Tim
Mass Movement

Coinciding with this, and featured on our homepage, is the video debut of their new track “Making Money”. Filmed in Qatar for full bling effect, it’s in true Dubioza form. And if you’re new to the band, live outside of Europe, or just haven’t had a chance to see them live, be sure to check out the large collection of their material their video page.

“Wild Wild East” is available worldwide, through the Koolarrow store, digital sites like iTunes, or at a music store near you.

Talking Book:

Today is May 24, the official release date of “The Talking Book” worldwide.Reviews across the board have been excellent, and, following the killer live debut at GAMH in SF, plans are now in the works for taking this project on the road, with tour dates tentatively being scheduled for Fall 2011. The album is now available through independent record shops, online, and through our own Koolarrow store.

La Plebe:

Another May 24 landmark, today marks the kickoff for a month long tour of Europe. This run will find the boys hitting familiar spots like Germany and their beloved Balkans,  but also breaking new ground in spots like Spain new areas of France…,and the first show of journey begins here in SF at the Bottom of the Hill…TONIGHT!!  Tourdates are posted on the tourpage.

DUBIOZA KOLEKTIV:

As we post this, Dubioza is in the middle of a month long tour of their own, currently in Scandanavia,, with European tour dates scheduled throughout the summer. If you are on the continent, be sure to check the Koolarrow tour dates page..these guys are playing a lot and there is a good chance they will be making it your way. Meanwhile, their new album  “Wild Wild East” is mixed, mastered, and ready to press! Release is scheduled for Sept 6, 2011…there will be a lot of news about this band coming up over the next few months….

FLATTBUSH:

It’s been almost a pipe dreamt–certainly a long time coming — but where there’s a will there’s a way, and in this case persistence has paid off…Flattbush play their first shows ever in their native Philippines! Their no holds barred form of activism,, pairs with the classic Flattbush musical assault will not bring a passive response…it’s a ballsy move and it’s also what makes Flattbush so great… More details will be posted soon.

KULTUR SHOCK:

EU dates presently being confirmed for July/August 2011. News coming soon.

Reclaimed from a graveyard of vinyl, “The Talking Book” is a collection of oxidized aural snapshots buried between the gloom and the gorgeous. A collaboration between Bill Gould, best known as a founding member of the group Faith No More, and conceptual sound artist Jared Blum, creator of abstract pop under the moniker “Blanketship”, and other releases on his SF based, lo-fi musique concrete label Gigante Sound.  “The Talking Book” is the first installment in a series of like-minded recordings on Bill Gould’s Koolarrow Record Label.

“The Talking Book” is a record of visuals–the chapters written are aural descriptors of a people and place left behind; beautiful living memories and yet, due to time, corrupted like a faded photo, scenic beauty in a state of decomposition. The exploration of both structured arrangements and non-harmonic sound results  in a music both informed and diverse. Deep and sullen Piano notes tinkle while warbled guitar tapes appear in the cracks. Lush drones collect and fold onto each other into a haze of harmony as deep bass pulses drive through the heart of it all. Melodies and blissful awakenings appear in the form of acoustic guitar, organ and voice.

Review by Nils Quak for Fluid Radio

AND, for those of you in the SF Bay Area, Talking Book will make it’s live debut, on May 18 at the Great American Music Hall, opening the show for Mike Patton and Pivixki. Show begins at 8pm, we’re doing 40 minutes, so be sure to get there on time!!

This year, if you read the nominees for IMPALA’s Independent Album of the Year, you will notice the name Dubioza Kolektiv. To the uninitiated, DK are a band from Bosnia known for their fresh take on hiphop, mixed with reggae, dub, rock and Bosnian folklore; others more familiar with the name know them as a killer live band, and notorious leaders in the fight for social change in their home country. Though relatively new to audiences in “The West”, the group has already established itself as among the best and most popular live outfits in Eastern Europe, and with the international release of their upcoming album “Wild Wild East” in Summer of 2011, their recognition will only continue to grow.

You may ask: what makes them different from everyone else? Well, for one thing, their personal story. In fact, all of them spent their teenaged years in the middle of a war, under siege. Carrying thousands litres of water over long distances was a daily chore, all the while never knowing what bullet or shell would end their lives, or the lives of their family and friends (many of whom were killed or injured). And yet, through making music and rehearsing in basement shelters (as long as the electricity worked) is how they learned to play their instruments, and more importantly, how to resist the negativity of the war. This is a band that takes music seriously.

Initially, the concept of the band came through an urgent need to voice the problematic issues in Bosnian society, while also showing the rest of the world that life in the Balkans exists outside of the familiar and overused media stereotypes. Understandably then, many of Dubioza Kolektiv’s lyrics revolve around themes of peace, understanding and tolerance, alongside an extreme criticism of nationalism and injustice; but what gives these lyrics weight is that they speak with the authority of direct experience.

DK is well known in Bosnia for practicing what they preach. They have lent support to the first grass-roots civil society group “Dosta” by recording a special song for the movement, and organizing a huge protest concert before 2006 general elections. Their album release party for their fourth album “Firma Illegal” took place in front of the Bosnian Parliament, a powerful statement against government corruption, and garnered massive coverage in the national press. Finally, in 2010 the band spearheaded a national voting drive with concerts in all of the major Bosnian cities, aimed to increase the turnout of younger population in 2010 elections. These shows were considered a complete success, with packed venues, thousands of young people registering to vote.

Now, after eight years and five albums under their belts, (their sixth, “Wild Wild East” due for international release in Summer of 2011), they can claim a list of accomplishments that would make any musicians proud: a diehard fan base (“5 do 12” boasts over 100,000 downloads and counting). Outside of the Balkans, they’ve been nominated for “Independent Album of the Year 2011”, have been featured recognized by the BBC and Time Magazine as a legitimate voice of Bosnia. Now, with the support an international record label and months of touring ahead, there is nowhere for the band to go but up.

But let’s back to the music: if you’re looking for macho, money-and-ego driven posturing, you won’t find it here; no MTV “rude boy” gangstas, no strippers or bling, no brands or corporate endorsements from the international fashion industry. Rather, they take on traditional musical forms with their unique perspective, shaped by a war that changed their lives forever; and all done with a positivity that feels like breath of fresh air. If there was an award for Independent Artist of the Decade, they would have my vote.

Seriously, if there was ever a band with the “never say die” spirit, this is it. Their origin is inspiring, the charisma is infectious and their live show is pure emotion.

Get tickets

La Plebe —————–

To kickoff this new site, we proudly announce our very first “digital only” effort, with “Un Disparo al Centro” by Como Asesinar a Felipes, an absolutely incredible band from Chile. Though they utilize elements of hip hop and jazz, it’s their very unique sound that, to our ears, is groundbreaking. Well, that, and the fact that they teamed up with Santiago’s Juvenile National Orchestra for this recording, makes this a rich body of work, and one that we are incredibly excited to be putting out . We will also include a download link on the album release page with translations to some of their lyrics, for those who do not speak Spanish… The album is officially available through most online providers (and via the KA store) as of Feb. 22.