Merry Christmas Day to one and all, my sweetdisaster legion. This is our third Christmas in existence, and without readership, a magazine like this is irrelevant. Thanks for making us valid. Woohoo!
Special thanks to Dave and Kelly Flikkema(brand-new parents), Galen and Courtney Broaddus(very-soon-to-be-brand-new parents), Heidi Eckert, Rachelle Gendron, Al Lustie, any band we've worked with or will work with, any 'zine we've hyped, any 'zine that's hyped us, and cmusicweb for bringing me aboard(hot site, don't sleep on it).
There's been a lot of inertia around here lately, and we do apologize, but life has its priorities. Thanks for sticking with us in the downtime.
Let's go fetch us some rock news.
sphereofhiphop has a brand-new LA Symphony Christmas song called - duh - 'It's Christmas', available for streaming over here. Hot track. Ohmega Watts new LP was SOHH's number-one seller this year, so you might wanna invest in some of that rap goodness as well. Exclaim! mag here in Canada gave huge propers to that record, if that's a convincing point.
The late, great Grade have now spawned another new band: former bassist Matt Jones has a new project called To The Lions, also featuring ex-members of Under the Radar and Headfirst Straight to Hell. I'll bet five bucks that this band will immediately sign to Victory Records, as Grade and every other of their progeny(Somehow Hollow and The Black Maria) have. [truthexplosion]
One of my favourite hardcore bands of the last two years, Freya, have posted the first new cut from their upcoming second album Lift the Curse. The song is called 'Born In Blood' - peep it over here. Sickness.
This Is Hell, following a year in which they've been one of the most talked-about hardcore bands around, have capped off 2005 by signing with the mighty Trustkill Records. Their label debut will be out soon, yadda yadda yadda. Insert all the usual optimism from both parties here.
This company out of St. Louis may really go places: Vans For Bands are now in business providing quality vans for the thousands of grassroots troupes crisscrossing this great continent of ours. Good on 'em. [lambgoat]
I saw Montreal's Neuraxis live a few months ago and was taken by storm by the band's deadly precision, inventiveness and amazing stage show - and now their new record is being wildly praised by the kids over at lambgoat dot com. Apparently I have to own this record soon.
The annual Cornerstone Festival down in Illinois will announce the first sixty confirmed acts for next summer during the last six days of 2005 - that would be starting today through the new year. Hit up the Cornerstone website for details. I know I'm going again in 2006, given that the very first announced band is a return engagement with the mighty P.O.D.! Woo! [phantomtollbooth]
The Showdown took metal by storm this year with their debut album A Chorus of Obliteration(soon to be re-released internationally by Abacus Recordings, who've also remastered the album), and now they have a new track online called 'Give Us This Day'. The song will be tacked onto the re-release. [theprp]
The newest from Raised Fist(it's about time!) is done, and will be out in April. I wish I could travel in time and skip the next three months. [pastepunk]
Posted by mike at December 25, 2005 05:45 PM