Barcelona-based heavy rockers Fuzz Forward posted the single ‘She Comes’ on Aug. 5 and have a needle-on-record (plus some other psychedelic whathaveyou) visualizer to accompany. As to what record is playing, I’m not entirely sure. The mid-paced, mostly mellow ’90s groover — prevailing vibes of Soundgarden, Alice in Chains — has not yet seen a physical pressing that I know of. It follows May’s “Shout to Forget” as a herald of the Spanish four-piece’s sophomore full-length, which is due to release in 2023 with the not insignificant backing of Spinda Records, Red Sun Records, Discos Macarras and Diablero Music Records, but I haven’t heard of that record being pressed yet if it has been — I could be entirely wrong here, of course — but one can hardly call the visual inaccurate since when you put on a record and listen to it, that’s what it looks like. Fair enough.
The song is, of course, the focal point here rather than the video itself, and with Juan‘s coolly crooned lines and the steady instrumental fluidity behind him — live sounding but not overwrought or trying too hard, laid back in the way it wants to be — “She Comes” is about mood and structure alike. Its chorus wants a sing-along, but there’s breadth enough that as it moves through its ultra-grunge midsection into the more spaced-out reaches that follow, the shift is smooth enough to hardly notice it’s happening. This speaks to the intentionality of Fuzz Forward after their 2018 first album, Out of Nowhere (review here), and 2020’s acoustic Revolve EP, the band pushing themselves forward, expanding their sound and progressing as, ideally, they would. In this way, it’s mission-accomplished for the single in building anticipation for the new album — let alone the visual tease for such a thing — when it might surface in the coming New Year.
I asked for a quote about the song, and Fuzz Forward‘s Juan and drummer Marc Rockenberg — the band is completed by guitarist Caio Pastore and bassist Alexander Romero — were kind enough to give background insight on “She Comes” as well as an update on when the next LP, whatever it’s called when it’s actually ready to be pressed, will surface.
Please enjoy:
Fuzz Forward, “She Comes” official visualizer
Marc: “I came up with the idea for the song about four years ago. Wanted to go to some yet unexplored territory for the band with it. Do something different and completely new for us but that at the same time didn’t sound like a total departure from what FF is and sounds like. A song with some of Fuzz Forward’s key elements (like the ’90s influence and riffing) but with a different vibe, atmospheric but not in the spacey sense but more emotionally. I believe we achieved that and I’m very proud with the final result of She Comes.”
About the lyrics Juan says, “SHE COMES talks about inspiration, genius, daemons or the muses, you name it, and tries to describe those moments when music intoxicates our ideas, senses and limbs.”
Marc: “We recorded She Comes and Shout To Forget in two days, with Dani Salat as a producer in his studio. We had been playing these two songs live for quite some time so it was pretty easy and fast. For She Comes we decided to use synthesizers for the first time and that was to intensify the atmospheric part. We then added some layers of noisy guitars and that’s it.”
Marc: “The rest of the album will be recorded and mixed next October and we hope it will be released before the summer of 2023 with Spinda Records, Discos Macarras, Diablero Music Records and Red Sun Records.”
Marc: “We have written a lot of material since our debut album came out in 2018, we have around 30 new songs. We are now in the process of selecting the 10 songs that will make it to the album. We don’t want to do “Out Of Nowhere” part two. We have made a big effort to write the best songs we possibly can and also for them to be different from each other. Our goal is to create a very dynamic album which shows the different sides FF’s has. We don’t want to be stuck with a label, that’s one of the reasons why in 2020 we didn’t hesitate to release an all acoustic ep ‘Revolve’. Some people didn’t expect that and that’s fine. We just want to write songs that we are happy with and we are not afraid to go to wherever they take us to.”
Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Dani Salat at Dani Salat Studio (Sabadell, Spain) in 2022.
(C) 2022, Fuzz Forward (P) 2022, Spinda Records, Red Sun Records, Discos Macarras & Diablero Music Records
Fuzz Forward: Juan – Vocals Alexander Romero – Bass Marc Rockenberg – Drums Caio Pastore – Guitar
Let’s face it: just about anyone can make a music video these days. If you’ve got a phone and an Instagram filter, you’re in. Worked for Kadavar, if you’ll recall. But even taking into account the (relative) democratization of media, it’s one thing to make a music video and quite something else to make a music video and hang out with your dogs in the process. Interspersed with performance footage of Barcelona four-piece Fuzz Forward rocking out the song “Despairs” from their debut album, Out of Nowhere (review here), are clips of their dogs hanging out with them on stage, chewing on drumsticks, etc. Charm goes a long way in my book, always.
Charm, however, is hardly the only strength working in Fuzz Forwards favor on Out of Nowhere. The album was released earlier this year with the formidable backing of Red Sun Records, Discos Macarras, Odio Sonoro, and Spinda Records, and its penchant for melody and crisply-produced heavy rock came coupled with a grunge-style melody specifically attributable in the vocals of Juan to an Alice in Chains influence. My old man ears recall a time when it seemed like every rock singer was copping Layne Staley‘s bottom-of-the-mouth approach — some made good careers off doing so — but in this context and in this age where old flannels are new again, Fuzz Forward sound fresh and “Despairs” captures the fluidity of rhythm and the solidity of craft that they brought to the entirety of the record.
Also noteworthy is that the video was made in the Rocksound venue in Barcelona, a respected space the banner for which appears in any number of excellent live photos of groups touring through. The Iberian heavy rock scene has never had the kind of boom one finds in Germany or Sweden, but has always had its own spin on underground methods, and to see Fuzz Forward emerge as a next-generation take on that is all the more exciting. And it’s nice to have friends with venues that let you film videos there and bring your dogs. An all-around win.
Fuzz Forward put it in drive this Fall on a succession of shows keeping in good company all the while. Tour dates follow the clip here, as sent along the PR wire:
Fuzz Forward, “Despairs” official video
Barcelona’s grunge infected four piece FUZZ FORWARD are keeping themselves busy. They now present us their first video. Despairs is the opening track from their debut album “Out Of Nowhere” and also the first single. The band seems to like to keep all things under control. In other words, DIY philosophy. They shot, edited and directed the video, just like they did producing and mixing their record.
After the release of “Out Of Nowhere” cd (Red Sun Records) and vinyl (Discos Macarras, Odio Sonoro, Spinda Records, Red Sun Records), now the band is eager to spread some fuzz around the peninsula for the first time. So far cities confirmed are Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, Santander, Alicante, Terrassa … more to be added soon.
– DESPAIRS VIDEO –
Upcoming shows:
14 sept – Terrassa @ The Cavern (+ Tears In Rain play Mad Season’s “Above”) 28 sept – Bilbao @ tbc 29 sept – Santander @ Rock Beer The New (+ Wet Cactus) 5 octubre – Reus @ tbc 6 octubre – Alicante @ Surnia Fest ( + Rosy Finch +…) 7 octubre – Barcelona @ Rocksound (+ Sasquatch) 3 noviembre – Barcelona @ Auditori Can Batlló de Sants (+ Matote) 30 noviembre – Barcelona @ Freedonia (+ Keloidrop + Golíat) 22 diciembre – Madrid @ Wurlitzer Ballroom (+ Electric Valley + Krazark)
… more to be announced soon!
Fuzz Forward is: Juan – Vocals Jordi Vaquero – Bass Marc Rockenberg – Drums Edko Fuzz – Guitar
I always say the same thing on the Wednesday of the Quarterly Review. Day 3. The halfway point. I say it every time. The fact is, doing these things kind of takes it out of me. All of it. It’s not that I don’t enjoy listening to all these records — well, I don’t enjoy all of them, but I’m talking more about the process — just that it’s a lot to take in and by the time I’m done each day, let alone at the end of the week, I’m fairly exhausted. So every time we hit the halfway point of a Quarterly Review, I feel somewhat compelled to note it. Cresting the hill, as it were. It’s satisfying to get to this point without my head falling off.
Quarterly Review #21-30:
Khemmis, Desolation
Continuing their proclivity for one-word titles, Denver doom forerunners Khemmis take a decisive turn toward the metallic with their third album for 20 Buck Spin, the six-track/41-minute Desolation. Songs like opener “Bloodletting” and its side B counterpart “The Seer” are still tinged with doom, but the NWOBHM gallop in “Isolation” and “Maw of Time” – as well as the sheer force of the latter – is an unexpected twist. Khemmis showed classic metal elements on 2016’s was-a-very-big-deal Hunted (review here) and 2015’s debut, Absolution (review here), but it’s a question of balance, and as they’ve once again worked with producer Dave Otero, one can only read the shift as a conscious decision. The harder edge suits them – certainly suits the screams in “Maw of Time” and side A finale/album highlight “Flesh to Nothing” – and as Khemmis further refine their sound, they craft its most individualized manifestation to-date. There’s no hearing Desolation and mistaking Khemmis for another band. They’ve come into their own.
A rumbling entry into London’s Heavy Generation, the four-piece Morag Tong unfold voluminous ritual on their debut full-length, Last Knell of Om. Largely slow and largely toned, the work of guitarists Alex Clarke and Lewis Crane brings the low end to the forefront along with the bass of James Atha while drummer Adam Asquith pushes the lurch forward on cuts like “New Growth” and “To Soil,” the band seemingly most comfortable when engaged in crawling tempos and weighted pummel. Asquith also adds semi-shouted vocals to the mire, which, surrounded by distortion as they are, only make the proceedings sound even more massive. There’s an ambience to “We Answer” and near-13-minute closer “Ephemera: Stare Through the Deep,” which gives the record a suitably noisy finish, but much of what Morag Tong are going for in sound depends on the effectiveness of their tonality, and they’ve got that part down on their debut. Coupled with the meditative feel in some of this material, that shows marked potential on the band’s part for future growth.
Working quickly to follow-up their earlier-2018 sophomore long-player, Moon (review here), Spain’s Holy Mushroom present Blood and Soul, an EP comprised of two songs recorded live in the studio. I’m not entirely sure why it’s split up at all, as the two-minute “Introito” – sure enough, a little introduction – feeds so smoothly into the 19-minute “Blood and Soul” itself, but fair enough either way as the trio shift between different instrumentation, incorporating sax, piano and organ among the guitar, bass, drums and vocals, and unfold a longform heavy psychedelic trip that not only builds on what they were doing with Moon but is every bit worthy of being released on its own. I don’t know if it was recorded at the same time as the record or later – both were done at Asturcon Studios – but it’s easy to see why the band would want to highlight “Blood and Moon.” Between the deep-running mix, the easy rhythmic flow into and out from drifting spaciousness, and the turn in the middle third toward more expansive arrangement elements, it’s an engaging motion that makes subtly difficult shifts seem utterly natural along the way. And even if you didn’t hear the latest full-length, Blood and Soul makes for a fitting introduction to who Holy Mushroom are as a band and what they can do.
Sludge-infused noise rock serves as the backdrop for lyrical shenanigans on the three-song Rejoinder EP from Sheffield, UK, trio Naisian. Running just 12 minutes, it’s a quick and thickened pummel enacted by the band, who work in shades of post-metal for “90 ft. Stone,” “Mantis Rising” and “Lefole,” most especially in the middle cut, but even there, the focus in on harsh vocals and lumbering sonic heft. It’s now been seven years since the band sort-of issued their debut album, Mammalian, and six since they followed with the Monocle EP, and the time seems to have stripped down their sound to a degree. “Lefole” is the longest track on Rejoinder at 5:18 and it’s still shorter than every other song Naisian have put out to-date. Their crunch lacks nothing for impact, however, and to go with the swing of “Lefole,” everybody seems to contribute to a vocal assault that only adds to the punishing but thoughtful vibe.
The effects-laden vocal swirl at the outset of Haunted’s “Mourning Sun” and moments in the Italian act’s longer-form material, “Waterdawn” or “Orphic,” for example, will invariably lead some listeners to point to a Windhand influence, but the character of the band’s second album, Dayburner (on Twin Earth, DHU and Graven Earth all), follows their 2016 self-titled (review here) by holding steady to a developing identity of its own. To be sure, vocalist Christina Chimirri, guitarists Francesco Bauso and Francesco Orlando, bassist Frank Tudisco and drummer Dario Casabona make their way into a deep, murky swamp of modern doom in “Dayburner” (video posted here), but in the crush of their tones amid all that trance-inducing riffing, they cast themselves as an outfit seeking to express individuality within the set parameters of style. Their execution, then, is what it comes down to, and with “Orphic” (12:46) and “Vespertine” (13:19) back to back, there’s plenty of doom on the 66-minute 2LP to roll that out. And they do so in patient and successful form, with marked tonal vibrancy and a sense of controlling the storm they’re creating as they go.
So, the aesthetic is different. Pabst play a blend of noise, post-punk, heavy rock and grunge, but with the ready pop influence — to wit, the outright danceability of “Shits,” reminiscent in its bounce of later Queens of the Stone Age – and persistent melodicism, there’s just a twinge of what Mars Red Sky did for heavy rolling riffs happening on Chlorine, their Crazysane Records debut. It’s in that blend of dense low-end fuzz and brighter vocal melodies, but again, Pabst, hailing from Berlin, are on their own trip. Weird but almost more enjoyable than it seems to want to be, the 12-track/35-minute outing indulges little and offers singalong-ready vibes in “Catching Feelings” and “Waterslide” while “Waiting Loop” chills out before the push of “Accelerate” and the angularity of “Cheapskate” take hold. Chrlorine careens and (blue) ribbons its way to the drive-fast-windows-open stylization of “Summer Never Came” and the finale “Under Water,” a vocal effect on the latter doing nothing to take away from its ultra-catchy hook. It’s not for everyone, but it’s a record someone with just the right kind of open mind can come to love.
If you’ve got a dank basement full of skinny college kids, chances are Lansdale, Pennsylvania’s L.M.I. are ready to tear their faces off. The sludge-thickened riff punkers run abut 11 minutes with their five-song release, L.M.I. IV, and that’s well enough time to get their message across. Actually, by the end of “Neck of Tension” and “Weaning Youth,” roughly four and half minutes in, the statement of intent is pretty clear. L.M.I. present furious but grooving hardcore punk more given to scathe than pummel, and their inclusions on L.M.I. IV bring that to life with due sense of controlled chaos. Centerpiece “Lurking Breath” gives way to “First to Dark” – the longest cut at a sprawling 2:55 – and they save a bit of grunge guitar scorch and lower-register growling for closer “June was a Test,” there isn’t really time in general for any redundancy to take hold. That suits the feeling of assault well, as L.M.I. get in and get out on the quick and once they’re gone, all that’s left to do is clean the blood off the walls.
Released one way or another through Discos Macarras, Odio Sonoro, Spinda Records and Red Sun Records, the eight-song/43-minute debut album from Barcelona’s Fuzz Forward, Out of Nowhere, has earned acclaim from multiple corners for its interpretation of grunge-era melodies through a varied heavy rock filter. Indeed, the vocals of Juan Gil – joined in the band by guitarist Edko Fuzz, bassist Jordi Vaquero and drummer Marc Rockenberg – pull the mind directly to a young Layne Staley, and forces one to realize it’s been a while since that low-in-the-mouth approach was so ubiquitous. It works well for Gil in the laid back “Summertime Somersaults” as well as the swinging, cowbell-infused later cut “Drained,” and as the band seems to foreshadow richer atmospheric exploration on “Thorns in Tongue” and “Torches,” they nonetheless maintain a focus on songwriting that grounds the proceedings and will hopefully continue to serve as their foundation as they move forward. No argument with the plaudits they’ve thus far received. Seems doubtful they’ll be the last.
The kind of record you’re doing yourself a favor by hearing – a visionary cast of progressive psychedelia that teems with creative energy and is an inspiration even in the listening. Frankly, the only thing I’m not sure about when it comes to Oulu, Finland, outfit Onségen Enseble’s second album, Duel, is why it isn’t being released through Svart Records. It seems like such a natural fit, with the adventurous woodwinds on opener “Think Neither Good Nor Evil,” the meditative sprawl of the title-track (video posted here), the jazz-jam in the middle of “Dogma MMXVII,” the tribalist percussion anchoring the 12-minute “Three Calls of the Emperor’s Teacher,” which surely would otherwise float away under its own antigravity power, and the free-psych build of closer “Zodiacal Lights of Onségen,” which shimmers in otherworldly fashion and improvised-sounding spark. On Svart or not, Duel is one of the best albums I’ve heard this year, and one the creativity of which puts it in a class of its own, even in the vast reaches of psychedelic rock. Whether it means to or not, it tells a story with sound, and that story should be heard.
Since so much of The Heavy Eyes’ studio presentation has consistently been about crispness of sound and structured songwriting, it’s kind of a relief to hear them knock into some feedback at the start of “Mannish Boy” at the outset of Live in Memphis (on Kozmik Artifactz). The three-piece of guitarist/vocalist Tripp Shumake, bassist Wally Anderson and drummer Eric Garcia are still tight as hell, of course, and their material – drawn here from the band’s LPs, 2015’s He Dreams of Lions (review here), 2012’s Maera, 2011’s self-titled, as well as sundry shorter offerings – is likewise. They’ve never been an overly dangerous band, nor have they wanted to be, but the stage performance does add a bit of edge to “Iron Giants” from the debut, which is followed by singing “Happy Birthday” to a friend in the crowd. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Live in Memphis is hearing The Heavy Eyes loosen up a bit on stage, and hearing them sound like they’re having as good a time playing as the crowd is watching and hearing them do so. That sense of fun suits them well.
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 18th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
To herald the arrival of their debut album, Out of Nowhere, Barcelona-based heavy rockers Fuzz Forward are streaming the new track ‘Despairs’ as the first audio to come from the four-piece. Sure enough, it’s pretty fuzzy, but the name-your-price single has more going on than the guitar tone of Edko Fuzz in Juan Gil‘s post-Alice in Chains vocal melodies and an overarching grunge-style feel to the groove from bassist Jordi Vaquero and drummer Marc Rockenberg. Whether or not or to what degree “Despairs” might represent Out of Nowhere as a whole, I don’t really know, but the track has its house in order to be sure, and if the remainder of the LP is nearly as cohesive in its approach, it’ll be one to watch for as we move out of winter.
The PR wire brings background and streaming audio:
FUZZ FORWARD new song Despairs!
Fuzz Forward was born as a trio in Barcelona by mid-2016 with Jordi (Boveda del Sol, Mindust) on bass and brothers Edko (El Yeti, Rags to Riches) on guitar and Marc (El Yeti, Valiumbitch) on drums. After a few months trying out singers, the band found in Juan the singer to seal a stable line-up by early 2017. Writing songs took the front seat in the band’s schedule and it was during 2017, that the eight songs that will be part of their debut album, “Out of Nowhere” (due for release next March of 2018), came to their final shape. During that stint, the band also started playing live with bands like Sasquatch, Mammoth Mammoth and Electric Monolith.
The music of Fuzz Forward has its roots in 70s hard rock, the alternative sounds of the 90s and the stoner rock of the last decades. These are the ingredients for a strange and exquisite mix with crushing riffs, dark melodies and a touch of space psychedelia.
Produced & Recorded by Fuzz Forward Mixed & Mastered by Jordi Vaquero
Fuzz Forward is: Juan Gil – Vocals Jordi Vaquero – Bass Marc Rockenberg – Drums Edko Fuzz – Guitar
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 10th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Hey, remember a couple weeks ago when we premiered Sasquatch‘s latest single? Golly that was fun. Lots of fun, actually, and even more because the track in question, Rational Woman, kicked so much ass. Not that one would expect any less from Sasquatch, but you know, it’s still nice to have these things affirmed. If you didn’t check it out then, you can hear it at the bottom of this post — convenience! — and pick up the 7″ from Red Sun Records either via preorder or on June 7 when it’s released.
Dates have been trickling out, almost one fest at a time, to such a degree over the last few months that it was almost inevitable the Los Angeles heavy rockers would announce a European run, but knowing it was coming does little ultimately to diminish joy at the confirmation. Glad to see Sasquatch are getting back out, in other words. You can see below the list of dates they’re playing and all the fests — SonicBlast Moledo, Stoned from the Underground, Red Smoke, Sweet Leaf, Lake on Fire, etc. — and it looks like it’ll be an awesome tour. One imagines that by the time they land in the US again, the entire pressing of Rational Woman will be gone, if it’s not already gone before then. If it’s not already gone now on preorders.
From the PR wire:
SASQUATCH ANNOUNCE EUROPEAN SUMMER TOUR!
Brand new & limited 7” Vinyl coming out in June!
In support of their upcoming European summer tour, Los Angeles-based heavy hitters SASQUATCH have just announced the release of a brand new and exclusively limited 7” vinyl!
Barcelona-based Red Sun Records will be releasing the album worldwide on June 7th, which will be limited to a one-time print of 500 copies on black vinyl. Pre-orders for the 7” have already started, so better reserve your copy today at: redsunrecordsbarcelona.bandcamp.com
The tracklist will read as follows:
Side A: Rational Woman Side B: In My World
SASQUATCH are about to heavily hit the road for a five-week tour, which will kick off in the middle of July with scheduled performances at Stoned From The Underground in Germany, Red Smoke Festival Poland, Lake On Fire in Austria, and Portugal’s Sonic Blast. Says the band:
‘Excited to announce that Sound of Liberation is putting us out on the roads of Europe again here in t-minus two months. This will be our fourth trip over, but it’s our first summer tour. Swimsuits are packed. There is a nice chunk of open air festivals this round with some sweet lineups. Come say hello at the merch booth. We like company!”
Make sure to catch SASQUATCH live, when they will finally return to Europe on the following dates:
10.07.17 Madrid (ES) – El Planeta de los Wattios 11.07.17 Barcelona (ES) – Rocksound 13.07.17 Stotternheim (D) – Stoned From The Underground 14.07.17 Pleszew (PL) – Red Smoke Festival 15.07.17 Berlin (D) – Wild At Heart 16.07.17 Hamburg (D) – Hafenklang 17.07.17 TBA 18.07.17 Kiel (D) – Schaubude 19.07.17 Osnabrueck (D) – Westwerk 20.07.17 Cottbus (D) – Zum faulen August 21.07.17 TBA 22.07.17 Rotterdam (NL) – Baroeg 23.07.17 Paris (FR) – Gibus Live 24.07.17 Nantes (FR) – Le Ferrailleur 25.07.17 TBA 26.07.17 TBA 27.07.17 Torino (IT) – Blah Blah 28.07.17 TBA 29.07.17 Taburno Camposauro (IT) – Sweet Leaf Festival 30.07.17 TBA 31.07.17 Zero Branco (IT) – Altroquando 01.08.17 Milano (Segrate) (IT) – Circolo Magnolia 02.08.17 Stuttgart (D) – Goldmarks 03.08.17 Weiden (D) – Salute Club 04.08.17 Waldhausen (AT) – Lake On Fire Festival 05.08.17 Sargans (CH) – Out In The Gurin Festival 06.08.17 Freiburg (D) – Slowclub 07.08.17 TBA 08.08.17 Wiesbaden (D) – Schlachthof 09.08.17 Dresden (D) – Ostpol 10.08.17 Bremen (D) – Magazinkeller 11.08.17 Frechen (D) – Trafostation Festival 12.08.17 Moledo (PT) – Sonic Blast Festival
Posted in audiObelisk on April 18th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Sasquatch will release their new single, Rational Woman, on June 7 via Red Sun Records. The Small Stone Records veterans are still officially based in Los Angeles despite having guitarist/vocalist Keith Gibbs and bassist Jason “Cas” Casanova having traveled across the country to record at Mad Oak Studios in Allston, Massachusetts; also home-base for Craig Riggs, the vocalist for Roadsaw who came aboard as a conveniently-located-on-the-opposite-coast drummer following an apparent split with Rick Ferrante (currently working with Aboleth) sometime since the fourth Sasquatch long-player, IV (review here), came out in 2013. The fact that it’s been four years since IV hit might have something to do with Rational Woman coming together, but whatever the motivation, new Sasquatch is invariably a win for anyone who likes their grooves locked in, their fuzz extra hairy and their hooks surgically implanted on their brains and ready for repeat listens.
That’s basically how “Rational Woman” — already I can’t get Gibbs‘ “She don’t like me anyway…” out of my head — finds Sasquatch operating. Another motivation for the single? This summer marks the second time in two years Sasquatch will head to Europe for a tour, and with slots booked at Stoned from the Underground,SonicBlast Moledo and Red Smoke ahead of a return to the States and a gig lined up at Psycho Las Vegas in August, it’s all the more occasion to make it happen on the back of a new release, even if it’s just a two-songer. It’s not like anybody showing up at one or another of the above festivals is going to complain about newSasquatch, and particularly with the careening central riff that provides the thrust of “Rational Woman,” the band is quick to let their audience know all cylinders are firing and they’re ready, as ever, to kick ass on any stage that thinks it might be able to contain them.
To that end, I expect Sasquatch will announce more European tour dates as we get closer to the summer, so keep on keeping an eye out for that. In the meantime, Rational Woman, which also features the B-side “In My World,” is set for a one-time-only pressing of 500 copies and available to preorder now from Red Sun Records through Bandcamp (linked below). I suppose the only real question is if there will be any copies left by the time the tour starts.
You can find the premiere of Sasquatch‘s “Rational Woman” on the player below, followed by more info on the release courtesy of the PR wire.
Please enjoy:
Sasquatch on “Rational Woman”:
We’ve never done a 7” before. At some point last year I was feeling nostalgic and remembered the glory days of the Sub Pop Singles Club. I’m not sure if it’s the smartest thing to do, but I wanted to jump off that bridge and put one out, just to say we did it once. Flashback to the year 2014, we ended up in Barcelona on a whim thanks to Red Sun. First time in Spain. We were rookies. I think Red Sun was just getting off the ground back then, but Marc and Lane, the couple who run the booking agency/label, were the nicest, most down-to-earth people. Showed us all of the local spots. They took good care of us and since that trip we’ve kept in contact regularly. Definitely feels like extended family whenever we get to see them. We knew that we wanted to do something exclusively for the Europe tour this summer, and Marc and Lane were the first that came to mind. We asked, and they were actually cool with the idea, so here we are, together… teeing off 2017… 45s or bust.
The Rational Woman 7” will be limited to a one-time print of 500 copies on black vinyl. Grab a copy before it’s too late because once they are gone, they are gone for good!!
Barcelona-based Red Sun Records will be exclusively releasing the album worldwide on June 7th. Pre-orders start today. Get it here:redsunrecordsbarcelona.bandcamp.com.
Track Titles: Side A) Rational Woman Side B) In My World
Sasquatch Keith Gibbs – Guitar/Vox Craig Riggs – Drums Jason Casanova – Bass
Posted in Whathaveyou on April 12th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Want to do some fun math? Here’s one for you: 2017 means it’s now been more than a decade since Los Angeles heavy rockers Sasquatch released their landmark second album, II (discussed here). Their self-titled debut? Yeah, it turns out 2004 was 13 years ago. III (review here) came out in 2010, and even IV (review here) turns four later this year. Maybe those numbers don’t astound you — and if not, congratulations on your enduring awareness of the passage of time — but it seems to me that as the three-piece move toward another European tour that will find them at Stoned from the Underground, SonicBlast Moledo and Red Smoke this summer in addition to their previously-announced slot at Psycho Las Vegas, it’s time to start giving these dudes the respect they deserve as veterans of the scene.
I guess I was still thinking of them as the same upstarts who kicked my ass with “Money Man” and “Chemical Lady” in summer ’04. Go figure. Astute observation: I am old.
They have a new single coming out on Red Sun Records called Rational Woman that’s available to preorder now and which I’m just going to assume tells the story of a lady making responsible career and personal decisions and leading a fulfilling and mindful existence of self-actualization and equal pay for equal work. That’s the assumption I’m making. It’s what I choose to believe. You believe whatever you want.
No audio yet to prove me wrong, but here’s art and info from the PR wire:
The crew here at Red Sun Records is excited to announce that we will be releasing a limited edition 7” from long-standing Los Angeles rockers, Sasquatch, on June 7th as a pre-launch to their upcoming European summer tour. The band, known for their massive riffage and magnificent out-of-the-90s melodies and powerful grooves, will be showcasing their first new material since releasing their fourth record (appropriately titled “IV”) back in 2013.
The Rational Woman 7” will be limited to a one-time print of 500 copies on black vinyl. Grab a copy before it’s too late because once they are gone, they are gone for good!!
Barcelona-based Red Sun Records will be exclusively releasing the album worldwide on June 7th. Pre-orders start today. Get it here: redsunrecordsbarcelona.bandcamp.com.
Track Titles: Side A) Rational Woman Side B) In My World
Sasquatch Keith Gibbs – Guitar/Vox Craig Riggs – Drums Jason Casanova – Bass
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 12th, 2016 by JJ Koczan
It’s barely been a full week since Vancouver trio La Chinga unveiled the full-brunt rock and roll of their sophomore outing, Freewheelin‘ (review here), and already news comes through not only of a plus-bonus-tracks reissue for their 2013 self-titled debut, but also of a European tour in support of the new record. This won’t be the band’s first time abroad, either. Not a bad way to start off a New Year.
The La Chinga reissue is due on March 11 from Red Sun Records, which by astounding coincidence is the day the tour begins in Spain. Freewheelin’ will be out on March 20 via Small Stone.
For more, we turn to the PR wire:
Red Sun Records re-issue of LA CHINGA debut album
It’s a great pleasure and honour to release Canadian superpower trio LA CHINGA’s debut album! The re-issue will be a limited edition CD with 3 bonus tracks.
The band self released their debut back in 2013 but the CD’s soon flew making it impossible to find the album in that format anymore. 3 years later it will finally be more easy to grab your hands around it.
The re-issue will be released next March 11th. The band’s second Spanish tour begins the same day in Barcelona and the album will be available on the tour!
One of our favourite debut of the last years, and certainly one that we felt in love with since the first listening. Hard rock with lots of space rock, boogie and grooves! If you dig the 70’s hard rock you dig LA CHINGA!
Tracklist: 1. Early Grave 2. Snake Eyes 3. The Wheel 4. Catty 5. To Let Silver 6. Boogie Children 7. Country Mile 8. La Chinga 9. When I Get free 10. The Universe Is Mine bonus tracks 11. The Reaper 12. Freedom Machine 13. Precious & Grace
** La Chinga ** Freewheelin’ across Europe March Tour | 2016 ** 11 March – Barcelona (Rocksound) 12 March – tbc 13 March – Gorliz (Xurrut) 14 March – Donostia (Dabadaba) 15 March – Madrid (Fun House) 16 March – Gijón (Casino Acapulco) 17 March – Cangas de Morrazo (Sala Son) 18 March – Lugo (Club Clavicémbalo) 19 March – Santiago de Compostela (Sala Moon) 20 March – León (El Gran Café) 21 March – Estepona (King Creole) 22 March – Orihuela (La Gramola) 23 March – Zaragoza (La Ley Seca) 24 March – Bordeaux (Le Void)
