Having last released the popular “Bats In The Belfry” and “Old Meat” on 7” vinyl (acetate, in reality) back in July 2010, the band have finally completed what Maeve Munro cites as a “transitional piece”, from Cat Venom’s exploits of old as a two piece to their new status as a trio (rounded out by new drummer Mark Forlong).

The release also sees Munro and co-conspirator Zina Gladiadis work their way up to a modern format – C-10 cassette now, and finally Compact Disc come their album in 2013. “With a minidisc release in between”, Munro jokes.

The EP, while acting as a parting wave to their years as a “goth-pop girl group”, also bridges the gap between their lo-fi drum machine darkness of earlier recordings and the newer, fuzzy, noisier pop songs with their archetypical dark twist.

There were no surprises when Cat Venom decided to record at Whammy Bar with venue proprietor Rohan Evans. Seldom has there be a venue that has housed more Cat Venom shows than the St Kevin’s Arcade haunt – be it MUZAI’s second anniversary, bStreet, Borderline Festival or the countless support slots the duo have performed over the past two years..

Featuring “Bones”, a popular track from the group’s “In Session” performance in conjunction with 95bFM (and subsequently charting on the station’s Top 10 for a number of weeks) and popular live favourites “Line To Spin” and “Sleepwalk To The Slaughter”, Cat Venom’s EP is succinct, sardonic and to the point.

Cat Venom – EP is released May 21st on Cassette and Digitally

EP RELEASE SHOW:
May 19th – Wine Cellar, AUCKLAND (with special guests 1995 and GeeGee)

TRACK LISTING:
1) Bones
2) Morose
3) Sleepwalk To The Slaughter
4) Line To Spin

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Help The Bemsha Swing ahead of a full blown announcement

Doors are at 10pm, first band on at 11pm and it’s a meagre $10 entry.

Cassette #9 is on Vulcan Lane if you didn’t know any better – opposite the Occidental where the last few times we’ve walked past the in-house band have been doing Brit-pop covers…

With a name derived from The Minutemen’s magnum opus Double Nickles On The Dime, it’s safe to assume the New Zealand noise rock trio are pretty well acquainted with the oeuvre of the San Pedro econo-punk legends, and it’s entirely fitting that the band would take a name from an album where The Minutemen exclaim ‘Please Don’t Be Gentle With Me’. Drawing immediate comparisons to the catalogues of record labels like Touch & Go and Amphetamine Reptile, on their self-titled record God Bows To Math explore the limits of atonality amidst a pulsing current of feedback. For the most part, it is composed rather than caustic, and while it’s not an easy listen, it’s well worth the attempt. The record never ventures into a Big Black-styled screed of ugliness, but on tracks like the almost entirely instrumental Yr Kids Aren’t Special But I Am, it certainly toes the line. Mixed quietly so the moments of complete distortion are more dynamic, or at least more grating to the listener, when the record wants to make you pay attention, it can.

Slower, more melodic numbers on the album, like the droning Sixty Degrees Of Separation, feel like a genial break from the album’s squalls of disgruntled fuzz, but then they’re followed up by efforts such as Details On How To Get Doncab On Your License Plate, where sinewy guitar strains allude to something rather sinister. It’s this focus on dynamics that makes God Bows To Math a damn arresting album.

Don’t believe us? Read it yourself here!

Recorded live at Idiot Prayer’s farewell show in January, marking the group’s debut in Dunedin, this wasn’t the first time the idea of a live album was bantered around.

“Matt and I had talked about recording a live EP previously before we did Living In A Strangers Home” informed vocalist/guitarist Steven Marr. “We recorded our set at T54′s poster EP release show in Christchurch, but we had some tech difficulties which basically resulted in us sounding terrible. So the whole thing got scrapped.”

Luckily, their sound engineer at their first Dunedin show just so happened to dabble in recording also. With Iain Sweetman (www.livesoundengineering.com) at the helm during the evening in question, he managed to capture Ipswich at their musically dissonant/verbally sardonic best. A mixing and mastering job by Sweetman and Matthew Gunn later, Live In Dunedin became the final result – “We thought we would only get one or two tracks,” Marr confesses, “but Ian is such a boss that we got the whole set.”

A set that contains current Youtube delight “Alien VS Sexual Predator”, a number of songs with titles that are probably not safe to say on the radio (while the music most certainly is) and a blistering cover of Skeptic’s classic “AFFCO”.

Encased in a 5.25” floppy disc (you don’t have to actually have access to a disk drive – we’re not that ridiculous yet) and with artwork by Daniel Blackball Alexander, the physical product will be for sale only at Ipswich shows and through MUZAI’s Online Paradise store, while the digital product will be available for “pay-what-you-want” through Ipswich’s Bandcamp page.

TRACK LISTING:
1) Stoner Jam
2) Mackie
3) Haze
4) Satan Plays A Sunburst Strat
5) Eat Shit
6) Dr. Schlong
7) Savoury Slavery
8) Alien VS Sexual Predator

After acclaimed reviews of their debut album, god bows to math, and earning a slew of accolades for their live shows, the three piece tour up and down the East coast in support of the Australian release of their album through Tenzenman.

The band themselves had a triumphant 2011; drawing their biggest crowds to date during their album tour, with blistering performances in Auckland and Wellington and playing their biggest show to date – radio station 95bFM’s Nirvana tribute night. The event, held at the hallowed Kings Arms in Auckland, saw a near-capacity crowd for the headline act.

The three members of the band – Martin Phillips, Thomas Morrison and Sam Cussen – make up a triumvirate with ideals as hard-nosed as their walls of noise, firing from the hip in a display of intensive methodology: just ask the ten releases already put out under their name.

Recording their latest release with Warner Emery (Double Ya D, ex-Phoenix Foundation) proved a priceless experience; emboldening them to strip back their sound a little more and allowing it to be mastered by the hallowed Chicago Mastering Service (run by Bob Weston and Jason Ward) was a long-standing goal of the band added indelible touches from Jason Ward that truly gave the band the polished (or rather, suitably rough) quality they have long aspired to attain.

god bows to math play:
April 13th – Adelaide – Crown & Anchor – with No Action and SparkShifter
April 14th – Melbourne – Gasometer – with Shit Weather
April 15th – Melbourne – Irene’s Warehouse (All Ages) – with Palisades
April 17th – Newcastle – Pharmacy – with Lennin Lennon
April 18th – Wollongong – Yours & Owls – support TBA
April 19th – Canberra – Phoenix – support TBA
April 20th – Sydney – The Roxbury – with Hira Hira and Mere Women
April 21st – Brisbane – Fat Louie’s – with Make More

Wilberforces, who have had their track “Believement” playlisted on 95bFM, have been confirmed for the radio station’s annual “Summer Series”, taking place on March 10th.

Taking place at the Silo Park in Auckland (the venue used for this year’s Laneway Festival), they play alongside a fantastic line up, including Street Chant (on our besties’ label, Arch Hill Recordings), Die! Die! Die!, The Golden Awesome, Princess Chelsea and The Checks.

The whole event will be broadcast live on 95bFM during the day, and is going to be free to enter!

More details available at 95bFM‘s website.

This three track sampler comes from the bands forthcoming release, recorded at the last Idiot Prayer (who we all miss, love and want to hang out with again soon, might we add) show in Dunedin earlier this year. Ipswich “vow” you only get a 24 hour window to listen to the three tracks; and they’re pretty adamant about that. Recorded by Iain Sweetman, we’ve heard the full version of the live album and we’ll be honest, it’s going to be a fantastic introductory piece to those none too familiar with the band.

Until then – you got a 24 hour period to “hoon on this”.

This year we’re stoked that both god bows to math and Cat Venom have both be chosen as part of the festival – this would mark potentially the first time Cat Venom will play with their new live drummer, and would be the last New Zealand show god bows to math play ahead of their 10-date tour of Australia.

Tickets aren’t on sale as of yet, but we’ll have links the moment they do.

Option 1) Listen to The Rock n Roll Wire from 3pm NZT onwards on 95bFM
Option 2) Wait until it’s podcasted on 95bFM’s dedicated bCast service