New York, NY (Top40 Charts) In support of their debut, self-titled LP (Captured Tracks and Flying Nun Records), Auckland, New Zealand's Wax Chattels have confirmed a U.S tour that kicks off June 30at Brooklyn, NY's Rough Trade. The tour takes them to, among other markets, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle and Oakland. The full tour is listed below.
Today Wax Chattels share a video for their single "It" which was directed by Kent Belcher. A live performance video, it is the prefect sneak peak at why so many label the band's shows "not-to-be-missed." It was after a particularly insane show that they were signed by both Captured Tracks and Flying Nun Records on the spot. The band have said, "we want to play shows that make people feel uncomfortable. The goal is to leave the audience feeling slightly altered, like they have experienced, not just heard or seen something." Brooklyn Vegan premiered the video saying, "there is an undeniable pummeling rock vibe" to the band's album.
"It's a concentrated sour gumdrop of a record, melting a small hole in your mouth before giving any relief. But that pain is part of the point." Pitchfork
"This track is the herky-jerk industrial-punk of Suicide's "Ghost Rider" whipped into psychotic dance music." NPR on "In My Mouth"
"This band of former jazz students is making confrontational post-punk, marrying the grinding keyboards of Suicide with the drum-and-bass intensity of early Death From Above 1979. The results are stark, sinister songs..." AV Club
"...are Wax Chattels any good? My answer? Absolutely." Austin Town Hall
Guitarless Guitar Music. This is the self-imposed one-line description chosen by Wax Chattels. The keyboard, bass and drums trio don't have a guitar player, but their overwhelming sound and energy creates an atmosphere akin to a traditional loud power trio - except their music is anything but traditional. With the release of the band's first single off the upcoming album, "Stay Disappointed," NPR called them "crushing" and tweeted, "Guitars? Where we're going we don't neeeeed guitars."
Wax Chattels create darkly hypnotic and frenetic music that's both rhythmically complex and sinister.
Peter Ruddell (26, keyboards/vocals),
Amanda Cheng (26, bass/vocals) and Tom Leggett (22, drums) met studying Jazz Performance at the University of Auckland, and started Wax Chattels a few years later. Composing together, Wax Chattels worked up their material for a year prior to recording. "We tracked the songs as a live band to capture the energy of the live show, restricting ourselves to instruments which we play live and keeping all production to a minimum to focus on the band sound itself." The band "come from" and "go to" different places on stage and in their heads when they write, record and perform, largely because they aren't the kind of band with homogeneous interests outside of music.
Wax Chattels recalls the other side of Kiwi underground rock history that's a bit less sunny and jangly. The small, yet constantly groundbreaking nation has put forth a new act and album that demands your attention.
Wax Chattels on tour
6/23 - London, UK - The Lexington &
6/25 - Brighton, UK - The Hope & Ruin
6/26 - London, UK - The Lock Tavern (Free Show)
6/29 - Brooklyn, NY - Live at The Lot Radio
6/30 - Brooklyn, NY - Rough Trade NYC (Brooklyn Sound with B Boys)
7/02 - Philadephia, PA - Boot & Saddle ^
7/03 - Charlotte, NC - Lunchbox Records In-Store
7/05 - Nashville, TN - Betty's
7/06 - Memphis, TN - Murphy's
7/08 - Indianapolis, IN -
State Street Pub
7/09 - Detroit, MI - Outer Limits
7/10 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups
7/12 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle %
7/13 - Pittsburgh, PA - The Shop $
7/14 - Brooklyn, NY - Wayward (Free Show)
7/16 - Los Angeles, CA - Fingerprints In-Store
7/17 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Secret
7/20 - Seattle, WA - Venue TBD
7/21 - Portland, OR - House Show
7/23 - Sacramento, CA - Venue TBD @
7/24 - Fresno, CA - Tioga Sequoia Brewing Company
7/25 - Bakersfield, CA - Venue TBD @
7/27 - Los Angeles, CA - The Rec Center @
& with LA Witch
^ with
David Vassalotti (of Merchandise)
% with Radiant Devices
$ with Gotobeds
@ with Warm Drag.
