I didn't know Sum 41 were anti-war activists, but apparently they are; the band from lil' ole Ajax, Ontario has hooked up with War Child Canada and was in Africa filing reports from the Democratic Republic of Congo when violence erupted and the band was escorted out of the country by a show of armed force. "We went to Congo to show people what war is like, how harmful it is to civilians, and we ended up becoming war-affected ourselves," drummer Steve Jocz said. Good on them for representing a good cause.
Something amazing happened last night at the Toronto Blue Jays-Oakland As game. Get this: for the first time since the Jays' inception in 1977(some forty-three hundred games, playoffs and World Series included), play-by-play announcer Tom Cheek was not behind the microphone. Check it out: my man called every single game in Jays history - until last night in California, where his father passed away. He'll be back behind the mic tonight. Guy is unbelievable. I grew up listening to him and Jerry Howarth. Word.
So earlier this week I was at my boy Ryan's place just hanging out and his SoulSeek beep thingy erupted, signifying progress of some sort or another, and I checked to see what song he'd apparently found, and it was a Circle of Dust song from like ten years ago called 'Blank Stare'. Turns out Ryan was really after a Toronto hardcore band called Blank Stare, but I was excited to see a CoD song on the internet after all these years. Remember Circle of Dust? Industrial aggro circa like 1995? Shared label space on R.E.X. Records with the likes of Sixpence None the Richer? Dude!
Essential listening for June 4th(three days before Unearth tears the place apart at Maverick's - 221 Rideau St. be there or die ya putz) is Underground Rise Vol. 1: Sunrise/Sunset, this massive posse cut of an album Uprok Records put out last year. This has got everyone from Mars ILL to Playdough to the next eighteen MCs on it, and it's stellar. Find it.
Email from Strikefirst Records today...says here that this band Jesus Wept is comprised of all the guys from the late, great xDisciplex AD, one of the truly transcendent Christian hardcore bands of the last decade or so, and that excites me.
Pigeon John is quite possibly my favourite rapper. Ever. Period. You know? The guy is just sick.
In This Had Better Not Be A Friggin' Joke news: Creed have called it a career. I'll pause now for the worldwide celebrations sure to follow such an edict. *waits patiently* Now then. I'm not gonna bore y'all with the details of creative differences and all that crap, but check it out: this band sold 24 million copies of what amounted to the same record. And that's sad. But now a new chapter can be written. Someone write it already. [cmcentral]
The O.C. Supertones are readying their seventh studio album. How 'bout that?? This band was a part of the third-wave ska movement in the mid-'90s and now they're still cranking out the rock, just easy on the plinky-plinky guitar and blaring horns. It kinda sucks their original rhythm section is long gone, but hey, good is good, y'dig? Revenge of the Supertones comes out June 15th. The press spiel says it's "reminiscent of the band’s early days". We'll see. Check this here out for a recap of what the Supertones have accomplished in the last decade. Rather impressive for a Christian-market band.
Check it out: the featured track nowadays over at sphereofhiphop is a new joint from Flynn, entitled Love Is Dead(When). I gotta hear this record.
Kutless(speaking of Creed no offense intended) has been invited to play - get this now - THE OLYMPICS. As in Athens, Greece. That is something else. [buzzgrinder]
Schweetness: lambgoat has been reinvented. Slick layout, fellas. Bring the mosh.
Not sure if we brought this to your attention previously; Lamb of God are headlining a very massive tour also featuring Unearth, Every Time I Die and Atreyu on the OzzFest tour's off-days. Here be them dates:
7/11 Montreal QC @ Rainbow
7/13 Ottawa ONT @ Capital Music Hall
7/17 Syracuse NY @ The Lost
7/21 Cincinnati OH @ Bogarts
7/30 San Diego CA @ Soma - 2003
8/1 Scottsdale AZ @ Venue of Scottsdale
8/6 Corpus Christi TX @ Concrete Street
8/8 Houston TX @ Engine Room
8/9 Little Rock AR @ Vino's
8/15 Minneapolis MN @ The Quest
8/18 Williamsburg NY @ Infinity
8/29 London ONT @ The Embassy Hotel
9/3 Tallahassee FL @ The Beta Bar
Please do take note of that OTTAWA DATE!!!
Cave In have announced what will likely be "their last show for a while"; July 17th in Allston, Mass. at the Church on Cambridge Street. This show "features" Converge. Lemme tell y'all something: when your opening "featured band" is CONVERGE, that is a mother of an event. [theprp]
This I like lots: the new Helmet record has been given a title - Size Matters. Oh, and incidentally, the new lineup has been revealed: Page Hamilton in his usual spot stage front and centre ripping it up, Chris Traynor where he belongs, on guitars, and the new rhythm section comprised of John Tempesta and Frank Bello, formerly of White Zombie and Anthrax respectively. Rad! The album drops September 14th.
This band Colossal who I've never heard but who are on Asian Man Records(which counts for something) have done something that doesspark my interest: their new bass player is Eli Caterer. As in the dude from Duvall, who I love with a roaring passion. Who's gonna play bass for them now? Huh? Punks? [punknews]
Engine Down, here a couple months ago in Ottawa opening for Thursday and who were reviled by pretty much everyone we've talked to who was there, has signed with Lookout! Records. SOMEone likes them.
Posted by mike at June 4, 2004 02:10 PM