Monday, February 27, 2012

Minimalist fury: Ed Schrader's Music Beat premiere track from debut album, launch U.S. tour

"Schrader’s voice alternates between a low, Ian Curtis-esque bellow and a frenetic bark that recalls Andy Falkous of McClusky and Future of the Left. In other words, this is aggressive music, even in its quieter moments." -- Pop Matters

"Jazz Mind alternates between two distinct styles: harsh, thrashing punk, where Schrader screeches and howls, and minimalist beat poetry, where he chants in a sometimes sleepy monotone." -- Chicago Reader


Baltimore minimalist duo Ed Schrader's Music Beat premiere a new track from their forthcoming full length today via Prefix Mag. The frenetic and incisive song "When I'm in a Car" features guest guitarist Randy Randall of No Age. It's an urgent blast of vitriol reminiscent of early Public Image Ltd as well as the more recent sputter of Jay Reatard and Iceage. Download/stream HERE

Ed Schrader's Music Beat (ESMB) kick off a national headlining tour this week. Please see complete dates below. 

Previously better known as a partner in Dan Deacon's Wham City collective and performing solo with just voice and a floor tom, Ed Schrader has recently made inroads with ESMB by teaming up with bassist Devlin Rice and touring with Future Islands and Dan Deacon in the last year. 

Watch a powerful 10-minute live video HERE. Check out videos of individual songs below.

Jazz Mind opens with the snarling fury of "Sermon", driven by Schrader's high-pitched wail over early-Swans style primal drumming and blurting bass. Turning on a dime, "Gem Asylum" is a sparse and compelling lullaby of delicately chanted vocals and hypnotic bass notes reminiscent of Chairs Missing era Wire. Elsewhere, when ESMB strips down the noise on "My Mind is Broken", "Air Show" and "Can't Stop Eating Sugar", there remains an icy intensity hearkening to Joy Division. Meanwhile, "Rats" and "Gas Station Attendant" explode with a rage and raw simplicity that's rare in an era of unlimited access to audio gloss. 

Jazz Mind will be available everywhere on LP, CD and Download via Load Records on March 20th, 2012. 

ED SCHRADER'S MUSIC BEAT LIVE:
02/29  Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks 
03/01  Cleveland, OH @ Now That's Class 
03/02  Detroit, MI @ Lager House
03/05  Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle 
03/06  Milwaukee, WI @ Quarters 
03/07  Minneapolis, MN @ the Hexagon Bar 
03/08  Dubuque, IA @ Off Minor
03/09  Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre 
03/10  Denver, CO @ Rhinoceropolis
03/13  Seattle, WA @ the Funhouse 
03/14  Portland, OR @ Rotture
03/16  San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside
03/18  Los Angeles, CA @ The Smell
03/19  Los Angeles, CA @ Pehr Space
03/20  San Diego, CA @ Tower Bar
03/21  Phoenix, AZ @ Meat Market  
03/22  El Paso, TX @ M's Lips Lounge 
03/23  Austin, TX @ Beerland 
03/24  Dallas, TX @ Queen City Hall 
03/25  Hot Springs, AR @ The Exchange 
03/26  Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree
03/27  Athens, GA @ Farm 255 
03/28  Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn 
03/29  Asheville, NA @ Broadway's
03/30  Greensboro, NC @ TBA
03/31  Chapel Hill, NC @ The Nightlight
04/01  Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter

04/25  York, PA @ The Depot *
04/26  Middletown, CT @ Eclectic House (Wesleyan) *
04/27  Providence, RI @ AS220 *
04/28  Boston, MA @ Paradise*
04/29  Portland, ME @ Space *
04/30  Quebec City, QC @ Le Cercle *
05/01  Montreal, QC @ Il Motore *
05/02  Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks *
05/03  Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern *
05/04  Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar *
05/05  Albany, NY @ Valentine's *
05/06  Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church *

* w/ Future Islands 


Artist: Ed Schrader's Music Beat
Album: Jazz Mind
Label: Load Records
Release Date: March 20, 2012

01. Sermon
02. Gem Asylum
03. Traveling
04. Right
05. Do The Maneuver 
06. Rats (VIDEO)
07. My Mind Is Broken (VIDEO)
08. When I'm In A Car (MP3)
09. Air Show
10. Can't Stop Eating Sugar (VIDEO)
11. Gas Station Attendant


On the Web:

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Russian Circles handpick Deafheaven to support on Spring 2012 European and UK headlining tour dates


"Empros is one of the most viscerally exciting and completely entertaining albums I've heard in a long time. There is perfection in the air and the battle for album of the year just heated up again." 10/10 rating -- Iann Robinson, Crave Online

"It's not a stretch to say it's the band's best album yet." -- Rock-A-Rolla



Chicago trio Russian Circles have handpicked San Francisco black metal faves Deafheaven as main support for the duration of their extensive Spring 2012 tour throughout Europe and the UK (with exception of Moscow show). This continues Russian Circles' already lengthy treks in support of their critically praised new album Empros. Please see complete dates below. 
SPIN Magazine recently featured a full album stream of Empros. The band also recently premiered an MP3 from the album via RollingStone.com. The song, "Mladek" is available to listen/download HERE

Russian Circles return with not only their fourth and heaviest album to date -- but also with Empros they're poised to take the crown as innovators reinvigorating the staid trappings of genre. Empros picks up where the anthemic riffs and melodies of 2009's Geneva left off and injects evermore slithering rhythms amid skull-crushing heft with all the visceral intensity of Godflesh, Swans and Neurosis. Put simply, Empros is Russian Circles' Master of Reality: a radical revision of both heavy and melody that is monolithic in its clarity and perfection. Or, like a lone surviving wooly beast emerging from a brutal winter's frost, Empros is the sound of a band shaking the ages from its shoulders with all the brutal force of a behemoth awakened. 

Empros is Russian Circles' first full-length to be released worldwide exclusively via Sargent House, the band's longtime management company and record label that had previously released only the vinyl editions of its three prior albums. It was released worldwide on LP, CD and Download on October 25th, 2011. 



RUSSIAN CIRCLES / DEAFHEAVEN LIVE: 
Apr 05 - Prague, CZ @ Matrix
Apr 06 - Vienna, AT @ Arena
Apr 07 - Munich, DE @ Feierwerk
Apr 08 - Dresden, DE @ Beatpol
Apr 09 - Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg
Apr 10 - Warsaw, PL @ Hydrozagadka
Apr 11 - Vilnius, LT @ Propaganda
Apr 12 - Riga, LV @ Gertrudes 101
Apr 13 - Tallinn, ES @ Electric Storm Festival at Tapper
Apr 14 - Helsinki, FI @ Virgin Oil Company
Apr 15 - Moscow, RU @ Gogol
Apr 16 - Stockholm, SE @ Strand
Apr 17 - Oslo, NO @ Revolver
Apr 18 - Gothenberg, SE @ Truckstop Alaska
Apr 19 - Copenhagen, DK @ KB 18
Apr 20 - Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang
Apr 21 - Utrecht, NI @ Tivoli
Apr 22 - Brussels, BE @ Magasin 4
Apr 23 - Esch-Sur-Alzette, LU @ Rockhal
Apr 25 - Glasgow, UK @ Stereo
Apr 26 - Belfast, IE @ Speakeasy
Apr 27 - Limerick, IE @ Dolan's Warehouse
Apr 28 - Dublin, IE @ Button Factory
Apr 29 - Manchester, UK @ The Ruby Lounge
Apr 30 - London, UK @ Scala Theater
May 02 - Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere
May 03 - Kortrijk, BE @ De Kreun
May 04 - Koln, DE @ Gebaeude 9
May 05 - Karlsruhe, DE @ Jubez
May 06 - Zurich, CH @ Rote Fabrik
May 07 - Geneva, CH @ Le Kab
May 08 - Milan, IT @ Magnolia
May 09 - Lyon, FR @ Le Clacson
May 11 - Bilbao, ES @ Azkena
May 12 - Porto, PT @ Hard Club
May 13 - Lisbon, PT @ Musicbox
May 14 - Madrid, ES @ Ritmo & Compas
May 15 - Barcelona, ES @ Apolo 2   



Artist: Russian Circles
Album: Empros
Label: Sargent House
Release date: October 25th, 2011

Track list:
01. 309
02. Mladek (MP3)
03. Schipol
04. Atackla
05. Batu
06. Praise Be Man












On the Web:

Album stream:  Geneva
Album stream: Station 

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


Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Marriages (members of Red Sparowes) premiere first track from debut, announce tour dates with Deafheaven in March

Click image above to watch video


Red Sparowes offshoot band Marriages premiere the first song from their forthcoming debut today via Prefix Mag. The track "Ten Tiny Fingers" is culled from their new recording, Kitsune and is available to download/stream HERE.

Watch a video teaser for Kitsune featuring the band at work in the studio HERE.

Marriages also take to the road in March with dates supporting SF black metal faves Deafheaven. The trio -- comprised of Red Sparowes members Emma Ruth Rundle (vocals, guitar), Greg Burns (bass, synthesizer) and David Clifford (drums) -- will also perform at the Sargent House official SXSW showcase in Austin, TX on March 16th. Please see complete dates below.

Marriages formed in late 2011, quickly recording their debut with engineer Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Big Business, Tool) in December. The resulting effort, Kitsune will be available on LP, CD and Download via Sargent House on May 1st, 2012.

MARRIAGES LIVE: 
03/09  Los Angeles, CA @ The Smell * 
03/10  Phoenix, AZ @ Trunk Space * 
03/11  El Paso,TX @ Low Brow * 
03/13  Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves * 
03/16  Austin, TX @ Bat Bar (Sargent House official SXSW showcase) #

* w/ Deafheaven, Whirr
# w/ Deafheaven, Zechs Marquise, Indian Handcrafts, Chelsea Wolfe, more. 



Artist: Marriages 
Album: Kitsune
Label: Sargent House
Release date: May 1st, 2012

Track list:
01. Ride In My Place 
02. Body of Shade 
03. Ten Tiny Fingers (MP3) 
04. Pelt 
05. White Shape 
06. Part The Dark Again 




On the Web:

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

  

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Tera Melos announce tour dates with reunited fIREHOSE in April


"Once in a rare while an album comes along that's so fresh and ingenious it redefines what's possible in a field of music. It's been some time since a trio armed with guitar, drums, bass and vocals have shattered the boundaries of convention and pushed the limits of their instruments and compositions like a graceful tsunami of invention." -- Exclaim!
"Tera Melos has ferociously explored the outer limits of bizarre time signatures and unhinged thrash since its self-titled 2005 debut. But the band's full-length, Patagonian Rats is more akin to the type of freak-pop perversion dished out by daring pioneers like Devo and The Flaming Lips." -- Wired.com


Sacramento genre-benders Tera Melos have been hand-picked to support fIREHOSE on their upcoming reunion tour dates on the West Coast. Given Tera Melos' longstanding relationship with fIREHOSE/Minutemen/The Stooges bassist Mike Watt, this pairing should come as no surprise. Watt recently lent his voice to the track "Manar the Magic" on the band's Zoo Weather EP and Mike Watt & The Missingmen has toured with Tera Melos in Japan, UK and the US extensively.  

Tera Melos' most recent album Patagonian Rats landed on many Best of 2010 lists, as well as receiving raves from Wired.com, Exclaim!, ALARM Press, Impose and Exploding In Sound. Tours with Boris, Melt Banana and Le Butcherettes have continued to build the band's extensive fan base. Henry Rollins has repeatedly championed the album on his KCRW radio show and Marnie Stern also named it her favorite album of the year in SPIN. MP3 and video links follow below, or stream the entire Tera Melos discography via Bandcamp.
   

