US / THEM Group

HERE LIES MAN streaming mini-album early, Antibalas members "if Black Sabbath played Afrobeat"

"An evolutionary step forward for their sound." - Metal Hammer

"A woozy wall of Afrobeat inspired fuzzbox riff worship and pounding circular rhythmic power, Here Lies Man connect the stoner rock underground straight to downtown Lagos." - The Quietus

"Here Lies Man are still really, really good at making riffy, rhythmic psychedelic rock that sounds like the '60s/'70s but still feels fresh today. Fans of anything from Nuggets to Ty Segall and King Gizzard should take note." -- Brooklyn Vegan

"This is a band ahead of their time." -- The Obelisk

Los Angeles quartet Here Lies Man are streaming their forthcoming 7-song mini-album No Ground To Walk Upon today ahead of Friday's release exclusively via Brooklyn Vegan. Hear and share No Ground To Walk Upon in its entirety HERE.

Dinked, the UK collective of independent retailers, are offering an exclusive special edition of the release that comes with a signed picture of the band, a patch, and a tote bag, on purple vinyl with orange swirl. For more information see Dinked HERE.

Here Lies Man took the music world by storm in 2017 with their self-titled debut positing the intriguing hypothesis: What if Black Sabbath played Afrobeat?

Since that time, Here Lies Man has expanded and expounded upon their sound and ideas of heavy riff rock and psych within the ancient rhythmic formula of the clave. The L.A. based band comprised of Antibalas members have toured relentlessly over the past 2 years, while also releasing a second album, You Will Know Nothing and an EP, Animal Noises, both in 2018.

No Ground to Walk Upon is due worldwide in August 2019. It continues with an ongoing concept of HLM playing the soundtrack to an imaginary movie, with each song being a scene. The lead single "Clad in Silver" is the soundtrack snippet of a journey to the imaginary place called home, which can never be arrived at. With every step, the character imagines getting closer, but it is a hallucination that fades in and out of perception.

Rough Trade named Here Lies Man in their prestigious Top 10 Albums of 2017. BBC 6 & Classic Rock Magazine deemed it among the year's best, as well as countless other press outlets singing its praises. 2018's You Will Know Nothing furthered the band's reputation for genre-smashing rhythmic experimentation, topping many year-end lists as well as earning features from countless metal and indie rock outlets, plus cover stories in weekly papers. No Ground to Walk Upon is the next step in the band's rapid ascent to what is bound to be influential upon riff based rock.

"We're very conscious of how the rhythms service the riffs," explains founder and vocalist/guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Marcos Garcia (who also plays guitar in Antibalas) of the band's sound. "Tony Iommi's (Black Sabbath) innovation was to make the riff the organizing principle of a song. We are taking that same approach but employing a different organizing principle: For Iommi it was the blues, for us it comes directly from Africa."

No Ground To Walk Upon also includes an interesting conceptual mathematics to the entire proceedings, a theme begun on the prior album. "There are interludes between each song that are 2/3 to 3/4 of the tempo of the previous song," Garcia says. "The reason it breaks down to 2 over 3 or 3 over 4 is that everything in the music rhythmically corresponds to a set of mathematical algorithms known as the clave. The clave is an ancient organizing rhythmic principle developed in Africa."

Garcia and cofounder/drummer Geoff Mann (former Antibalas drummer and son of jazz musician Herbie Mann) recorded the mini-album much like they did their previous releases, at their own L.A. studio on a Tascam 388 8-track tape machine. Additional layers were recorded with former Antibalas keyboardist Victor Axelrod and other contributors in various other locations, all while the band continued its rigorous touring schedule.

Here Lies Man has already spent much of the past three years on tour, with dates supporting Antibalas, Earthless and Fu Manchu, as well as headlining treks through the EU & UK. The remaining months of 2019 and 2020 will see the band once again performing at numerous International festivals (including Austin's Levitation Fest in November.)

No Ground to Walk Upon will be available on LP, CD and download on August 16th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records.

HERE LIES MAN LIVE 2019:

11/09 Austin, TX @ Levitation Fest 2019

Artist: Here Lies Man

Album: No Ground to Walk Upon

Label: RidingEasy Records

Release Date: August 16th, 2019

01. Clad in Silver

02. Swinging From Trees

03. Long Legs (Look Away)

04. Washing Bones

05. Get Ahold of Yourself

06. Iron Rattles

07. Man Falls Down

On The Web:

hereliesman.com

facebook.com/hereliesman

hereliesman.bandcamp.com

ridingeasyrecs.com

The Schizophonics drop first track from upcoming album, incendiary live act hot off EU festivals and King Khan dates

"Makers of high octane, soulful garage punk... Get an early taste with smoking' stomper 'Battle Line'." -- BrooklynVegan

"Their live show is a turbo-charged, bombastic display of true blue rock'n'roll chaos. It's not just a wild live show; the songs are fantastic too!" -- RazorCake (cover story)

San Diego trio The Schizophonics announce their forthcoming sophomore album, People In The Sky today. BrooklynVegan premiered the first single "Battle Line" yesterday, which is available now to hear and share via BrooklyVegan, YouTube, Bandcamp and Spotify.

The band takes its jaw-dropping live show on the road for headlining dates throughout North America this October. Please see current dates below.

Over the last few years, The Schizophonics have built up a formidable reputation around the world as an explosive live act. Tapping into the same unstoppable combination of rock 'n' roll energy and showmanship that fueled The MC5 in the heyday of the Grande Ballroom, their wild live show is heavily influenced by artists like James Brown, Iggy Pop, Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard, and The Sonics. Singer/guitarist Pat Beers and drummer Lety Beers formed the band in San Diego in 2009 and have worked tirelessly since then, playing hundreds of shows around the globe and winning 7 (SEVEN!) San Diego music awards.

In 2013 they were recruited as the backing/opening band for El Vez, which helped the band make a name for itself in Europe. Since then, they've played in fourteen countries, and supported tours by like-minded acts like Rocket From The Crypt, Little Barrie, and The Woggles and have opened for The Damned, The Hives and Cage The Elephant. Shindig magazine described their live show "Like watching some insane hybrid of Wayne Kramer, James Brown, and the Tazmanian Devil."

"One of my favorite live bands ever," proclaims Tim Mays, who has run the Casbah in San Diego for 30 years and has seen literally thousands of live bands come through his doors. "The Schizophonics bring the goods every time they play," he enthuses.

The band is more than just an outstanding live act, they're also committed to writing great, memorable songs. After releasing 2 singles and an EP over the last few years on Munster, Ugly Things, and Pig Baby Records, they put out their first full-length album in July 2017 titled Land Of The Living on the label Sympathy For The Record Industry with famed record man Long Gone John. In January of 2019 they started work on their second LP recruiting Dave Gardner (Hot Snakes, RFTC) mixing engineer Stephen Kaye (JD McPherson, Mike Krol) and Pierre De Reeder (Rilo Kiley) to put their live, raw sound to tape.

The album, titled People in the Sky will be released on October 31st, 2019 on Pig Baby Records. Pre-orders are available HERE.

THE SCHIZOPHONICS LIVE 2019:

08/24 San Diego, CA @ Casbah

09/13 Montreal, QB @ Fuzztival

10/10 Los Angeles, CA @ Harvard & Stone

10/11 San Diego, CA @ Casbah

10/12 Long Beach, CA @ Alex's Bar

10/13 Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room

10/14 El Paso, TX @ The Neon Rose

10/17 Denton, TX @ Harvest House

10/18 Austin, TX @ Nicolaza's/Far Out

10/19 Houston, TX @ Rudyards

10/20 New Orleans, LA @ TBA

10/23 Miami, FL @ Gramps

10/24 St. Petersburg, FL @ The Bends

10/25 Orlando, FL @ Wills Pub

10/26 Atlanta, GA @ Star Bar

10/27 Memphis, TN @ DKDC

10/30 New York, NY @ Union Pool

10/31 Baltimore, MD @ Otto Bar

11/01 Washington, DC @ The Pie Shop

11/02 Philadelphia, PA @ Ortlieb's

11/03 New Haven, CT @ Café Nine

11/04 Providence, RI @ Dusk

11/05 NYC, NY @ Illegal Mezcal Private Party

11/06 Pittsburg, PA @ Get Hip

11/07 Toronto, ON @ The Baby G

11/08 Detroit, MI @ The Outer Limits

11/09 Chicago, IL @ Liars Club

11/10 Madison, WI @ Mickey's Tavern

11/12 Appleton, Wi @ The Cold Shot

11/15 Wenatchee, WA @ Walley's

11/16 Seattle, WA @ Freakout Festival

11/17 Portland, OR @ Twilight Café

Artist: The Schizophonics

Album: People In The Sky

Label: Pig Baby Records

Release date: October 31st, 2019

01. Something's Got To Give

02. Steely Eyed Lady

03. Nine Miles

04. People In The Sky

05. The One I Want

06. Battle line

07. Not Gonna Change My Mind

08. Long Way To Go

09. Show Me Your Eyes

10. Like a Mummy

11. Down and Out

12. She's Coming Back

On the Web:

schizophonics.com

facebook.com/TheSchizophonics

instagram.com/theschizophonics

pigbabyrecords.com

A//TAR share new solemn post-metal track from forthcoming debut

"A//TAR brings solemn post-metal and sludgy doom with the crushing ferocity of Souls At Zero-era Neurosis and cinematic metal of Amenra." -- Metal Injection

"An echoing and massive effort...This truly beastly album is one of the better releases in this vein from the Pacific Northwest this year, and that's saying something. Don't miss out." -- Heavy Blog Is Heavy

Portland quintet A//TAR share a new track from their forthcoming debut today via Heavy Blog Is Heavy. Hear and share the crushing epic closer "Spoils" HERE. (Direct Bandcamp.)

Metal Injection recently launched the first single "Horology" HERE.

A//tar launch a West Coast tour in September following the album release. Please see current dates below.

Hailing from the dark and gloomy Pacific Northwest, Alltar (stylized as A//tar) deftly combines elements of Post-Metal, Doom, and Sludge; and in an act of pure alchemy, wholly creates their own image. In the midst of the bass-heavy, distortion-laden wall of sound lies an element of somber, melodic beauty.

The Portland, OR quintet are masters of slow-burn dramatic tension and explosive riffs with impassioned vocals giving their songs a formidable intensity. Reminiscent of the crushing ferocity of Souls At Zero-era Neurosis, the cinematic metal of Amenra, and multifaceted haze of Cult of Luna, A//tar are a return to thoughtcrafty heavy music.

Founded by guitarist Tim Burke (also of Hound The Wolves) in 2016, the band has developed through a careful, deliberate evolution to reach its perfect lineup with Juan Carlos Caceres (vocals, Moog), Nate Wright (drums), Colin Hill (guitar, samples) and Casey Braunger (bass.) With the same deliberation, the band spent the latter half of 2017 recording their 4-song debut album at 3 different studios in Portland, then mixing and mastering in Spring 2018. A record label came into the picture soon thereafter, though the album release was held up as the label's funds were scarce. Eventually, the label folded and the band wrestled back their masters, choosing to self-release, now well into 2019.

"Upon the A//TAR we place our past," the band declares. "Through the triumphs and tribulations of human-kind. From the technical and artistic birth of society's achievements in art and technology, as well as the rise of power, war, destruction, and the control of humanity. Through the inevitable dark decay and cold loss, our music is inspired."

Hallowed will be available on CD and download on September 6th, 2019. Pre-orders are available HERE.

A//TAR LIVE 2019:

09/04 Portland, OR @ Dante's

09/20 Eugene, OR @ Sessions' Lounge

09/21 Boise, ID @ The Shredder

09/22 Reno, NV @ TBA

09/23 Sacramento, CA @ On The Y

09/24 San Jose, CA @ The Ritz

09/25 Santa Cruz, CA @ The Blue Lagoon

09/26 Oakland, CA @ The Golden Bull

09/28 Seattle, WA @ The Highline

10/05 Portland, OR @ Twilight Bar

Artist: A//tar

Album: Hallowed

Label: Monochord Records

Release date: September 6th, 2019

01. Horology

02. War Altar

03. Induction

04. Spoils

On the Web:

altar.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/ALLTAR.PDX

instagram.com/alltar.pdx

twitter.com/Alltarpdx

Holy Serpent (RidingEasy Records) share first track from "defining moment" forthcoming album

"Holy Serpent incorporates a lot of great riffs, off-kilter tempo changes, and buckets brimming with originality constantly poured into its songwriting." -- Metal Injection

"One of our favorite doom releases of 2016." -- CvltNation

Australian quartet Holy Serpent share the first track from their forthcoming third album on RidingEasy Records, Endless today via Brooklyn Vegan. Hear and share "Lord Deceptor" HERE.(Direct YouTube.)

Holy Serpent launch EU and UK tour dates in September. Please see current dates below.

The forthcoming third album by Melbourne, Australia's Holy Serpent could likely be its defining moment. Seemingly bottomless in its relentless heft, with billowing and suffocating riffs leading glistening melodies, it's the sound of a band that has locked on to something unique. Endless is fully conceptualized throughout, encapsulating an oceanic theme from the lyrics and art, even to the very structure of the sounds themselves.

"Lyrically, it's heavily influenced by the ocean," explains vocalist/guitarist Scott Penberthy. "Lots of ocean metaphors and imagery was used. Also the title of the album Endless, is an homage to the ocean: Its mystery, power and its ability to give and take life." The album loosely follows the lyrical theme of two lovers, oceans apart, waiting for each other on the shores of eternity. Their love is so strong, they eventually walk into the water, ending their lives to be together in the afterlife.

Fitting to these themes, the band experiments with sound throughout the album, such as layering in a wobbly synth sound reminiscent of tape push and pull, mixed just loud enough to blend with the instruments. "It's sort of a haunting sound which gives the album an ebb and flow, much like an ocean's current or tide," Penberthy says.

The 6-song, 40-minute album finds Penberthy, guitarist Nick Donoughue, bassist Dave Bartlett and drummer Lance Leembruggen expanding their melodic hooks while simultaneously taking listeners on a rigorous journey. It was written over the course of 2 months, then recorded in seclusion at Beveridge Road Recording Studios near Australia's beautiful Dandenong Ranges with head engineer Marc Russo and mixed by Mike Deslandes. Surrounding themselves with nature and no distractions allowed the band to focus on every detail of the album as a coherent whole.

In the time since their self-titled RidingEasy debut in mid-2015, Melbourne, Australia's Holy Serpent have gained a lot of attention for their rather punk version of heavy psych and metal. Their 2016 skate-metal leaning album Temples further defined their more experimental blend of early Soundgarden, Saint Vitus and Kyuss that eschews simplistic 70s-worship in favor of shimmering sonics and uncommon production techniques. Nonetheless, Endless is like all of the band's earliest visions fully realized and honed into an album beyond easy classification.

Starting with the slow, exaggeratedly compressed 4/4 drum lead in to "Lord Deceptor" -- something of a hi-dive anticipation before we plunge headlong into the ensuing depths -- crushing and crackling guitars burst in as Penberthy sings in low baritone, "ocean grave, carry me upon a wave / I'm hypnotized in prophecy, what Is left for you and me?" Harmonies drift in and out of the main motif as it sways along into the tempest of "Into The Fire." Here, a churning riff gathers intensity as the rhythm section builds to a lurching 3/4 time. Reverb-soaked vocals sing, "where the ocean meets the sand, I'll be waiting, I'll be waiting there." Elsewhere, on "For No One," impossibly low droptuned guitars slink along as the music swells with space rock abandon. Album closer, "Marijuana Trench" is a play on the Mariana trench, the deepest place on earth. Appropriately, the song plunges from gently strummed acoustic guitar into a tsunami crest that pulls the listener under the dark and enveloping weight of sound as Penberthy's soothing vocals seem to ease us into the end, subsumed in the album's powerful allure.

Endless will be available everywhere on LP, CD and download on October 18th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Preorders are available HERE.

HOLY SERPENT LIVE 2019:

09/04 Rome, IT @ Traffic

09/05 Torino, IT @ Blah Blah

09/06 Parma, IT @ Splinter

09/07 Alessandria, IT @ Cascina Bellaria

09/08 Palosco, IT @ OI Muli

09/09 Zerobranco, IT @ Altroquando

09/10 Wien, AT @ Venster99

09/11 Salzburg, AT @ Rockhouse

09/12 Augsburg, DE @ City Club

09/13 Olten, CH @ Coq D'Or

09/14 Brunnen, CH @ Kult Turm

09/17 London, UK @ The Raven Tower Bridge

09/18 Bristol, UK @ The Old England

09/19 Lille, FR @ Do It Yourself Cafe

09/20 Martigny, CH @ Le Caves Du Manoir

09/23 Koln, DE @ MTC

09/24 Bielefeld, DE @ Potemkin

09/25 Oldenburg, DE @ MTS Record Shop

09/26 Berlin, DE @ Toast Hawaii

09/27 Siegen, DE @ Vortex

09/28 Frauenfeld, CH @ Kaff

Artist: Holy Serpent

Album: Endless

Label: RidingEasy Records

Release date: October 18th, 2019

01. Lord Deceptor

02. Into The Fire

03. Daughter of The Light

04. Hourglass

05. For No One

06. Marijuana Trench

On the Web:

facebook.com/HolySerpentBand

www.ridingeasyrecords.com

holyserpentband.bandcamp.com

Permanent Records buys Cafe NELA, will open first record store/venue/bar in L.A.

