.:{ {2011} }:.

Greeting & Salutations!

Guess it's about time to knock the dust off this thing.
Although we haven't been playing many shows over the last few months we've all managed to stay busy. D.H. found time to put together a little art show, and Nikki has been holding down a monthly music trivia night {Quiz of the Stone Age} at our favorite watering hole. As for myself, I tried to spend as much time as possible doing as little as possible.

Most of you have probably heard by now that we found a home {Kemado} for our new record. There is a release date set for late March and we're very excited to be working with them! We drug all the gear out to the Echo Lab again, and had a very different but still great second experience working with Matt Pence out in the Argyle woods!
The recording is mixed and mastered, and we've already had a chance to listen to the vinyl test pressings!!

Here's a short teaser video with another soon to follow.
:: shot & cut by Justin Wilson ::




Speaking of visuals...
About a month ago our friend from Sweden Mats Ek decided it was time to make his first trip to America, and we were fortunate enough to have him choose Texas as his destination. It was just over a year ago when he blind sided us with the video for A.K.A. and we knew then if there was ever a chance to work with him in person we had to take it. He's a great guy and we all really enjoyed having him around! He took a handful of new band photos for us. One of which can be seen at the top of the site.
We also shot a ton of video footage for a song off the new record. He's currently back home cutting everything together and we can't wait to see how it turns out!


... SHOWS ...

We've got a couple of local show coming up in January, and a few things in the works for March, April, & May!

.:JANUARY:.

15th. Dallas, TX.
9pm. Double Wide
w/ Garuda, &
Maleveller

21st. Denton, TX.
9pm. Rubber Gloves
w/ Tweak Bird

.:MARCH:.

15th-20th. Austin, TX.
{{ SXSW }}

We don't have any specifics yet,
but we will be playing at least 2 show.

.:APRIL & MAY:.

]]} T.O.D / N.Y.C. {[[

There will be more information on this very soon!!!


Until then...

-S

NYC and back again

Well we've been back to the normal for a few weeks now and have started to settle into things. Overall the trip was a real blast! We were able to return to a few spots we really enjoyed last year and got to hit some new places that proved to be just as much fun. Thanks to everyone that took part in any shape, form, or fashion. We had a great time with all our old friends and made some incredible new ones!

Playing with Bad Dream from NC to NYC was a trill! If you haven't already you really should checkout the sounds their laying down. RAW AWESOMENESS! Each night was like our own little battle of the bands and they were always obliged to keep us on our toes. We ended up playing some pretty strange places and they held it down like champs. WWMC5D became both our mantras and on a few occasions i almost felt bad for the other band/s on the bill. Once we made it to the Big Apple they were the most gracious of hosts. I love those guys, girl, and Simon, and cannot wait to make it happen again!
It was sad when we had to leave them, but a handful of shows later we found ourselves running around KS with the gang from Mansion. There was a formal syrup gauntlet thrown in Lawrence so we dueled it out all sludge style. Needless to say the show ran long and we were all victorious! They still have yet to record, but believe me when i say it will be worth the wait! It was our pleasure to bring them back to TX. Both the Double Wide & Rubber Gloves shows went off, and if you were there you know i'm talking about. Thanks to all our TX friends that made it out, and a very special thanks to UME for taking part in the weekend! Their new stuff is sounding great and it's always inspiring to see them live.

Overall our travels this year have really been blessed! It amazes me to see how far our sound has spread and that we're able to enjoy it with others all over the country. We've got a few irons in the fire at the moment and look forward to sharing more with you in the not too distant future.

...que pics.
















check HERE / HERE for more.

Around the corner...

We'll be playing tonight with Dunes (LA), & Bizarro Kids at the Nightmare (Elm St. Dallas, TX). After that we take a little break (from playing live*) until September when we'll be joining our friends Sleepy Sun (SF) for a few TX dates.

.:August:.

2nd. Dallas, Tx.
8pm. the Nightmare
w/ Dunes, & the Bizarro Kids

.:September:.

17th. Houston, Tx.
8pm. Orange Show Center for Visionary Arts
w/ Sleepy Sun

18th. Austin, Tx.
8pm. the Parish Room
w/ Sleepy Sun,
& Smoke and Feathers

19th. Dallas. Tx.
8pm. the Loft
w/ Sleepy Sun,
& Sundress

*If our asking yourself what's with the "(from playing live)" well i can finally say that we'll be packing all the gear up and making our way back to the incredible Echo Lab for a little fun with Matt Pence!
That's right it's time to make the next record a reality and we are very exited we'll be rejoining Matt in his labyrinth of sounds!!
We've got all the songs ready to go and are itching to get started!!!

marinade in that for a while....
-S

NYC calling...

It's that time again,
the bags are packed and we hit the road in the morning.
we're very excited about this trip! our good friends Bad Dream {NY} (6/17-25) will be joining us for the 1st half and Mansion {KS} (7/1-10) will be helping us finish it off. we have several new songs we've been working on for the next full length and are looking forward to unleashing them live!
thanks to Brandon P. for the sweet poster!

.:June:.

16th. Memphis, TN.
9pm. Zinnie's
w/ the Rainy Saturdays,
& American Gods

17th. Asheville, NC.
9pm. the Boiler Room
w/ Bad Dream (NY),
& Balloon Wars

18th. Charleston, SC.
9pm. the Pour House
w/ Amandla (Claude from Ween),
& Bad Dream

19th. Chapel Hill, NC.
9pm. Nightlight
w/ Bad Dream, & Monsonia

20th. VA
{still looking}
w/ Bad Dream

21st. DC or Baltimore, MD.
{still looking}
w/ Bad Dream

23rd. Brooklyn, NY.
8pm. Acheron
w/ Bad Dream,
& Unstoppable Death Machines

24th. Manhattan, NY.
10pm. Uncle Mike's
w/ Bad Dream

25th. Hoboken, NJ.
9pm. the Station
w/ Bad Dream, & Kilsy

26th. Philadelphia, PA.
8pm. the Fire
w/ Restorations, Bats & Mice,
& Carved Up

27th. Pittsburgh, PA.
730pm. Modern Formations
w/ Onodrim,
& German Shepherd

29th. Toledo, OH.
9pm. Ottawa Tavern

30th. Chicago, IL.
8pm. Cobra Lounge
w/ Amandla (Claude from Ween)

.:July:.

1st. Lawrence, KS.
8pm. the Replay Lounge
w/ Mansion, & Black Christmas

2nd. Wichita, KS.
8pm. Xibalba
w/ Mansion, & Black Christmas

3rd. Oklahoma City, OK.
8pm. the Conservatory
w/ Mansion, & Black Christmas

8th. Dallas, TX.
9pm. Double Wide
w/ Mansion, & UME

9th. Denton, TX.
9pm. Rubber Gloves
w/ Mansion, & UME

10th. Austin, TX.
TBA
w/ Mansion


NOTES FROM THE PAST....

SXSW was a trip this year! too much madness to get into.

my highlights-

Quest for Fire
Fang Island
Epileltinomicon
Moon Duo

big thanks to our friends in ISHI for inviting us to take part in their record release show. it was a hell of a party!

blah blah blah...
now let's rock!
-s

West Coast.:.home.:.SXSW

round 2 with the west is in the books!
we've been back a few days now, played a great show with Tre Orsi last friday at the D.wide, and will be leaving for SX later today. it was nice to be home for a little while, but honestly i've been wound up ever since we got back.
the whole trip was a blast and we can't wait to do it again! hopefully it won't take another year to make it happen.
thanks to everyone that came out. especially if you made a weekday show! we know how it is to be all cozy at home and have to get up early the next morning to go to work. thanks for showing up!!
we had a lot of fun last year, but this time ended up being pretty special. i have to say thanks to everyone that helped put the shows together. i know a few of them were close calls, but you all came through and none of the shows disappointed. plus a very special thanks to everyone that feed, facilitated, helped fund and/or provided a place to stay!

we met a lot of great people and had good times everywhere we went. i can't list them all, but here's a few in no particular order.

best times list...
the Train Yard chaos, our night with Lantvrn had such a great vibe, finally meeting aNdeee from aQuarius and laying waste to the stage in S.F. together, Oakland lemon bars, meeting J&K our gate keepers to the great northwest, blazing a path from Portland to S.F. so we could catch Saviours play and it was so worth it, exploding van windows (not ours), seeing & playing with the Drowning Men again, last but most definitely not least was our L.A.Chinatown experience with Cactus Pricks, MOAB, & Ancestors. all 3 bands are great at what they do and it was a privilege being part of the night. muchas gracias Brandon!

exciteless photos...








and if your still interested,
here's some live footage... 1 & 2

.:SXSW:.

we have 3 shows and we're pretty stoked on all the line ups, so if your in Austin this week and can keep from getting distracted stop by.

16th. Austin, TX.
{{EndSounds SX PreParty}}
7pm. Red 7
.:TW set time 9:30:.
w/ HOPE, Tumbledown, UME, the Mag 7, Lower Case Brats,
Broken Gold, Saboteur, & Evolett

19th. Austin, TX.
{{aQuarius Records & WFMU Showcase}}
7pm. Encore [old Spiro's]
.:TW set time 12mid:.
w/ Pierced Arrows, Home Blitz, Dengue Fever, Liturgy, Drunkdriver, Sonny & the Sunsets, Moon Duo, Eternal Tapestry, Shit & Shine, Todd, Speedwolf, Headdress, & Iron Man

20th. Austin, TX.
{{Parade of Flesh &
Ballistic Missiles SX Party}}
1pm. Primos
.:TW set time 3pm:.
w/ Slang Chickens, Munch Munch, Juarez, Ryan Powers, the Name,
Little Girls, Grandchildren, Beach Fossils, Digital Leather,
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, DD/MM/YYYY, Hot White,
TV Ghost, Charlie & the Moonhearts, Chinese Stars, HOWL,
Fang Island, Struck by Lightning, Medio Mutante,
Quest for Fire, & Quiet Hooves

can't wait!
-slim

West Coast II

Well,
tonight's the night.
it's been a year now since we made our 1st trip out west. Sure seems like it's been longer with everything that's happened in between. This time around we'll be playing Noise Pop Fest in S.F. again and we've got twice as many shows along the way!

We've got a grip of new tunes and chances are we'll play a couple each night, so grab a friend and find out what's been brewing in the TW cauldron!


.:February:.

19th. Denton, TX.
9pm. Rubber Gloves
w/ Kijoto, On After Dark,
& Oh Lewis

20th. Las Cruces, NM.
8pm. the Trainyard
w/ Rats and Birds, & Far Corners

21st. Scottsdale, AZ.
9pm. the Rogue
w/ Smokus Pokus

24th. Hollywood, CA.
9pm. Three Clubs
w/ Lantvrn

26th. Oakland, CA.
8pm. Merchant's Saloon
w/ Hellbeard

27th. San Francisco, CA.
{{{ Noise Pop 010 }}}
8pm. Cafe Du Nord
w/ P.E.E., Ovens,
& Grass Widow

.:March:.

2nd. Seattle, WA.
9pm. the Funhouse
w/ Bleeding Heart's Vignette,
& I Coyote

3rd. Portland, OR.
8pm. Rotture
w/ No Kind Of Rider, & Kowloon

5th. Carlsbad, CA.
8pm. Hensley's Flying Elephant
w/ Drowning Men

6th. Los Angeles, CA.
9pm. Mountain Bar
w/ Ancestors, MOAB, & Cactus Pricks

7th. Tucson, AZ.
8pm. Red Room
w/ Dead Western Plains

12th. Dallas, TX.
9pm. Doublewide
w/ TBA

CONFIRMED SXSW SHOWS:

16th. Austin, TX.
{{EndSounds SX PreParty}}
7pm. Red 7
w/ HOPE, Tumbledown, UME,
the Mag 7, Lower Case Brats,
Broken Gold, Saboteur,
Evolett, & the Missfits

19th. Austin, TX.
{{aQuarius Records & WFMU Showcase}}
7pm. Encore [old Spiro's]
w/ Pierced Arrows, Home Blitz, Dengue Fever,
Liturgy, Drunkdriver, Sonny & the Sunsets,
Moon Duo, Eternal Tapestry, Shit & Shine,
Todd, Speedwolf, Headdress, & Iron Man

There's a good chance we'll pick up at least 1 more show before the shenanigans begin, so check back in early march for an updated listing.

see you there,
slim

{{{A.K.A.}}}

i know this has been online for a few weeks now, but i wanted to post it here with a little more about the guy who made it and how it came to be.
if you've already seen the video then you know it's a first for us and was put together by the clever eye of one Mats Ek.
Mats lives on Gotland Island in Visby Sweden, does work for an ad agency, seems to enjoy tattoos and skateboarding amongst the other fine things in life, and is working on his masters in video and 3D at Gotland University.
he first contacted us some months back and said he really enjoyed the album. eventually he turned us onto some of his photography and we slowly started bouncing ideas back and forth. the band tried to come up with some key elements that he could work with over there like the shovel, letter, girl, big sky, macro shots, etc. i think his original idea was a bit different, but he did mention the snow season was about to start in a couple of weeks and had a pretty solid layout in his head. all of us agreed on the style and that a thinner story line would give Mats more room to play around visually. i found a handful of photos from various vacation enthusiasts on the web and he recognized a few of the spots. we bounced one or two more emails to nail down a few details and days later he sent us some test shots.





we made a few minor adjustments and went for it. he and Simone spent a few days shooting. then he started cutting it up. it all happened between christmas and new years. we saw a few stills from the shoot and they looked great, but when he sent the link for the finished video i think we were all a little blown away! after i wrote him about how much we loved it i asked him a few question.
} he tries not to think too much when he's shooting.
} likes to listen to the music before filming and let the visuals play out in his mind.
} it was very cold, but they stayed warm and Simone was a trooper. she really enjoyed being involved.
} he has a serious passion for merging audio with imagery and is open to working with most anyone that is interested.
} amongst other up coming projects he would like to make his way to the states to follow up on a few leads and possibly work on another video for us. of course with endeavors such as these finances always play a roll and times are tough on both sides of the world.
anyone interested in helping make this happen, or if you have questions about your own projects can contact Mats via his method of choice.
{{ mats.o.ek@gmail.com }}

you can also find him here-
website
youtube
facebook
vimeo
he's also working on his own recording project. there's not any music up yet, but when there is you'll be able to listen here-
PALMS

i would just like to say thank you to Mats and Simone one more time for their hard work and providing us with such an incredible video! we're looking forward to the next one!

...in other news
we're starting to post dates on the site for our next trip out west. in order to raise a little gas money we'll be playing a lot of TX shows leading up to our departure in late february.
see you there,
slim

'tis the season...

if that's your thing, if not than it's just cold out.
it took a while but it's finally starting to feel like winter down here, and i can't say that i really mind. it's a nice break from the heat of summer and it's not like we have to shovel snow or anything. i've always been fond of winter. there's just something about the way everything appears and the crispness in the air that's familiar and comforting.

well enough of all that,
guess it's time to play catch up.

last month was a good month-
} the Crash That Took Me were gracious enough to invite us to play they're CD release show at Sons of Herman Hall and everybody had a great time. just wanted to say thanks to them for the invite and when you get a chance check their new stuff out!
} our album turned a year old on 11/11 and the reviews (under press) are still coming in. more recently we received some very kind words from a fellow named Andee over at Aquarius Records in San Francisco. thank you so much and we can't wait to get back out there!
honestly, thanks to everyone that noticed, bought the album, told a friend, took the time to write/post a review, download, link, tweet, or whatever else the kids are doing these days. we truly appreciate the support!
} thanks to Reid & Allison for inviting us to guest host their show Sonic Assembly Power Hour on KNON 89.3fm "the voice of the people" here in Dallas. it was fun, we got to answer a few questions and play around an hours worth of music. you can hear them every tuesday night from 10-12pm.
} this past saturday we played a house party out in Denton and had a blast. by far our best experience out there! thanks to the guys in VIDEO and the River Mouth for having us and a special thanks to the birthday girl. we hope you all enjoyed it and we'll see you again in january.
} i recently found this video from when we played with Dove Hunter at Granada Theater back in september. does the past really hold a key to the future?

speaking of the future-
} the demos keep rolling. we've got an hour and 20 minutes worth of new material right now and they're still flowing! keep an ear out, we should have something to wrap your head around soon.
} while there are no immediate plans for a second full length at this time, we would love to get it going sooner then later.
} the compilations are still in the works, but that's about all i know at this point. there's also been some talks about doing a couple of split 10"s or 12"s, and those are looking promising. hopefully we'll know more about some of this stuff soon.
} while i'm on the topic of compilations i should mention the guys at Gutterth Productions just put out there 2nd comp and were kind enough to include "Sunday Driver". it's a double disc and free to download here.
} Exploding In Sound, who included "Duelist" on their 1st comp back in february is moving forward strong with the release of their 4th comp. you can download all of them for free here.
} there is an outside chance of us recording a few songs with our demo gear for a short CDR we make ourselves to sell at upcoming shows on the road. if we can pull it off there should be 3 or 4 unreleased songs, maybe a cover or remix, i don't know? we'll just have to see what happens.
} speaking of the road, we're looking at heading back out to the west coast in february/march, and if everything works out the east coast again in april/may.

not so distant future-
} back in september the Double Wide invited us to hangout for a night and play some of our favorite songs. everyone had such a good time that they invited us back to do it again and we were happy to oblige them. this tuesday dec.15th we'll be back at the bar tearing thru vinyl and polishing off bottles from 10pm-2am, so if your in or around Dallas head on over!
} our friend John over at Parade of Flesh has helped us put together a special one night only show. on dec.30th at the City Tavern in Dallas we'll be playing an extended set of the new material. it won't be all the new songs (too long), but we won't be playing anything off the s/t album. we wanted to say thank you to everyone that's been coming out to the shows all year and we thought this might be nice holiday treat. hope you enjoy!
} we'll be kicking off the year with a few shows around TX. here's how things are looking so far.

.:December:.

15th. Dallas, TX.
10pm. Double Wide
{{DJ for a night 2}}

30th. Dallas, TX.
9pm. City Tavern {Holiday Special}
w/ Swithblade Razors

.:January:.

8th. Austin, TX.
9pm. Beauty Bar
{{free week}}
w/ ISHI, & Clouds are Ghosts

15th. Dallas, TX.
9pm. Sons of Herman Hall
w/ the Paper Chase

21st. Denton, TX.
9pm. the Boiler Room
w/ the River Mouth, Smoke and Feathers, & Flashbulb Fires

30th. Dallas, TX.
10pm. Doublewide
w/ Maleveller {EP Release}, & Big Fiction

i suppose that's it for now. have fun hanging your stockings, decking the halls, and trimming everything in tinsel. as for myself, i've got a nasty little tree that's just begging to be lit up!
if you don't hear from us again before the new year, make the most out of what's left in this one, and we'll see you soon.

-slim