Ripple Music to Release Dominance and Submission: A Tribute to Blue Öyster Cult

Posted in Whathaveyou on August 24th, 2020 by JJ Koczan

Initially a project of Steve Hanford — known for his work in Poison Idea and a slew of others, including most recently Portland, Oregon’s Ape Machine — the various artists project Dominance and Submission: A Tribute to Blue Öyster Cult will see release in the coming months via Ripple Music. What began as a loving homage from Hanford to his favorite band has become a meta-tribute, as it fell to others to complete the project following Hanford‘s death earlier this year. It is, then, honoring as much to him and his work as much as Blue Öyster Cult, since Hanford sits in on many the tracks, including those featuring the likes of Billy Anderson, Rob Wrong (Witch Mountain) and Andrea Vidal (Holy Grove), Jeff Matz of Zeke and High on Fire, Year of the Cobra, Mos Generator and others.

No audio yet, and I expect a solid release date is forthcoming, but the heart with which this has been put together, on both ends, comes through clearly in the announcement below — also the cover art rules — so dig into that in the meantime and when I hear about the rest, I’ll let you know.

Here goes:

va dominance and submission tribtue to blue oyster cult

Dominance and Submission: A Tribute To Blue Öyster Cult

Californian powerhouse RIPPLE MUSIC is proud to announce the upcoming release of their all-star tribute album to Blue Öyster Cult: ‘Dominance and Submission: A Tribute to Blue Öyster Cult’. The album will feature covers by Steve Hanford, Mark Lanegan, Billy Anderson, Jeff Matz, Zeke, Mondo Generator and other major names of the heavy rock world.

This special tribute album was initiated by Poison Idea’s departed drummer Steve Hanford, in conjunction with Ian Watts of Ape Machine. Founded in 1967, Blue Öyster Cult are considered pioneers of occult rock’n’roll, marking generations with timeless anthems such as “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”, “Burnin’ for You”, “Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll” or “Godzilla”. The New-York outfit has since then remained a reference act of the 70s rock scene alongside Black Sabbath, MC5, The Stooges or Steppenwolf.

The “Dominance and Submission: A Tribute To Blue Öyster Cult” record will highlight some of the finest work from the legendary American band, with unique contributions from JEFF MATZ of ZEKE and HIGH ON FIRE, MONDO GENERATOR, MOS GENERATOR, GREAT ELECTRIC QUEST, QUASI, HOLY GROVE, WAR CLOUD, APE MACHINE, ZEKE, YEAR OF THE COBRA, FETISH, SPINDRIFT as well as MARK LANEGAN and BILLY ANDERSON. The artwork was designed by Dave Snider.

The concept:

Steven Hanford AKA Thee Slayer Hippy lived the rocky road of the rock and roll veteran. As drummer and producer in Poison Idea he played on two of the most influential records of hardcore – War All The Time and Feel The Darkness. As producer he worked on indie rock projects such as Heatmiser (with frontman Elliot Smith) and punk albums for notable names like The Hard Ons. Due to some struggles with addiction which he later attributed to repressed sexual abuse as a child, Steve found himself in prison on multiple occasions, most recently in 2008 for a seven-year sentence after robbing a Walgreens. While in prison, Steve turned his life around and started recording albums for prisoners with a fellow inmate named Sam Redding (Sam appears on this record). After being released in 2015, Steve jumped on a tour playing drums in The Skull and was soon after introduced to Ape Machine by mutual friend Tony Lash (Heatmiser). Steve quickly joined Ape Machine on drums and also as producer for Darker Seas. While on the road with Ape Machine, Steve decided he wanted to produce a tribute record to one of his favorite bands, Blue Öyster Cult.

Steve had a vision of building a studio and originally wanted to use funds from the sale of the tribute record to get some gear. The goal was to be able to work in his own studio, producing records for other bands. The idea was to have bands come and record BÖC tribute songs in his fledgling studio (temporarily using borrowed gear from Ian Watts) which he would produce, simultaneously making a name for the studio, his production techniques, and his drumming skills. Much of the gear and engineering would be provided by Ian Watts.

Unfortunately, Steve didn’t make it to see the project through to release due to his suffering a heart attack on May 21st 2020. Fortunately for music fans though, he had completed most of the recording for the project, leaving Ian Watts to gather the final pieces and mix the record.

Steve was an accomplished and respected musician and was able to round up a star studded cast of bands for the tribute, including members of Mondo Generator, Quasi, Holy Grove, War Cloud, Mos Generator, Great Electric Quest, Ape Machine, Zeke, Year of the Cobra, High on Fire, Fetish, Spindrift as well as notable names such as Mark Lanegan and Billy Anderson.

With Steve no longer being with us, the proceeds of the record will go to benefit his widowed partner, Kitty Diggins who was left with some financial hardships, including much needed house repairs.

TRACK LISTING & LINEUP
1) ME262 (Steve Hanford, Nick Oliveri, Ian Watts, Mike Pygmie)
2) Dominance and Submission (Steve Hanford, Mark Lanegan, Sam Coomes, Sam Redding)
3) Wings Wetted Down (Steve Hanford, Billy Anderson, Rob Wrong, Andrea Vidal)
4) Tattoo Vampire (Mondo Generator)
5) Stairway to the Stars (War Cloud)
6) Veteran of the Psychic Wars (Ape Machine)
7) Flaming Telepaths (Great Electric Quest)
8) Transmaniacon MC (Mos Generator w/ Steve Hanford)
9) 7 Screaming Dizbusters (Fetish)
10) Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll (Zeke w/ Jeff Matz and Steve Hanford)
11) Fireworks (Year of the Cobra w/ Steve Hanford)
12) Don’t Fear the Reaper (Spindrift and Steve Hanford)

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

Poison Idea, War All the Time (1987)

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Electric Funeral Fest III Adds Eagle Twin, Zeke, Crud, Communion, Twingiant, Echo Beds and Roast; Lineup Complete

Posted in Whathaveyou on April 27th, 2018 by JJ Koczan

Denver-based Electric Funeral Fest III has completed its lineup for 2018. The last couple adds to the bill are pretty significant as well, with Eagle Twin and speedmasters Zeke leading the charge, along with CrudTwingiantCommunionRoast and Echo Beds to round things out. It’s a righteous bill, even if The Midnight Ghost Train — seen in the poster below — won’t be playing due to their disbanding. This one has grown quickly over the last couple years, and I’d say at this point it’s a significant presence in the Midwest and Denver’s increasingly vibrant underground.

I’ll readily admit I’m way behind on this news. This one came down the PR wire an embarrassingly long time ago, and between being backed up on stuff and travel, well, today’s the day. Feels good to get it off my chest, to be honest.

So everybody exhale with me. And here you go:

electric funeral fest iii poster

ELECTRIC FUNERAL FEST III Confirms Final Lineup With The Addition Of Eagle Twin, Zeke, Crud, Communion, Twingiant, Echo Beds, And Roast; Tickets On Sale NOW

The third edition of Dust Present’s ELECTRIC FUNERAL FEST will return to Denver, Colorado on June 29th-30th, 2018.

The annual South Broadway festival will be grander than ever in its third iteration, expanding to include a third stage inside the Mutiny Information Cafe, a spot known city-wide for its welcoming atmosphere and promotion of DIY events of all types. Located across the street from Hi Dive and just one block north of 3 Kings Tavern – the two hosting venues of last year’s festival – the Mutiny stage will be the first all-ages stage offered at ELECTRIC FUNERAL FEST and its central location will bolster the street festival environment cultivated over the last two years that’s become an integral part of the Electric Funeral’s attraction.

The final lineup of the event has been confirmed with the addition of Salt Lake City avant-doom duo Eagle Twin, Seattle punk icons Zeke, Floridian death doom cult Crud, Austin funeral doom trio Communion, Arizona behemoths Twingiant, Denver industrial post punk unit Echo Beds, and California heavy psyche rockers Roast! See the full lineup below.

ELECTRIC FUNERAL FEST III Lineup (alphabetically):
Alone
Amplified Heat
Aseethe
Augur
Bandits
Cloud Catcher
Communion
Crud
Duel
Eagle Twin
Echo Beds
Forming The Void
Green Druid
Grey Gallows
Keef Duster
Loom
Love Gang
Necropanther
R.I.P.
Roast
Smokey Mirror
Smolder & Burn
Space in Time
Speedwolf
Spirit Adrift
Still Valley
The Munsens
Twingiant
Urn
Vexing
Weedeater
Primitive Man
White Dog
Wizzerd
Zeke

Venues:
Hi Dive (21+), 3 Kings Tavern (21+), Mutiny Information Cafe (all ages) [event link]

Ticket Options:
$32 one-day pass
$60 two-day pass
Tickets are available at: http://www.electricfuneralfestiii.eventbrite.com

http://www.facebook.com/dustpresents
http://instagram.com/dustpresents

Eagle Twin, The Thundering Heard (Songs of Hoof and Horn) (2018)

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Zeke to Release Hellbender March 30; Three New Songs Streaming

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 2nd, 2018 by JJ Koczan

zeke

Just about nobody tears it up like Zeke tears it up. They should’ve started their own line of band-branded document shredders years ago with the slogan ‘Zeke Destroys Your Shit,’ but I guess they decided to just tour like crazy and put out records instead. Anyway, point is that at any given moment the Seattle outfit stand utterly ready to kick your ass, and listening to the tracks they have posted from their forthcoming LP Hellbender, which will be out March 30 on Relapse as their first album in nearly 15 years, that doesn’t seem to have changed much.

One other thing to like about this, aside from the cover art and the massive list of tour dates and the audio itself, as if that wasn’t enough? Most bands post one track with a record announcement to give listeners a sense of what they’re getting. Zeke post three. And the YouTube clip is still only three minutes long. Fucking awesome. Zeke rule. And though I haven’t even heard it yet, you can pretty much quote me on that as a review of Hellbender.

From the PR wire:

zeke hellbender

ZEKE To Release New Album Hellbender, Their First Full-Length In Over Fourteen Years, Through Relapse; Three Songs Now Streaming

Seattle punk legends ZEKE return with their first new album in over fourteen years, titled Hellbender, set for release through Relapse Records.

Short, fast, loud, and to the fuckin’ point, Hellbender contains fifteen tracks laced with ZEKE’s signature mix of hyperspeed thrash-punk and Motörhead-possessed, hard as nails, rock ‘n’ roll. Complete with a raucous, in-your-face production by Jack Endino (Nirvana, High On Fire, The Accüsed), and completed with artwork by Hollis Tucker and Lee Goode, Hellbender is the culmination of a band twenty-five years into their career, sounding more aggressive, immediate, and turbo-charged than ever before! Ride to live…

ZEKE’s new album Hellbender is due out March 30th, 2018 on CD, LP, and digital via Relapse Records. Physical packages are available via Relapse.com HERE and Digital Downloads on Bandcamp HERE.

Additionally, ZEKE will embark on a headlining Spring European tour in support of Hellbender’s release next month. The tour commences on March 30th at Paaspop Festival in Schijndel, Netherlands and ends May 5th in Kassel, Germany. A short stint of regional dates in the Pacific Northwest will take place in the coming months as well. A full list of current confirmed tour dates is available below.

Hellbender Track Listing:
1. All The Way
2. Two Lane Blacktop
3. On The Road
4. Working Man
5. Hellbender
6. County Jail
7. Burn
8. Goin’ Down
9. White Wolf
10. AR-15
11. Cougar Rock
12. Devil’s Night
13. Ride On
14. Redline
15. Big Rig

ZEKE Tour Dates:
2/10/2018 Darrell’s – Seattle, WA
2/17/2018 Dante’s – Portland, OR
3/10/2018 Tony V – Everett, WA
3/17/2018 The Manette Saloon – Bremerton, WA
3/24/2018 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
3/30/2018 Paaspop Festival – Schijndel, NL
3/31/2018 Tower – Bremen, DE
4/01/2018 Loppen – Copenhagen, DK
4/02/2018 Frimis Salonger – Orebro, SE
4/03/2018 Bar Brooklyn – Stockholm, SE
4/04/2018 Krosset – Oslo, NO
4/06/2018 Pustervik – Goteborg, SE
4/07/2018 1000Fryd – Aalborg, DK
4/08/2018 Schaubude – Kiel, DE
4/09/2018 Hafenklang – Hamburg, DE
4/11/2018 Rote Sonne – Munchen, DE
4/12/2018 Freakout Club – Bologna, IT
4/13/2018 Evol – Roma, IT
4/14/2018 The Cage – Livorno, IT
4/15/2018 Circolo Magnolia – Segrate, IT
4/16/2018 Secret Place – Montpellier, FR
4/18/2018 Rocksound – Barcelona, ES
4/19/2018 TBA – Valencia, ES
4/20/2018 Gruta 77 – Madrid, ES
4/21/2018 Jimmy Jazz – Vitoria, ES
4/22/2018 Rock’n’Eat – Lyon, FR
4/24/2018 Bi Nuu – Berlin, DE
4/25/2018 Don’t Panic – Essen, DE
4/26/2018 Helios 37 – Koln, DE
4/27/2018 Pitfest – Erica, NL
4/28/2018 Stockrock – Hagen a.T.W., DE
4/29/2018 De Helling – Utrecht, NL
4/30/2018 Nostra – Opwijk, BE
5/01/2018 The Thekla – Bristol, UK
5/02/2018 Rebellion Club – Manchester, UK
5/03/2018 The Rescue Rooms – Nottingham, UK
5/04/2018 Desertfest – London, UK
5/05/2018 K-19 – Kassel, DE

ZEKE:
“Blind” Marky Felchtone – lead guitar/vocals
Kurt Kilfelt – pure hate/disorder
Dayne Porras – drums
Kyle Whitefoot – guitar

https://www.facebook.com/ZekeBand
https://www.instagram.com/ZekeBand
https://www.twitter.com/ZekeBand
http://zekeband.bandcamp.com
http://www.relapse.com
http://www.relapserecords.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/RelapseRecords
http://www.twitter.com/RelapseRecords
https://www.instagram.com/relapserecords

Zeke, “Working Man/Hellbender/County Jail”

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Desertfest London 2018: Graveyard, Elder, Weedeater, Freedom Hawk, Zeke, Miss Lava, Mountains and Trevor’s Head Added

Posted in Whathaveyou on November 13th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

Hey, look, don’t get me wrong. It was pretty impressive when Desertfest London 2018 came out of the gate in September and confirmed Monster Magnet, Eyehategod and Nebula in its first round of announcements. That was badass — no doubt about it. But it seems like with this next batch of acts confirmed, we’re starting to see more of the shape the festival will take. Weedeater will make a return that will no doubt be welcome, and likewise Graveyard have been confirmed as headliners, and Zeke will bring their inimitable speed rock to the proceedings as well.

Portugal’s Miss Lava hit the UK for the first time, Freedom Hawk head across the Atlantic from their Virginia home, Elder return as conquering heroes, and locals Mountains and Trevor’s Head give London a chance to get to know some of its own. If that already looks righteous to you, and it should, there’s a payment plan available. Might want to hit it up.

Here’s details from the PR wire:

desertfest london 2018 poster

DESERTFEST LONDON adds Graveyard and seven more bands to the 2018 lineup; tickets on sale now!

DESERTFEST LONDON are thrilled to reveal the next 8 acts for the 2018 edition of the festival, who will be joining the likes of MONSTER MAGNET, EYEHATEGOD, NEBULA & JEX THOTH to bring a battering ram of riffs down upon Camden next May.

If any band can claim responsibility for the surge of retro-infused, blues-stuffed rock n roll seeping through the underground over the past decade, it has to be GRAVEYARD. We are delighted to announce that following their brief hiatus, the band will make their long awaited UK return in the most deserving form – a headline set at Desertfest 2018. Rising to the top of the fertile Swedish (and indeed European) fuzz-drenched scene thanks to four immaculate albums, Graveyard quickly mastered their straight-down-the-middle rock foundation and built outwards. Effortlessly creating mind invading hooks just waiting to rattle around your brain for weeks and peppering them with doses of heavy psych, subdued moments and the soulful vocals of Joakim Nilsson, it isn’t hard to see why Graveyard are one of the best bands on the planet.

Goliathan sludge shovelers WEEDEATER, who are no strangers to the Desertfest, are finally returning to their spiritual home. Each time these stoner titans have played, the queues have been round the block. Their legendary status precedes them, and for good reason – as frontman Dave ‘Dixie’ Collins revels in stories to punters at the bar of shooting off his own big toe, they are a true DF family band and one of the most “please book them every year” acts in our remit. Weedeater are simply not to be missed this May – it’s going to be sweaty, loud and most importantly, smoky.

We’re pleased once again to be bringing ELDER back to London, hot on the heels of yet another mesmerising album in Reflections of a Floating World. There was no question that the trio had their work cut out in following-up 2015’s epic Lore. Evolving over the past five years, from one of heavy riffing’s most potential-filled practitioners to a progressive scope entirely of their own, each time they take the stage the crowd are undoubtedly blown away by their sheer musical talent.

Also on the bill are Seattle underground legends ZEKE, a band sandwiched somewhere between the rapid-fire, speed-guzzling lunacy of punk and the distinctly bourbon-scented outright abandon of heavy rock n’ roll. Zeke are finally upon our shores and we’re thrilled to announce they’ll be joining us in Camden next May.

We’ve also added the fuzz filled frenzy that is FREEDOM HAWK, Portugal’s stoner-grunge quartet MISS LAVA (making their first UK appearance), proggy Londoners MOUNTAINS and the chunky stoner riffs of TREVOR’S HEAD all lined up for the 2018 proceedings. This is just the tip of the iceberg – stay tuned for the next offering!

Desertfest London 2018
4th-6th May in Camden Town, London
3-day pass (£115) now on sale AT THIS LOCATION

Our special split payment plan is available until December 12th!
Pay half of your ticket now and the other half in January. Find more info HERE.

http://www.desertfest.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon
https://twitter.com/DesertFest
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/

Graveyard, “Too Much is Not Enough” official video

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Stoned from the Underground 2017: All Them Witches, Elder, Monolord, Zeke, CJ Ramone, Steak, Karma to Burn Announced

Posted in Whathaveyou on December 26th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

Long-running German festival Stoned from the Underground has announced that All Them Witches will headline the first of its three nights on Thursday, July 13, 2017. Presumably that means the Nashville outfit will be on a European tour supporting their now-impending fourth album, Sleeping Through the War, which is out in February, but either way, as they join a lineup that also features ElderMonolordZekeSteakKarma to Burn, and somewhat curiously, CJ Ramone, they’re obviously keeping good company in Erfurt. I’ll keep an eye out for those tour dates and for more lineup announcements from Stoned from the Underground 2017 both, and hopefully be better at keeping up with fest than I admittedly was this time around.

Info follows as translated by robots from German into English:

stoned from the underground 2017

STONED FROM THE UNDERGROUND 2017 – July 13-15

Hi guys, just before Christmas there are a couple of bands for 2017 the stoned from the underground.

Here we have all of them witches, which will be headlining on Thursdays. But that was not enough for us! We could also add the heavy Rock Heavyweights Sasquatch. And a little punk attitude hurts nobody and that’s why we have the cult-Speed Rocker Zeke booked for you. What, you guys that’s still not enough? Well, because Christmas is here let’s put another, cj ramone on it.

You can look forward to 2017 on earth ship (ENG), Elder (USA), karma to burn (USA), Mono Lord (SWE) and steak (UK)
Get your tickets here: http://www.sftu.de/pages/raquo-tickets.php

The Stoned From The Underground 2017 takes place from July 13th until July 15th 2017.

The first STONED FROM THE UNDERGROUND took place in 2001…the festival offers a platform for diverse kinds of bands within the underground and beyond. The STONED FROM THE UNDERGROUND is a pure scene festival…a festival made by fans for fans.

https://www.facebook.com/stonedfromtheundergroundfestival
http://www.sftu.de/
https://www.instagram.com/stonedfromtheunderground

All Them Witches, Live on Rockpalast 2016

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Buried Treasure and the Sludge and Punk at the End of the World

Posted in Buried Treasure on November 21st, 2013 by JJ Koczan

There’s little question that Armageddon Shop makes its bones in the vinyl trade, and that’s cool. I’ve come to accept it at stores that what was for a time the format of record has in turn been replaced in prominence by the LPs that it originally took that position from. Turnabout. All good. Everything comes back around in time, or doesn’t, and I don’t mind craning my head to look at the spines on the wall of CDs in the basement store in Cambridge, my knees cracking as I crouch to see the shelves lower to the floor. It’s a reminder of the calisthenics I should be doing instead of buying albums in the first place.

My buying power is low at this point and I know it, but if you’ve been either to the Boston or Providence store, you know it’s not easy to walk out of there empty-handed. They’re gonna get you with one thing or another. This time around, it started for me with a used copy of Amorphis‘ lackluster 2011 outing, The Beginning of Times. Not an album I really cared to pick up, but for six bucks, I figured I could give it a home on the shelf and maybe find something in listening to it I missed initially. Next thing I know, here’s a copy of Zeke‘s second album, 1996’s Flat Tracker for $4.99, and the 1999 He’s No Good to Me Dead five-way split between Bongzilla, Grief, Negative Reaction, Sourvein and Subsanity for $11. That’s just over two dollars per band. How could I refuse?

The answer, of course, is I couldn’t. I was pleased to find later that I didn’t already own the split, which was released on Game Two Records, but even if I had, it would’ve been worth the asking price to revisit some early Sourvein — three of their five tracks here would show up the next year on their self-titled debut — and live Bongzilla cuts, along with Negative Reaction and Grief in immediate succession. That one-two punch would probably fill any sludge quota a given day might present — 15 decabongs — but with Subsanity in the center role, and Bongzilla and Sourvein following, you’re basically getting a 74-minute overdose. Easy listening it is not. The only one of these acts who wouldn’t go on to craft a significant legacy in the genre is Subsanity, whose third and final LP, Future is War, was also issued in ’99, but even they prove vicious in keeping with their company, all of whom are raw the way you think of oozing, scraped skin as being raw.

And Zeke? Well, Zeke were the super-fast punk band it was cool to like if you were into slow music. They always had a bit of strut to them, as “Daytona” from Flat Tracker will attest, and when they signed to Relapse to release 2004’s ‘Til the Living End, that just sealed their appeal. I remember seeing them at CMJ in NYC at some point around then and they had the fastest count-ins I’d ever heard, and then they actually played that fast. Flat Tracker is in and out in under 18 minutes and its 15 tracks are liable to leave you sucking wind as you try to keep up, but it’s also a lot of fun. Along with their 1994 debut, Super Sound Racing, Flat Tracker was reissued by Relapse, but the Scooch Pooch Records version has the original art, which is all the more killer for the fact that the lineup comes with each member of the band’s Mexican takeout order. Guitarist/vocalist Blind Marky Felchtone will have, “two chicken soft tacos, one bean burrito and a medium Coke.”

All discs considered, I still got out of Armageddon Shop on the cheap. There was more — and yes, I did flip through the vinyl section and drool at the assorted heavy ’70s and more modern wonders — but ultimately I resisted such devilish temptations and skipped out. I had my eye on a few other odds and ends on that wall though, so I have the feeling it won’t be too long before I’m back. Hope not, anyway.

Zeke, “T-500” from Flat Tracker (1996)

Armageddon Shop’s website

Armageddon Shop Boston on Thee Facebooks

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