TERA MELOS w/ fIREHOSE 2012: 
04/05 - Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s
04/06 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge (sold out)
04/07 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos
04/09 - Bellingham, WA @ Wild Buffalo
04/10 - Eugene, OR @ Wow Hall 
04/11 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s




















Artist: Tera Melos
Album: Patagonian Rats -- Deluxe Digital Edition
Label: Sargent House
Release Date: February 22nd, 2011

01. So Occult (VIDEO)
02. Kelly (VIDEO)
03. The Skin Surf (VIDEO)
04. Aped
05. Trident Tail
06. Frozen Zoo (MP3) (any file format) (VIDEO)
07. In Citrus Heights
08. Skywatch
09. Party With Gina
10. Another Surf
11. Westham United
12. A New Uniform/Patagonia
13. Purple and Stripes
14. Kelley
15. Manar The Magic (MP3) (VIDEO)
16. Melt Bamanarnana (Melt Banana Remix)
17. Manar The Magic (Pat Hills' Rat Trap Dub)
18. Manar Was A Rat
19. Frozen Zoo (Thawed Out Mix) (VIDEO)
20. Frozen Zoo (Raleigh Moncrief Remix)


Hi-res photos, cover art and bio:

On the Web:

Tera Melos are available for interviews. For more information, please contact Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com

# # #




Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Big Sir's new album out today, streaming in full all week at Spinner.com, updated tour dates



"Buoyant and eclectic – a marriage of noises that somehow creates something beautifully cohesive." -- RCRD LBL

"Big Sir have probably made their best record yet in Before Gardens After Gardens, trickling icy soul and fiddly patterns into the mix, all making for a set well worth a listen." -- Bowlegs Music


Big Sir -- the longtime collaboration between singer/composer Lisa Papineau and bassist/composer Juan Alderete (The Mars Volta) -- release their latest album, Before Gardens After Gardens worldwide today. AOL Spinner is streaming the 11-song set in its entirety all week. Listen HERE.

The band also continues to add dates for their Spring 2012 tour in the EU and UK. Southern California shows this month have also changed since previously announced. Please see complete dates below. 
At times danceable, others darkly haunting, the album is as visually evocative and it is musically compelling. "Something that Juan and I have shared since our last album is that we've found out that we have chronic life-threatening illnesses," Papineau explains. "Illnesses that make us face that our bodies are not permanent. More and more I started thinking, or really, was needing to think about how you don't fold up in terror having that constantly in the foreground." The fear and uncertainty that we all face in contemplation of death, and the varying ways we all make peace with it is the basis of the album's overall concept. "The hymn 'Amazing Grace' speaks to the death of pride," Papineau says, "the death of believing yourself to be omnipotent, and how joyful and sweet this humble giving-in can be. So, on our album, Death is a ship, and her name is The Calico." It's an album of dance and celebration in death's insistent embrace.


Though created mostly in a back and forth between each other's laptops, Before Gardens After Gardens features special guest appearances by The Mars Volta's Cedric Bixler-Zavala on drums, Broken Bells' bassist Jonathan Hischke, multi-instrumentalist Matthieu Lesenechal, violist Heather Lockie (Mike Watt, Listing Ship), Matthew Embree (who also collaborates with Papineau in the duo ME & LP), Mars Volta drummer Deantoni Parks and a host of others on backing vocals. Bonus tracks also include performances by Money Mark Ramos-Nishita and David Sims of Jesus Lizard.

Big Sir began with a self-titled debut album and a remix disc in 2000 and 2001 respectively. The next Big Sir album Und Die Scheiße Ändert Sich Immer was released in 2006. Alderete and Papineau first met in the band Pet. Throughout their relationship the two musicians have also continued their collaborations with other artists. Papineau has lent her vocals to a spectrum of projects such as the last two Air albums (10,000 Khertz, Talkie Walkie), M83's Before the Dawn Heals Us, and soundtracks for the films Watchmen and Super. She has released two solo albums, Night Moves and Red Trees, and recently co-wrote (with Jun Miyake) and sang on a song for Wim Wenders' Academy Award short-listed film Pina. Alderete has played in the Grammy award winning The Mars Volta since 2003 as well as playing bass with rap legend Kool Keith's Dr. Octagon and the Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group. In 1999, he formed the project Vato Negro and released the album Bumpers on drum& bass label N2O. 

Before Gardens After Gardens will be available everywhere on CD/Download on February 7th, 2012 via Rodriguez Lopez Productions/Sargent House.  

BIG SIR LIVE
02/20 Los Angeles, CA @ Harvard and Stone *
02/27 Long Beach, CA @ Harvelle's #
04/07 Namur, BE @ Belvedere
04/08 Berlin, GER @ Spirale Kulturzentrum
04/09 Hamburg, GER @ Hafenklang
04/10 Solingen, GER @ Waldmeister - Raum für Kultur e.V.
04/11 Leipzig, GER @ Ilses Erika
04/12 Munich, GER @ Ampere at Muffatwerk
04/13 Innsbruck, AUS @ Los Gurkos
04/14 Bozen, IT @ Vintola
04/15 Molfetta (Bari), IT @ La Macerie
04/16 Copertino, IT @ I Sotteranei Arci
04/17 Rome, IT @ Ausgang / Locanda Atlantide
04/19 Trieste, IT @ Etnoblog
04/20 Rimini, IT @ Velvet
04/21 Livorno, IT @ Cage
04/22 Genova, IT @ La Claque
04/24 Birmingham, UK @ The Ballroom/The End
04/25 Manchester, UK @ Sound Control
04/26 Swansea, UK @ 22 Project Promotion/The Garage
04/27 Bristol, UK @ The Croft
04/28 London, UK @ The Old Blue Last (Binnacle Festival)
05/01 Grenoble, FR @ La Ciel
05/02 Paris, FR @ Le Trianon
05/03 Paris, FR @ Le Trianon


* w/ Eureka The Butcher+Sadah Luna (Marcel Rodriguez Lopez from Zechs Marquise)
# w/ The Vespertines, C-Gak

Artist: Big Sir 
Album: Before Gardens After Gardens 
Label: Rodriguez Lopez Productions/Sargent House
Release Date: February 7th, 2012

01 Regions
02 Ready On The Line (MP3)
03 Infidels 
04 Right Action 
05 The Ladder 
06 The Kindest Hour (MP3)
07 Old Blood 
08 Born With A Tear 
09 Be Brave Go On 
10 Our Pleasent Home (MP3)
11 1 Thousand Petals 

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

On the Web:

Monday, February 6, 2012

British trio Nedry premiere new video via Consequence of Sound, new album out in March

Click image above to watch video


"With their dreamy electronic loops and darker industrial undertones, London dub-rockers Nedry fall somewhere in between Beach House and The Knife. Their 2010 LP, Condors, was a masterful expression of what dubstep can sound like when in the right hands." -- Consequence of Sound



"A futuristic sonic collage of dreamy glitch-folk, shimmering electronica and weapons-grade Dubstep percussion... Feels like a futuristic step forward from Radiohead's In Rainbows or Portishead's Third." Four stars -- Uncut



"When a band is as good, as versatile and as daring as Nedry, you hope the wider world will stand up and take notice." -- Huw Stephens - BBC Radio One 


London UK's dark electronic trio Nedry premiere the first video off of their forthcoming sophomore album In A Dim Light today via Consequence of Sound. The clip for "Violaceae" is available to stream HERE

In A Dim Light will be released worldwide via Monotreme Records on March 12th, following the March 5th release of "Violaceae" as a single. In anticipation of the album, two tracks, the eerily sinister "Float" and surrealistically soaring "Post Six" are available to stream/download HERE.

