Listen To ‘Not A Threat’ On Stereogum
Ex-Cult’s Midnight Passenger is the result of a never ending obsession with the open road. It’s the sound of five people spending the last year in countless dive bars, disgusting motel rooms and on dozens of dirty floors. Since recording with Ty Segall in 2012 the band hasn’t come up for air, putting four US tours and tons of weekend trips under their belt with the likes of OBN III’s, Captive and Ty Segall.
It was in these dive bars across the USA that Ex-Cult truly found their sound. While some of the songs were played for audiences as early as January of 2013, it wasn’t until a West Coast tour in June that the blue print for Midnight Passenger really started to take form. Taking pieces of every tour back home with them, the band began to hone a sound that captured the desperation of the first record, while being careful to integrate new techniques of negative noise.
Recorded by Doug Easley in January of 2014, Midnight Passenger is comprised of ten songs that were meant to be heard together, each one following a different, damaged storyline. The buzz-saw guitars, kraut rock rhythm section and sneering vocals are all still present, but with Midnight Passenger, Ex-Cult has added a few layers of psychedelic slime to their sound.
Midnight Passenger is out on Goner Records on April 29th 2014.
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“Midnight Passenger” Track Listing:
Side A Shattered Circle Ties You Up Midnight Passenger Confusion Hill Catholic Entries
Side B Flickering Eyes Venice Illusion Sid Visions Not A Threat Lights Out Club
Listen To ‘Shattered Circle’ On NOISEY!
Listen To ‘Midnight Passenger’ On SPIN!
Pre-Order “Midnight Passenger” Vinyl Here!
Tour
04-03 Louisville, KY – Fresh Start ^ 04-04 Winston-Salem, NC – Phuzz Phest % 04-05 Harrisonburg, VA – MACRoCk Festival # 04-06 Knoxville, TN – Pilot Light 04-19 Memphis, TX – Goner Records Gazebo 05-17 Atlanta, GA – 529 05-18 Durham, NC – The Pinhook 05-19 Richmond, VA – Strange Matter 05-20 Washington, DC – DC 9 05-22 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge 05-24 Beacon, NY – Dogwood 05-26 Cambridge, MA – Middle East Upstairs 05-28 Cleveland, OH – Happy Dog 05-29 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
^ White Reaper and Jovontaes % White Fence # Big Ups
Praise For Ex-Cult:
“‘Not A Threat” is also crisp and streamlined, its guitar tracks locking into mechanical combustion fits while Chris Shaw barks with swaggering unhinged authority” –Stereogum
“It’s all about the live show, and, without a doubt, Ex-Cult has that blindfolded, on one-leg and with their arms tied behind them.” –NOISEY
“[Midnight Passenger’s] title track, a relentless mix of propeller-chop guitar, churning noise-rock squall, and monotone taunts.” – SPIN
“Ex-Cult is the Memphis punk band f/k/a Sex Cult, who offer a fresh take on the darkened, deadpan corners of noisy 1970s proto-punk.” – Pitchfork
“Singer Chris Shaw is a classic punk frontman, wild-eyed and always on the edge” –Brooklyn Vegan
“Memphis punk outfit Ex-Cult is twisting the genre into new shapes on their self-titled debut.” – MTV Hive
