For anyone who's ever worked in an office setting where management simply insisted on making those idiot 'motivational' posters part of the decor, this one's for you.
Essential Listening for today, January 30th, comes straight outta the best of the five boroughs: Brooklyn, New York is the headquarters of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, who are currently on a world tour tearing up dancefloors with their funk/soul/more funk/still more funk attack. Unbelievable. Saxophones are awesome.
No update tonight due to time constraints, but Essential Listening for today, January 29th, is Ottawa boy Danny Michel, formerly of Starling, and a hell of a songwriter. Ch-ch-check it out.
Go Sens go!
To quote the band directly, "And you thought Cloverfield was the only time this year you'd be able to see New York get destroyed by monsters." The Dillinger Escape Plan are set to devastate Studio 6A at 30 Rock when they play Late Night with Conan O'Brien on February 6th. Outstanding.
This appeals to me, given my ongoing battle with Canada Post, our trusty national mail carrier: a man in Poland, after receiving something sent priority-mail three weeks after it was sent, actually calculated that a snail could've delivered it earlier. Apparently myself and Poland are locked in mutual combat with the Man. [Relevant]
MxPx have had to bail out on opening for Yellowcard on YC's upcoming headlining tour due to "scheduling conflicts," but The Spill Canvas have been inserted in their place. Yellowcard will be performing acoustically every night, which should place more focus on the violin that's so integral to their sound. [AP]
Proving how much cooler they are then their peers(in my opinion), Thrice will take Chicago noise-sans-vocals soundscrewers Pelican on tour across the States in April. This follows their first Canadian tour with openers Brand New and mewithoutYou, touching down in Montreal February 16th. Another date to keep in mind is April 15th, at which point Earth and Air, the final two volumes in the band's latest album The Alchemy Index, will be available.
Daniel Alfredsson of my beloved Ottawa Senators should be the Most Valuable Player in the National Hockey League this year. That's my considered - and unbiased - opinion. The captain currently has five points already in tonight's game versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, and it's not even the third period yet. The end.
Anytime New Found Glory do anything it's newsworthy around here at the D: Florida's finest will release an EP called Tip of the Iceberg on Boston hardcore label Bridge Nine Records. The EP will be released on CD, digitally and on seven-inch vinyl for you hipsters out there. The record will be comprised of three original songs and three covers.
Def Jux have scored a coup, announcing that they'll be re-releasing last year's masterpiece from British grime star Dizzee Rascal, Maths + English. It'll be available on CD in the US for the first time April 29th.
Some killer bands who aren't unbearable indie-riffic will be playing Coachella in April, including DJ A-Trak, Murs(of Living Legends), Cold War Kids, Dredg, Calgary's Tegan & Sara and Portishead(!!). Who wants to take me? Tickets for the fest are $269 for a three-day pass or $90 for a single-day pass, available through Ticketschmaster.
To mark their 20th anniversary this summer, seminal NYHC act Biohazard will reunite with the original lineup for a bunch of shows. They haven't performed publicly together in thirteen years, following the band's major label debut State of the World Address. Sick! [SPB]
The Grammy Awards will go on full-force on February 10th, having avoided any pesky writers'-strike complications, and music on the program will include Carrie Underwood, Mary J. Blige, Foo Fighters and Beyonce. As well, Led Zep bassist John Paul Jones will conduct a full-on orchestral arrangement in conjunction with the Foos' performance(some sort of contest arrangement, I gather). [RS]
If there's one festival you wanna hit this year with your tax refund, it's probably the double-weekend Jazz & Heritage Fest in New Orleans, featuring headliners Stevie Wonder and Billy Joel(who will likely be playing some of his stellar '70s pop stuff). For details, check out the website.
Metallica will apparently have their ninth album out by September. Will anyone really care? Not if the horrendous bouncing-tennis-ball sound of the snare drum from their last album makes a return.
He has a killer flow, and inspired my girlfriend's email address, but none of that stopped Busta Rhymes from getting busted again this week. C'mon, Busta. Get it together.
Word on the street is that '90s kingpins Stone Temple Pilots may be reuniting sometime this year. Singer Scott Weiland currently holds that post in Velvet Revolver, while the DeLeo brothers and Eric Kretz probably all work at the same Taco Bell. I'm kidding.
Tooth & Nail Records haven't signed many bands in the recent past that I've thought much of beyond "well, they sound shiny." That's changed with Minnesota's Children 18:3, who remind me of a cross between the defunct Squad 4-0 and Rise Against. I hope this trio does well, for the sake of real music. Check the tunes out on MySpace.
