Handsome Jack were on when I got in. It had been about three and a half hours of road time to get me to Outer Space Ballroom in Hamden, Connecticut, but I’m well familiar with this particular segment of the I-95 corridor, so it was alright. Dropped The Patient Mrs. and The Pecan off with family, sat for all of 15 minutes, then back in the car to the venue, which is tucked just far enough off the main drag to feel a little out of the way. The kind of place where people can probably tell you about the shit they used to get away with in the parking lot.

Anyhow, Handsome Jack. Band has some vibe for sure. Strengths include blues groove, guitar and bass tone, three-part harmony and that includes a singing drummer, so yeah. A lot going for them, I guess is the bottom line there. They were low-key-rockin’ the joint, and said joint was fairly packed. I didn’t know what to expect — I almost never do anymore; it was easy when nobody ever showed up — and I caught maybe the last 20-25 minutes of it, but that was enough to make me feel like, okay, the music’s on, everything’s alright. That message was well complemented by the last song Handsome Jack played, which was “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.” I mean, the oceans are gonna rise up and swallow us all, and the world is full of war, rape, and pestilence, but at least the tunes are good. You hold onto what you can.

This was the second night of a just-beginning domestic touring cycle for King Buffalo‘s newly-issued fifth album, Regenerator (review here), and really, the three-piece are also out to support all three LPs in their unofficially-titled ‘pandemic trilogy,’ with 2021’s The Burden of Restlessness (review here) and the subsequent Acheron (review here) no less fresh in mind for not actually being their newest releases anymore. And yeah, I’d seen King Buffalo at Desertfest New York (review here), but that was a whole album ago. In any case, if Regenerator and the promise of a full set — they went about 90 minutes total — weren’t enough to justify the sit-on-ass in Friday traffic on the way north, certainly Dan Reynolds‘ bass in “Mammoth” alone made it worth the trip.

The set drew mostly from the recent LPs, with the title-track, “Mammoth,” and later “Hours” representing Regenerator, “Shadows” — during which someone by the board remembered the lights could flash — and regular-set-finale “Cerberus” taken from Acheron and opener “Silverfish,” “Hebetation” and the penultimate “The Knocks” coming from The Burden of Restlessness. Filled out by “Eta Carinae” from 2020’s Dead Star EP (review here), the slide-guitar-inclusive “Kerosene” from 2016’s debut full-length, Orion (review here), and “Sun Shivers” from its 2018 follow-up, Longing to Be the Mountain (review here), the regular set was largely unfuckwithable, and yes, I mean that.

It’s a very I-know-touring-bands thing to say that the second night of the tour they’re probably still getting their feet under them. And maybe it’s true that after another four or five nights in a row of gigs, King Buffalo will be more on fire than they were, but there was no doubt they delivered, and the crowd was way into it. It was like one of those movies where the actors in the audience are just told to keep cheering. No, I’m not saying it’s a false flag operation, I’m saying the band is unreal. I stood right in front of the stage, could see and hear them feeding off that energy. They owned the pandemic. Defined it in large part for my listening habits and I’m sure for many others as well. They should be and are right to be reaping their due acclaim, and that includes for the Regenerator just arrived.

Of the several times I’ve been lucky enough to see King Buffalo at this point, this was the best to-date. They played with confidence, and I could feel the intensity of Donaldson‘s drums keeping step with the chug of McVay‘s guitar in “Hours” better, Reynolds‘ bass laying one smooth groove after the other to coincide. I’m sure I’ve said this before, but Reynolds is the one holding it together. The band? It’s all three of them. They all have a pivotal role to play. They are all essential personnel in making King Buffalo arguably the best heavy psychedelic rock band in America right now. Part of Reynolds role in that is that groove, and he played like he knew it.

Same could be said of the whole band, too. McVay and Donaldson as well. King Buffalo? They’re a great band. Great. I can’t urge you strongly enough to go see them. They’re better than they know, and they know damn well they’re good. Just watch them. There’s some strut there. Seeing their dynamic as up close as I was — I think I spent most of the set closer to McVay than his bandmates in the middle and on the other side of the stage, respectively — and hearing Reynolds‘ basslines under the guitar solo in “Sun Shivers,” the breadth in “Kerosene” and the precision intensity of the fuck-yes-hammer-it-into-my-god-damn-skull stops at the end of “The Knocks,” there was no mistaking the sense of being in the presence of a band who have arrived. A special, important moment.