Photo: Permanent Records owner Lance Barresi (L) with Cafe NELA owner Dave Travis (R)

Los Angeles record store and label Permanent Records announces today the purchase of the building housing underground music venue Cafe NELA in Cypress Park, Los Angeles. Store owner Lance Barresi plans to upgrade the space and convert it into a record store / music venue / bar, making it the first of its kind in the L.A. area.

About the plan, Barresi explains:

"It is with great excitement that we come to you this week with incredible news! Permanent is expanding yet again with a new venture! As of October 1st, 2019, we will have another new location, and this time it will be a record store / venue / bar! That's right, we're going to be the first business of this kind in Los Angeles!

"The location is in Cypress Park, halfway between Highland Park and Echo Park, at 1906 Cypress Avenue. You may recognize that address as Cafe NELA. The current owner, Dave Travis, has owned the venue for the past 6+ years, where he has hosted nearly 1100 shows! Dave has done a great service to the local music community, but the time has come for him to move on, and fortunately he's chosen us as his successor. As great appreciators of Dave's work, we're excited for the opportunity to expand on what he started.

"In addition to hosting shows, we plan to be open 7 days a week and will be operating as the record store you've come to know and love. We'll also be serving BEER and snacks while we're open and plan to expand the drink menu soon!

"We are super stoked about this new development and have a lot of great things in mind for the short and long-term future. We hope you all are as excited about this prospect as we are, and we promise to share news with you as it develops. For now, let's all give Dave and Cafe NELA three cheers and toast to the future Permanent Records!

"A million thanks! -- Lance Barresi and the Permanent Records Crüe."

On the Web:

permanentrecordsla.com

soundcloud.com/permanentrecords

facebook.com/permanentrecordsla

instagram.com/permanentrecordsla

twitter.com/Permanent_LA

JAIL WEDDINGS share "Do Anything You Want To Me"; L.A. Weekly's Band of the Year returns w/ new album

"Bombastic songs that walk the line between Nick Cave and Springsteen covering 'Lipstick Traces (on A Cigarette).' It’s a party, of sorts." -- Noisey

" A marriage between the Dream Syndicate, X, and the smoldering sounds of classic English post-punk, the tune is smart, energetic and more than worth the wait." -- PopMatters

L.A. psych-punk noir group Jail Weddings today announce their first new album in 5 years, Wilted Eden. The band shares the first single, a live show fan favorite for the past couple of years "Do Anything You Want To Me" via Bandcamp, YouTube and Soundcloud.

LA Weekly voted the band's previous album Meltdown -- A Declaration of Unpopular Emotion the #1 Album of the Year for 2014.

Wilted Eden, the expansive third album by L.A.'s tarnished romantics Jail Weddings is one of those rare albums recorded in "real time" chronicling the intersection between the whirlwind birth and eventual death of new love, along with the sudden unforeseen deaths of loved ones. Still standing in their 10th dizzying year, the Wall of Sound provocateurs return anew with an emotionally and musically charged 12-song epic.

The result is the sound of a veteran band that is now doing whatever the hell they want after a decade of tempering (and coining) a unique sub-genre often called death doo-wop. While a line-up change also opened new horizons, the group found the time and freedom to experiment in the studio with no gun to their heads - deploying guitar feedback, Theremin, analog synth, and skronking saxophone to their usual street-poetic, swollen-knuckle pop. Think of The Waterboys expansive "Big Music" sound on brown acid and you might come close.

Wilted Eden begins cinematic, but with what almost sounds like a closing credits theme - the title track is apocalyptic folk at its most definitive, as Hart's own minor chord three-part harmonies bring to mind The Byrds soaring over Death In June. It quickly ramps up with the driving rocker "Do Anything You Want To Me," a dare of absolute surrender that feels like The Smiths rhythm section backing up Steve Wynn. "Nowhere" is the full-tilt cowpunk barn-burner of the record, calling up ghosts of The Gun Club sharing a carnival stage with Freddy Cannon. Don't let the sweet title of "Face of Kindness" fool you - as it contains one of the more blue double-entendres on the album. "Blood Moon Blue" is pure unnerving ecstasy, wailing feedback over Lynchian twang like Rowland S. Howard fronting a lounge-lizard exotica act. "Skin Invocation" is a sexual revolution in just under 6-minutes, where singer/bandleader Gabriel Hart duets with back-up singer Mary Animaux; both of them seeing the athlete of pleasure in everyone before guitarist Anthony Cozzi dogfights with Hart's sax to climax. And if you're still on board until the very, very bitter end of what has proved to be a very loaded album, "Love Me Like I'm Dead" will give you a nine-minute stark testimony of just how far this once-in-a-lifetime, genre-thrashing band has come, If, that is, you haven't already run for the hills yourself...

Wilted Eden will be available on LP, CD and download on September 20th, 2019 via Tru-Vow Recordings. Burger Records will release the album on cassette. Preorders are available HERE.

JAIL WEDDINGS LIVE 2019:

09/24 Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite - Album release show

09/25 San Francisco, CA @ The Honey Hive

09/26 Reno, NV @ TBA

09/27 Portland, OR @ TBA

09/28 Seattle, WA @ The Lo-Fi

09/29 Eugene, OR @ TBA

09/30 Sacramento, CA @ TBA

10/01 Albany, CA @ The Ivy Room

Artist: Jail Weddings

Album: Wilted Eden

Label: Tru-Vow Recordings

Release Date: September 20th, 2019

01. Wilted Eden

02. Do Anything You Want To Me

03. (I Can't Wait To Get To) Nowhere

04. Face of Kindness

05. Blood Moon Blue

06. Skin Invocation

07. Do You Really Want The World?

08. Quality of Mercy

09. Many Fires Burning

10. A Haunted Song

11. I Must Keep My Woman Happy

12. Love Me Like I'm Dead

On The Web:

www.facebook.com/JailWeddings

jailweddings.bandcamp.com

instagram.com/jailweddings

jailweddings.net

THE WELL announce new tour dates supporting new album 'Death and Consolation' on RidingEasy Records

"Their most intimate, darkly personal record yet... Taking them out of the doom corner and giving it a raw, post-punk feel. "Raven" sounds like a Satanic, downtuned Steppenwolf, and frankly we can’t get enough." -- Kerrang!

"An intoxicating mix of stoner metal and occultist rock -- it’s dark n’ doomy, sure, but it’s also as catchy as fly paper coated in industrial strength glue." -- Metal Sucks

Austin trio The Well announce additional tour dates in support of their beloved new album, Death and Consolation (RidingEasy Records) today. The band has spent much of the year on tour, and here continue the trek through into November. Please see all dates below.

TOUR POSTER HERE.

Watch and share the video for album track "This Is How The World Ends" on YouTube.

Death and Consolation is without a doubt a weighty album title. And, The Well is among the heaviest heavy psych bands in existence. So when we say that there's even more darkness and intensity to the band's third album than previous efforts, take heed. It's a deep sea diving bell of enveloping heaviness and longing.

"This one is a little more personal," says guitarist/vocalist Ian Graham. "2018 was a strange, dark year. A lot of change going on in my life, there was a lot of depression and coming out of it over the last year. I wanted to call this Death and Consolation, because in life that's a constant."

While The Well continue to walk an intriguing line between authentic early 70s doom/heavy psych and frayed weirdness of dark folk - especially with their haunting unison male/female vocals - the new album also adds the stark vibe of post-punk acts like Joy Division and early The Cure. "I feel like this album is almost more gothic. We're big fans of post-punk," Graham says. There's also much less jamming, the songs are tight and concise. And, did we mention, heavy? The band tuned down a full step to C-standard tuning for this album, which gives the proceedings its monstrous sound.

Sonically, Death and Consolation picks up where The Well -- Graham, bassist/vocalist Lisa Alley and drummer Jason Sullivan -- left off with their widely heralded 2016 RidingEasy album Pagan Science. The band once again recorded with longtime producer/engineer Chico Jones at Estuary Studio in 2018, who has turned the knobs for all three of their albums (Jones engineered the band's debut album Samsara with producer Mark Deutrom [Melvins, Sunn0)))] in 2013.) Samsara, released late September 2014 was ranked the #1 debut album of 2014 by The Obelisk and Pagan Science among the Best of 2016 from the Doom Charts collective. Likewise, the band's intense -- some even say "possessed" -- live performances have earned them featured slots at Austin's Levitation Fest, as well as tours with Kadavar, All Them Witches, Black Tusk and more.

"This album might be a little less produced, because I didn't want to push technical stuff as much," Graham says. "I'm so scared of getting too complicated when getting better at guitar. This is still kind of punk rock."

Death and Consolation is available on LP, CD and download as of April 26th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Orders are available HERE.

THE WELL TOUR 2019:

09/13 - Austin, TX - Empire Control Room

10/10 - Helsinki, FI - Blow Up Festival

10/12 - Tulsa, OK - Mercury Lounge

10/13 - Lawrence, KS - Replay Lounge

10/14 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews

10/15 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club

10/16 - Chicago, IL - Live Wire

10/17 - Detroit, MI - Sanctuary

10/18 - Toronto, ON - Grand Gerrand

10/19 - Ottawa, ON - House of Targ

10/20 - Montreal, QC - Katacombs

10/21 - Winooski, VT - Monkey House

10/22 - Rochester, NY - Bug Bar

10/23 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus *

10/24 - Philadelphia, PA - Barbary *

10/25 - Baltimore, MD - The Depot

10/26 - Richmond, VA - Wonderland

10/27 - Raleigh, NC - Slim's

10/28 - Atlanta, GA - 529

10/29 - Gainesville, FL - Hardback Cafe

10/30 - St Petersburg, FL - The Bends

11/01 - Puerto Rico - Club 77

11/02 - Jacksonville, FL - Justice Pub

11/09 - Austin, TX - Levitation Festival

* w/ Heavy Temple

Artist: The Well

Album: Death and Consolation

Label: RidingEasy Records

Release date: April 26th, 2019

01. Sabbah

02. Raven

03. Death Song

04. Cup of Peace

05. Eyes of A God

06. Act II

07. Freedom Above

08. This Is How

09. Endless Night

On the Web:

www.thewellband.com

www.thewellaustin.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/thewellband

Blackwater Holylight announce anticipated sophomore album, share lead single

"An ambient blend of psychedelic vintage poppy hooks and crushingly heavy sludge." -- Metal Hammer

"This quartet has been burning up stages all around their hometown, fueled by their abrasive blend of doom metal, psych rock, goth and a tangy soupçon of pop music... They landed a spot on the 2018 Best New Band poll in alt-weekly Willamette Week, but could quickly take over the world." -- Paste Magazine

"They mesh elements of doom, Krautrock and atmospheric indie into one bewitching rock whole." --Classic Rock Magazine

Portland, OR quintet Blackwater Holylight announce their forthcoming sophomore album Veils of Winter (RidingEasy Records) today, sharing the lead single. Hear and share the immediately classic hooks of "Motorcycle" via Bandcamp and YouTube.

Blackwater Holylight hit the road hard this Fall, supporting former RidingEasy label mates Monolord throughout the US in November, as well as Thou in September, plus a handful of hometown shows. Please see complete dates below.

Blackwater Holylight, as the name suggests, is all about contrasts. It's a fluid convergence of sound that's heavy, psychedelic, melodic, terrifying and beautiful all at once.

As a heavy band, their songs aren't anchored to riffs, but rather riffs come and go in waves that surface throughout the band's meditative, entrancing songs. It's a hypnotic sound, with orchestral structures that often build tension and intrigue before turning the song on its head -- not by simply getting louder or heavier, nor by just layering elements. They expertly subvert the implied heaviness of a part, dissecting it and splaying the song's guts out to seep across the sonic spectrum.

Now, having toured extensively following the band's wildly-successful breakout self-titled debut in 2018, Blackwater Holylight has honed their sound and identity to a powerfully captivating beast. Their live set is all about the slow build, seeming to combine the melodic tension of early Sonic Youth crossed with the laconic fever-dream blues of the first Black Sabbath album and wiry experimentation of post-punk and krautrock.

The lineup on this album is Allison (Sunny) Faris (bass/vocals), Laura Hopkins (guitar/vocals) and Sarah McKenna (synths), with new guitarist Mikayla Mayhew and drummer Eliese Dorsay fleshing out their sound in exciting ways.

"The process of this album was vastly different from our first record," says Faris. "One, because we recorded it over the course of a few weeks, whereas the first record was over the course of about a year. And two, this album was a true collaboration between the five of us. Each of us had extremely equal parts in writing and producing, we all bounced ideas off each together, and we all had a say in what was going on during every part of the process."

"One of our favorite things about this album is that because it was so collaborative, we didn't compartmentalize ourselves into one vibe." She continues. "It's heavy, psychedelic, pop, shoegaze, doom, grunge, melodic and more. The whole process was extremely organic and natural for us, we were just being ourselves."

Veils of Winter opens with fuzzed-drenched, drop-tuned bass and baritone guitar leading a dirge riff on "Seeping Secrets." Faris' lilting and funereal vocals drop in, adding to the mournful atmosphere until a short turnaround progression hints at changes to come, as Faris and Hopkins harmonize eerily and the tune suddenly turns into a krautrock charge. "Motorcycle" kicks off deceptively with a heavy grunge riff building up for about 40-seconds before the song abruptly shifts gears into a synth-led post-punk harmony, sounding something like Lush meets Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd. "Death Realms" is perhaps the poppiest track, based around soaring shoegaze guitars and interwoven light vocal harmonies. Soft piano notes, occasional woozy whammy bar dives and a driving tom-tom beat solidify its hooks. "Spiders" is a creepy-crawly guitar riff and counterpoint keys, while "Moonlit" explores prog-structures with a shredding guitar solo crescendo. The penultimate track, "Lullaby" is exactly that, a lulling, expansive tune exemplifying Blackwater Holylight's genre smashing sound as it subtly moves across a vast sonic landscape atop a hypnotic 6/8 beat and repetitive 3-note motif. Throughout the album, their songs shirk traditional verse-chorus-verse structure in favor of fluid, serpentine compositions that move with commanding grace.

Veils of Winter will be available on LP, CD and download on October 11th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Pre-orders are available at www.ridingeasyrecs.com.

BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT LIVE 2019:

08/09 Portland, OR @ Tonic Lounge - Planned Parenthood benefit

08/24 Portland, OR @ Star Theater w/ Kadavar, Danava

09/23 Tallahassee, FL @ The Bark #

09/24 Tampa, FL @ The Blue Note #

09/26 Miami, FL @ Las Rosa's #

09/27 Orlando, FL @ Will's Pub #

09/28 Gainesville, FL @ The Atlantic #

09/29 Pensacola, FL @ Chizuco #

10/24 Portland, OR @ Star Theater - Album release show

11/05 San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick *

11/06 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress *

11/07 Albuquerque, NM @ Sister *

11/09 Austin, TX @ Barracuda - Levitation Fest - RidingEasy Stage

11/10 Lafayette, LA @ Freetown Boom Boom Room *

11/11 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks *

11/12 Atlanta, GA @ 529 *

11/13 Asheville, NC @ Mothlight *

11/14 Richmond, VA @ Camel *

11/15 Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery *

11/16 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church *

11/17 New York, NY @ Saint Vitus *

11/20 Chicago, IL @ Reggie's *

11/21 Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle Brewing *

11/22 St. Louis, MO @ Fubar *

11/23 Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck *

11/25 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater *

11/27 Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom *

# w/ Thou

* w/ Monolord

Artist: Blackwater Holylight

Album: Veils of Winter

Label: RidingEasy Records

Release Date: October 11th, 2019

01. Seeping Secrets

02. Motorcycle

03. Spiders

04. The Protector

05. Daylight

06. Death Realms

07. Lullaby

08. Moonlit

On The Web:

ridingeasyrecs.com

instagram.com/blackwaterholylight

HERE LIES MAN share new track from upcoming mini-album, Antibalas members "if Black Sabbath played Afrobeat"

"An evolutionary step forward for their sound." - Metal Hammer

"A woozy wall of Afrobeat inspired fuzzbox riff worship and pounding circular rhythmic power, Here Lies Man connect the stoner rock underground straight to downtown Lagos." - The Quietus

"Here Lies Man are still really, really good at making riffy, rhythmic psychedelic rock that sounds like the '60s/'70s but still feels fresh today. Fans of anything from Nuggets to Ty Segall and King Gizzard should take note." -- Brooklyn Vegan

"This is a band ahead of their time." -- The Obelisk

Los Angeles quartet Here Lies Man share a new single from their forthcoming 7-song mini-album No Ground To Walk Upon today via PopMatters. Hear and share "Long Legs (Look Away)" HERE. (Direct YouTube.)

The first single, "Clad in Silver" is also available via YouTube, Bandcamp and Spotify.