Wednesday, April 29, 2015

A Troop of Echoes premiere new track from forthcoming album, talk with HuffPo, tour East Coast in May


"The saxophone-led, Pixies-channeling instrumental number Small Fires' is an ideal song to spin as the sunny rays of spring kick in." -- PopMatters

“It's jazz-leaning post-rock that's much more muscular than some of the subgenre's weepier participants.” — Exclaim


Providence, R.I. quartet A Troop of Echoes premiere a new track from their forthcoming album today via Heavy Blog is Heavy. The dramatic album centerpiece "Arecibo" is available to hear and share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud HERE.)

The Huffington Post features the band this week in an interview discussing why bands make great food bloggers, saxophone in rock and soldering wires in a moving vehicle. Read it HERE

A Troop of Echoes launch East Coast tour dates in support of the album in May, followed by more extensive shows later this summer. Please see current dates below. 

A Troop of Echoes has a stunning ability to encompass multiple moods within a single song - at times simultaneously sounding both soothing and unsettling; other times both wistful and hopeful. In that, their sound is truly cinematic. Not "cinematic" in the banal manner used to describe expansive music that's ultimately sonic wallpaper, but in that A Troop of Echoes uses unique characteristics of each instrument - guitar, saxophone, bass and drums - the same way that a masterful director uses angles, lighting, editing, etc., to convey complex details of story and emotion. 

The evocative melodic work of Troop saxophonist Peter Gilli often interweaves with the chiming and textural feel to guitarist Nick Cooper's parts as the two often create a swirling tug and sway driven by bassist Harrison Hartley's chordal riffs and drummer Dan Moriarty's symphonic approach to the rhythms. The quartet's emphasis is on the journey and the impact, their deft musicianship never upstages the song's emotional weight.

Writing for The Longest Year on Record, Troop began working with a wider palate of instrumentation, including strings, horns, vibraphone, vocals, and a drum team. The Longest Year on Record was tracked almost exclusively in the band's practice space by longtime friend Graham Mellor, mixed by Andrew Schneider (Unsane, Pelican) at The Seaside Lounge in Brooklyn. Like Troop's beautifully honed songs, the album production is impeccable in its use of space and blending or contrasting elements. 

The Longest Year on Record will be available on LP, CD and download May 19th, 2015. 


A TROOP OF ECHOES LIVE:
05/13 Boston, MA @ Out of the Blue Gallery
05/14 Providence, RI @ AS220
05/15 Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero 
05/16 Washington, DC @ The Velvet Lounge 
05/17 Brooklyn, NY @ King's County Saloon


Artist: A Troop of Echoes
Album: The Longest Year on Record
Label: A Troop of Echoes
Release Date: May 19th, 2015

01. Manifest and Legion (STREAM)
02. Small Fires (STREAM)
03. Arecibo (STREAM)
04. Kerosene
05. Severna
06. Constellation
07. Broadway Ghost
08. The Longest Year on Record
09. Pure Alexia (Is It Silent In This Room?)

On The Web:

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Monolord album out today via RidingEasy Records, streaming in full

Photo credit: Hank Oscarsson

Swedish trio Monolord, who Decibel Magazine describe as “doom, stoner and sludge, all mixed up and not entirely devoted to any genre,” release their sophomore album Vænir today, April 28 via Los Angeles label RidingEasy Records

The album is streaming in full via Soundcloud and Bandcamp. All tracks/full album cleared for posting. 

Noisey calls it, "a sludge-doom offering with guitars like chainsaws, bringing to mind Matt Pike’s epic tone on The Art of Self-Defense. The massive, ten-ton brick of a record relies on a blues groove though, and not long-stroke, droning nonsense. Heavily treated melodic vocals bring to mind Ozzy during 'Planet Caravan,' and add to the mysticism and darkness surrounding the release. This is one massive record."

"Typical of Monolord," says Consequence of Sound, "the vocals are dreamy and ethereal, only here they’re placed up front, with the chorus even touting a catchy melodic hook. It’s a truly modern sound: recognizably doom, but with the glistening production values of Sigur Ros and adventurous songcraft of Rush."

Several limited edition vinyl versions of Vænir are available as well as a variety of colored vinyl and CD packages from RidingEasy HERE. Digital orders are available at iTunes

Monolord's debut full length Empress Rising was released Spring 2014 via RisingEasy Records. 


MONOLORD LIVE:
07/10 Milan, IT @ Lo Fi
07/11 Nikolsdorf, AT @ Stock and Stone Fest
08/14 Leper, BE @ Leper Hardcore Fest

Artist: Monolord
Album: Vænir
Label: RidingEasy Records
Release Date: April 28th, 2015

01. Cursing The One
02. We Will Burn
03. Nuclear Death
04. Died a Million Times
05. The Cosmic Silence
06. Vaenir











On The Web:


For more information, contact: Dave Clifford at US/THEM or Monica Seide at SpeakEasyPR

Monday, April 27, 2015

And So I Watch You From Afar stream entire album a week ahead of release via The Fader

Photo credit: Ciara McMullan

Northern Ireland's And So I Watch You From Afar are streaming their forthcoming album Heirs a week before release starting today via The Fader. Hear and share the full album HERE

ASIWYFA kick off an extensive UK & EU tour with label mate Mylets tomorrow. Please see complete tour dates below. 

And So I Watch You From Afar have applied to their fourth album the same rigorous work ethic that has seen them touring nearly non-stop all over the world in recent years -- including less common tour stops like China, Russia, India and Africa. Heirs is both the band's most painstakingly created album as well as its most personal and meaningful. "Its central theme is about the inheritance of ideas," the band says. "In that we're all heirs to other peoples' passion, which in turn inspires ourselves."

Many new lives, new imperatives and invigorated perspectives helped shape the 10-song album borne of over 30 tracks written in prolific isolation spanning over 6 months in the band's Belfast, Northern Ireland home. It's a work of intense focus and adventurous abandon that reaches to the heart of artistic expression. 

Heirs will be available everywhere on LP, CD and download on May 4th, 2015 via Sargent House. Pre-orders are available for LP, CD and bundles HERE and digital at iTunes HERE


AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR TOUR 2015:
04/28  Glasgow, UK @ King Tut's Wah Wah Hut *
04/29  Manchester, UK @ Gorilla *
04/30  Bristol, UK @ Marble Factory *
05/01  London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall *
05/02  Dunkerque, FR @ Les 4 Ecluses *
05/03  Luxembourg, LUX @ Den Atelier *
05/04  Paris, FR @ La Fleche D'or *
05/06  Molenbeek Saint Jean, BE @ Vk *
05/07  Rotterdam, NE @ Rotown *
05/08  Eindhoven, NE @ Effenaar, Small Hall *
05/09  Deventer, NE @ Burgerweeshuis *
05/10  Nantes, FR @ Le Ferrailleur *
05/11  Clermont Ferrand, FR @ La Cooperative De Mai Club *
05/12  Zurich, CH @ Dynamo *
05/13  Bern, CH @ Dachstock @ Reitschule *
05/14  Geneva, CH @ Usine *
05/15  Milan, IT @ Leoncavallo *
05/16  Rome, IT @ Traffic Club *
05/17  Modena, IT @ La Tenda *
05/19  Ljubljana, SLO @ Kino Siska *
05/20  Zagreb, CR @ Zedno Uho Festival *
05/21  Budapest, HU @ Durer Kert *
05/22  Vienna, AT @ Arena *
05/23  Munich, DE @ Ampere *
05/25  Prague, CZ @ NoD Teatro *
05/26  Wiesbaden, DE @ Schlachthof *
05/27  Leipzig, DE @ Taubchental *
05/28  Berlin, DE @ Bi Nuu *
05/29  Hamburg, DE @ Logo *
05/30  Essen, DE @ Zeche Carl *
05/31  Cologne, DE @ Underground *
06/01  Amsterdam, NE @ Paradiso *
06/19  Dublin, IE @ Olympia
06/20  Belfast, UK @ Mandela Hall
07/09 - 07/11  Cheltenham, UK @ 2000 Trees Festival
07/24  Beelen, DE @ Krach am Bach
07/25  Sheffield, UK @ Tramlines Festival
07/26  Chester, UK @ The Live Rooms
08/29  Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
08/30  Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival


* w/ Mylets


Artist: And So I Watch You From Afar
Album: Heirs
Label: Sargent House
Release date: May 4th, 2015

Track list:
01. Run Home (STREAM)
02. These Secret Kings I Know
03. Wasps (STREAM)
04. Redesigned a Million Times (STREAM)
05. People Not Sleeping
06. Fucking Lifer
07. A Beacon, A Compass, An Anchor
08. Animal Ghosts
09. Heirs
10. Tryer, You 





On the Web:

Hi-res photos, cover art, bio and more:

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Sons of Huns premiere track featuring Scott "Wino" Weinrich on guest vocals from forthcoming second album


Portland trio Sons of Huns premiere the first track from their forthcoming album today via Noisey. The song "An Evil Unseen" features special guest Scott 'Wino" Weinrich (St. Vitus) singing duet with Sons of Huns vocalist/guitarist Pete Hughes (also of Danava). Hear and share "An Evil Unseen" HERE. (Direct Soundcloud.)

Sons of Huns also join an impressive list of renown heavy hitters playing Portland's annual Stumpfest this week, including Danava, Yob and Big Business. Please see the band's complete list of upcoming shows below.

While Sleeping Stay Awake, the sophomore album by Sons of Huns was recorded in Los Angeles by engineer Toshi Kasai (Tool, Melvins) and features guest performances by Weinrich as well as Melvins drummer Dale Crover on the track "Philosopher's Stone." 

The quest for truth can lead to many different places. One door shuts, another door opens. One path dead ends, while another path widens. Life can often be akin to that proverbial rabbit hole, spiraling through options only to be left asking, “Why?” Sons of Huns explore some of the universe’s biggest questions on their second full-length album for RidingEasy Records. This journey commenced for singer and guitarist Pete Hughes under the most unpleasant of circumstances-to say the least.

“I got bit by a damned bacteria-ridden tick in the Virginia woods when I was a teen,” he sighs. “I got Lyme Disease, among other things, leaving me now 16 years later with chronic pain and illness and searching for answers to questions that no one seems to have answers for. That’s at the heart of While Sleeping Stay Awake. Its themes include Raja Yoga, meditation, Egyptian magic, occult and Hermetic philosophy, our connection with the stars and cycles of life, death, and rebirth.”

The trio rounded out by Ryan Northrop [drums] and Aaron Powell [bass, vocals] retreated to Kasai's Sound of Sirens Studio for a week in January 2015. During that time, the group honed its robust rock sound with the right flourishes of spacey elegance and artful bombast. "We’re a heavy rock band, no frills, we turn up and let it rip,” he adds. “Playing this music is cathartic, and we hope this album captured that.”
In 2013, Banishment Ritual announced the arrival of Sons of Huns. They shared the stage with everybody from Kadavar and Pentagram to the mighty St. Vitus, while earning acclaim from tastemakers like CVLT Nation, The Sludgelord, and Decibel Magazine who described them as, “Rampaging garage rock with plenty of stoner/psychedelic inclinations.”

While Sleeping Stay Awake will be available on LP, CD and download via RidingEasy Records on July 21st, 2015. Pre-orders for LP/CD (HERE) and download (HERE).

SONS OF HUNS LIVE:
04/23 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios - Stumpfest w/ Danava, Big Business, Yob, Intronaut
05/14 Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
05/22 Portland, OR @ The Know - RidingEasy Presents w/ Slow Season, Blackout
05/23 Salem, OR @ Christo’s - RidingEasy Presents w/ Slow Season, Blackout
05/30 Spokane, WA @ Volume Fest
07/23 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios - Album Release Party


Artist: Sons of Huns
Album: While Sleeping Stay Awake
Label: RidingEasy Records
Release Date: July 21st, 2015

01. Osiris Slain
02. Ad Astra
03. An Evil Unseen (STREAM)
04. Eye in The Sky
05. Philosopher's Stone
06. Alchemist Part I
07. Alchemist Part II
08. While Sleeping Stay Awake
09. The Reaper is Waiting For You 

On The Web:

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Black Moth premiere loony NSFW video for "Looner" single

Click image above to watch video

"Punishing, pummeling riff-rock that splits the difference between Queens of the Stone Age and Black Sabbath. Better yet, singer Harriet Bevan can growl and howl with the best of 'em, but she also packs a wicked riot-grrrl shout." -- SPIN

Britain's young new heavy rock heroes Black Moth premiere their wild, loony NSFW video for new single "Looner" via Metal Hammer. Watch/share the video via YouTube HERE

The clip for "Looner" coincides with the release of a limited edition clear flexi-disc featuring artwork by Black Moth vocalist Harriet Bevan. The flexi is available by mail-order and in very limited quantities on the band's current UK tour with Amplifier

