INFINITUM OBSCURE To Release The Luminous Black MCD OH BEARER OF LIGHT, YOUR LIGHTNING BOLTS FINALLY BEGIN TO STRIKE!! INFINITUM OBSCURE entered Audio Zombie Recordings in Tijuana, México on Saturday January 5th 2013 and recorded a new single entitled The Luminous Black with producer Diego Soria.

1- The Luminous Black (ode to the Fallen Angel) 2- Path to Apocalypse 3- Through Blood by Thunder (Bathory cover) The Luminous Black will be released via Deathgasm Records during February 2013 and will be limited to a one time pressing only. The single will be unveiling what's to come in INFINITUM OBSCURE's upcoming full length album. INFINITUM OBSCURE will be touring the United States of America in April 2013 as direct support for legendary Swedish Death Metal pioneers SORCERY. Tour dates will become available soon via Hate War Productions. There is still no set recording date for the new album, things are finally beginning to materialize... but it will be recorded and produced once again by Bill Metoyer at Skull Seven Studios in Los Angeles, California and will be mastered by Tore Stjerna at Necromorbus Studio in Sweden. It will also feature once again the majestic artwork of Ketolahelvete. The full length will be released during 2013 in the U.S.A. via Deathgasm Records (CD format - digipack and jewelcase) and in Europe via Blood Harvest Records on 12 inch vinyl format.

INFINITUM OBSCURE was founded in late 2000 by Roberto Lizárraga with the sole purpose of expressing a personal vision of Death and existence in the form of obscure Death Metal. The band has released one split (on CD and 10" mini LP formats), 2 full-length albums (on CD and LP formats), one 7" EP, and two demos (one on Cassette and one on CDR), between 2003 and 2009 and are currently working on their third full-length album. Their last album, entitled Sub Atris Caelis (2009) was produced by the legendary Bill Metoyer and mastered at the reknown Necromorbus Studio in Stockholm, Sweden, rendered by the artwork of the infamous Ketolahelvete. In April 2012, INFINITUM OBSCURE completed a short, seven date European tour, as support for DEAD CONGREGATION. The "Congregation of the Obscure European Tour 2012" was the band's first time in European soil. During June/July of 2010. INFINITUM OBSCURE completed a three week U.S. tour in support of NOMINON. The "Death Metal Darkness U.S.A. Tour 2010" was the band's first extended tour in the United States of America. Other smaller tours have included two Mexican tours (2006 with BELPHEGOR and 2007 with WATAIN), a West Coast US mini tour (2006 with DESTRÖYER 666), three date mini US tour (2010 with DEFILED), a Mid-West US mini tour (2003 with THE CHASM and OBEISANCE) as well as a two date mini tour in their home state of Baja California (2002 with ANGELES DEL INFIERNO), as well as several Festival appearances in Southern California. Between 2002 and 2010 INFINITUM OBSCURE have shared the stage with other great bands such as DISSECTION, UNLEASHED, , NOMINON, BELPHEGOR, DEAD CONGREGATION, HIRAX, GORGOROTH, USURPER, INCANTATION, DEMONCY, INQUISITION, MORTEM, THE CHASM, SADISTIC INTENT, KULT OV AZAZEL, BEHEMOTH, URGEHAL, AGENT STEEL and many, many more.  www.infinitumobscure.com www.facebook.com/infinitumobscure  www.deathgasm.com

The Single Life - 7 inches of Fun

Hosoi Bros - Snorlokk

The Hosoi Bros blew me away earlier this year with their tasty slab of 7"vinyl, "Wine Witch" (reviewed here).  So much so, that I immediately asked the crazy lads to contribute to our free compilation album, The Ripple Effect Presents: Volume One - Head Music.  (go check it out, it's still free.)  I was immediately caught up in their trashy brand of post-NWOBHM madness and chunky humor.  Still, the question remained, could they do it again?   As "Snorlokk" the side A of this limited-to-300 hand-numbered 7" spins on my turntable, the answer is "hell freaking yes!"

Still as irrelevant and madcap as ever, Hosoi Bros bring it on thrashy and punky, still with that backbone of NWOBHM riffing.  I don't know what "Snorlokk"is about. Probably another addition to the band's growing pantheon of mythical characters like the Wine Witch.  But I don't care.  All I know is that it's a blitzkrieg assault to my frontal lobe of good, smashing fun.  B-side "Amberlamps" builds upon the impressive riffing with an even heavier, infused-with-hardcore, attack of metal that just refuses to take itself too seriously.  In the end, what the Hosoi Bros are about is great metallic riffing and good fun.  Isn't that what you want?

Another great addition to the bands growing discography.  Available at their bandcamp.  Get one before it's too late.

http://hosoibros.bandcamp.com/album/snorlokk

Revilers - Stand or Fall

Revilers may just be my favorite band on the crushing Patac Label of punk, hardcore and ugly metal.  I like my punk dirty and Oi! With big crushing riffs and gang choruses and brass knuckles and stomping boots.  That's what Revilers brings to the table.  Coming from Boston, home of some of the best American Oi!, like the Streetdogs, it's no surprise that Side One of this sounds like a bastard offspring of UK Subs or any other Godfather of classic Oi!  Darkened, minor key punk with a dabble of melody and gargled vocals gruffs.  It chugs along as if the entire bar were readying for a fist fight with two tracks, "Stand or Fall" and "Tried and True."  Both are just classic slabs of Oi!. 

Side Two picks up the snot and anger as the band finds a more hardcore romp through "Running Out,""State of Fear," and "Road Rage." 

Five tracks of spittle punk for only $4 from Patac.  Well worth the time for Oi! fans like me. 

http://www.patacrecords.com/distro/7-ep/revilers-stand-or-fall-7-black

Spiders - Weekend Nights

Crusher Records first crossed my radar with the amazing second album by Dead Man.  An album that just keeps getting better and better with time.  Since then, I've gone on to explore their entire roster of retro-week-fried bands and have never been disappointed.  Spiders is the latest Crusher release to cross my path and damn if it wasn't one worth waiting for.  Featuring riffs directly trasported from the fuzzy end of 70's metal/beginning of NWOBHM, Spiders crawl out of this 7" with a purpose, full of venom and ready to bite.   Coming from their forth-coming album, Flash Point, "Weekend Nights" the band weighs in full force with a pummeling assault of shredding guitars, spanking grooves and dangerous riffs.  Singer Ann-Sofie Hoyles comes on like a pissed off Ann Wilson as the band simply takes flight behind her.  A classic 70's rock fest if there ever was one. 

Side B features a cover of Swedish garage heroes The Strollers song, "Lies" and is exclusive to this bite-sized vinyl pizza.  Fuzzed out and rollicking, "Lies" digs a bit more into the lost days of 60's fuzz with killer results.  Another great one from Crusher.

www.crusherrecords.com




Restorations - A/B EP

Tiny Engines has never failed to impress as an indy label of post-emo punk since they came onto the scene.  I may be wrong, but I believe the really cool Tiger's Jaw 7" may have been their first release (at least it's the first I saw).  Since then, they've turned out one beautifully packaged, artfully created 7" after another, with a couple of full lengths to boot.  On their ever-growing roster of punk, without a doubt, my favorite band is Restorations.  The Tiny Engines guys are good enough to drop most of their releases into Postman Sal's bag for Ripple review (and many --not all -- have been reviewed) but none get me as excited as that new Restorations release dropping onto my desk.

The A/B EP does nothing to change that.  Two tracks of epic, midwestern-gothic punk.  Watching (er . . .listening) to these guys develop over the years has been a joy, and A/B is by far their most mature songwriting yet.  Jon Loudon's earnest, anthemic howl seems to be the natural successor to the great lost Call front man, Michael Been.  And while there's not a lot of musical similarity here, The Call is a great reference point, because way back 30 years ago, they made albums of conviction and protest and rousing honesty.  Restorations has picked up that mantle, added some ingenious, interweavng guitar lines, a solid rhythm section, and Loudon's smoky vocals to create a massive, massive sound.  Not so much punk in structure as in attitude, the key word for Restorations music is; power.

I can't classify the band and I can't qualify their music.  It resonates somewhere deep with in me.  It's hypnotic when it chooses, anthemic when it wants, and rebellious all the time.  It's like the Replacements but 20 years later after they expanded their sound and set out to create something lasting.

It's Restorations, and I'm ready for more.

State Lines - S/T EP

Coming from New York, State Lines are one of the up and coming, young punk bands trying to lay crown to the open throne and stake out their claim on the post-hardcore, post-emo landscape.  This self-titled Ep is the followup up to their album Hoffman Manor, and finds the lads picking up the pace of their screachy pop-punk and pushing hard against the boundaries between emo and indie rock.

Scratchy, youthful vocals wail over a generally tight rhythm section and a wall of guitar as the twin vocals bleed into four songs full of pensive harmonies and meticulous craft. “Plenty Of Time” is my favorite here, ridng more of an indie-rock approach until the  abrupt tempo change kicks in near the end driving the song into a more traditional punk vein  There's bits of The Replacements here (isn't there always, as well as Green Day in the melodic approach to the songs) but also a lot of Alkaline Trio and Braid or Saves the Day.

Another Tiny Engines release we know we can expect quality.  The vinyl is blue, the packaging nice with lyrics, and the EP is certain to please fans of melodic punk, post hardcore/emo and indie rock.

--Racer

Iron Claw Unleash New Single "Final Hour" Debuting New Singer, Gary Hair--Available as Exclusive Limited-Time Download via The Soda Shop

Capping off a year that found Scotland's Iron Claw being hailed as the Rock n’ Roll comeback story of the Decade, Iron Claw has roared back to build upon the momentum and notoriety gained in 2011.

Rightly hailed as one of the silent legends, the pioneers of British Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, with their Ripple Music debut, A Different Game, Iron Claw proved that their role in Rock history shall never go unspoken again. A hard biting, bluesy album found the band re-energized and vibrant on their first ever official releases.

After separating with vocalist Gordon Brown, Iron Claw conducted an extensive, nationwide search to find their new lead singer, Dumphries native, Gary Hair, then immediately ducked into the studio to put their new vocal chords to work. Now, having emerged fully refreshed, revitalized and a bit meaner, Iron Claw are ready to unleash their new single, "Final Hour" onto a rock-loving world. As bassist Alex Wilson puts it, Gary brings a "heavier direction to the band, more hard rock energy and passion. This should mark a return to an even heavier, rockier Iron Claw sound." A sound befitting of a band that has rightly become legendary among underground metal fans.

As a special bonus, Ripple Music and Iron Claw have teamed up with heavy rock leader, The Soda Shop, to present and exclusive premiere of "Final Hour" and the video, streaming on The Soda Shop website. And for 24 hours only, on March 15th, "Final Hour" can be downloaded from The Soda Shop for free.

Don't miss out on your chance to catch this latest chapter in the ongoing rock and roll history that is Iron Claw. Check out "Final Hour" here, and download it for free on March 15th. And don't forget to check out A Different Game, still available on Ripple Music and world-wide through Nail Distribution, Code 7 Distribution, Clearspot International and at the label’s web store.


Here’s what the press are saying:

"The songs crackle along, the voice conveys experience and resolve, the solos tasteful. An effortlessly playable collection of working man's hard rock, and a heartening reassertion of power from metal's forgotten founding fathers. 8 out of 10" -- Metal Hammer, Issue 225

"Scotland's Proto-Metal pioneers, Iron Claw, return with a long-awaited album of gritty, blues-based melodic heavy rock that is already garnering album-of-the-year accolades." - Puregrainaudio

"This is a solid, dynamic, vintage rock ‘n roll record, 13 tracks spanning 57 minutes yet hardly a dull moment to be found. A Different Game is more of the same—high quality heavy rock unearthed from the underground" - Hellbound.ca

"My first listen to A Different Game should not have been in my car: the rear speakers are nearly blown. Thanks to the heavy end of Iron Claw, they're likely obliterated!" - Dangerdog.com

The Single Life - Pilgrim - "Quest"

 


Some of the most behemoth doom music on the planet is coming from our tiniest state. Rhode Island's Pilgrim are premiering a track off their full-length debut, Misery Wizard, which is set for a Feb. 14 release on Metal Blade Records. "Quest" (9:52) is the third track off the album and starts SO lethargic and cumbersome. The Sabbath-style riffs are coated with impressive, soaring vocals at 30 seconds and the tempo picks up considerably near the halfway mark. You get a great 70s-inspired solo before the pace gradually slows back to where it started - a knee-scraping crawl. Ends with serious feedback. Yes. CLASSIC doom. Think St. Vitus and Pentagram. Nah. Think Pilgrim. Listen to "Quest" and you'll be as excited as I am for Misery Wizard and its classic doom sound. "Quest was one of our first songs," the band said in a collective statement. "It has a special place in our hearts. It tells the tale of a man's grueling journey though a desert to obtain an ancient relic locked away in a palace for thousands of years."

Read an interview with the band and listen to "Quest" here:  http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2012/01/an_interview_wi_57.html

--Heddbuzz

http://www.metalblade.com/pilgrim
http://www.facebook.com/hailthepilgrim
http://www.youtube.com/pilgrimofficial

Heavy Pink - 7"

Normally I'd review a 7" single with a few others but given that it's a new solo project from Stone Axe/Mos Generator main man Tony Reed and released on JJ Koczan's label Maple Forum it warrants a few more words than normal. Also, I haven't bought any other 7" singles lately. I came close to picking up a reissue of Adrenalin O.D.'s "Lets Barbecue" single at Black Gold Records in Brooklyn but opted for a used Enoch Light LP that was a lot cheaper. 10 years ago the prices on those two records would have been the exact opposite.

The first thing I thought of when I heard that Tony was putting a solo single out under the name HeavyPink was of the old Detroit band Frijid Pink and how I need to finally get their first album. The second thing I thought was I needed to get the HeavyPink 7" pronto. JJ was nice enough to deliver a copy of the record when he came to see Cortez and Mighty High at Hank's Saloon in Brooklyn. He put it on the band merch table but I was the only customer. Later that night 3 or 4 people saw me holding the record and were like "what's that? New shit from Tony of Stone Axe? Where'd you get that?" You snooze, you lose but there are still copies left and you should order one.


"Flower and Song" is slow and heavy but not really in the metal realm. There are definite elements from the first King Crimson album but also the pulverizing grind of vintage Celtic Frost. There are also some excellent "Black Sabbath" tolling bells. Not sure if this is totally accurate, but it kind of reminds me if the Swans had a more traditional hard rock approach. Intriguing stuff. Flip the record over for "There Is A Light" and it gets a bit heavier. A killer "Into The Void" style riff sits underneath a chiming "Welcome To The Machine" riff and then makes room for some nice "Hotel California" guitar harmonies. When the vocals come in, they are suitably trippy and chanty. The lyrics "you bring the light…show me the way" probably contain a deeper meaning than asking someone to bring a lighter over when Frampton's on the stereo. The single comes with a download card that contains an extra song called "Long Live The Mellotron." It sounds exactly like you think it does - a mellotron orgy of glorious sound.

Hopefully there's a double album in the works because I'm ready for a lot more of this.

--Woody

sample: http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2011/11/22/88heavypinkleft/

and don't miss your chance to pick up one of the few remaining copies of the Stone Axe/Mighty High split 7" on Ripple Music

Modern Day Moonshine Plow Their Allman Brothers-tinged Classic Rock Sound with Their New Single, "Fitting the Mold"

Classic rock.  Music to the ears of rock lovers everywhere.  With it's variety of styles and influences, there was a classic rock sound for every taste.  Now Ripple Music is bringing back that feeling of the heyday of 1970's Classic Rock Radio with it's ever-expanding roster of authentic, rock and roll bands.  And the latest band to forge head-first into this territory is San Francisco's Modern Day Moonshine with their Allman Brother's-tinged new single, "Fitting the Mold".

Back in the day, fans explored every facet of rock without need for clear distinctions and boundaries.  If you loved Led Zeppelin, you probably loved Lynard Skynard.  If you were a fan of Thin Lizzy's guitar attack,  there also was a Molly Hatchet.  And if you loved the blues-based rock of Free you could also lose yourself in the blues jamming of the Allman Brothers.  Modern Day Moonshine fills that space in the Ripple roster, plowing their bluesy, southern guitar-fried sound amongst the heavier tones of other Ripple bands-- and success is staring the boys right in the face.

Modern Day Moonshine's latest full-length record, Refuge, made an immediate impact on  radio charts, finding itself nestled among the likes of genre stalwarts The Black Crowes, Ray LaMontagne, and Robert Plant. Now Modern Day Moonshine looks to build on that success with the release of their latest digital single.  With it's spirited, fiery guitar, "Fitting the Mold" will harken back to those glorious days of 1970's Classic Rock, resurrect thoughts of classic Allman Brothers, and be sure to satisfy listeners who crave the variety that classic radio had in it's peak.

Released through Ripple Music, "Fitting the Mold" can be found on iTunes, CDBaby, and Ripple's own Bandcamp page.

Check it out and see what all the fuss is about.

The Single Life - 7 Inches of Fun - Featuring Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Strange Haze, Glitter Wizard, and Dropkick Murphys/The Business

Benjamin Francis Leftwich - “Box of Stones”

“Boxes of Stones” is a really beautiful song, musically and lyrically. Starting out simply with acoustic finger picking and a time keeping drum beat, which then grows with the addition of stringed instruments to create body in the chorus and the songs climax. This makes it come off sounding soulful and sweet.

The lyrics in this song mirror the music in the harmonious lyrics that Leftwich can sing perfectly.

“I am yours
I am free
I am flawed
I am here”

It is a romantic song that has the lyrics and the melody and it has been pulled together by a talented artist.

--Koala

Buy here: Pictures EP

Strange Haze - Let Me Hear the Dropping Pin b/w Test Driver

Formerly known as Whooping Crane, Strange Haze have already graced the Ripple office with their blend of "James Gang power trio mid tempo boogie."  Now expanded to a 4-piece, this tasty slice of vinyl proves that with the name change the boys have only gotten better.  Yep, that big Joe Walsh guitar boogie is still intact with a killer rhythm section keeping pace.   Toss in a hint of tribal rhythms and some head-spinning bass runs and "Let me Hear the Dropping Pin," is a retro-rock freak out of the first order.  Flipside "Test Driver," ups the boogie quotient with a galloping bass line and a chorus that could've been written for KISS.  There's even a nod to another power trio, Mahogany Rush, as Big Sir really lets some psychedelic magic fly from his six-string.

Strange Haze keep the retro rock alive and well without ever dipping too far into the past.  Can't wait to hear what comes next.

Buy here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/strangehaze

Glitter Wizard - Black Lotus b/w Witch's Limbo

Got to hand it to Bill Goodman of The Soda Shop.  Sometimes it takes a guy a couple thousand miles a way to point me in the direction of a killer band right in my own backyard.  Glitter Wizard are just what the name implies, a glittery, psychedelic brand of stoner rock and an image that can only be described as druidic.  Yep, don't know where they're coming from with the middle ages garb.  Obviously a nod to the Wizard part of their title, but if they keep plugging out riff mad retro-rock like this, I could give a whit about their image.  "Black Lotus" is a riff-maniacal, spaced out Sabbath assault of pulverizing heaviness and psych flourishes.  "Witche's Limbo," throws some Purple organ into the brewing concoction of stoner heaviness with a result that has to be tasted to believe.

The vinyl single is sold out, but you can download if for free here:

http://glitterwizard.bandcamp.com/album/black-lotus-witchs-limbo-7

Dropkick Murphys/The Business - Mob Mentality

Having loved the Dropkick Murphys since some eon before I was born (and growing more amazed by each passing day) and having recently fallen under the Oi! street punk spell of The Business, this gleaming platter of licorice pizza is nothing but a treat.  On side two we got The Business blasting out a reved up version of The DM's Streets of Boston (Boston crossed out and replaced with London).   Quite simply, The Business are legends, having formed way back in the real days of London punk, 1979.  And they sound just as strong and vicious as ever.  Then the Dropkick Murphys return the favor, tearing through their take of The Business's song "Informer," and filling that song with as much Oi! spleen and venom as if the song had been their own.

Then the piece de resistance is on Side One, when both bands get together and tear the grooves off the vinyl as they decimate "Mob Mentality."  Two absolutely classic Oi! bands knocking amps and forearms together in this mosh pit of punk.  Brilliant!

Buy here: http://www.taang.com/indexmain.html

Ripple News - Tommy Iommi, Ian Gillan and Friends - Who Cares Benefit single to be released

Ok Sabbath fans! Just got the previews of the WHO CARES benefit from Ian Gillan & Tony Iommi for the rebuilding of a music school in Gyumri, Armenia. The digital 2 song/single comes out next week. Here's a sneak peak. If you like this sort of up-to-the minute music news, friend us over at the Ripple Effect. You've been forewarned!

WHO CARES — the renewed musical union between legendary DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan and none other than BLACK SABBATH's Tony Iommi: the undisputed master of heavy guitar riffs — will release its debut digital single will be release May 6th via Eagle Rock Entertainment. The physical cd/dvd single will be made available in Europe on May 24 through earMUSIC and June 27th in North America via Eagle Rock Entertainment.

The single features two brand new studio tracks "Out Of My Mind" and "Holy Water", which will raise funds for the rebuilding of a music school in Gyumri, Armenia. The 2 Song - CD single will also contain the video clip of "Out Of My Mind" and a 40-minute documentary that shows Gillan's and Iommi's involvement with the Armenia cause over the years.

The collaboration of Gillan and Iommi, who have worked together before on the SABBATH album "Born Again", is in itself an incredible news for all rock and metal fans and will be the best of surprises to get to know who is completing the band: None other than Jon Lord ("Mr. Hammond", partner with Gillan on all the DEEP PURPLE classics), IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain, ex-METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted and HIM guitarist player Mikko "Linde" Lindström are also featured on the two new songs.

Killer Review of Heavy Ripples over at The Kleptos Guide

The Klepto's Guide To Awesome Music: EP Shakedown: Heavy Ripples, Vol. 1

Fantastic review of Heavy Ripples over at The Klepto's Guide.

Pre-orders are available now and the gorgeous double-7" arrives in our hands this month!

www.ripple-music.com

Hot on the Heels of Their Critically-praised Ripple Music Debut, Grand Atlantic Light Up the Soundtrack of Gossip Girl

Following hot on the heels of the success of their Ripple Music debut split 7" single, Grand Atlantic keep the pedal to the metal, building momentum and converting the uninitiated to the Grand Atlantic ranks.

Taken from Grand Atlantic's massively praised second album "How We Survive," the hot single "Used to Be the Sensitive Type" was remixed and remastered for inclusion on the Ripple Music split single which also featured the KEXP Top 20 hit by Sky Parade, "I Should Be Coming Up (But I Keep Coming Down."  Since then, things have only gotten busier for the Australian band.

Locked in the studio working on songs for their 2011 third album hasn't kept Grand Atlantic from touring Japan and readying another US tour in 2011.  With dates already set from coast to coast, including a four-day stay at SXSW, fans will have plenty of opportunity to catch Grand Atlantic's heady, trance-inducing psychedelic pop single.  And the US audience is definitely catching the Grand Atlantic wave. The first episode of season 4 of the hit TV show, Gossip Girl featured Grand Atlantic's Until it's Gone," bringing in tons of new fans.  The video for "Until It's Gone," featuring footage from the recent Japanese Tour garnered thousands of hits after the band's Gossip Girl debut.


Check out the video and hear the song that captured the hearts of Gossip Girl fans everywhere.





Pressed in extremely limited quanties, the Ripple Music s 7" split single (pressed on glowing orange vinyl) is still available through www.ripple-music.com and can be found everywhere on Grand Atlantic's tour. 

For Fans of: Oasis, Dolly Rocker Movement, Stone Roses, Big Star, Baby Woodrose, Dandy Warhols

“Gives Oasis a run for their money.” (Courier Mail, AUS)

"Grand Atlantic molds the psychedelic post-punk ethereal moods of their countrymen, The Church, with the shoegazing swirling madbeat of The Stone Roses, and toss in a touch of garage crunch a la Ripple favorites The Thieves just for kicks. The results of this combination of psychedelic distillery are intoxicating…”(The Ripple Effect, USA)

“…This is the excellent album Oasis should have done after What’s the Story Morning Glory but didn’t…”(Lucid Culture, USA)

“Grand Atlantic sure know how to write songs choc full of guitar driven rock/pop dynamics…” (thedwarf.com.au. AUS)

"Grand Atlantic has a sound masterfully blending driving modern rock riffs with smart pop hooks and spot on harmonies…”(Bill’s Music Forum, USA)

“Grand Atlantic’s second full-length album is chock-full of pop rock, with big sounds, singalong hooks and catchy melodies… How We Survive is a masterfully crafted record.” (Time Off Magazine, AUS)


www.ripple-music.com

Ripple News - Ex-Brian Jonetown Massacre's new band, Sky Parade, Soars Up the KEXP Charts

KEXP Top 20 song, “I Should be Coming Up (But I Keep Coming Down) by Sky Parade featured with Grand Atlantic on this split 7” of psychedelic pop perfection.
                                      
Just in time for their World tour in support of their Top 20 KEXP song, the heady, trance-inducing psychedelic pop of Sky Parade is on full display with their highly infectious tune, “I Should Be Coming Up (But I Keep Coming Down)”.  Produced by the Dandy Warhol’s Courtney Taylor and released in hot anticipation of their upcoming World Tour, "I Should Be Coming Up (But I Keep Coming Down)" has been lighting up the switchboard where the single has already climbed to number 20 on the KEXP Radio Chart and the Top 10 on KKBB.  

Check out the video and hear the song that’s tearing up the LA clubs right now.




The split single will be available world-wide from the bands on tour and through www.ripple-music.com



"A joyride of dense, churning guitars that sounds like Primal Scream getting Spiritualized!" – L.A. Times

"Sky Parade have found Psych-rock's sweet spot" -- Buzz Bands LA

"Hook-laden genius" -- 90.3 FM

"KKBB Top 10 single!" -- KKBB

"Quite simply, this is a prime slice of psychedelic pop that you can dance to." Terrascope UK

The Single Life – 7 Inches of Fun – Featuring The Holy Mess, The Life, Filter, and Frontier(s)

 The Holy Mess –  Benefit Sesh 7” - Goodby 3713 (Must’ve Been a Good One) b/w A Soulful Punk Tune About a Working Class Dreamer

Hell yes!!  The words “punk rock” seems to have been absconded by just about anybody these days who fancies themselves an outsider, dropping that tagline onto their pathetic noise regardless of what the music actually sounds like.  But 90% of what comes across the Ripple desk with the moniker “punk rock” to me isn’t real punk.  I don’t know, maybe it’s because I was spinning Fear, Anti-nowhere League, Circle Jerks, The Damned and The Sex Pistols back in the day.  So much of what comes across as “punk” is really just cleverly marketed, barely disguised, annoying whining.

Which is why The Holy Mess was such a refreshing change of pace for me.  From the very first second that the needle dropped down onto the pounding cascade of drums and chaotic guitars that started “A Soulful Punk Tune . . . “ I was hooked.  Here was a band that found the wormhole time-tunnel to bring back the full-on vitriol and passion of classic punk, without losing any of today’s edge and skill.  Barely contained vocals and a grab-you-by-the-throat chorus really nailed this song into my cortex.  This has gotta be on my list of the top ten of new punk singles of the year!  Yes, why can’t they all be like this?

Having first played the disc on the b-side, I was as elated as a schoolgirl when I flipped the white vinyl platter over to discover another steaming slab of pure old school punk vibrancy.  Timeless in approach, these songs could’ve been written in 1980 or anytime since.  Great hooks, sloppy everything.  Can’t get enough.  On top of that, Evil Weevil Records did a great job with the package, with an inserted photo lyric sheet.

Besides, you gotta love any band who’s myspace address is www.myspace.com/fucktheholymess.

The Life – Do it Again b/w A Broken Man

A while back I extolled the virtues of long-lost Seattle record label, Green Monkey Records.  With renewed energy, Tom Dyer, the fearless head Monkey maniac has resurrected the label that originally ran from the mid-80’s to early 90’s.  If you like classic post punk, garage rock, and random pre-grunge madness, you gotta check these guys out.  Their newly released  It Crawled From the Basement Anthology has to be one of my favorite re-issues of 2010. 

Now, they’re coming back with some cool brand new releases, but for today’s purposes, we’re riding the Wizard’s time machine back to 1990 and this crazy white vinyl slab of near-Cramps, perfection.  With a deep throated vocal riding over a demented quasi-rockabilly beat, laced with intermingling, swirling, and singing guitars, “Do it Again,” has got it all going on.  Add a touch of a post-U2 pop sensibility and we’re really cooking.  Just down-home, balls out fun.   Flipside, “A Broken Man,” doesn’t let up long enough for a hummingbird to flap its wings.  Let’s toss some vintage The Call into our reference points here and toss in some killer loose-strung, western gunfighter guitar sounds, a mild-Doors-y mid song breakdown, and you’ll get the picture.

The Life were one of the clear highlights from the It Crawled from the Basement Anthology, and this killer single only reconfirms how good these cats were.  With Green Monkey back in action, I’m hoping we get some reissued The Life stuff.  In the meantime, this tasty platter (on white vinyl) can still be found.  Check Green Monkey Records first to see if Tom has any in his closet.

www.greenmonkeyrecords.com/

Filter – The Inevitable Relapse b/w The Inevitable Relapse (The Robpatterson666 Mix)
Long-time industrial rockers Filter come roaring back this month with their first new album in a while, The Trouble with Angels, and lead off with the single "The Inevitable Relapse."  Originally released as a Record Store Day special, we get two versions of this mechanized assault of industrial mayhem.

Filter, at their best, could always keep up with the best of them, and with "The Inevitable Relapse" we find the band fully-tuned and running on rocket fuel.  This song is a kick-ass, pulsasting, dancefloor ready slab off grinding guitars, pummeling beats, and industrial crunch.  Not to be out done, the flipside strips the song down to its bare essence.  If you’re a fan of NIN, this is right up your alley.

Frontier(s) – The Plains b/w Radiomine

I must have been very good in a previous life.  How else can I describe the embarrassment of riches that Postman Sal slogged into Ripple North when the same package that brought the fresh true-punk sounds of The Holy Mess also brought the post-post punk treat that is Frontier(s)?

Leading up their debut full-length release There Will Be No Miracles Here, this juicy platter just screams to be heard.  Bringing on a kinda post-Husker Du tuneful hardcore, mixed with indy rock, jangling guitars, and more than a little bit of the old Enigma Label chutzpa, Frontier(s) have crafted two serious cuts of brimming post-hardcore rock. 

Featuring Chris Higdon, formerly of  Elliot and Falling Forward, Frontier(s) cranks out two truly strong tracks of emotive, churning post-punk bliss.  "The Plains" rides its reverb/feedback intro into a solid wall of guitars and pulsating bass lines.  Drums dot the atmosphere like hail falling from a darkened heavy and pregnant sky.   Higdon’s vocals, breathy, throaty, and raw work like a charm, deepening the emotional resonance of the song.  "Radiomine" is more of a hallucinogenic, shoegazing trip through emotive lanes of post hardcore soul-searching.  Walls of churning guitars crash against each other like waves of a turbulent ocean.  Think of something like The Velvet Underground for a modern generation and you won’t be too far off.

Can’t wait for the album to come out.

--Racer

The Single Life – 7” of Fun - Featuring The Shirks, Pistola, Stegosaur, and Junior Battles

The Shirks – Dangerous/Young and Filthy b/w Get Out

Coming from Big Neck Records, I had a pretty good idea what this platter’s gonna sound like before I even put the needle to vinyl.  One of the finest purveyors of rattling, grease-stained garage punk out there, The Shirks fit comfortably into their asylum.  Each song here is an adrenaline-infused, learning-how-to-string-a-guitar blast of raw and primal garage punk.  Rough, raw, indecent and probably banned in some countries, the Shirks ply their trade with unbridled adoration and love for all things ragged and fast.  Put away your cerebral neurons and just go with it.  Trashy good fun. 

Pistola – Chugs and Squeals (At the Amusement Park) b/w Out and About with Danny Rowe

Don’t know if it’s just my copy or not, but this was one of the more creative packagings I’ve seen.   A nifty, red vinyl 45 7” with a complete copy of the full-length CD dropped inside.  Granted, they may have dropped that in just as a promo, but it’s still a cool concept.  Buy the single, get the album.  

Of course that only works if the single is worth buying, and fortunately this one is.  “Chugs and Squeals” post-hardcore dissonant screamer of Helmet-styled aggression with some nasty pop smarts.  “Danny Rowe,” kinda brings on a Blondie-meets-Quicksand-and-then-beats-the-shit-outta-them-in-a-public-restroom vibe of heavy guitars, strong melodies, and intent female vocals.  Not metal, not pop, not indy, not post-anything core.  Just music.  Rocking, hard and soft at the same time.  Don’t try and name it, just check it out.

Stegosaur – Adventure

Three song little ditty from these ernest pop/punk emo rockers.  Riding big guitars, “Headache,” is catch and grating, ingratiating and infectious.  Guitars wallop into walls of sound under the big nasal ride of the vocals.  There’s no doubting the emotion here.  Good dynamics mix the tune up enough to bring me along.  “Big Breath,” ups the melodic aspects of the band, brimming like a nascent Weezer.  Tones of Cursive pervade throughout.  Second side’s “Bloooooood,” adds a beat of handclaps and gangland vocals to bring some quirk-pop to the affair, meshing it all into a massively engaging alt-pop affair.  Vocals and guitars build with rising intensity, then drop back down, shifting the pattern, changing the tempo, keeping the ears hooked.  This song clearly shows that Stegosaur are no plodding emo-imitation act, but got the chops to break through to a bigger audience.

Junior Battles – 7” S/T EP

Reading the bio of Junior Battles, it seems that the entire formation of the Toronto band and their subsequent success was a total accident, a sublime fluke of destiny that befell four teenaged lovers of old school pop-punk.  Well, let me tell you, what’s happened to them since is no fluke.  Launching into a rousing 4-song blitz of choppy guitars, soaring chorues, candy-melodies, and infectious grooves, the 13 minutes of this EP pass as effortlessly as listening to your old favorites.  Each song is rooted in the hook, without sacrificing true dynamic to get there.  Hooky, poppy and fun.  Just the way pop-punk is supposed to be.

--Racer

Ripple Music Announces a Killer New Split 7" with Stone Axe and Mighty High - Released as a Tour Single for the Saint Vitus/Stone Axe Tour

We couldn't be more excited about this.  In fact, we're so thrilled, we're giddy.  Like kids in a candyshop.

Ripple Music is proud to announce that last week we sent in the art and fully-mastered tracks for a killer new 7" split vinyl single featuring the masters of retro-70's rock, Stone Axe and stoner cretins Mighty High.  The single should be ready for your consumption mid-June.

Featuring some mindboggling, fold-out, Mighty High inspired artwork, this 7" is sure to leave em stunned.  Stone Axe contributes a monster rock burner, "Metal Damage," featuring Tony Reed's blistering guitar attack and staggering vocals from Dru  Brinkerhoff.  Mirroring 1978-1980-era Judas Priest, this song is everything that Classic Rock Magazine has been raving about when they declared Stone Axe to ". . . conjure a guttural, soulful hard-rock cauldron. "

Mighty High contributes "Don't Panic It's Organic" with a blistering high energy feel that sounds Rose Tattoo in bed with MC5.  Quite possibly the best thing to come from Mighty High yet.

The split will be extremely rare, limited to 500 and each one hand numbered.  Stone Axe will have some for their West Coast Tour this summer with Saint Vitus and Mighty High will be displaying some at their gigs as well.  The rest can only be bought here, at Ripple Music.  Don't miss out.

Go to www.ripple-music.com for more details.

Here's the Saint Vitus/Stone Axe Tour Schedule

6/25 - EL CORAZON - Seattle
6/26 - SATYRICON - Portland
6/27 - DNA LOUNGE - San Francisco
6/28 - ORIGAMI VINYL -Los Angeles(no Vitus)
6/29 - VIPER ROOM - Los Angeles
6/30 - THE CASBAH - San Diego
7/01 - WASTED SPACE @ HARD ROCK HOTEL - Las Vegas
7/02 - THE ZEPHYR - Reno(no Vitus)
7/03 - THE ALIBI - Arcata(no Vitus)

Ripple News - Free Download New Single from Chief

You can't imagine how many press releases we receive at the Ripple with requests for us to post a link to a free download of a new single.  In truth, if we attempted to post all these, we'd have no room left for any reviews.  So usually, we delete them and wait for the full albums to review.

Not today.

I was so impressed with the new single from the bi-coastal sensation, Chief that I just had to get this song up for your consumption.  Though Evan Koga, Mike Moonves and brothers Danny and Michael Fujikawa were all born and raised as sons of Los Angeles, it was on New York stages that they honed their songs and found their sound.  A thoughtfully melodic update on summer and road records past. Natural, timeless songwriting for times that change too quickly.  Give it a listen, it just may become your favorite song of the summer.

Their album, Modern Rituals  comes out Aug. 17th, and I for one, can't wait.  The boys are touring also, so if you like the song, go see em live.

'Night & Day' download link: http://bit.ly/coItnI

Dates

05-28 Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live (downstairs)

06-02 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge

06-05 Union Pool (daytime party FREE) 

06-08 San Francisco, CA - Hotel Utah

06-10 Seattle, WA - The Crocodile

06-11 Portland, OR - Doug Fir

06-13 Muddy Waters Cafe, Santa Barbara, CA

06-14 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour

06-15 San Diego, CA - Salvation Alley Stage at the House of Blues

 

myspace.com/chieftheband

Ripple News - Alt Rock Super Group Terrible Things Streams their debut single on The Ripple Effect

A special little treat for all you waveriders.

All-star rock super group Terrible Things featuring Fred Mascherino (Taking Back Sunday), Josh Eppard (Coheed & Cambria), and Andy Jackson (Hot Rod Circuit) have just released their debut single "Revolution" yesterday via iTunes & ShockHound, and they've asked the Ripple to make the song available in full-stream on our site.  Always being a fan of free, legal music, we couldn't resist.

The full-length debut is due out late summer on Universal Motown. The album's concept is about the arson that ravaged Fred's hometown of Coatesville, PA.  So if you like what you hear, go out and support the band.

Ripple News - Mark Sultan of King Khan and the BBQ Show, Offers Free Download of Latest Single through the Ripple Effect

Nothing we enjoy more, here at the Ripple, than giving away free (legal) music to all you devoted waveriders.  So when garage rock legend Mark Sultan contacted us asking if we'd spread the love on a new single, we couldn't help but quiver with glee.

For those of you who may not be entirely sure who Mark Sultan is -- he's the legendary BBQ with The King Khan & BBQ Show. This new track we've got for your fearless waveriders, "Misery's Upon Us," has that same garage rock with a side of doo-wap sound that made  you fall in love with King Khan and the BBQ Show in the first place.. Never to be accused of being lazy, Mark has also been a member of Les Sexareenos, Mind Controls, The Almighty Defenders and was the singer for infamous Montreal punk band The Spaceshits.

Enjoy the free download, and if you like it, please support the artist.

Here's the song: http://bit.ly/ceVJlO

Mark's website: http://www.marksultan.com/
Mark's MySpace http://www.myspace.com/marksultan
King Khan & BBQ Show http://www.myspace.com/thekingkhanbbqshow
The Almighty Defenders http://www.myspace.com/thealmightydefenders
The Spaceshits http://www.myspace.com/spaceshits
Les Sexareenos http://www.myspace.com/lessexareenos

The Single Life – 7” of Fun: Featuring Hirax, Heavy Water Experiments, and The Fitt

Hirax – Blasted in Bangkok

Having just written about Hirax’s 2004 release, The New Age of Terror, I was inspired to find the piece of music from my youth that actually turned me onto the band in the first place. A few search functions later, I found myself on eBay and within mere minutes, I was paying a king’s ransom for Hirax’s 1987 7” demo, Blasted in Bangkok. But, it was worth every penny. You see, I picked this disc up around ’88 or so, played it forward, backward, sideways, upside down . . . basically, the songs became a piece of my being and I remember being sprawled out on my bed vegging out to the cover photo. I ended up trading the disc to some dude for a pile of loot, but truth be told, I don’t remember what any of the stuff was and couldn’t even be certain if I retain any of said loot in my collection. So, back to present day and Blasted in Bangkok is being handed to me by poor, underappreciated postman Sal, and it was like being in high school all over again . . . sans the alienation, massive waves of depression, and bad acne.

Amidst some healthy doses of nostalgia, I slapped the piece of wax on the turntable and applied needle to groove, and man! It was like I had never stopped listening to this thing! Rumbling bass and drums tore out of my speakers as “Fear the War Within” cuts through the shit and starts the pit. Despite the poor production or mix or what have you, the song is arguably one of the best tunes Hirax has ever committed to tape. Odds are, the song wouldn’t have had the same impact on me if it were produced to a sterling quality, the rawness of the recording truly captures the emotion of the music. Filled with mid tempo breaks coming out of speed metal passages, Katon W. De Pena’s soaring vocals and cry for equality, “Fear the War Within” shows the band stepping away from the traditional speed/thrash metal of the time and crossing over to more of the hardcore vibe. For me, this whole song comes together perfectly . . . primarily, it’s the lyrics and the way they seem to effortlessly flow out of Katon’s brain. For the past twenty years, I’ve sung the first verse like I was spinning the disc on a daily basis.

Flip this bad boy over to the B Side and prepare to have your face blown off by “The Beginning of the End.” Opening up as a true speed metal classic, Hirax then drop down to a killer guitar driven mid tempo mosh part. Man! What a killer groove! The huge bass volume gives the song a dense hardcore feel, but at the same time, has a warm tone that works as a nice counterpart to the more sterile and rigid guitar tone. Again, hearing this song for the first time in twenty years, it’s as if I had never stopped giving this disc love. I found myself immediately singing in tandem with Katon as he attacks the choruses and then I was a whirlwind of flailing limbs, completely oblivious of any obstacle that was in my path. I love Hirax . . . and it all started with Blasted in Bangkok. It appears that in 2000, the band re-released this demo on 10” white vinyl and included another track, so . . . it looks like I need to make another trip to eBay. www.blackdevilrecords.com

Heavy Water Experiments – Single

Heavy Water Experiments is one of those bands that have never been easy to pigeon-hole. Going back to when they were known as Imogene, I remember listening to them and thinking, ‘They’re heavy, but melodic; loose and spacey, but progressively complex.’ Heavy Water Experiments will always challenge the most discerning music listener, at the same time as they create a rich textural sound to have humming away in the background of one’s daily activities. So, when we received the new single from the band, we were excited beyond all belief, immediately racing to the turntable to give the sky blue vinyl a spin. As per usual with HWE, the bass is heavy . . . man, its heavy! But this time around, as the A Side single of “Hermes Told Me So” hums along in its mesmerizing fashion, we begin to recognize the elegant textures of the keyboards as they create a semi-transparent wall in the background of the song, Robert Salguero’s drum work channels a bit of the late, great John Bonham’s thundering attack, but maybe even more impressively, multi-instrumentalist David Melbye’s softer, more melodic vocal approach. God! The more I listen to this song, the better and better it gets. Heady and intelligent lyrics sung with an airy voice, mixed with the shimmering sound of the keyboards and propelled by a dense wall of rhythmic sound . . . does it really get any better than this?

The heavy drone tone of the Heavy Water sound continues with the B Side track, “The Plunge.” This time along though, the band seems to stretch itself more than what I’ve heard in the past. “The Plunge,” while still harboring many of those late 60’s psychedelic sounds has a heavy pop feel to it. For some reason, I keep thinking of the Mary Tyler Moore show when I hear this, when in actuality, the song would fit better with the imagery of a darkened basement during the Summer of Love . . . lava lamps bubbling away, couples curled up in bean bags, soft clouds of smoke from burning incense or a fired up joint . . . I love the subtle guitar interlude in the middle of the song and the big gong crashes. This song, like many in the bands repertoire, is deceptively complex; filled with great ambient portions of sound while retaining a heady musicianship that would befuddle the average musician. All we need now is a 12” version of Heavy Water Experiments so we can really get our freak on! www.heavywaterexperiments.com 

The Fitt – S/T

Sludgy, virulent, mean, and nasty, The Fitt is a new find for me. Submitted by Big Neck Records, this 7” is comprised of six tracks and all of them massively distorted nuggets of sound. I’m not really sure if one would consider these guys doom metal or sludge metal or stoner metal or what, but the common theme throughout all of the sound is the heavy density of the tones. On initial listen, I thought the pressing was at 45 rpm, but upon switching to 45 and listening, well . . . it was Alvin and his furry little friends were smoking a lot of herb and living in squalor, firing off some of the most insane music in their illustrious careers. But alas, the disc is pressed at 33 1/3 and after giving it the self titled disc a few more spins, it all began to make a lot more sense.

When you first hear “Hawk Eyes,” there’s no doubt that you’ll think something is wrong with your sound system. My God! That bass is everywhere! Then, as the rest of the instruments are identified, it’s readily apparent that The Fitt are hell bent intent on leveling cities by sheer sound intensity. The instrumental “M80” opens the B Side and is as powerful as the titled would insinuate. Like every song on the disc, the music is dense. Not just the bass tones, but the guitar tones, the vocals, hell . . . even the drums just sound unnaturally heavy. “Killer” is an unrelenting beat down with a quasi-psychedelic wrinkle. Listening to this song is akin to peering through a cloud of pot smoke and seeing the hazy images of this musical trio hammering away at their instruments. The distorted vocals lend the greatest hand in making this song sound like a trip to a face to face meeting with one’s darkest fears. The effect is one of claustrophobia and paranoia. The effect is fucking freaky! www.myspace.com/thefitt

 -  Pope JTE

 

Ripple News - Static Summer - "She's Not a Lover" free download

If there's one thing we love to do here at Ripple Central, is to giveaway free music, all with the intent of helping the bands out, spreading the word.

With that in mind, we were damn excited when we were contacted by the people handling Static Summer, asking us to host a free stream of the band's new single.  All gussied up and ready for your consumption.


For those of you who don't know the band, Static Summer is an alternative rock act from the New York City area who write timeless hard driving songs with huge hooks to go along with there edgy guitar lines & dynamic rhythm section. Their influences include everything from The Cure and Helmet to Duran Duran  and The Foo Fighters.

Check em out: 

Stream/Download: http://drop.io/hidden/ovvtmsnozh298d/asset/MDEtc2hlLXMtbm90LWEtbG92ZXItcmFkaW8tZWRpdC13YXY%253D

Dusted Angel - 7" - The Thorn b/w Valium 5

Dusted Angel is one of the best band names I’ve heard in awhile.

But what’s even better is that Dusted Angel includes vocalist Clifford Dinsmore and drummer Bill Torgerson from Santa Cruz hardcore legends BL’AST! Just a few months ago I rediscovered the joys of the 3 albums they made for SST in the mid to late 1980’s and wondered what became of this beast. I always had a soft spot for BL’AST! because they were one of those bands that were too noisy and fucked up for the thrash metal crowd, but too metallic for a lot of punks. They definitely picked up where Black Flag left off on Damaged but made it even heavier.

Then out of nowhere, Dusted Angel appeared. They formed in 2008 and have just released their debut 7” single on Corruption Recordings. It was recorded by Billy Anderson, who is well known for his work with High On Fire, Neurosis and Melvins so you know this is heavy. And it is. The production is impressive – heavy but not detuned indecipherable sludge. The string section of Eric Fieber (guitar), Scott Stevens (guitar) and Elliot Young (bass) blend well to make the riffs heavy and catchy. Bill’s drumming is powerful and creative. Clifford’s vocals, as always, are intense, angry and distorted.

Side A is “The Thorn,” an almost 6 minute song that starts off slow and doomy before picking up speed at the 2 minute mark when Clifford’s vocals kick in. The influence of Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, etc is strong but delivered at hardcore punk intensity. This is what it sounds like when old punks grow old and stay pissed. “Valium 5” is on the flip side and is just as heavy but a little faster and angrier. Clifford really lets loose with some intense wails. The song ends with a big explosion. If you buy the single through itunes there’s a bonus track, an instrumental called “Purple Jesus” that sounds like a cross between “Process of Weeding Out” era Black Flag and early Iron Maiden.

So far Dusted Angel has shared the stage with Kylesa, Saviours, Black Cobra and have upcoming shows with Nebula and Saint Vitus. As good as the single is, I’m sure these guys are much more potent on the stage. Hopefully they’ll be able to do some national touring (come to Brooklyn, please!) and put out a full length soon. Get dusted!

--Woody

http://www.myspace.com/dustedangelrocks

Buy from Corruption Recordings (comes with free beer coozie!)

http://www.myspace.com/corruptionrecordings