BLACK PUSSY
*NOTE*
Black Pussy does not condone or endorse any sexism, racism, ageism, violence, or any other douchebaggery that has been spoiling the party since the party started. If you are offended by the band’s name please refer to the following quote…
“Few people can see genius in someone who has offended them.”
-Robertson Davies
When The Rolling Stones wrote their classic track “Brown Sugar” it was originally titled “Black Pussy,” but record-label politics got in the way: It was deemed too offensive and the powers at work refused to put it out. So the band had to change the name to something that was easier for the general public to swallow. At least that’s how the legend goes.
For Dustin Hill, the creative mastermind and songwriter behind Black Pussy, it sounded like a fantastic band name. It encapsulates exactly what the band is: a sex-charged, ’70s-influenced, hide-your-daughters-because-they’re-coming-to-town rock ‘n’ roll band that sounds like Tarantino directing a Thin Lizzy video in the low desert. Considering the name comes from a song that directly speaks out against racism, Hill isn’t willing to entertain the notion that the band intends to offend anyone.
For the past few years, the group has perpetually headed out on nationwide tours, including a full U.S. and Canada stint opening for ex-Kyuss legends Vista Chino in 2013, rightfully earning them the tagline, “ON TOUR FOREVER.” The group has also spent the last two years constantly working on heavy, psychedelic rock songs with not only Portland recording engineer Adam Pike (Red Fang, Norska, Black Elk, etc.) but also the legendary Kyuss founding drummer and multi-instrumentalist Brant Bjork.
Black Pussy’s heavy, bluesy sound and clear influences of Kyuss, Hendrix and The Who have found a niche in the ever-growing, global stoner-rock movement. The band exclusively uses vintage Sunn gear, pushing a massive 44 speakers when playing live and tends to land shows with the heaviest, sludgiest bands in the Portland, Oregon scene. However, their classic, upbeat, relentlessly hooky tracks have led to Hill coining the phrase “stoner pop,” like The Cars meets Black Sabbath. The band’s catchy music tends to seduce anyone, even those who walk in off the street after seeing the intriguing band name on the marquis of the venue.
The 2012 debut album, On Blonde, is Hill’s baby: It was written and mostly recorded by him alone, though guitarist Ryan McIntire, drummer Dean Carroll, bassist Aaron Poplin and keyboardist Chief O’Dell were later added to the band. The record, which kicks off with the rip of a bong and sounds like a drug-riddled midnight misadventure in a ’70s muscle car, even found its way across the ocean as well: The track “Blow Some Steam Off” landed a spot on the February 2013 Metal Hammer compilation. 2013 saw a split release from Black Pussy and LA-based Biblical Proof Of UFOs: a contact high-inducing, 22-minute psychedelic opus entitled “Galaxies.”
“For The Sake Of Argument” is the first taste of Black Pussy’s forthcoming album, Magic Mustache, which will be out in early 2015. The band’s evolved sound takes the feel of rock legends Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy and Hawkwind and combines it with the heaviness of stoner rock icons Kyuss and Monster Magnet, adding add a potent dose of pop sensibility reminiscent of The Cars and Queens Of The Stone Age for the quintessential stuck-in-your-head-for-weeks, sound that is Black Pussy. Filmed using an analog liquid light projector, the video utilizes a classic yet unique-looking take on the psychedelic and drug inspired imagery popularized in the 60s and 70s. Black Pussy are back doing what they do best: sending on a journey through time and space where vintage gear acts as the controls, and sound waves are the highways.
HERO JR.
When most rock bands depend on technology and gimmicks to sound fiercer than they really are Hero Jr. plugs in and pushes the ‘record’ button. Loud. 100% Live. Doesn’t sound like it was recorded in a living room. www.herojrmusic.com
YEAR OF THE COBRA
We are two individuals that make heavy music.
Bass and drum duo that sound like a four piece. Dreamy female vocals over occult doom grooves.
APE MACHINE
The name APE MACHINE is a nod to the days of reel-to-reel magnetic tape audio recording; a fitting moniker for the heavy-hitting quartet as the band plays through vintage tube amplifiers and lays down its songs using exclusively throwback quality studio equipment. With a heady mix of animal aggression and technical precision, APE MACHINE’s music carries an organic depth and warmth rarely heard since the time of rock’s glorious early years (or your Dad’s bad ass record collection) infused with an exceptional modern sensibility. When the mystical lyrics of vocalist Caleb Heinze lock in with the band’s stone-cold groove, APE MACHINE demonstrates an earth-shaking ability to rock. A true four-piece, the group has been called “a rock and roll band with a finger on the pulse of the 70’s and their asses firmly in the present” and “real heavy-psych for the iPhone generation” that delivers “true guts and glory rock and roll.”
Blending equal parts Rock n’ Roll, Blues, Stoner Rock and Psychedelia, Ape Machine is out to melt faces and pound the apathy out of otherwise jaded listeners with a wall of heavy rock n’ roll tones unheard since the days of bell bottoms, long hair and blaring tube amplifiers.
Ape Machine’s mission is to combine intense melody, cutting riffs and blistering live improvisation. Where many bands rely on meticulously rehearsed, just-like-the-record-parts, Ape Machine provides a live experience that is as unique as each evening it shares with an audience.