New Stuff from Dentist, Grace Vonderkuhn, Russian Baths. They All Play The Saint on 2/22.

Dentist recently released a new video for "The Latter."

You're So Lucky

A couple of weeks ago, I told you about the amazing show that Good Eye Records and I will be throwing at The Saint on 2/22. It features the absolutely stacked line-up of Dentist, The Black Clouds, Russian Baths, Baked, and Grace Vonderkuhn. The show will serve as the release show for Russian Baths' upcoming Penance, which is due on 2/23 from Good Eye Records. Wouldn't you know it. Russian Baths and two of the other performers on the bill released some new stuff in the last week or two.

Dentist, "The Latter"

Our friends in Dentist have been hard at work recording the follow-up to their excellent sophomore album, Ceilings. Side note: They've been doing most of the recording like, seriously, five minutes from my house; and they never call me for a cup of coffee or anything. Anyway...

One of the new songs that's been a staple of their live set for a while now is "The Latter." A few months ago, Dentist worked with filmmaker Dana Yurcisin (who wrote, edited, and directed), producer Biff Swenson, and the folks at Hologram Visuals to produce a stunning video clip for the song.

In the video, Emily Bornemann confronts herself and her vices in a seriously mind-bending series of images. This one is up there with some of the best visual representations of a song I've seen.


Dentist // The Latter from Dana Yurcisin on Vimeo.

Grace Vonderkuhn, "Cellophane"

Grace Vonderkuhn's Reveries arrives via Egghunt Records on 2/23. Last week we got the album's second single, "Cellophane." The song is a five-minute slow build that showcases Grace Vonderkuhn's loud, noisy garage pop.

Sometimes, we put up invisible barriers between ourselves and the rest of the world -- "There is no pain when you're wrapped in cellophane." As the song progresses, you can feel the tension that comes with holding everything in reach an almost bursting point.



Russian Baths, "What's Your Basement"

We also recently got the second single from Russian Baths' upcoming Penance. "What's Your Basement" is a pummeling slice of noise rock from the Brooklyn quartet. It's dark and angular and discordant in all the ways that make sounds like this so cathartic.

Like I said above, Penance is due from Good Eye Records on 2/23. It's shaping up to be a great listen, and I'm looking forward to feeling these songs live.



So there you have it. Combine all that stuff with the fact that Asbury's The Black Clouds and Brooklyn's Baked are also on the bill at The Saint, and you really should be feeling lucky. Come hang with us on 2/22 at The Saint in Asbury Park and count your blessings.

Cool Show Announcement: Dentist, The Black Clouds, Baked, Russian Baths, Grace Vonderkuhn at The Saint, 2/22/18

Poster by Sarah Ver Hoeve

CoolDad Music & Good Eye Records Present...

A couple of weeks ago I shared the announcement that Brooklyn's Russian Baths had signed with our friends over at Good Eye Records for the February 23rd release of their EP, Penance. In that post, I also mentioned that Russian Baths would be holding a NJ release celebration at The Saint on Thursday, February 22nd. We now have all the details for that show, and it's going to be -- as the kids like to say -- a banger.

Joining Russian Baths on the bill will be Wilmington, Delaware's Grace Vonderkuhn,



Russian Baths' Brooklyn paisanos in Baked,



Asbury Park rock and roll heroes, The Black Clouds,



and Asbury's indiesurfpop sweethearts, Dentist.



Everything goes down at The Saint in Asbury Park on February 22nd. Doors open at 7pm, and $10 gets you inside.

You can RSVP to the event right here. See you there.

And here's another listen to "Ambulance" by Russian Baths just for good measure. Look for some sounds from the new EP as the release date gets closer.

Brooklyn's Russian Baths Sign with Good Eye Records. EP Is Due 2/23.

Penance

Our good friends over at Good Eye Records are kicking off 2018 by announcing today that Brooklyn four-piece, Russian Baths, are the latest addition to the label's growing stable of bands. Comprised of Luke Koz (guitar / vox), Jess Rees (guitar / keys / vox), Evan Gill Smith (bass), and Jeff Widner (drums), Russian Baths combine harmony and dissonance into a sound that, at different times, recalls post-punk, shoegaze, and psych / noise rock.

In 2016, Russian Baths self-released the "Ambulance" cassette single, which was mixed by former-The Men bassist, Ben Greenberg. They will follow that promising and explosive beginning with their debut EP, Penance, on February 23rd.

And, in a very cool development about which I'm extremely excited, CoolDad Music will team up with Good Eye Records to host the New Jersey release show for Penance on February 22nd at The Saint. Joining Russian Baths on an amazing bill will be Dentist, The Black Clouds, Baked, and Grace Vonderkuhn.

Stay tuned for more from Russian Baths as the release date approaches. In the meantime, you can have a listen to / buy "Ambulance" as you get ready to join us on February 22nd.

Interview: Dan Matthews of The Black Clouds Who Release After All at The Stone Pony on Saturday, 11/5

The Black Clouds at House of Independents

This Is Independent Rock

Asbury Park's The Black Clouds are getting ready to release their third album, After All, on their own Capacitor Records this Saturday, November 5th, at The Stone Pony. Over the course of their more than a decade as a band, The Black Clouds have remained staunchly independent while sticking to making the kind of music they love: loud, hard, alternative rock.

I had a chance to run some questions by singer / guitarist Dan Matthews. He talked about staying independent, working with some legendary producers, what it was like to record at Dave Grohl's Studio 606; and he held forth a little bit on the current state of rock music.

The Black Clouds are committed to being a self-funded, DIY band. You've managed, though, to put out 3 albums with some legendary producers (Jack Endino, John Agnello) and to go on some extended tours. Can you talk about how you make that all work while doing everything yourselves?

We just really enjoy making records. We built a studio a while back, so we record the records ourselves generally (Until this one). It's allowed us to spend money on working with people we love in the mixing stage. We were really fortunate that they agreed to do it at a price we could afford when we reached out. Jack and John are really great guys.

What additional advice do you have for other bands who want to continue to play music and put out records while maintaining their independence?

Anyone can do it. Tons of bands do it all the time. If you really care about the music that you're making, you'll find a way to make it happen. I guess if there was any advice that I'd give, it would be not to be afraid to ask people that you think are out of your range. The worst they can say is no.

After All, which you're releasing on November 5th, will be your second time working with Jack Endino (Nirvana, Mudhoney, Soundgarden). How did that partnership come about?

I wrote him about mixing our first record (Wishing Well) and to my surprise, he wrote me back. He agreed to mix it and since then we've become good friends and done a bunch of work together. Jack is really good at what he does. He's one of my favorite people to work with and one of my favorite people on earth.

The Black Clouds' Dan Matthews

From listening to After All, I get the impression that you and Jack were really on the same page. Can you talk a little bit about how your collaboration worked?

That's why we love working with him so much. We love a lot of the same things about music and sound in general. Working with him is a breeze for that reason. He could easily be a member of the band. When you work with Jack, you feel like you're working with one of your bandmates.

You recorded the record at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 near LA. In addition to Foo Fighters, other bands who have recorded there include Them Crooked Vultures, Anvil, and Motörhead. Now, The Black Clouds. How does that feel?

I think it was the obvious next step for 606. Haha. It was absolutely unreal. Cory (Our drummer) actually played Dave's drum set that he used for all of the Them Crooked Vultures stuff. Completely unbelievable.

What were those sessions like?

Really amazing. It was a mix of extreme excitement and stress. We had 7 days and only ended up using 5. We rehearsed A LOT! We actually pre-recorded the whole record in our studio before we went out so we knew exactly what we wanted to do. It felt like we were recording in Abbey Road or something. I can't say enough nice things about the guys that run the studio (Scott and Lou). They took great care of us and made us feel like we were family the entire time.

You guys are an unapologetic, hard rock band. You played with Mudhoney on their last trip back east, and Mark Arm even makes an appearance on After All. You're working with Jack Endino. So that Northwest, hard rock sound is an obvious influence on The Black Clouds. Who are some current rock bands that inspire you — or that you just really dig?

Thanks for the kind words! Why would anyone apologize for their music??? There are way too many bands that inspire us to name. Recently, we've been listening to the new record from Noiseheads. Really digging the new Holy White Hounds. Metz and OFF! have been on pretty steady rotation. The Vansaders just put out a pretty killer record. GayGuy/StraightGuy's new record is a personal favorite. The list would change if you asked next week. Good music is everywhere if you're inspired to look. I could write a novel in reply to this question.

More broadly — and I'm sure we could both write a dissertation on this — I would like to get your impression on the state of the world in terms of rock and roll vs indie rock vs everything else? Your home base of Asbury Park vs the rest of the country? Have you seen changes during your time as a band?

That's a loaded question! I think that there are a ton of people making great music all over. We've seen it firsthand while touring the US. The thing that I hear pretty consistently is that the music industry sucks and it's impossible to get a record deal. Personally, I think it's a good thing. Bands that are making great music and really give a shit will keep finding ways to make records and get them out there. The big difference is that it's in our hands now. Depending on how inspired you are, that could be a huge positive or a huge negative. 15 years ago, you had no chance of getting your music to someone in foreign countries unless you were signed. Now it's possible. That's a huge thing for independent artists as long as they're inspired and inventive.

The Black Clouds definitely don't over-saturate their local market with shows, which makes a Black Clouds show in New Jersey something special. You do have some good ones coming up in the area as the release of After All gets closer. You did the Makin Waves Rock Circus at Roxy & Dukes on October 22nd. That sounded pretty wild. How'd that go?

I never really understood the idea of bands playing a ton of shows in the same town all the time. We love playing locally with friends but no one wants to hear us every other week. I sure as hell wouldn't! We love to travel and play/hang with friends out of state as much as possible. Overstaying your welcome is never a good idea in any scenario. With that being said, I'm going to totally contradict myself…  Well, not exactly...

The exception is when close friends ask us to be part of cool stuff. Bob Makin (One of the coolest guys that exist) asked us to play the Rock Circus. That show was so much damn fun. Bob really gives a shit about music. We're all lucky to have him around, and Roxy & Dukes Roadhouse is a killer place that's run by great people.

We're also playing an amazing show at House of Independents on November 18th with our good friends Chemtrail to celebrate their 10 year anniversary (Old Fuckers!). Dentist and Yawn Mower are playing as well. It's gonna be a crazy night in a great venue. We're really excited to be a part of it.

Then you’ve got your hometown record release show on November 5th at The Stone Pony. Who else have you tapped to play that one, and do you have anything special planned for that night?

We're really excited about the record release. We've never released a full-length on vinyl so that's a trip! It's translucent Blue! We also haven't headlined the Stone Pony in a couple years, so that's pretty cool as well. It's gonna be a great night. The Obvious, Experiment 34, Collective Man and Yorkshire Tenth (our labelmates) are playing as well. We're psyched and completely honored to have so many good friends supporting us.

Finally, are there any plans to tour for After All in 2016/17?

We have a bunch of tour plans in the works for 2017.  We’ll be announcing the schedule soon at our website.

The Black Clouds play The Stone Pony this Saturday, November 5th, with The Obvious, Experiment 34, Collective Man, and Yorkshire Tenth.

On November 18th, they play Asbury Park's House of Independents for the Chemtrail 10th Anniversary Show. That one also features Dentist and Yawn Mower.

You can grab The Black Clouds' previous releases over at Google Play Music:

Wishing Well

Better Days

Look for After All on November 5th via Capacitor Records.

GayGuy / StraightGuy Released Their LP at House of Independents with The Battery Electric, Dentist, The Black Clouds, and Yawn Mower, 5/5/16

GayGuy / StraightGuy, Yawn Mower, and Dentist's Emily Bornemann

Shut Your Mouth and Eat Your Cake

In what almost felt more like a house party among friends than a concert, Asbury Park's GayGuy / StraightGuy celebrated the release of their debut LP, Shut Your Mouth and Eat Your Cake, at Asbury Park's House of Independents on Thursday night. They stocked the bill with besties who also happened to be some of the area's best bands.

Fellow guitar (baritone) / drum duo, Yawn Mower, started things off just as the clock struck 8pm sounding as good as I've heard them. Their humor and overall positivity set the tone for an evening that bounced around between fun and lots of fun. The Black Clouds rattled the room with their 90s-inspired hard rock for the second early slot. Dentist's performance has just gotten better since playing night after night on tour, and the crowd really responded. The Battery Electric did their thing and got everyone crazy in advance of GayGuy / StraightGuy.

GayGuy / StraightGuy came out for their set and spent the first half pummeling the space with songs from Shut Your Mouth and Eat Your Cake. I think they even threw in something brand new. For the second half of their set, the band brought friends -- members of The Battery Electric, Yawn Mower, Black Clouds' Dan Matthews, Dentist's Emily Bornemann -- onstage for a set of Nirvana and Weezer covers. That was when the sing along dance along party kicked into high gear.

Calling the evening a "release party" instead of a "release show" was entirely accurate. At the end of the night, GayGuy / StraightGuy drummer Bob Paulos said to me, "I love doing that -- just playing music with friends." The celebratory atmosphere and good vibes extended from the stage to the audience throughout the night, and there were moments when the room felt like it was full of a couple hundred friends.

I spent the evening shooting everything, lots of it on my brand new, extremely heavy f1.8 (FIXED!) 50-100mm zoom lens. It was pretty comical since my little mirrorless camera bodies are dwarfed by the massiveness of that glass, but I think I found a winner. You can check out all the photos from the evening either in the Flickr galleries (full rez) or on the Facebook page (Facebook rez).