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** Slim's shows are all ages **
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BLOWOFF (HOSTED AND DJ'D BY BOB MOULD AND RICH MOREL) (11/28, 2/13) - Bob Mould & Richard Morel's Blowoff: Alt Rock Star and Electro Music Maestro Bring the Party for the Rest of Us!
Bob Mould and Richard Morel's Blowoff is a musical smackdown of a party that has become a destination event for a wide cross-section of appreciative fans. Originating in Washington, DC, Blowoff is an established event in New York, San Francisco, Provincetown, and Brooklyn. Recent additions to the regular rotation include Chicago and Atlanta.
Keenly maintaining the musical emphasis of the Blowoff parties, Mould and Morel DJ in tandem, laying down a meaty signature mix of indie rock, electro and house (from Phoenix to Treasure Fingers to Mark Knight to Stonebridge), accented by a series of artfully eye-popping vignettes projected throughout the club. (Visit the "Set List" page at www.blowoff.us for the most recent Blowoff playlists.)
Originally a live and DJ musical collaboration between Washington, DC-based singer-songwriters Bob Mould—formerly of alt rock bands Hüsker Dü and Sugar—and electronic producer/artist Richard Morel, Blowoff began over six years ago at DC's Velvet Lounge. Though the venues have changed, the DC party has become a local staple built around the music, great visuals, signature flyer artwork and an enthusiastically devoted fanbase, which now numbers near 1000 at each event. Smart Bar in Chicago, Minneapolis Eagle (a Pride event), Homo A Go Go (Olympia, WA), 2006 Folsom Street Fair (where Blowoff was a headliner) have all previously hosted special Blowoff one-off events.
Blowoff is now a regular bi-coastal event. 2007 saw the highly successful (all parties sold out) launch of Blowoff New York, with Blowoff San Francisco, Brooklyn and Provincetown following in 2008. The Blowoff Chicago event, held at Metro during International Mr. Leather and Bear Pride Weekend, was the highlight of the weekend. The July 4 Blowoff event in Atlanta coincided with Atlanta Bear Fest.
The Blowoff artist CD was released in 2006 on Full Frequency Music, and is available via the online Blowoff store at www.blowoff.us. Click on the cover to check the track list and buy.
For more on Blowoff, including the most current party schedule, flyers and DJ playlists, please visit the Blowoff website. Hear some Blowoff music, see slideshows of Blowoff men and the iconic party flyers and more on the MySpace page. Fans are encouraged to join the booming Blowoff group on Facebook.
Richard Morel is known for his remixes under the name Pink Noise (he just remixed The Killer’s “Human”), co-wrote and co-produced three songs on Cyndi Lauper’s “Bring Ya To The Bring” album and released his third solo album as Morel, “The Death Of The Paper Boy,” in 2008.
Bob Mould, founding member of the seminal punk band Husker Du and alt-rock favorite Sugar, released his ninth solo album, “Life And Times” (Anti- Records), on April 7. Mould’s yet-to-be-titled autobiography, with assistance from Michael Azerrad, will be published by Little, Brown in fall 2010. ROONEY (11/29) - Rooney is a five piece band of Los Angeles natives that formed in late 1999. After self-releasing two 5 song EPs and establishing a loyal following around the L.A. area, the band signed with Geffen Records in 2002. The band recorded their first full-length album with producer Keith Forsey (Billy Idol, Simple Minds) and proceeded to tour relentlessly for the following two years. The first album yielded two successful singles (I’m Shakin’, Blueside) and was followed up with the DVD release “Spit and Sweat.”
At the end of 2004, the band returned to Los Angeles where, after many hold-ups and two shelved albums, they recorded their second release, “Calling The World,” with producer John Fields (Andrew W.K., Har Mar Superstar, Switchfoot). The sophomore album was released in the summer of 2007 and features the melodic songwriting and dynamic playing and harmonizing the band is known for. The first single (When Did Your Heart Go Missing?) peaked at number eight on the VH1 countdown and spawned a top 10 radio hit all across Europe where three more singles were released.
Rooney has recently completed their self-produced 3rd album with mixer Dave Trumfino (Wilco, Built to Spill, Grandaddy.)
