Had you caught Psychic Ills on their West Coast tour with Indian Jewelry earlier this summer, you'd swear they were trying to skip clear off the celestial plane. Favoring longer pieces and employing their fair share of filter banks and enigmatic tribal percussive instruments, the band has firmly shaken the psych-rock comparisons to arrive at a sound all their own. This Fall they will be taking to the road again for a full North American tour with the legendary (and reliably insane) Butthole Surfers, touring with their original line-up. Dates are:

September 24th at House Of Blues in Houston, TX
September 25th at House Of Blues in New Orleans, LA
September 26th at The Masquerade in Atlanta, GA
September 28th at Sonar in Baltimore, MA
September 29th at Trocadero in Philadelphia, PA
September 30th at The Paradise in Boston, MA
October 2nd at Phoenix Concert Theater in Toronto, ON
October 5th at Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH
October 6th at Barrymore Theatre in Madison, WI
October 9th at Ogden Theater in Denver, CO
October 10th at Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City, UT
October 12th at Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, BC
October 13th at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA
October 14th at Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR
October 16th at Grand Ballroom - Regency in San Francisco, CA *
October 17th at Canes Bar & Grill in San Diego, CA *
October 18th at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA *

All dates are with Butthole Surfers.
* also with The Melvins

For guestlist, interview or promo requests please contact: jim@thesocialregistry.com

UK-based collective Sian Alice Group are heading out on the road in both the UK and North America to support their just released new full-length Troubled, Shaken Etc. 

UK DATES:
August 18th at The Deaf Institute in Manchester, UK (with Gang Gang Dance)
August 19th at Fleece in Bristol, UK (with Gang Gang Dance)
September 2nd at The Harley in Sheffield, UK
September 3rd at Freebut in Brighton, UK
September 5th at Tabernacle in London, UK
September 6th at Offset Festival in London, UK

NORTH AMERICAN DATES:
September 13th at Union Hall in Brooklyn, NY
September 14th at Mercury Lounge in New York, NY
September 15th at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia, PA
September 16th at Talking Head Club in Baltimore, MD
September 17th at The Red And Black Star in Washington, DC
September 18th at Duke University Coffee House in Durham, NC
September 19th at Bottle Tree in Birmingham, AL
September 20th at Club Downunder in Tallahassee, FL
September 22nd at Orange Show Center For Visionary Arts in Houston, TX
September 23rd at Mohawk Inside Room in Austin, TX
September 25th at Plush in Tucson, AZ
September 26th at Bar Pink in San Diego, CA
September 27th at El Ray in Los Angeles, CA (with The Dodos)
September 28th at Echo in Los Angeles, CA
September 29th at Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco, CA
October 1st at Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR
October 2nd at Sunset Tavern in Seattle, WA
October 5th at Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City, UT
October 6th at Hi Dive Bar in Denver, CO
October 7th at Record Bar in Kansas City, MO
October 8th at Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines, IA
October 9th at Turf Club in St. Paul, MN
October 11th at Empty Bottle in Chicago, IL
October 13th at Circus in Columbus, OH
October 15th at Call The Office in London, ON
October 16th at Drake Hotel in Toronto, ON
October 17th at Divian Orange in Montreal, QC
October 18th at The Monkey House in Burlington, VT
October 19th at Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge, MA

For guestlist, interview or promo requests please email: jim@thesocialregistry.com

This summer Gang Gang Dance have a bunch of North American dates planned, including appearances at Lollapalooza. This is in further support of their highly acclaimed album Saint Dymphna. Details are:

August 2nd at Pearl Street Nightclub in Northampton, MA
August 3rd at Bug Jar in Rochester, NY (with Hex Message)
August 4th at Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia, PA (with Hex Message)
August 5th at Ottobar in Baltimore, MD
August 6th at Circus in Columbus, OH (with Hex Message)
August 7th at Magic Stick in Detroit, MI (with Hex Message)
August 9th at Lollapalooza in Chicago, IL
August 14th at Oya Festival in Oslo, Norway
August 28th at Troubadour in Los Angeles, CA
August 30th at Rickshaw Shop in San Francisco, CA
September 2nd at Depot in Arcata, CA (with Extra Golden)
September 3rd at The Works at Washington High School in Portland, OR
September 4th at Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver, BC
September 5th at Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle, WA

For guestlist requests please email: jim@thesocialregistry.com

This July Psychic Ills are heading out on the road for a West coast tour with Indian Jewelry.

Psychic Ills are playing in further support of their second album, Mirror Eye, about which FACT Magazine says: “these Brooklynites understand that rock music and house music can co-exist to produce something rhythmic and harmonius, and Mirror Eye is their most compelling record yet.” Impose has had this to say about their live performances: “These guys haven’t compromised once in the half-decade or so they’ve been around, and for the time being, there’s no worrying that any band around can overpower the monster lurking in the muddy depth of a Psychic Ills set.”

Details of the tour are as follows (all dates are with Indian Jewelry):

July 9th at Prospector in Long Beach, CA
July 10th at 21 Grand in Oakland, CA

July 11th at Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco, CA

July 12th at Holocene in Portland, OR

July 13th at The Funhouse in Seattle, WA

July 17th at The Crepe Place in Santa Cruz, CA
July 18th at UC Irvine in Irvine, CA

July 19th at The Echo in Los Angeles, CA

For guestlist requests please email: jim@thesocialregistry.com

In support of their upcoming new record Music Of The Modern White, out July 7th, Zs have a number of North American dates lined up in the North East, including a record release how in Brooklyn on June 24th.

Music Of The Modern White is the first release from Zs on The Social Registry although they have released a number of other records in the past on labels such as Troubleman Unlimited, Planaria and Three One G. They were formed in 2000 and have existed as a trio, sextet, and quartet before solidifying in to their current three-piece line-up. Their music can be seen to incorporate elements of no wave, prog rock, free jazz, noise, academic drone, funk, minimal, industrial and ambient and they have been described by the New York Times as “one of the strongest avant-garde bands in New York.”

Details are:

June 24th at Secret Project Robot in Brooklyn, NY (Record Release Show)
June 25th at Now That's Class in Cleveland, OH
June 26th at The Hideout in Chicago, IL
June 27th at East Village Arts Cooperative in London, ON
June 28th at The Boat in Toronto, ON
June 29th at Divian Orange in Montreal, QC
June 30th at Space 538 in Portland, ME
July 1st at Buoy Gallery in Kittery, ME
July 2nd at Machines With Magnets in Pawtucket, RI
July 3rd at Death By Audio in Brooklyn, NY

For guestlist requests please email: jim@thesocialregistry.com

“Sian Alice Group chart transformations from psychedelic rock, pastoral folk, and piano-lounge balladry into analog-synthtronica, free-jazz breakdowns, pounding Afro-tech grooves, and avant-classical composition. The beauty of Sian Alice Group is that the band is capable of creating highly effective music even when they stray far from traditional torch-song territory.” - Pitchfork

“Some artists walk a fine line between the abstract and the arranged, creating a sense of spontaneity without being overly rehearsed. Sian Alice Group accomplishes just this. What’s more, it does so while simultaneously recalling great artists but sounding completely unique.” – Filter

Sian Alice Group (pronounced “Shahn”) – a collective of UK musicians Sian Ahern, Rupert Clervaux and Ben Crook, amongst other collaborators – had quite the rookie season in 2008. From the epic 59.59 and The Dusk Line (a subdued piano and vocals only EP) to the wholeheartedly experimental Remix 12’’, the band made the scene, built up stellar stats and positioned itself as a contender to be reckoned with. Now we lift the curtain on 2009. Sian Alice Group is back with Troubled, Shaken Etc. - their second album of lush, minimalist, panoramic torch songs for The Social Registry, set to be released August 4th.

The band hones in on a genre-busting combination of organic improvisation, process-driven experimentation and the focused strength earned from a year of extensive traveling and touring the world together. You get your minimalist trances, electronic exploration, techno thump, jazz motifs and Eastern music tropes in a joyous and complete listening experience. It’s a snapshot (or more closely, a yearbook) from an eventful 2008 that is more raw, emotional and loud than anything they’ve released thus far.

Let’s put the songs under our trusty microscope and see what we find. Troubled, Shaken Etc. kicks off with “Love That Moves The Sun.” It’s a bouncy realization of minimalism set to the cosmos. Arpeggios (on both guitar and vibraphone) set a repetitive tone and Sian Ahern’s powerful vocals resemble the sort of expansive clouds we learned about in a 7th grade science class. “Close To The Ground” begins with a Terry Riley meets Theo Parrish figure that slowly morphs into stomp-rock territory with organic four-to-the-floor rhythmic intensity. “Vanishing” provides a unique take on techno. Rupert Clervaux’s drums are like a wild Elvin Jones who lived through the rave era, and the vocals provide angelic whole tones over the unhinged bounce. “White” is a surprise. It makes us want to re-enroll in college circa 1994, take naps on a grassy knoll and dream of the heartbreak awaiting us throughout the next two decades. Simply put the guitar interplay on this track is totally breathtaking. It’s automatic mixtape fodder.

Troubled, Shaken, Etc. reveals an extremely hardworking band that is focused on process, craft and how their interpersonal relationships can serve as a catalyst to document life in an honest, original and innovative manner. The band (led on these technical issues by Clervaux) masterfully handles the production, and we can’t emphasize enough just how strong Sian Ahern’s vocals have come through.

With guest spots from live mainstays (Sasha Vine, Eben Bull and label-mate Mike Bones), as well as John Coxon (Spring Heel Jack) and Graham Barton, Troubled, Shaken Etc. is a varied record with tons of collaborative hands on deck. Everything is in place and poised to make 2009 a huge year for the band. So much stellar work in so little time. Maybe we should test Sian Alice Group for steroids.

The tracklisting of Troubled, Shaken Etc. is as follows:

1. LOVE THAT MOVES THE SUN (4.45)
2. AIRLOCK (2.57)
3. THROUGH AIR OVER WATER (3.05)
4. CLOSE TO THE GROUND (7.35)
5. GROW AGAIN, REPEAT (4.15)
6. TROUBLED, SHAKEN ETC. (3.44)
7. FIRST SONG - ANGELINA (6.51)
8. VANISHING (5.28)
9. WHITE (2.45)
10. LONGSTRAKT (1.55)
11. “TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE” (2.14)
12. THE LOW LIGHTS (4.19)
13. SALT WATER (4.13)

For US press requests please contact Judy Miller Silverman at Motormouth Media: Judy@motormouthmedia.com

For all other press requests please contact: jim@thesocialregistry.com

This May Sian Alice Group will be heading out on a UK tour with Deerhunter, as well as making an appearance at ATP: The Fans Strike Back at the beginning of the month. This is in further support of their three releases from 2008: their acclaimed debut album 59.59, EP The Dusk Line and Remix 12”. Full details are:

April 15th at Dingwalls in London, UK (with The Veils)
May 10th at ATP: The Fans Strike Back in Somerset, UK
May 19th at The Deaf Institute in Manchester, UK *
May 20th at Stereo in Glasgow, UK *
May 21st at The Black Box in Belfast, UK *
May 22nd at St. Andrew's Lane Theater in Dublin, Ireland *
May 24th at Brudenell Social Club in Leeds, UK *
May 25th at Concorde 2 in Brighton, UK *
May 26th at The Lexington in London, UK

* with Deerhunter

Sian Alice Group’s live set has been very well received and sees the band expanding their line-up to six people in order to fully flesh out their sound. The New York Observer said this about their performance at CMJ last year: “Sian Alice Group make big, cinematic rock that’s at turns effortlessly gorgeous and blindly assaultive. The six piece trudged through densely-rhythmic instrumental passages, free jazz freak-outs, and synth-laden ballads. Sian’s woozy soprano managed to knock the audience back on their heels in a mesmerized stupor.”

For guestlist / promo requests please email: jim@thesocialregistry.com

“One of the strongest avant-garde bands in New York.” – New York Times

“Zs are a compositional juggernaut, bending their rhythmically rigorous, note-stuffed pieces into thrilling and emotional shapes. They embody the most effective elements of both New Complexity and punk rock.” – The Stranger

For the next step forward in an already-busy year,we are proud to present Music Of The Modern White from Zs, set for a vinyl and digital only release June 23rd. This is our first release by New York based Zs (a veteran trio that mixes just about every genre imaginable into an altermodern pastiche of the most epic, beautiful and aggressive proportions you’re likely to hear in 2009). We’re talking no wave, prog rock, free jazz, noise, academic drone, funk, minimal, industrial and ambient with the studio trickery of a Brian Wilson that adds both narcotics and New York street life to his rap sheet. Featuring Sam Hillmer (tenor sax), Ben Greenberg (electric guitar) and Ian Antonio (drum set), we’re truly honored to release this 12’’ and remain certain that Zs have found a perfect home for their unique, utterly physical excursions on TSR.

Zs were founded in 2000 and have existed as a trio, sextet, and quartet before solidifying in to their current three-piece line-up. While their music has been categorized as no wave, brutal-prog, and post-minimalist, they are primarily concerned with challenging the physical and mental limitations of both performer and listener. Manipulating extended technique, unique instrumental synthesis, and near telepathic communication, Zs aims to create works that envelop the listener and unfold sonically over time, evoking unspoken past, present, and future rites and ritual. The band have released records on a number of labels including Troubleman Unlimited, 31G and Planaria and have played shows with bands such as Animal Collective, Gang Gang Dance, Battles, Orthrelm, Dirty Projectors, Dan Deacon, Marnie Stern, Aa and Han Bennick.

Let’s plunge in a little further in to Music Of The Modern White, shall we? The A Side (or MMW I) opens with a series of metallic drum pangs reminiscent of the creepy Chinese opening ceremony in last summer’s Olympics. You can see from the get-go that there’s more studio emphasis than usual on this piece. It’s a true sonic experience. Tenor saxophone figures rapidly flutter, squeal and moan across the sonic field like a more abrasive version of The Lounge Lizards. Slowly, a guitar drifts in with a sharp, razorblade drone that sounds somewhere between a car motor and the sound of Detroit going bankrupt. The musical equivalent of a Robert Rauschenberg, this side continually erases itself, peeling away the sonic layers and replacing them with open atmospheric dissonance to the point of a fractured, physical bliss.

The B Side (or MMW II) changes trajectory by opening with sporadic polyrhythmic trills and drum figures. Greenberg’s guitar throbs in the distance like a Theremin feeding back over an air-raid horn. Once again, deconstruction comes into the scene as the palette is wiped clean and replaced with a series of handclaps and harmonics in odd time. Finally, perhaps taking a cue from The Boredoms’ playbook, the track is immediately compressed into a stew of fractal notes and manipulated in the studio from all directions. From this, all three members are completely free to communicate without expectation or precedent – a perfect, near-tranquil conclusion to our schizophrenic journey.

With art by John Dwyer and experimental intentions oozing out of its auditory pores, Music Of Modern White is something new and worthy of your attention. It refuses to play into the dead retro tropes that seem stuck on some sort of feedback loop throughout the music world. This is no Fleet Foxes. This is the sound spewing from the bullhorn before they blast the top off the mountain where the foxes live.

The tracklisting of Music Of The Modern White is as follows:

1. MMW I (13.25)
2. MMW II (9.45)

Leading up to this release Zs have a few New York shows planned. More dates throughout the US are forthcoming. Current dates are:

March 27th at 92YTribeca (with Sian Alice Group, Mountains and Lights)
April 5th at Mercury Lounge (with Thee Oh Sees, Child Abuse and Skeletons)
April 7th at The Kitchen

For promo requests please email: jim@thesocialregistry.com