Langosta - Super Nature EP

Langosta’s new EP Super Nature plays out exactly as the title would suggest. Taken as a whole, the four fierce, yet eloquent tracks combine to present a journey which offers a unique perspective on the sounds of nature.

WECS Radio Club Presents: Turf War, Birth of Flower, The Ferns, The Voyager Beach Club, and Lana Lana on 10/13

The fine folks at WECS have a show coming up that is gonna be dope as all hell. Details after the page break:

Awesome Full Weekend of Shows @ The Heirloom Arts Theatre

The fine folks down at The Heirloom Arts Theatre in Danbury have a whole weekend of shows lined up to kick in your eardrums!

Coax Rhino - High Beams

"High Beams" is Coax Rhino's new single. The song reminds one of Enon--the video is... well... just watch it and you'll see. But the song is a neat disco/rock hybrid. With a high energy post-rock crescendo towards the end. Check these guys out



Highbeams by Coax Rhino

The Big Sleep & ATRINA @ BAR for FREE!

Psychedelic Post-Rockers The Big Sleep are coming to BAR this Wednesday, February 1st, and it ain't cost you ONE CENT. Opening for them is the visceral and always impressive ATRINA, one of CT's most skilled and loved bands.

Here is the info breakdown:

THE BIG SLEEP
Formed in 2003, the band's discography includes the self-released EP You Today, Me Tomorrow, the full-length Son Of The Tiger LP (released in late 2006), and the full-length album Sleep Forever (released in 2008). Having drawn comparisons to fellow New Yorkers Sonic Youth, The Big Sleep's sound deviates from that of more recently formed contemporaries. Often without vocals, The Big Sleep's songs are for the most part instrumentals leaning towards post-rock or shoegaze, however often with a psychedelic feel hearkening back to classic rock such as Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath.

In fall 2011, The Big Sleep performed at CMJ Music Marathon and released “Ace”, the single off of their new album Nature Experiments. Nature Experiments will be released on January 31, 2012.


ATRINA
I am a big fan of how Dan Barry of The Hartford Advocate explains ATRINA:
"...Atrina force you to meet them with openness and wonderment... the feel of their music is iconic... marked by turbulent riffs in angular time signatures... lyrics evacuate the voice... leaving us with just the sound itself, a husk of something communicated... chilling, morbid, and delicious"
- Dan Barry (Hartford Advocate)




February 1 2012 at 9pm
The Big Sleep
ATRINA
@ BAR
254 Crown St, New Haven
21+ FREE!

Yeah so it looks like the old "I'm broke" excuse isn't going to fly this time!!!

Fugue - YEARS

Could there be a better time to hear Fugue’s new album than the autumn? Kind of like the mosaic of leaves that swirls around one’s head, Fugue’s YEARS is often a collage of interlaced guitar, keyboard, and bass melodies that combine to give birth to some larger, unified feeling. Unlike a lot of guitar-driven instrumental rock, YEARS resists repeating simple and catchy melodic hooks; rather, the album presents kick-ass melodic lines but allows them to permutate in new shades as each song transforms.

Taken as a whole, each of the songs on YEARS generally has a melancholic quality to it, but it’s one that is complex and rich. Each of the four songs is a journey in which tempos, moods, melodies, and chord progressions are continually evolving. While Fugue impress with their compositional and instrumental virtuosity, they skillfully avoid falling into the trap of becoming over-technical showoffs. Part of the credit there must go to the drummer, who animates the music with surprisingly unconventional rhythms but pulls it off with organic ease. Additionally, for all of its cerebral quality, YEARS is still a post-rock album that will melt your brain with distortion-heavy crescendos and hypnotically charging riffs.

It was sad to hear recently that Fugue is breaking up (they have schedules for their last live shows posted on their FB page). I am, however, looking forward to hearing the new projects that Fugue’s members will inevitably get involved with. This last album speaks to both their musicianship and innovation.

Fugue - YEARS - 02 Vermilion Bird of the South by CTINDIE

Deafheaven: Sometimes good music doesn't go unnoticed

Most bands, if they’re any good (and some that aren’t so good), take a while to get their sound down pat and start attracting local attention. This whole process can drag on longer if the band decides to tour and is trying to get signed. It’s a process that sometimes can drag out for years, depending on the band’s situation.

In the case of San Francisco’s Deafheaven, the exact opposite is true, because within a year of them forming, they’ve already released a well received demo, got signed to a decent independent label and have been able to tour nationally. These unexpected twists and turns are quite surprising for a project that just started out as a way to slake its creators thirst for new sounds.

“We were all in a bunch of different bands and they all started to get a little stagnant. We then decided to go full throttle with this project and come up with a more expansive sound,” said vocalist George Clarke, who along with guitarist Kerry McCoy, form the core of Deafheaven.

It started off innocently enough, the duo recorded a demo and sent it out to a bunch of influential blogs, said demo received all types of praise, which eventually lead to the formation of a full on band, which included bassist Derek Prine, guitarist Nick Bassett of shoegaze band Whirr and drummer Trevor Deschryver of funeral doom band Lycus (Bassett isn’t touring with them due his commitments to Whirr. In his place, Gary Bettencourt who fronts a one man crusty/d-beat project called Black Monolith handles second guitar duty.), and them getting signed to Deathwish records, which is the label co-owned by Converge’s Jake Bannon. Add a buzz building set at the SXSW music fest, and the recording of a full length record, “Roads To Judah”, which was released this past April and you have a band that is living at an accelerated rate.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s talk about the band’s sound. Deafheaven merges the savagery of black metal, with some of the lush atmospheres of post rock and shoegaze, while blending in a little screamo into the mix. It’s a genre defying sound, which really doesn’t fall into one easy category. And they want it that way, just as long as you don’t use the dreaded “bm” tag around them.

“We don’t consider ourselves a black metal band because we have a lot more going on to be considered just that,” said Clarke.

This expansive sound is on full display on their debut “Roads To Judah” which was released this past April. Though there might be a little confusion as to whether this is a spiritual record, the Judah mentioned in the title is a reference for to N Judah line which ran by the duo’s house in San Francisco. Clarke said he would come up with a lot of ideas for the band while riding this train into work. Thematically, the record deals with personal themes that were affecting its creator at the time of writing. It must have been a hellacious time, because the music actually burns with a cleansing fire, like he is purging these things from his life.

While there are passages of shoegaze like atmosphere, the album's four tracks are mostly dominated by a savage black metal-influenced assault. There are the atmospheric parts, which reference shoegaze and post-metal, but they add depth to the sound, instead of overwhelming it. This is one angry, blasting record. They’re like an angry urban version of Wolves In The Throne Room, who deal less in nature worship issues, than with the pitfalls of living in a major city and the stress that goes along with that.

“We wanted to utilize all our backgrounds to create emotion on a large scale. This means using sounds that are not just metal,” Clarke said.

For now, the band is thrilled to be touring behind the new record and has plans to tour for it throughout the year. But it might be a while before you anymore new Deafheaven material. Different members of the band are involved with other projects. In fact, Clarke said that Deafhaven is just one of the many things the guys in the band are involved with.

For example, Bassett is busy getting ready the Whirr debut disc for Tee Pee Records. Deschryver has the Lycus project to work on and Bettencourt has Black Monolith. But that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy their time with Deafheaven.

“We are definitely happy with the way the record has been received. We were not expecting it at all. Right now we’re just enjoying the tour and all that is coming to us because of it,” Clarke said.

Exit:Denied by deafheaven

Manic Productions Presents:

Deafheaven
Brass Caskets
Gowl
Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Saturday, June 18
Lilly’s Pad (Toad’s Place Upstairs)
300 York Street
New Haven, CT
7:00 pm – All Ages - $10

Tour Dates

06/17: New York, NY @ The Cake Shop
06/18: New Haven, CT @ Lillys Pad
06/19: Boston, MA @ O' Briens
06/21: Cleveland, OH @ Now That's Class
06/22: Chicago, IL @ The Albion House
06/24: Cheyenne, WY @ The Crawlspace
06/25: Denver, CO @ Blast-O-Mat
06/26: Las Vegas, NV @ Meatheads
06/27: Los Angeles, CA @ Vacation Vinyl - FREE In store
06/28: Garden Grove, CA @ The Cabin

Joan of Arc, Out Like Lambs, The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die

Wednesday, February 2 2011, Manic Productions presents

Location:
BAR
254 Crown Street
New Haven, CT

9:00pm - 21+ - Free

bios via Manic

Joan of Arc:
Based on their roots and their hometown, it's not surprising that Chicago's Joan of Arc blends post-rock's atmospherics and punk's volume and dynamics. Singer/guitarist Tim Kinsella, drummer Mike Kinsella, and bassist Sam Zurick came from the emocore band Cap'n Jazz; when that band broke up, the trio wanted to change their musical direction. They did just that when they started playing with keyboardist/guitarist Jeremy Boyle and guitarist Eric Bocek in summer 1996, removing the boundaries and structures of punk and including more experimental elements like tape loops and electronics.

Calling themselves Joan of Arc, the group went on tour with their friends the Promise Ring (who also featured ex-Cap'n Jazz members) in August 1996. Joan of Arc's live set met with a strong, positive audience, just in time for their first 7" single, Method & Sentiment. After spending the fall of that year writing and recording, the band re-emerged in 1997 with A Portable Model of Joan of Arc, their full-length debut. The album continued Joan of Arc's evolution into an equally hard-hitting and progressive outfit that appealed to emo and post-rock fans alike. The following year they returned with How Memory Works, a more clearly stated version of their ambitious style. Joan of Arc rang in 1999 with the release of Live in Chicago 1999. Gap was released a year later. In February 2003, the band returned with So Much Staying Alive and Lovelessness, although plans for a much bigger release were skirted to the side. Three months later, that extra material found its way onto In Rape Fantasy and Terror Sex We Trust, capturing Tim and Mike Kinsella's darkest work yet. After moving to Polyvinyl, the band recorded the experimental Joan of Arc, Dick Cheney, Mark Twain and released the album in 2004. Eventually, All at Once, which the band described as a "casual folk-drone record," arrived in 2006 on Record Label. In October 2007, the band scored the creepy and instrumental Orchard Vale Soundtrack, and Boo Human arrived in 2008.

Joan of Arc's lineup remained in flux throughout the 2000s, with Tim Kinsella always remaining at the center of the group. In 2009, the frontman decided to reach out to his former bandmates and assemble Don?t Mind Control, a unique record featuring 18 different bands. Each group included a one-time member of Joan of Arc, and the resulting album included songs by Vacations, Ghosts and Vodka, and Pillars and Tongues.
Polyvinyl Records.



Out Like Lambs:
“Man, I love me some sorrow and soul in my indie folk. Songs that seem so long that they abandon all ‘formulas’ and ‘methods’ of songwriting and just go with the flow. Natural ideas and sounds. I think Out Like Lambs does it so well. Huge, vast, wonderful soundscapes that seem to reach beyond any speaker system. They just stretch. It’s not overwhelming at all, but definitely euphoric. An orchestra of light acoustic sounds and progressively soulful vocals. I am in love.” -Stop Sleeping Yo



The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die formed in the fall of 2009 in eastern Connecticut and play a unique brand of post-rock-damaged second wave emo. Their songs are written about the joys and pains of being alive from a collective perspective.
Topshelf Records

Fugue, Empire! Empire!, Annabel, Wess Meets West, Martin Luther King

Monday, December 27, 2010:

Location:
Heirloom Arts Theatre
155 Main Street
Danbury, CT

6:00pm - all ages - $5.00












Fugue




Empire! Empire! (I was a Lonely Estate) (MI)



Annabel (OH)



Wess Meets West



Martin Luther King - not sure about these dudes, but I guess this was originally going to be a house show, and someone in MLK was the host.

Empire! Empire!, Annabel tour dates:

DEC 27 – Danbury, CT @ Heirloom Arts Theatre w/ Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), Fugue, Wess Meets West, Martin Luther King
DEC 28 – Allston, MA @ O’Briens w/ Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), The Clippers
DEC 29 – Bethlhem, PA @ St. Bernards w/ Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), Snowing, For Serious This Time, U.S. Male
DEC 30 – Richmond, VA @ The BP House w/ Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), Sundials
DEC 31 – Wilmington, NC @ The Soapbox w/ Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), SWTHRT, DJ Chason
JAN 01 – Baltimore, MD @ Charm City Art Space w/ Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), Monument, Hightide Hotel
JAN 02 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks w/ Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), In the Wake of Giants, Hisdayhascome

Apse, Matt Wilga (of Stoned Ambassadors), Roman Wolfe @ Popeye's Garage, Oct. 2nd

This Saturday, October 2nd Popeye's Garage will be hosting Northampton's Apse as well as openers Matt Wilga (of Brooklyn's Stoned Ambassadors) and Roman Wolfe (New Haven) for the first of its final three shows.

Formed in Newtown, Connecticut over a decade ago, Apse has significantly expanded its reach, both sonically and musically since its early days on the local scene. At varying points referencing elements of post-punk, post-rock, krautrock, shoegaze, ambient, industrial, goth and metal, Apse's unique creative vision (led by the band's only constant member Rob Toher) can be technically hard to define. Percussion heavy rhythms, Toher's trademark vocal delivery, and liberal doses of reverb and delay are familiar elements; however, songs push and pull, morph into each other and generally don't stick to one thing for too long. The band's songs seem to be more about an exploration of ideas than two and a half minute pop perfection, though the hooks are there, scattered throughout. Despite limited stateside appeal, Apse has enjoyed significant success abroad, especially in Europe where the band has repeatedly toured to great response. They are also currently signed to ATP Recordings and have made repeat appearances at their label's namesake festival. The current incarnation of the band has been pared down to a relatively meager four-piece (including bassist John Mordecai who also performs in locals Shark and the Tyler Trudeau Attempt) although they surely can still carry a wallop live. This particular performance marks Apse's first Connecticut show in over a year and, based on our calculations, its first show in New Haven proper ever. Openers Matt Wilga (of Brooklyn's the Stoned Ambassadors) and Roman Wolfe (New Haven) bring a complementary mix of pop sensiblity (Wilga) and synth exploration (Roman Wolfe) that should go well with Apse's subtley melodic sonic stew while still retaining their own musical identity.



Shows like this don't come along very often folks (and pretty soon Popeye's Garage won't be either) so get yourselves downtown this Saturday!

