Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Boris stream entire forthcoming album via SPIN.com, disc in stores December 6th


"More complex than you'll notice on a first or even second listen, 'Spoon' goes places your standard pop doesn't. It's an intriguing look at a band trying their hand at a second genre-- and succeeding." Best New Track -- Pitchfork



Legendary Japanese trio Boris are now streaming their entire forthcoming release New Album courtesy of SPIN.com. Listen to the full album HERE

Rolling Stone recently premiered the MP3 for New Album track "Flare", which is available to stream/download HERE. Additionally, Pitchfork previously posted "Spoon", the first single from New Album, giving it their coveted Best New Track rating. It is available to download HERE

The band has also announced the first few dates of an Australian headlining tour in March 2012. Please see current dates below.  

Boris has long been celebrated for their rare ability to reinterpret a multitude of esoteric musical genres into a sound uniquely their own. New Album finds the intrepid Japanese trio etching their own post-noise, extreme pop niche with some of their most accessible and melodic music being equally their most subversive. Where their two previous albums, Attention Please and the all new Heavy Rocks -- both released by Sargent House on the same day, May 24th, 2011 -- offered divergent expansions to their sonic palette, New Album is the culmination of the band's ongoing experimentation that catapults its ferocious sound headlong into new territory. 

Much of the inspiration behind New Album derives from a confluence of ideas regarding the very basic notion of music as art in the modern age. The band was inspired by a current Japanese pop music trend in which a singing synthesis software program called Vocaloid, which enables users to create songs simply by typing in lyrics and a basic melody to be sung by an imaginary anime character vocalist. It has resulted in many chart topping hits created by people with little musical ability (vaguely similar to the success of Autotuned instant stardom in the US). On the other end of the spectrum, New Album also flips the script on the long established notion of the band as an experimental noise act -- based upon their prior albums as well as collaborations with sonic deconstructionist Merzbow and doom-drone duo Sunn 0))). It proves their enviable skill at penning catchy melodies that many of their extreme noise fans would consider reviling "noise" from their perspective. It's a dual jab addressing the rapidly changing landscape of music that situates Boris once again as innovators in their constant challenging of archetypes. And, it showcases the band's ability to embody the essence of myriad musical styles in Boris' own monolithic form.

The 10-track New Album features a handful of revamped versions of songs from both Attention Please and Heavy Rocks (2011), along with a few new tracks, hyper-charged and rearranged with the assistance of radical Japanese producer Shinobu Narita resulting in a sound that could best be described as extreme pop. It shares both the hummable heft of Nirvana's Nevermind and the entrancing, droning haze of My Bloody Valentine's classic Loveless, run through two previous decades' worth of electronic exploration and the merging of underground noise with sugary mainstream gloss. Boris usually self-produce their recordings, so working with a popular producer is quite an exception. The disc was first issued as a Japan-only release in March 2011, but this rearranged and remastered worldwide edition features a reorganized track listing and four songs not available on either Attention Please or Heavy Rocks.

Album opener "Flare" kicks off with a repeated whine of an emergency siren before hurtling into a speedy punk refrain led by bassist/vocalist Takeshi reminiscent of Sonic Youth's most radio-ready work, while elements of glitch and dubstep pepper the proceedings. "Hope" bursts forth with jangling detuned guitars and churning distorted bass as guitarist/vocalist Wata coos along with a soaring string section and chirping electronics. "Party Boy" could just as soon be a lost Bjork track, with drummer/vocalist Atsuo's bouncing dance beats and Wata's cryptic lyrics detailing an alien encounter at a hazy late night dance party. The chugging metallic riff of Heavy Rocks song "Jackson Head" is transformed here into a slithering synth line and chopping rhythms befitting a violent grime tune. "Looprider" closes the album with a throbbing dream pop melody and gliding chorus that gently drones out throughout the 7-minute songs duration before fading into a delicate piano line that dissolves into the ether.

Boris formed in the early '90s as a four piece just-for-fun endeavor with the sonic template of influences like Melvins and Earth. By the time of its 1996 debut as a trio Absolutego (later released in the US via Southern Lord in 2000), Boris had already hit its stride in creating unique ground-rattling heavy, melodic music. The group, bassist/vocalist Takeshi, guitarist/vocalist Wata and drummer/vocalist Atsuo went on to release nearly 20 studio albums, as well as numerous collaborative albums -- including projects with Merzbow, Sunn0))), Ian Astbury and Michio Kurihara of Ghost (who also currently tours with the band as second guitarist and frequently guests on albums) -- EPs and singles on various labels throughout the world.

These eternal masters of the aesthetic 180-degree shift, Boris prove once again with New Album just how deftly the band can tackle seemingly disparate musical elements and forge new sounds that may seem inconceivable to other artists. New Album will be available on LP/CD/Download on December 6th via Sargent House.


BORIS AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2012
03/22  Sydney @ The Metro
03/23  Brisbane @ The Hi-Fi
03/24  Melbourne @ The Corner Hotel


Artist: Boris
Album: New Album 
Label: Sargent House
Release Date: December 6th, 2011

01. Flare (MP3)
02. Hope
03. Party Boy
04. Luna
05. Spoon (MP3) 
06. Pardon?
07. Jackson Head
08. Les Paul Custom '86
09. Tu, La La
10. Looprider   



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:


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



Monday, November 28, 2011

The Nocturnes premiere new video via Consequence of Sound, free flexi disc in new issue of LA Record

Click image above to watch video

"The most beautiful music I've heard in ages." -- Invisible Oranges

The Nocturnes -- the band led by Red Sparowes guitarist Emma Ruth Rundle -- premiere a new video today from their second album, Aokigahara. Consequence of Sound hosts the clip for the track, "Love" available to watch HERE

Los Angeles' largest music publication L.A. Record offers a free flexi disc of the song "Love" inside their current issue -- a first for the innovative paper. RCRD LBL hosts an MP3 for the track for those unable to acquire the flexi disc. Stream/download HERE. The entire album is available for streaming and download via The Nocturnes' Bandcamp page.

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 album was released August 30th on LP, CD and Download. 



Artist: The Nocturnes
Album: Aokigahara  (ALBUM STREAM)
Label: Errant Child Records
Release Date: August 30th, 2011

01. Aokigahara
02. London Town
03. Love (MP3) (VIDEO)
04. The Cradle
05. The Road (MP3) (VIDEO)
06. Hello Neighbor
07. Craving
08. Grandmother Make a Steeple











On the Web:


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Boris premiere new song on RollingStone.com from forthcoming album, set Australian dates for March 2012


"More complex than you'll notice on a first or even second listen, 'Spoon' goes places your standard pop doesn't. It's an intriguing look at a band trying their hand at a second genre-- and succeeding." Best New Track -- Pitchfork


Legendary Japanese trio Boris have premiered a new track via Rolling Stone from their forthcoming disc New Album. The MP3 for "Flare" is available to stream/download HERE. New Album will be available via Sargent House on limited edition vinyl and CD at independent retailers on Record Store Day: Black Friday November 25th and LP/CD/Download worldwide on December 6th. 

The band also announces the first few dates of an Australian headlining tour in March 2012. Please see current dates below. 

Pitchfork recently posted "Spoon", the first single from New Album, giving it their coveted Best New Track rating. It is available to download HERE
Boris has long been celebrated for their rare ability to reinterpret a multitude of esoteric musical genres into a sound uniquely their own. New Album finds the intrepid Japanese trio etching their own post-noise, extreme pop niche with some of their most accessible and melodic music being equally their most subversive. Where their two previous albums, Attention Please and the all new Heavy Rocks -- both released by Sargent House on the same day, May 24th, 2011 -- offered divergent expansions to their sonic palette, New Album is the culmination of the band's ongoing experimentation that catapults its ferocious sound headlong into new territory. 

Much of the inspiration behind New Album derives from a confluence of ideas regarding the very basic notion of music as art in the modern age. The band was inspired by a current Japanese pop music trend in which a singing synthesis software program called Vocaloid, which enables users to create songs simply by typing in lyrics and a basic melody to be sung by an imaginary anime character vocalist. It has resulted in many chart topping hits created by people with little musical ability (vaguely similar to the success of Autotuned instant stardom in the US). On the other end of the spectrum, New Album also flips the script on the long established notion of the band as an experimental noise act -- based upon their prior albums as well as collaborations with sonic deconstructionist Merzbow and doom-drone duo Sunn 0))). It proves their enviable skill at penning catchy melodies that many of their extreme noise fans would consider reviling "noise" from their perspective. It's a dual jab addressing the rapidly changing landscape of music that situates Boris once again as innovators in their constant challenging of archetypes. And, it showcases the band's ability to embody the essence of myriad musical styles in Boris' own monolithic form.

