Tag: 2009

From a post by CJ Marsicano (‘Your Opinion Doesn’t Count’ blog, 2009)

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Diggin’ In The Crates “Giving Some Love To My Homies” Edition
This week, just like the title of this post says, I’m showing some love to some homeboys of mine who just put a new record out…

On October 30, 2004, I made my second pilgrimage in as many years to one of Philadelphia’s finest alternative/indie rock venues, The Khyber, to witness a performance by my good friend, punk legend Mike Watt (The Minutemen, fIREHOSE, Banyan, Iggy Pop & The Stooges), who was then touring behind his third solo album The Secondman’s Middle Stand.

Most likely by coincidence, all three of the acts on the bill were three-piece units. Only the first band of the night, the Perfection!sts, was a conventional guitar/bass/drums unit. Watt’s band on this outing, as on his then-new album, was an organ/bass/drums band. And then there was the band in the middle of the bill. I’ll let my paragraph on them from when I reviewed the show for PunkNews.org tell it:

Second opening act Northern Liberties (who also run their own Worldeater label and distribution company) — a trio consisting of bass, drums and percussion — played a high energy set of music from their debut full-length album Erode + Disappear. With K’s effect-laden, pick-driven bass covering all sonic frequencies and most of the melody, singer/percussionist Justin came off like a tattooed, ultra-hyper, depression-and-epilepsy-free Ian Curtis as he sang and played, unpreturbed by minor mishaps with both the mic cord coming out of his delay pedal and with accidentally knocking over a pitcher of water on the stage floor (where Mazich had to set up his organ right afterward – fortunately, no Stone The Crows like electrocution mishaps occurred) – definitely one of the best unsigned bands I’ve ever witnessed.

After the evening ended, I met lead singer/percussionist Justin Duerr, bought copies of his band’s first CD Erode + Disappear and their 7″ Easter Island off of him (the CD itself was $6 for a full-length album!). I played the CD in my car on the drive home and was hooked for life. Since then, I’ve been following the band’s releases (three more CDs, a limited edition DVD, a split 7″ and three side project releases by Justin) as well as keeping a good correspondence (and trading mix CD’s) with Justin (not surprisingly, my CDs had some J-pop goodness, which he dug immensely.) All are highly recommended by me.

Their newest release is rather interesting as it’s their first non-7″ vinyl effort. The record consists of one 29-minute, 51-second song entitled (what else?) Suffocation. Despite the length of the song, it seems to go by pretty quick. The band only intends to play this piece live twice, once on March 20 in Philadelphia and once in Bethlehem a week later. The vinyl itself (which Justin tells me is the band’s preferred way to experience the recorded version of the song) has a locked groove on side two, but they’re not putting CD and iPod owners out either, as every copy of the album has a bonus CD with some extra tracks (a few drones excerpted from the multi-track recording of the song, plus some live tracks from a California radio appearance). The album’s cover itself is silkscreened by NL’s bassist Kevin Riley.

Vinyl collectors may want to jump on this soon – there’s only 200 copies pressed, and mine was numbered 59. Check the band’s website at http://www.northernlibertiesband.com

— CJ Marsicano, re-posted from blog.

Northern Liberties – Suffocation 12″ (Duck’s Blog on WKDU.org, 2009)

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NORTHERN LIBERTIES–SUFFOCATION 12″–Self Released
1 song, 1 record, 2 sides, who has the balls to do such a thing? Northern Liberties, that’s who! An epic, creepy, droning yet rocking tune that only this West Philly trio can provide. And for those of you too lazy to flip the record, it also comes in CD format…

Northern Liberties – Suffocation (The Deli, 2009)

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Ghost punk involutioners Northern Liberties have always put on intense shows. As Kevin Riley’s bass and Marc Duerr’s drums distort the senses, Justin Duerr writhes and pounds away on his percussions in a turret of tattooed fury, but at Johnny Brenda’s this Friday, they plan to take it up a notch by unveiling a new 30 minute long song called Suffocation, which will be available on a limited edition 12” vinyl. This will be its official debut live performance, and the band currently plans to only play it one other time so don’t miss out on one of those nights that people talk about how you should’ve been there!

Also on the bill are local punk folk darlings Mischief Brew who are always incredible live, but before they play Johnny Brenda’s, they’ll be dropping in at The Fire for a special all ages acoustic set. Johnny Brenda’s 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9 PM, $10 myspace.com/northernliberties

– Bill McThrill
http://www.thedelimagazine.com/philadelphia/

Connie’s Ric Rac 5/30/09

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Saturday, May 30th, 2009
Benefit for the Family of Andrea Collins-Smith
With Serpent Throne, Hooker Mae, and The Tough Shits
Connie’s Ric Rac, Philadelphia

All day circus as a benefit for the children of Andrea Collins-Smith. From 1pm until 3pm we’ll have games for families, from 3pm to 6pm will be up to Alec, Jesse, Asa, Tucker and Bailey, and from 8pm to 1am the adult circus begins. With bands and games and fun and prizes and everything celebrating the gift of Andrea’s life and her wonderful children.

Northern Liberties “Suffocation” (Philadelphia City Paper, 3/18/09)

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Call it a prog-noise opus. Call it a gathering thunderhead. Need a better categorization? You have plenty of time to think one up. The new 12″ from captivating experimental punk trio Northern Liberties is 30 minutes of rumble, swell, shriek and release, a single thrilling song enveloping you in a manner that entire albums would struggle to match. The sludge riffing heard in the earlier part of “Suffocation” builds into pattering marching toms and mantra vocals, a beautiful feedback devotional. Then there’s some distorted bad-trip synthesizer and pounding march to the sea — so much is going on here, so many bits to chew on as the music runs its course. The band calls this its winter song, recorded last December and debuted on the vernal equinox to exorcise those dark months. On a higher level, we’ve been mired in winter for much, much longer than that, and the band has tinkered with this composition for all that time, all those years. Look at this as a rapturous catharsis to usher forth brighter days.

Northern Liberties will perform “Suffocation” in its entirety only twice. This Friday at Johnny Brenda’s will be one of those times. by John Vettese