10.14.2008
This blog is not gonna be updated...
... this blog is not gonna be updated anymore. Please go to 20buckspin.com and put the frontpage news section (or any other page) into your news reader. Thanks!
10.11.2008
New Website & Samothrace "Life's Trade" Out Now
Lots of news today folks.
First up, our new websites have been launched. 20buckspin.com has received a full makeover. It’s more organized and easy to look at now. At the same time it’s more stripped down. The homepage is now our news/blog page, and is RSS enabled, as are the other pages on the site. This blog will replace 20buckspin.blogspot.com so please update your news feeds.
You’ll notice when you click on the store link you are taken to a separate, but similar looking website now, Phantomcityrecords.net. This site is still run and maintained by 20 Buck Spin. We wanted to give our physical store in Olympia a web presence and it made the most sense to just combine the stores into one. So going forward Phantomcityrecords.net is the official online store for 20 Buck Spin releases and mailorder distro as well as our new spin off label Actual Noise. Additionally we’ll be selling online some stuff through Phantom City that we normally wouldn’t have via 20 Buck Spin.
The store itself is an easy to use storefront based on the OScommerce system. You only have to register once and the site will store your address info so you don’t have to do it everytime. You’ll notice prices have been lowered, this is because previously we were using postage paid prices, and now the system calculates exact postage so we’ve taken the postage out of the prices. We still use the US postal system. When your package ships you will now receive a notification of shipment as some of you that have ordered recently have noticed. All domestic packages are now shipped with delivery confirmation.
TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH OF OUR NEW STOREFRONT AND WEBSITE WE ARE HAVING A 20% OFF SALE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. In order to get 20% off your order you will need to enter the following coupon code during checkout: PY6DFT. The discount will automatically be applied to your pre-shipping total. Again the 20% off sale is good for orders placed now through Wednesday October 15th.
If you notice any problems with the new site or have any questions please email: orders@phantomcityrecords.net.
The other big news this week is that the Samothrace debut album “Life’s Trade” is now available. The Gatefold 2xLP is available both on black, and on limited edition gold vinyl (150 copies). It is cut at 45 RPM. All copies include a poster the same A2 size as was included with the Coffins and The Endless Blockade LPs. All vinyl also includes a coupon for a free download of the entire album. The direct mailorder version also comes with an embroidered Samothrace logo patch and a sticker of the amazing artwork by David D’Andrea. The CD version is also available now.
Be sure to catch Samothrace on tour right now through mid-November. Check their site, myspace.com/samothraceproject for dates all over the US. Here’s a description of the album:
20 Buck Spin first heard Samothrace at a party in Austin during SXSW 2007. A crude rehearsal recording, but instantly we recognized how amazing these songs were gonna be. After inquiring about who it was we immediately got in touch with the Lawrence, Kansas band and offered to release their debut record.
Fast forward to the present and the album, Life’s Trade, has finally materialized. Samothrace plays ultra heavy doom with harsh alcohol-soaked vocals. And yet a somber melodic sense also permeates the 4 long tracks on Life’s Trade. Not in the overused, weepy Euro-doom tradition, but distinctly Midwestern, soulful and blues inflected. The songs shimmer with desperation, hopelessness and pain. “Awkward Hearts” is both world weary for the plight of the oppressed and also intensely personal. The melodic interplay of guitarist Bryan Spinks and Renata Castagna is distinct in doom played this heavy and each song is meticulously crafted for maximum emotional impact.
With several US tours under their belts, Samothrace have already familiarized themselves and won over doom fanatics across the country. With a planned 70 date fall tour, the band will be out in heavy support of Life’s Trade during 2008, with more US and Europe touring planned for early 2009. Recorded and mixed by Sanford Parker (Buried At Sea, Pelican, Nachtmystium) Life’s Trade rates as a stunning debut by a band soon to be on top of the doom genre.
Boise, Idaho’s Pussygutt has a new album coming out on 20 Buck Spin on November 18th called “She Hid Behind Her Veil”. The digipak CD features a single 46 minute track falling somewhere between Black Boned Angel, Phillip Glass and Corrupted. Look for it in our store prior to that date.
The new Hammers of Misfortune double album Fields / Church Of Broken Glass will be released in late November. A gatefold 2xLP with separate and distinct album artwork for each album (The artwork will be inverted on one side, both inside and out, to further distinguish the two separate LPs). The album will have printed inner sleeves and will include a coupon for a free download of both albums. 100 colored vinyl LPs will be available for mailorder – separate colors for each LP of course. The CD version of the album is being handled by Profound Lore.
Much more news to come soon regarding Actual Noise and upcoming 20 Buck Spin releases for 2009. In the meantime let us know what you think of the new websites.
First up, our new websites have been launched. 20buckspin.com has received a full makeover. It’s more organized and easy to look at now. At the same time it’s more stripped down. The homepage is now our news/blog page, and is RSS enabled, as are the other pages on the site. This blog will replace 20buckspin.blogspot.com so please update your news feeds.
You’ll notice when you click on the store link you are taken to a separate, but similar looking website now, Phantomcityrecords.net. This site is still run and maintained by 20 Buck Spin. We wanted to give our physical store in Olympia a web presence and it made the most sense to just combine the stores into one. So going forward Phantomcityrecords.net is the official online store for 20 Buck Spin releases and mailorder distro as well as our new spin off label Actual Noise. Additionally we’ll be selling online some stuff through Phantom City that we normally wouldn’t have via 20 Buck Spin.
The store itself is an easy to use storefront based on the OScommerce system. You only have to register once and the site will store your address info so you don’t have to do it everytime. You’ll notice prices have been lowered, this is because previously we were using postage paid prices, and now the system calculates exact postage so we’ve taken the postage out of the prices. We still use the US postal system. When your package ships you will now receive a notification of shipment as some of you that have ordered recently have noticed. All domestic packages are now shipped with delivery confirmation.
TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH OF OUR NEW STOREFRONT AND WEBSITE WE ARE HAVING A 20% OFF SALE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. In order to get 20% off your order you will need to enter the following coupon code during checkout: PY6DFT. The discount will automatically be applied to your pre-shipping total. Again the 20% off sale is good for orders placed now through Wednesday October 15th.
If you notice any problems with the new site or have any questions please email: orders@phantomcityrecords.net.
The other big news this week is that the Samothrace debut album “Life’s Trade” is now available. The Gatefold 2xLP is available both on black, and on limited edition gold vinyl (150 copies). It is cut at 45 RPM. All copies include a poster the same A2 size as was included with the Coffins and The Endless Blockade LPs. All vinyl also includes a coupon for a free download of the entire album. The direct mailorder version also comes with an embroidered Samothrace logo patch and a sticker of the amazing artwork by David D’Andrea. The CD version is also available now.
Be sure to catch Samothrace on tour right now through mid-November. Check their site, myspace.com/samothraceproject for dates all over the US. Here’s a description of the album:
20 Buck Spin first heard Samothrace at a party in Austin during SXSW 2007. A crude rehearsal recording, but instantly we recognized how amazing these songs were gonna be. After inquiring about who it was we immediately got in touch with the Lawrence, Kansas band and offered to release their debut record.
Fast forward to the present and the album, Life’s Trade, has finally materialized. Samothrace plays ultra heavy doom with harsh alcohol-soaked vocals. And yet a somber melodic sense also permeates the 4 long tracks on Life’s Trade. Not in the overused, weepy Euro-doom tradition, but distinctly Midwestern, soulful and blues inflected. The songs shimmer with desperation, hopelessness and pain. “Awkward Hearts” is both world weary for the plight of the oppressed and also intensely personal. The melodic interplay of guitarist Bryan Spinks and Renata Castagna is distinct in doom played this heavy and each song is meticulously crafted for maximum emotional impact.
With several US tours under their belts, Samothrace have already familiarized themselves and won over doom fanatics across the country. With a planned 70 date fall tour, the band will be out in heavy support of Life’s Trade during 2008, with more US and Europe touring planned for early 2009. Recorded and mixed by Sanford Parker (Buried At Sea, Pelican, Nachtmystium) Life’s Trade rates as a stunning debut by a band soon to be on top of the doom genre.
Boise, Idaho’s Pussygutt has a new album coming out on 20 Buck Spin on November 18th called “She Hid Behind Her Veil”. The digipak CD features a single 46 minute track falling somewhere between Black Boned Angel, Phillip Glass and Corrupted. Look for it in our store prior to that date.
The new Hammers of Misfortune double album Fields / Church Of Broken Glass will be released in late November. A gatefold 2xLP with separate and distinct album artwork for each album (The artwork will be inverted on one side, both inside and out, to further distinguish the two separate LPs). The album will have printed inner sleeves and will include a coupon for a free download of both albums. 100 colored vinyl LPs will be available for mailorder – separate colors for each LP of course. The CD version of the album is being handled by Profound Lore.
Much more news to come soon regarding Actual Noise and upcoming 20 Buck Spin releases for 2009. In the meantime let us know what you think of the new websites.
10.03.2008
Early Samothrace Review
Early 'Thrace review:
Life's Trade is out 10/14. Look for it direct via 20buckspin.com around the 10th.
This review is from Teethofthedivine.com
myspace.com/samothraceproject
Hailing from Lawrence, Kansas, Samothrace (not sure if named after the Greek Island or a race of Emperor guitarists) have come out of nowhere with a stunning debut album that mixes the girth and throb of psychedelic sludge/Post Rock (think Minsk and Rwake) with the utterly rending, layered harmonies and beautiful yet wilting melody of Anathema, Morgion or even the Finnish doom/death scene.
Life’s Trade is 4 songs and just over 45 minutes of draining, soul crushing music that will leave your heart shattered and spent but with a glimmer of hope gleaming through the shroud of despondency. Seriously, the mix of typically fuzzed out Sanford Parker produced sludge/doom, gruff roars, sprawling ambience and truly evocative, layered guitar work might move you to tears-it almost did me.
Opener “La Llorona’s” (”The Crying lady”-named after a child drowning ghost of Mexican folklore) is a moping, heaving monster of lethargy and a slight Southern drawl mingled with the haunting throes of the subject matter. Then, standout track “Awkward Hearts” renders arguably one of the most moving pieces of music I’ve heard in 2008. While my full time job has rendered me an emotionless prick, music still has the ability to physically affect my emotions and the opening delicate strums and cascading peak of “Awkward Hearts” is that rare piece of music that feels like God reaching into my chest, grabbing my heart, wringing it out, and leaving it a withered husk. Think Anathema’s “Lovelorn Rhapsody” and Morgion’s “Canticle” mixed with the crushing ebbs of Isis or Neurosis. Simply fucking amazing.
“Cacophony”, has a tall order to follow, but manages to keep me enthralled initially a heftier, sludgier repast before gently transitioning into a shimmering, psychedelic mid song trip and tumbling, stoner doom ending climax. Closer “Cruel Awake” gives a fittingly despondent , 13 minute endnote with a crumbling, epic lope littered with layered melodic acoustics and again, a slightly hazy, swampy feel and the closing 3 minutes coming close to recreating the sheer mournfull bliss of “Awkward Hearts”.
Like Deadbird, Samothrace isn’t the biggest name in the genre, but by god have they delivered one of the year’s better albums and like Deadbird’s Twilight Ritual, look for Life’s Trade to flirt with my year end list.
Life's Trade is out 10/14. Look for it direct via 20buckspin.com around the 10th.
This review is from Teethofthedivine.com
myspace.com/samothraceproject
Hailing from Lawrence, Kansas, Samothrace (not sure if named after the Greek Island or a race of Emperor guitarists) have come out of nowhere with a stunning debut album that mixes the girth and throb of psychedelic sludge/Post Rock (think Minsk and Rwake) with the utterly rending, layered harmonies and beautiful yet wilting melody of Anathema, Morgion or even the Finnish doom/death scene.
Life’s Trade is 4 songs and just over 45 minutes of draining, soul crushing music that will leave your heart shattered and spent but with a glimmer of hope gleaming through the shroud of despondency. Seriously, the mix of typically fuzzed out Sanford Parker produced sludge/doom, gruff roars, sprawling ambience and truly evocative, layered guitar work might move you to tears-it almost did me.
Opener “La Llorona’s” (”The Crying lady”-named after a child drowning ghost of Mexican folklore) is a moping, heaving monster of lethargy and a slight Southern drawl mingled with the haunting throes of the subject matter. Then, standout track “Awkward Hearts” renders arguably one of the most moving pieces of music I’ve heard in 2008. While my full time job has rendered me an emotionless prick, music still has the ability to physically affect my emotions and the opening delicate strums and cascading peak of “Awkward Hearts” is that rare piece of music that feels like God reaching into my chest, grabbing my heart, wringing it out, and leaving it a withered husk. Think Anathema’s “Lovelorn Rhapsody” and Morgion’s “Canticle” mixed with the crushing ebbs of Isis or Neurosis. Simply fucking amazing.
“Cacophony”, has a tall order to follow, but manages to keep me enthralled initially a heftier, sludgier repast before gently transitioning into a shimmering, psychedelic mid song trip and tumbling, stoner doom ending climax. Closer “Cruel Awake” gives a fittingly despondent , 13 minute endnote with a crumbling, epic lope littered with layered melodic acoustics and again, a slightly hazy, swampy feel and the closing 3 minutes coming close to recreating the sheer mournfull bliss of “Awkward Hearts”.
Like Deadbird, Samothrace isn’t the biggest name in the genre, but by god have they delivered one of the year’s better albums and like Deadbird’s Twilight Ritual, look for Life’s Trade to flirt with my year end list.
9.10.2008
New Mailorder Stuff 9/10
some newbies in mailorder:
the endless blockade - turn illness into a weapon lp
plastic crimewave sound - plastic crimewave sound lp
alcest - souvenirs d'un autre monde lp
the skull defekts - the sound of defekt skulls cd
the endless blockade - turn illness into a weapon lp
plastic crimewave sound - plastic crimewave sound lp
alcest - souvenirs d'un autre monde lp
the skull defekts - the sound of defekt skulls cd
9.05.2008
Samothrace US Tour
Hey folks, Samothrace is hittin' the road in support of Life's Trade the new album on 20 Buck Spin. The album will be out in October on CD / 2xLP (sooner via the 20BS website). In the meantime go hear it live. Also, there's a track up at myspace.com/20buckspin. And for all you midwest dudes complaining about no tours - here you go:
Sep 7- Olliewood w/ The Cast Pattern... Topeka, Kansas
Sep 8- The Replay... Metal School / Tour Kickoff w/ Hammerlord!!! Lawrence, Kansas
Sep 9- B-side Gallery w/ Dead Commuter, Cordycep Deth, Church of the Burning Snake... Wichita, Kansas
Sep 10- Rubber Gloves w/ Resigned to Fate, Hyperion, TBA... Denton, Texas
Sep 11- Bar of Soap w/ Blood Ov, Varvadoss, and Cleric... Dallas, Texas
Sep 12- Room 710 w/ The Roller, Fuck Work, The Malestrom... TBA Austin, Texas
Sep 13- Memo’s Sports bar w/ PLF, Perpetual Madness and Satannabis... Pasadena, Texas
Sep 14- Mojo’s w/ Ketea... Shreveport, Louisiana
Sep 15- Andy’s Place w/ Pussyhawk and Barghest... Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Sep 16- Dragon’s Den w/ Mars, Pussyhawk, TBA... NOLA, Louisiana
Sep 17- TBA Birmingham/Mobile, Alabama
Sep 18- TBA... Pensacola, Florida
Sep 19- Transitions w/ Howl, Liquid Limbs, Dark Castle, Flying Snakes, and Saltmine... Tampa, Florida
Sep 20- Black Box Collective w/ Dark Castle, TBA... Orlando, Florida
Sep 21- Nobby’s w/ Dark Castle, TBA... St. Augustine, Florida
Sep 22- Shantytown w/ Dark Castle... Jacksonville, Florida
Sep 23- TBA... Savannah, Georgia
Sep 24- Caledonia Lounge w/ Armazilla, Subrig Destroyer, and Aquila... Athens, Georgia
Sep 25- Lenny’s Bar w/ Sons of Tonatiuh... Atlanta, Georgia
Sep 26- The Local w/ Hoth, Light Pupil Dilate, TBA... Chattanooga, Tennessee
Sep 27- TBA... Asheville, North Carolina
Sep 28- TBA... ???, North Carolina
Sep 29- Nara Sushi w/ Cough, TBA... Richmond, Virginia
Sep 30- Corpse Fortress w/ Oak, Cough, TBA... D.C., Washington DC
Oct 1- Barclay House w/ TBA... Baltimore, Maryland
Oct 2- Millcreek Tavern w/ Khann, Wetnurse, Wizard Eye, TBA... Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 3- TBA... Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 4- Rudy’s w/ Sea of Bones, TBA... New Haven, Connecticut
Oct 5- TBA Boston/Surrounding Area, Massachusetts
Oct 6- Lit Lounge w/ Aquila, TBA... New York City, New York
Oct 7- The Pussy Barrel w/ Spoonful of Vicodan, Ordinary Men and Women, TBA... Rochester, New York
Oct 8- Legion of Doom w/ TBA... Columbus, Ohio
Oct 9- The Bluerock Tavern w/ Beneath Oblivion, TBA... Cincinnati, Ohio
Oct 10- TBA...Ft. Wayne/ Area
Oct 11- Chicago... Metal Shaker w/ Lone Wolf and Cub, TBA,... Chicago, Illinois
Oct 12- 319 Garfield w/ Abaddon, TBA... Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Oct 13- Madison... TBA... Madison, Wisconsin
Oct 14- TBA... St. Louis/Area
Oct 15- Off
Oct 16- The Grill/ROTC w/ Deadbird and Dirtmother... Fayetteville, Arkansas
Oct 17- Noel, Lisa, Cedric, etc... House!!! Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oct 18- Conservatory w/ The Flood, Rainbows Are Free, TBA... Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oct 19- Spinks @ Neil Diamond Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oct 20- Off... Lawrence, Kansas
Oct 21- off... Lawrence, Kansas
Oct 22- Replay... Samothrace LP/CD Release Show w/ Rabbid Rabbit, TBA... Lawrence, Kansas
Oct 23- Blast-o-Mat w/ Burn Heavy, TBA... Denver, Colorado
Oct 24- TBA Albuquerque, New Mexico
Oct 25- TBA Fladstaff, Arizona
Oct 26- TBA Phoenix, Arizona
Oct 27- House Show @ Chuey / Jaime’s w/ Barren, TBA... Los Angeles, California
Oct 28- Hazmat w/ Embers, TBA... Oakland, California
Oct 29- Thee Parkside Bar w/ Giant Squid, One Hundred Sons, TBA... San Francisco, California
Oct 30- Monstros Pizza w/ The Makai, TBA... Chico, California
Oct 31- Halloween Show in PDX...TBA... Portland, Oregon
Nov 1- Squid and Ink w/ TBA...Seattle, Washington
Nov 2- Green Frog Acoustic Room w/ Piano Mover, TBA... Bellingham, Washington
Nov 3- TBA Tacoma, Washington
Nov 4- TBA Olympia, Washington
Nov 5- TBA Portland, Oregon
Nov 6- TBA Boise, Idaho
Nov 7- TBA Salt Lake City
Nov 8- Curtis St. Bar w/ TBA... Denver, Colorado
Nov 9- TBA Lincoln, Nebraska
Nov 10- Arts Center Undergorund w/ Servium, TBA... Vermillion, South Dakota
Nov 11- TBA Fargo, North Dakota
Nov 12- TBA Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sep 7- Olliewood w/ The Cast Pattern... Topeka, Kansas
Sep 8- The Replay... Metal School / Tour Kickoff w/ Hammerlord!!! Lawrence, Kansas
Sep 9- B-side Gallery w/ Dead Commuter, Cordycep Deth, Church of the Burning Snake... Wichita, Kansas
Sep 10- Rubber Gloves w/ Resigned to Fate, Hyperion, TBA... Denton, Texas
Sep 11- Bar of Soap w/ Blood Ov, Varvadoss, and Cleric... Dallas, Texas
Sep 12- Room 710 w/ The Roller, Fuck Work, The Malestrom... TBA Austin, Texas
Sep 13- Memo’s Sports bar w/ PLF, Perpetual Madness and Satannabis... Pasadena, Texas
Sep 14- Mojo’s w/ Ketea... Shreveport, Louisiana
Sep 15- Andy’s Place w/ Pussyhawk and Barghest... Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Sep 16- Dragon’s Den w/ Mars, Pussyhawk, TBA... NOLA, Louisiana
Sep 17- TBA Birmingham/Mobile, Alabama
Sep 18- TBA... Pensacola, Florida
Sep 19- Transitions w/ Howl, Liquid Limbs, Dark Castle, Flying Snakes, and Saltmine... Tampa, Florida
Sep 20- Black Box Collective w/ Dark Castle, TBA... Orlando, Florida
Sep 21- Nobby’s w/ Dark Castle, TBA... St. Augustine, Florida
Sep 22- Shantytown w/ Dark Castle... Jacksonville, Florida
Sep 23- TBA... Savannah, Georgia
Sep 24- Caledonia Lounge w/ Armazilla, Subrig Destroyer, and Aquila... Athens, Georgia
Sep 25- Lenny’s Bar w/ Sons of Tonatiuh... Atlanta, Georgia
Sep 26- The Local w/ Hoth, Light Pupil Dilate, TBA... Chattanooga, Tennessee
Sep 27- TBA... Asheville, North Carolina
Sep 28- TBA... ???, North Carolina
Sep 29- Nara Sushi w/ Cough, TBA... Richmond, Virginia
Sep 30- Corpse Fortress w/ Oak, Cough, TBA... D.C., Washington DC
Oct 1- Barclay House w/ TBA... Baltimore, Maryland
Oct 2- Millcreek Tavern w/ Khann, Wetnurse, Wizard Eye, TBA... Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 3- TBA... Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 4- Rudy’s w/ Sea of Bones, TBA... New Haven, Connecticut
Oct 5- TBA Boston/Surrounding Area, Massachusetts
Oct 6- Lit Lounge w/ Aquila, TBA... New York City, New York
Oct 7- The Pussy Barrel w/ Spoonful of Vicodan, Ordinary Men and Women, TBA... Rochester, New York
Oct 8- Legion of Doom w/ TBA... Columbus, Ohio
Oct 9- The Bluerock Tavern w/ Beneath Oblivion, TBA... Cincinnati, Ohio
Oct 10- TBA...Ft. Wayne/ Area
Oct 11- Chicago... Metal Shaker w/ Lone Wolf and Cub, TBA,... Chicago, Illinois
Oct 12- 319 Garfield w/ Abaddon, TBA... Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Oct 13- Madison... TBA... Madison, Wisconsin
Oct 14- TBA... St. Louis/Area
Oct 15- Off
Oct 16- The Grill/ROTC w/ Deadbird and Dirtmother... Fayetteville, Arkansas
Oct 17- Noel, Lisa, Cedric, etc... House!!! Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oct 18- Conservatory w/ The Flood, Rainbows Are Free, TBA... Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oct 19- Spinks @ Neil Diamond Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oct 20- Off... Lawrence, Kansas
Oct 21- off... Lawrence, Kansas
Oct 22- Replay... Samothrace LP/CD Release Show w/ Rabbid Rabbit, TBA... Lawrence, Kansas
Oct 23- Blast-o-Mat w/ Burn Heavy, TBA... Denver, Colorado
Oct 24- TBA Albuquerque, New Mexico
Oct 25- TBA Fladstaff, Arizona
Oct 26- TBA Phoenix, Arizona
Oct 27- House Show @ Chuey / Jaime’s w/ Barren, TBA... Los Angeles, California
Oct 28- Hazmat w/ Embers, TBA... Oakland, California
Oct 29- Thee Parkside Bar w/ Giant Squid, One Hundred Sons, TBA... San Francisco, California
Oct 30- Monstros Pizza w/ The Makai, TBA... Chico, California
Oct 31- Halloween Show in PDX...TBA... Portland, Oregon
Nov 1- Squid and Ink w/ TBA...Seattle, Washington
Nov 2- Green Frog Acoustic Room w/ Piano Mover, TBA... Bellingham, Washington
Nov 3- TBA Tacoma, Washington
Nov 4- TBA Olympia, Washington
Nov 5- TBA Portland, Oregon
Nov 6- TBA Boise, Idaho
Nov 7- TBA Salt Lake City
Nov 8- Curtis St. Bar w/ TBA... Denver, Colorado
Nov 9- TBA Lincoln, Nebraska
Nov 10- Arts Center Undergorund w/ Servium, TBA... Vermillion, South Dakota
Nov 11- TBA Fargo, North Dakota
Nov 12- TBA Minneapolis, Minnesota
8.30.2008
New Mailorder Stuff 8/30
New stuffs added to the website today (20buckspin.com)
Extortion - Sick LP
Infest - Mankind 10 inch
Insect Warfare - World Extermination LP
Kaamos - Kaamos CD
Kaamos - Lucifer Rising CD
Man Is The Bastard - DIY CD
Man Is The Bastard - Sum Of The Men... The Brutality Continues CD
Necrovation - Breed Deadness Blood CD
Noisear - Pyroclastic Annihilation LP
Nominon - Terra Necrosis LP
Shank - Coded Messages In Slowed Down Songs CD
Suppression - 9296 CD
Wadge - The Road To Hana CD
Weekend Nachos - Punish And Destroy / Torture CD
Extortion - Sick LP
Infest - Mankind 10 inch
Insect Warfare - World Extermination LP
Kaamos - Kaamos CD
Kaamos - Lucifer Rising CD
Man Is The Bastard - DIY CD
Man Is The Bastard - Sum Of The Men... The Brutality Continues CD
Necrovation - Breed Deadness Blood CD
Noisear - Pyroclastic Annihilation LP
Nominon - Terra Necrosis LP
Shank - Coded Messages In Slowed Down Songs CD
Suppression - 9296 CD
Wadge - The Road To Hana CD
Weekend Nachos - Punish And Destroy / Torture CD
8.12.2008
Hammers Of Misfortune - Fields/Church Of Broken Glass
Heralded art metal contingent HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE has completed their new album, or more like two new albums that will be presented as one package. Almost like, as the band say, a split with themselves.
