Look, just because I haven’t posted about it in the last 35 seconds doesn’t mean I didn’t have Sandrider‘s 2023 album, Enveletration (review here), on yesterday. So no, I’m not over it yet, and the fact that the Seattle trio of guitarist/vocalist Jon Weisnewski, bassist/vocalist Jesse Roberts and drummer Nat Damm posted up the Aviary/Baleen two-songer in December ahead of a 7″ pressing in January on Alternative Tentacles was like an end-of-year bonus for having made it through another 12 months of the 2020s. Like going around the Monopoly board except you pay $200 every time you pass Go because that’s real capitalism, the years, fleeting.

But yes, Sandrider made a video for “Aviary,” and it’s a hoot and I’m posting it. No, not just because the song dares to ask, “Where do I go when I sleep?,” but that’s of course part of it. Sandrider‘s post-hardcore-informed take on heavy has an energetic shove of its own and that’s readily on display in “Aviary,” which along with its aren’t-whales-creepy-yes-they-are complement “Baleen” was recorded at the same time as Enveletration — which is a boon in my head considering what they got out of that session, not at all their first with producer Matt Bayles who has helmed all their work to-date — and it definitely fits with where the band are at more than a decade on from when they got going following the end of Weisnewski and Damm‘s time in joyously aggro chaotic noisemakers Akimbo (who for a while were on Alternative Tentacles, because it all comes together), while offering something of its own apart from the way the songs on the LP interacted with each other. As I think I probably said in December, they’ll make great bonus tracks on the Enveletration reissue.

I did go ahead and buy the 7″ just now though. It was $16 after shipping and that’s not nothing, but I got paid to write a death metal band’s bio last week (super fun), so I’m treating myself. And having immediate access to the download isn’t the worst either. Maybe I’ll sneak them into the Quarterly Review (hopefully last week of this month) and get to talk about the single more. Or maybe they’ll do a video for “Baleen.” Oh, and if you watch the video, you’ll see big letters behind the band ‘B,’ ‘Y,’ and ‘C.’ I do not know what they stand for, and if it’s something obvious and dumb I do hope you’ll convey the information gently.

Or, perhaps in the spirit of “Aviary” itself, you’ll punch me in the face and knock the glass vase off the table on your way to flipping the chair just for the hell of it. I’ll take it as it comes, I guess.

E-n-j-o-y a life or wit free of toxic positivity:

Sandrider, “Aviary” official video

WHAT’S UP YOU BEAUTIFUL DORKS?

Extremely relevant to your immediate interests will be the hashtag thrilling news that we made a goddamn music video for our assured grammy winning hit “Aviary”.

This is a video for our brand new 7″ single on Alternative Tentacles records. Black vinyl still available so if you love small vinyls and flipping sides as much as we do, go get it.
alternativetentacles.com/collections/releases/products/v517-sandrider-aviary-baleen-7

I have an aunt and she’s great but she’s always had pretty abrupt phone etiquette. She’ll call up and talk to you about things an aunt would need to call you about, like the latest death in the family or christmas, and regardless of how pleasant the chat ends up being she’ll end it with a single “Bye” and hangup that is so ruthless. Absolute savage when it comes to phone calls. As confronting as it can be I always respected her for being so efficient at murdering communication. Bye.

—

AVIARY/BALEEN was recorded by Matt Bayles (Mastodon, ISIS, The Sword) at Studio Litho & ExEx Audio October 2021.
Mixed by Matt Bayles at The Red Room March 2022.
Additional recording by Jeff McNulty at The Kill Room November 2021. Mastered by Ed Brooks at Resonant Mastering April 2022.
Paintings by Jesse Roberts.
Layout by Nat Damm.
Photos by Invisible Hour.

SANDRIDER:
Nat Damm – drums
Jesse Roberts – bass, vocals
Jon Weisnewski – guitar, vocals

Sandrider, Aviary/Baleen (2024)

Sandrider, Enveletration (2023)

Sandrider on Facebook

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Sandrider on Bandcamp

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Alternative Tentacles website

Tags: Alternative Tentacles Records, Aviary/Baleen, Sandrider, Sandrider Aviary/Baleen, Seattle, Washington

This entry was posted on Monday, February 5th, 2024 at 11:53 am and is filed under Bootleg Theater. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.