Black Moth released their sophomore album Condemned To Hope worldwide in September 2014 via New Heavy Sounds. The album is available to stream HERECondemned To Hope was produced by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Grinderman drummer Jim Sclavunos, who also helmed the band's 2013 debut, The Killing Jar



BLACK MOTH LIVE:
04/22- Bristol, The Exchange *
04/23 - Wolverhampton, Slade Rooms *
04/24 - Manchester, Gorilla *
04/26 - Southampton, Talking Heads *
04/27 - Brighton, The Haunt *

* w/ Amplifier

Artist: Black Moth
Album: Condemned To Hope
Label: New Heavy Sounds
Release Date: Sept. 15th, 2014

01) Tumbleweave (STREAM)
02) Set Yourself Alight
03) Looner (VIDEO)
04) The Undead King of Rock 'n' Roll
05) The Last Maze
06) White Lies (STREAM)
07) Red Ink
08) Stinkhorn
09) Room 13 (VIDEO)
10) Slumber With The Worm
11) Condemned To Hope






On The Web:

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Elephant Rifle premiere aggressive new track from forthcoming album


Reno, NV aggro noisecore band Elephant Rifle premiere a new track from their forthcoming album, Ivory today via Metal Injection. The track "Rasputin" is available to hear and share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud HERE.)

Elephant Rifle launch a string of dates surrounding the album release in May, to be followed by more extensive shows to be announced soon. Please see current shows below. 

Noisey previously premiered the song "Bone Voyage," available to hear and share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud HERE.)

Ivory is an illicit substance. Elephants and other animals have been hunted to near extinction to support the market for ivory, the beautiful material stolen from the tusks and teeth of large mammals. Ivory is often associated with music, since it was historically used for the white keys on pianos. Carved ivory is art made from skeletal material, from dead or maimed animals.

Ivory is also the title of Elephant Rifle's new full-length album. The album title resonates with the band name in obvious ways: Ivory is the material an elephant rifle is usually aimed to obtain. There's very little actual piano on the album, however. It mostly consists of the raw materials of rock: electric guitar, bass and drums, along with a vocalist who, in live performances anyway, seems to channel John Belushi's impersonation of Joe Cocker. Elephant Rifle's music draws from '80s and '90s-style noise rock, like The Jesus Lizard, Shellac and Swans, with a bit of old-school hardcore and post-punk in the mix, along with a loving spoonful of the lascivious, cocksure swagger of '70s hard rock.

Elephant Rifle formed five years ago in Reno, Nevada, a hometown that might explain the band's underdog attitude. On Ivory, the band members sound like they might be struggling with the complex relationship implied by the band name and album title: beauty wrought by violence. They seem to be struggling against something anyway. The music is knotted, thorny, dissonant, noisy and often ugly-although cohesive songwriting is never sacrificed, and there are even occasional moments of humor: “Gold Standard,” for example, is a pop ditty about buying a boat. But most of the songs reference the album's strange theme: Death among animals. The instrumental opener, for example, is called “Hoof & Mouth.” “Dogs, Wolves, Wolverines” is a hardcore blaster about the resentment that wild animals might harbor toward their domesticated counterparts. The album closer is a stoner epic called “Horses,” which begins: “They say you die twice. First, when the breathe leaves from out your body and in the air. And then again when your final name's said the very last time, and then forgot.”

Ivory will be available May 19th on LP and download as a joint release via Humaniterrorist Record Collective and Gentlemen Friends. Pre-order HERE.


ELEPHANT RIFLE LIVE:
05/21 Chico, CA @ 1078 Gallery w/ Chiefs
05/22 Santa Cruz, CA  @ The Blue Lagoon
05/23 San Francisco, CA @ Benders
05/24 Reno, NV @ The Loving Cup 
06/23 Reno, NV @ Monolith

Artist: Elephant Rifle
Album: Ivory
Label: Humaniterrorist Record Collective/Gentlemen Friends
Release Date: May 19th, 2015

01. Hoof & Mouth
02. Bone Voyage (STREAM)
03. Red Shirts
04. Rasputin (STREAM)
05. Frank, Black
06. Gold Standard
07. Dogs, Wolves, Wolverines
08. Clones & Clones
09. Skeleton Keys
10. Horses

On The Web:

Mylets debut album out today, early reviews praise "wunderkind" Henry Kohen

Mylets debut full length Arizona is officially released today. Hear and share the full album HERE. A short film detailing Henry Kohen's time writing the album is available to watch/share HERE

Early reviews unanimously praise the album:

"Mylets builds up layer upon layer of complex instrumentation to create his experimental loop-rock. The results are mesmerizing, hypnotic soundscapes that can be odd, loud and beautiful. " -- NME

"Ambitious debut... using pedals and drum machines to build creations hopping from noise rock to indie to metal." -- The New York Times 

"Like guitarist Adrian Belew, Kohen is tactful with his atmosphere." -- NPR

"A staggeringly intricate work that still manages to remain catchy and full of hooks." -- Noisey

"An utter genius and extremely talented young musician." -- Echoes and Dust

"The plethora of unique and mesmerizing sounds coming out of Kohen and his pickups is simply extraordinary. 9/10." -- Northern Transmissions

"Mylets' Henry Kohen is a man of the pedal, with NIN-level '90s crunch rippling through modern tech along the way to kicking your ass through righteously good music." -- Crave Online

------- ------ ------

Mylets kicks off an extensive tour next week with label mates And So I Watch You From Afar. Please see complete dates below. 

Arizona is available everywhere on LP, CD and download via Sargent House as of April 21st, 2015. On digital from iTunes and LP/CD orders HERE.


MYLETS TOUR:
04/28  Glasgow, UK @ King Tut's Wah Wah Hut *
04/29  Manchester, UK @ Gorilla *
04/30  Bristol, UK @ Marble Factory *
05/01  London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall *
05/02  Dunkerque, FR @ Les 4 Ecluses *
05/03  Luxembourg, LUX @ Den Atelier *
05/04  Paris, FR @ La Fleche D'or *
05/06  Molenbeek Saint Jean, BE @ Vk *
05/07  Rotterdam, NE @ Rotown *
05/08  Eindhoven, NE @ Effenaar, Small Hall *
05/09  Deventer, NE @ Burgerweeshuis *
05/10  Nantes, FR @ Le Ferrailleur *
05/11  Clermont Ferrand, FR @ La Cooperative De Mai Club *
05/12  Zurich, CH @ Dynamo *
05/13  Bern, CH @ Dachstock @ Reitschule *
05/14  Geneva, CH @ Usine *
05/15  Milan, IT @ Leoncavallo *
05/16  Rome, IT @ Traffic Club *
05/17  Modena, IT @ La Tenda *
05/19  Ljubljana, SLO @ Kino Siska *
05/20  Zagreb, CR @ Zedno Uho Festival *
05/21  Budapest, HU @ Durer Kert *
05/22  Vienna, AT @ Arena *
05/23  Munich, DE @ Ampere *
05/25  Prague, CZ @ NoD Teatro *
05/26  Wiesbaden, DE @ Schlachthof *
05/27  Leipzig, DE @ Taubchental *
05/28  Berlin, DE @ Bi Nuu *
05/29  Hamburg, DE @ Logo *
05/30  Essen, DE @ Zeche Carl *
05/31  Cologne, DE @ Underground *
06/01  Amsterdam, NE @ Paradiso *

* w/ And So I Watch You From Afar



Artist: Mylets
Album: Arizona
Label: Sargent House
Release date: April 21, 2015

Track list:
01. Trembling Hands (STREAM)
02. Arizona (STREAM)
03. Honeypot (STREAM)
04. King Sleep
05. Seven Seals
06. Retcon
07. Ampersand
08. Homes
09. Shark








On the Web:

Hi-res photos, cover art, bio and more:

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Mondo Drag premiere first track from forthcoming album on RidingEasy Records

Bay Area heavy-Krautrock-psych band Mondo Drag premiere the first song from their forthcoming self-titled album today via Brooklyn Vegan. Hear and share "The Dawn" HERE. (Direct Soundcloud HERE.)

Mondo Drag recently signed to L.A. label RidingEasy Records to release the band's sophomore album, a culmination of many journeys: sonic, physical and temporal.

