NEW LISSY TRULLIE REMIX Our favorite NYC garage-rocker extraordinaire Lissy Trullie has been busy traversing these United States over the past summer, burning rubber and breaking hearts up and down our interstates, and it would seem that now that she’s cozied back up in her big city apartment she can finally begin cranking out new material as she said she would in our exclusive interview. No sooner said than done as LT and crew have recently had their hit single “Boy Boy” remixed by Blunt Laser into a dreamy, pop wonderland with Trullie’s sonorous growl echoing in like from a dub megaphone, soaring over handclaps and glitchy-notes that crackle into trumpet solos. Overall a fantastic and dancey remix, way above and beyond your average ‘add a dance line and boom-tsk’ reworking, and we here at Cannibal Cheerleader are able to bring it to you exclusively for download. Check it below.
In other news, Lissy has also been up to quite a bit on their latest European tour, according to their latest press release, which you can read below:
Lissy Trullie has had an eventful year so far, and the last few months and those to come are no exception. The New York group have recently signed to Downtown Records in North America, and Wichita Recordings for the UK and other territories, and are currently in the studio writing songs and preparing to record their debut full-length which they plan to release in early 2010. The band is excited to build upon the success of their debut EP Self-Taught Learner, which since its release in February ‘09, has garnered praise from many corners including SPIN, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Blurt, and VICE among others. This spring they also made their late night debut on Last Call With Carson Daly and played for and chatted with ABC Amplified’s Dan Harris at their practice space. Following a summer full of writing and recording, Lissy Trullie will hit the road in the UK with The Cribs and Adam Greene this September. Plans to tour the states following those dates are in the works.
All has not been without hiccups however. Having completed a tour of the US with The Virgins and Anya Marina this May, Lissy Trullie kept on and crossed the Atlantic for what was looking to be a very fun and successful jaunt through Europe and the UK. Yet after a couple of shows prospects headed south in Hamburg as Ian Fenger (Bass) was diagnosed with the dreaded H1N1 virus (aka Swine Flu) on June 7th and was committed to hospital. Seriously ill and hooked up to an IV, Ian and the band as well as their friends and family discovered that the infamous Flu was in fact no joke. They also found out the German government was not going to treat it as such either. Despite not showing signs of illness, precautionary measures were enforced, and the rest of the band and tour manager were quarantined in their hotel and prevented from leaving. There they were administered medicine and monitored for symptoms. “We had to take tamiflu so we couldn’t catch anything…” said Lissy of the experience, “not even a break!” The band were greatly concerned for Ian’s health, and devastated at having to cancel many of their planned tour dates because of uncertainty surrounding their detention. Your browser may not support display of this image. Your browser may not support display of this image.
Three days later the outlook finally began to brighten. With Ian’s condition improved and everyone else seemingly healthy, the rest of the band were allowed to leave for London (home of their label Wichita Recordings) providing they remain quarantined upon arriving. Six days after being admitted to hospital, Ian was finally discharged, and returned to the United States to be with family. The rest of the band were also eventually deemed safe for the public, and were able to salvage the final two shows of their tour in Paris and Amsterdam.
Finally home and in good shape after a harrowing and frustrating experience, Lissy Trullie are looking forward to eventually making up the dates they missed due to an unfortunate attack of the H1N1 virus. Their tour this September with Adam Green and The Cribs will help them on their way to accomplishing that, as they play a few of the cities they had to miss on this latest run. In the mean time this summer they’ll continue work on their full-length debut.
All of our favorite indie-rockers are catching swine flu, ah! Glad to see everybody’s back safe and sound – let’s keep it that way, shall we?
Lissy Trullie – “You Bleed You” ******************************************************************** ARCTIC MONKEYS PRESENT “CRYING LIGHTNING” Continuing to live up to every bit of hype that every couch-surfing critic seems to sling their direction, the Arctic Monkeys present “Crying Lightning”, a boot-stomping churner of a track featuring a threatening, stealthy bassline complimented by Alex Turner’s cleverest of quips on the subject of a deranged relationship and a sinewy, spidery guitarline. Content to play to its subtelties as opposed to exploding at first chance as the track threatens to do at every change and turn, this first single of the Monkeys upcoming LP Humbug delivers on the promises of a sludgier, more virulent sound, making even a saxophone solo a haunting presence. Give it a listen below and be sure and comment with your feelings on the Sheffield foursome’s new direction.
Arctic Monkeys – “Crying Lightning” ******************************************************************** NEW ACTION DESIGN NEWS Lots of news from Cannibal Cheerleader favorites the Action Design who are currently resting from a Warped Tour jaunt while simultaneously gearing up for a whirlwind August tour across the Southwest. The group has just finished filming the music video for “Landmines” and will be releasing this undoubtedly action-packed affair on the general internet populace before long.
The band has also been hard at work on a bevy of new tunes, including “Chamber of Hellos” and “I’ll Do You”, both covers of songs by the band Wire Train and available on the new soundtrack to The Endless Bummer, a National Lampoon movie with an inexplicably kicking soundtrack due in part to its association with Warped Tour ‘09. “I’ll Do You” is streaming over at the band’s PureVolume page whereas “Chamber of Hellos” is at the band’s MySpace. Check them both out for some new Action Design goodness.
In other news the band has recently stated they will be releasing new tunes soon so definitely stay tuned for more Action Design news and check out their Video Diary of the past few months below (and while you’re at it, subscribe to the band’s YouTube account). at Les Eurockeennes de Belfort ‘09. Watch out for obligatory Jack Daniels preparation and some serious Spence-sibling vocal tradeoffs. One of the best live vids of the band we’ve seen in a while (short of our own of course, haha).
The band has a lot in store for the rest of the year and while we’re not allowed to say much yet, be prepared to hear a lot more from this progressive hardcore act before year’s end. Keep checking their blog for updates. More forthcoming…
Rolo Tomassi – “Fofteen” ******************************************************************** NEW BEYOND GODS & EMPIRES VIDEO Speaking of excellent hardcore, local Austinites Beyond Gods & Empires are gearing up for a media blitz with their new EP The Descolada Virus, featuring a pummeling assault of hardcore vocals mixed with intricate metal instrumentation, all recorded live on tape here in the Lone Star State. Check out an excerpt below for the video of “Insurrection Song” and be prepared for an audial reckoning as the foursome gears up for a tour in support of their newest release. The song itself stands tall as a 6+ minute-long rancorous political diatribe with spit-sung vocals that continues to whirl about with unchecked ferocity. One of our favorite metal tracks of the year. Check it:
Beyond Gods & Empires – “Insurrection Song”NEW FEVER RAY VIDEO One of our favorite releases of the year so far, Fever Ray’s self-titled debut, has also been providing us with a cornucopia of bizarrely horrifying and absolutely electric music video selections, including this newest induction for the “Triangle Walks” single. Featuring a laser light show in the spirit of the darkly tribal atmospherics that plague the former Knife member’s solo effort, the video stands tall as another fierce addition to the singer’s catalogue. Check it out below.
Fever Ray – “Dry and Dusty” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: SHE KEEPS BEES An unlikely offspring from the NYC Cake Shop scene, She Keeps Bees consists of a boy-on-drums, growling, riot-grrrl on guitar and crafts the most hypnotic indie blues-soul this side of Detroit. With an appetite for pop hooks and dual-vocal delivery, She Keeps Bees grinds out lo-fi sonic gems with all the fiery abandon of a preacher speaking in tongues, with the Southern-stylings to match. Here’s an open invitation to get your city-slicker asses down to Austin you two, because in the capital city you’ll be welcomed as royalty. Until then, be sure and check these two out below.
She Keeps Bees – “Focus” She Keeps Bees – “Gimmie” ******************************************************************** NEW RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS VIDEO The Riverboat Gamblers have been touting their new excellent LP Underneath the Owl up and down this great nation of ours over the past few months and just recently the band released the video for second single and standout track “Victory Lap” featuring some pretty stellar live footage that needs to be seen to be believed. This video really packs in so much of the band’s true heart and soul that we not only had to post it but apologize for not keeping up with these guys recently – all hurt feelings aside, we love the Riverboat Gamblers, we love Underneath the Owl, and we love Rookie Sensation Mike Wiebe and unhealthy amount. Check it out below.
The Riverboat Gamblers – “A Choppy, Yet Sincere Apology” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: THOU On a more serious, far more metallic note, enter Thou, New Orleans answer to every sludge-metal act that dared to say they were ‘Southern-influenced’. With thunderous riffs that feel as if they could literally collapse lungs in man’s chest, and shrieked vocals that sound like a discordant marriage between Jacob Bannon and a manical, church-burning black metal miscreant, Thou creates a wall of sound that while chugging along at the rate of a lumbering giant nonetheless captivates with its brutal anti-establishment message and teeth-in-your-neck delivery. From the experimentally edged brutal musicality to the forcefully apocalyptic and yet wholly imaginiative lyricism, this foursome is a true beast, a sight to behold and one of our favorite finds of the year.
Plus, as announced by the band on their website, the group will be releasing a split with none other than Cannibal Cheerleader’s other favorite purveyor of doom and gloom Salome. Look for it at the end of the summer or right here, where we’ll be sure and get it to you first.
Thou – “Tyrant” Thou – “Monstrance” ******************************************************************** FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE PRESENT LUNGS Back on a lighter note, the long awaited debut album Lungs from long-time Cannibal Cheerleader favorite Florence and the Machine has finally dropped and it delivers in spades, featuring the same sparkling and unique instrumentation and the absolutely blasting and beautiful tones of the lead singer. With big, booming pop dreamworlds dancing through each of Florence’s cathartic and creative character studies, the dance-hall musicianship compliments fantastically with the overall hip-shaking eroticism that seethes from every track. Florence has everything going for her on her path to become a vital and exciting breakout American act like she’s already being touted as in the UK. Here’s hoping for some justice and a showing of Lungs on the US charts. Check it out below.
Florence and the Machine – “Cosmic Love” Florence and the Machine – “My Boy Builds Coffins” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: THE DANKS Crossing the lo-fi pop-rock aesthetics of the Strokes with the high-minded baroque leanings of Tokyo Police Club, Canada’s the Danks tout a brand of fuzz-filled, soft-spoken nerd-rock that slowly burrows its way into your conciousness while never allowing you to let it spin idly in the background. Just intent to be engaging while still lazy enough to seem as if this quartet might just be too cool to care if you like them or not, the Danks combine warbly synths with basic three-chord structures and sleepy vocal delivery to heart-warming effect. Stick this in your stereo and drive to the beach immediately – pick up a surfboard and sell your worldly possessions on the way.
The Danks – “What We’re Doing” The Danks – “Who Knows” ******************************************************************** PIPETTES SINGER GOES SOLO When the Pipettes announced way back when that the inimitable trio of chanteuses would be uncerimoniously dropping two of its key members Riot Becki and Rosay from its lineup the indie community was nothing if not perplexed. Still, not one to be left out in the cold, Rosay, or in true life Rose Elinor Dougall, decided to regroup and rebrand herself as a Siouxsie Sioux-esque solo artist with jangly pop numbers with etheral sensibilities and homespun charm. Lofty goals sure but it might seem as if the starlet has done just that with the release of her latest 7″, featuring the hypnotic single “Start/Stop/Synchro” which sounds like a Howling Bells take on Beach House tune, all glockenspiel and tinkerbell-on-cough-syrup instrumentation with Dougall flinty voice guiding the song gently forward. A real bedroom-pop gem from this rising star – here’s hoping she can come back even stronger than the group who felt they didn’t need her anymore.
Rose Elinor Dougall – “Start/Stop/Synchro” Rose Elinor Dougall – “Static Saturday” ******************************************************************** (OLD) BAND CHEER: THE TWILIGHT SAD While the Twilight Sad have certainly seemed to have traced their route around the blogosphere once or twice already, the Scottish foursome definitely have enough heartfelt indie hooks and shoegazey guitarwork to garner mention here. As the world waits with baited breath for the premiere of Forget The Night Ahead, the group’s second album, its worth mentioning the brilliance of the group’s debut LP Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters and how it has captured the imagination of post-punk and ex-emo enthusiasts worldwide. With life-affirming lyricism that borders on melodramatic for all its depth and heaviness were it not for the vast and haunting musicality to match, the group manages to make lonely feel terrifyingly immediate and real, the stark Scottish accents a pleasingly incongruous foil to the band’s booming shoegaze freakouts. This debut album remains such a wholly worthwhile listen, filled with such rich textures and purposefulness of intent, all red-faced and unabashedly hysterical with its heart-on-its-sleeve emoting, that one cannot imagine Forget the Night Ahead coming close to the group’s first flirt with the independent music community.
However, upon hearing the first few tracks from the band’s sophomore effort, namely “Reflection of the Television” and “I Became A Prostitute”, it has become apparent the group has managed to bottle the inimitable energy and naked ambition of their debut and release it once again on rock fans worldwide. In many ways, the album finds the group sinking deeper into darker territory, and just as lead singer James Graham’s vocals drift further and further down below the guitar-wailing hysterics of his bandmates so too does the subject matter of the group’s songs, dipping ever deeper below the surface into pale-blue suburban nothingness.
The Twilight Sad have recently announced through their Twitter page that they will be having an upcoming US tour with another Cannibal Cheerleader favorite Frightened Rabbit, giving Austin an opportunity on September 24th at Mohawk to be delivered a one-two sock to the face of Scottish sadness. Here’s to hard knocks. Below you’ll see the beautiful video for “I Became A Prostitute” – highly recommended.
The Twilight Sad – “Reflection of the Television” The Twilight Sad – “Twenty-Four Hours (Joy Division Cover)” ******************************************************************** TOKYO POLICE CLUB BLOGGING NEW ALBUM Our favorite indie-rockers from yesteryear Tokyo Police Club are riding high from a highly regarded debut LP, a fantastically enigmatic debut LP, and a world tour opening for Weezer of all bands, and now that the band has to continue being a fantastic bunch of music-makers, they’re finding the need to share the whole experience with us care of this blog. Seems as though the boys are doing well for themselves – watch out for extended cooking tips and a good deal of studio trickery in the coming days. Definitely worth following.
Tokyo Police Club – “In A Cave” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: BLACKHOLE Quality, creative hardcore music remains decidedly difficult to come by. Whether it dwells in the mediocrity of scene politics or remains uninspired in its delivery, sameness is the death-knell of American punk – that’s why the good stuff not only seems to be springing from the UK but also from the Carter family. You’ll remember Frank Carter, little-known frontman for London-based hardcore juggernaut Gallows? Well turns out his brother Richard Carter fronts a hardcore band as well known as Blackhole and if anything the group is a crustier, more energetic and less-produced beast of a band than his brother’s. Don’t get us wrong, Gallows’ remains one of our favorite bands of the moment but Blackhole is sitting pretty as, well, the new black and with tours with The Ghost of A Thousand and Cancer Bats upcoming the band seems poised to take over. Not much available yet in terms of mp3s, but do check out this video from the band featuring some killer and cathartic vocals care of Carter and some churning punk riffs. Crusty, metal-infused, dirty, underground, mangy punk rock just like the good old days.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been busy recently, bouncing across the States on a helter-skelter tour in support of one of our favorite releases of the year It’s Blitz!. They’ve been so busy in fact that it seems as if they hardly have time to devise their own tshirt ideas, which gives rise to the plan to allow fans to submit their own creations. Yes, the NYC trio have announced via their MySpace that the group will be holding a tshirt making competition – simply head here for all the details and good luck!
In other news the band has crafted a new video for standout track “Heads Will Roll” (we personally think that every tracks from IB! sounds like a standout, but hey, that’s us) and it features, unsurprisingly, a good deal of glitter and rediculous Karen O costuming as well as, inexplicably this time, a break-dancing werewolf that equal parts bizarre as it is awesome. Confetti doubling as blood normally wouldn’t fly in the Cannibal Cheerleader world, but we’ll let the Yeah Yeah Yeahs slide – this time.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Dull Life” ******************************************************************** CANNIBAL CHEERLEADER AND YOU And so wraps up another jam-packed installment of Cannibal Cheerleader. Take a few days to digest it all because it certainly took quite a few days to write people. We here at Cannibal Cheerleader want you to know we value your readership and while we refuse to buy into the repetitive blogosphere hype and concern ourselves with page views and the next big thing, we’d like to be able to connect with readers. That’s why we’ve set up a variety of ancillary sites that you can view Cannibal Cheerleader materials on. We’ve placed them all over to the right in a little section we like to call ‘The Blight’, seeing as 99% of Web 2.0 remains mindless tripe (except for you and us of course).
We’ve got a YouTube page where we post all of our concert videos, a Vimeo page where we post higher quality reels, a MySpace where we maintain connections with different artists from around the world, and a Last.fm where anyone can view our listening habits. We’re also on Hype Machine, which is a great aggegator of different blogs (just be sure to actually read the content, don’t just download the song!). We invite you to check these ancillary additions out and subscribe/friend/whatever us so we can be closer to you, the reader.
And yes, to all concerned, we have a Twitter, though adding us will only grant you the occassional disgusting tweet about dismemberment or punk situationist theory or hey, maybe a new Lissy Trullie track. Silly maybe, but we’d love to have you follow us regardless.
As a final note we’d like to regurgitate our purpose again, which is not to mindlessly deliver some new mp3 from the newest in-vogue artist or claim to have the most exclusive content – we don’t have the money or the staff for that. Those blogs have lost sight of what it is to write about music, the fiercely independent and underground artistry that is music journalism. The drive and passion that is cutting a pasting a zine together on your living room floor. The love of music that is working nights as a waiter just for the opportunity to write more often and hear more bands. We strive to be the answer to those hipster blogs, to deliver thoughtful, imaginative prose and prime music journalism with an eye for the outsider art that attracted us to indie rock in the first place. Thanks for reading, and as always, until next time, stay hungry.
NEW BAND CHEER: THE ROPES Two-person electronic bands are a specialty of ours here at Cannibal Cheerleader. We frequently report on our friends Heartsrevolution, our favorites Crystal Castles, locals Ghostland Observatory, and others swimming through our playlists. Recently though, we came upon an electronic duo swinging less into the land of electro-thrash or dance rave, but new wave and even pop. The Ropes are a duo consisting of singer Sharon Shy and the enigmatic multi-instrumentalist Toppy who hail from NYC. With a sound that’s 100% indie-rock meets Garbage (yeah, remember them??), electronic layers and wailing riffs waft over disaffected, youthful, and sometimes endearingly clumsy lyrics. Seriously, check out the first line for “I Don’t Like to Get Dirty” below and you’ll admit it warrants a second listen. Interested to see where these two take their scatterbrain sound and pop sensibilities. We think they’re headed for the big time.
The Ropes – “I Don’t Like to Get Dirty” The Ropes – “Water and Headphones” ******************************************************************** THE ACTION DESIGN COVER BLONDIE The Action Design never seem to slow down, and this video of their cover of Blondie’s “Hanging on the Telephone” recorded live in the studio is testament to that. Check it out below and check the band’s Myspace for new tour dates (didn’t you guys just get off a nationwide tour? slow down killer!). We’ll definitely be at Emo’s in January checking these guys out yet again here in Austin!
THE ACTION DESIGN LIVE IN AUSTIN In what will probably go down as one of our favorite punk shows of the year, the Action Design, starring M formerly of one of our favorite bands of all time Tsunami Bomb, brought their powerful brand of pop-punk to an excited Red 7 audience who thrilled at seeing the gang in fine form. Whipping through a set that included four tracks from their Into a Sound EP and another seven from Never Say, the band rocketed between soul-wrenching classics like “Lounge in Formation” to balls-out rockers like “Landmines”. Dressed complete with her now famous elephant necklace and belting out tunes with all the fire we’ve come to expect, M and co. definitely recalled a time where punk meant more than askew haircuts, tight jeans, and a video on MTV. The Action Design is genuinely the real deal, punk at its finest in 2008, pop sensibility meshing wonderfully with fiery rock and roll. Definitely grab a ticket to the tour if they’re heading through your town, check out their Myspace for dates! More pictures below. The Action Design – “Empty Face” ******************************************************************** JENNY LEWIS FULL ALBUM STREAMING Over on our friend Jenny Lewis’ Myspace you can find the enirety of her new album Acid Tongue streaming right freaking now! Go now young son, and listen to the country-rock majesty of the Rilo Kiley frontwoman’s sophomore effort!
Jenny Lewis – “Acid Tongue” ******************************************************************** TRYOUTS: THE ACTION DESIGN’S NEVER SAY Having just picked up the new CD from the Action Design that is coincidentally only available right now from their tour merch table, we decided we’d right up a little review of what’s promising to be one of our favorite releases of the year. Right from the get-go, M and her TAD cohorts jump in with the soaring choruses that utilizes the lead vocals and churning guitar parts to masterful effect. Seriously, it’s as if a band has finally caught up with Emily Whitehurst’s incredible vocal delivery after all these years, creating a band that works as a cohesive whole. Standout tracks include “Landmines”, “Empty Face”, and “Tokyo Train”, though the album flows so well, working carefully through more dynamics than Tsunami Bomb’s whole discography in a single song, that to call out single songs is quite pointless. Definitely pick this one up if you can (I believe it’s available from Interpunk right now if TAD’s not swinging through your town) and buy some old Tsunami Bomb stuff while you’re at it. Definitely makes the team, though it probably spends more time skateboarding than practicing any cheers.
The Action Design – “Landmines” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: THE BOXING LESSON If you’ve lived in Austin for any time at all you’ve probably at least heard of the Boxing Lesson, even if you haven’t heard their music directly. I moved here five years ago and in that time I’ve seen them all over the place, on every flyer on every bulletin board in town. Of course, this is not without just cause, as they’re one of the most exciting and innovative Austin acts that the capital city has to offer. With a sound that’s equal parts electronica-tinged atmospherics and chugging, psychedelic indie rock, the band has honed a unique sound over the years that coalesces perfectly on their new CD Wild Streaks & Windy Days. They’re playing tomorrow with Tokyo Police Club and the Whigs at Emo’s so be sure and check them out. We’ll be keeping track of these guys from now on!
NEW VIDEO FROM GLASS CANDY Quick little update today before I rush off to the Action Design show here in Austin! Pitchfork has a new Glass Candy live video up from the Midi Festival and since we absolutely love GC here at Cannibal Cheerleader, we’ll post it here. Check it:
******************************************************************** NEW SONG FROM THE CHROMATICS Gorilla Vs. Bear has a new song up from another dance-crazy group, the Chromatics. Check it out below!
The Chromactics – “Lady (demo)” ******************************************************************** NEW SONG FROM MARNIE STERN The third song Cannibal Cheerleader favorite and all around awesome guitar shredder Marnie Stern called “Ruler” is ready to be listened to at her Myspace. Check it out now!
INTERVIEW WITH THE ACTION DESIGN So for a myriad of reasons, including but not limited to transportation issues and the Republican National Convention being cut short due to Hurricane Gustav, the Cannibal Cheerleader crew did not manage to make it up to Minnesota to film the protests. The good news however is this week will feature the same regular updates you all know and love, starting with an interview we were really honored to conduct with one of our favorite bands of the year the Action Design. TAD is of course helmed by none other than the infamous ‘M’, otherwise known as Agent M from the excellent and much-missed California punk group Tsunami Bomb, and she was kind enough to send us the answers to a few questions we had. Here’s a sample!
CC: What is the Action Design all about? Why did you choose to continue to make music after your last band [Tsunami Bomb] broke up?
M: The Action Design is about having fun, just like all bands should be. After Tsunami Bomb broke up, I wanted to keep making music because otherwise there would have been a huge void in my life — it’s really a part of me now. Also, after ending a band, you have somewhat of a clean slate to work with; a little more freedom to do what you want.
Read more at the bottom of this update and stay tuned when the entire interview gets published next week as the cover story for the Cannibal Cheerleader zine issue #2.
The Action Design – “Landmines” ******************************************************************** NEW JENNY LEWIS ACID TONGUE VIDEOOver the weekend we stumbled across a video of our Rilo Kiley favorite Jenny Lewis showing off a tune from her newest LP Acid Tongue to Death Cab for Cutiefrontman Ben Gibbard. Check it out below. Where can we get a hold of some Acid Tongue balloons?
Jenny Lewis – “The Big Guns” ******************************************************************** TRYOUTS: STARS’ SAD ROBOTS Over the weekend we received our copy of the tracks from the new EPSad Robots by Canadian indie-poppers Stars and to say that the songs represent a real return to form, with soft tender instrumentation and whispered vocals on alienation and loss, couldn’t be more correct. Of course we loved last year’s In Our Bedroom After the War, but we can’t help but dig up our old Nightsongs LP when we spin songs like “Undertow” and “14 Forever” through our headphones. It’s no coincidence it seems that Stars paired a live version of Nightsongs‘ standout “Going, Going, Gone” with these new miniature masterpieces, and it seems fitting that the band return to their more minimalist roots in the form of an EP of tiny vignettes. This EP definitely makes the Cannibal Cheerleader team though it will probably develop an impossible-to-fulfill crush on the head quarterback and write tender love notes to stick in his locker all year.
Stars – “A Threat Cut With A Carving Knife” Stars – “Undertow” ******************************************************************** THE ACTION DESIGN INTERVIEW CONT’DHere’s the rest of that Action Design interview! Be sure and catch the band when they swing through Austin on Sept. 10th at Red 7 and come pick up new issues of the Cannibal Cheerleader Zine #2 available at the show!
CC: In contrast to some of Tsunami Bomb’s tracks, the Action Design employs a greater range of musical influences, including dance-rock, and utilizes your vocal range more. Why the change in style and what are your influences for this exciting new brand of punk rock? Does maturity play a factor?
M: The change in style is mainly because, given the chance to start a new band, the music may as well be more open and versatile. It’s nice to have the opportunity to make music in a different way than I’m used to. As for maturity, I’m not sure how much of a factor it is. I guess my own musical taste may have matured, although the basis of everything we write is simple and straightforward in the same way Tsunami Bomb was. I still love catchy melodies!
CC: Explain to us your songwriting process in the Action Design. Where do you draw your lyrics from? Personal experience, life on the road, the punk rock lifestyle? Where does it all come from?
M: Usually, we each write our own parts but we also write all together — one person will come to practice with a simple idea for a part. We’ll all work on that part together, adding more to it as a group. Then, when the body of the music is written, I’ll take it home and work out lyrics and melody to it. We usually adjust it a few more times after that, until everyone is confident with the song. Most all of my lyrics are drawn from personal experience. I have written lyrics from someone else’s perspective, but it’s always easier to write about what I know. A lot of times I end up writing about people I know; the ones who make me feel any certain emotion (aside from love… I’m not too much of a romantic poet).
CC: Over the years what have you noticed about your fanbase that interests you the most? Has it changed significantly from Tsunami Bomb to the Action Design? Has it stayed generally consistent? More girls or boys? Are you gaining a larger base now as tAD? How have things like Myspace and the Internet changed how you talk with your fans?
M: Well, right now it’s still difficult to categorize the fanbase for the Action Design. We haven’t played enough repeat shows around the country yet to get a good grasp on who they are. My assumption is that a lot of the people at our shows are Tsunami Bomb fans as well, only because we haven’t had an overwhelming amount of press or ads for the Action Design yet. We don’t have as many fans as Tsunami Bomb did — we have only done a handful of tours, so we’ve still got groundwork to do before we reach that level. I’d like to say our fanbase contains an equal amount of girls and boys, but I think the girls may be tipping the scale a little. Myspace has been great for us — it’s such an easy way to connect to fans. I really enjoy communicating directly with them, as opposed to a manager or someone else maintaining our site.
CC: You’ve been in the business of making punk music for over a decade now, what are some of the trials and tribulations of that life? If you could go back would you do it all again? Is it ultimately rewarding and do you feel your message gets out there? What is the message? You’ve seen bands come and go, why have you stuck around?
M: The touring life is not for everyone. I think ultimately that’s what breaks up a lot of bands. Everyone has to be extremely tolerant of everyone else’s personalities if it’s going to work. It’s tiring, can be lonely, you’re broke a lot… that’s the trials and tribulations side. Of course, if you’re the right kind of person, touring is one of the most fun experiences ever. Aside from touring, there’s a lot of crap that goes on behind the scenes which can make things stressful, difficult and depressing. Money runs everything, and there’s pretty much no way around it. But yes, in the end it IS rewarding in many ways. Music is one thing that makes people happy, and it’s very addicting to be part of that. I would definitely do it all again. I may do some things a little differently, but I would do it again! I wouldn’t give up my experiences for anything. That’s why I’ve stuck around as a musician. I want to fill my life with great experiences, and this is one way that I know how to do so.
CC: Big question – what happened to Tsunami Bomb? Was it the pressure of the music business? Inner tension? So many bands break up for so many reasons and I understand it can be hard to talk about, but can you fill us in on whatever details you’re comfortable with? Do you feel like the band is well-respected now only because you’ve broken up?
M: Tsunami Bomb broke up for many small reasons. Most of them are business-related, the details of which are pretty boring. Basically, things were not going as we had planned, so we sat down and discussed the band from a completely business standpoint. We resolved that our unhappiness caused by the business side of things outweighed our happiness of playing music in Tsunami Bomb. We also had no way of changing course. Therefore, it was pointless for us to keep playing. I don’t feel like the band was ever very well-respected from the standpoint of the music community, but that’s probably because I try my best to not pay attention to what people think. I don’t feel like we were disrespected either — I feel more like we weren’t really part of the “scene” in general.
CC: Tell us the process behind Into A Sound and Never Say. What are some of your favorite songs and what do these releases mean to you? What are their respective themes and what goes into committing a set of songs to tape?
M: Into a Sound feels like a weird pre-album collection to me — we kinda threw all the first songs we’d written together and called it an ep. It was a little scary, starting a new band, not being completely confident, never having played a show together. My favorite songs off of the ep are “Connect/Disconnect”, “City Committee”, and “Scissor Game”. It’s kind of a mish-mash of songs, written by various members, recorded by various engineers. The theme of the ep is probably “is this going to work??” When it came time to record Never Say, we knew ourselves a lot better musically as a group. We felt confident in our song writing and our decisions on which songs to include on the record. The process for that one was that we just wrote, rewrote and rewrote again. We kept going with the songs until we felt they were complete. My favorite songs are probably “Pale Horizon”, “Tokyo Train”, “Could Not Should”, “Lounge in Formation”… it’s tough to decide with the new songs because they’re all still pretty new. The theme for Never Say (at least lyrically) is probably “Do what you’ve always dreamed of doing… because who knows when the world is going to blow up?!!”
VOTE ACTION DESIGN FOR LOLLAPALOOZA Here’s a video from M of the Action Design letting the world know that the band is taking part in a contest that could end up getting them a spot playing Lollapalooza this year. Watch this: Lollapalooza 08
Seems pretty straightforward. Just go to this site and vote for Action Design as many times as possible (once a day with each email you have, make sure to confirm in the email you voted). Tsunami Bomb were one of those great punk bands that never got the credit they deserve so let’s not let that happen with the Action Design, get out there and vote!
CRYSTAL CASTLES LIVE FROM GLASTONBURY We’ve got some awesome new footage straight from Andy of Lies Records of Cannibal Cheerleader favorite Crystal Castles performing at Glastonbury (finally, a festival that knows how to film shows right). They perform a killer version of non-album track “Baptism”, “Black Panther”, and a scorching rendition of “Yes/No” (Andy says to watch this last one at 3:43 to see the security guard try to shut off the band, awesome). It’s a shame CC doesn’t get the credit in the States that it does across the pond, because here’s one band that’s actually deserving of the hype. Come back to Texas you two for some Austin hospitality!
Crystal Castles – Alice Practice (Futurecop! Remix) ******************************************************************** ACTION DESIGN EXTENDS TOUR TO AUSTIN According to the Action Design Myspace the former Tsunami-Bombers are swinging through Austin Sept. 10 at Red 7 after their jaunt on the much maligned (by this blog anyway) Warped Tour. Since we unfortunately missed the band their last time through, you know we’ll be hitting up this one.
“WE NEED A DRUMMER… We are looking for a drummer living in the New York area with a flexible schedule. Simply submit a photo of yourself along with your astrological sign to heartsrevolution@gmail.com and leave a one word description of yourself as the subject.
Thank you”
There you have it – if you’re interested in participating in one of the most exciting electro-clash acts out there and have a penchant for banging on things, hit these guys up immediately! Who knows, you might be cruising in the Heartschallenger van.
Heartsrevolution – “Switchblade” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: SOUTHERN DRAMA A combination of baroque-pop sound and rock aesthetics, with a peppering of jazzy experimentalism and Gothic undertones, along with a great number of other literate descriptors, Southern Drama, an all-girl trio from Austin, are clearly hard to pin down. Violin solos float by the listeners’ ears as easily as lead singer Clarissa Ysel Sugarcube-vocals. It’s either a nightmarish, 50s style vaudeville act or one of the best indie bands in Austin, Southern Drama is not so much a band but a complete art project package and definitely deserving of all the attention we here at Cannibal Cheerleader can muster for them. Check these ladies out immediately at their Myspace and see if you can’t write a better description of them than I can.
We’ve had one or two posts before now about the Crystal Castles “Crystal Theft” Controversy (you know, the one where member of the ‘chiptune’ community have accused Ethan Cath and Alice Glass of stealing beats from chiptune artists’ songs and not giving proper credit to their original creators). Well it seems that music blog giant Pitchfork Media has also weighed in and posted an exclusive article featuring communication with members and management of Crystal Castles on this subject, the full text of which is below. Also, hey, thanks for mentioning Cannibal Cheerleader Pitchfork, looks like we’re getting noticed here in Austin!
From Pitchfork:
“Today, however, we present the case of Crystal Castles vs. Various Members of the 8bitpeoples Collective, a group of “chip music”-makers and software/hardware developers inspired by classic video game sounds.
Our story begins in 2004, when a fledging Crystal Castles were still honing their craft. At that time, according to the duo, they relied exclusively on samples, and a few of those samples from that period were lifted from chip music artists.
A bit of background: Like many in the chip music community, 8bitpeoples artists routinely post their music on the collective’s website for free download, with the stipulation that said music is protected under a Creative Commons License. The license provides for free copying, distribution, and transmission of the works in question, provided the person doing the copying/distributing/transmitting:
1. Properly attributes the work 2. Does not use the work for commercial purposes 3. Does not “alter, transform, or build upon” the work (aka create derivative works)
It’s also worth noting that any of these conditions can be waived given permission from the artist behind the work in question.
So, back to Crystal Castles. 8bitpeoples alleges that the duo “violated every term of the [Creative Commons] license” in its use of music created by one of the collective’s artists, a musician called Lo-Bat. They also claim Crystal Castles employed a drum beat from another chip music artist, Covox, “in no less than four…songs.”
Others in the chip music community have chimed in with accusations. A writeup on blog Gameboy Genius lists several more instances of perceived beat-jacking on the part of Crystal Castles, even going so far as to analyze a pair of audio tracks side by side.
But here’s the thing: First, as mentioned, Crystal Castles admit to the sampling. What’s more, according to them, none of the music that contains uncleared samples has been released.
As Crystal Castles member Ethan Kath wrote in an email to Pitchfork, “These infringing songs are early unreleased tracks which were never performed. They are the most awful tracks associated with the band and [vocalist] Alice [Glass] herself hasn’t heard most of these tracks. I put these tracks together myself and then discarded them because I thought they were too poor for release. Labels were interested in collecting these sample-based tracks but we did not want to release these tracks because we did not like the songs. And even if we did like the songs, there were too many samples to clear. Three of the tracks sample early Madonna, three of the tracks sample Joy Division, two of the tracks sample the Stooges, three of the tracks sample Lo-Bat, four of the tracks sample Covox.”
According to the band, the controversy stems from the appearance of several unreleased Crystal Castles tracks online. At least one– which is titled “Insecticon” (erroneously, apparently) and samples Lo-Bat– appeared on the MySpace page of Lies Records, the label to which CC originally licensed their self-titled debut album.
Explains Kath, “One of our earliest tracks is a noise-guitar track called ‘Insectica’. While teaching myself how to use a computer music sequencer program, I mashed it up with a Lo-Bat track. It somehow appeared online as ‘Insecticon’. I assume it was named for someone mishearing Alice sing the opening line ‘I, Insectica.’ Someone else posted the track as ‘Bitter Hearts’ after learning that we have an unreleased track called ‘Bitter Hearts’ and [assuming] they had found it. If I had put the song online myself I would have called it ‘Insectica (Crystal Castles vs. Lo-Bat version)’ but unfortunately I did not upload it. I do not regret this, the publicity we are receiving four years later is priceless.”
The song in question, though still titled “Insecticon”, is now credited to “CC vs. Lo-Bat” on the Lies Records MySpace. It now includes a Creative Commons License acknowledgement as well. Crystal Castles also insist that Lo-Bat has contacted their manager and expressed that he does not mind the sample and finds the controversy “ridiculous.”
In a statement to blog Cannibal Cheerleader, a Lies Records rep notes, “I myself wanted to release ‘Insecticon’ but I could not find Lo-bat to seek his permission.”
Furthermore, Kath writes, “The artists who have been sampled have agreed that the 8bit community is making too big a deal about this, plus they do not want publicity for this, they do not want to be known as the bands that Crystal Castles sampled. Instead, they want to be known for their own great music. We are trying to help with this, we are organizing a compilation of our favourite 8bit songs for release on Lies Records.”
So yes, Crystal Castles did create derivative works based on the music of chip music artists without proper attribution (though the attribution wasn’t the band’s doing)– two Creative Commons agreement no-no’s. But since they didn’t release or perform the works– and deny that they were responsible for disseminating them– it would be hard to mount a case for the third Creative Commons violation (”commercial gain”). And indeed, even the other two Creative Commons conditions wouldn’t apply to experiments that were intended to remain in the bedroom/studio.
We may never know how most of the early Crystal Castles material made it online, but since Kath and Glass insist it wasn’t their doing– and since they’ve made clear their intention to not release any of the sampled material without permission– we think it’s high time to call off the witch hunt.
In other news, Crystal Castles have loads of touring to attend to this summer, including a round of dates with Nine Inch Nails. They’ll release a new UK single for “Vanished” in 7″ and digital formats via Different Recordings on July 21. They also hope to issue a new EP and a collection of remixes in the fall. “
Once again, thanks for the shoutout Pitchfork! The article pretty much sums up the issue from inception to ‘Insecticon” and they’ve come to the same conclusion as us down here at Cannibal Cheerleader, that we need to end this senseless argument over what are essentially Ethan Kath’s home recordings. You can read the original Pitchfork post here.
Also, as you can read from this update, Crystal Castles hope to be releasing a new EP and a remix LP sometime this fall. Awesome news! I imagine there will be a lot of comments on this article so since you can’t post public comments over at the P4K, bring them here. What do people think about this one?
Crystal Castles – “Alice Practice (Future Cop Remix)” ******************************************************************** CONOR OBERST SOLO LP/TOUR WITH JENNY LEWIS According to Stereogum, Conor Oberst is revealing more and more about his upcoming Conor Oberst LP and his tour with the Mystic Valley Band. In fact you can head over to Mr. Oberst’s site http://www.conoroberst.com/album/ right now and check out two additional tracks from his upcoming release, “Souled Out” and “Danny Callahan”. Also, according to Pitchfork Conor Oberst will be touring with none other than Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley for some of his fall tour dates in support of his self-titled album. The tracks here sound more upbeat than Cassadaga but certainly don’t dissappoint with their creativity or spirtuality. As Stereogum said, “Nothing like some alien sightings to bring some joy back to the songwriting process”.
Jenny Lewis and Conor Oberst will both be playing solo sets at this year’s Austin City Limits Fest so maybe we’ll get our first glimpse of the two together during one of their respective sets! Here’s another Conor Oberst track taken from a Mystic Valley Band live show that’s been circling the Internet for a while. Enjoy!
******************************************************************** THE ROLLER PLAYS THURSDAY @ RED 7 And you know we’ll be there to check it out, camera in hand! Just wanted to announce this as The Roller are fast becoming one of Austin’s preeminent metal acts, so catch ‘em now before they’re too big to catch!
The Roller – “Rattle of the Shaman” ******************************************************************** MAXMILLION DUNBAR AKA VULTURE V Seems that emcee Vulture V from Baltimore’s Food For Animals (http://www.myspace.com/thefoodforanimals) has a side project as a producer under the moniker Maxmillion Dunbar, and his first 7” featuring two new tracks just dropped via Future Times. Check out this first track “Outrageous Soulz” – quite a summer sizzler if we do say so ourselves!
Maxmillion Dunbar – “Outrageous Soulz” ******************************************************************** ACTION DESIGN DEBUT NEW TRACK ON MYSPACE Our favorite post-Tsunami Bomb female fronted pop-punk act the Action Design (yay for Agent M for getting back on her feet!) has a new track on their Myspace, a cover of grunge act Seaweed’s track “Kid Candy”, and believe us, it plays in the spirit of few punkers today. Action Design sound like what reading the Love and Rockets comic book feels like – the story of punks growing up, getting smarter, and looking inside for something deep amidst all that rage. Great stuff and it’s what made us include Action Design as one of our top ten new bands this year so far. Definitely check the band out at their Myspace and listen to “Kid Candy” – you won’t regret it!
Hey Cannibal Cheerleader faithful, we’re halfway through the year so I figured it was about time to announce the albums, acts, songs, and shows that I feel are the best of the year SO FAR. Below are some tentative lists with the entries in no particular order and I’m not going to comment on these choices because frankly, they could change tomorrow! But I think what follows will be a good template of where we stand here in the middle of June and I believe a good deal of these may join us again in December. So, without further ado, the Halfway There Cannibal Cheerleader lists:
Our favorite NYC garage-rocker extraordinaire Lissy Trullie has been busy traversing these United States over the past summer, burning rubber and breaking hearts up and down our interstates, and it would seem that now that she’s cozied back up in her big city apartment she can finally begin cranking out new material as she said she would in our exclusive interview. No sooner said than done as LT and crew have recently had their hit single “Boy Boy” remixed by Blunt Laser into a dreamy, pop wonderland with Trullie’s sonorous growl echoing in like from a dub megaphone, soaring over handclaps and glitchy-notes that crackle into trumpet solos. Overall a fantastic and dancey remix, way above and beyond your average ‘add a dance line and boom-tsk’ reworking, and we here at Cannibal Cheerleader are able to bring it to you exclusively for download. Check it below.
In other news, Lissy has also been up to quite a bit on their latest European tour, according to their latest press release, which you can read below:
Continuing to live up to every bit of hype that every couch-surfing critic seems to sling their direction, the Arctic Monkeys present “Crying Lightning”, a boot-stomping churner of a track featuring a threatening, stealthy bassline complimented by Alex Turner’s cleverest of quips on the subject of a deranged relationship and a sinewy, spidery guitarline. Content to play to its subtelties as opposed to exploding at first chance as the track threatens to do at every change and turn, this first single of the Monkeys upcoming LP Humbug delivers on the promises of a sludgier, more virulent sound, making even a saxophone solo a haunting presence. Give it a listen below and be sure and comment with your feelings on the Sheffield foursome’s new direction.
Lots of news from Cannibal Cheerleader favorites the Action Design who are currently resting from a Warped Tour jaunt while simultaneously gearing up for a whirlwind August tour across the Southwest. The group has just finished filming the music video for “Landmines” and will be releasing this undoubtedly action-packed affair on the general internet populace before long.
Speaking of excellent hardcore, local Austinites Beyond Gods & Empires are gearing up for a media blitz with their new EP The Descolada Virus, featuring a pummeling assault of hardcore vocals mixed with intricate metal instrumentation, all recorded live on tape here in the Lone Star State. Check out an excerpt below for the video of “Insurrection Song” and be prepared for an audial reckoning as the foursome gears up for a tour in support of their newest release. The song itself stands tall as a 6+ minute-long rancorous political diatribe with spit-sung vocals that continues to whirl about with unchecked ferocity. One of our favorite metal tracks of the year. Check it:
One of our favorite releases of the year so far, Fever Ray’s self-titled debut, has also been providing us with a cornucopia of bizarrely horrifying and absolutely electric music video selections, including this newest induction for the “Triangle Walks” single. Featuring a laser light show in the spirit of the darkly tribal atmospherics that plague the former Knife member’s solo effort, the video stands tall as another fierce addition to the singer’s catalogue. Check it out below.
An unlikely offspring from the NYC Cake Shop scene, She Keeps Bees consists of a boy-on-drums, growling, riot-grrrl on guitar and crafts the most hypnotic indie blues-soul this side of Detroit. With an appetite for pop hooks and dual-vocal delivery, She Keeps Bees grinds out lo-fi sonic gems with all the fiery abandon of a preacher speaking in tongues, with the Southern-stylings to match. Here’s an open invitation to get your city-slicker asses down to Austin you two, because in the capital city you’ll be welcomed as royalty. Until then, be sure and check these two out below.
The Riverboat Gamblers have been touting their new excellent LP Underneath the Owl up and down this great nation of ours over the past few months and just recently the band released the video for second single and standout track “Victory Lap” featuring some pretty stellar live footage that needs to be seen to be believed. This video really packs in so much of the band’s true heart and soul that we not only had to post it but apologize for not keeping up with these guys recently – all hurt feelings aside, we love the Riverboat Gamblers, we love Underneath the Owl, and we love Rookie Sensation Mike Wiebe and unhealthy amount. Check it out below.
On a more serious, far more metallic note, enter Thou, New Orleans answer to every sludge-metal act that dared to say they were ‘Southern-influenced’. With thunderous riffs that feel as if they could literally collapse lungs in man’s chest, and shrieked vocals that sound like a discordant marriage between Jacob Bannon and a manical, church-burning black metal miscreant, Thou creates a wall of sound that while chugging along at the rate of a lumbering giant nonetheless captivates with its brutal anti-establishment message and teeth-in-your-neck delivery. From the experimentally edged brutal musicality to the forcefully apocalyptic and yet wholly imaginiative lyricism, this foursome is a true beast, a sight to behold and one of our favorite finds of the year.
Back on a lighter note, the long awaited debut album Lungs from long-time Cannibal Cheerleader favorite Florence and the Machine has finally dropped and it delivers in spades, featuring the same sparkling and unique instrumentation and the absolutely blasting and beautiful tones of the lead singer. With big, booming pop dreamworlds dancing through each of Florence’s cathartic and creative character studies, the dance-hall musicianship compliments fantastically with the overall hip-shaking eroticism that seethes from every track. Florence has everything going for her on her path to become a vital and exciting breakout American act like she’s already being touted as in the UK. Here’s hoping for some justice and a showing of Lungs on the US charts. Check it out below.
Crossing the lo-fi pop-rock aesthetics of the Strokes with the high-minded baroque leanings of Tokyo Police Club, Canada’s the Danks tout a brand of fuzz-filled, soft-spoken nerd-rock that slowly burrows its way into your conciousness while never allowing you to let it spin idly in the background. Just intent to be engaging while still lazy enough to seem as if this quartet might just be too cool to care if you like them or not, the Danks combine warbly synths with basic three-chord structures and sleepy vocal delivery to heart-warming effect. Stick this in your stereo and drive to the beach immediately – pick up a surfboard and sell your worldly possessions on the way.
When the Pipettes announced way back when that the inimitable trio of chanteuses would be uncerimoniously dropping two of its key members Riot Becki and Rosay from its lineup the indie community was nothing if not perplexed. Still, not one to be left out in the cold, Rosay, or in true life Rose Elinor Dougall, decided to regroup and rebrand herself as a Siouxsie Sioux-esque solo artist with jangly pop numbers with etheral sensibilities and homespun charm. Lofty goals sure but it might seem as if the starlet has done just that with the release of her latest 7″, featuring the hypnotic single “Start/Stop/Synchro” which sounds like a Howling Bells take on Beach House tune, all glockenspiel and tinkerbell-on-cough-syrup instrumentation with Dougall flinty voice guiding the song gently forward. A real bedroom-pop gem from this rising star – here’s hoping she can come back even stronger than the group who felt they didn’t need her anymore.
While the Twilight Sad have certainly seemed to have traced their route around the blogosphere once or twice already, the Scottish foursome definitely have enough heartfelt indie hooks and shoegazey guitarwork to garner mention here. As the world waits with baited breath for the premiere of Forget The Night Ahead, the group’s second album, its worth mentioning the brilliance of the group’s debut LP Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters and how it has captured the imagination of post-punk and ex-emo enthusiasts worldwide. With life-affirming lyricism that borders on melodramatic for all its depth and heaviness were it not for the vast and haunting musicality to match, the group manages to make lonely feel terrifyingly immediate and real, the stark Scottish accents a pleasingly incongruous foil to the band’s booming shoegaze freakouts. This debut album remains such a wholly worthwhile listen, filled with such rich textures and purposefulness of intent, all red-faced and unabashedly hysterical with its heart-on-its-sleeve emoting, that one cannot imagine Forget the Night Ahead coming close to the group’s first flirt with the independent music community.
Our favorite indie-rockers from yesteryear Tokyo Police Club are riding high from a highly regarded debut LP, a fantastically enigmatic debut LP, and a world tour opening for Weezer of all bands, and now that the band has to continue being a fantastic bunch of music-makers, they’re finding the need to share the whole experience with us care of this blog. Seems as though the boys are doing well for themselves – watch out for extended cooking tips and a good deal of studio trickery in the coming days. Definitely worth following.
Quality, creative hardcore music remains decidedly difficult to come by. Whether it dwells in the mediocrity of scene politics or remains uninspired in its delivery, sameness is the death-knell of American punk – that’s why the good stuff not only seems to be springing from the UK but also from the Carter family. You’ll remember Frank Carter, little-known frontman for London-based hardcore juggernaut Gallows? Well turns out his brother Richard Carter fronts a hardcore band as well known as Blackhole and if anything the group is a crustier, more energetic and less-produced beast of a band than his brother’s. Don’t get us wrong, Gallows’ remains one of our favorite bands of the moment but Blackhole is sitting pretty as, well, the new black and with tours with The Ghost of A Thousand and Cancer Bats upcoming the band seems poised to take over. Not much available yet in terms of mp3s, but do check out this video from the band featuring some killer and cathartic vocals care of Carter and some churning punk riffs. Crusty, metal-infused, dirty, underground, mangy punk rock just like the good old days.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been busy recently, bouncing across the States on a helter-skelter tour in support of one of our favorite releases of the year It’s Blitz!. They’ve been so busy in fact that it seems as if they hardly have time to devise their own tshirt ideas, which gives rise to the plan to allow fans to submit their own creations. Yes, the NYC trio have announced via their MySpace that the group will be holding a tshirt making competition – simply head here for all the details and good luck!
And so wraps up another jam-packed installment of Cannibal Cheerleader. Take a few days to digest it all because it certainly took quite a few days to write people. We here at Cannibal Cheerleader want you to know we value your readership and while we refuse to buy into the repetitive blogosphere hype and concern ourselves with page views and the next big thing, we’d like to be able to connect with readers. That’s why we’ve set up a variety of ancillary sites that you can view Cannibal Cheerleader materials on. We’ve placed them all over to the right in a little section we like to call ‘The Blight’, seeing as 99% of Web 2.0 remains mindless tripe (except for you and us of course).
