STREAM: “End Times”
Within a grainy film-still between a summer sunset and the end of times lies the post-punk squall of Weekend. Weekend filter the aggression, tempo and sneer of punk through a wall of reverb, haunting melody, feedback and primitive garage guitar. Formed in San Francisco in late 2009 by three childhood friends, the band have quickly developed a totally distinctive take on the history of post-punk noise rock. Some touchstones along the way include the chaotic psychedelic noise of groups like Skullflower and Terminal Cheesecake, the bad vibes power-drone of “Feed Me With Your Kiss”-era MBV and No Age, and the scything racket of post-No Wave noise bands Dustdevils and Sonic Youth.
Where many bands who share similar influences are content to bludgeon the listener with noise, Weekend pay special attention to texture and atmosphere, and leaven even the most riotous moments with unexpected shards of melody. Weekend have instinctively staked out a unique sonic territory where feedback guitars, crunching riffs and pounding rhythms are harnessed in the service of, rather than in opposition to, their haunting tunes. Says singer Shaun Durkan: “Our goal has always been to balance the abrasive qualities of punk and noise with something more introspective and vulnerable. Creating that simultaneous push and pull. Like the beauty of an oil fire.”
They’re rapidly developing a reputation for their stunning live shows, and gigs with bands like Japandroids, A Place To Bury Strangers, Little Girls and SF compatriots Young Prisms are drawing crowds of ever-increasing size and devotion. So far they have two ecstatically-received and now sold-out releases: a fantastic 10″ single on Mexican Summer and a split single with Young Prisms on the excellent UK label Transparent. Their debut double-LP Sports will be released November 9, 2010 on Slumberland Records.
Weekend are:
Shaun Durkan: vocals, bass, baritone guitar
Kevin Johnson – guitar
Abe Pedroza – drums
Press Quotes
“This Weekend does it better without the vampires. The trio’s post-punk cherry picking makes me feel like an easy mark. Their “All-American/”Youth Haunts” single is one of the bright spots of a very bright San Francisco scene, drawing heavily from the swoon school, but with the storming force of a punk mantra. The A-side is smoking, like Sonic Youth’s “Schizophrenia” filtered through the early Slumberland bands and with a kiss of Cure – listen to it as many times as I did this past and you’ll be wondering when these dudes blow up too.” – San Francisco Bay Guardian
“…what happens if No Age traded in good vibes and instead got real angry from the depths of a muffled cavern. It’s about four minutes of build up, windy moans and plodding drums giving way to a balls to the wall freakout as the whole song collapses on itself.” – Fader
“Easily one of our favorite bands to emerge in the past year, the trio’s infectious sound pays a certain homage to Psychocandy era Jesus Mary & Chain, with a similar pop sensibility and love for tinnitus-inducing feedback as the shoegaze pioneers. Despite having only a handful of released tracks and live appearances under their belt, the group has managed to make quite a name for themselves over the past year, landing opening spots for uber-hyped acts Japandroids and Little Girls, releasing a limited run 10″ on the in-demand label Mexican Summer and most recently playing tastemaker Gorilla Vs Bear’s insanely stacked SXSW showcase — all signs point to 2010 being the breakout year for the band.” – SFist
“…West coast Jesus & Mary Chain mutations have followed the secret treasure map to our heart with tracks that are as charmingly slack, dead eyed and authentically unhinged as these yet still so visceral, positively scorched out and hand-washed with distortion.” – Transparent Blog
WEEKEND
11.04: Vancouver, BC – The Venue %
11.05: Seattle, WA – The Vera Project %
11.06: Portland, OR – Holocene %
11.07: Eugene, OR – EMU Ballroom %
11.09: San Francisco, CA – The Independent %
11.10: Santa Barbara, CA – SoHo %
11.11: San Diego, CA – The Loft UCSD %
11.12: Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex % ^
11.14: Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge $
11.15: Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge $
11.17: Chicago, IL – Subterranean $
11.18: Grand Rapids, MI – Founders Brewery $
11.19: Detroit, MI – The Contemporary Art $
11.21: Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands $
11:23: Milford, CT – Daniel Street $
11:27: New York, NY – Cake Shop $
$ = w/ Young Prisms
# = w/ Procedure Club
* = w/ A Place To Bury Strangers
% = w/ The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
^ = w/ Sonny and the Sunsets
Weekend
Sports
(Slumberland)
Street Date: Nov. 9, 2010
1. Coma Summer
2. Youth Haunts
3. Monday Morning
4. Monongah, WV
5. Landscape
6. Age Class
7. Veil
8. End Times
9. Afterimage
10. Untitled
WEEKEND LINKS:
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/weekendmusic
Press Materials: http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/press/weekend/weekend.html