#greg ahee

[nofatclips]

Rain Garden by Protomartyr from the album Formal Growth In The Desert

[spilladabalia]

Protomartyr - Devil in his youth / Darren Aronofsky - pi

[bandcampsnoop]

9/20/23.

Bandcamp's Big Ups feature ran today with Bandcamp favs from Joe Casey and Greg Ahee from Protomartyr. I love that Joe's first band was Lewsberg and Greg's first band was Cindy.

But, I really enjoyed listening to Abner Jay (on Joe's list). I'd never heard of him, but when I saw that Mississippi Records was behind the release of this, I knew it would be cool.

It's hard to pigeonhole the one-man band approach of Jay (Fitzgerald, Georgia). These songs represent some of his best work from the 60s and 70s. I can only think of Bobby Brown (Reno, Nevada). It also sounds like Chance and maybe Elvis if he had continued making music but remained unknown.

[thesearenotphotographs]

Protomartyr and Corridor at Warsaw

On Friday, June 14, 2024, Detroit’s Protomartyr returned to New York City on their tour with Fashion Club for a show at Warsaw in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

This was my 14th Protomartyr concert in ten years and the band sounded as great as ever and had a few crowdsurfers, which happened for the first time here in New York City. I covered the wonderful show for Impose and the full gallery is now available on their website here.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Protomartyr & Stuck Live Show Review: 7/13, Thalia Hall, Chicago

BY JORDAN MAINZER

“Tap calls the time,” Joe Casey sang last Thursday at Thalia Hall as Protomartyr performed “Elimination Dances”, a standout track from their new album Formal Growth in the Desert (Domino). Like many of the band’s best songs, its inspirations are obscure, this particular instance taken from a game in a 50′s dance manual: Once you’re tapped out, you stop. Given the Detroit punk band’s generally bleak nature, it’s not hard to find the referenced game a fitting metaphor our everyday life, trying to survive in a capitalist hell world. But consider that Formal Growth was written in the context of the death of Casey’s mother, recorded in an actual desert at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, TX with producer Jake Aron. Casey didn’t aim to create something or find meaning out of emptiness, per se, but answer the question, “Once tap calls the time, how do the rest of us move on?” Luckily for him, and for us, there’s music.

I’ve seen Protomartyr a bunch of times. I never would have thought to describe one of their shows as life-affirming, but Thursday’s was, from the younger segment of the crowd’s persistent moshing to the unexpectedly anthemic quality of the band’s performance. The live version of Formal Desert opener "Make Way” traded the studio version’s openness for a much mightier, choppier stomp. The crowd reframed the anxiety-riddled namesake refrain of Relatives in Descent chugger “The Chuckler”--“I guess I’ll keep on chucklin’ till there’s no more breath in my lungs”--as an absurdist call to arms. The normally stoic Casey performed the entirety of The Agent Intellect’s “Why Does It Shake?” on the barrier between the stage and the crowd, about as close to spirited as he’ll ever be. Even the band’s chosen setlist seemed authored specifically to amp up the crowd. I mean, they could have played “Let’s Tip The Creator”, which chides the way tech billionaires treat art as a commodity, just as much of a charged bummer as the rest, but its subdued timbres are harder to dance to. Protomartyr’s instead taking the Gang of Four route, favoring, say, the skittering drums of “Fun in Hi Skool”. 

As this was the last show of the tour, Casey joked, “We’ll either be so tight, it will be the best show of our lives, or so tired it’ll be the shittiest.” Guitarist Greg Ahee, bassist Scott Davidson, and drummer Alex Leonard at least made sure it wasn’t the latter, of course. But it was the addition of The Breeders’ Kelley Deal as a full-time touring member of the band that elevated older songs even more than it provided faithful renditions of those whose studio versions she was on. Her voice subbed for the “I have arrived” echo on Under Color of Official Right’s “Maidenhead”, and her backing harmonies beautifully contrasted the ugliness of “Pontiac 87″. And her guitar tones on "Polacrilex Kid” seemed lifted straight from the Hawaiian twang of Last Splash’s “No Aloha”, an inspired replacement for the studio version’s pedal steel. Casey clearly remains eternally thankful. He once said in an interview with NPR, “Basically, the band comes up with amazing music and it's my job to not screw it up too much.” It’s all I could think about as I watched him sip from a Budweiser can, nodding like he was impressed while watching Leonard hammer away during the extended intro of “Jumbo’s”. If he sings on “The Author”, “Time's your enemy / Every gift you see will be taken for sure,” live, he demonstrates the unspoken flipside: Enjoy the gifts while you can.

Local post-punk band Stuck, who I saw open for Metz last winter, was the perfect primer for Protomartyr. They, too, sing about the effects of the decline of America, albeit with a nervy, wiry yelp that recalls bands like Devo and Squid. Lead singer Greg Obis was quick to point out how honored the band was to open for Protomartyr, one of his favorites. It’s easy to see the influence on their new album Freak Frequency (born yesterday). A track like “Fools Idol”, its descriptions of “violence unending” and “the boss descending,” is very Casey-esque in its brand proclamations. And like Protomartyr now, Stuck is that much more loud and urgent live, foregoing, for instance, the studio acoustic instrumentation of “Scared” for all electric jitters. However, unlike those of the perennially offline Casey, Stuck’s songs are riddled with technology-induced worries. At Thalia Hall, drummer Tim Green’s disorienting use of sample pads was an effective mirror for Obis’ admission he’s “distracted all over again” on “Loose Your Cool”. Green’s motorik drums and Obis’ and Ezra Saulnier’s sharp guitarwork reflected the pain of similar cycles of smartphone despair on “Time Out”. The almost hilariously plodding pace of “Planet Money” made a circus out of the song’s targets, the pundits who comment on the health of the economy as if it truly affects the everyday life of our most vulnerable. And then there was set closer “The Punisher”, the only song that saw Obis sing harmonically, sans paranoid screams. On the track, he deftly summarizes the absurdity of the January 6th insurrection, facetiously winking and nodding, “The future never looked so bright.” Even if the world that Protomartyr and Stuck envelop does everything in its power to suggest otherwise, upon leaving Thalia Hall on Thursday, you could, perhaps, agree.

[rastronomicals]

Greg Ahee

[stealiesjam]

Protomartyr, Ian Sweet @ Black Cat 6/20/23

Pictures by Paula Beltran Text by Santiago and Paula Beltran

Paula: How it started... Ian Sweet: a duo in Paradise. Cool chilled tunes for the Protomartyr-hungry.

Paula: Ian Sweet after the show... Loved taking these two's pictures! Caught front-woman Jillian Medford chatting with a guy wearing a CBH t-shirt and that moment felt magical. Also did I mention that her drummer was wearing a Chicago Bulls tshirt? (thanks for the shots guys!) :)

Santiago: The terrain of post punk often feels very much like dark muddled, uncharted waters. Rightly so, as it’s somewhat open ended structure allows for much creativity and experimentation. Seeing Protomartyr make quick work of this formula on record and on stage can be remarkable in its own right. 

The abstract licks of guitarist Greg Ahee set a very dark sometimes even somber tone, while 

drummer Alex Leonard exhibits an absolute blistering technique- often subbing standard verse beats for over achieving fills that often sit at the forefront of the listener’s focus. 

The rhythm section weaves together hypnotic patterns that effortlessly coalesce with vocalist Joe Casey’s thundering and brooding command, creating a unique and very complete package. 

In the short amount of time theyve been putting out records, Protomartyr has also made a name for themselves on the stage. Witnessing that prowess live becomes something much more visceral. There’s no denying the future looks bright for these Detroit boys.  Paula: She takes it all in... here are some shots of these beer-holding guys :p

Paula: Caught bassist Scott Davidson and drummer Alex Leonard after the show and I was like "daaaaaaaumn! these two pictures are for my brother!" Indeed, I let them know how much we love them, like, part of the family love. And boom boom, took their picture. Very cool cats!

Paula: And of course this post could not be complete without the awesome Black Cat staff pictures. Hey it's where all the magic happens! (Alec is a super cool bartender and plays in The Owners! And the people who work the main entrance always lets us leave the drinks behind them when that nicotine urge calls).

Paula: And of course I saw some cool clothing hanging on some rad humans and had to share...

[screamingforyears]

ALBUM_of_the_MONTH 6/23:

Kiss me before I go…

The rustbelt sure has a way w/ producing America’s finest Doomer bands (see: Greet Death, Ritual Howls, Cloakroom etc) & our beloved PROTOMARTYR have further cemented their place within the rusted ruins on this latest & greatest offering.

The Detroit-based quartet of drummer Alex Leonard, guitarist/arranger Greg Ahee, vocalist Joe Casey & bassist Scott Davidson are one of the most consistent groups in the game & have managed, on album #6, to produce their finest work to date, a twelve track culmination of growing ambition & finely tuned craftsmanship…. That’s some Cure type shit.

‘FORMAL GROWTH IN THE DESERT’ is where it’s all come together: The sequencing, the added layers of depth, the subtle textures, the type of groupthink that only comes years of road dogging & the feeling that this is certainly the same band you fell in love with only that they’ve found a new gear & a new appreciation for their craft.

Protomartyr are a true parts of their sum operation, w/ all 4 members bringing exactly what they need to in succinctly proficient ways… the way the trio of musicians wield their weapons of choice is something to behold… from every ringing guitar note, to every sustained bass tone down to every forcefully driven bed of percussion that allows their mouthpiece to operate w/ peak levels of support.

‘Formal Growth…’ is Greg Ahee’s opus, where his film scoring ventures come to fruition in the form of richly detailed sketches & energy packed bursts of gloom that allow Casey to deploy his bitter’d barbs in full effect… I cannot overstate how full this album feels, even when it expertly deploys the value of its negative space & how every sparely used pedal steel slide ups the ante of any given moment.

//

Opener “Make Way” is the perfect table-setter for this newly refreshed & subtly refined Proto w/ its slow-burning churn, tender twang & mournful slide while “For Tomorrow” is the perfect amount of BPM-upping that this band is so well know for, only better & even more anthemic time around as propulsive low-ends & ringing six-strings drive the fist shaking.

“Elimination Dances” is the truest display of this newfound kismet, involving & incorporating the (newer) sonic/vocal explorations that have pushed the group to new levels while “Fun in Hi Skool” takes those who peaked during grades 9-12 & does so in a menacing way while packing a chill inducing final-third push.

“Graft vs. Host” is all tribally thunderous drumming… “Lets Tip the Creator” & those GD guitar lines!! “Polacrilex Kid” pays homage to an “unwanted friend I’ve become acquainted with since getting on the quit smoking/start smoking again tilt-a-whirl” across damn near 4 mins of sonically pure Proto_Martyr_Isms (now w/ pedal steel)

Firstly, “3800 Tigers” is a fucking jam, secondly in a just world this aforementioned jam should be getting mad airplay on Comerica’s massive sound-system, but seriously this thing purrs & roars across an economic 2:24 clip of endorphin rushing post_punk… NOW BEAT THE SOX! 

The swagger filled “Fulfillment Center” moves like a well oiled machine chockfull of walking baselines, dissonant six-strings & damn near disco (punk) beats that finds Proto at their most hip-swiveling while closer “Rain Garden” is the group at their most tender, a track that operates as a parting of the storm & features some of Casey’s most straightforward & heartfelt lyrics/sentiments.

//

The 12 track spread that is ‘Formal Growth In the Desert’ serves as an overall refinement of what Protomartyr do so well & it’s been wholeheartedly refreshing to bear witness to a collection of songs that feel so indebted to their place & time while also pushing its makers into (slightly) newer territories. 

////

[dustedmagazine]

Protomartyr — Formal Growth in the Desert (Domino)

Photo by Trevor Naud

Formal Growth In The Desert by Protomartyr

It’s been three long years since Detroit post-punk band Protomartyr released their last album, Ultimate Success Today, described in our Dusted review as “thrilling and brutally effective”. During the intervening period there’s obviously been the COVID pandemic and its attendant horrors, but Protomartyr front man Joe Casey has also tragically lost his mother, then their home was broken into multiple times. Suffice to say, Formal Growth in the Desert is not a jolly listen.

Protomartyr have never been a jolly listen, but their music has largely excelled on the strength of Casey’s sardonic lyrics and barked vocal delivery, combined with the inventive backing of guitarist Greg Ahee, bassist Scott Davidson, and drummer Alex Leonard. Here the band is also joined on many of the songs by pedal steel player William Radcliffe, whose additions are largely subtle and textural. Musically it feels like business as usual, but there’s a spark missing, as if the events of the last few years have pummelled the life out of the band, resulting in a frustratingly uneven record. 

The album’s two singles, “Make Way” and “Elimination Dances,” both sequenced early on, have the kind of attack that Protomartyr have made their own, thereby offering an appealing way in. However, as early in the track list as second song “For Tomorrow,” an off-putting pub-rock feel finds its way into proceedings, Ahee riffing high up on the guitar neck. “Graft vs. Host” features a hypnotically eerie atmospheric backing, but the lyrics alluding to Casey’s mother feel a little too on-the-nose to stir a visceral emotional connection. Though “The Author” opens sounding almost like a demo, its conclusion features some of the record’s most interesting instrumental interplay. The record closes on a high note with one of its finest songs, “Rain Garden,” which is shot through with the kind of striking cinematic tension that’s lacking elsewhere. 

Tim Clarke

[beatdisc]

New Release Friday Pt. 3

Protomartyr - Formal Growth In The Desert is the 6th LP from U.S. post-punk outfit, out today on Domino Recording Company

"The Detroit post-punk band Protomartyr have mastered the art of evoking place: the grinding Midwest humility of their hometown, as well as the x-rayed elucidation of America that comes with their vantage. Protomartyr—vocalist Joe Casey, guitarist Greg Ahee, drummer Alex Leonard, and bassist Scott Davidson—have become synonymous with caustic, impressionistic assemblages of politics and poetry, the literal and oblique."

In-stock on Indie-Exclusive Blue Vinyl with bonus zine! $65.

#protomartyr #formalgrowthinthedesert

[musikblog]

Wie man von der Traurigkeit zu einer Art von Glück findet - Protomartyr im Interview Ein Neuanfang für Album Nummer sechs, das hat sich die Alternative-Rock-Band Protomatyr aus Detroit vorgenommen. Düstere Arrangements und gehaltvolle Texte sind dazu auf „Formal Growth In The Desert“ das Mittel der Wahl und kommen, gemäß dem Titel, in Begleitung kleiner Hoffnungsschimmer und positiver Noten. Ein Gespräch mit Sänger Joe Casey und Gitarrist Greg Ahee über […] https://www.musikblog.de/2023/06/wie-man-von-der-traurigkeit-zu-einer-art-von-glueck-findet-protomartyr-im-interview/ #Protomartyr #AlternativeRock #Interview

[nofatclips]

Elimination Dances by Protomartyr featuring Kelley Deal, live on KEXP

[spilladabalia]

Protomartyr - Elimination Dances

[bandcampsnoop]

3/8/23.

I almost jumped out of my seat when I saw that Protomartyr (Detroit, Michigan) is releasing a new album in June. Looking back in the archives, I see that the first mention of Protomartyr came in April 2015.

Since that posting, we've posted directly and indirectly about Protomartyr dozens of times. Bands like Tyvek, The Gotobeds, Bloodside (Greg Ahee is in the band), Idles and Det Jordiska have all earned comparisons over the years.

But, as you know, no one really sounds like Protomartyr. The vocals and lyrics of Joe Casey are in a league of their own. "Formal Growth in The Desert" will undoubtedly be another notch in Protomartyr's string of excellence.

Domino Recording Company is releasing this. There is a Domino Mart exclusive version available.

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Video: Protomartyr Shares Punchy "Polarcrilex Kid"

New Video: Protomartyr Shares Punchy "Polarcrilex Kid" @protomartyrband @Dominorecordco @pitchperfectpr

Detroit-based post-punk outfit Protomartyr — Joe Casey (vocals), Greg Ahee (guitar), Alex Leonard (percussion), and Scott Davidson (bass) — have become synonymous with caustic, impressionistic assemblages of politics and poetry, the literal and oblique over the course of five albums — 2012’s No Passion All Technique, 2014’s Under Color of Official Right, 2015’s The Agent Intellect,…

[sinceileftyoublog]

Protomartyr & Deadbeat Beat Live Show Review: 11/9, Empty Bottle, Chicago

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Protomartyr was the last band I was supposed to see before the pandemic officially shut everything down. I wasn’t able to go for other reasons, and given what we now know about how COVID-19 spreads, it was probably for the best. In any case, I remember feeling that if that was the last show I would see for a while, what better than a band whose bleak observations on crumbling humanity have soundtracked some of the coldest times in my life? In a sense, catching them at the Empty Bottle last night was just as fitting. In context of a very much not over pandemic that exposed society’s structural rot, and the hope that elected officials or leaders will do anything about that rot far in the rearview mirror, again, who better to drink cheap beer with than the band who, too, keeps on trucking despite it all?

With last year’s great Ultimate Success Today (Domino), Protomartyr have grown from being the group whose trademark songs contrast economic disillusionment with the hope of the Pope’s visit to the Silverdome or pay tribute to pure dive bars. Simultaneously apocalyptic and introspective while still retaining the somewhat satirical tone of their earlier work, Ultimate Success Today is a reflection on the band’s first decade together, a mid-life crisis, and a product of an ever decaying political climate. In its making, the band embraced being a fully formed entity, from following the same sleep and food routines when they moved in together to record, to the sessions themselves. Protomartyr has always had great chemistry, but Ultimate Success Today clearly grew them closer, at least musically. Last night, from the start on “Day Without End”, Greg Ahee’s guitars swirled with authority and Alex Leonard’s circular drums ascended to a peak as lead singer Joe Casey grew more unhinged with desperation. “Dull ache turned sharp! / Short breath, never caught!” he chanted to a crowd giving him their energy back, a paean to solidarity of the sick.

The addition of The Breeders’ Kelley Deal to Protomartyr’s live lineup allowed them to more faithfully perform songs on which she was featured in studio, like 2015 single “Blues Festival” and the pummeling “Wheel of Fortune”. Moreover, her talents on the guitar and synths and her sneakily expansive voice were the perfect complement in timbre to Casey’s baritone and Scott Davidson’s lumbering bass. When the band performed “Tarpeian Rock” from their 2014 instant classic Under Color of Official Right, it was Deal providing backing to Casey’s manic calls for execution. Though the band has remained stylistically consistent over their decade of existence, they’ve become less rigid, and Ultimate Success Today and their subsequent live performance demonstrated an accelerated openness.

The first band on the bill, Deadbeat Beat (also from Detroit), funny enough played their last show at the Empty Bottle pre-COVID. They showcased the same jangly pop prowess as on their most recent album, 2019′s How Far (Crystal Palace/Arrowhawk). Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Alex Glendening sang with a muffled nasal yelp, sort of like Galaxie 500′s Dean Wareham, sometimes in harmony with drummer Maria Nuccilli. Nuccilli’s steady motorik beats provided the backbone for chugging jams and psychedelic melodies, Zak Frieling’s swaying basslines propelling them forward. Glendening’s lyrics are often thoughtful ruminations on being queer in a scene still unfortunately dominated by straight cis white males, but last night, you couldn’t totally hear the words. Still, the wailing quality of Glendening’s voice added wonders to the band’s Flying Nun-inspired choogles. Oh, and they covered Arthur Russell’s “Habit of You” and managed to make it sound like it should have been a Deadbeat Beat song--not an easy feat!