puschen & little league shows prsnt:

STUCK / post-punk, us
stuckchi.bandcamp.com / instagram.com/stuck.chi

& SKELETON GLOVE / spooky hc punk, bln
skeletonglove.bandcamp.com /// instagram.com/skeletonglove

at Schokoladen. doors 19 uhr, concert starts 20 uhr. pre-sale tickets available --> vvk.link/2ycsmog

aftershow djs tba.

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Working at a mixing board one night, a catchphrase popped into Greg Obis’ head: “freak frequency.” He was ringing out feedback during his job as a sound engineer, and started to picture the parallels between acoustic physics and political trends. “If you think about a waveform, as the frequency rises, the space between the sine waves gets less and less,” Obis explains. “With that downward trend comes constant heightening, stress and tension.” He came to see freak frequency as an apt metaphor for the decline of Western empire, an inverse relationship between the (positive) deterioration of American hegemony and the (negative) worsening of daily life under that fall. It was a fitting title for the new material Obis was planning for Stuck, the frenetic and twisted post-punk outfit he formed in 2018. Inspired by the doomy social economics of Mark Fisher’s Capitalist Realism, the bleak worldbuilding of horror games Demon’s Souls and Bloodborne, and the bombastic yet arty satire of Devo, Obis channeled his audio analogy into Freak Frequency, an album ringing out with explosive sounds and ideas. Though its songs tackle the violence of wealth, the nightmares of technocracy, and the rise of the conspiratorial layman, Freak Frequency is Stuck’s quirkiest record to date—compositionally challenging and equipped with menace, yet dotted with vibrant fun. “Being in a brooding post-punk band isn’t that appealing to me,” jokes Obis. “When things are bad, all you can really do is laugh.”

Stuck formed after Obis’ previous projects, Yeesh and Clearance, called it quits in short proximity. Obis is on guitar and vocals, which span from booming theatrics to ecstatic yelps. The project’s rhythm section is completed by shoegaze guitarist-turned-chugging bassist David Algrim and tightly wound drummer Tim Green—also a graphic designer, and the artist responsible for Stuck’s distinctively unified visual aesthetic. Original co-guitarist Donny Walsh contributed freely inventive lines for the first few years of the project, including on Freak Frequency; Ezra Saulnier of Red Tunic, the newest member of the band, now brings calculated contrapuntal riffs to match Obis’ parts. The building blocks of Stuck include the egg punk eccentricities of Uranium Club and The Coneheads filtered through noise rock power, à la Jesus Lizard or Slint; that melange is glittered with the precision microtones of Unwound and Women. “I want the feeling of immersion and chaos and tension, with a big guitar amp playing a big chord,” says Obis of his inspirations, citing friends and peers Cloud Nothings and Preoccupations. “But I want it delivered by having a lot of smaller points of light poking through.”

At first, the new project had meager goals—it would be an excuse to open for friends’ bands when they toured through Chicago. 2020 debut Change Is Bad was released by Born Yesterday, the beloved Chicago indie co-run by Obis and Deeper’s Kevin Fairbairn. It was recorded at Jamdek Studio, and though it earned Stuck national press and tours with kindred post-rockers Pile and Blessed, Obis claims his band’s ambitions were low. “It’s a real meat-and-potatoes post-punk record,” he says. Content That Makes You Feel Good, a followup EP that saw Obis move into the role of recording engineer, introduced new textures, including ornamental synths; it was released in 2021 on Brooklyn’s Exploding in Sound. “We tried to be more ambitious with production on the EP, and Freak Frequency is a continuation of that,” Obis notes.

In fact, writing for Freak Frequency began while Content’s recording was still underway—beginning with “Scared,” which features acoustic layers under feedback squalls. “Time Out,” with motoric guitars in the sputtering lineage of Wire, was also composed in late 2019. Obis wrote it about the cycles of compulsion and shame woven into social media use, and the way negativity drives algorithmic engagement. It became an exciting exercise for the group in ramping up speed; “I thought I knew how far I could push Tim’s tempos,” Obis recalls. “But Tim kept insisting we do it 20 bpm faster than what I had. He is an absolute monster for playing that.” Album opener “The Punisher,” a spiral staircase of disembodied guitars and rhythmic slams over a 2/4 beat, came in the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection. It felt immediately emblematic to Freak Frequency, and Obis describes it as his favorite Stuck track: one he wishes he could write again and again. “It hits all the boxes that Stuck can do: it’s goofy, but there’s a lot of intricate guitar interplay, and at the end, there’s a big payoff,” he explains. The last song written was “Do Not Reply,” a pre-album single that came to Obis after engineering for Melkbelly and channeling their earworm melodies. Algrim wouldn’t let it on the record unless Melkbelly’s front person Miranda Winters dueted on vocals; she was happy to oblige, and the gritty epic closes Freak Frequency.

With Obis resuming engineering duties, recording took place over eleven days at Chicago’s Palisade Studios. Additional flourishes included saxophone, with skronky riffs provided by Sarah Clausen (Algrim’s bandmate in Gentle Heat), and synthesizers, which Obis studied during the pandemic. Eventually, the songs were handed off to mixer Graham Walsh, hired for his sure hand on Metz’s recordings. “We wanted somebody who could take the tracks I recorded and fuck them up and bring the life out of them,” explains Obis, who added final touches to Freak Frequency at Chicago Mastering Service, where he dayjobs. Stuck has also returned to Born Yesterday to release Freak Frequency. “I’m stoked to be in good company with Landowner, Caution, Cafe Racer, and all our bands,” says Obis of his roster.

With slippery snark, percussive heft, and funhouse mirrors of sludge, Freak Frequency delivers its needed screeds with gratifying nuance. If Stuck’s interpretation of this messed-up world goes down like a bitter pill, it’s only because its sugar coating is too delicious to keep from eating. 

We like mondays!

Mote is an indie/postpunk trio from Berlin. Joe Schneider, originally from Nashville in the US, moved his project to Berlin in 2020. Mote has been releasing singles in partnership with the London based Indie Label, The Animal Farm, since that time. The band members met in the spring of 2023 and began playing together, finding that they had a very natural chemistry and drive.  Together they have been developing their high energy live show and working on new music to be released later this year. The band is Joe Schneider (lead vocals and bass), Josi Lukschy (guitar and vocals), and Lisa Kida (drums).

THE MAGIC TOUCH started out back in 2006. They have since established themselves as a unique live act with their own special blend of Rocksteady, Rhythm and Blues, Ska, heavy Early Reggae and Dub-grooves with an edge: rough and tough!  Soulful harmony vocals, bubbling organ riffs and fierce bass lines, energetic drums and unique guitar twang add up to a powerful sound. The original material shows remarkable individual character while deeply paying respect to the roots of Jamaican Music.

Oldschool Jamaican and UK reggae artists like KEN BOOTHE, BITTY McLEAN, ROY ELLIS a.k.a MR.SYMARIP, STRANGER COLE, THE TENNORS and many more originators of the music work with The Magic Touch regularly and love their authentic and original sound! So....GET READY ROCKSTEADY!

Hier von den Solitos. Das Intro zu einem Ox-Interview aus dem Jahre 2003:  Davon träumt so mancher Musikfan, der die wilden Geschichten aus dem London Ende der 70er Jahre kennt: Eine Band treffen, die du gleich bei ihrem ersten Auftritt siehst und die sofort der Hammer ist. Und du wusstest das schon vom ersten Takt an. Merkwürdigerweise klappt so etwas heute nur noch bei den Popstars-Casting-Shows auf RTL 2 oder Pro 7 – und das ist ja eher lachhaft. Bei den echten Punk- oder Ska-Combos wirst du so ein hohes, kreatives Potential nicht mehr finden. Die SHOCKS sind keine zweiten SEX PISTOLS. Die BEATSTEAKS keine CLASH. Die BUSTERS nicht MADNESS. Genauso wenig wie die MONOCHORDS an THE JAM heranreichen. Dennoch gibt es solche Momente – zwar nicht im großen Stil, dafür aber im kleinen, persönlichen Rahmen. Für mich sind das SOLITOS aus Berlin. Eine großartige Ska-Combo, stilistisch ungefähr zwischen MOTHER’S PRIDE, SLACKERS und BABYLON CIRCUS. Im Frühjahr war auch ihr erster Tonträger „Just Arrived“ fertig , den sie in Eigenregie herausbrachten. Im Berliner Thommy-Weißbecker-Haus traf ich mich mit Sänger Marius und Bassist Jan zum ungezwungenen Plausch auf ein paar Biere an einem Donnerstag im Dezember 2003.

https://goldendark.bandcamp.com/album/golden-dark

https://goldendark.bandcamp.com/album/golden-dark-so-deft-in-glorious-headlines-release-date-febuary-2024

www.aboutblake.de

Golden Dark (Indie/Experimental)  RECORD- RELEASE (Limited edition Vinyl)
 
David Hull started playing double bass in various folk, rock and chanson bands. In 1992 he formed Naklada   - an experimental rock band. Then in 1995 he turned to writing songs and has released roughly 14 albums to date. 2017 saw the creation of the band Golden Dark, with the Estonian Violinist Elo Masing. 
Golden Dark are building bridges between classical contemporary/experimental music, poetry and songwriting. If you like Harry parch, and Robert Wyatt, you might like us 
https://goldendark.bandcamp.com/album/golden-dark
 
https://golden-dark.weebly.com/

https://goldendark.bandcamp.com/album/golden-dark-so-deft-in-glorious-headlines-release-date-febuary-2024

http://www.goldendark.net/

About Blake
 
Newly formed About Blake's members have been connected to Berlin's independent music scene since the nineties, forming the bands Phonetic, Paul Is Dead, Pleasure and Portbridge.
 
Martin and Guido played together in Paul Is Dead. Mathias and Martin played in Phonetic. Oliver and Mathias played in Portrait Of The Young Man As An Artist. Nils and Oliver tried to set up a band back ages ago. Though that one didn't work out you might wonder if the band's name would have started with the letter 'P' as well. There are several other bands some of them did play in or still do: Delaware, Software, The Beauty Regime, Gegenphase, Star Crash, Mietminderung.
 
Sharing the same love for the wall of sound indie outfits such as Mogwai, Radiohead or I Like Trains, cult shoegaze stuff as well as newgaze like DIIV or even Blumfeld. It made perfect sense that they decided to make music together and mix it with an essential sense of pop appeal, no matter the language used.
 
About Blake having come full circle, formed their own Supergroup.
 
www.aboutblake.de

M:Soundtrack presents: The Radio Field (Cologne/Düsseldorf/Bln) + Grateful Cat (Bln)

Was als Lockdown Home-recording Projekt von Lars [Subterfuge] begann, ist mittlerweile zu einer überzeugenden Liveband aus alte Bekannten herangewachsen durch Christoph Schneider [Clayton Farlow, Soccer, Klee], Philipp Breuer [Pale] und Mark Specht [ehem. Subterfuge]). Pressestimmen zum im Aug '23 erschienenen Debut Album DON'TS AND DOS:

"The Radio Field klingen diesen Deut größer als die Summe ihrer Teile, amerikanischer, nach infektiösem Collegerock." (Visions)
"Dieses Album ist ein fröhliches Fest der zeitlosen Melodie – POP in Großbuchstaben also, der eigentlich Millionen Hörer verdient hätte." (Bedroomdisko)
"Sehr hittig" (Linus Volkmann)

THE RADIO FIELD spielen jangeligen College Rock mit großen Melodien: "Solche Musik gibt es eigentlich nur in England. Klingt traumhaft, als hätten Teenage Fanclub mit Mitgliedern von Slowdive und den Pastels eine Platte beim wiederbelebten Sarah Records aufgenommen." (Rheinische Post).

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THE RADIO FIELD play jangly College Rock full of big melodies: "This kind of music normally comes from the UK. Sounds wonderful, just like Teenage Fanclub with members of Slowdive and The Pastels recording for a resurrected Sarah Records." (Rheinische Post)

What started as the lockdown home recording project of Lars from Subterfuge now became a thrilling all-star live outfit with Mark Specht (first Subterfuge drummer), Christoph Schneider (Bass -  Clayton Farlow, Klee, Soap/Soccer) and Philipp Breuer (Guitar - Pale) joining in. Press quotes on their debut album DON'TS AND DOS released in Aug '23

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GRATEFUL CAT

The singer-songwriter Indie-Pop-Folk duo from Berlin consisting of Gwendolin Tägert and Franky Fuzz dwell in sweet melodies and lots of major chords inspired by the 60s scene of Laurel Canyon and New York‘s village. Also a healthy dose of indie 90s and twee-tastic boy-girl harmonies set the scene when Grateful Cat start singing to us, coming straight from their HQ - a cosy kitchen in Berlin-Kreuzberg.

Gwendolin und Franky sind Grateful Cat, ein Songwriter-Duo aus Berlin, die vom Geist des Laurel Canyons und dem New York der Folk- und Beatszene der 60er beeinflusst sind. Indie, Retro-Powerpop und Indiefolk tauchen auf der Landkarte auf – das unbedingt berlinerische Duo ist ordentlich verliebt in klassisches Songwriting, schöne Harmonien und in mehrstimmigen Gesang. Vor allem aber ist Grateful Cat eine bekennende Küchenband: Songs schreiben, singen, proben, recording - alles passiert in einer kleinen Altbauküche in Kreuzberg. Ein ganzes Studio wird da ersetzt, wenn Grateful Cat Gitarre, Bass, Perkussion und mehrstimmigen Gesang aufnehmen. Für Gwendolin Tägert und Franky Fuzz ist das Do It Yourself eine ganz wichtige Sache: Das Ethos ist Identität. Und dem Sound der Band tut das gut: Der organische Sound der Band ist live wie auf Platte handgemacht und klingt nach großer Lust auf zeitloses Songwriting, twee-tastic Boy-Girl-Harmonies und langen, gut verquatschten Abenden in der - genau - Küche.

https://www.youtube.com/@gratefulcatband
https://gratefulcat.bandcamp.com

Wenn THE GROOVY CELLAR die Verstärker hochfahren, ist bald klar, wo es langgeht: 60s- goes-80s-Gitarrenpop mit Brit-Appeal. Melodien sind Trumpf, aber es darf auch mal laut werden. Das Ganze ist unverkennbar Mod-infiziert, aber auch Leute wie Francoise Hardy, Johnny Thunders oder die TVPs gehören zu den Vorbildern der Musiker. Nach diversen Alben, EPs und Singles und nach Konzerten u.a. zusammen mit den Fehlfarben, den Cleaners From Venus oder den Television Personalities machen die Groovys nun Zwischenstopp im Schokoladen. Danach geht es entweder ins UK zu den Freunden von „The New Fools“ aus Cambridge oder ins Studio. Oder beides.  Wer Indie-Gitarrenpop mag, ist hier richtig. Mit oder ohne Roller und Fishtail-Parka.

Irgendwann hatten THE PLANETS keine Lust mehr auf ewigen Kälteschlaf im All und docken nun deshalb im Schokoladen an mit ihrem Cosmic Trash Pop - einem zickigen Amalgam aus New Wave, Garagenpop, Rock und Comic-Soul. Live und im Alarmmodus, versprochen! In den 80ern und 90ern ging die Reise der Planets von Westberlin (Cafe Swing, KOB, Quartier Latin...) über Rest-Deutschland, Schweiz, Skandinavien, Spanien und UK bis nach Japan, wo die EMI ihnen den kosmischen Roten Teppich ausrollte. Legendäre Zwischenstation dabei war u.a. das „Studio 2“ in der Abbey Road.Zum Erbe dieser Zeit gehören über ein Dutzend Ton- und Bildträger unterschiedlichsten Formats. By the way, für Nina Hagen waren THE PLANETS immer „die Wave-Band mit dem silbernen Ufo-Kaugummi“.

The Planets: "Curse" Recorded 1988 in the catacombs of Westberlin

puschen & little league shows prsnt:

GARDENS / indie, wien, siluh recs
soundcloud.com/gardens-348279699 / instagram.com/thisisgardens

& POTATO BEACH / garage pop, wien, siluh
potatobeach.bandcamp.com / instagram.com/potatobeach

at Schokoladen. doors 19 uhr, concert starts 20 uhr. tickets at the doors and in pre-sale --> vvk.link/301xui8 

aftershow DJs tba.

- - -
"Es gibt elegante und weniger elegante Lieder, GARDENS schreiben die erste Sorte. Wenn Beim-Gitarrespielen-auf-die-Füße-Schauen noch ein Ding wäre, wäre das die passende Musik dazu, aber weil wir im Jahr 2024 leben, folgender Vorschlag: das ist Musik zum Sich-verliebt-in-die-Augen-Schauen, zum Sich-selbst-Blumen-Kaufen oder zum meistens gut gemeinten Gedanken von Ein-Kaltgetränk-geht-noch.“ (Lisa Schneider, Fm4)

"Schon wieder kein Geld für den Strandurlaub? Kein Problem! Mit POTATO BEACH auf den Ohren wird auch der Fahrradweg am Wiener Donaukanal zum Roadtrip am Pazifik und das Damenrad ein hellblaues Chevy Cabrio. Im Kielwasser alter (The Kinks) und neuer (Foxygen) Flaggschiffe des Surf- und Garage Rocks wirbelt das Projekt des Wahlwieners Jannik Rieß seine eigene Gischt auf. Simple, aber sorgfältig arrangierte Korallenriffs sitzen dabei ähnlich sattelfest im Ledersitz wie die Ray Ban auf der Nase. Live hat sich Potato Beach auch begabte Matros:innen wie Lilian Kaufmann (u.a. Zinn), Peter Mathis (Peter The Human Boy), Anja Pöttinger (u.a. Atom Womb) und Sven Limprecht ins Boot geholt. So taucht Potato Beach selbst den kartoffeligsten Tag an der Donauinsel trotz warmen Dosenbiers und Sonnenbrand in kalifornischen Polaroid-Weichzeichner. Das Debut Album "Dip In" erscheint am 15.3.2024 bei Siluh Records als LP."

Der Käpt'n kommt mit einem fetten Angebot aus allen nationalen und internationalen Künstlern!
Der Abend hat schon lange Kultcharakter und ist zum Kreischen fröhlich, generations- und sozialübergreifend und warmherzig...!
Eine der schönsten Bühnen Berlins & ein perfekter Monitor- und Raumsound besorgen den Rest!
Singen macht halt glücklich und dabei zuschauen auch!
holt euch die Käpt'n Karaoke App auf's Smartphone!
... wei sie wirklich toll ist!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details...
Oder klickt den Link für seine Songliste…
http://derkaeptn.de/songliste.html

Chemtrails (post-punk-garage/uk)

The post-garage-punk and psychedelic power pop anomaly that is Chemtrails started out as the DIY bedroom recording project of romantic partners Mia Lust and Laura Orlova, evolving into a full band in 2016. Their uncanny talent for blasting out weird but irresistibly catchy pop songs was quickly noticed by Swedish label PNKSLM Recordings, who signed them just after their first gig — at Trans Pride Brighton. After relocating from London to Manchester in 2019, Lust and Orlova joined forces with a ferocious new rhythm section, putting the final piece of the puzzle into place. With Ian Kane on bass and Liam Steers on drums, the Chemtrails machine is now souped up with a turbocharged rhythmic engine, propelling the hook-filled songs to new levels of raw power, as the band sashays between sleazy punk, frantic krautrock and sardonically sassy grooves.

Served on a bed of twangy and fuzzy guitars, primitive synths and polychromatic pop, Mia Lust’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics tackle alienation, the absurd, the human condition, the impending apocalypse and, occasionally, her place in the world as a transgender woman. The band cites their biggest influences as Pixies, Blondie, Oh Sees, Fat White Family and sixties psych and garage punk, but what has always held the whole project together is the endless supply of catchy melodies, delivered with the band’s relentless excitement and energy.

Their upcoming third album, “The Joy of Sects”, promises to be their boldest yet, as Chemtrails return with a more danceable and rhythm-driven style, armed to the teeth with their trademark fuzzy guitars and playfully sinister melodies. Having worked with producer Margo Broom (Fat White Family, Big Joanie, Goat Girl), this time round the group has traded in the homemade DIY approach for a more hi-fi studio sound, which, thanks to Broom’s magic, remains just as raw and wild as ever, but with a whole new level of focus and intensity.

https://www.instagram.com/chemtrails_band/