Undersea Explosion

Artist Information

Biography

Having sharpened their teeth in NYC's best venues, including the Knitting Factory's Main Staqe, CBGBs, Piano's, Trash, Crash Mansion, & Southpaw (w/ Easy Action), they made their international debut at Toronto's NXNE Festival in June of 2006 ("explode without warning...as rock'n'roll as it comes"-Chart), rocked Harrisburg PA in Feb. @ MMC11 & 6th Street in Austin during SXSW 2007, completed a successful 10-date midwest tour in May/June, followed by the release of their first LP 'This is Undersea Explosion!!!' in July of '07 (recorded & mixed in the same studio as The New Pornographers' latest).

USX is a rock and roll experiment which originated in Brooklyn, NY in the year 2003. At its core are drummer, Myq Gaffey (aka: Any Kid USA), bass player, Jerold H. Lovecraft and guitarist/singer, Jim Paul. The songs are based on imagery and transcendence. The music is visual. The show is a journey. Combustion stretched over the better part of an hour.

History: Originally from Detroit, Jim joined friends and indie-pop sensations The Christines, who had recently played with Oasis on their first US tour, as they were moving to San Francisco in ’97. The Christines jumped into the scene with Subarachnoid Space and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Jim continued to play with the Christines but also established FunHouse: A Stooges Revue featuring New Bomb Turks drummer Bill Randt, before coming to New York in ‘02. Jerold had been the guitarist for Abstract Fresco as well as a DJ in Indiana before moving to NYC three weeks after 9/11. The two collaborated & played a few cabaret shows before recruiting Boston transplant Myq Gaffey on drums to stoke the nuclear furnace that would become USX. David Mendez, formerly of ’69 Nova & a Spanish Harlem native, replaced Any Kid from Sept. ’04-Dec. ’06.

Breathe Deep, Dive In, and Descend with Us...

Instrumentation

USX is:
Jim Paul - guitar/vox
Jerold H. Lovecraft - bass
Any Kid USA - drums

Discography

LP 'This is Undersea Explosion!!!', released July 2007

Self-Titled Debut EP, released November 2004

available at CDBaby, Napster, iTunes, etc
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/underseaexp

Links

• MySpace
• CDBaby

Audio

• One Way Ride
  Listen  
• Career Suicide
  Listen  
• Switch
  Listen  
• Deadly Friend
  Listen  
• I Met the Devil Down in New Orleans
  Listen  
• Back to the City
  Listen  
• Morbid Fascination
  Listen  
• Those Tunnels
  Listen  
• The Trouble with Ronnie
  Listen  
• Bottom of the River
  Listen  

Lyrics

• One Way Ride
• Bottom of the River

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• June 2006 - "explode without warning...as rock'n'roll as it comes" [+ Show ]
  

  Trio of surly Brooklynites you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley, possibly in a dark rock club. ...Trio of surly Brooklynites you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley, possibly in a dark rock club.
  
  An embarrassment of rich influences, the band's sound defies easy categorization. Q: Is it stoner thrash? Gothabilly? Surf metal? A: All of the above, plus more. Dominated by a heavy back-end rumble and some spooky reverb, the songs start slowly, then explode without warning. One of them was about drilling holes in your own head, which is about as rock 'n' roll as it comes.
  
  Apart from the singer's shoes (which may have been wingtips) and some budget-conscious psychotropic effects, nothing distinctive or embarrassing in terms of image or nifty gear. For these guys, the music comes first.
  
  While they're clearly good players with professional-calibre songs, they didn't seem to react well to the indifferent crowd. Festival show crowds are always a crapshoot (especially in too-cool Toronto); try not to look so sourpussed when no one gets you. You rocked!
  
  --Steve English
  
  http://www.chartattack.com/DAMN/2006/06/1019.cfm
  

• April 2008 - "If the Psychedelic Furs kicked-ass, they'd sound like you guys."
  

  (see above)

• Oct 2007 - "gritty yet darkly ethereal...a nightmarish halo hangs" [+ Show ]
  

  Upon moving to Denver from Detroit in the '90s, Jim Paul joined the Christines. And when that atmosp...Upon moving to Denver from Detroit in the '90s, Jim Paul joined the Christines. And when that atmospheric power-pop band moved to San Francisco — where, in true Denver fashion, it broke up shortly thereafter — Paul found himself drawn to New York City. He headed to Brooklyn, a place known for cultivating experimental music of all kinds, and formed Undersea Explosion, an outfit with gritty yet darkly ethereal songs that conjure a sense of déjà vu and exhilaration. A nightmarish halo hangs over the act's sound, which is driven by trebly bass lines that recall the nimble playing of Peter Hook and reverb-drenched guitars that channel the Wipers. Ultimately, Undersea Explosion, which is touring in support of its latest effort, This Is Undersea Explosion, comes off like a garage-punk band that's discovered how to let its music breathe.
  --Tom Murphy
  
  Published: October 11, 2007
  http://www.westword.com/2007-10-11/music/undersea-explosion/

• Aug 2006 - "Tight, fast, tense, minimal songs with a teutonic aura: we likey!" [+ Show ]
  

  Ugh! The Deli is in trouble. Since we started this Open Blog thing, we found out about so many grea...Ugh! The Deli is in trouble. Since we started this Open Blog thing, we
  found out about so many great NYC bands we weren't aware of that we
  aren't sure we can keep up with them! In an ideal world every good NYC
  artist should be interviewed in the printed Deli, but in reality,
  there's just so much a quarterly magazine can do...
  Undersea Explosion play edgy indie rock with some electronic elements
  that reminds us of one of our favorite bands from the 80s: Echo and the
  Bunnymen. Tight, fast, tense, minimal songs with a teutonic aura that
  can make your feet move: we likey! The band will be performing at Trash
  (W'burg) on Sat, Aug 19th, at 10pm. Also check www.myspace.com/usx
  
  http://www.thedelimagazine.com/bigcontact-deli-loader.php?itemId=156505

• March 2005 - "perfect soundtrack for late night madnesses" [+ Show ]
  

  Their brooding, elegiac songs hauntingly recall everyone from Joy Division to the Velvet Underground...Their brooding, elegiac songs hauntingly recall everyone from Joy Division to the Velvet Underground, Dylan and the Doors, while maintaining a burgeoning identity all their own. The perfect soundtrack for late night madnesses, Undersea Explosion are what will be playing on your iPod as you begin your descent into hell. Onwards to the fire then.
  

• March 2005 - "Dark, deceiving, and somewhat evil sounds" [+ Show ]
  

  Dark, deceiving, and somewhat evil sounds are what seem to be lurching in the speakers of Undersea E...Dark, deceiving, and somewhat evil sounds are what seem to be lurching in the speakers of Undersea Explosion's music. Timeout NYC says "darkly cinematic, catchy garage rock with more than a little Jim Morrison thrown into the mix", but they seem to resemble more of a goth rock tinge that I once heard in bands like The Sisters of Mercy and The Cult.
  
  http://www.crashinin.com/oilProdold.htm (scroll down to 'U')
  

• May 2005 - "4 stars" [+ Show ]
  

  Undersea Explosion is a trio out of Brooklyn made up of bass player Jerold H., drummer David Mendez ...Undersea Explosion is a trio out of Brooklyn made up of bass player Jerold H., drummer David Mendez and a very foreboding vocalist/guitarist named Jim Paul. Not that Paul sounds mean or threatening; it's more like he's the aural equivalent of one of those guys who walks the street carrying a sign that says, "The end is nigh!" He just conveys a feeling that he knows something that you don't. And although he's talking, he's really not telling. At least he's not giving the unencrypted truth. By the time you figure it out, it's too late for you! USX tap into the spirit of various other NYC bands, mostly long gone ones like the Velvet Underground ("True Believers"). They also like Blue Oyster Cult a lot, using one of that band's riffs for "Where We Live" and substituting castanets (!) for BOC's beloved cowbell. "The Trepanator" is an acid washed '60s garage groove with a Chuck Berry-style guitar solo in the middle and the sound of a power drill at the end. The drill is there because the song is supposedly inspired by a true story wherein a girl drills a hole in her head seeking enlightenment. The rest of us will just have to keep this E.P. spinning. 4 stars. - Kevin Wierzbicki
  
  http://www.rocknworld.com/features/05/undersea.shtml
  

• April 2005 - "visceral rockabilly" [+ Show ]
  

  Undersea Explosion's debut borrows a page from the seedy book of NY basement rock, echoing Televisio...Undersea Explosion's debut borrows a page from the seedy book of NY basement rock, echoing Television's visceral rockabilly -- that is, if Television were fronted by a restrained version of Glenn Danzig. They lurk inside humanity's boiler room, meshing gangster pathos with occasional bursts of cabaret saxophone. At first, this effect is fairly winning, but on the overlong "True Believers", it sounds forced. In claiming a penchant for the dark-side, Undersea Explosion are almost forced to overplay the "Oooh, scary stuff, kids" angle.
  
  The castanet-filled "Where We Live" stands in stark contrast with Undersea's overall metier, going so far pop-ward as to swipe a familiar chord structure from "Save Tonight". Eagle-Eye Cherry, of all people! The band scores another memorable moment with the guitar-driven, key-changing "Bottom Of The River", which sports delayed guitar, a taut bass line, and a memorably Stooge-ian chorus: "Death die don't die at the bottom of the river / I can finally breathe at the bottom of the river." It's their strongest song, and will hopefully serve as the blueprint for future efforts. There's a lot of potential here, but Undersea Explosion will need to overcome some of their more derivative tendencies if they want to grow into a force to be reckoned with.
  
  -- James Laczkowski
  
  http://www.splendidezine.com/review.html?reviewid=111295730819316
  

• April 2005 - "a solid unit of hard rockin' energy" [+ Show ]
  

  USX is a trio that makes for a solid unit of hard rockin' energy and mystique. They create songs tha...USX is a trio that makes for a solid unit of hard rockin' energy and mystique. They create songs that build with heavy anticipation and max out before making unexpected diversions with it's sound. Songs are sagas based loosely around a gangster dying, visiting Coney Island fantasy camp and a drill that gets used to enlighten, all sung with a deep voice and 1970's New York swagger. With a unique style, and additions of instruments that range from a baritone to a saxophone, these six tracks are a solid collection that takes Rock n Roll back to its roots. (JC)
  
  http://www.impactpress.com/articles/spring05/musicrspring05.html
  

• June 2005 - "part of a scene of cult heroes...with a kick-ass garage-rock groove" [+ Show ]
  

  Since the 1950s Rock & Roll has consistently been spun-off from, resulting in new genres. Even small...Since the 1950s Rock & Roll has consistently been spun-off from, resulting in new genres. Even small differentiations create new sounds. Songwriters are also music listeners, so what might sound new is only part of the recycle process. The core of Rock hasn’t changed. A lot of contemporary bands still use the same progressions in different ways to create their own distinct songs.
  
  Undersea eXplosion is part of a scene of cult heroes. Their sound reminds me of a long line of dark rock bands: The Cramps, The Mission UK and 90's east coast goth band Empire Hideous. Their "New York" image and lyrical content recalls The Stooges and The Velvet Underground. The sound mixes a deep baritone voice with a kick-ass garage-rock groove.
  
  Jim Paul (singer/guitar player), Jerold H. (bass), and David Mendez (drums) came together to form eXplosion in Brooklyn in 2003. Ever since their self-titled release on LSD 25 Records, the band has been attracting a lot of press. They have received positive reviews from Time Out New York and other magazines. "Switch" kicks-off the record with minor chord progressions that invoke a dark mood. As the track reaches its turning point, it dives into a surf-rock electric flamenco guitar lick, accompanied by a distinctive finger-snapping sound. Track two, "One Way Ride," leaves the listener with an uneasy feeling of terror with crisp, striking notes.
  
  The next track, "True Believers," flows into a psycho-billy groove that is later joined by an echoing saxophone. The blues guitar riffs add contrast in all that darkness. The record then moves on to "Where We Live." It opens with a rhythm guitar and a unique bass melody. As the track kicks in full force, the lyrics become revealing and personal.
  
  The record comes up for air in "Bottom of The River." Paul sings like a classic dirty rocker alá Iggy Pop. The record closes with "Trepanator," a bluesy party tune. We’ve traveled a long way from the beginning of the record.
  
  “Trepanator” is a positive, cheery, 1960s sing-along interspersed with 50s rock-guitar breaks. In the last few seconds of the record, the sound of a drill arises above the happy music, which slowly fades away.
  
  http://cityzen.tv/?startPage=%2Fcontent%2F2005_7_7sea.php

Setlist

Piano's CD release show 14 July 2007

Back to the City
Morbid Fascination
One Way Ride
Career Suicide
Those Tunnels
Deadly Friend
Bottom of the River
The Trouble with Ronnie
I met the Devil Down in New Orleans

USX typically plays a 45-minute all-original set, but has periodically incorporated covers from artists as varied as: Iggy & the Stooges, The Cure, PJ Harvey, & Stevie Wonder.

Basic Requirements

Calendar