Nirvana: Unplugged In New York is out on DVD - I don't own it yet, but I damn well plan on it in the near future. Until then, see what others have to say about it.
The third album from radio-rockers Buckcherry has gone platinum after spend almost 100 weeks on the charts. Can someone tell me why? [Decoy]
Beatboxing legend Rahzel is working on a new album, as well as a beatboxing doc called Art of Noise, due out this summer. The former Roots crew member's latest record is called Greatest Knockouts Vol. 2. [Billboard]
My boys Burnthe8track are going on a hell of Euro tour this spring, hitting the road for two months with Ignite, Strung Out, Death Before Dishonor and the almighty Terror. Lucky ducklings. Check out any of the bands' MySpace pages for the itinerary, should you be so lucky as to catch a show.
Speaking of amazing European tours, Misery Signals is taking August Burns Red overseas this summer. In other news, sweetdisaster's headquarters is now Europe. [punknews]
Perhaps to deflect attention from the fact that satellite radio is not doing as well as had once been speculated, Sirius is planning a five-day punk special, saying in a press release that it will be "the greatest punk bands of all time playing the greatest punk songs of all time." Partygoers will include Sex Pistols, Dropkick Murphys, Henry Rollins(duh) and a ton more. The hoedown commences January 28th at 7am and goes right through February 1st.
Following the announcement a while back that Daniel Davison has left Norma Jean, the band he co-founded in Atlanta ten years ago, the band have recruited Spitfire's Chris Raines to take his place. Both bands have a new album approaching, Spitfire this spring and NJ later on in 2008.
Essential Listening for today, January 22nd, is the notable Ohio rap crew the Scribbling Idiots and their new album The Have Nots. Featuring appearances from LMNO of the Visionaries outfit as well as legend Masta Ace, it's full of solid hip-hop. Go getcher self some at their MySpace page.
Machine 15 is the new album from Sweden's punk masters Millencolin, coming out April 7th; you can check out the first single 'Brand New Game' right here.
The official Coachella '08 lineup has been announced, following a ton of rumour-mongering: headliners include The Breeders, eastern-European punk carnival Gogol Bordello, Jens Lekman(whose latest is among our Indie Best of 2007 - read) and Minus the Bear, whose newest album Planet of Ice is reported to be incredible.
Goldfinger are indeed putting out a new album April 22nd, called Hello Destiny - if, like my beautiful girlfriend, you're not familiar with the band, do yourself a favour and go listen to 'Mabel.'
This news simply blew our minds here at the D: if you grew up in the Christian hardcore/metal/SFHC underground, you'll remember California's The Crucified, who were around from '86-'93, released a few touchstone albums and demo tapes, and spawned the likes of The Blamed and Stavesacre. The band does, in fact, have a MySpace, where you can, in fact, hear 'Hellcorn,'(!!), and further, according to punknews.org, they're going to release a split with No Truce this year With the demise of Stavesacre in 2007, could this be singer Mark Salomon's return to the scene?? Outstanding.
Speaking of the Christian underground scene, one of its products you have heard of, Sixpence None the Richer, have announced an upcoming EP release as well as an April tour; the band broke up a few years back. If you haven't heard 'Kiss Me,' well, you're evidently not breathing. [JFH]
More festival rumours: three American bands have been booked to play the annual Reading Festival in England, and word on the street - which is to say, idle talk - is that they're Foo Fighters, Green Day and motherbleeping RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. I capitalized Rage, because they deserve it. [absolutepunk]
Mute Math told attendees of their latest video shoot that they hope to finish writing a new album while on tour with Matchbox Twenty and Alanis Morrissette, aiming to release it this fall. This is Very Good News for us fans.
A second banning from the fine folks at Disney: Gallows - perhaps unsurprisingly - have been banned from playing DisneyWorld "due to their lyrics." Story over here.
Jimmy Eat World, have vanquished Taking Back Sunday on the bowling lanes recently, have issued a similar challenge to Paramore in anticipation of the two bands' upcoming co-headlining tour. Paramore better brush up on their ping-pong.
Korn have lost another one: founding guitarist Munky has left the nu-metal forefathers mid-tour for "personal and family reasons." This leaves two original members of the once-quintet still standing. [buzzgrinder]
Some Darkest Hour live footage - with a Canadian twist? Hell yeah. Check out some fan footage(replete with glorious board sound) of DH tearing it up in Edmonton, Alberta right here. [theprp]
"Mooooooooooove!": southern California's Stick To Your Guns will release their debut album on Century Media come next month, called Comes From the Heart. This sucker for circle-pits can't wait.
The Dead Next Door(1999, Solid State) was Spitfire's first and arguably best album, and they've stuck around here and there in the decade since - and they're putting out a new one called Cult Fiction on March 25th. With another Canadian twist: Hamilton, Ontario's Goodfellow Records will handle the release. Check out one of the new tunes on their MySpace page.
My friend Justin Gobeil once told me they were the best live show he'd ever seen: H2O have signed a deal with Boston's Bridge Nine Recordings - and their label debut will be produced by New Found Glory guitarist and bigtime fan Chad Gilbert. Look for the goods in May.
Stolen from my boy Jordan - bands with 'pig' in their names who have music available on eMusic as of now include(bolding indicates personal favourites around here at the D!):
Pig
Pig Destroyer
Pig & Dan
Pig Irön
Pig Beast
One Bad Pig
Pig Bros
Clive Pig
Pig Farmer
Guinea Pig
Pig-Tails
Sow Vs Pig
Pig Meat
China Pig
FYLTH PIG
Pig and Sow
Pig In A Can
Blind Willy Drug Pig
Minimal Pig
Pig Farmers of the Apocalypse
Die Kapitalist Pig
Individual Pig
Dancing Pigs
Billy Bacon And The Forbidden Pigs
Rhythm Pigs
Apes Pigs & Spacemen
Incredible.
Great label, killer previously-out-of-print-record: Long Island's One Day Savior Recordings has undertaken to release Hopesfall's early Takehold Records EP No Wings to Speak Of(yes, that's where the band of that name got their inspiration) - on vinyl. Specifically, blue or green vinyl, limited to 1000 copies. Check out the website for ordering info. I bet this will look outstanding. 'The Far Pavilion' still erases my mind.
Rumored to be playing in Indio, California as part of the 2008 edition of Coachella: Death Cab for Cutie, Jens Lekman(who appears in our Best-Of-2007-Indie-Version review up there), Cold War Kids, Battles and Portishead. We'll see.
The producer and makers of American Gangster, one of the best films of 2007 starring Russell Crowe and the mighty Denzel Washington, have been sued by former Drug Enforcement Agency types to the tune of $55 million. These three jackasses have said that some of the printed text at the end of the movie is "defamatory." I hope it gets tossed from court. [Paste]
Sum 41, The Vandals(!) and Bowling For Soup(!!) are among the bands set to join Pennywise an on Australian tour behind their new MySpace Records album. I had no idea Bowling For Soup still existed. [punknews]
The one time I saw them, the singer was a proper ass to the crowd and the females amongst the crowd in particular, but they're still kickin': Vancouver's Black Halos have recruited a new bassist - and not just any bassist. JR Russell has played for the following Canadian bands: KEN Mode, Kittens, Swallowing Sh*t and Mico, among others. He evidently has not had a real job in many years. Good for you!
Rockstar energy drink, one of a plethora of such things on the market these days - albeit sponsoring more events than most - now has another mountain to conquer: +44 drummer Travis Barker has filed suit against the company, claiming his image and endorsement without his consent. I've never had Rockstar - anyone out there? Is it good? I don't trust such things anyway.
Last year marked the 30th anniversary of Never Mind the Bollocks, and now word has it that though half are in the USA and the other half across the pond in the band's native Britain, Sex Pistols may just take a shot at recording new music sometime in '08. Good heavens.
Fall Out Boy kingpin Pete Wentz - he may not write the lyrics, but he sure is the one most captured nekkid on cellphone cameras, and that has to count for something, no? - will host a Barack Obama fundraiser in Chicago next week. A ducat will cost you seventy-five bucks.
I haven't listened to them in a number of years, though I do remember purchasing their first major-label album in...what was it? 2004? 2003? I can't remember. Either way, Rise Against have a new digital-only EP out today, and you hear a track from the newbie on their MySpace page. Give me Revolutions Per Minute any day of the week.
The Mouse don't like the Dillinger Escape Plan: the Orlando, Florida Disney-owned House of Blues venue barred the Plan from playing, saying something to the effect of "the image isn't right" - shortly before other bands with names like Every Time I Die and Killswitch Engage took the stage. Cute! Read the interview over here. Favourite quote from singer Greg Puciato: "We're probably three or four times as big as when I joined, which is funny because at the time I joined I thought we were massive." [HXC]
Spin magazine is pissed at a band from Philadelphia calling themselves SPiN, sending the act a cease-and-desist letter - but what about the other band of the same name, an industrial/metal outfit from the Maltese Islands? Does Spin even know where the Maltese Islands are? I'd be hard-pressed to find 'em on a map. [The Grinder]
Bob Costas, America's favourite sports-nerd vertically-challenged individual, on Dave Bazan's new record? Wha? Huh? Hooey? The man formerly known as Pedro of The Lion spills here!
The number seems insanely high, but such is life post-Napster: EMI, one of the world's biggest record companies, is laying off 2000 good folks. As well, the label apparently spends fifty million dollars a year destroying unsold material. Fifty! Hell, I always need jewel cases, maybe should I email the fine folks over at Cash Hemorrhage International and see if they'll let me swing by in a pickup and fetch some. In a related story, because EMI didn't have enough to deal with, they're being sued by a guy familiar to scene types.
This isn't really news, but Panic! At the Disco have reportedly dropped the ! from their name. No word on yet whether their record sales will slump or skyrocket. If you are a fan, they have a new album due this year, as well as headlining the annual Honda Civic tour(previous mainstagers include Fall Out Boy and Blink-182). [soundthesirens]
Not only is the flick a huge unexpected hit, but the Juno soundtrack is presently occupying the #1 spot on the SoundScan digital charts. I'd just like to take this opportunity to point out that the film's two stars, Michael Cera(Superbad) and Ellen Page(a newcomer from Halifax) are both Canadian kids. Rad. You can check out an e-card for the album over here.
In what's perhaps not a coincidence whatsoever, I work in radio here in metropolitan Ottawa, and about two minutes I ago triggered Stretch Arm Strong's killer cover of Counting Crows' 'Angels of the Silences.' Then I sat down at my desk to read this: CC will finally have a new album out - allegedly, and after numerous delays - on March 25th. Titled Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, the new album will be half electric and half acoustic. Get stooooked.
Essential Listening for today, January 11th, is Allatus Adeo, one of the craziest bands I've heard in quite some time, mastering bizarre time signatures, doom-influenced vocals and somehow working in some pretty killer melodies among the madness - this band hails from London, Ontario? Oustanding. Don't sleep.
Little slow around these parts lately - suck it up. There's more to life than a blog. Go read a good book. I recommend No Logo by Naomi Klein, if you're needing a push.
One of the original 'Gainesville scene'sters, Less Than Jake, have had enough of record labels, and they're going their own way(Fleetwood Mac). LTJ have launched Sleep It Off Records, under which they'll release a slew of their old albums beginning March 18th. [punkbands]
If you're planning on seeing Every Time I Die on tour this month, you won't see a familiar face behind the drums: Mike 'Ratboy' Novak has a back injury that will have him on injured reserve this time around. Speedy recovery, Ratboy!
Say what you will about Yellowcard - they know how to put up or shut up: the band will go overseas to perform as part of a USO tour for the first time, heading to the middle East to perform, sign autographs and chill with American troops stationed in the region. Good on you, Yellowcard.
Today's Essential Listening - the first of the new year! - is Evergreen Terrace's new album Wolfbiker, crammed with killer breakdowns, double-bass rage and - no surprise - great harmonies. Very solid.
If you're a string or woodwind expert, the Foo Fighters are looking for you: as part of a contest, the band is seeking an instrumentalist to perfom with them on the Grammys. That's right - on the 50th annual Grammy Awards. If you think you got what it takes, they wanna hear your rendition of 'The Pretender,' sent to them by midnight January 20th. Check out their Myspace for details.
The Ottawa Citizen had an interesting article on downloading in Canada over the weekend; last calendar year, online music sales rose by 93% in our fair country, far bigger an increase than in the United States. The biggest seller? No surprise here - Feist's Let It Die was numero uno.
One of the greatest of their breed, technical punks Slick Shoes, have reunited with the original lineup, including guitarist Jackson Mould, to put out some new tunes. Not much in the way of touring is planned - but it's enough that SS are back together, and a new record is planned for the "near future."
Today, January 9th, is a good day - why? New Goldfinger to listen to! The new as-yet-unnamed album will feature Charlie Paulson on guitar for the first time since Open Your Eyes(2003).
Underoath, after their career-"defining" album Define the Great Line(get it??) almost topped the charts in 2006(it debuted at #2), will hit the studio in March to record album number six. [IVM]
Happy new year, to one and all who take time out of their busy lives to peruse our little indie darling. Hope 2008 rocks everyones' world, and expect big things from us here at the D. Thank you.