Dave Davison may have magical powers: Cast Spells, Maps & Atlases frontman tours, records on otherworldly schedule

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 1st, 2009

Dave Davison may have otherworldly powers. Or so it might seem, judging by the busy musician's ability to accomplish so much in so little time. Cast Spells, his solo endeavor launches a tour of the eastern US with Good Old War this week in support of their split EP (stream HERE) out December 2nd via Sargent House. Immediately following those dates, Cast Spells records a Daytrotter session on December 17th, playing live with Band Of Skulls later that night in Rock Island, IL. Check out the MP3 for Cast Spells' "All Brass" from the split EP HERE.

All the while, Davison is completing writing a new album for his other band, Maps & Atlases and preparing for a Feb/March 2010 European tour with yet another of his projects, Hey Tonal. Please see complete tour dates below.

The tremendous intra-band camaraderie of the Sargent House roster continues as Cast Spells and Good Old War release a split EP together and tour sharing band members this month. Good Old War will serve as the backing band to Cast Spells on these dates. And to further the family love, Good Old War also contribute vocal harmonies to the forthcoming new album by Davison's other band, Maps & Atlases.

Cast Spells released its debut 6-song EP, Bright Works and Baton (Sargent House) in August 2009. Listen to Cast Spells HERE. Listen to Maps & Atlases HERE. Listen to Hey Tonal HERE.

Good Old War / Cast Spells tour:

12/03 Brooklyn, NY @ The Knitting Factory

12/04 Philadelphia, PA @ North Star Bar

12/05 Boston, MA @ The Middle East Upstairs

12/06 Hamden, CT @ The Space

12/07 Syracuse, NY @ Westcott Theater

12/08 Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's

12/09 Baltimore, MD @ The Quarter

12/11 Columbus, OH @ The Basement

12/12 Pittsburgh, PA @ Smiling Moose Upstairs

Daytrotter Presents: Band of Skulls and Cast Spells

12/17 Rock Island, IL @ Humphrey's Pizza

Hey Tonal / Cast Spells - European Tour 2010

02/25 Lucerne, Switzerland - Treibhaus

02/26 Nantes, France - Blockhaus DY10

02/27 Paris, France - Espace B

03/02 Lille, France - La Meltarie

03/03 Namur, Belgium - Belvedere

03/05 Copenhagen, Denmark - Lades

03/06 Warsaw, Poland - Powiekszenie

03/07 Krakow, Poland - Klub Re

03/10 Fano, Italy - Boomker

03/12 Corneliano d'Alba Italy - Cinema Vekkio*

03/13 Lyon, France - Grrrnd Zero*

03/14 Geneva, Switzerland - L'Usine*

*Hey Tonal only

Tour EP track listing:

Good Old War

1. Texas Blues

2. Breaking Down

Cast Spells

1. Letters

2. All Brass (MP3)

Hi-res cover art, photos and bios:

http://www.sargenthouse.com/gow_assets.html (Good Old War)

http://www.sargenthouse.com/castspells_assets.html (Cast Spells)

Good Old War and Cast Spells are available for interviews. For more information, please contact Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com.

RX Bandits perform live on BBC Radio 1 tonight, Fuel TV this Thursday and Friday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 23rd, 2009

RX Bandits to perform on BBC Radio 1 tonight, Fuel TV this Thursday and Friday

Southern California's multifaceted prog-psych-rock quartet RX Bandits is giving fans much to be thankful for this week. Tonight, November 23rd, BBC Radio 1's "The Punk Show with Mike Davies" airs an acoustic performance and interview with the band. The show airs live, online and on Sirius FM at 6pm PST, 9pm EST. Listen HERE (also streaming for 7 days after airing.)

On Thanksgiving Day, November 26th, RX Bandits perform 2 songs from their recent album Mandala ("My Lonesome Only Friend" and "It's Only Another Parsec...") on Fuel TV's "The Daily Habit" program. The episode, which also features skate legend Tony Hawk, re-airs on Friday, November 27th. See full details for both shows below.

