Well, here we are. The stories are everywhere and varied around the basic theme of ‘Brown person gets illegally disappeared’ and even as the United States postulates to white South African refugees fleeing I’m not sure what for the dickish optics of racism, actual legal residents are having their rights thrown away in favor of harassment and illegal imprisonment. If you were going to travel here for any reason, be it vacation, work, or just to see that big fancy arch in St. Louis, do yourself a favor and stay home. This place is a shithole run by psychopaths who believe in either nothing or nothing other than their own holy ascension and what profit they can make from it. You could easily do better, nation-wise. Canada or Mexico, for example.

Lord Buffalo were ready to go when drummer Yamal Said was grabbed and taken nobody knows where to, let’s assume, catch a ration of bullshit no one has ever needed in their life. Beaten, starved, kept in cages — these are the things the United States does to prisoners. Solitary confinement for days. These are unconscionable acts apart from being immoral, and my greatest fear about this awful moment in US history is that when it’s over — and it will end; all authoritarians die — no one will be held accountable and my countrymen will learn nothing and nothing will get better in any meaningful way.

Because that’s where we are. The fuckups have already happened, are already happening, and to repair trust in basic institutions let alone standing in the rest of the world is going to take decades, probably more than the rest of this century, to happen, if it happens at all. I sincerely doubt I’ll live to see it, not the least from the forward-into-brick-wall trajectory of American foreign and domestic policy, taking institutions that were basically functional and supported the infrastructure of the broader government and axing the people who know how to make them run. An economic approach like bad improv jazz. Still genocide. And at home the roads crumble, the schools get worse, everything gets more expensive and the news blinks when the head of the executive branch takes a $400 million bribe in open public.

We are backward and terrible, and if the experiment of the United States was to coexist and move into the future as a successful multicultural society, that experiment has failed in the face of a few rich white motherfuckers who don’t even have the common decency of past generations to build things like libraries or sculpture gardens. Radical wealth redistribution now. Disband ICE now. Fuck all fascists, including your friends, neighbors, family, cops and local and national government. This is how a halfway decent idea for a country dies and deserves it.

From social media:

[UPDATE 05/15: The word is that Said was picked up for a warrant and taken to local jail, not detained by immigration enforcement. I’m not sure how ‘regular old police state’ is supposed to make me feel better about things, but there you go. The band apparently didn’t know. They did the correct thing and got him a lawyer. People are still being grabbed off the street every day in this country for the purpose of stoking fear and division. It doesn’t just have to happen to someone in a band for you to care.]

We are heartbroken to announce we have to cancel our upcoming European tour. Our drummer, Yamal Said, who is a Mexican citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States (green card holder) was forcibly removed from our flight to Europe by Customs and Border Patrol at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday May 12. He has not been released, and we have been unable to contact him. We are currently working with an immigration lawyer to find out more information and to attempt to secure his release. We are devastated to cancel this tour, but we are focusing all of our energy and resources on Yamal’s safety and freedom. We are hopeful that this is a temporary setback and that it could be safe for us to reschedule this tour in the future. In our absence, our touring partners Orsak:Oslo will continue to perform the tour. We urge everyone to go see this amazing band and support them over the next couple weeks.

Affected dates:

LORD BUFFALO is:
Daniel Pruitt – guitar, bass, piano, vocals, melodica
Garrett Hellman – guitar, sub-bass, piano, synths
Patrick Patterson – violin
Yamal Said – drums, percussion

https://www.facebook.com/lord.buffalo.band/
http://instagram.com/lordbuffalo
https://lord-buffalo.bandcamp.com/
http://www.lordbuffalo.com/

https://www.facebook.com/bluesfuneral/
https://www.instagram.com/blues.funeral/
https://bluesfuneralrecordings.bandcamp.com/
bluesfuneral.com

Lord Buffalo, Holus Bolus (2024)

This past weekend, Houston’s Stone Nomads took part in the third Gravitoyd Doomfest in their hometown, and they’ve got a weekender in Louisiana coming up, which sounds pleasant whether you’re doing shows or not, frankly. All well and good, but it’s the Southeast that the band will be focused on in July as they make their way to and through the Asheville Doomed & Stoned Fest with a string of club shows subsequent to their July 12 appearance at the festival in North Carolina.

The band promise more shows to be announced, and with a slot already confirmed at Ripplefest Texas in September and Tampa Doom and Gloom later this Fall, they’ll for sure have other opportunities for get-outs. Their next album may or may not be out by then as well, as they’re recording and dropping hints of a release plan to unfold in the coming months for what will be their third long-player.

Poster and dates off the PR wire:

Texas powerhouse sludge metal trio STONE NOMADS announce the first leg of their 2025 US Tour, with 11 dates spanning the southern US in May and June. The trek features 2 festival appearances – DOOMED & STONED fest in Asheville NC and GRAVITOYD DOOM fest in Houston TX. The band is also scheduled to appear later in the year at RIPPLEFEST TX (Sept) and TAMPA DOOM & GLOOM (Nov). More dates and a full second leg to be announced in the summer.

May 16th – Midcity Ballroom – Baton Rouge, LA
May 17th – Santos Bar – New Orleans, LA
July 11th – Al’s Bar – Lexington, KY
July 12th – Doomed & Stoned fest – Asheville, NC
July 13th – The Den – Winston Salem, NC
July 15th – The Cobra Lounge – Nashville, TN
July 16th – Sweetwater – Atlanta, GA
July 17th – Jack Rabbits – Jacksonville, FL
July 18th – Deviant Libation – Tampa, FL
July 19th – Poor House – Ft Lauderdale, FL

The band is currently in the studio with legendary producer RANDY BURNS (Megadeth, Death, Possessed) putting the finishing touches on their 3rd album, scheduled to be released in the fall of 2025.

Here’s a quote from the band:

“We have been hard at work in the studio the past few months putting together a banger of an album (our first on a yet-to-be-announced label…more info coming soon…), can’t wait for the world to hear it later this fall! In the meantime we are super stoked to get back out on the road this summer and do what we do best with in front of all of our rowdy friends across the southern US.”

https://www.facebook.com/StoneNomadsHTX/
https://www.instagram.com/stonenomads/
https://stonenomads.bandcamp.com/
http://www.stonenomads.com/

https://www.facebook.com/gravitoyd
https://www.instagram.com/gravitoyd_heavy_music/
https://gravitoyd.com/

Stone Nomads, Beyond the Gates (2024)

Okay, so, in 10 days, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol will have traveled from their hometown in Austin, Texas, to embark on their first European tour, making stops at Obsidian Dust, Sonic Whip, Desertfest London, Desertfest Berlin and Mystic Festival, in addition to copious club shows covering much of the continent. Upon returning home, a week later the trio will host their own all-dayer, in Austin, Big Dumb Fest 3, which they’re also playing.

Four days after that, they’re in New York supporting Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs at Le Poisson Rouge, which is a show the city will talk about for the rest of this year at least, and taking off on a round of East Coast touring that will bring them to the end of June. In July they’re at Unhinged Fest in Denver, and then in August they follow-up the Eastern run by doing a full West Coast jaunt.

Just a band working their ass off. Nothing to see here.

Except for the show, which as I understand it is quite a thing to see indeed.

From the PR wire:

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol announce BIG DUMB FEST 2025 and US tour with THE SWORD

EU & UK tour starts May 15th

Austin trio Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol announce their 3rd annual hometown BIG DUMB FEST today, as well as US tour dates supporting the reunited The Sword. The festival is curated by the band, who hand picked the entire 7 band lineup (with RBBP headlining the event) and collection of food vendors. BIG DUMB FEST 3 takes place Saturday, June 14th at Mohawk Austin. (Assets)

The Sword dates start in August, and cover the Western US. RBBP returns to the East Coast in June supporting Pigs x 7. The band also launches their first EU & UK tour in May. Please see all dates below. Tickets for all shows are available now HERE: https://taplink.cc/rickshawbillie

BIG DUMB FEST 2025 – Austin, TX – Saturday, June 14th – Mohawk Austin – 6pm

Bands: Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol * Gus Baldwin & The Sketch * The Grasshopper Lies Heavy * Glime * Gran Moreno * Subpar Snatch * Bat Lips *

Food: Bad Larry’s Burger Club – Grandpa’s Glizzys – Sucio Boy Burgers

BIG DUMB RIFFS is available on digital, LP and cassette, released May 10th, 2024. Order/stream the album on all formats HERE: https://taplink.cc/rickshawbillie

RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL EU/UK LIVE 2025:
15/05 Brussels, BE – Obsidian Dust Festival
16/05 Nijmegen, NL – Sonic Whip Festival
17/05 Wolverhampton, UK – Dive
18/05 London, UK – DesertFest London
20/05 Paris, FR – Mécanique Ondulatoire
21/05 Lille, FR – Le Bulle Café
22/05 Bochum, DE – Die Trompete
23/05 Berlin, DE – DesertFest Berlin
24/05 Lübeck, DE – Treibsand
25/05 Stockholm, SE – Bar Brooklyn
27/05 Malmö, SE – Plan B
28/05 Dresden, DE – Chemiefabrik
29/05 Traunstein, DE – Cafe Festung
30/05 Bolzano, IT – Zoona
31/05 Ljubljana, SI – Menza Pri Koritu
01/06 Zagreb, HR – Vintage Industrial Bar
02/06 Vienna, AT – Arena
03/06 Budapest, HU – Szimpla
05/06 Gdansk, PL – Mystic Festival
06/06 Brno, CZ – Kabinet MUZ
07/06 Prague, CZ – Bike Jesus

RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL – US LIVE 2025:
06/14 Austin, TX – Mohawk – BIG DUMB FEST 2025
06/18 NY, NY – Le Poisson Rouge*
06/19 Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts*
06/20 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club*
06/21 Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird*
06/23 Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop*
06/24 Detroit, MI – Magic Bag*
06/25 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall*
06/27 Toronto, ON – The Concert Hall*
06/28 Montreal, QC – Bar Le Ritz*
06/29 Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall*
07/26 Denver, CO – Unhinged Fest
08/17 Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom +
08/18 Albuquerque, NM – Sister Bar +
08/19 Denver, CO – Gothic Theater +
08/20 Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall +
08/22 Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory +
08/23 Seattle, WA – Neumo’s +
08/24 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theater +
08/25 Boise, ID – Knitting Factory +
08/27 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall +
08/28 Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet’s +
08/29 San Diego, CA – Belly Up Tavern +
08/30 Los Angeles, CA – The Bellwether +

* w/ Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs
+ w/ The Sword

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol:
Leo Lydon: eight-string guitar/vocals
Aaron Metzdorf: bass
Sean St.Germain: drums

https://www.facebook.com/rickshawbilliesburgerpatrol
https://www.instagram.com/rickshawbillieandtheboys
https://rickshawbilliesburgerpatrol.bandcamp.com/
http://www.rickshawbilliesburgerpatrol.com/
https://taplink.cc/rickshawbillie

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, “Whip it Around” official video

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, Big Dumb Riffs (2024)

With no Desertfest New York this year (and, let’s face it, maybe not next year either), I don’t have the luxury I’ve enjoyed throughout the 2020s thus far of consoling myself at missing Ripplefest Texas by seeing some of the same acts coming through without having to fly out to do it. Not so much this year. In unveiling its full lineup for this September, Ripplefest Texas 2025 lays out an absolute dream of a bill — from Weedeater to Suplecs to Mothership to Author and Punisher (new record by then?) to Sundrifter and Mr. frickin’ Plow and Lake Lake — it’s the most imperative US festival lineup I’ve seen pretty much since Ripplefest Texas last year.

I’ve never been to Ripplefest Texas and it’s been over 15 years since the last time I set foot in Austin, but I’d be there in a hot minute for this one. Gonna start a GoFundMe for the flight and lodging (more likely, beg my wife). If you get there, congratulations on your life.

Check out the new adds and the full lineup below. It’s a beautiful thing:

The best family reunion of the year is back! The lineup for RippleFest Texas 2025 is now complete and you will not want to miss your chance to see the best music at the friendliest festival in the world. Lick of My Spoon Productions brings you the only open air festival in the US with ABSOLUTELY ZERO BAND OVERLAPPING! New bands added to an already stacked lineup are ASG, Author & Punisher, Mondo Generator, High Desert Queen, Bronco, Rainbows Are Free, The Absurd, Volume, Gran Moreno, Karma Vulture, and Desert Suns.

The festival will once again be held at The Far Out Lounge and Sagebrush in Austin, TX on September 18-21, 2025. Get your tickets now at www.lickofmyspoon.com.

Full List of Bands:
Weedeater
Whores.
Mothership
Author & Punisher
Mondo Generator
ASG
Unida
Wo Fat
Valley of the Sun
Left Lane Cruiser
High Desert Queen
Mos Generator
Telekinetic Yeti
Human Impact
Mountain of Smoke
Thunder Horse
Suplecs
Kind
Bronco
Sundrifter
Rainbows Are Free
Fostermother
Mr. Plow
Kupa Pities
Luna Sol
Shun
Gran Moreno
Stone Nomads
Volume
The Absurd
Desert Suns
Karma Vulture
Lake Lake
Sons of Gulliver

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

Author & Punisher, Krüller (2022)

Drone soloist Mark Kitchens, who operates under the moniker of Slow Draw with the experimentalist project, is on cusp of an April 29 release for his new five-song LP, The People’s Department of Governmental Checks and Balances. From the tense dub of its opening chapter “A Misleading Sense of Direction,” which sets its low-key beat and weaving line of synthesizer drone as a backdrop for a sample from air traffic control that I’m pretty sure returns backward on closer “Trying to Land,” the 35-minute work sets itself forth as a kind of resonant, individualized psychedelia distinct from what Kitchens has done with Slow Draw up to this point, but very much born out of those root creative impulses.

Consider that most drone you hear is made by guitarists. Kitchens handles a range of instruments in Slow Draw, but is also the drummer in Stone Machine Electric, and so that organic and electric beatmaking would be a part of his approach makes sense, even as the 12-plus-minute “Paradise of Fools” seems to be so much about the SunnO)))-style tonal overwhelm of its guitar. And fair enough, but while Kitchens spends a decent amount of the total runtime in that space, it’s still only part of the overarching impression, and Kitchens is no less purposeful in leaving the reaches open for most of “Inventing Scapegoats,” taking the placed-far-back vocals buried in the mix of the song prior and putting them as the swirling monasterial fog of the ongoing ritual exploration. Where “Paradise of Fools” was only missing drums to give a full-band feel — accomplishing a Megaton Leviathan-style avant drone-gaze in the meantime — “Inventing Scapegoats” is much quieter, to a point of minimalism early on, but does tip over to manifesting that full-band feel.

That in itself isn’t necessarily new. Kitchens had guitar/bass/drum solo arrangements on 2023’s The Mystic Crib (review here), and that rhythm would be part of the ideology even in a drone project for a drummer should be taken as no surprise. It’s the way Kitchens brings drone, psych and a kind of meditative feel together. “A Misleading Sense of Direction” is part of it in terms of setting the atmosphere, and “Paradise of Fools” reminds of Author & Punisher at its noisiest, so I’m not complaining about that either, but in “Inventing Scapegoats” and “Data Corrupter,” the latter of which sounds like it was recorded on a room mic filtered through a ColecoVision, Kitchens realizes something different in heavy psych and drone. It’s not quite drone-gaze, or heavy-gaze or whatever the difference might be between the two, but it draws from that as well as from the likes of Om and, in the case of the latter, its rough sound and samples make it sound all the more like a garage-psych dispatch from the apocalyptic now.

Each piece on The People’s Department of Governmental Checks and Balances — and if you find the implications of the cover art shocking, grow up; even David Brooks is calling for a popular uprising — adds something to the procession of the whole, and the kind of drummer’s-drone point of view can be heard in the jazzy motion of “Trying to Land,” which would seem to bookend with the leadoff, but in terms of Slow Draw making ‘songs,’ with vocals and changes and arrangements and so on, the album is an immediate standout in Kitchens‘ growing catalog. His journey to this point has brought him to a place of what feels like genuine stylistic discovery and a nascent process emerging in a project that has made experimentation a founding principle. I’m curious as hell to know where Kitchens might take Slow Draw from here, and his move toward songwriting is a big part of why.

The album streams in full below. Please enjoy:

The next Slow Draw work arrives April 29th with the new album “The People’s Department of Governmental Checks & Balances”.

IN THE BAND’S OWN WORDS:

“This album is a continuation of the frustration with current times and events as expressed in the recent release ‘Living in a Land of Scarecrows’. Things seem to be going in reverse, and nothing is logical, so, this mess of songs reflects that kind of chaos and frustration.

Since 2017, Mark Kitchens (one third of Stone Machine Electric) has been steadily releasing a series of singles and albums through his solo project Slow Draw. Informed by drone, ambient, psychedelia, and more, Slow Draw creates patient, exploratory soundscapes. At times unsettling, at others peaceful, Kitchens navigates his way through space and noise with unwavering intent.

Slow Draw is:
Mark Kitchens

Slow Draw on Facebook

Slow Draw on Instagram

Slow Draw on Bandcamp

Slow Draw website

As the actual governmental checks and balances are willfully eroded if not outright ignored, it’s good to know somebody’s thinking of breaking out the guillotine and returning to a classic solution to the oppressive forces of oligarchy. I’ll probably get put on a government watch list for posting the album cover of Slow Draw‘s The People’s Department of Governmental Checks and Balances — should be a protest sign if it isn’t one; I’d take a shirt if I could get white on black with the words on top (I’m pretty specific these days) — but the sentiment is welcome and it feels like anytime anybody is speaking out in a way more substantive than those Reels videos where some hyper-earnest-but-ultimately-doing-nothing 25-year-old sits down and tells you “this isn’t normal” for 30 seconds until the story cuts off.

There may not be a free press separate from corporate and/or political influence, and accountability may be a myth contigent on nothing more than what apparently until now was a belief in it, but it’s nice knowing you’re not alone while you’re hunkered down in your bunker/living room waiting for the nation to further unravel, daydreaming of an escape you likely won’t be lucky enough to make before you become a “it couldn’t happen here” cautionary tale. Horrors abound. At least the music’s good in this failed, shithole country.

From the PR wire:

Slow Draw – single “Trying to Land” – Ambient soundscapes, lightly steeped in exploratory psych and the meditative drawn-out cadence of drone out April 1st, 2025

Album “The People’s Department of Governmental Checks & Balances” out April 29th

Since 2017, Mark Kitchens (one third of Stone Machine Electric) has been steadily releasing a series of singles and albums through his solo project Slow Draw. Informed by drone, ambient, psychedelia, and more, Slow Draw creates patient, exploratory soundscapes. At times unsettling, at others peaceful, Kitchens navigates his way through space and noise with unwavering intent.

The next Slow Draw work arrives April 29th with the new album “The People’s Department of Governmental Checks & Balances”, led by the first of three singles, “Trying to Land”, out April 1st.

IN THE BAND’S OWN WORDS:

“This album is a continuation of the frustration with current times and events as expressed in the recent release ‘Living in a Land of Scarecrows’. Things seem to be going in reverse, and nothing is logical, so, this mess of songs reflects that kind of chaos and frustration.

The first single, ‘Trying to Land’, is about trying to reign it all in. Can you bring it in nice and smooth, or will it be rough and unpredictable? In this environment, you’ll never know until you are on the ground. Will it be rubble or business as usual?”

Slow Draw – The People’s Department of Governmental Checks & Balances

Single “Trying to Land” out April 1st, 2025
Album out April 29th (Digital, CD, limited run cassettes)
Self-released
Hurst, Texas

Slow Draw is:
Mark Kitchens

https://www.facebook.com/slowdrawband
https://www.instagram.com/slowdrawmusic
https://slowdraw.bandcamp.com
https://slowdraw.net/

Slow Draw, “Living in a Land of Scarecrows” official video

In the parlance of probabaly-not-our-times anymore, GTFO. Not that Stone Machine Electric signed to Argonauta — that’s good news and makes a lot of sense, hooray for everybody, hope a new record is coming soon, etc. — but that it’s been five years since Hurst, Texas’ number-one weirdo stone-fusion export last released an album.

Not that The Inexplicable Vibrations of Frequencies Within the Cosmic Netherworld (review here) wasn’t long-enough a title to hold the band over for half a decade, it just doesn’t feel like that much time has passed. Maybe part of that is that SME drummer Mark Kitchens has been keeping busy developing the experimentalist solo-project Slow Draw — he’s got a record coming out April 29; news post slated here for tomorrow for it — and maybe I’m just old and that’s how time passes now. I ask you, can’t it be both?

Stone Machine Electric were in the studio last year with Kent Stump at the helm, but I haven’t seen word of a release date or anything yet for what will be their first LP for Argonauta. Always worth keeping an eye on these guys though — they’re always up to some kind of shenanigans or other, usually of the distortion-fueled variety.

From the PR wire:

Psychedelic Stoner Rock Trio STONE MACHINE ELECTRIC Signs With Argonauta Records

Argonauta Records is thrilled to welcome Texas-based stoner rock trio Stone Machine Electric to its ever-growing roster of heavy, boundary-pushing artists! Renowned for their immersive and spacious brand of psychedelic jamming, which they have aptly named Doom Jazz, the band has been crafting their unique sonic identity since 2009.

Formed by Mark Kitchens and William (Dub) Irvin, Stone Machine Electric has been on an evolving journey, solidifying their lineup with the addition of bassist Erick Paxecko in 2023. Over the years, the band has independently released a demo, an EP, and five full-length albums, including their most recent record, The Inexplicable Vibrations of Frequencies Within the Cosmic Netherworld, which saw the light via Desert Records. Their dynamic and powerful live presence has also been captured on the album Vivere, released through Off The Record Label.

No strangers to the road, Stone Machine Electric has extensively toured their home state of Texas, making waves in Arizona, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, and sharing the stage with heavyweights like King Buffalo, Mothership, Wo Fat, and Jucifer. They have also left their mark on the Texas festival circuit, performing at End Hip End It, Fuzzed Out Fest, and Heavy Mash.

Now, with a new chapter unfolding, Stone Machine Electric is set to release their upcoming album Faces under the Argonauta Records banner. The band comments:

“We’re excited to work with Gero and Argonauta Records on releasing Faces as the next stop in our journey as Stone Machine Electric! It will be great to be a part of what Argonauta has contributed to the heavy underground and look forward to bringing our style of heavy into the fold of the other great bands that make up what this label is about. We are honored to work with Argonauta, and are looking forward to getting our new music out as far as it can reach.”

Stay tuned for more details on Faces, tour dates, and further announcements from Stone Machine Electric and Argonauta Records!

Stone Machine Electric are:
William “Dub” Irvin – Guitar/Vocals
Mark Kitchens – Drums/Vocals/Keyboard
Erick Paxecko – Bass

https://www.facebook.com/StoneMachineElectric/
https://www.instagram.com/stonemachineelectric/
http://stonemachineelectric.bandcamp.com/
http://www.stonemachineelectric.net/

www.argonautarecords.com
www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords
https://www.instagram.com/argonautarecords/
https://argonautarecords.bandcamp.com/

Stone Machine Electric, The Inexplicable Vibrations of Frequencies Within the Cosmic Netherworld (2020)

Have you made your plan to see Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol this year? If not, the band offer a new video for “Clowntown” as a 98-second reminder. The Austin, Texas, trio have done no shortage of touring, including the East Coast, but as they herald their 2024 album, Big Dumb Riffs (review here), the imperative is there. They were at SXSW this weekend — has SXSW come back around to being cool again yet? if not, it surely will, not that anyone would say so if it did — for two gigs and are about to set out on a West Coast run that will take them into April for two dates with The Sword.

Later this summer, they’ll be at Unhinged Fest in Denver, but before that is the European tour that includes Obsidian Dust, Sonic Whip, Desertfest London, Desertfest Berlin and Mystic Festival in Poland, as well as copious club shows tying the fest stops together. As many of those as there are — fest stops — I was hoping the band would also join the lineup for Desertfest Oslo, which would allow me to answer the initial question of this post in the positive. But even without a Norwegian pop-in at the outset (date-wise, it would’ve been the start of the tour), it’s a badass run and I’ve no doubt the band will come out of it exhausted with a bunch of new friends.

You’ve got time for this video, so don’t pretend you don’t. It’s a minute and a half long. It took you longer to read to this point than it will take you to watch the clip, which maybe I should take as a clue to shut the fuck up and let you do that. By all means, enjoy. Dates and such follow from the PR wire, and the album stream’s at the bottom of the post:

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, “Clowntown” official video

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol drop “Clowntown” video, Western US tour starts March 19, EU & UK tour May 15

Austin trio Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol share the official video for “Clowntown”. The track is the opening tune to their breakout album Big Dumb Riffs. Watch and share “Clowntown” HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA8AurTKf7g

RBBP launch Western U.S. tour dates on March 19th, followed by their first ever EU and UK shows, kicking off on May 15th. Please see all dates below. Tickets for all shows are available now HERE: https://taplink.cc/rickshawbillie

BIG DUMB RIFFS is available on digital, LP and cassette, released May 10th, 2024. Order/stream the album on all formats HERE: https://taplink.cc/rickshawbillie

RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL – US LIVE 2025:
03/19 Phoenix, AZ – Linger Longer Lounge
03/20 San Diego, CA – Whistle Stop
03/21 Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon
03/22 Oakland, CA – Thee Stork Club
03/24 Portland, OR – Show Bar
03/25 Seattle, WA – Barboza
03/27 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
03/28 Fort Collins, CO – The Coast
03/29 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theatre
03/30 Colorado Springs, CO – Vultures
04/10 Dallas, TX – Granada Theater (w/ The Sword)
04/11 San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger (w/ The Sword)
07/26 Denver, CO – Unhinged Fest

RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL EU/UK LIVE 2025:
15/05 Brussels, BE – Obsidian Dust Festival
16/05 Nijmegen, NL – Sonic Whip Festival
17/05 Wolverhampton, UK – Dive
18/05 London, UK – DesertFest London
20/05 Paris, FR – Mécanique Ondulatoire
21/05 Lille, FR – Le Bulle Café
22/05 Bochum, DE – Die Trompete
23/05 Berlin, DE – DesertFest Berlin
24/05 Lübeck, DE – Treibsand
25/05 Stockholm, SE – Bar Brooklyn
27/05 Malmö, SE – Plan B
28/05 Dresden, DE – Chemiefabrik
29/05 Traunstein, DE – Cafe Festung
31/05 Ljubljana, SI – Menza Pri Koritu
01/06 Zagreb, HR – Vintage Industrial Bar
02/06 Vienna, AT – Arena
03/06 Budapest, HU – Szimpla
05/06 Gdansk, PL – Mystic Festival
06/06 Brno, CZ – Kabinet MUZ
07/06 Prague, CZ – Bike Jesus

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol:
Leo Lydon: eight-string guitar/vocals
Aaron Metzdorf: bass
Sean St.Germain: drums

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, “Whip it Around” official video

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, Big Dumb Riffs (2024)

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol on Facebook

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol on Instagram

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol on Bandcamp

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol website

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol links