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Vir: News

Vir - Engineers- Cd Release! - May 10, 2012

Popscence presents Vir - Engineers - cd release party at the Rickshaw Stop, Thursday May 10th


Vir are thrlled to announce the release of Engineers, our 3rd lp May 28th. We're celebrating with a pre-release party May 10th at the Rickshaw Stop where we will have advance copies of the album for all local mates. We'd love to celebrate the release of our latest lp with you.

And just for you we've made Joy in Space (our 1st single from the lp) available for Free Download. Check out the New video too...

 

 

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Engineers is the 3rd lp from Post punk, Shoegaze trio Vir due May 28 2012.
Based in Oakland, CA, the band sounds like My Bloody Valentine colliding with Doves, yet it also has roots in Christchurch New Zealand, giving the band an affinity with many Kiwi post-punk trios such as the Gordons, Bailter Space and HDU.

"Engineers" shows a sophisticated, dynamically strong band that's not afraid to evolve or go to dark places. With swooping guitar riffs, psychedelic noise, inventive bass lines and brilliantly-processed vocals from Sam Sloane (Vox, Guitar), Vir's music weaves a hypnotic magic in the shoegaze tradition, yet remains more experimental, avant garde and ominous than many of their counterparts.Intoxicating and sufficiently spaced out, Vir's sound is also well crafted, precise and masterful in its reverb drenched sonic effects and methodical atmospheric layering.

Opening track (and first single) "Joy in Space" and title track "Engineers" kick off the album with a one-two punch. Other standout tracks include "Burn the House Down" which vacillates between gorgeous plucked melodies to waves of darkness and distortion and "H.264", with its melancholy trumpet intro that slowly devolves into a Velvet Underground-style tribal dirge. The album closes gracefully, with an elegiac beauty, "2 Chord", reminiscent of those softer, prettier shoegaze Gods of yore like Slowdive, with
dreamy gorgeous reverb and delicate vocals.

Having already amassed a quickly growing Bay Area fan base, "Engineers" could be the album that shoots the band into the stratosphere, where their music has already been residing.

New Single - Joy in Space - March 22, 2012

Hey all

We have a new single "Joy in Space" from the new lp Engineers streaming from the player and on sound cloud right now. Share and Enjoy!

We'll be releasing a video, plus another tune before the official cd release in May so stay tuned!

NW tour - March 7, 2012

Hey Folks

Vir are heading North next week and can't wait to see you all...

 

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March 14th in Medford at Johnny B's
Thursday March 15th at the Sunset Tavern
Friday, March 16th at Le Voyeur
Saturday March 17th at Ella St Social Club

We'll have a couple of surprises at the shows to, see you in the Great North West!
xo
Vir

Mixing is done - February 12, 2012

mixing on the 3rd Vir lp is done, we are at the helm and ready to launch you into outer space. so, pull up your bean bag and don those mighty headphones for a journey into the heart of the sun. 1st Stop, Noise pop with Bob Mould at Bottom of the Hill February 24th.

Vir opening for Bob Mould at Noise Pop - January 22, 2012

Hey all

Vir are so honoured and excited to be opening for Bob Mould at Noise Pop this year. February 24th at Bottom of the Hill

Bob Mould is playing the landmark Sugar album "Copper Blue" in it's entirety. more on Bob Mould here.

We've been huge fans of Bob Mould's music for years so this will be a very special night for us. This is also Vir's first show at Noise Pop (and our 1st of 2012) so we're very excited and looking forward to the rest of the year. A new lp on the way and a NW tour in March is in the works, so stay tuned. thanks folks

xo

Vir

The 10 Best Bay Area Music Videos of 2011 - December 29, 2011

Here's a nice little write up from the SF Weekly on our latest video down by law.

Thanks SF Weekly!

The 10 Best Bay Area Music Videos of 2011

Featuring maybe the most expansive animated dystopia we've ever seen in a local music video, this clip from East Bay post-punk outfit Vir fully portrays the kind of scarred landscape evoked in the song. It's pretty dark stuff -- giant robots bark orders, and humans turn into workaday robots -- but there is a bright spot at the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJEFSEU3Dug

Down By Law Premiere - June 9, 2011

Hey all

We're really excited to share our new video for "Down by Law" with you. "Down by Law" is the opening track from our latest lp "Gillespie" and was featured on "John in the Morning" and other Dj's at KEXP.

Sam set about creating this one in Photoshop and After Effects to create this bizarre and dystopic world, we hope you enjoy the ride:

 

 

xo

Vir

Red Cross Canterbury Appeal - March 3, 2011

Part of Vir's home is in Christchurch New Zealand and the recent tragedy has been keenly felt by the band. The people of Canterbury need your help. If you're able to, we encourage you to donate to the Red Cross Canterbury Appeal. Thank you so much for all the love and support you've shown us and the people of Christchurch in recent days. It is so appreciated

donate online at redcross.org.nz. to the Red Cross Canterbury Appeal.

Vir - Bail Out - Video - November 29, 2010

Hey all

here's our new video for "Bail Out" of our our new record "Gillespie". Thanks for tuning in folks!

xo Vir

Lux Reprise - October 23, 2010

Vir on KEXP - September 17, 2010

Hey all

We're excited to announce that our new record "Gillespie" has been added to our our favourite radio station KEXP. You can hear "Down by Law" at KEXP 90.3 or Stream online.

thanks so much all.

Vir

NEW LP - June 4, 2010

Vir Announce new LP "Gillespie" available July 20th 2010 on Vibraphone records

 

Vir proudly announces the release of "Gillespie", their first LP with San Francisco Pop-Art-future-Shoe-gaze collectivelabel, "Vibraphone" on July 20,2010.

Vir having spent the last year and a half writing and rehearsing  have their new single, "Bailout"
available for public download ahead of the LP release.

Recorded at Sharkbite studios in Oakland, Ca during 2009.
The record contends with a search for heritage and sense of place amongst an urban environment of absence. The songs were written whilst traveling through New Zealand's South Island before returning to the U.S to record.

track list:

  • Down by Law
  • Lux
  • Lux Reprise
  • Tele
  • Gillespie
  • Protection
  • 86
  • The Other One
  • Side B
  • Bail Out

Select Gillespie Reviews

Vir conjure up an almighty racket on their second album. Gillespie may scare off traditional shoegazers but this record provides the muscular presence the genre is so often criticised for lacking.

- Leonards Lair

 

Between the swooping guitar riffs, the clever bass lines and the slightly rough, spaced-out vocals, Gillespie has an epic sound. Keep an eye on this band.

- East Bay Express

 

Vir brings us a sound that we here in the Coachella Valley are desperately trying to find in the local scene. The guitar riffs added with a strong rhythm section creates a solid foundation for trance inducing black magic.

- Indie Win

 

Vir's songs are dark, vaguely ominous tension-builders created out of relentlessly pulsing bass lines and bathed in guitar fuzz.  And when the tension is released, it should be enough to scare the leather pants off of Bono.

- Weekly Volcano

 

Well crafted, hypnotic and intoxicating, Vir should absolutely be a breakout band with this material.

- Indie Music

 

CD Release Show July 22nd at Bottom of the Hill

On July 22nd Vibraphone Records presents

4 record releases in 1 Night!

Foxtail Somersault, Vir, Astral and Tomihira are all celebrating the release of their respective records. The CD Release show will be a huge and festive event. advance tickets are recommended as this show will likely sell out!

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