The first record by Washington D.C. post-punks Priests, Bodies and Control and Money and Power, was a great kick in the junk in 2014 and is still hits hard now.
The opener, “Design with Reach,” has blaring guitar by G.L. Jaguar while vocalist / firebrand Katie Alice Greerreminds us all of our mortality and Taylor Multiz‘s bass is the rumble of a hearse and Daniele Daniele‘s drums are the footsteps of the Grim Reaper. “I’m not sure I should be talking to you,” Greer sings on “Doctor” – a witty tune about how words can quickly trip up a relationship (“You put your fingers in other people’s mouths all day. Don’t you, Doctor?”).
“New” is blaring punk rock that has some of Greer’s most dangerous vocals and riffs from Jaguar that almost clang like a skillet hitting you in the head. “Powertrip” is even faster. Mulitz’s bass runs all over the room and Daniele’s drums are pure punk bliss.
“Modern Love / No Weapon” dares you to tame it. It just comes at you like a four-headed hydra while you’re armed with a toothbrush. “I think about you all the time,” Greer sings / yells in a tone that’s more menacing than seductive. The groove on “Right Wing” (on which Jaguar and Multiz swap instruments) is great while Greer tells us to “Worship me, politely.” and that she’s “not trying to be anything.”
The album ends with the bonkers “And Breeding,” with Greer chastising all of us for spending most of our time “fucking and breeding” and “trying to understand” why we’re so attached to our cubicle mazes. “I know what we gotta do,” she says before she proceeds to verbally trash Elvis Presley, Madonna, and other icons to which we compare ourselves for no good reason whatsoever.
It’s seven songs of rage, riffs, and rock. What more could you want? Priests have, for the time being, amicably called it quits, but at least we have this and other fine records from them to appreciate.
WATCH “GOOD TIME CHARLIE” https://youtu.be/PXGTRqwpO1o
WATCH “THE SEDUCTION OF KANSAS” http://smarturl.it/TheSeductionOfKansas
Ahead of their US tour in support of The Seduction of Kansas (released earlier this year via Sister Polygon Records) Priests today have released an Amazon Original song, “Mother,” a cover of Danzig’s iconic 1988 signature song. “Mother” is available to stream and purchase only on Amazon Music. Taken from Danzig’s self-titled debut, a classic produced by Rick Rubin, “Mother” is a track that Priests often perform live and play in the van while on tour. The cover was recorded in a day with multi-instrumentalist Don Godwin at Tonal Park in Washington, D.C., and features bassist Alexandra Tyson. For the recording, Priests re-work the track with a more dramatic, danceable edge.
“This whole album (Danzig) is actually pretty sexy, something it doesn’t get enough credit for. We thought we’d tease this out a little more in our cover by re-imagining it with a ‘Let’s Dance’ era Nile-Rogers-producing-Bowie kind of glamor. Plus, what better way to subvert expectations of a Danzig song than by sprinkling it with a little disco panache? We assume this cover won’t be for everybody, but that’s the whole point of committing to creative decisions now, isn’t it?”
Listen to “Mother” (Amazon Original) only on Amazon Music: http://amzn.to/priests
Amazon Music listeners can simply ask, “Alexa, play the new song by Priests” in the Amazon Music app for iOS and Android and on Alexa-enabled devices, or find the track on the global playlist “The Setlist,” celebrating the best music of the moment in indie rock.
PRIESTS 2019 TOUR DATES Mon. June 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn Tue. June 18 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa Thu. June 20 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Fri. June 21 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Sat. June 22 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Mon. June 24 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Tue. June 25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Wed. June 26 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar Thu. June 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom Sat. June 29 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club Mon. July 1 – Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall Tue. July 2 – Vancouver, BC @ The Bitmore Wed. July 3 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos Sat. July 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court Sun. July 7 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Tue. July 9 – Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar Wed. July 10 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
PRAISE FORTHE SEDUCTION OF KANSAS
“[The Seduction of Kansas] reinvents the entire idea of Priests, finding bold new ways of expressing their rage against soulless consumerism and empty empire. It’s an LP full of disco ghosts and subtle threats, sideways glances and radical moves.” – Rolling Stone
“Priests’ breed of elastic post-punk is as danceable as it is thought-provoking. On their sophomore LP, The Seduction of Kansas, the D.C. trio locks into rubbery grooves that beckon for the freewheeling boogying of Converse-clad clubgoers.” – Billboard
“Priests prove themselves to be highly intellectual and creative songsmiths, drawing on not only their D.C. punk roots but also some adventurous pop sensibilities, all while serving up searing, sage commentary on Middle American ideals.” – Paste
“[The Seduction of Kansas] finds Priests pushing in all sorts of directions, forever dismissing any shorthand descriptions of them as a punk band.” – Stereogum
“a dizzying display of theoretical references and pop culture detritus, one that induces a pleasurable nausea similar to being at the centre of a mosh-pit — blissfully lacking in control, totally at the mercy of those around you.” – Exclaim!
“A merry-go-round of styles and themes, The Seduction Of Kansas isn’t a departure so much as a reminder of the band’s foundations.” – AV Club
PURCHASETHE SEDUCTION OF KANSAS Sister Polygon pre-order – http://sisterpolygonrecords.bigcartel.com
