Friday, July 29, 2016

Halycine premiere new single from upcoming debut: 90s alt-rock meets 60s Wall of Sound, swirling guitars and Chloe Raynes' powerful voice

“‘Circles’ has that deep rock vibe you’ve been craving when scrolling through every other pop station, and we’re big, big fans.” — Impose Magazine


NYC band Halycine premieres a new single from their forthcoming debut today via Speak Into My Good Eye. The dark love song "Elixir" showcases singer/guitarist Chloe Raynes' powerful voice as it towers over swirling guitars and pulsing rhythms. Hear and share "Elixir" HERE. (Direct Soundcloud.) 

Impose Magazine recently featured Halycine in an introductory interview, also launching the first single. The track "Circles" is available to hear & share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud.)

Halycine, the moniker for the solo project of singer/guitarist Chloe Raynes, is a fresh new voice in indie rock. Her debut EP, In The Salt, is a collection of 5 songs that she wrote and produced, and 3 videos that she directed. It will be released late summer 2016.

Chloe previously co-fronted NYC's rock outfit Blue & Gold before embarking on the new project that would become Halycine. In The Salt is a luscious blend of reverberating guitars and spacious vocals. It's a sonically imaginative and and lyrically vivid collection of deeply affecting songs. The EP was tracked and mixed at The End in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with GG Gonzalez on drums and Derek Cabrera on bass. 

After hearing Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for the first time at 10-years-old, she decided that she had no choice but to pick up the guitar and begin shredding. Her life was forever changed, and she's been playing and writing songs ever since.  

Chloe studied music composition at the arctic campus of Bates College in Maine. She managed to get through the long winters with a soundtrack of Liz Phair, Sleater-Kinney, and Sublime. She moved to NYC shortly after graduation, absorbing the sights and sounds that would eventually shape her musical sensibilities. Other musical influences include Dum Dum Girls, St. Vincent, and Jenny Lewis.

In The Salt will be available for download August 12th, 2016. 


Artist: Halycine
Album: In the Salt
Record label: Halycine Music
Release date: August 12th, 2016

01. Circles
02. Elixir
03. One More Try
04. Woman, You Better Run
05. Silver Moon


On The Web:

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Reunited 90s-00s synth punks Milemarker premiere new track from forthcoming album, U.S. tour starts in August

"While 'Carrboro' shows that Milemarker hasn’t lost its ability to drape new wave flourishes atop its post-hardcore attack, it’s clearly approaching its new album with its eyes on the future instead of the past." -- The AV Club


Reunited 90s-00s synth punk band Milemarker premiere a new track today via Tiny Mix Tapes from their forthcoming first album in 11 years, Overseas. The song "Conditional Love" is available to hear and share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud). Overseas will be out on August 26th on Lovitt Records.

Milemarker also recently reissued their landmark Y2K album Frigid Forms Sell (Jade Tree/Lovitt) on vinyl. The reissue is the album's first time on vinyl in 16 years, and includes 7 unreleased tracks. The demo version of "Industry For the Blind" is available to hear and share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud). 

The Onion AV Club previously shared the first track from Overseas. Hear & share "Carrboro" HERE. (Direct Soundcloud). 

The band embarks on their first U.S. tour since 2008 this August, including performing at the Wrecking Ball ATL festival in Atlanta, GA. Please see all dates below. 

Coming a decade after their last full-length release, Overseas is notable for being such a focused and cohesive effort. Fans of early 2000s releases like Frigid Forms Sell and Anaesthetic will find a clear sonic continuity in the angular, aggressive guitars, tense melodic vocals and soaring keyboard hooks. New members Lena Kilkka (synth, vocals) and Ezra Cale (drums) deepen the krautrock and electronic tendencies, pushing the sound in unexpected directions. Recorded in Berlin and Hamburg, Germany (where the band is now located), with Electrical Audio studios' Greg Norman (Russian Circles, Godspeed You Black Emperor!) behind the board, Overseas combines the confidence and swagger of a band that has grown up playing music together with the fresh ears and attitude of a brand new band.

