The Daily News

54º40' or Fight! artists Mandarin and Ticonderoga each will be touring in March and April, with tonight being the latter's first show, while Mandarin begins tomorrow evening. Here's an excerpt from a review in The Wire for Mandarin's Fast>Future>Present: "The group’s combustible energy is released in sharp bursts of activity, with their supple compactness allowing for an intermittent overspill of shredded, overdriven rock noise. The surface activity belies a robust understanding and adaptation of more traditional blues and soul-delivered dynamics, which are overtly expressed on the subdued closing track, The Gift of Not Living.” MANDARIN tour dates: 3.23 Oklahoma City, OK at The Conservatory 3.25 Albuquerque, NM at Burt's Tiki Lounge 3.26 El Paso, TX at T Lounge 3.27 Phoenix, AZ at Modified Arts 3.29 San Diego, CA at The Casbah w/lowcloudcover, Channing Cope 3.30 Los Angeles, CA at King King 3.31 Long Beach, CA at Koo's (canceled) 4.01 Visalia, CA at Howie & Sons w/Asobi Seksu 4.02 Berkeley, CA at Starry Plough w/The Moore Brothers 4.05 Portland, OR at Berbati's w/Climber, Little Brazil 4.06 Boise, ID at Neurolux 4.07 Salt Lake City, UT at Burt's Tiki Lounge 4.08 Denver, CO at The Hi-Dive w/Bright Channel 4.09 Kansas City, MO at TBD Says Indieworkshop.com of Ticonderoga's debut: "Ticonderoga, as their scholastic namesake suggests, have assembled an debut album of sharp, dependable music that you don’t mind keeping in your Trapper Keeper, especially if it has “Thrill Jockey rulz” or “Grubbs 4 Eva” scrawled across it. I hate describing anything as post-rock, but the checklist seems in order: skilled home recordists, seamless integration of acoustic and classical instrumentation, all members talented with the trap kit and percussion bag, sprawling and ambitious song structures. I don’t mean to sound jaded or post-post-rock, but this music-that-no-one-knows-what-to-call has been around long enough for certain stereotypes to become entrenched and unfortunately the Back-Lash Effect swallows up a lot of great bands or at least renders them faceless. Whether this band and this recording transcend a genre shouldn’t really be the center of debate. “Post-Rock” needs to die. This is just nice, musically progressive and honest music that you can turn to when you are in the mood for it." TICONDEROGA tour dates: 3.22 New York, NY at Piano's w/Eiffel Tower 3.23 Philadelphia, PA at The Fire 3.24 Brooklyn, NY at North Six with Big Bear (9:30 set time) 3.25 Providence, RI at as220 3.27 New Haven, CT at BAR 3.28 Albany, NY at The Fuze Box 3.29 New York, NY at Lit Lounge w/Pretendo, School for Wayward Girls 3.30 State College, PA at Darkhorse Tavern (Roustabout!) 4.01 Chicago, IL at The Hideout w/Satellite 66 and The Interiors 4.03 Dubuque, IA at The Busted Lift 4.05 Grinnell, IA at Grinnell University 4.06 Des Moines, IA at Vaudeville Mews 4.07 Iowa City, IA at Gabe's Oasis 4.08 Lansing, MI at Mac's Bar 4.09 Traverse City, MI at Horizon Books (early show) 4.09 Traverse City, MI at The Masonic Temple w/Tanooki Suit 4.10 Kalamazoo, MI at Kraftbrau w/Viva Voce 4.12 St Louis, MO at The Lemp Arts Center w/Bellafea 4.13 Atlanta, GA at The Drunken Unicorn 4.14 Athens, GA at Tasty World w/Count 4.15 Knoxville, TN at Pilot Light 4.16 Wilmington, NC at Soapbox Laundrolounge w/Bellafea, Summer Set	Norweigan Trio Returns to USA to Get Mediaeval on Your Ears Jules Winnfield didn’t see this one comin’. Trio Mediaeval will return to the USA in April to tour. See our online feature for more detail on what to expect at one of these sure-to-be exhilarating concerts. You may also read about them at length in CP22. 4.07 New York, NY Merkin Concert Hall (8 PM) 4.08 Ann Arbor, MI St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church (8 PM) 4.09 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater (8 PM) 4.10 Durham, NC Duke Chapel (5 PM) 4.12 San Antonio, TX Venue TBD (7 PM) 4.14 San Francisco, CA Herbst Theatre (8 PM) 4.15 Windsor, CA Guadalupe Church (7:30 PM) 4.17 Sun Valley, ID Big Wood Presbyterian Church (7 PM)
	The Roots of Orchis Goes On Tour In the dead of March, a band sets forth on the lonely road… In a scene sure to be reminiscent of some desolate panoramic shot in Fargo, Copper Press faves The Roots of Orchis (slowdance.com) will brave the lonely highways of the continental US later this month. They’re starting off in Texas. Probably because it’s warm there or something. 3.14 El Paso, TX at T-Lounge w/The Album Leaf 3.17 Denton, TX at Hailey's w/The Album Leaf 3.18 Jackson, MS at Martin's Lounge w/The Album Leaf 3.19 New Orleans, LA at Twiropa w/The Album Leaf & Crooked Fingers 3.21 Orlando, FL at Social w/The Album Leaf 3.22 St Augustine, FL at Cafe Eleven w/The Album Leaf 3.23 Palm Beach, FL at Respectable Street w/The Album Leaf 3.24 Jacksonville, FL at Jack Rabbit's w/The Album Leaf 3.25 – Gainesville, FL at Common Grounds w/The Album Leaf, Bloodthirsty Lovers & Textual (18&over - 10pm) 3.28 Greensboro, NC at The Faculty Center on UNCG campus 3.30 New York, NY at Knitting Factory (Tap Bar)w/PG Six, Glenn Jones, T. Griffin Coraline, Harris Newman ($10 - 7pm) 3.31 Brooklyn, NY at The Llano Estacado w/Black Mountain and Bear In Heaven 4.02 Cambridge, MA at TT The Bears w/Album Leaf and Bloodthirsty Lovers 4.03 Cleveland, OH at Beachland Ballroom w/Six Parts Seven & Sleeping Kings Of Iona (8pm - $7) 4.05 Detroit, MI at Magic Stick w/The Album Leaf 4.08 Chicago, IL at Empty Bottle w/The Album Leaf 4.09 Iowa City, IA at Gabe's Oasis w/The Album Leaf 4.11 Denver, CO at Hi-Dive w/The Album Leaf & Black Mountains 4.12 Salt Lake City, UT at Liquid Joe's w/The Album Leaf
3.04.05 Belgium's Hitch Married to Idea of Touring USA Wish we could think of a could waffle joke right now... The Belgian post-punk trio Hitch (www.hitch.be) will be touring the USA from 3.04 to 3.19, bringing with them loads of merch., music, merriment and mirth. Their first show was yesterday, but it was in Canada, and chances are you had plans, anyway. 3.04 New York, NY at Lit Lounge 3.05 McAdoo, PA at The Strand 3.06 Trenton, NJ at Millhill Basement 3.08 Scranton, PA at The Bog 3.09 Chicago, IL at Double Door w/Haymarket Riot, Mandroid 3.10 Champaign, IL at Mike Molly's w/Blesses Curses 3.11 Lansing, MI at Mac's Bar w/the pAper chAse, Haymarket Riot 3.12 Bloomington, IN at Second Story Nightclub w/Haymarket Riot, Holy Bible, The Post 3.13 Milwaukee, WI at Cactus Club w/the pAper chAse, Call Me Lightning 3.14 Columbia, MO at Shattered w/ Bald Eagle 3.16 Austin, TX @ BD Rileys 3.18 Austin, TX - Scootenanny Festival 3.19 Austin, TX - SxSW	Dropsonic SXSW Tour Dropsonic (dropsonic.com) will head to Texas for a string of dates, including two SXSW showcases. The first, on 3.16, will be as part of the IODA Showcase. IODA (iodalliance.com) is an online digital distributor. Also performing are Cracker, Mark Mallman, and Eyes Like Knives, among others. Their second show is evidently a secret, because we don’t have that information nor has anyone provided it. Austin: Beware. 3.11 Fort Worth, TX at The Aardvark w/Mermaid Purse 3.12 Denton, TX at Hailey’s w/Mermaid Purse 3.13 Wichita, KS at Eagle’s Lodge (all-ages) 3.15 Corpus Christi, TX at The Underground (all-ages) 3.16 Austin, TX Emo’s Annex w/Cracker 3.18 Austin, TX SXSW
Diesto to embark on US Tour Band's noise-rock heaviness causing weight-limit concern at US-DOT; Inspections imminent. "It's unfailingly punishing and unhappy, but also unquestionably powerful and amazingly tightly played if you can stand it." - The Big Takeover Can you stand it? Question is, can you remain standing in the face of its sonic assault? Portland, OR's Diesto (www.diesto.com) plays music that recalls the Cherubs, the band on King Coffey's Trance Syndicate label from hot-ass Tejas. Remember the beautifully wrecked slabs of noise that band used to produce? Oh man. Back then, we used to call it noise rock. The stoners then listened to bad metal. Period. Indie nerds with a penchant for the harder stuff listened to math-rock. Now, stoner rock is about the heavy and not the hair, and it and the loudest math-rock - and everything on the sliding abacus' six strings in between - are called "noise rock" with equanimity and fans of both genres are likely to be seen at the same shows. There's some of the math fans of the Jesus Lizard and Shellac would dig, and the violent power of the likes of Mastodon, Unsane, et al. So here we are, with Diesto, a throwback noise-rock band with heavy metal tendencies (the good kind). Fuck yeah. Diesto's Pothole-inducing Earthmover Tour, Spring 2005 Version (more dates TBA) 3.04 Denver, CO at 15th St. Tavern 3.05 Oklahoma City, OK at The Conservatory 3.07 Kansas City, MO at Balanca's Pyro Room 3.09 Cincinnati, OH at Sudsy Malone's 3.10 Atlanta, GA at The Drunken Unicorn w/The Letters Organize 3.11 Nashville, TN at Springwater 3.12 Knoxville, TN at Pilot Light 3.14 Wilmington, NC at Soapbox Laundrolounge 3.17 Philadelphia, PA at Hardware store (details TBD) 3.18 Jersey City, NJ at Uncle Joe's w/Mezzanine C-14 3.19 New York, NY at Lit Lounge 3.20 Boston, MA at Midway 3.22 Rochester, NY at Bug Jar 3.23 Windsor, ON at The Coach and Horses w/Fiftywatthead 3.24 Lansing, MI at Mac's Bar w/25 Suaves, Fiftywatthead 3.25 Milwaukee, Wi at Riverwest Commons w/IfIHadaHifi 3.26 