Just read that once upon a time former Killswitch Engage singer Jesse Leach was roommates with up-and-coming rapper Sage Francis. Worlds colliding! Righteous.
Dead Poetic have posted the final January teaser clip from their new album on their myspace page; the song is called 'Cannibal Vs. Cunning', soon to be worked up for the band's third album, due this summer on Solid State Records. Sounds pretty rough right now, but that's why it's a 'demo'. Short for 'demonstration'. As in 'not the real thing just quite yet'. Be cool!
Rapper John Reuben's second and third albums were entitled Hindsight and Professional Rapper. Now, over at Sphere Of Hip Hop What What, you can get yourself a copy of So In Hindsight The Professional Rapper Isn't There Yet. I think that's awesome.
Sidebar: my beloved Ottawa Senators were beaten, badly, by the visiting Boston Bruins last night. Five to zip. I just thought I'd pass along how vengefully angry I am over this.
Stolen directly from Jordan & Crew at pastepunk(who share my fervid passion for baseball - 2006 is almost upon us!!), this is a quote from The Red Chord, whose latest, Clients, is an absolute wrecking ball of metal and more metal: "Right now, The Red Chord is trying to get the saying 'keep it wolf' going. It means you grow a beard, eat red meat, and if you didn't wake up early enough to shower, who cares? Go without showering. There's prissy guys that look like girls wearing too-tight clothes and eyeliner in the metal scene now, and we refuse to be gross hermaphrodites. Grow facial hair. Watch football. Keep it m-a-n." Awesome!!
Good news for As I Lay Dying fans(along with the fact that they're here in Ottawa April 14th): their label - Metal Blade - is gonna partner with AILD's first label home, Pluto Records down in Texas to reissue the band's first two albums, a full-length called Beneath the Encasing of Ashes and a split with American Tragedy. Both are expected in May. I'm stoked.
Some Saves the Day news: the band has re-signed with Vagrant Records, the label they helped put on the map, and who will release the band's fifth album Sound the Alarm on April 4th. As well, former Glassjaw bassist Manny Carerro is now a full-time member of STD. Such an awkward, awkward acronym for your band. Awkward.
Usually, there are maybe a half-dozen reasons to watch the Grammy Awards show; you know, people who actually deserve to be recognized in amongst the unwashes masses who just cop each other's styles and rack up huge sales to kids who don't know any better(I'm looking at you, Paul Wall, you ridiculous oaf). This year, Robert Randolph and, presumably, his Family Band will perform a tribute to Sly & The Family Stone. This will be smokin'. The broadcast airs February 8th from Lost Angels. Randolph and Co. are back in the studio working on their sophomore album. [Paste]
Essential Listening today is just one song, but a classic: Less Than Jake's 'She's Gonna Break Soon'. What a chorus!! Go and listen.
I don't know about celebrating Easter and Jesus' crucifixion like this. Skeeeeetchy.
Kingston, ON-based songwriter Sarah Harmer is touring the United States o' America behind I'm A Mountain, her new album. Everyone is typically aflutter over the gorgeous songs, but I'm just ticked that I still haven't gotten to see her, when I've been listening since just after she left Weeping Tile. Oh, the injustice! I think she and Derek Webb should tour together.
If you're reading this and you live in or around San Bernardino, California, then you might wanna mark off March 11th, as that's when Murs is presenting the first Paid Dues Festival, featuring the man himself alongside Aesop Rock, the Living Legends crew, El-P, and more. Wow. For more info, click here.
I had no idea it was coming, which means I must have been sleeping, but Dilated Peoples, having cracked the mainstream with the help of Kanye West on their last album, are releasing 20/20 February 21st, with a tour to boot. Keep your eyes peeled. I'm gonna go slap on Expansion Team and pretend I'm west side.
Ferret Records(what up Jersey) announced this morning that for their 10th anniversary(ten years already!), the Under the Gun Tour will ship up and ship out beginning March 14th in Cleveland, featuring label greats Madball, Scarlet, Zao, Remembering Never and The Banner. That is one mother of a tour. No word on Canadian(read: Ottawa) dates thus far. [punknews]
A show that will be here is Poison the Well with Horse the Band and Criteria, April 7th at Babylon. That'll be a good one. I still wonder why Criteria wound up on that bill, not that I'm complaining, because they're a tight band.
Terminal have officially broken up, after some really bad tour split-ups and drama and such. Another one bites the dust.
Another band who'll be here in town April 14th as part of the Taste of Chaos tour, Thursday have set May 2nd as the release date for their much-anticipated third album; as well, their Shirts For A Cure tour has taken on supporting acts Minus the Bear, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, mewithoutYou and some band called We're All Broken. Check out the website for tour dates.
Side Walk Slam have changed their name to Run Kid Run, and have re-signed with their label for all of SWS's albums, Tooth & Nail. The comments on the post about this range from typical bashing of Christians to ill-informed commentary on T&N's business practices. It never stops being funny, really. One such post reads that Run Kid Run were forced to change their name and image to sell more records. Innneresting. The greatest part by far is the kid who said, "Make Ghoti Hook get back together." Now that I'm down with. Anyway, Run Kid Run's 'debut' This Is Who We Are is out May 16th, produced by that guy down in Florida who made Underoath famous. Oh, and they've added a new bass player so the old guy can move to guitar. I think I'll wind up missing Side Walk Slam.
Once in a while, we come across something interesting that isn't music-related - and usually, that means since sweetdisaster's Big Cheese is a big sports fan, that it's sports-related, but not today. No, today's esoteric internet find is entitled Ten Reasons Why You Should Never Accept a Diamond Ring from Anyone, Under Any Circumstances, Even If They Really Want to Give You One. Read it over here. [Liberated from its cozy confines over at Rachelle's Blog]
Go read our new review for Dana Jorgensen's debut album.
Essential Listening for today, January 30th, is one of the few Tooth & Nail Records bands who don't sound kinda similar to everything else that's popular: Far-Less hail from several different Virginia zip codes, and their brand of rock and roll has always impressed mes, sounding like labelmates He Is Legend in terms of experimentation and variety of sound. Specifically, check out 'Everyone Is Out To Get Us' right over here.
Sunday, March 19th Hawksley Workman, art-rocker extraordinaire(a wee tad eccentric, he is) will be in Ottawa at First Baptist Church. Tickets available at Vertigo Records & Hi Fi down on Rideau Street. Y'all get one guess who made me post this.
Peterborough's Hawk Nelson have a new song called 'The One Thing I Have Left' up on their purevolume page; the new album's called Smile, It's The End of the World, due out April 4th. Pop-punk goodness shall abound. Dang if these kids haven't won me over in the last year. The new tune has hints of New Found Glory's hardcore roots to it. I dig.
A truly fantastic Can-Rock band, downhere, now have a title for the upcoming third album: Wide Eyed and Mystified will be out May 23rd, to be eagerly purchased by me.
Blood & Ink Recs have done it again, signing Amarillo, Texas-based metalcore act The Gentleman Homicide. The band's toured with the likes of Reflux and Ed Gein(good band there), and will put their B&I debut later this year. Before that, they'll joined labelmates Enlow and Burden of a Day for the Blood & Ink Records tour in March(dates still being finalized). I would say check out their myspace.com page(myspace.com/tgh), but I went there just now and saw the following: "This user's profile has been temporarily disabled for special maintenance. The profile will be available again shortly. Sorry for the inconvenience. 1/30/2006" Freaaaaky.
Hatebreed have been on a major label for a few years now, expected to release new music every other year or so, and it's coming 'round to that time again; the Connecticut hardcore pioneers will release a new album as well as a DVD through vocalist Jamey Jasta's Stillborn Records later this year, and 'Bound to Violence', a brand-new tune, has been posted on the band's myspace. [theprp]
Thanks to Rachelle for this bit: Mutemath, out on their own self-booked fifty-city tour as you read this, have posted a new song called 'Typical' over here; the song's taken from the band's upcoming full-length album.
I love this song: check out a video of The Chariot performing 'Yanni Depp' over at zambooie!
A fine, fine label out in California, Abacus Recordings, has posted new material from Desole, Bleeding Kansas and longtime favourites Stavesacre on their myspace page. As well, they've recently put out Sworn Enemy's latest, and are reissuing Glass Casket's debut We Are Gathered Here Today.... Go listen to new music. [pastepunk]
A few months ago we posted a link to some new music from Action Reaction, featuring one-time Further Seems Forever singer Jason Gleason; the band also features a guy who used to be in Element 101(Tooth & Nail Records) way back in the day. The band has signed with Hope Division Records, a sublabel of Equal Vision; there'll be a new album in the spring, and in the meantime, the band will have four-song EPs available at shows. And speaking of shows, Action Reaction will be touring alongside Armor For Sleep, Boys Night Out and Chiodos on the Invisible Sideshow tour soon. As an aside, on AR's myspace, under Record Label it says, "Free at last, free at last...(MLK)". I wonder if that's a veiled Tooth & Nail reference.
Southern Ontario's Protest the Hero are on the front page of myspace right now. I predict enormous things.
pastepunk have scored quite the coup, interviewing - at length, apparently - Bane vocalist Aaron Bedard. It's recommended that you make a pot of coffee before tackling this(already on it). Read. All ten thousand words of it(no joke).
Bedlam Society down in the GTA(Greater Toronto Area, "for those of you in the hills and don't know"....that quote was an EDL reference...likely missed by one and all...ah well) have a bunch of new stuff up for your persual, including interviews with Thrice, The Fullblast and The Junction, as well as a slew of wide-ranging CD reviews. Oh, and videos from Every Time I Die and The Dillinger Escape Plan. Oh, and contests. Oh, and...just kidding. Hit up the site for some rock 'n roll attitude, baby.
Some Tooth & Nail Records news to pass along; namely, that Sullivan's debut album Hey, I'm A Ghost is out now as of this past Tuesday. Didn't really get much out of it myself, as it sounds very much like dozens of other bands at the forefront of the scene right now, but hey. Did you know their drummer is Phil Chamberlain, brother of Underoath vocalist Spencer Chamberlain? Me neither til this week.
Also with a new album out are Watashi Wa, aka Eager Seas; after a much-publicized and gossiped-about quibble with T&N about this album, which was originally to be released under the band name Eager Seas before contractual hassles interfered, it was decided to release it as the last Watashi Wa project. Either way, I've heard it, and it's quality.
T&N also has a new compilation out entitled You Can't Handle The Tooth. I love plays on words.
Kings To You(formerly Dismissed) have apparently signed a deal with a bigger West Coast label. Which label, precisely? More on that as it comes in. [Indie Vision Music]
A little mainstream rap news('cause that's clearly what y'all come for): Jay-Z has signed longtime rival-turned-compadre Nas to his Def Jam Records enterprise. The two "had beef"(I'm so white) for almost a decade, trading shots through their songs for all of north America and the world to hear, and now I guess peace has been achieved. Israel and Palestine could learn a thing or two here, I'm telling you! [truthexplosion]
Tour exploits featuring Comeback Kid and their pals? Right over here.
Word on the street is that the upcoming Poison the Well/Horse the Band tour will hit Ottawa - well, here's another I'd love to see; according to the good folks at lambgoat, Underoath will be headlining a tour with the aforementioned Poison the Well as well as newcomers As Cities Burn. The tour will run from May into June. Dates whenever they're available.
Pluto Records' The Jonbenet have finished their second album, called Ugly/Heartless. It'll be out in stores all over the place April 25th. I predict songs of negativity regarding the fairer sex(girls, for those who aren't getting it).
One of my recent favourites, War of Ages, are taking Hell Within out on the road:
2/3 Portland, MI @ American Legion Hall post 129
2/4 Clarksville, IN @ The Warehouse
2/5 Kansas City, MO @ El Torreon
2/6 Jefferson City, SD @ Jefferson Community Church
2/8 Ogden, UT @ Club Boomva
2/9 Reno, NV @ Reno VFW
2/10 Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction w/ No Innocent Victim, Deathstar
2/11 Redlands, CA @ Oasis w/ No Innocent Victim
2/12 San Diego, CA @ Adams Hall w/ No Innocent Victim
2/14 Austin, TX @ Redrum
2/15 Dallas, TX @ Red Blood Club
2/16 Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
2/17 Nashville, TN @ TBA
2/18 Augusta, GA @ Sector 7G
2/21 Clearwater, FL @ 688 Skatepark
2/22 Lakeview, FL @ Mad Hatters
2/24 Dover, DE @ The Venue w/ Your Eyes My Dreams
2/25 Annapolis, MD @ RTBC
2/26 Williamsburg, VA @ Jamestown Campsite
See this tour! Metal everywhere!!
Guitarist Lisa Marx is a busy woman; aside from being featured in the new issue of Revolver magazine as part of their Hottest Chicks in Metal cover story(niiiiice), she's also been in two bands in the last two years(Kittie and Scars of Tomorrow). Now, actually, she's joined her third band, transplanted Aussies Day of Tomorrow. They used to be hardcore band, but now they tour with Good Charlotte and CKY. Sheesh.
Not to be outdone by The Jonbenet, a whole slew of ex- or current Pluto Records bands are planning a mother of a tour running the entire month of April. Check it out: Society's Finest, Divide the Day, Imperial and the newly-reformed With All Sincerity. Quite a lineup. Keep an eye out for that one.
Essential Listening for today, January 27th, is Kelowna, British Columbia's The Bleeding Alarm. If you're into The Used and/or Story of the Year - and I can't say I particularly am, even! - check these guys out over here. Caaaaaatchy.
Hey, remember a band called Holland? They released one decently-received album on Tooth & Nail a few years back, then changed their name to The Lonely Hearts. Whether or not their insistence on creative control contributed to their recently-ended dormancy is up for debate, but their long-awaited first record under the new banner is gonna be out this year on the Nail. Oh, the controversy. [buzzgrinder]
More drama from the Zao camp(it shouldn't even be news anymore, but we do report news here): guitarist Russ Cogdell has apparently split with the band - for now. Is it really worth while asking questions like, "Well, how long?" "Where's he going?" "Is he coming back?" I mean, we'll all hear eventually anyway. Poor Zao. Word is that Cogdell suffered some sort of leg injury. The ignorance of the people on certain message boards talking about this is simply unbelievable. But editorials aside, best of luck.
The Militia Group poster boys Lovedrug were recently Spin magazine's Band of the Day on Spin's website. Word up. Good on 'em. Rock and roll. [phantomtollbooth]
Toronto rapper Manafest, who released his major-label debut Epiphany last fall, will be here in Ottawa February 10th to rock Kanata Pentecostal Church. Five bucks. Be there. I may have to pre-record my radio show in order to be at this one.
This Just In: Shallow Water Grave, who have a new album coming soon on Innerstrength Records, are pretty good. Listen up.
Just a few months after their debut album's release, Becoming the Archetype will soon part ways with guitarist Jon Star; his replacement will be Alethian master axeman Alex Kenis. The band will start writing new material - Kenis included - for their second album later this spring. [theprp]
My girlfriend loves them: Linkin Park have about fifty ideas for new songs kicking around as they head back into the studio. No timeline yet on when their third album might materialize.
June 20th will see the release of The Showdown's second album on Mono vs. Stereo Recordings; the working title - get ready for this one - is Power Snake. That's unbelievably awesome!!
Some P.O.D. news off the top(I know, they're radio rock, but I don't care; forever a fan, baby!!): the lads are the number-one item at purevolume.com, with their latest album Testify dropping today. Radio's got it, retail's got it, and heaven knows the internet's all over this puppy. Interesting note: 'If It Wasn't For You', a killer song the band performed live in Toronto in December, is not on the full-length, and I was scratching my head in befuddlement before realizing that it had to be off the Warriors EP that came out a while back. Anyway. I think Testify will prove to be Payable's comeback record, following their lacklustre self-titled effort of 2003. Lead single 'Goodbye For Now' is over on their purevolume page, but a better cut might be 'Roots In Stereo' featuring toaster Matisyahu(whose star is rapidly rising), so go find that action somewheres.
A great little label out in Costa Mesa, California called Floodgate has signed yet another band from Florida. Bernard are headquartered in St. Augustine, FL and have played a lot with fellow Sunshine Staters Forever Changed, Denison Marrs and The Myriad(all of whom are on Floodgate). Apparently these guys are quite the live spectacle: "Rarely are words spoken, as each song flows into the next, narrated by a visual presentation." Innnneresting. [cmcentral]
Even though they lost me following 1999's Grammatical Revolution In The Spirit, GRITS are still pumping out quality urban tunes on Gotee Records; this year marks their tenth anniversary, and 7, the duo's seventh album, has thirteen of their 'greatest hits'(such a subjective term),as well as three new tracks and some remixes. 2004's Dichotomy A and Dichotomy B double-album(one released six months after the other) and 2002's The Art of Translation weren't my thing, but they sure got some coverage - and check who they've rocked stages with: Outkast, Goodie Mob(waaaaaaaay back in the day), A Tribe Called Quest and the mighty, mighty DJ Shadow(phenomenal). Wow. 7 is out March 7th.
Something else of interest today over at purevolume.com: Ottawa quartet The Love Machine have hit the front page with their indie-soul muse. Fun.
Two contemporary-Christian acts I actually enjoy, Newsboys and Paul Colman, have joined forces; Colman, late of the Paul Colman Trio(the band parted ways several years ago), has officially joined the mega-popular Australian band as a guitarist/background vocalist/songwriter. Only good can come of this!!
No Use For A Name are coming back to Canada - but not here to Ottawa, where The Fully Down(what up fellas, hope the road's sweet!) opened up for them last year. No, here are the dates:
March 3rd Montreal @ Le Spectrum
March 4th Toronto @ The Opera House
March 13th Winnipeg @ The Ramada Marlborough
March 15th Edmonton @ The Starlight Room & Victory Lounge
March 16th Calgary @ MacEwan Hall Ballroom
March 18th Vancouver @ Richards on Richards
[truthexplosion]
So Bon Jovi's plane slid off the tarmac at Hamilton International Airport the other day as the band flew in for a show at Toronto's Air Canada Centre. Apparently they just plain ran outta runway. Maybe it was slippery when wet.
...
"Slippery When Wet"? Get it? The old Bon Jovi album?
C'mon, people.
A couple random bits gleaned from a cursory glance over at punknews: Yellowcard, having recovered from the departure of founding guitarist Ben Harper, who left to focus on his Takeover Records endeavour, have replaced him with former Staring Back axeman Ryan Mendez. The band have streamed, in full, their new album Lights and Sound, over on their myspace page. Go have a listen.
Horse the Band are reaching tons of new audiences. How do we know this? Because their next tour will be with Poison the Well, The Fall of Troy and Criteria. What? That's...let's see...emotional hardcore, quirky math rock, indie goodness and Horse's unique brand of keyboard-crazed metal all on one bill. Awesome!
The almighty Comeback Kid have not only been nominated for some Canadian Music Awards(in the Indie category), but also for the CBC's Galaxie Rising Stars award, selected based on artistic merit rather than album sales by - presumably - people who know they're talking about. Wake the Dead remains the best hardcore record of the last few years.
Our apologies - for whatever reason, in the previous news post most of it has been HTML-tagged as bold, even though the HTML coding is fine. To quote Dave Chappelle in one of my favourite commercials from a couple years ago: "Wasn't nothing I could do." Ah well. Computers.
Some news via email from our pals at Smallman and Facedown Records has arrived! Woohoo! Everyone stop what you're doing and read on!!
Anyway, now that the sarcasm portion of the evening has passed, here's the news from Smallman Recs in Winnipeg:
- Our Mercury's debut album From Below is set to drop February 28th; the Edmonton band's twelve songs are sure to win us all over in fine fashion. Our Mercury'll be touring Canada beginning in late February, and there's some tunes here and here.
- Comeback Kid, the best hardcore band in existence today, are out doing what they do best(pretty much all they do, actually): touring. Everywhere. Keep an eye out, because unless you live on Neptune, you'll probably see your hometown on their tour itinerary soon.
- The much-delayed new album from Moneen, recorded with the renowned Brian McTernan, will be out ASAP on Vagrant Records. I'm excited.
- Sylvie and Ghosts of Modern Man are both touring Canada in the next month or two; I know March 1st I'll be downtown at Zaphod's watching the former.
- The Reason are getting ready to do a new album with producer Gavin Brown, who you've never heard of except in relation to the massive success Billy Talent enjoyed a couple years ago.
So that's the Smallman camp. Now for Facedown Records, straight outta Killa Cali:
- every single band on both Facedown and subsidiary Strikefirst Records are set to play this year's Facedown Fest out in CA; this will obviously be the largest such event in label history. March 31st-April 1st at the Glasshouse in Pomona, California would be a good place and location to be this spring.
- If you're down in Florida, No Innocent Victim are doing three shows this weekend with Seventh Star:
Jan. 20 - Ocala, FL @ Central Christian Church
Jan. 21 - W. Palm Beach, FL @ Ray's Downtown
Jan. 22 - Jacksonville, FL @ Thee Imperial
- There's a few dates left on the Nodes of Ranvier/Sinai Beach tour alongside August Burns Red and Oblige...man, that's a lot of quality metalcore. Peep this:
Jan. 20 - Portland, OR @ Rock N Roll Pizza
Jan. 21 - San Francisco, CA @ The Pound SF
Jan. 22 - Corona, CA @ Showcase Theatre
Today is a Very Good Day.
Why?
My co-conspirator with this 'zine is one Galen 'Brody' Broaddus of Illinois, and Tuesday morning, just before noon, he and his wife Courtney welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Christian Isaac, to this fair planet. Weighing in at eight pounds, six ounces and twenty-two inches long, he's a strapping lad, and as these pictures I'm looking at attest, cute as a button. We'll lean on Mr. Webmaster to hook us up with some pictures for publication, so we all can glory in this latest gift from God.
Congratulations to the proud new parents!!
And now, the news.
Pigeon John is heading out on the Three's Company tour with Z Man and One Mile Radius(Hiero Imperium) as well as Louis Logic. Check the website for the route. As well, Pigeon John and the Summertime Pool Party, Juan's fourth solo album in four years(prolific much?) drops in the springtime, featuring appearances by - steady now - Rjd2, Brother Ali, J-Live, The Procussions, bTwice, The Pharcyde and Lyrics Born. I'm still hyperventilating over here.
More news later! We promise! Really and for true!
One of the brightest hopes for original music in a long time, Mute Math, are heading out on a fifty-city tour starting tomorrow night, January 19th, in Oklahoma City, OK, behind their new self-titled debut album(a seven-song EP called Reset was released in 2004 as a teaser). Having witnessed their incendiary live show at last year's Cornerstone Festival, I can attest to their prowess as live musicians, so check out their purevolume site under the Shows section to see if the madness is swinging through your town; it covers pretty much the entire continental United States, so really, it shouldn't be that much of a stretch. As well, read the entry for January 18th in the Blog section - it's a revealing look at frontman Paul Meany's thoughts on the "Christian music industry" and why Mute Math's unpleasant label situation is directly correlated. Oh, and listen to the songs while you're at it.
One last thing: Mute Math will be on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson February 1st(12:35am EST). I'll be watching.
What a terrific band.
Spitfire's first album in years, Self-Help, drops February 28th via Goodfellow Records in Hamilton, Ontario. One of the kids from Norma Jean is doing double-duty to lend extra guitar power to Spitfire, and the album will be a beast. Guaranteed. [hxc]
I've found what I believe may be the next big thing out of Alberta: Sylvan Lake's The Dying Effect. Sure, they're not reinventing the wheel with their brand of atmospheric, melodic metal, but they sure are fun. Check 'em out over here.
So...I don't really hype it much here because I try not to be a self-promotion whore, but yours truly does a two-hour weekly rock show here in Ottawa on CHRI FM 99.1; these words are being scribed in that very studio, in fact, out here in Ottawa's east end business-park region. Rather desolate, actually. Anyway. Barren locale notwithstanding, it's a real blessing to work here and spin the madness for the world at large. The website's over here, if you're elsewhere and feel like listening. Show's from 9-11pm Eastern Standard Time. Do the math.
Some Figure Four reunion-show news: an alert reader in Winnipeg(sup Armin you fooligan) mentioned via email that Figure Four are playing alongside Comeback Kid in Vancouver in a couple of weeks - and not only that, but the big show in Toronto on the 21st will also feature CBK. Got all that? Basically, in January, wherever you find either legendary hardcore band, you'll find the other. Aight? Aight.
Here's a curveball: a few of the songs from Dead Poetic's upcoming third album(due out this summer) will be produced by Deftones/Team Sleep main man Chino Moreno. Having heard some of DP's work pre-Four Wall Blackmail, I can attest to their being huge Deftones fans. The band will spend a few days with Moreno in Sacramento later this month before heading up to Seattle to finish up production with Aaron Sprinkle.
There are a couple new song clips up on the band's myspace.
Proving that we might be down, but we're never out, we have some new CD coverage over to the top-right corner there. Enjoy. Here's the news.
The Chariot's brand-new Unsung EP they did with producer Matt Goldman is out in stores now(with, incidentally, some seriously awesome packaging by our boys at Asterik); the album features two new tracks and four re-worked songs from the band's debut(i.e. better-produced). purevolume has four songs including the ripping new tune 'Yanni Depp' up online over here. Go tear into that. Josh Scogin just might have the best vocals in metal. Oh, and one thing I didn't even know is that the CD also includes footage of an entire live set in the band's hometown of Atlanta. Hotlanta!!
Project 86 are putting themselves at the disposal of their fans tonight, January 11th, at seven pm; head over to their website to line up to ask them questions and shower them with affection. [JFH]
If word out of Alaska is true(Anchorage, to be exact), this year may be Audio Adrenaline's last as a band. I haven't paid much attention to them outside of my second job in a long time, but they were one of my favourite bands about ten years ago. We'll see what happens.
We reported a while back that dc Talk's seminal Jesus Freak album(1995) was getting the re-release/expanded-edition treatment, and it looks to be a great one: March 7th will see the new one in stores, featuring a CD/DVD combo including the Jesus Freak and Welcome to the Freak Show live DVDs. There'll also be new remixes, video footage and interviews and expanded liner notes. The album has so far sold over two million copies. Not too shabby.
While still industriously putting together their second album for Island Records(the followup to 2003's War All The Time), Thursday are also putting together a massive collaborative track called 'A City By The Light Divided'; so far they've approached seven bands including The Blood Brothers, Converge, Cursive and The Blackout Pact. They want it to be "truly a collaboration", as opposed to the usual guest vocalists. Innneresting. [punknews]
I guess the disaster with RCA Records wasn't enough of a major-label fiasco for Talib Kweli; one of hiphop's most respected emcees has signed with Warner Bros. Records, along with securing WB marketing and distro for whatever music he and his business partner release under their own Blacksmith Music Corp. label. [Paste]
Essential Listening for today, January 10th, is a mother: War of Ages' self-titled Strikefirst Records debut that came out in 2005. Ten songs of metallic hardcore - featuring one of the most electrifying guitar displays in recent months. These kids can play. Check them out here and/or here.
From the ol' Email Bag:
Widows(formerly The Kirby) have a new song up online called 'I Kiss My Sweetheart With My Fist'(nice). They're booking a huge four-month tour starting next month, so keep an eye out and go listen to the song at purevolume or myspace or wherever.
Illect Recordings in Minnesota is working up some new albums for 2006. Check this highlight list: full-length from Sintax.the.terrific called Curb Appeal, two EPs from Cookbook and UNO Mas of LA Symphony and a collabo between Deepspace5 and producer Beat Rabbi called Deepspace5oul. Catchy. The heat will be here in the new year from the Illect crew!
Some news from the kidlets out at Tooth & Nail Records in Seattle now: Far-Less has a new song up over at purevolume and myspace; song's called 'Jumping the Shark', and there are two others taken from the band's upcoming debut Everyone Is Out to Get Us. Amusing title. As well, though their debut won't be out til March of 2007(that's right, '07), Seattle's own The Classic Crime have a very-advance song up over here. Lastly, Mae will be on tour for a couple weeks with Yellowcard:
1/19/06 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Café
1/20/06 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Club
1/21/06 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrew's Hall
1/22/06 - Cleveland, OH - The Odeon
1/24/06 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
1/26/06 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
1/27/06 - Boston, MA - Axis
1/28/06 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
1/29/06 - Rochester, NY - Water Street Music Hall
2/01/06 - Chicago, IL - Metro
2/04/06 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
2/05/06 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
2/07/06 - Los Angeles, CA - Avalon
2/08/06 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
Well, my day just got a little wrecked by the following statement from Further Seems Forever: "After seven years as a band with various lineups, three records and over a thousand shows, FSF agree it is time to move on to other things in our lives. Further Seems Forever will be playing our final shows in early 2006. They will be with the full electric band. We will be doing spot shows in various cities across the country and Canada. We will do our best to play as many places as possible but several members now have full-time jobs and other full time commitments. We hope to see all our fans out at the shows and look forward to playing for you one more time." Canada? Really? I will be there if it's Ottawa and/or Montreal. Remind me to construct a shrine of remembrance in honour of one of my absolute favourite bands. R.I.P. [saveyourscene]
More band-disbanding news...kinda. Vocalist Jesse Zaraska has left Misery Signals; the band will be holding auditions via their myspace page for a new frontman, while Zaraska has a new project going called Sleeping Girls, featuring other ex-members of Compromise, Zaraska's pre-MS outfit.
Former Ninety Pound Wuss misfit and current Suffering & The Hideous Thieves frontman Jeff Bettger, aka Jeff Suffering, is the man. Want proof? Check this here out. Schweeet.
Earlier today I was wondering with a friend of mine about what had become of Kittie, who are purportedly with a new label after Artemis, and then saw over on absolutepunk that they're indeed touring, in April - with Evergreen Terrace and Calico System? Weird cross-pollination of scenes there.
There's rumours afoot that former Blink-182 guitarist Tom Delonge's new band Angels And Airwaves will be touring with AFI this summer. Pure, sweet truth? Vile, slanderous fiction? Time will tell.
Furthermore, there are other rumours swirling that Slayer will be taking Lamb of God on the road. Wow. That's a lot of metal for one evening.
Zao's new album will done in a couple weeks; check out some tentative song titles thus far:
'Physician Heal Thyself'
'Everything You Love Will Soon Fly Away'
'American Sheets on the Deathbed'
'Killing Time Until It's Time To Die'
'Kingdom Of Thieves'
At least they're not like thirty-word song titles like Zao's old stuff. Remember Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest? Holy cow. I love me some Zao, I do.
I bet touring with Denison Witmer and Copeland last summer had something to do with it: Rainer Maria are insisting that they are not putting out an album on The Militia Group label(Witmer and Copeland both call TMG home). So there!
'Little Hitlers' is a brand-new Remembering Never tune, taken from their soon-to-be-in-stores third album God Save Us - download it over here.
The other day I mentioned a piece I contributed to cmusicweb, whereby Thrice had topped my year-end list. Now. Had Vheissu not come out, Comeback Kid's Wake the Dead would have won top spot in my humble book by a landslide - and they're doing some Canadian shows! Check it out:
01.24.06 | Regina, SK @ The Exchange | w/Go it Alone
01.25.06 | Saskatoon, SK @ The Basement | w/Go it Alone
01.26.06 | Calgary, AB @ The Underground | w/Go it Alone
01.28.06 | Vancouver, BC @ TBA
It doesn't lessen the blow of Further Seems Forever's demise, but everyone's favourite Weezer knockoffs, OZMA, are back in the saddle again. Hooray for power pop!
And just so no one accuses us here at the D of not being metal enough, I just wanted to say that Unearth's debut The Stings of Conscience remains an absolute landmark. See ya later, jerkies.
So my Most Spun of 2005 are up over at cmusicweb.com. Ch-ch-check it out. Hooray for pimping myself!
One of 2005's suprise hits was He Is Legend(Solid State Records) and their debut album I Am Hollywood; it got them a ton of touring slots all over north America, comparisons to the mighty Every Time I Die(and they're almost as skilled on their individual instruments, as a listen to IAH will reveal) and a big ol' fanbase who love them some metal. Now the lads from North Carolina have announced they're heading into an unnamed studio in March to begin work on their sophomore album, and I for one am excited. [IVM]
Apparently The Juliana Theory didn't quite fulfil their contractual obligations to Tooth & Nail Records; the Nail will release A Small Noise, a greatest-hits package from Juliana, February 7th(tentatively). No idea what will be on it, but it better have all the best tunes from Emotion Is Dead.
A small teaser from this year's Starflyer 59 album(they do literally one a year almost) has been unveiled on their myspace page; the song's called 'Nice Guy'.
Speaking of new stuff on myspace(who isn't putting up new stuff on myspace?), another of 2005's breakout artists, Mute Math, have unleashed a song called 'Chaos' over here.
Cornerstone Festival has announced the opening slew of confirmed bands for the 2006 edition; they pulled out Sixty Bands in Six Days starting Christmas Day. Some of the highlights: P.O.D., Headnoise(a certain sd supporter loves them), No Innocent Victim, Underoath, MxPx, Project 86 and Israeli/Canadian act Man Alive(more on them later). It'll be a great four days this summer - July 5th-8th.
Man Alive's Open Surgery(The Militia Group), in fact, is one of several new albums I've picked up lately and been spinning nonstop; full of catchy hooks, actual lyrics instead of just random rhymes and a punk spirit that's undeniable, this one's a winner. Other recent grabs of note:
- Nodes of Ranvier, The Years to Come: once you get past the Lamb of God similarities(and they're relatively few), this is a heck of a metal record.
- Danger Doom, The Mouse and the Mask: DJ Danger Mouse combining his beats and production with the rapping of MF Doom? Unstoppable!! Plus the skits are screaming funny.
- Sleeper Set Sail, Eyes Like Forest Fires: the proper full-length debut for the St. Catharines quartet rocks me with beautiful textures and skill waaaay beyond their years(they're just out of high school!).
- Nile, Annihilation of the Wicked: can you say, "Blast beats everywhere underneath raging Nile-rivers of guitar and lyrics entirely about ancient Egypt?" Death metal at its best.
The date and I were watching Wedding Crashers last night(passably funny movie - Will Ferrell stole the entire flick with one unforgettable scene) and what do you suppose was the song behind the end credits? The Weakerthans' 'Left and Leaving'. I thought that was pretty rad.
Didn't really get much out of them under their old name, but whatever: Number One Fan have changed their name to, um, The Robins. Yeah, I think it's weird too.
If you're not yet stoked on P.O.D.'s upcoming sixth album Testify, give 'Goodbye For Now' a listen over here. I actually am excited.
I didn't even know he was in a band: producer Aaron Sprinkle(Tooth & Nail's de facto in-house knob-twiddler) and his band Fair are in the studio now; T&N will release their debut album in the springtime. How 'bout that.
Well, mark your calendars, scene kids: Fall Out Boy, unquestionably one of the hottest bands around, are taking three more of the hottest bands around out on tour. Beginning March 1st, All American Rejects, Hawthorne Heights and From First to Last will open for FOB for over two months, ending May 7th at the second annual Bamboozle Fest in New Jersey. Tour dates can be found on any of the bands' websites, none of which I'm willing to go to the trouble of using HTML to put here. I'm lazy like that. [altpress]
Speaking of Hawthorne Heights, who I don't much enjoy, they're taking Emery, Anberlin and Bleed the Dream out on tour starting February 10th. I do like those three bands, so go see the show if it swings through yo' hood:
2/10/2006 - Toledo, OH @ HEADLINER'S
2/13/2006 - Fargo, ND @ PLAYMAKER PAVILLION
2/14/2006 - Sioux City, IA @ LEWIS BOWL & SPORTS BAR
2/15/2006 - Columbia, MO @ BLUE NOTE
2/16/2006 - Springfield, MO @ THE OASIS
2/17/2006 - Wichita, KS @ COTILLION
2/19/2006 - Tulsa, OK @ CAIN'S BALLROOM
2/20/2006 - Memphis, TN @ NEW DAISY THEATRE
2/23/2006 - Myrtle Beach, SC @ HOUSE OF BLUES - MYRTLE BEACH
2/24/2006 - Winston-Salem, NC @ ZIGGY'S
3/3/2006 - Poughkeepsie, NY @ THE CHANCE
3/4/2006 - S. Burlington, VT @ HIGHER GROUND
3/5/2006 - Lancaster, PA @ CHAMELEON CLUB
3/6/2006 - Allentown, PA @ CROCKODILE ROCK
Three newly-confirmed bands for this year's Warped Tour: Underoath, Every Time I Die and Against Me!(who, incidentally, just signed a deal with Sire Records - let the crap-talking begin!).
Check it out: our boys in The Fullblast are getting some. Some press, that is. Calm down! Have a sense of humour! Honestly!
Some further info on Pedro the Lion's recent breakup: main man David Bazan will apparently release a solo album under his own name on Jade Tree Records in 2007, while T.W. Walsh, who inspired the breakup by deciding to focus less on music and more on his vocation in software engineering, has a band called Soft Drugs who will put out an album later this year. [aversion]
It's not much, but anything surrounding Converge is newsworthy: the band announced via its website that the various members have re-converged(sorry) from their various other endeavours to begin writing the follow up to 2004's You Fail Me. I really just wanted an excuse to make that lousy pun. Really.
Thrice have picked band favourite 'Red Sky' as the next single from 2005's best album, Vheissu. It's the epic closer to the album, and while I personally would have gone with 'Music Box'(love that jam), it's a great tune. The problem, according to mtv.com, is that the band have no idea what the video will be like. Rad. Good start, fellas! Thumbs up!!....geez, we're sarcastic when we're tired. But Thrice knows we love 'em.
Dredg have been added to this year's Taste of Chaos tour(Deftones, As I Lay Dying, etc), hitting Ottawa April 14th. Or maybe they were on the original lineup and we just weren't paying attention.
Nice editorial slant here. [Thanks, rockrebel]
Happy belated New Year, one and all. Today's Essential Listening is an emo band playing their tunes with reckless abandon(catchy pullquote, no?): Downtown Singapore are coming straight out the east coast, showing off over here. In fact, they're from Waldorf, Maryland, home also to a little band called Good Charlotte. Here's hoping DS can restore their fine city's reputation.
Okay, here's the deal with Dead Poetic: aside from being really good about keeping their fanbase updated with what's going on(new album later this year, doncha know), starting yesterday they're putting on little teaser clips on their myspace page so we, the loyal listener, can hear bits and pieces of what's going on before the band enter the studio for real on January 30th. Check out myspace.com/deadpoetic for a peek at a song called 'The Victim'. The band's been playing it live for about six months now(including Cornerstone Festival back in July), but now everyone gets a crack at it. Enjoy. More mini-clips will be posted January 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th.
Ever think a screamo band could have a hardcore vocalist? It exists, in the form of UK band Burst, whose Origo album came out a couple months ago in their native land; Relapse Records has done us all a favour and put up this little e-card. Check this hotness out. Reminds me of Life In Your Way's balance of aggression and lovely guitar work. Gorgeous. [scenepointblank]
NME is reporting that a Nirvana documentary will begin screening at various film festivals next fall - except this one is different in that Kurt Cobain himself will 'narrate'. The film will rely on around twenty-five hours of taped interviews Cobain did with journalist Michael Azzerad - and if Azzerad's name rings a bell, it's because his book Come As You Are remains, arguably, the most authoritative document of Nirvana's existence. The doc remains untitled at this point.
I received an unpleasant text message about this over the weekend: due to Tim Walsh's not being able to continue, Pedro the Lion have broken up. In a statement, Walsh said, "I was finding it hard to support my family with the sporadic income that being a professional musician on this level provided. The amount of travel required(one hundred-plus days a year) was difficult for me and my family to sustain. There were also creative and interpersonal variables in the equation." Pedro kingpin David Bazan is unwilling to go on performing under the PTL moniker, so that's that. Bummer!
As we reported last week, Grade's ex-bassist is now part of a new band called To The Lions - check out their website to hear the mid-'90s hardcore action. Gritty.
Think Fast! records down in Florida(former label home of seminal Ottawa hardcore band Miles Between Us) has signed New Jersey's Between the Wars. Featuring Ensign frontman Tim Shaw and a guy who used to be in Thursday(nice pedigree there), BTW will have their new EP Less We Believe available "early on in the new year", meaning right around now. Keep an eye out for tunes hitting the web.
This one's a bit of a shocker, but then when you think about it, not really: synthesizer/effects maestro Matt Bayles(you have a ton of records he produced) has decided to leave Minus the Bear, the band he helped found a few years back. The band will presumably soldier on without him until they find a new synth player. [altpress]
More later, after the date and I go check out Fun With Dick and Jane. Yay for new Jim Carrey movies!!