https://www.high-endrolex.com/18

Stöner Announce More European Touring for Totally…

Posted in Whathaveyou on May 20th, 2022 by JJ Koczan

stoner

Desert rock magnates Stöner are currently embroiled in a European tour as they make their way toward Desertfest Berlin in support of their newly-issued second album, Totally… (review here). And from the pics I’ve seen on social media, they’ve got Mario Lalli along selling merch/tour managing/being Mario Lalli, which is also awesome. Word comes down that they’ll continue to spend much of Summer 2022 abroad, doing a week of shows following their appearance at Hellfest in June before returning in August for SonicBlast in Portugal and a slew of others.

Seems like a lot of back and forth, but you can’t say they’re not out there hitting it for the record. They’ve already been on the road in the US alongside Clutch — twice, I think — and I wouldn’t be surprised if they came back in the Fall and did another American stint, which would likely include the East Coast since they did the West earlier in the year. Get yourself stöked. They’re doing the thing like punk rockers.

As seen on the internet:

stoner euro tour 2022

STÖNER EUROPE SUMMER 2022

Hey friends,

the Stöner & Slomosa tour is still going strong and what a RAD ride it is. They got 11 more shows to rock, so go grab your tickets and see them absolutely killing it live!

For those of you who can’t get enough of Stöner (like we do…), we got something for ya!

What about a STÖNER FOLLOW UP SUMMER TOUR

The trio consisting of Brant Bjork, Nick Oliveri and Ryan Gut in Stöner clearly don’t need an introduction anymore and you surely will read many familiar names when looking up their June toursupport’s line-up in Mario Lalli & the Rubber Snake Charmers:

Desert rock pioneer and curator of this project, Mario Lalli, and his likeminded friends Sean Wheeler, Brant Bjork, Dino Lalli and Ryan Güt will take you on a totally improvised sonic ride – heavy mediation on rhythms, drones and riffs – all anchored by Lalli’s grooving and morphing bass lines. They will take you on a shamans journey through sunbaked brains of these desert artists… a pure form of rock expression… DIG IT!

Sound of Liberation proudly presents:
STÖNER + support – Europe 2022 tour

STÖNER + support SLOMOSA Europe 2022
20.05.22 – Graz / p.p.c.
21.05.22 – Salzburg / Rockhouse Salzburg
22.05.22 – Aschaffenburg / Colos-Saal Aschaffenburg
23.05.22 – Munich / Feierwerk
24.05.22 – Erlangen / Kulturzentrum E-Werk
25.05.22 – Dortmund / Musiktheater Piano
26.05.22 – Marburg / Kulturzentrum KFZ Marburg
27.05.22 – Dresden / Beatpol
29.05.22 – Berlin / Desertfest Berlin

JUNE (+ support Mario Lalli & the Rubber Snake Charmers* )
24.06.22 (FRA) Clisson | Hellfest Open Air Festival
26.06.22 (GER) Bremen | Zollkantine*
28.06.22 (SWE) Stockholm | Hus 7*
29.06.22 (SWE) Göteborg | Valand Nattklubb*
30.06.22 (SWE) Malmö | Plan B – malmö*
01.07.22 (NOR) Oslo | Rockefeller Oslo*

AUGUST (+ support TBA)
02.08.22 (ITA) Cagliari | CuevaRock Live
04.08.22 (GER) Stuttgart | Universum
05.08.22 (AUT) Innsbruck | p.m.k
06.08.22 (ITA) Monguelfo | Burning Park Festival
07.08.22 (ITA) Bologna | Freakout Club Festival
08.08.22 (ITA) Treviso | ALTROQUANDO
10.08.22 (CHE) Bruson | PALP festival
11.08.22 (POR) Moledo | SonicBlast Fest
12.08.22 (BEL) Kortrijk | ALCATRAZ MUSIC Festival
13.08.22 (GER) Marienthal | Hoflärm 2022 Festival
14.08.22 (NLD) Eindhoven | Effenaar

STÖNER is:
Brant Bjork – Guitars/Vocals
Nick Oliveri – Bass
Ryan Güt – Drums

https://www.stonerband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/StonerBandOfficial/
https://www.instagram.com/stoner.band/

heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/

https://www.facebook.com/Soundofliberation/
https://www.instagram.com/soundofliberation/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/

Stöner, Totally… (2022)

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Album Review: Stöner, Totally…

Posted in Reviews on May 9th, 2022 by JJ Koczan

Stoner Totally

At some point between then and now, Stöner decided they were a real band. The Cali desert-dwelling three-piece of guitarist/vocalist Brant Bjork, bassist/vocalist Nick Oliveri and drummer Ryan Güt made their debut with the early-2021 livestream ‘Live in the Mojave Desert’ (review here), the audio for which was released that Spring as Live in the Mojave Desert Vol. 4 (review here) and followed by that Summer’s Stoners Rule (review here), on Heavy Psych Sounds. And if Stoners Rule was the trio testing the waters of their songwriting, renewing the decades-long, on-off collaboration between Bjork and Oliveri — whose pedigree probably doesn’t need to be recounted but between them includes KyussFu ManchuQueens of the Stone AgeMondo Generator, solo work of various stripes and more besides — then they’re doing so was like an act of teenage graffiti sloppily spraypainting the words of its title on the outside wall of the local high school.

The second Stöner full-length, Totally…, also arrives through Heavy Psych Sounds and is the equivalent of the same ne’er-do-wells, perhaps while smoking out by the loading dock of the very same high school, asking if you want to go to a party. The pepperoni pizza on the cover — definitively cut as though the listener, perhaps if properly stöned, might reach in and grab a slice — is a flag bearing the hallmark of both generation and ethos. Oliveri and Bjork may or may not actually have been those kids, I don’t know, but they’re not at all trying to hide where they’re coming from as Totally… opens with “Party March,” which is essentially the two of them talking about different kinds of parties for a verse over a suitably marching riff and echoing chorus of “Party! Party!” before Oliveri, in a bit of honesty, mentions the voices in his head saying “march! march! march! march!”

It is the first of eight tracks on the 37-minute album, and it’s about three-quarters of a song. That sounds like I’m ragging on it, but I’m not, because it speaks to the entire philosophy of what Stöner does in stripping away all the parts of what Bjork and Oliveri do as songwriters — and I won’t minimize Güt‘s contributions here just because the dude wasn’t in Kyuss; he killed it on the first record and he holds these riffs together as only a classic swing drummer can — and rediscovering the feeling of writing songs about nothing more than partying, as on that opener and the subsequent “A Million Beers,” and whatever the heck is going on in “Space Dude & The Burn” or “Driving Miss Lazy.” There’s no pretense otherwise.

At a time when bands throughout the heavy underground are giving in on impulses to comment either about politics, the environment, a genuine plague, etc., Stöner instead find their comfort not through presenting their hot takes on social media or in their songs, but in a kind of hazy nostalgia. That’s not to say that “Stöner Theme” doesn’t have its confrontation with stigma — one is reminded of “Hey, Monkey Boy” from Bjork‘s 2003 album, Keep Your Cool, at least in the song’s construction — but even that’s relatively low stakes.

This was refreshing on Stoners Rule and it is here as well, and Totally… adds to the band’s dynamic in a way that skirts the issue of stagnation; certainly an underlying threat for a band trying to keep it simple across multiple releases. “A Million Beers” is a rager, but “Strawberry Creek (Dirty Feet)” is a mid-paced nodder that, like “Party March,” features vocals intertwining from both Oliveri and Bjork, and where the latter fronted most of the songs last time around, on Totally… that line is blurred somewhat, and so is the line of apparent sourcing in terms of who wrote what. Stöner, to repeat, have become a real band.

stoner

“Space Dude & The Burn” tops eight minutes and is the longest track on the album, stopping at two minutes in to riff out en route to Oliveri‘s declaration “We don’t really care what you think…” and the eventual beginning of the jam that will comprise the song’s middle third before they lock in one more groove to cap. It finds something of a mirror in album-closer “Great American Sage” as Bjork intones the hook that could also serve as a mission statement for the band, “Tell all the world/Every boy and girl/If it ain’t got soul/Then it ain’t no rock and roll.” An old sentiment, yeah, but that’s the point, and better said than Bob Seger.

Just two and a half minutes, “Stöner Theme” also provides an intro to side B similarly to “Party March” leading into “A Million Beers,” as its languid, purposefully sloppy unfolding gives over to the chug at the start of “Turn it Around Now,” an even-fuzzier, single-worthy mellow hook with Bjork out front and Oliveri backing in the chorus — less stage-ready-raucous and a bit longer at five minutes than even “Strawberry Creek (Dirty Feet)” let alone “A Million Beers,” but a good time in its own right — and the subsequent “Driving Miss Lazy” goes back to ground in giving both mic time over a riff that’s thick enough to make even a discerning listener blush. They’ll share duties one more time on “Great American Sage,” Güt complementing with cowbell here and there as they roll into the finale, which sounds improvised at least to some degree and becomes an appropriate mess of noise before it finally falls apart and leaves Oliveri to deliver the title-line in bluesy style. Soul, then, abounds.

The response to Stoners Rule was divided, at least from what I saw, and while some of this material feels like it was written specifically with touring in mind — i.e., written to be played live — I don’t think Totally… is trying to change anyone’s mind so much as brazenly, unrepentantly doing its own thing. If so inclined, one can read progression in the increase in shared vocals between Bjork and Oliveri, the fluidity of the changes throughout “Space Dude & The Burn” or “Turn it Around Now” or even “Great American Sage,” but doing so feels a bit like missing the point, and with a band so intentionally casual there’s no guarantee that any path one might come out of Totally… feeling like the band are on is going to hold over to the next LP.

So maybe, if you can (and if you can’t, that’s okay) shove all that shit to one side for half an hour or so and enjoy Stöner for what they are and what they represent. Grab a slice, stick your phone in your pocket for a bit, and hang out. If that is a vision of escapism from the various horrors of our day, you could do far, far worse. Party on.

Stöner, Totally… (2022)

Stöner on Facebook

Stöner on Instagram

Stöner website

Heavy Psych Sounds on Facebook

Heavy Psych Sounds on Instagram

Heavy Psych Sounds website

Heavy Psych Sounds on Bandcamp

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RippleFest Texas 2022 Lineup Finalized

Posted in Whathaveyou on March 22nd, 2022 by JJ Koczan

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:

ripplefest texas 2022 final poster

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

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Stöner to Release Totally… May 6; Preorders Up Now

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 8th, 2022 by JJ Koczan

They’ve released a single today, and a butt-load of merch, but I can’t find the song streaming as I write this, so I’ll update when it shows up [EDIT: It’s there now.]. The track is “A Million Beers” and I found a live version of it to put at the bottom of the post from Stöner‘s stint alongside Clutch on that band’s holiday tour in December. “A Million Beers” starts at about six and a half minutes into that video and is a good match for “Stand Down” from the first album in terms of pace, with Nick Oliveri backing Brant Bjork‘s lead vocals. Keep it simple, keep it straightforward, keep it going. I admire this band’s ability so far to not take itself too seriously.

To wit, the pepperoni pizza album art of their new record, Totally…. Tells you a lot about what you’re getting here, I think, and I don’t know how you’d see that and say anything other than “right on” in response. It’s been a long time since I last tasted Californian pizza, but it looks about right.

I know people were divided on last year’s Stoners Rule (review here), and I get that. High expectations as Oliveri and Bjork collaborate on a new project along with drummer Ryan Güt, and they purposefully stripped down their sound to its barest elements. It should be interesting to see responses to this second album, especially without a live record like earlier 2021’s Live in the Mojave Desert Vol. 4 (review here) giving an early introduction of their new songs.

Info and preorder link from the PR wire; many tour dates included and probably more to come as the band was also just confirmed for Ripplefest Texas in July:

Stoner Totally

STÖNER – totally… – sophomore album of the desert rock super band

Today we are stoked to start the presale of the STONER sophomore new album TOTALLY…!!!
The release will see the light May 6th on Heavy Psych Sounds !!!

ALBUM PRESALE: https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop.htm#HPS230
USA PRESALE: https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop-usa.htm#HPS230
NEW MERCH: https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/merch.htm#stoner

RELEASED IN
25 ULTRA LTD TEST PRESS VINYL
100 ULTRA LTD SIDE A/SIDE B WHITE-BLACK-PINK VINYL
150 ULTRA LTD HALF/HALF SPLATTER TRANSPARENT YELLOW-TRANSPARENT ORANGE-RED SPLATTER VINYL
150 ULTRA LTD 3 COLOR STRIPED VINYL
250 ULTRA LTD COLOR IN COLOR SPLATTER VINYL
LTD ORANGE VINYL
BLACK VINYL
DIGIPAK
DIGITAL

RELEASE DATE: MAY 6th

TRACKLIST
Party March
A Million Beers
Strawberry Creek (Dirty Feet)
Spacedude & The Burn
Stöner Theme
Turn It Around Now
Driving Miss Lazy
Great American Sage

This is Epic! Half of the original members of Kyuss: the Lord of Coolness Brant Bjork himself, and the mighty Rex Everything AKA Nick Oliveri former of Queens of The Stone Age are ready to deliver you the album of the year 2022 !!!

The Dukes of the Desert are back with an incredible sophomore album: STÖNER – totally … is the perfect mix of Desert Swing, Stoner Rock, Desert Rock, and Low Punk all at once!

8 brand new tracks which will blow your mind, recorded by Yosef Sunborn who followed Brant in the last decade for his solo recordings. Mellow guitars, funky stoner rhythms, blousy atmospheres, typical Nick’s punky sounds.. the album flies away in one single listen and makes you want to play it again immediately. Cover art is Hilarious, as this band wants to be. Nothing too serious, they wanna play and have fun, that’s the recipe the Dukes are bringing us after 30 years of experience !!

Produced, recorded and mixed by Yoseph Sanborn and Stöner. Released by Heavy Psych Sounds Records. Guest appearances on guitar by Greg Hetson (Circle Jerks) and Mario Lalli (Yawning Man).
Grab a slice, crank it, and catch the band on tour in ’22 in the US, Canada, UK and Europe.

STÖNER – WEST NORTH WEST TOUR 2022:
02.23 Costa Mesa CA The Wayfarer*
02.24 Santa Cruz CA Urbani’s Cellar*
02.25 Albany CA The Ivy Room*
02.26 Eugene OR The Big Dirty Live*
02.27 Portland OR Star Theater*
03.01 Seattle WA El Corazon*
03.02 Vancouver BC Rickshaw*
03.03 TBC BC*
03.04 Edmonton AB Starlite Room*
03.05 Calgary AB Palomino*
03.06 Missoula MT Badlander
03.08 Boise ID Neurolux
03.09 Salt Lake City UT Aces High
03.10 Las Vegas NV Soulbelly BBQ
03.11 Tempe AZ Pub Rock
03.12 Oceanside CA Pour House

STÖNER – APRIL & MAY 2022 UK & IRELAND TOUR :
Fri 22 Apr : Monroes Live, Galway, Ire
Sat 23 Apr : Dolan’s Warehouse, Limerick, Ire
Sun 24 Apr : Cyprus Avenue, Cork, Ire
Mon 25 Apr : Limelight 2, Belfast, UK
Tue 26 Apr : Opium, Dublin, Ire
Thu 28 Apr : The Garage, Glasgow, UK
Fri 29 Apr : The Warehouse, Leeds, UK
Mon 02 May : Academy 3, Manchester, UK
Tue 03 May : The Mill, Birmingham, UK
Wed 04 May : Thekla, Bristol, UK

STÖNER + support SLOMOSA Europe 2022
06.05.22 – TBA
07.05.22 – TBA
08.05.22 – Aachen / Musikbunker Aachen
09.05.22 – Hamburg / Knust Hamburg
10.05.22 – Luxemburg / Kulturfabrik Esch-sur-Alzette
11.05.22 – Belfort / La Poudrière – Belfort
12.05.22 – Paris / Nouveau Casino
13.05.22 – Toulouse / Connexion Live
14.05.22 – TBA
15.05.22 – Barcelona / Wolf Barcelona
17.05.22 – Duedingen / Bad Bonn
18.05.22 – Winterthur / Gaswerk
19.05.22 – Wien / ARENA WIEN
20.05.22 – Graz / p.p.c.
21.05.22 – Salzburg / Rockhouse Salzburg
22.05.22 – Aschaffenburg / Colos-Saal Aschaffenburg
23.05.22 – Munich / Feierwerk
24.05.22 – Erlangen / Kulturzentrum E-Werk
25.05.22 – Dortmund / Musiktheater Piano
26.05.22 – Marburg / Kulturzentrum KFZ Marburg
27.05.22 – Dresden / Beatpol
29.05.22 – Berlin / Desertfest Berlin

STÖNER is:
Brant Bjork – Guitars/Vocals
Nick Oliveri – Bass
Ryan Güt – Drums

https://www.stonerband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/StonerBandOfficial/
https://www.instagram.com/stoner.band/
heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
https://www.facebook.com/Soundofliberation/
https://www.instagram.com/soundofliberation/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/

Stöner, “A Million Beers”

Stöner, “Stand Down/A Million Beers” live in Baltimore, MD, Dec. 27, 2021

Stöner, Stoners Rule (2021)

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Ripplefest Texas 2022 Makes First Lineup Announcements

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 7th, 2022 by JJ Koczan

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 RippleRezn 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 header

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!

ripplefest texas 2022 mothership

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.

ripplefest texas stoner

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

ripplefest texas sun crow

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!

ripplefest texas sun crow

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)

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Stöner Re-Sign to Heavy Psych Sounds; Announce Second Album

Posted in Whathaveyou on January 31st, 2022 by JJ Koczan

This was foreseeable, but confirmation is welcome, and in keeping with the established pattern of Heavy Psych Sounds teasing announcements with announcements — you do what you gotta do, and if you want to question their methods, well, fine, but they’re arguably the most important heavy rock label in the world right now, so whatever they’re doing it’s clearly working for them — the PR wire sends word that Stöner, with Brant Bjork, Nick Oliveri and drummer/secret weapon Ryan Güt, have re-signed to the imprint for the follow-up to their 2021 debut, Stoners Rule (review here).

When I interviewed Brant Bjork last year, he noted the goal was to turn around another release before the end of 2022, and with a slew of tour dates lined up on the West Coast and in Europe, it seems reasonable to think that a three-month promo push ahead of the outing will put the eventual release date sometime in April. Their Euro/UK run starts on April 22, which is a Friday. Galway sounds like a cool spot for a release show to me, but of course that’s just speculation at this point.

We’ll find out more next week when the preorders start and the album details and first single are unveiled.

Until then:

stoner

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS signed the desert rock legends for the sophomore album – presale + first track premiere February 8th!!!

We are so stoked to announce that the desert legends STÖNER feat. Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri has signed a worldwide deal with Heavy Psych Sounds for their sophomore album !!!

PRESALE + first track premiere: FEBRUARY 8th

Rad stays rad. A few ideas are timeless. Stöner is Brant Bjork (guitar/vocals), Nick Oliveri (bass/vocals) and Ryan Güt (drums), and from flowing jams to all-out punker blasts, they know what they’re doing. It ain’t anybody’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 Güt (also of Bjork’s solo band), Stöner keep it casual and wear the name as only those who helped create the sound could.

After the debut album Stoners Rule out in 2021, the band will release the sophomore album in 2022 via Heavy Psych Sounds !!!

STÖNER – WEST NORTH WEST TOUR 2022:
02.23 Costa Mesa CA The Wayfarer*
02.24 Santa Cruz CA Urbani’s Cellar*
02.25 Albany CA The Ivy Room*
02.26 Eugene OR The Big Dirty Live*
02.27 Portland OR Star Theater*
03.01 Seattle WA El Corazon*
03.02 Vancouver BC Rickshaw*
03.03 TBC BC*
03.04 Edmonton AB Starlite Room*
03.05 Calgary AB Palomino*
03.06 Missoula MT Badlander
03.08 Boise ID Neurolux
03.09 Salt Lake City UT Aces High
03.10 Las Vegas NV Soulbelly BBQ
03.11 Tempe AZ Pub Rock
03.12 Oceanside CA Pour House

STÖNER – APRIL & MAY 2022 UK & IRELAND TOUR :
Fri 22 Apr : Monroes Live, Galway, Ire
Sat 23 Apr : Dolan’s Warehouse, Limerick, Ire
Sun 24 Apr : Cyprus Avenue, Cork, Ire
Mon 25 Apr : Limelight 2, Belfast, UK
Tue 26 Apr : Opium, Dublin, Ire
Thu 28 Apr : The Garage, Glasgow, UK
Fri 29 Apr : The Warehouse, Leeds, UK
Mon 02 May : Academy 3, Manchester, UK
Tue 03 May : The Mill, Birmingham, UK
Wed 04 May : Thekla, Bristol, UK

