Friday, April 29, 2016

Us Lights change name to KING WHO with new EP, launch European tour next week 


"Inspired by dream pop and post-punk outfits from the ’80s, such as Echo and the Bunnymen and The Church, mixed with a modern sensibility a la Deerhunter’s more ethereal moments." -- TrebleZine

"Michael Young’s vocals for King Who are breathtaking. As rich as Rufus Wainwright, his tone soars over beautiful, classic synth melodies. This five piece produce an incredibly dynamic tease of clean emotive pop. I defy you to not be blown away." -- The Deli Magazine


Portland, OR quintet King Who (formerly known as Us Lights) share the title track from their forthcoming Body EP today. The intoxicating 4-song EP is packed with beautiful, soaring melodies and powerful musicianship, driven by the silky and emotive vocals of frontman Michael Young. Hear and share "Body" via Soundcloud

King Who recently joined the growing SELF Group label roster, releasing their debut Us Lights on LP and download in March 2016 (full album stream), while announcing the forthcoming Body EP out on May 6th in conjunction with a European tour. Prior to that trek, the band plays a hometown tour kickoff tonight. Please see current dates below. 

King Who uses synth-driven soundscapes, soaring tonal vocals, crisp guitar lines, and a steadfast rhythm section to create a sonically moving and unique brand of dark adventurous pop. 

King Who's Us Lights is available on LP and download via SELF Group. The Body EP will be available digitally on May 6th. 


KING WHO LIVE:
04/29 Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
05/07 Vienna, AT @ TBA
05/12 Giessen, DE @ Muk
05/14 Offenbach, DE @ Hafen 2
05/16 Prague, CZ @ Roxy
05/17 Dresden, DE @ OstPol
05/19 Nyon, CH @ La Parenthese
05/20 Basel, CH @ Podium
05/21 Stuttgart, DE @ Cafe Galao
05/25 Vienna, AT @ Rhiz
05/26 Chemnitz, DE @ Aaltra
05/27 Rosenheim, DE @ Atra Club
05/28 Brno, CZ @ Kabinet MUZ
05/30 Klagenfurt, AT @ Leidhaben Cafe
06/02 Zagreb, HR @ Spunk
06/03 Zabok, HR @ Zelena Dvorana
06/04 Osijek, HR @ Club Exit
06/06 Vienna, AT @ Fluc


Artist: King Who
Album: Body EP
Label: Self Group
Release Date: May 6th, 2016

01. Body (STREAM)
02. Rome
03. Control
04.Legs


On The Web:

Friday, April 22, 2016

The Infinite Three share new album - UK band channels early Killing Joke, 90s SWANS, Cop Shoot Cop, heavy post-punk drone brilliance


"While metal is only one component of the trio’s sound, their dissonant, angular rock music is psychedelic, droning, and hypnotic." -- Metal Insider

"Blixa Bargeld backward-masking Horse Rotovator on an old gramophone... 5.5 out of 5!" -- Zero Tolerance Magazine


London, England trio The Infinite Three are streaming their third full length Lucky Beast today, following a trio of premieres this week. The album continues to develop the band's infectious and powerful hybrid of post-punk, drone and proto-industrial rock hearkening to early Killing Joke, 90s-era SWANS, Cop Shoot Cop, NIN, et al. 

Metal Insider launched the first single, "Dawn Accelerator" HERE. New Noise Magazine shared album opening mantra-like stomper Hydrogen" HERE. Spill Magazine premiered the epic album closer "Partisans" HERE. Hear and share the entire album Soundcloud HERE

The Infinite Three are Daniel Knowler, Paul Middleton and Samuel Mclaughlin. Taking cues from noise-rock, dub, drone and post-punk, their songs are warped constructions grounded in repetition and soaked in monochrome psychedelia.

Lucky Beast is The Infinite Three's third studio album (their fourth counting the fan-only Zeklof release from 2015).  Recorded with engineer Jon Clayton, whose past credits include Band of Holy Joy and The Monochrome Set, Lucky Beast continues The Infinite Three's dissonant take on art-rock.  A luminescent egg emerging from the banks of The River Effra. 

