Indian Handcrafts – “The Divider” (Stereogum Premiere)
The Ontario stoner-metal duo Indian Handcrafts — comprising drummer/vocalist Brandyn James Aikins and guitarist/vocalist Daniel Brandon Allen — released a self-titled demo in 2011 and soon afterward were signed to the excellent California label Sargent House (Mutoid Man, Chelsea Wolfe, Earth, Helms Alee), who delivered the band’s debut album, Civil Disobedience For Losers, in 2012. Aikens and Allen more or less spent the last three years touring non-stop, taking a break earlier this year to record the second Indian Handcrafts album, the forthcoming Creeps. Like its predecessor, this one was produced by Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Red Sparowes), and feels indebted to some of hard rock and heavy metal’s most muscular acts — everything from KISS to Queens Of The Stone Age — without lapsing into pastiche or hero-worship. In fact, Indian Handcrafts adeptly steer away from obvious choices in favor of more exciting ones. Today we’re premiering the single “The Divider,” and you can witness that discipline on display: The track starts with a pummeling Homme-ian riff and a melody lifted straight from Iron Maiden’s classic “The Trooper,” but its super-catchy chorus elevates it someplace else entirely … and then, when it shifts to an expansive psych/space-rock section, it just about abandons the template altogether. It’s an outstanding song, and you should listen.
Creeps is out 10/2 via Sargent House. Pre-order it here. Indian Handcrafts are going on tour (with Kylesa, Inter Arma, and Irata) in support of the album. Here are the dates:
09/12 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest Chicago
09/20 – Toronto, ON @ Riot Fest Toronto
10/06 – St Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre ##
10/07 – Miami, FL @ Grand Central ##
10/08 – Orlando, FL @ The Social ##
10/09 – Savannah, GA @ The Jinx ##
10/10 – Asheville, NC @ New Mountain ##
10/11 Nashville, TN @ Basement East ##
10/13 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement ##
10/14 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme ##
10/16 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop ##
10/17 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar ##
10/19 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall ##
10/20 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts ##
10/21 Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus ##
10/22 Jersey City, NJ @ Monty Hall ##
10/23 – Richmond, VA @ Broadberry ##
10/24 – Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel ##
10/25 – Atlanta, GA @ The EARL ##
## w/ Kylesa, Inter Arma, Irata