March Minneapolis, MN Melvins shows in conjunction w/ Juxtapoz 2006

Details

Written by brian

Created: 01 March 2006

DATE: 03/01/2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OX-OP ARTS PRESENTS:

The Juxtapoz Annual Group Show 2006

Artist Receptions € 2 Opening Nights € Many Special Guests in for shows!

Friday, March 24th @ Soo Visual Arts Center 7-10pm
Saturday, March 25th @ OX-OP 7-10 pm
The actual art show is free & open to the public at both venues.
Each Melvins show is $10 per night.

At Soovac:
the Melvins show is at 7pm SHARP!
(The art show will open after the concert.)
For tickets, please stop by SooVAC at
2640 Lyndale Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Phone/email is: 612-871-2263 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

At Ox-Op:
The Melvins are playing at Grumpy’s Bar at around 11pm after the art show.
If you’re in the Twin Cities area & want to purchase Melvins tickets please come to Grumpy’s Downtown in person
1111 Washington Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55415
For those out of town, contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – In a major coup, OX-OP Arts and Soo Visual Arts Center (Soo VAC) have snagged what is likely to be 2006’s most groundbreaking group art show. Featuring 70-plus internationally-acclaimed artists who epitomize the most current trends in fine art, this show is so big it takes two galleries to display it all! The show opens Friday, March 24th at Soo VAC, and Saturday, March 25th at OX-OP, and will be on display at both galleries throughout the month.

To those in the know, Juxtapoz Magazine is the authority on what’s cutting edge in the fine art world. As the first ever Juxtapoz show ever to be held outside of L.A., San Francisco or New York, this is an unusual and extraordinary opportunity for those of us in “Flyover Country” to get a crack at a major international art show, and the Twin Cities are incredibly lucky to have it in their midst thanks to the hard work of OX-OP’s Tom Hazelmyer and Soo VAC’s Suzy Greenberg.

According to the L.A. Weekly, “Something remarkable is happening just beneath the surface of the art world. Its makeup has been shifting — slightly and subtly at first, but with a recent torrential surge that may have put it on the verge of a sea change. Rich new collectors are buying up strange artworks from a host of until recently fringe-dwelling galleries, and the guardians of high culture are being forced to sit up and take notice.”

Both OX-OP and Soo VAC have been in early on the Lowbrow movement, which makes them the perfect venues for this monumental show. Juxtapoz Magazine, founded by artist Robert Williams (who coined the term “Lowbrow” to describe his own gutter surrealistic paintings) has been around for 11 years and is close to eclipsing Art News as the number-one art magazine.

As further elaborated in a recent L.A. Weekly article, “Lowbrow Art is the loose amalgam of excluded visual culture ranging from tattoos, underground comix and custom hot rods, to slick post-graffiti street-art campaigns and immaculately glazed pop-surrealist oil paintings. Once relegated to small galleries on the fringe, it has emerged from its scrappy underworld beginnings and is finally getting the respect it has always craved.” In fact, museum spaces have begun programming Lowbrow in earnest. A trend that is certain to continue.

Bottom line? This March, displayed between these two galleries, will be a body of work created by names that will be remembered as the pre-eminent artists of the early 21st century. Wouldn’t it be nice to say that you were there?

OX-OP is open to the public
Tuesday through Friday 4-8pm
Sat 1-5pm, or by appointment
New shows opening the first Saturday of every month.

OX-OP
1111 Washington Ave S.
(Behind Grumpy’s Bar)
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Ph. 612-259-0085
www.ox-op.com

SooVAC
2640 Lyndale Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Ph. 612-871-2263
www.soovac.org

AsLike usual there will be a limited edition exclusive 7" available at these shows:
A Side: PIGSKIN
B Side: STARVE ALREADY

Pigskin is the Melvins. Starve Already has King Buzzo on guitar with Haze XXL and Grant Hart on Bass & Drums. Both songs are sung by King Buzzo and are over 2 minutes on each side, both are "rock songs".

Tom Hazelmeyer wrote: 2 different sleeves (one for each night of the event).
There will be a 1000 pressed. 500 clear vinyl / 500 black.
Just to be a bastard - probably get only the black ones signed by the band and sell those on the website.
The exact numbers of what will be sold show nights, what will be available via AmRep site, and what the band is getting has yet to be determined.

Test pressings have already been showing up on ebay.

Also The Melvins will be doing a book signing and toy signing at Robot Love at 2-5pm Sat. Mar 25th. (It’s next door to SooVAC). They’ll also have copies of the LP version of their newest collaboration with Jello Biafra which is signed by all band members and cover artist Camille Rose Garcia.

The official show poster is on sale at burlesquedesign.com for $50.

The 7" set is being sold for $20 at amrep.

