For Immediate Release

A NIGHT OF ANGULAR POST-PUNK, VERGING ON POP
DURING HANDSTAND COMMAND'S JUNE RESIDENCY

June 1, 2003 (BOSTON, MA)
On Thursday, June 26th, Somerville indie-kids The Operators will play host to Australian critics' darlings Origami and fellow local rockers Choo Choo la Rouge, as part of a month-long residency for their musical collective, Handstand Command, at Boston's Choppin' Block.

Fresh from their third anniversary last month, the Handstand Command is continuing the celebration with a weekly performance showcasing different bands from the collective along with their favorite acts: pop-punk with The Anchormen the first week, a bizarre dance/hip-hop night with Plunge into Death, an arty-meets-garagey week with Asian Babe Alert, and finally, The Operators' post-punk show at the end of the month.

The Operators recently released their first full album, Citizens Band, to critical praise around the country and widespread play on college radio (earning a place on the CMJ charts). As the Philadelphia City Paper describes them, they are "giddy, raucous spaz-punk...that recalls the best parts--the crankiness, the furious single-string guitar, the excitement--of all those records K put out in the early '90s, with a dollop of The Raincoats' crash-boom-pop shamble for good measure. Let them be your favorite band."

Fresh from recent performances with Sleater-Kinney and The Breeders, aussies Origami are embarking on another US and European tour. Their latest release, Please Exit Quietly, has been receiving glowing reviews, recognizing the band's versatitiliy and strong songwriting, as well as their blistering live performances. Per Beat Magazine: "Almost verging on pop, Origami live definitely has a rock soul and punk heart that beats to every song...Rhonda rips through their live set like a guitar toting freedom fighter."

Choo Choo la Rouge's compelling, ecclectic sound is best described by Splendid: "There must be a block or two in Boston where country wiseguys rub shoulders with mohawked punks and ironic scenesters, where Bob Dylan shoots pool with Mark E. Smith and Jonathan Richman. I've never been there, but Choo Choo La Rouge has, and they've brought back a roadmap in their very promising debut Wall to Wall. The album's six songs run the gamut from smooth folk tinged ballads...to Wire-y punk songs...but they're all wrapped in a gleeful looseness that'll make you want to visit the neighborhood, too."

"I'm glad the Choppin' Block has a new sound system, cuz we're going to put it to the test this month," brags Operators' bassist Jen Godfrey. "We're even crossing the river this time--that's our dedication to rock! Of course, Origami will be crossing three continents...They're no slouches either."

THE CHOPPIN' BLOCK
Thursday, June 26, 2003
724 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA * (617-734-4177) * 9pm, 21+, $7

FOR FURTHER INFO, MUSIC, AND PHOTOS: http://handstandcommand.com/choppinblock/week4.html CONTACT: Emily Arkin * emily@the-operators.com