Hey hey, here's a few more reviews for the new album:
Moloko Plus (German)
Kick Out The James (Spanish)
Stereoworld.gr (Greek)
The show with The Last Drive was a blast, you can check out some reviews from the links below:
Mixtape.gr
Rock Overdose.gr
Rocking.gr
Photos by Thodoris Markou
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Album Reviews
Sooo, here's a couple of cool reviews we got for the new album, will be posting more soon!!
Gew-Gaw Fanzine (English)
Gew-Gaw Fanzine (Greek)
Orphan Drugs Blog (Greek)
Mixtape.gr (Greek)
Cheers and Beers
T.D.R.
Gew-Gaw Fanzine (English)
Gew-Gaw Fanzine (Greek)
Orphan Drugs Blog (Greek)
Mixtape.gr (Greek)
Cheers and Beers
T.D.R.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Live: The Last Drive with The Dark Rags and Penny Dreadful
Hell yeah!!! This is going to be a hell of a rockin' Xmas, The Dark Rags will be opening up for The Last Drive on Friday the 23rd of December. Get ready for some hot r'n'r action!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Get the new album
Heey, November has kicked off really well with good news coming our way (and your way) pretty soon.
If anyone is wondering how to get the new album, here's the way(s):
a) Through the Fuzz Overdose Records Mailorder
b) Or by simply sending us an email at thedarkrags@yahoo.com
c) You can email Fuzz overdose at fuzzoverdose.records@gmail.com
The album is also available for sale in digital form at the following places:
a) The Dark Rags Bandcamp Page
b) Napster
c) iTunes
Cheers!
If anyone is wondering how to get the new album, here's the way(s):
a) Through the Fuzz Overdose Records Mailorder
b) Or by simply sending us an email at thedarkrags@yahoo.com
c) You can email Fuzz overdose at fuzzoverdose.records@gmail.com
The album is also available for sale in digital form at the following places:
a) The Dark Rags Bandcamp Page
b) Napster
c) iTunes
Cheers!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
The Dark Rags Vs The High Voltage Monster (Live @ ΤΩΡΑ K44)
Get drunk down the never ending bar with The Dark Rags and special guests The Tipsies on Tuesday the 8th of November at ΤΩΡΑ K44.
The show will start at 21:00 and the entrance is free!
A special thanks to Marina Tikinina for the great artwork - Cheers!
The show will start at 21:00 and the entrance is free!
A special thanks to Marina Tikinina for the great artwork - Cheers!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
The Dark Rags Debut Album
So...yeah, finally...the wait is over...The Dark Rags debut self-titled album will be out on the 15th of October by Fuzz Overdose Records. 11 tracks to blow your mind away in typical Rags fashion, featuring Mike Strauss (Les Hommes Sauvages, Richard Ruin) on organ.
The album will be released firstly on CD with the L.P. edition coming out by the end of the year.
01. On Your Own (All Alone)
02. Drunken Angel
03. Such A Little Gitl
04. Just Another Day
05. Walk Away
06. Pocketful Of Sorrow
07. Into The Drink
08. Queen Bitch
09. State Of Oblivion
10. It's So Wild
11. Bad Juju Blues
To celebrate the release of the album, The Dark Rags will be playing a show on the 14th of October at Tribe Bar. Drop by and have a real good time with the Rags!!!!
The album will be released firstly on CD with the L.P. edition coming out by the end of the year.
01. On Your Own (All Alone)
02. Drunken Angel
03. Such A Little Gitl
04. Just Another Day
05. Walk Away
06. Pocketful Of Sorrow
07. Into The Drink
08. Queen Bitch
09. State Of Oblivion
10. It's So Wild
11. Bad Juju Blues
Amazing artwork design by Johnny Negri and photography by Dimitris "Milo" Milonas.
To celebrate the release of the album, The Dark Rags will be playing a show on the 14th of October at Tribe Bar. Drop by and have a real good time with the Rags!!!!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Gigs!!!
Hey, on Saturday the 1st of October The Dark Rags will be playing alongside Deus X Machina, Xat Trik, Lost Bodies and The Ducky Boyz at Exarcheia Square in Athens at a festival in support of Epanastatikos Agonas. Be there!!!
And what about Thursday? Check out The Dark Rags with their buddy and budettes of The Mongreletts at Six Dogs supporting those spaghetti fellas The Jumpin' Quails from Italy. Be there as well!!! :)
And what about Thursday? Check out The Dark Rags with their buddy and budettes of The Mongreletts at Six Dogs supporting those spaghetti fellas The Jumpin' Quails from Italy. Be there as well!!! :)
Friday, September 2, 2011
Live with Nasty Beach @ After Dark (8/9/2011)
Hey boys & girls, The Dark Rags will be playing on Thursday the 8th of September at After Dark (oh, really?) with the ever wonderful girls of Nasty Beach!
Watch out for a cool DJ set by Iro & Mirsini!
Come down and have a real good time, dancing and drinking all night long!
See you there - Cheers!
Watch out for a cool DJ set by Iro & Mirsini!
Come down and have a real good time, dancing and drinking all night long!
See you there - Cheers!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Drunken Angel EP Reviews
The Dark Rags debut "Drunken Angel EP" has been reviewed by the great Corporate Rock Knockout Fanzine (Issue 2) and by Lights Go Out (Issue 12). We will be posting the reviews really soon!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Studio Report
In between of playing gigs, getting drunk and being lazy The Dark Rags have almost finished mixing the tracks for their debut album.
The album which is set to be released after the summer, will also feature Mike Strauss (Les Hommes Sauvages, Richard Ruin) on Hammond and Organ.
Stay tuned for more info!!!!
The album which is set to be released after the summer, will also feature Mike Strauss (Les Hommes Sauvages, Richard Ruin) on Hammond and Organ.
Stay tuned for more info!!!!
The Best of The GaragePunk Hideout Vol.3: You Got Your Punk In My Garage
The Dark Rags have been included in the brand new - Volume 3 - installment of the Best Of The GaragePunk Hideout compilation series of GRGPNK Records: You Got Your Punk In My Garage with their song "Drunken Angel".
The compilation is available through iTunes, Amazon, eMusic and Napster.
Each volume of the Hideout Comp Series will be made available completely FREE for all active members of the GaragePunk Hideout - click here for more info.
The compilation is available through iTunes, Amazon, eMusic and Napster.
Each volume of the Hideout Comp Series will be made available completely FREE for all active members of the GaragePunk Hideout - click here for more info.
The Dark Rags & Nasty Beach live
Guess what...yeah "A gig we forgot to blah blah blah......"
Fun times with our wild lady friends Nasty Beach.
Fun times with our wild lady friends Nasty Beach.
Be Kind Rewind: June 2011
Back from Berlin with a hangover but always ready for another (more) drink (drinks) - here's a few posters for gigs we forgot to announce here as usual!
Be Kind Rewind: May 2011 Part 2: Tales of Debauchery, Indulgence and Excess
BORN TO DIE IN BERLIN
The Dark Rags played two cool gigs in Berlin! The first at Jagerklause together with Acapulco Radio and the second at the legendary Ex'n'Pop together with Mark Steiner. In both gigs, the Dark Rags were joined onstage by organ player Mike Strauss (Les Hommes Sauvages, Richard Ruin).
To check out videos from both gigs visit The Dark Rags YouTube Channel
Videos were taken by the great Maria and Martin from Yeah Right Radio - check out Yeah Right's channel for more cool videos!
The Dark Rags played two cool gigs in Berlin! The first at Jagerklause together with Acapulco Radio and the second at the legendary Ex'n'Pop together with Mark Steiner. In both gigs, the Dark Rags were joined onstage by organ player Mike Strauss (Les Hommes Sauvages, Richard Ruin).
To check out videos from both gigs visit The Dark Rags YouTube Channel
Videos were taken by the great Maria and Martin from Yeah Right Radio - check out Yeah Right's channel for more cool videos!
Be Kind Rewind: May 2011 Part 1
Here's the posters of a couple of gigs we forgot to post/announce here. We didn't forget to show up though ;)
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Mark Steiner Interview
Better late than never, here's an interview that our good friend Mark Steiner gave to Indieground radio, before our gig together last month!
Kalimera! Lounge-Noir is one "genre" my songs have been labeled with, as well as "Swamp-Rock." Some people compare me to the likes of Nick Cave, but I actually think that we are quite different, except that even though my music might seem dark and melancholy on the surface, there is in fact a lot of humour involved. Maybe that's a fair similarity. I do believe, however, that my music seems to fit in quite well with the Melbourne music scene. I'll also admit that the bands which inspired me the most over the years were These Immortal Souls, Crime & the City Solution and Tindersticks. Of course, through in a bit of Birthday Party, Stooges, and Tom Waits, and people might get the picture.
You are a ''man of the world'',living in different countries around the globe and being inspired by them.How does this affect your music?
I've living permanently in Oslo, Norway, since I moved here in 2002, and often revisit my home in New York. But yes, I do also feel at home in many other places, usually because of my friends and musical collaborators. I'm more connected to cities than nations, to be honest. Copenhagen, Paris, Berlin, Reykjavik, Coimbra (Portugal), Prague and Reykjavik are certainly up there. And of course Melbourne. I guess that my music reaches out to different people in different places, who all have there own impressions. The musicians I work with are pretty free to interpret and play my music as they see fit. This means that no two concerts are alike. It keeps me interested, and always provides a certain challenge. Who knows? Maybe Athens will also become a place I will feel at home. With the help of a few friends, including The Dark Rags, I'm almost certain that I will!
You have collaborate with so many great musicians!Do you believe that working together with people you appreciate is inspiring?
Some musicians are quite fortunate in that they find a band consisting of people who together have an incredibly creative energy. Other songwriters might find it in their best interest to run the entire show. That's all good and fair, but after many failed attempts at holding down a permanent band, I learned to adapt and make the most out of what comes my way. My approach is kind of like a blues musician, except that my songs aren't exactly written in standard form where I can just shout out the key and the band can just play alog. Fortunately, the internet has provided me with a social network which just keeps growing. Most of the musicians I work with are people I met online, or through mutual friends and acquaintances. So yes, I have indeed been very fortunate to meet several incredible musicians who not only understand my music, but who also have only helped elevate my songs to even higher, new levels. That in itself is inspirational!
What do you rememeber most of your early days in music with bands like Piker Ryan's Folly and Kundera?
Hehe. I don't remember much from the days of Piker Ryan. Ha! Just kidding. I was a bit heavy on the bottle in those days, as a singing frontman who held a microphone and a drink in either hand. We played to a strange scene in New York in those days. A lot of goths and some punks. I guess that people liked us because there was a certain theatrical element with the booze, the cigarettes, and the debauchery which took place on stage. I was once even assaulted by a drunk idiot who tried to grab the microphone from me when we played a gig in Brooklyn. I threw him back off the stage (which was just an orange line painted on the floor. The owner and the bartender then grabbed him and dragged him out of the venue (which was a pizzeria), and threw him out into the street. The best part was that my band kept playing. I think the song was "Paper God." Man, was I pissed (and pissed-off!) As for Kundera, that started up after the guitarist from Piker Ryan's Folly moved to New Orleans. I picked up my Fender Stratocaster, and my friend/pianist Eric Wolter and I began writing songs together with the amazing help of violinist Susan Mitchell. We also had Jerome O'Brien on string bass. That was a bit more sophisticated, as I realized that singing and playing guitar at the same time didn't mix well with booze.
Is it true that in almost every city you visit for a live you 're jamming on stage with local musicians?What do you think of The Dark Rags?
What started as an accident, became a blessing of sorts. Yes, I usually play with at least one local musician, often a female singer (if I can find one). Again, I have several musicians who I work with in different cities. The past few gigs have been quite special. First a festival in Coimbra which consisted of my Danish wingman Thomas Borge on bass, Norwegian percussionist Gunnar Motland (from The Goo Men), both of whom have played with me in Oslo. We then added a Portuguese guitarist named Manel who I played with back on my first solo tour of Portugal in 2006. And finally, I managed to recruit the illustrious Bunny Lake (aka Tracy Vandal), who is a Scottish singer living in Coimbra. My latest female partner-in-musical crime who I hope to work with again soon! And last week I played a gig in Oslo, perhaps one of the best gigs I've ever played. Thomas came up from Copenhagen, as did Tex Lange, who playes drums with us whenever I play a gig in Denmark. Thos two are quite the dream-team for me. We also had the incredible Pavel Cingl (from Phil Shoenfelt & Southern Cross), Øystein Sandsdalen (Serena Maneesh, Le Corbeau) on guitar, and yet another favourite female artist: Julitha Ryan (known for her work with Mick Harvey & Hugo Race). She's crazy. She came all the way up from Australia to visit Norway for one week before heading back down under again. It was an excuse for us to sing and play music together. She's got a new solo album coming out later this year. It's brilliant! Anyway, the next gig is going to be very special indeed. The Dark Rags have offered to back me up on several songs, some of my originals, and some covers. They also found a lovely young lady named Rena Papageorgiou who will sing some duets with me. I've never seen the Dark Rags perform. In fact, I haven't even met them yet. But their music is great, and I look forward to the privilege of joining them on the stage next weekend! I have a good feeling about the concert at After Dark. It will be fun, and certainly a night to remember!
I've read that you studied experimental film in Bard College,which is considered as one of the most liberal colleges in the states.Have those studies helped you to develop as an artist and as a human being and in which way?
Hi Mark! How can you describe your music to someone who hasn't listened to any of your songs?
Kalimera! Lounge-Noir is one "genre" my songs have been labeled with, as well as "Swamp-Rock." Some people compare me to the likes of Nick Cave, but I actually think that we are quite different, except that even though my music might seem dark and melancholy on the surface, there is in fact a lot of humour involved. Maybe that's a fair similarity. I do believe, however, that my music seems to fit in quite well with the Melbourne music scene. I'll also admit that the bands which inspired me the most over the years were These Immortal Souls, Crime & the City Solution and Tindersticks. Of course, through in a bit of Birthday Party, Stooges, and Tom Waits, and people might get the picture.
You are a ''man of the world'',living in different countries around the globe and being inspired by them.How does this affect your music?
I've living permanently in Oslo, Norway, since I moved here in 2002, and often revisit my home in New York. But yes, I do also feel at home in many other places, usually because of my friends and musical collaborators. I'm more connected to cities than nations, to be honest. Copenhagen, Paris, Berlin, Reykjavik, Coimbra (Portugal), Prague and Reykjavik are certainly up there. And of course Melbourne. I guess that my music reaches out to different people in different places, who all have there own impressions. The musicians I work with are pretty free to interpret and play my music as they see fit. This means that no two concerts are alike. It keeps me interested, and always provides a certain challenge. Who knows? Maybe Athens will also become a place I will feel at home. With the help of a few friends, including The Dark Rags, I'm almost certain that I will!
You have collaborate with so many great musicians!Do you believe that working together with people you appreciate is inspiring?
Some musicians are quite fortunate in that they find a band consisting of people who together have an incredibly creative energy. Other songwriters might find it in their best interest to run the entire show. That's all good and fair, but after many failed attempts at holding down a permanent band, I learned to adapt and make the most out of what comes my way. My approach is kind of like a blues musician, except that my songs aren't exactly written in standard form where I can just shout out the key and the band can just play alog. Fortunately, the internet has provided me with a social network which just keeps growing. Most of the musicians I work with are people I met online, or through mutual friends and acquaintances. So yes, I have indeed been very fortunate to meet several incredible musicians who not only understand my music, but who also have only helped elevate my songs to even higher, new levels. That in itself is inspirational!
What do you rememeber most of your early days in music with bands like Piker Ryan's Folly and Kundera?
Hehe. I don't remember much from the days of Piker Ryan. Ha! Just kidding. I was a bit heavy on the bottle in those days, as a singing frontman who held a microphone and a drink in either hand. We played to a strange scene in New York in those days. A lot of goths and some punks. I guess that people liked us because there was a certain theatrical element with the booze, the cigarettes, and the debauchery which took place on stage. I was once even assaulted by a drunk idiot who tried to grab the microphone from me when we played a gig in Brooklyn. I threw him back off the stage (which was just an orange line painted on the floor. The owner and the bartender then grabbed him and dragged him out of the venue (which was a pizzeria), and threw him out into the street. The best part was that my band kept playing. I think the song was "Paper God." Man, was I pissed (and pissed-off!) As for Kundera, that started up after the guitarist from Piker Ryan's Folly moved to New Orleans. I picked up my Fender Stratocaster, and my friend/pianist Eric Wolter and I began writing songs together with the amazing help of violinist Susan Mitchell. We also had Jerome O'Brien on string bass. That was a bit more sophisticated, as I realized that singing and playing guitar at the same time didn't mix well with booze.
Is it true that in almost every city you visit for a live you 're jamming on stage with local musicians?What do you think of The Dark Rags?
What started as an accident, became a blessing of sorts. Yes, I usually play with at least one local musician, often a female singer (if I can find one). Again, I have several musicians who I work with in different cities. The past few gigs have been quite special. First a festival in Coimbra which consisted of my Danish wingman Thomas Borge on bass, Norwegian percussionist Gunnar Motland (from The Goo Men), both of whom have played with me in Oslo. We then added a Portuguese guitarist named Manel who I played with back on my first solo tour of Portugal in 2006. And finally, I managed to recruit the illustrious Bunny Lake (aka Tracy Vandal), who is a Scottish singer living in Coimbra. My latest female partner-in-musical crime who I hope to work with again soon! And last week I played a gig in Oslo, perhaps one of the best gigs I've ever played. Thomas came up from Copenhagen, as did Tex Lange, who playes drums with us whenever I play a gig in Denmark. Thos two are quite the dream-team for me. We also had the incredible Pavel Cingl (from Phil Shoenfelt & Southern Cross), Øystein Sandsdalen (Serena Maneesh, Le Corbeau) on guitar, and yet another favourite female artist: Julitha Ryan (known for her work with Mick Harvey & Hugo Race). She's crazy. She came all the way up from Australia to visit Norway for one week before heading back down under again. It was an excuse for us to sing and play music together. She's got a new solo album coming out later this year. It's brilliant! Anyway, the next gig is going to be very special indeed. The Dark Rags have offered to back me up on several songs, some of my originals, and some covers. They also found a lovely young lady named Rena Papageorgiou who will sing some duets with me. I've never seen the Dark Rags perform. In fact, I haven't even met them yet. But their music is great, and I look forward to the privilege of joining them on the stage next weekend! I have a good feeling about the concert at After Dark. It will be fun, and certainly a night to remember!
You 've played in China!How did this happen?
Actually, I only played a gig in Hong Kong. I was hoping to tour mainland China this year, but the Chinese are still a bit upset with Norway for giving the Nobel Peace Prize to a dissident. So those plans are off. Hong Kong was interesting, and strange. It was on my to my second tour of Australia that I managed to book a gig there. The best part was teaching a song to a girl named Rachel who was in the support band. She sang "Nisj" with me, in Mandarin, which isn't understandable to most people in Hong Kong because they speak Cantonese! The best part was that she played the part of the resistant woman so very well, that when she ended the song with "Goodby, Mahk!", I nearly fell over in a fit of laughter!
I've read that you studied experimental film in Bard College,which is considered as one of the most liberal colleges in the states.Have those studies helped you to develop as an artist and as a human being and in which way?
Bard was certainly a unique experience, back in the days when music was just a hobby. The fact of the matter is that I never even considered the fact that I could study music as a major. And the choice of film was merely because it seemed like a good way to connect my interests in writing, photography, language, music and art. I ended up becoming a filmmaker, not because I wanted to direct films, but because I didn't know what else to do. Salvador Dalí is quoted as saying that "avant-garde equals bullshit." I guess that makes me a bullshit artist!
Could you tell us more about the short film (Sea Of Disappointment) that you've recently directed along with Merethe Holtet?
Well, there isn't much to tell, except that it's still in the process of editing. One of the benefits of having studied cinema at Bard, I reckon. But it's got some really great footage. Merethe is yet another partner-in-creative-crime. We had a crazy time in Iceland last January, battling the ever-changing weather conditions. One minute it snows, the next, there is sun and rain at the same time. And WINDY. We even came across some old abandoned houses. It was pretty creepy, and we even got spooked by a door opening on it's own as we approached one house which looked like it was from the time of the vikings. The Icelandic people believe in elves and faeries. Spirits in the stones. I finally understand why! Merethe has a wonderful eye, and is an incredibly talented visual artist who also takes brilliant photographs. I think she shot over 1000 photos in three days, in addition to a lot of the video we shot together!
How can anyone buy your CDs and vinyl records?
Stagger Records (http://www.stagger-records.com) in France, run by my "brother" Dimi Dero, has most of my merchandise in stock. Also, Z-Man Records in Australia put out a beautiful 2-CD version of "Broken" and "Fallen Birds", which is available through CDBaby.com. They also released "Broken" on vinyl, but I think that I have all of the remaining copies. The best way to get the CDs and records is to come to a concert, as I will have plenty to sell. And for those of you who want digital downloads, you can go to http://marksteiner.bandcamp.com, where everything is available in various digital formats. The Piker Ryan's Folly stuff is there as well, available for free! But I wouldn't mind making some money, so feel free to make a donation or buy some of the newer songs from my solo albums!
Really looking forward to see you live on the 29th of April in After Dark!
Thank YOU! I look very forward to my first trip to Athens as well! And the concert should be a blast! Hope to see you all there! Cheers!
Interview by noise annoys! , every Thursday (12.00-14.00) at:
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Mark Steiner & His Problems withThe Dark Rags
Hey, on Friday the 29th of April, Mark Steiner will be playing for the first time ever in Athens, Greece and The Dark Rags will be opening up for him and will be joining him onstage for a full blast on electric set at the end.
Mark Steiner needs no introduction, one of the leading underground figures of today's scene, a New Yorker living in Oslo having worked/played with the likes of Rowland Howard, Michael Gira, Devendra Banhart, Madrugada, The Fatal Shore, Kid Congo Powers & the Pink Monkey Birds, Spencer Jones...
Here's a few cool links for you to chek out:
http://www.myspace.com/staggerhome
http://www.staggerhome.com/
Mark Steiner Interview @ Tranzistor (in Greek)
Mark Steiner needs no introduction, one of the leading underground figures of today's scene, a New Yorker living in Oslo having worked/played with the likes of Rowland Howard, Michael Gira, Devendra Banhart, Madrugada, The Fatal Shore, Kid Congo Powers & the Pink Monkey Birds, Spencer Jones...
Here's a few cool links for you to chek out:
http://www.myspace.com/staggerhome
http://www.staggerhome.com/
Mark Steiner Interview @ Tranzistor (in Greek)
Friday, March 25, 2011
The Dark Rags - In The Studio
Hey, wondering how those lovely drunken and burned out Rags are keeping themselves busy? Apart from hanging around, smoking, drinkin', laughin' and havin' a hell of a time the Dark Rags are currently in the studio recording tracks for their upcoming debut L.P.! Get ready for some real Rock 'N' Roll action coming your way soon!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The 700 Machines & The Darks LIVE!!!!
Prepare for a Rock 'N' Roll show of the highest order boys & girls: The 700 Machines & The Dark Rags live @ After Dark on Friday the 21st of January!!!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The Dark Rags @ Closer Alternative Bar (January 14 2011)
The Dark Rags will be playing live at their favourite drinking den Closer - the entrance is free, the drinks are cheap, the folks are nice, the Dark Rags rock...what more could you ask for?
Drop by and enjoy!!
Drop by and enjoy!!
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