Rooney has toured with a wide range of artists including The Academy Is…, Audioslave, Ben Lee, The Bridges, The Coral, The Donnas, Everybody Else, Grandaddy, Hello Stranger, The Hush Sound, Incubus, Jane’s Addiction, Keane, Kings of Leon, The Lashes, Locksley, OK GO, Ozma, Pete Yorn, The Polyphonic Spree, Queens of the Stone Age, The Redwalls, The Strokes, Travis, The Vines, Weezer, and many more. DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL (SOLO ACOUSTIC) (12/2) - Please note the following:
1. There is a two ticket limit per customer.
2. Tickets will ONLY be available online (www.slimstickets.com), by charge-by-phone (888-233-0449) or by fax order (downloadable fax form at www.slims-sf.com) - there are NO outlet/box office sales for this show. All tickets will be will call.
3. No hard tickets will be issued at the time of sale.
4. All ticket purchasers will have to present photo ID and the credit card used for purchase at will-call on the night of the show. ONLY the person whose name is on the card used to purchase the tix can pick them up. All purchasers and their guests must then enter the venue immediately upon receipt of their tickets from the will-call window.
5. Once tickets have been purchased there will be no name changes.
6. No refunds or exchanges. These policies have been put in place to restrict both scalper access and motivation so that we get the most tickets into actual fans' hands at the reasonable price set. We hope that everyone will forgive the minor inconveniences associated with them in light of the greater good. ROCK TO ROLL 2009 FEATURING NOFX (12/3) - Slim's is pleased to present the fourth annual Rock to Roll charity event spearheaded by SideOneDummy Co-Founder Joe Sib. This event will directly benefit the non-profit organization UCP Wheels for Humanity.
It is estimated that more than 100 million children and adults worldwide need wheelchairs and do not have them either due to lack of access, lack of money, or both. Their lack of mobility stems from accidents, birth defects, war injuries, debilitating diseases, aging, natural disasters and land mines. To address this need, UCP Wheels for Humanity begins with volunteers collecting over 230,000 pounds of discarded wheelchairs and wheelchair parts each year from around the U.S. Since a wheelchair in a developing country is an unimaginable luxury, Therapeutic seating specialists then deliver and individually fit the wheelchairs to disadvantaged children and adults free of charge. Since 1996, UCP Wheels for Humanity has helped over 44,000 children and adults living in the poorest of conditions, in developing countries such as Zimbabwe, Vietnam, Ukraine, Mexico, Mongolia, and many others.
Last year, the Rock to Roll benefit concert at The Key Club in Hollywood, CA raised $38,000 for UCP Wheels for Humanity. Combined Rock To Roll fund raising efforts have raised over $87,000 since the annual event began in 2006. The average wheelchair costs $150 to refurbish, which means Rock to Roll has directly improved the lives of roughly 580 individuals in need. This is the first year the event will take place in San Francisco.
NOFX released their 12th studio album "Coaster" earlier this year on singer Fat Mike’s own Fat Wreck Chords label. Rock To Roll founder Joe Sib fronts recently re-formed 90’s punk band Wax; this will bring the band full-circle as Slim’s was host to the band’s last show before disbanding in 1996. Wax recently played the Riot Fest in Chicago and opened for Weezer in Hollywood. Dead to Me just released their second full-length album entitled "African Elephants" via Fat Wreck Chords on November 9. Nathen Maxwell & the Original Bunny Gang, the side project of Flogging Molly bassist Nathen Maxwell, released White Rabbit on Side One Dummy Records in August of 2009.
An online auction will also be set up to raise additional funds for UCP Wheels for Humanity. Donated items include autographed memorabilia from several bands including Blink 182, Flogging Molly, Thrice, The Bouncing Souls, Chuck Ragan, The Gaslight Anthem and many more, as well as a prize pack from Innes Clothing. More information regarding the charity auction will be available soon.
To volunteer, support, and learn more about UCP Wheels, please click HERE.
POI DOG PONDERING (12/4) - Poi Dog Pondering keeps thriving because their ethic has always been about following their musical heart. Their steadfast independence has allowed them to perennially bloom. Multiracial, Omnisexual, and unafraid to be themselves, they prowl the musical landscape with a hungry belly. They seem to live in a frame of mind more akin to the '30s and '40s Bohemians.
