pacificlectic : concert reviews & eclectic music news

On Record Store Day 2012 (aka 4/21/12), Tomahawk will release its first three albums on vinyl – their first time ever in this format.  The vinyl boxset sleeve for “Eponymous to Anonymous” will also contain a space for their upcoming fourth record on vinyl as well (currently TBD)…

Source: Tomahawk FB page

For those not in the know, Tomahawk is the super-group led by Duane Denison on guitars/songwriting (The Jesus Lizard, U.S.S.A., etc) that features Mike Patton on vocals (Faith No More, Mr Bungle, Fantomas, Mondo Cane, Moonchild, etc), John Stanier on drums (Helmet, Battles, etc), and Trevor Dunn on bass (Mr Bungle, Trio Convulsant, MadLove, Moonchild, etc).

Their breakout debut (Tomahawk out on Ipecac in 2001) is amazing… the other two vinyls in the RSD2012 set are Mit Gas and Anonymous… also great from the ever-evolving group:

Again, Record Store Day 2012 is April 21.  Find out about more RSD2012 releases HERE.

~Dan – np: John Zorn’s The Dreamers – O’o

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

I’ve been a fan of instrumental world/surf/film metal shape-shifters Secret Chiefs 3 for a long time and a fan of Los Angeles-based, Cambodian-pop-fusion band Dengue Fever for a handful of years as well.

SC3 and DF has their own connection.  Dengue Fever’s debut album in 2003 was on Web of Mimicry, the label that SC3 frontman Trey Spruance runs.  Their connection goes a little deeper still.  Dengue guitarist Zac Holtzman was in Dieselhed with Danny Hefietz (drummer for Mr. Bungle – another Trey Spruance band).  Danny is also back drumming with SC3 on this co-headlining West Coast tour.

For this tour, the bands have been switching off their order of performance.  I was able to catch both Oregon shows… for Eugene (Mon 2/6), DF played first and SC3 closed.  There was no opener, and Dengue Fever went on just before 8:30 at WOW Hall.  I have a couple of their earlier records, but never had the chance to see them live.  I dug it… pretty fun, and it looked like they were having fun on stage as well.

They played about an hour of Cambodian power pop.  Trey Spruance joined them on stage and played guitar and a wicked solo for their final number “1000 Years of a Tarantula”…

DF Eugene 2/6 Setlist: about an hour

• Genjer Genjer
• Seeing Hands
• New Year’s Eve
• Hold My Hips
• Tiger Phone Card
• Durian Dowry
• A Go Go
• Uku
• Pow Pow
• Sober Driver
• Only A Friend
• Cement Slippers
• 1000 Tears of a Tarantula [with Trey]
  No Encore

Secret Chiefs 3 came out at about 10pm, donned in long, dark hoods except for violinist/ guitarist Timb Harris dressed in more masked martial arts attire…

This was my third time seeing them, and it was definitely the tightest band I’ve witnessed.  They ripped through a blistering set of proggy, world metal.  The off-kilter timings, the meticulous instrumentation… all spot on.  “Bereshith” is a tune that I think I saw them start the 2007 NYC show with, and I thought it was “off” in NYC.  It’s a really odd number, from a timing perspective.  This time… they nailed it.

Probably the most strikingly different moment “live vs. studio” was the gorgeous intro/outro to “Exodus.”  The intro/outro on the Book of Horizons studio version is a lovely melody played on strings (Eyvind Kang on viola & Timb Harris on violin).  For this live setting, Timb put down his violin and played it on trumpet.  I looooooove trumpet… and this melody on trumpet about made me swoon…

SC3 Eugene 2/6 Setlist: about 80 mins

• Radar (The Day the Earth Stood Still) [Bernard Herrmann]
  
• Zombievision
• Personnae: Halloween [John Carpenter]
• Balance of the 19
• Fast
• Bereshith
• RFID Slaverider / Agenda 21 / Codex Alimentarius (Le Mani Destre Recise Degli Ultimi Uomini Medley)
• Sophia’s Theme
• Vajra (Rat Puriya)
• Combat for the Angel
• Tistriya
• Book T: Exodus [Ernest Gold]
• Saptarshi
• Encore: Hurqalya

For Portland (Tues 2/7), I showed up at Dante’s right around 8pm, and the first band wasn’t going on until closer to 8:45.  It was U SCO, who I had never heard of before; so I walked to the near-ish Deschutes Pub and had one of the last pours of their Jubel Kriek (their Jubel Ale aged 25 months in a barrel on cherries and with Brettanomyces).  They blew their 2nd (and last) 1/6 BBL keg shortly after I ordered.  Mmmm… sour beer… after that, I skedaddled back just in time to catch U SCO’s bitchin’ set.

U SCO were helmed by guitarist Ryan A. Miller, who I had just seen a week prior in Eugene opening for a solo bass show from Trevor Dunn (a former Trey Spruance band member as well).  Small musical world in a quite vast musical sea.  Crazy.  Anyway, U SCO was a shredding, avant-garde jazz-metal band – to the best of my descriptions.  They’re a three piece made up of Ryan on guitars, Jon Scheid on bass, and Phil Cleary on drums.  They also had a guest saxophonist for some songs.  They’re from Portland; so I hope I’ll get a chance to see them again.  Definitely!

SC3 started setting up right afterwards and hit the stage about 9:45pm… of core of their setlist was the same, but they did throw in a few new ones: “The 15,” “The 4” and “Zulfikar.”

They ripped through a great set once again.  They’re such a tight band on this tour – quite stunning.  Even when Trey kicked his cord out for about 5-10 seconds during “Halloween,” they didn’t miss a beat.  And, once again, Timb’s trumpet intro/outro for “Exodus“… swoon…

SC3 Portland 2/7 Setlist: about 70 mins

• Bereshith
• Radar (The Day the Earth Stood Still) [Bernard Herrmann]
• Zombievision
• Personnae: Halloween [John Carpenter]
• The 15
• The 4 (Great Ishraqi Sun)
• RFID Slaverider / Agenda 21 / Codex Alimentarius (Le Mani Destre Recise Degli Ultimi Uomini Medley)
• Vajra (Rat Puriya)
• Zulfikar
• Tistriya
• Book T: Exodus [Ernest Gold]
• Saptarshi
  No Encore

The one gripe with the Portland show… the lighting was pretty poorly matched.  They didn’t turn the house lights down until nearing the end of SC3′s first song.  Also, the lights in general were behind the band, and they were still too bright if you ask me.  For some bands, that’s probably good… but with the Chiefs, the air of mystery and cloaks in darkness adds to the allure of the live show.  Don’t get me wrong, it was still an amazing show.  I’m just glad I got to catch it in Eugene, too.

I had a long drive home and work in the morning; so I sadly bailed on Dengue Fever’s closing set in Portland.  I’m sure it was groovy like the Eugene show.  Sorry, but my body thanks me for getting home at 1am instead of 2:30am!

The tour wraps this weekend… but stick around, SC3 are bound to kick something off later in 2012.  More 7″ vinyls?  More touring?  The long-awaited Book of Souls?  A Chinese Democracy cover album?

If you missed the tour, I’d HIGHLY RECOMMEND checking out their new schwag… including the new SC3 Traditionalists Le Chanson de Jacky / The Western Exile 7″ split (featuring Trey’s fellow Mr. Bungle band-mate Mike Patton on “Jacky”), the 12″ re-releases of First and Second Grand Constitution & Bylaws, and three bitchin’-design new t-shirts.

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

• Secret Chiefs 3 / Web of Mimicry Record Label Site
• Secret Chiefs 3′s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• Dengue Fever’s Site
• Dengue Fever’s Social Media Links (see below)
  
• U SCO’s Site / Facebook / Bandcamp
• My Other Related Reviews~
  • SC3 @ Doug Fir (Portland – Aug 2008)
  • SC3 @ Bowery (NYC – Mar 2007)
  • (Timb’s old band) Estradasphere @ 2nd Story (Bloomington, IN – Oct 2006)
  • (U SCO guitarist) Ryan Miller/Trevor Dunn @ The Goat (Eugene – Jan 2012)
• WOW Hall’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
• Dante’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

Check out more tour dates below.

Next show for me… most likely the David Bazan (Pedro the Lion) house show in Portland on 2/15, unless something pops up before then.

~Dan – np: John Zorn – Film Works XIII: Invitation to a Suicide

SECRET CHIEFS 3 & DENGUE FEVER PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

SC3 & DF 2012 West Coast Tour Dates

• Jan 24 – Denver CO – Bluebird Theatre
• Jan 25 – Santa Fe NM – Santa Fe Brewing Company
• Jan 26 – Phoenix AZ – Crescent Ballroom
• Jan 27 – Los Angeles CA – El Rey Theatre
• Jan 28 – Santa Ana CA – Constellation Room
• Jan 29 – San Diego CA – The Casbah
• Jan 31 – San Luis Obispo CA – Club SLO Brew
• Feb 1 – Santa Cruz CA – Moe’s Alley
• Feb 2 – San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall
• Feb 3 – San Francisco CA – Slim’s
• Feb 4 – Sacramento CA – Harlow’s
• Feb 6 – Eugene OR – WOW Hall
• Feb 7 – Portland OR – Dante’s
• Feb 8 – Seattle WA – Neumos
• Feb 9 – Bellingham WA – The Wild Buffalo
• Feb 10 – Vancouver BC – Rickshaw Theatre

PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW AT THE BOTTOM

I’ve been a fan of Mr Bungle/Fantômas/John Zorn collaborative bass player Trevor Dunn for a while.  When I get a chance to see him, especially within biking distance, I go.  From Trevor Dunn’s website, the “Double Solo” tour was noted as a “West Coast spit-roasting agenda. I’ll be playing a 30 min solo bass piece & Travis [Laplante] will play a set for solo tenor saxophone.“  Ah, a night of avant-garde jazz… yum!

Ryan A. Miller from Portland was up first… he played about 30-40 minutes on solo acoustic guitar.  A lot of loops, noises, and a little bit of what might seem like “futzing around,” but I dug it.  There were definitely some odd parts, but I definitely thought his set was more interesting than not.  You could tell he had skills, just couldn’t tell how they were going to evolve and manifest.  Update 2/8/12: Ryan’s band (U SCO) was the opener for the Secret Chiefs 3 show in Portland the very next week.  U SCO is a wicked, rad schizophrenic proggy, jazzy rock trio.  Excellent stuff!

Travis Laplante took his spot on the floor just off stage and gave us an initial onslaught of loud, raucous alto sax.  His first piece reminded me of Peter Evans solo trumpet show from 2008.  Ballistic, unfocused melodically, intense… what avant-garde jazz is meant to be.  His second piece was gentler and more melodic at first.  It was contained but not necessarily restrained before he finally let loose at the end.  His third and final piece was a dronier delight.

Trevor Dunn played last and gave us the 30-minute piece that he’s tentatively calling “The Pentagram.”  He dedicated it to Pisces.  It definitely had a “composed” feel to it (later confirmed with Trevor), but it was open and free enough to let him explore where it could go.  He plucked, he scraped, he bowed, he played below the bridge, he played with clothespins on the strings.  To sum it up in a word: fascinating.  You’ve gotta love it when he makes a few of his other bands (Mr Bungle/Fantômas) seem “too mainstream.”

Update 2/7/12: Check out this East Bay Express write-up of the Oakland show by Rachel Swan… waaaaaay better write-up (she’s a journalist and rightfully gets paid for it).  Gives you a better feel for the Dunn piece as a whole.

Trevor and Travis are wrapping up this tour this coming weekend… tonight in San Francisco, then Friday in Oakland, Saturday in Los Angeles and Sunday in Santa Cruz.  Check his Tour Page for more info.

