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Desertfest Belgium 2015 Adds Earth, Stoned Jesus, Papir, Crystal Head, Pendejo, Banda de la Muerte and USA out of Vietnam

Posted in Whathaveyou on September 2nd, 2015 by JJ Koczan

trix, yo.

They still have more to announce. That might be the most terrifying part of the whole thing. Desertfest Belgium 2015 came out of the gate swinging — I don’t even know what these clichés are supposed to mean; are they boxing horses or something? — and the festival, which is set for Oct. 9, 10 and 11 at Trix in Antwerp has only continued to get more and more lethal. Now Earth are headlining? What, were the fucking Beatles busy? Jesus, guys. Save some for next year.

Next year, I’m sure, will be even more ludicrous in that wish-you-were-there kind of way. But for this year, yes, there’s still one more announcement to come for Desertfest Belgium 2015, and after reading the below news that EarthStoned JesusPapirCrystal HeadPendejoBanda de la Muerte and USA out of Vietnam have joined the already-kicked-ass ranks, it’s less of a question of imagining who might be added than of asking who’s left that’s not already playing.

Heavy rock and roll, my friends:

desertfest belgium 2015

EARTH to headline DESERTFEST BELGIUM 2015, plus seven more bands announced!

For its next-to-last announcement, DESERTFEST BELGIUM is proud to welcome megalithic legends EARTH to the bill, for the first time ever at Desertfest! In addition, the festival also confirmed Ukraine’s number one heavy mongers STONED JESUS, Copenhagen’s instrumental drone trio PAPIR, eclectic foursome USA OUT OF VIETNAM, Argentina’s sludgers BANDA DE LA MUERTE, British rockers CRYSTAL HEAD, Bruges vintage THE HEAVY CROWN and the one and only PENDEJO!

Day tickets on sale next week with final announcement!

Bands already confirmed are:
Earth, Goatsnake, Orange Goblin, Bongzilla, Fatso Jetson, Dozer, Moon Duo, Greenleaf, Valient Thorr, Ufomammut, Stoned Jesus, Causa Sui, Siena Root, Monolord, Mars Red Sky, Glowsun, Papir, Carlton Melton, Monomyth, Child, Harsh Toke, Planet Of Zeus, Pendejo, Vandal X, USA Out Of Vietnam, Banda De La Muerte, Tangled Horns, Psychonaut, The Progerians, Crystal Head, The Heavy Crown, Wheel Of Smoke, Sunder, Fever Dog, Black-Bone and 3rd Ear Experience.

Unfortunately, Sourvein have been forced to cancel their European tour for personal reasons. Full statement from the band follows:

“Due to circumstances beyond our control, a family emergency has occurred and can’t be delayed at this time. We’ll have to postpone our upcoming tour until 2016. Thanks for understanding it’s family first in this type of situation. Shows will be rescheduled and we will see you in 2016. Can’t wait to see everyone in europe. Thank you, Sourvein.”

DESERTFEST BELGIUM 2015
October 9-11th at Trix Muziekcentrum – Antwerp
3 day tickets (96€) on sale HERE

More infos at www.desertfest.be

https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium
https://twitter.com/desertfestBE
http://www.desertfest.be/

Earth, Primitive and Deadly (2014)

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Live Review: USA out of Vietnam in Providence, RI, 01.23.15

Posted in Reviews on January 27th, 2015 by JJ Koczan

usa out of vietnam 1 (Photo by JJ Koczan)

It had been more than a month since the last time I was at a show, between holidays, injury and family stuff, and I think I needed it more than I realized until I made my way upstairs in Providence, Rhode Island’s Columbus Theatre. There were two Montreal-based bands on the bill, USA out of Vietnam and The Besnard Lakes, and I was there to catch the former, having dug 2014’s Crashing Diseases and Incurable Airplanes debut and its ambitious,usa out of vietnam 2 (Photo by JJ Koczan) progressive wash of post-rock instrumental melody, moments of doomer heft and harmonized vocals.

The room upstairs at the Columbus was seated. More of a theater space. Somewhere one might put on a one-act play or something of that sort, lots of talking, knowing nods in response, and so on. Lights were low. I took a seat behind what turned out to be the band and waited about 20 minutes for them to go on. It was early, and not that cold out, but I had the dog in the car — she’s gotten pretty bad about being left alone; it’s a longer story than fits here — so time was a factor in my mind anyway. Still, an early show, a band I’d never seen before and Providence itself as a city I’ve come very much to enjoy being in, I felt like I was winning out. Before long, USA out of Vietnam took the stage, guitarist/vocalist/frontman Son of Fogman introducingusa out of vietnam 3 (Photo by JJ Koczan) them as some other band and citing a “radical style change” to illicit the first of several chuckles from the crowd.

A five-piece with made-up names — El Tigre, Rockhard, Fogman, Blankie, Son of Fogman — and four vocalists, they were a lot for the acoustics in that room to take, but it was easy enough to get a sense of what they were going for in bringing Crashing Diseases and Incurable Airplanes to life. In the heavier moments, a song like “Asphodel I/1322” bordered on crushing, and the wash in “Leg of Lamb” (please forgive me if I have the songs wrong) was suitably consuming. Son of Fogman proved more of a frontman usa out of vietnam 4 (Photo by JJ Koczan)presence live than on the album, belting out parts where the lead vocals are mixed further behind the guitar, bass, keys and/or synth, and while the dynamic felt nascent, it was also plain to see USA out of Vietnam‘s gelling process underway in both how they approached parts of the songs themselves and how they interacted with each other on stage.

What worked primarily was the smoothness with which the fivesome made the shifts between softer moments of contemplation and nod-inducing, pedal-stomped tonal weight. They’d hardly be the first to lull listeners into a false sense of security and then clobber them over the head with a heavy riff, but there was more of a decided shift live than on the album, where everything is coated in melody, and the crunch fit them well. Son of Fogman thanked the room profusely and noted how fortunate they were to play there, usa out of vietnam 5 (Photo by JJ Koczan)some good-natured ribbing of sound-guy Ryan ensued, and they closed out with more sprawl to make way for The Besnard Lakes. It was still pretty early.

Late enough for me, however. I probably could’ve stayed and enjoyed the headliner, but particularly with the dog in the car and it being January, I thought it better to roll out. Was good to be out and about, even if for just a little while, though, and satisfying to watch USA out of Vietnam present their material live. Something tells me it won’t be the last time I run into them.

No extra pics because I wasn’t really comfortable getting up in front of everyone else seated to go up front and take them, but thanks for reading anyway.

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USA out of Vietnam Announce US Tour Dates

Posted in Whathaveyou on December 9th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

usa-out-of-vietnam

Montreal five-piece USA out of Vietnam released their Crashing Diseases and Incurable Airplanes earlier this year, probably not thinking at the time how prescient it was as a summary of 2014’s world news, and they’ll head out on tour come janvier to support it. It’s a quick kick around the northeast, which will probably suck to do in January, but a bold undertaking nonetheless for the stylistically adventurous outfit, whose experimental vibing, post-rock wash and heavier roll blended seamlessly on the album, which is on that list of records I should’ve reviewed if I wasn’t always posting tour dates and the like. Fuck time. Fuck unemployment. Fuck the weather. The list goes on.

You should watch the video below, directed by Amy Torok. Or at least not be a chump and check out the song.

The PR wire’s got a thing, you’ve got a thing. Everybody’s got a thing:

usa out of vietnam art

USA OUT OF VIETNAM ANNOUNCE U.S. TOUR WITH THE BESNARD LAKES

Montreal quintet, USA Out Of Vietnam (USAOOVN) have announced they will be supporting The Besnard Lakes on a short U.S. tour this forthcoming January.

The friendship between the two bands dates back to USA Out Of Vietnam’s inception. This musical reciprocity between the bands is many. This includes Besnard’s Jace Lasek recording tracks on the USAOOVN debut while Besnard bassist, Olga Goreas has filled in as live bassist and vocalist. USAOOVN singer/guitarist Son Of Fogman returned the favor by filling in on guitar for live shows with the Besnards as well as contributing guitar on their record ” …Are The Dark Horse.

Something else the bands have in common is their experimental approach to music while still incorporating melodic elements. USA Out Of Vietnam has been gathering steam in the U.S. since the release of their debut full-length, Crashing Diseases and Incurable Airplanes earlier this year.

The album released in North America by New Damage Records (Ken Mode, Biblical) displays the band’s ability to weave a myriad of influences through each song, which includes elements of black metal, doom, drone, minimalist composition, sludge, post-rock, shoe-gaze, dream pop and classic seventies radio dial gold. 

A trip in the true sense of the word, Crashing Diseases and Incurable Airplanes utilizes over 15 guest musicians (including Montreal singer/songwriter Patrick Watson who contributes treated vocal loops on two songs here). Appearances by Brass sections, string sections, piano, spoken word, vocoder, vintage synths, sampled noises and more contribute to the whole of this album.

Confirmed tour dates with The Besnard Lakes appear below.

U.S. TOUR DATES 2015
1/22 Allston, MA @ Great Scott
1/23 Providence, RI @ Columbus Theater
1/24 Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade NYC
1/25 Philadelphia, PA @ Black Box
1/26 New Haven, CT @ Café Nine
1/27 Winooski, VT @ Monkey House

More info: https://www.facebook.com/usaoutofvietnam
http://usaoutofvietnam.bandcamp.com/

USA out of Vietnam, “Leg of Lamb” official video

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audiObelisk Transmission 038

Posted in Podcasts on July 30th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

Click Here to Download

 

Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!

As I’ve tried not to do since I started making podcasts again, I kept away from a consistent theme this time around, but I wanted to at least get a blend of bands you’ve probably heard and bands maybe you haven’t. Of course the new Sleep was a given, and new cuts from Electric Wizard and Karma to Burn felt like they needed to be there as well, so they are. But there are a few corresponding inclusions of stuff I’ve been digging that I haven’t had the chance to write about yet — looking at you, USA out of Vietnam, Lewis and the Strange Magics and Deamon’s Child — and while I’ve no doubt you’re already down with those and the rest of what’s included here because you’re on it like that, putting them in here seemed a good way to feature them for anyone not yet exposed who might be interested in checking them out.

If that’s you, please enjoy. The second hour, as usual, is consumed by longer songs, but there are a few in the first hour as well (that Electric Wizard track is over 10 minutes, and the Sleep is close to it), but of the podcasts I’ve put together in the last few months, this one easily flows the best. It was pretty late as I was putting it together last night, so I had the headphones on and was working totally without distraction. I know it’s an unrealistic expectation to think anyone will be able to listen in that manner, but if you get the chance or if you don’t, I hope you have a good time.

First Hour:
Sleep, “The Clarity” from Adult Swim Singles Series (2014)
Electric Wizard, “I am Nothing” from Time to Die (2014)
Lewis and the Strange Magics, “Cloudy Grey Cube” from Demo (2014)
USA Out of Vietnam, “You are a Comet, You are on Fire” from Crashing Diseases and Incurable Airplanes (2014)
Serpent Venom, “Lord of Life” from Of Things Seen and Unseen (2014)
Deamon’s Child, “Lutscher!” from Deamon’s Child (2014)
Rabbits, “Reek and Ye Shall Find” from Untoward (2014)
Karma to Burn, “Fifty Seven” from Arch Stanton (2014)
The Heavy Co., “One Big Drag” from Uno Dose (2014)

Second Hour:
Wolf Blood, “Dancing on Your Grave” from Wolf Blood (2014)
Frown, “Harpocrates Unborn” from The Greatest Gift to Give (2014)
Merlin, “Lucifer’s Revenge” from Christ Killer (2014)
Causa Sui, “Incipiency Suite” from Pewt’r Sessions 3 (2014)

Total running time: 1:57:27

 

Thank you for listening.

Download audiObelisk Transmission 038

 

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