Des Moines, IA at Hairy Mary's 3.27 Dubuque, IA at The Busted Lift 3.28 Manhattan, KS at PJ's 3.29 Wichita, KS at TBD 3.30 Denver, CO at 15th St. Tavern 3.31 Salt Lake City, UT at Urban Lounge w/Long Arm 4.02 Oakland, CA at The Temple w/The Mass, Totimoshi	2.23.05 Fire claims tangible property of The Esoteric At approximately 3 AM on 2.22.05, fire swept through the home, practice space, and studio of the Lawrence, KS band The Esoteric, burning the facility to the ground. Fortunately, the three members of the band living in the space survived, but they are presently homeless and without food or clothing. All of the band's equipment, merchandise, and recording gear succumbed to flames. Presently, the cause of the fire is unknown, and an investigation is underway. The Esoteric plan to push forward with their tour plans for March, April, and May. To help the band recoup, The Esoteric is humbly accepting donations via PayPal at info@the-esoteric.com - links are also available at the band's myspace.com/theesoteric page and at www.the-esoteric.com. Cash donations are also being taken for The Esoteric Fire Recovery Fund at Love Garden Sounds record store in downtown Lawrence, KS, at the following address: Love Garden Sounds 936 1/2 Mass St. (upstairs) Lawrence, KS 66044 http://www.lovegardensounds.com/ The Esoteric's debut album for Prosthetic Records, titled With the Sureness of Sleepwalking is due in stores on 4.19.05. The Esoteric tour dates 3.02 Warrensburg, MO - The Set List 3.04 Topeka, KS - The Boobie Trap 3.08 Manhattan, KS - PJ's 3.10 Kansas City, MO - El Torreon 3.11 Denver, CO - Revoluciones (formerly The Construct) 3.12 Midvale, UT - The Circuit 3.13 Boise, ID - The Venue 3.14 Portland, OR - Davey Jones' Locker 3.15 Reno, NV - Stoney's 3.16 Sacramento, CA - The Boardwalk 3.17 West Hollywood, CA - The Whisky A Go-Go 3.18 Lancaster, CA - El Dorado 3.20 Lake Havasu City, AZ - Havasu Underground 3.21 Tempe, AZ - Neckbeard's 3.22 Navajo Education Center - Window Rock, AZ 3.23 El Paso, TX - House of Rock n Roll 3.26 Wichita, KS - Eagle's Lodge 3.30 Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater (The Esoteric Fire Recovery Benefit Show) 4.22 Worcester, MA - Palladium (part of New England Metal and Hardcore Festival)
10.27.04 RIP John Peel The legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ, the incomparable John Peel, has passed away at the age of 65. In our deadened age of Top 40 pre-programmed radio and slack-ass/hipster/jaded-as-cool college radio, it was comforting to know there was a radio broadcaster of such stature who really cared about music. DJs and music fans alike would do well to contemplate the impact John Peel had on underground music, as well as to dwell on the fact that, some forty years into his career, he was still so passionate about music - especially new music, and the music itself - not the scene, the hype, or the tawdry b.s. that surrounds it - is what mattered to him. We at Copper Press are humbled by his passing. RIP, John Peel. Volante to tour East Coast This ain’t no pleasure chariot, though the music is good. Minneapolis foursome Volante is after it again, hitting the road for yet another tour, their third of 2004 in support of Static Until Sunrise, the band’s raucous yet melodic new album. This time, the band takes to the East Coast and Midwest. Plans are already being laid for a West Coast tour in January 2005. See our Tour section for their East Coast dates.	A Mandarin in Europe The Fast>Future>Present is now as Denton, TX band tours UK. Denton, TX's Mandarin, barely home three weeks after a successful East Coast tour debut, tonight begins a tour of the United Kingdom with Polyphonic Spree. The multitudinous-membered group, in all its shiny-robed splendor, saw fit to ask Mandarin to open for them in Europe. See our Tour page for dates. From the influential publication, The Wire on the band’s new album, Fast>Future>Present: "Heavy on the basslines with sharply drawn guitar patterns, the variegated funkiness of Mandarin, from Denton, Texas, is topped off with Jayson Wortham’s jaggedly assured vocals. A scattering of influences have been streamlined into tightly focused songs, with a keen sense of melody and an impressive grasp of agitated, Gang of Four-style rhythms. The group’s combustible energy is released in sharp bursts of activity, with their supple compactness allowing for an intermitten overspill of shredded, overdriven rock noise. The surface activity belies a robust understanding and adaptation of more traditional blues and soul-delivered dynamics, which are overtly expressed on the subdued closing track, “The Gift of Not Living.””
The Building Press busy preparing new material Seattle still doesn't know what to do with a band like this. Seattle's outcast noise-rocker trio The Building Press is preparing two new songs for a 7" to be released on CurtainCall Music (formerly 404 Records). These songs will appear - possibly in a different form, possibly as is - on the band's follow-up to Young Money, the group’s confoundingly brilliant sophomore album.
10.04.04
The Building Press busy preparing new material Seattle still doesn't know what to do with a band like this. Seattle's outcast noise-rocker trio The Building Press is preparing two new songs for a 7" to be released on CurtainCall Music (formerly 404 Records). These songs will appear - possibly in a different form, possibly as is - on the band's follow-up to Young Money, the group’s confoundingly brilliant sophomore album.
9.29.04
9.29 The Frequency to tour Have The Frequency, will travel – but not by Trans Am Trans Am drummer Sebastian Thomson is a busy cat. Last week, he was in Benton Harbor, MI, recording a new record with Weird War; he’s their new drummer. This Friday, the band he fronts, The Frequency, will embark upon a nine-date tour of the East Coast, Midwest, and Canada, where at stops they will happen upon the likes of Stylex, Apollo Up! (www.apolloup.com), Racebannon, Explosions in the Sky, and others. See our tour section for dates.	31knots' Japanese Tour After a wildly successful 2003, which saw them tour the US and Europe, the Portland, OR trio has laid low, hard at work on the follow up to the critically-acclaimed It Was High Time to Escape (54º40’ or Fight!). The result? An EP entitled The Curse of the Longest Day will be released on the Japanese label Stiff Slack (stiffslack.com) and will coincide with a tour of Japan. Stiff Slack has released records by Shiner, National Skyline, The Mercury Program, Thumbnail, Aspera, Michael Nace, and a talent roster of Japanese artists.
8.19.04
BoySkout flees to the road for five weeks of shows Is there a merit badge for touring? After a false start on their initial attempt at a US tour, the all-female San Franciscan foursome BoySkout is hitting the road for five weeks of shows. When BoySkout was forced to scrap their spring tour because a member suddenly quit the band, the NYC band regrouped, moved a few thousand miles back home to San Francisco, and found themselves replenished with two new members. Undaunted, they're setting forth again on their first US tour, which begins with a few dates with Kissing Tigers on the West Coast before the band darts to the Midwest to play Bloomington Fest (uh, that’s in Bloomington, IN), and then onto the East Coast to romp around in their old playground. But the fun doesn’t stop there. No sir. BoySkout will point their van back toward the Midwest, where they’ll be for a week before cruising home by 9.25.04. Due to a last-minute routing change, 9.15 – 9.19 are open for the moment. That will change. Or maybe they’ll just head for the woods to practice starting campfires by rubbing sticks into piles of bark, or to practice applying tubes of Vick’s Vapo-Rub to each other in preparation for a career in caring for the infirm or merely chest-congested.	Friends of Copper Press need your help Arson really fucking blows, people Good friend of Copper Press, Scott Giampino (whom some of you may know from his band, Cash Audio, and from when he worked as publicist at Touch & Go, or because he is incredibly tall), his wife, Ali (a booking agent at Billions Corp.), and their young son, Max, were victims of arson at their Lake Forest Park home in Seattle on 8.05.04. The following was forwarded to us. Please consider making a donation to help them get back on their feet. Scott is one of the coolest, nicest, most genuine guys (and sly shittalkers) we know. He and Ali are dedicated to the world of music, and it is times like these where the music world should do something to give something back. “ Shortly before 1 am, Ali awoke to sounds of broken glass and fire engulfing their home. Blessedly, they and their son Max escaped unharmed in what must have been an absolutely terrifying couple of minutes. Their two cats, their possessions, and their home did not fare as well - they have lost virtually everything. They are fully insured and will eventually be able to replace their lost possessions. In the meantime, an account has been set up at U.S. Bank and donations are currently being accepted. The account is called “The Giampino Fund” and you may make donations at any local branch. Please reference account #153556105382 when doing so. And, for added reference, the account was established by Denise Maupin ˆ you may need to give that information to the teller, but the account name should suffice. Temporary housing accommodations have been arranged and the Capitol Hill branch of Sonic Boom Records is also currently accepting donations. Since they are without a home, the most useful donations are monetary, gift certificates, and good thoughts. Max could sure use some clothing ˆ he wears a size 4T or 5T (like his daddy, he‚s big for his age). Toys and books would be useful, as well. The little guy is down with Clifford The Big Red Dog, Tonka trucks, and stuff that is cool. Seeing that little bug on the news was enough to make me want to buy him Disneyland if he wants it. This fire has officially been declared an arson and agents from the Washington Insurance Council, the Arson Alarm Foundation and the ATF are offering a $38,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the parties responsible for the fires. Anyone with information should call 1-800-55ARSON.”
