You guyz! You all remember erstwhile Strokes front-mumbler Julian Casablancaz, don’t you? Remember, he’s the guy who sang the line, “spaceships, they won’t understand” and got away with it? Yeah, that dude. Well, it seems like ever since then, he’s been wondering just what the hell else he can get away with.
So, yeah. The latest thing is called Julian Casablancas+The Voidz. It’s a face-melting rock band fronted by Julian. It’ll release an album too. It’ll be titled Tyranny (no z’s, sorry), and it’ll come out on Julian’s own label (Cult Records) on September 23 (there’s also a big old rock tour to follow). If you want it before then, though, you can pre-order the digital version at the label website. It’s worth $3.87 USD, by the way.
What else? In very slight addition to Casablancaz, the band features Jeramy Gritter and Amir Yaghmai (Salt & Pepper) on guitarz, Jeff Kite on keyboards, Jake Bercovici on bass, and Alex Carapetis on drums. You know those people, right? The album was also produced by Shawn Everett and “incorporates world underground music from the 70s and 80s, hardcore/punk and modern harmony, using modern and analog recording and sampling techniques.”
But since you’ve probably been not really reading any of what I’ve been writing here because you’ve been so distracted wondering what the deal is with the album’s title, here’s Casablancaz saying some stuff about the album’s title:
Tyranny has come in many forms throughout history. Now, the good of business is put above anything else, as corporations have become the new ruling body. Most decisions seem to be made like ones of a medieval king: whatever makes profit while ignoring and repressing the truth about whatever suffering it may cause (like pop music, for that matter).
I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I’ve read enough books to know what he’s talking about.
Julian Casablancas + The Voidz tour dates:
08.14.14 - Guadalajara, Mexico - Teatro Diana
08.16.14 - Mexico City, Mexico - Ceremonia
08.23-24.14 - Los Angeles, CA - FYF Fest
10.16.14 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
10.17.14 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
10.18.14 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theatre
10.20.14 - Chattanooga, TN - Track 29
10.21.14 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works
10.22.14 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
10.28.14 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City
10.30.14 - Austin, TX - Emo’s
10.31.14 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
11.06.14 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theatre
11.09.14 - San Francisco, CA - Regency Center
11.11.14 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
11.13.14 - Seattle, WA - Showbox
• Julian Casablancas + The Voidz: http://juliancasablancas.com
• Cult: http://store.cultrecords.com