The Appropriate Linkage:

• Trevor Dunn’s Site (bass)
• Travis Laplante’s Site (sax)
• Ryan A. Miller’s Site (guitar)
• My Other Trevor Dunn-Related Reviews~
  • Nels Cline Singers @ Doug Fir (Portland – Jan 2011)
  • John Zorn’s Moonchild @ Moore Theatre (Seattle – Nov 2007)
• Wandering Goat’s Site / Facebook / Twitter

Next show for me… Thee Silver Mt. Zion (splinter group from Godspeed You! Black Emperor) at Mississippi Studios on 2/4.

~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – Them Or Us

TREVOR DUNN & TRAVIS LAPLANTE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

All of this should be available on the upcoming Secret Chiefs 3 West Coast (USA) Tour (dates below), but you can also now order them online…

NEW MERCH FOR 2012 FROM SECRET CHIEFS 3

WOM042 – Traditionalists: Le Chanson de Jacky / The Western Exile Exile 7″

La Chanson de Jacky

In 1965 Jacques Brel wrote and recorded a fiery three verse chanson exploding with the anxiety, bravado and panic faced by someone stretched to a midpoint  across the abyss — to find oneself suspended between mediocrity and genius, villainy and heroism, doom and eternity, etc. In 1967 the nearly equally inimitable Scott Walker brilliantly re-interpreted Brel’s Chanson in English, to equal parts controversy and acclaim in the Anglosphere. In 2012, both versions of the tune have collided in an Anglo-Franco alliance, revealing perhaps an ever-implicit third dimension. It’s a stunt simultaneously ill-advised and absolutely necessary for a band like Secret Chiefs 3: Traditionalists to undertake — and one that could only be pulled off with someone uniquely qualified to take command of the vocals. Who other than the maestro Mike Patton, in this day and age, to do justice (and then some) without insult to such a preposterously Spartan legacy?

The Western Exile

One of the main themes from Secret Chiefs 3′s 2004 album “Book of Horizons” receives a more spaghetti-seasoned marination in the crimson blood-soaked cemeteries of occidental exile. Not a chump re-mix, this is an entirely new thunderhead-evoking arrangement and recording, back-dated with a few more horsemen of the Apocalypse casting shadows over the Cowboys and Indians for cinematic effect. Already a well-proportioned auditory and philosophical compliment to its flipside, this recording is also one of the precious few Secret Chiefs 3 recordings graced with the voice and viola of Anonymous 13.

Read more about the 7″ and purchase here.

Also available: three new Secret Chiefs 3 t-shirts:

Secret Chiefs 3 also available on 12″ vinyl  (US customers only)

Secret Chiefs 3: First Grand Constitution & Bylaws 12″ vinyl

Secret Chiefs 3: Second Grand Constitution & Bylaws: Hurqalya

2012 West Coast Tour Dates

• Jan 24 – Denver CO – Bluebird Theatre
• Jan 25 – Santa Fe NM – Santa Fe Brewing Company
• Jan 26 – Phoenix AZ – Crescent Ballroom
• Jan 27 – Los Angeles CA – El Rey Theatre
• Jan 28 – Santa Ana CA – Constellation Room
• Jan 29 – San Diego CA – The Casbah
• Jan 31 – San Luis Obispo CA – Club SLO Brew
• Feb 1 – Santa Cruz CA – Moe’s Alley
• Feb 2 – San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall
• Feb 3 – San Francisco CA – Slim’s
• Feb 4 – Sacramento CA – Harlow’s
• Feb 6 – Eugene OR – WOW Hall
• Feb 7 – Portland OR – Dante’s
• Feb 8 – Seattle WA – Neumos
• Feb 9 – Bellingham WA – The Wild Buffalo
• Feb 10 – Vancouver BC – Rickshaw Theatre

~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – One Size Fits All

Trickling in via the venues and/or ticketing sites, the official announcement has finally come in…