Houdini Live 2005 - a live history of gluttony and lust

Details

Written by brian

Created: 14 February 2006

It looks like the Live Houdini album will be coming out on May 16th. I'm not sure which performance date this recording is from, I'll update the news once someone tells me. 

Here is Buzz's message about the release and the near future of the band from ipecac.com:
Hello you magnificent Melvin music loving sons-a-bitches! First off, to all you naysayers, apology accepted, now don't let it happen again.

We here in the Melvin camp like to pretend the world is a right place. Surprisingly the Melvins are alive and well and not dead so what the hell, right? We have a lot planned for the next year so relax and sit quietly, as far as you know, more will soon be revealed.

Well of course it's 2006 and as usual the seemingly tireless Melvins have yet another brand "new" CD. Big surprise. This time, as a result of their strange work last year in Europe they've recorded a full length Houdini Live record entitled "A Live History of Gluttony and Lust", which is ready for a May release so put down your beer bongs and your crack pipes and get ready to dash out and buy two or three copies…or maybe twenty copies just in case. Amazingly the Melvins recruited the amazing bass master Trevor Dunn best known for his amazing work in the Trevor Dunn trio-convulsant, Mr. Bungle, Fantômas and a whole lot of headache inducing "music" with John Zorn. This is a thoroughly modernized live version of the 1993 "classic" Houdini record along with a few surprises tossed in for shits and giggles. Why not? Remember it's the nuts, it's effortless and it's just like the oil on Arrons beard and God forbid you forget this isn't bullshit, so don't worry.

The Melvins have been through a lot this last year, wars, drugs, impeachment but they never lost sight of what was important AND what was festering in their bowels. As usual the Melvins have "started over" with, two count em TWO, new members: Coady and Jarod from the band Big Business. This will be super colossal and totally beyond reason. We can't even believe it's happening, but believe it or not it's becoming more and more believable. No shit man!

Conniption fit.

And another thing, we're tired of the "in" crowd fucking with us so knock it off. If you're a do-gooder or a player or a weed-head or a dog beater or a swinger do us a favor and keep your opinions and your good vibes to yourself. Tell us what YOU are doing and not what you think WE should be doing. Got it? I didn't think so.

- Buzz Osborne

Melvins Trick and Riddle Book

Details

Written by brian

Created: 01 January 2006

Sorry for taking so long to post info about this I get very behind with my school work and have little time to devote to the site anymore, but I'm trying!

Wes sent me info about a trick and riddle book which was made to go along with the Hostile Ambient Takeover cd, it was sold along with it on the 2004 U.S. tour, more info can be found about it here.

Also for info on the awesome poster series put together for the tour done by Diesel Prints and some of the most amazing concert poster artists out there today check out this thread at gigposters.com, some truly amazing art! They have a great gallery which includes all of these posters, check that out here.

also:  from theprp.com:
The Melvins tribute album "We Reach: The Music Of The Melvins" is now eyeing a tentative May 10th release date via Fractured Transmitter Record Co. The effort is tentatively expected to feature Melvins covers done by the Dillinger Escape Plan, Meshuggah, Mastodon, Strapping Young Lad, Keelhaul, House Of Low Culture, Meatjack, Lickgoldensky, Absentee, Dog Fashion Disco, Disengage and Abdullah, among others.
 

Melvins + Jello Biafra short tour

Details

Written by brian

Created: 04 October 2005

Here are the tour dates that have been announced so far for the upcoming U.S. dates the melvins and Jello will be doing, supposedly melvins will do a set then take a break and they will come back out with Jello and play some more, not sure if that is gospel though.  I also am not sure if that is a final list of dates.
10/21/2005     Middle East Club     Boston, MA
10/22/2005     Pearl Street     Northampton, MA
10/23/2005     Webster Hall     New York, NY
10/25/2005     Black Cat     Washington, DC
10/26/2005     First Unitarian Church     Philadelphia, PA
10/31/2005     Great American Music Hall     San Francisco, CA
11/02/2005     Neumo's Crystal Ball Reading Room     Seattle, WA
11/03/2005     Croatian Cultural Center     Vancouver, BC
11/04/2005     Crystal Ballroom     Portland, OR
11/05/2005     Capitol Theater     Olympia, WA
11/07/2005     WOW Hall     Eugene, OR
11/08/2005     Kate Buchanan Hall     Arcata, CA
11/09/2005     Boardwalk     Sacramento, CA
11/16/2005     Henry Fonda Theatre     Los Angeles, CA

There are good reports coming back about the show last night in England where they played the entire Houdini album, check the message board to read them.  Here is the flyer...

Sieg Howdy out now on alternative tentacles website

Details

Written by brian

Created: 09 September 2005

Alernative Tentacles has released Sieg Howdy early through their website, if you want to get it anywhere else you have to wait till the 27th. As of now only the cd is available but the LP version is coming soon.

Tracklisting:

1. 01: Halo Of Flies
2. Lighter Side Of Global Terrorism 
3. Lessons Not To Become 
4. Those Dumb Punk Kids 
5. Wholly Buy Bull 
6. Voted Off The Island 
7. Califonia Aka Kali For Ja Uber All 
8. Dawn Of The Locust (dalek Remix) 
9. Enchanted Thoughtfist (Al Jourgensen remix) 
10. Caped Crusader (Dale Crover remix)

Here's the press release:
JELLO BIAFRA & THE MELVINS
Sieg Howdy
virus350 (9 Sep 2005) LP - $9.00 - coming soon | CD - $12.00

Fucking AWESOME. Jello and the Melvins #2. Buy It. What, you need more reasons? Jello Biafra and the Melvins are musical pranksters united for a common cause - to detonate your brain with some of the most twisted rock anthems ever crafted!
Starting off album #2 with a heavier-than-life version of the Alice Cooper cult classic, "Halo of Flies," an intricate tune that alternately slithers and crushes, the band then proceed to treat us to a completely different extended take of their tune "The Lighter Side of Global Terrorism" (Jello's Hawkwind influence showed through when he asked the Melvins to create a take on the song similar to their cover of "Youth of America" by The Wipers). With the first two harrowing tracks clocking in at over fifteen minutes -this is not what you'd expect from a Jello record - steering into a more Melvinoid direction, but remaining distinctly separate from anything easily definable - far from a mishmash or outtakes collection, even the Jelvins were surprised at how well Sieg Howdy! flowed as an album.
Through the course of the album the band (yes, they sound like a proper band, not a "project!") erupts with colors of its respective players in turns. Biafra's spleen-venting rants "Voted off the Island" and "Those Dumb Punk Kids (Will Buy Anything)" are amongst his most acerbic (not to mention insightful!), and the Melvins' cathartic drum and guitar workouts pummel brilliantly through "Lessons in What Not to Become" and the septic all bass-chug of Kevin Rutmanis (making his final appearance on vinyl with the Melvins on this album) and Buzzo that anchors "Wholly Buy Bull."
Of course, the cherry on top is Jello and the lads ripping through a new, updated version of "Kalifornia Über Alles" - as sung by the Gropenführer himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger! With Jello's unmistakable wit and even more distinctive punk-rock croon fully intact, it's a breath of fresh air to hear a live Jello classic sound the way it was intended to for a change!
The album's remaining remixed tracks serve to deepen the impression that what has been created throughout the course of this collaboration is the work of a band - A band whose songs have enough depth to remain interesting in new and sonic environs. Dalek's chilling reworking of "Dawn of the Locusts" brings the song into a completely different light, and Al Jourgensen's (Ministry) take on "Enchanted Thoughtfist" is so cold and almost new-wave-y that it works brilliantly. The tone of the track reaches waaay back into the Ministry back catalog, surprising even Al himself! Then the fresh new tag-team Deaf Nephews (Dale Crover and Toshi, the album's engineer) reshape "Caped Crusader" into a disturbing cartoon version of itself to round out the record. The fact that these songs are open to this kind of interpretation, and that these interpretations work so well is a testament to the quality with which they were crafted in the first place.
Once again, the band is joined by Adam Jones from Tool on guitar for over half the tracks, and this time around, the stunning artwork is provided by none other than Camille Rose Garcia! 27 minutes of new and never before heard Jello Biafra and the Melvins and 17 minutes of remixed weirdness from the group's friends has created a record that surpasses its predecessor in sheer sonic audacity and is an extremely satisfying listen in its own right. Whether you missed the boat the first time around, or you couldn't get enough of Never Breathe What You Can't See, it's time to stand up, put your right hand over your heart, extend that middle finger, and say it loud - say it proud - SEIG HOWDY!
The LP has the same songs as the CD, although it's spread out over a 12"LP and a 7". Brand New and only available here until late September! Don't forget to grab the first Jello/Melvins sonic explosion, "Never Breathe What You Can't See"!

More dates have also been announced for their forthcoming tour as well:
10/21/2005 Middle East Club Boston, MA w/ Jello Biafra
10/22/2005 Pearl Street Northampton, MA w/ Jello Biafra
10/23/2005 Webster Hall New York, NY w/ Jello Biafra
10/25/2005 Black Cat Washington, DC w/ Jello Biafra
10/26/2005 First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, PA w/ Jello Biafra

Someone on the message board posted this about the Philly show: We only added one new show to the calendar, but ohh boy what a show it is - On Wednesday October 26th the legendary MELVINS will be performing in the basement of The First Unitarian Church, they will be joined by the legendary founder/frontman of THE DEAD KENNEDYS and U.S. punk icon - JELLO BIAFRA. This is the smallest venue that they are playing - so we greatly reccomend that your purchase your tickets in advance for this show. Tickets are available right now at r5productions.com and at Spaceboy Music (704 South Street)