With one entitled “Fields” and the other album entitled “Church Of Broken Glass,” both albums, while joined at the spine, will be distinct from each other musically, conceptually, aesthetically, and even have different artwork and logos.
What will be Hammers’ most challenging offerings yet, “Fields” and “Church Of Broken Glass” are unlike anything Hammers mastermind John Cobbett has presented before with his brainchild. What will easily present itself as the most complex, different, and unique Hammers material yet, both albums present a much more vintage sound, with the ‘70s prog-rock influence making it’s presence felt like never before, all while manifesting influences from classic rock to classic metal to theater metal and through a wide spectrum of ultra-progressive musical fervor.
The different sound and approach Cobbett took on creating the new albums was also of course because of the new members within the Hammers fold; namely new (male) vocalist/guitarist Patrick Goodwin and new (female) vocalist Jesse Quattro who bring a new voice to the Hammers sound. While Goodwin brings a more classic rock-like approach to the band than his predecessor (namely Mike Scalzi of SLOUGH FEG fame), Quattro comes in as the most prominent female Hammers vocalist yet.
Here is the tracklisting for “Church Of Broken Glass”:
1. Almost (Left Without You)
2. Butchertown
3. The Gulls
4. Church Of Broken Glass
5. Train
And for “Fields”:
1. The Fields Trilogy: a) Agriculture, b) Fields, c) Motorcade
2. Rats Assembly
3. Always Looking Down
4. Too Soon
Look for "Church Of Broken Glass" and "Fields" to be released as a double CD via Profound Lore Records late October. The vinyl will be handled by 20 Buck Spin.
With one entitled “Fields” and the other album entitled “Church Of Broken Glass,” both albums, while joined at the spine, will be distinct from each other musically, conceptually, aesthetically, and even have different artwork and logos.
What will be Hammers’ most challenging offerings yet, “Fields” and “Church Of Broken Glass” are unlike anything Hammers mastermind John Cobbett has presented before with his brainchild. What will easily present itself as the most complex, different, and unique Hammers material yet, both albums present a much more vintage sound, with the ‘70s prog-rock influence making it’s presence felt like never before, all while manifesting influences from classic rock to classic metal to theater metal and through a wide spectrum of ultra-progressive musical fervor.
The different sound and approach Cobbett took on creating the new albums was also of course because of the new members within the Hammers fold; namely new (male) vocalist/guitarist Patrick Goodwin and new (female) vocalist Jesse Quattro who bring a new voice to the Hammers sound. While Goodwin brings a more classic rock-like approach to the band than his predecessor (namely Mike Scalzi of SLOUGH FEG fame), Quattro comes in as the most prominent female Hammers vocalist yet.
Here is the tracklisting for “Church Of Broken Glass”:
1. Almost (Left Without You)
2. Butchertown
3. The Gulls
4. Church Of Broken Glass
5. Train
And for “Fields”:
1. The Fields Trilogy: a) Agriculture, b) Fields, c) Motorcade
2. Rats Assembly
3. Always Looking Down
4. Too Soon
Look for "Church Of Broken Glass" and "Fields" to be released as a double CD via Profound Lore Records late October. The vinyl will be handled by 20 Buck Spin.
8.07.2008
Corrupted - Paso Inferior CD, etc
New stuffs:
Corrupted - Paso CD
Trees - Lights Bane CD version
Nadja - Desire In Uneasiness CD
Restock:
Monarch - Dead Men Tell No Tales CD
Corrupted - Paso CD
Trees - Lights Bane CD version
Nadja - Desire In Uneasiness CD
Restock:
Monarch - Dead Men Tell No Tales CD
8.03.2008
New Black Boned Angel CD & Trees LP Out Now
Lots of news to start August. First two new releases are available exclusively through the 20 Buck Spin website. Black Boned Angel’s new CD “The Endless Coming Into Life” and the limited LP version of Trees “Light’s Bane”. These are released officially on August 26th of this year but are available now direct. MP3 samples from both albums are up at 20buckspin.com as well as myspace.com/20buckspin
Black Boned Angel “The Endless Coming Into Life” Digipak CD
Campbell Kneale, of prolific one-man bliss drone project Birchville Cat Motel, returns to his metallic alter-ego Black Boned Angel.
Both projects chase a similar idea from different ends of the spectrum. The Endless Coming Into Life is Kneale's third full-length release as Black Boned Angel (in addition to a slew of CDR EPs), all released by 20 Buck Spin. This work is perhaps Kneale's most obvious combination of the extreme minimalism of his ambient tendencies and the extreme maximalism of his forays into the center of the subterranean metal guitar riff. The album first lulls one into a meditative state of relative calm before plummeting into the chasm created by the vibrations of a single, snarling riff so heavy it could rip a hole in the heavens.
Consisting of a sole one-hour track, The Endless Coming Into Life sits comfortably alongside the darker end of Kneale's ever-growing catalog of work dedicated to finding the light (or dark) source of the universal drone.
In honor of the new Black Boned Angel release we are also offering it together with the previous BBA release “Bliss & Void Inseperable” at a discounted rate. Visit the site for more info.
Trees “Light’s Bane” LP (limited to 500, 400 black, 100 white)
The darkened sky and rain-soaked soil of Portland, Oregon, gave birth to the sickly black doom of Trees. Their two-track debut is a shivering trudge through murky, thick, sub-bass sludge riffs with an occasional beat or two.
Recalling the early days of Sub Pop-era Earth and the diseased doom of Burning Witch, Trees continue in the fine tradition of low-end wreckage that the Pacific Northwest seems to breed in its purest (de)form. With a vocalist who terrifies with his depraved screams and oral exorcisms, Trees create an atmosphere of psychic terror, like an acid trip gone horribly awry. The members of the band are all long-time adherents to the art of the slow-motion concussion; some sharing time in Portland drone wizards Tecumseh.
This vinyl version of Light's Bane is strictly limited to a one-time pressing of only 500 copies. 100 copies have been pressed on white vinyl, 80 of which are available from 20 Buck Spin.
We have set a late October release date for the debut album from Lawrence’s Kansas’ Samothrace. The album is called “Life’s Trade” and will be released on CD and 2xLP. As always the LP will include a poster in all editions and a limited mailorder version will include colored vinyl. The band will embark on a 70 date US tour starting in early September and continuing into November. The album was recorded by Sanford Parker and has new artwork from our comrade David D’Andrea. A track from the forthcoming album “Awkward Hearts” has been put up on the 20 Buck Spin myspace page at myspace.com/20buckspin. As per usual the album will be available through 20 Buck Spin and on tour prior to its official release date.
Book Of Black Earth will be embarking on a month long North American tour in October opening for Sweden’s Watain. Withered will also support. The band’s new album “Horoskopus” will be released via Prosthetic Records around that time. The debut album on 20 Buck Spin “The Feast” will be repressed in time for the tour.
We’ve got a master for the new Hammer’s Of Misfortune 2xLP now, an album the band wrote specifically for the 2xLP format as two distinct albums. Artwork is nearly done for the gatefold and we’re looking at a late October / early November release for that. Expect heavy metal theater of the highest order. The CD will be handled by Profound Lore.
The Endless Blockade are currently in the midst of a Canadian tour. Apart from a few local shows the band has no more tour plans in 2008 and will concentrate on writing new material for an upcoming 12 inch for 20 Buck Spin and a collaborative album with Bastard Noise of which a CD will be released by 20 Buck Spin and an LP by Fatalist.
We’re also pleased to announce we’ll be releasing a CD before the end of the year from obscure Boise, Idaho duo Pussygutt. The CD is a 45 minute long piece lying somewhere in the deep black void between SUNN and Philip Glass. The band continues to play shows in and around the Pacific Northwest. More info can be found at pussygutt.com
Finally some new additions to the mailorder:
Swedish Death Metal – The Book
Cobalt – Landfill Breastmilk Beast
Gates Of Slumber – Conqueror
Krallice – Krallice
Wold - Stratification
www.20buckspin.com
Black Boned Angel “The Endless Coming Into Life” Digipak CD
Campbell Kneale, of prolific one-man bliss drone project Birchville Cat Motel, returns to his metallic alter-ego Black Boned Angel.
Both projects chase a similar idea from different ends of the spectrum. The Endless Coming Into Life is Kneale's third full-length release as Black Boned Angel (in addition to a slew of CDR EPs), all released by 20 Buck Spin. This work is perhaps Kneale's most obvious combination of the extreme minimalism of his ambient tendencies and the extreme maximalism of his forays into the center of the subterranean metal guitar riff. The album first lulls one into a meditative state of relative calm before plummeting into the chasm created by the vibrations of a single, snarling riff so heavy it could rip a hole in the heavens.
Consisting of a sole one-hour track, The Endless Coming Into Life sits comfortably alongside the darker end of Kneale's ever-growing catalog of work dedicated to finding the light (or dark) source of the universal drone.
In honor of the new Black Boned Angel release we are also offering it together with the previous BBA release “Bliss & Void Inseperable” at a discounted rate. Visit the site for more info.
Trees “Light’s Bane” LP (limited to 500, 400 black, 100 white)
The darkened sky and rain-soaked soil of Portland, Oregon, gave birth to the sickly black doom of Trees. Their two-track debut is a shivering trudge through murky, thick, sub-bass sludge riffs with an occasional beat or two.
Recalling the early days of Sub Pop-era Earth and the diseased doom of Burning Witch, Trees continue in the fine tradition of low-end wreckage that the Pacific Northwest seems to breed in its purest (de)form. With a vocalist who terrifies with his depraved screams and oral exorcisms, Trees create an atmosphere of psychic terror, like an acid trip gone horribly awry. The members of the band are all long-time adherents to the art of the slow-motion concussion; some sharing time in Portland drone wizards Tecumseh.
This vinyl version of Light's Bane is strictly limited to a one-time pressing of only 500 copies. 100 copies have been pressed on white vinyl, 80 of which are available from 20 Buck Spin.
We have set a late October release date for the debut album from Lawrence’s Kansas’ Samothrace. The album is called “Life’s Trade” and will be released on CD and 2xLP. As always the LP will include a poster in all editions and a limited mailorder version will include colored vinyl. The band will embark on a 70 date US tour starting in early September and continuing into November. The album was recorded by Sanford Parker and has new artwork from our comrade David D’Andrea. A track from the forthcoming album “Awkward Hearts” has been put up on the 20 Buck Spin myspace page at myspace.com/20buckspin. As per usual the album will be available through 20 Buck Spin and on tour prior to its official release date.