APSE
MATT WILGA (of The Stoned Ambassadors)
ROMAN WOLFE

@ Popeye's Garage
50 Goffe Street / New Haven
All Ages / $5 / 6pm

Show Review: Caspian, Fugue, Castles

Thursday, September 9, 2010 at Lilly's Pad, photos by John Kritzman, review by Monica Lyons:


Weekends in New Haven always hold a certain feeling of excitement as the small city buzzes with people strolling the streets looking for fun and relaxation with good people. Approaching Toad’s Place on Thursday September 9th, it certainly held true, seeing music-lovers slouched up against its brick siding making small talk with each other. I have been to the venue several times before, but had never stepped foot into Lilly’s Pad. Now that I have, I’m wondering why I’ve never been there before. The room brought about a cool vibe with its low set lighting, full bar in the back, and quaint tables and chairs lining the walls. Since Toad’s Place is such a large venue that physically separates concert-goers 21 years and older from the rest, Lilly’s Pad gave me the comforting feel of familiar venues that slap sloppy X’s on your hands and let you stand on the same floor as the band. Grabbing a beer from the bar and talking with some friends while waiting for the bands to set up, I felt very much at home.


In the three bands that performed that night, I was only familiar with Fugue, as I had seen them play at Pop Punk Is Dead Fest 2 a few weeks back in Woodbury. After trying to listen to them again through their MySpace, I decided that it didn’t nearly come close to experiencing their captivating live performance. Even though I had never even heard of Castles or Caspian, I held high hopes.


Dressed casually in sneakers and plaid shirts, Castles gave the impression of nothing too over the top, but friendly and familiar. As they began playing, slow ambient tones filled the room as the small crowd of people at Lily’s Pad gathered around the band. The singer’s solemn voice complimented the pacifying rhythm of the band, encouraging everyone to listen to the lyrics. Seeing Castles reminded me of going to a local VFW and watching your friend’s band perform for everyone living in the surrounding area. The feel is true to their background, as Castles is straight out of New Haven.


I was pumped to see Fugue. I was so pumped that I stood in the front while they were setting up to be right in the action when they played. As it became evident they were performing soon, people pushed forward to be shoulder to shoulder and up close and personal as well. Fugue is a band that’s incomparably one of a kind. Identifying themselves as experimental, progressive, and fusion, this group does not disappoint. Fugue exerts a rollercoaster of loud, complicated riffs to tight, simple beats all balled up into one song. Consisting of three guitarists, a bassist, keyboard player, and drummer, Fugue is beautifully crafted to deliver an array of obscurely organized rhythms. The band has minimal vocals which complement their music creatively with the help of a Kaoss Pad. You can’t help but totally get into it, which was clear to see from the head bobbing and swaying of the crowd. Fugue rocks.





With everyone in the right mood, it was time for Caspian to perform. They stood alone in their physical style, with mostly dressed in black and looking like they were there to dominate. The Boston-based band has been labeled as industrial post-rock with a style similar to that of Explosions in the Sky, Red Sparrows, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. As Caspian played, it was obvious that they were going to leave their mark at Lilly’s Pad. Initially, it felt like everyone in the room was sinking into a trance from the band’s progressive ambient melodies. To my surprise, Caspian knocked me off my feet and progressed in a destructive, hard-hitting sound that had me thinking, “Wow, this is heavy.” The mixture of bass, guitars, and drums bring you deep into a stage of raw emotion and buildup. For having no vocals, their music truly does all the talking. This band has major energy that makes you feel like your soul is on an adventure for the truth. Caspian’s performance delivered a sense of true liberation that consumed and shook the whole room. On the last song, all of the band members dropped their instruments to join and wail on the drum set in perfect rhythm, making for a truly epic ending. At the end, the band was extremely friendly and grateful to the crowd for watching them perform, despite some obnoxious, drunk people making loose comments from the back of the crowd. I will definitely be checking out Caspian again.

Most of the crowd stayed after the show to mingle with each other and other bands, laughing at the techno-beat submerging from Toad’s Place below the floor. There was a lingering feel in the air of good music and good people. Leaving the venue and walking out onto the streets of New Haven, I forgot where I was for a moment and couldn’t help but laugh at a group drunken college kids in matching t-shirts dragging themselves to the next club. Gotta love New Haven.









Kritzman's full album of shots from the show can be found here.

Caspian, Fugue, Castles

Thursday, September 9, 2010, Manic Productions presents


Location:
Lilly's Pad (Toad's Place Upstairs)
300 York Street
New Haven, CT

7:00pm - All Ages - $8

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records or DETRITUS

Directions

Sonically Caspian draws from a broad scope of influences ranging from the ambient sophistication of Eluvium and Brian Eno to the crushing fury of art-metalists such as ISIS and Tool. Emotively, the music of Caspian shares common threads with Sigur Ros, M83 and The Appleseed Cast. From Boston.



Fugue:
"Adjectives are a neat grammatical function, but don't seem to adequately capture the musical product of Fugue. With the foundation of two guitars, one keyboard, drums and bass, Fugue manipulates basic musical functions of time signatures and scale to shape a finished product trumping any words. Maybe that's why they call it math rock." - Elise Granata (Inkwell Press)




Castles is an ambient indie rock band from New Haven.

This Will Destroy You, Irepress, Constants, Wess Meets West

Monday, August 30 2010, Manic Productions presents


Location:
Toad's Place
300 York Street Street
New Haven CT

$12 ($10 adv) - 7:00PM - All Ages

Directions

Buy tickets now or grab them at Redscroll or DETRITUS

This Will Destroy You are an instrumental quartet from the great state of Texas who play a cascading brand of cinematic rock music. Often compared and linked to purveyors of the “post-rock” sub-genre, the band has managed to transcend the tag and carve its own niche via a delicate and balanced infusion of electronics, strings, and an array of unconventional “rock” instrumentation over bombastic and receding harmony.
Magic Bullet Records



Formed in Sharon MA, Irepress are a soaring instrumental prog-metal band whose influence comes largely from the post-rock field shared in their genre by groups like Pelican, Russian Circles, Isis, etc. A great deal of experimental texturing and math-rock time signatures are also present in the group's original and powerful compositions, coming together to create a surprisingly unique entry in the often interchangeable atmospheric sludge metal field.
Translation Loss



Constants is a post-hardcore/post-rock/shoegaze band from Boston, MA. In 2005, the band released their second album “The Murder of Tom Fitzgerril” and toured the United States for ten months straight in 2006 in a 66 passenger school bus converted to run on waste vegetable oil, becoming strong proponents of sustainability. Jon Hassell (ex-Seneca) was added as a second guitar player, and stayed on as a full-time member for some time after. In early 2008, the group enlisted Rob Motes (ex-The Coma Recovery, The City is the Tower) and the band released a split 7” with fellow Boston post-rockers Caspian.



Wess Meets West began in late 2005 and was created by Sam Stauff (The Morning After, My Holy Ghost, A Paper Tugboat). Initially, it was intended solely as an electronic music project supplemented by Sam on guitar. The project stayed this way until February 2008 when Sam recruited bass player Bryan Gottshall and drummer Jesse Vengrove, turning Wess Meets West into a live band. The band fused it's electronic roots with it's newly found live elements, bringing the music to a whole new level and finally allowing the music to be performed in a live setting. For fans of early Appleseed Cast, Explosions in the Sky, Russian Circles, etc.

This Will Destroy You Tour:

w/ AUTOLUX:
08/11/10 : Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA
08/12/10 : Cafe Coda (no Autolux) - Chico, CA
08/13/10 : Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
08/14/10 : Neumos - Seattle, WA
08/15/10 : Venue - Vancouver, BC
08/18/10 : Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN
08/19/10 : The Annex - Madison, WI
08/20/10 : The Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL
08/21/10 : Southgate House - Newport, KY
08/22/10 : Magic Stick - Fucking Awesome Fest - Detroit, MI
08/24/10 : Lee’s Palace - Toronto, ON
08/25/10 : La Sala Rossa - Montreal, QC
08/26/10 : Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
08/27/10 : Middle East Downstairs - Cambridge, MA
08/28/10 : Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY
08/29/10 : Maxwell’s - Hoboken, NJ
08/30/10 : Toad's Place (no Autolux) - New Haven, CT
08/31/10 : Johnny Brenda’s - Philadelphia, PA

w/ DEFTONES:
09/04/10 : Deppe Music Pavillion - Jacksonville, NC
09/05/10 : The Music Farm - Charleston, SC
09/07/10 : Valarium - Knoxville, TN
09/08/10 : Bogart’s - Cincinnati, OH
09/10/10 : Newport Music Hall - Columbus, OH
09/11/10 : Rapids Theatre - Niagara Falls, NY
09/12/10 : Crocodile Rock Cafe - Allentown, PA
09/13/10 : Club Zoo - Pittsburgh, PA
09/14/10 : House of Blues - Cleveland, OH

2010 EUROPEAN TOUR:
18/09/10 : Incubate Festival – Tillburg (NL)
19/09/10 : Atak – Enschede (NL)
21/09/10 : BHF-Langendreer – Bochum (D)
22/09/10 : Magnet – Berlin (D)
23/09/10 : Gleis22 – Münster (D)
24/09/10 : Reeperbahn Festival – Hamburg (D)
25/09/10 : Juha West - Stuttgart (D)
26/09/10 : Werkstatt – Köln (D)
27/09/10 : Moho – Manchester (UK)
28/09/10 : Stereo - Glasgow (UK)
29/09/10 : Arts Centre – Norwich (UK)
30/09/10 : Underworld – London (UK)
02/10/10 : Schlachthof - Wiesbaden (D)
04/10/10 : Feierwerk – München (D)
05/10/10 : Fri-Son – Fribourg (CH)
06/10/10 : Grabenhalle – St. Gallen (CH)
07/10/10 : Apartamento Hoffman – Conegliano (Treviso) (IT)
08/10/10 : Init Club – Rome (IT)
09/10/10 : King Club – Livorno (IT)
10/10/10 : PMK - Innsbruck (A)
11/10/10 : B72 – Vienna (A)
12/10/10 : Beatpol – Dresden (D)
14/10/10 : 16tons - Moscow (RU)
15/10/10 : Dom Kultury - Ryazan (RU)
16/10/10 : PV - Ekaterinburg (RU)
17/10/10 : Tancy - St Petersburg (RU)

The Album Leaf, The Files and Fires

Wednesday, August 11 2010, Manic Productions presents,


Location:
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford CT

$14 ($12 adv) - 8:00PM - 21+

Directions

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

PEOPLE WITH ALBUM LEAF TATTOOS
If you have an Album Leaf tattoo, you will get free entry to Album Leaf shows. You must send an e-mail here five days in advance of the show to gain access on the Album Leaf's guest list. Put, "leaf tattoo guest" in your subject line. You must include a photo of your face AND tattoo.

The Album Leaf officially began in 1998 as the solo project of Jimmy LaValle, guitarist for San Diego, California-based post-rock band Tristeza. LaValle has also performed in several other San Diego-area bands, including Swing Kids, The Locust, GoGoGo Airheart, and The Black Heart Procession as well as collaborating with Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. The new Album Leaf album A Chorus of Storytellers, marks the first decade for the group. In those 10 years, LaValle has gone from initial improvised home recordings to now five complete studio albums, from opening slots to leading an incredible world-touring band to the stage at Red Rocks, headlining the Metamorphose festival in Japan and performing at the Hollywood Bowl with the Incredible String Band. LaValle’s well-earned reputation as a crafter of impeccable sonic imagery even led to a critically-acclaimed show at the Seattle International Film Festival where The Album Leaf performed a live score for the 1927 silent film Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans. On Sub Pop.

Jimmy LaValle is currently backed by:
Matthew Resovich - Violin, Keys, Vocals
James McAlister - Drums (has played for Sufjan Stevens, Ester Drang and David Bazan among others)
Brad Lee - Bass, Guitar, Keys & Trumpet
Gram LeBron - Bass, Keys, Guitar & Vocals



Connecticut band The Files and Fires opens this show. They are similar to post-rcokers This Wil Destroy You and Explosions in the Sky.


The Album Leaf tour dates:
Supporting STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9)
Aug 12: Roseland Theatre - New York, NY*
Aug 13: Bank of America Pavillion - Boston, MA*
Aug 14: Penn's Landing - Philadelphia, PA*
Aug 15: Pier 6 - Baltimore, MD*

Asia
Sep 4: Metamorphose Festival - Japan
Sep 7: Bentley Music Auditorium - Selangor, Malaysia
Sep 9: TAB - Singapore
Sep 10: TAB - Singapore

Supporting Owl City
Nov 9: Enmore Theatre - Sydney, Australia* Buy Tix
Nov 10: Palais - Melbourne, Australia* Buy Tix
Nov 11: The Tivoli - Brisbane, Australia* Buy Tix
Nov 13: Powerstation - Auckland, New Zealand* Buy Tix

Constants, City of Ships, De Omega, Aether Wave

Tuesday, August 10 2010, Manic Productions presents:


Location:
Cherry Street Station
491 N. Cherry St Ext
Wallingford CT

$8 - 7:00PM - 21+

Directions

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

Constants is a post-hardcore/post-rock/shoegaze band from Boston, MA. In 2005, the band released their second album “The Murder of Tom Fitzgerril” and toured the United States for ten months straight in 2006 in a 66 passenger school bus converted to run on waste vegetable oil, becoming strong proponents of sustainability. Jon Hassell (ex-Seneca) was added as a second guitar player, and stayed on as a full-time member for some time after. In early 2008, the group enlisted Rob Motes (ex-The Coma Recovery, The City is the Tower) and the band released a split 7” with fellow Boston post-rockers Caspian.



City of Ships is a three-piece progressive/post-rock influenced band from Pensacola, Florida. Translation Loss Records.



De Omega:
Experimental prog rock in the vein of Isis.

Aether Wave:
Loud guitar rock from New Britain, CT. They like to rip off bands like: Deep Purple, Hum, Electric Wizard, and Soundgarden.

Constants tour:
08.07.10 - Burlington, VT Monkey House w. City of Ships, Mose Giganticus
08.08.10 - Allston, MA Great Scott w. City of Ships, Mose Giganticus
08.09.10 - Portland, ME Geno's w. City of Ships
08.10.10 - Wallingford, CT Cherry Street Station w. City of Ships
08.11.10 - Providence, RI The 201 w. City of Ships
08.13.10 - Philadelphia, PA The Khyber w. City of Ships, Mose Giganticus
08.14.10 - New York, NY The Acheron w. City of Ships

Show Review: Mono & The Twilight Sad at Daniel St.

May 29, 2010

It's always a good sign when the entire crowd rushes the stage as soon as the opening band walks on. Such was the case at Daniel St. for the The Twilight Sad and Mono show. I was new to The Twilight Sad, though I seemed to be entirely alone in this regard--at least half the crowd came to see the Scottish shoegaze outfit and they didn't disappoint. To begin with, I'm just a sucker for that guitar sound--you know the one--that defines shoegaze almost as much as that annoying doomp de doomp de doomp defines reggaeton. But there's something about The Twilight Sad that sets them apart from other bands of their ilk. There's a sincerity and an earnestness to their music. James Graham serves as the group's dedicated vocalist and his stage antics sold me on the band almost as soon as I heard his voice. There's a life to him that spills out immediately into the audience. At the end of each song he lets out a faint smile, as though to say "Man, that was fun, let's do another." This is the kind of band you see live with the hope that they'll be sticking around after the show for a drink, just so you can buy them a round or twelve. Plus, it doesn't hurt that they all sound like Groundskeeper Willie. 

That said, there were moments in their set when I was less than impressed. Though I've never seen them live, I get the sense that they were catering to the Mono crowd and opening songs up a bit. The resulting soundscape was complete (aaah, I love that guitar distortion...), but I often lost a coherent sense of song structure during these bits. If you're a band that writes phenomenal songs, sometimes it's best just to do your thing and not worry too much about what the next guy's up to. But it hardly detracted from the show at large, and by the time The Twilight Sad were winding up their set, the dude next to me was yelling "Birdhouse! Play fucking Birdhouse!" so insistently that they had no option but to play the damn song. And it was good, real good. The song's actually called "Cold Days from the Birdhouse," and it's a good place to start if you're not too familiar with The Twilight Sad. It opens with an ambient build, and a traditional vocal melody that gives way to the band's typical blend of earsplitting guitars and charmingly Scottish accents. For people who hate Coldplay on principle but need a band to love that satisfies that same itch, check out The Twilight Sad. But if you're doing a web search for the band, I'd recommend putting quotes around their name, as Google likes to correct "Sad" to "Saga," and that leads down a dark and scary path. You've been warned.

Those of you who missed the show on Saturday should pick a city on this list and fly/drive there immediately. I've seen many good concerts in my life; I've even seen a good number of great concerts; but I've only seen a handful of truly-spectacular-once-in-a-lifetime-blow-your-mind concerts. This was one of them. In fact, I'm fairly sure that every single Mono show is a truly-spectacular-once-in-a-lifetime-blow-your-mind concert. Imagine if you did nothing but go to Mono concerts! You'd never be able to see live music again! But I digress. Mono is a Japanese instrumental post-rock band, renowned for the emotional intensity and musical complexity of their extended compositions. They played for 90 minutes with only the smallest breaks for instrument changes. Their set is a careful study in tension and release. At its quietest points, Mono's music was soft enough that I could hear people talking on the opposite side of the bar. At its loudest points, my ears could no longer process sound in certain registers, and the resulting distortion created an abiding level of (surprisingly) musical static that served as a de facto backdrop to the piece's overarching musical themes. On certain wind instruments if you play a note and hum a second note at the right frequency, the subsequent vibrations create a third, "ghosted," note--a sound that's not actually played but is nevertheless produced as a result of a previous harmony. It's easy to hear whole choirs in Mono's music, teams of a dozen drummers each, even orchestral string sections. But really, it's just two sweat-soaked guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer, communicating so intently that sounds layer upon sounds to create these imagined symphonies. A Mono show is a journey, and it's an intensely personal experience. Where I go during shows like this is my business, and where you go is yours, but the genius of Mono is that they take you anywhere at all. The show becomes about whatever you were thinking during the performance. Like sitting in the back row during an opera in another language, it frees your brain to mull over its nagging neuroses, fond memories, and unrealized desires. It's at once pleasant and entirely uncomfortable, and when it's all over, you feel as though a weight's been lifted from some hereto hidden part of your subconscious. I've never had a formal exorcism (I feel like you kinda have to know someone in the business), but I imagine it has much the same effect as a Mono show. I saw them play on Saturday. Today's Wednesday and I've done absolutely zero work other than writing this review. I feel...unburdened, and I blame/thank Mono. So go see them, whenever you can, wherever you can. Bring your troubles to the show, and Mono will whisk them away on a silver cloud--it's cheaper than therapy, but you might end up paying for hearing aids shortly thereafter. There's a reason the band sells their own brand of earplugs. Anyways, it's worth it. Go see them. Now. 

Photos by John Kritzman

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnkphoto/ |  http://johnkphoto.tumblr.com/ | http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnkphoto/sets/72157624049284763/

MONO at Daniel Street

If you asked me 5 or 6 years ago what my favorite label was, I would tell you Temporary Residence Ltd without a moments hesitation. They had all the best bands and all the new releases I wanted but could never afford. I mean they had it all: Cerberus Shoal, Explosions in the Sky, Eluvium, and Tarentel, which was my favorite band for a long, long time. Still, one of the best bands on TR was absolutely MONO. Hailing from Japan, they exemplify everything I loved about the genre; the echoing guitar melodies, the long slow builds, and of course the noisy, aggressive, over-the-top choruses. Loud waves of distortion contrasted with sweet, reverb-laden guitar, blasting cymbals; but at the heart of it all, the driving force behind the music is always pure emotion. I guess there's a reason people are always crying at Mono concerts.

Recently, the post-rock thing hasn't quite lived up to what it meant to me back then, but I still listen to all those old classics and try to keep up with the new releases. Admittedly, I've been slacking a bit, but of course I still follow MONO. Last year they released a real masterpiece; for those of you who don't own 2009's amazing double LP Hymn to the Immortal Wind yet, you should really consider picking it up. In addition to that album, while they were touring around last year with a 24-piece orchestra, which was recorded and just released as their newest live album, a 3LP and DVD set titled Holy Ground: NYC Live With The Wordless Music Orchestra. I think that they're really coming back into the spotlight again, and the new songs are fantastic.

Next Saturday, they'll be coming to Daniel Street with The Twilight Sad, who I've also been listening to for years. The Twilight Sad are from Scotland, and have released two albums that are very different from one another, the early stuff being more gentle and their newer album Forget the Night Ahead being a much noisier affair. They're now heavier than ever, have very dark lyrics and draw a lot of late 80s shoegaze influence, while still maintaining a bit of a post-rock musical and emotional feel. Vocalist James Graham's meandering Scottish brogue is totally unique and layering this ontop of screaming distortion and krautrock beats makes these guys awesome in my book.

Manic Productions Presents:
MONO
The Twilight Sad

Saturday, May 29, 2010 @ Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street, Milford, CT
8:00PM, 21+

$14 ($12 adv) (tickets thru etix or @ Redscroll)





MONO North American Tour Dates 2010
w/ Balmorhea *
w/ The Twilight Sad**

Apr 30 Austin, TX @ Emos Outside *
May 01 Dallas, TX @ The Loft *
May 03 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad *
May 04 Tucson, AZ @ Plush *
May 05 Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse *
May 06 San Diego, CA @ Casbah *
May 07 Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre **
May 08 San Francisco, CA @ Slim's **
May 10 Portland, OR @ Berbati's Pan **
May 11 Seattle, WA @ Neumo's **
May 12 Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret **
May 14 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge **
May 15 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater **
May 17 Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room **
May 18 Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews **
May 19 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club **
May 20 Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon **
May 21 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom **
May 22 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall **
May 23 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick **
May 24 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop **
May 25 Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox **
May 26 Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace **
May 27 Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa **
May 28 Boston, MA @ Middle East Downstairs **
May 29 Milford, CT @ Daniel Street **
May 30 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom **
Jun 01 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church **
Jun 02 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club **
Jun 04 Durham, NC @ North State Sound **
Jun 05 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell Stage) **
Jun 06 Nashville, TN @ Exit In **
Jun 07 Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe **
Jun 08 Little Rock, AR @ Revolution Music Room **
Jun 09 Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon **
Jun 10 Houston, TX @ Rudyards British Pub **

Alcest, Have A Nice Life, Mammoth Hunter

Wednesday, April 28 2010, Manic Productions presents:


Location:
Cafe Nine
250 State Street
New Haven CT

$10 - 9:00PM - 21+

Directions: Click

Tickets: Click or pick them up locally at Redscroll Records.

Alcest is a French band created by Neige (also in Amesoeurs, Peste Noire and Forgotten Woods) in early 2000. He began writing songs on his own but a few months afterward Argoth (bass) and Famine from Peste Noire (lead guitar) joined him and his solo project became a real band. "Tristesse Hivernale" Alcest's first demo which was composed by Neige and Famine, was released in 2001 by Drakkar Productions. At the time, the band played cold and melodic black metal inspired by the mysterious and melancholic atmospheres of the wintry landscapes. Just after the release of "Tristesse Hivernale" Alcest turned into a solo project again since Neige decided to change of direction and concept in order to explore more intimate themes. While Alcest still retains some black metal roots, the music now draws more comparison to other genres such as shoegaze and post-rock. Neige has stated in interviews that he had not listened to these types of music prior to the recording of Souvenirs d'un autre monde. Alcest is now Neige's testimony of the evanescent visions/memories he had as a child about a fantastic faraway world : a plane of existence bathed in a pearly light, beyond all terrestrial beauties, which could perhaps be described as a sort of "intermediate stage" ; the soul would rest there between two earthly lives and would for some time be freed of the burden of incarnation.

Have a Nice Life is a shoegaze / industrial / new wave hybrid duo from Middletown, CT formed in year 2000. It is the brainchild of Tim Macuga, black metal experimentalist in Nahvalr and songwriter for the classic Western Mass hardcore band The Danger Strangers, and Dan Barrett, singer of the ghost music project Giles Corey and the now-defunct In Pieces.


Mammoth Hunter is an instrumental duo from New Britain, CT featuring members of the Manic team. First show in over a year!

More Alcest tour dates:

Apr 29 2010 8:00P The Studio At Webster Hall New York, New York
Apr 30 2010 8:00P Underworld Montreal, Quebec
May 1 2010 8:00P The Democracy Center Boston, Massachusetts
May 14 2010 8:00P Auditorium Sá de Miranda Braga
May 15 2010 8:00P Side-B Benavente
May 23 2010 8:00P Wave Gothic Treffen Leipzig