THE NIGHT IS DARK AND FULL OF TERRORS: THRONES!!!!!!

There's not much more that can be said about Joe Preston or Thrones. If you've never had the pleasure of witnessing the one-man wrecking crew lay sonic waste to a room, I don't know what's up with you. Maybe that's harsh, but Preston has been flexing this blissful sludge since 1994. Granted he took an extended hiatus, but Thrones touring schedule since 2010 has been as merciless as his sludgy insanity. He seems to be everywhere.

Maybe I say that "not much more can be said" because Thrones is a difficult project to describe. One charismatic, light-hearted grizzly bear, bookended by enormous cabinets, snuggled by machines, and comfortably harnessed to his bass orchestrates a series of distorted, feedback-riddled, ominous, surreal, gutteral, grinding (adj., adj., adj.) songs that offer enough ingenuity and complexity to satisfy any noise, sludge, metal, punk, arty music fan out there. Thrones trudges through its own landscapes, carving out tectonic plates of brutal awesomeness.

Thrones recordings are consuming in their own right. There's a groovy jazz aesthetic that courses through all the slow heaviness. Live, however, is how you need to experience this. It's imperative. From the first crack of sound, it's a visceral journey like no other. Preston effortlessly erects an eerie (some say "witchy") ambiance that envelops the audience. There's a subtle give and take, but the music wins in the end. Lured by the basslines, Preston pied-pipers the audience through an intricate set that pushes the bounds of experimentation without sacrificing the crusty edge that provides for most of the nightmarish joy of feeling Thrones live.

Thrones just came off of an east coast tour with Floor, (with some envy-worthy dates that included VAZ, and Torche), played a recent show with the Need and Fed Ex, and is playing a host of shows this spring and summer. There's probably a lot more out there. Who knows?

I jumped out of my chair, hugged my girlfriend, and high-fived our cats and dogs when I read the email exchange between Josh Vanek and Joe that landed Thrones for Total Fest this year. It was, perhaps, one of the most beautiful series of communications that I watched unfold. I'll say "don't miss this set" more than a few times between now and then, and if I see you there, I promise to hug you only once.  
 
The day is bright and beautiful and full of hope:

TORCHE: On Fire

Every so often, the 'underground' produces a band that raises more than a few eyebrows and redefines a genre, offering something completely unique and freshly invigorating. A band that compromises nothing and challenges the conventions of traditional rock, metal, punk, or whatever you want to call it.

For us, that band is Torche. Started in Miami, Florida by four veterans of heavy music, Steve Brooks (of classic sludge/doom heavyweights Floor), Jonathan Nunez, Richard Smith and Juan Montoya (later replaced by Andrew Eltsner), they forged a completely unique, stoner-inspired amalgamation, sprinkled with melody and bits of pop, which they first hinted at on their 2005 self-titled album. They defined a sound of their own that was anthemic, unabashedly catchy and mind-crushingly heavy all at once.

After several years of touring around the globe with the likes of Mogwai, High on Fire, The Sword, Harvey Milk, and many others, and crafting countless top-notch releases (two more albums, a few EPs and splits with Boris and Part Chimp), they've come a long way in developing their refreshing sound. Though heavy metal purists may be quick to judge just where they fall, the music they're making sets them apart from much of what's going on in that world these days. It's exciting stuff and never dull, that's for sure.

If you haven't checked out their recently-released third album, Harmonicraft, please do so. It is full of fast, riffy, fist-pumping anthems, plenty of upbeat, sugar-coated goodness and a couple doom-ladden dirges for old time's sake. Here are a few tracks from it:

Kicking
Reverse Inverted
Kiss Me Dudely

We want to thank KBGA in helping us to bring Torche (and Dan Deacon) to Missoula, Montana for Total Fest XI this August.They are huge supporters of what we're doing here and this wouldn't be possible without their wonderful support.

Mark your calendars for Friday, August 17th and get ready for Torche.

(Photo by Gary Copeland)

TOTAL FEST 2012: INSTALLMENT 3

That's right, Total Folks. We're posting the final batch announcement of this year's Total Fest line-up. Not that we've saved the best for last, but this batch is a gut punch combo: old heads, well worn travelers, noisy weirdness, hefty stoner, playful pop, psych fix, and riff ration. A few strands are still lingering, but we'll have you caught up by the week's end. As with the last two announcements, we'll expand on each of the bands in the following days. Stay tuned.

Cousins Milwaukee, WI

Harkonen Seattle, WA / San Fran, CA 

InternationalPlayboys Missoula, MT 

KingElephant Missoula, MT

Magpies Missoula, MT

MjolniirDXP Denver, CO

Needlecraft Missoula, MT 

ThePharmacy Seattle, WA

Sedan Portland, Or

Shane Hickey and his Magical Ukulele.... and Jerry! Missoula, MT

Tacocat Seattle, WA

Tenement Appleton, WI 

Torche Miami, FL

Unnatural Helpers Seattle, WA

VTO Missoula, MT

Wizard Rifle Portland, OR