Extreme noise-metal legends and recent Black Market Activities signees, Today Is The Day are set to tour this August with Keelhaul and poised for their ninth release in 2011. Founder, vocalist/guitarist, and head mad-man Steve Austin discusses how the band is as vicious and inspired as ever. Catch them and Keelhaul at The Haunt on Saturday, August 21st with local black metal and gridncore favorites, Lux Carentes and Hiroshima Vacation starting at 6PM. Tickets are $10 adv/$15 dos available at The Haunt, Angry Mom Records and IthacaUnderground.com.

IU: Congrats on signing to Black Market Activities. How did you hook up with those fine folks?

Steve Austin: Thanks! Black Market Activities is one of the coolest and cutting edge labels goin'. I have known Guy (Owner and Vocalist for The Red Chord) for a long time and always considered him to be a creative thinking artist in everything he does. We are very proud to be a part of the BMA family. 

IU: What made you decide to release the album on BMA rather than your own SuperNova Records?

Steve: Too much to do in running SuperNova Records and releasing our own records. We like the way BMA does things and SuperNova is primarily going to release our existing catalog of records and DVD's. It's nice to be able to focus only on making the rock, and leave the business side of things to good friends who are awesome at putting out records.

IU: Do you know who will be involved with the line-up for your ninth release?

Steve: Yes, my friends Curran Reynolds and Ryan Jones from the band, Wetnurse will be on Drums and Bass. Long-Time family friend and colleague Kurt Ballou from Converge will be recording and producing the new Today Is The Day album at God City in Boston.

IU: How did Curran come to join the band and what other projects has he been involved in?

Ithaca Underground’s Bubba Crumrine chats with Joseph Andreoli (gutiars/loops) and Kenneth Topham (drums/percussion) of Massachusetts math-rock/improv duo GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES! on the eve of their northeast tour to discuss “The Champaigne of Boners Tour”, the new album, recording, comic books, fan appreciation and some super-secret facts about G?G! so get reading! See them live with Brian! and Tzar this Thursday, August 19th at The Shop.

IU: What are you two up to this fine evening?

Joe: Right now we’re in Williamstown, VT in a cabin, on the deck. We’re just hanging out. We’re on our way out from western Massachusetts and decided to come out here the day before the tour, chill out, and cut our drive to Montreal in half. So, we figured we’d take a bunch of acid…

IU: Yeah?

Joe: Nah. (laughs) But yeah, we’re playing Montreal tomorrow. We’ve never played in Canada before so, we really hope there are no problems with the boarder to do the shows. We’re really excited about it.

IU: How many Canadian dates are you doing?

Ken: We’re doing six in Canada, then to Ithaca, with Burlington after that. We’re playing Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Waterloo, Windsor, and St. Catherine’s. The one in Waterloo might get moved. 

IU: Excellent! Good luck in Canada. I read that you’re working on new material?

So picture this: a band featuring a DIY punker playing bass guitar, electric guitar, creating various electronic noises and vocals, paired with a classically trained bassoon player. Together they create avant-guard, complex compositions with effects heavy guitar riffs, no percussion, and a bassoon rhythm section. Sounds like a confusing mess right? In actuality, BRIAN! (which consists of Ithaca Underground main man Bubba Crumrine on guitar, bass, electronics, vocals and David Resig on bassoon) create some of the most original and interesting music I've heard in some time, while still being incredibly listenable and colorful. BRAIN! released their debut (EEE)EP on Bubba's own Pirate House records and will be performing their unique, almost unclassifiable music opening for Giraffes? Giraffes! with local act Tzar August 19th at The Shop.

VII: First off, I just have to congratulate you guys on forming one of the most original sounding bands I've heard. It's not everyday that you find a bassoon player in a band these days.

Bubba Crumrine +David Resig: Thanks! That really means a lot for us. We definitely strive to create something unique, to blend our influences and experience, without sounding like we're aping any one artist, group, or composer in particular.

VII: How did this group form?

David: Well, I started playing again after 10 years off.

Bubba: ...and I said, "Whadda ya mean you play bassoon and didn't tell me?!" (Laughs) We've known each other for about 5 years or so and we both have a classical training background. Dave much more than me though.

David: On top of that, I've really enjoyed listening to Bubba's music library and the bands he brings in. Oddly enough, we started off thinking it was going to be a bassoon & percussion duo.

Bubba: But then I remembered I really have no percussive skills whatsoever.


VII: How would you describe Brian!'s sound? I imagine that it would be kinda hard to pin down into a few adjectives.

Ithaca Underground's Bubba Crumrine catches up with the Austin, TX experimental duo Zorch on their way through the northeast.  The band will stop in Ithaca this Sunday, August 15th at The Haunt with Afghanistan, Why The Wires, Cameron Wisch, and The Invisible Hand.  Doors at 5PM, shows starts at 6PM and is all ages. (Photo by Ian Hunt to the best of my knowledge)


Let's have Zac & Sam give us some background on the band and what we get to look forward to, hmmm?!

IU: How did the two of you meet?

Noise music: a chaotic, unpredictable, destructive, wall of sound with limitless possibilities. Ithaca's own dynamic duo of noise Genital Holograms, featuring Ithaca Underground main man Bubba Crumrine (also of BRIAN!) and Cory Mahaney (ex-The Rolemodels, Ballistic Shit Circus, Speak Daggers, Fight a Scary Dog) create vast, loud, droning pieces of noise, filled with effect driven bass, guitars, vocals and the occasional home made instruments. They have already released a 2CD demo, a CD EP, and have an upcoming split 7" with hardcore band Ailments, all on Pirate House Records.



VII: How did the band form?

GH: To be completely honest, we didn’t set out to be a band at all. We kept seeing each other at shows and really grew to hate one another. Unbeknownst to the other, we each command the superpower of noise and one day, Bubba invited Corey over to the Pirate House. The invitation was accepted, each of us under the pretense that the other was walking into the other's trap, where we would easily crush our opponent with our crushing power of noise. The battle produced a sonic nightmare that deafened anyone within light-year of the blast. Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on who and when you’re asking) we discovered our powers were equally matched and lazily decided to start a band instead of killing people. It’s interesting how over time love came from all that hate which is funny because for most couples it’s the other way around.

VII: Was the idea of being a noise band their from the beginning?

GH: Definitely. Once we put our differences aside, noise was the only option.

VII: Where did the band name come from?