{"id":20319,"date":"2016-06-30T10:10:05","date_gmt":"2016-06-30T14:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=20319"},"modified":"2016-06-30T09:59:33","modified_gmt":"2016-06-30T13:59:33","slug":"on-stage-king-parrot-plays-it-heavy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=20319","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: King Parrot plays it heavy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span><em><span class=\"s1\">Staff Writer, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1122\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1122\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1122\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/king-parrot-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"King Parrot\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1122\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">King Parrot<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Music fans heading to Kung Fu Necktie (1248 North Front Street, Philadelphia, 215-291-4919, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kungfunecktie.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.kungfunecktie.com<\/span><\/a>) on June 30 know what to expect sonically &#8212; music that is loud and aggressive\u2026and very much on the heavy side. Lyrically, the music will be in a similar vein.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">One of the acts on the bill has a new album that features song titles such as \u201cHome Is Where the Gutter Is,\u201d \u201cSick in the Head\u201d and \u201cLike a Rat.\u201d The other headline act also has a new album that has songs such as \u201cFeed Me Septic Dreams,\u201d \u201cVermin Mentality\u201d and \u201cInto the Disease.\u201d<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at Kung Fu Necktie has King Parrot at the top of the bill along with Child Bite &#8212; two bands that share the same record label, Housecore Records. They started their North American tour in early May with Voivod as the headliner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">King Parrot &#8212; Matthew \u201cYoungy\u201d Young (vocals), Ari \u201cMr. White\u201d White (guitar), Andrew \u201cSquiz\u201d Livingstone-Squires (guitar), Matthew \u201cSlatts\u201d Slattery (bass), guitar <\/span><span class=\"s3\">and T<\/span><span class=\"s1\">odd \u201cToddy\u201d Hansen (drums).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cVoivod finished last week and we moved into their spot,\u201d said Young, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon as the band travelled from a tour stop in New England to a gig in New York City. \u201cTheir final show on the tour was Amnesia Rockfest, this really huge festival in Canada.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">King Parrot, which is based in Melbourne, Australia, has released one EO and two albums.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe\u2019ve been doing this for about five years,\u201d said Young. \u201cWe\u2019ve been touring North America for two years. This is out eighth tour on the North American continent. We love doing it. We love travelling and performing as much as we can.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe recorded our new album \u2018Dead Set\u2019 in January 2015. We recorded it with Phil Anselmo down in Louisiana at his studio Nosferatu\u2019s Lair. Phil had sent us an e-mail when our first album came out and said he liked our band. It was a really good recording experience to work with him. We spent a few weeks down there &#8212; away from civilization and isolated from everything. We turned it around pretty quick.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe had been building up songs for a little while. Then, we took some time off to do some writing in a barn in the woods at a friend\u2019s house in Vermont. It helps to be able to isolate ourselves and just focus on the music<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cFor us, songwriting is a pretty organic process. We all build the songs together and I do all the vocals. Having the opportunity to do extreme vocals on the new album was fun. It\u2019s always fun to incorporate new vocal styles.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">King Parrots are birds native to Australia. Many of the birds have four types of cone in their retina, (compared to only three in humans) and see into the ultraviolet wavelengths.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It might seem unusual for a band as intense, heavy and aggressive as King Parrot to take its name from a pretty little bird. Not surprisingly, the bird never even entered the picture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cIn Australian slang, \u2018parrot\u2019 means \u2018an annoying asshole\u2019 and that\u2019s where we got our name,\u201d said Young.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThe new album is by far the heaviest music we\u2019ve made. It\u2019s a pretty brutal record &#8212; and it has evil production. We hope to have a new album out next year. Our next album will have a new set of ideas &#8212; but it won\u2019t get any easier to digest.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for King Parrot &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/tWt_Eh_JGM4\"><span class=\"s2\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/tWt_Eh_JGM4<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1123\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1123\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1123\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/child-bite-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Child Bite\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1123\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Child Bite<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Child Bite &#8212; Shawn Knight (vocals), Sean Clancy (bass), Brandon Sczomak (guitar) and Jeff Kraus (drums) &#8212; also plays heavy music but the band\u2019s sound is less dense and more diverse than that of King Parrot.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWhat genre are we in &#8212; we don\u2019t even know,\u201d said Knight, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour bus en route from Boston to New York City. \u201cWe\u2019ll go out on tour with anybody. That\u2019s the cool thing with this band &#8212; being able to blur lines and mix genres.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Child Bite is touring in support of its new album \u201cNegative Noise,\u201d which came out on April 1.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe recorded the album about a year ago,\u201d said Knight. \u201cWe did the album down at Phil Anselmo\u2019s place in Louisiana. It took awhile because we\u2019ve been touring so much. Our previous album was \u2018The Living Breathing Organ Summer LP\u2019 in 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cIn between albums, we\u2019ve been doing EPs and splits (split singles with other bands) until it was time to make an album. We wrote most of the songs right before we went into the studio. We\u2019ve been writing all along but we used other songs for the EPs and singles. With the new album, everything happened in four months.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThe current line-up has been together for awhile. Jeff is the newest member and he\u2019s been with us three years. Brandon has been in the band six years and Sean has been around pretty much since the beginning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cFor us, writing is a full-on collaborative thing. No-one comes in with a fully completed song. We have parts and we bounce ideas off each other. Everyone contributes to every song.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Child Bite took a different path when making \u201cNegative Noise.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe did a pre-production demo &#8212; which we had never done before,\u201d said Knight. \u201cWe wanted to give Phil (Anselmo) and idea of what we were bringing so he could get familiar with the songs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe never worked with a producer before. Phil said come on down to our place and we did. One thing led to another and he offered to produce the album for us. We were all familiar with his work and really loved what he had done. I\u2019m glad we were able to work with him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cOn this tour, we\u2019re playing mostly songs from the new album. But, we\u2019re also doing some songs from \u2018Strange Waste,\u2019 which was an EP we recorded in 2014.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for Child Bite &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/aH6o51p-6Ns\"><span class=\"s2\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/aH6o51p-6Ns<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at Kung Fu Necktie, which also features Organ Dealer, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $14.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Other upcoming shows at the venue in Philly\u2019s Fishtown section are Upheaval, Supine, The Wayward, Radiation Blackbody, and Coastal Plain on July 1; Funebrarum, Putrisect, and SCORCHED on July 2; Dragged Into Sunlight, primitive man, Cult Leader, and Hivelords on July 3; International Noise Conference: Philadelphia 2016 with Laundry Room Squelchers, Jordan Graw &amp; Jared Burak Thesmophoria, Scott Verrastro + Mark Feehan, \u00a0Drums Like Machine Guns, Christian Mirande, American recess, Heavy Medical, Ghost In Salad, Dave Smolen, People SKills, Andy Borsz, Gene Pick, Roped Off, Wipe Hour, Lead Pipe, Hatchers, Unguent, Stroker, Scant, LXV, and fun on July 4; James, Justin Graham, Miyachi, and Thai Lee on July 5; and The Respirators, Breaklite, Symptoms, Teenage Bigfoot on July 6.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1124\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1124\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1124\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/mercury-girls-300x200.png\" alt=\"Mercury Girls\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1124\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mercury Girls<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On July 1, Philadelphia\u2019s Mercury Girls will play a hometown holiday weekend show at Johnny Brenda\u2019s (1201 North Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-739-9684,<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s4\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.johnnybrendas.com\/\">www.johnnybrendas.com<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s5\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Mercury Girls features Sarah Schimineck, Kevin Attics, Andrew Hagiwara, Chris Schackerman, and Kevin O\u2019Halloran. The members of the group all have previous experience in bands, including Schimineck (Pet Milk), Attics (Literature, Pitchfork Media) and O\u2019Halloran (Little Big League).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The band released its debut single \u201cAriana\u201d on May 20 and will have its debut album out on Slumberland Records in the fall. Mercury Girls\u2019 sound has been described as \u201cindiepop with bits of shoegaze, post-punk and DIY punk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">According to Mercury Girls\u2019 Facebook page, the band was founded on June 12, 2014<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI\u2019ve know Kevin for more than 10 years,\u201d said Schimineck, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon. \u201cI used to sing in a band called Pet Milk. Later, he asked me to sing in his band. That was three years ago.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Attics, a native of Austin, Texas, said, \u201cI also play in a band called literature. When the rest of that band went back to Austin, I stayed in Philly. I started working with my friend Adrienne Gold but she didn\u2019t want to be in a band.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI had all these shows booked already and I didn\u2019t want to not play them. So, I called Sarah. I also called Kevin O. and asked him to play.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Schimineck, whose main occupation is social work in North Philadelphia, \u00a0said, \u201cWe all got along pretty well. We have a lot of the same music tastes &#8212; and we all have our different choices too. I really like Bjork and other strong female leads.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">After a few practices, pursuing Mercury Girls as a working band became a viable option.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWithin a month, we were playing shows,\u201d said Attics. \u201cActually, we played together two weeks and then played our first show. It was at Comet Ping Pong in Washington, D.C. It was good crowd. We had a great show. About a month later, we went in and recorded ourselves live to make a demo tape\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Schimineck, who grew up in the Lehigh Valley and graduated from Bethlehem Liberty High, said, \u201cIt\u2019s all been happening really fast. We\u2019re now practicing two nights a week and we have a show about every other week. It\u2019s definitely become one of the more uplifting things in my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Mercury Girls are now ready to take it to the next level.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe\u2019re working on a record,\u201d said Atticks. \u201cAnd, we\u2019re about to leave on a long tour. We\u2019re doing the record with producer Jeff Ziegler at Uniform Recording in Philadelphia. We should finish it later this year. We\u2019re about halfway there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Schimineck said, \u201cWe have around 15 or 16 songs we can play in our live show.\u00a0 And, we like to experiment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for Mercury Girls &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/-mYRWP_OujI\"><span class=\"s2\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/-mYRWP_OujI<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at Johnny Brenda\u2019s, which also features Fear of Men and Puro Instinct, will start at 9 p.m. Tickets are $12.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Other shows at Johnny Brenda\u2019s over the next week are Grimace Federation, Agent Moosehead, Air Is Human, and Fishtown Beats on June 30; Ron Gallo, Acid Dad, and Louds on July 2; and REMINISCE! A 90\u2019s Inspired Party on July 3.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1125\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1125\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1125\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/prism-tats-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Prism Tats\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1125\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Prism Tats<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It\u2019s not uncommon in the world of rock music to find solo artists who opt to record and perform using band names rather than their given names &#8212; acts such as Trent Reznor\u2019s Nine Inch Nails and Conor Oberst\u2019s Bright Eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">You can add another name to the list. The musician\u2019s name is Garett van der Spek. The band name he uses is Prism Tats.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On July 5, Prism Tats will visit the area for a show at Boot and Saddle (1131 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 215-639-4528, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bootandsaddlephilly.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.bootandsaddlephilly.com<\/span><\/a>). The self-titled debut album from\u00a0Prism<b> <\/b>Tats was just released on Anti- Records.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cPrism Tats\u201d was written and recorded in its entirety by van der\u00a0Spek, featuring his own vocals, guitar, drum machine, and bass synth work. In the studio, the South African multi-instrumentalist is definitely a one-man band &#8212; and a very good band.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI started playing music on a guitar when I was really little,\u201d said van der Spek, during a phone interview Wednesday morning from a tour stop in Rhode Island. \u201cI always had a guitar &#8212; starting with a toy guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI was born in Pretoria and moved to Durban when I was seven. I started my own band when I was around 13. Back then, I was listening to my dad\u2019s record collection &#8212; Beatles, Black Sabbath, Bowie, Hendrix, Kinks. From there, I listened to what every other teen listens to.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI was in a band that put out an album in South Africa and then played in another South African band that had a few records. When I got to the states, I made a couple albums and self-released them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Van der\u00a0Spek originally came to the states not as a musician but as a student.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI moved to the states in 2008,\u201d said van der\u00a0Spek. \u201cI was 23 and an exchange student at the University of Washington. I met my wife (Laura van der Crimp) there and we stayed in Seattle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe actually played in a band together. It was called Koko and the Sweetmeats. She played drums, I played guitar and we had a friend play sax. The music was similar to Prism Tats but bluesier than now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThen, we moved to L.A. We were ready for a change. She got accepted to UCLA to study interior architecture. She\u2019s finishing school this year and we\u2019re living in East Hollywood.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">While van der Crimp moved on to the world of drawing boards and engineering scales, van der\u00a0Spek remained in the world of soundboards and musical scales &#8212; and the new world of Prism Tats.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI had the name ready to go before I even started the project,\u201d said van der\u00a0Spek. \u201cI wrote and recorded five songs when I was house-sitting in L.A. in 2013. Then, I went back to Seattle to work on the album. I released it song-by-song on Bandcamp.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI did everything on the album by myself and had it finished by the end of 2014. Now that I\u2019m on tour, I have a band with me. It\u2019s a three-piece with drums, bass and me on guitar and vocals.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for Prism Tats &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/gcUqFh0cDiA\"><span class=\"s2\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/gcUqFh0cDiA<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at Boot and Saddle, which also features Straw Hats and Dear Friend, will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Other upcoming shows at Boot and Saddle are Silver Snakes, Night Verses, and Rich People on June 30; Sonny Knockout, The Soaks, and The Up Up Ups on July 1; and Lightning Jones and\u00a0 Civil Holdup on July 2.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">This seems to be a week for aggressive music acts to play shows in Philadelphia.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1126\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1126\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1126\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/swans-300x212.jpg\" alt=\"The Swans\" width=\"300\" height=\"212\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1126\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Swans<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On July 6, Swans will ring their unique brand of aggressive music to Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215-232-2100, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.utphilly.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.utphilly.com<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Swans is Michael Gira\u2019s avant garde\/experimental rock band &#8212; a band from New York\u00a0 City that has had many incarnations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Swans are sonically aggressive &#8212; but not in the way that heavy metal bands are with screamed vocals, hyper-fast drumming and dense guitar work. Swans are known for\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s1\">brutal and repetitive onslaughts of sound, extreme volume levels, and the shouts and growls of Gira.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Formed by Gira in 1982, Swans employed a shifting lineup of musicians until their dissolution in 1997. Besides Gira, the only other constant members were keyboardist\/vocalist\/songwriter Jarboe from 1984-1997, and guitarist Norman Westberg, who is still a member.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In 2010, Gira reactivated Swans and released the studio album \u201cMy Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">At the time, Gira wrote a message on his website \u2014 \u201cTHIS IS NOT A REUNION. It\u2019s not some dumb-ass nostalgia act. It is not repeating the past. After five Angels of Light albums, I needed a way to move FORWARD, in a new direction, and it just so happens that revivifying the idea of Swans is allowing me to do that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The current Swans lineup features Michael Norman Westberg, Christoph Hahn,\u00a0 Phil Puleo, Chris Pravdica, Paul Walfisch and Gira.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThe Seer,\u201d a double -CD studio set came out in 2012 and was celebrated by a year-long tour as well. The two-year cycle for album releases continued with \u201cTo Be Kind\u201d in 201 and \u201cThe Glowing Man\u201d in 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On June 17, Swans released \u201cThe Glowing Man,\u201d the final studio album from this line-up since the reactivation in 2010. The album was produced by Gira, performed by the touring line-up, and recorded by John Congleton at Sonic Ranch in Texas. Additional recording was done at John\u2019s Elmwood Studio in Dallas and Studio Litho in Seattle. It was mixed at two studios in Berlin, Germany.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0\u201cA good half the material was developed live over 16 months including \u2018Cloud of Forgetting,\u2019 \u2018Cloud of Unknowing,\u2019 \u2018Frankie M,\u2019 and \u2018The Glowing Man,\u2019\u201d said Gira, during a phone interview Wednesday morning from a rehearsal space in New York. \u201cOthers, I had written over the same period on acoustic guitar.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">With Swans, the standard procedure of write songs, record an album and then tour that album is nowhere to be found.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In an interview last March, Gira said, \u201cI start a piece with a basic shape and that shape is going to shift constantly from show to show. It shifts gradually. From the start of the tour until now, the songs have changed quite a bit. It\u2019s a way of writing now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWhat we do \u2014 we\u2019ll start with something \u2014 rhythm and a few words \u2014 and it will grow. Songs just morph on their own and then we\u2019ll record them after the tour. Most of what we\u2019re playing now hasn\u2019t been recorded yet. There is a point when a song congeals. That moment is what we\u2019re trying to achieve \u2014 when music is playing us and we\u2019re not playing it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Swans fans knew that what they heard on the 2105 tour would appear in recorded form sometime in the future and then, most probably, never be heard again in a live context.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cIn the studio, we\u2019re playing a particular way now,\u201d said Gira. \u201cI know how the songs sounded live and how I want to change them in the studio. I also have ideas for orchestration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThe songs that you hear us playing onstage now are the foundation of the next album which we\u2019ll be recording in September. They\u2019ll be recognizable to people who have heard them live but not in the same shape.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Now, Swans are embarking on a world tour that will last form 16-18 months with the first show set for Philly this weekend.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe\u2019re going to play three from the current album &#8212; trying to shift them into different terrains,\u201d said Gira this week. \u201cThe live show is ranges from two to two-and-a-half hours. It just follows where it goes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThere is a song from \u2018To Be Kind\u2019 and there is some unrecorded material. I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen with them. We\u2019ll do what the music wants. I\u2019m hoping the songs evolve quite a bit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThis configuration of Swans is coming to an end after this tour. After that, I don\u2019t know what. I\u2019ll continue to make music under the name Swans with a revolving cast of collaborators but I won\u2019t be touring as much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s5\">Video link for Swans &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/t_h1i-WxVUs\"><span class=\"s6\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/t_h1i-WxVUs<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at Union Transfer, which has Okkyung Lee as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets for the show are $20. On July 2, Union Transfer will host the \u201cKill The Noise Alt Classic Tour\u201d along with Wuki on July 2.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1127\" style=\"width: 222px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1127\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1127\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/withered-212x300.jpg\" alt=\"Withered\" width=\"212\" height=\"300\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1127\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Withered<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">If your desire for \u201cagro\u201d music is more in the hardcore\/heavy metal vein, there is another concert in Philly on July 6 that should be of interest to you &#8212; a show by Withered at Boot and Saddle (1131 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 215-639-4528, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bootandsaddlephilly.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.bootandsaddlephilly.com<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">According to a brief bio on the group\u2019s bandcamp site, Withered is \u201ctortured blackened doom\/death metallers from Atlanta, Ga. established in 2003 to focus on masochistic introspection while traversing many sub-genres of extreme metal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Withered &#8212; Mike Thompson (guitars, vocals), Beau Brandon (drums), Colin Marston (bass) and Ethan McCarthy (guitars, vocals) &#8212; is currently touring the states in support of its new album \u201cGrief Relic,\u201d which was released on May 27 on Season of Mist Records.<br \/>\nBilled as \u201can imposing slab of discordant death &#8212; a masterful stroke of uniquely American blackened death,\u201d the new album is Withered\u2019s first since \u201cDualitas,\u201d which was released by Prosthetic Records in 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThere was a six-year gap between albums for several reasons,\u201d said Thompson, during a phone interview Monday from his home in Atlanta. \u201cThere was a lot of regrouping going on. It was pretty wild. We pretty much started writing after the last touring cycle ended in 2013. Six months later, our bass player left.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThen, we parted ways with Prosthetic. Half the album was done. We finished it in 2013 and decided we wanted to do it on our own. We were tired of dealing with the business people. Once they were gone, we had a much more fun time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe decided to produce the record ourselves and finish it before we did anything else. By the end of 2014, we had almost everything tracked. Ethan joined the band in 2013. He lives in Denver so it took a few months to get that together. Same with Colin, who joined in 2014, it took awhile to get everything together. It took more than a year. Then, we looked for a label and we signed with Season of Mist in March 2015. The album finally came out in May of this year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cGrief Relic\u201d is crushing and dense &#8212; so dense that it seems as if it might become a sonic equivalent of a black hole deep in space.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWhen we were making the album, we wanted to let things develop organically,\u201d said Thompson. \u201cAnd, we wanted the heavy riffs to be as heavy as they can be. We wanted a really heavyweight album.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cIn the past, we felt like we had something to prove and tried to put too much into each record. This time, we wanted to be more focused stylistically. We want people to broaden their horizons. This is our version of death metal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for Withered &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/KTocEe8I0Ro\"><span class=\"s2\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/KTocEe8I0Ro<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at Boot and Saddle, which also features Inter Arma and Strange Nights, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org\/\"><span class=\"s7\">http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/span><\/a>) will present an Open Mic with guest hosts Elliott &amp; Andrew from Vinyl Artifacts on July 3.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/chaplinslive.com\/\"><span class=\"s7\">http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/span><\/a>) will host Sapphire Band Musicale and CD release party for \u201cEarth Machine\u201d by Michael Redwise on July 1 and Ryan Cohen, Michael LaBella, and Kelly &amp; Justin on July 2.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ardmoremusic.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.ardmoremusic.com<\/span><\/a>) will present Danny Beissel and Brian Quinn: A Storytelling Rock Show and John McNutt Band on June 30; followed by \u201cDead, White &amp; Blue: 3 Nights of Grateful Dead for Independence Day\u201d featuring Splintered Sunlight (Grateful Dead Tribute), Kitchen Dwellers, and Shakedown on July 1; Splintered Sunlight, The Wallace Brothers Band, and Shakedown on July 2; and Splintered Sunlight. Whiskeyhickon Boys and Shakedown on July 3.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Doc Watson\u2019s Public House (150 North Pottstown Pike, Exton, 610-524-2424, <a href=\"http:\/\/docwatsonspublichouse.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">docwatsonspublichouse.com<\/span><\/a>) will host Jeff &amp; the Fraction on July 1 and Habaneros Salsa on July 2.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Valley Forge Casino (1160 First Avenue, King Of Prussia, 610-354-8118, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vfcasino.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>www.vfcasino.com<\/i><\/span><\/a>) will have Natasha Leggero at The Venue on July 2 and, on the same night, will host The FM Band at Valley Beach.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.st94.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>www.st94.com<\/i><\/span><\/a>) is presenting The Explorers Club, Brett Harris, and Jay Gonzalez (of Drive By Truckers) on June 30; Warchild (Jethro Tull Tribute) on July 1; Stephen Kellogg and Hailey Steele on July 2; and The Smithereens on July 3.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">World Caf\u00e9 Live at the Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 302- 994-1400,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.queen.worldcafelive.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>www.queen.worldcafelive.com<\/i><\/span><\/a>) will host The Mellowells <i>with The Year End and Magnetic North on June 30.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, <a href=\"http:\/\/philly.worldcafelive.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">philly.worldcafelive.com<\/span><\/a>) will host M\u2019oudswing and Ustad Shafaat Khan on July 1; The Hype ! Presents Lovefest on July 2; and the Philadelphia Moth Storyslam on July 6.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Trocadero (10th and Arch streets, Philadelphia, 215-922-6888, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thetroc.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>www.thetroc.com<\/i><\/span><\/a>) will present \u201cGuitar Legends Tribute Night &#8211; JIMI \/ ERIC \/ DUANE &#8212; Live At The Fillmore, Live Cream, Kiss the Sky \u201cHENDRIX TRIBUTE\u201d on June 30; The English Beat and Soul Asylum on July 2; and Stephen \u201cRagga\u201d Marley &#8212; \u201cThe Fruit of Life Summer Tour\u201d with Jo Mersa Marley, Rica Newell, Ranoy Gordon, Rochelle Bradshaw, Nicholas Laraque, and Squidly Cole on July 3.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thefillmorephilly.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/span><\/a>) will have Civil Twilight and Heather Maloney at The Foundry on June 30.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Tin Angel (20 South Second Street, Philadelphia, 215-928-0770, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tinangel.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">http:\/\/www.tinangel.com<\/span><\/a>) will host The 1940\u2019s on June 30.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Fire (412 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, 267-671-9298, <a href=\"http:\/\/thefirephilly.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">thefirephilly.com<\/span><\/a>) will have Scribbler and Magnet School on June 30; Us &amp; Them, Above the Mendoza, The Jumping Juvies, Nuaudio, Dispersions, and Violent Island on July 1; and Native Maze, Grey Matter and Solar Circuit on July 3.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Bourbon and Branch (705 North Second Street, Philadelphia, 215-238-0660, <a href=\"http:\/\/bourbonandbranchphilly.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">bourbonandbranchphilly.com<\/span><\/a>) will host Allan Moor, Playkold, Ron and the Band, and DJ Pound on June 30; Red Means Run, The Sparklers, Midwestern Exposure, and June Star on July 1; Cape Wrath, Usti Waya, and Little Strike on July 2; and The Jersey Corn Pickers, Renshaw Davies, and Butter Queen Sister on July 6.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.milkboyphilly.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.milkboyphilly.com<\/span><\/a>) will have John Byrne Band and Red Cedar Strings on June 30;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Museyroom, Surf Rock Is Dead, Coastgaard, and all boy\/all girl on July 1; and Perilune,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s1\">Robes, and Los Kingdom on July 2.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The American Music Theatre (2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, 800-0 648-4102, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amtshows.com\/\"><span class=\"s7\">www.AMTshows.com<\/span><\/a>) will present Maks &amp; Val Live On Tour: Our Way\u201d on July 5.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Rainbow Comedy Theatre (3065 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise, 800-292-4301, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rainbowcomedy.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">http:\/\/www.rainbowcomedy.com<\/span><\/a>) is presenting \u201cPerfect Wedding\u201d now through August 13.Matinee performances are every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and selected Saturdays with an 11:30 a.m. lunch and a 1 p.m. curtain.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Evening performances are every Friday, Saturday and selected Thursdays with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and show at 8 p.m. There will also be \u201cTwilight Performances\u201d on selected Sundays with dinner at 2:30 p.m. and the show at 4 p.m. Ticket prices range from $30-$55.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Denny Dyroff,\u00a0Staff Writer, The Times Music fans heading to Kung Fu Necktie (1248 North Front Street, Philadelphia, 215-291-4919, www.kungfunecktie.com) on June 30 know what to expect sonically &#8212; music that is loud and aggressive\u2026and very much on the heavy side. Lyrically, the music will be in a similar vein. One of the acts on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20321,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[7668,7664,7666,7667,7665],"class_list":["post-20319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-child-bite","tag-king-parrot","tag-prism-tats","tag-the-swans-mercury-girls","tag-withered"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20319"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20319\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20322,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20319\/revisions\/20322"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}