Here

 The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem Live in Ireland 

 A Nice Pair

 The Brandenburg Concertos

 The Repo Man Soundtrack

 3 Feet High and Rising

 Dig this 


We are playing with our pals Oh, Alchemy Jan 30th @ TheatersCool in downtown Blm.

It's next to the Coffee Hound.

8pm

 Bentley's in Champaign this Saturday, Nov 21.

w/ Brother Embassy.

Handle this.

 Chicago this Friday May 22. Red Line Tap.

Champaign this Saturday May 23. Bentley's

Maybe a local show. Details soon.

 A new review from these perspicacious folks


Muttonhead by Constant Velocity is a little difficult to describe, mostly because their style varies from song to song. Part post-rock, part lo-fi, with bits of punk and general alt-rock thrown in, these guys have created a sound that is immediately likeable, yet hard to put your finger on. It’s like The Mountain Goats decided to make babies with mewithoutYou, then asked Massive Attack to be the godfather for the offspring. Anyway, Muttonhead grabs you as soon as you start listening, and doesn’t let go. I’m currently on my fifth straight-through playback of the album, and it’s still interesting and fresh. I feel as though I can’t even go into discussing individual songs without talking about their sound a bit more. The recordings of the songs on the album aren’t perfect – far from it, in fact. Every so often, you hear something that sounds like it might have been a small mistake, the vocalist’s voice wavers a bit, or something along those lines. That’s part of the charm of this album – it isn’t a glossy, airbrushed album full of studio-adjusted separate tracking for each instrument and extra little effects that can only be done with computer software. This stuff is as real as it gets, and I’m guessing Constant Velocity sounds almost exactly like this in concert, which is pretty wicked considering how good it already is. Muttonhead opens with “From the McLean Co. Lockup,” a gorgeous bit of rock that evoked my comparison to The Mountain Goats. The song is simplistic in its composition, yet manages to come off as epic in scope as something from Explosions In The Sky or This Will Destroy You. The lyrics are great, with stuff like, “Allow me to pontificate / Whilst I inebriate my liver and kidneys and brain” being the rule and not the exception. This song alternates from soft and thoughtful to loud and bombastic, then back again. “Kelly” presents an entirely different flavor. It opens with something of a western twang, a musical irony when compared with the lyrics “Kelly don’t like country / Kelly like the city / Kelly I’d like to show her / I’d like to show her I’m not a failure / Kelly, come back to my trailer / Please.” It’s hilarious, frankly. You just don’t see lyrics like that very often. When combined with a raucous, rolling tempo and borderline-country music flavor, the song becomes absolutely irresistible. Later on in the album, the band delivers a little punk with the song “Truculent.” It’s heavier on the bass, with a really fun sound, a little like Primus blended with the afore-mentioned mewithoutYou. The lyrics open with “Nice truck, asshole.” It’s literary genius, if you ask me. Instead of singing the stuff, the vocalist delivers his message rapid-fire in a style that’s borderline spoken word. This stuff rocks, really. “Truculent” is witty and relentless, and I couldn’t get enough of it. Constant Velocity’s other songs continued to throw me for a loop, each one a little different from the rest, yet with an overarching sound that is undeniably their own. “Time” is pulsating and reminiscent of Massive Attack (they perform the intro song on House, if that helps). “Lucky Double Nines” reminded me of Muse’s “Knights of Cydonia.” Perhaps appropriately after so much great music, “In Memoriam” closes out the album with the lyrics, “And you’ve earned it old man / So why don’t you rest.” This album is long enough to make me love Constant Velocity’s sound, and short enough to leave me drooling for more. Fingers crossed that they crank out more, ASAP. http://independentclauses.com/2009/03/get-your-head-around-muttonhead/

Thanks to the mobs of folks who came out to see us in Chicago. Lots of fun seeing all of you.

Great to meet new people in Charleston Il too. Really dig Friends and Co. Nice venue.

And here comes the next part of tour schedule:

Feb 18 The Blue Fugue, Columbia, MO

Feb 19 Kirby's, Witchita, KS

Feb 20 Saddle Creek Bar, Omaha, NE

Feb 21 Hopefully Somewhere, St. Louis, MO

Mar 2 Elbo Room, Chicago, IL

C'mon out! Yeah, I know it's winter and it sucks. We will warm your hearts with red hot rock!

Did you know you can become our facebook fan? Oh yes. Here:  http://tinyurl.com/cpvc8c

http://www.whisperinandhollerin.co.uk/reviews/review.asp?id=5896

'CONSTANT VELOCITY'
'MUTTONHEAD'

- Label: 'Miscellaneous Music'
- Genre: 'Punk/New Wave' - Release Date: 'Now available'- Catalogue No: '(www.myspace.com/constantvelocity)'


Our Rating: 8 out of 10

Essentially a record that defies genre, ‘Muttonhead’ (the nickname of it's producer, Jerry Erickson) has unquestionable country leanings, as well as a distinctive ‘live’ sound that gives all eight songs an appealing edge. But essentially, this is a punk record U.S. style and that’s a fact maan!

Eccentricity and CONSTANT VELOCITY go hand in hand as this second full-length offering from the Illinois trio demonstrates from the off. The messy, ramshackle, super-slurry vocals and sometimes screaming death rattle of ‘After 4’ underlines this, a wild concoction that makes sense where there seems to be only D.I.Y. chaos.

The pedal steel anti-ode to ‘Kelly’ underlines the album’s country loyalties amidst a stick-tapping flurry, whilst in stark contrast the deep set gain-heavy guitars leave trails of feedback behind them. The resulting tension is both interesting and full of off-kilter charm.

This is no lightweight tiptoe down the middle of the road. ‘Disorder’ s gentle vocal reverb and bossa-nova balladeer tactics twang alphabetised as some strange kind of tribute to the anal retentive ways of the straight. What’s more, all attempts to ‘break the minds’ of this three piece are set up to fail against the gate-crashing power of the spoken word.

For the dastardly, there’s ‘Truculent’ (with it’s positively endearing vocal refrain “Nice Truck Asshole”!). Muddy feedback and the Valium tempo is here twinned with a mule-kicking exhibition of vocal dexterity, set deep within superb music-hall acoustics. In the space of a menacing bass guitar riff, the whole track is reborn as a jam-happy reprisal of some repute.

There are murmured garage ramblings and shimmered harmonics aplenty in the screeching dancehall echo of Pink Floyd’s ‘Time’, whilst the bass/percussion combo of ‘Lucky Double Nines’ is bittersweet and mildly psychotic enough to bend even the most cynical ear.

The eight tracks, sounding live, combine to arouse interest and then do much to heighten the intrigue. As the plot thickens, there seems to be a kind of correlation, but then again there isn’t.

Weird. And also, in a very odd way, wonderful.

author: Mike Roberts

At first listen I thought, "This guy is tone deaf and these songs are ridiculous." After a week or two, I still feel the same way, but the pop punk/humor rock band from Illinois has grown on me like radioactive fungus. "Truculent," their most popular song, reminds me a lot of Cake's mid '90s stuff—white boy rap over tense guitar rhythms. Their Spanish-influenced cover of Pink Floyd's "Time" is both unrecognizable and excellent at the same time. Recommended. –Kristen K. –Guest Contributor (Misc. Music)

The new booker is on it.

Playing Chicago and Charleston Il in Jan.

Going out west in Feb including St. Louis, Columbia Mo, Kansas City and Omaha.

Details soon.

There is something a bit off-kilter about Constant Velocity, a trio from Bloomington, Illinois. Maybe it’s the tee-shirts; one guy wears a shirt proudly bearing the legend “Barista;” another’s pay homage to Mikhail Gorbachev, who so proudly played punching bag to Ronald Reagan’s strong right hook. Actually, though, it’s the music on MUTTONHEAD, their debut project, which seals the deal. Their guitar/bass/drum arrangements, played in a deliberately sloppy manner, belie a level of musical ability that the group occasionally permits to shine through, if only for a moment or three.

That‘s not to say that Constant Velocity is a put-on; it‘s more of a wink and a nod to those who take the time to listen to this project a time or three, to appreciate how it veers from self-parody to clever turns of phrase. “From The McLean County Lockup” (love that title) puts one immediately in the mind of the third, self-titled, Velvet Underground release, without, perhaps, the self-conscious gravitas that informed so much of that disc. In its place is an even sloppier guitar riff than you would find on, perhaps, “Candy Says.” From there, MUTTONHEAD puts you in the mind of a ship at sea, tilting from one side to the next. “After 4” stops in mid-riff, rights itself, and l unges to a beery conclusion. There’s an occasional flourish --- “Kelly” is a country song about a woman who doesn’t like country or NASCAR and who is a bagger down at Kroger; the song is told from the point of view of a guy who is trying to get her into his trailer. “Disorder” catalogues a series of minute, out of place items among a person‘s possessions, a laundry list for someone with OCD (“There’s a dime in your penny jar/there’s a microscopic scratch on your car”) that gets under your skin. Anyone who has ever brought someone into their home who immediately straightens up their CD or book collection will relate to this track. The almost spoken-word vocal and (deliberately) sloppy musicianship belie the cleverness of this track, and quite honestly, everything else on MUTTONHEAD. “Truculent” is about a…truck, yeah, I think, though it’s more of a stream of consciousness tune that starts off being about a truck. Actually, it takes issue with a bumper sticker on the truck, and there’s a hilarious if rude refrain throughout. So…can you imagine a tongue in cheek cover of “Time” by Pink Floyd? I couldn’t either, but it’s on here. This is a song who, like everyone over the age of 40, has heard far too many times. Yet, if you didn’t know it was coming, you’d be about halfway through it before you had a clue as to what it was.

MUTTONHEAD is a fun pr oject, worth playing for friends who on repeated exposure will veer from a “what is this crap?” reaction to “hey, put that on again.” As will you. Recommended.

www.music-reviewer.com/october-2008/rock-pop-alternative/constant-velocity::muttonhead/

Die drei Burschen von "Constant Velocity" wissen ganz genau, was sie wollen. Sie wollen nicht irgendeinem Trend nacheifern oder gerecht werden. Wollen keinen perfekten Sound abliefern. Im Gegenteil. Sie wollen, das ihre Musik echt und unverfälscht klingt. Und das ist ihnen gelungen, im Original 60s Sound. Die 8 Songs verfolgen auch keinen bestimmten Stil. Vom melancholisch, ruhigen Indie-Rock bis zum Art-Punk oder auch Countrysong ist alles dabei. Das Trio aus den USA will sich auf keinen Stil festlegen lassen. Ihr Motto: Ein guter Freund ist ja euch nicht jeden Tag gleich drauf. Da gibt es ups und downs. Genau wie in ihrer Musik. Und das ist rein auf die Stimmung der Songs bezogen. Gut sind sie eigentlich alle. Auf jeden Fall aber rau, roh, ein wenig sonderbar und gerade deshalb interessant.



Um, from Music Scan

This form Toxic Pete

Constant Velocity - CD - Muttonhead

I have to say I got a real buzz listening to 'Muttonhead' by Illinois rocksters Constant Velocity. This is my kinda thing; great music, fuckin' excellent words and a real sense of 'shit, who cares anyway!!'. They do things their way and sod the consequences!!

And so....'Muttonhead' is compelling, off-the-wall and an absolute blast! Constant Velocity play together with great unity but, more than that, they exude fun and adventure as they perform their quite complex works. The writing is kinda one-of-a-kind and the brutal trio give it everything in an attempt to pull you into their quirky little rockin' world. For me, the quirky thing is what gives Constant Velocity a real edge over most of their contemporaries; music should be fun and Constant Velocity certainly make me smile as they pound out their cuttingly sharp songs with absolute precision, great musicianship and more than a mere glint in the eye. 'Muttonhead' is clever, it's dark, it's poetic, it's ballsy, it's a stroke of fuckin' genius!

Constant Velocity, in their press pack, take time to make you think that they don't give a shit - not true, these dudes care a lot about their collective art and want nothing more than to be accepted for exactly what they are - a bloody cool outfit with loads to offer if they are only given a chance in the bigger picture of musical acceptance. Ok, so Constant Velocity are a little obtuse in the general scheme of things and that's gotta be a plus for me. They don't follow, they lead, they don't bathe in everyone else's glory, they strive to make their own way, in their own way, regardless of what trends are currently running along around them.

Constant Velocity bring fresh new fodder to the ailing manger, they choose to be different and diverse. And they benefit from their tenacity to hold on to their unique identity and their ability to re-model the well-used mould. If I have one criticism here it would be that 'Muttonhead' is a little on the short side; coming in at just short of twenty-six minutes I'd expect more from a band with this sort of talent for the sublime and the ridiculous. I'm not sure where Constant Velocity should be categorised; they aint just indie and, with elements of country, hints of folk and more than just a leaning towards rock they're a bit of an anomaly really. No Matter, it's only words and Constant Velocity have enough of those to go around already - I think you'll only get the bigger picture on Constant Velocity by having a listen yourselves. They won't be for everyone but those takers that get drawn in will find them hard to ignore and 'Muttonhead' extremely hard to put down!!

'Muttonhead' by the excellent Constant Velocity is a great example of modern genre-straddling music that borders on 'cultish' but has every chance of being picked up to become a very worthy household name. Love it!!
Peter J Brown aka toxic pete (www.toxicpete.co.uk)

As a former resident of Illinois, the city of Bloomington has held affection forme. I used to visit down there because our family knew a professor in a university at the city next door -- Normal, and it was a place that had hills. And it was the first place that I saw skaeboarders. Chicago may have some of the biggest skyscrapers in the world, but it;s highest hill is about 700 feet high. So back to this band's city. What other place can claim Beer Nuts, Shakespeare and Passion Plays as some of their chief cultural attractions?

It is also the home of Constant Velocity a band that can be fast, like the Minutemen They can play slow in a deranged way like the Violent Femmes; and get melodic like the Decemberists..

But really they can be themselves. This is about them: the Muttonheads. Mostly an indie rock interpretation of punk rock that is held together by strong vocals and insistent distortion. Constant Velocity means speed and directionthat are not affected by time. Is this true about the band? Are they constantyly evolving like, say, Camper Van. I think they are creating a new sound, and they don't care about keeping the arrows straight. Not that isn't constancy in their sound. It is that recognizable.

Punk Globe

Here are some early reviews of our new album:

 

http://biggestletdown.com/content/view/215/58/


Have you ever listened to a new band that you've never heard of before, and the first time you play their CD you make a stink-face? But, then when you listen to it again, you say to yourself WOW, THIS IS REALLY PRETTY GOOD. WHY DID I MAKE A STINK FACE BEFORE WHEN I LISTENED TO THIS? I NEED TO TELL MY FRIENDS ABOUT THIS BAND!? Well, that's a great way for me to describe my experience with Constant Velocity. Now that I've listened to their newest album entitled MUTTONHEAD a few more times, I love it. It's great. Well done, boys!

Currently, there's a song on this CD called KELLY that has my full attention. It's really good. In fact, I'd love to see them play it live. Most of these songs seem as though they'd be a great to catch live. As I was reading their bio, I came across a great quote which might explain why I can imagine their music live while listening to this CD:

That is why our album sounds different. The microphones go up and we bash it out. What you hear is the way we really sound, warts and all. Just like bands used to do in the 60s.

That's a pretty good way to explain why they sound different. They've got a lot of energy for a three-piece band playing art-punk who come from Bloomington, IL. So, go ahead and give them a listen. Just make sure you listen to the album a couple times before you make up your mind. Don't give it stink-face without giving them another listen.


http://www.readjunk.com/cdreviews/constant-velocity-muttonhead

Constant Velocity's album Muttonhead changes genres so consistently that it's hard to figure out what to label them. Starting with a track that features spacey guitars and some introspective lyrics before hitting some Pavement-like highs with the second track, and country on the third track, the band seems to be interested in trying whatever genre they thinks fits their music. In a way, they most closely resemble the Dead Milkmen, which is a good thing because too few bands take cues from the Milkmen these days. While the album never develops a strong cohesion and is too short at 8 songs, it has a really fun and interesting vibe. You can tell the band has fun with the music (especially on the song Truculent) and never take it too seriously. It's hard not to like this one.

RATING & SUMMARY:

Bottom Line: Fun, arty, and interesting. Worth a listen.
Notable Tracks: After 4, Truculent, In Memoriam
Overall Rating: 3 and a half stars
Reviewer: Daniel Field 


http://www.shotgunreviews.com/2008/08/28/constant-velocity-muttonhead/#more-1967


Constant Velocity is a trio out of Bloomington, Illinois and “Muttonhead” is their latest album that was released earlier this year. Their sound is unique. Stirring, yet quirky. They’ve been compared to the Violent Femmes and the Minutemen. They’ve been put in the “punk” pigeonhole, though I don’t really hear that. They remind of me of a heavier version of Cake with some country (yes, country) mixed in. 
My favorite song of the album has to probably be “After 4″ though it is an extremely short piece. It’s pop with just enough edge that could only be described as Flogging Molly mixed with Jimmy Eats World. While I enjoyed the album, it does take a while to appreciate Alex Smith’s vocals. He’s the type of singer that doesn’t have a traditional voice, but meshes well with the beats and grinds of the band’s style.
Another favorite off of Muttonhead is “In Memoriam”. The song moves in an obscure way, but it sounds like it could be mistaken for a drinking song. It’s the more “folky” tunes from the band, but I found the melody and tone pleasing.
While the lyrics are sometimes abstract (”Truculent” is a perfect example), the tones work themselves out and is worth at least a listen. While it won’t be everybody’s cup o’tea, supporting independent artists like this can’t hurt either. You can listen to some samples on their myspace and you can decide for yourselves. I’m just here to say that with a little time and a tour, they could easily find their cds on shelves in college campuses to swank, downtown homes.

We are on it. Now.

Itunes that is.

Lots of show soon. We are on that too.

We are not going to be on a podcast. No. We are going to be on a radio show. This one:

The Punk Rock Demonstration is a punk rock radio show hosted by Jack featuring punk rock from around the world. You'll find the most interesting music, interviews, bands, and exotic news every Monday at 7PM Pacific Time.

There. That's what that is.

Go here to check it out:

www.punkrockdemo.com/

Hey!

Big Thursday show coming up withour buddy Blake from Austin TX. On tour with his band Aliens

You dig them, don't you? I'm listening to them right now as I type this.

Paulie's July 24th.

It's done!

I've got 4 gigantic boxes of CDs on my porch.

If you are local, head on down to Waiting Room and get it there.

If you are non-local (and many are, I hear) then order it from our label Misc Music in a week or so I would imagine.

If you want to download it from Itunes or some other online source, be patient. Big wheels are slowly turning.

I have given this album it's own page on this site and you can check out our onesheet too!

Jun 5, 2008 10:26 AM
Hey all fans of Constant Velocity! Constant Velocity is being featured on this week's SoupyGato Show #177 -- the INTERVIEW WITH GORDON GANO, playing now!

There are several ways to listen to the SoupyGato Show – the easiest is to visit our website: www. soupygato. com – or subscribe to the show by visiting http://www. gcast. com/u/soupygato/main -- and it will download to your Itunes, Ipod, etc.

SoupyGato Show #177 -- the interview with GORDON GANO

Gordon Gano and the Ryan Brothers --Man In The Sand
Direc-T -- I Left My Heart In Another Bed
The Cut*Off -- Dull To Numb

Conversation with Gordon Gano

Gano-Ryan -- Better You Should Know
Rebecca Blasband -- Cowgirl Hero
The Years -- White Teeth

Skepitic Eleptic -- Atomic
Constant Velocity -- Champaign, IL
The Mother Z's -- Dead Weight
The Diet Pill -- Disco 943
Mad Larry -- Rojito


Vote for MORE of your favorite band: please vote/comment at: http://www. podcastalley. com/one_vote2. php?pod_id=21268 --
You can also hear the show by clicking on my profile -- and find out how to submit your own music as well!

So, here is what is happening as of right now.

We are playing a bunch of shows this summer. The kindly folks at Paulie's have favored us with a residency there and we will be playing select Thursdays there all summer. Our first will be June 5th with Common Loon from Champaign.

Our buddies Spanish for 100 are coming to town on June 21. We will be playing at IBC.

Plans are afoot to play St. Louis, Austin. Maybe Memphis? How many bands is $4 gas going to kill do you think? New fun pictures of the band, I want to do a video too. And a pony.

If Iknew more about graphic design, I would be holding our new album "Muttonhead" in my hands right now. I don't. I wait.