Recently, the band launched its own iPhone application available free to download at the iTunes Store. And, RX Bandits also have 2 songs featured in the popular game Tap Tap Revenge 3 for the mobile device. Additionally, the group's widely popular new album, Mandala is available on Amazon.com's "50 for $5" promotion throughout November. That album catapulted to Amazon's #1 Top Selling MP3 Album upon release, later landing in its Most Downloaded Albums of 2009.

Mandala: few titles are as perfectly befitting an album for a band reaching the culmination of a decade-long musical transformation. With this recording, RX Bandits have truly struck the essence of their merging of genres into a complete and masterfully detailed mosaic. Check out the MP3 for the single, "My Lonesome Only Friend" HERE. Stream the entire album HERE.

Tracking for Mandala took place at The Mouse House Studio in Northern Pasadena in March of 2009, and marked the return of producer Chris Fudurich to the fold.The album features dramatically hypnotic artwork by Sonny Kay. Mandala was released July 21st, 2009 via Sargent House.

RX Bandits on BBC Radio 1 - interview & 3 song performance:

Monday, 11/23 at 6pm Pacific Time

Monday, 11/23 at 9pm Eastern Time

Tuesday, 11/24 at 2am Greenwich Mean Time

On Sirius FM Radio:

Monday, 11/23 at 6pm Pacific Time

RX Bandits on Fuel TV's "The Daily Habit":

Thursday, 11/26 at 6pm PST / 9pm EST

Thursday, 11/26 at 9pm PST / Midnight EST

Friday, 11/27 at 11:30am PST / 2:30pm EST

Friday, 11/27 at 2:30pm PST / 5:30 EST

Hi-res cover art, photos and bio:

http://www.sargenthouse.com/rxb_assets.html

For more info:

http://www.sargenthouse.com/rxb.html

http://www.rxbandits.com

http://www.myspace.com/rxbandits

http://digital.rxbandits.com/

http://www.sargenthouse.com

# # #

RX Bandits are available for interviews.

For more information, please contact Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com

Fang Island delivers sound of 'everyone high-fiving everyone'

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 20, 2009

Fang Island delivers the sound of everyone high-fiving everyone

"A triumphant, heavily riffed, primarily instrumental epic, whiplashing through six minutes of smiling prog jams, and as many tempos as passages, before settling into one last minute of uplifting chants." -- Stereogum

"Life-affirming prog guitar anthems." – Seattle Stranger

Fang Island describes its sound as "everyone high-fiving everyone." And, the Brooklyn quintet's anthemic and soaring songs make it quite possibly one of few bands befitting such description. Check out MP3s for two new tracks, "Daisy" (MP3 HERE) and "Life Coach" (MP3 HERE).

Its finger-tapping guitar lines, chanted vocals, triumphant harmonies and overall perky songs hearken to the sort of "Total Music" of the Fucking Champs, Jay Reatard, Ponytail, Kraftwerk, Marnie Stern, Thin Lizzy, et al. But, perhaps more so, its songs are like the music in your head at that moment when everything feels just right: that first kiss, that high score on the video game, buying your first small nation in cash... you know, good stuff.

Nothing embodies the band's sense of optimism and enthusiasm better than this clip of Fang Island performing live for a classroom of kindergartners. Watch HERE.

Fang Island began, oddly enough, as an art school project while the band members were attending the prodigious Rhode Island School of Design (also the foundation for Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Les Savvy Fav, Lightning Bolt, Six Finger Satellite and some band called the Talking Heads.) According to guitarist Jason Bartell, the goal was to "make music for people who like music." That is, music without irony that harnesses its uplifting qualities. Just like a classic rock song or classical symphony can stir us emotionally, Fang Island exists to unlock that spirit.

Fang Island is guitarist Jason Bartell, bassist Philip Curcuru, guitarist Chris Georges, guitarist Nicholas Andrew Sadler, and drummer Marc St. Sauveur. They all share collective group vocal harmonies and the occasional hand claps. While Sadler is also known for his role in the debauched rock band Daughters, it is only his fretboard skill that translates between the two groups.