Formed 1997 in Chapel Hill, NC by Al Burian, Dave Laney and Ben Davis, Milemarker quickly gained recognition in the independent music scene for their explosive live shows and adventurous instrumentation. The band became known for its combination of post-hardcore punk with new wave electronics, and grew to include singer/synth player Roby Newton, as well as drummers Sean Husick and Noah Leger.

Milemarker played nearly 1000 shows in support of their releases Frigid Forms Sell (Lovitt, 2000) and Anaesthetic (Jade Tree, 2001), touring extensively in North America, Europe and Japan, along the way sharing the stage with bands such as Wire, Mission of Burma, At The Drive-In, The Hives, Thursday, Blood Brothers, International Noise Conspiracy, High On Fire, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Muff Potter, Cave In, Les Savy Fav, Spoon, Monochrome, Turbostaat, The Faint, The Locust, and Hot Snakes.
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Milemarker added double drummers Tony Lazzara and Noah Leger as well as string arrangements from siblings Beth and Tim Remis for the recording and US tour around Ominosity (Eyeball, 2005). In 2008 the band completed a US and European tour with founding member Ben Davis, including performances at the SXSW and Fusion festivals.
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In 2009, guitarist Dave Laney moved to Hamburg and bassist Al Burian moved to Berlin. Milemarker reformed in 2014 and returned to the stage in 2015 with Lena Kilkka on keys and vocals and Ezra Cale on drums.

Overseas will be available as LP/CD/MC/Download via Lovitt Records on August 26th, 2016. 



MILEMARKER TOUR:
08/11 Charlotte NC @ Milestone
08/12-14 Atlanta GA @ The Wrecking Ball ATL
08/14 Nashville TN @ The End
08/15 St. Louis MO @ Off Broadway
08/16 Milwaukee WI @ The Cactus Club
08/17 Minneapolis MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
08/19 Chicago IL @ Empty Bottle
08/20 Lansing MI @ Mac's Bar
08/21 Cleveland OH @ Now That's Class Lounge
08/22 Philadelphia PA @ The Boot & Saddle
08/23 Allston MA @ Great Scott
08/24 Brooklyn NY @ Shea Stadium
08/25 Brooklyn NY @ Saint Vitus
08/26 Washington DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
08/27 Carrboro NC @ Cat's Cradle
10/05 Pilsen, CZ @ Paprika
10/06 Brno, CZ @ Kabinet Muz
10/07 Trencin, SK @ Bio Luc
10/09 Ljubljana, SLO w/ Tides from Nebula @ Klub Gromka
10/10 Zagreb, HR @ Mochvara
10/11 Wien @ Reiz
10/12 Budapest, HU @ Durer Kert
10/13 Olomouc, CZ @ prostor divadla Na cucky
10/14 Prague, CZ @ 007 w/ Savak 
10/15 Munich @ Kafe Kult w/ Savak
10/16 Dresden @ Groove Factory


Artist: Milemarker
Album: Overseas
Record label: Lovitt Records
Release date: August 26, 2016

01. Conditional Love (STREAM)
02. Untamed Ocean
03. Carrboro (STREAM)
04. The Dreamer
05. Blue Flag
06. Luxuria
07. Recognition
08. Uh Ah
09. Supercomputer










Artist: Milemarker
Album: Frigid Forms Sell
Record label: Lovitt Records
Release date: June 24, 2016

01. Untitled
02. Frigid Forms Sell You Warmth 
03. Signal Froze 
04. Sex Jam One: Sexual Machinery 
05. Sex Jam Two: Insect Incest 
06. Cryogenic Sleep 
07. Industry for the Blind 
08. Tundra 
09. Internet Relay Chat With The Central Intelligence Agency 
10. Server Error 
11. Platinum

Bonus demo tracks:
01. Tundra (demo)
02. Signal Froze (demo)
03. Cryogenic Sleep (demo)
04. Industry For the Blind (demo) (STREAM)
05. Sex Jam One: Sexual Machinery (demo)
06. Server Error (demo)
07. Chronology of the Service Industry (demo)



On The Web:

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

RX Bandits announce '...And the Battle Begun' 10-year anniversary tour and 2xLP reissue


RX Bandits announce the 10th anniversary reissue of their album ...And The Battle Begun and U.S. tour performing it in its entirety. The 2006 album was the very first release on the Sargent House label, begun by Cathy Pellow of the management company of the same name. The special double LP anniversary edition will be available at all shows on this tour.

