ISIS Farewell Tour, East Coast Dates with Cave In & the Melvins

Let's not talk about Lost. What a disappointing finale to years of fanaticism and declaring it the best show on television. Obviously, we'll have to watch it all over again...


More important is the new of Isis coming to an end. "We've seen too many bands push past the point of a dignified death," the band stated, "and we all promised one another early on in the life of the band that we would do our best to ensure Isis would never fall victim to that syndrome." There's nothing wrong with admitting that you've reached the end of your creative project. Ring leader Aaron Turner is comparable to Jacob Bannon of Converge for this visual and sonic creativity as a powerful presence and the figurehead for Isis. While the latter band is still going strong, it's highly likely that the members of Isis will reinvent themselves into something much greater. Together for the last 13 years, Isis is best known for its run with Ipecac records, which was partially founded by Mike Patton (you know who he is, c'mon). He claims that Isis was "a major part of our label's foundation." Oceanic is definitely their best record on the label.

But with the bad news there is some good, and it is that Isis will embark on a final North American tour from late May through late June. Dates below. DO NOT MISS THIS TOUR.

May 26 @ The Casbah, San Diego, CA
May 29 @ Wow Hall, Eugene, OR
May 30 @ Capitol Theatre, Olympia, WA
May 31 @ Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver, BC
Jun 1 @ Neumo’s Seattle, WA
Jun 2 @Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Jun 4 @ Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
Jun 5 @ The Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
Jun 12 @ Bonnaroo Festival, Manchester, TN
Jun 14 @ 40 Watt Club, Athens, GA
Jun 16 @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
Jun 17 @ Theater Of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Jun 18 @ Webster Hall New York, NY
Jun 19 @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Jun 20 @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
Jun 21 @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
Jun 22 @ Port City Music Hall, Portland, ME
Jun 23 @ Club Soda, Montreal, Quebec

Sepalcure Take the Cake @ Dub War NYC, Release on Hot Flush

photo by Seze Devres

Sepalcure played the Bass Mutations gig at New York's Unsound Festival, and to be quite honest it came and went for me. There was something that I didn't quite get about the two Brooklyn musicians until last night when they made their Dub War debut. While both crowds were the two best you could legitimately ask for in a six-month period, the harmony between club Love's pure soundsystem, a midnight time slot and the perfection of their set after many hard months working on their upcoming Hot Flush release all came together in tune.

'Love Pressure' is an EP that shows the softer side of Hot Flush, a predominantly dubstep label run by Scuba and Alex Incyde. Saturated with female vocals in a sort of classic house music fashion, the rolling bass lines are a blanket of punches to keep you swaying back and forth. "It's unreal that anyone could be this good," was exclaimed within my crew, and I couldn't agree more. The ingredients include a unique blend of tribal dub, two-step and soulful rhythms peppered with their love for 90s house a cappellas.

And character goes a long way. Take Praveen Sharma, one half of the duo. He helps run Percussion Lab, and absorbs music like a sponge, but also has one of the warmest and most inviting personalities in the scene. Always positive, he is by far the most enthusiastic performer you will ever see behind the decks, and the chemistry between him and Travis Stewart (Machinedrum), his musical partner-in-crime, is all part of the force that moves you.

"Every Day of My Life" and the EP's title track are bouncy and fun, and closing track "The Warning" is gorgeous and goosebump-inducing. It's some of the most emotive bass-heavy music you'll ever hear, and whether or not it carves out a new subgenre from hereon in, 'Love Pressure' will definitely stand out on its own.

HF025 will be available June 7th 2010 on 12” vinyl, and digitally at Beatport.

Added // a comment from Matty Steppo, a Providence dubstep DJ: "That was the best hour of electronic music I've seen live for a while."

This Will Destroy You : New Song + Headlining Tour

It is with great pleasure to announce that not only is there a free mp3 available of the new This Will Destroy You track, "Communal Blood," but the Texan four-piece band is headed out on the road soon in a headlining slot. It's been two long years since I last saw them perform in a tiny venue at SXSW, and the performance has never wandered far from the forefront of my memories. TWDY's drummer was after referred to as "a human hammer" by myself and accompanying friend, and the set itself was comparable to Explosions In the Sky and Godspeed's finest moments.

A must-see tour. The band will have a limited pressing (500) of "Communal Blood" on vinyl, and the new full-length, Tunnel Blanket, will be out on...ahh, I have no idea. Will edit when I find out.

Listen: This Will Destroy You - "Communal Blood"

05/26 DENTON, TX @ The Boiler Room
05/27 AUSTIN, TX @ The Mohawk
05/28 SHREVEPORT, LA @Silver Lake Ballroom
05/29 BIRMINGHAM, AL @ Bottletree
05/30 TAMPA, FL @ New World Brewery
06/01 JACKSONVILLE, FL @ Jack Rabbit’s
06/02 ATLANTA, GA @ The Drunken Unicorn
06/03 NEWPORT, KY @ Southgate House
06/04 CHICAGO, IL @ Lincoln Hall
06/05 TORONTO, ON @ Rivoli Cabaret
06/06 MONTREAL, QC @ Petit Campus
06/07 ALISTON, MA @ Great Scott
06/08 BROOKLYN, NY @ Knitting Factory
06/09 NEW YORK, NY @ Mercury Lounge
06/10 WASHINGTON, DC @ DC9
06/11 PHILADELPHIA, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
06/12 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA @ Random Row Books
06/13 CHAPEL HILL, NC @ Local 506
06/15 CHARLESTON, SC @ The Oasis
06/16 KNOXVILLE, TN @ Pilot Light
06/17 NASHVILLE, TN @ The End
06/18 NEW ORLEANS, LA @ Saturn Bar
06/19 HOUSTON, TX @ Mango’s

For One, For All: DJ Hell's Body Language Volume 9

"Hell doesn't just represent a type of music, he represents a whole lifestyle, aesthetic and worldview – and Body Language Vol. 9 is perhaps the closest any disc has yet come to capturing that totality."

Last fall, Modeselektor contributed to Volume 8 of Body Language following Matt Dear, but this is particularly different from any mix compilation I've heard of late. It's not something to dance to at all times, but could withstand any car ride, apartment cleaning and company-having occasions. More important, it's an integral journey into the heart of why we love music of many facets.

Featuring Balanescu Quartet's chamber music take on Kraftwerk, a Dixon Edit of Die Vögel that brings on the brass instead of the bass and the insertion of "A Fifth of Beethoven" towards the end, this is by far one of the most diverse collections. Falling in the Body Language series is a smart move, as there are listeners outside of Hell's realm that will look on him fondly for this, as well as long-time fans, like myself, who know him as the Jackmaster Dominator that can bring you down to Hades with his dark techno DJ sets.

This isn't necessarily a lighter side of Hell, but it's just right for someone with his rich history to be given free reign to compile and mix 23 songs that speak a universal language to the human body. Last year's album, Teufelswerk, was an incredible achievement and the return of Hell's career between a ground-breaking gig in New York and the album pulling in praise from every direction.

A standout moment is Stereotyp's "Take the Weight (Peter Kruder Vocal Mix)," which breaks through the trance (poor word choice?) with haunting, soulful vocals not long after David Sylvian comes through with "Forbidden Colours." There's a lot to take in on this mix, and taking all summer to do so seems more like a pleasure than a chore.

Follow on over to Resident Advisor to check out more details and the impressive tracklist for Body Language Volume 9 : DJ Hell.

ArpLine @ Death By Audio // 04.22.10

It's been far too long since I've gone to a show to see a band on recommendation in a raw, DIY space that isn't overcrowded with people who've read about the next big thing in Time Out NY. I hardly use MySpace anymore to check out bands because that website consistently fails to stream properly anymore, but it worked enough to give me a taste of ArpLine's sound. Lately, it's hardly bothered me when a band reminds me of those that came before, and there were reminiscent moments of Arcade Fire, the Beatles and the Killers under vocals that wavered between Jack White, Lou Reed and Peter Murphy.

I must have listened to Travel Book, the band's debut, at least 6 times that day before going to Death By Audio. I was completely sucked in and almost shocked by how fast I took to this band and agreed, whole-heartedly, with the press release's comment that the music would fit in perfectly with a John Hughes film were he still alive and active today.

This band could be huge by the time CMJ rolls around, and while I can see them sonically filling out a big venue it was a full pleasure in the concrete confines of S 2nd + Kent. Originally called the Kiss Off, this Brooklyn band has been making waves in everything from KEXP to Brooklyn Vegan. Though the whole album works great in its entirety, "Parts Unknown" is definitely one of their stronger tracks and I highly recommend checking them out if they're playing again in Brooklyn soon.

Download: ArpLine - "Parts Unknown"
Website: ArpLine

Wasted Guy at Coachella

While I'm not one for jumping on the bandwagon, I simply couldn't pass this up. The title says it all.

Worth the Promise: Kevin Costner Suicide Pact

"The offspring of Boulder, CO favorites Fellow Citizens, The Kevin Costner Suicide Pact explores the realms of the locally unknown and the cosmic familiar. This entrance into drone is far from entry level. End Weekend stems from obsessions with blindfolded exploration in the auditory out lands. KCSP utilizes all of the bands raw talent with an arsenal of new equipment focused on delay and loop. Layers upon layers of mind and face melting ohms makes this a band to watch when this album drops. This album came straight from the studio and is no where near a release. Completely local, underground, and bliss." - KCSP

Yes, I could have jotted down my own thoughts, but really...I couldn't have said it better myself. The name sucked me in, and the surprising, drone-heavy beauty is worth checking out, if at least for the fact that they titled a track "Every Day Is a Daniel Day."

MySpace: Kevin Costner Suicide Pact