The creatures known as Mondo Drag originally hailed from deep along the banks of the wild Mississippi River where they created ominous, spiritual, savage psychedelic revival sounds. Under the spiritual guidance of the forefathers of heavy psych, prog, and proto-metal, Mondo Drag has created an amalgamation of sounds the likes of which have not been heard for decades. The band’s unique sound, and rare cohesion probably stems from the fact that core members John Gamino (keyboards, vocals), Nolan Girard, (guitar, synth) and Jake Sheley (guitar) grew up together and have been playing music with each other for 15 years.

Now settled in Oakland, CA the ensemble continues to create cosmically proportioned, churning jams evocative of a rainbow of inspirations such as Blue Cheer, Black Sabbath, Can, Atomic Rooster, Hawkwind, Budgie, Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Italian prog, Krautrock in general, and heavy space-outs.

Their debut, New Rituals was released by Alive Records in 2010 and for the next fourteen months the band hit the road hard, headlining a half a dozen tours in the US and appearing at numerous psych fests along the way. The band’s stellar live performances soon became a thing of wonder and saw them share stages with contemporary artists such as Sleepy Sun, Dead Meadow, Witchcraft, Pentagram, Black Mountain, Wooden Shjips, and Naam to name a few.

In the Winter of 2011-2012, the band returned to the studio with new rhythm section, Zack Anderson and Cory Berry, also intermittently involved with popular Swedish band Blues Pills. Shortly after the album's completion, the pair left to pursue Blues Pills, which was taking off in Europe. Mondo Drag soon replaced them with current drummer Ventura Garcia and bassist Andrew O'Neil upon relocating to Oakland.

Mondo Drag will be available on LP, CD and download via RidingEasy Records on May 12th, 2015.

MONDO DRAG LIVE:
05/21 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall w/ Mammatus



Artist: Mondo Drag
Album: Mondo Drag
Label: RidingEasy Records
Release Date: May 12th, 2015

01. Zephyr
02. Crystal Visions Open Eyes
03. The Dawn (STREAM)
04. Plumajilla
05. Shifting Sands
06. Pillars of the Sky
07. Snakeskin

On The Web:

A Troop of Echoes premiere breezy new track, announce East Coast tour dates starting in May

"The saxophone-led, Pixies-channeling instrumental number "Small Fires" is an ideal song to spin as the sunny rays of spring kick in." -- PopMatters

“It's jazz-leaning post-rock that's much more muscular than some of the subgenre's weepier participants.” — Exclaim


Providence, R.I. quartet A Troop of Echoes premiere a new track from their forthcoming album today via Exclaim! The album opener "Manifest and Legion" is available to hear and share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud HERE.)

The band also announce East Coast tour dates as the first leg in support of the album today. Please see complete dates below. The first single "Small Fires" is available to hear and share HERE.

A Troop of Echoes has a stunning ability to encompass multiple moods within a single song - at times simultaneously sounding both soothing and unsettling; other times both wistful and hopeful. In that, their sound is truly cinematic. Not “cinematic” in the banal manner used to describe expansive music that’s ultimately sonic wallpaper, but in that A Troop of Echoes uses unique characteristics of each instrument - guitar, saxophone, bass and drums - the same way that a masterful director uses angles, lighting, editing, etc., to convey complex details of story and emotion. 

The evocative melodic work of Troop saxophonist Peter Gilli often interweaves with the chiming and textural feel to guitarist Nick Cooper’s parts as the two often create a swirling tug and sway driven by bassist Harrison Hartley’s chordal riffs and drummer Dan Moriarty’s symphonic approach to the rhythms. The quartet’s emphasis is on the journey and the impact, like the best moments of The Dirty Three wherein their deft musicianship never upstages the song’s emotional weight. Throughout the quartet’s forthcoming sophomore full length The Longest Year on Record, the music is marvelously engaging in its clever melodies, yet also loaded with innovative ideas.

A Troop of Echoes formed in 2004 amongst Providence’s fertile underground music scene, early on distilling the noise and math-rock tendencies of Lightning Bolt and Battles, combined with the chaotic free-improvisatory energy of late-era Coltrane. As Gilli, Cooper, and Hartley studied music at the University of Rhode Island, Moriarty ran a DIY music space while completing his degree in astrophysics at the University of Massachusetts. Marrying quirky harmonies with frenetic energy, their punchy and acrobatic 2009 debut Days in Automation set the ground for what was to come. 

Writing for The Longest Year on Record came to focus on space, both physically and compositionally. Cooper and Moriarty moved into a massive studio loft on Providence’s South Side in 2013, inspiring the use of more understated sonics. Troop began working with a wider palate of instrumentation, including strings, horns, vibraphone, vocals, and a drum team. The Longest Year on Record was tracked almost exclusively in the band’s new practice space by longtime friend Graham Mellor, mixed by Andrew Schneider (Unsane, Pelican) at The Seaside Lounge in Brooklyn, and mastered by Carl Saff in Chicago. Like Troop’s beautifully honed songs, the album production is impeccable in its use of space and blending or contrasting elements. 
The Longest Year on Record will be available on LP, CD and download May 19th, 2015. 


A TROOP OF ECHOES LIVE:
05/13 Boston, MA @ Out of the Blue Gallery
05/14 Providence, RI @ AS220
05/15 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
05/16 Washington, DC @ The Velvet Lounge
05/17 Brooklyn, NY @ King’s County Saloon


Artist: A Troop of Echoes
Album: The Longest Year on Record
Label: A Troop of Echoes
Release Date: May 19th, 2015

01. Manifest and Legion (STREAM)
02. Small Fires (STREAM)
03. Arecibo
04. Kerosene
05. Severna
06. Constellation
07. Broadway Ghost
08. The Longest Year on Record
09. Pure Alexia (Is It Silent In This Room?)

On The Web:

Blis. sign to Sargent House, share new video; recording debut album this Fall

Click image above to watch video


"'Floating Somewhere High And Above' is a hard-charging emo track with smart less-is-more guitar riffs and vocals that remind me of a cross between Isaac Brock and the dude from Silversun Pickups. The song seems to be waging an internal war between rhythmic and harmonic bombast, and everybody wins." -- Stereogum

"Even though Blis is pretty young, the Atlanta four-piece is already drawing comparisons to some of indie rock's biggest names." -- The AV Club


Atlanta band Blis. announce signing to Sargent House for management and label with the release of the video for "Floating Somewhere High and Above" from their debut EP. Watch & share video HERE.

Blis. will record their full length debut for the label this fall. Stream the band's 4-song EP, Setting Fires In My Parent's House HERE.


Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Qui share track from Record Store Day split 7" with hepa/Titus, both band play L.A. release show


"Qui are back at it, dosing their shreddy punk tantrums with arty aplomb and surprising harmony." -- SPIN

L.A. duo Qui share a track today from their forthcoming limited edition split 7" with hepa/Titus (ex-Melvins, Cows). The vinyl release will be available in participating stores on Record Store Day this Saturday, April 18th via Cobraside Distribution. Hear and share Qui's "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy" HERE.

Qui and hepa/Titus also share the stage tomorrow night, April 16th at Los Globos in Los Angeles to celebrate the split single. More information on the show is available HERE

The split release is part of a series of 7"s Qui is issuing throughout the year. The first of these is a 2-song single via the Blood of the Young label out back in March. Additional special edition releases for summer will be announced soon. 

Qui also recently premiered a video featuring the band's former lead singer David Yow (The Jesus Lizard) via Noisey. The clip for the song "I Definitely Love You" is culled from the band's single on Joyful Noise and available to watch/share HERE.

The band's latest full length Life, Water, Living... is available to stream/share HERELife, Water, Living... was produced by renowned engineer Toshi Kasai and Melvins drummer Dale Crover at Entourage Studios in Los Angeles. The album was released on February 25th, 2014 on LP, CD and download in partnership with Cobraside Distribution.


QUI LIVE:
04/16 Los Angeles, CA @ Los Globos w/ hepa/Titus
05/03 Los Angeles, CA @ Cafe NELA 




Artists: Qui + hepa/Titus 
Album: Split 7"
Label: Cobraside Distribution
Release Date: April 18th, 2015

01. Qui "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy"
02. hepa/Titus "I Love You Less Than Anything"














Artist: Qui
Album:  Life, Water, Living...
Label: Cobraside Distribution
Release Date: February 25th, 2014

01. Kicked Out of Mime College (VIDEO)
02. Life, Water, Living... (VIDEO)
03. Mucho Sex in America (VIDEO)
04. Awkward Human Interest (VIDEO)
05. Boogie Down Disappointment
06. The Kind of Jazz This Is (VIDEO)
07. Proof of Bass
08. Songbirds
09. You're a Girl
10. Whateryadoin? (VIDEO)
11. Ham Spray



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