If you're not pumped up about the Strung Out/Comeback Kid show on the 30th(that would be a week tomorrow, kiddies), then you must not have a pulse.
If you've never heard of those bands, c'mon out to Babylon(317 Bank) and find out what the deal is. You know you waaaaaaaaanna. And read this here for the lowdown on Strung Out(thanks, chartattack).
Anyway.
Is anyone else excited about the return of NHL hockey? I am. I know my brother Dan is, even though he roots for the hated(and, this year, pathetic) Maple Leafs of Toronto. Email us with your picks for who's gonna take it all this year! Maybe we'll have a pool or something. It seems to be the cool thing to do.
Hey, if you're not doing anything tomorrow night(September 23rd), After All Your Planets Done(ex-Is Grace Enough, who had a good two-year run) are rocking their first Ottawa show at Mavericks(221 Rideau downtown) alongside Daggers Bearing Notes, No Other Way and three other local bands. Eight bucks, eight pm. C'mon out.
Australian band Falling Into Apathy have posted some songs from their new EP Attacking A Weakened Heart; they're being compared to Alexisonfire, Shai Hulud, I Killed the Prom Queen and Avenged Sevenfold. I like all those bands, save A7X, who I highly dislike. So if you're into any or all of them, give FIA a listen over here. I hope purevolume works for you, because it won't load for nothing this morning. [noisetheory]
In further Aussie news, The Suicide Machines are touring down there:
Thursday Oct 6 Next, Melbourne
Friday Oct 7 Enigma Bar, Adelaide
Saturday Oct 8 Cambridge, Newcastle
Sunday Oct 9 Annandale Hotel, Sydney
Wednesday Oct 12 The Rev, Brisbane
As are On Broken Wings:
THURS SEPT 29 : Next, Melbourne (18+)
FRI SEPT 30 : Enigma Bar, Melbourne (AA)
SAT OCT 1 : Arthouse, Melbourne (18+)
SUN OCT 2 : Stonecutters, Melbourne (AA)
WED OCT 5 : The Rev, Brisbane (18+)
THURS OCT 6 : Youth Activities Centre, Byron Bay (AA)
FRI OCT 7 : The Cambridge, Newcastle (18+)
SAT OCT 8 : Spectrum, Sydney (18+)
SUN OCT 9 : Embassy Hotel, Penrith (AA)
See that October 6th date in Byron Bay? That's where intrepid sweetdisaster co-creater The Flikkemizer and his lovely wife Kelly moved in July; go read their blog to the left-hand side there.
Hey, this just in: Protest the Hero are something else. And they're still in high school! Sheesh. Pay particular attention to the singer, not that he won't grab your attention with his almost-supernatural talent anyway. Wow.
Geffen Records has really dropped the ball with their latest Nirvana-related marketing ploy. Let Kurt rest in peace, and focus on your artists who are not eleven years dead, hmm? Geez.
I'm pretty sure it isn't serious, but this piece, written by Our Lady Peace frontman Raine Maida, is entertaining - and poignant. Plus OLP's new album is pretty solid, from what little I've heard of it.
Apparently Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and U2's Bono, while both bands were touring through Toronto last weekend, traded guest appearances, with Vedder joining U2 for 'Ol' Man River' and Bono returning the favour on a cover of Neil Young's 'Rockin' In The Free World'. I'd have lost my mind if I'd seen either of those. Maybe Vedder will come to Ottawa with U2 in November and I can see it then. But that's highly unlikely.
The new Switchfoot album, Nothing Is Sound, appeared in the mail yesterday here at sweetdisaster HQ. The album itself is a fine piece of work, with the band amplifying what they do well(balladry and stadium rock), but my beef is with Sony Records, who decided, in their major-label obtuseness, to plaster the CD case itself(not the removable plastic wrap) with a huge Switchfoot sticker and a giant DualDisc sticker. What the...? The whole thing is just a botch, and done to one of my absolute favourite bands. Atrocious. Thanks hugely to longtime sd.com supporter Heidi for the gift, by the way.
The Shins have started work on their third album, 2003's Chutes Too Narrow having launched them to stardom. I'm excited. [Relevant]
A guy who produced Good Charlotte's terrible excuse for original music has been hired on to do Taking Back Sunday's Warner debut. I hope he doesn't wreck it.
The American Music Awards go down November 22nd, and I couldn't care less, but just a question: how does Mariah Carey lead all nominees with four? She's still alive?
Their contract with Sony over, Korn have jumped ship to EMI/Virgin Records, who will release their first studio album in two years later this year. I wonder if they'll ever make another album as good as their first two.
Speaking of has-beens, Disturbed's new album Ten Thousand Fists(give me a break!) is out soon. I don't care.
Two of the hottest rappers alive right now, Kanye West and Common, will tour together this fall, with openers Keyshia Cole(whoever that is) and some woman who won American Idol, a show I despise so much I won't even name her, for her own protection. Tour dates can be seen over here.
I have no idea how I didn't know this, but I Am The Avalanche, the new band from former Movielife singer Vinnie Caruana, also features former Further Seems Forever guitarist Brandon Swanson. The band's self-titled debut comes out next week on Drive-Thru Records. I had no idea. You can stream the entire thing this week over here. I personally like what I hear. [AP]
When Beloved called it quits last winter, it wasn't long at all before frontman Josh Moore hooked up with Classic Case, along with ex-members of Glassjaw, and now their first record is coming out October 18th. Check out an e-card over here to get a taste.
The Deftones B-sides collection(CD and DVD formats both) coming out in a couple weeks, and it includes covers of - get this now - Jawbox, Lynyrd Skynyrd and '90s soul singer Sade(remember 'Smooth Operator'? Yeah, her). That is awesome, and I can't wait to hear it.
A couple years ago for another 'zine I reviewed a Black Flag tribute album that Initial Records put out; it featured the likes of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, Burnt By The Sun and more giving old Flag tunes a revamping, and now Reignition Recs is planning to re-issue the compilation, adding the following bands:
The Black Dahlia Murder('I've Heard It Before')
Bleeding Through('My War')
Drowningman('Loose Nut')
Remembering Never('Spray Paint the Walls')
Most Precious Blood('Rise Above')
Zao('Black Coffee').
Wow. No release date, but just...wow. [hxc]
One last bit for today: Most Precious Blood's new album Merciless is up for streaming over here. What a great band.
Posted by mike at September 22, 2005 12:21 PM