happy sadness indie rock honky tonk surf punk

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ROCK: Punk, ROCK: Surf Rock



Details:
The Touchers rock. Any one of their lesser songs would make another band's career. Heavy discord-record influenced cow-punk; The pixies meet Steve Earle outside a Nirvana show.

Their songs are twangy, the lyrics are penetrating, and the sound is punked up garage rock occasionally veering into the country side of things. They are based out of Bozeman Montana and their mailbombs will soon find a space in your car, on your shelves, and in your minds.

Created 1999 Bozeman, melded through a few stints in Portland, OR, The Touchers realized Montana is the only place they are able to be at the same time as one another. "There are too many bands in Oregon, and nobody gives a shit", Ben Spangler, songwriter, says about his decision to stay and live in the middle of nowhere. "I can live for cheap here and I don't get into too much trouble. It can be kind of boring, but it's easy for us to get gigs in town and we can always tour from here."

The band counts The Pixies and The Melvins among their main influences. Spangler writes catchy pop hooks and then scars them up with alot of screaming and distortion. Chris 'Donnie Evil' Donahue provides harmony backups and a blistering lead guitar to the band. His twangy guitar sound hints at elements of surf and 50's garage rock. Keith Martinez and Brent 'Blue' Maciulski round out the band on drums and bass, respectively.

"Pretty Baby", the bands 4th album, is their first officially pressed release. Turning away from the trademark "stamped" silver cds, The Touchers are excited to offer this polished shrink-wrapped gem. Mixed and mastered by Chuck Goodwin of Cynic Sound, this release fluently encaptures the band's dynamic emotions while maintaining a full bodied backbeat.

The Touchers released "The Shotgun" in the fall of '03 on their own Beard of Blood label. The band took one day to record the sixteen songs in the sequence they appear on the record. Copies have made their way across the lower forty-eight and response has inspired their tour in October.

Earlier releases "Headless Breakfast" (2000) and "Blood Bath" (2002) reflect the punkadelic toucher attitude while "Live Below" (April 1 2004) reveils a glimpse into the intensity of a Touchers show.

The Touchers have played shows with The Legendary Shack Shakers, The Men of Porn, Richmond Fontaine, Sunset Valley, Wesley Willis, Frank Black and the Catholics, Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons, Unknown Hinson, and tons of regional and local bands.

Dedicated to the demise of sexist, homophobic, unoriginal rock and roll, The Touchers are a class act. "We hope to join the ranks of other great Montana bands that have gone out and made a name for themselves. I mean, The Fireballs of Freedom just played a festival in spain opening for The Stooges. That's pretty fucking cool...., The Volumen have toured in Europe. Sunset Valley makes great records", Martinez continues, "There is a lot of talent and creativity coming out of this state right now. It's a little bit better than a kick in the face".