The 10-track New Album features a handful of revamped versions of songs from both Attention Please and Heavy Rocks (2011), along with a few new tracks, hyper-charged and rearranged with the assistance of radical Japanese producer Shinobu Narita resulting in a sound that could best be described as extreme pop. It shares both the hummable heft of Nirvana's Nevermind and the entrancing, droning haze of My Bloody Valentine's classic Loveless, run through two previous decades' worth of electronic exploration and the merging of underground noise with sugary mainstream gloss. Boris usually self-produce their recordings, so working with a popular producer is quite an exception. The disc was first issued as a Japan-only release in March 2011, but this rearranged and remastered worldwide edition features a reorganized track listing and four songs not available on either Attention Please or Heavy Rocks.

Album opener "Flare" kicks off with a repeated whine of an emergency siren before hurtling into a speedy punk refrain led by bassist/vocalist Takeshi reminiscent of Sonic Youth's most radio-ready work, while elements of glitch and dubstep pepper the proceedings. "Hope" bursts forth with jangling detuned guitars and churning distorted bass as guitarist/vocalist Wata coos along with a soaring string section and chirping electronics. "Party Boy" could just as soon be a lost Bjork track, with drummer/vocalist Atsuo's bouncing dance beats and Wata's cryptic lyrics detailing an alien encounter at a hazy late night dance party. The chugging metallic riff of Heavy Rocks song "Jackson Head" is transformed here into a slithering synth line and chopping rhythms befitting a violent grime tune. "Looprider" closes the album with a throbbing dream pop melody and gliding chorus that gently drones out throughout the 7-minute songs duration before fading into a delicate piano line that dissolves into the ether.

Boris formed in the early '90s as a four piece just-for-fun endeavor with the sonic template of influences like Melvins and Earth. By the time of its 1996 debut as a trio Absolutego (later released in the US via Southern Lord in 2000), Boris had already hit its stride in creating unique ground-rattling heavy, melodic music. The group, bassist/vocalist Takeshi, guitarist/vocalist Wata and drummer/vocalist Atsuo went on to release nearly 20 studio albums, as well as numerous collaborative albums -- including projects with Merzbow, Sunn0))), Ian Astbury and Michio Kurihara of Ghost (who also currently tours with the band as second guitarist and frequently guests on albums) -- EPs and singles on various labels throughout the world.

These eternal masters of the aesthetic 180-degree shift, Boris prove once again with New Album just how deftly the band can tackle seemingly disparate musical elements and forge new sounds that may seem inconceivable to other artists. New Album will be available on limited LP/CD on November 25th, 2011 in celebration of Record Store Day: Back To Black Friday and LP/CD/Download on December 6th via Sargent House.


BORIS AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2012
03/22  Sydney @ The Metro
03/23  Brisbane @ The Hi-Fi
03/24  Melbourne @ The Corner Hotel


Artist: Boris
Album: New Album 
Label: Sargent House
Release Date: November 25th, 2011

01. Flare (MP3)
02. Hope
03. Party Boy
04. Luna
05. Spoon (MP3) 
06. Pardon?
07. Jackson Head
08. Les Paul Custom '86
09. Tu, La La
10. Looprider   



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:


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



Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Italian electropop duo M+A premiere video via Prefix, release acclaimed new album

Click image above to watch video


"No matter the tempo, atmosphere, or style, the duo has the musical abilities, bright ideas, and ear for a lovely melody to make everything sound good." -- All Music Guide

"Nimble and inventive, the pair’s naivety makes for a refreshing take on pop." -- RCRD LBL

"You may hear things that sound like an old jewelry box or a carnival carousel, and it’s done so beautifully it makes you wonder why a lot of people aren’t doing it this way. It has an old world charm that is often lost in a lot of attempted hybrids." -- This Is Book's Music


Italian duo M+A premiere a new video today from their just-released debut album, Things.Yes courtesy of Prefix Mag. Watch the clip for "Bam" HERE. Also, the entire album is now available for streaming courtesy of Clash Magazine in the UK. Stream full album HERE

M+A's delicate and beautiful electro-acoustic pop is infused with dubstep elements evoking comparisons to the Postal Service, Panda Bear, Phoenix, Tunng, et al. The band recently released the infectious song "Liko Lene Lisa" (MP3) at RCRD LBL, which has already soared over 42,000 downloads in under two months. The song "Yes.pop" (MP3) premiered later via Consequence of Sound with similar enthusiasm. 

