New York‘s Tee Pee Records, not to be outdone, has just put out info on three showcases they’re doing in October, one in Brooklyn for CMJ, one in Montreal and one in Los Angeles. Good to keep busy, I guess. Here’s the PR wire info:

Tee Pee Records has announced a trio of label showcases set to take place this Fall. The independent record company will grandstand its diverse family of artists this autumn at special events on both sides of the US and also in Canada.

Pop Montreal 2010 presents the Tee Pee Records Showcase
Saturday, October 2
Katacombes (1635 St-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2X 2S9)

Featuring: Priestess, Naam, Mirror Queen, The Main Street Gospel
Tee Pee Records and CMJ present:
The 2010 Tee Pee Records CMJ Showcase
Friday, October 22
Union Pool (484 Union Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11211)
Featuring: Priestess, Naam, Quest for Fire, Mirror Queen, The Atomic Bitchwax, Hopewell, Weird Owl, The Main Street Gospel

Tee Pee Records proudly presents All Hallows Eve
Thursday, October 28 & Friday, October 29
Spaceland (1717 Silver Lake Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026)
Featuring:
Night one: Black Cobra, Ancestors, Black Math Horseman, Imaad Wasif
Night two: Big Business, The Fucking Wrath & two more TBA
*Special kick off performance by Jason Simon on October 27 @ Vacation Vinyl

How do I know Kylesa‘s new album, Spiral Shadow, is bad ass? I’m listening to it right now! Plus, as though to confirm the assessment I just made (and the one I’ll make in longer form when I review the record tomorrow), the band has posted the opener, “Tired Climb” now on something called MySpace. Being “so totally into this Facebook thing,” I don’t know what that is, but there’s a link provided in the PR wire info below that you can click if you’re feeling adventurous.

Kylesa‘s Spiral Shadow is due out Oct. 26, and the band join High on Fire and Torche for a five-week US tour starting Sept. 29. You’ll find the dates after the jump:

Savannah-based Kylesa have unveiled “Tired Climb,” a new track from their forthcoming Season of Mist debut, Spiral Shadow, on the band’s MySpace page.

The band, who recently wrapped up a European tour with Converge, recorded the new album at the Jam Room in Columbia, SC, earlier this summer with band member and renowned producer Phillip Cope (Baroness, Withered) once again at the helm.

Kylesa is currently working on a video for “Tired Climb” and will return to the road on Sept. 11 with a performance at Raleigh‘s Hopscotch Festival before joining High on Fire and Torche for a five-week US trek.

Click “Read More” below for those dates and others.

Read more »

Say what you want about A Storm of Light making their name because Josh Graham handles visuals for Neurosis (the band’s first gigs were opening for them at Brooklyn Masonic Temple), countering all those arguments is a whopping list of tour dates in both the US and Europe that shows them working their collective ass off to support their second album, Forgive us Our Trespasses. And furthermore, that album kicked ass, so quit being grumpy that their friends are cooler than your friends and get with the program.

So there.

Here is the aforementioned plethora of dates, complete with comment from Graham on the work ahead, all courtesy of the PR wire:

Brooklyn kings of atmospheric doom, A Storm of Light, are gearing up for a short stint of US tour dates next week that include performances with experimental metal/noise exhibitionists Today is the Day and reunited stoner metallers Sleep before heading to Europe for a month’s worth of shows in October.

Said guitarist/vocalist John Graham of the upcoming shows: “The next couple of months are going to be a lot of fun for us. We’re lucky enough to share the stage with the legendary Sleep, brutalists Today is the Day, and then embark on our fourth European tour. Awesome!”

