Kind of hard to believe, but an Obelisk search for Roachpowder brings up nothing. This means either I’ve mentioned them before and all my back posts are deleted (and if that’s the case, I don’t want to know), or this post is the first time the Stockholm band have been discussed on the site. They were pretty killer. End of discussion.

Stay tuned next week as we’ll wrap the month of July. I have exciting news regarding both my life situation and The Maple Forum, so look for that to come before next Friday, as well as reviews from Horseback, Black Sleep of Kali and several others. Next week is my last in Vermont, and The Patient Mrs. and I are headed to Burlington over the weekend, so I hope to come back with some Buried Treasure-type goodies to report on.

Good fun all around. I hope you enjoy the Roachpowder track above and I hope you have a great and safe weekend. Cheers.

Speaking of bands heavily influenced by Hawkwind, the PR wire informs that North Carolina upstarts U.S. Christmas — who as I understand it are all the rage with the kids these days — will have a new album out on Neurot come September 20. I still consider myself in the “I just don’t get it” camp when it comes to these guys, but rumor has it they’ve got a whole new lineup, so maybe Run Thick in the Night is the record that’ll turn me around.

Here’s the latest:

Neurot Recordings is proud to unleash the latest full-length from psychedelic, high-volume blues rock ensemble U.S. Christmas on September 20. Titled Run Thick in the Night, the band’s fifth long player was recorded by Sanford Parker at FahrenheitStudio in Johnson City, Tennessee, mixed by Parker and USX members Nate Hall, Matt Johnson and Josh Holt at Semaphore Studios in Chicago, IL and mastered by Collin Jordan.

Run Thick in the Night track listing
1. In the Night
2. Wolf on Anareta
3. Fire is Sleeping
4. Fonta Flora
5. Ephraim in the Stars
6. The Leonids
7. Suzerain
8. Maran
9. The Quena
10. Deep Green
11. Devil’s Flower in Mother Winter
12. Mirror Glass
13. The Moon in Flesh and Bone

U.S. Christmas will kick off the weekend performing two special shows with Corrosion of Conformity before heading out on a handful of one-off performances in September throughout North Carolina including at stop at the Hopscotch Music Fest in Raleigh. The fest features countless artists from all genres including Weedeater, Harvey Milk and Public Enemy. Confirmed dates below. Further dates TBA.

U.S. Christmas live:
7/30/2010 Stella Blue – Asheville, NC w/ Corrosion of Conformity (Animosity lineup), Zoroaster, Righteous Fool
7/31/2010 The Pour House Music Hall – Raleigh, NC w/ Corrosion of Conformity (Animosity lineup) Black Tusk, Righteous Fool
9/05/2010 Static Age Records – Asheville, NC w/ Body and Enoch
9/11/2010 Hopscotch Music Fest – Raleigh NC
9/16/2010 Legitimate Business – Greensboro, NC w/ Caltrop
9/17/2010 The Milestone – Charlotte, NC w/ Caltrop

U.S. Christmas is:
Nate Hall – Guitars, Words, Vocals
Matt Johnson – Synthesizers, Guitars, Sounds
Chris Thomas – Guitars, Bass
BJ Graves – Drums
Justin Whitlow – Drums, Experimental Sounds
Josh Holt – Bass, Drones
Meghan Mulhearn – Violin

Modern psychedelia would not be what it is without Hawkwind. In fact, it’s debatable whether it would be at all. The UK outfit, now in its 41st year of interstellar sonic exploration, so much embody the genre of space rock that their name is practically interchangeable with it. You do not have space rock without Hawkwind. It is that simple. Everyone who’s come since has been influenced by them, and they all know it.

Blood of the Earth (on Plastic Head; review here) is the first Hawkwind studio release in half a decade. Kind of a big deal. The band, centered around lone original member Dave Brock on vocals, guitar and keyboards, consists of drummer Richard Chadwick, bassist/vocalist Mr. Dibs, guitarist/bassist Nial Hone and keyboardist Tim Blake replacing Jason Stuart, who died of a sudden brain hemorrhage in 2008. On Blood of the Earth, their will to push deeper into rock and roll’s uncharted galaxies remains strong, and it was a thrill and an honor to be able to discuss the band, the album and how Hawkwind has changed over the years with Dave Brock.

After the jump, please find the ensuing Brock Q&A. Special thanks to Jon Freeman for making this happen, and, you know, to Hawkwind for kicking ass lo these many years.

Amidst barking dogs, shoddy international lines and a newly rebuilt home studio, we find Brock in jovial spirits, eager to share a laugh…

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In the spirit of the other day’s Buried Treasure post, I thought I’d make it known that after initial dejection and first encounters tainted by prejudice against it, I’ve finally and officially come to make peace with UK melodic proggers Anathema‘s latest album, We’re Here Because We’re Here.

This has been an emotionally charged process. First they didn’t tell me the album was coming, I had to find out and order it on Amazon and wait weeks for it to arrive, then I had to get over the fact that it’s neither A Fine Day to Exit nor A Natural Disaster, but rather a different, brighter sound altogether. We’re Here Because We’re Here is unrepentantly not the album I wanted and hoped it would be, and while it’s true I don’t know Anathema and they don’t owe me notice or anything else and it’s been seven years since the last album came out, you bet your ass I took it personally. But, I put the disc on while I was in the car last week on a trip I knew would be long enough to sustain a full sitting, and after that, I’m not ready to say I’m a full-blown convert, but I’m not holding a grudge either.

I’m sure everyone reading this and the band themselves will sleep better for knowing, so I just thought I’d share.

The Cryosphere being that part of the planet covered in ice (the poles, etc.), one would expect, Into the Cryosphere (Profound Lore), the second album from cross-country black metallers The Howling Wind to sound pretty cold and desolate, and it does at that. I don’t know if it’s a concept album in the narrative sense, but the record is certainly thematic, and the theme is chilly. Five of the seven total tracks have some mention of ice or frost or snow in the title (I count “Will is the Only Fire Under an Avalanche” among that number), and even unto the album’s design work, layout and cover art, the feel is frigid, desolate, and bleak.

Guitarist/bassist/vocalist Ryan Lipynski (Unearthly Trance) from Brooklyn, New York, operates here under the moniker Killusion and Portland, Oregon-based drummer Parasitus Nex is known for his work in Aldebaran and Splatterhouse, but though a country divides them, the two players are inevitably on the same page with Into the Cryosphere, constructing an atmosphere no less vivid for the fact that it’s too cold to support most forms of life. The two players work some of their doom influence into the songs, but the material here is much more geared toward the new breed of psychedelic black metal championed by US acts like Nachtmystium and seemingly founded by Norway’s Enslaved, though in general The Howling Wind seem much more geared toward aural pummel than the avant garde; a type of black metal more Swedish than Norwegian. Still very dark, cavernous, and frozen.

Into the Cryosphere gets off to a curious launch with “The Seething Wrath of a Frigid Soul,” which has some start-stop riffing that, because of mutes in the digital files, sound unnatural and contrary to the instrumentation. This is a minor gripe. Colin Marston of Behold! The Arctopus produced and mastered the album at his The Thousand Caves studio, and though in general I think he did a good job allowing enough space and breadth to the mix, those pauses are something I’ve continued to stumble over in repeat listening. The slower, more doomed “Teeth of Frost,” feels more natural, if utterly inhuman in its style and execution.

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You know the scene in Pootie Tang where Pootie has the hit single that’s completely silent and Chris Rock is the DJ who has to introduce the song without a name? I was reminded of that as I scoured the great big truck known as the internet looking for what the title of the song WhiteBuzz‘s new video is for (duh, it’s the one that sounds like Sleep — oh wait).

That title? “Untitled.” Glad to have put in the time. Sometimes life is just silly.

WhiteBuzz‘s Book of Whyte came out in 2009 on MeteorCity (read review). Here’s that video:

When Tee Pee Records put out Quest for Fire’s self-titled full-length last year, I got a promo of it, and it went promptly on my shelf. I didn’t even listen. You know why? Because I knew that if I listened to it, I’d like it, and then it would be one more god damn album to buy, one more god damn band to like, one more god damn show to trek out to. Blah.

Of course, I got mine in the end, as Tee Pee now releases the follow-up from these Toronto argonauts, Lights from Paradise. Sure enough, a promo of the record came in the mail, and I put it on, and now I want both albums. So yeah, thanks a lot.

Lights from Paradise is eight tracks of sprawling psychedelia from the Canadian four-piece, ranging from the ritualistic stillness of opener “The Greatest Hits by God,” which seems to capitalize on what Om might sound like with two guitars, to the semi-raucousness of “Set Out Alone” or the Dead Meadow freakout of “In the Place of a Storm.” Of the sundry personality traits the band shows on the album, I prefer the moody, subdued side that comes out on the first track or “Psychic Seasons,” which boasts one of Lights from Paradise’s few excursions into acoustics and also features some strings for a classy touch. Of course, there’s something to be said for the extended Beatles-style solo in closer “Sessions of Light” as well, which shows Quest for Fire as a band with more than just a reverb pedal and propensity for jamming, complex as its melody structure and progression are. Take your pick, really.

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I don’t think I’m breaking any new critical ground when I say that Mondo Generator‘s last full-length, Dead Planet, wasn’t exactly blowing the doors down. Nonetheless, as the figure so critical in bringing any kind of edge to the songwriting of Queens of the Stone Age, to whom I can only hope and imagine he’ll return eventually if not sooner, I have faith in Nick Oliveri to pull a killer record from out his often-seen ass, and I look forward to the Time to Destroy LP that will follow the band’s new single, Dog Food.

The PR wire has the goods on Dog Food, which features Happy Tom (Turbonegro) and Dave Grohl, and some Mondo Generator tour dates. Be friends with it:

Mondo Generator have announced a run of shows through August and September in support of their new single Dog Food (available on August 10). Special guests for all shows will be Tweak Bird with Its Casual and Violent Soho also joining for selected shows. Tickets are on sale now at venues and usual outlets…

Aug. 4- Elbo Room, San Francisco CA
Aug. 6- Dante’s, Portland OR
Aug. 7- Studio 7, Seattle WA
Aug. 9- Club Vegas, Salt Lake City UT
Aug. 11- 3 Kings Tavern, Denver CO
Aug. 12- Riot Room, Kansas City MO
Aug. 13- Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis MN
Aug. 14- Frequency, Madison WI
Aug. 15- Double Door, Chicago IL
Aug. 16- Southgate House, Newport KY
Aug. 17- Smalls, Hamtramck MI
Aug. 18- Bug Jar, Rochester NY
Aug. 19- Santos, New York NY
Aug. 20- Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge MA
Aug. 21- North Star Bar, Philadelphia PA
Aug. 22- 37th & Zen, Norfolk VA
Aug. 24- Casbah @ Trenton Music Hall, Charlotte NC
Aug. 25- Stella Blue, Asheville NC
Aug. 26- Hi Tone Cafe, Memphis TN
Aug. 27- The Conservatory, Oklahoma City OK
Aug. 28- Emo’s, Austin TX
Aug. 29- Skillman Street Bar, Dallas TX
Aug. 31- Launch Pad, Albuquerque NM
Sep. 2- Spaceland, Los Angeles CA

With production by Andrew Schneider (Throttlerod, The Brought Low, Hackman) and mastering by Nick Zampiello at New Alliance East in Boston, there’s no doubt that New Jersey riff rockers Infernal Overdrive are going for that Small Stone Records sound. The four tracks that comprise their new self-titled EP fall in line with the kind of straightforward guitar-led rock the Detroit label has proffered for well over a decade now, and with a similar southern/classic ‘70s influence to New York’s The Brought Low, Infernal Overdrive seem remarkably conscious of what they’re doing sonically. More so than you might expect for a band just releasing their first EP.

The story goes that when guitarist/vocalist Marc Schleicher (ex-Cracktorch, Antler) moved from Massachusetts to central New Jersey, he got hooked up with drummer Mike Bennett and guitarist/backing vocalist Rich Miele (both ex-Loud Earth). Keith Schleicher (relation assumed) was added on bass and Infernal Overdrive began rocking out early 2008. The EP was recorded over two days in February and four in April, and though that seems quick, none of the songs feels rushed or underdone. Schneider, who also shows up on extra backing vocals, makes his mark sound-wise in the tone of Schleicher and Miele’s guitars and Bennett’s snare sound, which has the same pop Schneider has become known for – not too bright, but able to cut through the mix and propel the songs forward. Some of Schleicher’s leads, as on EP closer “Motor,” feel a little too thought out, too structured where what I’d like to hear is a little bluesy ‘70s recklessness, but they get the job done nonetheless, and the vocals are never out of place.

