Some background on the reformation of No Innocent Victim: NIV will be a five-piece for the first time in their career as former guitarist Cory Edelman has rejoined the fold - last I heard of him he was playing with Project 86, but that didn't last - along with Tim Mason, and former xDisciplex A.D. bassist Neil Hartman jumping into the fray. To quote my girlfriend, "I'm excited."
In More Exciting News news, the new album from Denison Marrs, Transparent, is now in stores. I want it. Bad. Someone send it to me.
So check it out: Seattle graphics firm Asterik Studio is always on the move, always on the rise, with new clients including The Blood Brothers, Josh Ritter(American singer/songwriter who recently toured with Canadian star Sarah Harmer), and new Solid State Records hotshots He Is Legend. Check out Asterik's site and enjoy the ride.
DUDE, speaking of He Is Legend - I. Am. A. Fan. Have y'all heard 'I Am Hollywood' off the new Solid State compilation CD? Holy crap, kids, this song is amazing in an Every Time I Die sort of way. So good.
Also fun is the new album from Chicago brother trio Chevelle, This Type of Thinking Could Do Us In, a slab that continues the legacy of downtuned guitars, emotive vocals and production that would make Andrew Lloyd Webber jealous. I'm a fan of them too.
Off to see K-os tonight. Word.
In more Five Iron Frenzy news...kinda...ex-ringleader Reese Roper is back in the saddle with a new solo album called Brace For The Mediocre, out now on 5 Minute Walk Records(FIF's longtime label home); it's even available here in Canada, so I know y'all can get it someplace near where you're at. The first song's called 'Hello Lamewad', and that's enough for me to wanna purchase it. Anyway, Doug van Pelt over at HM has a little interview up with the man himself over here concerning who's in the band, what they're singing about, and what the plans are. The highlight? Easily this quote: "Oh, and I won't put snow in anyone's bunk just because they refused to get out of the bus and pee onto Kansas from the Colorado border." Gold. Thanks to Brian for the header.
No Innocent Victim are indeed back, and to no one's surprise are making their comeback album with Facedown Records, owned and operated by NIV drummer Jason Dunn(what a dude). No album title or anything like that yet, or even new material to speak of, but the new album will be out next summer, and a show is on for November 19th at the Glasshouse in Pomona, California with openers Sinai Beach. I'd give my arm to be at this one. Doh!
Ducats were obtained today by sd.com chief Mike and his two-person-strong crew for the K-os show Wednesday night. Price at Ticketmaster? Like twenty-five bones after surcharges, which is stupid, but well worth it, even if the two openers are dudes I've never even heard of. K-os will throw a great party.
Five Iron Frenzy's last show took place almost a year ago(November 22nd, 2003), and the recording of it came out...oh...roundabout May or so of this year, I think, and it's very good. Not only are there thousands of FIF fans from across the globe in attendance(the show went down at the Fillmore Theatre in the band's hometown of Denver), but the recording itself is stellar: everything is clear, the mistakes are left in, and wow, is the last performance of 'Every New Day' ever something. It's a double album, The End Is Near, being Five Iron's last studio album, and then the The End Is Here. Get it.
So Tuesday I'm poking around at my Friendly Local Christian Retailer, right, intent on picking up the new mewithoutYou(Catch For Us The Foxes is a solid step up from the band's 2002 debut, FYI), and the music manager, who also happens to double as sweetdisaster webmaster The Flikkemizer, informs me that the new album from Mars ILL, entitled Pro-Pain, has been pushed back. It was due out Tuesday, right. Okay. So. I cruise by their website, and on the front page is the following: "The release of Mars ILL's third official full-length album, entitled Pro-Pain, due out on Gotee Records on October 19th HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK. At this point, we're not certain when the new official release date will be. We just know that it has been delayed and will not hit on the original date. The tentative release date is now set as: FEBRUARY 12th, 2005. Hold tight." End quote.
February 12th, 2005. As in three days after I turn twenty-five. What the heezy!! That's like four months! Drat. Oh, in other Mars ILL news, Manchild guests on the new album from Viktor Vaughn, Venomous Villain(Insomniac). I read that last week but forgot to mention it in this space til now. So there you go.
There're a ton of shows(and I mean a ton of shows, people) in the Ottawa area in the next couple months; I have here in front of me the ol' punkottawa email update, and you'd be well advised to take note of that site. Check that big banner right above as part of our logo! Some names that are coming: New Found Glory, K-os, Jimmy Eat World, Closet Monster, The Fully Down, Keep Yourself Good Company, Buried Inside, Searching For Chin, A Perfect Murder, Quo Vadis, Silverstein and Isis.
Whew.
From Dave Leibold comes word that Lucerin Blue, after being unceremoniously dropped by Tooth & Nail Records(what a shocker) a while back, will be recording their new album in November with a dude named Shaun Thingvold(Lamb of God, Misery Index, Slick Shoes) - hopefully. No word yet on what label will be financing this little operation, but Lucerin Blue are a terrific rock band, and we here at sweetdisaster want this album to be huge. You all know what to do.
...buy it when it comes out. That's what you gotta do. If you hadn't figured that out.
...aaaand again a long time in between updates. Sir Brian, our friend and colleague over at OGS, noted over the phone this evening that things have been slow here lately, but after explaining to him why things are cool now. So there's no need to bombard his dwelling with flaming arrows.
Moneen, from initial reports, destroyed tonight at Babylon. Coerced sd.com correspondent Tiffany had this to say: "It was hot. Like deadly hot. The music was good too haha...half the time they had the band's vocals too loud, and now I can't hear." Sounds like a rock and roll ruckus to me. Openers The Reason are such a fun band. Other acts playing included Saskatchewan's Despistado(last-minute add? I don't recall them on the bill) and The Junction, who I've never heard of, and some other band I can't figure out and am far too lazy to go check up on. Personally, I'm pretty stoked to see K-os on the 27th at Capital Music Hall. $19.50 a ducat, get 'em while they're hot. You'll see me and the sd.com Unofficial Posse in full force.
Some news from Blood & Ink Records: after signing with B&I earlier this year, Montreal's Blessed By A Broken Heart have a full-length debut dropping November 16th, alongside this here tour:
October 21st- The Phoenix Cedar Falls, IA
October 23rd- Champaign, IL The Shed
October 25th- St. Paul, MN Station 4
October 26th- Petoskey, MI Brevity Production Headquarters
October 29th- Muscatine, IA Muscatine Center for Strategic Action
October 30th- Appleton, WI The Monkey Wrench
October 31st- Algoma, WI Algoma Youth Center
November 1st- Cedar Falls, IA The Phoenix
November 2nd- off date
November 3rd- Cedar Rapids, IA The Nexus World Theatre
November 4th- Duluth, MN The MAC
November 6th- Bowling Green, KY TBA
November 13th- Greentown, IN The Fireshaq
November 15th- Montclair/Bloomfields, NJ Bloomfield Cafe
November 17th- Norfolk, VA Michael Bob's
November 19th- Richmond, VA Exit 86
November 20th- Baltimore, MD The Depot
November 21st- Lancaster, PA Lancaster Sheriber Center
November 22nd- Lebanon, PA
So if you live near or in any of those places, go hit up the show. One of my best friends alive is in Lebanon, PA. Rock.
Caught Brother Ali(Minneapolis) and J-Live(Brooklyn) at Babylon last Saturday, the 16th, along with locals Applied Science and Periodic Trends opening up, and man, my boy Chris and I had beats in our heads for four hours, and it was awesome. All highly recommended hiphop outfits.
I won't, barring a miracle, be catching either GWAR or New Found Glory on November 3rd, thanks to inventory at work, and as my boss keeps saying, "Everyone works inventory." Crap.
Morning, everyone. My mom is in the Phillippines for two weeks on business, so if y'all could pray for her or wish her the best, that'd be rad. Imagine that. My mama in the Phillippines. I probably couldn't find the Phillippines on a map. Pathetic.
The Kinison are gonna be over in England in December opening up for Blink-182. I know you've heard Blink, so if you've also heard the Kinison, this is just weird. Rad!! [punktastic]
Also from that 'zine in Britain(I haven't surfed the American ones in like over a week) comes word that Canada's own Hawk Nelson, whose career is rising fast, have lost their guitarist - but they've already replaced him with a friend of the band, so fear not, mall punks: the ruckus is safe.
So there's this 'zine over in Italy(keeping with the current trend of east-of-the-Atlantic things) called Save Your Scene, run by this wildly awesome dude Leonardo who emailed us recently(what is up, brah??) with some words of encouragement. So take this as your cue: get on over there. Don't mind the Italian here and there; this is an English-language affair going on, and this guy has booked the likes of Converge and Zao in and around Florence, Italy, so clearly he knows whassup. Highly recommended. Be sure to vote in the poll on How Hardcore Is Doing! Oh, and one of Leo's listed favourite bands is Strongarm, and that's mindblowing.
One of the best straight-up rock bands out there, California's Next In Line, have a five-song EP coming out soon - and to whet the appetite, check out a new song called 'One In A Million' over here. Solid rock gold.
Your favourite rapper and mine - ergo EVERYBODY's favourite rapper - Pigeon John has done gone done it; our man has signed with Quannum Records, a great San Francisco label that's also home to lil' ol' names like DJ Shadow, Lyrics Born and Blackalicious. This is seriously good for our boy Pigeon Juan, breaking out of the underground Christian rap scene. Hopefully he'll not forget where he came from. Congratulations, PJ. Oh, and Pigeon John Sings The Blues, an EP on Basement Records, comes out next March. Way far away, but start rollin' them pennies now, kids.
Is anyone else as stoked as me about No Innocent Victim's reunion? MAN, I'm excited!
Twelve Tribes have replaced GODS on the tour down in the US, also featuring Society's Finest and The Kirby; 12T will start October 17th in Richmond, Virginia. GODS had to bail after financial and vehicular problems. How many times has that happened to good bands, I wonder? As well, The Kirby are planning a tour through November and December along with Please Mr. Gravedigger(Pluto Records), so if you wanna bring the ruckus to your town, email anthony@kirbyrock.com. Word.
Some soundboard recording of a new Nodes of Ranvier song called 'What Comes Around, Goes Around' is right over here, and it's pretty intense. New vocalist Jake is holding his own. The song was recorded at a recent show in Hebron, Ohio, wherever that is. What up, Ohio?
Morning everybody. This weekend marks the birthday of one Shawn Scallen, proprietor of punkottawa dot com and all-around good guy for the underground scene in this city. He's got many many powerful friends, and there'll be this big birthday party for him tonight(Friday) at Barrymore's downtown, but everyone visit punkottawa and wish him happy 25th birthday! Ha.
Some shows of note coming up: New Found Glory, K-os and Jimmy Eat World are all coming in the next month and a half.
More news sometime.
Big news that I somehow hadn't heard before thirty seconds ago: No Innocent Victim, the first hardcore band I ever heard way back when, and also the first interview I ever conducted(thanks Jason) have reunited following their split a couple years back, and are writing new material. This has me so excited I can barely put words to good effect, so I just won't. But be ready. Keep track of their website for all the latest.
Oh, and Mars Ill's new album Pro-Pain comes out a week from tomorrow. Hiphop so good you'll wish you hadn't ignored them all these years. What up Hotlanta.
Morning kids. Know what sucks? Missing the last bus and having to walk home an hour. This concludes the whining - now the good stuff. Some tremendous(in a good way) things have been happening in sweetdisaster chief Mike's personal life, which partially explains why things have been very slow around here. Well, they'll continue to run at a slower pace than we've previously distinguished ourselves for due to a variety of factors(no time, no time and no time). There'll be stuff when we can manage it, and none when we can't. Thanks for sticking by us either/or. Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian readers!
Hey, music fans, record sales(particularly in America) are up. The article says a four percent improvement has occurred, as opposed to a twelve percent decline last year. What does that mean, kids? Download away! [aversion]
The new Helmet record comes out Tuesday. It might be terrible, but more likely it'll be amazing. It's called Size Matters.
Selling around 270,000 copies, Green Day's new album American Idiot was the number-one record in the land last wek. Dope! I'm such a longtime fan. Oh, and the band have added more dates to their tour with New Found Glory, including November 3rd and 4th in Mississauga and Montreal respectively. No Ottawa. Clearly.
A Snapcase side project? Fascinating. The three dudes in the Buffalo hardcore band minus vocalist Daryl Taberski are apparently looking for a vocalist to fit into some other thing they have going on. All I have to say is this: it better not spell the end of Snapcase.
A new Weezer record could hit in spring of next year, the band's website says. Apparently while ubernerd vocalist Rivers goes to Harvard, the rest of the band are being normal and laying down tracks in studio and all that stuff. So now they gotta wait til Rivers can some time out of class to do HIS bit. But all this said, is 1994's Weezer not one of the best albums ever? Man!
Two upcoming guests/hosts on MTV's Headbanger's Ball: Demon Hunter and Pillar. How 'bout that?? Pillar! [hardcorechristian]
Working two jobs kinda cuts out the time from a person's schedule, doncha know. So that's why the ideas and frank exchanges of personal opinion have been a little on the slow side around here. However, all that changes when punkottawa.com's somewhat biweekly shows calendar comes out covering Ottawa, Quebec and all parts surrounding. Some highlights:
- The Weakerthans with The Constantines October 2nd, Capital Music Hall(200 Rideau St. downtown)
- Despistado, The Grey and Robot Kill City along with a band called Federal all the way from France at Club SAW, October 5th(67 Nicolas St.)
- Darkest Hour with Cursed at Maverick's, October 10th(221 Rideau St.)
- Forty Cent Fix and For The Mathematics opening the new skate park right up the road from me(101 Centrepoint), October 16th...this one's from 11-3 in the afternoon and free free freeeeheeeeeeeee
- Moneen and The Reason at Babylon(317 Bank St.), October 20th(I will be at this one - two of Ontario's best bands on one bill)
- the Underground Ops tour featuring Closet Monster, Bombs Over Providence, Hostage Life and Protest the Hero(great band), Club SAW, October 27th
- massive Halloween show with Buried Inside, Van Johnson, The Transit, Million Dollar Marxists, Searching For Chin(speaking of great bands) and lots more, October 31st, Babylon
- King's X(can you believe that? King's X!) at Barrymore's(next door to Babylon), November 9th
- Matchbook Romance, Babylon, November 17th
- ISIS with These Arms Are Snakes, Babylon, November 29th(what a mother of a heavy show that'll be)
For all the shows, like the ones in basements, rec halls, community centres, bookstores, etc etc etc, check out punkottawa.
Here's a little Bands Whose Shirts I've Recently Acquired news: MxPx are on the soundtrack to some new Hilary Duff movie about Cinderella or something, doing a song called 'First Day of the Rest of Our Lives', that's been referred to as "the worst dregs of Blink-182's bratty punk-pop, which isn't saying much, by the way(Star online)." Whatever. I just got a sheezy new MxPx tee today. [rockrebel]