A Storm of Light US/Europe tour dates 2010:
08/31 31st St Pub – Pittsburgh, PA w/ Today is the Day
09/01 Ottobar – Baltimore, MD w/ Today is the Day
09/03 Santos Party House – New York, NY w/ Today is the Day
09/04 AS220 – Providence, RI w/ Today is the Day
09/07 Starlight Ballroom – Philadelphia, PA w/ Sleep
09/08 Brooklyn Masonic Temple – Brooklyn, NY w/ Sleep, Lichens
10/01 Brudenell Social Club – Leeds, UK
10/02 Whelans – Dublin, Ireland w/ Stand up Guy
10/03 The Spring and Airbrake – Belfast, Ireland w/ Stand up Guy
10/04 Captain’s Rest – Glasgow, Scotland
10/05 The Croft – Bristol, UK
10/06 The Underworld – London, UK w/ Sedula, Sons of Alpha Centauri
10/07 Nouveau Casino – Paris, France
10/08 Simplon – Groningen, Netherlands
10/09 013 – Tilburg, Netherlands
10/10 Juha West Matinee Show – Stuttgart, Germany
10/12 Rhiz – Vienna, Austria
10/13 Kset – Zagreb, Croatia
10/14 Randall – Bratislava, Slovakia
10/16 Firlej – Wroclaw, Poland
10/17 Powiekszenie – Warsaw, Poland
10/20 Nabaklab – Riga, Latvia
10/21 Nosturi – Helsinki, Finland
10/23 Garage – Oslo, Norway
10/24 Debaser – Stockholm, Sweden
10/25 Loppen – Copenhagen, Denmark
10/26 Hafenklang – Hamburg, Germany
10/27 Feierwerk – Munich, Germany
10/28 Spazio – Turin, Italy
10/29 Urban – Perugia, Italy
10/30 Init Club – Rome, Italy

If you want to get in touch, use the Contact link in the sidebar. Or, if you’re Facebook-inclined, there’s always that. Also, the comments have apparently been broken the last few days. They’re fixed now too. Wonderful thing, this internet. If you want to get in touch to tell me to review your band, please do so.

In the spirit of the release, I’m going to try to keep this short:

Torche songs are so easy to get excited about, because they’re actually exciting. They’re upbeat, energetic, accessible, friendly-sounding even at their heaviest. I just popped their new offering, Songs for Singles in my player for the first time, and already, I want to hang out with it. I want to sit with it and have a beer and watch the bug zapper. Eight songs in under 22 minutes isn’t the kind of numbers I usually get down with, but man, Torche kick ass with twice the efficiency of most bands.

What I like most immediately about Songs for Singles is that the first six tracks comprise half the listening time, and the last two make up the final 10-plus minutes. You’re through “U.F.O.” before you know it, and “Lay Low” is only 51 seconds long, so that’s barely started before it’s done, but “Shine on My Old Ways” seems to change the pace, and by the time “Face the Wall” comes on, you feel like you just hit it. The wall, that is.

If you dug the dreamy pop aspects of Meanderthal, you’re probably also going to drool over Songs for Singles, as even on the slower “Face the Wall” and six-minute capper “Out Again,” that element of their sound is a constant. There aren’t any über-heavy guitar bombs, and as “Out Again” stretches the instrumental section that gradually fades to close the record, it’s apparent that what Torche like playing with in their sound is the sometimes massive, sometimes sweet contrast. Right now, they’re doing it better than anyone else.

For the life of me, I don’t know how Boris manages to stay so prolific. For example, within the next two weeks, the core unit of the band will be playing shows not only as themselves (concluding a US/Canada tour), but also as collaborative outfits with the likes of SunnO))) and Ian Astbury of The Cult. We should all be blessed with such a work ethic. I can barely take out the garbage without feeling like the world owes me an ice cream sandwich.

The PR wire has the specifics as to how Boris continues to make us all look bad:

As Boris wrap up their latest month-long North American tour with two California shows this week, they’re also prepare to join forces with several allies for their upcoming live work with Altar and BXI performances scheduled in New York.

First up, Altar (comprised of SunnO))) and Boris as one group) will perform at the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival in Monticello, New York alongside Sleep, Iggy & The Stooges, Sonic Youth and countless more in a massive outdoor space. Two days later Altar will make another appearance, this time alongside the first official performance of BXI (Boris and Ian Astbury of The Cult), which will all go down at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple, which has been unarguably dubbed “the loudest room in NYC,” and presented by All Tomorrow’s Parties and The Blackened Music Series.

The debut release from BXI is a four-song self-titled EP, which was released by Southern Lord on Aug. 17. The EP is quickly surprising fans of both The Cult and Boris, as well as journalists across the globe, and has listeners taking this new collaboration quite seriously, making this official first concert together an exceptionally special performance for the unit.

Live Performances:
Boris
8/26/2010 Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA w/ Red Sparowes, Helms Alee
8/27/2010 El Rey – Los Angeles, CA w/ Red Sparowes, Helms Alee
8/28/2010 The Glass House – Pomona, CA w/ Red Sparowes, Helms Alee
Altar
9/05/2010 ATP Fest – Monticello, NY w/ Sleep, The Stooges, Sonic Youth, more
Altar and BXI
9/07/2010 Brooklyn Masonic Temple – Brooklyn, NY w/ Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter

Just last week, I posted Night Horse tour dates and made my complaint known that the band wasn’t going to be coming out to the East Coast. Lo and behold, last night I check the PR wire and what’s there but a new batch of shows for guitarist Justin Maranga‘s other band, the heavy-psych awesomeness known as Ancestors, and they’re not coming east either! What is it, man? Do I smell?

The answer to that question, inevitably, is yes. While I go track down some deodorant to reapply, check out these Ancestors dates with new Tee Pee labelmates, The Fucking Wrath:

Ancestors and The Fucking Wrath will embark on a string of West Coast tour dates in late October. The Fucking Wrath recently signed with Tee Pee Records and will be releasing the EP Terra Fire on October 19. Ancestors are supporting their 2009 critically acclaimed sophomore album Of Sound Mind.

Ancestors/The Fucking Wrath tour dates:
10/20 Zahn Zillas, Ventura, CA
10/21 Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, CA
10/22 East End, Portland, OR
10/23 Comet Tavern, Seattle, WA
10/25 Jambalaya, Arcata, CA
10/26 Nick’s Night Club, Chico, CA
10/27 Jose’s Mexican Bar & Grill, Monterey, CA

If you heard Static Tensions, then in all likelihood you’re already excited about the forthcoming Spiral Shadow, which is Kylesa‘s first album for new label home Season of Mist, which is due out Oct. 26. If you didn’t hear Static Tensions, well, there’s still time before the new one comes out, and no one has to be the wiser.

Kylesa is about to tour a month-plus with Torche and High on Fire. The PR wire has this:

Kylesa, the psych-rock co-ed Georgians, have revealed the cover art (illustrated by Santos) and track list for the anticipated new album Spiral Shadow.

The band, who recently wrapped up a European tour with Converge, recorded the new album at the Jam Room in Columbia, SC, earlier this summer with band member and renowned producer Phillip Cope (Baroness, Withered) once again at the helm. 

Upon Spiral Shadow‘s release (Oct. 26, Season of Mist), the album will have a limited edition digipak version with 3D cover art packaged with a bonus DVD.

Kylesa is currently working on a video for “Tired Climb” and will return to the road on Sept. 11 with a performance at Raleigh‘s Hopscotch Festival before joining High on Fire and Torche for a five-week US trek.

Spiral Shadow tracklist:
1. Tired Climb
2. Cheating Synergy
3. Drop Out
4. Crowded Road
5. Don’t Look Back
6. Distance Closing In
7. To Forget
8. Forsaken
9. Spiral Shadow
10. Back and Forth
11. Dust

Click here or on the Facebook logo to go to The Obelisk‘s new page over there. I’m hoping that posts that appear here will be able to show up on the Facebook page, but who knows if that’s actually going to work. Honestly, I’m way out of my league in dealing with this technology. I can’t even handle real-life socializing, let alone internet-type interaction, but I’ll do my best and we’ll all see how it works out.

I still also have the MySpace page, but I don’t really check that either, so now I’ll have two social networking sites to ignore. Maybe if I can get up the gumption I’ll start a Twitter page and complete the unholy trinity.

Last Friday night, as I drunkenly slobbered all over Clamfight after their set at Philly‘s Millcreek Tavern — after watching drummer/vocalist Andy Martin puke on himself WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT — the news of the night came in the form of an honest to goodness physical copy of their album, Volume I.

You might recall I included the record in my Top Five of the First Half of 2010 without verifying it was actually out, and shame on me, because it wasn’t. Well, it is now, and I can safely say it’s still one of the best records I’ve heard all year.

Go here to get a copy of the album, because I know for a fact they’ve got them, and I know for a fact that if you miss it your life will suck forever. More to come on these dudes, but they’re playing again in Philly on Sept. 25, so there’s that.

I still haven’t listened to Night Horse‘s second album, Perdition Hymns. I’ll get there. It’ll be reviewed soon enough. Not like I need to worry though, because the band’s upcoming tour is headed nowhere near Jersey, so even if I was to immerse myself in their ultra-bluesy ’70s rock, I wouldn’t get the chance to complement that experience with a live show. Crazy California gets everything. Fuckin’ hoverboards.

Alright. Here’s tour dates from the PR wire:

Night Horse returned with their highly-anticipated sophomore effort Perdition Hymns on Aug. 3, produced and mixed by Matt Bayles (Pearl Jam, Mastodon, The Sword). Perdition Hymns is a patent demonstration of a group that has quickly become a well-refined songwriting machine. The band has chiseled the six-minute jam style songwriting of their debut The Dark Won’t Hide You into the hook-laden gems that comprise Perdition Hymns; with riff driven catchiness and soaring melodies that stick.

Perdition Hymns is a rock and roll classic for current times; a statement of what’s to come within today’s musical landscape; a missing link to years gone by; and a glimpse into what is about to become.

Night Horse tour dates:
Aug. 20 Los Angeles, CA Vacation Vinyl (Free in-store)
Aug. 28 San Diego, CA Soda Bar
Sept. 10 San Diego, CA The Casbah (w/Olivelawn)
Sept. 14 Long Beach, CA The Prospector (w/Radio Moscow)
Sept. 15 Ventura, CA Zan Zillas (w/Radio Moscow)
Sept. 16 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland (w/ Radio Moscow)
Oct. 7 San Francisco, CA The Hemlock
Oct. 8 Portland, OR East End
Oct. 9 Seattle, WA The Comet

Yeah, this came in on the PR wire a day or two ago, but give me a break. I’m a working man now. Plus, I think it’s been a whole two weeks since there’s been any Clutch info on the site, so it’s not like you were hurting. Whatever. You’ll live.

Unsurprisingly massive update about an unsurprisingly massive reissue, plus tour dates after the jump. Check it:

Clutch have announced the track listing for the expanded-dual disc edition reissue of Robot Hive/Exodus which will be released worldwide on September 28 through Weathermaker Music. Currently out of print, Robot Hive/Exodus was at one point the band’s largest selling title of the decade due to the strength of its three extremely powerful yet diverse singles, “Burning Beard,” “10001110101″ and “Mice & Gods.” In addition to upgraded artwork and new “digi” packaging, this expanded edition will feature a bonus DVD which includes a classic 33-minute outdoor performance recorded on location at the Sounds of the Underground festival in July of 2005 in Sayreville, NJ. Also included is the Jeremy Hunt-directed “Burning Beard” video clip, which was the first ever Clutch single to reach the “year end” Top 10 most played on MTV‘s Headbanger’s Ball.

In total, the Robot Hive/Exodus reissue contains 23 songs and over 90 minutes of music. This is the second of three planned extended double disc reissues, as Weathermaker has already released From Beale Street to Oblivion in July, and plans to issue forth the Blast Tyrant package in November. For the über-Clutch fan and/or retro rocker, Weathermaker will see to it that all three releases will make their way onto limited edition vinyl.

