Estrogen Highs, Spotlight

Spotlight: Estrogen Highs

2 Comments
Spotlight: Estrogen Highs
[Newer band picture, but Stefan has in fact cut his hair since this.]
Estrogen Highs is a rock and roll band from New Haven, CT.  Garage Rock.  Started by Stefan Christensen and now a full fledged band, Estrogen Highs has become a staple and anchor (possibly some other objects too – all meant in the most flattering way) in the Connecticut do-it-yourself punk community.  We interviewed Stefan about all his current workings (minus his gig as the live guitarist for Medication – another band you should get familiar with; oh yea, Medication are playing Thursday at Popeye’s with Iceage). 
 [Stefan in some Polaroid style picture that seems to get used a lot.]
Interview with Johann Stefan Gall Christensen
(aka Stefan Christ):
Estrogen Highs started in your bedroom and got off to a rather languid start and now you’ve put out an LP, a 12″ EP and a 7″ within a matter of months.  Explain how you’ve gotten up to so much speed. 
I always had a lot of songs, it just took a long time to get it all together. The first few 7″s, LP, and cassette releases were recorded with a full band or by myself, playing every instrument. Either way it was pretty time consuming to get it all done. For the 2nd LP, 12″, and new 7″ we moved into a different recording style where we were piecing tracks together a bit at a time. This allowed us to record a whole lot of material in a relatively short period of time. Currently we are working on a new LP for Trouble in Mind Records from Chicago. This record is going to be a little different. Maybe a bit more Post Punk-ish.  Were also touring in mid August – doing 12 or 13 days out through Minneapolis and back.
[Older Band Picture]
You’ve also been doing a fair amount of playing out and touring.  Any fun stories?
Yes, we drove from Seattle to Minneapolis with only one day off in between. We also did this in January, so we ended up spending 37 straight hours in the van, excluding gas and food breaks. We went through mountain passes and white out blizzards. We got stuck in a parking lot in Idaho and the locals just laughed at us for about 10 or 15 minutes, until finally one of them hauled us out of there. By the time we got to Minneapolis we were completely drained and played a terrible set.


[GRAM001 – Estrogen Highs LP]

Outside of the band you’ve recently started up a label (Gramery Records) that you released the latest E. Highs LP on; any news on that front? Upcoming releases?
I’m pressing a band called Protomartyr to get me some recordings. They are an amazing band. Estrogen Highs have been lucky enough to play with them twice in Detroit and both times they were amazing. Unfortunately they are almost completely unknown outside of Michigan. I’ve heard practice recordings and they’re top notch. The midwest’s answer to The Fall – 30 years later. Hopefully I can get some recordings from them soon. Other than that we’re working on a few noise cassette releases. We have Chemical Fruits recordings, which is 2/3s of Tiger Hatchery and hopefully we will get recordings from Dan Duglieski soon. He is in Body Morph, Uneven Universe, Cardboard Sax, and various other projects.


Beyond the band and label you also got Popeye’s Garage up and running last year with a small group of friends.  You now run it with a more streamlined group.  How’d this all come about?  How are things going now and anything of the future to report?
Popeye’s is now just run by me and Kryssi. It came about last spring when we decided that New Haven needed a DIY show spot, specifically for doing strange music that just doesn’t work in a bar. We found the space through our friend. The owner of our building has employed a number of our friends, so we spoke to him and arranged the rental of part of it for doing shows. We “closed” last year when Yale was buying the building but the day the deal was supposed to close they backed out – not sure why. We were closed for most of the winter anyway because there is no heat in the building. Now we are back up and running. We’ve been doing 1 or 2 shows a week this year. It’s been a bit slower but we’re hoping things will start to pick back up soon.

Music Review, Reviews, Update

17th of June 2011 Update

17th of June 2011 Update of New and Key Restocked Items
at Redscroll Records

LPs & 12″s
______________________
*AR    “Wolf Notes”
Altarboy    “Who Is Who”
Antibalas    “Rat Race (12″)”
Bamba, Sorry    “Volume One (1970-1979)”
Barn Owl    “Shadowland”
Bathory    “Bathory (Unofficial)”
Battles    “Gloss Drop”
Black Dahlia Murder, The    “Ritual (Ltd. Ed. 180 Gram)”
Bon Iver    “Bon Iver (+ D/L)”
Boris    “Attention Please”
Cash, Johnny    “American Outtakes (Unofficial)”
Cash, Johnny    “Devil’s Right Hand: The Man, The Myth, The Concept (Unofficial)”
Chris & Cosey    “Exotika (Remastered Ed.)”
Delfonics, The    “The Delfonics – Including: Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time), Trying To Make A Fool Of Me (Re-Issue)”
Deskonocidos     “En La Oscuridad”
Doors, The    “Waiting For The Midnight Sun (Unofficial)”
Doors, The    “Absolutely Rare (Unofficial)”
Ema    “Past Life Martyred Saints (180 Gram + D/L)”
Esplendor Geometrico    “Mekano-Turbo (Ltd. Ed. #/500)”
Father’s Children     “Who’s Gonna Save The World”
Fifty Foot Hose    “Cauldron (180 Gram)”
Ford & Lopatin    “Emergency Room (PIC 12″)”
Friedberger, Matthew    “Old Regimes”
Fullerton-Whitman, Keith / Ben Vida    “AggregatePulseRipper (Damaged III) / 080114”
Givers    “In Light (Ltd. Ed. 180 Gram)”
Goblin    “Nohnosonno: A Film By Dario Argento – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (White Vinyl + Poster)”
Halo, Laurel    “Hour Logic”
Hector, Karl & The Malcouns    “Tamanrasset (Ltd. Ed. /1000, Screened Cover)”
Immortal    “Pure Holocaust (Unofficial)”
Jeff The Brotherhood    “We Are The Champions (+ D/L)”
Jesuit    “Discography (Members Went On To Be In Converge And D.E.P.)”
King Curtis    “Soul Twist With King Curtis”
La Urss     “Product”
Led Zeppelin    “Led Zeppelin (Unofficial)”
Lonely C + Baby Prince    “Not So Lonely EP”
Madlib    “Madlib Medicine Show #9: Channel 85 Presents Nittyville (Deluxe Silk-Screen Cover Ltd. Ed.)”
M.B. (Maurizio Bianchi)    “Symphony For A Genocide”
Mekurya, Getatchew And His Saxophone    “Ethiopian Urban Modern Music Vol. 5”
Merzbow / Mammifer / House Of Low Culture    “Lou Lou… In Tokyo (Ltd. Ed. #/330 2LP)”
MF Doom      “Special Herbs: The Box Set (10LP+7″+Poster+D/L)”
Mind Over Mirrors    “The Voice Rolling”
Noveller    “Glacial Glow”
Nucular Aminals    “Nucular Aminals”
Oddisee    “Odd Seasons (2LP+7″ /1000)”
Onyeabor, William    “Anything You Sow”
Orchestre-Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou-Dahomey    “The 1st Album (1973)”
Pan/Tone    “Rescue Me”
Psudoku    “Space Grind”
Ramones    “Surfin’ Birds: Minneapolis, MN July 27th 1986 (PIC)”
Ramones    “It’s Alive (Import)”
Random Axe    “Random Axe (Black Milk, Sean Price, Guilty Simpson)”
Rimshots, The    “Soul Train “
Rob    “Funky Rob Way”
Samhain    “Initium (PIC Numbered)”
Samhain    “N.Y. Breaks Loose… In 1985 (Unofficial Color Vinyl)”
Sebadoh    “Bakesale (Re-Mastered Ltd. Ed. Color + D/L)”
Slowdive    “Pygmalion”
Tallest Man On Earth, The    “The Tallest Man On Earth (+ D/L)”
Toro Y Moi    “Still (Remixes)”
Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, The    “Hot Heat And Sweet Groove”
White Hills    “HP-1”
Wube, Akale    “Akale Wube”

Electronic 12″s
______________________
Broker/Dealer / Psychonauts    “Dig Deep / World Keeps Turning”
Daedelus    “Tailor-Made”
Dance Disorder    “Metallic Italic”
Delay, Vladislav    “Latoma”
Dels    “Gob” (12″)
Dels    “Gob (2LP Ltd. Ed. + D/L)”
DOP    “Your Sex”
GusGus    “Arabian Horse (+ CD)”
Holy Other    “With U”
Hyetal    “Diamond Islands”
Kode9 & The Spaceape    “Otherman”
Mr. Statik    “Even Giants Have A Soft Spot”
Simko, Kate    “Lights Out (2LP)”
Surgeon    “Breaking The Frame”

7″s
______________________
Clash, The “Complete Control”
Dance Gavin Dance “People…”
Glenn Danzig “Who Killed Marilyn”
Libertines “What A Waster”
Ramones “Do U Want To Dance”
Ramones “We Are Getting…”

CDs
______________________
Battles “Gloss Drop”
Bon Iver “Bon Iver”
Boris “Heavy Rocks”
Boris “Attention Please”
Desert Sessions “Vol 1/2”
Desert Sessions “Vol 3/4”
Hook, Peter (Bassist Of Joy Division)… “Performs Unkown Pleasures”
Jesuit “Discography”
Kyuss / Queens Of The Stone Age
Madlib    “Madlib Medicine Show #9: Channel 85 Presents Nittyville”
Manson, Charles “Commemoration”
Planks “Darkest Of Grays”
White Stripes “Let’s Have It All”

Magazines
_____________________
Cometbus #47-53 (Back Issues!!!)
Maximum Rock N Roll #337
Wax Poetics #47
Wire #329 July 2011

Reviews
____________________

Ema Past Life Martyred Saints LP
(Souterrain Transmissions)

EMA is Erika M. Anderson. Formerly of Gowns, she now has her own project.  You can read up on her in depth over at her artist profile on Altered Zones.  There are a couple musical clips and a short interview there as well.  Noisey pop/poppy noise songs lie/lay within this one.  Haunted lo-fi echoing folk songs.  You like the grimier side of PJ Harvey?  Here you are.  I do too.
[Reviewer: Rick]

Foundation When the Smoke Clears LP

(Bridge 9)

Foundation’s “When the Smoke Clears” is the latest addition to the
Bridge 9 catalog, and stands to be the label’s heaviest release in
years. While most other releases on this label lately are more
melodic, or even poppy (IE: Lemuria) Foundation adds something I
haven’t seen on this label in a while, and that’s pissed off, moshy,
straight edge hardcore. The lyrics are riddled with notes of internal
struggle and some referring to the current state of hardcore (“What
happened to the code of honor that we used to entrust? Ideas carved in
stone have now turned to dust.”)
This comes in a nice gatefold jacket with a variety of tour photos. It
also has a huge “Thank You” list, which I find less and less with
hardcore releases lately. Bring ’em back!
[Reviewer: Sean]

sale

Summer Savings 25% Off Select Selections

Summer Savings 25% Off Select Selections
Slashing Certain CDs And Slipmats And Such And Such As Such And So Forth
 All NON-BLUE (& (our latest sticker color) NON-PINK; edit 8/29/11) Tagged Items Are 25% Off Until August 31st (or until we run out).
That includes Yellow, Green, Red and White tagged items.  
[RED]
 [WHITE]
 [YELLOW]
 [GREEN]
Items?  Yes.  We don’t put tags on used merchandise so this is all new stock (generally older new stock); CDs, LPs, Books, etc. 

It’s all stuff we most likely won’t be restocking either so if you’ve been holding off on getting something we have had for a while then now is the time to get it.
Sorry Blue. Maybe next time.
Music Review, Reviews, Update

10th Of June 2011 Update

10th Of June 2011 Update of New and Key Restocked Items
at Redscroll Records

LPs & 12″s
______________________
Afrika Bambaataa      “Looking For The Perfect Beat 1980-1985”
Axemen    “Three Virgins (+ D/L)”
Biafra, Jello And The Guantanamo School Of Medicine    “Enhanced Methods Of Questioning (+ D/L)”
Black Moth Super Rainbow    “Dandelion Gum (PIC Disc)”
Black Pus    “Primordial Pus”
Black Swans, The    “Don’t Blame The Stars”
Bootsy’s Rubber Band    “Stretchin’ Out In”
Clash    “London Calling”
Coathangers, The    “Larceny & Old Lace (+ D/L)”
Dawes    “Nothing Is Wrong (2LP + CD)”
Deftones    “Adrenaline (180 Gram)”
Echo & The Bunnymen    “BBC Radio Tapes ’79-’80”
Esmerine    “La Lechuza (+ CD + Ltd. Ed. Poster)”
Fungus Brains    “Ron Pistos Real World”
Garbes, Ryan    “Sweet Hassle”
Grave Babies    “Death Face”
Guthrie, Woody    “This Machine Kills Fascists”
Husker Du    “Flip Your Wig”
Husker Du    “Zen Arcade”
Johannsson, Johann    “The Miners’ Hymns (+ D/L)”
Junior Boys    “It’s All True (2LP + D/L)”
Karma To Burn    “V”
Land Of Talk    “Some Are Lakes (+ D/L)”
Lifeless    “No Love For The World”
Nadler, Marissa    “Marissa Nadler”
Oneida    “Absolute II (+ D/L)”
Owl City    “All Things Bright And Beautiful (+ D/L)”
Pleasure Leftists    “Six Song EP”
Pollard, Robert    “Lord Of The Birdcage”
Radiohead “Supercollider”
Reatards    “Teenage Hate (First Album Plus Bonus LP Of Early Recordings + D/L)”
Rosebuds, The    “Loud Planes Fly Low (+ D/L)”
Scott-Heron, Gil And Brian Jackson    “From South Africa To South Carolina”
Sonic’s Rendezvous Band    “Too Much Crank!”
Starkweather / Overmars    “Starkweather & Overmars Split”
Urban Waste    “Urban Waste (+ D/L)”
Vetiver    “The Errant Charm (+ D/L)”
Within The Ruins    “Omen (Ltd. Ed. Color + D/L)”
Wonder Years, The     “Present: Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing (+ Poster)”
Yuppicide    “Shinebox (Remastered)”
Yuppicide    “Fear Love (Remastered)”

Electronic 12″s
______________________
Addison Groove    “This Is It”
Aguayo, Matias    “I Don’t Smoke EP”
Basic Channel    “Reshape”
Bicep    “EP1”
Bicep    “EP2”
Blondes    “Lover / Hater”
DJ Yellow     “Night In Tranzylvania (DJ Yellow E.P.)”
Dubkasm    “More Jah”
Joker    “The Vision (White Label)”
Mochipet / Dkon    “Remixes”
MyMy & Emika    “Price Tag EP”
Plastikman    “Consumed”
Plastikman    “Plasticine”
Secret Cinema     “Minerals EP2”
Secret Cinema     “Minerals EP3”
Skream    “Where You Should Be 1”
Skream    “Where You Should Be 2”
Stott, Andy    “Night Jewel”
Stott, Andy    “Tell Me Anything / Love Nothing”
Stott, Andy    “Bad Landing EP”
Stott, Andy    “Brief Encounter”
Teeth of the Sea    “Hypnoticon”
Tejada, John & Leviste, Arian    “Western Starland Remixes 2011”
Tobin, Amon    “Isam (+ D/L)”
Tokimonsta    “Cosmic Intoxication”
Vincenzo    “Wherever I Lay My Head”

10″s
______________________
Floating Points    “Post Suite / Almost in Profile”
Iggy & The Stooges     “Rough Power”
Iggy Pop & James Williamson    “Jesus Loves The Stooges”
The New Christs    “Woe Betide”

7″s
______________________
Choke Up “Spent”
Gaz-66 Intrusion “Power”
Jawbox “Jackpot Plus!”
Kendl Winter “At The Same Time”
Lab
La Dispute / Touche Amore (Yellow & Brown Versions)
Leather “Sterile”
Okkervil River “Rider”
Pygmylush “Cold World / Guilt”
Reviver “Potential”
Rites Of Spring “All”
Soldiers “Hit The Bricks”
Unlearn “When The Reaper”
Warhead “This World Of”

CDs
______________________
Alpinist “Lichtlaern..”
Altar Of Plagues “Mammal”
Black September “Forbidden…”
Engineer “Crooked Voices”
Holy Other “With U”
Johannsson, Johann    “The Miners’ Hymns”
Oneida “Absolute II”
Origin “Entity”
People Like Us “Welcome”
Queens Of The Stone Age “QOTSA”
Reatards “Teenage Hate”
SepticFlesh “Great Mass…”
Tyr “Lay Of Thrym”
Various Artists “King Size Dub V. 15”
Vastum “Carnal Law”

Other
______________________
Judge Banner

Reviews
______________________

Fastbreak Fast Cars, Fast Women

(Big Wheel Recreation)

When this album came out in 1998, I didn’t like it at all. In the late
90s, I was much more interested in the heavier pissed off CTHC bands
(Hatebreed, Fear Tomorrow, Mans Ruin, Death Threat etc..) and even
less interested in any CT bands defecting to Boston. I was also just
way too angry to be into a youth crew band that shared borders with
pop punk.

Fastbreak for those that don’t know was a Connecticut youth-crew
styled hardcore band. Formed by members of Cornerstone in 1994. These
dudes put out some 7″s, then went on to put out full length releases
on Revelation & Big Wheel. Members were also in In My Eyes, Right
Brigade, & Piebald. Recently we bought a collection of used hardcore
LPs and there were a couple copies of “Fast Cars, Fast Women” in the
mix. I decided to give this another whirl and the verdict is, 26 year
old me thinks this is a solid record.

(check out baby Wes Nelson [Schematic of a Waking Life, Estrogen Highs, other bands] on stage)
[Reviewer: Josh]

Kode9 & The Spaceape Black Sun
(Hyperdub)

Kode9 is Steve Goodman.  Steve Goodman lectures in Music Culture at the School of Sciences, Media, and Cultural Studies at the University of East London and is the founder of the record label Hyperdub.  All this information can be verified at his website www.sonicwarfare.org – not so coincidentally he’s also penned a book with the name Sonic Warfare (by his credentials you might suspect that this is not a light read – you’d be right. It is dense with information [read: textbok]).  Kode9 knows how to make bass music.  Add his friend the Spaceape to the mix for some dynamism and you get a very nice future dub record.  At times more dub and at times more bass (nevermind if that doesn’t seem to make sense, just take it like it reads).  These aren’t really dancefloor bangers.  These tracks are headnodders.  Of course, I can go for a good headnodder from time to time on the dancefloor – these tracks just aren’t what you’d call “Killer Kuts.”  Bonus time: It’s a double LP with a gatefold done well/right with lyrics and a short comic on the inner sides.  Keep bouncin’.
[Reviewer: Rick]

UNDERGROUND MUSIC & CULTURE