STÖNER + support SLOMOSA Europe 2022
06.05.22 – TBA
07.05.22 – TBA
08.05.22 – Aachen / Musikbunker Aachen
09.05.22 – Hamburg / Knust Hamburg
10.05.22 – Luxemburg / Kulturfabrik Esch-sur-Alzette
11.05.22 – Belfort / La Poudrière – Belfort
12.05.22 – Paris / Nouveau Casino
13.05.22 – Toulouse / Connexion Live
14.05.22 – TBA
15.05.22 – Barcelona / Wolf Barcelona
17.05.22 – Duedingen / Bad Bonn
18.05.22 – Winterthur / Gaswerk
19.05.22 – Wien / ARENA WIEN
20.05.22 – Graz / p.p.c.
21.05.22 – Salzburg / Rockhouse Salzburg
22.05.22 – Aschaffenburg / Colos-Saal Aschaffenburg
23.05.22 – Munich / Feierwerk
24.05.22 – Erlangen / Kulturzentrum E-Werk
25.05.22 – Dortmund / Musiktheater Piano
26.05.22 – Marburg / Kulturzentrum KFZ Marburg
27.05.22 – Dresden / Beatpol
29.05.22 – Berlin / Desertfest Berlin

STÖNER is:
Brant Bjork – Guitars/Vocals
Nick Oliveri – Bass
Ryan Güt – Drums

https://www.stonerband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/StonerBandOfficial/
https://www.instagram.com/stoner.band/
heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
https://www.facebook.com/Soundofliberation/
https://www.instagram.com/soundofliberation/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/

Stöner, Stoners Rule (2021)

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The Obelisk Show on Gimme Metal Playlist: Episode 75

Posted in Radio on January 7th, 2022 by JJ Koczan

the obelisk show banner

Still playing catchup with some of the best stuff from 2021, and considering it’s been 2022 for all of a week, that’s not actually that bad. To say I vouch for this playlist is moot. You’ve seen my best of 2021 post — or if you haven’t, here it is — and when it comes to the Gimme Metal show generally, my position is I’m not going to play it if I don’t think it’s cool, so yeah, I’m on board with what’s happening here.

I’ll spare you grand reflections on the year that was, musically or otherwise, and just note that there’s some good variety of stuff going on here, between the likes of Lammping, Apostle of Solitude, Black Willows and Comet Control. I dig that. I hope you do too. Pretty simple, right?

If you didn’t hear the Kadabra record — yeah, I know their name is similar to Kadavar; they’re a different band — check that track out. Ditto, uh, everything, but I know not everyone has or is willing to make the time. Life is what it is. I feel lucky Gimme still lets me do this.

The Obelisk Show airs 5PM Eastern today on the Gimme app or at: http://gimmemetal.com.

Full playlist:

The Obelisk Show – 01.07.22

Yawning Sons Cigarette Footsteps Sky Island
Comet Control Heavy Moments Inside the Sun
Lammping Intercessor Flashjacks
VT
Apostle of Solitude Apathy in Isolation Until the Darkness Goes
Delving Delving Hirschbrunnen
LLNN Desecrator Unmaker
Kadabra Graveyard Ultra
Alastor Death Cult Onwards and Downwards
King Buffalo Locusts The Burden of Restlessness
Jointhugger Midnight Surrounded by Vultures
The Age of Truth A Promise of Nothing Resolute
High Desert Queen Skyscraper Secrets of the Black Moon
Stoner Nothin’ Stoners Rule
The Kings of Frog Island Beyond the Void VII
Elder & Kadavar From Deep Within Eldovar: A Story of Darkness and Light
VT
Black Willows Ascent Shemurah

The Obelisk Show on Gimme Metal airs every Friday 5PM Eastern, with replays Sunday at 7PM Eastern. Next new episode is Jan. 21 (subject to change). Thanks for listening if you do.

Gimme Metal website

The Obelisk on Facebook

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Stöner Announce West Coast Tour Including ‘Interstellar Taco’ Dates with Yawning Man

Posted in Whathaveyou on December 23rd, 2021 by JJ Koczan

stoner band

So give me a second while I try to get a handle on all of Stöner‘s upcoming tour dates. First is the holiday run with Clutch. Assuming that happens, it starts next week.

The following lists of shows though have all been announced at various points — the UK/Ireland tour first, then the Clutch dates, then EU plus various fests, now West Coast — so it’s been hard to keep it all straight. I’ve compiled the full list from various other news posts in order to get a more complete picture of what the band’s intentions for 2022 are going to be. My question amid all of this is whether or not Brant Bjork, Nick Oliveri and Ryan Güt will also as previously stated be releasing a second album sometime next year to follow-up on 2021’s Stoners Rule (review here). Would love to tell you, but I just don’t know.

What I do know, however, is that the poster for the portion of the newly-unveiled West Coast stint that involves Yawning Man — dubbed the ‘Interstellar Taco’ tour — is amazing and I’m glad it exists. That art is by Brian Walsby working off an idea from Yawning Man‘s Gary Arce and Mario Lalli. Fucking a.

Shows:

stoner tour dates

stoner yawning man interstellar taco tour

STÖNER with Clutch:
Dec. 27 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head
Dec. 28 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
Dec. 29 – Cleveland, OH – Agoura Theatre
Dec. 30 – Detroit, MI – Filmore Theatre
Dec. 31 – Cincinnati, OH – The Icon
Jan. 2 – Washington DC – The 9:30 Club

STÖNER – WEST NORTH WEST TOUR 2022:
02.23 Costa Mesa CA The Wayfarer*
02.24 Santa Cruz CA Urbani’s Cellar*
02.25 Albany CA The Ivy Room*
02.26 Eugene OR The Big Dirty Live*
02.27 Portland OR Star Theater*
03.01 Seattle WA El Corazon*
03.02 Vancouver BC Rickshaw*
03.03 TBC BC*
03.04 Edmonton AB Starlite Room*
03.05 Calgary AB Palomino*
03.06 Missoula MT Badlander
03.08 Boise ID Neurolux
03.09 Salt Lake City UT Aces High
03.10 Las Vegas NV Soulbelly BBQ
03.11 Tempe AZ Pub Rock
03.12 Oceanside CA Pour House

STÖNER – APRIL & MAY 2022 UK & IRELAND TOUR :
Fri 22 Apr : Monroes Live, Galway, Ire
Sat 23 Apr : Dolan’s Warehouse, Limerick, Ire
Sun 24 Apr : Cyprus Avenue, Cork, Ire
Mon 25 Apr : Limelight 2, Belfast, UK
Tue 26 Apr : Opium, Dublin, Ire
Thu 28 Apr : The Garage, Glasgow, UK
Fri 29 Apr : The Warehouse, Leeds, UK
Mon 02 May : Academy 3, Manchester, UK
Tue 03 May : The Mill, Birmingham, UK
Wed 04 May : Thekla, Bristol, UK

STÖNER + support SLOMOSA Europe 2022
06.05.22 – TBA
07.05.22 – TBA
08.05.22 – Aachen / Musikbunker Aachen
09.05.22 – Hamburg / Knust Hamburg
10.05.22 – Luxemburg / Kulturfabrik Esch-sur-Alzette
11.05.22 – Belfort / La Poudrière – Belfort
12.05.22 – Paris / Nouveau Casino
13.05.22 – Toulouse / Connexion Live
14.05.22 – TBA
15.05.22 – Barcelona / Wolf Barcelona
17.05.22 – Duedingen / Bad Bonn
18.05.22 – Winterthur / Gaswerk
19.05.22 – Wien / ARENA WIEN
20.05.22 – Graz / p.p.c.
21.05.22 – Salzburg / Rockhouse Salzburg
22.05.22 – Aschaffenburg / Colos-Saal Aschaffenburg
23.05.22 – Munich / Feierwerk
24.05.22 – Erlangen / Kulturzentrum E-Werk
25.05.22 – Dortmund / Musiktheater Piano
26.05.22 – Marburg / Kulturzentrum KFZ Marburg
27.05.22 – Dresden / Beatpol
29.05.22 – Berlin / Desertfest Berlin

STÖNER is:
Brant Bjork – Guitars/Vocals
Nick Oliveri – Bass
Ryan Güt – Drums

https://www.stonerband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/StonerBandOfficial/
https://www.instagram.com/stoner.band/
heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
https://www.facebook.com/Soundofliberation/
https://www.instagram.com/soundofliberation/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/

Stöner, Stoners Rule (2021)

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