Phratry Records will release their 39th product in 8 years this Saturday. Knife The Symphony and Swear Jar will be hosting their split LP/CD/MP3 Release show at The Comet this Saturday at 10:00. Best of all, the show is FREE (you must be 21+)!
Here is some info on the bands:
KNIFE THE SYMPHONY
Knife The Symphony owe a debt to SST, Touch & Go and Dischord Records. While the sound of band has evolved a little over the years, they have consistently released energetic, abrasive, rhythmic-work garnering comparisons to Hüsker Dü, Drive Like Jehu, Jawbox, and Unwound.
Since Knife The Symphony’s formation in 2006, the band has toured quietly, albeit steadily, throughout various portions of the U.S. and Canada—upwards of 200+ shows. KTS has played with bands such as Mission Of Burma, The Bomb (feat. Jeff Pezzati of Naked Raygun),
Bear Claw (Sick Room Records), Medications (Dischord), Edie Sedgwick (Dischord),
This Moment In Black History (Smog Veil), Haymarket Riot (Divot Records), Don Caballero
and many others. During this time, the members of Knife The Symphony have also successfully organized a handful of benefit concerts for the American Indian College Fund.
The band’s debut EP Knife The Symphony (Winter, 2007) was a mid-tempo approach with huge drums, bass and layers of sound. Their full-length follow up, Crawler (Summer, 2008) was a more stripped-down, full-on, pedal-to-the-floor, spastic assault. On their second LP, Dead Tongues (Fall, 2009) KTS combined both schools of thought from each of their previous releases, but matured to explore a more mellow/contemplative as well—frequently delving into stretched-out moments of the spacey, shoe-gazer variety (and all three releases featured an interesting male/female vocal dynamic). With the band’s 2010 Split release with LKN (Portland, OR), and now this newest split with Swear Jar, you can throw maturity out the window. Shortly after the release of their second LP, Knife The Symphony underwent a lineup change which has resulted in a more muscular, chaotic and aggressive approach. The Knife The Symphony / Swear Jar split is the fifth release in just under seven years for KTS.
The three songs contributed by Knife The Symphony to this split LP were recorded with Jeff Dean (guitar, The Bomb, All Eyes West, Dead Ending) at Million Yen Studio in Chicago, IL. In late October, the band hit the road for a 10-day tour of the MidWest, Canada, East Coast and South to support the new split record, prior to its official release. A short video of the tour can be viewed here: http://phratryrecords.com/bands/detail/knife_the_symphony
SWEAR JAR
The members of Swear Jar share a common enthusiasm for refreshingly new, bombastic, hardcore rock, garnished with unexpected transitions. Their music makes you think, but still makes you move. The band is focused on exploring new ideas and applying them to punk, underground, indie, or whatever ilk of “rock” you want to call it this week.
Described by Jersey Beat Magazine as a “trio that exude intensity and play with the subtlety of a blunt object to the skull” and by Collective Zine (United Kingdom) as “destined to be enjoyed intensely by a handful of weirdos” fans of old-school, underground, independent Rock and Punk will immediately get what Swear Jar is doing.
The band’s rhythm section plays a prominent role in their sound: heavy, jangly, ropy bass lines are set to unique hybrid of George Hurley and Todd Trainer drumming styles driving counter-intuitive song structures. This foundation underlines chaotic guitar-work which dynamically veers on and off the rails, sparking dissonance and ingenuity. For fans of Amphetamine Reptile’s noisiest and most abrasive work, NoMeansNo, Shellac, Minutemen and Crucifucks.
Since Swear Jar’s formation on 06/06/06, they have been writing non-stop, always working tirelessly on new material. After a series of demos, the band released their self-recorded full-length debut, Cuss in 2010. Two years in the making, the album quickly caught the attention of both critics and listeners tired of the current status quo in punk and underground rock music. Late 2011 found Swear Jar rolling tape once again. The result is You’re So Pretty, an explosive collection of songs that make up half of a split LP with label-mates Knife The Symphony.
Swear Jar is a band interested in provoking a reaction and connecting with even the smallest audience. They continue to write and play in the MidWest.
Album information:
http://phratryrecords.com/catalog/detail/knife_the_symphony_swear_jar_split
Stream the new release online:
http://knifethesymphony.bandcamp.com/album/knife-the-symphony-swear-jar-split
Knife The Symphony
http://phratryrecords.com/bands/detail/knife_the_symphony
Swear Jar
http://phratryrecords.com/bands/detail/swear_jar