M+A is Michele Ducci,19, (vocals, instruments) and Alessandro Degli Angioli, 22, (instruments) of Forli, Italy. Their new 10-song album of inventive, spirited electronic pop was released worldwide on November 8th via Monotreme Records on CD/LP/Download. 

In their own words:

"We listen to music to understand what we do, and we do music to understand what we listen to. We record everything at home, in a mansard to be more precise. The 'home-made' policy corresponds to a definite aesthetics, particularly with regard to a pop range. It's like a scene from a thriller movie where, at the very crucial moment, there's a shot of the director and his assistants while setting up the play set. So yes, we do make pop, but with the unpretentious intention to thrill. Our band is made up by two components, not merged in a unique identity, but rather coexisting. Sticking to the common sense of the word, we never really felt like a group. With its naivety and brutality, M+A plainly represents our initials just to make the whole thing more tangible and real. It's two people moving forward parallel one another, though with countless meeting points." 



Artist: M+A
Album: Things.Yes
Label: Monotreme Records
Release Date: November 8th, 2011 
01. Yeloww
02. Yes.pop  (MP3)
03. Liko Lene Lisa  (MP3)
04. Sommer 
05. Bam  (VIDEO)
06. BlĂ„ 
07. (we)  
08. Bergen.jpg  
09.  Adidas  
10. Ly



On the Web:

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

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Northern Ireland's And So I Watch You From Afar release sophomore album, full disc streaming at Spinner



Belfast, Northern Ireland's celebrated instrumental band And So I Watch You From Afar release their sophomore album, Gangs today via Sargent House, partnered with Dublin label Richter Collective. The complete album is available for streaming all week courtesy of Spinner: listen HERE

A pair of MP3s from Gangs are also available: opener, "BEAUTIFULUNIVERSEMASTERCHAMPION" is available for download HERE and the brilliantly titled "Search:Party:Animal" can be intercepted HERE. Both tracks are cleared for posting. 

Known for their unrelenting tours that has seen them play over 300 shows since the start of 2009, And So I Watch You From Afar (ASIWYFA to their fans) don't know how to take a break. From appearances at SXSW, Eurosonic, Electric Picnic, Novarock, Canadian Music Fest, Popkomm, Pukkelpop, Sonisphere, to tour dates in Europe, North America, Russia and a support slot for rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, the band has been on the road playing music non-stop since the release of their fan-stirring debut self-titled album. 

In between, the band was nominated for Ireland's coveted Choice Music Prize for Album Of The Year and XFM's New Music Album Of The Year, released The Letters EP in February 2010 and a stop-gap tour single "Straight Through The Sun" in November 2010. 

It's a small wonder then, that the band actually managed to record their highly-charged second album Gangs at all with that punishing schedule. It was recorded on weekdays between festival appearances over the summer of 2010 during July and August at Start Together Studios in Belfast with producer Rocky O'Reilly and the help of a young technician by the name of Lee McMahon.

A matter of weeks before they entered the studio, the band scrapped 22 songs they had written after the release of their self-titled debut. "We spent the last year and a half writing but we essentially did this album in eight weeks," guitarist Rory Friers says of the decision. "We suddenly took this notion that we didn't like any of the songs. This was four weeks before we went into the studio. We had demoed the whole thing and had it all mapped out. We took bits and pieces that we liked but we wrote a whole new set of songs. It's worked out."

As a result, Gangs is the band's most cohesive record, a 44-minute, eight song unyielding document of the band's last two years playing together told through ironclad guitar riffs and colossal yet increasingly subtle rhythms. "We had a far broader experience of things," says Rory. "We really wanted to try and get it on the record, which sounds weird because we're an instrumental band, but there are songs on there that we specifically wrote to try and capture the vibe of new and meaningful things that we've all experienced."

It's a celebratory record, one which fittingly culminates in a samba outro on the album's final song "Lifeproof" which layers up many takes of percussion played by the band in the studio until a carnival atmosphere is created, whistles and all. 

The heart of Gangs is a section entitled Homes: "Ghost Parlor KA-6 to Samara to Belfast" which spans tracks six and seven. It's a near 10-minute epic which taps into the emotions of returning to familiar places and visiting new ones for the very first time. "It's a cheesy thought but we wanted to capture our journey through touring: seeing so many different things, unexpected happenings, sudden changes and then a homecoming," Rory explains. "The end of that tune sums up the relief and elation of coming back into Belfast and getting to see our friends and family again."

It's a sentiment echoed by the title of the record - Gangs. "In the same vein, everything we've done, places we've played all, people we've met, all circulate around these pockets of people, pockets of scenes and pockets of culture. These gangs of people who emanate from everywhere. It's that DIY / The Clash / Black Flag sort of thing that our band is like a gang sometimes."

Gangs is available in North America on LP, CD and Download via Sargent House/Richter Collective on November 8th, 2011. 


Artist: And So I Watch You From Afar 
Album: Gangs
Label: Sargent House / Richter Collective 
Release date: November 8th, 2011

Track list:
01. BEAUTIFULUNIVERSEMASTERCHAMPION (MP3) 
02. Gang (starting never stopping)
03. Search:Party:Animal (MP3) 
04. 7 Billion People all Alive at Once
05. Think:Breathe:Destroy
Homes
06. Ghost Parlor KA -6 to...
07. ...Samara to Belfast
08. Lifeproof

( 'Homes' couples together tracks 6 and 7)

On the Web:

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

Polinski (65Daysofstatic's Paul Wolinski) releases solo debut, full album stream at Spinner

Click image above to watch video



"Polinski = Com Truise + Pretty Lights + E.T.... Galactic music of epic proportions is the only way to properly describe this album. A must-buy for sci-fi nerds like myself, and a worth-it if you love losing yourself in music." -- SLUG Magazine

"Coming across like a soundtrack to an 80s sci-fi film never made, this is a rich, pulsating collection of loud, noisy but never anarchic tunes based around deep rhythms and prominent synths." -- Subba Cultcha



Paul Wolinski of British electronic-infused post-rock heroes 65Daysofstatic today releases his solo debut under the nom-de-tune Polinski. The entire album, titled Labyrinths is available for streaming all week courtesy of Spinner: listen HERE

The first video from the lead single, "Stitches" is hosted by Consequence of Sound and available to watch HERE

Labyrinths mixes sci-fi soundtrack moods with Daft Punk styled beat-laced anthems. It is released worldwide via Monotreme Records. Check out MP3s for "Stitches" (MP3) and "Tangents" (MP3) from the album.

After ten years (give or take) on the road and on the record with 65daysofstatic, Paul Wolinski finally steps out from behind that particular outfit's notorious smokescreen and emerges as Polinski, a man with a laptop, some synths and a plan, in the meta-physical sense of the word. 

In our childhood bedrooms and minds, the possibilities were always endless, there were worlds within worlds, and galaxies upon galaxies. If the suburbs outside seemed limited by how far we could get on our bikes, then in the real and unreal realities of space travel and science fiction we were satiated, if only momentarily.  What if your bike could take off? 

And it is to there that Polinski has returned, to soundtrack the impossible possibilities of the sci-fi mentality. Says Wolinski, "this is basically an album I daydreamed of writing back when I was 15 and just learning how to program MIDI...lots of beats and distortion and piano and big melodies, with a dance-y toughness."

Feeding himself a steady diet of 70s and 80s sci-fi movies and endless second hand paperbacks from the golden era of sci-fi publishing, and free of the myopic shortcomings of writing music in a room with 3 other people, this is music that is unconstrained in its search for warp speed, the 1.21 gigawatts that launches the listener back to the future. 

Throughout, John Carpenter-esque synths collide with robot voices, Philip Glass style piano motifs pair up with punching rhythms, gliding melodies soar with the retro-futuristic furor of Bowie-Eno collaborations... Even in the thickest analogue bubblebath, the digital heart beats on. 

Labyrinths is available on CD, 180-gram black or white vinyl and download on November 8th, 2011 via Monotreme Records. 



Artist: Polinski
Album: Labyrinths
Label: Monotreme Records
Release Date: November 8th, 2011

01. 1985-Quest
02. Stitches (VIDEO) (MP3)
03. Tangents (MP3)
04. Still Looking
05. Like Fireflies
06. Kressyda
07. Awaltzoflight





On the Web: