In a really good interview with ScenePointBlank, jack-of-all-trades Dr. Dan Yemin of Paint It Black, Armalite and the soon-to-release-new-music Lifetime dishes on real hardcore, what he thinks of Alexisonfire, and "crappy Christian rock bands." Entertaining read. Check it out over here.
Hey, kids - the redesign of our ancient layout is happening at its sometimes-glacial, sometimes-meteoric pace; I've gotten a look at what the webmaster extraordinaire has in mind, and it's a sweet piece of work. Stay tuned.
The rumoured Canadian tour featuring headliners Billy Talent with openers Rise Against, Anti-Flag and Moneen has taken shape:
JANUARY
18 - SAVE-ON FOODS MEMORIAL CENTRE, VICTORIA, BC
19 - PACIFIC COLISEUM, VANCOUVER, BC
21 - PROSPERA PLACE, KELOWNA, BC
23 - ENMAX CENTRE, LETHBRIDGE, AB
24 - PENGROWTH SADDLEDOME, CALGARY, AB
25 - REXALL PLACE, EDMONTON, AB
27 - CREDIT UNION CENTRE, SASKATOON, SK
29 - MTS CENTRE, WINNIPEG, MB
FEBRUARY
2 - AIR CANADA CENTRE, TORONTO, ON
3 - OTTAWA CIVIC CENTRE, OTTAWA, ON
5 - BELL CENTRE, MONTREAL, QC
6 - COLISEE PEPSI, QUEBEC CITY, PQ
8 - JOHN LABATT CENTRE, LONDON, ON
In Ottawa a week before my birthday! Awesome. [punkhardcore]
I ain't a huge fan of any of the bands involved in this story with the exception of the last one mentioned, but this is why I love the music scene I do: From First to Last frontman Sonny is having super-duper vocal troubles related to vocal surgery he had recently, and cannot perform on the band's imminent tour with headliners Atreyu. So what do FFTL do? They enlist Chiodos main man Craig Owens, also on the tour, who will now pull double duty every freakin' night, with spells occasionally from dudes in Every Time I Die. That's hardcore. Good on all them guys. [AP]
Those happy fellers in Converge have done gone posted their entire new record No Heroes(it seems like yesterday that You Fail Me came out) up on their Myspace. Big of them!
Sucks to be these guys - and I'm a big fan too: Protest the Hero are without the services of guitarist Luke Hoskin, who was busted - for the second time - with marijuana in the U.S. Hoskin has been sent home and is not allowed reentry into the States until further advised. Protest are presently on tour with Trivium and The Sword(badass tour!!), and are planning to ask Trivium main meister Matt Heafy to help out, as well as putting out the call: if they're coming to your town and you wanna play guitar(provided you're not an idiot with the instrument), contact them via Myspace or whatever. This is your big chance to be a rock star, you doofuses!! Giddy up!!
New music from everyone's favourite multiracial metal band Killswitch Engage is to be had over here.
'Bout time we get our 'spects: starting in January at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, there'll be an exhibit honouring the Warped Tour, the longest-running annual festival. Gear, clothing and other miscellaneous crap will be enshrined at the Hall. "It's a great honor for the Hall to recognize the success of Warped, and I know it's a special thing for a lot of the bands," said Warped founder/guru Kevin Lyman. Items were donated by bands ranging from old-schoolers NOFX right up to the likes of My Chemical Romance(how a band with three proper albums somehow has earned this is beyond me, but who the hell asked me in the first place?). [MTV]
A band with a couple of stupidly catchy tunes that even this jaded hipster likes have been tapped to headline the next installment of the Take Action Tour: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus will play last every night on the sixth edition, starting in February; no other acts have been announced. The tour benefits the Youth Assistance Hotline, raising over a hundred thousand dollars with last year's effort. [aversion]
Anyone remember Hotornot.com? I never once saw it myself, but I heard about it lots a year or two or three ago, and now Cartel have ripped off the theme for their latest single "Honestly"(by far one of the catchiest of the year). Check it out over here.
According to a post by drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, Smashing Pumpkins are nose to the grindstone working on their upcoming "comeback" album. For anyone who's interested.
I saw them live in 2001 before any of you fools even knew the name, so there, scenesters!!! Ahem..um...Rise Against are going the DVD route, pledging to have one in stores before the end of this year; Generation Lost contains Warped '05 interview footage and live stuff from Los Angeles earlier this year. Rock rock on. Release date is December 5th, just in time for your punk-ass Christmas.
Jimmy Eat World frontman Jim Adkins is a wiseass.
Hatebreed rolled through town last night on the Core Across Canada II tour with Sworn Enemy and Scars of Tomorrow(big ups to openers Outnumbered, who I've loved since I first heard them years ago), and they retained their crowd as the loudest band I've ever heard, and I've heard hundreds. Eighteen hours later and I'm still half deaf. Well done.
November 21st is a good day, as The Devil and God Are Raging Against Me, the newest from Brand New, comes out that day. Check out 'Sowing Season', up now on their Myspace. [punkhardcore]
Stop the presses: Weird Al Yankovic has a new record out! What're you still around here for? You should all be stampeding to your nearest music retailer!!
R&B blockbuster John Legend has some rather well-known fellows assisting him with his new record Once Again: Black Eyed Peas mastermind Will.I.Am and bigger-than-the-galaxy cultural icon Kanye West both make appearances, and since Legend was put in the "right mental space" to make the album by none other than Tony Bennett, well, that's enough star power for this hack writer. [Enough with the ads already]
There's a sweet new Sick Of It All tribute album being put together by their label(Abacus Recordings out in killa California). It's called Our Impact Will Be Felt, featuring contributions from such luminaries as Rise Against, Hatebreed(here in Ottawa next Wednesday, the 25th!), Unearth, Bleeding Through, Bouncing Souls, Pennywise, Sepultura and more. This one will destroy us all. It's due to be released January 23rd.
I Am The Avalanche frontman Vinnie Caruana has issued a cry for help of sorts - but not because some nincompoop left the van unlocked and all their stuff's gone; no no no. He's participating in a walk for diabetes this weekend in Manhattan/Brooklyn, and looking for sponsors. It's a worthy cause. To help him out with pledges(large, small or otherwise), click here. Thanks fuzzlings.
Some more interesting artists participating in tomorrow night's Rock for Darfur event happening all over America: Switchfoot are playing in Boise, Idaho, Insane Clown Posse in St. Petersburg, Florida(they still exist??) and Sparta in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which I'd love to go see. Good for Myspace and assorted sponsors for getting this together.
Metal show tonight for those in the Ottawa area. 9-11pm on CHRI 99.1 FM. Gonna blow the roof off the dump(David Letterman).
So payola still lives on in the radio business, but crime, evidently, still does not pay.
Pedal-steel master Robert Randolph, who along with his Family Band just released their second album Colorblind, wishes people would realize there's more to "black music" than just blingy rap. Check this out. Colorblind features guests like Eric Clapton and that sort. High class all the way. [rockrebel]
Got a text message from my boy Berthiaume this morning five minutes into my programming class - perhaps the biggest show of the season or the year has been announced. November 30th at Ottawa's Capital Music Hall downtown, Silverstein headlines with support from The Sleeping, A Wilhelm Scream, I Am the Avalanche and Australians I Killed the Prom Queen. That is a monster of a show, and you'd be best served getting your ducats now, because I guarantee this sells out.
The cashing in continues, twelve and a half years after his body was discovered: Nirvana are releasing yet another best-of sort of thing - well, not really. Their original 1994 VHS release Live! Tonight! Sold Out! is gonna be reissued November 7th on DVD by Geffen Records(who are still making money off Cobain). The film was originally completed by drummer Dave Grohl and bassist Krist Novoselic after Kurt's death, and has been enhanced with the regular goodies. [Bedlam]
If you're in Australia/New Zealand, or just like traveling, the lineup for the 15th annual Big Day Out festival has been announced, featuring Tool, My Chemical Romance, Muse, The Killers and more.
P.O.D., in honour of their new best-of(you know, the contract-filler), have a new song up on their Myspace.. Apparently it's good.
Some devout fan of Tooth & Nail Records has gone so far as to do remixes of bands like Mae and Starflyer 59; no word on how legal or not this is, but the stuff is over here if you're interested in hearing it before the lawyers emerge. [IVM]
The trailer looks so badass even I might overcome my innate bias against comic-book movies - which flick, you ask? Ghost Rider, of course!
Interestingly enough given the long-ago demise of their label at the time, SaGoh 24/7's tunes have wound up available on iTunes. This is the band that three-fifths of Anberlin were in prior to their success nowadays. Sadly, Five Iron Frenzy are not anywhere to be found on iTunes, a travesty of justice.
I had noticed his name missing from the liner notes in their best-of released earlier this year, and now former Further Seems Forever vocalist Jason Gleason has kinda responded to the slam in this interview. Ugly situation all around. Note, too, the leading question by the interviewer about the Tooth & Nail situation. Innnteresting.
Some concert news for the high-profile set: the Red Hot Chili Peppers are being smart and taking the meteorically-rising Gnarls Barkley out on tour across north America starting in January; keep an eye out for the tourdates, which we'll pass along ASAP. [Bedlam]
Pissing rain on Tuesday night.
Fortunately, I have this outlet to keep me satisfied.
Terror were added to an already stacked lineup next Wednesday night, October 25th, at the Capital Music Hall here in lovely downtown Ottawa, and then unadded(read: they ain't showing up). Hatebreed headlines with support from Sworn Enemy, Scars of Tomorrow, Drillpoint and local boys Outnumbered. Still a hell of a show.
And if you like the screamo - and who doesn't like the screamo? - Arizona's Greeley Estates are rolling into Maverick's downtown November 23rd along with Drop Dead Gorgeous. I might go. I kinda like GR.
Sum 41 - still kickin' - are getting ready to record their new album. Anyone know who their new guitarist is after Brownsound quit earlier this year? Anyway, frontman Deryck Whibley(aka Mr. Avril) says there's a bunch of songs to pick through: "We pretty much write twelve songs and twelve songs make the album. This time we have about eighteen songs." [AP.net]
It takes absolutepunk.net to tell me that The Beatles have a new album in the pipeline? What?
I heard My Chemical Romance's new single "The Black Parade" at school today - I dig it. Somewhere under the "goth", "retro" and "post-hardcore" tags, MCR are a pure punk rock band, in my humble opinion. Oh, and they're apparently planning on recording their next album over in Japan. For anyone interested in such miniutiae. Oh, and another thing: buzzgrinder.com is freakin' awesome.
It's a glorious day, pouring rain or not, for Converge have NEW MUSIC ONLINE - head over here to listen to 'No Heroes'. Such pure craziness after all these years - Bannon's throat really sounds shredded. He won't be able to speak by the time he's fifty if he doesn't ease off the trigger a little.
A while back, the story goes, a trapped miner rescued after two weeks, while still underground, requested an iPod full of Foo Fighters to listen to to endure - and recently, frontman Dave Grohl fulfilled his promise to meet the guy.
Sketchy, but she's smoking hot, so I'll permit this: actress Scarlett Johansson is prepping to release Scarlett Sings Tom Waits, according to unconfirmed reports from the US of A. That's right - a covers album by the Lost in Translation star featuring the iconic singer/songwriter. This better be awesome or so atrocious winds up being awesome.
Night before last(October 15th), the last chords were strummed on the legendary CBGBs stage in New York City; Patti Smith headlined the last-ever show at the venue that pretty much birthed American punk rock with The Ramones. Damn shame I never made it down there.
My boys The Fully Down are on the front page of PureVolume.com. Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout. 'Course, they're also on tour right now with Norma Jean and Between the Buried and Me, so I'm insanely jealous with murderous rage.
Also on the front page of PureVolume are our friends in Demon Hunter. Go listen to 'em! "Undying" is so badass.
With all the signings of the past year, it was only a matter of time before Abacus lost someone: for undisclosed reasons the reunited Turmoil have chosen to leave the label - and hey, if you're a label, they're looking for someone to release their new album in 2007. [saveyourscene]
Not to be outdone by those bowl-cut pansies the Beatles, Motor City legends The Stooges are doing a new album, due out in 2007. Some titles of the new songs include "Greedy Awful People," "Claustrophobia," "Mexican Guy" and "I'm Fried." Awesome. *raucous laughter*
Rap news! We swing a lotta ways around here at the D. Anyhoo, west-coast MC Braille has another project in the works; Box of Rhymes, previously only available in Japan, is set for north American release in a week or two. This guy devastates on the mic, let me assure you here. Preorder the album over here if you're down with real rap. [SOHH]
And another guy in the same crew as Braille Brizzy(that being Oregon's Lightheaded, who are, in a word, unbelievable), the venerable Othello, also released his latest record, Alive at the Assembly Line, over in Japan - and that, too, is expected to be made available on this side of the pond in short order. There are lots of commas in this byte.
And finally in rap newz(that's "news" in hip hop lingo - no it's not), the oldest-skool of them all(arguably), Gospel Gangstaz are still at it, announcing that they're releasing a DVD called Street Disciples that is apparently "a telling [story] of their group and personal history." I'll watch it! Pick me! Pick me!!
A quick update on what's happening around here at the D: a new design and layout is in the works, slowly on, as we're all adults around here with adult lives and concerns ranging from school to children to whatever. So keep your pants on. Secondly, a slew of interviews are coming down the pipeline, including Thrice, Strike Anywhere, Comeback Kid and Underoath, in that order. Lastly, today's Essential Listening is The Explosion's 2004 major-label debut Black Tape. Fantastic from beginning to end. Find it. That's a command. Hup to.
How 'bout them boys(and girls): Skillet, who I used to listen to back in high school, had their latest album Comatose blow into the Top 200 in its first week, scanning almost 20,000 copies. I still don't have a copy where I work. [JFH]
I haven't really dug their later material, but damn if Tennessee duo Grits haven't carved out an impressive career for themselves over the last ten or twelve years - and their new album Redemption, coming out November 21st, bears guest appearances that in my humble opinion overshadow whatever grudge I may bear against Coffee and Bonafide themselves for veering towards the mainstream. Check this out: LA Symphony alums Pigeon John and bTwice appear, as well as Antonio Neal and Canibus. That's so dope I can barely contain myself within my epidermis. I may pay serious attention to this effort.
Skid Row frontman Sebastien Bach will soon join the ever-elusive and now-bastardized Guns 'N Roses on tour. Don't care. [Paste]
Aid agency Oxfam is the beneficiary of Myspace's biggest philanthropic effort to date: October 21st, more than twenty disparate artists ranging from Alice In Chains to singer/songwriter Jamie Cullum will play shows across north America, with a portion of the proceeds going to Oxfam and Rock For Darfur, aiming to heighten awareness of the humanitarian crisis currently engulfing Sudan and Chad. Actor Samuel L. Jackson is also recording a trailer/public-service announcement that will air in theatres across the continent this month. The lone Canadian event on the slate has The Fray performing at the Kool Haus in Toronto, and other artists of note here at the D include Atreyu rocking Sonar in Baltimore, Maryland, +44(ex-Blink-182) playing in Sacramento, California at the Boardwalk and - hello! - veterans Jars of Clay at Marantha Hall in Minneapolis. Support the Myspace page and event.
My roommate is part of the same fraternity as laid-back "I can see clearly now" crooner Jimmy Buffett, so he'll be interested to know that Mr. Buffett, 59, was busted with over a hundred tablets of ecstasy coming off an airplane last week; he paid a fine and was detained, then released. Nice.
I don't even need to elaborate on how awesome this might be: rumour has it that Danger Mouse, one-half of the wildly popular Gnarls Barkley, is orchestrating a collaborative effort between Ohio rockers The Black Keys and R&B legend Ike Turner. How RAD would this BE??
DJ Rossstar was temporarily immortalized last night on The Late Late Show; Say Anything performed and their drummer rocked a Rossstar t-shirt. Hoo ha!
With their sophomore album Porcelain due out next spring, noisemongers The Chariot have posted a predictably-awesomely-titled new track called 'Elvish Presley' up on their Myspace dwelling. G'wan and check it out. Oh, and once again the band are working with quickly-rising producer Matt Goldman in his Atlanta studios, and not only does the recent Underoath DVD prove Mr. Goldman has amazing facial hair, but he plays in Smalltown Poets to boot. Propers. [punknews]
This is exciting: Classic Case, featuring former members of Glassjaw and Beloved, have finished their new record, recorded with Helmet frontman Page Hamilton. Fearless Records will have it out early in the new year.
Um, wow: the day before they left on tour, Bloodlined Calligraphy vocalist Ally French let the band know via text message that she would not be in attendance, having decided to move to Oklahoma with her husband. On top of that, BLG's drummer decided he too was done. "Friends of the band" have apparently stepped into the fray, so the show goes on, but wow.
Funny, I figured they were on their way up what with MxPx's Mike Herrera producing their record and touring with Reel Big Fish, Brandtson etc - but hey, what the hizzle do I know? Transition, after their entire support apparatus apparently just came apart, have decided to call it quits after eight years. "This past July things crumbled to our feet in a truly poetic way," reads their statement. "It was a beautiful mistake. We had not given anything up, but the uncontrollable things around us, our management, our booking, our tours, had all seemed to fall to pieces."
Of personal interest to us here at the D, Thrice ringleader Dustin Kensrue has signed with Equal Vision Records, who will release Dustin's solo debut Please Come Home in January. Good on all involved.
An unbelievably badass tour comprising Set Your Goals and the mighty Terror goes down starting November 4th; no dates of interest to local sweetdisasterites as yet - or Canadians in general, for that matter. Someone better take this ball and run with it.
First-ever college midterm = done.
Thanksgiving weekend, including a getaway to the parents' riverfront home = imminent. Thank God.
Solid State Records' August Burns Red ripped through town the other night opening for Bleeding Through, and we'll have some pictures of both bands along with Ottawa boys Vimy Ridge(impressive!) up as soon as we possibly can. And by 'up', we mean 'the Big Cheese will put them on his photobucket.com site and link accordingly.' That's our steezy.
By the way - this Thanksgiving weekend, remember what you're giving thanks for, and do not forget those less fortunate than you. They're out there - don't ignore them.
The Myriad, whose debut Never Trust A Ladder vaulted them to instant fame and riches(not really), are working on their sophomore album With Arrows, With Poise, aiming to have it out by next spring. They'll work for a couple more weeks, and then October 24th kick off a national tour with Lovedrug that will take them into December. Dates are over at either band's website or Myspace page. Get off your duffs and go look. [phantomtollbooth]
Mute Math, fresh off finally solving their legal battles with their label and earning the right to release their music any damn way they please, are touring their new self-titled album(came out two weeks ago). They'll be in Montreal with Tooth & Nailers Jonezetta on November 7th, and check out a video of a live performance of 'Chaos' at Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre.
Incubus and Disturbed are still active rock bands. I had no idea.
To my distinct lack of surprise, Atreyu have jumped from Victory Records to Hollywood Records. Perfect. Just perfect. [theprp]
I wondered on-air the other day about the fate of Chevelle, who about a year ago punted their bass player - and since the band is a trio of brothers, that must've been ugly. Well, they're still around, working on their next album, due out next spring. Good on them for persevering.
Some pictures for you to regard with quizzical looks on your faces.
Comeback Kid/Dropkick Murphys/Bad Religion - right over here.
Starfield, doing a low-key show at the Life Centre Church out in Ottawa's east end - right over here.
Moneen and Underoath at the Civic Centre last week - right over here.
Last-minute notice: c'mon and check out Lancaster, Pennsylvania wrrecking crew August Burns Red tonight at Babylon. They'll go onstage about seven-thirtyish. Walls of Jericho and Bleeding Through headline, with local boys Vimy Ridge opening up. Babylon's at 317 Bank Street downtown. Word.
Nothing quite like working on-air at a radio station, banging sweet tunes half the evening, then getting a call from the main engineer who's out south of town at the transmitter site, installing a new compressor, and then BAM! Suddenly the sound improves a whole hell of a lot. Pretty righteous.
Maybe that's just my experience, I guess.
Some news.
The 2006-07 NHL season gets underway tomorrow night, and those of us here at the D who care at all about hockey are tres excitee, as the hometown Ottawa Senators open the campaign in Toronto where they'll drub the Leafs on home ice, followed by another ass-kick-a-thon here in Ottawa the very next night. Oh it's sweet.
The legendary DJ Shadow, whose brand-new effort The Outsider kind of won me over in the last couple weeks(some truly bad cuts, but some dope shiz too), is having a video contest for his next single, 'This Time.' According to the man born Josh Davis in Oakland, California, submissions can be "animations, offcuts, brief sketches, film scenes, caught-on-camera clips, out-takes, voiceovers or random footage, whether humorous, dark, edgy, juvenile, insightful or thought-provoking." So if you're down with film and video editing and you love one of the best decksmen alive, submit your take to DJShadowVideo.com until October 20th. Shadow will, of course, pick the winner, who will get cash, not to mention global promotion from a dude who's spun records in most parts of it. Awesome contest. Makes me wish I had talent. [buzzgrinder]
Another dude whose newest album really impressed me is Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carrabba - and I ain't alone: Chris will be music supervisor for the October 4th(tomorrow!) episode of Laguna Beach, which to this man's taste is a really stupid show, but whatever, let's not be defeatist here.
Mastodon are gonna play Late Night with Conan O'Brien on November 1st, according to their Myspace bulletin - and speaking of that, Evanescence played Conan's little shindig last night, and aside from vocalist Amy Lee's doubled vocals(she obviously can't sing two parts simultaneously, so quit bitching) and a couple flat notes - and some remarkably unenthusiastic stage presence aside from Lee and drummer Rocky Gray - it was half-decent. Call me a fan, not like I wasn't before.
Living Sacrifice, as I've stated with every mention of Evanescence, were the best metal band on the planet before Rocky, who played guitar, quit to join this other band. Hmph.
February, if it goes as planned by Life In Your Way and their Solid State Records label people, will be epic, as Waking Giants is scheduled to be released in that month - my birthday month, in case anyone wants to buy me lavish gifts of melodic-hardcore greatness. LIYW have busted their asses roaring outta Jersey for years now, and it's good to know they'll have proper pushing from a label this time out. Check out 2004's Ignite and Rebuild for proof.