Atlanta avant-rock combo Untied States will release their third full-length on Distile at the beginning of 2009. Untied States' electrifying experimental rock has already attracted attention from a number of influential tastemakers including Dusted, Popmatters, Smother, Tiny Mixtapes and Delusions of Adequacy. These masters of pop disaster will pull out a whole new assortment of tricks to bring us one of the most inspired records of the new year. >>>Myspace
Listen to: Untied States - You Own Your Own (from Retail/Detail)
Danish band Mimas will be the second big surprise in store for Distile fans in 2009. The quartet's debut record, "The Worries", strikes the perfect balance between post rock atmosphere, pop melody, and jazzy freedom, all tied to a distinctly Scandinavian aesthetic. Mimas have become prominent in the Danish and British indie-scene since the release of their EP “Hands will Carry” and have been recommended by Drowned in Sound, Rough Trade, Tasty Fanzine amongst others. >>>Myspace
Listen to: Mimas - Cats On Fire (from The Worries)
After having being compared in the United States with bands such as The Mars Volta, Portugal The Man or The Fall of Troy, the Sacramento’s quatuor will spread their disillusioned joy in Europe. This is about to be one of the highlight of the end of this year.The release date is scheduled on December 8th.
To put it simply, O! The Joy’s Zen Mode has been one of the most stimulating listening for a while. Blending every possible musical genres, from prog' to math, from pop to experimental, from jazz to soul, from emo to noise, the album is multi-directionnal and unpredictable such that you could be lost and baffled while you are listening to it. Be warned.
O! The Joy was designed since their beginning to be the ground of experimentations. This is a free electrons band and a three strong-charactered musicians’ gathering, leading by the virtuoso drummer Justin Goings (Mister Metaphor, Playing To The Grandstand). Add an unconventionnal guitar player (Jason Ellis) and a slightly emo singer (Kurt Travis), and you will get the point! Zen Mode is a challenging and amazing masterpiece.
Everything you always wanted to know about math rock (but were afraid to ask). Music writer’s Nick Greer of Sputnikmusic.com has just published a comprehensive report about this little-known rock subcategory. Illustrating his paper with the best Californian math rock bands around, this should give you a good overview and make you want to go further. And yes, we are very glad to see our Planets featured in this article! We will offer you a video interview of Paul & Thomas very soon, originally shot for the European broadcast “Tracks” to follow the discussion.
June 26th. A muggy afternoon in Brooklyn. Paul parks his trailer next to the Galapagos Art Space. Tonight the show will be starting at midnight after a couple of crappy local bands. Planets is pretty lucky though, their tourmates Ahleuchatistas will be playing at 1 am... A couple of hours to kill in this quiet neighborhood. An interview for a European TV broadcast called "Tracks". Conversations about music and politics, about the differences between the States and Europe, about the meaning of what it is to be an underground rock band today...
Thomas is rehearsing the battery in the van while Paul moves his 6 handmade speakers up to the stage and puts the finishing touches for the show. Now it's time to get dressed like ghosts. Now it's time to go fast and furious.
The show will be short and hectic. Songs following each other without a rest. A wall of sound and fury, a music mixed up with psychedelic images creating a new dimension in which you are entirely -physically and mentally- absorbed. When the show is finished, you need a few minutes to return to Earth. But you definitely want to buy another ticket.
If you didn't already know that Switzerland is home to a bunch of kickass rock bands, you'd better get up to date immediately. One of the first bands that introduced us to this hectic scene was called Honey For Petzi. Mathy* as we like, here at Distile. And here’s a few more names: Shovel, Favez, Impure Whilelmina, Ventura, Knut...yeah, heavy rock for your I-pod-filled ears. Well I guess if you're browsing this blog, you're not too afraid of experiencing more breakthrough tunes. So let’s introduce you to Commodor.
Commodor is a trio from Geneva with Adriano Perlini (guitar, vocals), Tim Robert-Charrue (bass, keyboard) and Christophe Henchoz (percussion). If you have been educated at the Swiss school, you should know that Tim holds the 6-strings in Knut (Hydrahead Industries). That's the heavy element. Thus, Commodor has a rich loud sound, yes. You can't deny their origin. They have the acrimonious and abrasive sound of their Swiss mates for sure. And since I’ve seen them live in first part of Trans Am, I can tell you that these guys are seriously busy on stage.
But Commodor also comes up with the vision of frontman Adriano Perlini and the background of jazz drummer Christophe Henchoz who set the band apart and pushed it in other directions than purely heavy. They bring the "post" and the "math" to the heavy part. Kind of Girls Against Boys or These Arms Are Snake? Maybe. Just check them out and stay tuned of their upcoming US Tour 2009.
Commodor - Driving Out Of Focus available in the United States of America on August 12th 2008 (Stickfigure).
We've known Paul Slack for a while now. Bass player of Sacramento math rock duo SWIMS, along with Mark Rocha on drums, we've decided to put his first 6-track EP out in late 2006. Our third release, our first american band and a trippy one!
Some months later, Paul came back to us with another project called "Planets", still a duo with Thomas Crawford on drums. Planets self-titled record was in the mailbox a few days later, wrapped in one of the craziest packaging we've ever seen. An all hand made cloth sleeve, sealed on its four borders and with a real leaf stuck on the front cover. After a listening, we decided to jump on the bandwagon and to help our dudes releasing their masterpiece.
So how does this new project sound? In an interview with Fringe Magazine, Paul explained: "Planets is a more gritty, dirty, intricate sound — a lot faster, a lot more thought out, a lot less groove and more measures, scales and all the goodies, mathy. They are really pieced out, were as Swims tends to be more rhythmic, not just a whole bunch of short ballads. Also with Planets, we got a whole visual aspect to it. We’ve got a whole visual performance we do while we play, so it’s not just watching two dudes playing drums and a bass. There’s going to be all kinds of good stuff going on at a Planets show".
You, lucky people! Planets will hit he road this summer. Ahleuchatistas will join them for a couple of gigs on the East Coast. Check them out if they come by your town!
MEDIA Listen to: Planets - To Think Listen to: SWIMS - Pegasus
TOUR DATES 06/13 - 924 Gilman St, Berkeley, California 06/14 - Studio on 4th, Reno, Nevada 06/15 - TBA, Salt Lake City, Utah 06/16 - Lifespot, Centennial, Colorado 06/17 - TBA, Lincoln, Nebraska 06/18 -Fuck Mountain, Chicago, Illinois w/ Ahleuchatistas 06/19 - Art Hospital, Bloomington, Indiana w/ Ahleuchatistas 06/20 - Pat's in the Flats, Cleveland, Ohio w/ Ahleuchatistas 06/21 - TBA, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania w/ Ahleuchatistas 06/23 - TBA, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania w/ Ahleuchatistas 06/24 - Cake Shop, Manhattan, New York w/ Ahleuchatistas 06/25 - New Haven People's Center, New Haven, Rhode Island w/ Ahleuchatistas 06/26 - Galapagos, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York w/ Ahleuchatistas 06/27 - O'Brien's, Boston, Massachussets w/ Ahleuchatistas 06/28 - Orion Studios, Baltimore, Maryland w/ Ahleuchatistas 06/30 - 700 Social Club, Wilmington, Delaware 07/01 - Dudebrohouse, Tenleytown, Washington DC 07/02 - TBA, Richmond, Virginia 07/03 - New French Bar, Asheville, North Carolina 07/04 BLOWING SHIT UP IN NASHVILLE, Nashville, Tennessee 07/05 - The Exchange, Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas 07/07 - 1919 Hemphill, Fort Worth, Texas 07/08 - The Stove, Albuquerque, New Mexico 07/09 - TBA, Phoenix, Arizona 07/10 - Chaser's, San Diego, California 07/11 - The Smell, Los Angeles, California 07/12 - TBA, Santa Barbara, California 07/14 - TBA, Santa Cruz, California 07/24 - Boogie Room, Santa Rosa, California
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