James Chance: Australia 2016

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James Chance on Noisey: Still Incorrigible After All These Years

James Chance by Dawid Laskowski

James Chance and the Contortions are performing at Trans Pecos this Sunday (9/20) during the day (along with Ex Models and Dreamcrusher) as part of Trans Pecos’ September Sunday afternoon concert series.

James sat down recently with Noisey contributor, Zachary Lipez, for a chat. Read it here.

James Chance Featured on Dangerous Minds

We're happy to report that Dangerous Minds ran a feature on James and the BUY album today! You can read the article here, and order BUY direct from Futurismo here. 

"Truly great jazz is rhythmic enough to lure you in but chaotic enough to make sure you don’t get bored…or too comfortable. Truly great funk is rhythmic enough to keep your body moving and your senses tighter than a trucker on a yellow-jacket binge. Cross these mighty twin forms together and you land somewhere near the county of James Chance. Even then, like any artist worth their salt, simple categorization is not only uneasy but also ill advised. And that’s when things get truly
exciting..." Continued...

James Chance et Les Contortions at Stereo Bar, Glasgow, March 12, 2015

James Chance, Stereo Cafe Bar, Glasgow, 3.12.15, by Jayjay Robertson

Joe Whyte was at the James Chance show in Glasgow last night at the Stereo Cafe Bar for Louder Than War, and loved what he saw & heard.

He’s tonight accompanied by a French three-piece band and quite probably the last time Glasgow witnessed a band as drum-skin tight would have been Mike Watt’s gig at Broadcast last year. This latest Gallic incarnation of Les Contortions are as lean and as precise as a band are ever likely to be; swerving from be-bop jazz to popping funk to Van Vliet-style discord in the blink of an eye or a wave of Chance’s fist, they carve into the material with an assuredness that’s jaw-dropping.

I’m left wondering if this sort of thing is the purest form of that old devil called punk rock. Guys like James Chance are the true outsiders, the risk-takers, the experimenters. It’s light years away from angry menwith guitars, but sometimes it’s the people who play music entirely for themselves that are the true renegades. And James Chance is certainly that.

Read the entire review at Louder Than War.

Contortions' BUY vinyl reissue from Futurismo now available for pre-order!

As announced back in November, the vinyl reissue of James Chance & the Contortions' BUY from Futurismo is now available for pre-order. It ships in March and it looks gorgeous!

Fully remastered and featuring two bonus tracks recorded at a brief reformation, this LP comes on heavy 180g limited edition coloured vinyl with Free Download. The record is encased in a mirror and neon gatefold sleeve containing a new large 12pg booklet featuring rare photography by the late great Anya Phillips and newly written text by the legendary James Chance himself. Get hip, get contorted. Don’t think just BUY.

Tracklisting > 

01. Designed To Kill 

02. My Infatuation 

03. I Don’t
Want To Be Happy 

04. Anestetic 

05. Contort Yourself 

06. Throw Me Away 

07. Roving Eye 

08. Twice Removed 

09. Bedroom Athlete 

10. Terminal City  (bonus cut)

11. Incorrigible (bonus cut)

Pre-Order BUY Now!

James Chance: This Saturday in BK with Jonathan Toubin, and European Dates in March

Besides appearing this coming Saturday at DJ Jonathan Toubin's latest shindig (above), James Chance has just announced some European tour dates with Les Contortions (below). Keep up with things Chance at his website and Facebook page.

03/10/2015 - Cafe Oto - London (UK)
03/12/2015 - Stereo - Glasgow (UK)
03/13/2015 - Instants Chavirés - Paris (France)
03/14/2015 - Het Boss - Anvers (Belgium)
03/15/2015 - King Georg - Koln (Germany)
03/17/2015 - Sonic - Lyon (France)
03/18/2015 - Bbc Perpinya - Perpignan (France)

Citywide: James Chance, James Brown, Punk, Funk and the Free Jazz Connection

James Chance at CBGB by Eugene Merinov

As a sort of sister piece to James Chance's recent guest DJ spot on WNYU's Shake 'Em On Down,  he also sat down with the station's Micah Loewinger, and discussed some of his musical influences - specifically James Brown, and the point where punk met funk via free jazz - on the show Citywide. James' interview is the first half of the show.

James Brown

James Chance & The Contortions BUY to see deluxe vinyl reissue in early 2015 on Futurismo

Word just in from the UK: The Futurismo label will be reissuing the Contortions BUY album in a deluxe 180 gram vinyl edition in early 2015!

What they say: Come contort yourself…the New York No Wave classic from the CONTORTIONS
is back! It’s just over 35 years since James Chance first assaulted turntables with the juddering jazz punk fusion that permeate the tracks immortalised on BUY. Continued here.

Futurismo Music 

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Listen to James Chance's DJ set on WNYU now!

In case you missed James Chance's recent appearance on WNYU's Shake 'Em On Down, the show is now archived & streamable. He played a hell of a set. Listen to the entire thing here.

1. James Brown "Super Bad Parts 1, 2, and 3" Super Bad (King) LP 1971
2. Dizzy Jones "I Don't Care" The Godfather's R& B - James Brown Productions 1962-67 (BGP Records) CD 2008
3. Marva Whitney "I Made a Mistake" Live and Lowdown at the Apollo (King) LP 1969
4. The Rhythm Machine "The Kick" The Funky 16 Corners (Stones Throw) CD 2001
5. Dyke And The Blazers "Stuff" So Sharp! (Kent) CD 1991
6. Dynamic Corvettes "Keep Off The Grass" Funky Sex Machines (Soul Patrol) LP 2009
7. James Chance And Les Contortions "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" Incorrigible! (Le Son Du Maquis) CD 2011 {Gil Scott-Heron cover.}
8. Bobby & Deborreh Williams "The Pusher’s Thang" Ancestors of Rap (Tramp) CD 2012
9. Lightnin' Rod "Sport" Hustlers Convention (United Artists) LP 1973
10. Ann Alford "Gotta Get Me a Job" SuperFunk (Ace) CD 2000 {Originally released in 1971.}
11. Harvey Scales "Broadway Freeze" Stax Of Funk. The Funky Truth (BGP Records) CD 2000
12. Aalon Butler & the New Breed Band "Gettin' Soul Part 1" (Tramp) 7" 2013
13. Junior & The Classics "Kill the Pain" (Magic Touch) 7"
14. The Young Rascals "Love Is a Beautiful Thing" Collection (Atlantic) LP 1967
15. The Rationals "Little Girls Cry" Be Rational! (Ace) CD 2009
16. Mitch Ryder And The Detroit Wheels "I Had it Made" Breakout…!!! (New Voice Records) LP 1966
17. Earl Bostic "Time on My Hands" C'mon And Dance With Earl Bostic (King) LP 1956
18. LaVern Baker "Trying" The Uncollected LaVern Baker (Royale) CD {Originally released in 1962}
19. Dinah Washington "I Wanna Be Loved" Queen of the Jukebox "Live" 1948-1955 (Baldwin Street Music) CD 2000 {Recorded at Birdland, July 21, 1951.}
20. Little Jimmy Scott "If You Only Knew" The Savoy Years & More... (Savoy Jazz) CD 1999 {Originally released in 1956.}
21. Big Maybelle "I Could Make You Care" Ladies Sing The Blues - Volume 2 (Savoy) CD 1981
22. James Chance And Les Contortions "Yesterdays" Incorrigible! (Le Son Du Maquis) CD 2011
23. Billie Holiday "Yesterdays" Strange Fruit (Atlantic) CD 1972

James Chance to appear at launch for Bunny Lake Films this Wednesday at Salon 94

Doors at 6:00. James plays around 7:00. 

Please RSVP as per the invite.

James Chance to guest host WNYU's Shake 'Em On Down next Thursday, 10.23.14

James Chance will be appearing on, and making musical selections, on the long running show, Shake 'Em On Down, on WNYU next Thursday, Oct. 23. You'll have to tune in at 7:30PM to hear what James picks, and I'm sure it'll be interesting! 

You can live-stream the broadcast directly from the WNYU website.

Just announced: James Chance with Melt Yourself Down at Village Underground in London, November 5!

Tickets are available Thursday. For more info click here. More dates coming soon!

James Chance & The Contortions "Buy" 35th Anniversary Edition Now Available!

Out this week digitally, the new & improved Buy by the Contortions! It includes 5 bonus tracks, and still sounds ahead of its time 35 years later. Check it out at the following stores:

iTunes

eMusic

Amazon

Robert Aaron Legel Defense Fund Benefit at R Bar, June 4 w/James Chance, Ned Sublette, Eric Andersen and many others!

Just announced: James Chance at the Cutting Room, 6.12.14

Robert Aaron in todays NY Times, plus recent WHITE HOT live footage of James Chance

 

“At some level it’s like the Salem witch trials,” he said. “You can’t have a witch hunt without a witch. I’m just unlucky enough to be the guy. You gotta have a human sacrifice, and that’s what I am.” - Robert Aaron in today's NY Times.

The NY Times published an excellent article today on James' close associate, Robert Aaron. It includes some quotes from James, and we suggest you read it.

And speaking of Robert Aaron, check out this shit-hot band, including Aaron, performing with James recently at the Cutting Room! As always, keep up with James Chance news via his website or on Facebook.

New recordings of note: Roddy Frame and James Chance

No...not together! Roddy - who has a new album entitled Seven Dials out in May via Edwyn Collins' label, AED - just made "Forty Days of Rain" available to listen to:



And then we have a new recording from the one & only James Chance. "I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door, I'll Get It Myself)", by James Brown, was recorded with the True Groove All-Stars, and its James' first output for True Groove Records. Its an excellent indication of what you'll get if you're going to the Cutting Room tonight:

True Groove All Stars, featuring James Chance, at Cutting Room, March 11

“Not since Paul Simon has an American artist so expertly brought an international sound to mainstream, popular music. ...By fusing a variety of genres, cultures and sounds, Tomás Doncker's True Groove All-Stars are elevating music to its highest possible level..." (veggiefans.net) 

Featured performers include: 

- Tomás Doncker, the Godfather of Global Soul 

- experimental post-modern rocker Marla Mase 

- Kevin Jenkins, A-list singer/songwriter/bassist 

- pop-soul diva Lael Summer 

- legendary downtown NO WAVE Icon James Chance 

PLUS these fabulous True Groove Artists: Heather Powell, Sam Claiborne, Natalie Smith, Charlie Funk, Lola Danza and Mamadou Diaite. 

To stream the show live:  

https://www.gander.tv/venue/cutting-room

8:00pm-9:30pm 

Website:

TrueGrooveRecords.com

James Chance touring & recording: Italy & France

James Chance is happy to announce some new European tour dates for late November/early December in Italy and France. He'll be backed by Les Contorsions. The trip will include a recording session in Bordeaux from Dec. 2-5. Keep track of further developments here & here.

Here are the tour dates for Nov 26 thru Dec 7:
  

Nov 26: Turin / Italy - United 

Nov 27: Savona / Italy

Nov 28: Rome / Italy - Init
Nov 29: Bari / Italy - Teatro Communal
Nov 30: Bologna / Italy - Freak Out
Dec 06: Bordeaux / France - Le Comptoir du Jazz 

Dec 07: Tulles / France - Les Lendemains qui Chantent

Speaking of Save The Robots...

Here is a flyer for a James White (Chance) gig (sometime in the 80's) at said after hours club. Via & James Chance Official.