Paul Middleton and Daniel Knowler are both alumni of noise pioneers Cindytalk; Paul was also part of Kevin Martin's industrial-jazz heavyweights GOD; Sam McLaughlin has recorded extensively with poet and artist Gerry Mitchell. Daniel Knowler has worked on the MFOTWU project with performance artist Franko B. As The Infinite Three, they have worked with celebrated improvising saxophonist Tom Jackson, London based producer Den Liberator and recently supported psych-noise legends The Telescopes in England.


Lucky Beast is available on CD, cassette and download on April 22nd via Actual Size Music.


Artist: The Infinite Three
Album: Lucky Beast
Label: Actual Size Music
Release Date: April 22nd, 2016

01) Hydrogen
02) Dawn Accelerator
03) Like Moss
04) Holding Hungry Names
05) Lucky Beast
06) Healer
07) Emission
08) Partisans

On The Web:

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Ben Cissner (ex-Tiny Vipers, Windsor for the Derby, VietNam) streaming full forthcoming solo debut via AllMusic, tour starts in May


"A blend of songs that are sometimes weary and knowing with tunes that bounce and crackle with energy, Cissner isn't painting with just one brush. An engaging, thoroughly melodic experience." -- AllMusic

Austin, TX songwriter Benjamin Cissner (ex-Tiny Vipers, Windsor For The Derby, VietNam) is streaming his entire forthcoming solo debut Birds in the Night ahead of release via AllMusic.com. Hear and share the full album HERE. (Direct Soundcloud).

In an extensive interview about his career, songwriting and quantum mechanics with AXS.com, Cissner previously shared lead single, "Follow You Down" HERE.

Ben Cissner hits the road in May, some shows with Scott Yoder (formerly of The Pharmacy). Please see current dates below, more to come. 

Birds in the Night is the debut album by Benjamin Cissner, an artist out of Austin, TX. He has previously been a member of Trance Syndicate/Secretly Canadian band Windsor for the Derby, and recorded and toured with Sub Pop artist Tiny Vipers. 

The album is literate, dark'n'dusty Americana with a bit of noise and nods to Nilsson, Cohen, Cave, Elliott Smith, Townes, Gira, Richard Thompson, Hazlewood and the like. It was recorded and co-produced by Matthew Melton (Bare Wires, Warm Soda) at his Fuzz City studio in Austin. 

Birds In The Night will be available on LP and download on April 22nd, 2016. 


BEN CISSNER LIVE:
04/23 Austin, TX @ Safehouse Session
04/25 Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas
05/04 El Paso, TX @ TBA
05/07 Los Angeles, CA @ The Redwood
05/13 Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
05/14 Olympia, WA @ TBA w/ Scott Yoder
05/15 Tacoma, WA @ TBA w/ Scott Yoder
05/17 Boise, ID @ (house show)
05/18 Salt Lake City, UT @ (house show)
05/21 Kansas City, MO @ Cowtown
05/22 Wichita, KS @ Kirby's


Artist: Benjamin Cissner
Album: Birds in the Night
Label: Ben Cissner Music
Release Date: April 22nd, 2016

01) Division
02) Fifty / One Fifty
03) Hybris
04) Chippy's Lament
05) Flood
06) Nothing To Do But Wait
07) Follow You Down (STREAM)
08) Bad Mark
09) Alms
10) Ghost / Miami
11) Ballad of a Prawn










On The Web:

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Slow Season premiere first single from forthcoming album via Consequence of Sound, announce May-June tour


"The album’s fantastic, Jane’s Addiction-esque lead cut 'Y’wanna' signals new growth for Slow Season both as songwriters and recordists and these are by far their finest songs to date." -- Consequence of Sound 

Central California quartet Slow Season premiere the first track from their forthcoming new album, Westing today via Consequence of Sound. The explosive single, "Y'Wanna" is available to hear and share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud). 

Slow Season hits the road yet again in May - June leading up to the album release. Please see current dates below. 

Contrary to the band’s name, downtime is a rarity for Slow Season. Sandwiched between summer 2015’s extensive tour with their RidingEasy labelmates Mondo Drag and Electric Citizen, plus several short west coast jaunts, the hard-working quartet also found time to hammer out its most powerful and ambitious album yet. Written, engineered, produced and mixed themselves on their own equipment, entirely on analog tape, Westing is a hard-hitting and powerful reminder of how at one time a rock ’n’ roll band could be a transcendent experience.

While Slow Season’s sound continues to effortlessly nod to the great bands of the 60s-70s, Westing is truly the sound of a band coming into their own. The songwriting is tight, howling and hypnotic. The sound is classic, yet refreshingly new. 

“It's a different album,” says drummer and primary recording engineer Cody Tarbell. “But we never have wanted to find a particular sound or any one thing and be attached to it permanently. A big part of our records is experimenting.” The Visalia, CA band -- Daniel Rice (vocals, guitar), David Kent (guitar), Hayden Doyel (bass), and Cody Tarbell (drums) --  has recorded all of their albums on reel-to-reel at Tarbell's home studio in a cornfield. This affords them the time to experiment getting sounds, while maintaining focus on the most important notion that performance is key. As with previous albums, recording was pretty immediate, tracked between January 15th and the beginning of February 2016 to 16-track tape and mixed to 2-track tape. 

Equally as ambitious as the band’s self-sufficient production is the sprawling lyrical theme to the album.  Thematically picking up where the Slow Season’s previous full length Mountains left off, Westing tackles some heady issues.

Westing follows a loose narrative about our nation's loss of innocence as it explores its frontiers,” vocalist Daniel Rice explains. “Re-contextualized in a story about an unnamed protagonist faced with choosing between different ideological allegiances and his own social identity.” From song to song, the album follows what Rice explains as, “the unholy trinity of greed+power+violence, the injustice wrought from this, persisting in willful ignorance, and reaping what is sown.” A deep conceptual arc, for sure, and one that adds further weight to the Slow Season’s intensity. 

Album opener “Y’Wanna” erupts from the speakers as if the band couldn’t even wait for the tape to start recording. it’s a full-throttle rocker reminiscent of Zep’s “Immigrant Song” with sly reference to “Four Sticks”, all groove and pummel. “Flag” keeps things rolling along with its bouncing, stop-n-go guitar riff. The 6/8-time blues sway of “The Jackal” echoes early Sabbath malefic boogie, while “Saurekonig” is a cavernous and volcanic mass driven by huge drums, ringing slide guitar and ominous drone. “Damascus” is a rollicking anthem driven by Tarbell’s syncopated hi-hat/snare interplay and Rice’s explosive wail proving just how much of a dynamic powerhouse Slow Season has become. Throughout, Westing is a smart and snarling rocker that sounds like rock ’n’ roll records should: massive, infectious and inviting repeat listens.

Westing will be available on LP, CD and download via RidingEasy Records on July 8th, 2016. Pre-orders include a free immediate download of the first single and are available HERE


SLOW SEASON LIVE:
05/18 Santa Cruz, CA @ Blue Lagoon
05/19 San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside
05/20 Oakland, CA @ The Golden Bull Bar
05/21 Grants Pass, OR @ G Street Bar & Grill
05/24 Portland, OR @ The Liquor Store Bar
05/25 Seattle, WA @ Funhouse
05/27 Boise, ID @ The Shredder
05/28 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
05/29 Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
05/30 Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge
05/31 Chicago, IL @ Double Door
06/01 Indianapolis, IN @ Bent Rail Brewing
06/02 Kent, OH @ Stone Tavern
06/03 Pittsburgh, PA @ Gooski’s
06/04 Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
06/06 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
06/07 Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe
06/08 Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club
06/09 Nashville, TN @ FooBAR
06/10 Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone *
06/11 New Orleans, LA @ Siberia *
06/12 Hattiesburg, MS @ The Tavern *
06/13 Shreveport, LA @ Bears *
06/14 Texarkana, TX @ Arrow Bar *
06/16 Oklahoma City, OK @ Blue Note *
06/17 Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves 
06/18 Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas
06/19 San Antonio, TX @ The Mix
06/22 Tempe, AZ @ Yucca Taproom
06/23 San Diego, CA @ The Merrow

*w/ Dirty Streets


Artist: Slow Season
Album: Westing
Label: RidingEasy Records
Release Date: July 8th, 2016

01. Y'Wanna (STREAM)
02. Flag
03. Big City Livin' 
04. The Jackal
05. Saurekonig
06. Damascus
07. Miranda
08. Manifest
09. Rainmaker












On The Web:

Friday, April 15, 2016

She Shreds Magazine talks campy horror and depraved pop with Touched By Ghoul, streams full album


"Mullenhour's vocals rise to heated roars worthy of stardom, which lend themselves perfectly to Touched by Ghoul's brand of rock that is loud and heavy..." -- Gaper's Block

"A thrilling, if at times terrifying, listen." -- Chicagoist


Chicago quartet Touched By Ghoul stream their debut album in full today in an interview with She Shreds Magazine. Read the complete interview with singer/guitarist Angela Mullenhour and hear/share the full album HERE. Or, Soundcloud and Bandcamp

Chicagoist recently premiered the song "Nice Corpse" HERE. (Direct Soundcloud). A video teaser featuring music and artwork from the band's full length Murder Circus, is available to watch and share via YouTube

Raised in a basement and surviving only on sheer will and flamin' hot cheetos, Touched by Ghoul clawed their way to the surface to induce the vomit of your soul. Touched By Ghoul exists in their own post-nostalgic now, rock and roll gravediggers tearing right through their dissonant yet beautiful Earth. Helmed by Angela Mullenhour (Sybris, Coins) along with a broody bunch of rock and roll ruffians of the Chicago scuzz scene, Touched By Ghoul constructs a soundtrack that is equally at home at a dive bar or a séance.

On their debut LP coming out on new Chicago imprint Under Road Records, Mullenhour hollers her way through a filthy, living, breathing, kidnapping, dead body finding love story backed by Paige Sandlin's animal drums kicking through the fog and fury of guitar wars. Recorded by Bill Skibbe (The Kills, Blonde Redhead, The Dead Weather) at the legendary Key Club Recording Company, the Ghouls have found that Eternity is today and blood in the sand is just mud. 

Sounds like: If Stephen King wrote an episode of Columbo scored by the bastard children of The Birthday Party, Babes In Toyland and Echo and the Bunnymen.


Murder Circus is available on LP, CD and download as of April 15th, 2016 via Under Road Records

Touched By Ghoul is:
Angela Mullenhour-Vocals/Guitar
Andrea Bauer-Guitar
Alex Shumard-Bass
Paige Sandlin- Drums 

TOUCHED BY GHOUL LIVE:
04/18 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle


Artist: Touched By Ghoul
Album: Murder Circus
Label: Under Road Records
Release Date: April 15, 2016

01) B.A.C.M.
02) Western Child
03) Whores
04) Rapevan
05) Immaculate Consumption (STREAM)
06) Nice Corpse (STREAM)
07) Murder Circus
08) Adios!













On The Web:

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Dangerous Minds streaming entire 'Brown Acid: The Second Trip' comp of long-lost 60s-70s proto-metal singles ahead of release


The second edition in the celebrated compilation series of long-lost vintage 60s-70s proto-metal, stoner rock singles, Brown Acid is streaming in full today via Dangerous Minds. See what interesting details and ephemera they've uncovered, and hear/share the entire album HERE. (Direct Soundcloud)

Curated in partnership by L.A. retailer Permanent Records and RidingEasy Records, Brown Acid: The Second Trip will be released (fittingly) on April 20th. 


Wax Poetics recently premiered the aptly-titled "Show Stopper" by Iron Knowledge, featuring a breakbeat and incredibly infectious detuned bass warble motif that DJs would kill for. Hear & share "Show Stopper" HEREConsequence of Sound earlier premiered the first track, Ash's "Midnight Witch" HERE. Please see complete track listing below. Watch a rare clip of Ash performing "Midnight Witch" on Australian TV HERE

Some of the best thrills of the Internet music revolution is the ability to find extremely rare music with great ease. But even with such vast archives to draw from, quite a lot of great songs have gone undiscovered for nearly half a century -- particularly in genres that lacked hifalutin arty pretense. Previously, only the most extremely dedicated and passionate record collectors had the stamina and prowess to hunt down long forgotten wonders in dusty record bins - often hoarding them in private collections, or selling at ridiculous collector's prices. Legendary compilations like Nuggets, Pebbles, ad nauseum, have exhausted the mines of early garage rock and proto-punk, keeping alive a large cross-section of underground ephemera. However, few have delved into and expertly archived the wealth of proto-metal, pre-stoner rock tracks collected on Brown Acid: The Second Trip

Lance Barresi, co-owner of L.A./Chicago retailer Permanent Records has shown incredible persistence in tracking down a stellar collection of rare singles from the 60s and 70s for the growing compilation series. Partnered with Daniel Hall of RidingEasy Records, the two have assembled a selection of songs that's hard to believe have remained unheard for so long. 

"I essentially go through hell and high water just to find these records," Barresi says. "Once I find a record worthy of tracking, I begin the (sometimes) extremely arduous process of contacting the band members and encouraging them to take part. Daniel and I agree that licensing all the tracks we're using for Brown Acid is best for everyone involved," rather than simply bootlegging the tracks. When all of the bands and labels haven't existed for 30-40 years or more, tracking down the creators gives all of these tunes a real second chance at success. 

"There's a long list of songs that we'd love to include," Barresi says. "But we just can't track the bands down. I like the idea that Brown Acid is getting so much attention, so people might reach out to us."

One song on The Second Trip actually never even saw light of day, until now. "Bell Park Loon" by Spiny Norman - sounding like Jethro Tull on more acid and heavier cider - languished in a collector's archives, unreleased for 38 years until Barresi and Hall arranged to license some of the collector's goldmine. 

Brown Acid: The Second Trip opens with the squealing guitar harmonies and Sabbath plod of Ash's "Midnight Wish." Sweet Crystal's "Warlords" is a fuzzy and fierce Deep Purple/Arthur Brown inspired organ-led anthem. Raving Maniac's 'Rock and Roll Man" is a tight and brash glam-meets-metal tune proving the true potential of a genre later squandered on Sunset Strip poodleheads. "Silence of the Morning" by Glass Sun serves grungy psych while the Volt Rush Band merges MC5 frantic energy with razor-sharp guitar leads. And, Iron Knowledge's aptly titled "Show Stopper" features a breakbeat and incredibly infectious detuned bass warble motif that DJs would kill for - had anyone been able to find the tune back in the day. Throughout, The Second Trip is yet another wall-to-wall set of blazing tracks that feels like you've uncovered a holy grail. And, in a way, you have. 

Brown Acid: The Second Trip will be available everywhere on LP, CD and download on April 20th, 2016 via RidingEasy Records. Pre-orders are available for digital (with immediate download of first two singles) at iTunes and Bandcamp, physical pre-orders at RidingEasy Records



Artist: Various Artists
Album: Brown Acid: The Second Trip
Label: RidingEasy Records
Release Date: April 20th, 2016

01. Ash "Midnight Witch" (STREAM)
02. Sweet Crystal "Warlords"
03. Raving Maniac "Rock and Roll Man"
04. Crossfield "Take It" (STREAM)
05. Spiny Norman "Bell Park Loon" (Unreleased)
06. Glass Sun "Silence of the Morning"
07. Volt Rush Band "Love To You"
08. Buck "Long Hot Highway"
09. Iron Knowledge "Show Stopper" (STREAM)
10. Sonny Hugg "Daybreak"



Artist: Various Artists
Album: Brown Acid: The First Trip  ALBUM STREAM
Label: RidingEasy Records
Release Date: August 11th, 2015

01. Zeke's "Box"
02. Snow "Sunflower"
03. Tour "One of the Bad Guys"
04. Zebra "Wasted"
05. Bob Goodsite "Faze 1"
06. Raw Meat "Stand-By Girl"
07. Punch "Deathhead"
08. Bacchus "Carry My Load"
09. Lenny Drake "Love Eyes (Cast Your Spell On Me)"
10. The Todd "Mystify Me"
11. Josefus "Hard Luck"



On The Web:

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

The Blue Stones streaming entire album of hypnotic, heavy soul-rock via AllMusic 

"Music for pint drinking, it was a visceral, deodorant-demanding show." -- Exclaim!

"The hottest kind of rock." -- PopMatters

Windsor, Ontario's The Blue Stones are streaming their entire forthcoming album, Black Holes starting today via AllMusic.com. Hear and share The Blue Stones' Black Holes HERE. (Direct Soundcloud). 

Paste Magazine recently shared the shimmering, laid-back yearning of album closer "Magic", available to hear and share HERE. Exclaim! shared the title track HERE. Previously, PopMatters launched "The Hard Part," a perfect example of the duo's hypnotic, yet rousing heavy soul-rock sound. Hear and share HERE.

Black Holes was co-produced with Canadian underground legend Ian Blurton and mixed by Detroit garage-punk stalwart Jim Diamond (The White Stripes, The Von Bondies, The Dirtbombs). 

The Blue Stones were a little surprised to see that their 2012 release How's That Sound? was on Bandcamp's best-selling list. At the same time, it was more of a revelation as to how far they'd come: the alternative indie-blues duo had made a serious impression on everyone they'd come across since hitting the road in 2010.

Not having a third member to fill another rhythm role, the duo developed an original characteristic to the sounds of the bands that influenced them. "We never had a bass player in our early jams, so we subconsciously compensated for one in the music," says guitarist/vocalist Tarek Jafar.

For Black Holes, Jafar and drummer Justin Tessier worked closely with Canadian underground legend Ian Blurton to define the record's sound and emotion. "Ian brought a level of grit and rawness that we really wanted to tap into for a record that's far darker than what we've released in the past," says Tessier. "We also worked closely with Brett Humber (Sound Foundry Studios), who helped us with How's That Sound? in 2012."

The duo's music has also been featured numerous times on major network television, including spots on Parks & Recreation, Suits, Monday Night Football, Battle Creek and more.

More importantly, crowds across Canada and hometown-neighboring Detroit, MI have been stunned by the energy and force behind their loud, dominant live performances-especially for just two dapper guys. The Blue Stones create a killer hi/lo effect; contrasting their slick and put together look with their rough and rollicking live show.  Heart, soul and sweat characterize every Blue Stones spectacle - you can't help but be pulled in from the moment the first note is played.  

The two are elated to have played with premiere acts and in national festivals; however, they'd like to achieve an even greater reach to bigger audiences around all of North America and the world. "After two releases and a third in the works, we're looking to forward to pushing this as far as it'll go, to reach as many people as we can," says Jafar. "We love this too much to keep it hid in southwestern Ontario."

Black Holes will be available on April 15th, 2016. 

Artist: The Blue Stones
Album: Black Holes
Label: Blue Stones Music
Release Date: April 15th, 2016

01) Airlock
02) The Drop
03) Black Holes (Solid Ground) (STREAM)
04) The Hard Part (STREAM)
05) Be My Fire
06) Lay
07) Little Brother
08) Midnight
09) Orbit
10) Magic (STREAM)











On The Web:

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Touched By Ghoul (feat. Sybris' Angela Mullenhour) premiere track from forthcoming debut via Chicagoist

Click image to watch teaser video


"Mullenhour's vocals rise to heated roars worthy of stardom, which lend themselves perfectly to Touched by Ghoul's brand of rock that is loud and heavy..." -- Gaper's Block

"A thrilling, if at times terrifying, listen." -- Chicagoist


Chicago quartet Touched By Ghoul share a new track from their forthcoming debut album today via Chicagoist. The song "Nice Corpse" is available to hear and share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud).


The band previously shared the song "Immaculate Consumption" is available to hear and share HERE. A video teaser featuring music and artwork from the band's full length Murder Circus, is available to watch and share via YouTube

Raised in a basement and surviving only on sheer will and flamin' hot cheetos, Touched by Ghoul clawed their way to the surface to induce the vomit of your soul. Touched By Ghoul exists in their own post-nostalgic now, rock and roll gravediggers tearing right through their dissonant yet beautiful Earth. Helmed by Angela Mullenhour (Sybris, Coins) along with a broody bunch of rock and roll ruffians of the Chicago scuzz scene, Touched By Ghoul constructs a soundtrack that is equally at home at a dive bar or a séance.

On their debut LP coming out on new Chicago imprint Under Road Records, Mullenhour hollers her way through a filthy, living, breathing, kidnapping, dead body finding love story backed by Paige Sandlin’s animal drums kicking through the fog and fury of guitar wars. Recorded by Bill Skibbe (The Kills, Blonde Redhead, The Dead Weather) at the legendary Key Club Recording Company, the Ghouls have found that Eternity is today and blood in the sand is just mud. 

Sounds like: If Stephen King wrote an episode of Columbo scored by the bastard children of The Birthday Party, Babes In Toyland and Echo and the Bunnymen.

Murder Circus will be available on LP, CD and download on April 15th, 2016 via Under Road Records. Pre-orders are available via Bandcamp

Touched By Ghoul is:
Angela Mullenhour-Vocals/Guitar
Andrea Bauer-Guitar
Alex Shumard-Bass
Paige Sandlin- Drums 

TOUCHED BY GHOUL LIVE:
04/18 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle


Artist: Touched By Ghoul
Album: Murder Circus
Label: Under Road Records
Release Date: April 15, 2016

01) B.A.C.M.
02) Western Child
03) Whores
04) Rapevan
05) Immaculate Consumption (STREAM)
06) Nice Corpse (STREAM)
07) Murder Circus
08) Adios!













On The Web:

Monday, April 11, 2016

Årabrot announce U.S. tour dates in May, Norwegian Grammy winning band's triumphant return after vocalist's bout w/ throat cancer


"Årabrot have always been both weird and heavy, with the ratio varying from album to album. On The Gospel, they’re at their weirdest and best" -- The Wire

"A stunning return from an artist worth believing in" - 9/10 -- Terrorizer


Norwegian Grammy Award winning noisy/experimental band Arabrot announce U.S. headlining tour dates today which begin in May. Please see complete dates below. 

These are the first North American dates supporting Arabrot's latest album The Gospel, released February 2016. Stream the full album via Bandcamp (preferred for sharing) or Soundcloud

After having recovered from throat cancer last year, singer Kjetil Nernes performs better than ever, exemplified on recent European tours. The Gospel was recorded partly with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago and partly in the old church in the woods of Dalarna, Sweden where the singer lives and runs his studio these days. The album features guest appearances by Ted Parsons (Swans, Godflesh), Stephen O'Malley of Sunn0))) and Andrew Liles (Current 93/Nurse With Wound) among others. 

The Gospel is a collection of the music and lyrics written by Nernes while undergoing cancer surgery, treament and recovery. 

During their 12 years of existence, Arabrot has managed to upset people in every possible way. From the get go in Haugesund Norway, where it all started, they’ve been provoking people with controversial artwork and unusual press shots. The singer’s voice was described, “sounds like someone who just escaped a mental institution." They have grown from there and have become something of a cult band with hard core fans all over the world.

They’ve never done anything the usual way, but still Arabrot won the Grammy for best metal album in 2012. Not bad for an rock band in Norway, a country with one of the most interesting metal scenes in the world.

Since then they’ve toured rock clubs in Scandinavia, Europe and the U.S. But they’ve also composed music for silent movies like Die Niebelungen and Doctor Caligari. They’ve teamed up with The Quietus-founder John Doran on his spoken word tour. They’ve blown whole art galleries away with their brutal, yet sophisticated sound. And after six full length albums and 6 EPs, the band continues to grow.


Artist: Årabrot
Album: The Gospel 
Label: Fysisk Format 
Release Date: February 26th, 2016

01. The Gospel
02. I Run
03. Tall Man
04. Faustus
05. Ah Feel
06. And The Whore is This City
07. I Am the Sun
08. Darkest Day
09. Rebekka (Tragoedie)


On The Web: