This is one of the best lineups I’ve seen for a US-based heavy fest in the 15-plus years I’ve been running this site. I don’t know what else to say about it, honestly. For the fact that Ripplefest Texas is bringing Dozer over alone, let alone any of the other Euro acts involved who have, say, been to North America in the last 20-plus years, it’s astonishing. And not just bigger bands like Dozer and Truckfighters or Mars Red Sky and Belzebong, but Domkraft and Kal-El, bands you know if you’re into this thing but that haven’t been around as long and aren’t as ‘huge’ in the whatever sense that applies in underground music.

And it’s not like they’re skimping on within-US geography either. Of course the desert is well represented, and Texas has a significant presence as it invariably would, but with Gozu and Leather Lung headed out from Boston, Borracho traveling from D.C., Temple of the Fuzz Witch from Michigan, Robots of the Ancient World from Portland, Oregon, and so on, they’ve got all the corners and between pretty well covered. La Chinga coming from Canada. Demons My Friends giving Mexico a nod. It is extensive.

And quality. I don’t know that I’ll be there to see it, but I’d imagine that for most who get to be, it’ll be the stuff of legend. Congrats to Ryan Garney and Lick of My Spoon for bringing it into the world, and safe travels to all involved:

Here it is! The lineup for RippleFest Texas and the amazing art by Simon Berndt @1horsetown 🤘🔥❤️

We still have a few surprises left but this roster is stacked! Don’t miss your chance to see the world’s best heavy music at the largest family reunion of the year. Plus this is the ONLY premier festival that has absolutely ZERO OVERLAPPING so you can see every second of every band! Get your tickets now and we will see you in September!

Tier 2 tickets are almost sold out and the price increases on Monday so get your tickets now:

www.lickofmyspoon.com

DOZER
TRUCKFIGHTERS
BONGZILLA
MARS RED SKY
BELZEBONG
DOMKRAFT
LEGIONS OF DOOM
FATSO JETSON
GOZU
HOWLING GIANT
THE HEAVY EYES
HIGH DESERT QUEEN
KAL-EL
20 WATT TOMBSTONE
THE OTOLITH
TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH
LEATHER LUNG
THUNDER HORSE
HASHTRONAUT
BONE CHURCH
BORRACHO
SUN CROW
CRYSTAL SPIDERS
TIA CARRERA
ROBOTS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
MR. PLOW
LA CHINGA
FOSTERMOTHER
BLUE HERON
TEMPTRESS
FORMULA 400
DEMONS MY FRIENDS
VERMILION WHISKEY
VIOLET RISING
HUDU AKIL
BUZZ ELECTRO
SHADOW OF JUPITER

GRAND FINALE w/ MARIO LALLI & THE RUBBER SNAKE CHARMERS “Desert Jam Session”

Plus the best light show in the business by @themadalchemistliquidliteshow

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LOMSProductions
https://www.instagram.com/LOMSProductions/
http://www.lickofmyspoon.com/
https://linktr.ee/Lickofmyspoon

Mars Red Sky, Live at Rock in Bourlon 2023

This past weekend was Ripplefest Texas, and I gotta say, even having gone to a fest last friggin’ week, I was looking hard at that lineup and thinking to myself it’d be awfully nice to see a whole bunch of West Coast acts I don’t normally see. Maybe next year.

Wait, who’s thinking about next year when the festival is barely done? They are. Ripplefest Texas 2024 is bringing over Dozer and Mars Red Sky — oh I hope they tour together — and will have The Skull-offshoot Legions of Doom, Boston’s Gozu, The Heavy Eyes, High Desert Queen, Bone Church, Blue Heron, Demons My Friends and, as you might guess looking at the packed lineup that was assembled for this year’s event, many more to come.

Honestly, you had me at either Dozer or Mars Red Sky, but the appeal here goes well beyond those, and in a US festival sphere reeling without a major summer event or two this year it’s gotten pretty used to having around, Ripplefest seems to be stepping in at least to give the heavy rock end of the underground somewhere to flourish. I’ll be interested to see in the next two or three years how it will continue to grow, but also just for next year. I’d imagine there’s a whole bunch of people who’ve already made their travel plans to get to Austin. Can’t say I really blame you.