And So I Watch You From Afar, also of the Sargent House family, are main support on all dates. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, July 27th. Pre-sale tickets are available HERE. Please see complete dates below. 

RX Bandits members Matthew Embree and Steve Choi reminisce about the album:

"...Battle is the sound of us playing music in a room together, in the summer of 2005. It was a definitive crossroads for the band, one that would lead to some of our most favorable adventures. In my opinion, Sargent House/Cathy saved our career." -- Matt Embree

"We began writing and recording ....Battle between the ages of 24 and 25, a time in which we were very much lead by our creative ideals. After all, if you can't be zealously idealistic in your mid-twenties, when can you? We tracked the album live at the Tape-Op studios in Sacramento, CA on a mountain of microphones and gear next to a train track that required us to take breaks as freight trains periodically idled by. We stood there, headphones on, sweating as much from the heat as we were from the pressure of playing our parts well for the next take. The 2nd phase of the album was completed at Embree's family ranch in the Santa Ysabel mountains, a beautiful and inspiring place. 
   
"When we finished, I'm not sure any of us knew the affect this album would have on our band's trajectory, as we usually don't have any perspective on the piece of work itself for at least a couple years. Our label at the time deemed the songs and recording quality to be below their standards, so we left and serendipitously came together with Sargent House to release the album. This album contains music we made while learning how to communicate, articulate, collaborate, and further focus being passionate. What we were left with is a collection of music that brought us closer to our fans and our musical identity as we carried on as musicians doing our work, defined by our struggle." -- Steve Choi


...And The Battle Begun 2x12" vinyl reissue will be available at all RX Bandits shows on tour and worldwide via Sargent House in October 2016. 


RX BANDITS / AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR TOUR 2016:
09/24 - Berkeley, CA @ UC Theatre 
09/25 - Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
09/27 - Portland, OR @ Star Theater
09/28 - Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
10/01 - Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
10/03 - Lawrence, KS @ Granada
10/04 - St. Louis, MO @ Fubar
10/05 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
10/06 - Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom
10/08 - Wantagh, NY @ Mulcahy's 
10/10 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
10/11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
10/12 - Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre
10/14 - Atlanta, GA @ The Loft
10/15 - Orlando, FL @ The Beacham
10/16 - Lake Park, FL @ Kelsey Theatre
10/17 - Tampa, FL @ State Theatre
10/19 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
10/20 - Houston, TX @ Numbers
10/21 - Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey 
10/22 - San Antonio, TX @ Alamo City Music Hall
10/24 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
10/28 - San Diego, CA @ SOMA
10/29 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
10/30 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom 



Artist: RX Bandits
Album: ...And The Battle Begun
Label: Sargent House
Release Date: October 2016

01. Untitled
02. ...And The Battle Begun
03. In Her Drawer
04. Only For The Night
05. On A Lonely Screen
06. 1980
07. One Million Miles an Hour, Fast Asleep
08. Apparition
09. A Mouth Full of Hollow Threats
10. Epoxi-Lips
11. Tainted Wheat
12. To Our Unborn Daughters
13. Crushing Destroyer

On the Web:

Wovenhand premiere first track from forthcoming new album 'Star Treatment' via Stereogum


Wovenhand announce their forthcoming new album Star Treatment today with a premiere of the first track via Stereogum. Star Treatment will be available on Sargent House worldwide -- excluding Europe, where it will be released by longtime Wovenhand label Glitterhouse Records --  on September 9th. Hear and share "Come Brave" HERE. (Direct Soundcloud). 

The band plays Psycho Las Vegas fest on August 26th before embarking on an extensive European tour with main support from Emma Ruth Rundle, also of the Sargent House family, on all shows except Helsinki and Reeperbahn Fest. Please see complete dates below.

The music of Wovenhand and songwriter/multi-instrumentalist David Eugene Edwards has always had an unparalleled intensity. Edwards' rich, billowing and emotive voice is always the driving force of his music, but it's catapulted by his spellbinding ability to transform instruments that many people might consider mundane relics - be it banjo, accordion, lesser-known folk instruments from around the world, or even an electric guitar - into devices of dark fury and poignant beauty. 

From the apocalyptic revivification of antique Americana of Sixteen Horsepower in the 90s to the threadbare balladry of Wovenhand's early releases, Edwards' music has maintained its celestial heaviness as it evolved. But now in its current incarnation, Wovenhand is a band that fully expands that power with exacting and inventive skill. It's a sound so distinctive and compellingly crushing that even the heaviest of metal bands can't match. 

Wovenhand's current lineup includes guitarist Chuck French, bassist Neil Keener (both of Planes Mistaken For Stars) and drummer Ordy Garrison, now joined by piano/synth player Matthew Smith (Crime & The City Solution). Star Treatment was recorded at Steve Albini's legendary Electrical Audio in Chicago with engineer Sanford Parker, who also helmed Wovenhand's 2014 album Refractory Obdurate

While Wovenhand ought to be a familiar name to anyone interested in forward-thinking music, the album title Star Treatment isn't a reference to our celebrity culture obsession. Rather, it's a clever reference to concepts of astrolatry, or humanity's enduring interest in the stars of the night sky.

"It's ethereal in its concept," Edwards explains. "There are many layers, as always. I've been paying attention to the stars in the sky and in literature, and it's a theme throughout the album." He adds, "There's more love song style on this in general, which is nice. The idea of what love is and how it's expressed and all these different atmospheres."

Star Treatment kicks off full tilt with the anthemic charge of "Come Brave" - the song's galloping four-on-the-floor drums driving churning swells of droning, chiming guitars and organ as Edwards' soaring voice compels us to rise and join the fray. "The Hired Hand" takes a more Western bent with swaggering guitars awash in reverb and a throbbing bass line before the chorus erupts with massive open guitar chords as Edwards howls, "give up your dead." Further, "Crystal Palace" sounds like Eastern European folk driven through a massive wall of amplifiers while a full gospel choir sings just beneath the gurgling surface of guitars. "Crook and Flail" sounds exotic in its twanging acoustic instruments and tabla/dumbec drum pattern. Elsewhere, "Golden Blossom" is a lush and beautifully unabashed love song, strummed out in a simple, catchy melody that builds to crescendo with the chorus refrain, "only you, my love and your light." Throughout, Wovenhand deftly merge the outer reaches of rock and world folk sounds with increasing urgency and force. 

Star Treatment will be available worldwide excluding Europe on LP, CD and download via Sargent House on September 9th, 2016. 


WOVENHAND TOUR 2016:
08/26   LAS VEGAS, NV @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Psycho Las Vegas 
09/12   COLOGNE, DE @ Gebäude 9 * 
09/13   FRANKFURT, DE @ Zoom *
09/15   BERN, CH @ ISC *
09/16   ZURICH, CH @ Bogen F *
09/17   VIENNA, AT @ Flex * 
09/18   BUDAPEST, HU @ A38 * 
09/20   SALZBURG, AT @ Rockhouse *
09/21   MUNICH, DE @ Ampere *
09/22   LEIPZIG, DE @ UT Connewitz *
09/23   BERLIN, DE @ Heimathafen *
09/24   HAMBURG, DE - Reeperbahn Festival
09/26   ARHUS, DK @ Train *
09/27   OSLO, NO @ John Dee *
09/29   HELSINKI, FI @ Tavastia 
09/30   STOCKHOLM, SE @ Nalen *
10/01    LUND, SE @ Mejeriet *
10/02    COPENHAGEN, DK @ Vega Jr. *
10/04    EINDHOVEN, NL @ Effenaar *
10/05    AMSTERDAM, NL @ Melkweg *
10/06    LEUVEN, BE @ Het Depot *
10/07    GENT, BE @ Handelsbeurs *
10/08    CHARLEROI, BE @ L'Eden *
10/10    LILLE, FR @ L'Aéronef *
10/11    PARIS, FR @ La Maroquinerie *
10/13    ORLEANS, FR @ L'Astrolabe *
10/14    GRENOBLE, FR @ La Belle Electrique *
10/15    FEYZIN, FR @ L'Epicerie Moderne *
10/16    TOULOUSE, FR @ La Rex *
10/18    LONDON, UK @ The Dome *


* w/ Emma Ruth Rundle



Artist: Wovenhand
Album: Star Treatment
Label: Sargent House
Release Date: September 9th, 2016

01. Come Brave (STREAM)
02. Swaying Reed
03. The Hired Hand
04. Crystal Palace
05. Crook and Flail
06. The Quiver
07. All Your Waves
08. Golden Blossom
09. Go Ye Light
10. Five by Five
11. Low Twelve

On the Web:

Monday, July 25, 2016

Monolord premiere track from forthcoming 10" EP, headlining North American tour starts August 5th


"Monolord is on the rise in the realm of metal, and for damn good reason - the band knows how to do doom metal right." -- Metal Injection


Swedish trio Monolord premiere another track off their forthcoming 10" EP today via Metal Injection. The song "Die In Haze" is available to hear and share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud). 


MetalSucks previously debuted the new epic "Lord of Suffering" HERE. (Direct Soundcloud and YouTube.)

Monolord kick off their first ever North American headlining tour this August. The band won many new fans last fall supporting Windhand and RidingEasy Records labelmates Danava, and now return to headline with support from Beastmaker (Rise Above Records) and Sweat Lodge (Brutal Panda). Please see complete dates below. 

Monolord's forthcoming EP will be available August 12th on 10" vinyl and download via RidingEasy Records

Vænir, the band's widely-praised and Best Album of 2015 list topping release is available to hear and share via Soundcloud and Bandcamp

Metal Sucks hailed Monolord's Vænir as, "far and away one of my favorite doom releases of 2015 so far, possibly even of the past few years. There's just something about the way these guys construct riffs that sets them apart from the pack, and the production style they've chosen -- clear and concise, but still massively powerful and raw in tone -- perfectly underscores what they're doing."

Noisey calls it, "a sludge-doom offering with guitars like chainsaws, bringing to mind Matt Pike's epic tone on The Art of Self-Defense. The massive, ten-ton brick of a record relies on a blues groove though, and not long-stroke, droning nonsense. Heavily treated melodic vocals bring to mind Ozzy during 'Planet Caravan,' and add to the mysticism and darkness surrounding the release. This is one massive record."

"Typical of Monolord," says Consequence of Sound, "the vocals are dreamy and ethereal, only here they're placed up front, with the chorus even touting a catchy melodic hook. It's a truly modern sound: recognizably doom, but with the glistening production values of Sigur Ros and adventurous songcraft of Rush."


MONOLORD LIVE:
08/05 Seattle, WA @ Barbosa at Neumos *
08/06 Bellingham, WA @ The Shakedown *
08/08 San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel *
08/09 Los Angeles, CA @ Viper Room *
08/11 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar *
0812  Phoenix, AZ @ Rogue *
08/13 Albuquerque, NM @ Launch Pad *
08/15 Dallas, TX @ Rail Club *
08/16 Austin, TX @ Sidewinder *
08/17 Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall *
08/18 San Antonio, TX @ Korova *
08/19 New Orleans, LA @ Siberia *
08/20 Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum *
08/21 Ft Lauderdale, FL @ Kreepy Tiki *
08/22 Orlando, FL @ Will's Pub *
08/23 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade *
08/24 Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry *
08/26 Baltimore, MD @ Windup Space *
08/27 Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus *
08/28 Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage *
08/30 Boston, MA @ Great Scott *
08/31 Montreal, QC @ Turbo Haus *
09/01 Toronto, ON @ Coalition *
09/02 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop *
09/03 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle Festival *
09/04 Minneapolis, MN @ The Cabooze *
09/05 Omaha, NE @ Lookout Lounge *
09/06 Denver, CO @ Lost Lake *
09/07 Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Bar *
09/08 Sacramento, CA @ Starlite Lounge *
09/09 Portland, OR @ Ash St. Saloon (no Beastmaker)
09/10 Vancouver, BC @ Astoria  (no Beastmaker)