Known as "The little big band with the strong back and supple / stubborn heart," PDP has been following it's intuition for over 25 years now. From bohemian street buskers to impossible to market major label sacrificial lambs... Poi Dog Pondering have ripened into staunchly independent musical voyagers. They have let every sound that excited them flow through their music and flood it with ever changing colors: rock and soul. Orchestral, acoustic and electronic textures. Americana, rock band disco and international musics. All threaded along the way with lyrics that embrace the beauty and pain that life can bring. THE VANDALS CHRISTMAS FORMAL (12/5) - Call them veterans, seasoned, influential, seminal, whatever clever adjective you pick, there’s no denying The Vandals have earned their place in punk history. They’ve released over a dozen albums, have toured the world countless times and have kept the same line-up for over 20 years. The secret to their success? They keep it fun. No serious messages, no agendas or mottos, just good, fun songs played by some great musicians. All the while The Vandals still put on one of the best live shows around. Their annual Christmas shows have become legendary and you won't want to miss it when their bring their own special brand of holiday cheer to Slim's this December! 95.7 The Wolf presents: THE DONNAS (12/9) - Yes, The Donnas are for real and they are here to stay. They are a loud and proud American original. They are a band of influence, survivors in an industry known more for comet casualties than career success stories. And the Donnas really are a savvy, brazen success story; they are the American Rock n’ Roll Machine.
The legend begins in a Palo Alto junior high school in Northern California where four self-described “dorky pre-teen girls” form a rock n’ roll band at the age of 13 in 1993, under the influence of KISS, Motley Crue, and the Ramones. Over the course of the next 16 years, eight ever-evolving, critically acclaimed rock n' roll albums are released. The Donnas jet-set the planet several times over to an ever-expanding, international fan base of rabid “Donnaholics." From Palo Alto to the stages of Letterman and Saturday Night Live, to the pages of Rolling Stone and the cover of Billboard, The Donnas have grown up to become one of the best female rock groups of all time.
Sixteen sweet years later, the exact original line-up remains intact: Brett Anderson on lead vocals, Maya Ford on bass, Allison Robertson on guitar and Torry Castellano on drums – a steadfast longevity that is testament to their deep four-way friendship and career dedication. But there is a vast divide between the awkward tweens of the 1990s and The Donnas of the 2000s. Besides utterly poker-hot musicianship, the gorgeous foursome has entered into a new chapter of maturity, comfort, and nostalgia, looking back on their long career of growing up Donnas.
The Donnas: a four-way, equal partnership of women in friendship, art and business. A rare trust exists between these members that most bands could never dream of achieving in a similar group dynamic. That is why most bands break up and The Donnas continue to stick together and thrive, celebrating sixteen candles… and counting. - Grant Lawrence
HOW THE GROUCH STOLE CHRISTMAS TOUR FEATURING THE GROUCH (12/10) - After the overwhelming success of last year’s outing, The Grouch raises the bar by going outside his usual cast of characters, and enlisting a handful of the West Coast’s most promising talents.
This year, the buzz worthy and undeniably dope duo of Fashawn & Exile will kick in the door with the opening duties. Fans will then be treated to a verbal assault delivered by none other than the Bay Area’s own charismatic ambassador, Mistah F.A.B. The Grouch, assisted by DJ Fresh, will close the evening, making sure that every heart, mind, and ear in the building has been stolen!
Stacked with goodies and en route to the next city, the tour vehicle may “lose” a few gifts, only to be found by following The Grouch on Twitter (@therealgrouch)
***We encourage you to bring a new/unwrapped toy this evening to donate to Toys for Tots!*** BREATHE CAROLINA (12/11) - When Dave Schmitt and Kyle Even formed Breathe Carolina in 2007 they didn’t anticipate that their project started "just for fun" would explode into an internationally sought-after band in just two short years. But like all the best, most exciting new bands, Breathe Carolina’s unprecedented story began with a fan-base that grew organically, fueled by an enviable, rapidly spreading word-of-mouth, and the undeniable spark of something unique.
The story of Breathe Carolina is a modern day music fairytale – of two friends who recorded tracks on GarageBand at home in Denver, CO, put them on to MySpace and rapidly gained a huge online following that transformed their hobby into a career, and them into stars. “We got started just by hanging out,” reflects Kyle. “We just sat in a room and threw ideas back and forth, and had to take trips to the library to talk to people online because we didn’t have internet at our house. We honestly weren’t expecting anything, we just made some songs and people started hitting us up about them. It’s been way crazier than anything we could have imagined it to be.”
Gaining over nine million plays on MySpace, they self-released their debut EP "Gossip" on iTunes, and after a phenomenal response released their debut album "It’s Classy, Not Classic" in 2008. The album knocked the industry sideways as it subtly tore into the charts, debuting at #186 on the Billboard Top 200, #6 on the Heatseekers chart and #5 on the electronic chart. Their genre-clashing blend of crowd-pleasing pop, rock and electronica was a hit, and no longer confined to the bedroom – Breathe Carolina were a global force ready to be heard.
With new album "Hello Fascination," just released by Fearless Record, the band takes their music to a bigger, brighter and more blistering dimension. Recorded with the stellar production team of Mike Green (Paramore, The Higher, Set Your Goals) and Matt Squire (Taking Back Sunday, 3OH!3, Panic At The Disco), their sound is re-defined and ascends to a new level with the addition of live instruments and hooky pop choruses that beg to be sung back in unison by their adoring legions of fans. “Working on 'Hello Fascination' was the craziest writing experience we’ve ever had,” notes Kyle. “We wrote every song in three days or less - we just wanted to follow whatever came into our heads, and that’s exactly what we did! This is our vision of everything we are - and we are so excited to share this huge piece of ourselves.”
With a whole summer on the Vans Warped Tour under their belts and their previous slot on the Take Action Tour with Cute Is What We Aim For, Meg And Dia and label-mates Every Avenue, the band is ready to take this incredible album and their already-infamous live show to the streets on tour with Family Force Five this Fall. Get your jaw off the floor and say Hello to Breathe Carolina’s "Hello Fascination" - the explosive feel good hit of the summer. THE AQUABATS (12/12) - Here come The Aquabats! The first all-crime fighting all-surfing rock supergroup in history! Traveling the highways and by-ways of the land in their trusty super customized Winnebego tour vehicle, The Aquabats look to become a legitimate rock n' roll sensation while doing good for all mankind. Meanwhile, as the powers of evil seek to upset the balance of happiness in the world, The Aquabats find themselves on a never-ending quest to right wrongs, destroy boredom and seek justice for all! Especially the kids! KPIG presents:
For the past several years he's been performing his own brand of cajun rock 'n blues, night after night, while watching the size of his audience steadily increase. This grueling tour schedule has paid off, as he now plays for standing room only crowds across the country, from major music cities to small town blues bars.
Born in Baton Rouge in November 1967 and raised in the oil and fishing town of Houma, Louisiana (where he lives to this day), Benoit barely remembers learning to play guitar. "I had a book that showed you how to play chords," he said. "After I learned the first three, I got rid of the book."
Since that time, the music has seemed to come naturally to him. He began playing gigs around town -- weddings, local Cajun festivals, and rock and roll shows – anything to make a living and get the chance to play music. For Tab there was a natural progression from rock 'n roll to the '70s to the Cajun rock 'n blues he now plays since all of these genres are firmly rooted in the blues.
Everything Tab does, he does on the spot. He rarely rehearses, making each performance a new experience for both the band and the audience. He likes things simple, and approaches life with a laid-back reverence. Whether it's his uncanny ability to fix things (he's been known to repair a tour bus with a Swiss Army Knife), his winning performances racing dirt track stock cars, or his emotional, yet restrained, approach to playing music, Benoit believes in spontaneity and the importance of the moment. Benoit just does what comes naturally. 107.7 The Bone presents: HEPCAT (12/19) - Hepcat is among the most celebrated bands to emerge from the Southern California ska revival scene of the 1990s, winning fans with their infectious Caribbean melodies, soulful harmonies and swinging rhythms, all informed by elements of reggae, rock steady, R&B and jazz. THE BOB HILL BAND (12/22) - The Bob Hill Band is what happens when 5 dashing young musicians grow up listening to insanely different types of music. From the Dave Mathews Band, to G-funk era Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin, all the way over to early Red Hot Chili Peppers and P-Funk. It becomes impossible for a band comprised of such different influences to merely regurgitate old sounds. What comes out of BHB is completely unique, not comparable to any single artist, but representative of all these influences. BHB is not another progressive rock band shoving their run-of- the-mill melodies through nonstop guitar wailing, while the rest of the band simply plays as much as they can. BHB is a throwback to the days when bands weren't one-sided, they were accurate representations of the people in them. Their music is not esoteric nor a specific slice of life. It's accessible and relevant. It is broad without being canned, it's universal without being predictable. Their songs stick in your head, and there is one for every mood and every situation. BHB believes that a funk band can also be a hard rock band, and can also play some slower stuff. They believe that people want to hear fresh music, and go to shows. Above all they believe that they have what it takes to change a moment in time for millions of people. OAKLAND INTERFAITH GOSPEL ENSEMBLE (LATE SHOW) (12/24) - The principal purpose of the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Ensemble is to employ Black gospel music to express the power of spirit and bring a message of faith, hope, love and joy to the country and to the world, to exemplify through interfaith, multi-racial and multi-cultural membership the principles of equality, justice, peace, unity and cooperation and to serve as a model for what is possible among all people. Please join us at Slim's for our annual Christmas tradition! OAKLAND INTERFAITH GOSPEL ENSEMBLE (EARLY SHOW) (12/24) - The principal purpose of the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Ensemble is to employ Black gospel music to express the power of spirit and bring a message of faith, hope, love and joy to the country and to the world, to exemplify through interfaith, multi-racial and multi-cultural membership the principles of equality, justice, peace, unity and cooperation and to serve as a model for what is possible among all people. Please join us at Slim's for our annual Christmas tradition! X (WED.) (12/30) - The Los Angeles legends known as X have been pushing the boundries of punk rock for over thirty years, and show no signs of slowing down. Don't miss this special night when Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Billy Zoom, and DJ Bonebrake make their much anticipated return to Slim's. This X-Mas Party will feature all of your favorite X tunes & new XMas songs! X (THUR.) (12/31) - The Los Angeles legends known as X have been pushing the boundries of punk rock for over thirty years, and show no signs of slowing down. Don't miss this special night when Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Billy Zoom, and DJ Bonebrake make their much anticipated return to Slim's. This X-Mas Party will feature all of your favorite X tunes & new XMas songs! ***Ring in the new year with a balloon drop and champagne toast at midnight!*** PSYCHEFUNKAPUS (1/2) - For one night only these three legendary Bay Area bands will reunite to raise funds for LA's City of Hope Cancer Center.
City of Hope is recognized worldwide for its compassionate patient care, innovative science and translational research, which rapidly turns laboratory breakthroughs into promising new therapies.
14TH ANNUAL ROCK N' ROLL MARDI GRAS FEATURING COWBOY MOUTH W/ SPECIAL GUEST JUNIOR BROWN (1/7) - The term 'Cowboy Mouth' has been used in the poetry of Shakespeare and Bob
Dylan as well as a play by Patti Smith and Sam Shepard. Usually meaning one
with a loud and raucous voice, it describes the band well. With over 2000
concerts under their belt and many years of reviews lauding their live
show, there is still one quote which best captures their show.....
"...on a bad night they'll tear the roof off the joint and on a good night,
they'll save your soul." - Cake Magazine
Cowboy Mouth is New Orleans rock n' roll. Annually presenting roughly 200
shows per year, releasing nearly a dozen records, and featured on TV shows
and radio stations everywhere, Cowboy Mouth has been seen and heard by
millions of fans worldwide. For more than 15 years, the members of Cowboy
Mouth have preached and shouted at the top of their lungs the joys of being
alive and the joys of being in and from New Orleans, sharing a slice of
Mardi Gras heaven with fans around the world. As frontman Fred LeBlanc
has said,"If The Neville Brothers and The Clash had a baby, it would be
Cowboy Mouth." DEVILDRIVER - EARLY ENTRY (1/8) - ***The first 100 ticket buyers for this show receive early entry to the venue at 7pm!***
DevilDriver has always been a band on a three-pronged mission: Work hard, rock harder, and kick as many asses as possible in the process.
Since first forming in 2003, the Santa Barbara metal quintet has stuck resolutely to this mission, even though it's often meant traveling a rougher, less glamorous road than most musicians would prefer to endure. Rather than cashing in on the popularity of his previous successes, frontman Dez Fafara (formerly of Coal Chamber) insisted from the get-go that DevilDriver should not only forge their own unique sound, but should also start at the proverbial bottom of the bill and work their way up through endless touring, earning the music world's respect one fan at a time. D.R.I. (1/9) - For more than 25 years, D.R.I. has been the epitome of the aggressive, hardcore/punk thrash sound. Throughout this time, they've been one of the few genuine underground bands to remain true to their pure punk roots; still actively touring and recording just as hard as when they began. While they're a little older now, time hasn't gotten the best of the Dirty Rotten Imbeciles. They're still thrashing just as hard, and just as loud as ever, continuing to overload our senses with the sound that is, and will always remain, uniquely D.R.I. STRUNG OUT (1/10) - Strung Out’s latest album, "Agents Of The Underground", is not only their 7th full length, but it also marks the band’s 20th anniversary and is a true testament to their relevance and longevity. Think about it: two decades. Two decades in the underground with thousands of live shows, tours on five (5!) different continents, over a million records sold… and they’ve managed to do it all while on an independent record label. More striking than their massive sales, which is a notable for any artist in this day and age, but the fact that the band that has never had help from “the industry”. They may not have household name status, but they do have a colossal worldwide following and a loyal fan base that has been with them since the very start. Such is Strung Out’s true legacy: devotion to the music, devotion to the band, and devotion to the fans.
"Agents Of The Underground" is the culmination of all the above and is a reflection of the indomitable, defiant spirit of Strung Out and their fans. Frontman Jason Cruz said this about the new stuff, “'With Agents Of The Underground', I wanted to acknowledge the fact that we are still alive and kicking just below the consciousness of the mainstream media and are celebrating our place here in ‘The Underground’. Like a resistance movement, we move freely and without boundaries.” And that sentiment can be heard on this newest album more than ever before as Strung Out sounds more dynamic than ever. It offers some of Strung Out’s upbeat, melodic stuff that you know and love with songs like “Ghetto Heater” and “Carcrashradio”; then they hit you with their more technical and heavy side with songs like “Jack Knife” and “Heart Attack”. This full length is frantic and furious, and as with all Strung Out’s records, they push the boundaries a bit more each time.
And to that end, M. Shadows, singer of Avenged Sevenfold said this about what the band means to him and so many others, “Aside from metal, I was listening to a lot of west coast punk rock. Strung Out was different for me because they blended the sounds of melodic punk and metal unlike any band I had heard before them.” The band’s unique and pioneering style of fusing punk rock with metal and heavier music has garnered them a lot of praise and proteges. Tim McIlrath of Rise Against had this to say about growing up and hearing Strung Out and the influence they had, “Their complex riffs and harmonies challenged and inspired the scores of bands that would walk in their footsteps.” Many of today’s biggest bands cite Strung Out as an influence… as if you couldn’t hear it already.
But even years after they first made their mark, people in the punk, metal, and hardcore scene are still paying attention to what Strung Out is doing with their music. Never one to rest on their laurels, the real question with Strung Out is always this: what’s next? For them it means moving things forward and taking their live show on the road. They push themselves to the limit when it comes to both songwriting and touring, so you can expect to see these guys everywhere, playing their guts out in support of the new record, Agents Of The Underground.TICKETS ON SALE Sun. November 29 SCRAPING FOR CHANGE (1/14) - Scraping For Change (SFC) is a Bay Area-based band that is redefining modern day rock. Expanding on the vocal styles of Incubus, Linkin Park and Green Day and incorporating some heart pounding instrumentals, SFC has been mesmerizing listeners, on and off the stage!
Recently SFC has been recording an E.P. with Producer Scott Llamas at Popsmear Studios in San Rafael. Please join us this evening as the band celebrates the release of this new CD! Revolver presents:
The fans have spoken and Behemoth’s return to North America will be a triumphant conquest presented by Revolver Magazine in association with Affliction, ESP guitars and with on-line media partners KillerTours.com and VampireFreaks.com. Supporting Behemoth on the Evangelia Amerika tour will be SepticFlesh from Greece and Shining from Sweden.
Behemoth have set “Evangelion” as the title of their ninth hell breaking opus. A Greek word meaning “spreading the good news” or “spreading the words of God,” its use is often related to biblical stories of the salvation of mankind, the sacrificial death of Jesua and his later resurrection. Behemoth choose to use the word in it’s purest, etymological context, without any Christian connotations - the time of spreading good news has come indeed. This is the Evangelion Of The New Eon.
Representing a whole new spectrum of strength, creativity and determination, “Evangelion” is the album to undoubtedly lead this Polish mob to the peak of the extreme metal genre. Always a band for disrespecting the boundaries of self-limitation (indeed, evil has no boundaries), these metal luminaries have returned with fury and vengeance. Recorded in the band’s hometown Radio Gdansk studio with Wieslawscy Brothers and Daniel Bergstrand (drums) in the producers chair, and a stunning mix courtesy of the legendary Colin Richardson (Machine Head, Slipknot, Carcass), the final result is a beast of an album, and one that will tear any competition to shreds.
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME (1/18) - Celebrated progressive rock / cutting-edge metal band Between the Buried and Me (BTBAM) has just released its long-awaited new album "The Great Misdirect." In celebration of the record’s release, BTBAM has announced both fall 2009 and winter 2010 headlining tours.
Merging unparalleled musical bravery, prodigious musicianship, flawless execution and an angular landscape of forward thinking ideas, Between the Buried and Me reinvent the rock 'n roll idiom while pleasing their harshest critics: themselves. Joining metal’s dexterity and progressive rock’s forward-looking action, BTBAM create spine-tingling sound that contains visceral power, labyrinthine arrangement, mind-boggling melody and majestic beauty. Since its inception, the band has proven itself as a progressive rock pacesetter whose modernist clang pegs it as a paradigm to be followed and a yardstick by which other bands are measured.
ANTI-FLAG (1/21) - The first Anti-Flag release on L.A. based label SideOneDummy starts off fast and furious as Chris #2 takes aim at those who use the Bible to control the masses. If the album’s second track, ‘The Economy is Suffering… Let It Die’, isn’t nearly as reckless, it’s just as impassioned, as Justin Sane weighs in on the government bailouts of 2008, asking “Where are all the bailouts for the homeless and the poor?” It’s just the sort of question bands like Anti-Flag were born to ask.
After fulfilling their two-record contract with RCA Records, the band built a studio in their hometown of Pittsburgh, PA to cut their first release for SideOneDummy. By having their own studio and not having to work on any schedule but their own, they’ve been able to create statements and music that is relevant and timely – back to basics, back on their own terms, with their own sound.
In addition to raising funds/gathering necessities for those who need it most (via canned food drives for local food banks/clothing drives for the homeless), they’ve created the non-profit organizations Military Free Zone (combating a provision in the No Child Left Behind act that invades students’ privacy for Military Recruitment purposes) and Underground Action Alliance (a networking site for social justice). As Chris #2 says, “This is an extension of what our vision of punk rock is, was, and will always be."
KAPAKAHI (1/22) - What exactly is Kapakahi? Simply put, it’s complicated.
Imagine if you kidnapped Sublime, put them on an island with a case of rum and invited The P-Funk All Stars, 311 and Lupe Fiasco to join the party... they would probably come up with a sound ALMOST as unique as Kapakahi’s.
Like the multi-cultural mix of musicians that make up the band, Kapakahi is about celebrating diversity in all its fun, funky glory. Their music is a fresh and progressive mash-up of pop, reggae, latin, hip-hop and funk and their energetic stage show grabs the attention of whatever crowd they're in front of.
So, regardless of any label placed on them, Kapakahi's genre-bending style aims for ONE thing: to get your ass moving on the dance floor! FRUIT BATS (1/29) - Over the course of three records, the last two on Sub Pop (2003’s "Mouthfuls" and 2005’s "Spelled in Bones"), Eric D. Johnson’s Fruit Bats have looked for ways to file down the cynical edge of modern life and found many. Using bright melodies, defiantly major-key chord structures, natural imagery mixed with the occasional blazing insight and tender observation, the Fruit Bats have never shied away from darkness, but more uncommon in this day and age, they’ve refused to shy away from light. With "The Ruminant Band," this tradition continues in characteristically rich and involving fashion. From the barn-floor stomp of 'The Hobo Girl' and the Fleetwood Mac-esque shimmy of the title track to the propulsive yet spacious ‘70s country-rock jam 'Tegucigalpa' and the parlor piano soft-shoe of 'Flamingo,' "The Ruminant Band" makes good on Johnson’s recent message board promise: “We are going to choogle for you.” Though he has spent the handful of years between Fruit Bats records playing with peers as heralded and forward-thinking as Vetiver and The Shins, the songwriting and production on "The Ruminant Band" mark a further crystallization of Johnson’s own melodic instincts and overall vision over the past near-decade, abetted by brothers-in-arms who know both bluster and restraint. NILE (1/30) - Masters of extreme technical death metal Nile are partnering up with long-time friends Immolation and Krisiun as well as Abigail Williams and Dreaming Dead for the first round of American tour dates in support of their new album, scheduled for worldwide release this Fall on Nuclear Blast Records.
The 32-date tour commences on January 15th, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Guitarist / musical mastermind Karl Sanders spoke with Revolver Magazine earlier this year and said Nile's sixth full-length album will likely be their most eclectic offering to date: "We're going to some very unexpected places. I've been listening to some oud [Middle Eastern lute] music, Iranian music, and some Hindu stuff, and that stuff's definitely rubbing off on the new songs." THE DAMNED (2/14) - As punk's history enters a new millennium, the impact of the band initially judged "the least likely to" seems to grow ever more each day. The Ramones hold deserved pride of place for kick-starting the whole thing, while the Sex Pistols and to a lesser extent the Clash helped take it to an even more notorious level, and are role models for many young bands to this day. But arguably just as important and memorable are the Damned, London contemporaries of the Pistols and Clash that made their own mark from the start. Eschewing political posing, ill-fitting outside rhetoric, and simply doing the same thing over and over again, the group — lacking anything like a stable lineup — took punk's simplicity and promise as a starting point and ran with it. The end result, at the group's finest: a series of inspired, ambitious albums and amazing live shows combining full-on rock energy, a stylish sense of performance, and humorous deadpan cool.TICKETS ON SALE Sun. November 29 EPICA (2/17) - SF Bluegrass & Old Time Festival presents: BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA (3/18) - “To all the rock ‘n’ rollers of the USA, I’m coming in February, 2010!”
That’s Malian maestro Bassekou Kouyate with a heads-up well worth heeding. A virtuoso picker and musical visionary whose work blurs the lines between West African and American roots music, Bassekou has jammed with Bonnie Raitt and Bono, won praise from Eric Clapton. He’s also dug into blues and country music with Taj Mahal and created freewheeling improvisations with banjo maverick Bela Fleck. Bassekou’s instrument, the ngoni, is a “spike lute” and an ancestor of the banjo, sharing its taut-skinned drum body, percussive attack, and varied picking techniques. Since 2005, Bassekou has led Ngoni Ba, the first-ever group built around not one but four ngonis—all played by members of his family. The group’s second CD "I Speak Fula" comes out on Sub Pop in February of 2010 (preceded by a digital release via iTunes in December ‘09) on the occasion of Bassekou’s first U.S. tour as a headliner. SONATA ARCTICA (4/22) - Finland's Sonata Arctica has recorded their newest metal masterpiece called "The Days of Grays," an epic record full of traditional Sonata trademarks as well as new tunes and tones. To put it quite simply, it's become an amazingly good album which once more shows the power of Sonata Arctica as they have proven their uniqueness by writing complex, straight-forward yet very catchy music. | |||