Farooq released its latest album 'the Kickout,' hidden on a piece of merch
Farooq released its latest album 'the Kickout,' hidden on a piece of merch
Plus, a new release from Mindbender and Bigg Dubb and The Rawkman live at Ragin' Records.
I’m a sucker for a band with good merch.
T-shirts are great, and a good design can sell me on a band I might otherwise be waffling over (or further cement any admiration, as was the case with this American Sharks t-shirt).
Stickers are cool and cheap and a nice way for a band to flood the market with promo (for those with space on our guitar cases, water bottles, laptops).
Ditto for pins. I have A LOT, both enamel and pinback, though anything over 1 1/2 inches is a waste, sorry.
Patches tend to be a bit more niche, but work well, especially taken as a collection, hesher style, on leather jackets or denim vests.
Physical media is another play altogether. While, there is a certain legitimacy that comes with having a CD, vinyl record or cassette on the merch table, the production and cost of those goods keeps them out of the hands of most bands that aren’t out hardcore touring (and/or don’t want to have boxes of unsold CDs in the closet).
They are good as collectibles, but also not how people approach music these days.
All of which is context for “the Kickout,” a seven-song digital album that Farooq released earlier this year.
It’s not quite a secret record (they were telling people), but it was kind of hidden.
The songs were written in 2020 and recorded in 2022. The album was “released” as it were as a digital download on the back of limited-edition patches the band was selling at shows or via DMs.
In keeping with the title’s pro-wrestling theme, the patches are designed to look like a championship belt.
Side note: Reminds me of the time It’ll Grow Back released a set of custom Garbage Pail Kids-styled cards that formed a backside poster with a digital download code.
I’m not sure if the patches are all gone or not, but Farooq is performing at Fulton 55 on Friday, so you can go ask.
New music: Mindbender, “Nemesis”
Mindbender came out of the alt-metal scene of the early- to mid-1990s doing a proto funk-style nu-metal (those bands still being a few years off of the mainstream). The band released one full-length (“From the Back of Beyond”) and a couple of cassette tapes (appropriate of the time) and found a bit of success touring in Europe (the Czech Republic specifically).
Some may remember the band’s bassist Marino Mongelli from his solo-industrial project Spacehooker.
Mindbender is back as a trio, with a retooled lineup that includes original drummer David Mendez, with guitarist/singer James Henry Miller and bassist Eric Gutierrez, who is a prolific player in the Valley metal scene (Farooq, Scoundrel, Dolores, etc.).
The band has been teasing a new album “Nemesis,” which is out Friday and will be celebrated with a record release party at Fulton 55. Openers include Lyra Wise, No Voodoo Here, Trash and Privilege and Farooq (see above). The show is free with reserved tickets.
From there, the band is headed to the Czech Republic for a tour in early November.
Out now: Bigg Dubb and The Rawkman, “Back in the Mix”
Bigg Dubb and The Rawkman is the West Coast hip-hop project from Fresno rapper JDubb and Daniel Dominguez, a guy known for his love of pro-wrestling and for fronting the hardcore groove band Farooq (see above). He also produces and raps under the moniker vxDEDxv.
In April, the pair did an in-store performance at Ragin’ Records, which it recorded and released (in video form on Youtube and for download via the digital platform Even).
“Back in the Mix runs six songs and clicks in just under half an hour and is full of interludes that give it a relaxed kind of vibe that very tiny-desk concert (in a good way). For fans of: Good, old fashioned hook heavy G-funk, West Coast rap (“Viva La Raza”).
On the Ragin’ Records note: Check out my story on the store’s new location opening soon at Van Ness and Olive Avenues.
That’s it for this week. Remember you can now hear me on the Homegrown Show Sundays at 8 p.m. on New Rock 104.1 FM. Follow my other writing at The Fresno Bee. If you have anything you think I need to be looking at or listening to, feel free to let me know: jtehee@gmail.com