ME & LP: Matthew Embree and Lisa Papineau premiere new MP3 from Chez Raymond EP

Click image to watch video 

ME & LP, the collaborative project of celebrated musicians Matthew Embree and Lisa Papineau, premiere a new MP3 today via RCRD LBL. The bouncy, hook-heavy summertime song, "Bonnie Says (No Shitty Ride)" is available HERE. Their 6-song EP Chez Raymond will be released on CD and digitally on August 9th via Sargent House. The EP is the result of wildly productive writing begun in 2010 which resulted in a collection of songs ranging in mood and style. 

The video for the lead track, "La Belle Tocade" is available HERE. Check out the MP3 for "La Belle Tocade" HERE. 

ME & LP came about when the two artists first met after volunteering to collaborate for a performance at a gallery opening for artist Sonny Kay. "It came from us basically shaking hands to say 'very nice to make your acquaintance', setting up a mic, and then jumping right in without another word," Papineau says. "A couple hours later, we pulled our heads up and kind of laughed." The duo had found a rare chemistry, and made plans to work on an EP later in Paris at Papineau's apartment following Embree's upcoming European tour. Having begun writing in Paris, the pair were then invited to Papineau's friend and collaborator Matthieu's studio on a farm in rural France to work amid lettuce, rye and pea patches. Though the EP ultimately was recorded and mixed in a number of locations, the heart of it came to be at the farm studio dubbed Chez Raymond, after Matthieu's uncle who used to live there. Matthieu also contributed a variety of keys: piano, Rhodes electric piano, organ and accordion. 

Chez Raymond opens with the gentle lilt of Flamenco style plucked guitar chords of "Quatro" as the singers' beautiful, hushed vocal harmony drops in like an ominously sad lullaby. Second song, "Truth Be Told" is a haunting acoustic folk-blues lament, driven largely by Embree and Papineau's gorgeously synergistic voices. "La Belle Tocade" begins with warbling antique organ notes as Papineau cherubically intones over a bouncing bass line and drum beat. "(Bonnie Says) No Shitty Ride" pairs a rocksteady drum machine groove with a diaspora spanning melody that Manu Chao would kill for, led by Embree's majestic lead vocal performance. 

Throughout, Chez Raymond is a dramatically beautiful and captivating meeting of two extremely talented and versatile songwriters that merges into a recording that is both ethereal and cozy. "Room tone is absolutely one of the dominant 'instruments' on this album," Papineau explains. "Or rather, various room tones. Matt's woody old apartment in Long Beach where he recorded 'Quatro' and finger taps. The guest bed at my friend's house where I recorded the vocal for 'Quatro',  draping a mic over a mound of pillows. Too much natural reverb on anything we recorded at my house. A couple really good pops on the mic from bopping into it while we floppy danced around Chez Raymond. It all brings a very dusty ambience to the sound of the record."

Chez Raymond will be available everywhere on CD and digital download on August 9th, 2011 via Sargent House.

Artist: ME & LP 

Album: Chez Raymond 

Label: Sargent House

Release Date: August 9th, 2011  

01. Quatro

02. Truth Be Told 

03. La Belle Tocade (MP3) (VIDEO)

04. Everybody Got Somewhere 

05. (Bonnie Says) No Shitty Ride (MP3)

06. Right On Down The Line  

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

http://sargenthouse.com/meandlp_assets.html

On the Web:

http://meandlp.tumblr.com/ 

http://lisapapineau.tumblr.com/ 

http://matthewembree.tumblr.com/ 

The Nocturnes (feat. Emma Rundle of Red Sparowes) announce new album, premiere video on Consequence of Sound

Click image above to watch video

The Nocturnes -- the band led by Red Sparowes guitarist Emma Ruth Rundle -- announce the forthcoming release of their second album, Aokigahara. As a preview, Consequence of Sound has posted the premiere video for the song "The Road", an icy, trippy look at some kind of secret society ritual. Watch it HERE. 

The Los Angeles based quartet has set up a Kickstarter account for special pre-orders, offering original artwork created by Rundle for larger donations in addition to immediate downloads of the album. Find more info about their Kickstarter fund HERE.

The MP3 single for "The Road" is available via the group's Bandcamp page HERE. 

The Nocturnes are the folkgaze brainchild of guitarist/vocalist Emma Ruth Rundle. While the band began as a duo in 2007 and built a cult following prior to her joining Red Sparowes in 2009, Aokigahara is nonetheless a dramatic rebirth for The Nocturnes. Featuring a revamped quartet lineup, the 8-song album ventures into multiple textures of style and sound that create a lush haze of melody that blends hints of folk, shoegaze, chamber pop, goth and post-rock.

Rundle is joined on this recording by guitarist/vocalist Julian Rifkin, multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Paris Patt and drummer Dave Clifford (also of Red Sparowes). Aokigahara was written collectively, combining the different styles and personalities of the players. Some of the songs were built from Rundle's unrecorded older songs, others were written by Rifkin ("Craving", "Hello Neighbor") and others penned as a group ("Aokigahara", "The Road"). The album takes a more ethereal approach -- leaving behind the more direct vocal and rock-leaning song structures of the band's earlier releases -- for a new sound awash with reverb, drifting voices and harmonies, atmospheric guitars, Twin Peaks-esque bass lines and orchestral style drumming.

As a duo featuring Rundle and drummer Daniel Yasmin, The Nocturnes released their debut Wellington EP in January 2008 while based in New Zealand. Upon returning to Los Angeles, the duo issued the full length A Year of Spring the following year. In this time, Rundle formed a close musical connection with Patt, who contributed bass guitar to the debut album. The Live on KXLU EP released in 2010 shows hints of what was to come, as Rundle was joined by Rifkin for the drum-less session when Yasmin was unable to play. He left the band shortly thereafter, relocating to the Bay Area.

In 2010 the newly solidified quartet recorded a set of songs in Venice, CA in what was once a studio space used by the Beach Boys. In a way, you can almost hear the famous Wilson clan's melancholic harmonies and saturated Wall of Sound within the somber, pliant and thoroughly soaring songs of Aokigahara. The group of native Angelinos take to the road following the album's release in late August on LP, CD and Digital Download. 

THE NOCTURNES LIVE:

08/26  Los Angeles, CA @ Pehrspace

08/27  San Diego, CA @ Tincan Alehouse

08/29  San Francisco, CA @ TBA

09/01  Portland, OR @ Saratoga

09/03  Seattle, WA @ TBA

Artist: The Nocturnes

Album: Aokigahara

Label: Errant Child Records

Release Date: August 30th, 2011

01. Aokigahara

02. London Town

03. Love

04. The Cradle

05. The Road (MP3) (VIDEO)

06. Hello Neighbor

07. Craving

08. Grandmother Make a Steeple

On the Web:

www.thenocturnesmusic.com 

www.thenocturnes.bandcamp.com 

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Nocturnes 

www.kickstarter.com/projects/emmaruthrundle 

Brooklyn power-duo Noxious Foxes announce new album and East Coast tour dates

"Remember Hella? Noxious Foxes remind me of that duo. Duos that rock out really rule. Like No Age. Remember Television? Ever notice how a lot of that clean math-rock guitar sound is reminiscent of Television's guitar sound? Well anyway, if you like rapid-fire instrumentals that would make a good soundtrack for those nights when you have to dodge all those crazy space ghosts that come at you hard from all directions (that happens to you too, right?), I recommend Noxious Foxes." -- Oh My Rockness

Brooklyn, NY frenetic power-duo Noxious Foxes announce the release of their sophomore album, Légs. In support of the release, the band takes to the road today for a string of East Coast dates, with more extensive touring to follow. Please see current dates below. 

Check out MP3s for album tracks "Heavenly Spectacular" HERE and "Doth Shalt Noth" HERE. Stream the full album HERE. 

