After witnessing the chaos and energy of a These Are Powers live set,
we were immediately enthralled with this band, and after a long
courtship and a some hot and heavy dating, we are excited to announce
the start of a long and fruitful union between These Are Powers and
Dead Oceans. First, Dead Oceans will re-release of “Taro Tarot” and
“Terrific Seasons” on October 7 in the U.S. and October 6 in the U.K.,
followed by an LP of new material in the first part of 2009.
The band will support the re-releases with
tours of both North America and Europe this fall.
To fully grasp the force of a These Are Powers live set, watch the
video for “Cockles,” which was assembled using footage from 34 shows
in 25 cities, primarily shot on the band’s US tour in February and
March 2008. The video also including glimpses of NYC shows in
April/May 2008, as well as the band’s set at the Donau Festival in
Krems, Austria. Seamlessly edited by director Jacqueline Castel, this
video captures the raw power of These Are Powers.
Video for “Cockles”
http://www.scjag.com/mp3/do/cockles.mov
MP3 for “Cockles”
Press Alcove (hi-res photos, bio, album art):
http://deadoceans.com/press/thesearepowers/thesearepowerspress.php
These Are Powers Bio:
These Are Powers make music like cashmere lightning.
“We are free. We are a language of sound. We are hymns piggybacking on
noise collages, club beats and ragas. We are a celebration. We are
present in dreams and energy. We are the dynamics of being and the
infinity of possibility. Union and improvisation strengthen us.”
These are words taken directly from These Are Powers, residents of
both Brooklyn and Chicago who have created their own manifesto through
sound. Pat Noecker plays subsonic bass frequencies often mistaken for
synthesizers and robotic whales. Bill Salas creates a cascade of deft
sonic effects and electro acoustic rhythms. Anna Barie stabs guitar
and skulks like a she-wolf with a microphone.
These Are Powers utilize a wide sound-driven musical vocabulary in
their visceral constructions -songs are born from improvisation, then
emerge as fully realized sonic pieces. It’s chaos turned to beauty,
fractals coming into focus. This is music that relies as much on
instinct and intuition as it does composition or melodic structure.
These Are Powers’ experiments in the studio transform live into a
powerful low-end sub-rumble and high-end flutter established by
Noecker’s prepared bass. Combined with the cacophony of abstract beat
sound emitting from Salas’ electro-acoustic stand-up drum kit a
powerful wall is formed. Piercing through is Anna Barie’s guitar while
she and Noecker call and respond on vocals. Barie is a force of
nature, blasting through a litany of expressive, inventive guitar
sounds, full-throated yelps and howls underscored by a
confrontational, explosive energy that finds her entangled with
audience members, leaping through the air or sprawled on the floor in
front of the stage. Ferocious, intense and unhinged, when These Are
Powers perform live, it is a sight and spiritual journey to behold.
About “Taro Tarot”:
“Taro Tarot” is the finest document of These Are Powers’ prowess to
date. Following the departure of original drummer Ted McGrath,
Chicagoan Bill Salas brings together the bands’ musical ideas
concisely and cohesively in just over 20 minutes. It is no easy feat,
but on “Taro Tarot”, These Are Powers demonstrate to the world the
power they wield. The low end undercurrent emanating from Noecker’s
sub bass tones is like no sound you have ever heard from the four
stringed instrument, while the tribal and primitive rhythm of
“Chipping Ice” shows that while this band’s music is known to be a
heavy sonic excursion, you can also fucking dance to it. The
frequency-analyzed sounds of “Cockles” are a thing of beauty, while
“Twin Remains” shares a melodic sensibility with SST-era Sonic Youth.
These Are Powers pack an eclectic infinity into these six tracks,
channeling far-flung musical ideas with their undeniable intuitive
sense into an epic, focused statement. Upon one listen to “Taro Tarot”
you will realize These Are Powers have arrived.
About “Terrific Seasons”:
Originally released in 2007, “Terrific Seasons” is These Are Powers’
first full-length album. “Terrific Seasons” takes off with a punk-like
ferocity, recalling the halcyon days of Silver Apples and Throbbing
Gristle. It is a poly-rhythmic, frantic, unconventional work that
finds These Are Powers utilizing border-line conventional song
structures to harness their abstract sounds. From the urgency of
opener “You Come With Nothing” to the anthemic croon of “Little
Sisters of Beijing,” the distant and sinister meditative sounds of
“Drawing Water” and to the sprawling jams of “Pizza Master Ice Cream
Palace,” the band covers a tremendous amount of ground throughout
their debut.
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/thesearepowers
http://thesearepowers.com/
http://deadoceans.com/artist.php?name=thesearepowers
Tour Dates:
09/05/08 Madison, WI – University of Wisconsin
09/06/08 Iowa City, IA – The Picador
09/07/08 Kansas City, MO – Pistol Social Club
09/08/08 Lawrence, KS – Jackpot
09/09/08 St. Louis, MO – Lemp Arts
09/10/08 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle – (The Wire Adventures in Modern
Music Festival)
09/12/08 Indianapolis, IN – Locals Only
09/13/08 Louisville, KY – The Void
09/14/08 Memphis, TN – Hi Tone
09/16/08 Dallas, TX – Club Dada
09/17/08 Austin, TX – Emo’s
09/18/08 Houston, TX – The Mink
09/19/08 Jackson, MS – 121 Milsaps
09/20/08 Birmingham, AL – The Bottle Tree
09/21/08 Atlanta, GA – Eyedrum
09/22/08 Charlotte, NC – Milestone
09/25/08 Philadelphia, PA – Pi-Lam
09/26/08 Annandale-on-Hudson, NY – Bard College
09/27/08 Brooklyn, NY – Todd P NYC
09/28/08 New York, NY – Knitting Factory
09/29/08 New Haven, CT – People’s Center
09/30/08 Portland, ME – Space Gallery
10/02/08 Montreal, QC – Pop Montreal – Divan Orange
10/03/08 Toronto, ON – Sneaky Dee”s
10/05/08 Chicago, IL – AV-aerie