Death By Steamship

Got a new single from Whoa! Boat up today from Death by Steamship. I covered their full length almost a year ago and remember that the Seattle straight up rock sound, not necessarily saying there's any kind of specific grunge sound or anything, just that spirit of hard working, no shit rock.
They're back with this "Facetious" single and it sounds like they're taking that classic solid rock to a serious rhythmic pop post-punk place. A-Side's "Smoke and Sweat", after a slow build up comes off with a Les Savy Fav explosive anarchist rhythm, Jason's yelling like Tim, a distanced hoarse delivery about listening to the radio. "Why does every song sound so much better unexpected on the radio?!" The times I randomly have the tiny kitchen transistor tuned to 91.5, the alternate side and when they randomly play The Smiths or Ariel Pink, it's that weird moment of recognition that I love, you know this...how do you know this? It's a weird kind of connection, happening live that you suddenly appreciate when everything is basically self programmed these days. Every playlist and queue you created and pretty much know. Even Pandora doesn't give you that completely random (and maddening) experience that someone out there is creating. Another ode to the radio, and this one a good thirty years later, there's still something about that medium that isn't going away. These guys just want to hang out, have a couple of beers and listen to that radio still...no regrets. Simple ideals with this off beat, an anthem to turning it up. The vocal melody feels worked out almost first so these subtle shifting rhythms can back it up, and support the whole thing into a completely post-punk dance place. The back and forth antics of vocals, pushing that energy of this main guitar melody with Eric's weirdo beat. A solid opening track and I definitely want to hear more of this aggressive direction. A DJ comes in at the end of this taking you out to transition into a cheesey casio.
"Dirty Venetian Blinds" has another unbalanced rhythm thanks to Eric, who's going with a metallic clink in place of the snare. Watery distortion follows on guitar and Jason grabbing right onto a vocal line that only he's privy to. It explodes into hard rock, nearly with hardcore tendencies, the rest of the guys coming in with "Take 'em down! Take em down!" If there's one thing you come away with is that these guys will only tolerate so much before flying off the handle. This more complex sound with anti-rock beats is taking their stuff into a new place, while keeping that down and dirty attitude.
The B-Side opens with "You Need a Super, Special, Specialized, Specialist" and a new direct line in crunchy guitar sound skitters in, headed back to those heavy rock geographic roots again. Vocally Jason is dark and stuck behind an echo'd distortion, the texture of Raw Power, or Bauhaus...it's another side of the die. The guitar is almost metal, the percussion this time right where it should be, big room mic'd and booming. Going even further away from that full length, Death by Steamship sound like they're just getting started, making really unique choices on this single, further defining their sound. It's been running through the randomly colored beakers and tubes, evaporating down to the slow drip into that last test tube.

On baby blue or black vinyl with download card from Whoa! Boat Records. - 7inches

Seattle Washington's
Death By Steamship is yet another stellar band on the
Whoa Boat Records roster.
As I'm listening to this three song teaser I find myself hearing influences ranging from Fugazi's experimental sound,
Murder City Devils and perhaps a louder, dirtier Modest Mouse. All of it served up with a heavy dose of grungy bombast and Post Hardcore swagger.
The kind of band that would bring a chainsaw to a knife fight.
The record opens up with the anthemic "Smoke and Sweat". Excellent riffs and carnage which is slightly overmatched by it's drunken chorus. All coming together to conjure up the image of a whiskey soaked singalong in the back of a dark, dirty bar. "Dirty Venetian Blinds" follows with a similar vibe.
"You Need A Special, Specialized, Specialist" brings the record to a close with it's manic ride. There's a lot of cool elements here that make this my favorite song on the record. Twisting guitars and sludgy drums take center stage here. All in all, it's nice brooding record that's worth checking out. - UnitedByRocketScience

Seattle Washington's
Death By Steamship is yet another stellar band on the
Whoa Boat Records roster.
As I'm listening to this three song teaser I find myself hearing influences ranging from Fugazi's experimental sound,
Murder City Devils and perhaps a louder, dirtier Modest Mouse. All of it served up with a heavy dose of grungy bombast and Post Hardcore swagger.
The kind of band that would bring a chainsaw to a knife fight.
The record opens up with the anthemic "Smoke and Sweat". Excellent riffs and carnage which is slightly overmatched by it's drunken chorus. All coming together to conjure up the image of a whiskey soaked singalong in the back of a dark, dirty bar. "Dirty Venetian Blinds" follows with a similar vibe.
"You Need A Special, Specialized, Specialist" brings the record to a close with it's manic ride. There's a lot of cool elements here that make this my favorite song on the record. Twisting guitars and sludgy drums take center stage here. All in all, it's nice brooding record that's worth checking out. - UnitedByRocketScience

The opening of this three song EP is shockingly bouncy, but one cannot avoid the post-punk sensibilities buried within, as well as the song’s bitingly sardonic lyrics. While one can interpret “Smoke and Sweat” to be a loving tribute to beer and the radio during a warm summer day, but when Jason Simplot yelps “I wanna smoke and sweat, live life with minimal regrets”, there is something much more complex than a simple summer anthem. A similar aesthetic is heard on “Dirty Venetian Blinds”, for the songs borrows heavily from Margin Walker-era Fugazi as it explodes into a slab of blistering punk before abruptly shifting tempos as it approaches its conclusion which arrives far too quickly. “You Need a Super, Specialized, Specialist” could make a person believe that it is still 1993, and for many of us, that is a great thing. Buried vocals, a chunky bassline, and a burly riff make this one the best of the bunch, and it also features the illuminating lyric: “A conversation doesn’t consist of bitching and moaning and a list of your co-worker’s tits.” The upstart Whoa!Boat label is making an strong impression. - Jersey Beat

The opening of this three song EP is shockingly bouncy, but one cannot avoid the post-punk sensibilities buried within, as well as the song’s bitingly sardonic lyrics. While one can interpret “Smoke and Sweat” to be a loving tribute to beer and the radio during a warm summer day, but when Jason Simplot yelps “I wanna smoke and sweat, live life with minimal regrets”, there is something much more complex than a simple summer anthem. A similar aesthetic is heard on “Dirty Venetian Blinds”, for the songs borrows heavily from Margin Walker-era Fugazi as it explodes into a slab of blistering punk before abruptly shifting tempos as it approaches its conclusion which arrives far too quickly. “You Need a Super, Specialized, Specialist” could make a person believe that it is still 1993, and for many of us, that is a great thing. Buried vocals, a chunky bassline, and a burly riff make this one the best of the bunch, and it also features the illuminating lyric: “A conversation doesn’t consist of bitching and moaning and a list of your co-worker’s tits.” The upstart Whoa!Boat label is making an strong impression. - Jersey Beat

Setting aside that it’s hilariously awesome that Death By Steamship’s label is called Whoa! Boat Records, the group’s new release Facetious is a solid dance punk affair. Boasting three songs and a joke radio broadcast, this 7” promises some post-punky fun for all.

That said, the world Death By Steamship lives in sure does sound gross and/or populated by jerks. “Smoke and Sweat” declares “I wanna smoke and sweat / Live life with minimal regrets / I wanna bounce and hop / Shake my ass until they make me stop.” Propelled by a gnarly guitar riff ‘n’ danceable drum beat, it’s a catchy ditty, but I’m fairly certain the narrator smells like butts mixed with more butts.

“You Need a Super, Special, Specialized, Specialist” is about dealing with scene kids (r.e. - pricks). The track between the two, “Dirty Venetian Blinds,” just so happens to bridge the two, to the extent that it’s about stinky places and jerkfaces. So, there’s that.

To be honest, I don’t really relate to songs about scene politics anymore. But it sounds like Death By Steamship is fighting against the tyranny of squares and fascists, so good for them. Facetious offers a brief taste of the band’s songwriting, but hopefully there’s more to come. - Punknews.org

Setting aside that it’s hilariously awesome that Death By Steamship’s label is called Whoa! Boat Records, the group’s new release Facetious is a solid dance punk affair. Boasting three songs and a joke radio broadcast, this 7” promises some post-punky fun for all.

That said, the world Death By Steamship lives in sure does sound gross and/or populated by jerks. “Smoke and Sweat” declares “I wanna smoke and sweat / Live life with minimal regrets / I wanna bounce and hop / Shake my ass until they make me stop.” Propelled by a gnarly guitar riff ‘n’ danceable drum beat, it’s a catchy ditty, but I’m fairly certain the narrator smells like butts mixed with more butts.

“You Need a Super, Special, Specialized, Specialist” is about dealing with scene kids (r.e. - pricks). The track between the two, “Dirty Venetian Blinds,” just so happens to bridge the two, to the extent that it’s about stinky places and jerkfaces. So, there’s that.

To be honest, I don’t really relate to songs about scene politics anymore. But it sounds like Death By Steamship is fighting against the tyranny of squares and fascists, so good for them. Facetious offers a brief taste of the band’s songwriting, but hopefully there’s more to come. - Punknews.org

Last we heard from Death By Steamship, it was their debut LP S.S. Endurance from last summer. Now the grungy Seattle punks have a new 7? to offer titled Facetious on Whoa! Boat Records.

The single comes three tracks deep, with each showing off a bold and aggressive punk edge that varies from track to track. On the A-side, “Smoke and Sweat” joins an unpredictable combination of punk rock with a danceable drum beat, filled out with throbbing bass lines and jagged guitars all in efforts to silence the stereo. “Dirty Venetian Blinds” follows behind with its chunky bass lines, boasting a rowdy attitude that explodes in your face with stomping percussion and cutting guitar leads. Last but not least, the curiously titled “You Need a Super, Special, Specialized, Specialist” brings more discontented punk rage to the table. The song is driven by pulsing bass lines while the metallic jangle of the guitar continues to push forward, making for an awesome balance between clangorous noise and grungy punk.

The single comes limited to just 300 with the first 100 coming on blue vinyl - Styrofoamdrone.com

Last we heard from Death By Steamship, it was their debut LP S.S. Endurance from last summer. Now the grungy Seattle punks have a new 7? to offer titled Facetious on Whoa! Boat Records.

The single comes three tracks deep, with each showing off a bold and aggressive punk edge that varies from track to track. On the A-side, “Smoke and Sweat” joins an unpredictable combination of punk rock with a danceable drum beat, filled out with throbbing bass lines and jagged guitars all in efforts to silence the stereo. “Dirty Venetian Blinds” follows behind with its chunky bass lines, boasting a rowdy attitude that explodes in your face with stomping percussion and cutting guitar leads. Last but not least, the curiously titled “You Need a Super, Special, Specialized, Specialist” brings more discontented punk rage to the table. The song is driven by pulsing bass lines while the metallic jangle of the guitar continues to push forward, making for an awesome balance between clangorous noise and grungy punk.

The single comes limited to just 300 with the first 100 coming on blue vinyl - Styrofoamdrone.com

“S.S. Endurance” is an impressive debut full-length from these Seattle area emo rockers. Ok, “emo” is not a good word anymore, but I’m talking about the original connotation of the term, as in a more experimental type of hardcore. After listening to the album three times over the course of just as many days, I still have a mental block when it comes to words for describing it. There’s certainly a Fugazi type of thing going on, but much more abrasive and really only in a sense of style that jumps from melodious to powerful and back again. I’m also reminded a bit of Beefeater at times, mixed with Pacific Northwest gloominess and a touch of cynicism. My inability to pigeonhole the band exposes their unrestrained penchant to go beyond boundaries, which is something that is desperately needed in the punk scene
today. Very Cool! - Maximum RockNRoll

“S.S. Endurance” is an impressive debut full-length from these Seattle area emo rockers. Ok, “emo” is not a good word anymore, but I’m talking about the original connotation of the term, as in a more experimental type of hardcore. After listening to the album three times over the course of just as many days, I still have a mental block when it comes to words for describing it. There’s certainly a Fugazi type of thing going on, but much more abrasive and really only in a sense of style that jumps from melodious to powerful and back again. I’m also reminded a bit of Beefeater at times, mixed with Pacific Northwest gloominess and a touch of cynicism. My inability to pigeonhole the band exposes their unrestrained penchant to go beyond boundaries, which is something that is desperately needed in the punk scene
today. Very Cool! - Maximum RockNRoll

You know, I’m not really that impressed by what’s going on right now in Seattle punk, as far as bands go. Seattle is where I live and I’m not being negative, just honest. I’ve got plenty of other things to keep me busy, so if a good band wants to come my way, well, good for me. That’s just what happened when I got this Death By Steamship record in the mail to review. Death By Steamship play a sort of jazzy, post-hardcore that goes from jaggedly-meandering to a more straightforward punk. The album starts out with “Digital Relay,” a timely, punk-as-fuck song about how technology is making us ignorant, detached from our environments, and stupid. One could not ask for a better written and timelier song, at a time when even the punks can’t resist Big Brother Facebook. The ebbing to pounding style of the band really draws the listener in. The vocals, I feel I must mention, are quite similar to Murder City Devils, and that might not serve them well, being that they’re from Seattle and all. But Jason’s vocals are only similar in cadence and vigor. They lack the grandiosity and theatrical goofiness of M.C.D. Otherwise, they sound quite different, and I would, actually, recommend Death By Steamship if you want a more empowering alternative than the Situationist-jerking-off-to-a noir-film, bad-boy-fantasy style of Murder City Devils. (I like them, too, but c’mon.) Anyway, besides the vocals, D.B.S don’t have any other similarities to those Seattle darlings. They represent a life some of us actually live, the stress of not knowing where the next paycheck is coming from and the small pleasure of being drunk on the bus or wandering the streets tripping balls. This is sincere and relevant shit and, hopefully, they’ll be the next show that I go to, that is, if I’m not too busy scrambling for my next paycheck or wandering the streets tripping balls. –Craven - Razorcake

You know, I’m not really that impressed by what’s going on right now in Seattle punk, as far as bands go. Seattle is where I live and I’m not being negative, just honest. I’ve got plenty of other things to keep me busy, so if a good band wants to come my way, well, good for me. That’s just what happened when I got this Death By Steamship record in the mail to review. Death By Steamship play a sort of jazzy, post-hardcore that goes from jaggedly-meandering to a more straightforward punk. The album starts out with “Digital Relay,” a timely, punk-as-fuck song about how technology is making us ignorant, detached from our environments, and stupid. One could not ask for a better written and timelier song, at a time when even the punks can’t resist Big Brother Facebook. The ebbing to pounding style of the band really draws the listener in. The vocals, I feel I must mention, are quite similar to Murder City Devils, and that might not serve them well, being that they’re from Seattle and all. But Jason’s vocals are only similar in cadence and vigor. They lack the grandiosity and theatrical goofiness of M.C.D. Otherwise, they sound quite different, and I would, actually, recommend Death By Steamship if you want a more empowering alternative than the Situationist-jerking-off-to-a noir-film, bad-boy-fantasy style of Murder City Devils. (I like them, too, but c’mon.) Anyway, besides the vocals, D.B.S don’t have any other similarities to those Seattle darlings. They represent a life some of us actually live, the stress of not knowing where the next paycheck is coming from and the small pleasure of being drunk on the bus or wandering the streets tripping balls. This is sincere and relevant shit and, hopefully, they’ll be the next show that I go to, that is, if I’m not too busy scrambling for my next paycheck or wandering the streets tripping balls. –Craven - Razorcake