Corridoré, Djunah, The Garza

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Dave Rentauskas

Djunah (left to right): Nick Smalkowski and Donna Diane.

Corridoré - Homegrown blackened post-metal. With beards.

Djunah - Chicago noise rock with a leg for a bassist.

The Garza - Madison supergroup playing relentless noise rock.

press release: Chicago noise rock/post-punk duo Djunah is heading your way on tour early next month in support of their debut album Ex Voto (Bandcamp pre-order), which comes out on November 1. They’ll be bringing their fierce live show to Wisco that evening, so you get their actual release day show!

Ex Voto was recorded with Kurt Ballou from Converge at God City Studio, and mastered by the great Bob Weston. So far, Djunah’s shared the first two singles from the album, “Animal Kingdom” and “Nurse and Nun” - both are perfectly representative of the album on the whole, pairing odd timings with terse wordplay… many of frontwoman Donna Diane’s lyrics entwine the personal and political, often weaving together topics of sexuality, gender roles, and political crisis. Their debut album is a full-force barrage of emotional expressions of deep pain, intense sexuality, and personal and political power. Diane’s voice frequently shifts from throat-wrenched whispers to explosive ranting, the melodic line often warping under the weight of her words. 

Known for her raw, aggressive performance style, Donna pulls triple duty in this noise rock power duo, simultaneously playing guitar, singing, and pulverizing on a massive-sounding Moog bass organ with her feet. The list of artists who can [capably] play two instruments at once is short, but Donna is on it, and pulls it all off effortlessly. By design, everything they do in their live show is executed live—no loops, no samples, no backing tracks. Their goal is simple but lofty: execute a full trio sound in time with just eight limbs. This makes the band as much about their passion for their gear as they are about their colossal sound. 

"...searing examples of the heavier side of Chicago rock offerings, with piercing, moody guitar riffs, sludgy, doom-laden bass, and the hard-and-fast crash of cymbals." - Chicago Tribune

"Noise rock duo Donna Diane and Nick Smalkowski pummel their fists into the ground on the relentless first taste of new album, Ex Voto." - The FADER

"Ex Voto is an angular noise rock escalator run on power and beauty." - CVLT Nation