Category: Obnox

Coming May 26, OBNOX – ‘Niggative Approach’

That we’re nearly midway thru 2017 and some segment of the allegedly savvy music world has either slept on Cleveland’s Lamont Thomas aka OBNOX or continues to damn him with some faint “prolific garage rocker” praise is nothing sort of criminal. OK, not WAR CRIMINAL, but certainly a brand of cultural c(r)ock blockery that neither historians or your kids will look kindly upon.

(photo by Aaron A-Live Snorton)

‘Niggative Approach’ — a knowing nod to Ann Arbor’s other N.A. (with an opening cameo from John Brannon) is the 7th album in Bim’s astonishing unbeaten streak that began with 2011’s ‘I’m Bleeding Now’ and shows no immediate sign of ending. While Thomas’ past genre-defying works have brazenly taken a torch to such record store bin cards as “punk”, “psych”, “hip hop”, “funk”, “new arrivals” and “MISC. O”, ‘Niggative Approach’ is his most bold, fully realized statement to date. There’s no one in what’s left of the underground with a sharper take on the ties that bind these genres, and no eyewitness to the nation-going-to-shit as quick to stand up and throw down than Obnox. If you wanna settle for half steps, by all means, be our guest, but ’Niggative Approach’ shouldn’t merely challenge you to imagine the possibilities, but maybe even get your hands dirty in making them happen.

preorder at 12XU.bigcartel.com

Coming June 18 : Obnox – ‘Corrupt Free Enterprise’ 2XLP (12XU 052-1)

OBNOX– ‘Corrupt Free Enterprise’ 2XLP (12XU 054-1), June 18, 2013

Bim Thomas is a lucky bastard. Upon settling in Columbus-by-God-Ohio in the early ‘90s, he found himself neck-deep in a killer music scene, and soon ended up as the Ringo for the legendary blues-punk power duo The Bassholes (ask the Black Keys who their influences were and that name will spring up, that’s a promise). Drifting northward to Cleveland as the sun rose on the 21st Century, Thomas landed in the drum throne for spastic post-punk upstarts This Moment in Black History, who even after ten years and a membership diaspora STILL rule the CLEpunk roost, while simultaneously keeping the pulse for other revered CLE outfits like The Deathers and Puffy Areolas.

But now, with midlife on the horizon, when most ragers at least start to slow down if not skid to a halt, Thomas is revealing previously unseen musical gifts that far transcend the metronome. With his band Obnox, of which he is the sole member (with heavy friends when he’s feeling like some company), Thomas has shown himself to be a songwriter of astonishing depth, injecting punk with the soul and balladry it too often lacks. Having become a stay-at-home dad, Thomas began messing around with a guitar, teaching himself how to play and write songs, and damn, he really TOOK to it. His 2011 debut, ‘I’m Bleeding Now’, was one of that year’s finest albums, and sold out so quickly a reissue was necessary only a year later. His new release, the double-LP ‘Corrupt Free Enterprise’ (12XU-052), is his 8th in only three years, and his strongest by miles. Featuring 17 scuzz-fi splatter gospel anthems – 12 originals and 5 covers, including Tom Waits’ theme from “The Wire” – that run the gamut from nasty punk flameouts to ardent slow-burners, CFE spans four sides, each of which plays as an E.P. in its own right. Thomas has never shied away from bold statements, but CFE is his boldest and most ambitious yet.
– Ron Kretsch

(“Deep In The Dusk (Redux)” previously appeared on the May 2013 double 7″, ‘Canabible, Ohio EP”, available from Black Gladiator)

Upcoming Shows – February Edition

Chris Brokaw

Feb 18 – Luecma Music Bar, Prague CZ (supporting Dinosaur Jr.)
Feb. 19 – Vatos Taco Truck, Loebckstr. 30-35, Berlin (solo)
Feb. 20 -Aufladetechnische Konferenz, Berlin (with the ATK 5 Orchestra)
Feb 22 – Guestcollege PHL Music (lecture)
Feb. 26 – La Paloma, Nimes, France (w/ Mono)
Feb. 27 – La Fourmi, Limoges, France (w/ Mono)
Feb. 28 – La Lune des Pirates, Amiens, France (w/ Mono)
March 1 – Noumatrouff, Mulhouse, France (w/ Mono)
March 2 – Bad Bonn, Dudingen, Switzerland (w/ Mono)
March 3 – Schuur, Luzern, Switzerland (w/ Mono)
March 4 – PML, Innsbruck, Austria (w/ Mono)
March 5 – K4, Nurnberg Germany (w/ Mono)
March 6 – Kinky Star, Gent, Belgium
March 18 – TT The Bear, Cambridge MA (w/ Thalia Zedek Band)

Burnt Skull

March 3 – Hotel Vegas, Austin TX (afternoon show w/ Pharoahs, Foreign Mothers, Gory Details and more)
March 16 – 12XU night at Trailer Space, Austin T (w/ Obnox, Unholy Two, G.Green, Dino’s Boys, Sweet Talk)
March 17 – 29th St. Ballroom, Austin TX (with Breakout, Recide, Crystal Shit, Pelts and more)

Continue reading Upcoming Shows – February Edition

Upcoming Shows – January 2013 edition

 

Chris Brokaw 
1/16 – Naked Lounge, Sacramento CA (with Jennifer O’Connor)
1/17 – Woodside Grill, Anderson CA (with Jennifer O’Connor)
1/18 – Red Bluff Art Gallery, Red Bluff CA (with Jennifer O’Connor)
1/19 – Sam Bond’s Garage, Eugene OR (with Jennifer O’Connor)
1/20 – Mississippi Studios, Portland OR (with Jennifer O’Connor)
  
Burnt Skull
1/27 – Museum Of Human Achievement, Austin TX (Farewell Books/Las Cruxes Benefit, with Elvis, Kurraka, Hidden Ritual and more)
1/31 – Beerland, Austin TX (w/ Sweet Talk, Flesh Lights, Nazi Gold)
2/7 – Bernadette’s Bar, Austin TX (w/ Breakout, The Vipers)
2/9 – Swan Dive, Austin TX (w/ Eets Feats, Gory Details)
3/16 – Trailer Space, Austin TX (night show w/ Sweet Talk, G.Green, Obnox, Unholy Two)

G.Green
3/8 – Bar 11, San Diego CA
3/13 – Beerland, Austin TX (day show)
3/16 – Trailer Space, Austin TX (w/ Unholy Two, G.Green, Burnt Skull)
3/19 – The Smell, Los Angeles CA (w/ Wet Illustrated)

The Gospel Truth
2/16 – Beerland, Austin TX

OBN III’s
1/25 – Mohawk, Austin TX (w/ Ty Segall, Ex-Cult)
2/21 – Beerland, Austin TX
2/22 – Depot District Bar
2/23 – Train Yard, Las Cruces NM
2/24 – The District, Tucson AZ (with Destruction Unit, Lenguas Largas)
2/25 – Yucca Tap Room, Tempe AZ (with Destruction Unit)
2/26 – Soda Bar, San Diego CA
2/27 – The Smell, Los Angeles CA (with Audacity, Pangea)
2/28 – The Knockout, San Francisco CA (with Fuzz)
3/1 – 1234 Go! Records, Oakland CA (with Fuzz)
3/2 – The Know, Portland OR
3/3 – Comet Tavern, Seattle WA
3/5 – Holland Project, Reno NV
3/6 – Canvas SLC/Richards, Salt Lake City UT
3/7 – Lion’s Lair, Denver CO
3/8 – Replay Lounge, Lawrence KS
3/9 – 35 Denton Festival, Denton TX
    
Obnox
1/14 – Now That’s Class, Cleveland OH
2/1 – The Flat, Brooklyn, NY (w/ Unholy Two)
2/2 – Death By Audio, Brooklyn NY (w/ Family Curst, Live Fast Die)
3/14 – Beerland, Austin TX (day show w/ Protomartyr, Unholy Two, Spray Paint)
3/16 – Trailer Space, Austin TX (night show w/ Sweet Talk, Unholy Two, G.Green, Burnt Skull)


Sweet Talk 
1/30 – End Of An Ear instore, 6pm
1/31 – Beerland, Austin TX (w/ Flesh Lights, Burnt Skull, Nazi Gold)
2/7 – The Blind Pig, Oxford MI (w/ Unwed Teenage Mothers, YouthFlag)
2/9 – 529, Atlanta GA (w/ Resons, Acids Freaks, Rodney Kings)
2/10 – Soundpony, Tulsa OK  (w/ Glow God, Lizard Police, Creepazoids)
3/16 – Trailer Space, Austin TX (w/ Burnt Skull, G.Green, Unholy Two, Obnox)

Unholy Two 
2/1 – The Flat, Brooklyn, NY (w/ Obnox)
3/14 – Beerland, Austin TX (w/ Obnox, Protomartyr, Spray Paint)
3/16 – Trailer Space, Austin TX (w/ Sweet Talk, Burnt Skull, G.Green, Obnox)

Young Governor
1/17 – The Piston, Toronto

Obnox reissue, New Unholy Two 7″ and some big plans for 2013

2) our reissue of the 2011 Obnox LP, ‘I’m Still Bleeding’ (12XU 039-1), originally released in 2011 by Smog Veil, comes out at the end of August.

3) Rebecca Gates and the Consortium just completed their 2nd batch of US touring in support of ‘The Float’. There’s a great live session taped by OPM Music available for streaming.

4) Cruddy are currently touring the western US and they’ve got an 8 song casstte of new material that you’d better snap up before some label forces an overproduced, overpriced version out of them.

4) The Golden Boys are playing Goner Fest, preceded by Eastern U.S. dates with The Spider Bags and the Limes.

5) Unholy Two’s first recordings as a quartet will be available on a new 12XU 7″ in mid-September.

6) on the horizon : a debut 7″ from Melbourne’s Ratsak, the first first studio offerings from Dustin Pilkington & Anthony Davis’ slaytastic Burnt Skull, the debut album from Austin’s Sweet Talk, the first new recordings from Austin’s The Gospel Truth in way too long, and that oft-promised, but not yet delivered full length from James Arthur’s Manhunt. And some surprises. Please act surprised.

The Golden Boys – “Dirty Fingernails” video

The Golden Boys – “Dirty Fingernails”, from the LP, ‘Dirty Fingernails’ (12XU 033-1). Directed by James Parker and Jeremy Ward.

The Golden Boys are playing a free show for the Austin Chronicle’s Paper Cuts series on Tuesday, May 15. This is terrific news because we’ve been sitting around for weeks wondering what chain of events would have to occur for the band to allowed to play in front of Quiet Company fans. You might even say it’s a lifetime dream come true.

If, however, a promotional event for the local weekly isn’t to your liking, you can see The Golden Boys on June 16 at Austin’s Scottish Rite Theatre, supporting Quintron and Miss Pussycat.

We’ll have news shortly about Chris Brokaw’s forthcoming autumn full-length, along with new albums from Burnt Skull, James Arthur’s Manhunt and a reissue of Obnox’s ‘I’m Bleeding Now’ (Smog Veil, 2011). Early next year, we’re looking forward to new albums from a pair of Austin bands, The Gospel Truth and Sweet Talk.