Site Updates
Well the time has come to move The Soda Shop blog from a WordPress hosted blog to a self host server. The move is complete. This blog will cease to update after Memorial Day 2012. Old links and posts will still work but new content from here on out will be on the new site. If you have any bookmarks containing the WordPress address, update them to the new address. That address is:
www.thesodashop.us
DAily Bandcamp Album – Rokeville by The Columbines
This one is a bit different but fucking cool. The band The Columbines is from Chicago. they play some wicked blues rock mixed with a bit of old school outlaw country and even some rock-a-billy. Think of it as Chicago’s version of Five Horse Johnson.
“The Columbines arrived with a splash, riding a flaming wicker bunny that fell from the sky into the icy waters of Lake Michigan. They play songs about love, songs about anger, songs about angry love and lovely anger, songs with birds, bees, cars, trains, and planes, songs about the devil you know and the devil you don’t.”
First new music from Melvins Lite release “Freak Puke” (June 5, Ipecac) available now
Melvins Lite is an additional incarnation of the Melvins. The line-up is Buzz Osborne, Dale Crover and Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantomas & Tomahawk). Melvins Lite’s debut release is “Freak Puke,” available June 5 via Ipecac Recordings. “The Melvins have a long history of mixing up our line-ups and I think that’s what has kept us relevant for so long,” explains Osborne. “Consider the Freak Puke record the fifth side of the four-sided Melvins triangle.”
“Leon vs The Revolution” mp3 via Spin.com:
http://www.spin.com/articles/hear-first-taste-melvins-lites-freak-puke-leon-vs-revolution
Melvins Lite pre-order link: (more…)
RED FANG Announce North American Tour Dates
Portland Oregon’s RED FANG are in the midst of wrapping up their European tour with a show tonight in Moscow, Russia and their final gig tomorrow in St. Petersburg, Russia. Before they had back state-side the band is pleased to announce that they have just confirmed a new batch of North American tour dates. Included in this run are headlining shows as well as shows serving as direct support to The Sword. All tour dates can be found below.
RED FANG will be headlining “A Benefit For Grant High Art Department” scheduled to take place Friday May 25th at the Hawthorne Theater in Portland, OR. Support will come from Lopez, Nether Regions and Grant High’s own Hell’s Parrish. Doors for the show at are 7:00 pm with the first band hitting the stage at 7:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased for the show HERE. (more…)
The Soda Shop Records Presents – The Soda Shop Comp Vol. 3
The Soda Shop Records Proudly Presents it’s next free comp album. The album is officially due out for FREE at the end of May. Artists featured will be Fellwoods, The Grand Astoria, The Dead Exs, The Heavy Eyes and a few more surprises. More details to come soon.
Also on the comp album will be a track from Mothership’s self titled debut album which is due out in June. You’ll be able to stream the song exclusively now. (more…)
Daily Bandcamp Album – Blue Venus by Venus Blue
Rock n’ roll.
“You can hear everyone from Blue Cheer to the Stooges, early Pentagram, and smatterings of hardcore punk. Venus Blue describe themselves as a band with a “unique sound” that “boggles the mind”. They’re not wrong.”
-Chybucca Sounds
Daily Bandcamp Album – Salvation by Desert Lord
Desert Lord are a stoner sludge/doom metal band from Helsinki. They have 2 track EP available with is FUCKING Kick ass. Heavy and gruffy vocals mixed with some crushing instruments make for a highly enjoyable listen.
Daily Bandcamp Album – Calling All Demons by Moonless
There’s worse places to start, than to play your debut show opening for Japanese serial-killer obsessed CHURCH OF MISERY. Then again, since MOONLESS also later on did gigs with SAINT VITUS, PENTAGRAM and UFOMAMMUT and are about to unleash their brilliant debut on DOOMENTIA, one could say this was just a beginning…
The band started in Copenhagen, Denmark back in 2008 by people who cut their teeth in the local punkscene throughout the 00’s in bands such as No Hope For The Kids, Hjertestop, Amdi Petersens Armé and Village Idiot. People in the know will acknowledge these were important bands helping to put Denmark back on the international map of underground music.
‘Calling All Demons’ is accompanied by mindblowing coverart by Tue S. and the songs on this debut album are nothing short of a triumph, ready to step up at the top of the mountain of bodies that used to be called the stoner scene. It’s both old school yet fresh sounding slow bonecrushin’ rock’n’roll. Pure primal testosterone sludge done the right way, the MOONLESS way.
HIGH ON FIRE Frontman Talks About Making Of ‘De Vermis Mysteriis’
via Blabbermouth
Toby Cook of The Quietus recently conducted an interview with Matt Pike of the San Francisco Bay Area hard rock band HIGH ON FIRE. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
The Quietus: The title of the [new HIGH ON FIRE] record, “De Vermis Mysteriis”, obviously has links to the grimoires of Robert Bloch and H.P. Lovecraft, but the concept is based around the idea that Jesus had a twin who died at birth, and then became a time traveller, right? Can you clear up what the fuck’s going on there?
Pike: Yeah, well, he died at birth so that Jesus could live and then forwards himself through time and sees the destruction that Christianity causes and tries to travel back in time to warn his brother — who’s innocent of all this. But there’s lots of little factors in between that are Lovecraft-ian, (more…)
GRAND MAGUS: Official ‘The Hunt’ Lyric Video Released
The official lyric video for “The Hunt”, the title track of the new album from Swedish heavy rockers GRAND MAGUS, can be seen below. Due in Europe on May 25 via Nuclear Blast Records, the CD’s cover artwork was created by Arik Roper (CATHEDRAL, HIGH ON FIRE, SLEEP), who also handled the art on GRAND MAGUS‘ “Iron Will” LP.
Commented GRAND MAGUS frontman Janne “J.B.” Christoffersson: “Arik Roper is a super-talented artist and we’ve had the pleasure of working with him before when he did the cover art for our album ‘Iron Will’. This time around with the overall feel and lyrical themes of our new album ‘The Hunt’, Arik was the perfect choice once again. We basicallly just gave him the title and he created one of the most haunting and suggestive images ever seen. He totally nailed what the album is all about. To say we are pleased is a gigantic understatement! This piece of art will stand the test of time and become classic.”
“The Hunt” track listing:
01. Starlight Slaughter (more…)
HOUR OF 13: ‘333’ AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW
North Carolina doom metallers HOUR OF 13 are gearing up for the release of their highly-anticipated new album, 333, which is due to be released on May 28th.
DARKTHRONE’s FENRIZ recently featured HOUR OF 13 in his ‘Band of the Week’ column, stating, “This new Hour of 13 album simply cannot do wrong – it is immersed in utmost respect and understanding of the ways of old”. The album was described by HOUR OF 13 guitarist CHAD DAVIS as “A purely dark heavy metal album for the isolationist in all of us”.
333 is HOUR OF 13’s third album, and was recorded at Epiphonic Studios in Lenoir, North Carolina. (more…)
Daily Bandcamp Album – Shepard – Demonstration 2
The Shepherd Propaganda:
1. Make EVIL music.
2. Destroy The Corporation.
3. Deploy stealthy EVIL theta waves which spread our message of doom.
Yes, we’re recruiting.
Instrumental doom metal. Thick and bassy.
Baroness Posts Trailer for Yellow & Green; Pre-Orders for New Album Available Now
STONE AXE Set To Continue The Rock N’ Roll Party With Live Album Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Current Rotation – 5/3/2012
Born To Hula have recently released a new album titled Tales of Love. I like this album because of the diversity. I remember with their last release all I could help but think was Queens of the Stone Age. I still think that with this album big time but it appears they’ve reached down and pulled a little Jimi Hendrix and other late 60’s, early 70’s psych rock in. There seems to be a little ode to Songs For The Deaf in the beginning of song 3, “No Regret” with the tuning of the radio to a station before the song starts. Tales of Love isn’t as heavy as their previous release but rocks out pretty hard. The desert rock like tunes keep you moving and grooving to the beat from start to finish. Look for a vinyl release this coming October.
Bandcamp Recommendations – 5/3/2012
The Heavy Eyes are back with a 2 track demo from their winter recording sessions. It’s only 2 songs (thus the “2”) but they already shows signs of a refined sound. Excellent music as always!
THE SKULL Featuring Original TROUBLE Members To Headline DARK STAR RECORDS 15th Anniversary Bash
THE SKULL, the new band formed by two original members of TROUBLE — vocalist Eric Wagner and drummer Jeff “Oly” Olson — alongside the band’s longtime bassist, Ron Holzner will play their debut show with SACRED DAWN guitarists Lothar Keller and Michael Carpenter headlining the DARK STAR RECORDS “15 Year Anniversary Bash” set to take place at the Tilted Kilt in Elgin, Illinois on Friday, June 15th, 2012. THE SKULL’s set list will consist of 100% music from TROUBLE, with emphasis on material from the albums “PSLAM 9” and “THE SKULL”. Visit www.troubletheskull.com for ticket prices and additional shows. A U.S east coast tour will be announced next week. (more…)
Review – Orcus Chylde – Orcus Chylde
When I first came across Orcus Chylde, it was while poking around on Kadavar’s Facebook page. I noticed Orcus Chylde was tagged so my instincts kicked in to check them out. There were a few songs posted for sample on Facebook and naturally I listened. What I heard I liked. It had that nice retro sound that I really dig. Of course liking what I heard, I let the band know to keep The Soda Shop in mind of a review copy when the album was ready. Fast forward until last week when the CD arrived in the mail. Oh was I giddy. I put it on in my truck to listen to while I drove to work. I wasn’t sure what it was I was hearing but it wasn’t what I was expecting. I wasn’t sure if it was all that it was cracked up to be. It wasn’t.It was better.
While I was expecting some heavy retro rock ala Graveyard, what I got was a sort of a hybrid between Graveyard and Witchcraft. The vocals even (more…)
Daily Bandcamp Album – Gift Horse – Mountain of Youth
“Filled with heavy, exploding drum beats and a magical, ethereal blending of guitar, bass, and keys, Gift Horse has the ability to draw you in, capture your mind, and compel your imagination. Their songs carry menacing undertones and floating vocals that at once pick you up and mellow you out. Each melody offers a climax, backed by raging cymbals, which give way to atmospheric organ tones preparing you for the next climax and back around again.” – The Silver Tongue
I tell you thise is different and pretty fricking sweet. Think Weird Owl, meets Hopewell meets The Main Street Gospel. That’s kinda what Gift Horse’s sound is all about. Nice psychedelics and shoegaze wrapped up into one trippy ball.
Sleestak Show Updates
Hey all, we just wanted to send out a quick email with our updated shows list. Please make it out to one or more if you can!
5/4/12
w/Sleestak, The Revomatics, and Pilot Airer.
at The Up And Under Pub, 1216 E. Brady St., Milwaukee, WI.
$5 cover. Show starts at 8pm.
5/6/12
w/Sleestak, Sioum, Austaras, and Oyarsa.
at The Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave, Chicago, IL.
Show starts at 7pm.
6/1/12 (more…)
ROYAL THUNDER AND RCRD LBL OFFERING DOWNLOAD OF “WHISPERING WORLD” FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM CVI (MAY 22, RELAPSE RECORDS); NEW TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED
THE SWORD: Previously Unreleased ‘Age Of Winters’-Era Track Available On iTunes
via Blabbermouth
In advance of Friday’s premiere of this year’s highly anticipated movie “Marvel’s The Avengers”, Austin, Texas metal luminaries THE SWORD have announced the release of “Hammer Of Heaven”, an early track dating back to 2003 that was not included on “Age Of Winters”, which the band submitted for inclusion on “Avengers Assemble”, a 14-track compilation of music from and inspired by the film.
Due to severe space limitations, the song did not make the final track listing, but the band, along with their new label partners at Razor & Tie have decided to make “Hammer Of Heaven” available digitally to coincide with the release of the film. Click here to download the song on iTunes. (more…)
Daily Bandcamp Album – The Longer The Beard The Harder The Sound by Gandhi’s Gunn
The hard, strong sound impact of the Genoese (Italy) band, Gandhi’s Gunn (Hobo, vocals; Scazzi, guitar; Maso, bass; Andrea, drums), is intensely inspired by the forcible sound of the first American Stoner Rock undercurrent, such as Corrosion of Conformity, Fu Manchu and Clutch, while frequently exploring more visionary and psychedelic territories.
Considered a point of reference on the Italian Stoner Rock scene, Gandhi’s Gunn have had two years of intense live activity on stage with bands of worldwide fame such as Church of Misery (Japan), Los Natas (Argentina), Acid King (USA), Atomic Bitchwax (USA), 16 (USA), Nadja (Canada), Amen Ra (Belgium) and Clutch (USA) & more.
The Longer The Beard The Harder The Sound was released less than week ago.
GHOST: ‘We Like BEACH BOYS’
via Blabbermouth
Noisey, Vice magazine’s music channel, has uploaded video footage of “a nameless ghoul” from the mysterious Swedish buzz metal act GHOST talking about Satan’s faith in his band and his band’s faith in the BEACH BOYS. Check out the clip below.
GHOST cult leader “Papa Emeritus” (rumored to be REPUGNANT/SUBVISION‘s Tobias Forge, who takes the stage in the form of “a satanic pope”) and his anonymous ghouls are currently supporting MASTODON and OPETH on a North American tour.
(more…)
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