MP3: “Acid Reign”

MIX TAPE: Violens Summer 2010 Mix Tape

Violens summon influences as diverse as 60s psych-pop, thrash metal, and Miami freestyle. Their music channels the sophistication of Roxy Music and the no-wave roar of Sonic Youth, all within the laughing nightmare spaces of Stanley Kubrick or Nobuhiko Obayashi. The New York-based 3-piece release their highly anticipated debut album Amoral November 2nd via Brooklyn label Friendly Fire Recordings and their own imprint Static Recital.

Producer/multi-instrumentalist Jorge Elbrecht, also a member of the art company Lansing-Dreiden, formed Violens in late 2007 as an additional outlet for his songwriting. Iddo Arad (synth) and Myles Matheny (guitar) complete the vocal harmonies, and currently join Elbrecht at the core of the group’s sound. Since releasing a self-titled EP in 2008, Violens have toured the US and Europe, performing with the likes of Grizzly Bear, Bat for Lashes and Deerhunter. Now, after furthering their studio prowess with remixes (MGMT, The Very Best), runway scores (Patrik Ervell, Yigal Azrouel), and a seasonal mixtape series showcasing their influences and collaborators, Violens have completed their extraordinary debut album.

“There are plenty of records we love that present a band in a more documentary way. We can definitely imagine a future Violens record sounding like that. But making Amoral was really about the songs being animated environments for people to cruise through–like a shark pool, or touch tank. Group vocal harmonies getting dragged out to sea by reverb or eaten by flames of distortion, choreographed call & response percussion, delayed shadows under certain instruments, animal noises, etc…” -V

Blending the ambient synths of Cocteau Twins and Sisters of Mercy with blistering guitar textures evoking Crass and Minor Threat, Amoral presents psychedelic sonic collages layered with 60’s vocal harmonies. The album shifts from the impossibly jaunty optimism of opener “The Dawn Of Your Happiness Is Rising” to the baroque doom of the nightmare described in the title track:

…And as I’ve never had a strong stomach for bloodshed and gore, it was all quite terrifying…
Perhaps the most horrific dream I can remember. At the same time, there was a euphoria to it all.
I recall the most vivid colors and patterns, lights and strange forms…

Amoral pulses through dream-pop crescendos (”Trance-Like Turn”), and epic washes of looping melody (”Generational Loss”). While goth-tropical recent single “Acid Reign” fits synthetic piano leads and frenzied guitars over dance bass lines and apparitional harmonies, “Violent Sensation Descends” veers from a vertiginous wash of synths into a chorus that could only have been written after overdosing on Zombies records. Self-recorded, self-produced, and self-mixed, Amoral is a collision of comfort and violence, cushion and crunch, attack and embrace. This is unforgettable music, full of possibility and unfathomable depth.

Violens’ new “Summer Mixtape” features their recent remixes of songs by Delorean and Nite Jewel, a Marine Girls cover (”He Got The Girl”), and unique mash ups and collaborations with Washed Out and Caroline Polachek (Chairlift), alongside tracks by Bethlehem, Dead Can Dance and Chapterhouse. Also included is a remix of the Amoral track “Another Strike Restrained” by Sadguitarius (Ben Goldwasser of MGMT).

The mixtape, and recent single “Acid Reign”, are available free for download at www.violens.net.

VIOLENS

09/10 - Brooklyn, NY - Coco66 w/Beige
10/20-23 - New York, NY - CMJ

Violens
Amoral
(Friendly Fire / Static Recital)
Street date: Nov. 2, 2010

01 The Dawn of Your Happiness Is Rising
02 Full Collision
03 Acid Reign
04 Are You Still In The Illusion?
05 It Couldn’t Be Perceived
06 Until It’s Unlit
07 Violent Sensation Descends
08 Could You Stand To Know?
09 Trance-Like Tum
10 Amoral
11 Another Strike Restrained
12 Generational Loss

Violens
Summer 2010 Mix Tape

01 “Acid Reign” (Violens “In The Trees” Mix)
02 “Never Let You Go” (Chairlift - Violens SGIN of Justin Bieber music video)
03 “It Couldn’t Be Perceived” (FUTURES Remixes Violens)
04 “He Got The Girl” (Violens Cover)
05 “Small Servant” (The Long Windows)
06 “Space Around The Feel Station” (Feat. Washed Out)
07 “Another Horizon” (Violens version Nite Jewel)
08 “Another Strike Restrained” (Sadguitarius Remixes Violens)
09 “Anywhere Out of the World” (Dead Can Dance)
10 “June” (Unrest)
11 “Clean Up Crew” (Roman Orchids)
12 “Treasure” (Chapterhouse)
13 “Stay Close” (Violens version Delorean)
14 “Tagebuch Einer Totgeburt” (Bethlehem)
15 “Angbands Schmieden” (Summoning)

VIOLENS LINKS:

MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/violens
Press Materials - http://www.violens.net/mediatoolkit/

VIDEO: “You Can Make Me Feel Bad” (Arthur Russell cover) - Tripwire Session

MP3: “Little Brown Haired Girls”

Frankie Rose has a reputation around here. And by here, we mean Brooklyn. And by reputation, we mean her minimal, Maureen Tucker-like beats and iconic presence in such buzz-stirring bands as Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls, and Vivian Girls. Those groups spearheaded a scene that mixed the sounds of lo-fi garage, big reverb-drenched Phil Spector-produced 60s girl groups, the noise aesthetic of the Jesus And Mary Chain with a touch of Velvet Underground and a strong DIY ethic to create a sound that’s influenced a new generation of bands around the world.

At least that’s what she’s been known for up until now. As you’re about to hear on her new group’s self-titled Slumberland Records debut, Frankie Rose and the Outs have their heads in the clouds a bit more than Rose’s previous projects. Listening to the ghostly golden-oldie grooves of songs like “Girlfriend Island,” “Candy” and the pedal-pounding “That’s What People Told Me,” it’s as if the Cocteau Twins and Shangri-Las tracked a split LP with the help of a time machine and a freshly-acquitted Phil Spector.

“I tried to make this album as hi-fi as possible while sticking to the sounds that I’ve always loved,” explains Rose. “I grew up listening to a lot of musicals and Gilbert and Sullivan operas, so harmonies are a given. I also was drawn to anything spooky as a kid-’Good Vibrations’ still kinda scares me. Reverb puts a haze on everything, you know?”

Oh we know. And you will too, as the singer/guitarist/drummer-aided by fellow Outs bassist Caroline Yes, guitarist Margot Bianca, and drummer Kate Ryan- explores her dream-pop side on the album’s darker numbers, from the oscillating organs, spooky sleigh bells and melancholic melodies of “Hollow Life” and “Lullabye For Roads and Miles” to the disembodied balladry of “Save Me” and “Memo.”

All in the name of making “beautiful, serious music” that reaches well beyond simple Wall of Sound nods. That’s because Rose is more concerned with maintaining a specific mood than rehashing the hooks your parents lost their virginity to. Sometimes that means channeling the psych climaxes of Spacemen 3 (the chord-gnashing lead guitar of “Thee Only One,” Rose’s solo Slumberland single from 2009), and sometimes that can mean fusing a rickety rhythm section and galloping riffs with the spectral trails of Julee Cruise (the Rose-penned Vivian Girls cut, “Where Do You Run To?”).

Frankie Rose and the Outs is full of such lovely juxtapositions. From the galloping reverb symphony of “Little Brown Haired Girls” to the tough garage swing of “That’s What People Told Me” and “Don’t Tred” to the soaring chords and angelic harmonies of the well-chosen Arthur Russell cover “You Can Make Me Feel Bad,” it’s clear that Rose has finally found the perfect vehicle for her musical inspiration.

“To be honest, I like so much music,” says Rose, “and never know what influences are going to come out. For me, songwriting is more about evoking certain feelings than the lyrics or anything else. Hell, sometimes I don’t even know what the songs mean.”

FRANKIE ROSE AND THE OUTS

08/27 New York, NY - Cake Shop / Dance Magic Night
09/15 Brooklyn, NY - Glasslands # - RECORD RELEASE SHOW
09/20 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop ! $
09/21 Oakland, CA - Sugar Mountian ! $
09/22 Santa Barbara, CA - Muddy Waters ! $
09/24 San Diego, CA - Tin Can Ale House !
09/25 Los Angeles, CA - The Smell ! $
09/26 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo - Part Time Punks !
10/18 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 *
10/19 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar *
10/20 Philadelphia, PA - Kungfu Necktie *
10/21 - 10/23 - New York, NY - CMJ
10/24 Cambridge, MA - TT The Bear’s Place *
10/26 Rochester, NY - Bug Jar *
10/27 Cleveland, OH - The Spot at Case Western *
10/28 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle *

! = w/ Hunx and his Punx
$ = w/ Lilac
# = w/ Light Asylum, Minks and Mirror Mirror
* = w/ Woven Bones

Frankie Rose and The Outs
Frankie Rose and The Outs
(Slumberland)
Street date: Sept. 21, 2010

1. Hollow Life
2. Candy
3. Little Brown Haired Girls
4. Lullubye for Roads and Miles
5. That’s What People Told Me
6. Memo
7. Must Be Nice
8. Girlfriend Island
9. You Can Make Me Feel Bad
10. Don’t Tred
11. Save Me

FRANKIE ROSE LINKS:

MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/saintoftheros
Press Materials - http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/press/frankie-rose/fr.html

Daytrotter Session

Within a grainy film-still between a summer sunset and the end of times lies the post-punk squall of Weekend. Weekend filter the aggression, tempo and sneer of punk through a wall of reverb, haunting melody, feedback and primitive garage guitar. Formed in San Francisco in late 2009 by three childhood friends, the band have quickly developed a totally distinctive take on the history of post-punk noise rock. Some touchstones along the way include the chaotic psychedelic noise of groups like Skullflower and Terminal Cheesecake, the bad vibes power-drone of “Feed Me With Your Kiss”-era MBV and No Age, and the scything racket of post-No Wave noise bands Dustdevils and Sonic Youth.

Where many bands who share similar influences are content to bludgeon the listener with noise, Weekend pay special attention to texture and atmosphere, and leaven even the most riotous moments with unexpected shards of melody. Weekend have instinctively staked out a unique sonic territory where feedback guitars, crunching riffs and pounding rhythms are harnessed in the service of, rather than in opposition to, their haunting tunes. Says singer Shaun Durkan: “Our goal has always been to balance the abrasive qualities of punk and noise with something more introspective and vulnerable. Creating that simultaneous push and pull. Like the beauty of an oil fire.”

They’re rapidly developing a reputation for their stunning live shows, and gigs with bands like Japandroids, A Place To Bury Strangers, Little Girls and SF compatriots Young Prisms are drawing crowds of ever-increasing size and devotion. So far they have two ecstatically-received and now sold-out releases: a fantastic 10″ single on Mexican Summer and a split single with Young Prisms on the excellent UK label Transparent. Their debut double-LP Sports will be released November 9, 2010 on Slumberland Records.

Weekend are:

Shaun Durkan - vocals, bass, baritone guitar
Kevin Johnson - guitar
Abe Pedroza - drums

Press Quotes

“This Weekend does it better without the vampires. The trio’s post-punk cherry picking makes me feel like an easy mark. Their “All-American/”Youth Haunts” single is one of the bright spots of a very bright San Francisco scene, drawing heavily from the swoon school, but with the storming force of a punk mantra. The A-side is smoking, like Sonic Youth’s “Schizophrenia” filtered through the early Slumberland bands and with a kiss of Cure - listen to it as many times as I did this past and you’ll be wondering when these dudes blow up too.” - San Francisco Bay Guardian

“…West coast Jesus & Mary Chain mutations have followed the secret treasure map to our heart with tracks that are as charmingly slack, dead eyed and authentically unhinged as these yet still so visceral, positively scorched out and hand-washed with distortion.” - Transparent Blog

WEEKEND

8.20: Philadelphia, PA - venue TBA
9.15: San Francisco, CA - Elbo Room
11.04: Vancouver, BC - The Venue %
11.05: Seattle, WA - The Vera Project %
11.06: Portland, OR - Reed College %
11.07: Eugene, OR - EMU Ballroom %
11.09: San Francisco, CA - The Independent %
11.10: Oxnard, CA - Fresh and Fabulous Cafe %
11.11: San Diego, CA - The Loft UCSD %
11.12: Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex %

# = w/ Procedure Club
* = w/ A Place To Bury Strangers
% = w/ The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Weekend
Sports
(Slumberland)
Street Date: Nov. 9, 2010

1. Coma Summer
2. Youth Haunts
3. Monday Morning
4. Monongah, WV
5. Landscape
6. Age Class
7. Veil
8. End Times
9. Afterimage
10. Untitled

WEEKEND LINKS:

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/weekendmusic

Press Materials: http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/press/weekend/weekend.html

MP3 - “Golden Haze”

Wild Nothing, is the solo-project of Jack Tatum whose music is inspired by a longtime love affair with nostalgia. His debut full-length album, Gemini, released via Captured Tracks this past spring, is full of dreamy, carefree synth-pop songs that linger with an inexplicable sense of regret. This Fall the band will follow up Gemini with the Golden Haze EP, also on Captured Tracks.

Prior to embarking on this recent solo-project Tatum sang and played guitar with the Abe Vigoda-ish tropical punk band Facepaint and the singer/songwriter project Jack and The Whale. In the summer of 2009 The Virginia tech-college student decided to embark on his first creative-solo project playing bass, guitar, synthesizer and drums while recording in his home-studio. He soon emerged with a unique brand of dreamy pop-songs influenced by bands like, My Bloody Valentine, Shop Assistants, Go-Betweens and Cocteau Twins. In 2009 he delivered a memorable cover of the Kate Bush song “Cloudbusting,” making it clear that Wild Nothing transcended the lo-fi pop-mold.

On his debut album, Gemini, Tatum’s frail vocals come warped in an oozing neon haze. Carefully orchestrated synth-pop arrangements, trebly guitar riffs and tattered drum machines blend together to create an intriguing, texturally rich glo-pop album that could come only from the young at heart.

WILD NOTHING

08/28 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom %
09/22 Rochester, NY - Water Street Music Hall *
09/23 Boston, MA - House of Blues *
09/28 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club *
09/30 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero *
10/01 Williamsburg, VA - College of William and Mary
10/02 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse *
10/03 Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall *
10/05 Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom *
10/06 Bloomington, IN - Bluebird Nightclub *
10/07 Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre *
10/08 Madison, WI - Barrymore Theatre *
10/09 Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre *

% = w/ Blank Dogs, Cosmetics, Minks
* = w/ Stars

Wild Nothing
Gemini
(Captured Tracks)
Street date: May 25, 2010

1. Live in Dreams
2. Summer Holiday
3. Drifter
4. Pessimist
5. O, Lilac
6. Bored Games
7. Confirmation
8. My Angel Lonely
9. The Witching Hour
10. Chinatown
11. Our Composition Book
12. Gemini

WILD NOTHING LINKS:
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/wildnothing

Label - http://www.capturedtracks.com