Death In Graceland
Death In Graceland - A Rock N Roll Band from the Westside of Cincinnati
3
songs
1.7K
plays
The Hardest Working Man in No Business The Hardest Working Man in No Business
Chalk Up Another One For Special Teams Chalk Up Another One For Special Teams
Kick and punt returns make me wet...
DEATH IN GRACELAND - A Rock'n'roll band from the Westside of Cincinnati.
Matt - vocals
Beale - guitar
Kane - guitar
Kevin - bass
Patrick - drumsBand/artist history
Death In Graceland formed in the winter of 2001, on the west side of Cincinnati. Beale, Kevin, and Patrick had been playing in bands together for over five years, most notably west side punk legends Anti-Pro and glam-rockers Frantic Romantic. The right singer finally came along in Matt, a charismatic drummer from Harrison, OH, 20 minutes west of Cincinnati. Kane, formely of 97Xposure top 20 band UNX joined in June 2002, on second guitar. Death In Graceland played its first show on July 15th 2002.
The band started an unofficial residency at The Void, an all-ages club in Northside, where they also practiced during off-hours. There they opened for such acts as The Vibrators, Sloppy Seconds, Tub Ring, and Denial. Death In Graceland have played extensively through Cincinnati, at such venues as Top Cats, Sudsy Malones, Mad Frog, the Barrelhouse, and also at Newport's Southgate House.
Death In Graceland released their first CD, Come On, Touch Me, in the winter of 2003. The 7 song EP showcased the band's signature sound, a dirty, dark rock n' roll explosion. Though influenced by Cheap Trick, Fugazi, and Nation Of Ulysses, the band's inventive songwriting and pure emotion make the music uniquely their own. The band has toured twice in the Midwest and East Coast since the CD's release, playing in Chicago, Philideplhia, New York, and elsewhere.
While the CD garnered a fair amount of praise, its the live show that defines Death In Graceland. Matt breathes fire and shakes his ass like he's on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1965, with the rest of the band bouncing around in a tightly-wound, cathartic frenzy. The old-fashioned art of stage presence is not lost on Death In Graceland.
The band is currently playing shows in Cincinnati, while working on new material.Have you performed in front of an audience?Yes. We play around Cincinnati at bars that usually don't even cut us drink deals. It's okay, though.
Your musical influences
Hot Snakes, Led Zeppelin, Black Halos, Rye Coalition, Blood Brothers, Black Heart Procession, Nation Of Ulysses, The Stooges, Murder City Devils, Grand Funk Railroad, Rites Of Spring, Rolling Stones, Fugazi, Black SabbathWhat equipment do you use?
A curious mix of Orange, Ampeg, Marshall, Gibson, Music Man, Sabian, and Pearl.Anything else?
City Beat - Vol. 9 Issue 37 Jul 23-Jul 29, 2003
DEATH IN GRACELAND -- COME ON, TOUCH ME
While many young, so-called Punk bands these days have memories that go back only as far as their big brother's Descendents CD collection (at best), Death In Graceland are built -- directly or not -- on the Punk-Before-It-Had-A-Name Rock of The Stooges, MC5 and the Dead Boys. Put it this way: You won't find any cutesy lyrics or processed, auto-tuned vocals on Come On, Touch Me, the band's tremendous, relentless seven-song debut effort. DIG embody the danger and pure Rock & Roll abandon of the new-school of reckless Garage Punk, led by figure-head bands like the late Murder City Devils. And they do it as well, if not better, than many of their more acclaimed counterparts. Such wildness translates well in a live setting, but it's harder to pull off in a studio. That's exactly why Come On is so triumphant. The album skillfully captures the uninhibited energy, with the switchblade stab of the group's dueling guitars sounding so urgently visceral it'll nick your chin if you're not careful. Singer "Matt" also possesses a dynamic vocal personality; like Iggy and Birthday Party-era Nick Cave, he can float effortlessly between banshee wail and vampiric croon, without ever sounding like an actor. The harness of energy wouldn't mean squat if this was just another bunch of drunk, tattooed hoodlums thrashing around their basement. DIG has an effectively dark, almost artful writing ability, channeling that Johnny Thunder-like treachery through a filter of razored dissonance and imaginative arrangements, resembling at times what early Fugazi might have sounded like had they all been Jack Daniels enthusiasts. It's chaotic, to be sure, but there's method to the madness. (Mike Breen)
www.indystar.com
This week's special summit edition was distinguished by Death in Graceland -- a Cincinnati group known for its truck-stop wardrobe and take-no-prisoners sonic assault.
After framing their hometown as the place that gave the world Larry Flynt and Jerry Springer, Death in Graceland played a set sleazy and brash enough to make Larry and Jerry proud. (David Lindquist)
www.cincymusic.com
Death in Graceland is going to creep you out. Don't resist. With the morbid album art, the raunchy, full-throttle Punk Rock and menacing lyrics, it is inevitable. They will make you clench your fists, shake your ass, and sing along to every nihilistic anthem on their 7-song debut, Come On, Touch Me. The experience is decidedly visceral, but the filthy residue doesnt disguise the amazing songwriting and playing these gifted newcomers offer.
The variety of riffs and structures on this disc make every single song a masterpiece. DiG make great use of their dual guitar lineup, layering chunky Dead Kennedys riffs with meaty, inventive leads and inviting comparisons to Tom Morello or J Mascis. The rhythm section wrestles and pins every tempo and intensity shift that comes their way, and there are many. These aren't "waiting for the chorus to come back" songs; the arranging is pure demolition derby. Sections are mutated and extended or shortened to suit the storytelling. And the vocals are the antithesis of the sweet harmonies upon which many a Pop-Punk castle is currently built. More like Stiv Bators meets Mick Jagger. Which is fortuitous, considering DiG's lyrical content...disturbing would be appropriate at times.
For instance, in the tastefully titled "Planes Over Manhattan," they put their twisted stamp on a "getting dumped" song with a mischievous metaphor. "It's the final call, baby, we're going down," is the mantra. Offensive? Sure, but in a refreshing way. The songs consistently recall a less sensitive time, when nobody asked permission to smoke in a public place, publishers printed books sorting off-color jokes and Rock songs were all about drugs and pussy. Lines of coke, bottles of booze, a finger on the triggerthese are the glimpses into the seedy world DiG has created, where lust borders on misogyny and unapologetic consumption of all things intoxicating is the order of the day.
The profoundly talented musicians in this band deserve a lot of the credit for an amazing album, but the production is also a critical component. The tracks pack every bit of the wallop of Black Flag or MC5, but with up-to-date recording and mixing standards. While a hint of lo-fi is dialed in for charm, the sound is never sloppy. Sequencing is also silky smooth, the songs flow into one another with almost concept album precision. These touches are a clear sign that while the band may come off like a mesh-hatted version of the Murder City Devils, they are deadly serious about their music and how it is conveyed.
A million listens later, Come On, Touch Me still thrills, but it leaves the listener wondering, are these guys really a crude group of degenerates engaged in artful autobiography? Or is their writing simply skillful emulation of restless youth? L
Cincinnati, OH
USA
ID
106463
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Comments (4)
cool
1
Hi There !
Check out our band Enerchy while you got the time here. Keep on rocking !
UH...OH...
CINCINNATIS IN TROUBLE!! kickin out POM as we speak. controversial, i likes it! why haven't you signed with nice guy records yet?? thanks for justifying Cincinnatis existence, I was begining to lose hope!
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