Thursday, February 25, 2010

Red Sparowes announce North American headlining tour, release first MP3 from new album

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 25th, 2010

Red Sparowes announce North American headlining tour, release first MP3 from new album due out in April

Los Angeles epic, heavy quintet Red Sparowes has announced North American headlining tour dates this spring supporting its forthcoming third album. The album, titled The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer will be released via Sargent House on April 6th, 2010. Red Sparowes will be accompanied on sections of the tour by Doomriders, Caspian and Fang Island. See complete tour dates and album track listing below.

Check out the first MP3 track off the album, "Giving Birth To Imagined Saviors" posted HERE. A video teaser for the album has also been posted HERE.

There has never been as pronounced of a leap in style and scope as with Red Sparowes' latest offering. The Fear is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer maintains their layered arrangements and swirling amplified crescendos, Americana noir soundscapes (punctuated by the extended pedal steel on “In Every Mind”), and gloriously triumphant melodies (“Giving Birth to Imagined Saviors”). Earlier records focused on the larger scope of the album, but the new album is song-centered, with the individual tracks harboring stronger independent identities. And where previous endeavors found the band propelled by enormous walls of sound, they now temper their monolithic progressions with distinct passages of separated and soft-spoken instrumentation. Red Sparowes were suspiciously absent from the playing field over the last three years, and now it’s apparent that they were busy drafting the grandest statement and finest achievement of their existence.

Thunderheads storming across the prairie, outraged students taking to the streets, migratory herds stampeding along the tundra--any number of images could describe the grandiose scope of Red Sparowes’ lush vignettes. Wielding both a master’s sense of nuance and an outsider artist’s unhindered expressionist zeal, the Los Angeles quintet created a catalog of haunting and hallucinatory guitar orchestrations over the course of the millennium’s opening decade. With two albums, a string of split releases, multiple U.S. and European tours, and a number of line-up changes under their belt, Red Sparowes are currently poised to release their third album and most impressive creation to date, The Fear is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer.

Though Red Sparowes’ music thrives unbound by narrative, the band provides a roadmap to their muse. Their 2005 debut album, At The Soundless Dawn, cast the scientific inevitability of the Sixth Extinction into a grand funeral oration, revealing the message within the individual track titles. Their second full-length, Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun (2006) provided a synopsis of the Great Sparrow campaign of the Great Leap Forward, laying bare its conceptual role. The Aphorisms EP (2008 digital, 2009 12" vinyl) served a thematic precursor to the next album.

Red Sparowes' latest offering, The Fear is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer, began with the larger existential pondering of truth, faith, order, causality, and the innate demand for an understanding of the larger world around us. While Red Sparowes’ majesty is hardly in need of story, the provision of the larger metaphor yields a heightened depth and gravity to their work.

Red Sparowes tour:
03/29 Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room **
03/30 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad **
04/01 Dallas, TX @ Lola’s **
04/02 Austin, TX @ Red 7 **
04/03 Houston, TX @ Rudyard’s **
04/05 Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon **
04/06 Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree **
04/07 Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits **
04/08 Orlando, FL @ the Social **
04/09 Atlanta, GA @ the Earl **
04/10 Chapel Hill @ Local 506 **
04/11 Washington DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel ** ^
04/13 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge **
04/14 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge **
04/15 Boston, MA @ the Middle East Downstairs ** ^
04/16 Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa ** ^
04/17 Toronto, ON @ the Garrison ** ^
04/18 Cleveland, OH @ The Grog Shop # ^
04/19 Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio # ^
04/21 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall # ^
04/22 Madison, WI @ High Noon # ^
04/23 Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar # ^
04/24 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Jr. # ^
04/26 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge ^
04/27 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge ^
04/29 Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s # ^
04/30 Vancouver, BC @ the Biltmore # ^
05/01 Portland, OR @ the Hawthorne # ^
05/02 Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall # ^
05/04 Sacramento, CA @ Blue Lamp ^
05/05 Santa Cruz, CA @ Crepe Place ^
05/06 Santa Cruz, CA @ Crepe Place ^
05/07 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall ^
05/08 Los Angeles, CA @ the Echoplex ^
05/09 San Diego, CA @ the Casbah ^

** With Doomriders
# With Caspian
^ With Fang Island


Artist: Red Sparowes
Album: The Fear is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer
Label: Sargent House
Release Date: April 6, 2010

01. Truths Arise
02. In Illusions of Order
03. A Hail of Bombs
04. Giving Birth to Imagined Saviors (MP3)
05. A Swarm
06. In Every Mind
07. A Mutiny
08. As Each End Looms and Subsides

Hi-res photos, cover art and bio:

On the Web:


Members of Red Sparowes are available for interviews. For more information, please contact Cathy Pellow at cathy@usthemgroup.com or Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com

Monday, February 22, 2010

Zach Hill / Nick Reinhart power-duo Bygones release 'Spiritual Bankruptcy' EP today


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 22, 2010





Zach Hill / Nick Reinhart power-duo Bygones release ‘Spiritual Bankruptcy’ EP today



The immensely chaotic and fierce power-duo of drummer Zach Hill (Hella, Marnie Stern, et al.) and Nick Reinhart (Tera Melos) unleash their much-anticipated frenetic EP, Spiritual Bankruptcy today. The EP is released via Sargent House and is available for streaming and download HERE.


Watch videos of Bygones performing songs from the EP live in the studio HERE and HERE.


Bygones debut album by- was released August 4th, 2009 on CD, vinyl and digital download via Sargent House.


Artist: Bygones

Album: Spiritual Bankruptcy

Label: Sargent House

Release Date: February 22, 2010


1. Anxiety Attack

2. Dirt Weed

3. Fail

4. When A Vegan Eats A Vegan

5. Brutal Honesty


On the Web:

http://myspace.com/bygonesmusic

http://sargenthouse.com/bygones.html

http://myspace.com/zachhillmusic

http://myspace.com/teramelos







FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 22, 2010



Click image to watch video



'Like Wall-E meets The Wall ': mysterious Italian group N.A.M.B. unleashes amazing animated video, releases album tomorrow


"Think Muse are bonkers? Well get your listening gear around NAMB. The quartet's nearest reference point is Nine Inch Nails, relentless beats and demonic riffs forming the backbone of the 18 tracks here. But they're more playful than Reznor and their dabblings make for intriguing listening." -- NME


"BMAN is, as a record, a bit of an onion, sonically speaking; full of layers and textures and shapes and such. Comparable, perhaps, to Flaming Lips but with a Sonic Youth-esque twinge and even moments of Modest Mouse like quirkiness. Ignoring the comparisons and focusing on what really matters – this is a really good, interesting and diverse record. A lot of tiny things remind me of a lot of people, but N.A.M.B have certainly brought the influences and individuality together incredibly cohesively. This is definitely one to remember. 4/5." -- Subba Cultcha



Amid a wealth of praise overseas, the mysterious Italian quartet N.A.M.B. has unleashed a stupendous animated music video for the song "Radiorace" off its new album, BMAN released stateside tomorrow. The album will be issued via UK label Monotreme Records (65Daysofstatic, Thee More Shallows) in a deluxe package with a 96-page full-color booklet illustrating an epic tale of an otherworldly robot and his quest for self-identity. The video, described as "Wall-E meets The Wall" depicts the album's robotic protagonist BMAN being pursued by a horde of monstrous circuitry. Watch "Radiorace" HERE.


N.A.M.B.'s heavy-leaning, electronic psychedelic sound elicits comparisons to the Flaming Lips, Muse, Girls Against Boys, et al. Check out the MP3 for "L.O.N." (HERE). Stream the album HERE.


N.A.M.B. is a band from Turin, Italy. Ask them what the initials stand for, and you will probably get a different answer every time. Visit their MySpace page one day, and you might see the caption “Nascere Artisti Morire Buffoni” (“Born Artists, Die Clowns”), but the following day it could be something entirely different, like “Neuroni Annoiati Masticano Boiate” (“Bothered Neurons Chew Rubbish”)


One thing we do know for certain: their second album, BMAN, is a magnificent sonic adventure, with a psychedelic flair reminiscent of The Flaming Lips, dynamics and industrial elements á la Nine Inch Nails, massive stadium-friendly tunes and, beating underneath it all, a big heart of soulful pop.


N.A.M.B.’s self-titled debut album Mescal was released in 2005 in Italy. The album was mostly sung in Italian, and won the band a good following in Italy, where they shared stages with international touring bands including Fantomas, Blonde Redhead, Michael Franti, Spoon and Chikinki.


In November 2006, work began on their sophomore album, BMAN -- an ambitious, multi-layered odyssey about a little robot called BMAN. For this album, the lyrics were written mostly in English. The album was produced by N.A.M.B in their own Superbudda studio, and mastered in London, UK by Bunt Stafford Clark (Thom Yorke, Graham Coxon, Elbow, Placebo, Jesus and Mary Chain). Accompanying the CD album is a 96-page booklet of original drawings by Maq4ka, illustrating the story of BMAN, with additional drawings by Gabriele Ottino.


While BMAN is equally enjoyable as an album, the story line is integral to fully appreciating this ambitious concept album. To read the story and lyrics of BMAN visit: http://www.planetjuice.blogspot.com





Artist: N.A.M.B.

Album: BMAN

Label: Monotreme Records

Release Date: February 23, 2010


01. T.C.3

02. Radiorace (VIDEO)

03. TV Invasion

04. Musichetta In Pausa Sigaretta

05. Champagne

06. Supernaturaloser (Part 1)

07. Running

08. L.O.N. (MP3)

09. Bye Bye Sides

10. Work It Out

11. Serrato

12. FWR

13. Primula

14. Hate My Telephone

15. Into the Mud

16. Supernaturaloser (Part 2)

17. F.A.R. (Fools Are Right)

18. Blue Sky


On the web:

http://www.namb.it

http://myspace.com/nambzone

http://monotremerecords.com

http://www.myspace.com/monotremerecords


Members of N.A.M.B. are available for interviews. For more information, please contact Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com




Tuesday, February 9, 2010

RX Bandits to play Coachella, full album shows, release new video


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 10th, 2010


Click image above to watch video.



RX Bandits to play Coachella, full album shows, release new video


Southern California's multifaceted prog-psych-rock quartet RX Bandits has unveiled plans to perform three previous albums (The Resignation, And The Battle Begun and Mandala) in their entirety in three successive shows in New York City on March 25th, 26th and 27th during the band's upcoming spring tour. The group will also perform at this year's Coachella music festival on Saturday, April 17th. Additionally, RX Bandits have released a new video (watch HERE) for the song "Hope Is A Butterfly, No Net Its Captor" off their latest album, Mandala.


RX Bandits once again take to the road this month, first in Australia as the group joins the massive multi-city traveling Soundwave Festival alongside Faith No More, Jane's Addiction, Sunny Day Real Estate and more. Then, headlining US dates follow in March with The Builders and the Butchers and Zechs Marquise supporting. Please see below for complete dates. Watch the official tour promo video HERE.


RX Bandits recently performed a special acoustic set on BBC Radio 1's "The Punk Show with Mike Davies" and appeared on Fuel TV's "The Daily Habit". Click here to watch videos.


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 - Australia / Soundwave Festival

02/20 Brisbane, AU @ RNA Showgrounds

02/21 Sydney, AU @ Eastern Creek Raceway

02/23 Randwick, AU @ UNSW Roundhouse *

02/25 Melbourne, AU @ Palace Theater *

02/26 Melbourne, AU @ Royal Melbourne Showgrounds

02/27 Adelaide, AU @ Bonython Park Oval

03/01 Perth, AU @ Bassendean Oval


* Side Shows w/ Jimmy Eat World, Sunny Day Real Estate, Motion City Soundtrack, Glassjaw


RX Bandits / The Builders And The Butchers / Zechs Marquise

03/09 Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre

03/10 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress

03/12 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre

03/13 San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit

03/14 Austin, TX @ Emo's

03/16 New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues

03/18 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room

03/19 Orlando, FL @ The Social

03/20 Orlando, FL @ The Social

03/21 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade

03/23 Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle

03/24 Washington D.C. @ Rock and Roll Hotel

03/25 New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theatre (playing The Resignation)

03/26 New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theatre (playing And The Battle Begun)

03/27 New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theatre (playing Mandala)

03/28 Philadelphia, PA @ The TLA

03/29 New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place

03/30 Allston, MA @ Harper's Ferry *

03/31 Allston, MA @ Harper's Ferry

04/01 Montreal, QC @ Underworld

04/02 Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club

04/03 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick

04/04 Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge

04/05 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall

04/06 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club

04/08 Denver, CO @ The Marquis Theatre

04/09 Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue

04/10 Boise, ID @ The Venue

04/11 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon

04/12 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre

04/14 Orangevale, CA @ The Boardwalk

04/15 San Francisco, CA @ Slim's

04/23 Pomona, CA @ The Glass House *


* Without The Builders And The Butchers



Hi-res cover art, photos and bio:

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


On the Web:

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