Indian Handcrafts

VICE NOISEY: Video premiere of Indian Handcrafts "Bruce Lee"

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:40:00 -0400

Here’s a sweet exclusive: the gritty new video for Indian Handcrafts’ latest single, “Bruce Lee.” As an homage to their late hero’s sick Kung Fu skills, the Canadian duo pretty much kicks the crap out of each other with high kicks, uppercuts, and nunchucks, plus that ultimate display of testosterone-fuelled masculinity, the staring contest. All of this is set to a soundtrack of gnarly, drive-faster riffs and stomach-socking beats. It will make you want to roll around and get raw and then watch Kill Bill.

Indian Handcrafts’ album, Civil Disobedience For Losers, is out now on Sargent House.

SEE INDIAN HANDCRAFTS TOUR DATES HERE

Indian Handcrafts announced to play Heavy MTL Fest in Montreal and Scion Metal Fest in Memphis

Wed, 08 May 2013 18:57:16 -0400

The Star: Reasons To Live this Week

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:50:00 -0400

Indian Handcrafts, Civil Disobedience for Losers (Sargent House). Given the amount of airtime the likes of Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Fu Manchu and Big Business enjoy in perpetuity chez Reasons to Live, it constitutes a criminal sin of omission to have neglected calling attention to Barrie duo Indian Handcrafts’ late-2012 sophomore LP until now. Suffice it to say, though, that if the preceding sentence has belatedly called your attention to CivilDisobedience for Losers, you should probably investigate in that direction right now. And while I feel unconscionably lazy in pimping these low-end-lovin’ riff merchants on the basis of a handful of kinda-lazy stoner-rock references, Indian Handcrafts did get two Melvins drummers (Dale Crover was one of them, yes) to contribute to the new record and convinced perennial Melvins studio collaborator Toshi Kasai to work behind the boards. I don’t think they’re hiding where they’re coming from, and nor should they apologize for it. Indian Handcrafts opens for Billy Talent at the Air Canada Centre on Friday.

Indian Handcrafts announce headline shows before meeting up with Billy Talent

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:29:22 -0500

Indian Handcrafts will headline a run of their own Canadian shows with Black Mastiff joining them before they head off to the arenas where they will be opening for Billy Talent . So, Canada get in early and get your dose of the Craft…

SEE ALL SHOW DETAILS HERE

INDIAN HANDCRAFTS , BLACK MASTIFF
Mar 7, 2013 - Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid Cabaret
Mar 8, 2013 - Regina, SK @ O’Hanlon’s Pub
Mar 9, 2013 - Edmonton, AB @ The Pawn Shop
Mar 10, 2013 - Lethbridge, AB @ The Slice
Mar 12, 2013 - Calgary, AB @ Palomino Smokehouse & Social Club

BILLY TALENT, SUM 41, HOLLERADO, INDIAN HANDCRAFTS 2013
Mar 14, 2013 - Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum
Mar 16, 2013 - Kamloops, BC @ Interior Savings Centre
Mar 18, 2013 - Dawson Creek, BC @ Encana Centre
Mar 19, 2013 - Red Deer, AB @ Westerner Park / ENMAX Arena
Mar 20, 2013 - Calgary, AB @ Stampede Corral
Mar 22, 2013 - Edmonton, AB @ Shaw Conference Centre
Mar 23, 2013 - Fort McMurray, AB @ Syncrude Sports Centre
Mar 25, 2013 - Moose Jaw, SK @ Mosaic Place
Mar 26, 2013 - Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre
Mar 28, 2013 - Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
Apr 3, 2013 - London, ON @ Budweiser Gardens
Apr 5, 2013 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
Apr 6, 2013 - Kitchener, ON @ Kitchener Memorial Auditorium
Apr 8, 2013 - Sudbury, ON @ Sudbury Arena
Apr 9, 2013 - Kingston, ON @ K-Rock Centre
Apr 11, 2013 - Quebec City, QC @ Colisee Pepsi Arena
Apr 12, 2013 - Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
Apr 13, 2013 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
Apr 15, 2013 - Moncton, NB @ Centre at Casino New Brunswick
Apr 16, 2013 - Halifax, NS @ Cunard Centre

SEE ALL SHOW DETAILS HERE

Verbicide Album Review

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:22:29 -0500

Canadian hard rock duo Indian Handcrafts take a whirlwind of sonic goodness and meld it into a rock-solid collection of hard and heavy tracks that will melt speaker wires and headphones into puddles of electronic goo. The whole sound is a tour de force of shredded riffs pulled out of ’90s grunge with electronic influences from Death from Above and Prodigy, to modern metal like The Dillinger Escape Plan and the Melvins (whose drummers make guest appearances on the album). The end result is the best piece of hard rock to come along in years.

This album is unequivocally loud — but aside from the overwhelming volume, each track is a masterful piece of work. “The Jerk” is the one track where everything falls into place, with the loudness melding into a great song construction and the catchiest chorus ever recorded on a metal record. Now, this is the point in a review where I try to find a flaw in an album to make it not seem like it’s the greatest thing to be recorded since Thomas Edison shouted “Mary Had a Little Lamb” into a wax cylinder. But Civil Disobedience for Losers is incredibly good — it’s tough to find any significant faults. reviewed by Garrett Lyons

2012 TORO GARAGE SESSION AWARDS: Indian Handcrafts Takes the "LOUDNESS"

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 17:17:29 -0500

The Loudness Award - INDIAN HANDCRAFTS

We’ve had a few heavy acts in our intimate studio, none as punishingly loud as the duo Indian Handcrafts. While it may not be apparent from the video their sound created an almost physical experience for our crew, who scrambled around for ear plugs and noise-canceling headphones to beat back against the decibel levels. It was worth it, and I don’t believe I was more impressed by a band’s performance this year.
- J.S.

Indian Handcrafts featured in The Quietus' Metal In Review 2012

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 17:13:05 -0500

Indian Handcrafts Civil Disobedience For Losers
 (Sargent House)

Y’know when you’re sat there late at night watching The Wartime Farm or a very old episode of Columbo in the sign zone, does anyone else get the distinct impression that the person doing the signing is sometimes taking the piss as they’re signing the dialogue? Noticed that one guy who seems to do a sarcastic face every time Columbo mentions his wife, yeah? Either I’m cracking up or the dude is just getting some fun out of his otherwise serious occupation. I get exactly the same feeling, in a good way, with Indian Handcrafts. A power-duo in the most hellacious and heavy sense of the word; although overflowing with sun-grazed yet sludgy riffs that sit somewhere between Tweak Bird, Torche and Death From Above 1979 at their driving best, there’s a lingering air of pure, unashamed fun and knowing ridiculousness at its core – they might be laughing at a joke we don’t get, but who gives a shit when it at no moment compromises the quality of the songs.

SEE THE FULL METAL IN REVIEW AT THE QUIETUS

NOW Toronto: Top 10 Local Albums - Indian Handcrafts Makes the List

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 17:12:44 -0500

See the Full TOP 10 NOW Magazine Picks HERE

Exclaim! TV: Indian Handcrafts "Zombies" Live Video

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:25:00 -0500

Back in November, Barrie, ON’s noisy rock duo Indian Handcrafts set up in a tiny corner at Toronto bar Unlovable, where they ripped through a version of “Worm in My Stomach” from their debut album, Civil Disobedience for Losers. Enjoy that video here.

A quick look through the Exclaim! TV vaults unearthed another performance, too. The band riff heavy and loud on “Zombies,” another track off Civil Disobedience for Losers, from the same session they did back in November. Watch that performance below.

Indian Handcrafts - Zombies (Live on Exclaim! TV) by ExclaimTV

Surviving The Golden Age: Album Review

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:43:44 -0500

Indian Handcrafts: Civil Disobedience for Losers
Rating: 9.3/10
There’s a fantastic rock band from Japan called Guitar Wolf, maybe you’ve heard of them? They may not have invented rock and roll, but by god if they don’t embody its elements perfectly. Rock is about excess, about partying, about not giving a shit about tomorrow, and most of all about having the time of your life. So many rock bands want to be taken seriously (or take things too seriously) and forget to just cut loose and melt some face. Thankfully this is far from the reality on Indian Handcrafts‘ new full length.

Comparable only in slight to a similarly talented rock duo, The Black Keys, Indian Handcrafts more fully resemble the intense harmonic rage of the best metal (think Slayer, Megadeth, etc.) mixed with a blues-infused sludgy doom element and the voice of Mr. Spacely shouting at George Jetson… I know this is not the best way to describe a band, but hell if it isn’t true. These guys are awesome. Songs like “Starcraft” and “Worm in My Stomach” simply kick you in the teeth and take your lunch money with their crushing riffs and potent percussive sensibilities.

“Terminal Horse” is a straight up punk rocking affair that crunches all your cookies in less than two minutes. This quick, brutal little number is followed curiously by a spacious, prog-rock monster “Coming Home”. The slightly slower pace on this one really opens up the record into its second half, which features a heavy psychedelic tinge on “Centauri Teenage Riot”. This track features an awesome breakdown followed by an epic guitar solo section that screeches and roars like a bad acid trip.

Where this guitar solo ends is where “Truck Mouth” picks up. As the record’s sole instrumental work, this track serves as a culmination of Indian Handcrafts’ bluesy, doomy, space-rock elements. Here their intensity and attitude are stripped away and we’re treated to what sounds like an essential part of the band’s soul. The ambiance is swept cleanly into “The Jerk”, a rather restrained song that features a slight tongue-in-cheek chorus. “You wanted a lover… You got with the other, and his name was Steve”.

“Lion at the Door” closes the record with incredible, belligerent energy. The rhythm changes around the halfway point, producing a haunting, sinister call and response section that is nothing if not experimental. Once again the duo revisits their space-rock qualities before coming in for a final crash landing that leaves no survivors. Civil Disobedience for Losers is easily one of the best rock records of the year, taking pleasure in giving you nothing less than balls-to-the-wall distorted goodness. It helps that these guys seem to have been influenced by everything even remotely heavy from the 60′s onward, throwing it all into a demented blender and serving it up over shaved ice with one of those little tiki umbrellas.
By: Caley Ross

BUY VINYL OR CD HERE

Indian Handcrafts Hit the Arenas with Billy Talent, Sum 41 & Hollerado - Canadian Tour 2013

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:45:00 -0500

Indian Handcrafts have been tapped to open all the shows on the Billy Talent & Sum 41 Tour as well as Hollerado. So Canada get in early and get your dose of the Craft…

BILLY TALENT, SUM 41, HOLLERADO, INDIAN HANDCRAFTS 2013
Mar 14, 2013 - Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum
Mar 16, 2013 - Kamloops, BC @ Interior Savings Centre
Mar 18, 2013 - Dawson Creek, BC @ Encana Centre
Mar 19, 2013 - Red Deer, AB @ Westerner Park / ENMAX Centrium Arena
Mar 20, 2013 - Calgary, AB @ Stampede Corral
Mar 22, 2013 - Edmonton, AB @ Shaw Conference Centre
Mar 25, 2013 - Moose Jaw, SK @ Mosaic Place
Mar 26, 2013 - Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre
Mar 28, 2013 - Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
Apr 3, 2013 - London, ON @ Budweiser Gardens
Apr 5, 2013 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
Apr 6, 2013 - Kitchener, ON @ Kitchener Memorial Auditorium
Apr 8, 2013 - Sudbury, ON @ Sudbury Arena
Apr 9, 2013 - Kingston, ON @ K-Rock Centre
Apr 11, 2013 - Quebec City, QC @ Colisee Pepsi Arena
Apr 12, 2013 - Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
Apr 13, 2013 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
Apr 15, 2013 - Moncton, NB @ Centre at Casino New Brunswick
Apr 16, 2013 - Halifax, NS @ Cunard Centre

SEE ALL SHOW DETAILS HERE

A.V. Club LOUD: Top 10 Metal Albums of 2013 - Indian Handcrafts Make the List

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 14:28:09 -0500

8. Indian Handcrafts, Civil Disobedience For Losers
There’s something to be said for loud, fun party records—the kinds of albums that fill the background in concert with the clkk-swooosh of tall cans cracking open. And as party records go, Civil Disobedience For Losers is a great one, crammed with wall-to-wall bangers. - John Semley for Loud’s best metal, punk and hardcore of 2012 - SEE FULL LIST OF TOP 10

STREAM THE FULL ALBUM HERE & CHECK OUT BRUCE LEE BELOW

SLUG: Album Review

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:41:57 -0500

Indian Handcrafts
Civil Disobedience for Losers
Sargent House
Street: 10.30.12
Indian Handcrafts = The Sword + Tweak Bird

Indian Handcrafts invite you to a celebration in which they blow up a super giant star. This two-piece outfit makes enough noise to make a banshee run for her earplugs. Aside from the comparisons to acts such as Electric Wizard, Black Mountain and Queens of the Stone Age, Civil Disobedience for Losers is as volatile as it is heavy. The song “The Jerk” is eerily reminiscent of Moistboyz in its creepy melody and ironic, screwball lyrics. “Terminal Horse,” the shortest track on the album, sounds as if Gibby Haynes hijacked Lemmy and steered him into a pit of spinning gears. My favorite track is “Bruce Lee,” which starts out with the banging of a gong, then flows along with chants in reference to the great martial artist’s death, all the while grooving along the hills that Tony Iommi once burned. This is a very fun and interesting record. –Jordan Deveraux

Fan Made Video of Indian Handcrafts "Coming Home"

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:07:28 -0500

Thanks to whoever made this cool video to Indian Handcrafts track Coming Home. Nice work!

Something Else! Album Review Indian Handcrafts

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:05:00 -0500

“Civil Disobedience for Losers is a bloody awesome rock record, no question about it. Indian Handcrafts swing for the fences and nail it, providing an experience that really is all killer, no Nickelback.”

With a mighty swarm of guitar riffs and funky-as-hell vocals, Indian Handcrafts takes to Civil Disobedience for Losers with an attitude that is all too rare in today’s cookie-cutter rock scene. To make matters more impressive, this Barrie, Ontario-based outfit is just a duo.

Brandyn James Aiken (drums, vocals) and Daniel Brandon Allen (guitars, vocals) bring a force of music that has drawn comparisons to bands as diverse as Funkadelic, Hella, Death from Above 1979, and the Melvins. That latter shoe seems to fit the best, what with Dale Crover and Coady Willis lending their drumming services to Civil Disobedience for Losers.

Allen took to recording the album with a broken hand, no less, which interestingly seems to add to its broken-down appeal. Determination is wielded like a blunt instrument and the groove hits hard. The action staggers through innumerable genres and the dual attack is insatiable as it forces its way into the headphones and emerges victorious with blown eardrums and a shit-eating grin as its prize.

Indian Handcrafts make their ass-kicking presence known with the aptly-titled “Bruce Lee,” a cut that snakes into view with sick riffs and some well-placed sound effects. The grind is early grunge, the sort of shit Soundgarden would’ve coveted when Cornell’s hair was still long, but the vocals come from a funkier place. Crover and Willis join for a brilliant snare wrap-up that packs three snares like cannon fire.

“Red Action” builds on the theme, even using some of the same yelps initially. Allen sounds like he’s playing about 20 guitars. When the groove slaps into place, the “Red Action” kicks all kinds of ass. Another highlight is “Starcraft,” a menacing and memorable piece that thrusts into action with more killer riffs and spirited vocals.

Then there’s “Centauri Teenage Riot,” a cut that brings the Melvins’ Crover back into the fray to join with Aiken for some deadly drumming. The bellowed lyrics are something else, with the rise of “Fiyah!” fortifying these cats as something damn exceptional indeed. - by Jordan Richardson

That Metal Blog Reviews Indian Handcrafts' Civil Disobedience for Losers

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:53:30 -0500

Indian Handcrafts: Civil Disobedience For Losers – Like Bumper Nuts For Your Ears!

Right off the bat, the thing we find truly awesome about INDIAN HANDCRAFTS is that it’s literally just two guys making all that beautiful noise: Brandyn James Aikins on drums and vocals and Daniel Brandon Allen on guitar and vocals. Based in Canada, these guys have been rocking for a couple of years now but their first album, Civil Disobedience for Losers, only came out a few weeks ago. It’s 11 tracks long and as their facebook page states, their sound is like ‘bumper nuts for your ears!’ That’s right… it’s got serious hard-driving rock and roll balls.

We really love the guitars in these songs. From song to song, smart, heavy riffs abound above a thundering bass. That’s not to say the drumming leaves you wanting more… far from it. As it’s a two man band, all instruments really stand out. We also love the fact that they both sing (it’s not too often that you have a singing drummer). The vocals, however, can often be a bit obscured due to the tinge of grunge in their sound, but never to such an extent that they’re inaudible growling or pointless screaming.

Civil Disobedience for Losers flows really well; from one track to another it blends together nicely and sounds like a cohesive album rather than just a collection of songs. That being said, the songs do have a lot of stand alone quality as well. We also get the impression that, as great as this album is, and it is great, INDIAN HANDCRAFTS is the kind of band you’re probably also going to want to see live. Obviously all music is better live, but some bands are just better at it than others and the rawness of the sound here leads us to believe this album was pounded out quickly in a garage somewhere so that these guys could get back on the road touring.

Normally, we’d find it easy to single out a few stand-out tracks, but that task proves difficult with this record, which is a testament to how good it really is as a whole. Nonetheless, if we had to choose a couple, we’d probably go with “Bruce Lee,” which has such good pace and heavy rhythm, it makes for a great opening track. The massive riff pulls you right in and captures your interest from the start. On the other end of the spectrum, however, you’ll find the slow melancholy instrumental track, “Truck Mouth” which really brings the breakneck pace of the record down to a calm, yet haunting, chill before the end of the album, and in places actually threw our minds back to Rush’s 2112.

The bottom line: Civil Disobedience for Losers is a real good album and an excellent addition to the TMB Undiscovered Band Series. So unique and original, but at the same time reminiscent in numerous places of the aggressive sound Metallica achieved very early on in Ron McGovney’s garage; not to mention the rhythmic heaviness achieved by early Sabbath, also a clear influence here.

So, we really think they deserve to be heard, which you can do easy enough through their Bandcamp site (where you can also support the band by making your $7.99 purchase of the record). For all you social media nuts, you can also follow the band on facebook and twitter and don’t forget to check out their show dates on their website.

Subba Cultcha: 5 Things You Need to know about Indian Handcrafts

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:55:52 -0500

Canadian duo Indian Handcrafts are poised to release one of the sleeper highlights of the year in debut album ‘Civil Disobedience For Losers.’ A juggernaut of chaotic, riff-heavy irreverence it’s a real must hear: so we’ve put together this bite-sized introduction. You can thank us later.

1.They’re hardcore.

During the recording sessions for ‘Civil Disobedience For Losers,’ guitarist Dan Allen broke his hand. Unbelievably, they kept at it.

“Yes, my hand was broken,” recalls Dan. I was about two and a half weeks into the healing process which was pushing it, but I had my cast removed and had to wear a removable splint between takes and while sleeping.”

2. They have history.

Veterans of the Barrie, Ontario music scene, Dan and Brandyn Aikins (drums, vox) played in another band prior to Indian Handcrafts, before deciding to go their own way as a duo. Or, as Dan tells it…

“Well, Brandyn and I played in another band previous to this called Fox Jaws. Tired of being fat we dropped 600 lbs and became more economical and Indian Handcrafts.”

There you have it.

3. They have great friends.

Their album features guest appearances from Melvins drummers Dale Crover and Coady Willis (also of Big Business) and was engineered by the one and only Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Red Sparowes, Altamont).

“The experience was fantastic,” Dan enthuses. “[Toshi] was a treat to record with and I’m a long time fan of his work. He also let us bunk up at his apartment. In exchange we had to take care of his plants.”

“ We got to do all the drums and guitar beds at Entourage in North Hollywood where Matthew McConaughey produces reggae bands, and then do all the vocals and overdubs at a rehearsal studio that Toshi shares with (the) Melvins.”

4. They’re kind of cryptic, man…

“My favourite song [on the record] is definitely ‘Terminal Horse’” explains Dan, “because it’s literally a hodgepodge of words jumbled together that don’t make sense but in another way they kind of do…”

5. They have big plans…

In their own words:

“Plans for the band are to tour the album, become rich, tour Europe, buy a castle, break up and then start an Ambient/Pagan/Black Metal/Dubstep trio. Still no bass. In all seriousness, the ambition is to tour it enough that I can quit my day job and take care of my family.”

by Rob Sayce

Check out Indian Handcraft’s ‘Civil Disobedience For Losers’, dropping via Sargent House. Rawk.

EMUSIC Review

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:12:00 -0500

MV Remix Reviews: Civil Disobedience for Losers

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 14:46:58 -0500

Canadian grunge band Indian Handcrafts are comprised of Brandyn James Aikins- the drummer and contributing vocalist- and Daniel Brandon Allen- Handcraft’s guitarist and co-vocalist. With the biting power of early Mars Volta, the duo pummels through a variety of colorfully titled songs including “Centauri Teenage Riot” and “Worm in my Stomach”. Based in Southern Simcoe, Ontario, Indian Handcrafts broke out with an awe-inspiring surplus of charisma with “Civil Disobedience for Losers”.

“Bruce Lee” is at the top of the track-list for this record, and instantly sets the tone for the oncoming string of demonically dark garage metal anthems. A kung-fu movie-styled gong vibrates to open the song, fading into a raging guitar riff that barrels into the room, accompanied, shortly after, by a drum beat that rises from simple and basic beat to a complex bombardment of rhythm reigning down from the skies.

The vocals are screamed in a sort of metal duet as Aikins and Allen drive through the mind with ferocious musical styling capable of ripping the serenity of a warm day from your body and instilling the blinding rage of a trained warrior in the heart of battle. The chord progression alone is enough to leave one with a sense of awe at the dramatic energy Indian Handcrafts is able to generate so early in their career, yet the band leaves more to be imagined as they finish the album with “Lion at the Door”, dropping the song at it’s climax and leaving the listener begging for more.

MTV: Music Monday Featured Band is Indian Handcrafts

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 16:01:00 -0500

MTV in Canada still plays Music! Indian Handcrafts will be featured on their Music Monday show on November 19th, 2012. Unfortunately this is only viewable in Canada.