World metal phenoms Secret Chiefs 3, led by Mr. Bungle guitarist Trey Spruance, is hitting the road this winter with Cambodian/Los Angeles fusion pop band (and former Web of Mimicry labelmates) Dengue Fever.  Confirmed dates below, more details will be posted shortly:

• Jan 24 – Denver CO – Bluebird Theatre
• Jan 25 – Santa Fe NM – Santa Fe Brewing Company
• Jan 26 – Phoenix AZ – Crescent Ballroom
• Jan 27 – Los Angeles CA – El Rey Theatre
• Jan 28 – Santa Ana CA – Constellation Room
• Jan 29 – San Diego CA – The Casbah
• Jan 31 – San Luis Obispo CA – Club SLO Brew
• Feb 1 – Santa Cruz CA – Moe’s Alley
• Feb 2 – San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall
• Feb 3 – San Francisco CA – Slim’s
• Feb 4 – Sacramento CA – Harlow’s
• Feb 6 – Eugene OR – WOW Hall
• Feb 7 – Portland OR – Dante’s
• Feb 8 – Seattle WA – Neumos
• Feb 9 – Bellingham WA – The Wild Buffalo
• Feb 10 – Vancouver BC – Rickshaw Theatre

If you’ll be at either Oregon date, let me know.  I’ll be there for both Eugene and Portland!  Last time I saw them was 2008 (Aug 2008 – Doug Fir, Portland); so it’s been a long time coming…

~Dan – np: Marketa Irglova – Anar

Hat-tip to stubbadub… 80 minutes… the full Mike Patton Mondo Cane show in Santiago, Chile on Sept 21, 2011.  Pro-shot in High Definition… behold…

Tracklist (approximate, may not be accurate)

00:00 Il Cielo in Una Stanza
03:32 Che Notte!
07:02 Ore d’Amore
09:44 20 KM al Giorno
13:08 Quello Che Conta
16:03 Urlo Negro
18:57 Legata ad un Granello di Sabbia
23:02 Deep Down
26:19 Pinne, Fucile ed Occhiali
29:04 Scalinatella
32:18 L’uomo che non Sapeva Amare
35:37 Ma l’Amore no
39:34 Canzone
43:15 Ti Offro da Bere
45:44 Dio Come ti Amo
49:45 Storia d’Amore
54:02 Lontano, Lontano
57:01 O Venezia
01:01:10 Yeeeeeeh!
01:03:13 Senza Fine
01:08:37 Que He Sacado Con Quererte (Violeta Parra)
01:10:17 Una Sigaretta
01:13:50 Sole E Malato
01:17:10 Presentacion de los músicos de Mondo Cane

Fantastically shot, this is what may possibly become the Live DVD release on Ipecac Recordings… so, just like the Amsterdam concert from a few years back, watch it now, it may disappear from the internets before you know it.

~Dan – np: Jeffrey Foucault – Horse Latitudes

Update 10/17: the CD is now available to order.

FAITH NO MORE singer Mike Patton, moved by the Paolo Giordano novel The Solitude Of Prime Numbers and having contributed music to the movie of the same name, has created a 16-track release that boasts some of the most contemplative and stirring music of his multi-faceted career with Patton describing the release as a personal “sonic departure.” The album, titled “Music From The Film And Inspired By The Book The Solitude Of Prime Numbers (La Solitudine Dei Numeri Primi)”, has been set for a November 1 release via Ipecac Recordings.

Where Patton’s projects (FANTÔMAS, MONDO CANE, TOMAHAWK) often thrive on abrupt transitions and multi-layered instrumentation, “The Solitude Of Prime Numbers” collection boasts a cinematic feel that allows instruments an individual voice, emphasizes isolated notes and subtly transitions from piece to piece, acutely capturing the introspective and reflective feel of the novel. The album’s intricate packaging further conveys this dramatic and minimalistic approach, with a multi-panel digipak featuring a leaf cut out, embossed with a locking mechanism.

“The Solitude Of Prime Numbers” was released in 2008 and quickly became a national sensation in Italy where it sold over one million copies before it was translated into thirty languages worldwide. The novel tells the story of two individuals, Mattia and Alice, whose lives parallel each other in uncanny ways, like twin primes: both lonely but close to each other, separated by an even number. In 2010, a movie based upon the book, starring Isabella Rossellini and directed by Saverio Costanzo (“Private”, “In Memory Of Myself”) was released.

“Music From The Film And Inspired By The Book The Solitude Of Prime Numbers (La Solitudine Dei Numeri Primi)” features a unique arrangement with each track sequentially numbered with the first 16 prime numbers:

Tracklist

02. Twin Primes
03. Identity Matrix
05. Method of Infinite Descent
07. Contrapositive
11. Cicatrix
13. Abscissa
17. Isolated Primes
19. Radius of Convergence
23. Separatrix
29. The Snow Angel
31. Apnoea
37. Supersingular Primes
41. Quadratix
43. Calculus of Finite Differences
47. Zeroth
53. Weight of Consequences

~Dan – np: Tori Amos – Night of Hunters

Update 8/29: Sound samples for the two songs on the 7″ are now posted at the WOM store.

~Dan

Just posted to Web of Mimicry’s store… The new 7″ vinyl single from Secret Chiefs 3.  This time the tunes come from the satellite bands Ishraqiyun & FORMS.  It comes out September 13th, is limited to 1000 pressings, and the physical edition will contain lossless digital download links. Side A: Ishraqiyun “Saptarshi” Side B: FORMS “Radar”… Read More

via pacificlectic : pacific northwest concert reviews & eclectic music news

Just posted to Web of Mimicry’s store…

The new 7″ vinyl single from Secret Chiefs 3.  This time the tunes come from the satellite bands Ishraqiyun & FORMS.  It comes out September 13th, is limited to 1000 pressings, and the physical edition will contain lossless digital download links.

Side A: Ishraqiyun “Saptarshi”

Side B: FORMS “Radar”

~Dan – np: Stavesacre – Absolutes

Tracklist:

The Godfather
Night of the Hunter
Cape Fear
Experiment in Terror
One Step Beyond
Rosemary’s Baby
The Devil Rides Out
Spider Baby
The Omen (Ave Satani)
Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer
Vendetta
Investigation Of A Citizen Above Suspicion
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Der Golem
Charade
Intermission
Simply Beautiful [Al Green]
Chariot Choogle [Marc Bolan & T Rex]

No word on pre-order info yet… I’ll post a link once it’s available on the Amazons.

Fantômas is a noise-metal supergroup: Mike Patton on voice and electronics (Faith No More/Mr Bungle/Mondo Cane/Peeping Tom/Tomahawk/Moonchild/etc), Trevor Dunn on bass (Mr Bungle/Secret Chiefs 3/many John Zorn projects), King Buzzo on guitars (the Melvins), and Dave Lombardo on drums (Slayer).  The Director’s Cut is their second album of re-imagined mystery/horror/suspense movie scores… this is their front-to-back live recording of it from 12/31/2008.

~Dan – np: Sigur Rós – Takk…

From movieweb…

Director Steven Spielberg and producer Peter Jackson bring the beloved adventures of Hergé’s roving reporter Tintin to life in the motion-capture adventure The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, which features performances from Jamie Bell, Simon Pegg, Daniel Craig, Andy Serkis, Cary Elwes, and Nick Frost. A new image from the movie has been released, which features Tintin (Jamie Bell) and his faithful terrier Snowy (Mike Patton) pouring over a piece of evidence. Check it out below.

The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn comes to theaters December 23rd, 2011.

If this is true, I’ll put this in the “glad he’s getting voice over work to help pay for his non-mainstream musical output” category for me.  I quick peek at IMDB doesn’t list him or the character Snowy.  Per CacaVolante (a Mr Bungle-themed tumblr), Patton’s management has not confirmed it.  For now, let’s put it in the rumor mill…

~Dan – np: Silverchair – Young Modern

Posted this morning… Secret Chiefs 3 tour dates…

really looking forward to playing the US again!
thanks to bookers and all promoters for making it happen well!
(don’t worry west coast, it’s being planned)

• 8/31 Hamilton, ON @ The Casbah
• 9/1 Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
• 9/2 Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks
• 9/3 TBA, QC (details in Aug),
• 9/5 Montreal, QC @ Cabaret Mile End
• 9/6 Quebec City, QC @ Le Cercle
• 9/7 Portland, ME @ Space Gallery
• 9/8 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
• 9/9 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Lounge
• 9/10 Milford, CT @ Daniel Street
• 9/12 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
• 9/13 New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
• 9/15 TBA
• 9/16 Ferndale, MI @ The Magic Bag
• 9/17 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
• 9/19 Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
• 9/20 Raleigh, NC @ Local 506
• 9/22 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
• 9/23 Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle
• 9/24 Lexington, KY @ Buster’s (Boomslang Fest w/Swans and Sir Richard Bishop)

News about Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson’s next solo album, Grace for Drowning, coming tomorrow…

~Dan – np: Red Hot Chili Peppers – Stadium Arcadium

Secret Chiefs 3 will be announcing U.S. September tour dates on their Facebook page soon. This is good news.

https://www.facebook.com/secretchiefs3

I’ll post ‘em when I know… but be-friend them, for reals!

~Dan – np: Radiohead – Kid A

Update July 2011: it looks as though funding fell short for a North American Mondo Cane tour for 2011.

Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane was one of the absolute best albums of 2010… and by far the best packaged piece of musical art.  He took it on the road for a few European dates and a San Francisco date in 2010, but sadly nothing else.  Well, just announced on Cyro Baptista’s Facebook page and confirmed on Patton’s PR firm The Agency Group’s bio page (quote below), Mondo Cane will be at New York City’s Lincoln Center (in August – no specific date yet) with a North American tour as well:

Upcoming appearances include a concert at Lincoln Center with John Zorn, presented by New York City Opera, and a North American tour of Mondo Cane.

I’m hoping there is a good West Coast date or two… Portland?  Seattle?  Vancouver?  Hell, I’ll even hit San Francisco if I can.  No word on dates yet, but once they’re announced, be sure I’ll post them!  Note: There is already a confirmed date in Buenos Aires, Argentina on September 17, 2011.

If you don’t know about Mondo Cane – it’s not like Mike Patton’s other work (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, Tomahawk, et cetera).  It’s his 50s Italian pop big band group… listen to some samples over on the Amazons:

~Dan – np: Blackfield – Welcome to My DNA

I like Incubus.

Sure, they started as a Mr Bungle wannabe band (Fungus Amongus), and morphed into a Faith No More wannabe band (SCIENCE / Make Yourself), and then morphed into a quite popular mainstream rock band (Morning View/etc), and then their last studio work was mainly instrumental (the CD companion to the Look Alive DVD).  Brandon Boyd is a great vocalist (a la MB/FNM’s Mike Patton) plus he’s dreamy (yeah, he’s on my switch team), Mike Einziger is an interesting guitarist/composer (straddling rock and avant-garde), DJ Kilmore brings some flavorful turntablism to the mix, and the rest of the guys hold it down mighty fine… mighty fine, indeed.

This just got posted to their webpage…

The long awaited 6th studio album from Incubus is completed! True to the Incubus legacy, this record is nothing like its predecessor, but still maintains the quintessential Incubus vibe. Stay tuned for more updates from Enjoyincubus.com.

Woot.  There are also plans for Pacific Rim touring in 2011, and U.S. tour this summer… per Brandon Boyd’s recent interview on Noisecreep, he believes that the new Incubus album will be out in August or September. No official release date has been announced.

Update 4/1 (not expected as an April Fool’s Day joke):

Incubus sent out an email on 4/1 with a link to a website (http://adolescents.enjoyincubus.com/).  The website is merely a splash page with “Adolescents / If Not Now, When? 4/4 6pm PST” on it.  Is Adolescents the name of the album?  Something else?  Check that page on 4/4/11 @ 6pm (PST) to find out…

~Dan – np: Glen Phillips – Live at Largo

Karina H did a great interview over at American Noise with Ipecac Records co-founder, Greg Werckman. Go check it out.

About 2/3 of the way down, stuff in the works with Mike Patton (Ipecac’s other co-founder).  I don’t wanna spill the beans of Karina’s exclusive interview.  Read more over at American Noise to find out about Fantômas New Years show, DVD, more Mondo Cane, Nevermen, Darkness II, and Lovage & Crudo with Dan the Automator.  And there’s also info about the melvins, but that was already out of the bag.

~Dan – np: Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1

This to this FNM blog and this interview in The Quietus, here’s a news snippet about a potential collaboration between movie score master Clint Mansell [Pop Will Eat Itself, Nine Inch Nails, Black Swan] and Mike Patton [Faith No More, Mr Bungle, Mondo Cane, etc]…

Do you do much work for other outlets like computer games? Mike Patton, for example, has most recently voiced The Darkness.

CM: I’m doing a video game this year actually. Mass Effect 3. Funnily enough, talking about Mike, we’ve exchanged emails about the possibility of doing a show featuring the Quartet and people they’ve collaborated with. It’d be a Kronos show, with different rooms for other people to do their thing, then bringing it all together. It’s pretty cool-sounding.

I’m definitely interested in different outlets – that’s one of the reasons I get involved in short films. It’s not so much that I can experiment as it is to be in a situation where nobody’s looking over your shoulder. Short films are usually made by young people and they’ve got ideas I can bounce off. They can take me in a different direction.

If any news develops, I’ll post about it…

~Dan – np: OutKast – Idlewild

Trey Spruance and the Secret Chiefs 3 haven’t really swung around the U.S. since 2008 (Portland review link… from their last full US tour?).  Lately South America and Europe are getting some love.  While I’m bummed for no chance to see them as of late, I’m glad they’re active…

SECRET CHIEFS 3 Europe tour
from 16th June to 18th July 2011
Confirmed dates TBA
Booking contact : europe@webofmimicry.com

I think that’s also their first new press photo in a while.  If my brain is working correctly, that’s (L-R) Jai Young Kim, Trey Spruance, Ches Smith, Toby Driver Rich Doucette, and Timb Harris.  Will we see Book of Souls in 2011?  Here’s hoping!!

~Dan – np: Yuka Honda – Heart Chamber Phantoms

So, a new video has just surfaced… possibly for an upcoming DVD from the Secret Chiefs 3‘s jaunt in Italy earlier this year?  Here is their cover of John Carpenter’s “Halloween” at Grottarossa in Rimini, Italy:

Slow start with the drum intro and the drums being a bit high in the mix, but I like the way it was shot.  Needs some more strings (Timb Harris) and more variation (I’ve never been all that fond of Halloween’s repetition)… anyway, I’m hoping something comes out.  Regardless of the choice of leading off with this song on vimeo, I’m stoked for new SC3 on the horizon.  No clue on the legitimacy of a future release.  Just rumor mill at this stage.

Will it come out before Book of Souls?

Um… yeah, Jesus will come back before Book of Souls… said the atheist.

~Dan – np: Celldweller – Kill the Sound

How did I miss this video for two years?

Cartoon animation (from the Portuguese cartoon O Vampiro Turma da Monica) to the Tango Saloon song “Dracula Cha Cha” featuring Mike Patton on vocals.

“Dracula Cha Cha” comes from Tango Saloon’s Transylvania (out in 2008 – which hasn’t appeared stateside, yet).  Mike Patton (whose Ipecac label released the Tango Saloon’s debut album in the U.S.) is only featured on the one track.  Patton fans, don’t discount that… the entire album is pretty great.

I got my copy via the Amazons… for not too hefty a price (but now it’s ludicrous).  you may have better luck contacting bandleader Julian Curwin directly (via one of his MySpace pages).

~Dan – np: Medeski Martin & Wood – Stone: Issue 4