“Drenched in attitude and classic sneer... If you believe rock 'n' roll is supposed to be dangerous, the gospel they're preaching is sure to resonate.”– The Obelisk
“Imagines what Janis Joplin fronting Led Zeppelin may have wrought. It’s buzzing with David Kent’s potent riffs and a paint-peeling performance from vocalist, Erika Leigh.” — Decibel Magazine
Austin, TX band Heavy Velvet shares a new single from their forthcoming debut today via Decibel Magazine. Hear/share "The Itch" HERE. (All DSPs.)
The Obelisk recently launched the video for "Modern Love is a Shame" HERE (Direct YouTube).
Taking notes from rock titans from Led Zeppelin to Wolfmother to Cream, Heavy Velvet entwines sonic elements of grunge, psych, and blues to create a rock and roll sound all their own. Heavy, unrelenting riffs lay the foundation for the fiery and sultry vocal stylings that drip with a raucous edge.
Heavy Velvet aims to harness the nostalgic energy of the classics while exploring new uncharted territory through raw, explosive rock and roll energy, and an unforgiving live performance.
Ex-Slow Season (RidingEasy Records) guitarist David Kent, along with powerhouse vocalist Erika Leigh, relocated recently to Austin, TX to assemble a smoldering rhythm section for a sound that evokes classic 60s-70s hard rock with just a touch of 90s grunge.
“Their own brand of inclusive, hook-heavy punk.” — New Noise Magazine
Austin, TX post-hardcore band Die Mart share the first single today from their forthcoming second EP via New Noise Magazine. Hear/share "Even When It Hurts" HERE. And, on DSPs HERE and Bandcamp.
Known more for their underground and DIY showcases, Die Mart’s music is for all oppressed and marginalized peoples. Die Mart is not for abusers, racists or homophobic individuals. Die Mart is for those with integrity and compassion.
From their bass heavy sound and raw harsh vocals, to dancy guitar riffs, Die Mart songs are formulated by emotion, not so much a specific genre. Die Mart is just trying their best.
The band's 2023 debut, a captivating 8-song, 22-minute EP titled, fittingly, EP most certainly captures the lightning in the bottle held by the punker in cowboy boots depicted on its cover. Their sound carries hints of Austin’s 80s heroes The Big Boys, The Dicks and Scratch Acid, while driving things forward with modern day aggressive clarity of hook-heavy punk rock, grinding metalcore and current day Denny's-destroying hardcore.
The new single, “Even When it Hurts” is co-produced by Roky Moon (American Sharks) and Die Mart. Their second EP will be available in late 2024.
L.A. based composer/musician Bryan Lee Brown shares a new single today from his forthcoming album under the Dark Brown moniker, titled American Instrument. Each song features guest collaborators, with this single boasting Queens of the Stone Age and The Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore along with Beastie Boys & Gogol Bordello percussionist Alfredo Ortiz. Hear/share the track "Miami Rute" via Bandcamp and all DSPs HERE.
Watch episode 12 with Jon Theodore and Alfredo Ortiz from the Backtrack video series documenting American Instrument, in which collaborators discuss their involvement in the album via YouTube HERE.
The previously released lead single, "Rhythm Surfer" features one of the last recordings of guitar icon Dick Dale -- lending his legendary and oft-imitated "Machine Gun Staccato" style to the track, alongside L7 guitarist/vocalist Donita Sparks on the entrancing tune. Hear/share "Rhythm Surfer" on all DSPs HERE.
Watch the first Backtrack episodes covering the "Rhythm Surfer" sessions at Dave Catching's fabled Rancho De La Luna. Watch/share Backtrack eps 1-12 (HERE). Official video HERE.
American Instrument is conceptually just as expansive and ambitious as the lush soundscapes within. An 18-song album featuring an array of legendary guest musicians, its theme likewise embodies a profound meditation on selfhood and the Other.
Dark Brown is the creation of Los Angeles composer and musician Bryan Lee Brown. American Instrument is the fifth album under that pseudonym, but Brown has an extensive life-long career in music: Scoring Dave Grohl’s HBO series Sonic Highways (2014) and documentary film What Drives Us (2021) as well as countless other films, TV shows and commercials, drumming for Dick Dale, as well as numerous stints as a session musician.
The album was recorded over a 12-year period at 7 different studios. It features guest appearances by surf guitar innovator Dick Dale, John Stanier (Battles, Helmet), Brad Wilk (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave), Alfredo Ortiz (Los Lobos, Beastie Boys), Eric McFadden, Jon Theodore (QOTSA), Donita Sparks (L7), marching percussionist Marcus Joyner, Dave Catching (Desert Sessions), Jose Medeles (The Breeders, Author) and more.
The predominantly drummer-heavy line up is another element of the album's exploration into Brown's relationship with drumming, both musically and socially. Brown has a personal connection to almost everyone who played on the album. In a way, the album unites many common threads (personal and philosophical) throughout the musician’s life.
Slated for release in Fall 2024, American Instrument combines abstract minimalism with melodic psychedelia to create a vast ranch of soundscapes. Brown’s now signature sounds of melodic percussion, droning guitars, tremolo and propulsive rhythms permeate the tracks, with each guest musician’s personality leading the songs in many directions with each of their unique personalities shining through. Case in point, Dick Dale’s unmistakable guitar pyrotechnics on 2 album tracks, recorded in 2013 at Rancho De La Luna in Joshua Tree, bring all of his larger-than-life sonic imprint into a completely new world where the surf guitar meets counterpoint rhythms, post-rock ethereality and anthemic hooks. “Spacetime (feat. Brad Wilk)” finds the Rage Against The Machine drummer’s powerful backbeat driving a psychedelic haze of Hendrix-style guitar warped through haunting sounding tubular bells. “Miami Rute (feat. Jon Theodore and Alfredo Ortiz)” juxtaposes Latin percussion with soaring Pink Floyd-ian drones and ominous vocal chants. Throughout, a wide variety of sounds and musical styles explore the very meaning of rhythm and impact of the uniquely American instrument, the drum set, and its place in the course of human history.
American Instrument will be available digitally via Memory Bulldozer Records on October 4th, 2024. Pre-order/pre-save HERE.
Artist: Dark Brown Album: American Instrument Record Label: Memory Bulldozer Release Date: October 4th, 2024
01. Night Bloom 02. Maximum Effect I 03. Time Vector II 04. Restoring Force 05. Miami Rute 06. Great Plains 07. Rhythm Surfer Intro (ft. Dick Dale) 08. Rhythm Surfer (ft. Dick Dale, Donita Sparks) 09. American Instrument 10. Passage 11. Jose In The Hole 12. Side Drum 13. Spacetime 14. Time In My Mind 15. Walking with Louis Bellson 16. Inside The Set 17. Skyhook 18. Fabric Of The Universe
