We all knew it was coming, but Vista Chino, formerly Kyuss Lives! have officially announced that they’ve signed with Napalm Records and will release a new album this fall. The first taste of that record is posted now on their Thee Facebooks page in a studio version of “Dargona Dragona,” previously available as a live clip.

Vista Chino is John Garcia, Brant Bjork, and Bruno Fevery. Curious not to see Nick Oliveri listed in the lineup, but that’s probably a different press release entirely. Behold:

VISTA CHINO Sign to Napalm Records

VISTA CHINO the band formed by John Garcia and Brant Bjork (formerly of Kyuss) have inked a deal with Napalm Records. The album is set for an early fall release. More details, including album title, artwork and track listing will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Vocalist John Garcia said the following:

“Kyuss Lives is now VISTA CHINO!…it feels great just to write that….and to say it out loud, feels even better. Now that our relationship with Napalm Records is official; it’s time to forget about the past year, move forward, and execute our original plan, which was to make kick ass music and tour the world!

Drummer Brant Bjork added:

“We look forward to working with Napalm Records and we anticipate great support in rolling out the VISTA CHINO rock.”

Thomas Caser, Head Of A&R at Napalm Records commented on the signing:

It’s with great pride we announce the signing of VISTA CHINO. After all the band has been through they are ready to rock! We at Napalm Records are thrilled to work with such talented artists and look forward to a long-lasting cooperation!

Today Napalm Records and VISTA CHINO are excited to debut the first song from VISTA CHINO’s highly anticipated first full length album. The song entitled “Dargona, Dragona” is available as an exclusive stream on the VISTA CHINO Facebook Page. When visiting the facebook page, clicking the “like” button will enable the audio.

Rising from the desert sands that birthed Kyuss Lives, VISTA CHINO’s sound is instantly familiar. With the trademark soulful vocals of John Garcia, the songwriting and production of Brant Bjork (drums) and the fuzz-laden riffage of imported guitarist Bruno Fevery, VISTA CHINO’s debut is one of the year’s most anticipated heavy rock albums. A new band born of a storied past, right now it’s about these players playing these songs.

VISTA CHINO’s first North American performance will take place at this year’s “Orion Festival” in Detroit, MI curated by Metallica. VISTA CHINO will play on Sunday June 9th on the “Frantic Stage”. A full North American tour will be announced shortly.

VISTA CHINO Live:
6/9: Detroit, MI @ Orion Festival
7/25: Tienen, Belgium @ Suikerrock
7/26: Feldkirch, Austria @ Poolbar Festival
7/29: Vienna, Austria @ Rock Im Wald Festival
7/31: Pinarella di Cervia, Italy @ Arena
8/3: Lierpop, Holland @ Rock Planet
8/7: Munich, Germany @ Backstage (Free & Easy Festival)
8/8: Geneva, Switzerland @ Usine
8/9: Puttlingen, Germany @ Rocco del Schlako
8/10: Eschwege, Germany @ Open Flair Festival

For More Info Visit:
https://www.facebook.com/VistaChinoMusic
http://www.vistachinomusic.com
http://www.napalmrecords.com

Vista Chino, “Dargona Dragona” Live in Sydney, Feb. 27, 2013

Heavy blues rockers Star and Dagger will unveil their new full-length, Tomorrowland Blues, on July 23. As you can see in the PR wire info below about the record, the band taps into a few names one might recognize, notably the likes of Sean Yseult (former bassist for White Zombie) and desert luminaries Gene Trautmann and Dave Catching along with Dava She Wolf, and vocalist Von Hesseling. Star and Dagger‘s previously released a three-song 12″ EP called In My Blood on colored vinyl through Last Hurrah Records, and “Your Mama was a Grifter,” the video for which you can see below, closes the new album:

Star and Dagger is a blues-rock/metal group made up of good friends Sean Yseult (White Zombie), Dava She Wolf (Cycle Sluts From Hell), Dave Catching (Eagles of Death Metal), Gene Trautmann (Queens of the Stone Age), and the sublime vocalist Von Hesseling. They have a full album titled Tomorrowland Blues recorded at Rancho de la Luna, produced by Ethan Allen and Dave Catching, and mastered by J. Yuenger (White Zombie) to be released on Cauldron 333, distributed by MRI July 23.

Star and Dagger was formed with auspicious beginnings: Sean and Dava were drinking late one night with the legendary Lenny Kaye (noted rock journalist and founder member of the Patti Smith Group) and he declared: “You two must start a band, I see it!” They took his word and set to it.

The band layers dense guitars onto a heavy groove, strung together by Von’s towering vocals, which have the soul and presence of Tina Turner crossed with Cherie Currie. The band has recently attracted much attention, selling out their first show in LA and opening for High on Fire, Helmet, Eagles of Death Metal, Down and Saint Vitus. They performed at the 2012 Voodoo Fest and have plans for shows on the West Coast and the UK for Spring 2013. Star and Dagger’s first recording emerged a few months ago, a 12″ vinyl titled In My Blood.

http://stardagger.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/staranddagger
http://www.reverbnation.com/stardagger

Star and Dagger, “Your Mama was a Grifter”

The drunken heavy rock charm of Canyon Creep‘s 2001 full-length, Hijack the World, makes itself known almost immediately on the aptly-titled intro, “Intro.” Starting off with some dramatic sampled horns that may or may not have been recorded from a tv and may or may not have come from Flash Gordon, a voiceover soon comes on to set the stage:

“Once upon a time
in a land called suburbia
There lived a noble breed of men
Men who spent their lives on a never-ending quest
For honor, glory… and fine chicks.”

So it goes, and “No Brakes” picks up as the first chapter of that quest — rife with unpretentious, ballsy riffing and a not-in-the-slightest serious mood. I managed to nab a copy of Hijack the World on the cheap thanks to All That is Heavy‘s ongoing series of $6.66 killer deals — along with records by Rite, Bongripper, Tweak Bird, Wellwater Conspiracy, Monkey3, Jason Simon, and so on — and with production by Billy Anderson and art by Italian collective Malleus in their early days, felt lucky to do so.

It tops 28 minutes and I suspect if it was going to change the planet it probably would’ve done so at some point in the last 12 years, but the San Francisco trio’s first and only studio outing tapped into a heavy riffing dudery that’s still prevalent today, guitarist/vocalist Tony Buhagiar keeping to a throaty delivery offset by some of the corresponding backing vocals of bassist Dave V. (who takes a lead spot on “Can’t Afford You”) and drummer Jerry Rivera. Songs are by and large short and straightforward, the longest being six-track and highlight “Black Bra” at 4:59, but extras like the gang shouts at the beginning of “I Got the Shakes” and the (surprisingly righteous) bluesy guitar interlude “Warm Beer” add to the no-frills appeal already present in the Northern California ode “Yreka,” which shows some of its date in lyrics bitching about guys in baggy pants, but winds up on the winning side of the argument anyway.

But the high point of the record is “Black Bra,” the unabashed dudeliness of which stands as symbolic of an era when “not being PC” meant more than an excuse for white people to post racist shit on Facebook. They’re doing it in the name of comedy, but there’s a narrative at work anyway and the cleverness of lines like, “Got stuck with a bad borracho/Started talkin’ shit and tryin’ to act all macho/He grabbed your ass and you decked el gacho/With a brick and I would’ve loved to watch you, yeah,” underscoring not only stoner rock’s ongoing penchant for interspersing Spanish lyrics (always fun), but a divide where charm and a familiar misogyny part ways. They’re on the right side of that argument too, and the brick has a lot to do with it, but more relevant, the song rocks and sets up the ending “Can’t Afford You,” “Yreka” and “Give Me Some,” all three of which are about scoring, on some level.

Canyon Creep can get filed maybe not under lost classics, but under decent records worth a look for those like me who may have missed them when they first came out. Another 10 or 15 years and all this stuff will get reissued by somebody or other. Buhagiar and Rivera play together in Tuco Ramirez, and at least according to the Canyon Creep Thee Facebooks, there’s a second Canyon Creep album being worked on that never came to fruition during the band’s first run, which ended in 2002 after Hijack the World came out. Whether or not it ever comes together, the debut may be a blip on history’s radar, but it’s a blip with some cool riffing and beery grooves, and that’s enough for me to dig it.

Canyon Creep, “Warm Beer” & “Black Bra” from Hijack the World

Canyon Creep on Thee Facebooks

Tuco Ramirez on Thee Facebooks

Slayer, South of Heaven (1988)

I’m quite sure the metallic sphere of the internet is pouring with Jeff Hanneman tributes today — I honestly haven’t even had the chance to look — so I’ll do my best not to add to the slew of dudely cliches, but it seemed only appropriate in light of Hanneman‘s passing at the age of 49 to end the week with 1988′s South of Heaven. Probably any Slayer record would’ve done the trick, since he made his mark on all of them, but South of Heaven marked a sort of maturation point for the band, where they really established the dynamics that would carry them forward for the next decade-plus after the raging and ultra-pivotal speedfest that was Reign in Blood, and well, I like that.

Never having been a guitarist, I don’t listen to Slayer with that kind of ear, but it’s still pretty easy to pick out which leads are Jeff Hanneman‘s and which belong to Kerry King. King‘s solos have that bull-in-a-china-shop quality that one finds mirrored in his persona — all aggression with little time or concern for finesse. Hanneman was hardly what you’d call progressive in his level of technique, but his relatively nuanced approach helped set up one of heavy metal’s most formative dual-guitar attacks, setting a precedent in thrash that many try and most still fall short of achieving today, and where King‘s style is so much his own, Hanneman always struck me as more of a guitarist’s guitarist, someone people could hear and try to figure out what he was doing — which I’m pretty sure, if you actually get to that point, you’ve already learned how to play a guitar without realizing it. So kudos.

I wasn’t around for Slayer at the beginning, but I remember hearing them at around the age of 12 and I definitely remember them leaving an impression that in the years to come would develop into a metallic loyalism that I carry to this day. I’m glad I got to see them as many times as I did, as they were and I suppose still are one of those acts who’ve grown to embody a certain brand of extremity that, although others have come along since and played faster, louder or heavier, still retains a sense of being unsurpassed. And like King, and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo, Hanneman was an essential piece of what made Slayer‘s thrash that much more visceral than their counterparts in other bands, and an essential piece of what has made their albums endure for these many years. And just as their work has made an impact on heavy metal like none other — not to say they’re the most influential metal band ever, because they’re not, just that they’ve impacted the genre in a different way — so too is his contribution to that legacy by extension unmatched.

On my way to the Clutch show last night, I had the radio news on to see if they’d mention Hanneman‘s death at all. More than an hour I listened — through the whole cycle of news and then some — and there wasn’t a word about it. This is someone who’s work I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say has touched more than a million lives over the course of the last 30 years, and nothing. For me, it underscored the wider cultural irrelevance of this music, just how much of a niche it is that someone like Hanneman, who penned the lyrics to “Angel of Death” and “Raining Blood” and so many others, can go unmarked by the wider populace even as an entire subculture enters a period of mourning. It felt bizarre to listen for it and even more bizarre when I didn’t hear anything.

Like I said, the internet will likely be flooded with tributes of varying shittiness to Hanneman‘s impact on metal, so I’ll leave it there, but it’s a sad occasion and if I didn’t at least make some note of it, then I might as well cut my hair and get a real fucking job because this whole project is worthless.

–

I end the week like I began it: In a hotel room. After I got out of work, The Patient Mrs. and I drove north and are staying in Providence, RI, for the night en route to look at more houses in Massachusetts early tomorrow. I’ll head back to Jersey before tomorrow night, but if you happen to be in Boston, Gozu are doing their release gigs with weekend at Radio in Somerville. I think the first one was tonight. I was really hoping to have that interview up before those shows, and it’s a serious letdown that I didn’t get to do it. I’ve never so seriously entertained the notion of using a transcription service, but I just haven’t had the chance to do it myself in I don’t even know how many weeks now. I’ll get there. Unfortunately not in time to plug Gozu‘s release shows.

Speaking of things I haven’t had time for, if you’ve sent me an email in, say, the last three to four weeks and not heard back, I’ll soon be rectifying that. Give me a couple more days. The Patient Mrs. is out of town early next week and while I want/need to catch up on a few email interviews as well going out — even though I think of the last four I sent out I only got one back — answering email is definitely also on my agenda. I’m not blowing anyone off, there’s just only so many hours in the day (it’s after midnight as I write this, for example, so it’s actually tomorrow even as I’m posting for today) and I need to spend as much of it as possible writing in order not to completely lose my shit. I’m doing my best.

Thanks too for your patience on reviews. Next week, Lamp of the Universe, Sgt. Sunshine and hopefully Before the Eyewall. Also stay tuned for a Kings Destroy track premiere on Tuesday, more info on The Eye of the Stoned Goat 3 and as ever, a ton of other stuff I don’t even know about yet. It’ll be a good time, I promise.

As always, I wish you a great and safe weekend, wherever you might be or whatever you’ve got going on. I’ll be checking in on the forum, as I hope you will, and we’ll pick back up Monday with more riffly plod and all the rest of it. Until then, here’s to Jeff Hanneman.

Scholars in the ways of Morricone, L.A. psych rockers Spindrift have announced a month-long run of shows through Europe to herald the arrival of their new movie and album, Ghost of the West. To support, they’re bringing along Blaak Heat Shujaa, who continue to make waves with their full-length Tee Pee debut, The Edge of an Era (review here). If you’re fortunate enough to be somewhere these shows are happening, expect a lot of airy guitars and vivid atmospherics. Trip on.

Here’s the info off the PR wire:

SPINDRIFT & BLAAK HEAT SHUJAA “Ghost Of The West” EU Tour 2013

Cinematic spaghetti western favorites SPINDRIFT will embark on a month-long European tour this June/July with psychedelic rock’s rising force BLAAK HEAT SHUJAA. For their first EU headlining tour and third EU tour overall, SPINDRIFT will perform a set of titles from their new album and film “Ghost of the West” which will be followed by their celebrated spaghetti classics. Scenes from the movie will be projected during the shows, and pre-sale copies of “Ghost Of The West” will be available for purchase. “Ghost of the West” documents the band traveling across the far reaches of the Western US, performing old western traditional tunes in Ghost Towns, deserts, and places of historic Western lore. Sharing the bill with them are “heavy mental” rockers BLAAK HEAT SHUJAA, who triumphantly return to Europe after the release of the critically acclaimed album “The Edge Of An Era” (out April 9, 2013 on TeePee Records).

June 05. Sinister Noise Club – Rome, ITALY
June 07. Fordongianus – Oristano, ITALY
June 08. Secret Show – Location TBA, ITALY
June 10. United Club – Torino, ITALY
June 11. L’Usine – Geneva, SWITZERLAND
June 12. Dachstock – Bern, SWITZERLAND
June 14. Le Bukowski – San Sebastian, SPAIN
June 15. Ego Live – Alcala de Henares, SPAIN
June 16. Taberna Belfast – Santa Maria Del Paramo, SPAIN
June 17. Estudio 27 – Burgos, SPAIN
June 18. Le Saint Des Seins – Toulouse, FRANCE
June 19. Les Combustibles – Paris, FRANCE
June 20. L’Entrepôt – Arlon, BELGIUM
June 21. Paard Van Troje – The Hague, NETHERLANDS
June 22. De Bastille – Schoonhoven, NETHERLANDS
June 23. Bassy Cowboy Club – Berlin, GERMANY
June 25. Revolver – Oslo, NORWAY
June 26. Kafe De Luxe – Växjö, SWEDEN
June 27. KB18 – Copenhagen, DENMARK
June 28. Black Night – Jena, GERMANY
June 30. A38 – Budapest, HUNGARY
July 02. Club Gromka – Ljubljana, SLOVENIA
July 03. Sidro Club – Savignano Sul Rubicone, ITALY

Spindrift, Ghost of the West Trailer

A new full-length by the unfortunately-monikered Master Musicians of Bukkake is an interesting enough proposition on its own, but Far West will mark the first release from the stylistically amorphous outfit since they finished their Totem trilogy. Important Records will have the new release available in June, and even as the first details and music have begun to surface — you can see the video for “White Mountain Return” below; beware the noise on the way in and out — it’s apparent some shifts have taken place post-Totem. Right on.

The tracklist and Simon Fowler cover for the album are below, as well as a round of European tour dates set to start in mid-May. Dig it:

MASTER MUSICIANS OF BUKKAKE REVEAL DETAILS OF THEIR NEW RECORD

Master Musicians of Bukkake have unveiled details of a new full-length, the follow-up to their Totem trilogy. The album is entitled Far West and is set for release in June 2013 through Important Records.

We can also reveal the stunning artwork by London-based artist, Simon Fowler, tracklisting and European tour dates (UK shows are being confirmed for later this year – hopefully)

TRACKLISTING
1. ‘White Mountain Return’
2. ‘??-????? : GNOMI’
3. ‘Arche’
4. ‘Cave Of Light – The Prima Materia’
5. ‘You Are A Dream Like Your Dreamer – The Dark Peace’
6. ‘Circular Ruins’

TOUR DATES
15-05-2013 – Zeche Carl – Essen, Germany
16-05-2013 – Stpln – Malmo, Sweden
17-05-2013 – Truckstop Alaska – Gothenburg, Sweden
18-05-2013 – Bla – Oslo, Norway
19-05-2013 – Kagelbanan – Stockholm, Sweden
20-05-2013 – Loppen – Copenhagen, Denmark
21-05-2013 – Kantine am Berghain – Berlin, Germany
22-05-2013 – Ut Connewitz – Leipzig, Germany
23-05-2013 – OCCII – Amsterdam, Netherlands
24-05-2013 – VK – Brussels, Belgium
25-05-2013 – Villette Sonique – Paris, France w/ Neurosis, Swans
31-05-2013 – Stereolux – Nantes, France
01-06-2013 – Trix – Antwerp, Belgium w/ Wolf People
02-06-2013 – Jubez – Karlsruhe, Germany
04-06-2013 – L’Usine – Geneva, Switzerland

More specific album information will be revealed in the coming weeks so stay tuned!

Master Musicians of Bukkake, “White Mountain Return” from Far West

Since the release of their 2010 self-titled debut, Blaak Heat Shujaa have moved from Paris to Los Angeles — with a stop in New York City as well for a time — have honed their desert rocking chops on tours with Fatso Jetson and Yawning Man, have signed with Tee Pee Records, completed a documentary series about their recording sessions with the venerable Scott Reeder and have taken those sessions and split them into two releases: the late-2012 The Storm Generation EP and their sophomore full-length, The Edge of an Era — shooting videos and playing gigs all the while as well. With that much going on, it’s not much of a surprise that The Edge of an Era is a different beast than was the self-titled, but what is striking about the album is how cohesive it is. On first listen, it makes sense as to why the trio — guitarist/vocalist Thomas Bellier, bassist Antoine Morel-Vulliez and drummer Mike Amster – divided the output from the Reeder sessions. The Edge of an Era focuses is on a singular atmosphere that’s served well by its six component tracks; the material on The Storm Generation (review here) wasn’t lacking for quality, it just didn’t fit. And where the band probably could’ve forced the issue and included most of those songs here — a move that might’ve put the album’s runtime more in line with the 63-minute self-titled (review here) instead of the vinyl-friendly 41:27 the finished product clocks — The Edge of an Era is unquestionably a stronger whole for the structure of its parts, running social/political lyrical themes through organic tones with a marked flow from piece to piece that nonetheless shows development in the experimental side that showed itself on the prior outing. Fatso Jetson‘s Mario Lalli donates vocals and lyrics to the penultimate “Pelham Blue,” making that track an automatic standout and highlighting just how much influence Blaak Heat Shujaa has culled from the desert in which it now rests its collective head, and poet/tourmate Ron Whitehead, who contributed to The Storm Generation as well, launches the album with “Closing Time, Last Exit,” a rising-toward-clarity free-association spoken word in which gonzo, Jesus, Buddha, Hunter S. Thompson and other mythological figureheads are namechecked before we arrive at the starting point just under a minute later: “America is an illusion.”

A fun bit of knowledge to drop, rife with Baby Boomer shock value and wake-you-up-to-challenge-what-exactly exclamation (it seems a fruitless endeavor to rag on the gonzo types; that cat’s been out of the bag since well before I came along to call it self-indulgent), but more importantly, it sets up a good amount of the perspective from which The Edge of an Era is executed. The point of view, like the band, is young, but coherent, and met with fuzz not driven so much by a heavy psych wash of effects in Bellier‘s guitar, but by a dry-sand clarity that finds root in Morel-Vulliez‘s basslines while Amster‘s drumming holds the songs together allowing the other two players to wander over the course of longer jams like that emerging from “The Obscurantist Fiend (The Beast Pt. I),” the initial rush of which takes hold immediately following Whitehead‘s last pronouncement. Time and again throughout the record, Blaak Heat Shujaa prove adept at balancing stillness with movement instrumentally — Bellier‘s post-Cisneros vocal approach is suited to either, frankly, though in the faster parts he seems more inclined to let the guitar do the talking — and that begins with “The Obscurantist Fiend (The Beast Pt. I)” as a slowdown brings hypnotic repeating of a start-stop progression soon to serve as the foundation not just for Bellier’s verse, but the long instrumental stretch that follows. Amster and Morel-Vulliez make it work, the former with a kind of descending progression that winds up on the crash with each cycle as the latter works to gradually expand the base from which the guitars take flight. It is one of the record’s most melodically satisfying instrumental stretches that ensues, rising and cascading in tempo with a solo taking hold before arriving at starts and stops almost frenetic in their tension thanks to Amster‘s fills, double-kick and so on. At seven minutes, they launch into the next stage, bringing the groove to a head as Bellier and Morel-Vulliez align to ignite the melodic apex before sleepily jamming the way out of the song and directly into “Shadows (The Beast Pt. II)” via a sweet bassline worthy of the quieter moments of any Brant Bjork record you might want to name, the actual progression keeping the same starts and stops from the prior cut, but changing the context to something altogether more comforting.

Read more »

Not heard from since the 2009 re-release of 2008′s Cheat the Gallows, L.A.-based heavy prog weirdos Bigelf have come back to earth. Bechapeaued frontman Damon Fox has announced that he has joined forces with none other than former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy in a new lineup of the band and that they’ve signed to Century Media‘s prog-minded subsidiary, InsideOut Music.

If that seems like pretty wild news, kind of an unexpected pairing and it leaves you not quite knowing what to think about it, that’s precisely the arena in which Bigelf have always preferred to operate. Look for more on the album to come, but meanwhile, here are the details of the signing and a bit of a catch-’em-up from Damon Fox about this new era of the band:

BIGELF returns and signs new deal with InsideOut Music; Mike Portnoy to play drums on forthcoming new album

InsideOut Music is immensely pleased to announce the signing of progressive-rock powerhouse BIGELF for the release of their forthcoming new album later this year. Label-head Thomas Waber says about the signing: “We have been talking to BIGELF for quite some time now and I am really pleased that we finally managed to make this happen! BIGELF are an excellent addition to the InsideOut Music roster!”

It’s been a few years since we’ve heard any activity from the BIGELF camp, so who better to explain to us what’s been going on than the band’s mastermind Damon Fox himself:

“Finally! BIGELF lands on a planet whose atmosphere is synonymous with progressive rock and heavy metal. One of my all-time favourite quotes is, ‘Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid…’

I’m ecstatic that InsideOut/Century Media and Mike Portnoy have joined ‘forces’ with BIGELF.

First, I want to elaborate on what has been happening ‘inside’ the band since 2010, there have been numerous rumours on the internet that I fired everyone in BIGELF, this is completely untrue.

After the juggernaut of ‘Cheat The Gallows’ came to a halt, the business and personal infrastructure of BIGELF imploded and an unexpected hiatus occurred leaving the band in complete disarray. A myriad of personal, financial and domestic matters had enveloped myself as well as certain members of the group. There also comes a time when deep down inside it just doesn’t feel right anymore, and one has to face the music that the end is near. Transparency no longer exists and with that, clarity and perspective are lost. I’m speaking for myself now but clearly this was a mutual feeling and I believe it was obvious amongst the band. Subsequently, Ace Mark decided to move on and left BIGELF in the summer of 2011, and a request by the remaining members for a dissolution of business followed. To put it simply, we went our separate ways without malice.

I had been keeping in close touch with Mike Portnoy after his very public and difficult departure from DREAM THEATER. At this time, my musical future seemed quite bleak and I was very vocal to Mike about not being able to sustain the band any longer on my own. He implored me to carry on and to not let BIGELF slip away, his encouragement and enthusiasm meant the world to me. Recognizing that I needed some new allies, I asked him if he would help fight the good fight and lend his extraordinary drum majesty to the new BIGELF record and he readily agreed. Also…sharing a passion for all things rock & roll, my good friend Duffy Snowhill climbed aboard the Viking ship for another round of thundering bass guitar and for that too I am grateful.

I also want to acknowledge our amazing and dedicated fans that send emails all the time saying how they feel about BIGELF. These emails inspire me greatly and they’re the reason that I continue to play this kind of music, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can’t wait for everyone to hear the new wondrous landscapes we’ve been sculpting, there are lots of surprises around the corner, stay tuned.”

–Damon Fox

Bigelf, “The Evils of Rock and Roll”

A couple weeks ago, I plugged a weekender starting April 17 in California with The Freeks, The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic and Blaak Heat Shujaa. Turns out that’s only part of the story, as Blaak Heat Shujaa are hitting the road for another stretch a few days after that one ends, the two sets of shows comprising a West Coast tour in support of their new album and full-length Tee Pee Records debut, The Edge of an Era.

That album is out April 9. Here are the dates:

Blaak Heat Shujaa on Tour

04.17 The Slidebar – Fullerton, CA
04.18 Level 2 Bar – Cathedral City, CA
04.19 The Tin Can – San Diego, CA
04.20 Favorites – Las Vegas, NV
04.21 The Satellite – Los Angeles, CA
04.25 Luigi’s Fungarden – Sacramento, CA
04.26 Whiskey Dick’s – South Lake Tahoe, CA
04.27 Bender’s Bar & Grill – San Francisco, CA
04.28 The Night Light – Oakland, CA
04.29 The Blue Lagoon – Santa Cruz, CA

I guess if you’re gonna take a long weekend, that’s the one to do it. Ed Mundell‘s The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic, The Freeks – featuring ex-members of Nebula — and desert newcomers Blaak Heat Shujaa are hitting the road on a five-date weekender circa April 20 that’ll find them on a pilgrimage around California. As if the last two posts about Desertfest and Roadburn weren’t enough to fill your April, check this out:

4/20 Weekend Tour (USA)
(The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic, The Freeks, Blaak Heat Shujaa)

Three major players of the California heavy psych underground will join forces on a five-day American Southwest tour on 4/20/2013 weekend.

The 4/20 Weekend Tour will feature the first shows from The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic, the latest endeavor of Ed Mundell (of Monster Magnet and Atomic Bitchwax fame), which also includes members of Sasquatch and Trash Titan. They will be joined by psych warriors, The Freeks (with Ruben Romano from Fu Manchu and Nebula on guitar, and Tom Davies from Nebula on bass), and by TeePee Record’s hottest new signees, Blaak Heat Shujaa, who deliver a loud, enticing blend of fuzz heaviness, surf rock and neo-psychedelia.

Dates:
04.17 The Slidebar – Fullerton, CA
04.18 Level 2 Bar & Lounge – Cathedral City, CA*
04.19 The Tin Can – San Diego, CA
04.20 Favorites – Las Vegas, NV
04.21 The Satellite – Los Angeles, CA**

* Pre-Coachella Festival Party, w/ Yawning Man & Hot Beat Pussy Fiend.
** Third edition of TeePee Records Night LA.

I dug what drummer Chris Fugitt brought to Totimoshi on the band’s last album, 2011′s Avenger (review here), and apparently the band did too, since even though he moved halfway across the country, founders Tony Aguilar and Meg Castellanos haven’t completely parted ways with him. Still, time and gigs march on, so with new part-timer Derrick Hostetter, Totimoshi will be headlining tomorrow night at the Silverlake Lounge.

Details and badass poster follow, courtesy of the PR wire:

TOTIMOSHI Inducts New Drummer

New Live Actions Begin Via Headlining LA Show This Thursday

Los Angeles-based desert rock trio TOTIMOSHI has revamped its lineup and will break in the new blood this week at a special hometown show.

Following the their latest LP, Avenger — released in 2011 via At A Loss Recordings — TOTIMOSHI has been on somewhat of a live hiatus for the past year or so due to the partial departure of drummer Chris Fugitt. While Chris remains in the band’s official lineup, he now lives halfway across the country, so the band’s founding members — bassist Meg Castellanos and vocalist/guitarist Tony Aguilar — have recruited additional drummer Derrick Hostetter in the interim. Having played and toured in Illinois punk bands in the 90’s, and having formed and played in various electronic bands in the Peoria area, Hostetter relocated to the West Coast, recording three albums with San Francisco-based band Cast Of Thousands, two records with The Bruises and Seeking Empire, as well as LA-based hardcore act Bough Breaks.

TOTIMOSHI will perform live with Derrick for the first time this Thursday, March 14th at a hometown headlining show at the Silverlake Lounge, with support from Gaytheist, Stripper Pussy and Dolphins n Shit.

TOTIMOSHI Live:
3/14/2013 Silverlake Lounge – Los Angeles, CA w/ Gaytheist, Stripper Pussy, Dolphins n Shit

12:31AM - Their budget is by no means the highest, and at one point, the video seems to just cut to a shot of a dude rubbing his sword in the woods — why does everything sound like euphemism to me lately? — but frankly, it’s precisely acts like Dali’s Llama who I find most inspiring. The Palm Springs outfit led by Zach (guitar/vocals) and Erica (bass) Huskey have been at it for 20 years, have shown no sign of slowing down, and continue on with what drives them regardless of trend, promotion or anything else. They play out in the desert, but don’t really tour, and they release albums on the regular of quality tracks put to tape on their own terms and released through their own label. We should all be so independently motivated.

And by we, I mean me. Because you’re independently motivated, out there, making things happen. Me, well — to me, my laptop — like Silver Surfer and his board, long ago, Galactus decreed that I’d be tethered to this thing and that’s kind of how it’s worked out ever since. I doubt Joe Satriani will write a record about it, but having occasion to run into an act like Dali’s Llama every now and again, who so much epitomize the ideal of creating and following your own path, it makes me want to follow my own. I’m not just blowing smoke up the band’s ass either — no reason to, really — I think that in the whole time I’ve been running this site they’re one of the most admirable acts I’ve been fortunate enough to come across. Further, their last record, Autumn Woods (review here), was the most realized yet of the ones I’ve heard in their 11-strong discography.

It’s short, but the track “Bad Dreams” comes from that record, and you’ll find the video for it below. Enjoy:

Dali’s Llama, “Bad Dreams”

I don’t know if it actually is, but this show probably should be something of a legend. On May 16, 1986, Saint Vitus played the Palm Springs Community Center in — you guessed it — Palm Springs, California. It was their first gig with new vocalist Scott “Wino” Weinrich, still months before that lineup — Wino, guitarist Dave Chandler, bassist Mark Adams and drummer Armando Acosta – would release the pivotal Born too Late, which has arguably become one of the most influential American doom albums released, though they’re anything but shaky. The six-song set reportedly went like this:

Saint Vitus
Prayer for the (M)asses
Clear Windowpane
Zombie Hunger
White Stallions

Also on the bill was Across the River, whose lineup featured Mario Lalli (of Yawning Man/Fatso Jetson) with Alfredo Hernandez (of Yawning Man) and Scott Reeder (later of The Obsessed and Goatsnake), both of whom would later join Kyuss. It was reportedly also Reeder‘s 21st birthday, but just to have so many crucial figures in doom and desert rock playing one show is mind-boggling. And one better? The dude filming the show was Larry Lalli, who in a few more years would be playing bass in Fatso Jetson. One can only assume a young Brant Bjork was in the crowd somewhere, getting ideas and scratching his teenaged peach-fuzz of a beard.

The whole set is up for streaming, as well as a cut or two from Across the River, should you feel like going searching, but in picking a single track, I decided to go with “Prayer for the (M)asses” precisely because it’s probably not as recognizable as the other stuff they played that night. Hell, I’m pretty sure Vitus is still playing that other stuff on tour. On the other hand, tucked away as the closer of 1985′s Hallow’s Victim, “Prayer for the (M)asses” has hardly had the same kind of reverence paid to it as the rest of the setlist.

Most notable for its lyrics, which I admit are barely audible in the video (hey, it was 1986), “Prayer for the (M)asses” was almost a line-for-line rewrite of Black Sabbath‘s Christian metal precedent-setting “After Forever.” So much so that “Have you ever thought about your soul and can it be saved?” became “Or else with your stupid soul you will have to pay,” and the lines were set to a riff close enough to that of the band’s eponymous song, “Saint Vitus,” that putting the two next to each other in a live setting, one might’ve thought it was simply a different part of the same piece.

Maybe “Prayer for the (M)asses” isn’t one for the greatest hits collection, but at least in the video below, it was part of a pretty special show. Kudos to Larry Lalli for capturing it, since this kind of thing should be in a museum somewhere. At least playing in a bar. I’d have sworn the video of this show came out with the Southern Lord reissue of Vitus‘ aptly-named 1990 live album, Live, but I don’t have the disc on hand to check. In any case, enjoy and have a great Wino Wednesday:

As lead guitarist in Monster Magnet from 1993-2010, Ed Mundell contributed to some of the most essential American heavy psych and heavy rock put to tape. Exploratory albums like Superjudge and Dopes to Infinity led to the more straightforward and commercial Powertrip and God Says No, and while the band settled into that aesthetic, Mundell continued to show his affiliation with heavy psych and traditional classic rock ethics in The Atomic Bitchwax, a project he left after releasing two full-lengths and an EP upon relocating to California circa 2004. His tenure would continue for more than half a decade with Monster Magnet and the Bitchwax continued on and have thrived against the expectations of many in his absence, but Mundell began to explore a range of psychedelic jams in the years subsequent, beginning with a track contribution by an instrumental trio called The Formula to the High Volume compilation put out by High Times magazine in ’04. Gradually, this jammy impulse led to the formation of The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic, and toward the end of the last decade, the band began playing out here and there on the West Coast, low key. Shows were jams, basically, with Mundell joined by bassist Collyn McCoy (Trash Titan) and drummer Rick Ferrante (Sasquatch), but sooner or later an album was bound to happen, and when it finally did, Snail’s Matt Lynch stepped in to record at his Mysterious Mammal Studios.

The resulting self-titled full-length (released through the band’s own Orbit Unlimited imprint) is probably too layered with psychedelic effects, backwards guitar, Echoplex, and leads to completely represent The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic’s live show, but at the root of each of the album’s nine tracks is an organic sounding jam that’s simply been built upon. Commonalities exist on songs like “Hello to Oblivion” to early The Atomic Bitchwax, and perhaps that’s to McCoy and Ferrante’s credit as a versatile rhythm section as much as it is to Mundell, who leads with no shortage of twists and turns in his intricate riffing. They are, true to form, a powerful trio, and the album – instrumental but for an intro spoken by the writer Harlan Ellison that appears reprinted on the inside of the gatefold digi-liner – essentially works as a showcase for their chemistry, playing out with immersive, driving psychedelia over the course of just under 55 minutes. Sasquatch guitarist Keith Gibbs appears on second track “Exploration Team,” donating a solo in complement to Mundell, and flourishes of sitar and extra percussion appear on the Eastern-keyed “The Man with a Thousand Names,” but for a good portion of the album, it’s McCoy, Mundell and Ferrante on their own in outer-headspace, the backwards guitar and warm bass tone of intro cut “Unassigned Agent X-27” providing lead-in for “Exploration Team”’s winding riffs and immediately engaging fuzz. As with most of the material on the album, riffs feel plotted out beforehand – that is, for how well McCoy plays off Mundell’s guitar with bass fills, I don’t think he’s hearing this stuff for the first time as though it were made up on the spot in the studio – and changes are positioned well, guitars emerging, receding, making way for the bass and then coming forward again, but the underlying core is organic and working on a time-tested ethic of players in a room playing. Everything else is added around that central idea.

While that goes to deepen the actual listening experience, The UEMG’s Hendrixian jam-ready modus probably would’ve come through no matter what they put on top. Even as he takes an extended, soulful solo in “Get off My World!,” Mundell seems to leave room for the groove Ferrante and McCoy ride, and the result is one of the self-titled’s more engaging moments of laid back heavy psychedelia, produced crisply but not overly clean, and a distinguishing factor between The UEMG and Mundell’s work in his past outfits, the real character of the band emerging even as the track fades into “7000 Years through Time,” and the signature style of winding riffs is revived. Structured into two vinyl sides with cuts both just over 11:40 ending each one, The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic is well symmetrical as an album, whatever spontaneous characteristics it might present, and the band works ably within that sphere. Perhaps after so many years in Magnet, Mundell couldn’t help but give this record a sense of structure, even as comparably off the rails as it might seem on the surface with the difference of approach. Either way, it’s a stronger, richer listen for it, and with “7000 Years through Time” running into the extended “The Third Eye” to end the first half, their cosmic flow is well underway, only moving farther out into the far out with the longer jam, which starts out barn-burner fast, but eases into a slower groove toward the middle to rock a build near the end with some of McCoy’s best basslines of the album, holding the song together in its stillest moments and driving it forward toward the end at its most raucous.

Read more »

If my details are foggy, you’ll have to forgive me as I’ve only known this band existed for a couple hours. Zun is a new trio from the Californian desert that features Sera Timms (Black Math Horseman/Ides of Gemini/Black Mare) on vocals, Gary Arce (Yawning Man, etc.) on guitar and bass, and Bill Stinson (Yawning Man) on drums. Not to be confused with the Zune, which was Microsoft’s mismarketed attempt at competing with the iPod, Zun have just released the first audio from the collaboration, the sweetly toned and dreamy “Come through the Water.”

The track was recorded by Harper Hug at Thunder Underground, and if the statement put out through Yawning Man‘s Thee Facebooks page — which also updates on some new stuff from that band, including a split with fellow desert types Fatso Jetson — is anything to go by, it’s the first of several installments to come:

Behold, we have GREAT news! Songs from an upcoming 7″ split with FATSO JETSON and ZUN are hot off the mixing board, and will be available soon! ZUN is Gary Arce’s latest endeavor, and it features the revered Sera Beth Timms (Black Math Horseman), whose intense and haunting vocals meld alongside Gary’s signature guitar and lapsteel tones- and bass lines. The one and only thunderous Bill Stinson is on Drums.

Thanks to Harper Hug who engineered this project, which was recorded at Thunder Underground (http://thunder-underground.com/). Artwork by Christina Bishop.

AND if that isn’t exciting enough, get ready for ANOTHER killer release to come…another split EP with songs from your favorite Desert Rock Godfathers Fatso Jetson AND Yawning Man! More news about that to come. For now, stay tuned to hear sounds from ZUN. We will be sharing that within the next few days. Cheers, and thanks for your continued support!

Being a dork for Arce‘s inimitable guitar tone, it means something when I say that in Timms, Arce has a suitable complement. To wit, on “Come through the Water,” how both vocals and guitar are enhanced as they rise together just before the two-minute mark. The track, as does much of Arce‘s work, has a predilection toward wandering, echoing, and sliding into a wash of heavy psychedelic melody, but Timms also grounds the song with verse lines as Stinson provides the direction on the drums. I was not yet through the full five and a half minutes of the song before I decided I liked it a lot.

I’d love to hear and hope to hear how Zun might develop these ideas and change things up over the course of a full-length, but that’s probably a long ways off. Until then, the desert expanse portrayed in “Come through the Water” offers plenty to dig into, as you can hear on the stream below, hoisted from Soundcloud: