Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog
PHOTOS | VIDEOS | AUDIO | DISCOGRAPHY | PRESS | PERFORMANCE HISTORY
Look out for band's much awaited third album and first in five years to be released on April 27, 2018 on Northern Spy (US), Yellowbird (Europe), P-Vine (Japan)
“I got a right to say FUCK YOU!!!” is how the new album from veteran guitarist Marc Ribot’s trio Ceramic Dog starts off, with Ribot howling in anger at corruption, tyranny, life in general, and nothing in particular. Ribot certainly isn’t the only one piling-on, but if you’ve got a serious case of outrage fatigue, Ceramic Dog’s explosive cocktail of balls-to-the-wall abandon, chameleonic disregard for style constraints, political commentary, and absurdist humor is just the shot in the ass you might need. In fact, Ceramic Dog’s new album -- titled YRU Still Here?— directed in equal parts at themselves, the commander in chief, and the listening public -- arrives just in time to remind us that now is a moment when anger is not only necessary, and unavoidable, but also good for house plants . Thanks in no small part to the fire, brimstone, and dextrous facility summoned by kindred spirits Shahzad Ismaily (Secret Chiefs 3, Will Oldham, Ben Frost) on bass and drummer Ches Smith (Xiu Xiu, Secret Chiefs 3, Trevor Dunn’s Trio Convulsant), YRU Still Here? comes to the table armed with more than just sloganeering rhetoric. By way of stylistic explanation, Ribot comments: “Yes, we too are subject to the post-modern condition, but we see it as a kind of psoriasis.” Alongside his monumental career forging his peerless guitar style with the likes of Tom Waits, John Zorn, the Lounge Lizards, etc, Ribot has also worked for decades as a tenant union and artist rights activist, where he master ed the agit-prop skills used to such dazzling effect on hits such as “Fuck La Migra” and “Muslim/Jewish Resistance”. As much as it is a rallying cry, though, YRU Still Here? also further consecrates Ribot’s bond with Ismaily and Smith, referring to them as his “musical conscience” and to the band as a “family...although not always in a good way”. “After all the playing I’ve done,” Ribot explains, “there’s just something about this group that still manages to shock me.”
Ceramic Dog's sophomore album, Your Turn, landed on several 'Best of 2013' lists including PopMatters, Alarm Magazine, and Something Else. PopMatters writes: "The scary thing about Marc Ribot and his new(ish) band is that all of these styles and quirks are pulled off so convincingly... with their first album well behind them, they are even fiercer than before... 8 out of 10 stars." All Music calls the album "an absolute scorcher... this band can do nearly anything," and Robert Christgau says "Ribot's new hard-rock album with Ceramic Dog ranks amongst his most daring," in his review on NPR's All Things Considered which can be heard here.
"...when it comes to Ceramic Dog, his agit punk trio with Shahzad Ismaily and Ches Smith, Ribot mostly eschews nuance in favor aggressive funk, deconstructed flamenco, and scathing punk."
-Aquarium Drunkard 2018 Year in Review
"Guitarist Marc Ribot’s wildest project doesn’t mess around. The guitar legend, with bassist Shahzad Ismaily, and drummer Ches Smith, merges funk backbeats with the taut chaos of Sonic Youth and flashes of Woodstock Santana."
-NY Magazine, 2018
"Ceramic Dog’s bark is just about equal to its bite on the trio’s pissed-as-punk new YRU Still Here? ... The music snarls and snaps with self-awareness, righteous fury, and, inevitably, cynical detachment."
-Village Voice
"Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog, whose style is experimental...though much more pleasing on the ears, was one of the best surprises of the festival."
- AV Club review at All Tomorrow's Parties Festival 2011 curated by Portishead
PHOTOS (click to download high res):
VIDEOS
Ceramic Dog Live at Moods (single from the upcoming 2018 album YRU Still Here?)
Ceramic Dog Live on KEXP:
Ceramic Dog Live at Cully Jazz Festival:
Ceramic Dog Live on The Chris Gethard Show:
Ceramic Dog "Lies My Body Told Me" - Official Music Video:
Ceramic Dog "Masters of the Internet" - Live on Soundcheck:
AUDIO
Ceramic Dog review by Robert Christgau on NPR's All Things Considered
Ceramic Dog - Live in Studio on Soundcheck
DISCOGRAPHY
2018: YRU Still Here? - Northern Spy Records (US)/Yellowbird (Europe)/P-Vine (Japan)
2013: Your Turn - Northern Spy Records (US)/Yellowbird (Europe)/P-Vine (Japan)
2008: Party Intellectruals - Pi Recordings
PRESS
For YRU STILL HERE?
- Something Else! Best Album of the Year
- Aquarium Drunkard 2018 Year in Review
- New Haven Independent Best Show of the Year
- ABC (Spain) Best of 2018
- Il Giornale della Musica (Italy) Best of 2018
- Something Else! Review
- The Sydney Morning Herald Year in Review
- PopMatters (8/10 stars)
- Vinyl District (A-)
- All Music Guide (4.5/5 stars)
- NYTimes The Playlist
- No Depression
- Chicago Reader
- Liberation
- Aquarium Drunkard (Interview)
- Salt & Peanuts
- DownBeat (Review)
- DownBeat (First Listen)
- Tiny Mix Tape (Preview)
- XPN The Key (Interview & Preview)
- XPN The Key - Now Hear This
- Mecca Luna (Show Review)
- Fuji Rock (Show review)
For Your Turn:
- Album Review on All Things Considered on NPR
- Album Review from PopMatters
- Album Review from The New York Times
- "Best Albums of the Week" on ALARM
- Album Review from All Music
- Interview with Premier Guitar
- Album Review from Spin
For Party Intellectuals:
- Listen to David Was review of Party Intellectuals on NPR
- ToneAudio Review at Montreal Jazz Fest 2011
- The Gazette Review at Montreal Jazz Fest 2011
- All Music Guide Review
- Village Voice Review
- What the critics say
PERFORMANCE HISTORY
CERAMIC DOG US RECORD RELEASE MINI TOUR 2018
3/18: Washington DC - Black Cat
3/24: Knoxville, TN - Big Ears Festival
3/25: Nashville, TN - The Basement
3/26: Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle
3/27: Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle (backroom)
3/28: Richmond, VA - Black Iris
3/29: Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
5/6: NYC - (le) Poisson Rouge
5/10: New Haven, CT - Cafe 9
April 18-May 5, 2018
20.04.2018 NANTES/France ;Salle Paul Fort - La Bouche d'air
more TBA
March 16 - March 25, 2017
CERAMIC DOG European Tour
17.03.2017 VAULX EN VELIN/France Centre Charlie Chaplin
19.03.2017 BERN/Switzerland Turnhalle im PROGR
21.03.2017 ZÜRICH/Switzerland Moods
22.03.2017 HALL i.T./Austria Kulturlabor Stromboli
23.03.2017 MÜNCHEN/Germany Unterfahrt Jazzclub
24.03.2017 BORGERHOUT/Belgium De Roma
25.03.2017 BUDAPEST/Hungary Trafó House of Contamporary Arts
October 21 - November 2, 2016
Ceramic Dog European Tour
22.10.2016 COIMBRA/Portugal - Jazz ao Centro Festival / Salão Brazil
23.10.2016 ROMA/Italy - MONK CLUB
24.10.2016 RIJKSEVORSEL/Belgium - De Singer
25.10.2016 BILBAO/Spain - Sala BBK
26.10.2016 INNSBRUCK/Austria - Treibhaus
27.10.2016 OSLO/Norway - Nasjonal Jazzscene, Victoria
28.10.2016 AMSTERDAM/Netherlands - Bimhuis
29.10.2016 LA ROCHELLE/France - La Sirene
30.10.2016 TOURS/France - Le Temps Machine
31.10.2016 BARCELONA/Spain - Teatre Apolo
September 16, 2016
La Trastienda - Montevideo, Uruguay
September 17-18, 2016
Usina del Arte - Buenos Aires, Argentina
9/17: Ceramic Dog @ Museum, Perú 535
Ceramic Dog West Coast Tour
June 21 2016 San Francisco: The Chapel
June 22 2016 Seattle: KEXP: In Studio performance + Interview
Tractor Tavern w/Skerik
June 23 2016 Portland: Mississippi Studios
June 24 2016 Vancouver International Jazz Festival: North Shore Jazz
May 16, 2015 Festival International Musique Accuelle Victoriaville
CERAMIC DOG - European Tour
22.05.2015 CERKNO/20th Jazz Cerkno, Slovenia Old Square
23.05.2015 ARGENTEUIL (Paris)/France
24.05.2015 VANDOEUVRE/France
25.05.2015 ZÜRICH/Switzerland Moods
27.05.2015 TILBURG/Netherlands
28.05.2015 AMSTERDAM/Netherlands
29.05.2015 BARELONA/Spain Primavera Sound
30.05.2015 HAMBURG/Germany
31.05.2015 BERGEN/Norway
CERAMIC DOG - SUMMER EUROPEAN TOUR
03.07.2015 VIGO/Spain Auditorio Municipal Do Concello
04.07.2015 WAIDHOFEN/Austria Thayapark
05.07.2015 WARSAW/Poland Pardon To Tu
06.07.2015 WARSAW/Poland Pardon To Tu
08.07.2015 CORDOBA/Spain Grand Teatro de Cordoba
09.07.2015 PRATO/Italy Anfiteatro del Centro per l'Arte Contemporanea L. Pecci
10.07.2015 SANTARCANGELO di Romagna/Italy ;Piazza delle monache, santarcangelo di romagna 11.07.2015 ROMA/Italy CASA DEL JAZZ
5/28/14: Grass Valley Center for the Arts - Grass Valley, CA
5/27/14: Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR
5/26/14: Largo - Los Angeles, CA
5/11/14: Rough Trade - NYC
4/3 – 4/12/14: Ceramic Dog Europe Tour
3/28/14: Big Ears Festival - Knoxville, TN
1/11/14: Winter Jazz Fest - Le Poisson Rouge - NYC
10/5/13: Boot and Saddle - Philadelphia, PA
10/4/13: Union Pool - Brooklyn, NY
10/3/13: Tropicalia - Washington, DC
8/22/13: Festival Distritofonico - Bogota, Colombia
5/28/13: The Constellation - Chicago, IL
5/27/13: Downtown Sound series at Pritzker Pavilion - Chicago, IL
5/5/13: Record release show at (Le) Poisson Rouge - New York, NY
4/30 - 5/3/13: Japan Tour
2/14/2013: European Tour
2/9/2013: Ear We Are Festival - Switzerland
1/17/2013: Alterna Jazz Festival – Mexico City, Mexico
11/9 – 11/18/2012: European Tour
1/6/2012 – Winter Jazz Festival - NYC
12/13/2011: Brooklyn Bowl – BK, NY
11/14 – 11/18/2011: East Coast Mini Tour
10/1/2011: All Tomorrow’s Party – Asbury Park, NJ curated by Portishead
7/11/2011: Rocks Off Cruise – East River, NYC
6/25/2011: Montreal Jazz Festival (1 of 3 days of Marc Ribot Artist Residency)
6/23/2011: Undead Jazz Fest - NYC
5/4 – 5/14/2011: European Tour
10/10 – 10/11/2009: Ruhr, Germany - Marc Ribot curates Century of Song at Ruhr Triennale with Iggy Pop + Tine Kindermann (CDog as backing band)
2/2/2010: NY Guitar Festival
10/17 – 10/30: European Tour
10/16/2009: Saalfelden Festival
8/18/2009: Hudson Square Festival at City Winery - NYC
6/1/2009: Moers Festival - Germany
2/25/2009: Salle Pleyel – Paris, France on John Zorn’s Serge Gainsbourg Tribute
12/11/2008: Knitting Factory w/Fred Frith’s Cosa Brave
6/19/2007: Celebrate Brooklyn! – NYC w/ Medeski Martin and Wood
7/17/2007: River to River Festival at World Financial Center – NYC
11/18/2006: London Jazz Festival – Queen Elizabeth Hall – London, UK for workshops with London Sinfonietta (exploration of the territory that exists between the differing musical languages of the classically-trained and the improvisational musicians)
11/17/2006: London Jazz Festival – Queen Elizabeth Hall – London, UK
9/6/2006: Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour w/ Deerhoof
9/5/2006: San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall w/ Deerhoof
Return to complete listing of "Projects" page