GILGONGO RECORDS

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PIGEON RELIGION - "Dead Boss" 7" (GGGR-030).

PIGEON RELIGION.
One of two simultaneously released debut 7”s from AZ’s Pigeon Religion, the other being on Parts Unknown. Wrecked
and abstract punk, which if you want to exclusively live in the distant past: a bit of a Flipper, later Black Flag and
Birthday Party hybrid of sorts, a mess that works it way through all senses. This band has played about 70 times in
their first year as a band: clearing out venues with 45 minute renditions of new tracks, clearing out intestines with
combinations of extreme volume and strobe lights that have constant speed changes, blowing away virtually every
band that they open for as they come through town and turning living rooms and basements into 1am destruction
zones on a regular basis. Co-released with Jarson International. MP3: "Henderson".

select reviews:

Foxy Digitalis:
Pigeon Religion is an Phoenix, Arizona hardcore trio of sorts. Combining the total slacker vibe of Dead C or early Pavement with more of a hardcore leaning somewhere between Flipper and early Swans. “Dead Boss” is made up of three tracks, starting off with the title track “Dead Boss.” “Dead Boss” starts off with an a cappela “whoa oaaa oaa oaaa” intro with the band fading in from the background. A nice little three chord jam kind of like a more bummed out version of Flipper’s “Way of the World.” Next up, is “Henderson” which is a start/stop sludge jam with plenty of feedback and distorted vocals like a slightly sped up early swans jam. Side B concludes this 7” with “Huge Bummer” which isn’t really all that much of a bummer and is probably the most melodic jam on the record. Some nice, lo- fi, bummed out, slacker hardcore with a singer who sings in an ultra low toned voice though 300 lb’s of distortion. They also just had another 7” come at the same time on Parts Unknown so obvious pick for the Drunkdriver/ Pissed Jeans crew. Nice and ugly! 7/10 -- Jon Lorenz (2 February, 2010)

Z Gun:
The newest by a promising, young Southwest band. Not quite as immediate as the Scorpion Milk EP, but given a few listens, a worthwhile release. All the cuts have a nice sludgy swing to them and some good guitar squall. Right now my favorite song is “Henderson”, a dark thuggish anthem. No reason not to check these guys out. –SS

Impose Magazine:
We've saved the dirtiest for last, a new three song platter from AZ scumfucks Pigeon Religion, Dead Boss EP on the estimable Gilgongo Records. These guys have clearly huffed too much spray paint and jerked off on one too many Cows records, and as a result, the A-Side is two barely intelligible tracks of moaning, like a bum attempting to orgasm by sticking his dick into a rat trap. "Henderson" ups the fidelity to shit-fi standards, then proceeds to piss itself (and a light socket) for 2 minutes in an attempt to emulate The Jesus Lizard's "Blockbuster". Somehow, the B-Side is better still, with a foreboding bassline nicked from a better band and sutured onto a decaying riff that fizzles out like a dying star amid vocals that fall just on the right side of inept. The whole thing might be mastered at 39rpm as it doesn't sound quite right at either 33 or 45. There's something dirty in that AZ water that creates fucking brilliant wastrels. Available from the label and scores of good distros everywhere.

Auxillary Out:
My band was actually asked to play show with Pigeon Religion when they hit Seattle last summer but I was out of town which was a bummer. Anyhow, that's a long winded way of saying I've been looking forward to hearing them. "Dead Boss" begins like a soccer hooligan chant. The chorus of voices is joined pretty quickly by guitar and drums turning the pseudo-soccer anthem into a punk anthem. The actual singer is shouting his lungs out but can't make himself heard over the flurry of voices. It's an admirable effort though. "Henderson" is even better. There's an accompanying text insert about being a bum in Henderson, Nevada but I can't quite tell if it's actually the lyrics being sung. The song is only a couple minutes but it's a got great strung out, post-Jesus Lizard vibe. No wonder they got a record on Parts Unknown as well. Side B's sole track "Huge Bummer" is probably my favorite of the bunch. It reminds me of some of Pixies' (my fav band FYI) rawer, more seething selections. It's a pretty simple arrangement, a catchy bass line and dual guitars feeding back rather than just mirroring the bass line while the singer dude is agitated about "relying on someone else" or something until the piece splinters to a shambling close.