A few years ago, I went to Zaphod Beeblebrox in downtown Ottawa to see a band from Kingston, Ontario called Chubb, a three-piece street-punk band fronted by a girl calling herself Dee. They were a lot of fun live; I even bought a CD and a t-shirt that quickly became too small for my expanding gut. Then earlier in this fine year of 2007, I went to Babylon to see a band called I Hate Sally, also from Kingston, and featuring the same Dee Prescott on vocals. The difference is huge - from fun, mega-distorted alley punk to Converge-style metallic-hardcore abrasion, and though I wasn't all that keen on IHS's live show, their debut album Don't Worry Lady is a solid effort, if a little samey-sounding and without very clear demarcations between tracks(also akin to Converge). For fans of Converge(have I mentioned Converge enough?) and Cursed. I like it. Bigs up to Underground Operations in southern Ontario for championing the IHS cause. And as one last Converge reference, guitarist Kurt Ballou mixed this album at his Godcity base in Massachusetts. So there. As well, two of these songs top eight minutes, so if you like epics, here you go.
Our boys from Manheim, Pennsylvania, August Burns Red, will take part in next year's annual Take Action Tour benefiting a number of good causes, including 1-877-HOPELINE. Other headliners announced so far include Every Time I Die, The Bled and The Human Abstract. [punknews]
The Tragically Hip singer/lyricist Gord Downie will appear on Dallas Green's new City and Colour project Bring Me Your Love, which will be out February 5th. Two members of Attack In Black will also guest-star.
Two '90s indie kingpins, Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan and Afghan Whigs' Greg Dulli, have a new band together called The Gutter Twins. They'll release their debut in March on Sub Pop.
I'm excited: Gnarls Barkley will release Album Number Two this spring. [absolutepunk]
The Bonnaroo festival down in Tennessee are evidently through screwing around: next year's rumoured headliners include Metallica and the reunited Led Zeppelin. That is playing hardball. ***UPDATED*** Led Zep are not playing.
It feels like a decade since American Idiot made them truly global rock stars, and Green Day will finally hit the studio in the new year to record the next album in their ouvre.
Rock Band, one of the most-hyped entries into the gaming market in years, will also include the premiere of the new Metallica single from their upcoming new album. Innovative! Not really.
One of my favourite bands discovered this calendar year are now unsigned, with a new album to shop: Gasoline Heart(ex-Dear Ephesus, Squad 5-0) and their new slab What Now are free agents. I think instead of Petty & the Heartbreakers playing the Super Bowl halftime show, these guys should do it.
According to this, Paramore rocked a Sunny Day Real Estate cover last week in New York City. Good on them!
Stolen from our longtime compadres at HM: U2 3D, the first live action movie ever shot, produced, and exhibited in digital 3-D, is set to open worldwide in late January. Filmed during the band's Vertigo Tour dates in South America last year, the movie is directed by Catherine Owens and Mark Pellington and will be released in both digital 3-D (REAL D and Dolby) and IMAX theaters from late January 2008." Now, Ottawa has an IMAX theatre over there in the Museum of Civilization, and this had better be in it!
Jake Bannon(Converge) and Dwid Integrity are in a new outfit called Irons, who will unsurprisingly put out material on Bannon's own Deathwish Inc. label.
Rough-hewn emocore act Canterbury Effect, who put out a couple projects with Pluto Records back in the day, have made a comeback! Their new album We Are All Dogs was actually released on some tiny label in September. Awesome! [IVM]
Sweden punishers Raised Fist, snakebitten as far as Canadian touring goes for the last two or three years, are trying again:
Dec. 3 Sherbrooke, QC @ Theatre Granada
Dec. 4 Trois Rivieres, QC @ CEGEP
Dec. 5 Montreal, QC @ Foufounes Electriques
Dec. 6 Drummondville, QC @ Box Office
Dec. 7 Oshawa, ON @ Dungeon
Dec. 8 Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Dec. 9 London, ON @ Salt Lounge
Dec. 10 Barrie, ON @ Foundation
Dec. 11 Sarnia, ON @ Trinity Lodge
Dec. 12 Quebec City, QC @ Anti
Dec. 13 St. Hyacinthe, QC @ Le Trash
Dec. 14 St. Jean, QC @ Le Metric
No Ottawa date, interestingly enough, given they've always had good shows here. [chartattack]