"Ears" now available online, in stores, and special
order
UJD's last tour was something of a tease--they were playing powerful new
tracks from an album--"Usi," or "Ears"--which hadn't been released yet. But
now the wait is over. UJD's first studio album in four years shows the band
to be growing in force and precision as they knock out another rousing set
of high-octane ditties that never fail to get me up and dancing. It's Fugazi
meets Men At Work--angular hard-edged rock straight from the heart tempered
by blazing sax riffs that blends punk, ska, and jazz influences to create
a sound and energy that's utterly unique, addictive, and defies description.
As the title track insists--"Usi! Usi! Usi--poslouchat!" Or, in English--"Ears!
Ears! Ears--listen!" And listen up you must. English lyrics included. Get
"Ears" at http://clamazon.com/ or order
direct from
Skoda Records
P.O. Box 77611
Washington, DC 20013-7611
Ph/fax: 202-547-8006
email:
skodarec@bellatlantic.net
|
An UZ JSME DOMA rarity! The opening
sequence from the Czech television Martin Velisek documentary for which
UJD provided the soundtrack. The complete soundtrack is available as part
of the Uz Jsme Doma pop-up book.
You will need the Quicktime plug-in to view this LARGE (2.9M) file. |
H I S T
O R Y
(what a blow, what a blow)
Ten Years After the Velvet
Revolution,
Uz Jsme
Doma
releases their 5th studio
album--EARS
On November 17, 1989, a student protest in Prague set in play a series of
events
which would lead to the collapse of the Communist government within a month
and return democracy to the Czech people after 41 years of Soviet rule.
By December 3, inimitable Czech avant-rockers Uz Jsme Doma, a group
which had not long before been considered "antisocial" by the state,
was playing in front of 15,000 in Prague at a concert in celebration
of the changes. Soon afterwards, UJD frontman Mirek Wanek found
himself drafted as a leader of an interim government in the band's
hometown of Teplice,
cleaning out corrupt officials, before returning
to his duties in UJD.
"These guys are touring MONSTERS."
--Nils, of Sleepytime Gorilla
Museum,
something of
a monster himself.
Since 1996, UJD has toured extensively in Europe and North America,
honing the performances which have earned them the reputation of one
of the best live rock acts on the planet. The nine tracks on Ears
were recorded and mixed in July and August at Prague's Sono Studios,
with Bay Area sound guru Dan Rathbun (formerly of Oakland's sonic
grand guignol players,
Idiot Flesh) at the
controls. Set for release
in North America on November 9, Ears finally distills the band's
energy in the studio, producing a concoction as potent as a bottle of
homemade slivovitz.
The songs on Ears focus on what goes on (and doesn't go on)
between those two underused organs. Songwriters Jindra Dolansky and
Mirek Wanek have produced their most energetic and involved
compositions yet for this new release, while Mirek's lyrics, sung in
Czech, delve deeper into the fears, deceptions, misunderstandings ,
and general blind fumbling that cause folk to fall into and out of
personal relationships. Guitarist Radek Podvesky, bassist Jan
Cejka, and drummer Petr Bohm contribute powerhouse backing to the
album on their first studio recordings as band members.
Since forming in the small Czechoslovakian border town of
Teplice in 1985, Uz Jsme Doma has weathered the tyranny of Communism,
numerous line-up changes, and relentless touring, including
performances in war-torn Bosnia. Featuring Mirek Wanek on lead
vocals, guitar and keyboards, and Jindra Dolansky on tenor sax, the
band's music, through a juxtaposition of the beautiful and ugly,
familiar and strange, aims to provoke the listener to feel something
genuine and new; in the famous words of one of the band's
inspirations, Franz Kafka, to be "an axe for the frozen sea inside
us."
visit the new
wWw.UZ
JSME DOMA.cOm
D I S C
O G R A
P H Y
Uprostred Slov/In the Middle of Words
(1990, Czechoslovakia; 1998 North America)
Nemilovany Svet/Unloved World
(1992, Czechoslovakia; 1997, North America)
Hollywood
(1993, Czech Republic; 1996, North America)
Pohadky ze Zapotrebi/Fairytales from Needland
(1995, Czech Republic; 1997, North America)
Jaro, Peklo, Podzim, Zima/Spring, Hell, Fall, Winter
~soundtrack to Czech television film about the work of Martin
Velísek~
(1996, Czech Republic)
Czeching In
(compilation --1996, North America)
Usi/Ears
(1999, North America/Europe).
All of UJD's CDs are available for $12 postpaid from Skoda, except
for In the Middle of Words, which is now $15 (it's a two-disk set).
Hollywood is currently being reprinted. Wait 4-6 weeks for delivery.
For booking and other information:
Patrick O'Donnell
Skoda Records
P.O. Box 77611
Washington, DC 20013-7611
Ph/fax: 202-547-8006
email:
skodarec@bellatlantic.net
UJD appears on new CD to benefit East Timor
Idols of the Markeplace has just released an East Timor Benefit Album to
benefit Community Aid Abroad. CAA is an Australian group that's been providing
food and medical attention for the East Timorese refugees--who have been
displaced by the country's independence movement. This movement followed
around 25 years of rule by neighboring Indonesia which claimed 250,000 lives
(roughly one-third of the population). For more information on the East Timorese
conflict, please visit amnesty.org,
etan.org, or
motherjones.com
The tracklist for the album includes:
Ramona and Beezus--Anything, Anything
Optiganally Yours--midori2tree
dead letter auction--housebroken (wells st.)
Smoking Popes--Do Something
Jailbait--I Want Your Sex
Hillbilly Hellcats--Hillbilly Love
Blue Moon Boys--Let Me In
Self--Glued to the Girl
Mudkids--High Noon
Idiot Flesh--Blue Head
Cataract Falls--Violation
Catharsis and the Humdrum--Hidden Track #9
Over the Rhine--Poughkeepsie
Uz jsme doma--Jassica (live)
The album is available on CDbaby.com
(the title is "East Timor")
or may be ordered for $10pp from:
Idols of the Marketplace
P.O. Box 50138
Ft. Wayne, IN 47303
USA
.
if you have UJD news for posting here or would like to
join the announcement list endorsed by UJD themselves, send mail to
rob@zverina.com
visit the new
wWw.UZ
JSME DOMA.cOm |