Usually a band changes its name maybe before their first record, maybe after if something isn’t working for them or if their sound and mission changes dramatically over time. But words like ‘usually’ are less applicable when it comes to quirk-bent Oregonian two-piece Wizard Rifle, who made their debut in 2012 and shall henceforth and forever be known as Psychic Trash.

Why the name change? Well, maybe they pushed Wizard Rifle as far as it could go. Pretty much anything that’s a reminder guns exist, in America at least, is a reminder of mass shootings, and maybe that’s part of it too. But Wizard Rifle‘s self-titled album came out in 2019 and their next one will be their first under the new banner as well as their first for RidingEasy Records, which has signed the rebooted duo.

I (finally) got to see Wizard Rifle in April (review here), and my primary takeaway from the experience was that the band are probably better than people know. They call the change an evolution below instead of a re-branding, and perhaps there’s a corresponding shift in sound and perhaps there isn’t, but who the hell knows? Maybe the name-change lets them catch people off-guard and blow a few more minds than they might otherwise. Psychic Trash‘s debut sounds pretty exciting. Another Wizard Rifle album seems like something that might make you feel like you already missed the boat on the band.

Nathan Carson of Nanotear Booking, which long served as Wizard Rifle‘s booking agency and will do likewise for Psychic Trash, posted the following:

Very excited to have PSYCHIC TRASH on the Nanotear roster. You can hear the first track from their new album on the Riding Easy Records mixtape dropping this Friday… in the meantime, please give them a like/add on FB & IG & TikTok.

***

From the basement to the main stage Max and Sam have been tearing their way through the American rock underground for 13 years dropping albums, touring relentlessly, and rubbing elbows on the festival circuit.

Now they have evolved into a wilder more raging project Psychic Trash.

In partnership with RidingEasy Records and Nanotear Booking (the team that brought you Monolord, Blackwater Holylight, and Early Moods), Psychic Trash is ready to unleash its self-titled debut later this year, and shower the earth with a rain of sonic debris, vocal harmonies, massive chords, rumbling drums, and epic vistas of sound.

Fans of Melvins, Lightning Bolt, Osees, Sonic Youth and more, take note! It’s time to dig in to Psychic Trash!

https://www.facebook.com/wizardrifle
https://wizardrifle.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ridingeasyrecords/
https://www.instagram.com/easyriderrecord/
http://www.ridingeasyrecs.com/

Wizard Rifle, Wizard Rifle (2019)

The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Nathan Carson of Witch Mountain & Nanotear Booking

—

How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

In the broad sense, I’m a creator, a producer, a communicator, and a connector. How did I become a booking agent, internationally touring drummer, FM radio DJ, music journalist, and published author? Baby steps. Thousands of them.

Describe your first musical memory.

In the mid-seventies, my aunt Vicky was the 17-year old bombshell lead singer of a regionally successful Midwest rock group called The Hot Ice Band. They sounded a bit like Jefferson Airplane, and had a development deal with a big label that put out their single “Fly Away.” My parents took me to see them in concert at a college show with a couple thousand people in attendance when I was three years old. All I remember is that it was very loud, and I hated it. But I kept the 7” and have always enjoyed that.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

I have enough of those to fill a book, and I plan to. Honestly, though, Witch Mountain played two shows last weekend, and the chemistry and communication we have developed over the years is exactly what I would hope for. It feels amazing to play with my friends in front of an audience who appreciate what we do.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

There have been a few times when I upheld an obligation to a friend or client, even though a better opportunity had come along for me. In the moment, I didn’t question it. I just stuck with the plan because I didn’t want to back out on anyone who might be relying on me. In the long run, I’ve come to regret a few of those, because some of those opportunities didn’t come again. I’m not saying I would ever leave someone in the lurch, but I think there could have been a graceful way to have my cake without burning anyone in the process. Live and learn.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

From what I’ve seen, it’s an infinite road that only ends with death. Very few creators retire from making art. They might retire from the cumbersome commercial aspects, but I can’t think of anyone who made great art and then just decided to watch bad TV for the rest of their life.

How do you define success?

I grew up in a mobile home in the backwoods of rural Oregon. My parents impressed on us from a young age that all that matters is being happy, without fucking anyone else over. I feel incredibly successful simply because I spend the majority of my time on the things I care about and want to work on. Sure, I am driven by praise and accomplishment and I do enjoy any recognition. But I’ve already met or exceeded most of my life goals, which were not terribly unrealistic to start with.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

Korn opening for Ozzy in ’95.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

I have started my novel. It’s not done yet. And it’s taking longer than I’d hoped. But I aim to make it good.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

Inspiration. For the creator, and the recipient.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

I’ve got five good friends coming over tomorrow to play a long afternoon game of vintage 2nd Edition Talisman Fantasy Board Game (with all the expansion sets). We’ll see who truly wields the Crown Of Command this time!

www.facebook.com/witchmountain
https://www.instagram.com/witchmountainband/
http://witchmountain.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/Nanotear/
https://twitter.com/nanotear
http://www.nanotear.com/

Witch Mountain, Live at Mississippi Studios, Portland, Oregon, Aug. 12, 2022

Witch Mountain, “Priceless Pain” lyric video

The ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the varied responses of publics and governments worldwide, and the disruption to lives and livelihoods has reached a scale that is unprecedented. Whatever the month or the month after or the future itself brings, more than one generation will bear the mark of having lived through this time, and art, artists, and those who provide the support system to help uphold them have all been affected.

In continuing the Days of Rona feature, it remains pivotal to give a varied human perspective on these events and these responses. It is important to remind ourselves that whether someone is devastated or untouched, sick or well, we are all thinking, feeling people with lives we want to live again, whatever renewed shape they might take from this point onward. We all have to embrace a new normal. What will that be and how will we get there?

Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan

Days of Rona: Nathan Carson of Witch Mountain & Nanotear Booking (Portland, Oregon)

—

How have you been you dealing with this crisis as a band? As an individual? What effect has it had on your plans or creative processes?

Witch Mountain was in a fortunate position, at first, because we were in a writing phase between tours with no deadlines or responsibilities. But as time went on and the pandemic accelerated we were eventually forced to cancel our June headlining tour. We have more live plans for later in 2020, and of course they’re all in potential jeopardy now. At least we are still able to write remotely, and will probably resume jamming in person once it feels safe to do so.

Personally, we’re all hanging on, but most of us are laid off or out of work. Kayla had a musical canceled that she’d been prepping for months. Justin’s effects pedal company Mr Black is on life support. Rob has been engineering studio sessions and working other side gigs (he’s got more mouths to feed than the rest of us). For me — a tour booking agent by day – -my entire industry has come crashing down. I lost an entire season of income that is likely to stretch into a year of inactivity. The future is a gigantic question mark when it comes to how live music will resuscitate, and when.

How do you feel about the public response to the outbreak where you are? From the government response to the people around you, what have you seen and heard from others?

Portland is a great place to live overall. The majority of people here want clean air, clean water, and have progressive values. So even though we are sandwiched between two states with some of the larger outbreaks in the country, we’ve done a great job of slowing the spread here.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of people in the grocery stores not wearing masks, and people driving like maniacs on the roads. It’s sad that trusting science has become a partisan issue, or that people who believe a fetus has a soul seem willing to sacrifice the weak and elderly in order to prop up Wall Street and the corporate economy.

What do you think of how the music community specifically has responded? How do you feel during this time? Are you inspired? Discouraged? Bored? Any and all of it?

I’ve seen some great livestreams, which is not something I was particularly interested in before. Of course I do have a 65” 4k tv with high speed internet, 5.1 sound, and a thumping subwoofer. So that’s helping my enjoyment of watching concerts from home quite a bit.

I’ve been able to use this time to catch up on household and archival projects that seemed like they’d never get done based on my past lifestyle. My aim is to use this time as wisely and effectively as possible. The ultimate goal right now is to write the novel-length sequel to my book Starr Creek that I’ve been planning for years. Even if I had decided to save my money and take six months off from work to write the book, my booking clients couldn’t have just put their bands and tours on hold. But now that we’re all forced to stay home, I will have the luxury of writing full time during daylight hours, instead of just on evenings and weekends. I definitely aim to walk away from this situation with something to show for it.

What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything? What is your new normal? What have you learned from this experience, about yourself, your band, or anything?

I just feel very fortunate to play music with such thoughtful, rational people. No one in Witch Mountain is looking to take unnecessary risks. No one in our band is concerned with conspiracy theories or bucking scientific advice. We love making music, and we’ve had a long term vision from the start. That’s why the band is still around after twenty-three years.

This will all pass and then we’ll find out what that new normal is. In the interim, we are passing files over the internet, slowly working on new material, designing and shipping out merch–like the WM logo face mask that we launched the last time Bandcamp waived fees for a day, etc.