On one particularly hot August day in 1983, Richard Levengood (beats) entered the world. The very next day, Justin Talbott (riffs) left his womb behind. Eighteen years later, they met in college through peers with a shared appreciation for At The Drive-In, in a band they called Jack Bauer. Hot Augusts came and went until they eventually both settled in Brooklyn.

Noxious Foxes began in 2009 in Thump Studios, a Brooklyn recording studio owned by Levengood. Songs were written in live and active collaboration with the aid of a looper pedal. Once they had 6 tracks finished, they recorded and released their debut album Lovestorm. Upon its release, they played shows around New York and immediately began work on a follow-up.

Légs was recorded over the course of 7 months at Thump. With it, their sound matured considerably -- the walls of loops got thicker and louder, beats became more intricate and complex. An electric piano and a synthesizer, also played by Justin, were added to round out the sonic blast. Since each song was written live with loopers, their recordings maintain the same layer building process as their live show.

The release of Légs also marks the formation of Justin and Richard's record label Broth IRA. With a fully equipped recording studio at their disposal and many musically talented friends, they are setting out to help bring more albums to life.

Légs is available now on 2xLP and Digital Download via Broth IRA.

NOXIOUS FOXES LIVE:

07/27  Brooklyn, NY @ Spike Hill

07/29  Philadelphia, PA @ The Spruce Caboose

07/30  Albany, NY @ Hudson River Coffee House

07/31  Allston, MA @ Peewee's Playhouse

08/02  Philadelphia, PA @ Danger Danger Gallery

Artist: Noxious Foxes

Album: Légs

Label: Broth IRA

Release Date: July 26th, 2011

01. Wherever Hugo, Guido

02. Goin' Rogue

03. Bowflexcellent

04. Illegal Beagle

05. Doth Shalt Noth (MP3)

06. Honeymoon Express

07. A Real Leonardo DiCaprio Sh*t

08. Lunge Away

09. Heavenly Spectacular (MP3)

On the Web:

www.noxiousfoxes.com 

www.facebook.com/noxiousfoxes 

www.noxiousfoxes.bandcamp.com 

www.brothIRA.com 

Zechs Marquise -- The Mars Volta sibling band -- announce new album with video teaser

Click image above to watch video

The Mars Volta sibling band Zechs Marquise announce their forthcoming new album, Getting Paid with a video teaser comprised of snippets from several album tracks. Watch it HERE. The band is currently in the midst of an extensive tour supporting RX Bandits and Maps & Atlases. Fall tour dates will be announced soon. Please see current dates below. 

Zechs Marquise, the El Paso, TX quintet are back with their sophomore album Getting Paid, bringing an intensified swagger to the band's multifaceted psych-prog haze for their most aggressive and versatile effort to date. "We liked that hip-hop attitude," explains drummer Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez of the album title. "Getting your piece, taking yours." And, Getting Paid certainly finds the band fully taking charge of their musical destiny. 

In the years since their auspicious 2009 debut Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare, Zechs Marquise toured extensively throughout the U.S., proving to be a formidable live act supporting Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group and RX Bandits as well as leading their own headlining tours. Zechs Marquise have also grown considerably in other ways. Recent addition Rikardo Rodriguez-Lopez on keyboards and trumpet joins his brothers, drummer Marcel and bassist Marfred alongside guitarists Matthew Wilkson and Marcos Smith contributing to the band's expanded sound. Not only have they reached new plateaus of entrancing riffs and rhythms, but Getting Paid also integrates vocals on select songs, including guest performances by vocalist/guitarist Matthew Embree (RX Bandits, The Sound Of Animals Fighting) and El Paso singer Sonny Baker.

The album was entirely produced and engineered by Marcel. "We started off recording percussion to sequencers and loops," he explains. "I chopped those sounds up and arranged them. From there, were wrote the album with each of us coming in and playing on top of it. Kind of like a hip-hop song." Considering the hectic tour schedules of both Zechs Marquise and The Mars Volta (in which Marcel plays keyboards and percussion), the band was forced to work on the album over an extended period of time in between both band's tours. "It gave us a lot of time to get perspective on the songs," Marfred says. "We're really happy with and proud of this record."

