8-2011

Howdy people-

All good things must end and the time has come for Ketman to bid farewell. We've announced our final show Saturday, September 10, 2011. As Tyrell says to Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner, "The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long and you have burned so very bright". I can only hope that this applies to Ketman. We really poured our sould into this project and hope that we have left some music behind worth listening to. In the countdown to our final show, expect some burried tracks unearthed for your listening pleasure and a compilation of our best live tracks from the 300+ shows we did. We're thrilled to have HO-AG back together again to help usher us out. We'd really like to thank  you for keeping us around as long as we've been here.  in the meantime, in order to get psyched about the show, how about placing an order with us:

 Ketman A Go Go on vinyl: 

Or CD: 

10-1-2010

Well, October has come and brought us full stock of the Ketman A Go Go Vinyl and a short tour:

10-7 Rochester, NY - the Bug Jar 10-8 Pontiac, MI - The Crofoot 10-11 Knoxville, TN - Long Branch Saloon 10-12 Winston-Salem, NC - The Garage 10-13 Baltimore, MD - The Hexagon Gallery

6-2010 

Hello people!

-Summer is here and Ketman a Go Go is number 5 on the boston top 30 radio chart! Thanks to everyone who requested and played us this month. The album should be up on iTunes very soon. In the Meantime buy a copy of the CD with the links above. Vinyl will be available soon!

-The Song Celia Cooney was Sepiachord’s Song of the day on Friday: http://sepiachord.livejournal.com/648457.html

-The first reviews of Ketman A Go Go have arrived. The First Comes to us from the Boston Phoenix’s Zeth Lundy From: http://thephoenix.com/boston/music/102500-ketman-ketman-a-go-go-2010/:

“The winking disconnect between Ketman’s promotional art (swingin’ young people from a half-century ago enjoying the pleasures of their hi-fi system; Twiggy types with black bars across their eyes) and Ketman’s music (lean, pugilistic rock with 1980s American punk in its rear-view mirror) is now a little less disconnect-y. The local band’s second proper full-length, Ketman a Go Go, transcends simple paradoxes by embracing the fringes of so-called “kitsch” culture, from surf and head music to the panache of Swinging London and ’60s-era foreign-film soundtracks.

Ketman’s live shows of late have been bolstered by an unruly horn section, and the mixture of Eastern European, New Orleans, and free-jazz idioms is prominent throughout. The result is an æsthetic that’s not without precedent, though it does defy expectation.

as yet undefined.

“Saint Jean,” “Celia Cooney,” and “The Fiji Mermaid” fashion a new language out of past vernaculars, all the while leaving the old definition of Ketman in the dust. This is another way of saying that Ketman a Go Go is the first Ketman album you can dance to — flailing excitedly, of course, and pleasantly mystified as to exactly how one should move to something.”

Read more: http://thephoenix.com/boston/music/102500-ketman-ketman-a-go-go-2010/#ixzz0phbSg8IX

Boston’s Noise Magazine had this to say:

KETMAN a Go Go

“You’re drunk, your partners’ in crime scream, “We need to be in a Quentin Tarantino movie right fucking now!” They surround you, closing in with ill, possibly violent, intentions. Then you reach in your pocket and pull out your PunkRockaKlezbaBilly defense! The new Ketman a Go Go LP! All of a sudden there’s a Fiji mermaid shaking martinis and slick switchblade pimps sipping sugar skulls in a tiki hell, where the devil ain’t too cool to dance. The songs that pop and slap you in the mouth were created by Eric Penna, Joseph Marrett, and Mora Precarious with horns by Kevin Corzett (sax) and Brian Rutledge (trumpet, trombone). This ain’t no publicly professing orthodoxy, while privately believing heterodoxy—it’s the read deal. So don your blood stained Hawaiian shirt, drive 90 mph to the beach with this screaming loud in the stereo, and Dr. Tumblty guarantees you’ll be fun in the sun. (Dr. Tumblty)”

4-2010    OUR NEW ALBUM!

welcome to the new(er) website. adjustments are being made to revamp the whole look in the coming months so look out. We have completed our new record which we have titled KETMAN A GO GO. To cellibrate the completion of this time consuming project, we've decided to go on tour! We'll be headed west to chicago 

_{4-14 - Jamestown, NY @ Labirynth Press} 

_{4-15 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Howlers Cayote Cafe}

_{4-16 - Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot}

_{4-17 - Chicago, IL @ Ronny's}

_{4-19 - Cleveland, OH @ Now That's Class}

_{5-7 - KETMAN A GO GO release Party @ the Middle East Upstairs Cambridge, MA}

In the meantime, We'll be playing at the middle east upstairs on March 31st with some bands we really dig: Viva Viva, Doomstar! and Guilermo Sexo.

Look for some new Tracks from Ketman A Go Go at our myspace

12-13-09

Hello people of the winternet!

As we close out the year we want to thank everyone that came out to our shows. We had an awesome year that took us as far as brazil. It was quite a tour. I think the best performances we ever gave were cajoled out of us by the lovely people there. If you don’t believe me, look at any of the footage from Mogi Das Cruzes on you tube. Upon our return, there was the long promotion for El Toro which took us to 300 radio stations nationwide and brought us to television audiences with a licensing deal. The Year began with our first ever tour as a five piece band through California. Many laughs were had and it was great prep work for a very long and cerebral recording process which began at the end of the summer and continues to this very day (literally… I just got done recording vocals).

Enough about the last year, let’s talk about the future. We’ll be releasing the follow up to El Toro in April or May. A final date is being decided upon. With it will come another radio campaign, more tours and a new website. Look out! A preview of 2 new demos are on our myspace. Scope it out: http://www.myspace.com/ketman

By the time you check this again, we hope to have an all new look for you all to stare at. Until then please come see us at the Middle East upstairs on January 8 with Bachus king, Reverse and Tired Old Bones. We haven’t played in town for a while so we’re really excited to get things hype this night. Until then, Happy New Year!

-Ketman

a look forward to 2010:

10-16-09 

Come see us at the Monster March festival on City Hall Plaza in Boston. October 24 at 6:30. Details here: http://www.monstermarch.org

We're hard at work on a follow up to el toro but wanted to take a break to play some west coast dates. It'll be a welcome change to this solitary studio life...

11-7 :Thee Parkside - San Francisco, CA

11-8: Kimo’s - San Francisco, CA

11-9: The Press Club - Sacramento, CA

11-10: The Starline - Fresno, CA

11-12: The Prospector - Long Beach, CA

11-13: Shock treatment at Suzy’s - Hermosa Beach, CA

11-14: The Good Hurt – Venice, CA

11-15: 2 shows: 4pm -  The Anarchy Library - LA, CA 

9 pm - punk rock Sundays at Ricky Genes – San Pedro, CA

we're excited to bring you a new release in early 2010. Check back for some tasters around when we head out west.

We've got a new little pet surf project that needs some love. 

Visit TRABANTS : http://www.myspace.com/trabants

some recent press for Ketman on the Phoenix online and on Boston band crush. scope them out: http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/onthedownload/archive/2009/10/14/video-humanwine-at-tt-s.aspx

"Like HUMANWINE, Ketman answered questions with more unsettling questions. Inquired guitarist and co-vocalist Eric Penna, “What does a circus bear hear when he dances?”Pondered bassist and co-vocalist Joe Marrett, “Maybe there’s one track of information going through all bears’ minds at all times?”

Ketman’s also planning a jaunt to the west coast, and have toured Brazil enough to be bonafide rock stars down there by now. (If they aren’t, well, then, fuck Brazil.)  Formerly a baffling indie-ish punk trio, Ketman’s been adding trumpeter Brian Rutledge (like Marrett, also of Hallelujah the Hills) and saxophoner Kevin Corzett (of seemingly every band except Hallelujah the Hills) to their arsenal. The results metaphorically proclaim, “Fear us, for we play the devil’s music which will claim your soul and send it an awesome version of hell where there is no redemption! Only rawk!”

also: a couple of kind words from Boston Band Crush who made it out to a recent show: http://elbo.ws/post/1815528/show-crush-recap-ho-ag-meandjoancollins-ketman-the-main-drag/

Ketman - It's been YEARS since I've seen Ketman, and they have really
evolved. Now they have horns, not on every song but judiciously placed
throughout the set. Sometimes as interludes or preludes, sometimes with
singing. Sometimes Ketman is as I remember them: powerful dual vocal
attack over pounding rhythm. Why did it take me so long to see them
again?

another mention on the boston band crush blog:

http://www.bostonbandcrush.com/2009/09/name-crush-ketman.html

8-26-09

Best Music poll results are back and we took second place in our category. the kind people there were very kind to write: "Am I gonna lie and say it didn’t feel as if someone had smacked the black-framed glasses off my very heart when I saw that Ketman came up a little short of votes here? No."

We're in a hardcore lock down preparing a new record right now that is due out in january. more details TBA... until then, check us out at the middle east downstairs for The Beat Circus CD release on spetmeber 11

6-5-09

--> We're in the Best Punk band category of the Boston Phoenix's Best Music poll. VOTE FOR US HERE.

--> We've returned from a tour of Brazil. It was quite an experience. The full story can be found on the Breathless Panther blog we've started in order to voice our ramblings: http://thebreathlesspanther.blogspot.com/ 

--> Ketman music will be featured in next season's episodes of The Hills, The City, Keeping up with the Kardashian's, and the Real World. Details have not yet been given 

--> We're working on a new record but will be playing great scott with Ho-Ag on June 20.

--> The Bostonist reviewed our show with Mike Watt here: http://bostonist.com/2009/05/08/mike_watt_and_the_missingmen_at_tt.php

--> An article from the Sorocaba newspaper that appeared during our Brazil tour is up up in the Bio section.

--> look for a few east coast dates in July including July 16 at the M room in Philly more details TBA...

On a side note, we're very sad to hear of the passing of Mr. Carradine. He will be missed.

4-1-2009

EL TORO hits college radio!

We're currently recieving airplay for EL TORO on these college stations:

CHRW London ON CILU Thunder Bay ON CJUM Winnipeg Man KALA Davenport IA KANM College Station TX KAOS Olympia WA KBSU Boise ID KCRH Hayward CA KDIC Grinnell IA KDNK Carbondale CO KDUP Portland OR KDVS Davis CA KEOL La Grande OR KEUL Girdwood AK KEXP Seattle WA KFAI Minneapolis MN KGAR Lemoore CA KHNS Haines AK KHSU Arcata CA KJACK Flagstaff AZ KKCR Hanalei HI KLC Portland OR KLCR Dubuque IA KLPI Ruston LA KMHC Gresham OR KMNR Rolla MO KMSC Moorhead MN KRNL Mt. Vernon IA KRSC Claremore OK KRUI Iowa City IA KSCL Shreveport LA KSLU St. Louis MO

KURA Ouray CO KUWS Superior WI KVNF Paonia CO KWAR Waverly IA WEOS Geneva NY WERU East Orland ME WFHU Henderson TN WFNY Farmingdale NY WGBK Glenview IL WGLS Glassboro NJ WGMU Fairfax VA WGTB Washington DC WHFR Dearborn MI WHSN Bangor ME WHUS Storrs CT WIIT Chicago IL WIPZ Kenosha WI WKKL West Barnstable MA WKPX Sunrise FL WLOY Baltimore MD WMCR Monmouth IL WMLN Milton MA WMLU Farmville VA WMUH Allentown PA WMVL Purchase NY WNCW Spindale NC WNTE Mansfield PA WPMD Norwalk CA WPPJ Pittsburgh PA WPSC Wayne NJ WPUB New York NY WRAS Atlanta GA

KUNI Cedar Falls IA KSTM Indianola IA KTSW San Marcos TX KUIW San Antonio TX WRUV Burlington VT WSBU St.Bonaventure NY WSCW Worcester MA KWLC Decorah IA KZMU Moab UT Lasell Newton MA Radio UTD Richardson TX Rainy Dawg Seattle WA VIC Radio Ithaca NY WAIH Potsdam NY WAMH Amherst MA WARC Meadville PA WASU Boone NC WAUG Rock Island IL WBKE North Manchester IN WBNY Buffalo NY WBRS Waltham MA WBUL Tampa FL WCCS Norton MA WCHC Worcester MA WCLH Wilkes-Barre PA WCVF Fredonia NY WCYT Ft. Wayne IN WDUB Granville OH WDWN Auburn NY

CHMR St. Johns NF KSSU Sacramento CA KUMM Morris MN BearCast Cincinnati OH CFUV Victoria BC CHLY Namaimo BC WRBU Peoria IL WRDP Chicago IL WRFW River Falls WI WRKC Wilkes-Barre PA WRNC Ashland WI WRSE Elmhurst IL WRUB Amhearst NY WSDP Canton MI WSJU Jamaica NY WSRU Slippery Rock PA WSUP Platteville WI WWSYC Shippensburg PA WTCC Springfield MA WUPX Marquette MI WUSM Hattiesburg MS WUTS Sewanee TN WUVT Blacksburg VA WVFI Notre Dame IN WVRU Radford VA WWHR Bowling Green KY WXJM Harrisonburg VA XTSR Towson MD

Josh Allain runs a great blog in town called Heads up Boston. He asks some pretty good questions and has lots of interviews to poke through including one about Ketman. check it here: http://headsupboston.wordpress.com/

 El Toro is out to national college radio now. We’re in the planning stages now for more US dates as we prepare new material for our next full length. We had a great time on the west coast in January and hope to make it back out there later this year. Pictures from the tour should be up soon on our facebook page. Find us there if you haven’t yet!

12-29-08

EL TOURO west coast dates announced!

1-3    - Piano's - New York City, NY

1-17  - The Lucky Dog - Worcester, MA

1-18  - The Milky Way - Jamaica Plain, MA

1-22 - Retox Lounge - San Francisco, CA

1-23 - Tokyo Garden - Fresno, CA

1-24 - Hemlock Tavern - San Francisco, CA

1-25 - Johnny V's - San Jose, CA

1-27 - Mr. T's Bowl - Los Angeles, CA

1-29 - The prospector - Long Beach, CA

1-31 - The Good Hurt - Los Angeles, CA

2-1   - ricky genes- San Pedro, CA

we're thrilled to be coming back to the west coast. Final details are coming together now and more dates will be announced soon...

----In other news, Two of the tracks on EL Toro are mentioned by Michael Brodeur as some of the best 2008 had to offer. He Writes: 

"Ketman | "Pinch 'em Tight Holler"/"Rad Chains of Murti-Bing"
Even though El Toro, Ketman's first proper full-length, dropped at the very start of '08, it has weathered the odds of my iPod and remained firmly in the Recently Played column. Why? Because of shit like this: I didn't even realize these two songs were two songs — I thought they were more like conjoined twins. "Pinch 'Em Tight" 's hammy fits and starts conjure up a rasslin' match between the D-Plan and the Minutemen, while the locomotive tension of "Rad Chains" recalls the bruising post-punk of Kerosene 454 or Fugazi. No other local record this year had such a ride in store; listen to this in your car and your airbags might deploy." Read the rest HERE

----Barry Thompsen of the Boston Herald put El Toro in his top ten list of 2008. He Writes:

8. Ketman, "El Toro." Local faves Ketman's long-awaited album is perfect driving music, perhaps because the band is always headed somewhere more interesting than where you're going most days.

read the rest HERE

We'll see you in the new year!

11-7-08

hello.! lots of news to report. firstly, we have a couple of shows coming up with World Inferno Friendship Society:

If you can't make these, later this month we'll be returning to great scott in allston with the Campaign For Real Time on November 22nd.

EL TORO has been doing very well thanks to everyone out there. It's available at all Newbury Comics and iTunes. The Album scored the number 1 spot on local college radio in september here:   http://www.thenoise-boston.com/content/view/168/41/ 

We'll be kicking the 2009 off with a west coast tour that begins in late January. Details coming soon. EL TOURO continues to South America where we'll play in March thoughout Brazil. More details coming soon on this too.

We're working on upgrading our website so bear with us as we get it together. Until more info is available, scope out our most recent press:
http://thephoenix.com/Supplements/2008/50States/Massachusetts/ 
http://www.metrobostonnews.com/us/article/2008/06/20/03/1335-66/index.xml 
http://www.performermag.com/nep.studiodiary.0808.php 
http://thephoenix.com/boston/Music/62946-Boston-music-news-June-13-2008/ 
http://www.metrobostonnews.com/us/article/2008/01/04/00/4218-72/index.xml 

8-15-08

El Toro has been doing well on radio and is now available at Newbury comics in and around Boston. The album should be available soon on itunes.

some shows are planned in and around boston:

8.23.08	Moose lodge - waltham, MA - Benefit show
9.26.08	VPAC at UMass Lowell - Lowell, MA with: The NEw Dress, Movers and Shakers and Harris
10.18.08	Pa’s Lounge with: New Red Land, Guilermo Sexo
11.01.08	Northeatern University - with: TBA

7-3-08

El Toro is now available at shows and Newbury Comics and Itunes will be carrying them shortly. It's available on 12" vinyl and CD. 

We've been named "best new band" in Boston by the Phoenix. It's flattering to be included in their list of best all-time band, all-time best solo artist and best new band in each of our 50 states where they write: 

"One more reason a growing number of people here aren’t miserable? KETMAN — who have triple-handedly restored power to the power trio. Of course, they’ve also restored wit, invention, and brains, but no one wants to see a 'brain trio.' As far as we’re concerned, they’re the best band Boston rock’s got."

see it here: http://thephoenix.com/Supplements/2008/50States/Massachusetts/

 before our record release show, the boston metro featured us here: http://www.metrobostonnews.com/us/article/2008/06/20/03/1335-66/index.xml

Joe was interviewed along side his sister for a largehearted boy feature by Ryan Walsh that can be found here: http://www.largeheartedboy.com/blog/archive/2008/06/ryan_walsh_inte_1.html

Eric made that week's playlist for the phoenix's on the download and it can be found here: http://elbo.ws/post/1112646/playlist-eric-penna-of-ketman/

A couple of shows in July and august and we'll be adding more soon.

until then...

5-1-08

Welcome to the NEW Ketman site. In preparation for our new record, EL TORO, we've revamped a bit. Our New LP will be released on June 21st, the first day of summer. It will be available on CD and 12" vinyl. We're touring in May in advance of the release and those dates are available below and on the shows section. New songs are also up for preview. Enjoy!

EL TORO tour leg 1 dates:

May 3 --- somerville, MA PA’s Lounge

May 15 ---  Bloomington, IN The Cinemat

May 16 ---  Lexington, KY Void skateshop

May 17 ---  Nashville, TN The End

May 18 ---  Nashville, TN springwater

May 19 --- Athens, GA caledonia lounge 

May 20 ---  Greenville, SC R3VERB

May 21 ---  charlotte, NC snug harbour

May 22 ---  Greensboro, NC spazzatorium

Jun 7 ---  providence, RI the penalty box

Jun 17 ---  cambridge, MA WMBR Pipeline

Jun 21 --- cambridge, MA RECORD RELEASE/FIRST DAY OF SUMMER CELEBRATION - Middle East Upstair