Latest News

20 August, 2011

OH MY GOD! It's been a whole YEAR since an update on the website! You wouldn't believe some of the crap that's been going on.

My laptop died sometime last year in about October. I've been without a computer of my own since then. I've been hopping onto friends' computers and latptops here and there but there wasn't any way to either work on music or even update the website. Not to mention I was going through a pretty rough patch so my inclination to even post on Facebook or Twitter evaporated entirely.

I recently got a new Mac (PCs can burn in Hell, for all I care) and so here we are!

Ok, so here's the current status of À Rebours:

The live band is definitely on hiatus. I'm is still dog trianing full time to make ends meet, Ryan's in NYC working on a multitude of music projects, and John is back teaching high school band full time. Shows are not impossible but unlikely. We'll have to see.

Our second album, The Parliament of Rooks, is on hold indefinitely. The music's all done, but the demos were lost on my laptop. With no software currently in my hot little hands to re-record I'm at a standstill. I have all the master files backed up on my Dropbox account, but they're all in Cakewalk Sonar format. *sigh* So close, yet so far.

You may have seen that my awesome labelmates, Reliquary, recently released their second album, Path of Hours, and it is available at CD Baby. Make sure you check it out! Hopefully the corollary to that is that our label, Final Joy, will be wanting to get The Parliament of Rooks going. In any event, I don't see it coming out until 2012 anyways, so....*heavy sigh again*

There you have it folks. I'm still pushing forward to the best of my ability, and À Rebours is not dead yet! In the meantime I'm continuing with my graphic art. Stone Labs has been recently reborn as Moulin Diesel and I've partnered up with my awesome fiancée to expand our repertoire. We've got an Etsy shop and a Facebook page to boot.

Did I mention we're tying the knot next April and we're honeymooning in Paris? Well, we are. :P

I promise, more regular updates. Talk to you soon!

01 July, 2010

As of right now the band is on hiatus; Ryan's in CT for the summer, Ian is struggling financially and training dogs over the summer, and John is teaching. So that means that shows will be limited if we manage to do any at all. Kind of a drag.

HOWEVER: we're still working dilligently on the new album. Ryan's working on bass tracks and Ian is trying to rescue his gear from a flooded basement and, at some point soon, do guitar tracks. Don't even ask when we'll get 'er done, but The Parliament of Rooks will be released. Someday, lol. Damn, it's going to be our Chinese Democracy or something. *sigh*

Keep saying hello on Facebook and Twitter. We love hearing from you and feeling the support. TTYS!

25 March, 2010

Recently a couple new videos hit YouTube courtesy of our friends at The Last Exit for the Lost, 93.5 FM, Ithaca NY. Live cuts of both "Ghostship" and "Wormwood Abbey" are on Ian's YouTube Channel, and we've embedded them here as well on the Media page. Check them out!

SO! Hungry for some dish on the new album? If you've been trawling the YouTube sea you've probably seen a good deal of the vids I was just talking about where we're playing tunes from the second album, The Parliament of Rooks. To whet your appetite, I've decided to release the entire track listing for it:

The Parliament of Rooks...
The Autumn Parlour
Claire's Ouija Board
0 ⇒ c (Zero to Lightspeed)
Penny Black
Corset
Radio in the Attic
Act IV, Scene v
Ghostship
Polaris
Wormwood Abbey
E.M.P.
...The Parliament of Rooks (cont.)

We've played probably 2/3 of those live. The question then of course is, "When is it coming out?!" And that's an outstanding question. As with all things in the music industry these days, it's uncertain—REALLY uncertain. We're working hard on putting it together. Keyboards are tracked but guitars, bass, drums and vocals still remain, which is a lot, I'm afraid. We promise to keep plugging away and updates will be as timely possible.

In the meantime, we've got a show lined up for April 30th in Pennsylvania, once again with our fabulous drummer, John. Show details will be posted on the Live Shows page, the MySpace, our ReverbNation and our Facebook. Which, by the way, have you added us on Facebook and Twitter yet? If not, go go GO add us! Say hello!

Talk to you soon! XD

26 January, 2010

First update of the new year! So far it's been better than 2009...which isn't hard to accomplish being as how 2009 was a suckfest. Anyhow, here's a run down of what's new:

Primarily, John Cole joined us on the drums on January 24 at The Haunt in Ithaca, NY. This was a different show, indeed. We opted to go without backing tracks and just play as a three-piece. It was an interesting trade off. On the one hand, not having the keyboard parts definitely took something away from the ambiance of the songs. On the other hand, with the drums and the amps cranked up the overall sound of the band was HUGE. We definitely filled the space with some powerful sound. The backing tracks have been glitchy anyways so I'm kind of glad to not have to rely on them. Without a doubt, though, synth parts will need to be reintroduced into the mix at some point, preferably with a keyboard player (any takers?). All in all it was a worthwhile experiment and I think it made À Rebours appear to be a much more viable "band" so to speak. I'm sure we'll continue to play with John as long as he's willing. He is a busy guy, after all. ;)

Secondly, the computer that I recorded the bulk of Vanish on, a Fujitsu laptop (really more like an über-laptop—it's totally a beast!) all but took a massive shit right at the end of 2007. It's been sitting on a shelf collecting dust until a fabulous friend of mine offered to repair it...and hopefully IMPROVE it. With any luck, I'll have a machine that can economically, and with high quality, track guitars and bass for the new album. Keyboards have already been tracked, so that leaves just vocals and drums. Keeping fingers crossed (because I can't and don't want to pay for studio time!).

And finally, May 22 is National Goth Day. We're going to try and do something cool that day. You should too! We'll keep you posted on what we cook up.

In the meantime, stay tuned for video, audio and more cool news. There's some swell live stuff out and about and upcoming, and I'll post new info here as soon as it's available.

CHEERS!

8 December, 2009

Here's an update to let everyone know we're still alive. Again, been going through another shit period loaded with all sorts of personal garbage. I think it may have come to a point where things are finally managable. *crosses fingers*

Got at least one show booked for January at The Haunt in Ithaca, NY. STILL plugging away at the new album. STILL all ready to record the 13 songs that'll be on it, plus a plate of leftovers and cover-songs on the side if time/$$$/opportunity presents itself. We'll see. I swear if the new album doesn't come out this year I'm going to kill myself. Not really....

Anyhow. I'm hoping to post some more stuff soon and start gearing up for good things to come. If nothing else, know we're still alive and we wish we were out there playing for you right now. Talk to you soon and happy holidays.

6 October, 2009

Hey all!

The outstanding Darkwave/Industrial/Electro/Goth music act Psyche Corporation just released a new video. We've had the pleasure to meet, work with, play with, and share the stage with this lovely and talented young lady and we recommend her work highly!

Oh...and you might notice moi, À Rebours' frontman, Ian, making an appearance three or four times as a crazed religious zealot. Great fun! (and let me tell you that was ONE LONG ASS NIGHT / MORNING).

In other news, latest pics and vids coming up for us as well.

CHEERS ~Ian

19 September, 2009 — À Rebours' debut at the Haunt

Here is a Promo video and the flyer for our October 2nd live debut at The Haunt in Ithaca, NY. Witness a truly eclectic show, presented by The Last Exit for the Lost. The Gothic Rock of À Rebours, followed by the artistic, electronic, ethereal performance of Psyche Corporation. Then the Ithaca debut of NYC's unique and experimental Choose (by way of Germany!), and finally, headlining the show, 12 Oz. Muzzle! Show is only $5, doors are at 9pm, first band before 10pm. See you there?

ALSO: stay tuned for some live tracks, more live video, and album news!

2 September, 2009 — Back from the Dead

It's been a very difficult few months since the last update. Some big life changes have occurred--none of them wanted--and it's taken a lot of time and heart to overcome them. As a result, I had completely lost my passion for all things creative. Writing music, painting...everything seemed like a stupendous waste of time and I felt like a total hack. À Rebours was truly the last thing on my mind and, to be perfectly honest, there was a very dark time where I wasn't sure I was going to return to it.

Recently, though, I have been reminded that part of why I'm here on this planet is to tap into those artistic reserves and share them with the world. I feel that I have a lot to offer and the craving to create seems to be coming back (and bringing inspiration with it). Some really great and wonderful people have helped me remember.

I apologize to anyone who may have gone to a July or August show only to find that we'd cancelled. And I hope all you out there haven't forgotten us in the interim.

All right. Onward. Here are the newest nuggets to share with you:

We are on track again with the new album. Recording time has been booked and, if all goes well, there will be 13 to 14 songs on it. You may have already caught two of them on the recent YouTube videos (see the last update)! As we get closer to finishing and planning a release I will post teaser info: song titles, random lyrics, graphics, live vids, etc.
We're on the lookout for a photographer to do the promo stuff for the new album. We love alternative photographers, but if you've got a hip, surreal, whimsical style we'd love to chat. Upstate NY would be preferable, but we can travel if need be and the style is right. Shoot us an email if you might be interested in our business.
We're booking shows again. After the lull it's slow going so be sure to check the live calendar here, and/or MySpace and ReverbNation for up to date info.

Now I know the site is in need of some work all around. The gallery's all screwed up (especially now....) and there are some parts that need to be trashed, overhauled, revamped, rebuilt, recoded, or just dusted of a bit. Essentially, though, I'm going to wait. With the release of the new album we'll have a new theme anyhow, so rather than waste time and energy to polish this up, we'll make do with some bandaids and scotch tape until the new one launches. Please bear with us until then.

Thank you so much for everyone that's been supportive lately! Your encouragement and generous comments have made all the difference. Much love and peace to you all...and get ready to be BLOWN THE FUCK AWAY by the new album!!

CHEERS!
~Ian

16 May, 2009

As you may know, we were on "The Last Exit for the Lost" radio show (93.5, WVBR, Ithaca) on May 10th. If you didn't get a chance to catch the show either live or streaming we've got some groovy YouTubes...including some NEW tunes!!!

ENJOY! And if you get a chance, drop by The Last Exit for the Lost's MySpace profile and tell 'em how awesome they are for supporting local music!

CHEERS!

21 March, 2009

Many of you are familiar with Mick Mercer, the legendary rock journalist with a special place in his heart for Goth, Darkwave, Post-Punk et al. His new book, Music to Die For is out now and we are in it! Page 12, to be exact (it's good to be at the head of the alphabet, LOL!).

The book is a MONSTER 600+ page tome intended to be an "international guide to the last great underground scene." It's jam-packed with every alternative, dark, edgy band you can imagine from every corner of the globe.

You can find the book on Amazon, but getting it from the publisher, Cherry Red, is a little bump for indie publishers that I'm happy to pay a little extra shipping for (and for a hog-of-a-book like this, it's still pretty reasonable!).

I also recommend adding both the book's MySpace profile as well as Mick Mercer's if you have not already.

Enjoy!

13 January, 2009

Happy New Year!

OK. so it's a bit late in coming. But, nonetheless, there are some cool things to report:

First off, the video for "Cardiac Thanatosis" is on YouTube. It's all sketch animation done by Ian, and reviews are positive thus far. As of Saturday the 11th it already has over 3000 views and on the 12th it received the distinction of being one of the most viewed videos of the day. Hell yeah!! Keep 'em coming. Do feel free to post that bad boy on your site, blog, 'zine, etc.

Second item on the chopping block: À Rebours is featured on Out of the Coffin's latest Podcast, #19. Out of the Coffin is an online nexus based in Scottsdale, AZ (just a stone's throw from where À Rebours first saw the footlights) by, for and about the Vampire culture. Hosted by Elder Dan and his lovely fiancée, Michelle, podcast #19 features "24fps" along with a hell of a plug by Elder Dan. Give it a listen and support this thoroughly interesting—and indie—culture/project. Love it! Thank you, Dan and Michelle!

Album news is on the near horizon (promise) and we're working on a whole metric ton of shows for 2009! Keep checking back for updates! CHEERS!

11 November, 2008

The online 'zine NecroMag, based in the UK, has posted a generous interview. READ IT HERE! Thank you so much, NecroMag! Hopefully we'll get a chance to play the UK and thank them personally. In the meantime, shoot the editors of the 'zine a message and thank them for supporting the scene and alternative music!

Also, on a side note, thanks to all the fans that have been writing in lately and coming to shows. Your support is so appreciated! We're working on some great new things: videos, new merch and promotions, additional interviews and exposure, more shows...and, of course, the new album! Stay tuned!

11 October, 2008

There are several new goodies for you all on the DOWNLOADS page. Some nifty ringtones and cell-phone wallpapers, courtesy of Miss M. Balmer, are ready to grace your miniature telecommunication interface. Also, a couple of 800 x 600 wallpapers courtesy of The Scarlet Butterfly are up as well, just waiting to dress up your personal ordinateur's display.

And hey...we're only a hop skip and a jump from finishing all the writing for the second album! As soon as we send off the demo to the label and get feedback, I will post info on it.

CHEERS!
~Ian

12 August, 2008

Venerable American goth tome, Gothic Beauty, has reviewed "Vanish" in their just-released Issue 26. According to the reviewer, Carolee, "Vanish should be a new goth classic." Sandwiched right in-between Rob Zombie and KMFDM, the review continues on with wonderful things about the album.

Hell yeah! THANK YOU Carolee and Gothic Beauty!

Gothic Beauty is available at Borders, Barnes & Noble, Hot Topic, Waldenbooks, B. Dalton, and Hastings, as well as ONLINE HERE.

Also, the CT show was AMAZING. I'll be posting pics and narrative shortly. It was a blast and we met a ton of really cool people. Not to mention, our first show in Connecticut ROCKED HARD. Stay tuned. ; )

~Ian

31 July, 2008

GEARWIRE.COM just published an interview with Ian about À Rebours' instruments and live set-up. For those of you that have asked (or have at least wondered) about how we create our sonic hauntings, this is a good place to gain some insight:

www.gearwire.com/arebours-guitars.html

www.gearwire.com/arebours-livegear.html

As long as we're discussing gear and such, there is of course also the semi-hidden page here on the website: The Laboratory

ENJOY!

20 June, 2008

HELLO! We've been comparitively quiet of late, but it hasn't been for a lack of activity! Here's the latest scoop in a nutshell:

SHOWS! I've been working hard to book some shows this Summer and Fall. Be sure to check the SHOWS page to see the most current show listing.

If you'd like to help us out, you can grab the code for several different widgets over at ReverbNation that you can put on your websites, blogs, profiles, etc. There are some that play À Rebours songs, some that display show dates, and others that do both. Grab one today. If you do, please let me know so I can personally thank you for your support!

Also, please join our mailing list so you can stay ultra up-to-date on show dates, album news and the works:

You can also help out by spreading the good word to all of your friends! Word of mouth is still the best way to spread information.

NEW MATERIAL! I've also been VERY hard at work writing new material. Rest assured, À Rebours' second album is on track for 2009 and the new material is FUCKING AMAZING (imho). Five new songs, "Ghostship," "The Autumn Parlour," "Claire's Ouija Board," "Act IV, Scene v" and "Radio in the Attic" are all making the rounds in the live set, so if you make it out to a show you'll most likely hear a couple of them. There are also at least ten more songs gestating in the studio. I can't tell you too much more about the album or other songs yet, but I will soon enough!

Thank you as always for all of your kind words, encouragement and love. Hope to see you out and about. More updates to follow soon! CHEERS!
~Ian

21 April, 2008

À Rebours' new bass player, Ryan Holmes, has recorded his performances of some of the songs and you can see them on YouTube HERE! Check out his videos there and leave some positive comments.

Also, we are working on booking a bunch of shows, getting some new promo and publicity materials put together, and generally building the empire one brick at a time. Stay tuned for show dates TBA as well as some other goodies from À Rebours!

CHEERS!
~Ian

15 February, 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you Mr. Ryan Holmes, the latest addition to the À Rebours legacy. Ryan is going to be playing bass for live shows. Ryan is fantastic and really knows his stuff. His impressive skills on the bass are matched only by his easy-going demeanor. He and I both share a lot of common musical ground and seem to view the artistry of music in a similar light. Additionally, he's been working in earnest to integrate into things as quickly as possible. He's studied the sheet music, made meaningful suggestions and his work on the songs so far has been fantastic. Please visit his MySpace profile and say hello!

In other news: À Rebours has been reviewed by the German magazine, “Crawling Tunes,” and will be included on a CD compilation that comes out with their next issue (issue #4). More on that as details become available.

Hopefully see some of you from the stage soon!

CHEERS!
~Ian

13 January, 2008 — Dark Realms reveiw and digital love

The preeminent US magazine for all things gothy, gloomy and decadent, Dark Realms, has published a stellar review of VANISH�sandwiched somewhat appropriately right in between HIM and Joy Division, I might add. Pick up a copy of issue 29 at your local bookstore, or visit their website to order yourself a copy. I also read that the October 2008 issue will be their final one, so show your support of this great magazine while you can.

Also, VANISH is now available at the following locations for digital download:
eMusic Delivery (eMusic)
Groovemobile Delivery (Groove Mobile)
Hi5 Networks
imeem
iTunes Music Store
Mix and Burn
mTraks Download
Music IP
Napster
Navio Download (gBox)
Rhapsody
Ruckus Network
Sony Connect
Soundflavor

Most have it up at this point (though iTunes is still taking their sweet time...of course).

More good news to follow soon. CHEERS!

6 December, 2007 — Exciting Developments

I am very happy to finally announce that my label, Final Joy Records, has acquired distribution through Metropolis Records for “VANISH.” That means that you'll be able to purchase the album through Metropolis's website. This is a big deal and it's been a long time in the works. I'm grateful to Final Joy for their hard work in making this happen and for their faith in À Rebours' music. Click HERE to check it out!

To commemorate this most auspicious occasion, we are holding a contest where one lucky person will win:
1) One custom guitar by yours truly, decked out in retro-futurist glory and duly autographed
2) One Sony portable Mp3 player so you can take À Rebours with you wherever you go
3) One copy of the tablature to “The Wicked One,” for guitar and bass, arranged and transcribed by me.

Sound hip? You're damn skippy it does!! There's no purchase necessary, so get your ass over there and enter the contest! Click the banner below for pics and entry form...

The good news continues. “VANISH” is now also being carried by online music stalwart, CD Baby. That means there are several places for you to get your hot little hands on a copy of the album...no excuses if you haven't yet!

Not one to ever rest on my laurels I am also embarking on another avenue of creative outlet. I've been receiving many compliments on the digital artwork I've done for À Rebours' website/MySpace and album art, and it's been inspiring to get positive feedback. Now, that inspiration is joined by some recent successes with my 3D assemblage art. The creation of the Steampunk guitar that's being offered in the Final Joy contest above, coupled with the overwhelmingly positive reception of my prop sci-fi gun mods has prompted me to open a companion website and MySpace profile that focuses on both my visual 2D art and my 3D prop/accessory art. I am very proud to announce the opening of Stone Laboratories.

Please visit THE STONE LABORATORIES WEBSITE
And please add the STONE LABORATORIES profile on MYSPACE

WHEW! That's a lot of stuff! And I'm still not stopping! There's a whole bunch more developments simmering on back burners waiting to come to a boil and be announced. AND there's a ton of new music ready to creep into the live show. Also expect Stone Laboratories to be right behind all this great stuff!

CHEERS!
~ Ian

1 November, 2007 — New Labelmates & Shows

New Labelmates

I am very happy to tell that UK Gothic Lolita Toybox band, Razorblade Kisses, has joined the Final Joy roster. I really love their music and I think they're a fantastic fit for the label. With myself, my other labelmates Reliquary, and these cool cats, Final Joy is fast becoming a haven for the best in new Goth music!! (IMHO).

Upcoming Show(s)

I'll be playing at the Holly Days Festival in Horseheads, NY on November 24. I don't know any of the hard details yet (time, set length, etc.) but I'll surely post here and on MySpace ASAP. Last year, I am told, there were approximately 1500 people in attendance; hopefully at least that many will be there this year so I can rock them all (if you'll excuse me paraphrasing Bon Jovi)! Additionally, I'm working on getting some other groovy things going for November and December and hopefully I'll be able to tell you more soon.

Stay tuned to this æther-station! CHEERS!

18 October, 2007 — Radio and Reviews

À Rebours on the Radio!

Hallo!! Several fine and wonderful radio stations, both over the airwaves and through the internet, have kindly added À Rebours to their playlists. Please be sure to visit/tune to the following and tell them what a superb job they're doing!

The Black Cauldron Goth/Industrial radio show.
Saturdays 8-10pm
KUCI, 88.9 FM in Irvine, CA
The Black Cauldron's MySpace
KUCI's website

Waiting for the Blackouts Internet Radio show at Perkigoth.com
6am to 2pm PST

Internet Radio DJ, RaZorGrrL, broadcasts her show on these stations:
Rant Radio Monday at 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific, 2am in Europe. Click “listen” on the left at these times.
Biweekly podcasts at ReGen Magazine.

Lestat's 120 Minutes internet radio, hosted by DJ Louis Lestat.

Nocturne UK internet radio station.

Many of these DJ's I've had the pleasure to correspond with — one I've met personally — and they're all very cool people. My thanks to them for supporting the genre and for including me in their playlists.

Review by Mick Mercer

The Grand-Gothfather, Über-Poobah of all things Gothic Music, none other than Mick Mercer, has reviewed “VANISH” and found it to his liking. Read it HERE. Thank you, Mr. Mercer!!

Review by DJ Deathwish

DJ Deathwish, venerable music-meister in Tucson, AZ., has also posted a stellar review of “VANISH” on his MySpace. Check it out HERE. Thank you, Monsieur Deathwish!!

There are some more exciting things on the horizon: a contest, more shows, live band members...stay tuned to this æther-channel!

CHEERS to all!
~Ian

25 September, 2007 — VANISH IS HERE!!

I have waited so long and worked so hard for this, and it is here: the debut album from À Rebours has arrived at long last.

À Rebours proudly presents: VANISH, an anthology of eleven musical pieces detailing the varying degrees of life, death, love, loss, beauty and the grotesque—an aural haunting that induces pity, fear, happiness and catharsis, leaving one drunk on both the incandescent joy and the delicious melancholy to which À Rebours is well acquainted.

BUY VANISH ONLINE AT FINAL JOY RECORDS.

À bientôt, dear friends. Please enjoy the album.