Otherwise, we are taking this one day at a time, slow and steady, just like our music.

www.facebook.com/witchmountain
http://witchmountain.bandcamp.com
www.svartrecords.com
www.facebook.com/svartrecords
http://www.nanotear.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Nanotear/

Here’s a nifty thought to make your day a little brighter: YOB touring with Voivod on a co-headlining run with support from Amenra. Just to put a check on it, it’s the outfit who defined and continue to reinvent cosmic doom, the band who innovated nerdism in heavy metal and proved that thrash could be progressive, and Europe’s leading purveyor of post-metal. This is not a minor tour. It’s not even the kind of tour you talk about later. It’s the kind of tour that, if you know, you were there, and that’s it. Some experiences don’t need words. “You were at that show?” “Yeah.” And so on.

YOB of course go in support of earlier-2018’s Our Raw Heart (review here), which if the results thus far of the Year-End Poll (add your list!) are anything to go by, yes, you already knew that. Voivod and Amenra have releases too, but really, even if none of them had put out a record in five years, wouldn’t this still be an astounding bill? Yes, yes it would.

Dates are presented by Nanotear and are as follows:

Spring 2019: Yob + Voivod + Amenra

03.26 Minneapolis MN Fine Line
03.27 Chicago IL Thalhia Hall
03.28 Columbus OH Ace of Cups
03.29 Cleveland OH Grog Shop
03.30 Toronto ON Phoenix
03.31 Buffalo NY Town Ballroom
04.02 Portland ME Geno’s
04.03 Boston MA Royale
04.04 Brooklyn NY Warsaw
04.05 Philadelphia PA Union Transfer
04.06 Richmond VA Broadberry
04.07 Raleigh NC Kings
04.09 Knoxville TN Concourse (Co-presented with American Icon)
04.10 Atlanta GA Masquerade / Hell
04.11 New Orleans LA One Eyed Jack’s
04.12 Houston TX Warehouse Studios
04.13 Austin TX Barracuda
04.14 Dallas TX Gas Monkey
04.16 Denver CO Marquis Theater*
04.18 Mesa AZ Club Red+
04.19 San Diego CA Brick by Brick w/ Monolord+
+ = YOB only
* = no Voivod

YOB is:
Mike Scheidt – Guitar, Vocals
Aaron Rieseberg – Bass
Travis Foster – Drums

www.yobislove.com
www.facebook.com/quantumyob
www.twitter.com/quantumyob
www.instagram/com/quantumyob
www.relapse.com
www.facebook.com/RelapseRecords

YOB, Our Raw Heart (2018)

Everyone’s favorite plunderers-of-riff, Conan, are coming back to North American shores this May for a coast-to-coast run that includes stops at Maryland Death Fest 2017 in Baltimore and 71 Grind in Colorado Springs. The UK trio will of course be over supporting their battle-axe-to-the-side-of-the-head third album, Revengeance (review here), on Napalm Records, who present the tour alongside respected booker Nanotear.

Yours truly also has a logo on the poster, though I can’t actually take credit in terms of making any of it happen. Still, humbling to be involved at all in something that will be so god damned heavy. I feel compelled to note in the interest of full disclosure that no money exchanged hands as a part of this process — Conan frontman Jon Davis asked me if I wanted the logo on there and because I highly support the cause and because I’m no dope I said a quick hell yes. This content isn’t sponsored in any way. It just kind of came together, and again, I’m humbled and appreciative that it did.

The run begins on the West Coast this May 10 and goes through June 4, ending in Tucson. They’ll hit Canada for shows in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, and cover both sides of the US and in between, hitting major markets and suitably killer venues in the company of North.

Full list of dates follows the poster below. Check the bottom right corner. Dig it:

Conan Revengeance Tour 2017

w/ North

05.10 Glendale CA Complex
05.11 Oakland CA Metro
05.12 Portland OR Dante’s
05.13 Vancouver BC Astoria
05.14 Seattle WA Highline
05.16 Minneapolis MN The Triple Rock
05.17 Chicago IL Beat Kitchen
05.18 Indianapolis IN 5th Quarter
05.19 Cleveland OH Now That’s Class
05.20 Pittsburgh PA Smiling Moose
05.21 Toronto ON Garrison
05.22 Montreal QC TBA
05.23 Boston MA TBA
05.24 Brooklyn NY Knitting Factory
05.25 Baltimore MD Ram’s Head – Maryland Deathfest*
05.26 Raleigh NC Kings
05.27 Atlanta GA 529
05.28 New Orleans LA Siberia
05.29 Houston TX White Oak
05.30 Austin TX Sidewinder
06.01 Denver CO Hi-Dive
06.02 Colorado Springs CO 71 Grind
06.03 Albuquerque NM Sister
06.04 Tucson AZ Club Congress
* = no North

https://www.facebook.com/conancavemanbattledoom/
http://www.hailconan.com
napalmrecords.com
https://www.facebook.com/napalmrecords/
https://www.facebook.com/Nanotear/
http://knowwave.com/nanotear/

Conan, Live at Void Fest 2016 in Germany

Portland, Oregon’s Disenchanter will welcome North Carolinian doom rockers Demon Eye in April for a West Coast run presented by Nanotear Booking. To my knowledge, it marks Demon Eye‘s first trip out west, and for Disenchanter, it follows an EP compilation released on NoSlip Records and the announcement that they’ll take part in Psycho Las Vegas in August.

Demon Eye, meanwhile, will also play Maryland Doom Fest 2016 in June. Their second album, Tempora Infernalia (review here), was issued last year on Soulseller Records and they’ve supported it since playing local shows with the likes of Acid King and Pentagram. Guitarist/vocalist Erik Sugg was also recently announced as having joined Lightning Born, whose lineup features, among others, C.O.C. bassist Mike Dean.

More on that as I hear it. Here are the tour dates and more info:

Our West Coast tour with Disenchanter will be happening soon! A huge thanks to Nanotear Booking!

Coming up in April: Demon Eye and Disenchanter West Coast tour!

The stars have aligned

Formed in May of 2011, rising from the ashes of the black machine, invoked after many moons, Disenchanter is a heavy rock band riding the currents of doom, casting riffs of rock, and melding the elixirs of metal to bring forth a fantasy of sci-fi wrapped in a stoner groove!

Demon Eye’s heavy grooves and thunder rhythms channel the doom and crush of Black Sabbath and Pentagram, and the fist banging shred of early ‘Maiden. The band has received international recognition for their highly acclaimed songcraft and their stunning live performances. Demon Eye remains hellbent on bringing their hook-laden, dark riffin’ songcraft to fans far and wide.

4/14 Seattle, WA – Highline
4/15 Portland, OR – High Water Mark
4/16 Grant’s Pass, OR – The Haul
4/17 Sacramento, CA – Blue Lamp
4/18 Pacifica, CA – Winter’s Tavern
4/19 San Jose, CA – The Caravan
4/20 Los Angeles, CA – Complex
4/21 San Diego, CA – Kensington Club
4/22 Los Osos, CA – Sweet Springs Saloon
4/23 Oakland, CA – Oakland Metro

https://www.facebook.com/demoneyenc/
https://demoneye.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DisenchanterPDX/
http://disenchanter.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Nanotear/

Demon Eye, Tempora Infernalia (2015)

Disenchanter, Strange Creatures (2015)

Imagine being the one to have to break the news to European bands how much shittier they’ll get treated if they decide to make a run of it in the States. The bold impresario taking on the task of imparting such wisdom that our nation’s humble scene is… getting better… is none other than Nathan Carson, drummer of Witch Mountain and founder of Nanotear Booking, who count YOB, Primordial, Acid King and the recently-reviewed Helen Money among many others on their client roster.

What can Carson (interview here) teach attendees at Roadburn 2013 about hitting the road both in the US and in general? Plenty, I’ve no fucking doubt — and better, he can do it not only as someone who runs a respected booking outfit, but from the perspective of someone who’s put in significant road time himself.

One not to miss, and one more way in which Roadburn continues to push the boundaries of what a fest can do. Here are details:

This year, Roadburn Festival is pleased to present master classes and performance clinics for the first time. It seems like a great opportunity to give those of you attending the festival, many of whom are in bands or enjoy playing music on your own, and some of the folks on the bill an opportunity to meet and learn from each other.

On Saturday, April 20th, Nanotear Booking‘s Nathan Carson will focus on what it takes to strategically tour in the US, and how to avoid the many pitfalls that can put tours in jeopardy (financial and otherwise). Questions from attendees will be welcomed.

Nathan Carson is a musician and booking agent from Portland, OR USA. A member of the international doom scene since the 90s, he taught himself to book DIY tours for his own band Witch Mountain, and soon after for his first official clients YOB. Nanotear Booking was founded in 2004 based on the success of those tours and Carson‘s growing network of connections, which he built first-hand on the road.

In 2013, Nanotear represents over twenty-five uncompromising artists, including Agalloch, Jarboe, Lene Lovich, Corrupted, YOB, and Witch Mountain. Riding the fine line between DIY ethics and sincere professionalism is what sets Nanotear apart from many other booking agencies. Artistic curation, fair deals, and humane practices are all a part of this successful formula.

Touring The US is available for Roadburn ticket holders (no additional fee) and will be held between 1:30 PM and 2:30 PM at the Hall of Fame in Tilburg, Holland.