The Architects are on the road

Fiercely outspoken but often with tongue-firmly-in-cheek, Brandon Phillips of The Architects has lots to say about the U.S. Healthcare system and how manipulative it is. But instead of standing on a soapbox and shouting it from the rafters, he opted to shout it through their new video instead. Culled from their recently released third album Vice on Anodyne Records, the single "Pills" cynically rips into the time-worn practice of placating patients through the numbing effect of pills and other forms of medication. The video will be exclusively streamed for a week on AbsolutePunk.net (http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=459932).

"The narrative of the song is supposed to be more broad than my own personal experience, but having Crohn's Disease for most of my life certainly figures in to the storyline considerably," explains vocalist Brandon Phillips, describing his hatred toward the commercialization of the healthcare system. "I am supposed to be made to feel like a patient, but instead I feel like a target market for whichever pharmacological contrivance is being pushed this week. Anyone who has ever been treated for depression should be able to relate to the molten rage and resentment that occurs when you realize that your drug therapies are not only keeping you from feeling depressed, they are also keeping you from feeling human."

Directed by Dallas Henry and Jason Cantu, the "Pills" video was shot in and around The Karl Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, which was once a fully operational psychiatric hospital but now is abandoned and severely dilapidated.

"If you happen to be into the history of Psychology, Dr. Menninger and the hospital that bore his name are pretty notable. My grandfather was actually a student of Dr. Menninger and worked out there for a few years back when sociopaths were still being given lobotomies and getting smothered to death with their pillows by big Native Americans," Brandon half-heartedly jokes.

In addition to debuting the video for "Pills", The Architects will also be joining Authority Zero for a run of dates in August. Dates are:
Aug 19
The Tonic Bar
Reno, NV

Aug 22
El Corazon
Seattle, WA

Aug 26
Mesa Theatre
Grand Junction, CO

Aug 27
Aggie Theatre
Ft. Collins, CO

Aug 28
Bluebird Theatre
Denver, CO

Aug 29
Green Light Tavern
Pueblo, CO

Aug 30
Launch Pad
Albuquerque, NM

Following up to their critically-hailed releases, 2004’s Keys to the Building and 2006’s Revenge, Vice is a return with a meaty blend of heart-throbbing drums, fist-pumping guitars, and gut wrenched vocals. Undoubtedly a result of the familial connection between the three Phillips brothers - Brandon, Zach on bass and Adam on drums with childhood friend Keenan Nichols on lead guitar, the album flows effortlessly like dinner conversation at a family reunion. Seated behind the console was Kansas City’s own Aaron Connor (2Pac, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Old Dirty Bastard). Borne years ago from the ashes of seminal ska/punk upstarts Gadjits, The Architects are all grown up now, but that doesn't mean they've matured or tempered their sound. This is the sound of a band whose foundation is firmly planted in the rebellious word of rock.

Still fuming from the frustrations of the healthcare systems, Brandon offers the last bit of wisdom: "When you are a little kid, whatever ails you can usually be cured by something or another that your mom has floating around the bottom of her purse. I like that image because it's very innocent at heart. When I was little the answers were usually things like band-aids or gum or quarters for the vending machine. Nowadays, it's more likely to be an MAOI drug or some veterinarian-grade sedative. When you are sick all you want is to feel better again and to be looked after with a little compassion- that's all I'd ever ask for and it fills me with putrid disgust that sick people in America are more often than not treated like farm animals and fed bad drugs and false promises about the "Greatest Health Care In The World" by the very people in whom they are supposed to place their trust in their time of utmost weakness and vulnerability. Motherf*** the Hippocratic Oath...this is a breach of the social contract!"