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It’s too bad that “In a world…” movie preview voice-over guy is dead, because he’d be perfect for this trailer. “In a world where scrunchy hardcore kids think they know something about playing doom, one man stands apart from the pack…” and so forth. It would be awesome, but fortunately the music speaks for itself when it comes to Victor Griffin‘s Place of Skulls. Their new album, As a Dog Returns, is due out late September.

I gotta be honest, I don’t know what I like more about Hog, the free-for-all sludge or the name. It’s so simple, but it says so much about who the band are and what they do. If I came up to you on the street (wouldn’t that be awkward) and said, “Hey man, you gotta check out this band from North Carolina, they’re called Hog,” you’d have a pretty good idea of what you were getting into, right? I think that’s killer.

Hog have two demo tracks posted on their MySpace, “On the Eve of War” and “A Word is Born,” and yeah, they definitely sound like demos, but the recordings are clear enough for you to get an idea of what Hog are going for. They play a kind of post-Mastodon thrashing sludge (think Javelina, but a little riffier), hitting tempo changes on the quick to keep listeners on edge and making good use of R. James‘ lead guitar. They’re new school, yeah, and there are other bands out there doing this kind of thing, but I ask you, are they named Hog? No they are not. So there you go. Hog wins.

And it’s not like they’re annoyingly derivative. They just have some growing to do. According to the MySpace, they’re slated to head into the studio for a session with none other than Kylesa‘s Philip Cope at the helm. One imagines that someone of his boardly prowess should have no problem bringing the best out of a band like Hog, and that the righteous groove that caps off “A Word is Born” will be all the more lethal for time spent getting it right. Here’s looking forward to hearing how it all comes out.

Ripple Music, which released the recent Stone Axe/Mighty High split 7″ single, has signed Stone Axe for future releases, which apparently include an EP before the end of the year and their next full-length, as well as a slew of reissues to come from both Stone Axe and multi-instrumentalist T. Dallas Reed‘s prior outfit, Mos Generator.

The PR wire has the details:

T. Dallas Reed has signed with Ripple Music to re-release the critically praised Stone Axe self-titled debut on both vinyl and deluxe CD packages. Originally released in 2009, Stone Axe lit the message boards on fire with its ballsy, retro, bluesy sound, bringing back the classic sound of rock that so many were craving. Now set to be gloriously re-unleashed, the vinyl edition of the album includes an extended jam of one of the original tunes and a full lyric sheet. The LP version will hit the streets on September 7th.

The CD edition of the album, which will see the light of day later in the year, will be a deluxe package with almost 30 minutes of bonus live tracks and a DVD of original promotional videos, live performances, and bonus footage from the recording of the album. A true panacea for the Stone Axe fans!

But that’s not all. Now signed to Ripple Music, T. Dallas Reed has opened his ever expansive vault of recorded material. In 2011, Ripple Music will release a mind-blowing third Stone Axe full length LP, and a re-release of the first Mos Generator LP to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the debut of this legendary stoner rock band. This Mos Generator LP will be laden with bonus material and live performances.

Look for a surprise Stone Axe EP to come out later this year as well!

I’m not exactly awash in free shit, but with a backlog of promo discs and downloaded albums waiting to be reviewed, it wouldn’t be fair for me to take the time and effort away from people soliciting evaluation and grant it to stuff I bought just because I feel like talking about music I like. On the other hand, it wouldn’t be right for me to ignore good records just because I didn’t get them for free. Enter the happy medium.

Here are two records that’d be on top of the review pile had I not bought them instead:

Wovenhand, The Threshingfloor: I did an old school CD store search for this album. True, I could have bought it from Sounds Familyre, the label, but I wanted the satisfaction of finding it on a shelf and making the purchase. Only after calling and visiting more than five stores, including such heavy hitters as Vintage Vinyl and Generation Records did I finally come across a copy at Other Music in NYC. I knew they’d have it. They’re just that hip.

If you’ve never experienced David Eugene Edwards (formerly of 16 Horsepower), there are two things you need to know about him: he’s a genius and he’s super-Christian. Oh man, does he ever love him some Jesus. And it shows on the music, but if you let that bother you, you’re going to miss out. Michelangelo‘s Sistine Chapel is Christian too, doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful.

On The Threshingfloor, Edwards reminds that although he’s one of the most gifted songwriters and vocalists out there today, his true point of innovation and individuality is in arrangement. He brings in a variety of styles (from electronic drum beats and a New Order cover to Hungarian shepherd’s flute on a song about a town in Indiana) to these songs, and it might be his most accomplished collection yet. There are some downright rocking moments (“Denver City”), but Edwards is never really reigned into one genre or another. In short, I’m really, really glad I found this record, and I think when and if you hear it, you might be too.

Master Musicians of Bukkake, Totem Two: I actually bought this back in April at Roadburn, and I’ve been debating back and forth ever since whether or not to give it a full review. Helping the “no” side is laziness, since the seven-piece (plus guests) Master Musicians of Bukkake make music so complex it would literally take me days to describe every twist, turn and influence on Totem Two, their style harkening a ritualistic drone meshed with world music structures and instrumentation. Totem Two isn’t going to be for everyone, but man, there’s a small group of people out there who are going to worship at its proverbial feet.

The most recognizable figure in the band is Randall Dunn (producer for SunnO))), etc.), but Master Musicians of Bukkake isn’t the kind of outfit where one player really stands out. Rather, it’s an encompassing listening experience demanding attention, an open mind and patience. It is unrepentantly self-indulgent, unwaveringly pretentious and, in the shadow of its predecessor, Totem One (also on Important Records), so caked in complexity that you get tired just hearing it. Spiritually drained, but in a good way, as though you’ve been on some kind of auditory vision quest and glimpsed the horror of your own consuming insignificance.

…There. That’s a load off my mind. I hope you get to check out either of these records, and when you listen, I hope you dig them even half as much as I do.

Today is the day Moth Eater‘s new EP, The Thunder God of Monster Island (Giddy Up! Records) goes live for sale on something called… iTunes(?). I’m not sure what that is, but I hear tell it’s all the rage amongst the children, and if there’s one thing that’s good for the children, it’s killer doomed sludge of the kind Moth Eater play. Mothers will be shocked, fathers will disapprove, rock and roll shall reign.

To celebrate the iTune-ification of The Thunder God of Monster Island, Moth Eater have generously granted me permission to host the track “The Aftermath,” which you can stream below. Enjoy.

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Purchase The Thunder God of Monster Island on iTunes

Were it not for their ultra-playful take on classic blues, the male/female Brooklyn duo The Naked Heroes would be just another hipster rock outfit playing jangly fashion jams to rooms full of self-impressed creative professionals. In short, they’d be intolerable. As it is, however, The Naked Heroes are a good bit of fun. Their guitar-and-drums-only ethic gives them a rawness that the production of their first album, 99 Diamond (Drug Front Records, free download available through Powerload), only enhances, and while I’m still pretty sure I’m nowhere near cool enough to be granted entry into whatever Brooklyn bar they’re playing this or any other Friday night, I get the sense from the album that what they do they do with love and from a sincere place. That goes a long way.

Vocalist/guitarist George Michael Jackson affects a gruff throatiness in his delivery on the opening title track, which relies on a call and gang response to kick off the album in both enjoyable and memorable fashion. There is some straightforward riff rock to be had in the form of “Sheila” or “Opposable Thumb,” or maybe even “Foxy Moxy,” which reminds me of Nebula’s early and bluesiest moments. Some bass would really do well to thicken out these songs, but maybe the kids these days are afraid of low end. I don’t know. In any case, The Naked Heroes do well with what they have, drummer/vocalist Merica Lee backing Jackson’s riffs and singing with simple but effective beats that only underscores the bluesy feel of the tracks. On a song like “Double Chin,” her switch from soft to hard ride cymbal hits winds up making the difference in the track.

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