* w/ Beastmaker, Sweat Lodge




Artist: Monolord
Album: Lord of Suffering / Die in Haze 10"
Label: RidingEasy Records
Release Date: August 12, 2016

01. Lord of Suffering (STREAM)
02. Die in Haze (STREAM)


On The Web:


Friday, July 22, 2016

Dad Jokes premiere anthemic, exuberant track from forthcoming EP produced by Beau Sorenson (Death Cab For Cutie, Bob Mould)

"An exuberant, groovy track that is as unabashed in its quest to get the listener to smile as a dad telling the daddest of jokes. And while the track's punny title may garner either a chuckle or groan, the song itself is sure to have listeners smiling and moving along to its infectious beat and boisterous, rowdy energy." -- Impose Magazine

"The band’s exuberant natural energy injects a catharsis into everything they create." -- Speak Into My Good Eye


Oakland, CA band Dad Jokes premiere a new track from their forthcoming Dad Max EP today via Speak Into My Good Eye. Hear and share the soaring anthem "Dad Max" HERE. (Direct Bandcamp).

Impose Magazine recently launched the first single "Beyond Punderdome" HERE. (Direct Bandcamp.)

Sometimes the best experiences in life are the result of a happy accident. After several offhand remarks and colorful comments made by a fellow coworker bonded together a gang of nerds working at a music company, Dad Jokes became a reality. 

The band's playful, good­natured vibes blend right into the excitement & enthusiasm they have for the music they make. It's an upbeat, prog-that-makes-you-party sound with the razor-sharp precision of Fang Island, the pop harmony and propulsive rhythms of And So I Watch You From Afar and explorative prowess of Trans Am

Their first record, Release My Body (released on Father's Day 2015), showed the crew of musical cohorts - vocalist/guitarist Chris Tubbs, guitarist Chase Farmer and drummer Ryan Krage - that their party jams weren't just something they enjoyed on their own. Critics and fans alike responded to their debut album with the same amount of love, support and smiles the band found within their own practice space.

Deciding that the next logical step was obviously to take on the entire world with their music, Dad Jokes entered the newly christened Tiny Telephone Oakland, owned and operated by John Vanderslice in early 2016. They enlisted the help of producer Beau Sorenson (Death Cab For Cutie, Cougar, Bob Mould) who perfectly captured the band's massive sound.

With their brand ­new Dad Max EP slated for summer release, Dad Jokes is at an all-­time high of creativity & musical mayhem, and ready to share their riotous, uncontainable, infectious grooves and jams with the entire world. It's the dawn of a completely new­ era in the life of Dad Jokes and it couldn't be coming at a better time for us all... because maybe you want to have a party on a boat this summer... and need some pon­tunes!

Dad Max will be available to download on August 5th and on LP on November 30th, 2016. 



Artist: Dad Jokes
Album: Dad Max
Record label: Dad Jokes Inc.
Release date: August 5, 2016

01. Dad Max
02. Dad Max Also
03. Beyond Punderdome 
04. I Will Turn This Car Around


On The Web:


Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Caustic Resin announce deluxe 2xLP release of celebrated 1998 album with song stream at Brooklyn Vegan


"I was obsessed with this record when it was first released and it still blows my mind -- a forgotten classic of American underground rock" -- Mark Lanegan

"Caustic Resin made a bunch of great f***ing records and The Medicine Is All Gone was one of their best. The riff (and everything else) of the lead track 'Cable' is from one of the finest songs not only of 1998, but ever. You need this record.” -- Dylan Carson (Earth) 


90s heavy psych band Caustic Resin announce the deluxe reissue of their celebrated 1998 album The Medicine is All Gone today with a song stream at Brooklyn Vegan. The double LP reissue is the album's first time ever on vinyl (anyone remember CDs?), remastered from the original analog tapes. The album opener "Cable" is available to hear and share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud HERE.)

Caustic Resin vocalist/guitarist Brett Netson is also a longtime member of indie rock heroes Built To Spill and currently plays in drone legends Earth as well as fronting his own Brett Netson and Snakes. Earth joins Boris for an extensive U.S. tour starting this Friday, July 22nd. Please see dates HERE

Recorded in 1998 with engineer Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Modest Mouse, Mudhoney, Built To Spill, The Shins, Band Of Horses), the album was a highpoint both sonically and in terms of songwriting in the 15 year career of the Boise rock trio. Initially released on Alias Records, after many years of the album's high repute passing, largely by word of mouth, from devoted fans and record store clerks to, well, anyone who would listen, the calls and campaigns for this landmark album to be released on vinyl have finally been heeded.

Even after over a decade and a half The Medicine Is All Gone still sounds remarkable. Its authenticity and organic nature grant it a timeless quality, its honesty and raw emotion stirring the soul in a way that only the most magical of music can.

The album is an intoxicating ride through the heaviest of psychedelic trips, its avalanche of layered guitars cascading into fathomless waters of calm respite before the white knuckle ride rises again and again. Its vocals and lyrics sound as though they are the last gasp scream uttered by a man who stands at the precipice of his own mortality. And indeed he might have been.

In 1998 Caustic Resin had been around for 10 years and their longstanding line up of Brett Netson (vocals and guitar) Tom Romich (bass) and James Dillion (drums) had all but burned itself out with its dedication to rock n' roll and the worst aspects of the associated lifestyle. Their drugged out sound was one dictated by experience not secondhand inspiration. By the time they recorded The Medicine Is All Gone they were like a space rock Icarus, blinkered in their efforts to force every last effort into a final flight after being fatally scorched by the sun. These sometimes terrifying contemporary blues songs tell tales of estranged families, destructive drug and sex relationships, paranoia, religious reflections, death and spiritual redemption. 

The Medicine Is All Gone stands as a unique entry in the canon of stoner rock and makes much of its fellow alumni seem tame in comparison. It is an astonishing achievement when judged solely on its musicality, but, as an end product, it is nothing short of a miracle when considering the mental illness, addiction, homelessness and criminality issues its makers were facing around the time of its construction. The explosive, violent chemistry of the trio that produced this classic music would sadly never issue a full album's worth of material again.

As a collection of songs the album flows together incredibly well, ebbing and flowing like a lysergic dream, although there are definite highlights. These include scene setter “Cable,” “Hate In Your...,” “Salamander,” “ Dripping” and the incongruous but heartfelt (and at times scathing) “Man From Michigan.” Towards the album's close we are introduced to the unforgettable “Mysteries of...” which was inspired by a hallucination during a near fatal overdose of heroin and a later dream involving the preacher from the movie/book Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor, the track morphing into full throttle rendition of Argent's “Hold Your Head Up.”

When I received The Medicine Is All Gone it looked worryingly like some low rent Scandinavian black metal album, Caustic Resin's addled members staring scarily out from plain mug shots on the cover. Their lack of pretence visually and deep obligation to an 80's underground non aesthetic belied the care and effort taken to craft the music contained within. The artwork of this reissue is only slightly different, taken from an old promo poster from the time of the album's initial release. It has been weathered by time in a way this music never could. This reissue also contains the original mastering notes from Phil Ek (engineer) to Roger Seibel (mastering engineer). 

Although the band did not survive in the format contained here, the individual members thankfully did and even reconvened for a show at 2014 Treefort Festival in their native Boise, Idaho. Brett Netson has been a full time member of Boise alternative rock band Built To Spill for the last decade, fronts his own relatively new band Brett Netson and Snakes, has played with the likes of Mark Lanegan and Earth and is a committed family man. He has also recently founded his own label, Scavenger Cult, this reissue of The Medicine Is All Gone being its second release.

The Medicine is All Gone will be available on 2xLP and download on September 9th via Scavenger Cult Records. Available for pre-sale orders via Morphius and Light In The Attic


Artist: Caustic Resin
Album: The Medicine is All Gone
Label: Scavenger Cult Records
Release date: September 9th, 2016

01. Cable (STREAM)
02. Niacin
03. Hate in Your...
04. Once and Only
05. Dripping
06. Half Step
07. Salamander
08. Man From Michigan
09. You Lie
10. Station
11. Mysteries Of...
12. Hold Your Head Up
13. Enough


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