Somewhere in between Bay Area crust and Norwegian death metal, Lord Mantis has been making a name for themselves in Chicago. With members from Indian, Avichi, and Nachtmystium forming a majority of the band, the group is set to release Spawning the Nephilim through Seventh Rule Records at the end of April. Bassist and vocalist Charlie Fell gave us the dope on the band’s hometown.
Pansy Division has been around since 1991 championing both rock music to the gay community and homosexuality to the music community. As the voice for Pansy Division (and the rhythm guitar), Jon Ginoli lives and loves in San Francisco, California, where his band is prepping their new album That’s So Gay and DVD Pansy Division: Life In A Gay Rock Band for a March 31st release through Alternative Tentacles. Jon’s book Deflowered: My Life In Pansy Division comes out on March 2nd.
The Weight plays country fried rock ‘n roll music with a splash of honky-tonk thrown in for good measure. John Carpenter plays pedal steel for The Weight, and in celebration of the band’s sophomore album Are Men being released on CD through fledgling label The Colonel Records on March 10th, he took the time to discuss the band’s new hip hometown of Brooklyn, New York City.
Liam Cormier fronts a band out of Toronto, Ontario known round those parts (and to the rest of the world) as Cancer Bats. The band takes their cues from hard edged post-punk and southern metal, and last year’s Hail Destroyer has had critics and fans in a tizzy since. As for Toronto, Liam himself says “I wasn’t born here, but Toronto, Ontario Canada is where I call home and I probably always will. Here’s some fun facts about it.”
Weird Owl is made up of five dudes who live in New York City and like to answer questionnaires together. Because of this, Weird Owl’s NYC Stomping Grounds features all five band members, just like their new album Ever The Silver Chord Be Loosed, set for a February 17th release date through TeePee, features eight tracks that span the gap between 60’s psychedelic rock, country fried riffs, and early 70’s heavy metal. Here’s what the band had to say about The Big Gotham Apple That Never Sleeps.
The Sea and Cake has been a mainstay for Chicago’s post-rock music scene since 1994. A supergroup of sorts featuring members of Shrimp Boat, Cocktails, and Tortoise, The Sea and Cake has become a solid outlet generating eight albums since it’s conception and becoming a launching point for solo careers from both guitarist, Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt. The group released their eighth album Car Alarm this year through Thrill Jockey. Sam Prekop highlights the strengths of the Second City.
An Albatross spends most of the year touring, but when they hunker down it’s in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania. And while the band has had a solid output over their near ten year run, it’s their furious psychedelic live show that draws the most attention. With a new album, The An Albatross Family Album, out on Eyeball Records, the group sent in an assessment of their hometown from Europe.
Singer, songwriter, producer, artist, writer, and model Jennifer Herrema seems to be an extreme renaissance woman. She has twenty record releases and has either sang with or produced for many indie artists such as Palace Brothers, The Kills, Delta 72, David Pajo, and too many more to name. Originally from the band Royal Trux, Herrema formed RTX with a new cast of characters in 2004 and has been releasing albums under Drag City (a label in which she helped to form) ever since. RTX’s latest, Western Xterminator, was released in 2007. Check out her take on Huntington Beach, CA below.
This supergroup from Louisvillle, Kentucky may refer to their homeland as Loserville, but it sounds pretty nice. In this special edition of Stomping Grounds, we hear from three, that’s right, three of the notorious guys from metal band Dead Child. You’ve surely heard of guitarist David Pajo from bands such as Slint, Zwan, Papa M, and many, many more. Vocalist Dahm, previously from Starkiller, and Tony Bailey of Anomoanon and Lords are to follow. But that’s not all. Click on the photo above for a Ghettoblaster premiere of their new video, Sweet Chariot off of the 2008 album “Attack.” And don’t forget to bask in their glory when they come to a city near you this summer.
Proud residents of Bloomington, Indiana, “the Mikes” (Mike Notaro, Mike Bridavsky, and Mike Hoggatt) are making some seriously spastic music. Gaining noteriety throughout the midwest through shows with fellow Bloomingtonians and other local bands, they recently signed on with Joyful Noise Recordings and have released an EP titled “3.” Learn more about their stomping grounds below and keep an eye out for Push-Pull, perhaps coming soon to a Midwest town near you.