Once all parts were composed using the studio as a tool, the band re-recorded the album live. "We wanted something to represent our live energy," says Marfred. 

"The album cover is a play on Blacksploitation soundtrack art and stuff like (Miles Davis') Bitches Brew cover," Marfred explains. "We wanted our own weird take on it." Likewise, Getting Paid is throughout a wickedly wild take on elder forms of free jazz, skronk excursions, proto-funk and psychedelia with assertive tones and rhythms. 

Zechs Marquise formed in El Paso in the spring of 2003, taking its name from a popular Japanese anime character. In June 2006 the band released 34:26, a live improvised set culled from their frequent west coast tours. The group's first proper full length Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare was produced and recorded by the band throughout 2008. In May 2009, Zechs Marquise signed on to the management roster at Sargent House and released Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare on LP/CD/digital in August of that year through Rodriguez Lopez Productions.

Getting Paid will be available everywhere on LP/CD/digital on September 27th on Rodriguez Lopez Productions via Sargent House.  

ZECHS MARQUISE LIVE:

07/27  Seattle, WA @ El Corazon *

07/28  Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater *

07/30  Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst *

07/31  Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades *

08/03  Long Beach, CA @ Long Beach Arts Theater #

08/04  Los Angeles, CA @ The Mayan #

08/06  Pomona, CA @ The Glass House #

08/07  San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom #

08/10  Scottsdale, AZ @ Martini Ranch

* with RX Bandits, Maps & Atlases 

# with RX Bandits

Artist: Zechs Marquise

Title: Getting Paid

Label: Rodriguez Lopez Productions

Release Date: September 27th, 2011

01. Getting Paid

02. Lock Jaw Night Vision

03. Static Lovers

04. The Heat, The Drought, The Thirst, and The Insanity

05. Time Masters

06. Guajira

07. Everlasting Beacon of Light

08. Crushin' It!

09. Mega Slap

Hi-res cover art, photos and bio:

www.sargenthouse.com/zechs_assets.html

On The Web:

www.zechsmarquise.com 

www.zechsmarquise.bandcamp.com 

www.facebook.com/zechsmarquiseofficial 

www.rodriguezlopezproductions.com

ME & LP: Matthew Embree and Lisa Papineau announce collaborative EP

Click image to watch video 

ME & LP is Matthew Embree and Lisa Papineau, a collaborative project borne of freeform sessions between the pair of celebrated songwriters. Their 6-song EP Chez Raymond will be released digitally on August 9th via Sargent House. The EP is the result of wildly productive writing begun in 2010 which resulted in a collection of songs ranging in mood and style. 

The video for the lead track, "La Belle Tocade" is available HERE. Check out the MP3 for "La Belle Tocade" HERE. 

ME & LP came about when the two artists first met after volunteering to collaborate for a performance at a gallery opening for artist Sonny Kay. "It came from us basically shaking hands to say 'very nice to make your acquaintance', setting up a mic, and then jumping right in without another word," Papineau says. "A couple hours later, we pulled our heads up and kind of laughed." The duo had found a rare chemistry, and made plans to work on an EP later in Paris at Papineau's apartment following Embree's upcoming European tour. Having begun writing in Paris, the pair were then invited to Papineau's friend and collaborator Matthieu's studio on a farm in rural France to work amid lettuce, rye and pea patches. Though the EP ultimately was recorded and mixed in a number of locations, the heart of it came to be at the farm studio dubbed Chez Raymond, after Matthieu's uncle who used to live there. Matthieu also contributed a variety of keys: piano, Rhodes electric piano, organ and accordion. 

Chez Raymond opens with the gentle lilt of Flamenco style plucked guitar chords of "Quatro" as the singers' beautiful, hushed vocal harmony drops in like an ominously sad lullaby. Second song, "Truth Be Told" is a haunting acoustic folk-blues lament, driven largely by Embree and Papineau's gorgeously synergistic voices. "La Belle Tocade" begins with warbling antique organ notes as Papineau cherubically intones over a bouncing bass line and drum beat. "(Bonnie Says) No Shitty Ride" pairs a rocksteady drum machine groove with a diaspora spanning melody that Manu Chao would kill for, led by Embree's majestic lead vocal performance. 

Throughout, Chez Raymond is a dramatically beautiful and captivating meeting of two extremely talented and versatile songwriters that merges into a recording that is both ethereal and cozy. "Room tone is absolutely one of the dominant 'instruments' on this album," Papineau explains. "Or rather, various room tones. Matt's woody old apartment in Long Beach where he recorded 'Quatro' and finger taps. The guest bed at my friend's house where I recorded the vocal for 'Quatro',  draping a mic over a mound of pillows. Too much natural reverb on anything we recorded at my house. A couple really good pops on the mic from bopping into it while we floppy danced around Chez Raymond. It all brings a very dusty ambience to the sound of the record."

Chez Raymond will be available everywhere on digital download on August 9th, 2011 via Sargent House.

Artist: ME & LP 

Album: Chez Raymond 

Label: Sargent House

Release Date: August 9th, 2011  

01. Quatro

02. Truth Be Told 

03. La Belle Tocade (MP3) (VIDEO)

04. Everybody Got Somewhere 

05. (Bonnie Says) No Shitty Ride

06. Right On Down The Line  

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

http://sargenthouse.com/meandlp_assets.html

On the Web:

http://meandlp.tumblr.com/ 

http://lisapapineau.tumblr.com/ 

http://matthewembree.tumblr.com/ 

Boris announce North American headlining tour dates for October - November

Click image above to watch video

"Boris' latest efforts are nothing short of stunning" -- Rock Sound

"Heavy Rocks is a monolithic take on everything from trippy Funkadelic acid sludge to galloping Blue Öyster pöp to lightning-riding '80s thrash; yet it all billows fluffily from the same dreamy doom factory they constructed on 2005's Pink. Farther into the cosmos is sister record Attention Please, the least "metal" thing the band have released to date, which focuses on icy rhythms and smoky moods, as if they're slinking up alongside The Xx." -- SPIN Magazine

"Despite Boris' wide sonic interests, everything comes together coherently on Attention Please, the band's best record since Pink." -- NPR

"These could easily be pegged as Boris' Zen Arcade -- the point where guitar music goes into the great beyond, pop hooks become heavier than hell and noise experiments become acutely accessible. These albums are a masterwork of feedback and fuzz, an epic symphony of sludge and speed, a blueprint for the future of heavy music." -- Cowbell Magazine

Iconoclast Japanese trio Boris announce North American headlining tour dates beginning in October. Joining them on different legs is an eclectic mix of openers including: Asobi Seksu, Tera Melos, True Widow, Liturgy, Coliseum and Master Musicians of Bukkake. The band is currently co-headlining a European trek with new label mates Russian Circles (please see all dates below). 

Boris also recently premiered a new video via Pitchfork. The clip combines two songs -- "Hope" (from Attention Please) and "Riot Sugar" (from Heavy Rocks) -- taken from each of their recently released albums cleverly mashed up into one video. Watch it HERE or on YouTube. 

Boris' vastly different albums, Attention Please and all-new Heavy Rocks have already received a wealth of critical praise and fan anticipation. NPR Music's First Listen has posted exclusive full album streams -- follow the links to check out Attention Please and Heavy Rocks. 

Boris - Attention Please - LP/CD/digital 

Boris are widely known for their ability to breach styles and stretch sonic boundaries of all that is heavy, psychedelic, droning and downright cathartic. But, Attention Please is more like a complete redefining of their potential in several ways. First and foremost, it is the first album on which all vocals are sung by lead guitarist, Wata. While she has previously sung on a couple of songs for singles and her solo outings, the entire 10-song album features her intimate, multifaceted vocal style. Secondly, the songs on Attention Please have a sultry, intoxicating catchiness to them. It's melodic without sounding pop. It's psychedelic without sounding dated. It's heavy without relying on barre chord riffs.

