One of my absolute favourite albums of the year, Daggermouth's Turf Wars(Smallman), has earned the hyperactive Vancouver quintet an opening spot for I Am The Avalanche this fall slash winter:
11/17/2007 Wilkes-Barre, PA @ Cafι Metropolis
11/28/2007 Providence, RI @ Living Room
11/29/2007 Hartford, CT @ The Underground
11/30/2007 Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Loft @ The Chance
12/01/2007 Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero Balcony Bar
12/03/2007 Vienna, PA @ Jammin Java
12/07/2007 Tampa, FL @ Orpheum
12/08/2007 Orlando, FL @ AKA Lounge
12/11/2007 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
12/12/2007 Greensboro, NC @ Greene Street
12/13/2007 Virginia Beach, VA @ Stepping Out
12/14/2007 South Hackensack, NJ @ School of Rock
12/15/2007 Wilmington, DE @ Harmony Garage
Sadly, no Canadian dates appear. If you fondly remember New Found Glory's self-titled album, but wish the vocals had been tougher, get Turf Wars stat.
In some short-and-sweet movie opinion news - American Gangster, starring Russell Crowe and the mighty Denzel, looks like one badass flick. Can't wait to park myself in a dark theatre with some Twizzlers for that one.
Today's Essential Listening - though Daggermouth is still a must-hear - for November 1st, 2007(November already!) is Ben Harper's 2006 double-album Both Sides of the Gun. One disc is Ben at his most intimate, hushed acoustic best, while disc two is the pure funk, rock, guitar and impassioned vocals that make Harper one of the best in the world, period, end of story. Especially outstanding is the "rock" disc's eight-and-a-half minute closer 'Serve Your Soul,' a blast of slide guitar and distortion that is currently flooring my ass.
My friend and sometimes-coworker Martin had their shirt on last time we did load-in/load-out downtown: Cattle Decapitation have "won" a Rolling Stone poll for Most Gruesome Band Name. I know of others three hundred times worse, but this here is family readin'. [HXC]
One of my favourite sets of this past summer's Cornerstone Fest was Indianapolis' own Gwen Stacy and their slick metalcore assault - and it's paid dividends, as the band have signed with Ferret Music to release a full-length called The Life I Know next February. Congrats, fellas!
I was in Montreal last weekend to drop sweetdisaster enforcer DJ Omnifik off at basic training(hello, Canadian Air Force), and we saw a family sedan in traffic - with a Dying Fetus sticker on the bumper. Hilarious.
Incredibly, System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian's new solo album is ahead of people like Carrie Underwood, Springsteed and Kanye in terms of album sales here in Canada. Wow. [buzzgrinder]
Madonna has caused waves of late by announcing her departure from Warner in favour of a unique deal with promotions company LiveNation - but that's yesterday's news; check this out - she apparently had a fling with Tupac!
Been a while since we heard their name around, but Story of the Year have signed with Epitaph Records. Another major-label abandonment.
Another sign of the apocalypse.
If you're into Law & Order and Fall Out Boy - and hell, who isn't, really - FOB singer Pat Stump will guest on an episode of the longest-running crime drama ever, portraying a typical cubicle monkey.
Another quick television note - Feist will perform on Saturday Night Live this weekend; NBC news anchor Brian Williams(who is hilarious) will host. I'm watching it.
Another major-label defection: ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead are ditching Interscope - or, as they refer to it in a press release, "prison." Nice. The system is crashing. Abort abort abort.
Missed this, since it has been two weeks since our last news blast: The End guitarist Andrew Hercules(featured up top in our interview there) has left the band, forcing the cancellation of the rest of their tour with Between the Buried and Me. Giant have stepped in to fill the void.
Relient K, having released their best album this year with Five Score and Seven Years Ago, are losing longtime drummer Dave Douglas come the new year; Douglas' last show with the K will be December 29th. [cmcentral]
Posted by mike at November 1, 2007 05:04 PM