Friday, 15 February 2008

NOTIFICATION OF RELEASE: Kawaguchi Masami's New Rock Syndicate Cat vs. Frog LP

After the resounding success of our debut release (The Stumps' Split Fleet Dodge), Palindrone Recordings are proud to announce our second release, and the debut LP by Kawaguchi Masami's New Rock Syndicate, Cat vs. Frog (PALP002).

Kawaguchi Masami is a Japanese guitar monster* who has done time in Miminokoto, LSD March, and Broomdusters, and played with Keiji Haino for a time. This, his new band, also features bassist Akira Kikuchi and drummer Nao Shibata (Hijokaidan, Doodles). A track by New Rock Syndicate featured on the recent PSF compilation Tokyo Flashback vol. 6.

The new album is titled Cat vs. Frog and clocks in at around 40 min. It's exceptional wailing, burning garage psych-rock grounded in Kawaguchi’s trademark heartbreakingingly melancholic emotional intensity, instantly-hummable, head-nodding toe-tapping riffs and melodies and unavoidably air-guitaring white light, white heat guitar solos.

Cat vs. Frog is pressed on white vinyl, in an edition of 500. The cover art (by German artist Sandra Schmidt) is entitled "OMS, involved in a battle".

There’s a battle going on all right; it’s the eternal battle for the rockin’ hearts and psychedelic souls of all mankind. Led by heroes such as Masami, the good will surely prevail over the evils of second-rate pap.

* according to Mason Jones; however we concur 100%

Praise for MASAMI KAWAGUCHI:

-- Miminokoto carved a niche for themselves as they pushed the VU meters (and comparisons) both with heavy duty guitar excess and almost-poppy punk jangle. Kawaguchi's new trio carries on the tradition, with a variety of sound from all-out psych overload to more relatively restrained fare (Mienakunaru) and the (mostly) gentle balladry of Everything Is, wherein everything is aching with misery. None are untouched by the shrapnel coming off of Kawaguchi's six string, though, which is definitely a forced to be reckoned with on the final track, Tottemo, with more than enough distortion and feedback and destructiveness to give you Tokyo Flashbacks for weeks...

-- With weary vocals of which maybe even Jandek would be proud, Miminikoto can create a sense of sadness which makes Kawaguchi's howling guitar, when it kicks in, all that much more cathartic. They also aren't afraid of some poppy jangle too, so you're never sure what's around the corner. From track to track, one cut might be a punked out stormer, the next a gentle web of fragile notes. [both excerpted from reviews on the aQuarius Records website]

Taster

For a preview of two of the tracks on Cat vs. Frog, please visit this previous post: Listen to some PALP002 Cat vs. Frog. Or, listen to New Rock Syndicate at their Myspace page.

Distribution

Cat vs. Frog will be available to distributors at wholesale rates. If you’re interested in purchasing copies of this LP for your distribution, please contact Stephen Clover. More details are contained in the one-sheet for the release [92KB PDF].

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Tuesday, 7 November 2006

NOTIFICATION OF RELEASE: The Stumps Split Fleet Dodge LP

We now have available our first release and the debut LP by The Stumps, Split Fleet Dodge (PALP001).


The Stumps are an improvising psych/noise/rock band from Wellington, New Zealand. They have been described as a NZ underground "super-group" by one writer; a "power-trio" by others. Although no-one is completely sure what these terms actually mean, what is certain is that The Stumps bring a wealth of talent and experience, and a certain heavyweight clout, with them to the table.

"These are musicians putting their best foot forward.. the trio unleash a sonic landscape of epic proportions." - Brad Rose, Digitalis.

The core lineup of The Stumps features Antony Milton (A.M., Mrtyu!, Nether Dawn, PseudoArcana label, etc), Stephen Clover (seht), and James Kirk (Sandoz Lab Technicians, Gate, Black Boned Angel, etc). The band also regularly collaborates with other improvising musicians; on Split Fleet Dodge the trio team up on one side of the LP with Campbell Kneale (Birchville Cat Motel, Black Boned Angel) on keyboards and electronics.

"..huge shambling blissed-out spacey rock swell and sprawl.. deep space exploration." - Anthony Milton

The Stumps have played extensively in New Zealand, including support for the Grey Daturas; two brief tours in Australia have been very well received, and plans for tours of Europe and the USA are underway. The Stumps also performed recently at the 2006 Lines of Flight festival in Dunedin, New Zealand, alongside the likes of Gate, A Handful of Dust, Omit, Birchville Cat Motel, Eso Steel and Lovely Midget. A CD release on Last Visible Dog records is also scheduled for early-2007.


Discography


Taster

As references and influences, The Stumps cite Cream, The Dead C, Les Rallizes Denudes, Fushitsusha, Boris, Pharoah Overlord, and the aforementioned Grey Daturas. For a preview of two of the tracks on the forthcoming Split Fleet Dodge, please visit The Stumps’ myspace page.

Distribution

Split Fleet Dodge will be available to distributors at wholesale rates. If you’re interested in purchasing copies of this LP for your distribution, please contact Stephen Clover.


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