On September 22nd, Clutch will embark on a nine-week tour with Black Label Society and Children of Bodom. In addition to 40+ dates with Zakk Wylde‘s widely popular hard rock act, the veteran rock band from Maryland have just announced six headline concerts that will be placed within the Fall tour, giving their North American fanbase close to 50 opportunities to see the band perform a combination of classic Clutch material as well as current fan favorites like “50,000 Unstoppable Watts,” “Let a Poor Man Be” and “Abraham Lincoln” from the band’s latest, Top 40 soundscan charting, “Strange Cousins From the West” full-length album.

Robot Hive/Exodus Reissue Tracklist:
Disc 1 (CD)
The Incomparable Mr. Flannery
Burning Beard
Gullah
Mice & Gods
Pulaski Skyway
Never be Moved
10001110101
Small Upsetters
Circus Maximus
Tripping the Alarm
10,000 Witnesses
Land of Pleasant Living
Gravel Road
Who’s Been Talking
Disc 2 (DVD)
Mercury –Live Sounds of the Underground
Profits of Doom –Live Sounds of the Underground
Mice & Gods –Live Sounds of the Underground
Gullah –Live Sounds of the Underground
Burning –Beard Live Sounds of the Underground
Impetus –Live Sounds of the Underground
The Mob Goes Wild –Live Sounds of the Underground
Gravel Road –Live Sounds of the Underground
Burning Beard video clip

Read more »

Down through the PR wire today comes the news that SunnO))) — Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson — are set to curate a day at Roadburn 2011. They’re in great company, as you’ll see from the release below, and what this means, other than that Eagle Twin is likely to perform, is that Roadburn is probably going to be more diverse than ever before, as these two dudes are all over the map, from KTL to Goatsnake.

Walter from the festival checks in with the following:

Roadburn festival is thrilled to unveil the curator for the 2011 edition: SunnO))). The band, to be specific Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley, has agreed to curate our festival on Friday, April 15th, 2011 and host a special event.

As curator, SunnO))) will personally select the bands that will play during their special event as well as perform a headline show. SunnO))) will be Roadburn’s fourth curator, following David Tibet in 2008, Neurosis in 2009 and Triptykon’s Tom Gabriel Warrior at this year’s festival.

We are truly looking forward to the new ideas and visions that the crossover drone duo will bring to the festival next year. When asked to sum up Roadburn in one word, “progressive” would be a fitting choice. Evolving and improving are part of this. The festival is a tribute to the open mindedness of its bands, curators and audience. The joy comes from expanding musical horizons, and with SunnO))) acting as our curator we’ll definitely be in for some artistic surprises.

Roadburn 2011, including SunnO)))’s special event, will run for three days from Thursday, April 14 to Saturday, April 16 at the 013 venue and Midi Theatre in Tilburg, Holland. There will be an additional Afterburner event on Sunday, April 17, 2011.

…And true to form, they do so after 11 and a half years. The Glasspack, from Louisville, KY, have always been a band to revel in their ultra-dirty rock sound, so it’s only fitting with the theme of “wow, what a mess,” that they’d have a 10th anniversary show a year and a half late. Killer. You know that show’s gonna be a good time.

Vocalist/guitarist Dirty Dave gave this update to StonerRock.com:

We are having a party to celebrate 10 years of existence, though it has actually been 11.5. Everyone is invited and The Glasspack set will be nearly two hours long, guests will include Adam Neal (The Hookers, Brothers of Conquest), Peter Searcy (Solo, Squirrel Bait), and Mark Abromavage (Kinghorse, ARCH). Hope to see you there and buy our new orange 7” vinyl record split-side with the Trophy Wives that will be released at the show. It will come with a FREE download card with nearly 15 FREE tracks from The Glasspack and TrophyWives. It will also be available worldwide at LouisvilleNoise.com for $5 plus shipping. Thanks to everyone who has supported The Glasspack, we love you all.
Sincerely,
Dirty & The Glasspack

PS- We have new material we are working out for a new album.

These’ll be for sale at the show at the Millcreek Tavern on Sept. 24-25. Artwork by the venerable Brian Mercer. Click the image for the full size.