Afternoon fuzzlings. U2 show is tonight, in a matter of four and a half hours or so; read an interesting article in yesterday's Ottawa Citizen on Arcade Fire, who are opening the show and who feature a few Ottawa ties(drummer Jeremy Gara left locals Kepler for AF - good call on that; as well, Gara's brother Nathan is the timekeeper for rising Ottawa band As the Poets Affirm). It'll be a rockin', rollin' good time tonight. Expect feedback tomorrow or Monday.
In the meantime, though, some news.
In the inbox we have here an email from our lovely friend Lori Lenz, the most efficient publicist I know, concerning Pittsburgh's Transition. They've opened for Reel Big Fish a few times in the last month in between signing with Floodgate Records, and now comes word that their debut will be produced by new fan Mike Herrera of MxPx. " I saw Transition play a set at The Warped Tour and I was really impressed," explains Herrera. "I knew immediately that I wanted to do the record, and I am glad that it’s going to happen." The band are duly excited, and recording begins Boxing Day at the Clubhouse, MxPx's Bremerton, WA studio.
Winnipeg checks in(yo Armin!) with word that Silverstein singer Shane Told has started up Verona Records, but not as a grab for fame or anything. "I've started a label not as a business venture, or to gain anything for myself," Told says. "I see amazingly talented bands all over the world, and so many of them have no direction on what to do on the business side of things. I've started this label to guide these bands in the right direction, and help provide them with the finances they need to really give themselves the best shot at playing music full-time." Noble. [lambgoat]
By far the most exciting news of today(which I actually heard last night, with no confirmation as yet): sweetdisaster co-founder Dave Flikkema and his wife Kelly(that's their picture to the left there) have been expecting their first child, and this morning Kelly's water broke. So pray for great things, and we'll let you know soon's we know. God bless, guys!
High On Fire are going out on tour in support of their latest, Blessed Black Wings; openers will be The Bronx, Big Business and Ottawa's own Buried Inside(what up, fellas?). Only two Canadian dates(Toronto and Montreal, February 7th and 8th), as expected with such tours, but go see 'em wherever you might live. The Montreal show is the day before my birthday..I love Buried Inside..hmm...anyway, the tour kicks off January 18th out in San Francisco. [hxc]
Pluto Records' most interestingly-named band, The Jonbenet, are recording a new album, the followup to last year's The Plot Thickens(awesome title). They'll record in January, with Pluto releasing the beast in late spring. Interestingly, one of their upcoming shows is December 8th in San Antonio, marked as the "With All Sincerity comeback show!!!". I like that; WAS only released one record, but it was unique, which is more than you can say for most of the hardcore and metal out now.
If you're among the many Ottawans not at the U2 show tonight(suckers), you can always stay home and watch Switchfoot perform 'Stars' on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno tonight. The more I listen to Nothing Is Sound, Switchfoot's latest, the more I like it. [cmcentral]
Like major labels didn't have enough to worry about: hot on the heels of Sony/BMG being sued by everyone for their spyware-encrypted CD technology(smooth one there, fellas), now we have Warner Brothers shelling out five million bucks to settle a payola investigation. No details to report, but who's surprised that it's happening? Not I. [truthexplosion]
The upcoming new NOFX album is called Wolves in Wolves' Clothing(subtle) and is apparently eighteen songs clocking in at thirty minutes. Wow, that's fast, if it's true.
The Chariot's celebrated EP Unsung has been made available for listening, in its entirety, over here. The production is just beastly. Thanks, Solid State Records! You're the bestest!!
Anti-Flag have been added to next year's Warped Tour. For yea or nay.
I'M excited: Winnipeg's Burnthe8track(still the coolest-named band out there) are hard at work on their new album. It's called Fear of Falling Skies, and will doubtless be another slab of epic, scorching post-punk in the vein of their debut, The Ocean. Plus they're fans of us here at the D, and that gets anyone points in our book.
Next year's Bamboozle Festival in New Jersey is taking shape; though rumours of their bookings have been reported as 'confirmed', Bamboozle says that Taking Back Sunday, Fall Out Boy and Motion City Soundtrack are not confirmed, but are expected to play. So take that for what it's worth.
Terror Fest 2006 will go down July 14th-16th in Toronto; thus far a venue is still up in the air, but tickets are going on sale soon nonetheless. Some of the highlights: Beneath the Massacre, Neuraxis, Ion Dissonace, Despised Icon(noticing a trend of Quebecois metal acts here?), Two Knives, about twenty other confirmed bands, and more to be announced. Whew.
For anyone crushed by Burnt By The Sun's fall to the wayside, fear not: the original lineup plus new guitarist Nick Hale will record a last album for Relapse Records next year. They're all busy with other stuff, but you gotta take care of bidness, na'm sayin'?? Word. "After hearing the new material and thinking about what could be done, the feelings of leaving something unfinished made themselves very present and also re-confirmed the lost connection between us," said drummer Dave Witte. "I am happy that we have grown in the time that has passed and will be able to finish what we started." Matt Bayles will, once again, produce.
Unearth, among many other things, are soon recording a brand-new album of dark lyrics, destroying breakdowns and all-around METAL WITH HORNS, BABY!!!!
Ahem.
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe director Andrew Adamson has said that he'll be filming C.S. Lewis' Prince Caspian next, even though it's not next in sequential order in the Narnia series. I, personally, am waiting with bated breath for the epic film version of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I gotta re-read the books sometime. [buzzgrinder]
This is a disgusting story: former Burlap to Cashmere frontman Johnny Philippidis was hospitalized last week after being beaten almost to death by some idiot motorist after a minor fender-bender. Philippidis was placed in a medically-induced coma to relieve pressure on his brain after suffering a broken nose and fractures to his jaw and eye socket. For those who don't remember BtC, they formed in '97, signed with A&M Records the next year, had one minor hit album and disbanded a few years ago already. Apparently they were planning to re-form and record again when this incident happened. Our thoughts and prayers remain with Johnny, a US veteran with MidEast service.
Rest in peace, Pat Morita: Mr. Myagi of the smash Karate Kid film series passed away yesterday at 73, of natural causes.
Two XBox 360s were stolen at gunpoint down in Virginia this week, proving yet again that Western consumers are a bunch of crazed, star-crossed gadget dweebs. Get a grip, people.
Posted by mike at November 25, 2005 05:10 PM