The 16th annual High Zero festival is happening September 18th - 21st at the Theatre Project (45 W. Preston St.). High Zero is a huge improvised experimental music festival in Baltimore.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
High Zero
The 16th annual High Zero festival is happening September 18th - 21st at the Theatre Project (45 W. Preston St.). High Zero is a huge improvised experimental music festival in Baltimore.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Fields Festival
"Fields is a camping, music, and arts festival at the Ramblewood campgrounds in Darlington, Maryland on August 22, 23, and 24th". Some notable acts include Dan Deacon, DJ Dog Dick, Jeff Carey, Lizz King, Myconids, and Horse Lords. Colorado Jesus is running sound and I wish I could go.
Tickets start at 65 dollars in advance and can be purchased here. Don't be a lame ass, you know you have nothing better going on this weekend. There will be food trucks and a pool.
Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate)
Empire! Empire! released a new album yesterday. Look at how cute Andrew is in that picture up there. D'aww.
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Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Support Ferguson Protesters Compilation
Some people that I know organized a compilation that they are trying to sell in order to raise money to donate to the protesters arrested in Ferguson, MO. It would be cool if you threw them some money, but if you don't want to or don't want to get involved in the Ferguson stuff, at least give it a listen. Anything will help. Word.
Jacob Marley
There was a short period of time when I lived with Jacob Marley (no relation to Bob, and yes, I was also disappointed until I realized that its a reference to This Dude). He decided to leave us for some closet or something, so like, ok cool R.I.P to your comfort and stuff. He put out a record recently which was engineered by the one and only Colorado Jesus. Check out the stuff below.
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Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Bliss
Bliss makes "sad witch house" music. Colorado Jesus did a remix on his newest release, which is out on Friends Records.
Friday, August 8, 2014
GUEST POST - Ramy Silyan
Do you know Ramy? You probably do. He did Olhar De Vidro and Smash Them Dead, used to book for Hyde Park Half, and has been involved with hella bands in California including Ten Thousand Leagues, ColorChromatic, and Pills.
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i went through a good six months where i wanted nothing to do with new bands…. i have no idea why… i was mostly bummed, almost jadded. i quickly shaped up, and the need for new music just came so naturally. i had to learn more about new bands… plus, it was no excuse because i have amazing friends doing amazing things in new bands. thanks for the guest spot robbie <3 span="">
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scowler// i just saw scowler the other day for the first time, and i was completely blown away. all i could think about in my head was “holy shit the power”. i am not sure how they come off on recording because i have yet to put the tape in and listen, BUT live they were monsters. it was extremely drum and bass heavy live, which i can really appreciate. the bass was so trebly, and went from sharp movements, to grooves… from dissonance, to melody. the drums were so unbelievably on point, the perfect mix of chaos and grooves… the drummer seemed to pick a really gnarly beat, and stick with it for a couple of parts. lots of bass drum and snare attack. the guitars were sick, but i wasn't too focused on them. they were heavy, dissonant, noisy… all the things i want in a band. i couldn't hear the vocals too much but i felt and saw all the feels. all in all this band is definitely top of my 2014 list. reminded me of a way more pissed plot to blow up the eiffel tower meets a much more self aware glassjaw.
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page of concrete// i randomly came across
this last night. saw the tags screamo and virginia and immediately raised a
brow. put it on, and was blown away. right off the bat, it definitely has that
RVA sound. the weirdest time changes, with very distinct vocal change ups, and
the most off the wall guitar riffs i have heard since ‘suri’ was still a band.
i couldn't tell at first, but they seemed to have two vocalists? or maybe just
one super manic person loosing their shit on the mic. none the less, this goes
from blasts, to groves, to chugs, to noodley fucked chaos in the matter of
seconds. favorite tracks thus far are “interlude” and “archestones”.
interlude has this lead line that sounds like something out of a disney movie..
it reminds me of a song in beauty and beast or something weird, i don't know
why but thats my first association with the riff, and its by no means a dis. at
the end there is this straight rock n roll riff, that some how works so fucking
well. that song pretty much flows right into the next song which is
archestones, and that song is a lot more chaotic, with way more change ups. you
really hear the two singers on that track, lots of melody with layered anger.
very excited to see this band do more, and for this band to tour.
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tørsö// when ever i just want to nod my head a
long, and pump my fist as i listen to a band, i put tørsö on. super pissed xvx
dbeat from oakland. this band just feels like a full body force, moving from
more up tempo punk parts, straight into the most un-relentless guitars, and the
most pissed vocals. this band is fresh off of a euopean tour, and i am stoked
to see what they do next. i am excited to finally see them live again.
***
perpetual motion machine// i was
super excited to play with this band a couple of weeks ago. i played two shows
with them, and they totally blew me away. they have an energy that i haven’t
seen from a band in a very very long time. the singer, dan, said something
during their set in san diego that gave me goosbumps, and i knew at that moment
this band was a band that was right up my alley. this band just exhumes an
energy, that is a very self aware form of aggression that i can really back.
one of my biggest qualms about punk and hardcore is when that aggression is
turned into machismo, and i can assure y'all that there was no machismo in this
set. live, the bassist grooved so hard (i don't think there is bass in
this recording), the guitar was so unbelievably loud and shrill, and i have
never seen a drummer go so ham on their kit.. even after the kit had completely
fallen apart.
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marcy// damn this band. I wish this band was a band
when i was out in the midwest on tour, i would have loved to see them. i
initially heard a demo, or early recording (maybe it was live) that i was a
little whatever about, musically speaking.. personally speaking i was excited
to hear a friends music. the stuff i have been listening to the most as of
recent has been the father figure split, and holy shit. its heavy and pissed,
and they do a good job of channeling all that east coast chaos, while still
grooving really hard. 6/4 emotive hardcore done really really well, with
layered vocals that are distinct from one another, some guitar noodles. the
drums are on point, and sound like they are being hit as hard as
possible.
***
haram// this is a band i
naturally heard about because of my huge love of the richmond virginia music
scene. most bands that i have heard out of that area, by the same group of
people, have all blown me away. this band is no different.. i had put them on
the back burner for so so long, and finally found both LPs while on a trip to
seattle. they were cheap, and i was itching for something new. the second i got
back home, put on the first LP (S/T) and was immediately taken by the intro…
simple power chord strums, with a little bendy part straight into it, and it is
relentless. timing wise it is a lot more simple than most “heavy” “loud” bands
i listen to, but that first track floored me. lots of big octave parts, with
little leads. its only one vocalists, but they do an amazing job of holding it
down. this band does an amazing job of layering. there is a huge amount of
bass/guitar layering, i am pretty sure they had three guitar players. they
never officially broke up (?) and if they reunited i would be on the first
plane to where ever they played.
***
wulver// this is a band from
2009(ish) that i have been thinking a lot about lately. they only played a
handful of shows, but i remember them all being so fucking awesome. i loved the
twangy parts, into the fast punk parts. super heavy, and the vocals are
extremely pissed. this band was very driving, and i think the drums had a lot
to do with that. “lonely cowboy” is my favorite song, i think its the most
diverse, i love the intro and the breakdown/bass drum outro. i remember that
song rocked me so fucking hard live. this band simply disappeared, and the
people went on to do other bands that were totally different, but still kind of
the same. i remember seeing this band and wanting to start something similar,
and at one point some friends and i tried.. i remember we called it LARRY H. PARKER and we only had one practice. then
shortly there after started the band that we are all pretty much in now
together.
***
sea sons// this was the first
screamo band i saw back in high school, and i was so confused and so jarred. i
seriously didn't understand what it was, but it made so much sense to me. the
people in the band where all people i knew from going to shows, riding bikes,
and i even went to high school with one of them. i never realized they were in
this amazing band. it was wild, i saw them for the first time on their last
show. the guitars were mostly always clean slightly over driven, bass very
groovy, and the drums slightly technical but not over done. all in all really
really groovy off timish band. the vocals were probably the part that confused
me the most as a young teen… i had heard screaming/yelling vocals… but they
were not mutually exclusive to me at that point. the singer in this band does
something with his voice, where they are doing both at once, and i remember it
hit me straight to my core. i could understand every word, and i could feel
just how anxious, upset, and unsettled they were. maybe i am romanticizing this
band, but that show set such a high bar for me as far as screamo/emotive bands
go.
link//https://myspace.com/
link//https://myspace.com/
Kali Mixtape Vol. 2
I don't remember if I posted the first one of these, but regardless, this is the second installment in the KALI mixtape series. This is a large collection of active bands from California. The only bands from this mixtape that I have posted previously are Leer, Canyons, and Never Young.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Infinite Pizza
Infinite Pizza is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Pizza themed powerviolence band from Baltimore.
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Tuesday, August 5, 2014
GUEST POST - Aaron Broneil
Aaron sent me this a long ass time ago and we both forgot about it until today.
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Sup yall. Aaron here.
Robbie's letting me do a guest Chug on the DIY scene in St. Louis, which is
currently
the city I
represent. Firstly, I'd like to say thank you to Robbie and all the chuggers,
as it's a great honor
for my community to be
represented on what is probably the best diy blog on the internet. Robbie is
the dude,
and his unbridled,
hot-and-sweaty passion for this music is really a beautiful thing. If there is
ever a book written
on the state of punk
music in the 2010s, Chug Life better have it's own god damned chapter, or at
least a liner note or two.
Anyways, St. Louis,
Missouri has a very active and diverse DIY scene that, I feel, is very under looked compared to other cities. There
are tons of new venues and bands always popping up, and there is never a lack
of rad shit coming out of the city.
In this chug I am
going to compile an alphabetical, and by no means comprehensive list on some
really great active STL bands to check out. Here
goes.
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Black Fast
Black Fast destroy.
They are a metal band that has been active for quite a while now, but have
stayed pretty low key until recently. They had an EP Cd-r
that you could really only get from band members or at shows. I'd bump the
living shit out of that ep in my Saturn, turnin' heads. Their shit is
pummeling, technical, raw, and always thrashing. I honestly believe them to be
one of the greatest metal bands in the country, let alone the city. Plus, they are the
gnarliest most genuine dudes ever. They will drink whicha, they will smoke
whicha, they will die whicha. A couple summers ago,
when I was pretty much homeless, Ryan let me crash in his basement for a while
when I was getting back on my feet. They have a new album
coming out this week. I've heard it and it absolutely slays. Buy it when it
comes out. If you are a fan of
heavy music in the slightest, give these rippers a listen. Expect big things
from these dudes.
***
Crucial
Crucial are a mathy
band from east of the river. All the dudes in the band are killer
musicians but their music never
gets too indulgent, with shifting textures and meters to keep things
interesting. Recently the became a
three piece, and I heard their sound is going to change quite a bit. This is really some
forward-thinking and ambitious stuff for all you math-nerds out there. Be sure to dig on the
EP included on the link, it gets pretty heady and was recorded live(!)..
***
Early Worm
I play bass in Early Worm. I feel kinda lame including my own band on this list, but whatever. We're a three piece
that play kinda sappy indie-rock. I guess that'd be the best way to explain it. Unabashadley poppy. So
far we just have an EP out which was recorded in the Spring by local legend Ryan Wasaba,
previously of So Many Dynamos. He really is the dude. Anyways, were probably
gonna start work on a full length in the coming months and there are talks of a winter tour. Keep your ear to the ground.
***
Foxing
Odds are if there is
any band you have heard of on this list, Foxing is that band. Odds are you have
made out or broken up with your
boy/girlfriend to "Ocelot." I would drink 40s and mope on my couch to
it. Regardless, Foxing are really, really good. They recently got signed to Count Your Lucky Stars
which is super cool. I caught them live a few months ago with Native, and if
their set's material was any indicator of
what is gonna be on the upcoming full-length, its gonna be a real banger.
***
The Gorge
Oh my lord do The Gorge slay. Really sick, heavy shit. Local bass-legend Nick Jost, who now
thumps it up in Baroness, used to play bass in this band. Now Ryan from Black
Fast plays bass, which is awesome. Ryan
is like the metal-bass dude but you should also hear him rip on some
jazz-guitar. And plus he's absolutely gorgeous. Anyways, check out the
Gorge and get your head ripped off.
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Laika
Laika rule. 3 piece
screamo band. Real humble, nice dudes who I've seen tear it up live multiple
times.
They tap, they emote,
they say funny things like "Shit yeaaah." Check out the split with
Weakness on the bandcamp link. Solid.
***
Lions Eat Grass
Lions Eat Grass are an
accordion/drums duo from East of the river. Honestly I have never seen them
live, but have heard John
play a bunch of songs solo and they are some of the most heart-crushingly
beautiful songs I've ever heard, Brutally honest, even
on the edge of disturbing. Great melodies. Check them out.
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Lumpy and The Dumpers
"punk eel goo
fuck you eat shit fucked up sic nasty meat slime."
These are the tags on
Lumpy & the Dumpers bandcamp page and it sums up their sound pretty well. This is some real
noisy and fucked up punk-rock for sure. St. Louis has a really prevalent Noise
scene which I'm not really that hip to, but this band
takes elements of the STL noise thing into their sound. Peep how raw this city
can get. I was listening to the
7" on my ride home from work today and just lost my shit. "GOD MADE
MAN BUT FIRST HE MADE SLIIIIIME!!!" Highly recommended, go download it now.
***
Mids
Mids is an
experimental screamo-ish bass and drums two piece. They've got a real
interesting sound going on.
The bass sits, as the
name would imply, in the middle region of the tonal spectrum. The drumming,
supplied by
Jack from Laika, is
absolutely on point too. Jack's a real talented kid, I'm pretty sure he just
graduated highschool and is already playing
music of this caliber. That's what's up. Get high on some Mids.
***
Nos Bos
NOS BOS is my friend
Devin's band. They rule so hard. Noisey energetic punk a bit like the
aforementioned Dumpers, but with a more
classic feel. Still seriously fucked up, though. Go listen to the self titled
on bandcamp right now, it rules. Besides being the
coolest dude ever, Devin is also a really talented visual artist, check his
stuff out if you can.
***
Spelling Bee
Spelling Bee are a
guitar and drums duo who are pretty prevalent on the St. Louis DIY
circuit. I'm pretty sure they
played the Bell Foundry a little while back too. I'm sure they get compared to Melt
Banana a lot, due to the cute female vox and overall spazzy feel, but I assure
you the simularities end
there. Spelling Bee rule, check them out.
***
Stonechat
Stonechat are probably
one of my favorite bands east of the river. They are also my bosses at the cafe
I work at.
But I ain't
brown-nosing one bit cause these dudes are the cat's pajamas. Guitar and drums
duo. Spazzy, agitated, and
melodic indie-rock. Watching these guys live is incredible because they have
some serious telepathic
shit going on. I mean, Sean and Charlie literally live, work, and play
together. How they don't
absolutely hate each
other is beyond me. There's something really magical about the dynamic
there. Charlie is also a
great producer, he's recorded a number of the bands on this list. Beast Ill was one of
my favorite records this year, be sure to check it out. Sean tells me there's a midwest fall-tour in
the works too so stay tuned for that.
***
Yowie
It's funny that Yowie
should end up last here because they are the first band I had ever heard on
this list. Back when I lived in
Germany, Tobi from Fuck, Wolves! showed me this band. When I found out they
were from St. Louis after moving
here I nearly shit myself. There is no other band on this planet that sounds
like Yowie. Absolutely
mind-boggling shit here. These guys are "math rock" legends for sure,
despite the fact that the label does a complete disservice to their sound. Just listen and figure it out for yourself. Yowie is
nuts.
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So there you go, a
little taste of STL DIY. Although this list is most likely biased as fuck
as I have friends in a
bunch of these bands, I still feel it is a good representation of the diversity and talent in this
city. St. Louis bands don't really get heard out too often, so I'm super stoked that I was able
to use Chuglife as a platform to people would probably never hear these bands. A lot of bands when on
tour seem to circumnavigate St. Louis in favor of other midwest cities, which gets me admittedly butt
hurt. Hopefully this will change soon. If you ever need a show or place to stay
here hit a homie up. Mark at the Lemp Arts
Center is always willing to have rad bands play at the Lemp, and there's no
shortage of awesome, free stuff to do in the
city if you're a touring band. It's all love here.. aight I'm done peace.
Monday, August 4, 2014
My America
My America used to be called My America is Watching Tigers Die, and I used to see them play all the time back in the day.
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