More to come as we get closer to a year from now, obviously, but they’re throwing down. Pretty sure those earlybird tickets are gone:

DATES AND FIRST BANDS ANNOUNCED FOR NEXT YEAR!

DOZER
LEGIONS OF DOOM
MARS RED SKY
GOZU
THE HEAVY EYES
HIGH DESERT QUEEN
BONE CHURCH
BLUE HERON
DEMONS MY FRIENDS

and many many more!

Only 100 Early bird tickets available so get yours now!
www.lickofmyspoon.com

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LOMSProductions
https://www.instagram.com/LOMSProductions/
http://www.lickofmyspoon.com/
https://linktr.ee/Lickofmyspoon

Dozer, “Rising” live at Desertfest Berlin 2023

I don’t feel the need to even really say anything here. The lineup speaks for itself. And those who go to this year’s RippleFest Texas will also speak of it, for years, probably in a similar way people now talk about having been at this or that Emissions From the Monolith when that was going on in Ohio. The stuff of legend, in other words. Yeah, you can put on a fest and try to make it cool and fun, or you can do something like this and make it the highlight of everybody who attends’ year.

Kudos to Lick of My Spoon Productions and Ripple Music on a job well done. This will be something special. Bands have been leaked out one at a time at intermittent daily intervals, but the final lineup is out as of today, and it’s stunning. A blend of generations, a reach from on end of the country to the other, and a swath of the heavy underground all rallied in one place for a few days, pre- and after-parties included. Fucking a. If you’re attending, count yourself lucky.

As seen on socials:

Here it is! The full lineup for RippleFest Texas #3! This will be one for the ages with a stacked lineup and lots of special treats in between. Get your tickets now!

Amazing art by @1horsetown

* playing the Pre-Party
+ playing the Afterparty

King Buffalo, Acid King, Brant Bjork Trio, Sasquatch, Wo-Fat, Fatso Jetson, Mondo Generator, Unida, The Well+, The Atomic Bitchwax, Telekinetic Yeti*, Duel, Forming the Void, Hippie Death Cult, High Desert Queen*, Avon, War Cloud, Rubber Snake Charmers, Spirit Mother+, Kind, Nick Oliveri, Thunder Horse, Royal Sons+, Restless Spirit*, (Big) Pig, Fostermother, Dead Feathers+, Rainbows Are Free, Warlung*, Sun Voyager, Red Mesa, Dunes, Tia Carrera+, Mr. Plow, The Heroine*, Michael Rudolph Cummings, The Absurd+, GoodEye*, Red Beard Wall, God Damn Good Time Band+

Plus a “Legends of the Desert and Friends” jam session to close out Saturday night!

And as always, the visuals by The Mad Alchemist Liquid Light Show

All-Access passes are SOLD OUT! All we have left are 2 Day Passes and Pre/Afterparty tickets available. Many more bands to be announced! Get your tickets now before the full lineup is revealed and the ticket price goes up!

FESTIVAL TIX: https://bit.ly/faroutxripplefest
PREPARTY TIX: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ripplefest-texas-pre-party-tickets-548171905927
AFTERPARTY TIX: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ripplefest-texas-afterparty-tickets-548185095377
FB EVENT: https://www.facebook.com/events/1351567998746933/

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LOMSProductions
https://www.instagram.com/LOMSProductions/
http://www.lickofmyspoon.com/
https://linktr.ee/Lickofmyspoon

King Buffalo, “Regenerator” live at Sonic Whip 2023

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: Ryan Garney of High Desert Queen & Lick of My Spoon Productions

—

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

I have the privilege of fronting a band with three absolute beasts behind me. They push me to be better every day and there is nothing better in this world than getting in the studio and creating with Rusty, Morgan and Phil.

Describe your first musical memory.

For me it was when my dad showed me James Brown. I was probably six years old and there was a live performance on TV. I immediately started trying to dance like him much to the delight of my family watching me. To this day I use some of his songs as a vocal warmup and try to bring as much energy at a live show as I can because he brought it every time.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

This is hard to narrow down. As a fan it’s probably watching Mark Lanegan perform at Psycho Las Vegas while standing knee-deep in the wave pool with my wife and my brother.

