossing guard at the intersection of Daughters, Gorguts, Krallice and the Locust."
- Decibel Magazine

"...the power trio's sound perfectly captures that wild spirit, bringing forth an aural storm that incorporates elements like hardcore, black metal, and thrash within the arrangements."
- No Echo

"The whole four-song EP is an intense listen, and Doubtfire save the best for the last: the five-minute 'Debt,' which goes from ambient music to black metal and back and incorporates all kinds of other genre-agnostic ideas in the process. It's a wild ride..."
- BrooklynVegan

CINEMARTYR - "Stab City" Video

"Today, we present a video for one of the new album’s tracks, 'Stab City,' a glorious bang up of noodle-tap guitar, Lightning Bolt-inspired drum calamity and Gravity Records slash n’ groove. The video makes for an interesting three minute representation of the tune with dildo drumming, a literal hacked up guitar and a unicorn headband strap-on making all making appearances."
- Decibel Magazine

Watch Cinemartyr "bring the noise and the dildo drumming" with their video for "Stab City," here:

Cinemartyr (originally called OST) was formed in Limerick, Ireland by composer Shane Harrington in 2012, before relocating to New York shortly afterwards. To date, Cinemartyr has released four diverse-sounding albums. The current lineup includes Shane Harrington (vocals, guitars), Amber Moon Voltson (vocals, guitars), Aaron CT (bass), and David Goldman (drums). Though Fugazi, Arab On Radar, Daughters, Whores, Retox, Health, Death Grips, Sun Kil Moon and Rihanna are all noted as influences, Harrington cites the band’s main musical inspiration for current Cinemartyr as more soundtrack-based, specifically mentioning the work of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Johann Johannsson as examples.

 

Cinemartyr's most recent album, Death Of The First Person, was released digitally July 24th. Order, here. 

 

Coinciding with the digital release, the band is also selling a limited-to-five BLOOD/PISS/CUM Bundle. Each pack will include “one vial of fluid extracted from the artist’s body, front and rear album art prints signed, numbered, and dated by the artist, hard copy, ink printed Death Of The First Person zine, flash drive containing all ten tracks from the album in various formats, a signed letter from the artist, and digital download codes.” Each of the packages will have a different body fluid. Order, here.

GULL - "Find Out" Video

“The song itself is about human influence on the environment and the ways many creatures (ourselves included) are forced to sacrifice and adapt."
- GULL, for New Noise Magazine

Watch Gull's latest video, "Find Out", here:

Nathaniel Rappole’s solo project, Gull, was conceived on an endangered wildlife preserve in Front Royal, VA in 1999, and has been publicly active since 2007. Gull has traveled vigorously—playing venues, on the streets, and in the wilds of Canada, United States, Mexico, Europe, Kenya, and SE Asia. Gull has toured in support of White Rabbits, Tres Mts, and RNDM, and has shared the bar arena with the likes of Silver Apples, Girl Talk, Deerhoof, Adrian Belew, Sleaford Mods, Ruby The Hatchet, Panda Bear, Mdou Moctar, Dan Deacon, and Melt Banana. In 2012, Gull was featured in a movie about music in Mexico called Hecho en Mexico, and in 2014, he produced and performed in a documentary on street/public music in Kenya. In April of 2016, Gull performed and answered questions pertaining to his travels at TedX in Richmond, VA, and in 2017 he contributed an improvised performance to Grotesque Tables ii- Noah Wall's anagramic reimagining of Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt’s Oblique Strategies deck of cards from 1975. In December, 2019, Gull went to Thailand and Laos to film a new doc in an ongoing series about musical ecology and culture around the world.
 
Relative Stranger is being released August 21st through Lagom Audio/Visual. Preorder, here.

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

SEEMING - "Go Small" video


SEEMING: The Big Takeover premieres post-industrial visionary's "Go Small" music video

Stream Seeming's "Go Small" video, here:
"Go Small" appears on Seeming's upcoming, third album, The Birdwatcher's Guide to Atrocity, out August 21st on Artoffact Records.

Pre-order the album, here:
https://seeming.bandcamp.com/album/the-birdwatchers-guide-to-atrocity


Seeming's Alex Reed states: "I recorded the vocals for 'Go Small' outdoors in the Pyrenees mountains one morning last summer. The birds you hear are real. It’s a song about clinging to a vital sliver of sanity by focusing only on what was right in front of me: a room, a garden, my own hands. The drums feature Sarah Hennies and Aaron Fuleki. Its video was filmed in lockdown, at a shack in the woods of Ithaca, NY. When the world is run by cruel and greedy men, it’s hard to 'go small,' but that intimacy and focus really saved me. This is a song for recentering — all without forgetting your rage. It feels like life under quarantine. It feels like 2020."


"The earth is radiantly suicidal," he sings on the song's chorus. "So if there's any play in favor of survival, it's 'go small.'"

Menacing but vulnerable, furious but intimate, Seeming's post-industrial music is on the fringe of a new generation of heavy, dark, cerebral pop. The upcoming The Birdwatcher's Guide to Atrocity bears traces of elder visionaries, from Peter Gabriel and Roger Waters, to Diamanda Galás and Trent Reznor, and places Seeming in the company of modern-day darlings like Drab Majesty, Blanck Mass, and The Knife.

With pounding drums, a dazzling palette of synth sounds, and Reed's voice exuding both confidence and humility, Seeming’s third album, The Birdwatcher's Guide to Atrocity, is another staunchly unique masterpiece – a breathtaking work from an artist who reinvents himself with every song. Reed states: "The album is about the struggle to remain alive and sane while coping with Earth's insanity and cruelty. But it also brims with reminders of how to survive another day."

Urgent in tone, grandiose in style, The Birdwatcher's Guide to Atrocity was co-produced with renowned avant-garde percussionist Sarah Hennies and features a guest vocal by Bill Drummond of legendary, inscrutable, UK duo The KLF – Drummond's first recorded vocal appearance in two decades.

More info:

Monday, July 27, 2020

DOUBTFIRE + BrooklynVegan


"The whole four-song EP is an intense listen, and Doubtfire save the best for the last: the five-minute 'Debt,' which goes from ambient music to black metal and back and incorporates all kinds of other genre-agnostic ideas in the process. It's a wild ride..."
- BrooklynVegan

Stream Doubtfire's  EP, Spewtrid, in its entirety, here:

Doubtfire is Matt Wild (drums/vocals), Nick Crider (guitar/vocals), and Joey Anderson (bass/vocals/synth). Formed in 2014 in Richmond, VA, Doubtfire was created by Nick Crider (Dumb Waiter) and Matt Wild (Hellbear). Joey Anderson (Night Idea) soon joined as the bassist. After several years of experimenting with their sound, Doubtfire has honed in on a more avant-garde perspective on thrash, black metal and hardcore. Drawing influence from a variety of bands including Liturgy, Krallice, Yowie, Daughters, Birthday Party, Gorguts, and Kayo Dot, Doubtfire focuses on a sound that rejects complicity through somber and inspiring aggression.
 
Spewtrid will be available digitally and on cassette August 1st, 2020. Preorder, here.


Friday, July 24, 2020

OUT TODAY: Cinemartyr - "Death of the First Person"


Cinemartyr's newest album, Death Of The First Person is out now! Order, here:

Coinciding with the digital release, the band will be selling a limited-to-five BLOOD/PISS/CUM Bundle. Each pack will include “one vial of fluid extracted from the artist’s body, front and rear album art prints signed, numbered, and dated by the artist, hard copy, ink printed Death Of The First Person zine, flash drive containing all ten tracks from the album in various formats, a signed letter from the artist, and digital download codes.” Each of the packages will have a different body fluid. Order this, here:

Cinemartyr (originally called OST) was formed in Limerick, Ireland by composer Shane Harrington in 2012, before relocating to New York shortly afterwards. To date, Cinemartyr has released four diverse-sounding albums. Invisible Ink For Sketching Ghosts, a sombre experimental rock album, was released in February 2012, followed by Dreams During Hibernation in 2015. Cinemartyr's 3rd album, Uncaused, took on a more indie/folk approach and was released in 2016. Lastly came Suffer New York Love, an album of ambient and noise experimentation in 2017. The current lineup includes Shane Harrington (vocals, guitars), Amber Moon Voltson (vocals, guitars), Aaron CT (bass), and David Goldman (drums).

Death of the First Person LP:
1. CGI
2. On Earth as It Is
3. The Brain of Hideo Kojima
4. Stab City
5. AR-15
6. Sleep is God
7. Run from Terror to Bring It Closer
8. In Filth It Shall Be Found
9. Keeps Getting Up
10. Tunnel at the End of the Tunnel

"Death Of The First Person is, for me, a sort of pouring forth of what can’t be said in daily conversation. An attempt to reckon with personal history and integrate it. Previous Cinemartyr output dealt with the more morose and contemplative side of mental health. This new album is an intentional step away from all that towards a more expressive, a more loud, a more physical chant or scream."
- Shane Harrington, vocalist of Cinemartyr, for New Noise Magazine

"Cinemartyr’s latest nods to a variety of experimental rock heavies, including Fugazi, Arab on Radar, Death Grips, and the like, although primary composer Shane Harrington cites the band’s main current musical inspiration as more soundtrack-based, specifically mentioning the work of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Johann Johannsson as examples."
- Ghettoblaster Magazine

"Cinemartyr is the weirdo punk-metal band that makes fractured, berserk music that is artsy, but also, shall we say, BRUTAL AS HELL."
- PunkNews.org

Thursday, July 23, 2020

CINEMARTYR + New Noise

"Death Of The First Person is, for me, a sort of pouring forth of what can’t be said in daily conversation. An attempt to reckon with personal history and integrate it. Previous Cinemartyr output dealt with the more morose and contemplative side of mental health. This new album is an intentional step away from all that towards a more expressive, a more loud, a more physical chant or scream."
- Shane Harrington, vocalist of Cinemartyr

Stream Cinemartyr's new album, "Death of the First Person", in its entirety via New Noise Magazine, here:

Cinemartyr (originally called OST) was formed in Limerick, Ireland by composer Shane Harrington in 2012, before relocating to New York shortly afterwards. To date, Cinemartyr has released four diverse-sounding albums. Invisible Ink For Sketching Ghosts, a sombre experimental rock album, was released in February 2012, followed by Dreams During Hibernation in 2015. Cinemartyr's 3rd album, Uncaused, took on a more indie/folk approach and was released in 2016. Lastly came Suffer New York Love, an album of ambient and noise experimentation in 2017. The current lineup includes Shane Harrington (vocals, guitars), Amber Moon Voltson (vocals, guitars), Aaron CT (bass), and David Goldman (drums).

Death Of The First Person will be available digitally July 24th. Preorder, here. 

Coinciding with the digital release, the band will be selling a limited-to-five BLOOD/PISS/CUM Bundle. Each pack will include “one vial of fluid extracted from the artist’s body, front and rear album art prints signed, numbered, and dated by the artist, hard copy, ink printed Death Of The First Person zine, flash drive containing all ten tracks from the album in various formats, a signed letter from the artist, and digital download codes.” Each of the packages will have a different body fluid. Preorder, here.

Friday, July 17, 2020

BOOTBLACKS - "The Jealous Star"


BOOTBLACKS: NYC post-punks release new single "The Jealous Star" from upcoming Artoffact Records album "Thin Skies"

Bootblacks' new single "The Jealous Star" is now streaming on all major platforms.

"The Jealous Star" appears on the band's upcoming, fourth album Thin Skies, out October 9th on Artoffact Records.

