Whole lotta interesting things going on around here today, but firstly, something that touches the heart: Bleed the Dream are currently in the top ten over at purevolume, and also playing a whole string of dates(US only) on the Taste of Chaos tour(Killswitch Engage, The Used et al), but more importantly than that, their drummer Scott is due for a bone marrow transplant soon(or has already undergone the procedure), as he was diagnosed with leukemia a year ago. Their purevolume page has information about helping out with medical costs, if you're so inclined. Thanks.
So I'm flipping through this week's XPress casually, you know, keeping in touch with the left-wing news of the day, and in the show listings, in tiny little print, I discover that Living Legends and J-Live are coming to Ottawa(April 8th, Babylon), bringing the one and only Pigeon John in tow. This'll be a really large hiphop event, and one where this writer can make good on his vow to re-interview the Pigeon after losing the tape two years ago. Can't wait.
Quake with excitement: a DVD of Botch's last show is being edited and finished by Josh Graham(Isis, Dillinger Escape Plan), due out through Hydra Head Records this summer. [saveyourscene]
In kinda-related news, Dillinger will be here in Ottawa roughly forty-eight hours from now. Five pm Saturday at Babylon. Fifteen bucks at the door. Word.
This is stirring up God's people in Los Angeles: Lamb of God(formerly known as Burn the Priest, which isn't helping their cause much) are being barred from playing the L.A. date of the Subliminal Verses tour with Slipknot, because the venue(the Forum) is owned by a large church. The complete story with reaction from the band is over here. Where do you weigh in? I bet I know where most of you stand. Emails of response can be filtered over here, if you're so led. Good emails might be published in this here space. Wouldn't you be filled with prestige!
Sinai Beach, as I kind of expected, have signed with Victory Records, who will release Immersed, the band's second album, this summer. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I just hope the production is miles better than their debut.
Throwdown are taking our boys As I Lay Dying out on tour this spring. No word on Canadian/Ottawa dates. AILD's new album is currently having vocals tracked(go Tim!).
May 17th marks the release of Bane's first album since 2001, entitled The Note. It was done with the guy who made Thrice sound amazing two years ago, and a lot of the stuff will be displayed on their tour with Comeback Kid - sweetdisaster will be repping at the Montreal installment of said tour, March 4th(night after Underoath! Whee!).
We have that Zao interview right up top there, and so this is interesting in that bassist Sean Koschick has reportedly decided to leave the band to further his education. He'll continue until a replacement is found yadda yadda yadda(Seinfeld). And to think we all thought this lineup was pretty solid. They'll soldier on though. They're Zao, after all.
Speaking of Underoath(which we just were), they're part of the aforementioned Taste of Chaos tour, put together by Warped Tour creator Kevin Lyman - and absolutepunk has an interview with the man over here. Brief and informative.
The new issue of Exclaim! magazine is on newsstands Canada-wide, containing favourable reviews of He Is Legend, Showbread and The Chariot. Solid State fans will be happy. Oh, and Ottawa band Hartsfield(whassup, kids?) got a good review for the five-song Katya EP too.
A good article on a band who have staked their claim as truly great with their latest album: Green Day knew while recording that American Idiot was "the best thing we've ever done." Read more. For the record, I think Idiot is Green Day's best since 1995's Insomniac. And further, more dates have come out for the band's '05 touring, and Canada's getting a few(Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, London) - Ottawa gets squat. Again.
Today coming home I heard a girl with really loud music pumping through her headphones at the transit station - then I realized that she was listening to Soundgarden's 1994 classic Superrunknown. I was thrilled!
Funeral For A Friend, .hopesfall and Blood Brothers are among thirty-two more bands confirmed to play Bamboozle Fest in Jersey in April. Man, to BE there.
A former favourite of mine(1996's Brown remains in my top-five all-time), P.O.D. will have a new record out by this summer. I keep getting emails that are all mysterious and stuff about it. I hope they don't write more radio songs, but it's a tough bet not to think so. Different producer this time around - maybe that'll help.
I'm still undecided on this band The Showdown, even if their debut was produced by Living Sacrifice's Bruce Fitzhugh, but Dan Stephens at The Scene sure thinks the record is awesome. Go metal.
If you live near Indio, California, heads up: confirmed acts to play the annual Coachella Festival this year include Canadian hiphop luminaries Buck 65 and K-os, Weezer, Black Star, Arcade Fire(could this Montreal band be any more hyped right now?), DJ Krush, Thrice...wow, a lot of Canadian content here; Sixtoo, Tegan and Sara and Sloan are all playing as well. I'd love to go that one. [pastepunk]
Some love Stateside for Ottawa lads Buried Inside. Rock on, boys. Rock on.
I remember Every New Day being this pop-punky band with quasi-breakdowns coming outta Winnipeg years ago - now they're on Hand of Hope Records and apparently their new album is amazing; I should maybe hear for myself the stylistic changes that've been made.
Song of the day(and a lot of days before this particular day): Anberlin's new single 'Paperthin Hymn'. Holy addictive.
In Is This A Joke? news: behold the track listing for the new Norma Jean album, due out March 1st:
01 - "Murderotica: An Avalanche In D Minor"
02 - "Vertebraille: Choke That Thief Called Dependence"
03 - "Bayonetwork: Vultures In Vivid Color"
04 - "Dilemmachine: Coalition, Hoax"
05 - "Coffinspire: Multitudes, Multitudes In The Valley Of Decision!"
06 - "Liarsenic: Creating A Universe Of Discourse"
07 - "Disconnecktie: The Faithful Vampire"
08 - "Absentimental: Street Clam"
09 - "Charactarantula: Talking To You And The Intake Of Glass"
10 - "Pretendeavor: In Reference To A Sinking Ship"
11 - "Scientifiction: A Clot Of Tragedy: A Swarm Of Dedication"
Someone is kidding, right? [theprp]
I'd go: the remaining members of Alice In Chains(vocalist Layne Staley died of a heroin overdose two years ago) will play for the first time since 1996 at a tsunami-relief fundraiser February 18th at the Premier Club in Seattle. If you're in the area, get the information and go.
Tomorrow night sweetdisaster personnel will be in attendance at Club SAW downtown to see We, The Accused playing with some other good rock bands. 7pm, eight bucks. Can't beat it. And by 'personnel', we mean 'one guy'.
Not that I think anyone who comes by this site is from Finland, but wow, I'd love to see this: Burnt By The Sun are playing two shows up yonder(February 18th-19th) with none other than The End's vocalist filling in. That'd be nuts to see.
March 11th in Japan - again, not that we have readers there - there's this show, okay, featuring The Red Chord(unbelievable), Bury Your Dead(haven't heard them yet) and...Bowling For Soup?? What the...
Linkin Park are doing a stadium tour(what else?) with Eminem and Fitty Cent. I couldn't possibly care less.
Band Name of the Day: The Tony Danza Tapdance. Let the hilarity ensue.
Been a while since anything was heard from Poison the Well - until now. The band's got a new bassist and guitarist, and right now they're over in Sweden again recording their next album - which I bet will be amazing. [buzzgrinder]
Faaascinating, this: Pedro the Lion's frontman David Bazan, along with compadre T.W. Walsh and omnipresent drummer Frank Lenz, together are The Headphones. You can hear them here until May 10th, when Suicide Squeeze Records will put out their as-yet-unnamed album. Good pedigree.
Wow, this is a long update.
Posted by mike at February 3, 2005 03:52 PM