Details emerge about new albums from Isis, Tortoise, Akron/Family, and Stinking Lizaveta; Zu announces some dates for a world tour (a pair of which are with Mike Patton); Dark Meat will go on tour with its 17 members; the Scion Rock Fest hosts a spate of crushing metal bands in Atlanta on February 28.
Keep readin’…
According to 1919 Hemphill’s website guy, Al, the venue is a “volunteer-run community and performance space that follows the DIY ethic. We have shows of all kinds; a free store; a book, zine and music library; and we offer an alcohol- and smoke-free environment for all kinds of events and meetings.”
Inspired by Django Reinhardt, the legendary face of Gypsy jazz guitarists, Alfonso Ponticelli and his backing band create swinging numbers that hearken to the 1930s.
While he performs in Evanston, a northern neighbor of Chicago, The Most Dangerous Race will be at Chicago’s Metro, playing electronically infused rock songs with strong pop sensibilities.
Fresh off the release of its ninth studio album, experimental indie trio Animal Collective hits Chicago’s Metro, a relatively large venue that ideally won’t affect the group’s warm sound.
ALARM columnist Sean-Michael Yoder shares his first five electronic picks in 2009. The list includes Aether’s “melodic” Artifacts, London’s John Tejada with Fabric 44, the pop/dance beats of Hercules and Love Affair’s self-titled album, a Lollapalooza mix, and Jaga Jazzist leader Lars Horntveth’s 37-minute song, “Kaleidoscopic.”
Before their beautiful full-length debut of Love Your Abuser on Mush Records, brothers Michael and Jared Bell of Lymbyc Systym made well-crafted, keyboard-driven post-rock for their Carved by Glaciers EP.
Performing in her native city of Beijing, Chinese composer and guzheng virtuoso Wu Fei played at the Stone Boat Café on Friday in support of Yuan, a collection of chamber compositions released on Tzadik in late November.
ALARM contributor and Beijing resident Dan Fuller reports on this performance — from literally inside a stone boat.
For the Love of Vinyl: The Album Art of Hipgnosis
by Storm Thorgerson & Audrey Powell
Hardcover, $45, PictureBox
[presently available for $20 directly from Picturebox here]
You have definitely seen the album art of Hipgnosis, the now-revered British design group that created the art for most of your favorite classic records of the 1970s. Houses Of The Holy, Dark Side Of The Moon — both theirs.
Much has been published about the work of Hipgnosis’ co-founders Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell, whose photography backgrounds fueled their work. However, For The Love of Vinyl documents over 60 of their projects in detail — offering insight into the environment in which these works were produced. These histories are often as interesting as the album art.
Seminal ’90s New Jersey straight-edge hardcore group Mouthpiece has announced the release of Can’t Kill What’s Inside: The Complete Discography. To be issued by Revelation Records, the discography is a 24-track collection of the band’s entire recorded output as well as previously unreleased live tracks, exclusive photos, and a complete list of the band’s shows.
It’s pretty badass if we do say so (and we do), and thanks to our friends at Revelation, we’re able to give away not one, but two Mouthpiece prize packs to ALARM readers.
Cody Critcheloe, frontman and creator of SSION, has a lot to talk about these days — the mockumentary he’s working on, touring, his art and music videos, his eyebrows…but in an interview with ALARM, he opted to discuss his favorite ladies in rock.
Beneath the eye liner, street jizz, and punk attitude, there lies a softer side to Critchloe. All of these women have genuinely been a source of inspiration for him.
More details emerge about the upcoming Supermachiner release; the Shrinebuilder super-group begins recording; Mono announces a new album; Orange Tulip Conspiracy announces a full US tour for May. Get these and 10 other news bit after the jump.