Stream the single, here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RTLVoxgFX0


Pre-order the album, here:
https://bootblacks.bandcamp.com/album/thin-skies

Vocalist Panther Almqvist says: "I was fascinated with this tradition of the wanderer's poem, like Ozymandias. I wanted to contribute my own version to this theme, the eternal traveler, the rolling stone. In the last couple of years I experienced that dichotomy, alone on the road, anxious at home. So 'The Jealous Star' is about the disorientation of travel. How it forces you to live outside of yourself and makes you appreciate the places and people you leave."

Thin Skies, Bootblacks' first album for Artoffact Records, zooms forward where its predecessor, Fragments, left off. The nine songs combine a driving, dancefloor pulse with soulful, melodic post-punk, yielding results that are positively anthemic.

Produced by Jason Corbett of Artoffact labelmates ACTORS, Thin Skies evokes scenes of dark days and reckless nights in the urban jungle – a marriage of post-punk emotion and clubland sweat. Panther Almqvist's brooding voice captivates as it veers from detached cool to deep vulnerability. Guitarist Alli Gorman's hard jangle "channels the trademark delay techniques of [U2's] The Edge," in the words of Post-Punk.com. Keyboardist Barrett Hiatt's arpeggiated synths are the life force pushing the songs relentlessly forward, as Larry Gorman bashes a mix of acoustic and electronic drums with power and perfection. Backing vocals come courtesy of Shannon Hemmett (ACTORS) and Kennedy Ashlyn (SRSQ, Them Are Us Too).

Bootblacks' hometown of New York City is integral to Thin Skies' sound. The band's name itself is said to be derived from novelist William Burroughs’ description of the dark underbelly of glitzy NYC. Almqvist states: "It's an energetic city and people have all the reasons in the world not to give you the time of day. I think our music has been shaped by that in many ways."


Photo by Katrin Albert

DEAD QUIET - "Partial Darkness"


DEAD QUIET: Vancouver heavy metallers drop new single "Partial Darkness"; Invisible Oranges premieres video; Artoffact Records to release new album "Truth and Ruin"

Dead Quiet's new single "Partial Darkness" is now streaming on all major platforms.

"Partial Darkness" appears on the band's upcoming, third album, Truth and Ruin, out September 11th on Artoffact Records.

Stream the single, here:
https://orcd.co/PartialDarkness

Pre-order the album, here:

https://deadquiet.bandcamp.com/album/truth-and-ruin

Dead Quiet frontman Kevin Keegan says: "'Partial Darkness' was a term I used to describe a period in life that was superficially prosperous and productive but in reality was quite bleak. Behind the scenes, paranoia and distrust can manifest themselves in destructive ways. But, always trust your instincts. People are capable of completely ruining your life. Don't let them."

A video for the song, shot by the band members in quarantine, is now streaming at Invisible Oranges:
https://www.invisibleoranges.com/dead-quiet-partial-darkness/

From Vancouver, Canada, Dead Quiet delivers arena-ready, proto-metal bacchanal with power and flair. Dead Quiet's dramatic, organ-heavy songs are saturated with respect for the hard rock and heavy metal titans of the late '70s and early '80s – there are traces of blazing Deep Purple jams and hellbent Judas Priest bangers – but the band rocks with a prowess all its own. Dead Quiet respects its elders while fully owning its own craft. It is a fine balance, which brings to mind Ghost, among others.

Vocalist Kevin Keegan, formerly of Metal Blade band Barn Burner, has range and charisma in spades – in 2018, Metal Hammer declared that he might be "the next great stoner rock visionary." In league with Keegan are guitarist Brock MacInnes, also of Anciients, newest member Mike Rosen on keyboards, and the rhythm section of bassist Mike Grossnickle and drummer Jason Dana.


Truth and Ruin was engineered and mixed by Jesse Gander (Japandroids, White Lung) at Rain City Recorders in Vancouver, BC. It was mastered by Alan Douches (Mastodon, Chelsea Wolfe) at West West Side Music in Hudson Valley, NY.

Photo by Milton Stille


SEEMING - "End Studies"


SEEMING: post-industrial visionary releases new single "End Studies" from upcoming Artoffact Records album "The Birdwatcher's Guide to Atrocity"


Seeming's new single "End Studies" is now streaming on all major platforms. 


"End Studies" appears on Seeming's upcoming, third album, The Birdwatcher's Guide to Atrocity, out August 21st on Artoffact Records.


Stream the single, here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBd5V-x2v-k

Pre-order the album, here:

https://seeming.bandcamp.com/album/the-birdwatchers-guide-to-atrocity

Seeming mastermind Alex Reed describes the song: 
"'End Studies' questions all the assumptions, all the givens of our political reality. It suggests that the tighter we cling to an idea, the more we need to let go of it. Ruthlessly, it mows down patriarchy, inheritance, wealth, heteronormativity, and the self – all from the perspective of someone shaped by those very forces... The song imagines the limits of resilience, the breaking point of capitalist realism, the swift reversal of apparent limitlessness. It seeks to implode dictatorships of social and economic power, obliterating wealth and security, nature and tradition. Laws must only exist to topple power, and thus dismantle themselves. Behead first. Ask questions later... Also, you can dance to it. You can really fucking dance to it."

Menacing but vulnerable, furious but intimate, Seeming's post-industrial music is on the fringe of a new generation of heavy, dark, cerebral pop. The upcoming The Birdwatcher's Guide to Atrocity bears traces of elder visionaries, from Peter Gabriel and Roger Waters, to Diamanda Galás and Trent Reznor, and places Seeming in the company of modern-day darlings like Drab Majesty, Blanck Mass, and The Knife.

Led by New York-based author, theorist, and composer Alex Reed, Seeming broke out in 2014 with its Madness & Extinction LP, earning an Album of the Year award from darkwave tastemakers I Die: You Die. Sophomore album SOL: A Self-Banishment Ritual, released in 2017, was named Album of the Decade by UK blog A Model of Control.

With pounding drums, a dazzling palette of synth sounds, and Reed's voice exuding both confidence and humility, Seeming’s third album, The Birdwatcher's Guide to Atrocity, is another staunchly unique masterpiece – a breathtaking work from an artist who reinvents himself with every song.

Urgent in tone, grandiose in style, The Birdwatcher's Guide to Atrocity was co-produced with renowned avant-garde percussionist Sarah Hennies and features a guest vocal by Bill Drummond of legendary, inscrutable, UK duo The KLF – Drummond's first recorded vocal appearance in two decades.


Photo by Benjamin Torrey

Monday, July 13, 2020

CULT AND CULTURE ep. 14: Black Panthers


Listen to the newest episode of Cult and Culture, featuring San Diego Black Panthers Robert War and Henry Wallace, via BrooklynVegan, here.

The concept of Cult and Culture began as a short segment created by Justin Pearson. He is best known as bassist/vocalist for bands such as Dead Cross, Head Wound City, The Locust, and Retox. Justin has come to know and work with a broad spectrum of captivating personalities and brilliant minds, many of which are key figures in the realm of popular culture and cult followings alike. In its infancy, segments were shorter, 10-20 minutes, and would be recorded while on tour. Since then, Pearson has collaborated with producer and musician Luke Henshaw (Planet B, Sonido de la Frontera) to build the idea into a proper podcast, now recorded at Penguin Studios in San Diego. The focus is not intended to be solely on people in any one realm, and because guests are friends and family, the conversations are frank, informal, well-informed and genuine.

Episode 14 features Robert War and Henry Wallace, two members of the revolutionary and infamous Black Panther Party (San Diego branch) who have been involved for decades. Here, these long-standing members discuss current events and what it means to be a Black Panther in the era of Black Lives Matter, what they consider to be “an extension of” the Black Panthers. Noting the struggles present in nearly every aspect of society, from banks and loans, to police and the president, to American capitalism as a whole, this podcast is essential listening in order to hear the perspective of a progressive, hardworking, and very relevant organization that many have stereotyped and even villainized over the years.

Catch up on all episodes of Cult and Culture podcast, via iTunes, here, or through Three One G’s Soundcloud, here.

CRASHER - "Whatever Dude"

"a hazy, colorful, psychedelic clip"
- BrooklynVegan

Watch Crasher's new video for "Whatever Dude", via BrooklynVegan, here:

Crasher formed in summer of 2019 in San Diego. Dave Mead (Exasperation) had been writing songs on guitar in the background of his life as a serious post-punk drummer, but he kept it under wraps. With a few years of family tragedy and some compounded thoughts on a lost and misled America to reflect on, he eventually stood up from the drums to yell disjointed lyrics and play some grinding guitar chords from a Sovtek half stack. Driven by his anger with the experience of the failed state of healthcare regarding the death of his mother to early onset Alzheimer’s disease, the con-men turning the gears along the way, and his own personal grief of losing a family member in such a cruel and slow manner, Crasher created an outlet and, in time, some solace for Mead.

Moving forward, AJ Peacox (Weatherbox, Future Crooks) joined on bass. A few different drummers drifted through, but they were still without a full-time member when recording what would become the Traitor EP. Mead ended up taking on the job, recording the album from his home. Peacox’s bass followed, and Mead then layered in the guitars and vocals over a few weeks. Jordan Krimston (Band Argument, Weatherbox, Miss New Buddha) joined up on drums for live performances. The three have since launched off on a handful of successful debut shows in San Diego, with more planned for the future after multiple COVID-related cancellations.

Traitor was recently made available digitally. Purchase, here.

In light of and in solidarity with the international movement and protests currently taking place, all proceeds Crasher makes, in any capacity, will be used towards supporting Black Lives Matter. Thus far, the band has been creating hygiene packs for the unhoused as well as those protesting. Says Meade: “We have been donating our money to this organization called feedingdaygo, and we’ve been making food and hygiene packs with the money that’s come in ourselves and giving it to them to distribute. I like the level of personal involvement that gives me rather than just pumping money into the void and hoping it goes to the right place… I like doing local stuff that benefits the people in our immediate environment, it’s always been a good place to start for me.”

Video by Derrick Acosta (Who runs YouTube channel Mega 64).

Friday, July 10, 2020

Out today: CARRIE FELLER - Damage Orbit

Damage Orbit, the debut EP by Carrie Feller, is out today (digital).

Stream the album and buy it, here:

https://carriefeller.bandcamp.com/releases

Carrie Feller started performing solo under the name Hexa in 2015, releasing one 4 song EP, Bata Motel, in 2016. Soon after, she brought in a backing band that she performed with for 3 years. Described as a California Darkwave “experimental dark pop project”, the band released a full-length album, Sigil Sine, in September 2019. Among its collaborators were guest vocalists Tristan Shone (Author & Punisher) and Jung Sing (Silent, All Leather, Maniqui Lazer).

After one of the members relocated, Hexa as a band was put on hiatus, leading Feller back to solo work, this time under her name. This led to recording her 4 song solo EP, Damage Orbit, with Luke Henshaw (Planet B, Sondio de la Frontera, Satanic Planet) in November of 2019.

Over the years, Feller and her bands have played with the likes of Soft Kill, Drab Majesty, Author & Punisher, Choir Boy, Car Seat Headrest, Kristin Kontrol, Chasms, Three Mile Pilot, KANGA, Ice Balloons, Fearing, Esses, Street Sects, Silent, Elizabeth Colour Wheel, All Your Sisters.

Watch the video for title track “Damage Orbit”, premiered via BrooklynVegan, here:
https://www.brooklynvegan.com/dark-pop-singer-carrie-feller-preps-ep-made-with-planet-bs-luke-henshaw-watch-a-new-video/

Photo by Evan McGinnis