Altmusic Presents Grouper And Pumice

ALTMUSIC PRESENTS GROUPER and PUMICE
“These are the future soundtracks to love, despair and ultimately, hope”

Thurs 12th March 2009, 10 pm
The Whammy Bar, St Kevin’s Arcade, K’ Rd
$15.00

THE TOUR!!
Wgton - March 14th,
Happy Bar
Christchurch - March 19th
St Lukes, corner of Manchester and Kilmore
Dunedin - March 21st
Chicks Hotel, Port Chalmers

Grouper (Portland) is the project of Liz Harris. Touring the states with Animal Collective in May, she has collaborated with Xiu Xiu, releasing Creepshow in 2007

In a short space of time, Grouper has become the name on the lips of the underground music world having captured hearts worldwide with her distinct blend of noise, ambience and a dream-pop sensibility. She submerges her songs in a shimmering haze of hiss, looping chorals and decomposed guitar feedback, but somewhere in there you can hear the ghosts of My Bloody Valentine or possibly Slowdive.

Grouper’s music makes you think about time; how her freeform drones seem to transcend it and how her digital aging processing inevitably links to it. With the future uncertain and the present almost inevitably forgotten as soon as it happens, Grouper maintains that special though not unique hauntology that grants her a spectral connection to the past as chanting ghosts bemoan tomorrow’s solace today.

These unforgettable harmonies and vocal lines that embed themselves into your consciousness before you even realize it are the key to the Grouper’s success and the reason why she makes such a lasting impression. There is something to Liz Harris’ music that defies time and makes you sit up and listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkANP6xnVgs
http://www.myspace.com/grouperrepuorg

Stefan Neville’s Pumice work throughout its ten year plus existence, remains as one of the most relevant and prolific in the New Zealand experimental music scene, and undeniably significant in the psych/outsider/free folk scenario. Although Pumice has always had an undeniable charm in the ways of ramshackle pop and dusted lo-fi noise excursions, his work has shifted into different sonorities and styles from the mid nineties to the present time.

Pumice cruises the convergence of pop, folk and noise strains with bona fide inner mystique. sputtering sub-underground skiffle aims for outer zones, diamond cuts of nervous guitar with pesky hooks that sting and tickle tread rough hewn punk turf, pop tangents charm and woozy synth blurts & drones thread the patchwork patterns with hulk-like grace.

http://www.myspace.com/pumarse

Altmusic is supported by Creative New Zealand, Lions Foundation, Auckland Fringe Festival and ASB Trust.

ENDS

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