Clikatat Ikatowi
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Clikatat Ikatowi – The Trials and Tribulations Of…

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Clikatat Ikatowi’s raw, unhinged art-punk first snarled its way into the mid-’90s Gravity scene in San Diego, and now that jagged energy returns in “The Trials and Tribulations Of…” a 3xLP box set containing Orchestrated And Conducted By…, River Of Souls, and their 1993 demo (on vinyl for the first time).

Each recording has been remixed and remastered from the original analog tapes. A 24-page book accompanies the box set, pairing No Idol’s Tony Rettman’s essay with period photos and flyers that unravel an in-depth history of San Diego’s punk underbelly.

That underbelly was no joke in the mid-1980s. Venues tolerated rough hardcore bands in studs and leather with names like Battalion of Saints and The Skullbusters, who soundtracked the havoc and drug-fueled exploits of local punk gangs.

But as the decade wore on, a more peaceable contingent emerged—still fueled by raw power, but less likely to incite wanton violence. Out of that shift came a sinewy San Diegan sound that began catching national ears, one that Clikatat Ikatowi would quickly redefine with a twist of damaged, forward-leaning art-punk.

“We had a lot of influences that our peers didn’t have at the time, like Joy Division, The Birthday Party, and Jesus Lizard,” Drummer Mario Rubalcaba said. “We also liked Neil Young, so we’d mess around with mellower, more melodic stuff. There’s the Slint thing, too,” he added, referencing Spiderland, which landed in 1991. “No one was really into them around our scene. They became a huge part of my drumming.”

Clikatat Ikatowi

In early compositions like “Off To Here,” “Saxby’s Gail,” and “Desert Oasis,” the collision of whispered vocals, ice-pick guitars, and carnival-ride dynamics draws a stark line back to that seminal Louisville quartet.

The name Clikatat Ikatowi translates to “River of Souls” in the Pacific Northwest language of the Klickitat people. “It came from Bassist Ryan Noel’s childhood growing up on the Klickitat River in Washington,” Vocalist Matt Goldsby explained. “Every ripple in the river represented a dead indigenous person from the tribe and their souls floating down the river.” The name’s vowel-laden sprawl caused endless typos on show posters. “I feel like our name was misspelled on every single flier,” Goldsby said.

Those needing a refresher can stream the band’s music or head over to place a pre-order for the box set. T-shirts are also being reprinted for this run, with all orders shipping alongside the collection.

Clikatat Ikatowi is best encountered live. They’d been dormant since the late ’90s until Unwound coaxed them back for a few dates last fall. Next, the band is set to appear in Chicago at The Metro on April 19 with Everyone Asked About You and Julie Doiron, a one-off invitation that promises a glimpse into the turbulent pulse they first ignited decades ago.

Clikatat Ikatowi - The Trials and Tribulations Of

Tickets are on sale now.

Karol Kamiński

DIY rock music enthusiast and web-zine publisher from Warsaw, Poland. Supporting DIY ethics, local artists and promoting hardcore punk, rock, post rock and alternative music of all kinds via IDIOTEQ online channels.
Contact via www.idioteq.com@gmail.com

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