Ahoy mateys. Some catchup news!
I've heard Rides Again mentioned time and time again the last few years; the Ontario band will soon put out their latest album Into Existence next month, and for the last two years these cats have been touring with a high school motivational-speaking outfit, playing tons of shows early in the morning. That is strikingly different from most of their peers, worthy of a mention. To hear their shizzle, hit up their Myspace. [chartattack]
Wintersleep will, on October 2nd(that's shaping up to be a big release day, by the way), release Welcome to the Night Sky, their third album - and their first with an actual title. Titles or not, their first two efforts of roots rock, acoustic shimmering and haunting vocals have been sublime. Check out chartattack's interview! The band plays Barrymore's here in Ottawa October 20th, and I'm gonna do my damndest to be there.
I stole the album from my girlfriend's radio station a month ago: Patrick Watson won this year's $20,000 Polaris Music Prize, the second annual award(last year's inaugural winner was Final Fantasy's Owen Pallet), for his album Close to Paradise. Thankfully, the prize is some big money, because Watson and his bandmates wrecked a tour van in the United States last year, and a bill from Budget Rentals had just come in at around sixteen grand. Ouch. That leaves Watson and his compatriots four thousand to play with. Congratulations!
Suppose we should mention it, just 'cause everyone else is: Kanye West's new record Graduation Day is killing his counterpart 50 Cent's Curtis in sales; Fitty had said he would retire if Kanye beat him. Well, Kanye annihilated him. Fitty? Over to you.
On a related note - Kanye's DJ A-Trak(what up Montreal) will accompany Ye himself on Saturday Night Live this weekend, September 29th. One of two reasons to watch - the other? Weekend Update. Of course.
Optimus Prime, one of the baddest mofos ever, could be back on the big screen with his Autobot homies as soon as the summer of 2009; directors Bay and Spielberg(no first names necessary, are there?) have both reportedly expressed interest in creating the sequel. [Relevant]
A quick shout-out to some dudes who crashed at my place earlier this year after a show: Arkansas/Houston/California act Spoken's new self-titled album hit store shelves yesterday; do yourself a favour and cop that quick.
I personally use another photo-storage service online, and this makes me glad I do: a Texas family has sued Virgin Mobile after a photo was lifted from a Flickr account without consent and used in an ad campaign. Hooray for big business.
Not two months after the release of their major-label debut(the superior Singularity), Mae have announced the departure of their keyboardist and bassist, who've left to do the married-man thing. The band will soldier on, and will head on tour with Motion City Soundtrack and Anberlin this fall. [AP]
Fall Out Boy covered Green Day's seminal '90s anthem 'Basket Case' live in the Philippines last week. I report this for no other reason than my longtime fanboy-dom concerning Green Day.
This one is a stunner: founding drummer Daniel Davison has decided to leave Norma Jean, citing personal and spiritual differences with the rest of the band. I have to thank him here for arranging the one and only interviewinterview we've done with NJ(and the much-missed Beloved!).
Another '90s hardcore legend has announced a one-off reunion show: Indecision will play the Knitting Factory in NYC November 18th. Indecision later gave birth to, among others, Most Precious Blood, two of whose alumni will perform. [SPB]
Not to be outdone, Sex Pistols will reunite for a November 8th show at the Brixton Academy in Old Blighty(better known as London, England), in honour of the 30th anniversary of Never Mind the Bollocks.
Essential Listening for today, September 25th, is a band I met in the press tent at Cornerstone Festival months ago; tonight, I finally got around to listening to their EP, and it's been blowing me away. Check out The Separate. Reminds me a lot of Gin Blossoms crossed with Copeland, Jimmy Eat World and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Well played.
An album that thoroughly surprised me during a late-night Wii marathon last weekend was the new covers album from New Found Glory. While From the Screen to Your Stereo Vol. 1 featured poorly-picked songs, Vol. 2 features great tunes in their own right(most of them, anyway), redone as only NFG can. Terrific.
Prayers and thoughts go out to the family and friends of an unnamed 20-year-old man who died Monday night during a Smashing Pumpkins show in Vancouver; reports indicate the fan was either crowdsurfing or moshing, and police do not suspect any foul play. [RS]
An enormous treat for fans of perhaps the best band in Canada: The Weakerthans have made their entire new album Reunion Tour available online - and the first song alone references such disparate entities as sweetdisaster's home province of Ontario and actress Jennifer Jason Leigh. Amazing.
Everyone go read our comprehensive coverage/critique of this summer's Montreal stop on the Vans Warped Tour! Right up top there! Pictures included! It's a good time.
On a related topic - New Found Glory's cover of 'The Promise' on their new album From The Screen to Your Stereo Vol. 2 features fellow Floridian Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional on vocals. We haven't heard the song yet - however, we did heard NFG cover Sixpence None the Richer at Warped, and that was a good time.
Our good friends No Trigger just got back from fifty-four days in Europe on tour with Set Your Goals, and it sounds like they had one hell of a good time. Watch for a DVD, possibly, of the crazy proceedings in the future. And if you've not heard NT yet, check out Worcester, MA's finest here.
This show is worthy of a roadie to the great borough of Brooklyn, New Jack City: the legendary 108 and Triple Threat(Bridge Nine Records) will share the stage with the reunited Snapcase for a benefit show regarding Callum Robbins, son of renowned producer J. Robbins. The event goes November 24th; check out Snapcase's Myspace for ticket info if you're down to go. I know I would, but, well, work and stuff. Booo urns.
Good lookin' out for our boys The End, who are heading out on the road with none other than GWAR:
November 4 Johnson City, NY @ Magic City Music Hall
November 6 South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
November 7 Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom
November 9 Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
November 12 Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid Cabaret
November 16 Vancouver BC @ Commodore Ballroom
November 17 Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDu
November 20 Bend, OR @ Midtown
November 23 Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theatre
November 28 Knoxville, TN @ Blue Cats
November 30 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
It's been two years of waiting, but new music - as in from a studio album - from Thrice has finally surfaced online; their Myspace has two new songs, one from the Fire disc and one from Water. Along with Earth and Air, these two discs comprise the band's newest effort, The Alchemy Index. It sounds, in a word, amazing.
The newest album from Inked In Blood, Sometimes We Are Beautiful, is pretty good. It's absolutely nothing new, sounding a lot like a harder Silverstein(the latter have largely forgone the screaming vocals, thankfully, while IIB still utilize them). There's your two-sentence album review.
Speaking of reviews, our Warped '07 coverage will actually be up next week. Be looking out for it.
And speaking of festivals, one of the highlights of this year's Cornerstone Fest for me was The Glorious Unseen's spirit-stretching performance on Tooth & Nail Day; the band has officially signed with BEC under the T&N umbrella, with their debut Tonight The Stars Speak hitting October 23rd. One to watch. [IVM]
This isn't really a surprise, given their dormancy of late: Dead Poetic, the pride of Dayton, OH, will put out a best-of on T&N in November, marking the end - almost certainly - of their time with the label, if not as a band. I remain a really big fan of all three of their full-length albums, and why? Because I'm far too old and wizened for the scenester sh*t-talking that goes on whenever this band is mentioned. Listen to Vices(2006) and tell me it's not solid.
I really wanna see The Kingdom(Jamie Foxx/Jennifer Garner/the incomparable Chris Cooper). Anyone else?
I helped with their gear one time: The Stills have signed with Arts & Crafts Productions for their third album, for which they'll head into the studio this fall. Good guys. [aversion]
G'head and read this here, about a Fredericton, New Brunswick-relocated-to-Ottawa rapper named Brockway Biggs. Familiarize yourself with him. Then know this: he's my roommate. Ha! He fights crime.
The sound emitted by this woman is roughly equivalent to my noises when I've not had enough caffeine on any given day.
Say it with me, kids: Awwwwwwwwwwww. [Relevant]
The title of the upcoming fourth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise has a title - Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull. That is so awesome I can barely stand up right now. The flick hits theatres in May of next year.
Apple has already cleared its one-millionth iPhone sale. Remarkable.
This is insane. My favourite part? "Police said samples of the burger were sent to the state crime lab for tests." Unbelievable.
Family Guy's Brian and Stewie will sing a duet at the upcoming Emmy awards, hosted by Ryan Seacrest; the tune will be a tribute to the year in television, and I hope it's laced with questionable language to make people squirm. Not because I think foul language should be used, just because TV sucks so much.
The Almost and Set Your Goals(??) will split opening duties for one of the fall's most-anticipated tour - a co-headlining trek featuring The Starting Line and one killer little rock band in Paramore. One date in Toronto at the Phoenix, October 26th. [AP]
The boys of Against Me! really don't care what you think about their band/new album New Wave/anything in general about their lives, and they're taking a rapper on tour to prove it. Epitaph Records' Sage Francis will join AM! for a US tour kicking off November 3rd.
With all their original members now history following the departure recently of guitarist Josh Brigham(who was interviewed by yours truly for another mag many many moons ago), Hopesfall will be changing their name. We do not know this new name yet - nor does the newly-reconfigured band, for that matter - but they'll record a new album under the new moniker next spring.
Judging by this little piece of chaos, the Dillinger Escape Plan's drama lately hasn't affected their ability to create really wild, out-there music. Heavens.
One half of Soul Position(the other half being producer/songwriter Rjd2), Blueprint will open for the esteemed Brother Ali on tour this fall, including - gasp! - a stop here in Ottawa, October 12th at Babylon. This is as good as true-blue rap gets.
For whatever reason, Emery have never really gotten my attention beyond "oh, that's a nice riff" or whatever, but two new songs posted on their website sound exception; both tunes are from I'm Only A Man, due out October 2nd on Tooth & Nail Records. Impressive. It's a shame their live set at this summer's Cornerstone Fest didn't sound nearly this good.
NYC legends The Wu-Tang Clan, as everyone who matters is aware, have a new record coming shortly entitled The 8 Diagrams - what is new news is that guests on the album include George Harrison's son playing one of his father's songs, George Clinton and a tribute to their fallen Wu comrade, ODB. [absolutepunk]
It's pretty obvious which label Advent may reportedly be signing with(they've been dropping some hints lately), given their involvement with deceased metalcore act Beloved back in the day, but here's proof that they haven't been neglecting their practice schedule.
One of my preferred under-the-radar bands of late are named for two inventors - (Thomas)Edison(Phillip)Glass - have a new album coming on Credential Recordings sometime early next year, but some of the new material has been slapped on the interweb. Go enjoy their off-kilter indie pop. For fans of Minus the Bear - kinda.
The Classic Crime have come up with the Seattle Sessions EP, produced by renowned knob-twiddler Matt Bayles and featuring songs that are...different. How different? "So different we weren't sure they would flow in the context of our next record," said frontman Matt MacDonald. So enamoured are the CC of their acoustic leanings that a full acoustic tour is being set up for the fall. [HM]
Essential Listening for today, your Saturday, September 8th, are Indianapolis, Indiana's own sons Gwen Stacy - named, no doubt, for the comic book character, but with enough breakdowns to satisfy any metalcore nerd. Get to it.
Chalk one up for the Mouse: the House of Blues in Anaheim, owned by the Disney Corporation, has had an upcoming Machine Head/Throwdown show moved from Anaheim out to Pomona, California, due to their concerns over "violent imagery, undesirable fans and inflammatory lyrics." Funny enough - the news site I found this on added the logo of the hated Anaheim Ducks to the sidebar, clearly as a jab at my beloved Ottawa Senators. Funny, guys. Funny. BOOOOOOOOOO!
Pac-NW darlings Death Cab For Cutie are set to record their followup to Plans, which to date has sold an amazing 900,000+ copies. I for one am impressed.
Belated congratulations to some dudes I once booked for a show here in lovely metropolitan Ottawa: The Myriad, from Seattle(more love for the Pac-NW!), recently signed with KOCH Entertainment, who will release the band's label debut, a Christian-market EP, later this year. Big things will happen with these guys. Having seen their live show twice now, I guarantee it. [JFH]
Coming around full circle - Norma Jean have announced that while vocalist Cory Brandan returns home to deal with illness, The Chariot's Josh Scogin, NJ's founding frontman, will fill in on tour. [absolutepunk]
This story is getting really repetitive, right down to the particulars - Copeland have parted ways with their former major-label home at Columbia, citing the firing of key members of their marketing/A&R team as the main reason for their departure. They're looking ahead to a b-sides record, due out hopefully this year(November 27th). Wonder if their former tourmates Switchfoot's decision to leave Columbia a couple weeks ago had anything to do with it?
I didn't know Paramore called themselves such after the mother of one of their friends - did you? I figured it was from the French "paramour." Live and learn. Anyway, radio and MTV and Warped and all of them are starting to fall real hard for these kids; check out an article on their interactions with some atheist fans. [buzzgrinder]
As we reported yesterday, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello is going to be a boss character in the new Guitar Hero game Legends of Rock. Morello told Rolling Stone: "Whenever I play Guitar Hero, my opponent always kicks my ass on my own riffs...now that I'm actually in the game, I hope the digital me will win once in a while!" [theprp]
Demon Hunter have the first part of four of a new song online here. The band's new album will be out on Solid State in November. I hate when bands tease me like this. Just gimme the damn tune.
More drama from The Dillinger Escape Plan: their fall tour with Meshuggah has been axed, and a statement from the band read in part, "Due to circumstances not in our control, and I'll leave it up to the other band on the tour to explain this one, The Dillinger Escape Plan/Meshuggah European tour in November WILL NOT be happening. If you bought tickets, contact whoever you bought them from for a refund. Again, if I started to comment on this right now it would probably not be good, so I'll leave it up to them to do the explaining."
Alice In Chains covering Elton John - acoustic?? True! AIC recently taped an acoustic set in Milwaukee for an upcoming live album. All the hits are on it, don't worry.
The album came out yesterday, but for those not into buying stuff - or haven't had a chance to hit their record store of choice - Every Time I Die have The Big Dirty streaming online. The record is getting mixed reviews, none of them from me until I hear the entire thing.
Unearth have posted their Sick Of It All covers here! Yay!
Vancouver, you can be proud: your city's stop on last year's Unholy Alliance tour featuring Lamb of God, Mastodon and more will be released as a live DVD from American Recordings on October 30th. Performances from all the bands along with behind-the-scenes stuff and interviews will make this puppy awesome. I will own it.
Props once again to our longtime compatriots over at pastepunk, whose Album Of The Night recently was Beloved's one and only full-length record Failure On. Beloved: you are missed.
MF Doom continues to amaze and inspire - rumour has it that some of his shows of late have been performed by folks other than him. Given that his upcoming album is apparently gonna be called Impostor, might this be some weird ploy to mess further with our heads? 'Cause I think I LIKE IT. [Paste]
For the thousands who've been waiting for Chris Carrabba to take Dashboard Confessional back to "the way it was back in the day," check out 'Little Bombs' over here. 2001 - we've missed you!
Sorry for the dearth of updates lately; sd.com's Big Cheese has been a busy man. Incidentally, wish us luck as The Sweet Disasters are part of the Desert Inyo League in this year's NFL Fantasy sweepstakes! Go Marc Bulger at quarterback! Go Travis Henry at running back! If you're into this kinda thing, just check out NFL.com and click on the Fantasy link.
Some of our favourite bands are up for this year's CASBY Awards, put on annually by 102.1 The Edge in Toronto. CASBY stands for Canadian Artists Selected By You, and up for awards this fall are Attack In Black, Tokyo Police Club, Saint Alvia Cartel, Finger Eleven, Matt Good, Ill Scarlett and a bunch more. The awards are handed out October 24th at the Kool Haus in downtown TO. [MMU]
Pennywise have about sixty songs they'll argue over for inclusion on their next album, due out hopefully by early '08. It will sound like vintage Pennywise. That is a guarantee. [punkbands]
Rising Seattle band Sinking Ships will apparently open for Madball and Sick Of It All for a fall tour, likely in the United States. Get on SS early - don't miss the boat(pun intended).
Sounds like The Black Dahlia Murder have discovered melody without the overuse of nonstop blast beats - as evidenced by new music online over here.
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello will apparently have a boss character in his image as part of the third installment of Guitar Hero. As if we needed another reason to own this.
For the second year running - not funny funny, but funny nonetheless - Panic! At The Disco were bottled onstage by rabblerousers at the Reading Festival in England over the weekend. Gotta hand it to P!ATD, though - guitarist Ryan Ross quipped, "Alright, this is going better than last year. We made it through the first one!"
Know that big mean-looking mofo who plays bass for Hatebreed looking like he's anchored in that badass rock-star pose? Chris Beattie is his name, and he's got a new clothing line, so if you're smart, you'll patronize his wares or he might show up at your house to whip you. [hxc]
Essential Listening for today, September 4th: Too Pure To Die, straight-up hardcore from the centre of the USA - Des Moines, IA. Get ready.
They make you work for it penetrating all kinds of flashy computer crap, but beneath it all the new album from Between the Buried and Me, Colors, is streaming over Myspace this week.
I'd be really angry about the inaugural Myspace Tour if Say Anything weren't co-headlining. Just throwing it out there.
A sad note: CBGB's honcho Hilly Kristal passed away last week at the age of 75 after a battle with cancer. Rest in peace, Mr. Kristal - your influence was immeasurable.