US Christmas hails from the Appalachian mountains in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee, and plays a brand of psychedelic, high-volume blues rock that evades easy classification. Founded in Marion, NC, in the summer of 2002, the band now approaches a decade of playing, recording and evolving. Their fifth album, Run Thick in the Night, was released in Fall 2010, and the band follows it up with an epic, single-track full-length, The Valley Path. “A true idea must be made real. When the idea for ‘The Valley Path’ was imagined, all involved agreed it was true and went forward. Forward in thought, forward in vision, forward in action. We achieved what we wanted to achieve, and whatever is said about ‘The Valley Path,’ it will stand. “A song does not have to be a part of a collection. It is more important for music to take the path it chooses, and an artist must be willing to let this happen. ‘The Valley Path’ is one song.” —Nate Hall, December 25, 2010
CD $13.00
05/31/2011
MP3 $9.90
05/31/2011
Hailing from the Appalachian mountains region of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, US Christmas's unique brand of psychedelic, high-volume blues rock evades easy classification. The band was founded in Marion, NC, in the summer of 2002, and played biker bars, art spaces and house shows all over the Southeast dirt circuit for years, self-releasing albums in CDR form. Scott Kelly of Neurosis heard their third album Salt the Wound via his radio show Combat Music Radio / KMBT, which lead to the release of 2008's Eat the Low Dogs on Neurot Recordings. US Christmas now approaches a decade of playing, recording and evolving, and continues to blur the boundaries of heavy music with earsplitting rock that is by turns jangly, crushing and dark. The group has often been associated with space rock, and Rolling Stone even included them in an article / compilation CD on the history of that genre. However, while they recently collaborated with Minsk and Harvestman on a three-way tribute album to the British space-searchers Hawkwind, US Christmas is influenced by a wide variety of music from all eras and origins. And though many have focused on their use of vintage synthesizers and theremin, the band does not rely on any one instrument to create its bizarre sounds--proof that brains are a musician's most important tool. US Christmas toured Europe with Oakland thrashers Saviours in the spring of 2009, and played Neurosis's third Beyond the Pale at the Roadburn Festival in Tillburg, Holland. In...
CD $13.00
09/21/2010
MP3 $9.90
09/21/2010
Originally formed in the summer of 2002, U.S. Christmas has steadily evolved into a full-blown psychedelic assault. The music cannot be ignored. It hurts people, physically and mentally. It stirs intense feelings of pain, frustration, loss, fear, and--occasionally--euphoria. The band always plays at deafening volumes, and guitarist Nate Hall frequently uses multiple amp setups for a thick, layered sound. Rhythm section Tim Greene and John Presnell hit the low-end, and Matt Johnson often mans guitar and theremin simultaneously. Chad Davis is able to handle any musical duties at any time. Shows are chaotic and unpredictable, riddled with sythesizer and theremin spasms. Images are projected onto the stage, the ceiling, or performers themselves. Many a drunken bystander has been drawn to the theremin's magic antennae. Their first recording, Prayer Meeting, authentically captured the sound of the band at the time, and the same can be said for Bad Heart Bull, Salt The Wound, and U.S. Christmas's latest full-length, Eat The Low Dogs. All four albums were recorded live, by the band, either in stifling heat or nut-shriveling cold. Snare drums rattle, amps hum and pop, dogs bark in the background. But that's the way it always sounds, and the band doesn't see any point in changing a method that works. U.S. Christmas has shared bills with some of the world's best heavy bands, including High on Fire, Weedeater, DOVE, Place of Skulls, Orange Goblin, ATP, Graves at Sea, Scissorfight, Red Sparowes, Atomic Bitchwax, and Kylesa.
CD $13.00
06/10/2008
MP3 $8.91
06/10/2008
Formed in the summer of 2002 in the wilds of North Carolina, U.S. Christmas has steadily evolved into a full-blown psychedelic space rock assault. The band makes music that cannot be ignored. U.S. Christmas hurts people--physically and mentally. The music stirs intense feelings of pain, frustration, loss, fear--and occasionally, euphoria. U.S. Christmas was one of the first unsigned bands to send a CD to Combat Music Radio, the internet music show hosted by Neurosis's Scott Kelly. It wasn't long before the band heard from Kelly, who frequently played their songs on KMBT. This friendship lead to a release agreement with Neurot Recordings. This four-song vinyl EP precedes the band's full length Eat The Low Dogs, currently set for a March 2008 release. "Those who appreciate the heavier, tripped out side of music should give these guys a shot. They bring something unique to the table." --Stonerrock.com
12" $7.75
12/11/2007