"Witch"
"Witch"
1) Psychedelic/afro rock-band from Zambia, privately pressed on a small local label, this 5 piece electric band plays a strong electric African underground style. Tons of wah wah-fuzz guitar in every track, African style beats and vocals and all original song.
2) The group Witch was born from a marriage of apparently contradictory influences. J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. renown and his long time friend Dave Sweetapple were interested in forming a hard rock band. They found willing and able conspirators in Kyle Thomas and Asa Irons, members New England avant-folk outfit Feathers. On their eponymous debut album, this line-up mounts a mighty sonic tumult that harkens back to classic heavy metal sound of early 70's outfits while still sounding modern in it's assault (and without falling into the ubiquitous "Stoner Rock" pigeonhole). The eponymous debut album from Witch is scheduled for release on Tee Pee Records March 7th, 2006.
In Witch, Mascis returns to his first love, drums, playing with an unbridled passion that recalls his work with Deep Wound, his early 80's hardcore band. Meanwhile, Kyle sings and writes the group's supernatural-oriented lyrics, exploring the juxtapositions between age and youth, the paradox of meeting yourself, and the dilemma of falling asleep on a mountaintop and waking up a hundred years year. Asa weaves a dense texture of rhythm and lead guitar lines that ebb and flow over the basic monolithic, trundling riff-rock song structure. Dave adds additional weight to Witch's sound with massive, crunching bass lines, returning this his instrument of choice when he played in Newfoundland punk bands back in the early 80s.
Witch headed into the studio and recorded their debut album for Tee Pee Records with engineer John Agnello, immediately following an extensive Dinosaur Jr. reunion tour this past Summer. Agnello had already recorded Dinosaur Jr., J Mascis + The Fog, Early Man, Son Volt and Screaming Trees to name a few.
3) Duo formed in 1980 by S. Joplin Babashoff and The Bird (later joined by guitarist Gloonis Botnik to create a trio). Over the past 26 years, Witch has recorded and released over 15 albums.
