"that girl can throw a tantrum in my soul..."
Step into the gothic surf western that is "Tantrum" by San Francisco post-punk outfit Steakhouse and you immediately feel the slinky swagger of dirty 60's garage rock filtered through late 70's proto-punk and coated with revisionist noir indie panko crumbs prior to being dropped in a cowpunk fryer. The sonics here feel like an amalgam of artists like Gun Club, Question Mark and the Mysterians, The Supersuckers and The Blasters. Put it another way, if "Tantrum!" was a movie it would probably be a 60's Grindhouse flick as seen on a 14 inch cathode ray TV in a Quentin Tarantino movie.
Steakhouse is Mark Lee on vocals/keyboards, formerly of Toiling Midgets and Reid Black on guitar (ex-Innaway; currently of Into Another), who are the principal songwriting team, along with drummer Brian Michelson and bassist Ville Vilpponen.
Steakhouse is Mark Lee on vocals/keyboards, formerly of Toiling Midgets and Reid Black on guitar (ex-Innaway; currently of Into Another), who are the principal songwriting team, along with drummer Brian Michelson and bassist Ville Vilpponen.
"Tantrum!" is from Steakhouse's upcoming debut album, "Amer Rouge" officially dropping January 27th, 2023.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7cGExNvvfROTWIWndOVwMc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtCDomg8ow0
https://www.facebook.com/steakhouserock
https://www.instagram.com/steakhouserock/
Old stories and tropes live on for a reason. Some are memorable while others are relatable in maybe too strong of a way, but for one reason or another, it just works. San Francisco post-punk outfit Steakhouse know how to make use of what’s been set in stone, particularly when it comes to what works musically. Take Tantrum!, the opening track to their upcoming full-length for example: a track that employs a certain age-old country familiarity, with a slight twist. On top of the primordial, sinister air of the instrumentals, with a sticking Cramps-eque guitar, Tantrum! is your classic—albeit drastic—tale of a man scorned by the murderous, “horror double feature” of a woman he loves, though he wouldn’t have her be any other way.
There’s always been a bit of seediness in American culture and Steakhouse have managed to translate some of that destitution into digestible little snippets on their forthcoming album, titled Amer Rouge. The title directly calls out all the ways the color red serves as a signifier for what or who you might want to keep your eyes on: think MAGA hats, Marlboro advertising, blood, debt and really anything that attempts large-scale pervasiveness. They shrink the large scale into more digestible bits, as each song is a vignette—a small look into the many ways people just try to maintain some semblance of person, even if in the most terrible of ways. Some of the stories aren’t wholly sad and downtrodden though—Steakhouse know how to find the humor in what’s too messed up not to laugh at (just look at “Federale”, “Travolta” and “No. 1” for example), but they can still reel it in with a sucker punch to the face of reality. Fans of Black Flag’s “White Minority” may feel a little resemblance in their “National”, as a somewhat militant hymn born out of the aggressively divisive, violent and myopic nature of our political climate. It hits all too close to home because it is close to home.
Bear in mind—Steakhouse are like anthropological musicians, working through the eyes of observation more than any tales from a personal stance. Infusing Amer Rouge with lyrical satire based on everyday experiences helped fill each track with an extra oomph of actuality. It’s just as easy to see the humor in it as it is the tragedy, since both are something we’ve all been more than primed to recognize. Wrapping these realities in a blend of post-punk, krautrock and Americana makes for a palatable aural experience, though a bit more harsh and in your face than their last album.
Every move Steakhouse made with Amer Rouge was intentional, from channeling the steady rhythms of Can and the deep bass tones of Public Image Ltd. to having Joe Goldring (American Music Club and Swans) engineer for them again, as well as John McEntire of Tortoise and The Sea and Cake mixing it.
Steakhouse is Mark Lee on vocals/keyboards, formerly of Toiling Midgets and Reid Black on guitar (ex-Innaway; currently of Into Another), who are the principal songwriting team, along with drummer Brian Michelson and bassist Ville Vilpponen.
** At this particular time we find ourselves in a financial pinch due to many factors. We want to keep AP going. It has been a passion project for over 13 years. PLEASE consider donating, we could really use the support. Thanks so much
We get by with a little help from our friends
Steakhouse, post punk, cow punk, indie rock, alt rock, surf rock, gothic surf western noir, "Tantrum!" (Official Video), debut album, "Amer Rouge",
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7cGExNvvfROTWIWndOVwMc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtCDomg8ow0
https://www.facebook.com/steakhouserock
https://www.instagram.com/steakhouserock/
Old stories and tropes live on for a reason. Some are memorable while others are relatable in maybe too strong of a way, but for one reason or another, it just works. San Francisco post-punk outfit Steakhouse know how to make use of what’s been set in stone, particularly when it comes to what works musically. Take Tantrum!, the opening track to their upcoming full-length for example: a track that employs a certain age-old country familiarity, with a slight twist. On top of the primordial, sinister air of the instrumentals, with a sticking Cramps-eque guitar, Tantrum! is your classic—albeit drastic—tale of a man scorned by the murderous, “horror double feature” of a woman he loves, though he wouldn’t have her be any other way.
There’s always been a bit of seediness in American culture and Steakhouse have managed to translate some of that destitution into digestible little snippets on their forthcoming album, titled Amer Rouge. The title directly calls out all the ways the color red serves as a signifier for what or who you might want to keep your eyes on: think MAGA hats, Marlboro advertising, blood, debt and really anything that attempts large-scale pervasiveness. They shrink the large scale into more digestible bits, as each song is a vignette—a small look into the many ways people just try to maintain some semblance of person, even if in the most terrible of ways. Some of the stories aren’t wholly sad and downtrodden though—Steakhouse know how to find the humor in what’s too messed up not to laugh at (just look at “Federale”, “Travolta” and “No. 1” for example), but they can still reel it in with a sucker punch to the face of reality. Fans of Black Flag’s “White Minority” may feel a little resemblance in their “National”, as a somewhat militant hymn born out of the aggressively divisive, violent and myopic nature of our political climate. It hits all too close to home because it is close to home.
Bear in mind—Steakhouse are like anthropological musicians, working through the eyes of observation more than any tales from a personal stance. Infusing Amer Rouge with lyrical satire based on everyday experiences helped fill each track with an extra oomph of actuality. It’s just as easy to see the humor in it as it is the tragedy, since both are something we’ve all been more than primed to recognize. Wrapping these realities in a blend of post-punk, krautrock and Americana makes for a palatable aural experience, though a bit more harsh and in your face than their last album.
Every move Steakhouse made with Amer Rouge was intentional, from channeling the steady rhythms of Can and the deep bass tones of Public Image Ltd. to having Joe Goldring (American Music Club and Swans) engineer for them again, as well as John McEntire of Tortoise and The Sea and Cake mixing it.
Steakhouse is Mark Lee on vocals/keyboards, formerly of Toiling Midgets and Reid Black on guitar (ex-Innaway; currently of Into Another), who are the principal songwriting team, along with drummer Brian Michelson and bassist Ville Vilpponen.
** At this particular time we find ourselves in a financial pinch due to many factors. We want to keep AP going. It has been a passion project for over 13 years. PLEASE consider donating, we could really use the support. Thanks so much
We get by with a little help from our friends
Steakhouse, post punk, cow punk, indie rock, alt rock, surf rock, gothic surf western noir, "Tantrum!" (Official Video), debut album, "Amer Rouge",
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