Local noise gods Forget the Times and Sid Redlin take the stage tonight with Traverse City Native DENTAL WORK at the eccentric Louie’s Trophy House Grill tonight at 9.
If you haven’t had the chance to check out any of Kalamazoo’s many noise shows, this would be a good time to start.
Forget the Times brings dystopian love songs from an alternate universe where everything is opposite as it is here.
Sid Redlin is an oscillator freak with a penchant for the absurd. His music is Below is a clip from a live performance with his band BORON NUZZLE at the Black Lodge earlier this year.
I have never seen Dental Work live. What I can say though, by listening to their bandcamp, and the fact that they have played with Boron Nuzzle before and therefore I came in contact with a copy of ANXIETY.ADDICTION.ABUSE. and listened to a good portion of it: is that Dental Work is raw and aggressive. Made with what I can only assume is a manajerie of some wicked electronics, Dental Work’s abrasive and entrancing style will be sure to sate your thirst for unique aural experiences.
Tonight, Milhouse is playing host to some excellent, loud, and technical music, and a bunch of awesome people, too. If you’ve got nothing else to do this Tuesday night, you should highly consider changing that for the better.
Coming in all the way from Las Vegas, Nevada and Top Shelf Records, Caravels will be creating a wall of sound too tall to see over. Shattering cymbals, beautiful guitars. Matter-of-fact vocals. High-powered like a substation.
Also on tour and traveling, Baltimore, MD has allowed us to borrow their Have Mercy. Pulsing and rhythmic, the sound is almost reserved at times, while absolutely full-bore at others. With a vocal delivery that is often thoughtful almost on the verge of being soft-spoken, Have Mercy brings an interesting mix of dynamics and concept to the table.
From way up Grand Rapids way, No Health is bringing their brand of Post-hardcore to the room. Screaming vocals. sharp-edged guitars. and a penchant for bridging the gap between wistful and heavy-handed.
Finally, Seventeen Again will be playing. Made up of members from William Bonney, The Reptilian, and Ackley Kid, Seventeen again is easily the best 18 minutes in Kalamazoo.
Music starts at 9pm. Please be prompt so we can get this show over before midnight! Also, please bring two or three dollars for the touring bands, or a little bit more cash to score some merch.
This Monday, two New York artists, TOLD SLANT and FLORIST will be touring into Kalamazoo to perform in the new(er) house venue, the ithinkyercute house.
This show will incorporate elements of folk, coupled with spacious and intense ambient influence. All the artists are guaranteed to make you feel some feel.
TOLD SLANTis a three piece indie folk outfit headed by distinct-sounding singer Felix Walworth. Though the songs our simple, they have a compelling strong honest feel that is hard to ignore. Plus, their live presentation is unconventional, as can be seen here:
Told Slant is on tour with FLORISTwho play spacey, off-kilter folk music. The sort of music that is perfect for fall, and for sitting in a home self-reflecting with all your friends.
Supporting these traveling folks will be FIONA DICKINSON, a local favorite as far as intense folk songwriting, and a true powerhouse when it comes to an honestly compelling live presence. DEEP WATERSwill also be performing richly complex and thoughtful compositions. Sometimes performed with guitars, sometimes keyboards – just going to have to show up to find out!
This show is starting at 8:00, Please bring money for the traveling acts. Respect the house, the bands, yourself.
ithinkyercute is a fairly new location in town, so if you need the address email ditkalamazoo@gmail.com.
It’s that time again, folks…Kalamashoegazer 7 is upon us, this Saturday, October 12th at Louie’s Trophy House Grill. The all ages shoegaze and dreampop festival starts at 4 p.m. (doors at 3) with Helical Scan from Grand Rapids, followed by Crash City Saints from Kalamazoo, Whales from Chicago, 800Beloved from Midland, Glowfriends from Kalamazoo, Brief Candles from Milwaukee, and closing out with Airiel from Chicago, headlining.
Admission to the show is $10. Advance tickets are still available at Corner Record Shop in Kalamazoo and Grandville, Michigan, and also at Louie’s Trophy House Grill in Kalamazoo. Tickets may be purchased on-line from http://www.brownpapertickets.com, however there is a small service fee. Any person attending the show that presents an advance ticket at the door will receive a free copy of the Limited Edition Kalamashoegazer 7 cassette, that includes one rare and previously unreleased track by each band that is playing the festival. If there are any cassettes left, they will be available for purchase at the show for $5 each. (Cassettes are LTD to 200 copies.)
Here’s a brief description of the history of the festival and the bands playing it this year…
Kalamashoegazer was started in 2007 by April Zimont and her brother, Mark Morris of the glowfriends. They had been touring out on the West Coast in the early 2000’s when the found out about a burgeoning underground shoegaze scene that was going in southern California. After a show they played at the Troubadour on Santa Monica Blvd, April was handed a flyer by someone outside the venue for a “shoegaze night” at Club Violaine. For several years, when they were out that way on tour, April and Mark attended Violaine’s events, which involved DJ’s spinning obscure shoegaze/dreampop/ambient/noise music, along with usually 3 or 4 bands playing that night as well. Fans gathered, danced, traded music, and a good time was had by all. The idea of bringing something similar to Michigan, to invite shoegaze fans from all over the midwest to gather together in Kalamazoo for one entire day celebrating “the scene that celebrates itself” was born.
Helical Scan – The opening band this year is a new band from Grand Rapids, MI, called Helical Scan. Noisy, dreamy, and melodic, Helical Scan have somewhat of a 90’s thing going with a sound that is uniquely their own. Fans of Sonic Youth, Ride, and Slowdive will enjoy the scattered and beautiful waves that Helical Scan create.
Crash City Saints – CCS are one of Kalamazoo’s longest running bands, led by Joshua Garman. The band has seen as many line-up changes as the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and drama to boot. They released an amazing record on a Japanese record label a few years back, and are having a new one mixed and mastered right now by Elliott Frazier of Ringo Deathstarr. The band is currently playing with it’s most solid and consistent line-up thus far, and the songs have got enough reverb and distortion to melt your mind.
Whales – Chicago based band Whales are a Kalamazoo favorite and have a great following here. If you haven’t seen them yet, you’ve likely heard the buzz about them, and ought to do yourself a favor and check out this super sweet, fun, noisy band. Raw, almost punk-like energy that comes out of nowhere and then drifts into blissful melodic and dreamy segments and back again…this band will totally catch your attention live. Their new full length album, “Size and Scale” will be released at the show.
800beloved – The ever elusive 800beloved, from “some suburban Michigan town” is lead by Sean Lynch, who writes unconventionally perfect pop tunes that are darkly melodic and enchanting. This band’s music practically has a smell to it that will take you back to the 80’s or at the very least, the awesome head space you were in when you first heard the Psychedelic Furs or the Cure. If that sounds amazing to you, this 800beloved will totally be your cup of tea.
Glowfriends – Kalamazoo’s own glowfriends are 6 piece dreampop band who make some pretty music that is sometimes really quiet and delicate and sometimes really loud and abrasive. Go figure. The pop sensibilities are all there, the songs are catchy and melodic, yet somehow not predictable, male/female harmonies abound, guitars soar and distort their way through every emotion possible in a 40 minute set. Kevin Dixon from Brief Candles just recorded and produced glowfriends new album, “Gather us Together” which will be released on vinyl sometime in 2014.
Brief Candles – From Milwaukee, WI, Brief Candles are another fan favorite in Kalamazoo…something cathartic happens when they play here, and everyone is ready to dance and throw down to their powerful sound. The band is touring for their newest EP, “Newhouse” which was just released on Guilt Ridden Pop. If you’ve seen them before, it’s likely they’re a top reason you’re going to Kalamashoegazer, and if you haven’t seen them yet, prepare yourself…this band is amazing live.
Airiel – Legendary shoegaze band, Airiel, from Chicago, are the headliners this year, and we’re thrilled to have them! The band has been around since 1997, and are much loved in the shoegaze scene world wide. Fans of Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, etc. will not want to miss!
Whhaaaa? Kalamazoo’s favorite sons are returning home? Taking a break from their tour with Useless Eaters, The Spits are making a somewhat impromptu appearance at Louie’s Trophy House Bar and Grill.
If you haven’t yet heard….The Spits are a band that originated in Kalamazoo, MI over 15 years ago. A “PUNK FOR THE PEOPLE”-kind of band on IN THE RED RECORDS they have toured all around the world and made some serious waves. Hold onto your butts, Kalamazoo.
What makes this all even crazier is that they will be debuting 6 new songs at 9 O’Clock sharp! Doors are at 8!
Find more details about The Spits official tour here….
Louies Trophy House does it again! DON’T MISS THIS SHOW…..
Buck Biloxi and the Fucks are on tour and are picking up No Bails for a 3 day run together. Buck Biloxi has been to Kalamazoo before and has played the Victory house and UFO Dictator 9. ! Their tour: https://www.facebook.com/events/368794103223560/?ref=2
Legendary Wings: 3 piece white meal from Kalamazoo. Poppin like you like you. Album out on Dirtnap Records and some of the coolest videos on the internet. They have a split on Pelican Pow Wow with Buck Biloxi. Featuring members of BATCAVE, MENTHOLS, THROBBIN’ URGES, NO BAILS. https://www.facebook.com/legendarywingskalamazoo
Buck Biloxi and the Fucks: 3 piece dark meal from New Orleans LA! Joe on bass (he used to be in the Spits) , Keith (From the Manateees) on drums, and Rob on guitar and angry vox. Also angry stupid punk about being mean and hating things. Records out on Goner, Pelican Pow Wow, and Orgone Toilet.
Pagan Piss: 4 piece extra crispy from Grand Rapids, MI! Fast, hardcore punk that makes you want to walk around aggressively with your fists in the air. First show in Kalamazoo.
No Bails: 3 piece snack from Kalamazoo! One of the bassists on bass, Lindsey on drums, and Useless on Guitar and vocals. Stupid basement punk. Record on Orgone Toilet. http://Nobails.com/
FREE
8pm Door
9pm Show starts! No Joke! It’s a Thursday, so get here! Short sets so you don’t want to miss them!
Donations loved and appreciated at the door for the Touring Bands.
To me, it’s sometimes baffling the distance many musicians travel just to end up in a basement in the midwest. Not that I’m complaining, really, I’m celebrating! Reveling in the fact that a small college town can functionally and consistently bring in artists from far, to enjoy their works.
This show happening at Milhouse on Monday, September 23rd is a prime example of this sort of trek. Two different tours, two different ends of the Northern American continent coming together. SCREAMING QUEENS are traveling all the way from Vancouver, BC, and KRILL are by contract coming all the way from Boston, MA.
SCREAMING QUEENSa noisy, heavy queer punk outfit. Their sound is driving and mean, but not cliche, and throws back to some old-school experimenters, but with a new flare.
KRILLby contrast are a catchy experimental fuzzed out pop concoction. They’ve got all the hooks but I would not call them predictable. These folks are friends of Speedy Ortiz, veteran performers of the Milhouse basement, and certainly if you enjoy Speedy, you’re guaranteed to dig Krill.
Kalamazoo is fortunate enough to hold split-custody with an excellent tape and record label – Already Dead Tapes & Records, to be exact. Well, they treat themselves a lot like an extended family, and so every year, like to hold a bit of a Family Reunion. This weekend marks the 3rd one. I’ll spare you the talky-talky and get down to the details:
DAY 1: Thursday Sept. 19th at the Kalamazoo Collective Arts Center (511 W. Vine)
Tickets are $10 per night at the door, or you can buy a weekend pass for 21 bucks. There will be plenty of excellent music and swag to purchase from the various touring bands. The people will be wonderful, the friends will be fantastic, and the music, of course, will be outstanding.
Pleased join in, y’all. After all, it’s an extended family.
DITKalamazoo 