“The original idea was to create a video that explored a dream or a detachment from reality, a self contained world that could be informed by the atmosphere of the track," explains 'Violaceae' video director Dan Tassell. "We decided to create something quite stripped back to allow Ayu's lyrics to take centre stage. Shooting in a studio allowed maximum control over the light and shadow and to explore Ayu's performance at macro level picking up on subtle facial gestures and movements. The black and white format allowed us to have some fun exploring the relationship between light and dark to reflect the haunting undertone of the track and lyrics. Several animated sequences were used to locate Ayu within a self-contained 'dreamworld' in which she escapes from her imprisonment in a cocoon or shroud of darkness as the track progresses.” 

Drawing on the gothic undertones of David Lynch - and at points, absorbing T.S. Eliot’s ‘Four Quartets’, vocalist Ayu Okakita revels in ruminations urging acceptance of the shadows; to permit the darkness to settle around her.

British bass music clings to few modern regulations. As grey areas become inviting, zones of conflict are transformed into fertile new ground. Nedry are dictating a path that recognizes no genre, no structures, no rules. Ripping progressive dance culture out of the bedroom producers’ smoke stained confines and planting it resolutely on the live stage, Matt Parker and Chris Amblin utilize MPC, laptops, guitars and synths to create a deep, thoughtful musical space.

Nedry are a trio who are dissolving the distance between this cutting edge and hungry audience. Splicing a band aesthetic with the ‘heads down and thumbs up’ bass craft of the UK, they gift the faceless revolution of dark music an inviting visage within which we can all dwell.

The dazzling fusion of electronica, instrumental rock, dubstep rhythms and hauntingly beautiful vocals of their 2010 debut album Condors saw them tipped for greatness by BBC Radio One, The Guardian, Uncut and Q Magazine. In the past two years, Nedry has performed at the Roskilde, Sonar and SXSW festivals, XFM and BBC sessions and tours with 65daysofstatic, Maps & Atlases and These New Puritans

Nedry started performing, producing and recording in summer 2008. In a short amount of time they've made waves on the UK electronic music scene, sharing stages with the likes of Pivot (Warp), Maps (MUTE), The Gaslamp Killer (Brainfeeder) and Daedelus (Ninja Tune). Nedry have steadily gathered critical acclaim since the self-released SZ EP and Condors album in 2010, and In A Dim Light sees the band poised for the bright lights. 

In A Dim Light will be available worldwide March 12, 2012 on Monotreme Records. Available on CD and digital formats and as a 180 gm vinyl edition of 500 on black (200 copies) or white (300 copies) vinyl with a free CD of the album and a free 12" x 24" poster.


Artist: Nedry
Album: In A Dim Light 
Label: Monotreme Records
Release Date: March 12, 2012

01. I Would Rather Explode
02. Post Six (MP3)
03. Violaceae (VIDEO)
04. Havana Nights
05. Dusk Till Dawn
06. Float (MP3)
07. Land Leviathan
08. TMA
09. here.now.here
10. Home




Artist: Nedry
Album: Dusk Till Dawn 
Label: Monotreme Records
Release Date: March 14, 2011

01. Dusk Till Dawn (VIDEO)
02. Dusk TIll Dawn (CAPAC remix)



On the Web:



Nedry are available for interviews. For more information, contact Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com 


Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Big Sir (Lisa Papineau and Juan Alderete) announce EU & UK tour dates, post another track from forthcoming new album




Big Sir -- the longtime collaboration between singer/composer Lisa Papineau and bassist/composer Juan Alderete (The Mars Volta) -- announce Spring 2012 EU and UK headlining tour dates in support of their forthcoming new album, Before Gardens After Gardens. Please see complete dates below. In anticipation of this new release, Prefix Mag today premieres a new track called "The Kindest Hour" available to download/stream HERE


RCRD LBL recently posted the song "Our Pleasant Home" (featuring special guest Cedric Bixler-Zavala of The Mars Volta on drums) which is available to download/stream HERE. Back in December, Big Sir premiered the shimmering pop song, "Ready On the Line" which is available to download/stream HERE.  


At times danceable, others darkly haunting, the album is as visually evocative and it is musically compelling. "Something that Juan and I have shared since our last album is that we've found out that we have chronic life-threatening illnesses," Papineau explains. "Illnesses that make us face that our bodies are not permanent. More and more I started thinking, or really, was needing to think about how you don't fold up in terror having that constantly in the foreground." The fear and uncertainty that we all face in contemplation of death, and the varying ways we all make peace with it is the basis of the album's overall concept. "The hymn 'Amazing Grace' speaks to the death of pride," Papineau says, "the death of believing yourself to be omnipotent, and how joyful and sweet this humble giving-in can be. So, on our album, Death is a ship, and her name is The Calico." It's an album of dance and celebration in death's insistent embrace. 

Though created mostly in a back and forth between each other's laptops, Before Gardens After Gardens features special guest appearances by The Mars Volta's Cedric Bixler-Zavala on drums, Broken Bells' bassist Jonathan Hischke, multi-instrumentalist Matthieu Lesenechal, violist Heather Lockie (Mike Watt, Listing Ship), Matthew Embree (who also collaborates with Papineau in the duo ME & LP), Mars Volta drummer Deantoni Parks and a host of others on backing vocals. Bonus tracks also include performances by Money Mark Ramos-Nishita and David Sims of Jesus Lizard.

Big Sir began with a self-titled debut album and a remix disc in 2000 and 2001 respectively. The next Big Sir album Und Die Scheiße Ändert Sich Immer was released in 2006. Alderete and Papineau first met in the band Pet. Throughout their relationship the two musicians have also continued their collaborations with other artists. Papineau has lent her vocals to a spectrum of projects such as the last two Air albums (10,000 Khertz, Talkie Walkie), M83's Before the Dawn Heals Us, and soundtracks for the films Watchmen and Super. She has released two solo albums, Night Moves and Red Trees, and recently co-wrote (with Jun Miyake) and sang on a song for Wim Wenders' Academy Award short-listed film Pina. Alderete has played in the Grammy award winning The Mars Volta since 2003 as well as playing bass with rap legend Kool Keith's Dr. Octagon and the Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group. In 1999, he formed the project Vato Negro and released the album Bumpers on drum& bass label N2O. Alderete has also recently embarked on a subscription based website www.pedalsandeffects.com to help illustrate his approach to sound design with stomp boxes and various effects. 

Before Gardens After Gardens will be available everywhere on CD/Download on February 7th, 2012 via Rodriguez Lopez Productions/Sargent House.  

BIG SIR LIVE
02/20 Hollywood, CA @ Harvard and Stone *
02/27 Long Beach, CA @ Harvelle's #
04/07 Namur, BE @ Belvedere
04/09 Hamburg, GER @ Hafenklang
04/11 Leipzig, GER @ Ilses Erika
04/13 Innsbruck, AUS @ Los Gurkos
04/14 Bolzano, IT @ TBA
04/16 Lecce (Copertino), IT @ I Sotterranei
04/17 Rome, IT @ Ausgang / Locanda Atlantide
04/19 Trieste, IT @ Etnoblog
04/20 Rimini, IT @ Velvet
04/21 Livorno, IT @ Cage
04/22 Genova, IT @ La Claque
04/24 Birmingham, UK @ The Ballroom/The End
04/25 Manchester, UK @ Sound Control
04/26 Swansea, UK @ 22 Project Promotion/The Garage
04/27 Bristol, UK @ The Croft
04/28 London, UK @ The Old Blue Last (Binnacle Festival)

* w/ Eureka The Butcher+Sadah Luna (Marcel Rodriguez Lopez from Zechs Marquise)
# w/ C-Gak (RX Bandits)

Artist: Big Sir 
Album: Before Gardens After Gardens 
Label: Rodriguez Lopez Productions/Sargent House
Release Date: February 7th, 2012

01 Regions
02 Ready On The Line (MP3)
03 Infidels 
04 Right Action 
05 The Ladder 
06 The Kindest Hour (MP3)
07 Old Blood 
08 Born With A Tear 
09 Be Brave Go On 
10 Our Pleasent Home (MP3)
11 1 Thousand Petals 

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

On the Web: