TERROR SQUAD AT THE BENDIGO
Japan thrashers Terror Squad are going to brutalise the Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood on Saturday July 23 at the top of a lineup which also includes Desecrator, Anatomy, Abominator, Belligerent Intent, Blackhelm, Mar Mortuum and Oligarch. Doors open at 7pm.
CIRCLES HIT THE ROAD
Melbourne’s heavy music exponents, Circles, have announced their Egression Tour with select dates around the country for their last headline shows of 2016. The band is also currently in the midst of finalising their new album, the follow up to 2013’s immensely successful Infinitas, to be released in 2017. Circles’ distinctive fusion of powerhouse progressive rhythms, soaring lead vocals and dynamic songs have turned heads all over the world with the UK’s Metal Hammer magazine quoting that with their ‘massive, bendy riffs. huge melodies. synapse-frazzling atmospherics. it’s hard to imagine what more Circles could do to assert their awesomeness.’ Joining them on these shows will be fellow experimentalists Orsome Welles. Catch them at The Evelyn on Saturday September 17 with multi-instrumentlist/producer James Norbert Ivanyi and Kardinal.
PLINI, INTERVALS TEAM UP FOR TOUR
This year has been anything but quiet for Australia’s favourite bedroom-prog-wizard, Plini. Starting with sold-out headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne and a massive debut tour around North America with Intervals, he can currently be found journeying across Europe with Animals As Leaders on a six-week summer festival and club tour. This September it will finally be Australia’s turn again, as Plini heads out on his biggest tour yet, including his first ever headlining show in Perth. And he’s bringing Intervals with him for their very first Australian tour. Plini will be performing material from his forthcoming debut album Handmade Cities, which is out on Friday August 26. Before each show, you can attend an hour long masterclass and Q&A session with Plini and Intervals’ Aaron Marshall, tailored to the interests of the group and covering anything from composition and guitar techniques to touring and building a career as an independent musician. General and masterclass tickets are on sale now and you can catch Plini and Intervals at Max Watt’s on Saturday September 3.
TWO NEW ZAPPA ALBUMS
Two new Frank Zappa albums were released last week. Frank Zappa for President is comprised of unreleased compositions realised on the Synclavier (an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system and music workstation that Frank loved) along with other relevant tracks mined from the Vault, with a political thread tying it all together. And yes, at one point Frank seriously entertained the idea of running for president, which would have been amazing. The other album is The Crux of the Biscuit, created in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of 1974’s Apostrophe(‘). As part of Zappa Records’ ongoing Frank Zappa Project/Object Audio Documentary Series, it contains rare alternate mixes, live performances, and studio session outtakes.
CITIZEN ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Slowly growing and changing since they first met as midwestern high-schoolers in 2009, Citizen have emerged today as one of underground alternative rock’s most promising bands. Citizen will be returning to Australia in November in support of their critically acclaimed release, Everybody is Going to Heaven which had critics raving across the globe. Catch them at The Corner Hotel on Saturday November 12. Tickets on sale Friday July 22 at 9am.
NEW VIDEO, TOUR FROM AS A RIVAL
Melbourne quartet As A Rival have just released the single and video for their track Obsolete and have announced an Australian tour taking in Victoria, NSW, South Australia and Tasmania. Pete Cerni (vocals/guitar), Kylie Groth (bass), Nathan Wheatley (drums) and Michael Conti (guitar) have enlisted the help of Bodyjar’s Tom Read for the new track, which is about “fighting the reality of aging and fear of irrelevance that comes with it.” The track is from their album By Design, which features a bunch of guests including Grant Relf and Shane Wakker (Bodyjar), Rich Hall (Laser Brains) and Charlie Zulu (Darn Matter). They’ll play The Eastern, Ballarat on Friday August 5, Music Man, Bendigo on Saturday August 6, Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong on Friday September 6 and Ding Dong Lounge on Saturday October 8.