Boris - Heavy Rocks - LP/CD/digital

Boris has earned its rabid cult following for their ability to expertly harness music as power. Be it psychedelic metal, colossal drone, blistering punk or distortion-ravaged shoegaze, a Boris song is an exploration of sound as physical mass. The Japanese trio's classic 2002 album, Heavy Rocks

is a landmark of their mastery. So, it's fitting that the group's new album sharing the same title and very similar artwork to that disc, Heavy Rocks (2011) seeks to redefine "heavy" music in a culmination of the band's tireless efforts over the past two decades. This year's Heavy Rocks is beyond heavy, it firmly establishes Boris as a pillar of innovation and integrity in guitar-based music.

BORIS & RUSSIAN CIRCLES / SAADE : EUROPEAN SUMMER TOUR 2011

July 11 - Hamburg, Germany @ HafenKlang

July 12 - Gothenberg, Sweden @ Truckstop Alaska

July 13 - Oslo, Norway @ John Dee

July 14 - Stockholm, Sweden @ The Strand

July 15 - Copenhagen, Denmark @Vega

July 16 - Dortmund, Germany @ FZW

July 17 - Dour, Belgium @ Dour Festival 

BORIS

July 19 - Nuremberg, Germany @ Zentral Cafe K4

July 20 - Innsbruck, Austria @ PMK

July 21 - Zagreb, Croatia @ Mocvara

July 22 - Budapest, Hungary @ Durer Kert

July 24 - Wroclaw, Poland @ Events New Horizon Festival 

BORIS NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2011

Oct 07 - San Luis Obispo, CA @ SLO Brew *

Oct 08 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom *^

Oct 10 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater *^

Oct 11 - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret *^

Oct 12 - Seattle, WA @ Neumo's *^

Oct 15 - Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater * !

Oct 16 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room * !

Oct 17 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater * !

Oct 18 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater * !

Oct 19 - Chicago, IL @ Metro * !

Oct 20 - Oberlin, OH @ Dionysus Disco /Oberlin College * !

Oct 22 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick + !

Oct 23 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace +

Oct 24 - Montreal, QU @ Cabaret du Mile End

Oct 25 - Boston, MA @ Royale Nightclub + #

Oct 27 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza + #

Oct 28 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer +

Oct 29 - Washington DC @ Black Cat + #

Oct 30 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle + =

Nov 01 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade + =

Nov 02 - Orlando, FL @ Firestone Live + =

Nov 03 - Tallahassee, FL @ The Engine Room =

Nov 04 - New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks + =

Nov 07 - Oklahoma City, OK @ ACM@UCO w/ Joe Lally

Nov 10 - Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse *

Nov 11 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah *

Nov 12 - Los Angeles, CA @ EL Rey *

* w/ Tera Melos

^ w/ Master Musicians of Bukkake

!  w/ Coliseum

+ w/ Asobi Seksu

# w/ Liturgy

= w/ True Widow

Artist: Boris Album: Attention Please Label: Sargent House Release Date: May 24th, 2011 01. Attention Please 02. Hope   (MP3) (VIDEO) 03. Party Boy 04. See You Next Week  05. Tokyo Wonder Land  06. You 07. Aileron 08. Les Paul Custom '86  09. Spoon  10. Hand in Hand

Artist: Boris Album: Heavy Rocks   Label: Sargent House Release Date: May 24th, 2011 01. Riot Sugar (MP3) (VIDEO) 02. Leak -Truth, yesnoyesnoyes- 03. GALAXIANS 04. Jackson Head  05. Missing Pieces 06. Key 07. Window Shopping 08. Tu, la la 09. Aileron 10. Czechoslovakia

On the Web: www.borisheavyrocks.com  www.myspace.com/borisdronevil  www.facebook.com/Borisheavyrocks  www.twitter.com/borisheavyrocks  Hi-res photos, cover art, bio and more: sargenthouse.com/boris_heavy_assets.html sargenthouse.com/boris_attention_assets.html For more information, please contact Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com