Book Of Black Earth will be embarking on a month long North American tour in October opening for Sweden’s Watain. Withered will also support. The band’s new album “Horoskopus” will be released via Prosthetic Records around that time. The debut album on 20 Buck Spin “The Feast” will be repressed in time for the tour.
We’ve got a master for the new Hammer’s Of Misfortune 2xLP now, an album the band wrote specifically for the 2xLP format as two distinct albums. Artwork is nearly done for the gatefold and we’re looking at a late October / early November release for that. Expect heavy metal theater of the highest order. The CD will be handled by Profound Lore.
The Endless Blockade are currently in the midst of a Canadian tour. Apart from a few local shows the band has no more tour plans in 2008 and will concentrate on writing new material for an upcoming 12 inch for 20 Buck Spin and a collaborative album with Bastard Noise of which a CD will be released by 20 Buck Spin and an LP by Fatalist.
We’re also pleased to announce we’ll be releasing a CD before the end of the year from obscure Boise, Idaho duo Pussygutt. The CD is a 45 minute long piece lying somewhere in the deep black void between SUNN and Philip Glass. The band continues to play shows in and around the Pacific Northwest. More info can be found at pussygutt.com
Finally some new additions to the mailorder:
Swedish Death Metal – The Book
Cobalt – Landfill Breastmilk Beast
Gates Of Slumber – Conqueror
Krallice – Krallice
Wold - Stratification
www.20buckspin.com
7.30.2008
Interview With David D'Andrea
Here's an interview with our friend and favorite illustrator David D'Andrea.
7.15.2008
New Mailorder Stuff
Some new things in:
Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore - Sunset Mission CD
Boris - Smile 2xLP
Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lions Skull CD
OM - Live In Jerusalem LP
Wolves In The Throne Room - Two Hunters CD
order at 20buckspin.com
Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore - Sunset Mission CD
Boris - Smile 2xLP
Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lions Skull CD
OM - Live In Jerusalem LP
Wolves In The Throne Room - Two Hunters CD
order at 20buckspin.com
7.02.2008
Leviathan 2xLP and Other New Mailorder Stuff
New in mailorder today - order at www.20buckspin.com
Leviathan - Massive Conspiracy 2xLP (Limited to 500)
Corrupted - Paso Inferior LP
Crom - Hot Sumerian Nights LP (Limited to 370)
Aldebaran - Dwellers In Twilight LP (Limited to 313)
Stormcrow / Skaven - Split EP
The Skull Defekts - The Drone Drug CD (Limited to 500)
Nadja - Truth Becomes Death CD
Nadja - Radiance Of Shadows CD
Nadja - Touched CD
Tim Hecker - Mirages CD
Nekrasov - The Form Of Thought From Beast CD (Limited version)
Leviathan - Massive Conspiracy 2xLP (Limited to 500)
Corrupted - Paso Inferior LP
Crom - Hot Sumerian Nights LP (Limited to 370)
Aldebaran - Dwellers In Twilight LP (Limited to 313)
Stormcrow / Skaven - Split EP
The Skull Defekts - The Drone Drug CD (Limited to 500)
Nadja - Truth Becomes Death CD
Nadja - Radiance Of Shadows CD
Nadja - Touched CD
Tim Hecker - Mirages CD
Nekrasov - The Form Of Thought From Beast CD (Limited version)
6.24.2008
Coffins Buried Death CD In Stores Today
Buried Death, the CD version, is in stores today. Go get it if you haven't already. The LP which is available direct from 20 Buck Spin now, will be in stores on July 7th
20 Buck Spin And Invisible Oranges
The metal blog Invisible Oranges is covering 20 Buck Spin related records all this week. Check it at invisibleoranges.com
6.08.2008
Blockade Decibel Interview Unedited
Blockade recently had an interview in Decibel. Here's the full unedited text:
I always hate to do this, via email, over the phone or in person, but can you give the Coles Notes version of TEB's history and introduce the other fellers?
This is the most answer anyone ever gets to this question:
Current and final line up: Carroll. Edgar. King. Nolan
Formed in Toronto in late 2003
In a not-so recent piece on power violence in Decibel, Eric Wood of MITB fame mentioned yourselves and Apt. 213 as two of the only bands, that he knows of anyway, playing true powerviolence as he understands it. Were you surprised/flattered/bored by his comments? Had you had any previous contact with Wood? Do you think being tagged as such puts pressure on you guys to live up to some form of invisible standard? Aren't there already enough invisible standards to live up to in metal and hardcore?
Eric is a friend of ours, though we weren't aware until the article came out that he'd said that. I think we were approached to be in the piece primarily because Eric Wood and Chris Dodge had said good things about us.
I could care less if we're true power violence or not, I think that whole discussion is a complete and utter dead end. The fact that Eric Wood named us as one of the only two real power violence bands in 2008 seems to mostly please other people who either call bullshit on it or use it as some kind of proof of whatever spurious point they're arguing. The bottom line is this, if we changed our language slightly no one would care as to whether or not power violence really exists and who is or isn't real power violence.
The Endless Blockade are influenced by Neanderthal, Man is the Bastard, No Comment, Crossed Out and Capitalist Casualties amongst others. That much is clear to anyone with a set of ears attuned to this kind of stuff. We're influenced by power violence, hey, argument gone, there's no debating that point. There's no need for an endless back and forth on whether any band not specifically name checked on the song HSMP can call themselves power violence or not.
Maybe there is an invisible standard we now have to live up to, but I don't know if I'm going to break my back trying to prove myself to someone who thinks a band in a genre that can shift a mere 2,000 records is somehow 'trendy'
I wish the invisible standards in hardcore and metal were a little less invisible; we'd probably have to put up with far less shit like Killswitch Engage and Every Time My Heart Bleeds Tears Last Summer. People forget that genre imposed limitations should define rather than restrict most bands. There's nothing wrong with external influences, hell, we wouldn't exist if that was the case, but people need to understand how to appropriate other ideas seamlessly and not lose track of the defining elements of their core sound. Otherwise you just get bad unfocused bands that don't seem to know what they"re doing
Do you consider what you do powerviolence? Or is what you do simply what you've done since you decided to do what you do and what you do just turned out this way?
I consider what we do to be hardcore punk first and foremost; it's the spirit that informs all our material. Even when we're stealing Hellhammer riffs and singing about Russian emasculation cults we're still a punk band.
Something funny – I thought so, anyway – I saw on the Sound Pollution website is where, in describing TEB, it said something to the effect of "they can't decide if they want to be a fast hardcore band with slow sludgy parts or a slow sludgy band with fast hardcore parts." How would you respond? Is that a fair estimation? How much self-analysis goes into the writing, recording and artwork processes?
Just another risible bio I'm afraid though I suspect I penned that particular outpouring of bullshit myself. I think the original bio from 20 Buck Spin had some part about freeing the slaves ("let my people go!!!") through power violence or some bloody nonsense
As far as self analysis goes I'd say it's generally paramount for anyone in a band to have a good sense of what makes their band sound like their band and maintain a sense of internal logic. Everyone over a certain age has been fooled at least once by some new LP from former legends being billed as "a stunning return to form!" only to find it's complete crap. How many "their best release since Reign In Blood/ Clandestine/ Street Cleaner/ Hear Northing See Nothing/ ad infinitum" can we really be expected to suffer through?
For this record there was definitely a conscious decision to limit the parameters of our sound; it was basically Heresy, Autopsy, Grief, SOB, Infest and little else as the musical bedrock. Pre-practice rituals usually consisted of doing bench presses to mix tapes of Crossed Out and BGK interspersed with Mary Anne MacLean and Marshall Applewhite motivational speeches.
I would also like to publically state that The Endless Blockade are not one of those tedious apologist bands that will tell anyone that listens just how damn musically open minded they are even if their band is mundane grindcore. Primitive was not influenced on any level by Iannis Xennakis, Lalo Schifrin or conscious Hip Hop.
Is there going to be any difference between the 20 Buck Spin release of "Primitive" and the original release? How did this pairing come about and could this see the beginning of a slow down when it comes to the number of different labels you guys have worked with/work with?
Do you mean original release as in first LP? (Primitive is our second LP)
I'd been e mailing back and forth with Dave for a while due to utterly non power violence related mutual obsessions. He came to see us in the bay area and wow oh my god this is all fucking thrilling stuff…
We basically work with our friends, I think we're supposed to be doing something on Relapse this year (ANb split) but even that we consider a Scott Hull project that Relapse just happen to be stumping up the money for.
We're not going to be working with one primary label but we're probably going to stick with the people that have already released stuff for us in the past with a few exceptions who are our friends and we want to work with. God, this is exciting…
I guess it comes down to this:
We work with our friends; we don't care about anyone else. We don't even need a label really other than for major releases (like Primitive) where we need someone else to do it greater justice.
What was the original motivation/reason for naming the band TEB? Has the meaning or significance of the moniker changed at all in the period of time you've been able to develop as a band and people?
We're called The Endless Blockade for equal parts a love of Japanese hardcore the end result of a ritual to remove several obstacles in my life. The ritual worked, that aspect of the name is no longer needed and every song on Primitive is a cosmic "thank you" for that.
If anything we've devolved as a band and people.
Lots of splits, lots of vinyl. This flies in the face of what the overlords of the record selling industry are telling us peons about sales plummeting and the digital age. I'm assuming collectors drain your limited and coloured vinyl runs, but overall, how do you find the market for actual copies of your music?
We seem to do OK as far as sales go I guess, I wouldn't know. I mean, we're not going to be on the cover of Decibel or the free CD that comes with Terrorizer ever. I do think this band is selling less copies of releases than a band I was in over ten years ago was but we definitely sell things a lot faster.
The real things that have changed is the amount of time a release is fresh; by the time this issue of Decibel comes out Primitive will already be old news amongst most people who would already know about us. The whole reason for coloured vinyl and limited editions now is strictly to force people's hands into buying directly from you. If a kid at your show thinks he can get your record anytime he wants from a local record store then he's probably less likely to pick it up (this is the downfall of punks' better business and distribution sense). If you're selling something that he can only get at the show (some silk screened cover with blue vinyl for example), you're going to sell it immediately. No one wants to see a record they could have bought for ten bucks going for fifty on e bay three months later, even if they don't want to sell it on e bay. It still makes them feel good to be able to say "I have that record, it's worth $50", even if it isn't really worth $50…
How about a discography for those of us who haven't been paying attention?
Out:
Three demos
a few comps
Turn Illness Into a Weapon LP/ CD
split LP w/ Warzone Womyn
Come Friendly Bombs 7"
split LP w/ Hatred Surge
split LP w/ Iron Lung
Primitive LP/ CD
first demo with original three piece line up on 7"
Coming out in 2008:
Split 7" w/ Wadge
Split 7" w/ Agoraphobic Nosebleed
split 7" w/ Shank
collaboration LP w/ Bastard Noise
partial discography CD
remix CD of Primitive w/ Joshua Norton Cabal, Sixes, Nordvargr, Contagious Orgasm, Noah Creshevsky, Sickness and possibly one or two others, depending on space
How many of the dates on your upcoming tour are with Coffins? How did the Coffins dates come about?
Coffins are playing all their non-MDF dates with us. We presently share a record label so it seemed to be a natural thing for Dave (20 Buck Spin dude) to ask us if Coffins could play a week of shows with us when we tour in may.
I'm assuming still self-booked as far as tours and shows are concerned. Have you ever thought of handing over that job to a booking agent? Why/why not?
This band is 100% about the four of us. It's something we do because we genuinely need some kind of an outlet. If you sealed us from the rest of the world we'd just play our shit to four walls and a sink.
Anyone else is an outsider to the process and doesn't belong; we only let friends release our records and we only do splits with our friends. If we don't know you and you don't get us on a level that goes beyond "awesome, you guys sound like Crossed Out" we're not interested. We're genuinely grateful to anyone that helps us out in any way at all but only four people have any say in the band. Consequently we're not interested in booking agents at all and are only barely interested in a small number of record labels, band interviews and the usual trappings that come with being in a band.
We're less about DIY as a political practice and more about it as an isolationist tendency. We support musical elitism and exclusivity. We endorse the idea of a scene as a closed system with its own language and codes that must be learned properly to participate properly. We endorse scenes dying of natural causes and new ones being built in their wake.
What's your favourite tour story – the one that, when you tell it to a rapt audience, always seems to start with, "Dude, you gotta hear this!"?
We tend to conveniently (and purposefully) side step most wacky tour shenanigans on the whole. However one of our favourite tour stories that isn't merely mean spirited observation involves a master shoplifter/ martial artist, a elderly relative, a room covered floor to ceiling in human shit and a 6am distressed cry of "GRANDMA!!! NO!!!!!!"
What are your influences? Are you vegans? Are your influences vegans?
Magus Wampyr Daoloth and Naomi Klein are our influences. And 80s thrash, we love that shit; mosh maniacs in flipped up caps, that's us.
I always hate to do this, via email, over the phone or in person, but can you give the Coles Notes version of TEB's history and introduce the other fellers?
This is the most answer anyone ever gets to this question:
Current and final line up: Carroll. Edgar. King. Nolan
Formed in Toronto in late 2003
In a not-so recent piece on power violence in Decibel, Eric Wood of MITB fame mentioned yourselves and Apt. 213 as two of the only bands, that he knows of anyway, playing true powerviolence as he understands it. Were you surprised/flattered/bored by his comments? Had you had any previous contact with Wood? Do you think being tagged as such puts pressure on you guys to live up to some form of invisible standard? Aren't there already enough invisible standards to live up to in metal and hardcore?
Eric is a friend of ours, though we weren't aware until the article came out that he'd said that. I think we were approached to be in the piece primarily because Eric Wood and Chris Dodge had said good things about us.
I could care less if we're true power violence or not, I think that whole discussion is a complete and utter dead end. The fact that Eric Wood named us as one of the only two real power violence bands in 2008 seems to mostly please other people who either call bullshit on it or use it as some kind of proof of whatever spurious point they're arguing. The bottom line is this, if we changed our language slightly no one would care as to whether or not power violence really exists and who is or isn't real power violence.
The Endless Blockade are influenced by Neanderthal, Man is the Bastard, No Comment, Crossed Out and Capitalist Casualties amongst others. That much is clear to anyone with a set of ears attuned to this kind of stuff. We're influenced by power violence, hey, argument gone, there's no debating that point. There's no need for an endless back and forth on whether any band not specifically name checked on the song HSMP can call themselves power violence or not.
Maybe there is an invisible standard we now have to live up to, but I don't know if I'm going to break my back trying to prove myself to someone who thinks a band in a genre that can shift a mere 2,000 records is somehow 'trendy'
I wish the invisible standards in hardcore and metal were a little less invisible; we'd probably have to put up with far less shit like Killswitch Engage and Every Time My Heart Bleeds Tears Last Summer. People forget that genre imposed limitations should define rather than restrict most bands. There's nothing wrong with external influences, hell, we wouldn't exist if that was the case, but people need to understand how to appropriate other ideas seamlessly and not lose track of the defining elements of their core sound. Otherwise you just get bad unfocused bands that don't seem to know what they"re doing
Do you consider what you do powerviolence? Or is what you do simply what you've done since you decided to do what you do and what you do just turned out this way?
I consider what we do to be hardcore punk first and foremost; it's the spirit that informs all our material. Even when we're stealing Hellhammer riffs and singing about Russian emasculation cults we're still a punk band.
Something funny – I thought so, anyway – I saw on the Sound Pollution website is where, in describing TEB, it said something to the effect of "they can't decide if they want to be a fast hardcore band with slow sludgy parts or a slow sludgy band with fast hardcore parts." How would you respond? Is that a fair estimation? How much self-analysis goes into the writing, recording and artwork processes?
Just another risible bio I'm afraid though I suspect I penned that particular outpouring of bullshit myself. I think the original bio from 20 Buck Spin had some part about freeing the slaves ("let my people go!!!") through power violence or some bloody nonsense
As far as self analysis goes I'd say it's generally paramount for anyone in a band to have a good sense of what makes their band sound like their band and maintain a sense of internal logic. Everyone over a certain age has been fooled at least once by some new LP from former legends being billed as "a stunning return to form!" only to find it's complete crap. How many "their best release since Reign In Blood/ Clandestine/ Street Cleaner/ Hear Northing See Nothing/ ad infinitum" can we really be expected to suffer through?
For this record there was definitely a conscious decision to limit the parameters of our sound; it was basically Heresy, Autopsy, Grief, SOB, Infest and little else as the musical bedrock. Pre-practice rituals usually consisted of doing bench presses to mix tapes of Crossed Out and BGK interspersed with Mary Anne MacLean and Marshall Applewhite motivational speeches.
I would also like to publically state that The Endless Blockade are not one of those tedious apologist bands that will tell anyone that listens just how damn musically open minded they are even if their band is mundane grindcore. Primitive was not influenced on any level by Iannis Xennakis, Lalo Schifrin or conscious Hip Hop.
Is there going to be any difference between the 20 Buck Spin release of "Primitive" and the original release? How did this pairing come about and could this see the beginning of a slow down when it comes to the number of different labels you guys have worked with/work with?
Do you mean original release as in first LP? (Primitive is our second LP)
I'd been e mailing back and forth with Dave for a while due to utterly non power violence related mutual obsessions. He came to see us in the bay area and wow oh my god this is all fucking thrilling stuff…
We basically work with our friends, I think we're supposed to be doing something on Relapse this year (ANb split) but even that we consider a Scott Hull project that Relapse just happen to be stumping up the money for.
We're not going to be working with one primary label but we're probably going to stick with the people that have already released stuff for us in the past with a few exceptions who are our friends and we want to work with. God, this is exciting…
I guess it comes down to this:
We work with our friends; we don't care about anyone else. We don't even need a label really other than for major releases (like Primitive) where we need someone else to do it greater justice.
What was the original motivation/reason for naming the band TEB? Has the meaning or significance of the moniker changed at all in the period of time you've been able to develop as a band and people?
We're called The Endless Blockade for equal parts a love of Japanese hardcore the end result of a ritual to remove several obstacles in my life. The ritual worked, that aspect of the name is no longer needed and every song on Primitive is a cosmic "thank you" for that.
If anything we've devolved as a band and people.
Lots of splits, lots of vinyl. This flies in the face of what the overlords of the record selling industry are telling us peons about sales plummeting and the digital age. I'm assuming collectors drain your limited and coloured vinyl runs, but overall, how do you find the market for actual copies of your music?
We seem to do OK as far as sales go I guess, I wouldn't know. I mean, we're not going to be on the cover of Decibel or the free CD that comes with Terrorizer ever. I do think this band is selling less copies of releases than a band I was in over ten years ago was but we definitely sell things a lot faster.
The real things that have changed is the amount of time a release is fresh; by the time this issue of Decibel comes out Primitive will already be old news amongst most people who would already know about us. The whole reason for coloured vinyl and limited editions now is strictly to force people's hands into buying directly from you. If a kid at your show thinks he can get your record anytime he wants from a local record store then he's probably less likely to pick it up (this is the downfall of punks' better business and distribution sense). If you're selling something that he can only get at the show (some silk screened cover with blue vinyl for example), you're going to sell it immediately. No one wants to see a record they could have bought for ten bucks going for fifty on e bay three months later, even if they don't want to sell it on e bay. It still makes them feel good to be able to say "I have that record, it's worth $50", even if it isn't really worth $50…
How about a discography for those of us who haven't been paying attention?
Out:
Three demos
a few comps
Turn Illness Into a Weapon LP/ CD
split LP w/ Warzone Womyn
Come Friendly Bombs 7"
split LP w/ Hatred Surge
split LP w/ Iron Lung
Primitive LP/ CD
first demo with original three piece line up on 7"
Coming out in 2008:
Split 7" w/ Wadge
Split 7" w/ Agoraphobic Nosebleed
split 7" w/ Shank
collaboration LP w/ Bastard Noise
partial discography CD
remix CD of Primitive w/ Joshua Norton Cabal, Sixes, Nordvargr, Contagious Orgasm, Noah Creshevsky, Sickness and possibly one or two others, depending on space
How many of the dates on your upcoming tour are with Coffins? How did the Coffins dates come about?
Coffins are playing all their non-MDF dates with us. We presently share a record label so it seemed to be a natural thing for Dave (20 Buck Spin dude) to ask us if Coffins could play a week of shows with us when we tour in may.
I'm assuming still self-booked as far as tours and shows are concerned. Have you ever thought of handing over that job to a booking agent? Why/why not?
This band is 100% about the four of us. It's something we do because we genuinely need some kind of an outlet. If you sealed us from the rest of the world we'd just play our shit to four walls and a sink.
Anyone else is an outsider to the process and doesn't belong; we only let friends release our records and we only do splits with our friends. If we don't know you and you don't get us on a level that goes beyond "awesome, you guys sound like Crossed Out" we're not interested. We're genuinely grateful to anyone that helps us out in any way at all but only four people have any say in the band. Consequently we're not interested in booking agents at all and are only barely interested in a small number of record labels, band interviews and the usual trappings that come with being in a band.
We're less about DIY as a political practice and more about it as an isolationist tendency. We support musical elitism and exclusivity. We endorse the idea of a scene as a closed system with its own language and codes that must be learned properly to participate properly. We endorse scenes dying of natural causes and new ones being built in their wake.
What's your favourite tour story – the one that, when you tell it to a rapt audience, always seems to start with, "Dude, you gotta hear this!"?
We tend to conveniently (and purposefully) side step most wacky tour shenanigans on the whole. However one of our favourite tour stories that isn't merely mean spirited observation involves a master shoplifter/ martial artist, a elderly relative, a room covered floor to ceiling in human shit and a 6am distressed cry of "GRANDMA!!! NO!!!!!!"
What are your influences? Are you vegans? Are your influences vegans?
Magus Wampyr Daoloth and Naomi Klein are our influences. And 80s thrash, we love that shit; mosh maniacs in flipped up caps, that's us.
6.03.2008
Coffins Buried Death LP Version Available Now
First of All, The Coffins “Buried Death” LP is now available at 20buckspin.com. The actual street date is June 24th, for the LP and CD both. Until then, you can only get it direct. The LP is a gatefold and comes with a large poster. The first 200 copies via mailorder will also receive an embroidered patch and two Coffins stickers. There are 100 copies on blue/black/white translucent splatter vinyl.
Coffins are back in Japan after a successful string of shows with The Endless Blockade, culminating with a manic show at the Maryland Deathfest. The band had a great first experience and we’re already working on a West Coast tour for the Spring of 2009.
The Endless Blockade has also just finished up touring around the East Coast and Midwest. They head out for a Canadian tour in August. Their critically lauded new LP “Primitive” was recently hailed by the clearly knowledgeable Mark Griffiths of Kerrang Magazine as “painfully slow” and a “pretentious, unlistenable bucket of arse gravy” comparing the album to Neurosis and SUNN who they obviously sound exactly like.
Book Of Black Earth has signed on with the Prosthetic label for their next LP. We wish em the best of luck in the big leagues.
As previously mentioned Wormwood are calling it a day. Their last show takes place on Saturday June 14th at El Chorazon in Seattle. Iron Lung, Grey, In Haste and The Kept also play. Visit myspace.com/wormwood for more info.
Next releases on tap for 20 Buck Spin are the vinyl version of Portland’s Trees’ debut album “Light’s Bane” which will be limited to 500 copies. Also a new CD from Black Boned Angel titled “The Endless Coming Into Life”. These should see the light in July/August.
At the end of June we’ll be taking over Phantom City Records in Olympia. A lot of the stock from the store will be incorporated into the online selection. A new website is forthcoming to mark the transition and larger inventory. The metal and experimental stock within the store will grow by several times its current size as well, certainly a welcome change for Olympia’s punks, hippies and indie rockers.
More news soon.
www.20buckspin.com
Coffins are back in Japan after a successful string of shows with The Endless Blockade, culminating with a manic show at the Maryland Deathfest. The band had a great first experience and we’re already working on a West Coast tour for the Spring of 2009.
The Endless Blockade has also just finished up touring around the East Coast and Midwest. They head out for a Canadian tour in August. Their critically lauded new LP “Primitive” was recently hailed by the clearly knowledgeable Mark Griffiths of Kerrang Magazine as “painfully slow” and a “pretentious, unlistenable bucket of arse gravy” comparing the album to Neurosis and SUNN who they obviously sound exactly like.
Book Of Black Earth has signed on with the Prosthetic label for their next LP. We wish em the best of luck in the big leagues.
As previously mentioned Wormwood are calling it a day. Their last show takes place on Saturday June 14th at El Chorazon in Seattle. Iron Lung, Grey, In Haste and The Kept also play. Visit myspace.com/wormwood for more info.
Next releases on tap for 20 Buck Spin are the vinyl version of Portland’s Trees’ debut album “Light’s Bane” which will be limited to 500 copies. Also a new CD from Black Boned Angel titled “The Endless Coming Into Life”. These should see the light in July/August.
At the end of June we’ll be taking over Phantom City Records in Olympia. A lot of the stock from the store will be incorporated into the online selection. A new website is forthcoming to mark the transition and larger inventory. The metal and experimental stock within the store will grow by several times its current size as well, certainly a welcome change for Olympia’s punks, hippies and indie rockers.
More news soon.
www.20buckspin.com
5.13.2008
COFFINS - BURIED DEATH CD AVAILABLE NOW
The new Coffins CD “Buried Death” is now up on the 20 Buck Spin website available to order. Won’t be in stores until June 24th. Coffins will also have copies of “Buried Death” with them at their shows on the East Coast. An MP3 for the song “Under The Stench” was added as well.
Also available now is the new Coffins shirt design for “Buried Death”, and a very limited two-sided zipper hoodie.
The LP and Limited LP version of “Buried Death” will be ready in the first weeks of June.
20buckspin.com
Also available now is the new Coffins shirt design for “Buried Death”, and a very limited two-sided zipper hoodie.
The LP and Limited LP version of “Buried Death” will be ready in the first weeks of June.
20buckspin.com
5.05.2008
Sale Ends Tomorrow. New Stuff In Stock
The mailorder sale will last through Tuesday and then it's back to normal. Some titles have sold out during the sale.
We are distributing exclusively in the US the new album from Nordvargr "Helvete". It is now available via 20buckspin.com Here's a description:
All new album from Sweden's Henrik "Nordvargr" Bjorkk released from the distant Russian label Eternal Pride Productions. On this one Nordvargr is in top form using his main identity to create hellish dark ambient noise and Swedish industrial horrorscapes. Assisted here by Wrest from Leviathan and long-time collaborator Drakhon this follows in the vein of the previous Nordvargr/Drakh collaborations in sonic style with elements of the original MZ.412 project. Deep drones and terrifying voices whispered in the night. Helvete's audial nightmare was scraped off the walls of the burial vault and committed to tape.
Also new in mailorder today:
Amebix - No Sanctuary: The Spider Leg Records CD & LP+7 inch
Dystopia - Dystopia CD & LP
Embers - Embers CD
Ludicra - Another Great Love Song CD & LP
Ludicra - Fex Urbis, Lex Orbis CD & LP
Wrath Of The Weak - Alogon CD
We are distributing exclusively in the US the new album from Nordvargr "Helvete". It is now available via 20buckspin.com Here's a description:
All new album from Sweden's Henrik "Nordvargr" Bjorkk released from the distant Russian label Eternal Pride Productions. On this one Nordvargr is in top form using his main identity to create hellish dark ambient noise and Swedish industrial horrorscapes. Assisted here by Wrest from Leviathan and long-time collaborator Drakhon this follows in the vein of the previous Nordvargr/Drakh collaborations in sonic style with elements of the original MZ.412 project. Deep drones and terrifying voices whispered in the night. Helvete's audial nightmare was scraped off the walls of the burial vault and committed to tape.
Also new in mailorder today:
Amebix - No Sanctuary: The Spider Leg Records CD & LP+7 inch
Dystopia - Dystopia CD & LP
Embers - Embers CD
Ludicra - Another Great Love Song CD & LP
Ludicra - Fex Urbis, Lex Orbis CD & LP
Wrath Of The Weak - Alogon CD
5.01.2008
4.29.2008
Mailorder Sale & Nadja BBA CD
20 Buck Spin is having another huge mailorder sale similar to the one at the end of 2007. Most 20 Buck Spin titles are marked down to $8 US postage paid (North America) and tons of other titles have been marked down from 20 to as much as 80 percent. This sale will last for one week and many titles are down to the last one or two copies.
We’re also glad to announce we’re taking over Phantom City Records in Olympia in the coming months. This will allow us to greatly increase the stock and selection of our mailorder to a much wider variety of styles and titles. A full website redesign and new store will accompany this change. And if you find yourself in Olympia for some reason, be sure to stop by the store.
The Nadja Black Boned Angel CD EP is now in stock. Here’s what we said and what Campbell Kneale said about it:
Us: The first of a 3 track collaboration between Nadja and Black Boned Angel. The other two tracks will be released as a full length LP/CD on 20 Buck Spin later in 2008. Christ Send Light differs from the tracks for the LP enough to act as a separate release. This extended track is the most "rock" track of the collaboration and the only one to include vocals. Sounding very much in the Jesu vein on this track, the song plods along drenched in christ's light and soaked in sludgey murk. Limited edition release.
Campbell: As Satan was chucked outta heaven his horn scraped a gash in the clouds and the resulting torrent of divine cloud/satanic blood is exactly the kinda goo that Nadja and Black Boned Angel wash themselves in on a regular basis. The first bites of a particularly bloody collaboration of soul-befuddling heaviness and sickening vistas viewed through rose tinted gas-mask lenses... Nadjas inherent sense of melodic-crushpop pushed RIGHT to the front and smothered in Black Boned Angels hideous, sugar-free toffee. Pure and unsoiled by the tiniest shred of hope, this is the sound of total defeat.
Also new to mailorder right now:
Grey Daturas / Monarch “Dawn of the Catalyst” LP. The LP version is released by Throne Records.
The Endless Blockade / Hatred Surge Split LP
And Monarch’s debut 2xCD is in stock once again.
Order at 20buckspin.com
More news soon…
We’re also glad to announce we’re taking over Phantom City Records in Olympia in the coming months. This will allow us to greatly increase the stock and selection of our mailorder to a much wider variety of styles and titles. A full website redesign and new store will accompany this change. And if you find yourself in Olympia for some reason, be sure to stop by the store.
The Nadja Black Boned Angel CD EP is now in stock. Here’s what we said and what Campbell Kneale said about it:
Us: The first of a 3 track collaboration between Nadja and Black Boned Angel. The other two tracks will be released as a full length LP/CD on 20 Buck Spin later in 2008. Christ Send Light differs from the tracks for the LP enough to act as a separate release. This extended track is the most "rock" track of the collaboration and the only one to include vocals. Sounding very much in the Jesu vein on this track, the song plods along drenched in christ's light and soaked in sludgey murk. Limited edition release.
Campbell: As Satan was chucked outta heaven his horn scraped a gash in the clouds and the resulting torrent of divine cloud/satanic blood is exactly the kinda goo that Nadja and Black Boned Angel wash themselves in on a regular basis. The first bites of a particularly bloody collaboration of soul-befuddling heaviness and sickening vistas viewed through rose tinted gas-mask lenses... Nadjas inherent sense of melodic-crushpop pushed RIGHT to the front and smothered in Black Boned Angels hideous, sugar-free toffee. Pure and unsoiled by the tiniest shred of hope, this is the sound of total defeat.
Also new to mailorder right now:
Grey Daturas / Monarch “Dawn of the Catalyst” LP. The LP version is released by Throne Records.
The Endless Blockade / Hatred Surge Split LP
And Monarch’s debut 2xCD is in stock once again.
Order at 20buckspin.com
More news soon…
4.23.2008
4.16.2008
Book Of Black Earth Signs To Prosthetic Records
The dudes in Book of Black Earth have signed on with Prosthetic Records, home to Kylesa and many others. We wish the boys all the best in their March to the big leagues!
Prosthetic Records is proud to announce the addition of Book of Black Earth to its roster
Prosthetic Records is proud to announce the addition of Seattle’s death/black metallers BOOK OF BLACK EARTH to the label’s roster.
Catching the label’s eye while on a West Coast tour with future labelmates The Funeral Pyre in late 2007, BOOK OF BLACK EARTH consists of members of venerable metal underground band Teen Cthulhu, and are currently in the process of writing material for the band’s second full-length, having already released a self-financed demo in 2004, a split release with underground legends Fall Of The Bastards in 2005, and 2006’s The Feast, which received praise from Decibel magazine, Terrorizer magazine, and the band’s hometown newspaper, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
"We are all very excited to work with Prosthetic Records and the people behind it, we feel like this is a good step for us as a band and a good home,” drummer Joe Axler says.
“BOBE is currently finishing writing for our Prosthetic debut which will be titled Horoskopus, and entering The Red Room Studios in Seattle this week to start tracking with producer / engineer Chris Common (Mouth of the Architect, These Arms Are Snakes). This is by far our most technical, heavy and challenging set of songs to date. It’s definitely pushing the envelope for us, which we stand behind, and will make this record the most brutal one we have written.
"
"Horoskopus is a concept album about the hidden astrological elements of the Christian church,” vocalist / guitarist T.J. Cowgill adds. “From its origins as a state sponsored religion in the fourth century to the present day, it has been guided by astrological concepts conceived centuries before Jesus Christ was mythologized as the ‘Sun’ of God.
"
To preview previous material from BOOK OF BLACK EARTH, including the latest songs from The Feast, visit the band’s MySpace page here.
Prosthetic Records is proud to announce the addition of Book of Black Earth to its roster
Prosthetic Records is proud to announce the addition of Seattle’s death/black metallers BOOK OF BLACK EARTH to the label’s roster.
Catching the label’s eye while on a West Coast tour with future labelmates The Funeral Pyre in late 2007, BOOK OF BLACK EARTH consists of members of venerable metal underground band Teen Cthulhu, and are currently in the process of writing material for the band’s second full-length, having already released a self-financed demo in 2004, a split release with underground legends Fall Of The Bastards in 2005, and 2006’s The Feast, which received praise from Decibel magazine, Terrorizer magazine, and the band’s hometown newspaper, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
"We are all very excited to work with Prosthetic Records and the people behind it, we feel like this is a good step for us as a band and a good home,” drummer Joe Axler says.
“BOBE is currently finishing writing for our Prosthetic debut which will be titled Horoskopus, and entering The Red Room Studios in Seattle this week to start tracking with producer / engineer Chris Common (Mouth of the Architect, These Arms Are Snakes). This is by far our most technical, heavy and challenging set of songs to date. It’s definitely pushing the envelope for us, which we stand behind, and will make this record the most brutal one we have written.
"
"Horoskopus is a concept album about the hidden astrological elements of the Christian church,” vocalist / guitarist T.J. Cowgill adds. “From its origins as a state sponsored religion in the fourth century to the present day, it has been guided by astrological concepts conceived centuries before Jesus Christ was mythologized as the ‘Sun’ of God.
"
To preview previous material from BOOK OF BLACK EARTH, including the latest songs from The Feast, visit the band’s MySpace page here.
4.14.2008
Muxtape
Hey we made a Muxtape (like an online mixtape) of songs from 20 Buck Spin
http://20buckspin. muxtape. com/
There's a new Coffins track from the upcoming Buried Death LP as well as tracks from The Endless Blockade, Humanfly and many more.
http://20buckspin. muxtape. com/
There's a new Coffins track from the upcoming Buried Death LP as well as tracks from The Endless Blockade, Humanfly and many more.
3.26.2008
The Endless Blockade 'Primitive' & Humanfly 'II' Available Now
The Endless Blockade “Primitive” CD, LP and Limited Edition LP are available to order now directly from 20buckspin.com. The official release date is May 20th, so these won’t be in stores (except for a few CD copies Revolver let slip) until then.
Requisite label descriptor:
Details about band formations and ex-members of so-and-so are unimportant. What matters is that The Endless Blockade is a band from Toronto that plays Powerviolence. Taking the foundations of the genre’s forebears (Crossed Out, No Comment, MITB, etc) and streamlining it for today’s harsh realities, The Endless Blockade is furious hardcore meets crawling sludge. “Primitive” is the Blockade’s second LP, following the debut LP “Turn Illness Into A Weapon”, several EPs and split LPs with Iron Lung, Warzone Womyn and Hatred Surge. “Primitive” is the band’s most fully realized work thus far, with great care taken in tying the album together musically, visually and lyrically. Scott Hull’s mix is both clear and raw while Glyn Smyth’s artwork visually represents the doomsday cults, fanatics and radicals that provide the backdrop for the LP’s deranged pace and surgically precise twists and turns. The Blockade’s affinity for the diseased power-electronics and noise genres (think Slogun, Whitehouse) also plays a more significant role on “Primitive”.
The Limited Edition LP is limited to 100 copies. The Limited LP has a screenprinted alternate cover, a 12x24 one-sided wraparound. The Limited version comes with the poster and insert included in the regular Primitive edition. The covers were printed by Monolith Press of Oakland, California.
It is OK to order multiple copies but please be aware that we DO NOT lower our postage paid prices on multiple copies.
There is a photo on the website of the Regular Edition LP packaging. We’ll put up a pic of the limited LP in a few days. Please note, that although we are now taking orders, these won’t actually begin shipping until next week sometime.
http://www.20buckspin.com/bands/theendlessblockade/theendlessblockade.shtml
Also available today is the Humanfly “II” Digipak CD with bonus tracks. The official in-store release date for that is April 8th.
Between post-metal, psychedelic post-rock and whatever ever other post-genre label gets writers juiced comes Leeds based riff merchants Humanfly. Formed in the early part of the decade and including people from well known Brits Canvas, Humanfly offer six vast, epic, metallic journeys through huge NeurIsis style heaviness and Pink Floyd via Mogwai atmospherics. However, where those bands have lately abandoned the crushingly heavy riffs that made them so appealing, for Humanfly it remains the focus. Tunes like “Echoes Of The Roman Empire” and “Tjanargata / A Passage To Reykjavik” are given ample space to breathe and build before inevitably crashing into a mountain of mammoth, celestial volume. With the shortest track more than 8 minutes and the longest over 13, each song is a two or three part saga within itself. Vocals are used sparingly focusing primarily on building thematically through the music. Not yet well-known outside their native UK, the release of II by 20 Buck Spin will introduce Humanfly to a larger audience and elevate the band to the forefront of the post-post-rockmetal “genre”. This CD version of II also includes two bonus tracks from their upcoming split LP with the UKs Queen Of Swords, for over an hour of music.
http://www.20buckspin.com/bands/humanfly/humanfly.shtml
Audio samples of both releases are available on the band pages for each release at www.20buckspin.com
A few other distro titles were added to the store recently as well. They are:
Half Makeshift – Omen CD
Zoroaster – Dog Magic CD
Skitliv – Amfetamin CD
Zeni Geva – Maximum Money Monster CD
The new Coffins album “Buried Death” will be released on CD and LP on June 20th, 2008. The CD is in production now and the Gatefold LP is about to go into production. There will be a mailorder version of the LP, limited to 200 copies that includes marbled vinyl, an embroidered Coffins patch and a sticker. The band hits the Northeast US for a week in May with The Endless Blockade including a stop at Maryland Deathfest. Dates are below. A West Coast trip is tentatively in the works, but likely will not occur until Spring 2009. Southern Lord will help with distribution of the CD version.
Samothrace are about to record their debut LP for 20 Buck Spin with Sanford Parker in Chicago in early April. The band is finishing up a Midwestern tour at the moment and tightening up the 5 tracks they’re set to record. Art for the album will be done by our friend and collaborator David D’Andrea.
As previously announced the Nadja and Black Boned Angel collab LP is forthcoming. David D’Andrea is collaborating with Stephen Kasner on the artwork for this one. A one track CD EP will be released by Campbell Kneale via his Battlecruiser imprint in anticipation of the full length. 20 Buck Spin will be stocking this upon release. Some info about that from Mr. Kneale:
Nadja Black Boned Angel “Christ Send Light” CD EP: As Satan was chucked outta heaven his horn scraped a gash in the clouds and the resulting torrent of divine cloud/satanic blood is exactly the kinda goo that Nadja and Black Boned Angel wash themselves in on a regular basis. The first bites of a particularly bloody collaboration of soul-befuddling heaviness and sickening vistas viewed through rose tinted gas-mask lenses... Nadjas inherent sense of melodic-crushpop pushed RIGHT to the front and smothered in Black Boned Angels hideous, sugar-free toffee. Pure and unsoiled by the tiniest shred of hope, this is the sound of total defeat.
Finally, we’ve decided to repress the long out of print Graves At Sea / Asunder split LP as we’re tired of people asking and would rather spend the money than hear anymore bitching about it. It also helps that it’s one of the best doom splits ever. Hopefully that will happen before the end of the year, so don’t pay crazy ebay prices for it now.
Tour Dates:
The Endless Blockade (includes Coffins May 16th-22nd)
May 15th, Syracuse, New York
May 16th
Elks Lodge, Cambridge, Mass
Coffins, The Endless Blockade, Raw Radar War, Noosebomb, Scapegoat
May 17th
Matinee show:
ABC No Rio, NYC
Coffins, The Endless Blockade, ASRA, The Communion
Evening show:
Rockstar Bar, Brooklyn
Coffins, The Endless Blockade, Unearthly Trance, The Communion
May 18th
Khyber, Philadelphia
Coffins, The Endless Blockade, Otesanek (reunion)
May 19th (Day off for Coffins)
Talking Head, Baltimore
The Endless Blockade, Triac, Drugs of Faith, Fight Amputation.
May 20th
Nara, Richmond, VA
Coffins, The Endless Blockade, Juice Tyme plus one more
May 21st
Jan's Room, Allentown
Coffins, The Endless Blockade, Fistula, Birth Control
May 22nd
Roboto, Pittsburgh
Coffins, The Endless Blockade, Hellnation, Abysme, Sliceschicago
May 24th Milwaukee, WI
May 25th, Minneapolis, MN
May 26th, The Tomb, Madison WI
May 27th – Now That’s Class, Cleveland, OH
May 28th – Columbus, OH
May 29th, Chattanooga, TN
May 30th, St. Louis, MO
May 31st, Indianapolis, IN
June 1st, Dearborn, MI
August 1st, Victoria, BC
Aug 2nd, Vancouver BC
Aug 3rd, Chilliwack
Aug 4th, Kelowna
Aug 5th, Calgary
Aug 6th, Edmonton
Aug 7th, Saskatoon
Aug 8th, Regina
Aug 9th, Arsonfest, Winnipeg
Requisite label descriptor:
Details about band formations and ex-members of so-and-so are unimportant. What matters is that The Endless Blockade is a band from Toronto that plays Powerviolence. Taking the foundations of the genre’s forebears (Crossed Out, No Comment, MITB, etc) and streamlining it for today’s harsh realities, The Endless Blockade is furious hardcore meets crawling sludge. “Primitive” is the Blockade’s second LP, following the debut LP “Turn Illness Into A Weapon”, several EPs and split LPs with Iron Lung, Warzone Womyn and Hatred Surge. “Primitive” is the band’s most fully realized work thus far, with great care taken in tying the album together musically, visually and lyrically. Scott Hull’s mix is both clear and raw while Glyn Smyth’s artwork visually represents the doomsday cults, fanatics and radicals that provide the backdrop for the LP’s deranged pace and surgically precise twists and turns. The Blockade’s affinity for the diseased power-electronics and noise genres (think Slogun, Whitehouse) also plays a more significant role on “Primitive”.
The Limited Edition LP is limited to 100 copies. The Limited LP has a screenprinted alternate cover, a 12x24 one-sided wraparound. The Limited version comes with the poster and insert included in the regular Primitive edition. The covers were printed by Monolith Press of Oakland, California.
It is OK to order multiple copies but please be aware that we DO NOT lower our postage paid prices on multiple copies.
There is a photo on the website of the Regular Edition LP packaging. We’ll put up a pic of the limited LP in a few days. Please note, that although we are now taking orders, these won’t actually begin shipping until next week sometime.
http://www.20buckspin.com/bands/theendlessblockade/theendlessblockade.shtml
Also available today is the Humanfly “II” Digipak CD with bonus tracks. The official in-store release date for that is April 8th.
Between post-metal, psychedelic post-rock and whatever ever other post-genre label gets writers juiced comes Leeds based riff merchants Humanfly. Formed in the early part of the decade and including people from well known Brits Canvas, Humanfly offer six vast, epic, metallic journeys through huge NeurIsis style heaviness and Pink Floyd via Mogwai atmospherics. However, where those bands have lately abandoned the crushingly heavy riffs that made them so appealing, for Humanfly it remains the focus. Tunes like “Echoes Of The Roman Empire” and “Tjanargata / A Passage To Reykjavik” are given ample space to breathe and build before inevitably crashing into a mountain of mammoth, celestial volume. With the shortest track more than 8 minutes and the longest over 13, each song is a two or three part saga within itself. Vocals are used sparingly focusing primarily on building thematically through the music. Not yet well-known outside their native UK, the release of II by 20 Buck Spin will introduce Humanfly to a larger audience and elevate the band to the forefront of the post-post-rockmetal “genre”. This CD version of II also includes two bonus tracks from their upcoming split LP with the UKs Queen Of Swords, for over an hour of music.
http://www.20buckspin.com/bands/humanfly/humanfly.shtml
Audio samples of both releases are available on the band pages for each release at www.20buckspin.com
A few other distro titles were added to the store recently as well. They are:
Half Makeshift – Omen CD
Zoroaster – Dog Magic CD
Skitliv – Amfetamin CD
Zeni Geva – Maximum Money Monster CD
The new Coffins album “Buried Death” will be released on CD and LP on June 20th, 2008. The CD is in production now and the Gatefold LP is about to go into production. There will be a mailorder version of the LP, limited to 200 copies that includes marbled vinyl, an embroidered Coffins patch and a sticker. The band hits the Northeast US for a week in May with The Endless Blockade including a stop at Maryland Deathfest. Dates are below. A West Coast trip is tentatively in the works, but likely will not occur until Spring 2009. Southern Lord will help with distribution of the CD version.
Samothrace are about to record their debut LP for 20 Buck Spin with Sanford Parker in Chicago in early April. The band is finishing up a Midwestern tour at the moment and tightening up the 5 tracks they’re set to record. Art for the album will be done by our friend and collaborator David D’Andrea.
As previously announced the Nadja and Black Boned Angel collab LP is forthcoming. David D’Andrea is collaborating with Stephen Kasner on the artwork for this one. A one track CD EP will be released by Campbell Kneale via his Battlecruiser imprint in anticipation of the full length. 20 Buck Spin will be stocking this upon release. Some info about that from Mr. Kneale:
Nadja Black Boned Angel “Christ Send Light” CD EP: As Satan was chucked outta heaven his horn scraped a gash in the clouds and the resulting torrent of divine cloud/satanic blood is exactly the kinda goo that Nadja and Black Boned Angel wash themselves in on a regular basis. The first bites of a particularly bloody collaboration of soul-befuddling heaviness and sickening vistas viewed through rose tinted gas-mask lenses... Nadjas inherent sense of melodic-crushpop pushed RIGHT to the front and smothered in Black Boned Angels hideous, sugar-free toffee. Pure and unsoiled by the tiniest shred of hope, this is the sound of total defeat.
Finally, we’ve decided to repress the long out of print Graves At Sea / Asunder split LP as we’re tired of people asking and would rather spend the money than hear anymore bitching about it. It also helps that it’s one of the best doom splits ever. Hopefully that will happen before the end of the year, so don’t pay crazy ebay prices for it now.
Tour Dates:
The Endless Blockade (includes Coffins May 16th-22nd)
May 15th, Syracuse, New York
May 16th
Elks Lodge, Cambridge, Mass
Coffins, The Endless Blockade, Raw Radar War, Noosebomb, Scapegoat
May 17th
Matinee show:
ABC No Rio, NYC
Coffins, The Endless Blockade, ASRA, The Communion
Evening show:
Rockstar Bar, Brooklyn
Coffins, The Endless Blockade, Unearthly Trance, The Communion
May 18th
Khyber, Philadelphia
Coffins, The Endless Blockade, Otesanek (reunion)
May 19th (Day off for Coffins)
Talking Head, Baltimore
The Endless Blockade, Triac, Drugs of Faith, Fight Amputation.
May 20th
Nara, Richmond, VA
Coffins, The Endless Blockade, Juice Tyme plus one more
May 21st
Jan's Room, Allentown
Coffins, The Endless Blockade, Fistula, Birth Control
May 22nd
Roboto, Pittsburgh
Coffins, The Endless Blockade, Hellnation, Abysme, Sliceschicago
May 24th Milwaukee, WI
May 25th, Minneapolis, MN
May 26th, The Tomb, Madison WI
May 27th – Now That’s Class, Cleveland, OH
May 28th – Columbus, OH
May 29th, Chattanooga, TN
May 30th, St. Louis, MO
May 31st, Indianapolis, IN
June 1st, Dearborn, MI
August 1st, Victoria, BC
Aug 2nd, Vancouver BC
Aug 3rd, Chilliwack
Aug 4th, Kelowna
Aug 5th, Calgary
Aug 6th, Edmonton
Aug 7th, Saskatoon
Aug 8th, Regina
Aug 9th, Arsonfest, Winnipeg
3.25.2008
Half Makeshift 'Omen' Added To Store
The new Half Makeshift album 'Omen' released by Profound Lore has been added to the webstore.
3.06.2008
Zoroaster & Avichi
Added to mailorder today was Zoroaster's new CD Dog Magic and the excellent 'The Divine Tragedy' CD by USBM band Avichi. Restocked the Zoroaster MCD as well.
Also restocked was Oakenthrone Zine #4 and #5.
www.20buckspin.com
Also restocked was Oakenthrone Zine #4 and #5.
www.20buckspin.com
2.28.2008
New In Mailorder
Added L'ACEPHALE - MORD UND TOTSCLAG CD to the mailorder. One of the Northwest's finest bands. Order at www.20buckspin.com
2.27.2008
2.17.2008
Sanctum "On The Horizon" Available Now
Sanctum’s “On The Horizon” CD is available now through 20 Buck Spin directly. Won’t be in stores/distros for about another month yet. The band will also have them on their upcoming tour (check myspace.com/sanctum for dates).
Along with their comrades in Oakland’s Stormcrow, Seattle’s Sanctum are the new standard for crust obsessed metal, or War Crust as they call it. Raised on a diet of influences such as Bolt Thrower, Extreme Noise Terror, Entombed, Unleashed and Amebix, Sanctum mesh the best aspects of all those bands into a storming, unhinged cacophony of metallic upheaval. On their first full length, “On The Horizon”, Sanctum continues to crush the cenotaph as they did on last year’s split album with Stormcrow with 8 new tracks of totaldeathcrust. Tracks like “Scepter Of Pestilence” and “Victory Or Defeat” are as memorable as they are earth-scorching. In addition, this CD version of “On The Horizon” contains 7 bonus tracks in the form of the bands earliest two vinyl only EPs, “Sanctum” and “Enslaved”. Packaged in a sturdy Stoughton-printed oversized gatefold jacket (like the recent Portal CD on Profound Lore).
Going into production now are Humanfly’s II CD and The Endless Blockade’s Primitve CD and LP. The LP version of the Blockade album breaks down as follows:
1,000 Standard cover LPs, with insert + poster.
100 with alternative screenprinted 12x24 cover + insert + poster (only thru 20 Buck Spin)
100 Standard cover LPs, with insert + poster on CLEAR vinyl (only from the band)
We’ve added Hellshock’s Shadows Of The Afterworld CD and restocked Corrupted’s El Mundo Frio in the mailorder.
Along with their comrades in Oakland’s Stormcrow, Seattle’s Sanctum are the new standard for crust obsessed metal, or War Crust as they call it. Raised on a diet of influences such as Bolt Thrower, Extreme Noise Terror, Entombed, Unleashed and Amebix, Sanctum mesh the best aspects of all those bands into a storming, unhinged cacophony of metallic upheaval. On their first full length, “On The Horizon”, Sanctum continues to crush the cenotaph as they did on last year’s split album with Stormcrow with 8 new tracks of totaldeathcrust. Tracks like “Scepter Of Pestilence” and “Victory Or Defeat” are as memorable as they are earth-scorching. In addition, this CD version of “On The Horizon” contains 7 bonus tracks in the form of the bands earliest two vinyl only EPs, “Sanctum” and “Enslaved”. Packaged in a sturdy Stoughton-printed oversized gatefold jacket (like the recent Portal CD on Profound Lore).
Going into production now are Humanfly’s II CD and The Endless Blockade’s Primitve CD and LP. The LP version of the Blockade album breaks down as follows:
1,000 Standard cover LPs, with insert + poster.
100 with alternative screenprinted 12x24 cover + insert + poster (only thru 20 Buck Spin)
100 Standard cover LPs, with insert + poster on CLEAR vinyl (only from the band)
We’ve added Hellshock’s Shadows Of The Afterworld CD and restocked Corrupted’s El Mundo Frio in the mailorder.
Upcoming Album Covers
The Endless Blockade "Primitive" Standard Cover
The Endless Blockade "Primitive" Limited Mailorder Cover
Coffins "Buried Death" Cover
Humanfly "II" Cover
1.30.2008
New Shirts, New Releases, New Dice!!
Although we at 20 Buck Spin generally loathe the whole post-rock/metal thing that grew out of Neurosis and Isis, one band has finally hit us over the head and impressed us in a good way. That band is Humanfly from Leeds, UK. So much so in fact that we’ll be releasing a CD that contains their self-released vinyl only “II” LP as well as two bonus tracks from their forthcoming split LP with another UK band Queen of Swords. The huge riffs are the main attraction with Humanfly and there are plenty of quieter Floydian spacey-prog moments as well. We’ve put up a preview track on our myspace page, myspace.com/20buckspin. The CD will likely be out in March/April. myspace.com/humanfly
We’ll also be doing a limited vinyl version of the debut recording from Portland’s Trees. Slow motion ugly doom apocalypse from these guys who share members with Portland’s Tecumseh (new one out on Important soon) among others. The CD version will be released by the Crucial Blast label. A few shows are planned with Nadja in late March and the band will travel the West Coast in May. The LP should be released in May or so. Myspace.com/trees00
As promised we finally printed up some more of the 20 Buck Spin label T-shirts. Black shirts with white print this time. There is a one-sided version and a two-sided version. All mailorders over $100 will get one free. Also the new The Endless Blockade t-shirts are in stock with a killer design from Mark Riddick. And we’ve lowered prices permanently on the rest of our shirts. Check em out at www.20buckspin.com/shirts.shtml
We also now have in stock the vinyl version of Graves At Sea’s Documents Of Grief and a 2xLP (per)version of Coffin’s Mortuary In Darkness.
More news soon…
www.20buckspin.com
We’ll also be doing a limited vinyl version of the debut recording from Portland’s Trees. Slow motion ugly doom apocalypse from these guys who share members with Portland’s Tecumseh (new one out on Important soon) among others. The CD version will be released by the Crucial Blast label. A few shows are planned with Nadja in late March and the band will travel the West Coast in May. The LP should be released in May or so. Myspace.com/trees00
As promised we finally printed up some more of the 20 Buck Spin label T-shirts. Black shirts with white print this time. There is a one-sided version and a two-sided version. All mailorders over $100 will get one free. Also the new The Endless Blockade t-shirts are in stock with a killer design from Mark Riddick. And we’ve lowered prices permanently on the rest of our shirts. Check em out at www.20buckspin.com/shirts.shtml
We also now have in stock the vinyl version of Graves At Sea’s Documents Of Grief and a 2xLP (per)version of Coffin’s Mortuary In Darkness.
More news soon…
www.20buckspin.com
1.20.2008
January News
20 Buck Spin is back in Cascadia after spending almost a month in the wretched Bay Area. All pending orders that were received during the time away have been packed and sent during the last week. Thanks for your patience!
We’ve got some new mailorder stuff up on the site including some new Coffins! A 3 way split CD between Coffins and two other Japanese bands, Anatomia and Grudge. It includes 4 never released brand new Coffins tunes, 3 originals and an Asphyx cover. Get your Coffins fix until Buried Death is released. We’ve got the new Drudkh disc, Estrangement now too.
Speaking of Coffins – Decibel was kind enough to name the upcoming album Buried Death as one of its 25 most anticipated releases of 2008. A nice surprise for them and for us as it was the only release on the list being released by a small label. We’ve got Moyen’s cover art already which we’ll reveal in the near future, and a new shirt based on the artwork is also forthcoming.
As stated before Coffins will appear at the Maryland Deathfest, now confirmed on Saturday May 24th and prior to that will be playing a week of shows with The Endless Blockade. Venues are still being confirmed but the routing looks as follows:
May 16th – Boston
May 17th – NYC (matinee)
May 17th – NYC (evening)
May 18th – Philly
May 19th – Baltimore (Blockade only)
May 20th – Richmond
May 21st – Allentown, PA
May 22nd – Pittsburgh (with Hellnation & Fistula)
The Endless Blockade have recorded Primitive and it’s just about finished being mixed and mastered by Scott Hull. An unmixed track, Thick Skin, Transparent Blood is up now on the 20 Buck Spin myspace page at myspace.com/20buckspin. New shirts will be available shortly.
Sanctum’s On The Horizon CD is in production now. A new track, Scepter Of Pestilence, is up on the 20 Buck Spin myspace page. The official release date is March 25th, though copies will be available from 20 Buck Spin and the band much sooner. Sanctum’s full US tour starts in mid February. Dates can be found on their myspace page, myspace.com/sanctum. Shows with Stormcrow and Samothrace are set, and the band will open a few shows for Extreme Noise Terror when they tour the West Coast in April.
We’ve recently got masters for the new Black Boned Angel album set to be called The Endless Coming Into Life and also for the Black Boned Angel / Nadja collaborative album. Artwork is still being figured out so it’ll still be several months before those ones see the light of day.
Graves At Sea played their final show in San Francisco on January 11th. R.I.P. to one of our all time favorite bands. Amazing set in which they played Pariah, Praise The Witch, Cirrhosis and Reclamation. You’ll no doubt be hearing from the members again in some form very soon.
There will be more releases to announce very shortly. A repress of the 20 Buck Spin shirt with Arik Roper’s inverted cross logo will be available soon in a slightly modified form as well.
We’ve got some new mailorder stuff up on the site including some new Coffins! A 3 way split CD between Coffins and two other Japanese bands, Anatomia and Grudge. It includes 4 never released brand new Coffins tunes, 3 originals and an Asphyx cover. Get your Coffins fix until Buried Death is released. We’ve got the new Drudkh disc, Estrangement now too.
Speaking of Coffins – Decibel was kind enough to name the upcoming album Buried Death as one of its 25 most anticipated releases of 2008. A nice surprise for them and for us as it was the only release on the list being released by a small label. We’ve got Moyen’s cover art already which we’ll reveal in the near future, and a new shirt based on the artwork is also forthcoming.
As stated before Coffins will appear at the Maryland Deathfest, now confirmed on Saturday May 24th and prior to that will be playing a week of shows with The Endless Blockade. Venues are still being confirmed but the routing looks as follows:
May 16th – Boston
May 17th – NYC (matinee)
May 17th – NYC (evening)
May 18th – Philly
May 19th – Baltimore (Blockade only)
May 20th – Richmond
May 21st – Allentown, PA
May 22nd – Pittsburgh (with Hellnation & Fistula)
The Endless Blockade have recorded Primitive and it’s just about finished being mixed and mastered by Scott Hull. An unmixed track, Thick Skin, Transparent Blood is up now on the 20 Buck Spin myspace page at myspace.com/20buckspin. New shirts will be available shortly.
Sanctum’s On The Horizon CD is in production now. A new track, Scepter Of Pestilence, is up on the 20 Buck Spin myspace page. The official release date is March 25th, though copies will be available from 20 Buck Spin and the band much sooner. Sanctum’s full US tour starts in mid February. Dates can be found on their myspace page, myspace.com/sanctum. Shows with Stormcrow and Samothrace are set, and the band will open a few shows for Extreme Noise Terror when they tour the West Coast in April.
We’ve recently got masters for the new Black Boned Angel album set to be called The Endless Coming Into Life and also for the Black Boned Angel / Nadja collaborative album. Artwork is still being figured out so it’ll still be several months before those ones see the light of day.
Graves At Sea played their final show in San Francisco on January 11th. R.I.P. to one of our all time favorite bands. Amazing set in which they played Pariah, Praise The Witch, Cirrhosis and Reclamation. You’ll no doubt be hearing from the members again in some form very soon.
There will be more releases to announce very shortly. A repress of the 20 Buck Spin shirt with Arik Roper’s inverted cross logo will be available soon in a slightly modified form as well.
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