Interesting email showed up in the ol' inbox from Lori, whose husband Frank Lenz happens to play drums for a lil' ol' band of long standing called Starflyer 59. Anyway, after catching up on the pleasantries, she got to the point, that being this out.
Today's Essential Listening is Further Seems Forever's newest, Hide Nothing. I know I've been raving incessantly about this band here lately, and to that I say this: be glad you're not around me IN PERSON, because you'd be twice as annoyed. Meantime, go here and listen to 'Light Up Ahead' and tell me you don't smile. Word.
Last Friday I was at a Christmas party(yes...a Christmas party before December even starts) with the Campus Crusade for Christ people from Ottawa U - what up kids!! - and since there was a gift exchange thing I wasn't aware of, my girlfriend, God bless her, brought this wooden-soldier nutcracker deal that wound up being given to the guy across the table, while yours truly received(from my boy KARL!!!) a mix CD that is exactly - exactly - up my alley: a varied experience featuring The Weakerthans, The Paperbacks and even Thrice's title track from their masterful The Artist In The Ambulance album. What a guy! Check out those bands.
Much love extended to two strong supporters of the sweetdisaster effort who we nearly lost: enforcer DJ Omnifik and all-around marvel Lindsay were involved in a nasty car wreck Saturday night in Toronto, and while the car is a writeoff and Omnifik has a very gangster concussion, everyone survived, thank a beneficent God. I love you both, guys.
So yours truly is campaigning real hard for a job at HMV, knowing full well that it would only be into January or so, but by that point I hope to have made myself essential to their business, so that my plan to slowly infiltrate more indie music back into the store will succeed. Just kidding, future bosses of mine! I know my place.
Killswitch Engage are gonna re-release their self-titled debut album through Ferret Records in January; the band's four-song demo tape will also be included, and the entire project'll be getting the new production courtesy of guitarist Adam D.(Norma Jean, He Is Legend). [noisetheory]
According to this, Sinai Beach have jumped ship from Facedown Records, having announced that their next album Immersed will be put out by Abacus/Century Media - an admittedly great label. I hope this means the production will be tons better than When Breath Escapes, because that wasn't so great. [hardcorechristian[
All those times I've thought how odd/rad it would be if Zao and the The Juliana Theory were to tour together? It's true: according to Sir Jorge of Culver at HCC, the two bands will be out together next year, sometime in early spring. I hopehopehope that hits Ottawa or hereabouts. Wow.
You know what's good? The new Relient K album. Amazing but true. At least the two snippets I heard of it last week were pretty tasty. I haven't paid attention to these guys since 'Hello McFly' was their big hit. Like five or six years ago.
And you know a band I really, really dig? Converge.
Behold: this is the first review I've read of the new U2 album(How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb came out last Tuesday) by a journalist who isn't from some mainstream outlet, and it's probably as close to true as you'll find, given what I've heard of the record. Read.
Don't much care about the band, but this news still sucks: Vines frontman Craig Nicholls has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a brain disorder that's similar to autism in that it makes communication difficult at times. The band has reached an agreement with their label that eases up on their touring schedule, letting Nicholls cope with the disease. We're with you, brother man. [aversion]
Know where anyone who's cool in Ottawa will be December 17th? At Club SAW(67 Nicholas) for punkottawa.com's Christmas bonanza!! Wheee! Check it: The Love Machine, Rivals, The Transit, We, The Accused and local Relapse Records heroes Buried Inside headlining and um "releasing" their new album Chronology. I for one am stoked.
Dude, you know who I loved back in the day? Collective Soul! And they have a new album out! Read the review. I think I'll go download this somewhere now. And yo, check the concluding sentence from the review, a smooth little Thanksgiving reference: "Youth is a lean, low-carb rock record that spares the guilt and doesn't sacrifice any flavor." I wish I was that good.
Another bullet for the underground: Death Cab For Cutie have signed with Atlantic Records...and you know who called Atlantic home for years? Collective Soul. Word. See how nicely I tied that all up?
Interesting piece in the Ottawa Citizen this morning on ringtones - are you people aware that industry analysts expect these blights on the cultural landscape to represent a third(a THIRD!!) of the global music industry's revenues by 2008? That's ridiculous. This year alone they're gonna account for $3.5 billion dollars in revenue, and in certain places(South Korea, for example), they comprise twice the profit of regular music sales. Wow.
Megaman, a member of the UK's So Solid crew, was arrested on murder charges this week - I mention this only because the Citizen - the same paper that referred to Sum 41 as "hardcore heavyweights" a couple years ago - thinks So Solid is a 'garage band'. I don't know any garage band that has upwards of thirty members in it.
Riiiiight.
Pedro the Lion have put an entire show they did recently up on the World Wide Web, the Information Superhighway...yeah. Here it is.. And just to piss me off, they didn't do 'Magazine', my favourite Pedro song. Or 'Second Best'. What were they thinking?? [Relevant]
The new U2 album, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, is in stores everywhere as of day before yesterday. The next sound I hear better be all your pitter-pattering feet running off to the nearest retailer to purchase it!!
Before I forget, today marks two happy occasions: happy Thanksgiving to all our American readers(much love), and on a personal note, happy 26th anniversary to Gary and Gayla Postma, the two people who conspired to bring yours truly into this world. Love you, Mom and Dad!!
Ah, some Aussie love for my boys He Is Legend, for my money the best of the new crop of youngbloods on Solid State Records. What a righteous ruckus these lads make, and noisetheory down in Australia has seen fit to profile them to promote the beeeyoootiful music they're making. Rock on, boys...rock on.
Expected new albums from the Vagrant Records camp in the first half of 2005: From Autumn to Ashes, Moneen, Dashboard Confessional and...and that's all the ones I care about. I'm excited.
From the ol' inbox this fine Tuesday morning:
"Thousand Foot Krutch are currently in the studio in Toronto, Canada with famed producer Arnold Lanni(Simple Plan, Our Lady Peace) recording their follow-up to last year's smash album Phenomenon. The new album is entitled The Art of Breaking and is scheduled to hit stores on March 29th, 2004."
Can't wait.
Back from the dead - DUM DUM DUM. Notice how the news has been automatically archived? I think that's because I went so long without putting new content in this space. Sorry 'bout that.
Just so there's no doubt left in anyone's mind: Shrek and its sequel are hilarious pieces of moviedom.
Further Seems Forever rocked Club Soda in Montreal Friday evening, opening up for El Paso's Sparta; Copeland opened the evening with a fine set including 'Paula Sparks' and 'California', along with some new material that, if indicative of their new album due out in March, has upped the Copeland Rock Ante. Impressive. FSF are amazing, so I'm not even gonna bother with describing their set aside from vocalist Jon Bunch's complete overturning of rumours I've heard about him sucking - he very much does not. And Sparta are good. That is all.
Someone in the Ottawa area who really has a drive to bridge the underground with the ears of the commoners is Samantha E. and her little operation out of Quebec, including this interview with Moneen. Word. Keep up the realness.
At least I saw them live one time last year: Snapcase, one of the longest-running hardcore bands out there, have officially ended their reign. At least that's what I keep reading.
Bands I Discovered On The Way To The FSF Show In Montreal: Limbeck, Over It, and Bayside's awesome cover of Counting Crows' 'Long December'. Great tune. Oh, and some of the new Jimmy Eat World, which I liked mightily.
The new Spongebob Squarepants movie hit theatres over the weekend, but as funny as a talking vaguely-cheeseish-looking sponge is, the soundtrack is what we're concerned with: The Shins(what a great band) are on it, alongside Avril(what?), Wilco and, um, Motorhead. Watch for this to receive Most Eclectic Soundtrack at next year's Grammys. [bandoppler]
Heads up: interview with the Dillinger Escape Plan incoming!! Their new album Miss Machine is amazing.
Good to be back.
Sup kids?
Busy weekend here at sweetdisaster headquarters, what with church services and socializing and the lovely Katie to contend with(what a woman!), but new resolve has been found to transcribe some old interviews and make sure they're read like they were supposed to have been a long time ago. These things happen, you know. So! Some upcoming things include a very large wack of CD reviews and interviews with the likes of Zao, Comeback Kid, producer Steve Hindalong and hiphop messiahs(in my eyes anyway) Mars ILL. I know, I know - people who've been with us a while are rolling their eyes right and now and going, "Yeeeeah sure". Here's the deal: when I have time, you get to read fun stuff. When I don't, you're screwed. So there!
Megadeth have a new album out as of last week; ringleader Dave Mustaine is a born-again Christian, and so I'm checking out the liner notes at HMV and Jimmie Lee Sloas is playing bass on the album. A few of you might recognize his name as a producer for PFR way back in the day, mid-'90s or so. Goldie's Last Day and Great Lengths were his work, two great PFR albums. No idea if the Megadeth record's any good. Don't really care.
Dave Leibold invited me out to Carleton University Sunday morning to cohost Over My Head on CKCU; this is an old habit we've developed, Dave and I, and thought yesterday was part of the annual funding drive(read: we begged for money), we still managed to rock some He Is Legend and Comeback Kid towards the end of the hour and a half. Word up to Mr. Leibold.
Speaking of Comeback Kid, they've done gone and done it, signing a deal with Chicago's Victory Records. Our boy Ryan may be right: this could spell the end of Figure Four. You know - that other band that spawned Comeback. That would suck. CBK's next album'll be out either January 25th, or February sometime, depending on who you believe.
And speaking of Victory Records(ha!), one of their biggest pushes lately has been the new record(Unbroken) from Quebec's A Perfect Murder - well, so much for that. Three of APM's five-man wrecking squad are leaving; local band Is Grace Enough was a last-minute add to APM's last show in Hull yesterday evening, and I bet it was dope even though I wasn't there.
Some news(few and far between) from Pluto Records: Beauty To Ashes' upcoming album will be out whenever they can get it out. Please Mr. Gravedigger are doing a smallish southwest-US tour with The Kirby in December. Acedia are dead in the water before they ever even put a record together. Rest in peace. And Horse the Band are still a squadron of lunatics. There's your news from Texas.
Mae, as in that nice fun rock band from Oregon or someplace, on Tooth & Nail Records(good band), are touring. Okay? Okay. Check it out - WITH SIMPLE PLAN. Huh? Awesome. I'd go only to hear SP's 'I'd Do Anything' and then I'd leave.
Another fun tour is being put together by three heavyweight labels(Ferret, Solid State and Epitaph) featuring headliners Boysnightout(what up Burlington!), Emery and a host of opening bands varying from place to place. The itinerary, sans any Canadian shows:
11/13 - Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
11/14 - Detroit, MI @ The Shelter
11/16 - Cleveland, OH @ The Grog Shop
11/17 - Buffalo, NY @ Showplace Theatre
11/19 - Long Island, NY @ The Dowtown
11/20 - Pittsburgh, PA @ The World
11/21 - Philadelphia, PA @ TLA w/A Static Lullaby, Hawthorne Heights and others!
11/23 - Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar
11/24 - Richmond, VA @ Alley Katz w/From First to Last and Roses Are Red
11/26 - Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern
11/27 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
11/28 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits
11/29 - Se. Ptersburg, FL @ State Theatre
11/30 - Orlando, FL @ The Social
12/01 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
12/03 - Spring, TX @ Java Jazz
12/04 - Dallas, TX @ Gypsy Tea Room
12/05 - San Antonio, TX @ Sanctuary
12/07 - Phoenix, AZ @ Mason Jar
12/09 - Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
12/10 - Bakersfield, CA - Jerry's Pizza
12/11 - Sacramento, CA @ The Boardwalk
12/13 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Lo-Fi Cafe
12/14 - Denver, CO @ Rock Island
12/17 - Elizabeth, NJ @ Rexplex(WSOU holiday show w/From Autumn to Ashes, Blood Brothers, Poison the Well, Unearth, From First to Last, Folly and Seemless
12/18 - Danbury, CT @ Empress Ballroom
12/19 - Syracuse, NY @ Club Tundra
Pay particular attention to that New Jersey show on December 17th. Holy crap, what a lineup.
Another tour to watch for is the Praise The War Machine trek happening in January - Zao, Emery, Twelve Tribes and The Agony Scene. West coast-ish, but maybe they'll expand the dates...and play Ottawa...or not. [hxc]
Check this out: Roper's debut album Brace Yourself For the Mediocre has landed at number forty-six on the Billboard Heatseekers chart a week after its release. EMI is paying attention and is making the record a high priority this fall. Yo, Reese, brother: the sky's the limit, baby! Buy this album. [Renown]
One of my absolute favourite bands, Caedmon's Call, have put out a brand-new album called Share the Well; recorded in various locations around the world and documenting the band's travels and enlightenment, this record kills. Read this review and then go pick up the album.
In some ex-Caedmon's news, Derek Webb's second solo album I See Things Upside Down drops next week, and I will own it. If you wanna read about the album, check this out.
Switchfoot - speaking of my favourite bands - are one of the biggest bands in American nowadays, but years ago they were one of the ones busting their rear ends in the trenches of the Christian rock movement(and it is a movement...yes...); tomorrow, November 2nd, sees the release of The Early Years: 1997-2000, a three-disc set that comprises the band's first three albums: The Legend of Chin, New Way to be Human and Learning to Breathe, the latter being the one that caught the ear of their current major-label bosses and made them enormous. No band deserves it more. I will own this one too. [cmcentral]
PFR are back. Wheee!!
How's this for a curveball: this here is a link to a new song from Grits, from their new album. Now, I haven't been a fan in a few years, but this song features Mars ILL's Manchild doing a guest spot, and some guitars, and I kinda like it. Dope.