GLONO Video: Centro-matic and South San Gabriel

Centro-matic’s new album, Dual Hawks, is the band’s 9th full-length since it formed in 1996. Dual Hawks is also the 3rd full-length from Centro-matic’s atmospheric doppelganger South San Gabriel which was formed in 2001 by the 4 members of Centro-matic in order to accommodate the quieter side of Will Johnson’s prodigious output.

In the era of mp3s, the bands have taken the unusual step of releasing a double-album containing one disc from each group. As a whole, the album highlights the differences between the two bands. While the Centro-matic side of Dual Hawks rocks in way that recalls the band’s raucous debut (Redo The Stacks), the South San Gabriel side is much more subdued – layering strings, piano, horns and guitars around Will Johnson’s voice to create the most beautifully haunting and fully realized South San Gabriel album. The result is a double-album that succeeds on both ends of the musical spectrum and never feels bloated or at odds with itself.

The GloNo Video crew caught-up with Centro-matic during the bands’ two-night stand at Schubas Tavern in June and put together dual videos profiling both Centro-matic and South San Gabriel. Check ‘em out after the jump...

GloNo Video: Centro-matic & South San Gabriel, Part 1

GloNo Video: Centro-matic & South San Gabriel, Part 2

To promote the new album, the bands toured together for the first time in Europe last Spring and are currently playing some West Coast dates together. A run of “dual” shows is also being planned for the East Coast and Midwest in November.

MP3s from Dual Hawks:
• Centro-matic - "I, The Kite"
• South San Gabriel - "Trust to Lose"

Older MP3s: (courtesy of Misra Records)
• Centro-matic - "Calling Thermatico"
• Centro-matic - "Triggers and Trash Heaps"
• Centro-matic - "Flashes and Cables"
• Centro-matic - "Argonne Limit Co."
• South San Gabriel - "I Am Six Pounds of Dynamite"
• South San Gabriel - "The Dark of Garage"

Centro-matic Tour Dates:
Sept 5: Seattle, WA - High Dive
Sept 6: Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
Sept 8: Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
Sept 9: Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
Sept 10: Omaha, NE - Slowdown JR
Sept 11: Iowa City, IA - The Picador
Sept 12: Madison, WI - Orpheum Side Door
Sept 13: Saint Louis, MO - Billiken Club

Whiskey Bender Productions finally got its own web site where you can stream all of the Glorious Noise videos profiling artists such as Jesse Malin, The Felice Brothers, The Chamber Strings, The Drams, The Blacks, Chris Mills, Two Cow Garage and many more. You can also view live performance outtakes from these artists on the "Outtakes & B-Sides" page of the Whiskey Bender site.