Fang Island begins appropriately with the sound of erupting fireworks on "Dreams of Dreams" leading into a cascading chorus of ringing guitar notes before the group vocal harmonies chime in with the mantra, "they all are within my reach, they are free." The second song, "Careful Crossers" launches in beneath the vocals with a chorus of gleaming guitar harmonies smeared over the marching, syncopated rhythm section. Elsewhere, tracks like "Sideswiper" hearken to the metal-laced positivity of Andrew WK. "Daisy" sounds like a unique collaboration between the Fucking Champs and Jay Reatard. Throughout the album, it's like listening to the cool version of classic rock -- the type of anthemic pop -- without the cheesiness -- that you wished Journey and Boston could've made.

Fang Island's debut album, Fang Island will be released February 23rd, 2010 via Sargent House.

Artist: Fang Island

Album: Fang Island

Label: Sargent House

Release Date: February 23, 2010

01. Dreams of Dreams

02. Careful Crossers

03. Daisy (MP3)

04. Life Coach (MP3)

05. Sideswiper

06. The Illinois

07. Treeton

08. Davey Crockett

09. Welcome Wagon

10. Dorian

Hi-Res photos, cover art and bio:

http://sargenthouse.com/fangisland_assets.html

On the Web:

http://www.myspace.com/fangisland

http://fangisland.com

http://digital.fangisland.com/

Fang Island is available for interviews. For more information, please contact Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com

Omar Rodriguez Lopez releases Xenophanes worldwide, album stream at Spinner.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 10th, 2009

Omar Rodriguez Lopez releases Xenophanes worldwide, full album stream at Spinner.com

Renown guitarist and musical mastermind Omar Rodriguez Lopez makes his debut as lead vocalist on his most melodic and revealing album to date, available worldwide on November 10th, 2009 via his own Rodriguez Lopez Productions. The disc, titled Xenophanes takes bold steps for the Grammy-winning guitar legend -- and we don't use the word "legend" lightly, Rolling Stone hails him among their "Greatest Guitarists of All Time", placing him on that issue's cover.

Check out the first MP3, "Mundo De Ciegos" (HERE). Last week, MySpace Music posted an exclusive preview of the album. And, this week only, AOL's Spinner.com is streaming the entire album -- listen HERE.

Wikipedia tells us that Xenophanes was a Greek philosopher, poet, and social and religious critic of the 5th century BC. His pantheistic conception of the Universe supposed that everything in existence has always existed. He rejected his contemporaries' notions of an anthropomorphic "god" (or hierarchy of gods) in favor of a concept not the least bit irrelevant to our 21st century mindset, that of a singular (and hence, all-encompassing) global consciousness. His unorthodox concepts were not widely acknowledged until many hundreds of years after his death, and suffice to say, their material concerns are primarily those which humans wage war over two-and-a-half millennia later. Little surprise, then, that this iconoclastic anomaly of a man should lend his name to a new concept album by The Mars Volta's hyper-prolific mastermind, Omar Rodriguez Lopez.

The inaugural recording from Rodriguez Lopez's low-profile compound in Zapopan, Mexico, Xenophanes is the first album which finds him at the helm vocally and lyrically, as well as musically. Sung entirely in Spanish, Xenophanes showcases a side of Omar rarely seen before, allowing for a much more gestural experience of the man rather than simply the musician, and truly distinguishing this album from its myriad predecessors. Equal parts Volta bombast, El Grupo Nuevo... technicality, and a textural richness unequaled on prior solo releases, Xenophanes is a triumph of imagination and an inspired, concise statement. A conceptual journey through life, death, and re-birth, the album tells the story of a selfish and judgmental female caseworker who falls in love with a male client, only for him to die soon thereafter. Over the course of eleven subsequent lifetimes, the woman experiences life from every conceivable vantage point as her soul evolves, thereby allowing the maturity and eventual letting-go of her ego which in turn enables the realization that the man was, and always has been, her father spirit. Suggesting the fractal and holographic nature of both consciousness and physical reality, the concepts embraced on Xenophanes will appear at least vaguely familiar to anyone with experience in the psychedelic and/or shamanic realms; concepts which Xenophanes himself was likely the first to express within the confines of Western philosophy.

In order to execute the unpredictable, emotionally-charged compositions on Xenophanes, Rodriguez Lopez once again enlists his veteran co-conspirators: bassist Juan Alderete de la Peña, drummer Thomas Pridgen and keyboardist/percussionist Marcel Rodriguez Lopez. Additionally, the album includes contributions from Mark Aanderud (additional keyboards), as well as the notable voice of Ximena Sariñana, doubling and backing Rodriguez Lopez's vocals. As Sariñana's presence on Omar's recordings and during live performances has already been a cause for much speculation, it should be made clear that Xenophanes does not feature the accomplished and versatile singer's own vocal compostions. Subsequent releases (the forthcoming Los Suenos De Un Hidago and Ciencia De Los Inutiles albums, for instance) will fully showcase Sariñana's penchant for infectious melody and engaging lyrics.

Artist: Omar Rodriguez Lopez

Album: Xenophanes

Label: Rodriguez Lopez Productions

Release Date: November 10, 2009

1. Azoemia
2. Mundo De Ciegos (MP3)
3. Ojo Al Cristo De Plata
4. Amanita Virosa
5. Sangrando Detrás De Los Ojos
6. Desarraigo
7. Asco Que Conmueve Los Puntos Erógenos
8. Oremos
9. Perder El Arte De La Razón Sin Mover Un Sólo Dedo
10. a) Flores De Cizaña
11. b) Maria Celeste

On the Web:

http://rodriguezlopezproductions.com

http://www.myspace.com/rodriguezlopezproductions

Further Reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Rodr%C3%ADguez-López

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/18689/Omar-Rodriguez-Lopez-Genius-Set-Free

For more information, please contact Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com. To contact Rodriguez Lopez Productions, email Cathy Pellow at: cathy@sargenthouse.com

Mr. Gnome releases new video, album & tour launch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 6th, 2009

Click image to watch video

Mr. Gnome releases video for "Spain" off forthcoming Heave Yer Skeleton, continues tour in support of album recorded at Josh Homme's studio

Cleveland duo mr. Gnome releases the first video from its sophomore album, Heave Yer Skeleton today, a live performance version of the disc's opening track, "Spain" (watch it HERE.) The clip is authorized for reposting. The band also returns to its lengthy U.S. tour starting on November 11th, keeping them on the road until late December. The trek is in support of the November 10th release of the band's sophomore album, which was recorded at Josh Homme's Pink Duck Studios and the vinyl release of its previous disc, Deliver This Creature. Please see complete tour dates below.

Chan "Cat Power" Marshall fronting Queens of the Stone Age? Karen O leading Death From Above 1979? Mr. Gnome has been given many unusual comparisons, all of which seem to indicate the band's spectacularly unique sound. And, while none seem to fully capture the band's loftily heavy-beautiful music, mr. Gnome offers up two brand new tracks from Heave Yer Skeleton for your consideration. Follow the links to MP3s for "Slow Side" (CLICK HERE) and "Vampires" (CLICK HERE).

Upon completing recording at Homme's studio in Los Angeles, the endlessly touring pair of guitarist/vocalist Nicole Barile and drummer/vocalist Sam Meister mixed at Butch Vig's Smart Studios in Madison, WI, putting the finishing touches on the album.

The psychedelically syncopated sounds of Cleveland's mr. Gnome draw on a visceral mix of contrasting textures. Masculine and feminine, soft whispers and shrill yelps, pounding drums and soothing lullabies combine to form a discursive indie-rock collage. The duo's jagged symphony of sound has them compared to a scattershot of artists ranging from Portishead, Cat Power, Massive Attack, and Joanna Newsom, to Death From Above 1979, Blonde Redhead, Sonic Youth, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Heave Yer Skeleton, the follow-up to mr. Gnome's debut full-length, Deliver This Creature, promises to be no less a musical twist than the last offering. Returning with the same basic, minimalist ingredients; a soulful, feminine power and inventive, dynamic drumming, the two are suspended in a sea of drug-induced themes pouring from their simplistic set-up. The id, dreams, silver giants, hallucinations, flying horses, the devil, Armageddon, vampires, and ghosts are just a few of the hauntingly, hypnotic subjects floating between pleasure and pain in the soundscapes of Heave Yer Skeleton.

In April 2009 the duo received an invitation to record at Josh Homme's (Queens of the Stone Age) Pink Duck Studios located in Los Angeles. Studio manager and engineer Justin Smith (QOTSA, Eagles of Death Metal, Arctic Monkeys, Spinnerette) recorded the sessions and the location served as the perfect creative environment for mr. Gnome's sophomore effort. After returning to Cleveland, the album received last minute touches and additional tracking at Ante Up Audio with Adam Korbesmeyer.

The album was mixed at Butch Vig’s Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin by Beau Sorenson (Death Cab For Cutie, Sparklehorse, The Secret Machines, Garbage, Tegan and Sara). Extending and experimenting on elements only touched on in their first full-length, mr. Gnome’s Heave Yer Skeleton is scheduled for a November 2009 release.

mr. Gnome on tour:

11/11/09 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Melody Inn

11/12/09 - Madison, WI @ The Frequency

11/13/09 - Chicago, IL @ The Darkroom

11/16/09 - Lawrence, KS @ The Replay Lounge

11/17/09 - Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive

11/18/09 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Vegas

11/20/09 - Portland, OR @ Kelly's Olympian

11/21/09 - Seattle, WA @ The Sunset Tavern

11/23/09 - San Francisco, CA @ Elbow Room

11/24/09 - Los Angeles, CA @ Silverlake Lounge

11/25/09 - Long Beach, CA @ Alex's Bar

11/27/09 - Tucson, AZ @ Plush

11/28/09 - Albuquerque, NM @ Atomic Cantina

11/29/09 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory

12/01/09 - Dallas, TX @ The Double Wide

12/03/09 - San Marcos, TX @ The Triple Crown

12/04/09 - Houston, TX @ Rudyard's British Pub

12/05/09 - New Orleans, LA @ Banks Street Bar

12/06/09 - Mobile, AL @ Alabama Music Box (w/ Jay Reatard)

12/07/09 - Pensacola, FL @ The Handlebar

12/08/09 - Orlando, FL @ The Backbooth

12/11/09 - Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor

12/18/09 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern

12/19/09 - Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle

Artist: mr. Gnome

Album: Heave Yer Skeleton

Label: El Marko Records

Release Date: November 10th, 2009

1. Spain (VIDEO)

2. Hills, Valleys and Valium

3. Slow Side (MP3)

4. Plastic Shadow

5. Sit Up & Hum

6. Titor

7. Vampires (MP3)

8. Cleveland Polka

9. Pixie Dust

10. Today Brings a Bomb

11. Searider

12. Heave Yer Skeleton

On the web:

www.mrgnome.com

www.myspace.com/mrgnome

www.mr-gnome.blogspot.com

RX Bandits launch iPhone app, prepare last-minute California shows with Glassjaw

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 4th, 2009

RX Bandits launch iPhone app, prepare last-minute California shows with Glassjaw

It's been a landmark year for Southern California's multifaceted prog-psych-rock quartet RX Bandits, and now the band has even more big news to report. This week, the band launched its own iPhone application available free to download at the iTunes Store. And, to get iPhone users even more excited, RX Bandits also have 2 songs featured in the popular game Tap Tap Revenge 3 for the mobile device. Additionally, the group's widely popular new album, Mandala is available on Amazon.com's "50 for $5" promotion throughout November. That album catapulted to Amazon's #1 Top Selling MP3 Album upon release, later landing in its Most Downloaded Albums of 2009.

Also hot on the heels of a wildly successful South American tour, RX Bandits has just announced three very special shows with Glassjaw in California. Please see complete dates below.

The long-running band's iPhone app was created in conjunction with Mobbase, a developer firm that's gained significant attention of late.

Mandala: few titles are as perfectly befitting an album for a band reaching the culmination of a decade-long musical transformation. With this recording, RX Bandits have truly struck the essence of their merging of genres into a complete and masterfully detailed mosaic. Check out the MP3 for the single, "My Lonesome Only Friend" HERE. Stream the entire album HERE.

Tracking for Mandala took place at The Mouse House Studio in Northern Pasadena in March of 2009, and marked the return of producer Chris Fudurich to the fold.The album features dramatically hypnotic artwork by Sonny Kay. Mandala was released July 21st, 2009 via Sargent House.

RX Bandits with Glassjaw:

Nov 11 Los Angeles, CA @ The Mayan Theater

Nov 12 Pomona, CA @ The Glasshouse

Nov 13 San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Theater

Hi-res cover art, photos and bio:

http://www.sargenthouse.com/rxb_assets.html

For more info:

http://www.sargenthouse.com/rxb.html

http://www.rxbandits.com

http://www.myspace.com/rxbandits

http://digital.rxbandits.com/

http://www.sargenthouse.com

# # #

RX Bandits are available for interviews.

For more information, please contact Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com

Good Old War, Cast Spells to release split EP and tour in December

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 4th, 2009

Good Old War, Cast Spells to release split EP and tour in December

Dailymotion features exclusive new video by Good Old War

The tremendous intra-band camaraderie of the Sargent House roster continues as Good Old War and Cast Spells release a split EP together and tour sharing band members in December. Good Old War will serve as the backing band to Dave Davison's solo outfit Cast Spells on these dates (please see full dates below). And to further the family love, Good Old War also contribute vocal harmonies to the forthcoming new album by Davison's other band, Maps & Atlases.

In support of this tour, Sargent House will release a 4-song EP comprised of two new tracks by each act. This is the first new music from Good Old War since release of its debut album Only Way to be Alone (Sargent House - stream it HERE) in 2008, which has kept the band in a whirlwind of touring (including dates with RX Bandits, The Honorary Title , Heartless Bastards and Gaslight Anthem) and a multitude of radio appearances. Cast Spells released its debut 6-song EP, Bright Works and Baton (Sargent House - stream it HERE) in August 2009, and will head overseas for a tour in March 2010 with another Dave Davison project called Hey Tonal.

In other Good Old War news, Dailymotion.com has an exclusive post of the band's new video on its front page this week. Click the image above or HERE to watch the clip for "Maybe Mine." The trio will cap off the year with west coast performances with songwriter Anthony Green, playing both as his backing band as well as their own full set. All upcoming tour dates are listed below.

Good Old War / Cast Spells tour:

12/03 Brooklyn, NY @ The Knitting Factory

12/04 Philadelphia, PA @ North Star Bar

12/05 Boston, MA @ The Middle East Upstairs

12/06 Hamden, CT @ The Space

12/07 Syracuse, NY @ Westcott Theater

12/08 Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's

12/09 Baltimore, MD @ The Quarter

12/11 Columbus, OH @ The Basement

12/12 Pittsburgh, PA @ Smiling Moose Upstairs

Good Old War / Anthony Green tour:

12/28 Pomona, CA @ The Glasshouse

12/29 Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy

12/30 San Diego, CA @ Soma Side

Tour EP track listing:

Good Old War

1. Texas Blues

2. Breaking Down

Cast Spells

1. Letters

2. All Brass

Hi-res cover art, photos and bios:

http://www.sargenthouse.com/gow_assets.html (Good Old War)

http://www.sargenthouse.com/castspells_assets.html (Cast Spells)

Good Old War and Cast Spells are available for interviews. For more information, please contact Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com.