SWEAT LODGE: Austin Heavy Psych Act Signs With Ripple Music; New Track From Upcoming Album Talismana Streaming Now On Bandcamp

Austin, TX's heavy psychedelic act SWEAT LODGE has signed with Ripple Music and their new album, Talismana, will be out in early 2015. Keep an eye out for more details in the coming weeks, but for now, you can get a taste of the new album by clearing yourself an area to rock out and streaming the infectiously groovy track "Slow Burn" on Bandcamp.

Listen to Sweat Lodge's new track "Slow Burn" now at THIS LOCATION.

Sweat Lodge are aptly named, as the sound produced by this Austin TX, vibe tribe is best experienced in a dark, smoke filled room. Eschewing modern tendencies in heavy music to rely on brute force, the group combines epic, technical songwriting with enough neolithic heaviness to keep the cavemen happy. Beginning as a bass/drums/vox trio in summer 2010, the band developed a groove-laden sound that relied on Caleb Dawson’s heavy yet nuanced backbeat and the saturated tone of Austin “The Shock” Shockley's gnarled bass-fuzz, laying the foundation for singer Cody Lee's soaring vocals. As heard on their cardinal self-titled 7” recorded the following year with Orville Neeley (OBN III’s, Bad Sports etc.) the tight, dynamic rhythm section and commanding vocals deliver the songs expertly, but their ambition to expand sonically would require the addition of 6-string guitar. Enter guitarist Javier Gardea and permanent addition to the groups lineup,guitarist Dustin Anderson,who play off of one another to create a web of intricate melodic sections matched with one-ton riffs and passages of hypnotic psychedelia. In the two years since,the group’s sound has gotten bigger and better, culminating in the recording of the group’s first LP.

The debut full-length Talismana tackles the ponderous concept of man finding his place in the universe and the many physical and spiritual hurdles one faces in the process. In using the concept of the talisman as protection against evil and vice as well as a catalyst for change in the self and society as a whole, frontman Lee uses his songs as a platform to address the metaphysical and psychological plight of modern man through the lense of ancient wisdom and magical practice. Much like the ceremonial lodge which inspired their name, the music of Sweat Lodge offers enlightenment and purification to those who can stand the heat.

Look for more info on Talismana, Sweat Lodge's Ripple Music debut album, in the coming weeks!

To set up an interview with Sweat Lodge, please contact Cat Jones at southernxpr@gmail.com.

Links:
Sweat Lodge on Facebook
sweatlodgemusic.bandcamp.com
ripple-music.com

POOBAH's Jim Gustafson Signs Endorsement Deals with Morley, EbTech, and Dr. Frets!

Some call him The Wizard of Psyche. Some call him Mr. Destroyer. Some just call him Jim Gustafson, the guy with endorsement deals from Morley Pedals, EbTech, and Dr. Fret’s Guitar Products! The Poobah lead man has been swearing by these products for a number of years and expresses a loyalty to a product that helps continue to make him sound killer! “When it’s time to rock, it’s nice to know that I have dependable people and products in my corner,” states Poobah guitarist/vocalist Jim Gustafson. “Having gear crap out on you while performing in front of a packed house is a drag, so it’s nice to have someone I can rely on.” When he’s not on stage tearing through numbers from the award-winning Poobah album, Let Me In, Jim Gustafson can be seen hob-nobbing with the likes of Billy Cox (Jimi Hendrix), Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, and even Joyce DeWitt (Three’s Company). The recent engagement that had Billy Cox and Jim Gustafson meet up isn’t the first time that these two 70’s rock icons have crossed paths. In fact, Billy Cox produced the very first Gustafson album, which led to Gustafson opening for Cox's band, Nitro Function in Nashville! If you’d like to hob-nob with the Poobah great, well . . . you can! Check out Poobah live at the following locations in early Spring! Mar. 3rd – Outpost – Marrietta, OH - 8:00pm Mar. 9th – Pete’s – Sutton, WV - 8:00pm Mar. 10th – Pete’s – Sutton, WV - 8:00pm Mar. 16th – Spielers Club – Proctor, WV - 8:00pm Mar. 31st – Birdies Rec – Sebring, OH - 8:00pm Apr. 7th – Lemon Grove – Youngstown, OH - 9:00pm www.poobahband.com Here’s what the press has to say about Let Me In: "You could go broke and mad trying to locate – and endure – every "great lost album" cherished by fanboys from the homegrown-pressing underground of the late Sixties and Seventies. The 1972 debut by the Ohio trio Poobah is one of the few that was – and still is, as hard Seventies boogie goes – great.”  --  David Fricke, Rolling Stone Magazine, Fricke's Picks: Top 2010 Reissues from Under the Radar   "An unmissable slice of newly-refurbished rock history. Poobah were extraordinarily sharp and effective as a unit, peeling off semi-improvised jams that crackled with vitality and a healthy dose of mischief. This reclaimed curio gleams like a diamond." -- Classic Rock Magazine  "A psychedelic, proto-metal masterpiece!  Gustafson’s sun-baked, bluesy playing is shockingly terse, especially for this kind of music. As long and convoluted as some of these songs are, he doesn’t waste notes, tossing off one brief, incisive riff after another with a heavy lidded leer.  The whole thing ranks with Flower Marching Band, the original Iron Maiden and Sir Lord Baltimore as one of the classics of early metal." -- Lucid Culture   Jim Gustafson with Billy Cox                       Jim Gustafson with Joyce DeWitt

One of the Greatest Comeback Stories in Rock and Roll History Keeps Getting Better!

 
 

“Step aside, Anvil… there’s a Rock n’ Roll comeback story that blows yours into the stratosphere! IRON CLAW is the Rock n’ Roll comeback story of legend.”  So proclaimed Metal Odyssey after taking one listen to Iron Claw’s new Ripple Music release, A Different Game.

 

You see, IRON CLAW was playing their brand of Heavy Rock at live gigs when Heavy Metal was just getting it’s name. The early 70′s were the building blocks for the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal that we all cherish deeply in 2011… and IRON CLAW was there… planting the seeds. Touring during the early years with the legendary likes of The Kinks, Spencer Davis and Pink Fairies, (to name a few), IRON CLAW easily can be considered an important underground player within the structure of the British Rock Movement. Without a “coveted” record contract, the Rock history books have overlooked too many silent legends, the pioneers of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock such as IRON CLAW. With A Different Game, their role in Rock history shall never go unspoken again.

 

And what a year it’s been! First, Scotland’s Proto-Metal pioneers, returned with their first ever official album of gritty, blues-based melodic heavy rock that’s been garnering album of the year accolades from the press.  Then, they debuted the album at a record release gig at the notorious Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow as special guests of the Governor Derek McGill who wanted to show the prisoners that there are healthier alternatives to crime, such as playing and creating emotionally stimulating music.  The show was such a major event, it was covered live on radio and film by GMG Radio, Scotland and filmed as a special by Border TV!

 

And it doesn’t stop there. A Different Game has been receiving airplay all over the globe, specifically the lead single, “What Love Left”. Huge supporters have come from the likes of Classic Rock Radio.eu, Rock Me Baby TV, Get Ready To Rock! Radio, Planet Rock, SuperestacionMetal, and SineFM to name but a few, and Iron Claw are now one of the featured bands on the Screaming Singles, Vol. 1 compilation disc released through Nasty Casty Records.

 

Not bad for a band that hadn’t recorded in 40 years. And there’s much more to come.

 

A Different Game was released by Ripple Music on Oct 4^th, and is available world-wide with distribution through Code 7 Distribution, Clearspot International and at the label’s web store.

 

 

Here’s what the press has to say:

 

"They have taken all their musical experience and rolled it up into an album which simply rocks. If you dig the roots of heavy metal, 70's hard rock and Southern Rock, you will indeed enjoy listening to these experienced masters of Rock N Roll." -- ThrashHead

 

“This is pure muscle at work and Iron Claw still has plenty of the natural juice in them to make this reunion endeavor soar . . . thankfully Iron Claw has given themselves the opportunity to say a thundering hello to the rock world, if not hijack it.”  --  Ray Van Horn, Jr., The Metal Minute

 

 "This is a solid, dynamic, vintage rock ‘n roll record, 13 tracks spanning 57 minutes yet hardly a dull moment to be found. A Different Game is more of the same—high quality heavy rock unearthed from the underground" -- Hellbound.ca
 

RIPPLE MUSIC STORE

Also available at CDBaby, Amazon.com, Ebay, and All That Is Heavy.com

Live at the Barlinnie Prison, Galsgow, Scotland

JPT Scare Band Continues Their Mad Ascent with First Live Gig in over 35 Years

 

35 years melted away as if time had never existed.  Terry Swope pick up the axe, Paul Grigsby plugged in the bass, Jeff Littrell took the drum stool and the mythical beast that is JPT Scare Band breathed anew.  35 years ago, JPT stunned unsuspecting minds with their terrorizing jamming and distinctly heavy blues, tearing a swath across the countries mid-section with one performance after another.  Legendary tales leaked from the underground of a guitarist worthy of sharing a stage with Hendrix, a bass player who could stand in for Led Zeppelin, a drummer who could replace Charlie Watts.  But for the last 35 years, these stories and the legends, the myths, of JPT Scare Band live performance were all that existed.

But no more.

2011.  The same year that  Classic Rock Magazine featured JPT Scare Band on their cover-mounted CD, Rhapsody declared JPT Scare Band one of the "10 Essential Proto-Metal bands", and their debut Ripple Music release, Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden soared up the charts, JPT Scare Band took to the stage.  And the legend was reborn!

Blasting out their terrifying acid blues at Crosstown Station with Granmax and the New Lost Souls, July 22nd in their hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, JPT Scare Band proved that they've lost none of their psychedelic madness over the years.

 

But if you missed it, don't worry, it's all been recorded for posterity's sake.

Pop over to YouTube and you feast on the video documentation of the event that's sure to go down in Kansas City rock lore.    Start off by ingesting your mind with "Rat Poison for the Soul" (Rat Poison Live) and then pop over to the Ripple Music YouTube Channel and find the rest of the videos in the Channel's Favorites. (Grooves and Ripples).

And prepare yourself for an acid blues explosion!

 

Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden is available in limited quantities from Ripple Music in two-toned, gatefold, double-LP with two bonus tracks, Deluxe digipack CD, or digital at www.ripple-music.com and all fine music sites like iTunes, Digstation, Amazon, CD Baby, and eBay.

 

Click here for the full CD Baby.com rankings:  CDBaby
 

RIPPLE MUSIC STORE
 

 

 

www.ripple-music.com

Poobah’s Award-Winning LP, Let Me In, Back In Stock at Ripple Music

 

 

Due to massive demand from the clamoring horde of heavy-psyche rock, proto-metal, and Poobah fans world-wide, Poobah’s Let Me In vinyl edition has seen a second pressing and is now back in stock at Ripple Music and the labels dedicated group of distributors. Earlier this year, the award-winning multi-colored vinyl edition of Let Me In sold out, yet the calls and orders continued to come in. Second and all subsequent pressings are on classic sleek and sexy black wax, and like the first pressing of the double LP, include a download code that allows access to two additional tracks that can otherwise only be found on the CD edition.

Not to rest on the laurels of past successes, Jim Gustafson is currently leading Poobah into the future with a fresh new album aimed for a late 2011 release. But for more current Poobah revelry, catch the band as they assail the senses throughout Ohio this summer!

Times and locations are subject to change – for up to the minute details, visit: www.poobahband.com

July 16^th: Mud Mayhem Festival – Logan, OH  7:00pm
July 22^nd: Lemon Grove – Youngstown, OH  9:00pm
July 23^rd: Iron Saddle Rock Club – Akron, OH  9:00pm
July 30^th: Charlyfest 3 – Toledo, OH  6:00pm
Aug. 6^th: Fishbone Grill (Alzheimers Benefit) – Vienna, WV  4:00pm
Aug. 13^th: Birdies Rec – Sebring, OH  8:00pm
Aug. 19^th: YRRH Rockfest (Jam night) – Youngstown, OH  5:00pm
Aug. 20^th: YRRH Rockfest – Youngstown, OH  10:00pm

RIPPLE MUSIC STORE

www.ripple-music.com

Ripple Music Signs UK Distribution Deal with Heavy Music Leader, Code 7

 
 

Ripple Music and Code 7 have signed a deal that, as of May 2011, will make Code 7 the exclusive distributor of Ripple Music CDs and vinyl records in the UK. "This is a very big deal for Ripple Music as Code 7 is an independent distributer with a proven track record of working with heavy music like Ripple, handles a tremendous catalog of artists, and operates with a ton of integrity. We’re extremely proud to be working with the whole Code 7 team and are thrilled to get Ripple Music permeated through the ears of the UK," explains John Rancik and Todd Severin, co-owners of Ripple Music

California-based Ripple Music burst onto the scene, making huge waves upon its launch in 2010 with a mission to release quality “authentic rock” for the music-loving world.  Releasing vinyl, CD’s and Digital, Ripple Music quickly gained the respect of music lovers as they began working with some of the most respected artists in the heavy rock/heavy psych genres like Stone Axe, Mos Generator, Poobah, Fen, and JPT Scare Band.   And since then, the Ripple family has continued to grow.  Upcoming releases include brand new albums from UK’s heavy rockers Grifter and Iron Claw, Santa Barbara’s modern rockers Tripdavon, plus new releases by Stone Axe, Poobah, and Mos Generator.  As part of their ongoing catalog of reissues, Ripple Music plans to release a 2-disc collector’s edition of Stone Axe II and a reissue of Mos Generator’s long-out-of-print first release.  Ripple Music has also released albums by bluesy rockers Modern Day Moonshine, rootsy songwriter Kevin Beadles, and a series of 7” projects including their latest release, Heavy Ripples, with Stone Axe, Sun Gods in Exile, Grifter, and Mighty High.

"Code 7's excellent reputation among their client labels and retailers, their recent track record of  labor-intensive growth, and the great people there in every department from sales and operations to marketing and finance were all essential factors in giving us the confidence that we needed to make this move," notes Ripple’s Rancik and Severin.   "We’re very excited about our new relationship with Code 7."

Code 7 is an independent music distributor established in 2005. To date they have a roster of over 350 labels from small start-ups to established catalogue labels crossing all genres of music. They are committed to keeping physical product alive and supporting new and exciting talent from across the globe.



www.code7music.com
 

www.ripple-music.com