30 years ago, King Buffalo, Elder and All Them Witches would all be signed to Atlantic Records and putting out albums that would influence a generation. That industry infrastructure doesn’t exist anymore, and while DIY, semi-DIY and even outright signed-to-label acts don’t have the same kind of marketing power, they’re out there doing it anyway. I could see it in the crowd too. Some younger heads, some older ones, and I think that speaks to the transitional generational moment we’re in. In a couple years, those older heads are gonna keep phasing out. And the younger ones are going to bring friends next time King Buffalo roll through. I hope I’m there to see it.

The encore demanded by the room was received. “Orion” will be in my head for the next week and I have no problem with that, and “Centurion” from 2018’s Repeater EP (review here) was a surprise finish, but worked well enough. I’ll allow that the record is still really new, but at some point, they’re going to have to start closing with “Avalon” from Regenerator. Sorry guys, you don’t get to write a song like that and not stick it at the end of the set. Gotta play fair. Same could be said of “Cerberus” coming after “The Knocks.” Both songs are about the build into the payoff, as a fair amount of King Buffalo‘s work is, but that finish in “The Knocks” is another level. The proverbial hard act to follow.

They head up to Buffalo, New York, next, then pick up the tour on Sept. 16 in Ohio before spending a decent portion of the next two months on the road. I wholeheartedly encourage you to make the effort. They’re a band you need to see and now is the time. That’s it.

—

Often-harmonized Norwegian classic heavy rockers Orango will release their new album, Mohican, on Oct. 7 through Stickman Records. The long-running trio have a reputation that precedes them as they follow-up the one-two punch of 2017’s The Mules of Nana (review here) and 2018’s Evergreens (review here), but it’s worth noting that four years between records, even with the pandemic, is the longest break they’ve had since 2004-2010. Extenuating circumstances, blah blah.

Certainly the years, lost or otherwise, will dissipate as you make your way through the premiere of first single “Running Out of Reason” below, with its sharply layered acoustic and electric guitar, memorable verses and organ there just to reinforce the point of the ’70s-style proto-heavy to be found modernized throughout the entire offering amid the deep-running vocal arrangements, be it the mellower arena-ism of “Cold Wind” and the folkish-till-it-rocks “Hawkeye” or the outright boogie rock of “Fryin'” or “Dust & Dirt” and the sway and strut of “Wild River Song” before the three-part heroics cap with the acoustic “Ain’t No Road” at the end. It’s lush, varied in mood and feel, organic without being retro, retro without being vintage, and brightly listenable. A record you would put on for company if you wanted to keep people having a good time.

Think of it as a proven concept proved all over again, but know that with Orango‘s work, the band are masters of the form and they sound precisely like it.

Premiere of “Running Out of Reason” is below, followed by the album announcement.

Enjoy:

Orango, Norway’s melodic classic rock powerhouse, has returned with a new studio album. On Mohican, the trio of Helge Bredeli Kanck, Trond Slåke and Hallvard Gaardløs – along with some special guests – dish up ten tracks that prove they’re far from running out of steam, no matter what the world throws at them.

If one didn’t know they were hiding out in the mountains of Norway, one might think Orango to be at home in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee or the shores of Southern California; between the band’s southern-tinged, soulful riffs and sun-soaked three-part vocal harmonies, the band always provides a masterclass in classic rock. As far as Orango records go, Mohican feels especially heartfelt, a thread of yearning running through the album’s ten cuts.

Perhaps this is due to the period of transition and strangeness the band were in during songwriting, as guitarist/singer Helge Kanck explains:

“Mohican wasn’t always the plan. I had written enough songs for three more albums, but during the pandemic, the band saw little to none of one another, played no gigs, and the tour to support our Battles reissue was cancelled, as its release date coincided with Norway closing down. It felt like very dark and boring times. Trond was even considering taking a break from the band, until he luckily changed his mind. After some good times reunited in Haalvard’s rehearsal room, running through some songs and working on arrangements together, the band felt ready to pick up the reins again. Mohican is an album full of good spirit, and the recording sessions were great times all the way with all band members giving it all and working hard to make it our best album yet. True band harmony!”

Adding a further personal note, two songs were originally entirely recorded by Kanck (with drummer Kai Christoffersen) with the intention of landing on a solo album. With the decision made to get back in the saddle with the full band, Slåke and Gaardløs joined in to add more vocal work and work them into the Orango sound.

As with the band’s 5 preceding albums, Mohican was recorded at Ocean Sound Recordings on the coastline of Norway and sounds frankly amazing. Available on 180gr. vinyl, CD and digitally.

Orango is:
Helge Bredeli Kanck: guitar and vocals
Hallvard Gaardløs: bass and vocals
Trond Slåke: drums and vocals

https://www.facebook.com/orangotheband/
https://orango.bandcamp.com/
https://www.orangotheband.com/

http://www.stickman-records.com/
http://stickmanrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Stickman-Records-1522369868033940/

Orango, Evergreens (2018)

There are two key points in the notice below that I’d like to draw to your attention. First, Temple Fang‘s make-a-joyful-noise-and-do-it-very-loud debut album, Fang Temple (review here), is being released as a 2CD through Stickman Records. Pretty snazzy, and you know the imprint is up to the task, working with the likes of Motorpsycho, Elder, King Buffalo, Orango, and so on. Second, the part where it says, “could broadly be classified as psychedelic rock, but encompass much more.”

That’s pretty much the story of Fang Temple in as concise a summary as you could hope for. It’s psychedelia-plus; an individualized take on longform exploratory craft. It may be that the Amsterdam four-piece — who as I recall very nearly didn’t put out the LP in the first place — will move forward and do something completely different, but their manner of immersion on Fang Temple is carried through the resonance of its component songs, each with its own expanse that feeds into that of the entirety. Yeah, it’s psychedelic, but it’s more than that too.

I’d say if-you-kn0w-you-know or some shit like that, and it’s kind of true I suppose, but screw that gatekeeping elitist nonsense. If you didn’t hear the album, hell’s bells, it’s streaming below. And if you, like me, enjoy music pressed on tiny, easily-stored discs that play using only the most 1980s-futurist of laser technologies, then you’re going to want to keep this in mind. Probably even more after you listen.

I am all-in on a CD revival.

From Stickman‘s newsletter:

COMING SOON: TEMPLE FANG – FANG TEMPLE ON CD!

We are proud to announce a new collaboration with the fantastic Dutch band Temple Fang for a 2CD/digital release of their debut studio album Fang Temple (which had previously only been available on vinyl).

The band, which features ex-members of Death Alley, has crafted four lengthy, epic tracks on this record that could broadly be classified as psychedelic rock, but encompass much more. We have been heavily into this release for some time now and are happy to help it reach a wider audience! As soon as the CD is delivered from the pressing plant it will be made immediately available.

While the 2CD is in production, you can already have a listen at the band’s Bandcamp.

Temple Fang on Fang Temple:
Dennis Duijnhouwer – Bass, Vocals, Guitars, Synth
Jevin de Groot – Guitars-Vocals, Synth, Percussion
Ivy van der Veer – Guitars, Piano, Percussion
Jasper van den Broeke – Drums

Additional instrumentation by Sebastiaan van Bijlevelt and Niek Manders

https://www.facebook.com/templefangband
https://www.instagram.com/templefang/
https://templefang.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Stickman-Records-1522369868033940/
https://www.instagram.com/stickmanrecords/
https://www.stickman-records.com/

Temple Fang, Fang Temple (2021)

[Click play above to stream King Buffalo’s video premiere for ‘Hours’ from their Regenerator LP, out Sept. 2 through the band and Stickman Records in Europe.]

Regenerator is a culmination. As the third in King Buffalo‘s pandemic-era trilogy behind 2021’s Acheron (review here) and the prior The Burden of Restlessness (review here), it caps a narrative of growth and exploration while also offering its own persona in sound and the promise of even further creative evolution on the part of the Rochester, New York, trio. Their movement across these three albums, written together and each captured in a somehow-differing manner — the seven-song/43-minute Regenerator was recorded at their usual writing/rehearsal spot, the Main Street Armory, and adds a new thread to the emergence of guitarist/vocalist Sean McVay (also synth) as a producer, engineer and mixer as well as frontman — is such that King Buffalo‘s sound is likewise able to incorporate hard-hitting heavy prog rife with tension in its chugging and lyrical seethe, and ultra-fluid, colorful and organic acid jams fueled by the chemistry between McVay, bassist Dan Reynolds (also synth) and drummer Scott Donaldson, far-out space rock and more terrestrial songcraft. Patient or urgent, Regenerator, Acheron and The Burden of Restlessness — all culled from a single, tour-less period of writing during covid-19 lockdown in Summer 2020 — demonstrate that even in the lowest of times, art can provide release, escape, comfort, catharsis and perspective.

Consider the interplay of McVay‘s drifting guitar on “Avalon” here, or the way in which the sweeping back and forth of “Mercury” earlier speaks to the ethereal prog of The Burden of Restlessness with a brighter point of view. These songs may have come from the same general time of construction, but the material on Regenerator harnesses a breadth that even for King Buffalo feels new no matter how it might draw from what they’ve done before. The leadoff title-track — longest inclusion at 9:38 (immediate points) and a bookend with closer “Firmament” (9:16) — throws open the doors of expectation, fading in on a line of ambient keys that become the preface to what seems like a steady-enough-for-them procession through a verse and a few wah-drenched leads and instead departs those structural confines for an undulating and animated jam.

“Regenerator” is peppered with McVay‘s nuanced soloing, pushed through by Donaldson‘s drums, and held together by Reynolds‘ bass in a way that is a classic power trio dynamic and thoroughly King Buffalo‘s own as they shimmer into fifth-album maturity in the entirely instrumental second half of the song, hypnotically jamming so as to carry the mood over into the subsequent pairing of “Mercury” (4:30) and “Hours” (4:57), two shorter pieces, which one might argue for as the most straight-ahead on the record, but ultimately present their own intentions, as “Mercury” converges lightly anxious noodling with more surging choruses, flowing into “Hours,” which careens through its own kosmiche temporal dimensionality, the depth of mix allowing each instrument its place while manifesting the sense of forward-going of the whole.

Like much of what surrounds, it makes its not-insignificant momentum a part of the greater atmosphere, Regenerator seeming to reach out to new ground in melding prog and psych, structured heavy rock songcraft and more open jamming — a keys-and-drums (maybe that’s guitar) break in the middle of “Hours” bringing around a satisfying resurgence before an instrumental return to a modified version of the verse rounds out, subtly reaffirming the plotted nature that underlies all but the most willfully out-there King Buffalo jams. That is to say, they’re a band with rules until they decide to break them.

So much the better, since “Interlude” seems to do precisely that. With a guitar figure at its core that reminds of some of the band’s shared stylistic space with All Them Witches — whose Ben McLeod produced 2018’s Longing to Be the Mountain (review here) — it is also a showcase for McVay vocally, volume swelling and receding behind him as he quietly but confidently sings through subdued lines, more in their presentation than the title of the song might lead one to believe, but something that on, say, the synthy interlude “Ecliptic” from 2020’s Dead Star EP (review here), the group weren’t yet so bold as to attempt. Always changing, persistent in their evolution.

And at the close of the vinyl’s side A, “Interlude” further serves to set up the masterful execution of the final three tracks of Regenerator, the six-minute pair of “Mammoth” and “Avalon” and the aforementioned nine-minute finale, “Firmament,” a title that’s suitably evocative of both celestial and foundational premises. In these songs, King Buffalo effectively summarize the movement that’s taken place over the last year-plus as The Burden of Restlessness has given way to Acheron and Regenerator, encapsulate the band they’ve become and keep their eyes focused on their future. In the 21 minutes of Regenerator‘s side B, King Buffalo are more progressive, richer and more realized in their sound than they’ve ever been. It begins as “Mammoth” unfurls with sway and swing toward the vocal-driven-but-sans-lyrics ending that inevitably comes to define the entire song.

This is clear evidence of McVay‘s burgeoning stage and studio presence as someone who is as much vocalist/guitarist as guitarist/vocalist, and is soon enough confirmed by the layered harmonies of “Avalon,” the psych aspects of which feel directly linked to Acheron for more than the similar verbiage, but are duly broadened in scope to match the moment of arrival that stands for all three records as much as this one alone. I don’t know if that’s hyperbole or not and I don’t care. If this is King Buffalo in 2022, and the obvious message is that it is, then they are the most essential band under 40 in the American heavy underground.

They have put in the work to become so on every level, whether that’s pushing themselves stylistically and physically as players to grow and grow together, or touring and handling the business management realities of being a full-time group. “Firmament” closes Regenerator with a structure not so different from its counterpart title-track back at the beginning, but the soft-guitar/vulnerable-vocal intro nonetheless is a standout moment before a thicker and finally more driving shove takes hold with the entry of Donaldson and Reynolds. The hook, “I have become one with the (great eternal blue) sky/Everything’s one/Made new by the sun (firmament’s eye),” is likewise meditative and memorable, clever in its rhyme swap,  and true to an ongoing thread in McVay‘s lyrics of ethereal communion with the natural world. Delivered twice in succession — the lines slightly changed as indicated by the parentheses — it leads to a telltale chug that acts as dogwhistle to let the audience know there’s no coming back from where they’re going next.

“Firmament” indeed speaks of heavens in its instrumentalist drift and recalls restlessness in its still-vibrant repetitions. A current of synth running alongside, the guitar weaves into and out of solos while Reynolds punches out highlight bass work, and at 8:02, the pace of the snare picks up to signal the change to the last stage of the build. It is not overblown, or hackneyed, or telegraphed, but its gallop is vital and its cold finish completes the statement of Regenerator so as to lay claim to the entirety of King Buffalo‘s past to this point as a launchpad for what they might do next. Five full-lengths in six years, plus various EPs and other recordings, unflinching tour-born chemistry, and so on, and their potential still seems to be among their greatest assets as they close this trilogy and invariably continue to progress. Regenerator is beautiful, and complete.

King Buffalo on tour

UK/EU
7/21 London, UK @ Oslo
7/22 Nijmegen, NL @ Valkhof Festival
7/23 Lille, FR @ THE BLACK LAB
7/24 Selestat, FR @ Rock Your Brain fest
7/25 Munich, DE @ Free & Easy
7/27 Dresden, DE @Chemiefabrik
7/26 Passau, DE @ Zauberberg
7/28 Herzberg, DE @ Herzberg Festival
7/29 Hamburg, DE @ Lazy Bones Festival
7/30 Michelau, DE @ Rock Im Wald
7/31 Berlin, DE @ Lido
8/2 Warsaw, POL @ Hydrozagadka
8/3 Krakow, POL @ Klub Alchemia
8/4 Vienna, AT @ Arena
8/5 Waldhausen, AT @ Lake On Fire
8/6 Beelen, DE @ Krach Am Bach
8/8 Karlsruhe, DE @ P8
8/9 Zurich, CH @ Mascotte
8/10 Bruson, CH @ PALP Festival
8/11 Moledo, POR @ Sonic Blast Festival
8/12 Kortrijk, BE @ Alcatraz Festival
8/13 Horsens, DK @ JAILBREAK

US/Canada
9/8 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
9/9 Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom
9/10 Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
9/16 Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
9/17 Cincinnati, OH @ Madison Live
9/18 Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
9/20 Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
9/22 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
9/23 Austin, TX @ Antones
9/24 Houston, TX @ White Oak
9/25 New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
9/27 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
9/28 Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
9/29 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
9/30 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
10/1 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
10/13 Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
10/14 Ottawa, ON @ Club SAW
10/15 Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz
10/25 Bloomington, IL @ Nightshop
10/26 Kansas City, MO @ Recordbar
10/28 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
10/29 Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
10/31 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
11/1 Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram
11/2 San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
11/4 Seattle, WA @ Neumos
11/5 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw
11/7 Portland, OR @ Douglas Fir Lounge
11/8 Boise, ID @ The Olympic
11/9 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
11/11 Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
11/12 Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre
11/14 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Front Room
11/15 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
11/16 Madison, WI @ High Noon
11/17 Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
11/18 Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
11/19 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Stache

King Buffalo, Regenerator (2022)

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King Buffalo BigCartel store

King Buffalo website

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King Buffalo on Instagram

Stickman Records website

Stickman Records on Facebook

You might turn a quizzical eye toward the cover art of Motorpsycho‘s new album, Ancient Astronauts, but what are they supposed to do, get this guy from the History Channel? Because I’m fairly sure his contract is exclusive.

Not really much to know about the new Motorpsycho as regards details yet. There are no songs listed or stuff like that, but they do have a bit about the process and they talk about recording live as a three-piece. Some bands waited, you know, until travel could happen. If we count right now, Ancient Astronauts is the third pandemic-era LP Motorpsycho will have released. Computer, define “unstoppable.”

Yes, that was my Star Trek voice. Live with it.

Motorpsycho‘s 2021 album, Kingdom of Oblivion (review here), was a gem. If you expect less, you don’t know Motorpsycho.

From the PR wire:

MOTORPSYCHO Announces New Album “Ancient Astronauts”! Coming out on August 19, 2022 through Stickman Records!

Bill Graham once said, “They aren’t the best at what they do, they are the only ones that do what they do” about The Dead, and no truer words have ever been written about Motorpsycho.

Following their latest two albums during the “Covid years”, The All is One (2020) and Kingdom of Oblivion (2021), Motorpsycho has announced the release of Ancient Astronauts!

The album was recorded in Amper Tone studio in Oslo in the summer of 2021. Since Covid was still making international travel very difficult, Stockholm-based Reine Fiske wasn’t in the studio with the three core Motorpsycho members, making this the first album in years that they recorded as a three-piece. Recorded mainly in live takes with only a few overdubs and the vocals added afterwards, this is essentially the band playing live in the studio. At times fairly frantic and angular yet grandiose and hypnotic, this is a very explorative offering without a whole lot of choruses.

The cover consists of stills from a movie project, filmed at dawn in early August at Skottbu in Norway. The title, Ancient Astronauts, remains a bit of a mystery: are Motorpsycho following clues left by earlier travellers or are they perhaps leaving some themselves? Stay tuned for many more details and album news to be revealed soon…

Ancient Astronauts is slated to be released on August 19, 2022 via Stickman Records, with a pre-sale to start on July 15 at THIS LOCATION: https://www.stickman-records.com/

https://www.facebook.com/motorpsycho.official/
https://twitter.com/motorpsychoband
http://motorpsycho.no/

https://www.facebook.com/Stickman-Records-1522369868033940/
https://www.instagram.com/stickmanrecords/
https://www.stickman-records.com/

Motorpsycho, Kingdom of Oblivion (2021)

Rochester, New York, heavy psychedelic rock King Buffalo are hitting the point where you’re going to start hearing bands coming up working under their influence. You already can somewhat, but that’s not going to stop in the next few years. They’ll release the third-of-three in their pandemic trilogy, titled Regenerator, on Sept. 2 through themselves in the US and the venerable Stickman Records in Europe. It arrives as the follow-up to two of 2021’s best albums in Acheron (review here) and the prior The Burden of Restlessness (review here), and though I wrote the press release below, let me reiterate that I sincerely believe King Buffalo are one of the most crucial bands right now in the American heavy underground. I would put them on tour, US and Europe, with Elephant Tree from London and tell them both to keep going until they’re 50.

Alas, nobody puts me in charge of that kind of thing and probably for good reason. Regenerator is, however, a fitting summation of King Buffalo‘s prog-edged psychedelia, and you can see below that they’re ready to get out and tell everyone about it one head at a time.

Album announcement follows here, from my keyboard to the PR wire and back again:

KING BUFFALO ANNOUNCE ‘REGENERATOR’ TO BE RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2ND & TOUR DATES

Rochester, New York-based trio King Buffalo will issue their fifth full-length, Regenerator, on Sept. 2, 2022, as a self-release in North America and through Stickman Records in Europe. Preorders will be available on June 10 via http://kingbuffalo.bigcartel.com.

Written and recorded by the band with mixing and engineering by guitarist/vocalist Sean McVay and mastering by Bernie Matthews, the seven-song outing is the third in King Buffalo’s stated ‘pandemic trilogy,’ following Two of 2021’s Best Albums in The Burden of Restlessness and Acheron.

Both of those albums – like 2018’s Longing to Be the Mountain, 2016’s debut, Orion, and the various EPs and other offerings they’ve made over the last eight years – made bold declarations about who King Buffalo are as a band, and Regenerator is no different. As McVay, bassist/synthesist Dan Reynolds and drummer Scott Donaldson continue to explore the outer reaches of modern psychedelic songcraft, melding progressive rhythms, drifting atmospheres and accompanying surges of electricity, the new collection only further establishes them as one of the brightest lights shining in underground rock today.

As the third of three, Regenerator seems inherently to tie together the two LPs most immediately before it, and as King Buffalo unfold the leadoff title-track across nine and half minutes, it becomes clear just how truly they have marked out their own sonic presence. The later melodic highlight “Mammoth” – with McVay’s most confident vocal yet – shimmers with hope that somehow doesn’t come across as desperate, and as “Hours” engages classic space rock and the closing “Firmament” summarizes the first, second and third series installments, the final chapter of this trilogy becomes the essential cornerstone of King Buffalo’s work to-date.

The band returned to live activity late last year, touring alongside Clutch and more recently a full North American spring tour with Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats. By the time Regenerator arrives, they will have completed a UK and European headlining tour with festival appearances in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, Belgium and Denmark.

Regenerator was written by King Buffalo in Rochester, NY, at the Main Street Armory in 2021. Produced, engineered and mixed by Sean McVay, and mastered by Bernie Matthews. The artwork was created by Mike Del Rosario and the album layout by Scott Donaldson.

2022 European & North American Tour Dates

Tickets for all dates at kingbuffalo.com

7/14 Wiesbaden, DE @ Schlachthof
7/15 Riegsee, DE @ Raut Oak Festival
7/16 Erfurt, DE @ Stoned from the Underground
7/17 Deventer, NL @ Burgerweeshuis
7/19 Manchester, UK @ Rebellion
7/20 Bristol, UK @ The Exchange
7/21 London, UK @ Oslo
7/22 Nijmegen, NL @ Valkhof Festival
7/23 Lille, FR @ THE BLACK LAB
7/24 Selestat, FR @ Rock Your Brain fest
7/25 Munich, DE @ Free & Easy Festival
7/27 Dresden, DE @Chemiefabrik
7/28 Herzberg, DE @ Burg Herzberg Festival
7/29 Hamburg, DE @ Lazy Bones Festival
7/30 Michelau, DE @ Rock Im Wald
7/31 Berlin, DE @ Lido
8/2 Warschau, POL @ Hydrozagadka
8/3 Krakau, POL @ Klub Alchemia
8/4 Vienna, AT @ Arena
8/5 Waldhausen, AT @ Lake On Fire
8/6 Beelen, DE @ Krach Am Bach
8/9 Zurich, CH @ Mascotte
8/10 Bruson, CH @ PALP Festival
8/11 Moledo, POR @ Sonic Blast Festival
8/12 Kortrijk, BE @ Alcatraz Festival
8/13 Copenhagen, DK @ Jailbreak Festival

9/8 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
9/9 Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom
9/10 ?

9/16 Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
9/17 Cincinnati, OH @ Madison Live
9/18 Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
9/20 Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
9/22 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
9/23 Austin, TX @ Antones
9/24 Houston, TX @ White Oak
9/25 New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
9/27 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
9/28 Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
9/29 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
9/30 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
10/1 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

10/13 Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
10/14 Ottawa, ON @ Club SAW
10/15 Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz

10/26 Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
10/28 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
10/29 Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
10/31 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
11/1 Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram
11/2 San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
11/4 Seattle, WA @ Neumos
11/5 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw
11/7 Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
11/8 Boise, ID @ Neurolux
11/9 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
11/11 Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
11/12 Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre
11/15 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
11/16 Madison, WI @ High Noon
11/17 Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
11/18 Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
11/19 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick

Regenerator Tracklist:
1. Regenerator
2. Mercury
3. Hours
4. Interlude
5. Mammoth
6. Avalon
7. Firmament

King Buffalo is:
Sean McVay – Guitar, Vocals, & Synth
Dan Reynolds – Bass & Synth
Scott Donaldson – Drums

kingbuffalo.com
facebook.com/kingbuffaloband
instagram.com/kingbuffaloband
kingbuffalo.bandcamp.com

stickman-records.com
facebook.com/Stickman-Records-1522369868033940

King Buffalo, “Shadows” official video

King Buffalo, Acheron (2021)

King Buffalo, The Burden of Restlessness (2021)

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: Scott Donaldson of King Buffalo

—

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

I define myself as a musician and small business owner. It started from a desire to play music with friends and organically grew into a full-time job.

Describe your first musical memory.

Watching music VHS tapes at my dad’s. The three that come to mind to mind are Styx and Van Halen Live concerts. I remember Alex Van Halen making his drumset sound like a helicopter which blew my mind at the time and Tommy Shaw having a shiny metallic guitar that changed colors (it was just the stage lights). My tiny brain thought a color changing guitar was the ultimate. It’s kinda hilarious that I now have a drumset that can “change color” haha. The 3rd was all the Def Leppard music videos through Hysteria. I loved and completely wore through that tape.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

That’s tough. I’ve been extremely fortunate to meet a lot of super talented musicians and even luckier to be able to call many of them friends. I honestly can’t pick just one but it’d involve touring with them.

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

Probably when Sean said I should start playing certain songs to a click. A lot of his delays are mapped out and for some of the synth work, I have to be exactly on. I didn’t like the idea at first and now I love it. It’s comforting to know I’m in the right place and kinda liberating. Thanks Sean!

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

Does anyone know? I think everyone’s journey is different. Each person has their own views and ways of moving forward. I think it depends on the person and the environment they develop in.

How do you define success?

I think definitions of success change as you grow musically and as a person. Success to me when I first started was to make four records with my name on it and to do a West Coast tour. Now we’re approaching 10 records with KB so, I think we’ve achieved some success, but I also think there’s a lot more to go.

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

A dog at a live show without ear protection. Please protect your animals!

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

It’d be cool to have some KB tunes in a video game haha.

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

For me it’s trying to have fun. Music has become my full time job and I’m lucky to be able to say that. I think it can become easy to get jaded and forget how far you’ve come. I don’t want to take anything for granted and enjoy things for as long as they last. Having fun while creating is essential, because if it stops being fun I think it can stifle your creativity.

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

Dune Part 2. I read all the books over the pandemic and always had a campy appreciation of the David Lynch film. Part 1 was close to perfect for me and I’m excited to see what the next one brings. Fingers crossed they make a 3rd as well.

kingbuffalo.com
facebook.com/kingbuffaloband
instagram.com/kingbuffaloband
kingbuffalo.bandcamp.com

stickman-records.com
facebook.com/Stickman-Records-1522369868033940

King Buffalo, Acheron (2021)

King Buffalo, The Burden of Restlessness (2021)

Consider this your periodic reminder of the value of signing up for the Stickman Records newsletter. If I hadn’t, I would almost certainly have missed the news that Oslo classic heavy rockers Orango have completed the recording process for their yet-untitled (at least publicly) new album, which one hopes will see release sometime before the end of the year. Given vinyl delays, that might be 2023 in reality, but if your opinion isn’t “I’ll take it whenever it gets here, the sooner the better,” I’ll personally invite you to check out the trio’s 2018 offering, Evergreens (review here), which on its own should explain everything handily.

Until there’s word of a release date, the band has a limited reissue of 2014’s Battles that came out in March that seems to still be somewhat available, however temporarily that may be the case. I don’t know when the thing might happen in the sense of records happening, the full rollout and all that, but this is a good band and if you don’t know them and you’re still reading this sentence, it won’t hurt you to get on board.

From the aforementioned newsletter:

Orango returns from the studio with a new album!

It’s been a few years since the Norwegian classic rockers Orango dropped their last album (Evergreens, 2018), and as you’ve heard before, the pandemic didn’t exactly make it easier on bands. The good news is that the guys are fresh out of Ocean Sounds Studio with a new album! As production times remain sluggish, it’s too early to reveal much other than that you can expect another dose of top-shelf heavy rock full of melody and soul as few other bands can produce.

In the meantime, check out the band’s back catalog at their Bandcamp and grab some records here!

BATTLES: Remastered and reissued, double colored 180 g vinyl w/ two exclusive bonus tracks and new artwork – OUT MARCH 13TH! (OBS! 300 hand numbered copies only!)

Orders:
NORWAY: https://bigdipper.no/division-records/divreclp035/orango-battles–reissued-and-remastered-2lp
STICKMAN: https://www.stickman-records.com/shop/orango-battles-reissue

Orango is:
Helge Bredeli Kanck: guitar and vocals
Hallvard Gaardløs: bass and vocals
Trond Slåke: drums and vocals

https://www.facebook.com/orangotheband/
https://orango.bandcamp.com/
https://www.orangotheband.com/
http://www.stickman-records.com/
http://stickmanrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Stickman-Records-1522369868033940/

Orango, Evergreens (2018)