The Andreas Kapsalis & Goran Ivanovic Guitar Duo launch lengthy Midwest tour

Chicago natives Andreas Kapsalis and Goran Ivanovic are guitar-wielding wizards, prodigious at the steel-string ten-finger technique as well as nylon-string classical folk. Together, they are The Andreas Kapsalis & Goran Ivanovic Guitar Duo, a dexterous duo rooted in modern, classical, world, jazz, and other genres, mixed to make a truly creative sound.

The duo will tour the Midwest — with a few peppered Northeast dates — from mid-August through September, before taking a brief break in October to perform at the Chicago Guitar Festival at the Mayne Stage, which they are helping to produce.

We were lucky enough to have them perform at the launch party for our sister magazine, Design Bureau, so we know that they’re awesome live. Don’t miss this tour!

Sharon Van Etten on tour with Marissa Nadler and Junip

Having recently performed at the Pitchfork Music Festival in June, ambient folk crooner Sharon Van Etten continues her tour of the US in anticipation of her new album, Epic, out October 5 on Ba Da Bing Records.

Van Etten will play select shows in the Southeast with sophisticated dream-folk artist Marissa Nadler in September, followed by her first nationwide tour in November with indie-folk singer José Gonzalez’s new band, Junip.

Prepare for these upcoming dates by checking out her video for “Take Away Show #109” here.

Sharon Van Etten: “Love More”
LoveMore

Powerglove’s five favorite video-game covers

Named after the Nintendo robot-hand gaming accessory, Powerglove plays power-metal covers of classic video-game songs. The band released its debut EP, Total Pwnage, in 2005, covering, among other songs, the Tetris theme and the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers theme. The band continued to develop its “Nintendo-core” sound with a full-length in 2007, entitled Metal Kombat for the Mortal Man.

With a new album based on Saturday-morning cartoons on the way (Saturday Morning Apocalypse, 9/28, E1 Music), Powerglove caught up with ALARM to share a few of its all-time favorite video-game covers.

Pyramids’ R. Loren heads new drone project with incredible cast

You never thought it could happen in your wildest drone-metal dreams, but it has: noise honchos Ted Parsons (Swans, Jesu, Godflesh), Aiden Baker (Nadja), and Colin Marston (Krallice) have joined James Blackshaw (Current 93), Marissa Nadler, Vern Rumsey (Unwound), and many others to work with R. Loren of Pyramids in his collaborative project titled Sailors with Wax Wings.

The debut self-titled album is due for release on September 28, via Angel Oven Records, and the project has premiered the song “And Clash and Clash of Hoof and Heel”with accompanying video.

Unsane kicks off Scattered, Smothered & Covered US Tour, plays entire album live

Influential alt-metal group Unsane has announced super-special summer US tour dates. The trio will perform its classic 1995 album Scattered, Smothered & Covered from start to finish. The tour started last night, August 5, at NYC’s Santos Party House.

The announcement of the special Unsane live shows coincides with the 25th anniversary of Amphetamine Reptile Records, once home to the band. Unsane will perform alongside the Melvins, Boss Hog, and more as one of the featured artists at the AmRep 25th Anniversary Bash, set to take place August 27 and 28 in Minneapolis, MN.

This Month In Metal: Decrepit Birth, Aeon, Cardiac Arrest

Hail! This being my first column for ALARM Press, I thought I’d dip into some overlooked summer releases to get the blood flowing.

Decrepit Birth: Polarity (Nuclear Blast)

First up is the third album from California’s Decrepit Birth, Polarity. This album is a great example of the band’s name and the album’s title bringing to mind two completely different things. “Decrepit birth” sounds like a schlock-y gore-grind band, while “polarity” suggests spaced-out, progressive rock. Truth be told, it’s a bit of both.

Like Necrophagist before it, Decrepit Birth sticks to the old-school, growled, and slightly raspy styles of vocals in addition to its very complex, other-worldly music. This tactic is employed as a foundation: it doesn’t matter what Bill Robinson is growling about; it just matters that he does it consistently and with enough force to keep the album grounded throughout. With that being said, Robinson chooses his phrasing and placement of vocals well, allowing plenty of time for the rest of the band to do its thing, which really begins a minute and a half into Polarity, when there’s a Spanish-influenced guitar break out of nowhere.

The Portland Cello Project’s epic video for “Denmark”

The Portland Cello Project, which just stopped in Chicago for a headlining set in Millennium Park, is currently touring in support of its latest album, an instrumental odyssey entitled Denmark. The title song received music-video treatment by director Daniel Fickle from Two Penguins Productions. Depicting a shrimp attempting to escape from its polluted environment, the video offers timely social commentary while commemorating a friend of the band who struggled with cancer.

In other PCP news, the band is planning a fall tour of the USA and will begin work on a follow-up to The Thao and Justin Power Session. Read on for upcoming Portland Cello Project performances.