Battles, Don Caballero Play SXSW, Scrap New Releases

Battles, the frenetic instrumental band fronted by former Don Caballero guitarist Ian Williams and John Stanier of Tomahawk and Helmet fame, are putting the finishing touches on their debut "extended" 12-inch single and maxi-CD. Cold Sweat will be releasing the two-song single on June 1st. The CD version will also feature a bonus video. The band will be playing select shows between now and the release of the record, including this year's SXSW Festival, which is happening in Austin, Texas, even as we speak. A full-scale tour is in the works, but until it gets hammered out, we suggest you head to Austin, for Battles will be playing Saturday, March 20th at the Caucus.

Also appearing at SXSW will be Don Caballero, whose current incarnation contains original drummer Damon Che and some other assholes he hired. Don Caballero will be appearing at Emo's Jr. on Thursday the 18th, and I think it's safe to assume a Spinal Tap style on-stage reunion between Che and Williams is unlikely, considering that Che has stated that the two are "natural-born enemies," comparing them to "a cobra and a mongoose." The new incarnation of Don Caballero is apparently at work on new material, but it would seem that we jumped the gun a bit when we previously reported that two new releases were on the books.

The Sludgehammer EP, which features material dating back to 1991, mentioned in our previous report, has been axed from the release schedule completely, and although a new single is still possible, Don Caballero v2.0 hasn't even hit the studio yet. These Bricks Are Mine Records is reportedly planning on releasing the single if/when it is ready, but if I were you, I wouldn't start writing any news stories just yet.

Battles: http://www.bttls.com
Cold Sweat: http://www.coldsweatrecords.com