For some idiotic reason, the web brains behind this here 'zine(hi Al!) are having a hard time making the technology concede the truth: that the Stretch Arm Strong piece directly above these words should no longer be there, having been replaced by a very good(if we do say so ourselves) interview with New York's Marathon - who, oh by the way, will be here in Ottawa August 12th alongside The Break. This is one of the best punk bands out there, and you will all be in attendance on the 12th at Club SAW(67 Nicholas St. downtown). You have zero excuses now. And seriously, we'll figure out how to get the feature piece changed, but the interview is up, and you can go read it in the Interviews section I think. I know very little, really; I'm just the front-puppet.
Essential Listening for today, August 4th, is Joey's Loss, a band outta Knoxville, Tennessee, that sounds like they're from southern California. The album's called Unwelcome Travelers and Other Brave Men, the label website is over here, and the punk attack shall be overpowering. Great band.
The only hardcore band I've ever heard from Newfoundland, Bucket Truck, are up to some big things; after the sad demise of their website and a month of dealing with all that crap(boy, don't we know about the evils of technology here), they have a brand-new site up that's "99% functional", according to the email I have here, and that's by no means all: the band will be in NYC August 16th and 17th, and the 17th in particular is huge - the Bucketeers will be onstage at CBGB's alongside a guest appearance from Walter Schreifels(Youth of Today/Quicksand). There's also a video coming out at some point this year, etc etc etc. Hit up the website for all the banter and information. Wonder when they're coming back to Ottawa.
Underoath, whose new album They're Only Chasing Safety impresses me more every time I hear it(and that's a lot of hearing it), have also impressed others: the album is at #28 at my Friendly Local Christian Retailer's sales charts. Never thought I'd see the day.
Sunday morning found yours truly on the air co-hosting Over My Head on CKCU(Carleton University's radio station) alongside longtime sweetdisaster contributor Dave Leibold; we kept it light and breezy til about 8:45, then until the end of the show at half past nine we dropped the ruckus on unsuspecting heads everywhere. Featured were Underoath, Living Sacrifice, Mars Ill(some hiphop to cross y'all up!) and other brutality. My dad apparently "doesn't mind the instruments, but the singing is atrocious." Um, Pops, that's 'screaming', not 'singing'. Many loves to Laura out in Vancouver, who stayed up til like six in the morning her time to listen in. What a gal, no?
Apparently in a previous post we stated Lucerin Blue's name as Lucerine. Veronique in Orleans has called us on it, and we hereby very insincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused among our massive readership. All two of you.
The verdict has yet to come in on the new album from Further Seems Forever, but in the meantime, there's a new website up to promote it over here. Incidentally, my boy Ryan at Salem Storehouse(the Friendly Local Christian Retailer mentioned above) played some clips of it for me last night, and I liked what I heard. So there! [OGS]
Toronto's Cursed, the loudest band I've ever heard live(they had to be told unequivocally to turn everything down) will be here in Ottawa twice in the next couple months: September 6th with Breather Resist, LGS and Coliseum, and October 10th alongside Darkest Hour at Babylon. That latter is the makeup date for the time when DH blew Ottawa off a couple months ago, allowing Buried Inside to headline, which made me happy, but either way, some people were ticked that Darkest Hour weren't there, so shut up and go this time around.
Watashi Wa, who I actually didn't mind once I listened to them a bit more after initial repulsion, have called it quits. No real statement issued, they're just over. So quit yer cryin', already.
Does anyone else think it's hilarious that for the first time in forever Metallica are coming to Ottawa(October 7th at the Corel Centre if you really wanna go) and the best they could do for an opener is Godsmack? Terrible band.
Dude, this is awesome: a band my former compadre Brian and I dug in a large way back in the late '90s, Dear Ephesus, are apparently resurrected from the dead and recording again! Without getting into too much boring detail: good band + not dead = pure awesomeness. More details as events warrant.
That's it. It's a nice day outside here; if the same can be said for your area, get off your duff, go outside and enjoy it.
Posted by mike at August 4, 2004 05:29 PM