As a musician I’ve been so lucky to have the opportunity to play with and meet legends I’ve looked up to for years like Mario Lalli, Nick Oliveri, Tommi Holappa, and countless others. But the highlight so far for me was when High Desert Queen got invited to play a Desert Generator Party out in the California desert with Fatso Jetson and others. I’ve always wanted to go to one of those parties and never dreamed I’d actually get to perform at one. Incredible moment for me.

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

I would say this happens pretty much daily. There will always be people the doubt what I’m doing in my life trying to make High Desert Queen excel. Those people are starting to realize I don’t listen very well and that HDQ is much more than just a hobby in my life.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

It leads to absolute bliss. There is nothing greater than expressing yourself artistically. It rarely ever comes out like you intend but there’s beauty in that. Because of that the thirst can never be quenched and I continue to want to create more and more, pushing myself further each time. If that ever stops, it’s time to do something else.

How do you define success?

To me success is if what I have done has made a positive impact on at least one person, myself included, and has allowed them to feel more love than they had previously, then it was successful.

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

Avatar: The Way of Water. Worst movie ever made and I can never have those three hours of my life back.

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

A concept record. I would love to make a concept into the studio with no previously rehearsed material and write a record. This is something that HDQ has talked about doing in the future and I can’t wait.

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

The most essential function of art is to give someone an emotional response. Even if it’s not the one you intended. That doesn’t matter because everyone rects differently, but if it causes no reaction, then it ins’t art in my opinion.

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

I’m looking forward to traveling and seeing the world more. I know I’ll be doing that because of my music, but I look forward to meeting new people from different cultures and learning how they live, eat, and drink. Speaking of drinking, I look forward to trying the beer in all of these places!

https://www.facebook.com/highdesertqueen/
http://www.instagram.com/highdesertqueen
http://highdesertqueen.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LOMSProductions
https://www.instagram.com/LOMSProductions/
http://www.lickofmyspoon.com/
https://linktr.ee/Lickofmyspoon

High Desert Queen, Secrets of the Black Moon (2021)

Back for its second year and with a fourth day in tow, Ripplefest Texas 2022 confirms its full lineup, a total beast of legends and newcomers. Really, I don’t even know what to say here except that if you’re lucky enough to go, it’s probably the kind of thing you’re going to remember for a long gosh-darn time, and it’s the kind of lineup that serves as lording-over fodder on the part of those who were there to those who weren’t. Well, at least it would if the heavy underground weren’t too cool to each other for that kind of gatekeeping nonsense. In any case, this looks like a massive undertaking to put on, and the roster of assembled acts gets a hearty ‘fucking a’ from my corner of the universe.

Tickets for all four days will run you $150, but I feel like the festival earns that on both quality and quantity of product.

Here’s the announcement, info and links:

RIPPLE FEST TEXAS – The Far Out Lounge – July 21-24

4-day passes available now!

RippleFest Texas 2022 is back and the lineup is as big and hot as Texas itself! 4 days of blistering hot music at Austin’s premier music venue The Far Out Lounge. There will be everything from crushing heavy riffs, to acoustic and banjo picking, to improvisation jam sessions and puppet shows! So many legends and great music that this will be a 4 day weekend you will not want to miss!

TICKETS:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thefaroutloungestage/639551

FULL LINEUP:
Eagles of Death Metal, The Sword, Crowbar, Mothership, Big Business, The Obsessed, Stöner, Spirit Adrift, The Heavy Eyes, Sasquatch, REZN, Fatso Jetson, Heavy Temple, J.D. Pinkus, Lord Buffalo, Lo-Pan, Wino, El Perro, Void Vator, Hippie Death Cult, Howling Giant, Doctor Smoke, Nick Oliveri, High Desert Queen, Destroyer of Light, Ape Machine, High Priestess, Dryheat, Rubber Snake Charmers, Sun Crow, Holy Death Trio, Bone Church, Horseburner, Spirit Mother, Thunder Horse, Mother Iron Horse, The Age of Truth, Salem’s Bend, Las Cruces, All Souls, Kind, Fostermother, The Absurd, Godeye, Ole English, Mr. Plow, Snake Mountain Revival, Blue Heron, Grail, Formula 400, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, Eagle Claw, Bridge Farmers.

The Far Out Lounge is located at 8504 South Congress. Winner of Best New Venue at the Austin Music Awards 2020.

http://www.thefaroutaustin.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ripplefesttexas
https://www.facebook.com/LOMSProductions/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Lo-Pan, Live at the Grog Shop, Cleveland, Ohio, Feb 18, 2022

Expanded to four days and moved to a new home in Austin, Ripplefest Texas 2022 will take place from July 21-24 and has begun to parcel out its lineup to the public sphere. There are four bands included in the first announcement, which is one per day, if you’re counting — mind you I have no clue as to the schedule and who will actually play when — so let’s assume that in the coming weeks and months we’ll be hearing more from Lick of My Spoon Productions, which is putting together the event for its second year in conjunction, of course, with Ripple Music itself.

Two things immediately noteworthy here. Not all the bands are on Ripple — Rezn and Stöner aren’t, at least as of now — and while Mothership are repeat customers and a flagship heavy rock band to represent Texas, Sun Crow are from Seattle, Rezn from Chicago and Stöner from California. Clearly Ripplefest Texas is expanding on multiple fronts. As they open up possibilities for more at what I hope will be a very air-conditioned Far Out Lounge in Austin, the first four confirmations came through social media thusly:

RIPPLEFEST TEXAS 2022

We’ve added another day!!! Just have too many good bands set to play so it’s now a 4 day fest! We will see you July 21st-24th, 2022 at The Far Out Lounge in Austin, Tx!

FIRST BAND ANNOUNCEMENT: MOTHERSHIP

We are proud to announce that the intergalactic heavy rock band from Dallas, Tx will be back in 2022! After their bone crushing and high energy performance last year we had to make sure they would be back!

There is not a better band to kick off our daily announcements of bands that will be at RippleFest Texas 2022 than one of Ripple Music’s finest from right here in the Lone Star State.

BAND ANNOUNCEMENT: STÖNER

Rad stays rad. A few ideas are timeless. Stöner is Brant Bjork (guitar/vocals), Nick Oliveri (bass/vocals) and Ryan Gut (drums), and from flowing jams to all-out punker blasts, they know what they’re doing. It ain’t nobody’s first time at the dance, and you don’t call your band Stöner if you’ve never heard the word before. Stöner, however straight-ahead their moniker, encompass varied styles and the songwriting of Bjork and Oliveri- both founders of Kyuss, also Mondo Generator, Ché, Fu Manchu, Bloodcot and more between them. Atop the classic-style swing and flow from Gut (also of Bjork’s solo band), Stöner keep it casual and wear the name as only those who helped create the sound could.

We are excited to be bringing these legends of the desert to Texas! They will also be releasing their second record in 2022 on @heavypsychsounds_records

BAND ANNOUNCEMENT: REZN

The music churned out by Chicago quartet REZN somehow manages to convey both crushing mass and cosmic weightlessness. The seed for the band’s megaton riffs and psychedelic journeys was planted when guitarist Rob McWilliams and bassist Phil Cangelosi began jamming together at age twelve in the DC commuter town of Leesburg, VA. They relocated to Chicago in 2015, recruited local sound engineer Patrick Dunn to bash on the drums, and set about recording their debut album—the molten amp worship service Let It Burn—after playing just three shows together. They invited their friend Spencer Ouellette into the studio to round out their bottom-heavy sound with the hum-and-squall of modular synth, and the added textural component immediately became a key facet to their sound.

We couldn’t be more excited to be bringing Rezn’s unique sound and live show to Texas! This festival is surely turning into a burner!

BAND ANNOUNCEMENT: SUN CROW

Sun Crow is a heavy rock band from Seattle. Rain-soaked doom blues, moss-covered stoner rock, grey sky heavy psych, calling from the old spirits of high volume heavy rock. Clocking a monolithic 70 minutes of gloomy Northwest haze, their debut Quest for Oblivion was well received and highly regarded by the heavy underground. The band joined the Ripple Music family in early 2021 to create a heavy partnership that saw world-wide distribution of their molten debut, and will bring smoldering releases into the future.

We couldn’t be more excited to be bringing this band down to Texas from the Northwest. Their first show in the Lone Star State will not be one you will want to miss!

Get you tickets now! 4 day “early bird” priced tickets are available. Link in our bio or at https://buytickets.at/thefaroutloungestage/639551

https://www.facebook.com/ripplefesttexas
https://www.facebook.com/LOMSProductions/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Ripplefest Texas 2021 after-movie (director’s cut)

Some anticipated news this Tuesday afternoon as Mothership join the lineup for the inaugural Ripplefest Texas. Not only are they a flagship band of Ripple Music, and not only are they among the most favored sons of the Lonestar State as regards heavy rock and roll, but they posted on the social medias last week that their first show announcement in more than a year would be coming today, and, well, Tuesday is when the Ripplefest Texas 2021 reveals have been happening. The pieces all fit.

Joining Mothership and the rest of the was-slammed-as-it-was bill for the Aug. 7 doings are Grail from Arizona. As to whether or not that’s everybody who will play, it depends entirely on what Lick of My Spoon Productions/Ripple mean when they say “more surprises to announce.” Though really, if they called it a fest as it is, they’ve done a hell of a job pulling something out of thin air, and it’s been refreshing looking forward to the announcements for a festival.

You going? I may yet:

Texas Ripplefest ain’t complete without Mothership. We have also added Grail and still have more surprises to announce. We also want to thank @worshipercabinets for getting involved to make sure everything sounds amazing! Get your tickets now! Ripple Music and Lick Of My Spoon Productions present the 1st Annual RippleFest Texas, August 7th at Texas Ski Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas.

Previously announced: Freedom Hawk, Scott “Wino” Weinrich, High Desert Queen, Fostermother, Void Vator, Bone Church, Witchcryer, Holy Death Trio, Howling Giant, Forming the Void, Mr. Plow, Thunder Horse, and Switchblade Jesus!!!

Bring a swimsuit and swim on the beach at Texas Ski Ranch while listening to music from the hottest label in the business: Ripple Music!

Tickets are available through the link on the FB page. Tickets: www.outhousetickets.com/Event/m17387-Ripplefest_Texas

Get yours now as more bands will be announced because it WILL SELL OUT!

https://www.facebook.com/events/293941965680685
https://www.facebook.com/LOMSProductions/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Mothership, Live in Los Angeles, Jan. 27, 2019

This week brings four more acts for the inaugural Ripplefest Texas, and with Wino, Freedom Hawk, Fostermother and High Desert Queen joining in the fun, it’s starting to look like a pretty stacked bill. Headliners are still to be announced — take your pick among TX or Ripple-associated heavy and feel free to let me know whom you’d choose — but one way or the other, this is a lot for a one-day fest.

It’s outdoors, which you’d probably want at this point, and I’m just going to assume it’s more than one stage — maybe two alternating? — to account for this many with more to come. Or maybe the party starts early? I don’t know. I guess after a year-plus of no shows it’s fair enough to want to pack in as much as possible. Got your shot yet? This is a pretty good argument in favor of doing so if not.

Social media has it like this, and there’s the ticket link and whatnot as well:

NEW BANDS ANNOUNCEMENT: Ripple Music and Lick Of My Spoon Productions is happy to announce Scott “Wino” Weinrich and Freedom Hawk, as well as High Desert Queen and Fostermother to the already stacked 1st Annual RippleFest Texas, August 7th at Texas Ski Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas.

We still have our MAIN HEADLINER to announce next week so stay tuned! Tickets are going fast!

Previously announced: Void Vator, Bone Church, Witchcryer, Holy Death Trio, Howling Giant, Forming the Void, Mr. Plow, Thunder Horse, and Switchblade Jesus!!!

Bring a swimsuit and swim on the beach at Texas Ski Ranch while listening to music from the hottest label in the business: Ripple Music!

Tickets are available through the link on the FB page. Tickets: www.outhousetickets.com/Event/m17387-Ripplefest_Texas

Get yours now as more bands will be announced because it WILL SELL OUT!

https://www.facebook.com/events/293941965680685
https://www.facebook.com/LOMSProductions/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/