Thursday, February 28, 2008

Arcade Fire, Tom Waits and Burning Spear share one thing in common: sideman Colin Stetson, now launching own debut New History Warfare: Volume 1.

Colin Stetson, the revered brass and woodwind player who has played and recorded with such greats as Arcade Fire, Tom Waits, TV on The Radio, Antibalas, Anthony Braxton, Medeski, Martin and Wood and Burning Spear has announced the forthcoming release of his latest solo full length album on Aagoo Records. Stetson’s thoughtcrafty experiments in sound on the album, titled New History Warfare: Volume 1 push the boundaries of genres and the sounds that can be expected from his vast assortment of instruments, including saxophones, clarinet, flute and French horn.

Colin Stetson was born and raised in Ann Arbor, MI, where he began to carve out his singular musical voice that channels John Coltrane’s sheets of sounds, as well as the post-modern beauty and angst of Sonic Youth and The Pixies. Studying with the likes of Roscoe Mitchell, Donald Sinta, Steve Adams and Henry Threadgill, Stetson earned a music degree from the University of Michigan in 1997. More importantly, extensive gigging with his band Transmission around Ann Arbor and Detroit earned him a reputation for being an exemplary improviser, composer and circular breather. Never one to cage himself into categories, Stetson joined forces with progressive jazz-rockers Larval, as well as DJ Recloose, which eventually led to Stetson’s appearance on the acclaimed Cardiology recording.

Along with the rest of Transmission, Stetson moved to San Francisco in 1998, befriending, playing and recording with the likes of Fred Frith, Kenny Wollesen, Beulah and the late Matthew Sperry. Stetson and his Transmission brothers anchored a musical community that garnered high praise in the Bay Area press, and eventually led to national and international attention when in 2002, Tom Waits recruited Stetson to record on the landmark albums Alice and Blood Money (which led to Stetson making an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman with Waits).
While it is true to say that Stetson makes an impression whenever he plays, his ability to become the music comes through best when he is the leader of a band, or a one-man show. Since relocating to New York City in 2004, Stetson has been able to balance high-exposure gigs with innovative solo performances in front of captivated audiences. According to the Village Voice, “Stetson’s solo work ranges from fireside-warm Hungarian folk tunes to bass squonking that jackhammers the mind.”

In 2002, Stetson recorded a solo, limited edition 3-inch CD release of a performance at the Artship in Oakland, and his full-length debut as a leader came in the summer of 2003 with the quintet recording Slow Descent. Approaching songs as narratives, a trick he learned from Waits, adds an emotional dynamic to Stetson’s playing that exceeds listeners’ expectations as to what sounds can issue forth from any of the instruments Stetson puts to his lips. No better is this virtuosic ability heard than on New History Warfare: Volume 1, Stetson’s first full-length solo recording from Aagoo Records. On this album, the vast musical experiences that Stetson has accumulated over a short period of time have been crafted into 12 songs that defy genres, establishing a sound that is Colin Stetson in full bloom.

New History Warfare: Volume 1 Tracklisting:
Stream The Album HERE
Release Date: March 4th, 2008

01. And It Fought To Escape
02. Stand, Walk
03. Groundswell (MP3)
04. Time Is Advancng With Fitful Irre
05. Drown The Rats and Giants
06. As A Bird Or Branch
07. OHP
08. Quincy Had A Glandular Problem
09. Nobu Take
10. Tiger Tiger Crane
11. Letter To HST (MP3)
12. Our Heartbreak Perfect

Colin Stetson Live:
02/28 Chicago, IL Elastic Arts
03/05 Ann Arbor, Michigan The Kerrytown Concert House
03/15 Philadelphia, PA Gershmann Y Borowsky Gallery (Bowerbird Series)
03/21 Brooklyn, NY Monkeytown CD Release Event
03/22 Brooklyn, NY Monkeytown CD Release Event

Tools & Hi-Res Photos:
www.fanaticpromotion.com/rosterdetails.php?indexkey=88

On The Web:
www.aagoo.com
www.myspace.com/aagoo
www.colinstetson.com
www.myspace.com/colinstetsonmusic

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Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Die! Die! Die! announces U.S. tour including Fanatic showcase at SXSW, New Zealand noise-pop trio praised for new album Promises, Promises.

“If the name didn’t tip you off, Die! Die! Die! have little patience for pop concessions. Abrasive and bare-bones, the band makes a lot out of a little... ...the result is mind-numbingly satisfying.” – Spin

“Die! Die! Die!’s self-titled debut is a gem, jam-packed with nine tracks of urgent garage- and post-punk coupled with hip-shaking rhythms...” – Alternative Press

“DDD smash head-on the decidedly British post-punk of Wire into the snotty anger of American hardcore act Black Flag, bringing forth an exciting punk fusion from the other land down under.” – Skyscraper

The Dunedin, New Zealand, trio Die! Die! Die! has announced U.S. tour dates, including an intensive run of performances during the South By Southwest music festival in Austin, TX next month where the band will headline the Fanatic Promotion showcase at the Wave on March 12th (please see complete dates below). This news arrives hot on the heels of the band’s lauded gigs at Australia’s massive Big Day Out Festival (a touring show equivalent to 90’s era Lollapalooza), as well as a cover feature story in CMJ New Music Report and praise in Alternative Press, Spin, Paper Thin Walls and more. As if that weren’t enough surmounting excitement, Die! Die! Die! was also recently chosen as one of the highly-sought-after featured artists on MySpace.com, resulting in the band receiving tens of thousands of plays for select songs culled from its sophomore release Promises, Promises.

Die! Die! Die! has been compared to an intriguing mix of bands, including ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, Wire, Sonic Youth and kiwi faves like Bailter Space and The Clean. A video for the song “Out of the Blue” from the band’s debut album can be seen HERE.

The boys in the band -- vocalist/guitarist Andrew Wilson, drummer Michael Prain and bassist Lachlan Anderson -- traveled to Chicago two years ago to cut their first self-titled release with Steve Albini in a brick basement (responsible for some of the greatest records of all time). Needless to say, this record sent the trio on a whirlwind series of countless tours (supporting Blood Brothers, Wire, Slint and Wolfmother) and gained it considerable world wide notoriety which no band from their native Dunedin, New Zealand had seen since the Dunedin sound heyday of the 80’s.

In August 2007, Die! Die! Die! recorded Promises, Promises with popular New Zealand songwriter Shayne Carter producing. The record was engineered by Kevin Mcmahon in upstate New York in The Walkmen’s Marcata studio.

Reminiscent of the spirit and sounds of Black Flag, The Pixies, The Wipers, Wire, and Bailter Space, Die! Die! Die! delivers an unfiltered and powerful stage show. The band’s relentless tour schedule and onstage antics has earned it a reputation as one of the most energetic and hardest working bands around. Shows for Die! Die! Die! go on with fearless and confident delivery. In a wild fit, Wilson occasionally removes his guitar (with microphone in hand) to enter the crowd. This is a most effective way of dissolving the invisible crowd/performer boundary as Prain and Anderson keep the pummeling rhythms flowing without missing a beat.

The trio embodies a vitality that has long since made its way into the recent rock and punk circuits. There isn’t a rehearsed set of messages or stage antics, no glitter, no make-up, no phony sass. Cutting to the quick, Die! Die! Die!’s songs and live delivery are nothing short of awe-inspiring. These three are on the forefront of a new revolution without the aid of gimmicks or pretense.

Cathartic, direct, indispensable… You will know the sound as Die! Die! Die!

More quotes from the press:
“This trio has called Dundedin and Auckland their home but are in actual fact more like confrontational musical nomads plying a situationist international inspired lifestyle and calling it a band. The fact that they can make a simply brilliant noise along the way has been duly noted by fans around the world.” – CMJ

“This hit the player and eyes shot up! Totally in your face, like they’re playing vaccum cleaners, and their vicious, spare, distorto-punding and vocals are hair rasing like a splatter film.” – The Big Takeover

“Willful dissonance is often the terrain of effete art rockers, but Die! Die! Die! pull it off with cool aplomb, recalling the abrasive hypnotism of mid career Sonic Youth and the noisy vigor of Jesus Lizard.” – The Sentimentalist

“This first full-length from New Zealand’s Die! Die! Die! is a shattered, angular masterpiece of animal instincts and serrated edges.” – Exclaim!

“...full of an indescribable power and beauty.” – Chord Magazine

“Play this record to really f***ing appreciate your own dull ache, to wallow in the disaster of your own creating - and secretly enjoy every last wail.” – Plan B

Die! Die! Die! On Tour:
03/07 Los Angeles, CA @ Echo
03/08 Los Angeles, CA @ Echo
03/12 Austin, TX @ Red Eye Fly SXSW
03/12 Austin, TX @ The Wave SXSW (Fanatic Showcase)
03/13 Austin, TX @ The Dirty Dog
03/14 Austin, TX @ Emo’s Lounge
03/15 Austin, TX @ 219 West Bar
03/16 Austin, TX @ TBA
03/17 Dallas, TX @ The Cavern
03/20 Orlando, FL @ Taste (Backbooth)
03/21 Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
03/22 Jacksonville, FL @ TSI
03/24 Atlanta, GA @ Earl
03/25 Washington, DC @ DC 9
03/26 Philadelphia, PA @ Northstar Bar
03/27 Toronto, ON @ TBD
03/28 Montreal, PQ @ Zoobizare
03/29 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
03/30 New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom

Promises, Promises Tracklisting:
Stream the album HERE
Release Date: February 12, 2008

01. Blinding
02. Britomart Sunset
03. Sideways, Here We Come (MP3)
04. Death To The Last Romantic
05. Whitehorses
06. A.T.T.I.T.U.D. (MP3)
07. Maybe: Definitely
08. People Talk
09. Promises, Promises
10. Hold Me
11. Echo Echo
12. Throw A Fit
13. Blue Skies (MP3)

Tools and Hi-Res Photos:
www.fanaticpromotion.com/rosterdetails.php?indexkey=20

On The Web:
www.diediedie.net
www.myspace.com/diediedienz
www.safrecords.com
www.myspace.com/safrecords

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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Post, math and prog rock find a home in the hard-to-ignore music of O! The Joy.

Fans of Do Make Say Think, Hella and Amon Düül take note of the band's upcoming album Zen Mode due March 11th from French label Distile Records.

Sacramento’s rock scene has long been a source for amazing bands. O! The Joy is the next big thing to come from this city of indie rock angels. This atypical band, born from the ashes of Mister Metaphor (former project of Justin Goings, O! The Joy’s drummer), succeeds in creating a perfect harmony between a wide range of genres, from kraut-rock to emo. Zen Mode is their impetuous first album, the kind of record that you will keep in your CD player for years.

There’s something really catchy that grabs you when you first hear the abounding universe of O! The Joy. Their amazing tunes and musicality focus your attention on their talent. The melodies take over until the music rises and begins to lead you in some unexpected territories. You won’t have what you expected you’d get, but you’ll be rewarded a thousand times with what you are about to listen to. Their music takes some unpredictable paths when the songwriting explodes to reveal the amazing personality of the band.

O! The Joy represents a remarkable crossover of styles, which makes their sound hard to label. Perhaps calling them an “experimental pop band,” although simplistic, would do. Vocalist Kurt Travis’s singings are moving. He possesses a punchy and sensitive voice that plays a key role in the expanse of the music, just above the instrumentation. He is the gateway to the richness of the compositions. Guitarist Jason Ellis plays the most experimental role in the band, assisted by Justin Goings on methodic and polyrhythmic drums and cymbals. Both Goings and Ellis play constantly to create complex structures, putting adventurous ideas on the table in unexpected directions.

O! The Joy recorded Zen Mode at Tiny Telephone (San Francisco). The fine sound engineering by Aaron Prellwitz raises each band member’s musicianship to the highest level. The band brings to mind post-rock bands like Do Make Say Think, math rock outfits like Hella, or even prog rock, like Amon Düül. But O! The Joy are definitely too ingenious to get stuck on a genre. They bring indie rock further than it has ever been.

We compare this tricky record to Russian nesting dolls: when you’ve come to the end of an idea, there is always another one, hidden. Zen Mode is the musical outcome of musicians completely suitable to play together.

O! The Joy Live
03/13 Vacaville, CA @ Cheers

Zen Mode Tracklisting:
Stream The Album HERE
Release Date: 03.11.08

01. Conceivable Test Tube Baby
02. There Is No Such Thing As Organized Crime
03. This Fault Is Not Mine (MP3)
04. Under the Radar
05. 22435
06. The Man and The Secrets
07. We Write The Next Chapter (MP3)
08. I Just Didn’t Tell You
09. Guiding Role
10. Zen Mode (MP3)

Tools & Hi-Res Photos:
www.fanaticpromotion.com/rosterdetails.php?indexkey=1280

On The Web:
www.myspace.com/othejoymusic
www.distilerecords.com
www.myspace.com/distile

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Thursday, February 21, 2008

If you loved Juno, you’ll love The Terrordactyls – check out the adorable antifolk duo’s debut album featuring Kimya Dawson.

“Everything The Terrordactyls do is wonderful.” (Megan Seling, The Stranger)

The Terrordactyls are Michael Cadiz and Tyrel Stendahl. Although Michael was born in Maryland and Tyrel hails from Washington, the pair met in high school on the tiny Northwest island of Vashon where they first began to play music together (along with some games of four-square and capture-the-flag.)

Now split between NYC and Washington, Michael and Tyrel still find plenty of time for music-making. The boys recently put the finishing touches on the upcoming Mike Bowers EP, covering five songs by the Seattle band (and close friends) The Pharmacy. Meanwhile, the duo’s self-titled debut album has been receiving lots of attention recently for its song “Devices” (MP3) featuring Kimya Dawson.

With the unexpected popularity of the Juno soundtrack and its many Kimya-penned songs, this Terrordactyls track and its accompanying stop-motion video has become an internet sensation with over 150,000 YouTube views to date. See it HERE.

As you can see, The Terrordactyls are rather talented individuals. In addition to music, Michael’s interests include fabricating truths on job applications, answering multiple choice questions and running away. Tyrel enjoys guns, organizing his iTunes music library and being good at life. During the brief periods that Michael and Tyrel are away from the gym, they enjoy watching inspirational sports films and talking about their abs.

On their self-titled album, The Terrordactyls’ quirky, lighthearted yet decidedly melancholic tunes are augmented by toy pianos, kazoos, the “stumpf fiddle” (LINK) and the voice of Kimya Dawson (The Moldy Peaches, Juno). Despite all these charming trappings, though, nothing really serves to take the edge off The Terrordactyls’ gutsy interpretation of the sad sweetness (or sweet sadness) of living.

Andrew WK writes: “I’m honored that you decided to cover my ‘Long Live The Party’ song (MP3) and I enjoyed your version very much. I could’ve never imagined the arrangement you recorded, and I was delighted at the effect. Again, thank you... No matter what, let’s all continue to make music and enjoy every moment of this process that is life. Never let down and long live the party.”

More quotes from the press:
“The duo spin a web of clever lyrics, catchy sing-a-longs and goofy instrumentation… their communist inspired, love tortured sound could be the hottest thing since Yikes! Pencils” – The Vox

“When the opener nails its performance, there is an odd electricity that runs through the room, and it was certainly there when the Terrordactyls left the stage. Their head-swaying songs, filled with out-of-tune kazoo harmonizing and a plinking toy piano, were almost the pinnacle of the whole show. With the lightheartedness of a child and the lyrical earnestness a grandfather might have, Terrordactyls resembled old friends weaving tidy, ephemeral songs around a campfire, especially during the song ‘Fall.’” – West Coast Performer

“This will fit in nicely next to your Jeffrey Lewis, Boat, and Bishop Allen records; it takes the best bits of 90s indie-pop and twee and blends it with some semi-serious melancholy and half-ironic cries for help, along with a few melodies you may be physically unable to keep from singing the second time around.” – indiefolkforever

“The earnest quality of their music is immediately endearing, and at the same time belies a deeper songwriting.” – Rock Sellout

The Terrordactyls Live:
03/01 Olympia, WA 1502 Legion Way
03/06 Seattle, WA Fusion Cafe
03/07 Seattle, WA The Vera Project
03/08 Portland, OR Kurt’s House
03/09 Oakland, CA Ghost House Gallery
03/10 Santa Barbara, CA The Oven
03/11 Phoenix, AZ The Phix
03/12 Austin, TX SXSW Fanatic Promotion Showcase
03/21 Durham, NC Bull City HQ
04/02 New York, NY The Canal Room
04/08 New York, NY Pianos
04/13 Columbus, OH Wholly Craft
04/20 Denver, CO Rhinoceropolis

The Terrordactyls Tracklisting:
Stream The Album HERE

01. Facelift
02. Sabina
03. Zombie Girl
04. I Want To Cry
05. Decoration Daniel
06. Fall (MP3)
07. Devices (MP3 VIDEO)
08. Sandcastles
09. Shipping
10. Parking Lots
11. Nobody Knows
12. Swimming
13. Home
14. Baltimore

Tools & Hi-Res Photos:
www.fanaticpromotion.com/rosterdetails.php?indexkey=75

On The Web:
www.terrordactyls.com
www.myspace.com/theterrordactyls

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Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Who loves Freddie Stevenson? Scottish singer to make 2008 debut at the Fanatic Promotion South-by-Southwest showcase.

Freddie Stevenson is a Scottish afro'd punk poet who might remind you of a character from Fraggle Rock. It's not much of a coincidence considering his mother was the co-creator of the groundbreaking Jim Henson-helmed children’s show. Some might think such a creative pedigree would give an aspiring musician a leg up. Luckily, Freddie doesn't need it. His upbeat, tongue-in-cheek, highly melodious and expertly played pop songs speak for themselves.

Let's rewind a minute for perspective’s sake. Not long after Freddie's debut album Body On The Line had been named a BBC Album of the Year in 2006, he found himself ready to make another record. Whether sitting alone in a hotel room in New York City, or nursing a whiskey by the fire at home in Scotland Freddie’s always writing.

For the recording of Freddie Stevenson’s new album All My Strange Companions, and it’s collection of visceral, raw, and rustic tunes, it was apparent that Nashville was oozing with exactly the types of musicians Freddie needed to work with. Soon half of Emmylou Harris' band was in for the long haul. Next to step forward: David Z., Prince’s legendary engineer and producer.

As the sessions began, the songs kept coming. The resulting album reveals a great British songwriter bringing together the flavors of soul and rhythm and blues that only Nashville can offer.

And why has Freddie been hanging out with Giorgio Armani and Dita Von Teese?

As previously stated, Freddie grew up around artists and sometimes an artist's earliest supporters are other creative people. Over the years Freddie has been lucky enough to cultivate a fan base of such notable people as actors Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson and Javier Bardem and musicians such as Dave Matthews, Lucinda Williams and Mike Scott of The Waterboys.

Perhaps Freddie’s most notorious accolade to date was having The Office co-creator Stephen Merchant call his 2006 tune “If You Don't Kiss Me” (MP3 VIDEO) the “ultimate song to seduce women to.” It must work, as evidenced by burlesque performer (and Marilyn Manson-ex) Dita Von Teese penning her phone number in lipstick on Freddie at this year’s Paris Fashion Week (which Freddie was invited to by Mr. Armani - mystery solved.)

Back to the tunes -- a listen to All My Strange Companions demonstrates the intricate diversity in Freddie’s writing. From the acoustic-punk sing-a-long opener “Easy Now” (MP3) (often referred to as “the JK Rowling song”) to the woeful, tender pining of “Alibi Song,” Freddie conjures melodic hooks from the most wondrous of places. Musically the record soars. Its sound spans the intricate weaving of acoustic guitar and languished lap steel in “The Soft Collapse” through to the vicious punk stylings of “Ordinary Girl."

Freddie gigs regularly around the UK, Europe and USA, with residencies in New York and London set for early 2008. He plays with Brady Blade (Drums – Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris, Indigo Girls, Barenaked Ladies), Chris Donohue (Bass – Emmylou Harris), Phil Madeira (Keyboards, Guitars, Accordion – Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller), John Perry (Guitars – lead guitarist of underground UK punk legends The Only Ones). These are the sounds of four great musicians capturing the raw energy that can only come from an honest, real performance.

Freddie’s first US show of 2008 will be during Fanatic Promotion’s yearly showcase during the South by Southwest music conference in Austin, Texas at The Wave on Wednesday, March 12. The showcase also boasts critically acclaimed artists Die! Die! Die!, The OaKs, Saint Bernadette, Kate Tucker & The Sons of Sweden and Steve Smith.

Spend a moment with Freddie and expose yourself to one of the UK's most vibrant songwriters.

All My Strange Companions Tracklisting:
Release Date: 04.15.08

01. Easy Now (MP3)
02. Alibi Song
03. Czechoslovakia
04. Photographs
05. If There Is A World
06. If An Alien Astronomer Could See Us From Afar
07. Nothing’s Gonna Change
08. Brand New Heart
09. The Soft Collapse
10. The Occasional Spell
11. Ordinary Girl

Tools & Hi-Res Photos:
www.fanaticpromotion.com/rosterdetails.php?indexkey=1261

On The Web:
www.freddiestevenson.com
www.myspace.com/freddiestevenson
www.juicymusicalcreations.com

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Monday, February 18, 2008

65daysofstatic kicks off massive five-month European and US tour supporting The Cure.

Band to release new Dance Parties EP, 2004 debut The Fall of Math and subsequent Hole EP to receive first U.S. release.

“Kicking off with their trademark electric crackle, it’s clear that with their third album 65daysofstatic have resisted the urge to tone down their quite frankly mental tsunami of noise and make a play for the mainstream sales potential of an ever scene-conscious world. Instead, they have done what they’ve always done -- thrown the rulebook out the window and grown organically. With such clinical conviction 65DOS are utterly peerless in their chosen field of post-rock.” -- Kerrang Magazine

“65daysofstatic have made their masterpiece, or something close to it; three albums in, in the most dirty, shallow decade of music we’ve known, who else can say that? A handful, not enough. The Destruction of Small Ideas is a weight, a tower of babel, a journey, learnings, understandings, communication, evolution. I’ve been waiting. I was promised this or something like it. The rise and fall. All so deep, so rich, so comically dynamic and detailed and powerful for it that it makes me want to cry. How to make a record. Play loud.” -- Stylus Magazine

When British post-rock quartet 65daysofstatic was hand-picked by goth-pop legends The Cure to support its entire North American tour last fall, the group’s fans were ecstatic; only to be disappointed a short time later when the headliner decided to postpone all tour dates. Now, 65daysofstatic and its fans worldwide have even more to celebrate with the announcement of several new releases AND reinstated dates with The Cure in Europe and the U.S. beginning this week and running through June (see complete schedule below.)

Hot on the heels of the tour, 65daysofstatic has announced the release of a new EP The Distant and Mechanized Glow of Eastern European Dance Parties (or, more succinctly, Dance Parties as the band likes to call it) on its longtime label, Monotreme Records. The EP, based around a core track from the band’s current album The Destruction of Small Ideas, won’t hit streets until April 29th, but until that time American fans can finally acquire a domestic release of 65daysofstatic’s 2004 debut album The Fall of Math as well as the subsequent EP Hole which was released that same year. As if that weren’t enough good news, a gatefold double-LP edition of The Destruction of Small Ideas will also hit U.S. shelves in spring 2008. Upon its original release, The Fall of Math was heaped with critical praises and championed by BBC Radio One DJs John Peel and Zane Lowe, among others. It appeared on numerous best of 2004 lists and earned the band recognition as “one of the few genuine boundary-pushers in contemporary rock music.”

Last summer, American audiences finally had their first chance to experience the band that’s been all the rage in the UK, Europe and Asia for several years now. 65daysofstatic’s tour with Fear Before the March of Flames was a rousing success, once the band was able to get its work visas cleared at the 11th hour. In the first week of its release, The Destruction of Small Ideas sold out of its first pressing, forcing Monotreme to scramble to meet the overwhelming demand. Likewise, press response overseas for the album has been phenomenal, with Kerrang Magazine deeming the Sheffield, England quartet’s latest “utterly peerless” in the post-rock genre, awarding the album a 4/5 K-rating.

The Destruction of Small Ideas, released in April 2007, is the highly-anticipated follow-up to 65daysofstatic’s massively popular sophomore album One Time For All Time. A three-song single “Don’t Go Down To Sorrow” preceded the release of Destruction, building upon the critical and commercial success of One Time For All Time in the UK, Europe and Japan which catapulted the band to festival stages and pages in the NME, The Wire, Rock Sound and many more since its UK release in 2005. That album was released in the U.S. in fall 2006.

65daysofstatic made its American live debut to an enthusiastic audience at the SXSW festival last year at the Fanatic Promotion showcase. (We don’t want to gloat, but we’ve been telling the press for a year now that they’d be huge and it now looks like 65daysofstatic’s ascent has begun!) Stylus Magazine called The Destruction of Small Ideas a masterpiece and the American press has begun to pick up on the band, including coverage in Magnet, Paste and Harp magazines.

In previous years, the group has packed venues and headlined festival dates overseas. It was during much of this activity that 65daysofstatic’s UK label Monotreme Records inked a deal for an American release of the band’s refreshing gene-splice of electronic glitch and guitar girth. The group’s futuristic tone makes for a seductive score for an unwritten sci-fi epic that melds cutting guitars and electronic tones with sampled beats, live drums and computer glitch. But where IDM culture cuts out in the low end, 65daysofstatic delivers a thunderous wall of guitars that’s reportedly still shaking some festival grounds since those performances.

Since its debut, 65daysofstatic has spent several months touring the UK, playing to packed venues and festival tents. With the UK release of the band’s second album 65daysofstatic further cemented its position as one of the most innovative bands to emerge in the UK, with its groundbreaking blend of drum’n’glitch beats, walls of guitar noise, broken laptop clicks and overwhelming melody. A relentless touring schedule in the UK and mainland Europe has seen the band share stages with the likes of Mono, Wolf Eyes and Mogwai. The group headlined the Kerrang! Stage at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, followed by a headlining Kerrang! ‘Most Wanted’ sponsored tour.

65daysofstatic Selected Discography
Stream the sampler HERE
The Distant and Mechanized Glow of Eastern European Dance Parties EP (US/UK April 2008)
Hole EP (US 2008)
The Fall of Math LP (US 2008)
The Destruction of Small Ideas LP (UK/US 2007)
Don’t Go Down To Sorrow EP (UK/US 2007)
One Time For All Time LP (US 2006)
One Time For All Time LP (UK 2005)
Hole EP (UK 2004)
Retreat! Retreat! EP (UK 2004)
The Fall of Math LP (UK 2004)

The Fall of Math Tracklisting:
Stream The Sampler HERE

01. Another Code Against The Gone
02. Install A Beak In The Heart That Clucks Time In Arabic
03. Retreat! Retreat!
04. Default This
05. I Swallowed Hard, Like I Understood
06. The Fall of Math
07. This Cat Is A Landmine
08. The Last Home Recording
09. Hole
10. Fix The Sky A Little
11. Aren’t We All Running?

Hole EP Tracklisting:
Stream The Sampler HERE

01. Hole
02. Wrong Side of The Tracks
03. The Fall of Math (65dos Remix)
04. Betraying Chino
05. No Station
06. Retreat! Retreat! (Mothboy Remix)
07. 4Connection

The Destruction of Small Ideas Tracklisting:
Stream The Album HERE

01. When We Were Younger & Better (MP3)
02. A Failsafe
03. Don’t Go Down To Sorrow (MP3 VIDEO)
04. Wax Futures
05. These Things You Can’t Unlearn
06. Lyonesse
07. Music Is Music As Devices Are Kisses Is Everything
08. The Distant & Mechanised Glow Of European Dance Parties
09. Little Victories
10. Primer
11. White Peak/Dark Peak
12. The Conspiracy of Seeds

65daysofstatic Live
* w/ The Cure
02/18 Warsaw, Poland @ Warsaw Tower *
02/19 Katowice, Poland @ Katowice Spodek *
02/21 Prague, Czech Republic @ Saska Arena *
02/23 Vienna, Austria @ Bank Austria Halle, Gasometer *
02/25 Munich, Germany @ Olympiahalle *
02/27 Zurich, Switzerland @ Hallenstadion *
02/29 Rome, Italy @ Palalottomatica *
03/02 Milan, Italy @ Palasharp *
03/04 Marseilles, France @ Le Dome *
03/06 Madrid, Spain @ Palacio de Deportes *
03/08 Lisbon, Portugal @ Pavilhao Atlantico *
03/10 Barcelona, Spain @ Palau Sant Jordi *
03/12 Paris, France @ Le Bercy *
03/14 Antwerp, Belgium @ Sportpaleis *
03/16 Oberhausen, Germany @ Konig-Pilsener *
03/18 Rotterdam, Netherlands @ Ahoy Rotterdam *
03/20 London, UK @ Wembley Arena *
04/09 Bristol, UK @ Thekla
04/10 Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms
04/11 London, UK @ Indigo
04/12 Leeds, UK @ Cockpit
04/13 Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
04/14 Wolves, UK @ Wulfrun
04/15 Manchester, UK @ Academy 2
04/16 Portsmouth, UK @ Wedgewood Rooms
04/17 Brussels, Belgium @ TBD *
04/18 Amsterdam, Netherlands @ TBD *
04/19 Koln, Germany @ TBD *
04/20 Hamburg, Germany @ TBD *
04/21 Copenhagen, Denmark @ TBD *
04/22 Berlin, Germany @ TBD *
04/23 Prague, Czech Republic @ TBD *
04/24 Vienna, Austria @ TBD *
04/25 Munich, Germany @ TBD *
04/26 Milan, Italy @ TBD *
04/28 Paris, France @ TBD *
05/09 Washington, DC @ Patriot Center *
05/10 Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Spectrum *
05/11 Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwells
05/12 Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena *
05/14 Montreal, PQ @ Bell Center *
05/15 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre *
05/15 Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo
05/16 Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena *
05/16 Detroit, MI @ The Magic Stick
05/17 Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
05/18 St. Louis, MO @ 2 Cents Plain
05/19 Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre *
05/21 Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheater *
05/22 Denver, CO @ Lorimer Lounge
05/23 Salt Lake City @ E Center *
05/24 Boise, ID @ The Venue
05/25 George, WA @ The Gorge Sasquatch! Festival *
05/26 Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place *
05/28 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
05/29 Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl *
05/30 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
05/31 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl *
06/01 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
06/02 Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
06/03 San Diego, CA @ Cox Arena *
06/04 Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theatre *
06/04 Phoenix, AZ @ The Sets
06/06 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center *
06/07 Austin, TX @ Music Hall *
06/07 San Antonio, TX @ Rock Bottom
06/08 Austin, TX @ Emo’s
06/09 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center *
06/11 Tampa, FL @ St Pete Times Forum *
06/12 Orlando, FL @ The Social
06/13 Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center *
06/14 Gainsville, FL @ The Atlantic
06/15 Atlanta, GA @ Gwinnett Civic Center *
06/16 Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Bobcats Arena *
06/18 Cleveland, OH @ Cleveland State University *
06/19 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
06/20 New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
06/21 New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall *

Tools & Hi-Res Photos:
www.fanaticpromotion.com/rosterdetails.php?indexkey=1 (TDoSI)
www.fanaticpromotion.com/rosterdetails.php?indexkey=1270 (TFoM)

On The Web:
www.monotremerecords.com
www.myspace.com/monotremerecords
www.65daysofstatic.com
www.myspace.com/65propaganda




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Friday, February 15, 2008

The Jet Age leader Eric Tischler explains the band’s new stark and dark concept album What Did You Do During the War, Daddy?

“Good songs played by a straightforward rock trio will always find their way into people's playlists, regardless of what's big at the moment. The Jet Age provides exactly that...” – Pitchfork

“The Jet Age is sure to please several kinds of rock fans: Punks will thrill to the fast tempos, classic rockers will dig the guitar heroics, indie kids will appreciate the deft musicianship and experimental sensibility, and power-pop aficionados will swoon to the ocean-sized hooks.” – Express

“The songs are ragged without being sloppy and bring to mind some of the best in the indie rock pantheon, whether it be Dinosaur Jr., with the distorted solos or Superchunk with Tischler’s high pitched, enthusiastic vocals.” – The Washington Post

Eric Tischler of The Jet Age on the band’s new album, What Did You Do During the War, Daddy? (STREAM):

There’s no easy way to put this, so here goes: What Did You Do During the War, Daddy? was conceived as the soundtrack to an imaginary musical that asks what is our (my) responsibility, as citizens, when our government is out of control. Bear with me.

While finishing 2006’s Breathless, I came up with the Stones-y riff of “If I Had You Then, I’d Still Want You Now.” Shortly thereafter, I wrote the stark, dark “Shake,” a fairly literal retelling of a nightmare I had about my son. Around the same time, I came up with the sinister funk™ of “False Idols,” (MP3) a song about martyrs, revolution, and political messaging. Although three tunes do not an album make, I was concerned about how these songs would get along on one CD. Shortly thereafter, I read Pete Townshend’s claim that he found writing was much easier when he had a “brief” to write to, and suddenly the idea of CREATING a structure for this new record immediately made sense; I realized I already had a dramatic trajectory, from the euphoric gallop of “If I Had You Then…” (a song clearly sung by a family man) to the climax of “False Idols,” in which the narrator blows himself up in order to make the world a better place for his family.

Yes, this is the tragic tale of a revolutionary American suicide bomber. It sounds crazy when I write it, and I hope the widow’s lament (“Ladies, Don't Cry Tonight”) that bookends this record makes it clear that I’m not advocating suicide bombing as a solution for anything, but drama provides a forum for discussing some dark ideas and, frankly, I really DON’T know what else I can do as a voting citizen to rectify the terrifying course our country has been set upon. As a father of two, that’s pretty fucking vexing, hence this album.

So, the story: The first act opens with “Ladies, Don't Cry Tonight,” which establishes some background (there’s a war on) and serves as foreshadowing. “If I Had You Then ...” is our introduction to the happy couple. “Dance” is about the importance of being true to -- and comfortable with -- one’s self, and is sung by the wife to the couple’s daughter. The husband, moved by this exchange, later serenades his wife with “O, Calendar” (MP3).

However, while things may be happy at home, the world outside is anything but, hence the creeping dread in Act 2, starting with the nightmare of “Shake.” The negativity grows in “Dumb,” as our hero rants about his own passivity while his government is dumbing down half of the populace while keeping the other half complacent and thus complicit in its silence. The increasing awareness of the darkening world around him-and the threat it poses to his family's future-leads our hero to align himself with a brewing underground movement in “I Said, ‘Alright.’”

In Act 3, the father has become engrossed in the plan to sacrifice himself in the opening salvo of the revolution. His inadvertent withdrawal from the family he wants to save prompts his wife to sing “Now We Are Three,” raising that ol' brain teaser: Do the ends justify the means? In “False Idols,” our protagonist does, indeed, sacrifice himself, narrating the song from beyond the grave. The driving, bombastic-grandiose(?) ”Maybe Love's a Transmission” is his (spectral) farewell to his wife, and hers to him. The record closes with a reprise of the widow’s lament but this time it’s for our protagonist’s family. Phew.

Despite my efforts to make the plot work, it was important to me that these songs would be able to stand on their own, too. The “musical” concept allowed me to write songs that spoke directly to the concerns I have without having to force myself to move the plot along incrementally; I assumed that dialog, some of which I almost recorded as interstitials, would handle some of the narrative work. So, outside the context of the record, “Maybe Love’s a Transmission” is still about losing a loved one, regardless of the cause of death. “Dumb,” I fear, is a topical rant; the first act is mostly love songs. In other words, this thing should be iPod friendly, but I want people to listen to the record front to back. Don Quixo-who?

The tunes: Yeah, my usual nods to The Who, Swervedriver, My Bloody Valentine, the New Zealand scene, etc. are all here; that’s my DNA and I’m proud of it. The range drummer Pete Nuwayser shows on this record is astonishing, from the C&W shuffle of “Ladies, Don't Cry Tonight” to the no-holds-barred chaos of “O, Calendar” to the funky strut of “False Idols”; I don't know of any drummer who covers so much ground in one band. But bass player Greg Bennett is the hero of this record. Apart from writing the music for shoegazer epic “Now We Are Three” (a riff so good we ultimately decided to just play it for three minutes), he drives these songs. Just listen to the climax of “I Said, ‘Alright’,” the turnarounds in “If I Had You Then...” the insistent throb in “O, Calendar.” The concept is mine, but the album’s power is the band’s. Regardless of whether people embrace the themes discussed herein or not, we hope and believe the appeal of the music itself is incontrovertible. Please, pass it on. – Eric Tischler, 2008.

What Did You Do During the War, Daddy? Tracklisting:
Stream The Album HERE
Release Date: 02.05.08

01. Ladies, Don’t Cry Tonight
02. If I Had You Then, I’d Still Want You Now
03. Dance
04. O, Calendar (MP3)
05. Shake
06. Dumb
07. I Said, “Alright”
08. Now We Are Three
09. False Idols (MP3)
10. Maybe Love’s a Transmission
11. Ladies… (Reprise)

Tools & Hi-Res Photos:
www.fanaticpromotion.com/rosterdetails.php?indexkey=1258

On The Web:
www.thejetage.net
www.myspace.com/thejetage
www.sonicboomerangrecords.com

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Thursday, February 14, 2008

Hello, Blue Roses sweetheart duo Dan Bejar of Destroyer and lady Sydney Vermont announce rare live performance, fittingly tied to Valentine’s Day.

Debut album The Portrait Is Finished and I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty... released by Locust Music.

The romantically entwined duo of Dan Bejar (Destoyer, Swan Lake, New Pornographers) and Sydney Vermont (Visual artist, Bonaparte vocalist, former Toronto Children’s Choir kid singer) performing under the moniker Hello, Blue Roses have announced one of very few live shows for the year. This rare public appearance from these lovebirds -- fittingly booked the week of Valentine’s Day -- takes place February 16th in Brooklyn, NY at Glasslands (289 Kent Ave.)

Hello, Blue Roses’ 13-track debut was recently released by Chicago-based label Locust Music. The disc, titled The Portrait Is Finished and I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty... draws on everything from an unabashed love of 80s AOR a la Prefab Sprout and Kate Bush to prime Aquarian-age femme folk of the 60s & 70s to create an infectious, readymade classic.

“When I listen to the sound of it, I hear European pastoral music butting up against a harsh 80s reality,” Bejar says. “The Hello, Blue Roses songs are completely untethered to any of the bullshit streams coursing through the scene right now. That’s just how Syd writes them; it’s not her fault. They’re completely melodious, but still so strange. It’s a product of not really caring what people think, but still caring a lot about people.”

“Dan supports every strange idea I have ever had,” says Vermont, “and then we craft it into something to our liking. We hear different things in the songs and try to bring both visions into it, which involves a lot of trust and generosity, because we are very different. It makes for an overall eclectic sound, which still has its own organic logic.”

The band’s decision to team up with Locust Music is totally apropos given the celebrated label’s wide-eyed approach and Hello Blue Roses’ own deeply accessible but eclectic sound. “The roster seemed impossibly all over the place, and also not tied down to any era or genre,” Bejar says. “But once you start looking at everything they’ve done, it’s pretty impressive and head-scratching.”

Just as Bejar and Vermont thoughtfully describe Hello, Blue Roses, Locust Music head Dawson Prater eloquently places the band’s work in fitting context. “Outside of the influences of 60s-70s singer-songwriters, Dan and Sydney are touching on some of the popular music of the 80s that a lot of us 30-somethings have lived with whether we liked it or not,” Prater says. “At the heart of it, I think all of we’ve got this repository in our heads where popular music takes root and Hello, Blue Roses have gone there in a totally unironic way and recast the sweetness and mismatched optimism of the music of the Reagan era to the way it should sound, the way this stuff often sounds in our heads and that’s what timelessness is all about.”

Hello Blue Roses Live:
02/16 Brooklyn, NY Glasslands
(289 Kent Ave.) w/ Begushkin

The Portrait Is Finished... Tracklisting:
Stream The Album HERE
Release Date: January 22, 2008

01. Hello Blue Roses
02. Scarecrow
03. Paquita Reads By Candlelight
04. Shadow Falls (MP3)
05. Heron Song
06. St. Angela
07. Coming Through Imposture
08. Golden Fruit
09. Come Darkness
10. Sunny Skies (MP3)
11. Mediterranean Snow
12. Skeleton Aim
13. Sickly Star
14. Hymn

On The Web:
www.locustmusic.com
www.myspace.com/helloblueroses

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Friday, February 8, 2008

The Diggs dish up swirling dream pop epics and anthems about frustration, anxiety on upcoming album ctrl-alt-del.

“Straightforward indie rock, just like you listened to in the 90’s. Are you noticing this? The 90’s are fucking hot.” -- Mike Conklin, The L Magazine

ctrl-alt-del, the upcoming album by The Diggs, expands on the aesthetic laid forth by the band’s previous album Commute while refining their big sound with leaner and more concise arrangements. The tone of the new record is frantic and at times haunting. However, there is a glimmer of hope embedded throughout, where disillusion is broached with nostalgia, and angst is juxtaposed with optimism.

The result is twelve cinematic songs about redemption. STREAM ctrl-alt-del.

“This Emphatically” -- Arena rock burner with huge guitars and big vocals; a definitive track one.
“Careen”-- The first single, catchy mid-nineties indie guitar pop.
“ctrl-alt-del” -- Pre-emo anthemic indie rocker with layered guitars and bold vocals blared with regret.
“...And in the End Shoot Back”-- A beautiful cinematic snapshot about heartbreak with lyrics lifted from a deceased friend of the band’s (Brendan Colin Xavier Darcy) unfinished novel.
“Anagrams”-- Gorgeous indie pop with an infectious sing along chorus.
“Brigante”-- A dark mid-tempo rocker with a huge build up addressing the anxiety of modern inner city life.
“Recovery Forever”-- Arpeggio driven shoegaze ballad. Brutally honest lyrics and haunting vocals obscured under the guise of humility and latent desire; the centerpiece of the album.
“Brightness Falls”-- Jangly punk tune with a strong pop radio sensibility.
“Collide/Collapse”-- A pub rocker with a nod to Be Here Now era Oasis.
“Carpal Tunnel”-- Progressive power pop anchored by a glockenspiel showcasing Schmid’s percussive virtuosity.
“You Really Used to Light up the Room”-- Intense echoing indie epic with an explosive build up and climax. The apex of the record.
“Vitamins”-- Optimistic coda and the falling action to “...Light Up The Room” ending the record with a glimmer of hope.

Attention New Yorkers!
Join us on Wednesday, February 13 at Hi-Fi (19 Avenue A, NYC) for a listening party with The Diggs. Hear the new album ctrl-alt-del from 9PM-12AM.

More about The Diggs:
The Diggs are a Brooklyn-based band with a melodic Mid-nineties indie rock sound. Their sophomore LP ctrl-alt-del was recorded at Stratosphere Sound, the New York City studio owned by ex-Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha and Fountain of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger. The record was produced and mixed by Rudyard Lee Cullers (Ryan AdamsRock N’ Roll, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Isis EP) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation, Nirvana’s Nevermind, OasisDefinitely Maybe) at Masterdisk.

The Diggs formed in late 2003 in Mineola, a town on the north shore of Long Island. Lannen and Haussmann were roommates at the time looking to keep momentum after a band they were in together broke up. They formed The Diggs the day after their former band dissolved. Together they recruited a high school classmate of Lannen’s named Erik Dose to play drums. During Dose’s brief tenure with the band, they produced a demo/EP called Parahora in the kitchen of their apartment with his equipment. They recorded mostly at night while their El Salvadorian gangster neighbors sold coke and ran guns out of the downstairs apartment.

After Dose left the band, The Diggs started rehearsing with their former band mate Jim Mansfield who agreed to play live until they could find a permanent drummer. The Diggs played their first shows in May 2004. Off the strength of the demo, Universal Records sent an A&R rep. to their first gig at the old Luna Lounge and their second show at Trash Bar in Brooklyn was a bill with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!

The Diggs continued to rehearse drummers until they were introduced to Charlie Schmid through a friend of a friend. He immediately clicked and joined the band in September 2004. During this time, Lannen and Haussmann relocated to Brooklyn (Bushwick and Carroll Gardens respectively). They continued to write songs and play shows in Brooklyn/NYC. Then in November 2004, they began to record a new EP titled Orange in Huntington, NY with producer Phil Jimenez (ex-Wheatus). A couple of their friends decided to start a record label called Sugarspun Records and signed The Diggs in March of 2005, releasing Orange in May. By June the rest of New York really started to take notice. After a sold out show at The Delancey with Ghostland Observatory in late June, The Diggs were suddenly the toast of the blogosphere. Their EP piqued the interest of Fabtone Records in Japan. Fabtone wanted to put out a full length, so The Diggs returned to Jimenez’s studio and recorded their debut LP Commute which they completed in October 2005. Fabtone began distributing the record in January 2006.

Commute was well received by Time Out New York, The Village Voice, MSNBC.com, and The L Magazine, as well as countless blogs. The record was full of swirling dream pop epics and anthems about frustration and anxiety. The record charted on KEXP radio in Seattle in February and March of 2006 landing them an in-studio performance for the station that May. The Diggs went on to share bills with The View, Midlake, Jeremy Enigk (ex-Sunny Day Real Estate), The Most Serene Republic, Annuals, Pela, Field Music, and Amusement Parks On Fire to name a few.

ctrl-alt-del Tracklisting:
Stream The Album HERE
Release Date: 03.11.08

01. This Emphatically
02. Careen
03. ctrl-alt-del
04....And in the End Shoot Back
05. Anagrams
06. Brigante
07. Recovery Forever
08. Brightness Falls
09. Collide/Collapse
10. Carpal Tunnel
11. You Really Used to Light up the Room
12. Vitamins

Tools & Hi-Res Photos:
www.fanaticpromotion.com/rosterdetails.php?indexkey=1269

On The Web:
www.thediggs.com
www.myspace.com/thediggs
www.sugarspunrecords.com
www.myspace.com/sugarspun

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Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Yea Big and Kid Static follow-up their critically praised debut with the track that we’ve all been craving: “Eatchyo Samwich.”

“…this quirky and creative hip hop-based experimental mix of blues, electronica and extraterrestrial laptop tinkering had its way with my members.” – Popmatters

“Stuttering, glitchy, and just plain jaw-dropping… this duo have put excitement and innovation back into hip-hop.” – XLR8R

“More happens in these two minutes than an hour-long episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent…” – Paper Thin Walls.

Hot on the heels of their debut album, Yea Big + Kid Static drops the tune that wowed us all at CMJ 2007 (VIDEO). An extremely limited edition three-inch CD version of the track “Eatchyo Samwich”(MP3) is now available as part of the “Three Inches To Paradise” series available from the Fuck Me Stupid Mountain Princess Recording Collective.

A recently posted MySpace blog (LINK) from the label states the following: “Get your head together if you haven’t heard of these cats yet. They’re all over the place. Touring like crazy and making little men and women (especially robot women) happy everywhere they go. But seriously, this single track is killer. Plus, it’s inspired by a true story. I was there! After a show in some ‘where the fuck are we’ town in lower Michigan, a drunk ‘I gotta piss’ type redneck cat told Yea Big to simply ‘eat his sammniwichh.’ It doesn’t get any more real than that.”

The CD comes complete with an outstanding sandwich-shaped insert (white, wheat or rye.)

While not rhyming about sandwiches, the Chicago-based hip hop duo has been basking in the love that comes from making one of the most fun and furious beatmeister-rhymemaster records of last year in the form of their self-titled debut. The first video to come from the record is an homage to the town they call home. “The Life Here” (VIDEO) contains footage of more Chicago landmarks than Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and it’s just as memorable to boot.

Some of the locations that should be familiar to any Chicagoan include: Comiskey Park, Edgewater, Evanston, Garfield Park, Gold Coast, Homan and Jackson Avenues, Humboldt Park, Jefferson Park, Lincoln Park, McCormick Place, The “Magnificent Mile,” “The Bean,” South Shore Cultural Center, West Loop, Wicker Park, Senn High School (w/ Yea Big’s dog Miso) and The “El.” Not bad for a band on a budget!

Yea Big + Kid Static - Eatchyo Samwich (MP3)

Yea Big + Kid Static Tracklisting:
Stream The Album HERE

01. The Screaming Starts At Sundown
02. We’ve Built A Time Machine That Runs On Beats. We Shall Only Use It For Good.
03. Static Leads The Coup
04. Transmission Ended
05. Joining Forces
06. Speak The Facts
07. Low Budget Battle Scene
08. The Basement / Enfant Terrible (MP3)
09. On The Blink
10. Repairs Are Needed
11. Duck, Mother Fuckers! (MP3)
12. Revel In The Aftermath
13. The Life Here (VIDEO MP3)
14. Things Have To Change, Pete
15. Why The Fuck Does This Keep Happening
16. Back Into The Sleeve

More about Yea Big + Kid Static:
Yea Big:
Yea Big (Stefen Robinson) is a detail obsessed mad scientist of the mix reared on Ravi Shankar, bluegrass and Motown. He released his first full length CD, The Wind That Blows The Robot’s Arms, in 2006 on Chicago’s Jib Door label to much confusion and praise. One dude called The Wind “an ADD trip through instrumental spaz-hop”. Yea Big has done remixes for Minneapolis avant-hip hop outfit Kill The Vultures, the 12 Apostles label, Illegal Art (Girl Talk), and continues to produce tour only mash-up and remix EP’s, the first two of which feature The Mae-Shi and Rapider Than Horsepower. He is also a part-time member of the Illegal Art group, Oh Astro.

Kid Static: Producing and emceeing since childhood, native South Side Chicagoan Kid Static started off at the green age of 12-years-old, making frenetic and glitchy chiptunes. Years later, he gained local recognition as the front man for the defunct instrumental hip-hop group, The Cankles, whose much lauded Goddamn!! dropped in 2005 along with Static’s privately issued solo debut Have You Seen This Man? Stunt double by trade, Static is also an avid enthusiast of that mad French urban import parkour. No doubt, these on and off screen antics contribute heavily to Static’s sci fi, action obsessed narrative wordplay.

The Union: In fall 2005, Yea Big took a beating on one of Chicago’s largest hip hop message boards for reasons no one really remembers too well these days. Static watched as the crossfire obliterated this unheard of deejay and, after checking out some of his music online, invited Yea Big to collaborate with him. Drawn to Big’s atom splitting beats, Static says, “he’s doing the music I always heard in my head”. For his part, Yea Big, was mesmerized with Static’s presence. “His voice has an energy and grit. His phrasing, texture and flow did it for me.”

The Present: Over the last two years of collaborating together, Static and Big have played for Michigan meth farmers, cape cod yacht rockers, snacked on cheesesteaks behind the backs of Philly vegans and played grabass and smacked hi-fives with each and every one of them. Because in the world of high misadventure of Yea Big and Kid Static, the odd man out is always in.

Tools & Hi-Res Photos:
www.fanaticpromotion.com/current/yea_big.html

On The Web:
www.yeabig.com
www.kidstatic.com
www.myspace.com/yeabigkidstatic
www.jibdoor.com
www.myspace.com/jibdoor

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