Frenchkiss to release new albums by The Bloodthirsty Lovers and Turing Machine Some labels have all the damn luck Frenchkiss, a NYC-based label run by Les Savy Fav-member Syd Butler, is set to release two albums ripe with indie lore this fall. The Bloodthirsty Lovers, the newest project from Dave Shouse (formerly of The Grifters and Those Bastard Souls), will see their LP, The Delicate Seam, released on 10.05.04. Former Pitchblende (one of the more underrated and more rockin’ post-Sonic Youth guitar bands of the ‘90s) guitarist Justin Chearno (who also kicked up sonic dust in Doldrums (releases on VHF and Kranky) and is a member of Panthers) is a member of Turing Machine, a name that may ring distantly familiar to you from those times you thumbed through the Jade Tree catalog and wondered, “Who the hell is Turing Machine?” before buying a CD with “name recognition.” Time to get educated, hipster. Zwei will be released 10.26.04.	Les Messieurs du Rock set to begin 2nd leg of US Tour Teresa Heinz Kerry reported to have uttered, “They’re not European. I’m European!” Austin’s faux-French lads Les Messieurs du Rock will be embarking upon the second leg of their summer-long US tour, with this stretch lasting from 8.13 through 9.15. They’ll see the heartland, then book it to the East Coast, cruise down I-95 and I-85 to points southerly, before bolting back home. Sounds like fun… Copper Press expands mail-order distribution. Over 50 new titles now available! In keeping with our mission of exposing music and art we dig, we’ve expanded Backlit Distribution so we can now sell said music and art. Distribution is a cold-hearted bitch, to put it bluntly, and the albums you’ll fin in the Backlit series are hard to find in the US in most cases. We figured there’s a synergy in being able to offer music by the artists we feature in the magazine. We don’t feature them in order to better sell their wares – let’s not be so cynical and jaded about the process. We feature these artists and musicians because we love what they do. We also recognize a need to help them get their music to the market, and if we can aid them, we think it is our duty to do so. Many online publications have links to web commerce sites where one can buy the album whose review one just read; we take it a step further by offering the opportunity to purchase titles by that artist – and others – without leaving the site. If you prefer, you can also order directly from the artist or their label. We’re fine with that. Just so long as you investigate new music, new art, we’re happy. Happy browsing!
The Building Press Constructs Another Tour Young Money reinvested in sonic infrastructure of US venue scene Seattle's prog-power trio, The Building Press will embark upon their second six-week (actually, this one is seven weeks) US tour of 2004 on 7.19 (in Missoula, with Xiu Xiu). They play a send-off party of sorts tonight at Graceland in Seattle, then will spend tomorrow packing and caressing their loved ones before jamming themselves into their van and spilling out onto America's highways for seven-weeks of good, wholesome activity and proper nutrition. Denver's Alt-weekly, the Westword, wrote this of The Building Press before one of their back-to-back shows there in in April: "Nagging itches, deep bruises, a fibula-cracking cramp in your calf muscle that wakes you up screaming in the middle of the night: Such are the metaphors for the music of the Building Press. For the past few years, this Seattle-based outfit has put the "ow" in power trio, and its sophomore release, Young Money, offers no respite. The seven songs on the album might as well represent deadly sins, wonders of the world or the layers of skin you're going to lose listening to them; the opening cut alone ("It's Probably Just You") packs an entire record collection's worth of moods, textures and genres into its gangling, disjointed frame. Post-hardcore and free jazz figure prominently in the mix, as does a dose of math rock - only contorted with a lopsided algebra that'll send your inner ear into a tailspin. Riding on top of the whole shambling contraption are the vocals of guitarist A.P. Schroder, whose gurgling-in-tongues voice sounds alternately sloshed and prophetic. If you can handle a walloping compound of Don Caballero and Laddio Bolocko punched up with some Led Zeppelin immensity, this is all you." - Jason Heller Yeah, they're that good.	JOAN OF ARC - Leaving Jade Tree, Joining Polyvinyl In the corporate world, this is considered a “lateral move” Yes you have heard correct, Tim Kinsellas’ Joan Of Arc will be releasing their next record with Polyvinyl Records. The new album, entitled Joan of Arc, Dick Cheney, Mark Twain, will be released 8.10.04 on formats that include the compact disc as well as the double-LP. Also available on the Polyvinyl website is a tell-all biography of JOA that explains many decisions and as includes some fun facts. An audio cassette/CD of the bio, narrated by a warbling bird, is also in the works. Be in with the new, folks! The Building Press tour update New dates galore confirmed on their seven-week jaunt The Building Press, just eleven days into their forty-nine date US tour, have confirmed several more shows along the way. The newest dates are listed below: 8.07 Hartford, CT House show (w/Strike the Colors) 8.18 Wichita, KS John Barleycorn’s 8.19 Des Moines, IA Vaudeville Mews 8.20 Denver, CO Climax Lounge 8.23 San Luis Obispo, CA The Dwelling w/Volante 8.25 Long Beach, CA The Prospector w/TheDaysEnd 9.02 San Francisco, CA Hemlock Tavern 9.03 Oakland, CA iMusicast
No Joie de vivre in France as Armstrong captures 6th Tour de France title. On final day, riders blitzkrieg into Paris, encircling it easily. Belated congratulations are in order to Lance Armstrong and Team Postal for his and their dominating performance at le Tour de France 2004. None of you will know this, but Royce was once a competitive cyclist, and we both are fans of the sport. The discipline, strength, skill, camaraderie, and courage of these riders – especially the 140 or so that finished the grueling three-week, twenty-stage race – is admirable. Expect profiles on many of these riders in Copper Press over the next few years. Bicycling has become a renewed passion here at Team Copper Press. Team Copper Press… yes… very interesting… Anyone wanna come race for us?	Pelican - Flying Heavy to Europe Loud guitars resemble sound of Luftwaffe; French surrender at ticket windows. Chirac abdicates to the Sudan. Chicago’s Pelican will be airborne this summer – in a plane – traveling to Europe for a lineup of dates that Americans and Europeans should definitely not miss. Xiu Xiu to Capitalize the “X” in America Body by Jamie workout workshops being scheduled. Call for details. Yours Truly, Xiu Xiu is now packing their bags of protein powder for a US tour in support of the freshest Xiu Xiu album yet - Fabulous Muscles. Watch Out: Jamie Stewart is coming to a town near you, and he’s pumped!
Aloha News Brief Aloha means, “I love you” For all of you eager Aloha fans, sleep easier tonight knowing Aloha has been hard at work on their next full-length recording. The recording will transpire at both Inner Ear and Silver Sonya throughout the rest of this sweet summer of 2004. The Alotians are at present adding their delicate flair to the recording and the album is expected to be finished towards the end of July (take note, very soon). Polyvinyl ( www.polyvinylrecords.com ) has stated that the new album will see release date sometime this October.	The Dillinger Escape Plan Hates the Dark Tours country, gets all stupid in the dubbing their tour Math-Metal, Relapse recording artist The Dillinger Escape Plan has announced upcoming tour dates in support of their new full-length release Miss Machine, out 7.20.04. THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN will slam down the road thrashing everything in its path, and yes, this is a headlining tour that will be kicked off 7.18.04 in Baltimore, Maryland. Cleverly titled the "F$#king With The Lights On" tour, the four week fornication is scheduled to come to a sad end on 8.17.04 in New York City. But fret not – and leave the light on, har har - for additional dates are pending, so a second dose of T.D.E.P. could quite possibly be heading your way.
Le Tour de Les Messieurs du Rock French government hopes it distracts media attention from France’s role in UN Oil-for-Food scandal. Wait- what media attention? Austin’s own smarmy gaggle of faux-Frenchmen, Les Messieurs du Rock embark today upon the first leg of a US tour that will span two months. Their debut draws comparisons like this: James Chance meets James Brown meets Ian Svenonius, and they all get down while wearing bad moustaches. Sacre bleu!	Indie Vets to Fight Battles on Home Turf Everybody was finger-tapping; their hands were fast as lightning. Remember! Nothing says indie rock like a super-group! And even though we all say indie rock is about the music, we all know it’s really driven by the hype. So go on; get you some Battles. Everyone else already has gotten theirs. Prove that you are better than your friends by seeing Battles first. But know this: You may be better than your friends, but you’ll never be better than the critics.
Engine Down Signs to Bigger Indie, Plans More Tours We’re all just shocked. Shocked. Engine Down recently announced they signed with Lookout! Records so they can tour more with Ted Leo and learn ways to become a better vegan, and, therefore, persons. Their spurned label, the hard-working indie, Lovitt ( www.lovitt.com ), gets to spend a lot of money on releasing the vinyl version of ED’s forthcoming self-titled major-indie debut. Engine Down was able to spend over a month in the studio with Brian McTernan making the new record. A month! We bet it’ll have strings on it. Now you can’t just go about releasing a record without a supporting tour, so look for Engine Down in a city near you.
7.09.04
Gary Young's Hospital to tour East Coast Nurse Ratchet signs on as roadie Pavement's gonzo drummer, Gary Young (the "one of these things is not like the other" lookin' dude in the band of otherwise chiseled jawbones of the young lads from Stockton, CA) - the one who left to pursue obscurity - has returned with another album fronting his band, Hospital. Omnibus Records (www.omnibusrecords.com) just released The Grey Album, and to support it, Young and his cohorts will be taking their tunes to the East Coast for a little over a week, beginning today. See the tour section for details.
6.17.04
Copper Press presents... swings back into action Friday, June 18th at Chicago's Fireside Bowl when they unveil the new issue at a performance featuring Haymarket Riot, Valina, and Sicbay. Show is all-ages and begins at 10 PM. In addition to the new issue, CP20, we'll have our first-ever Copper Press buttons to giveaway - if you can see them. That's a hint.
6.30.04
Sex & the City Upheaval What do you get when put a sick Austrian, a shoe fetish, and vomit together? A photo-op! Where's the paparazzi when you need it? Sick almost since touching down in America, Anatol of the Austrian band Valina had a brush with superstardom while in Brooklyn this past Saturday, May 29th. Unable to keep any food down and growing weaker by the minute, he decided before his band's set with Sicbay, Aqui and USAISAMONSTER at North Six to get a bite to eat. That bite - of a falafel - was quickly reversed and sent hurtling downward and onto the shoes of one Sarah Jessica Parker, who had the good fortune of being in the right place at precisely the right time. No joke. Keep an eye on the newsstands for a copy of US or People or some such; no doubt some snoop snapped a photo forposterity and profit. Hell, we'd pay to see it. Sadly, in order to facilitate a more rapid recovery from his illness, Valina had to cancel tonight's show at The Drunken Unicorn in Atlanta. They'll resume as scheduled tomorrow in Asheville.
5.26.04
Austria's Valina on tour in US Austria's Valina touched down safely in Minneapolis last night and will begin a three-week US tour this evening at a house show with their friends Sicbay. Valina took Sicbay with them on a month-long European tour back in February '04; Sicbay will play the first few and last two shows of Valina's tour with them. Visit the tour section for more information. Valina's music is along the lines of Taking Pictures, Dianogah and Shellac.
5.21.04
Drummeth Come, Drummeth May Go. BoySkout, Old Time Relijun, Riddle of Steel, The Life and Times, others, all feel repercussions of percussive problems They can keep a beat but they can't seem to keep still. In what is fast becoming an epidemic, there has been a rash of drummers taking flight from their bands of late. Old Time Relijun is momentarily drummerless. Riddle of Steel just parted ways with their drummer (Traindodge's Rob Smith is filling in on ROS's weeklong tour). BoySkout , the all-female, upstart San Franciscan-native foursome that relocated to NYC, lost its drummer less than a week before what was to be a five-week tour, then had another member leave, and finally, decided to re-relocate to SF. They've regrouped, so to speak, and will begin touring in late-July, starting with a date at Ladyfest Bay Area 2004 and culminating with an appearance at Homo A Go-Go in Olympia. The Life and Times, fronted by Allen Epley (formerly of Shiner) and bassed by Ring, Cicada's Eric Abert, has been auditioning drummers to replace the beard of Michael Myers, who, evidently, went back to stroking chins and banging skins in his old band, The String and Return.	Riddle of Steel back on tour The Midwest's hardest-working band, Riddle of Steel, is back on the road for another week of touring, this time in close comfort with Spain's No More Lies. If you haven't checked out Riddle of Steel yet, then you probably haven't read issue fourteen of Copper Press (the issue in which they were featured), haven't read the scores of reviews praising their amazing full-length debut, Python, or have been skeet shooting with the compilation CDs that have come with issues of Copper Press, for Riddle of Steel has been on a few of them. Nevertheless, if you live in the Midwest, another chance awaits you. See the tour section for details.
3.25.04
Riddle of Steel Tour Begins Today Detroit Rock City will never be rocked so hard... or so often St. Louis' ridiculously amazing power trio Riddle of Steel will embark upon a seventeen-stop tour of the Midwest and East Coast, beginning tonight with a show in DeKalb, IL. Due to a cancellation in Cleveland and the band's Detroit-based fans wanting to give them a show on what would otherwise be a scheduled off-night, Riddle of Steel will lay it to Detroit for three nights early in the tour. Cache Toalman (of CIV/Iceburn/Rival Schools) will open several shows, and ROS will support friends Retisonic for two nights.	Time of Orchids' track information on CP19 Copper Press presents... listed incorrectly. Editor apprehended at border; found with fistfuls of cash and typos Copper Press regrets the error it made with the information given to it by NYC's Time of Orchids, whose song, "Banquet for the Back of Neck" appeared on CD 2 of the double-disc CP19 Copper Press presents... compilation. Early As Seen in Pace is the name of their album, which can be purchased in a variety of ways, including from the band itself or from their label, Epicene Sound Systems or from the band itself at their website, whose address we also inexplicably got wrong. The types of errors we made with their song title, album title, and web address are the exception, rather than the norm, at Copper Press, and we wholeheartedly apologize to the band, Time of Orchids, for the mistake. We hope it will not hinder them in their musical and professional endeavors. Onward and upward.
Carbon Records celebrates ten years of existence Jeremy Piven to stammer, "Ten years, man! Ten!" to our endless amusement Ten years is an admirable tenure for any indie label, let alone one operating in the microscopic world of improvised, noise, and avant-electronic musics. Carbon knows this, hence the shift toward short-run CDRs and collectible packaging. To celebrate their tenth year in business, Carbon has issued The 10YR.Series - a collection of 10 CDRs, one released every 36.5 days throughout 2004. Visit Carbon Records' site on next Tuesday (3.23.04) at 12 AM, as the site will be updated with information on a new Dead Machines release. According to sources close to the label, the series will culminate in December with the release of a homemade wooden box to house all ten releases. Each release will be $8, as will be the box. But if you'd like to subscribe to the series, you can pay only $64 (the price of 8, essentially getting 2 releases and the box for free!). Pay now, and automatically get the releases delivered to your doorstep when they are available. 1.10.04 - 12am - Joe+N 2.15.04 - 12pm - Mike Shiflet (of Noumena, Gameboy Records) 3.23.04 - 12am - Dead Machines (John Olsen of WolfEyes and Tovah O'Rourke) 4.28.04 - 12pm - Ming 6.04.04 - 12am - Crawlspace 7.10.04 - 12pm - Coffee 8.16.04 - 12am - Tom Carter 9.21.04 - 12pm - Andy Gilmore 10.28.04 - 12am - Howard Stelzer 12.03.04 - 12pm - Dylan Nyoukis Check out the 10YR.Series page regularly for updates, etc.	Early Morning Band to debut its material in Providence, RI tonight Despite its name, band insists playing in the evening quite feasible for them Fans of The Feud, rejoice! Ex-members of The Feud have banded together with the bassist of Mezzanine C-14 and a sick drummer to form Early Morning Band, a NYC/NJ band which earned its moniker from the dawn practice regimen the band employed in its earliest days. Described by some as The Feud meets Yerself Is Steam-era Mercury Rev, Early Morning Band's already sonorous emanations are surely to evolve as they come closer to writing and recording their debut. Go see them tonight, opening at as220 in Providence, RI. They go on around 8 or 9 p.m. 54º40' or Fight! and Conspiracy join forces. As Manifest Destiny spreads overseas, Polk smiles from his grave; people said to be a bit freaked out by that 54º40' or Fight! has signed an exclusive European distribution deal with Conspiracy Records & Distribution, a superb company based in Belgium. In the coming days and weeks, the label's titles will begin appearing in the stores of every country in the Old World. Manifest Destiny continues unabated.
Happy new-release day for The Building Press Young Money is all over this town... and that town... and that town over there... Seattle's The Building Press, becoming renown for their blistering live set that is fueled by the new direction their music has taken the once mostly-instrumental trio, will have their second album, Young Money, released today by the Michigan label 54º40' or Fight!. Read what Seattle's premier alternative weekly, The Stranger, thought of Young Money. The closing pitch, "The second act from this Seattle band continues to place them in difficult-to-pin-down territory, but their music offers the kind of splintering angles that manage to stick deep beneath your skin." Jennifer Maerz knows her music. The Building Press will celebrate with a CD-release show at Chop Suey. Old Time Relijun and Water Kill the Sun will also be playing. $6, 8 PM doors.	Rook to Queen Eight: Adam's Castle to tour US; local papers arming selves witty chess-related puns. Seemingly the only non-garage rock band in Detroit, the exquisite instrumental piano/bass/drums trio Adam's Castle embarks upon a month-long tour that will take them to the West Coast and through the Midwest. Fans of post-rock and melodic prog rock music take notice: There is nothing else around like Adam's Castle. Dates posted in our Tour section. Tour booked by 43Rocket.
Pseudosix so Plush, They Be Getting' Felt Up Soft and Velvety, like their asses after three weeks of touring Plush in Tucson, AZ couldn't help themselves. After initially playing hard-to-get, they wooed Pseudosix and Amy Annelle (of The Places; also a touring member of Pseudosix) to their lair for a show with Cordero on 3.24. Can you blame them (put link to Pseudosix MP3 for "Love and Logic" here) Toledo (In)Vader Northern Ohio's finest to complete tour this weekend; fans of The Planet The chuckle at cheeky song reference Toledo's Shuttlecock and Stylex will be completing their joint-effort tour of Midwestern localities this week, making stops in Des Moines, Oshkosh, Des Moines and Grand Rapids (Shuttlecock only) along the way. Shuttlecock's music is lovingly referred to by us as Shellac and Tar in cryostasis, while Stylex's (www.stylex.com) shimmy has that delicious new/now/no-wave shake to it. Visit the Tour section for remaining dates.	3.24.04 Detroit hosts Indie Rock Festival Fans looking for Von Bondies, White Stripes rip-offs thoroughly confused Detroit-area promoter Mike Dakoske has been single-handedly - with the help of a bevy of talented new bands in city - reviving Detroit's moribund indie scene. He's fronted the money and the effort to bring touring bands to Detroit, and, in pairing them with locals such as Panther Attack, The Rants, Adam's Castle, W-Vibe and others, the scene has begun to thrive. To celebrate a year or more's worth of success and valiant failure, Dakoske is hosting a four-day music festival. 3.24 Pre-party atThe Belmont 10215 Jos Campau Hamtramck, MI Andrew Thomas El Boxeo The Rants The Kinetic Stereokids Remaining shows will be at Detroit Art Space (101 E. Baltimore, in Detroit). Doors at 9 p.m. and the cost per night is $5. For more information, call 248.470.9042. 3.25 Cat Time The Rants Thunderbirds Are Now! The Riots 3.26 Five Star Hotel Fighter The Kinetic Stereokids Riddle of Steel Lisboa 3.27 Live DJ w/Instro Tight Phantomz Panther Attack Dare Diablo
Pseudosix's venue in Madison moved, 3.19 Was James Madison ever this indecisive? Pseudosix will no longer be playing at Anchor Inn in Madison, WI, on 3.19 with Charlemagne. Anchor Inn is suffering internal difficulties. Instead, the bands will be playing at the French Quarter Café. Amy Annelle is also on the bill. Show is at 10 PM and costs $5.	Lying in States to get supine, Texas-style What's in a name? I mean, really? Chicago's Lying in States, true to their name, will be getting horizontal in Texas, Kansas, and even Rock Island, IL as they make their way to, into, and out of the morass that is SXSW in Austin, TX. They're among the highlights - which, admittedly, can be said about the entire lineup at the Flameshovel Records / File-13 showcase at Copper Tank on 3.17. Word is they're also playing an in-store at CD Warehouse on 3.18. Full West Coast/Midwest tour to follow in April, with East Coast tour in June.


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