Tag Archives: Clutch

Metal, Music, Music News, New Release, Rock

Clutch Album & Tour News!!!

2 July, 2009 Brian Mc Leave a comment

Clutch is on the verge of releasing their ninth studio album! The band is also planning on touring in support of the highly anticipated release!

Clutch’s new album is dropping on July 14th on their very own Weathermaker Music record label!

The official track listing for “Strange Cousins From the West”:
Motherless Child
Struck Down
50,000 Unstoppable Watts
Abraham Lincoln
Minotaur
The Amazing Kreskin
Witchdoctor
Let a Poor Man Be
Freakonomics
Algo Ha Cambiado
Sleestak Lightning

Clutch Live!

* A December North American tour will be added to the following confirmed dates shortly:

US w/ Baroness and Lionize!
July 3rd Atlantic City, NJ @ House of Blues w/ Shadows Fall and Wino (* no Baroness or Lionize)
July 9 Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
July 10 Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
July 11 Chicago, IL @ Kuma’s
July 12 Sauget, IL @ Pop’s
July 14 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
July 15 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
July 17 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
July 18 Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theater
July 19 Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues Las Vegas
July 20 San Diego, CA @ Cane’s Bar & Grill
July 21 Los Angeles, CA @ House Of Blues
July 22 San Francisco, CA @ Regency Center
July 23 Seattle, WA @ King Cat Theater
July 25 Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
July 26 Missoula, MT @ Wilma Theater
July 27 Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
July 28 Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
July 29 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
July 31 Calgary, AB @ Flames Center
August 1 Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Events Center
August 2 Saskatoon, SK @ Odeon Event Center
August 3 Winnipeg, MB @ Garrick Center
August 5 Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
August 6 Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
August 7 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
August 8 Baltimore, MD @ Sonar

US Tour w/ Wino and Revolution Mother!
September 9 Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Smalls
September 10 Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom
September 11 Philadelphia, PA @ The Electric Factory
September 12 Hartford, CT @ The Webster Theater
September 13 Montreal, QC @ Lee Saints
September 15 London, ON @ London Music Hall
September 16 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
September 18 Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
September 19 Jackson, MS @ Club Fire
September 20 New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
September 22 Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen
September 23 Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
September 24 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
September 25 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Orbit Room
September 26 Chicago, IL @ The Metro
September 27 Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium
September 29 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
September 30 Denver, CO @ The Fillmore
October 1 Kansas City, MO @ The Beaumont Club
October 2 Memphis, TN @ New Daisy Theatre
October 3 Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
October 4 Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival
October 6 Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
October 7 Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
October 8 Richmond, VA @ The National
October 9 New York City, NY @ Irving Plaza
October 10 New York City, NY @ Irving Plaza

For more information, visit:
www.pro-rock.com
www.myspace.com/clutchband
www.weathermakermusic.com

Good Buy, I Want., Music, Toys

I Want: Chef Duff Minimate – Charm City Cakes

27 June, 2009 Brian Mc 1 Comment

I am a huge fan of Ace Of Cakes as well as collecting limited edition toys so when I found out that Art Asylum created a Chef Duff Goldman Minimate I was all about trying to get one.

The problem I faced with ordering one of these toys is that I waited too long and they sold out on the Charm City Cakes’ website. Today though I was just killing some time and decided to check out the site and the toys were back in stock. I immediately ordered one. Score.

So here’s something fun that I always get a kick out of…

Rock gods Clutch and Ace Of Cakes actually have something in common:

Jam, Metal, Music, New Release, Punk, Review, Rock

The Bakerton Group – El Rojo – CD Review

21 February, 2009 Brian Mc Leave a comment

The Bakerton Group aka Clutch — The Bakerton Group (aka Clutch)

Rock band Clutch collectively released a new CD from their side project band, which some claim is an alter ego of sorts called The Bakerton Group. Focusing mostly on instrumental music, the four-some recently, with help from Per Wibeg of Opeth, released El Rojo. The outcome of this CD strays slightly from the stoner rock but travels more so down the jam band style of music with elements of jazz and blues.

The Maryland rock act Clutch has been rocking out since 1990 and although they never reached the mainstream level, they have a huge fan base and have sold tons of albums as well as toured the world. Their hard work over the years got them where they are today including a following of fans, more of a cult following as Clutch does not get played on the radio much nor do they have countless music videos for their material. The band, which barely slows down, tours constantly and has eight albums under their belts.

The Bakerton Group was formed around 1999 by the members of Clutch perhaps to just try something different and expand their musical creativity. Their first EP titled Space Guitars was released in 2000 and is still available for free download on the band’s website. It was not until 2007 when a full length self titled album was released on River Road Records. El Rojo marks the second release by the band and this time has been released on Clutch’s very own label Weathermaker Music.

The Bakerton Group is more of a rock jam session that will appeal to more than just one type of fan. It’s easy to compare the sound to Clutch as all four members contribute. I admit that while listening to some tracks I was waiting for Clutch lead singer Neil Fallon to bellow out over the music. While listening though I had to keep reminding myself El Rojo is an instrumental project full of a surplus of music types.

With El Rojo being my first taste of the Bakerton Group, I did not know quite what to expect other than instrumental songs. Starting off the CD was “Time Horizon”. All I could think of was how Clutch sounding the track was. Being as big of a Clutch fan as I am, I was glad to hear the music, and it rocked, but my first taste of this side project was nothing out of the ordinary to me.

The CD really didn’t hit me until “Bien Clasico” played with intermittent crazy saxophone playing that even John Zorn would smile at. The song had sort of a Disco Biscuits feel at times sans the electronics blips and bleeps. The potent organ solo on “Life On Lars” was something worth listening over and over again. “M.(F).H.S.” became predictable sounding at times but turned out to be one of my favorite jams on the entire album.

I could not help but smile while listening to “Work Em” as perhaps Neil could not control himself as he just screamed out in the middle of the song finally giving me that total Clutch fix I was yearning for. Whispering robot sounds added to the fun of this track not to mention the length of the song. If there is any song on the album you want to preview to get a taste of what the Bakerton Group sounds like, this is a perfect song to start with.

For those of you who think the songs on El Rojo might be Clutch songs that never made it to one of their CDs, you are to a degree correct. El Rojo to me was more intimate Clutch music that usually only can be heard behind closed doors when the band just feels like rocking out and not going to plan. This is the music you only wish you could have heard before perhaps as a b-side or as filler at a live show. The music is solid, composed, and extensive at times making for a great CD to just sit back and listen to.

The Bakerton Group will be touring with Clutch in support of El Rojo. Technically speaking Clutch will be touring as The Bakerton Group opening for Clutch. Does that make sense? Who cares. If you are a fan of Clutch you will love the Bakerton Group and should not pass up the opportunity of a full forced night of music when they hit your city. If you are not a fan of Clutch but appreciate good musicianship, you too should at least sample the CD, you might just like it.

-For more info on Clutch and The Bakerton Group check out www.pro-rock.com

-Head over to The Bakerton Group’s website and download the Space Guitars EP for free.

-For some extra content plus info on The Bakerton Group plus other Clutch projects check out Brooklyn Vegan.

-Here are some videos of The Bakerton Group from past shows:

90's, Grunge, Metal, Music, Music Video, Post-Hardcore, Rock, Times Of Yore

Times Of Yore: Stompbox – Stress

9 October, 2008 Brian Mc 16 Comments

So this is my first of a series of posts about bands from the past or as I like to call it “Times Of Yore”. Recently I have been digging deep into my collection and found some real great acts from the past and have decided that people need to know about them or at least need to be reminded of their existence. I already have a few in mind and will continue to look. Most of the bands I have discovered were from the 90’s when I was buying everything I could get my hands on.

So let’s kick thinks off shall we?

In the day and age when Soundgarden was more grunge metal than adult contemporary and Helmet was still united there was a band that I found at Disc Den called Stompbox. The CD was called Stress and it might have been the best blind purchase I ever made in 1994.

Already being a huge fan of Helmet, this band was right up my alley. They had a port-hardcore grunge sound that may have been replicated by many bands at the time, but they sounded so good with their hard striking chords and heavy riffs. The lead singer’s voice, sounding like Page Hamilton (Helmet) mixed with Neil Fallon (Clutch),was even tolerable throughout the entire CD. It’s too bad that the band did not continue after their first release.

Not much can be found on the internet about why they disbanded. Formed in 1991 the band hailed from Boston. From what I have gathered they were picked up Sony/Columbia and then dropped after the release. They just didn’t catch on like other bands did and it is a shame.

The lead singer of the band went on to pursue other projects and the remaining members stayed together and changed their band name to Slower (which I am still looking for). I am still trying to confirm this, but there is a possibility that some of the members even helped out The Blue Man Group and even Juliana Hatfield. I can not find any proof though…

There is no band website, no Wiki even. There are some reviews out there from fans and everything is thumbs up. I just wish I could find out a little more about what the members have been up to these days.

I do remember this band having a lot of promotional material for a debut release. There were posters and fliers all over the place after I bought the CD. I was also handed a couple of sampler cassettes to give out to my friends as well as a square 2 song record…and I still am kicking myself for doing whatever I did with it. I wonder if the over-the-top-promotion resulted in this band’s dismay. I know that kind of happened to Sponge and they were out around the same time as Stompbox….hmmmm….

It’s sad nothing else ever came from Stompbox. You look at bands like STP and Soundgarden who got their start around the same time and look at how they have progressed. I can only wonder what would have happened to Stompbox if they would have continued.

This was one band I never got to see live during their heyday. Luckily YouTube exists.

The CD is long out of print but you can find it for $5.00 or less at a used music shop if you look hard enough. I myself saw quite a few come in to The Exchange when I happily worked here (sarcasm at it’s finest). It is worth dishing out the cash if you are looking to hear a straight forward rock album.

Here’s a couple of videos I found of the band. Boy do these bring back memories.

Live Shows, Metal, Music, Music Video, New Release, Review, Rock

Clutch – Full Fathom Five: Audio Field Recordings 2007-2008 – CD Review

2 October, 2008 Brian Mc 1 Comment

Rock act Clutch has recently released Full Fathom Five: Audio Field Recordings 2007-2008, a CD including many of the live tracks that appear on their first ever live DVD. The CD and DVD appear to be aimed towards the Clutch fan base as it is being sold only through Clutch’s official website, Merch.Com, and other Clutch websites. So far both releases are not available in retail chains.

Where Clutch has released live albums before, this is the band’s first live DVD to be released and also is their first release under the band’s own label Weathermaker Music. Clutch plans on releasing further material on their own label.

Formed in the early nineties, Clutch was not your typical rise-to-the-top rock band. Gaining early commercial attention was something the band seemed to never worry about. Starting off selling out small clubs, they, through hard work and perseverance, soon found themselves selling out larger shows and were later headlining tours. Their sound is that of metal, stoner rock, and even a little blues mixed up. Their solid sound seems to lure in new fans with every release.

Speaking of fans, famous skater misfit Bam Margera labels himself and hug fan of Clutch and even helped direct the video for “The Crowd Goes Wild” for the band. As a return perhaps, Clutch played live for Bam Margera and a few lucky attendees on a ski slope on a past episode of Viva La Bam. That is about as mainstream the band has ever been as they really do not care for the predictable rock band approach.

If you have never seen Clutch live, you need to know that they are here to rock. They do not have fancy stage setups nor do they pause a lot in between songs. I can say this from experience as once I heard them through the doors of the House Of Blues in Cleveland. The show was sold out and my only way in fell through (it sounded great). I also can say that a year later I went back to the same venue with ticket in hand (visually just as amazing).

The CD and DVD capture tracks played by Clutch on four separate occasions in New Jersey, Pittsburgh (Mr. Small’s Theatre, one of the coolest venues I have ever been to), and overseas in Sydney. For a review of the DVD check out what Charile Doherty, a Blogcritics.Org writer had to say about it.

Starting off the fifteen track CD was “Dragonfly” a rather grungy track with Neil Fallon roaring throughout as the guitar riffs landed heavy and the drumming was stern. I especially got a kick out of the track originally found on Elephant Riders going into a little jam session and then unexpectedly slammed into From Beale Street to Oblivion’s “Child Of The City” without even missing a beat. Upon the completion of these two songs, the crowd went spastic.

“Texan Book Of The Dead”, the first single off the CD, showed Nail Fallon’s voice struggling a tad but hardly noticeable to the point where the song was dire sounding. “Oh Eee Oh Ahh Ahh” was sung during the track reminding of Alvin & The Chipmunks. The song is currently in heavy rotation on Sirius’ Faction Radio.

“The Mob Goes Wild” was nowhere even close to sounding like the studio recording with a slowed down chorus but I loved the organ playing and just the energy that could be felt throughout. Sometimes a change in tempo and pitch is a good thing. “Cypress Grove” simply rocked out with help from some sick harmonica playing. Once again there was a mid song jam session making for an incredible listen. “Ship Of Gold” and “10001110101” were two other favorites of mine that I enjoyed profusely.

The only vice I have with the performance was that the band really only focused on material from 1995 onward. Many of the songs played were welcome to my ears but I was kind of hoping to hear a rare track from Transnational Speedway League. We can all dream, can’t we?

This CD is just a sample of the twenty song live DVD that was released showcasing their abilities. I now have to go out and order the DVD because after hearing this I need to see it. Hell, any fan of solid rock music should check the DVD out and if for whatever reason you have no DVD player then this CD should at least give you a small fix of what Clutch is capable of doing. Do yourself a favor and order the CD or the DVD today by heading over to Clutch’s website, you won’t regret it.

For your viewing pleasure “Texan Book Of The Dead”:

Here is the video that Bam Margera directed, “The Mob Goes Wild”: