Six Feet Above with Thee Oh Sees

It’s difficult to avoid getting disillusioned by the myriad of homogenous music that is constantly being released. However, Thee Oh Sees have been combating this trend by putting out records that are consistently a breath of fresh air for music listeners, spanning a colossal spectrum of sounds, timbres, and themes. Their forthcoming record, Floating Coffin – out April 16 via Castle Face Records – is no exception to this prolific, musical phenomenon.

The songs on Floating Coffin, according to frontman, John Dwyer, reflect the attitudes of one experiencing a world perpetually consumed by war. It features songs like “Toe Cutter—Thumb Buster,” which lays down a deep, subterranean groove that harmoniously clashes with Dwyer’s delicate falsetto — all alluding to our desensitization to the atrocities that occur daily. However, in typical Thee Oh Sees fashion, they juxtapose these emotions with a whimsical song like “Minotaur,” which, rather than focusing on war, highlights the voyage to make reality of your destiny. From dreary to optimistic, this diverse collection of songs undulates and keeps you on your toes.

Along with having composed a massive catalogue of music with Thee Oh Sees, Dwyer has built up his chops by penning songs for his other projects including Coachwhips and Pink and Brown. Nevertheless, he remains primarily committed to Thee Oh Sees, bringing his multifaceted songwriting talent to the table, as is apparent on Floating Coffin. Though the record features a predominantly lugubrious overtone with flecks of sunshine, it is evident that Thee Oh Sees are very far from hitting the final nail in the coffin.

For proof, don’t miss them at this year’s Filter Magazine SXSW 2013 Day Party on March 16th at Clive Bar — 6PM.

“Too Many Reasons” for Player to Come Back

Player, the chart-topping American Rock band that brought you the 1977 smash hit “Baby Come Back,” has heeded its own advice — after a nearly 20-year absence, the group is coming back to drop a new album, Too Many Reasons, via Frontiers Records. Slated for a February 26 release, the record is sure to deliver the band’s signature groove-laden, dreamy sounds that blasted their self-titled debut to platinum status.

If you’re unfamiliar with these infectious rockers, here are some statistics for you: three Top 40 hits, two Top 10 singles, and one No. 1 hit with “Baby Come Back.” The group originally formed in the late 70s, touring extensively with acts like Eric Clapton, Heart, and Kenny Loggins, and this new release will hopefully spark a litany of live performances in the coming year.

In lieu of the new album, Player ”redux” — led by two of the founding members, Peter Beckett and Ronn Moss — premiered the music video for “I Will,” the first single. The acoustic-led track has a retro style that is sure to please all Player faithful. With an anthematic chorus hook and summery, soft rock sounds, it’s clear that the time off hasn’t affected the band’s catchy songwriting abilities. And that makes sense, as Beckett, a seasoned songwriter that has credits ranging from Janet Jackson to Vanessa Hudgens, has composed music for “The Bold and the Beautiful,” myriad film scores, various artists, and his own solo music during the group’s hiatus.

Ronn Moss has kept busy as well, starring as Ridge Forrester, the male lead on “The Bold and the Beautiful” for the past 25 years. He’s also appeared in numerous other film and TV roles, and took second place on the Italian version of “Dancing With The Stars.” But in the wake of the new reformation of Player, he left his iconic television character on “B&B” to devote full attention to the group (and maybe also some attention to his side project, the web series Ronn’s Garage – don’t let the website deter you, we’re sure it’s epic.)

For more information on the new album as well as all things Player related, visit the group’s website. For your viewing pleasure… see below:

Meshuggah Slithers Back to the Stage — And Your Library

Meshuggah may translate to “crazy” in Yiddish but that doesn’t mean it has anything to do with the Swedish Metal band and its highly technical sound. What, who are we kidding, of course it does! With the release of last year’s Koloss, which debuted at #17 on the US Billboard charts (the highest US debut for the band), the historic rockers continue to push the boundaries of Metal (and crazy), combining uptempo Thrash with Jazzy, melodic virtuosity.

Now, the group is channeling that signature sound into their newest effort, Pitch Black, a collection of two previously unreleased tracks. The exclusive offering is being released in partnership with Scion A/V and includes the songs “Pitch Black” and “Dancers to a Discordant System (Live).” The title track came together in July 2003 and was recorded by Fredrik Thordendal at Fear and Loathing Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. And to get an idea of what Meshuggah looks like in the studio, you should check out Thomas Haake’s behemoth drum kit setup – it makes regular drum sets look like toys.

The second song, “Dancers to a Discordant System,” was recorded live at Distortion Fest in Eindhoven, Netherlands in 2012. You can expect plenty of the band’s eclectic sounds — heavy guitar riffs, polyrhythmic drum beats and diminished, progressive melodies — on both tracks of the compilation.

In tandem with the two-track release, Meshuggah is headlining ”The Ophidian Trek 2013 — 2nd Slithering” tour with guests Intronaut and Animals as Leaders. The tour kicked off on February 11 in Orlando, Florida and has confirmed dates through March 3. Scion A/V is sponsoring ticket giveaways for the tour over on their Twitter feed, so if you like free stuff and epic live shows (and who doesn’t?), you should go to the contest’s official page for more ticket information.

Pitch Black is currently available for free as a digital download on the Scion A/V website, and the limited edition 10-inch vinyl record can be picked up at Meshuggah‘s merch table on their current tour. Full tour dates after the jump.

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Welcome, Clint!

Introducing Clint Cabral, Regional Manager, India

A BIG hi to everyone at THE ORCHARD (and beyond) I’m excited to be a part of the team.

I’ve been working in the music and entertainment business for the last 14 odd years. I’ve spent most of my life in Mumbai (Bombay), the soul of the entertainment business in India. My professional life has included working with music companies, dotcoms and digital content companies. I’ve always loved the music business, both the creative as well as the executive side. Apart from work, I also contribute creatively to Bollywood music, jingles, dabble in theatre and play soccer every weekend.

Cheers!

The Melvins Take Cover (Or Meat-ing The Melvins)

Behind the creative juices of every artist are the musical influences that have helped mold their sound. In order to pay homage to the music that has impacted their maturation as musicians and songwriters, the Melvins decided to record and release a 13-track covers album titled Everybody Loves Sausages, which is due to come out April 30th via Ipecac Recordings. The record highlights a handful of songs that the band treasures as both music listeners and devout fans of these other artists.

The sludge metal band is not only doing covers of classic songs such as Roxy Music‘s “In Every Dream Home A Heartache” and Queen‘s “Best Friend,” but they are also calling on some of their buddies for help. Everybody Loves Sausages features guests such as Scott Kelly of Neurosis, Mark Arm of Mudhoney, and Clem Burke of Blondie. This all-star cast of musicians rounds out a record that already consists of hard-hitting renditions of timeless tunes.

Since their inception in the early 80′s, the band has gone through a few lineup changes. This covers album presents two different iterations of the band: the full, current lineup featuring Buzz Osborne, Dale Crover, Jared Warren, and Coady Willis; and a reduced version of the band, Melvins Lite, consisting of Osborne, Crover, and Trevor Dunn — who by the way just broke a Guinness World Record by touring the full United States + D.C. in no more than 51 days. These different lineups make for two distinct sounds throughout the record.

Everybody Loves Sausages will mark the 36th studio album/EP for the Melvins. Their unique mixture of Punk and Metal have made an indelible mark on the respective worlds of music, and has transcended to impact other genres as well. There’s no doubt that the Melvins have and will continue to influence musicians and songwriters everywhere.