Look what came in the mail today...

Tuesday was February 1st and that meant that the new Noisear "Subvert The Dominant Paradigm" was just released on Relapse Records. I received my package from Relapse today and am stoked on how the covers came out. The back cover art was drawn by Arif Rot of Wormrot and is sick as fuck! And, Orion Landau finished up the packaging by putting it all together and added his touch to the graphic design and layout of the booklet. You can find the CD/LP online at the Relapse store (shop.relapse.com/search_results.aspx?st=1&ss=noisear) and at most record stores near you. Amazing political grind from my brothers from Nuevo Mexico.

Limited edition "Swans Of Black Ash" tour prints.

Phillip had some prints made up for the Kylesa Winter Tour featuring the new "Swans Of Black Ash" design. They are hand signed and numbered and limited to 50 prints. They're going fast and the only way to pick one up, is to go out to one of the shows on this tour.
We weren't able to get the shirt version of the design printed before tour, but they will be available on their upcoming European tour and beyond. You can also pick one up at www.indiemerchstore.com/kylesa/item/11614/.

Just in time for tour.

The new Kylesa "Swans Of Black Ash" shirt design is a detailed beast, born of late night ideas between Phillip and I during the Sanctioned Annihilation Tour. With this design, I wanted to rightfully represent Kylesa and their life as a band while creating a piece that upped the ante when it came to the overall look and art itself. I also wanted it to be a design that was an answer to the beauty and brutality that I saw during the six weeks of touring.
For the design, the idea was to still use the central theme of "Spiral Shadow" and and make it a piece more personal to the band as a whole. The swan, of course, starts out life as an ugly gosling right out of the egg and eventually grows into a beautiful swan. As a band, they've had their ups and downs throughout the years and while their past contains many trials and pain, they've managed to hone their music into a beautiful balance of ideas and musicianship.
The tree continues the theme and grows from behind the egg, into the wings of the swan, and out of the top. It represents the roots set down by the band and the continuing ascension as the tree grows past the the beauty of the swan itself into the unknown. I also wanted the tree to resemble the vein structure of a pair of lungs. To see them play day after day and see the machine that they become once they start to play IS the feeling of several people breathing as one. One machine chugging along and drawing you closer with each breath until the listener becomes a part of machine themselves.
The snake is that touch of evil that everyone continuously encounters throughout our life and is wrapped around the swan and preparing to swallow the egg as to show the trials along the road to such a growth. Their cannot be good with out the bad in life.
The piece as a whole and the explanation of that piece is a personal letter to the people who have become my good friends over the years. Kylesa is a great band and an amazing group of individuals and having the opportunity to work with them on art and now, as a tour manager, just reinforces that there are still good people out there making incredible music.
There will also be a "Spiral Shadow" shirt design available on the tour, so go out to the shows starting January 13th in Atlanta, GA.
I get to sit back now and advance some shows. I hope to see some folks out there!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all! I hope that everyone had a great evening. I had a great time with a few friends from Portland, OR and a few of my favorite people here in Seattle at the Neurosis show. They played a 2 night NW engagement staring Thursday December 30th with Wolves in The Throne Room and Black Breath and NYE with Ludicra, Yob, and Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth. It was a crushing show and one of the best ways to start 2011. Neurosis played 3 new songs and gave us all something to look forward in the new year.
Speaking of new year, I have several things coming up. I'm still working on finishing the Hell Hath No Fury LP/CD cover and almost finished with a new Kylesa shirt design. I will continue working with Mark Morton on some new LOG designs as well as joining my friend, Brian Mercer, in creating some designs for a new NASCAR endeavor that Mark and his wife have going. I finally get to work with the mighty Buzzov*en by designing their European tour shirts. There will also be a few sticker packs coming out and I've talked to a few friends who will be making prints of a few designs this year.
Also this year, I'll be tour managing Kylesa for their East and West Coast tours in support of "Spiral Shadow". The East coast tour starts January 13th in Atlanta, GA and will feature supporting acts Zoroaster (1/13-1/20), Rosetta (1/21-1/29), & Fight Amp. I'll be around so come out, see some good music, and say hello!
Cheers all and I look forward to another great year! In the words of Jonathan Nuñez, "It's going to be the best last year ever".

The new Noisear, Kylesa, and a NW green chile weekend.

I know that it's been a while since I posted anything, but it's been busy over the past few months. I'm finally rested after the 6 week Sanctioned Annihilation Tour came to an end and I'm back in the art room.
Since I've been back, I've been working on sketches for the next few projects that are coming up. I've also started up where I left off on the Hell Hath No Fury "So Shall You Reap" cover. Among the projects coming up during the month are a new Kylesa shirt design, Buzzov-en European Tour shirt, and original designs for a new sticker pack. Prints are also being worked on. I have more designs coming up, but am going to take more time on them so that I can up the ante on the work that I am putting out.
The new Noisear "Subvert The Dominant Paradigm" cd/lp has been posted for pre-sale at Relapse Records (http://shop.relapse.com/store/product.aspx?ProductID=41978). For those of you who don't know who Noisear (www.myspace.com/noisearare) should really check them out. Once again, my hermanos from New Mexico turn out a brutal assault on the ears via 29 sun baked spazztic grindcore tracks. I was amped when Dorian called to ask if I could once again design the cover for the new LP. He sent me a text filled with a string of words, each being small ideas to be included in the cover . I took those ideas and added in the images that the album title suggested and ended up with a cover that everyone was happy with. Of course, the basis of the image is the New Mexico zia constructed of bone that lies behind most of the main images. The nuclear bomb cloud is also a nod to New Mexico and their history of tests within the state. When thinking about the dominant paradigm, I wanted to convey the idea of brainwashing under the watchful eye of the dark powers that be. I also tied the nuclear cloud in with the vomit coming from each of the skulls mouths to convey that what spews from the mouths of society is as poisonous as any nuke. Dorian, Joe, and the guys at Relapse are pretty stoked on the cover and I can hardly wait until I have it in my hands.
In other news, I just got done tour managing Kylesa's 3 mini Pacific Northwest Tour over the past weekend. I stuffed them full of green chile and had a blast watching them tear shit up on stage. They started in Vancouver, BC at the Media Club, for a packed and heavy show featuring locals Haggatha and Baptists. The next night was at Seattle's own Funhouse. The show was sold out and stuffed to capacity as Book Of Black Earth, Lesbian, and Kylesa laid waste to the stage. The 3rd night was actually a private party/show in Portland, OR. It was Stumptown Coffee Roasters 11th Anniversary Bash and they managed to put together one hell of a show with Red Fang, Kylesa, and Baroness. Portland was cold outside, but inside of Berbati's Pan it was raging. We were all treated exceptionally well and were completely grateful to the folks at Berbati's and Stumptown. That party makes me want to work for them. heh. It was a great weekend and a fun quick visit from the Kylesa crew.
I will be seeing them again soon, though. Starting January 13th, Kylesa will be embarking on a 2 week East Coast "Winter Tour" with Zoroaster, Rosetta, and Fight Amp. You can find all of the tour dates and news at: www.tonedeaftouring.com/kyl.html. I'll be once again tour managing and slinging merch for this tour, so come out and say hi, get me high, whatever. Just come out and have a good time!
Back to work for me. Every day I'm hustlin'.

Back in black!

  I know that it's been a while, but I am back! The Sanctioned Annihilation Tour is over and I'm home safe and sound with my amazing wife. Being Kylesa's tour manager and merch slinger was a great time and I have to thank them for the opportunity! I also have to thank Brady (HoF TM), all my good friends in High On Fire, and my new friends in Torche. There will be pictures and more to come. I'm taking a few days off to rest

Prints

 Fresh out of Monkey Press and just signed and numbered, Kylesa's "Spiral Shadow" prints will be available on the Sanctioned Annihilation Tour featuring High On Fire, Torche, and Kylesa.