Music + Lifestyle Publicity
3LH
So Cal Latino Garage Surf Punks 3LH Release New Single "Blue Collar Blues"
"Taking inspiration from 60’s surf, fuzz, punk and reverb-filled guitar tones, 3LH bring a sense of newness to a classic sound."
"A perfect mixture of surf rock, early rock and roll, and modern garage/punk."- If It's Too Loud
"3LH’s Fast, Catchy, and Danceable Latinx Surf Rock Is Here to Defy Stereotypes"- LA Taco
"Surf punk powerpop meets early 8Os new wave ethos punk bands. Buzzocks/Housemartins, you'll hear it too, Shadow has joy, it's got verve, it's got a happy, dance, leap, wave your arms in the air you're alive sense about it. Five stars for the pure power, summer pop."- Outside Left
3LH have released a new single titled "Blue Collar Blues" via My Grito Industries.
"Blue Collar Blues" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8u04CmNMxg&feature=youtu.be
Stream the track on DSPs: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/3lh2/blue-collar-blues
Frontman Rafa Heredia says, "This is a song about self reflection after having maybe a pint too many at your favorite divey hole in the wall, it’s a callback to tracks like “Alabama song (Whisky Bar)” by The Doors - the song lends itself to telling a fun twisted story while not taking itself too seriously."
Taking inspiration from 60’s surf, fuzz, punk and reverb-filled guitar tones, 3LH bring a sense of newness to a classic sound. Comprised of Rafa Heredia (Guitar/ Vocals), Johnny Villanueva (Keys/Guitar) Kevin Carranza (Drums) Favian Vega (Bass), 3LH deliver the tones of the likes of guitar virtuosos like Link Wray, The Kinks, mixed with the garage / punk sensibilities of modern acts like The Growlers, The Frights and Tijuana Panthers.
Immersed in the Latino punk/garage DIY scene of Orange County, 3LH has made a name for themselves having played to packed crowds at The Observatory, Constellation Room, The Garden Amphitheatre, The Smell and shared the stage with diverse acts including Tijuana Panthers, Tropa Magica, The OC Hurricanes, Mystic Braves and more.
What others have said about 3LH:
"If you dig garage punk and surf guitar, you should definitely give this a spin."- Brooklynvegan
"A high-octane mix of surf- and garage rock for fast cars and fast friends … and anybody who feels a tingle in their spine when they hear guitar licks reverberating into the night."- Buzzbands.la
Baby Got Back Talk
NYC's Baby Got Back Talk Release New EP 'Wince, Repeat' via Wiretap Records
Stream Here: https://open.spotify.com/album/3TYIuWrlEpMoKubbBOJrN2?si=WszqKSgSQSCX99f9jX2ubg
'17 Black Alternative Bands Leading The Next Generation' - Alternative Press
'Top 8 Punkest Bands on the Planet'- Afropunk
Photo: Kate Hoos
New Your City alterna-punks Baby Got Back Talk are debuting their new EP 'Wince, Repeat' EP, out now on Wiretap Records.
music video: https://youtu.be/JZFpxUHQ6qw
++++
"Brooklyn’s Baby Got Back Talk remains a jewel in the borough’s crown."- Afropunk
"On their upcoming EP Existential Shred New York pop punk band Baby Got Back Talk delve into the very nature of human existence. They tackle death, life changes, and the state of the world with excellent literary lyrics, plenty of synths, and a healthy dose of hope." - Punk News
"A catchy pop punk hook-fest that throws the middle finger to anyone claiming that being marginalized is “in” these days. “Model Minority” could become an anthem of importance for queer folks and POC in the punk scene today."- Tuned Up
"Progressively-pop-punk...breaking new ground with forward-thinking attitudes and commentary on modern issues like racism and transphobia." - TREMG
"Piercing guitars and chugging rhythms all add to the garage-punk vibe but the tempo is more relaxed which makes this possibly more accessible but doesn't dull its edge at all. The slick, smooth vocals give this a radio-friendly tone as well which, when combined with the musicianship and songwriting, makes Baby Got Back Talk an incredibly intriguing and exciting prospect."- Listen With Monger
+++
Follow the band on socials @babygotbacktalk across platforms and at babygotbacktalk.com.
Ballyhoo!
Ballyhoo! Unveils Highly Anticipated 9th Full-Length Album, "Shellshock" Out August 25
LP Features Special Guests The Elovators, Kyle Smith, Iya Terra, Hirie, Tropidelic & Bumpin Uglies
Fall Tour Dates Announced
Photo: Dennis Pike Photography
Ballyhoo!, the dynamic and genre-defying musical powerhouse, is thrilled to announce the release of their ninth full-length studio album "Shellshock." The album showcases Ballyhoo!'s signature sound while embracing fresh and innovative influences from their featured collaborators. The Elovators, Hirie, Iya Terra, Tropidelic, Bumpin Uglies and Kyle Smith, have each left their distinct mark on the album, adding their own flair and musical prowess to the mix.
Self-produced and brimming with creative energy, Ballyhoo!'s latest album is slated to drop on August 25, 2023, under the esteemed label Ineffable Records. Known for their groundbreaking ability to seamlessly blend reggae, punk, alternative rock, and pop elements, Ballyhoo! is ready to take their fans on an unforgettable sonic journey with their 14 electrifying tracks.
With a combination of infectious hooks, soul-stirring lyrics, and captivating melodies, Ballyhoo!'s 9th full-length record promises to captivate both loyal fans and newcomers alike. From anthemic tracks to introspective ballads, the album covers a wide spectrum of emotions, making it an exhilarating and memorable musical journey.
Frontman Howi Spangler says, "The goal with this album was to write and produce the best songs we could. There’s no focused sound or anything like that, in fact it’s all over the place stylistically. But it all sounds like Ballyhoo!. I think there’s something for everyone with “Shellshock”. I’m really proud of what we did, everyone crushed their parts. I can’t wait to see what songs are hitting the hardest with our listeners in the weeks after release."
Ballyhoo!'s 9th full-length album is set to be a definitive statement of the band's artistry, creativity, and musical prowess. With the release of the first 4 singles (and the inclusion of two of the tracks -- "Clip My Wings" and "Drunk Texter"-- on Spotify's popular ’Beach Vibes’ editorial playlist) the band's loyal fan base and music enthusiasts worldwide are already buzzing with excitement, creating a palpable sense of anticipation. In support of the new album, the band is embarking on a nationwide tour. See dates below.
So mark your calendars and get ready to experience the next level of Balllyhoo!'s musical innovation.
For more information on Ballyhoo!'s 9th full-length album and upcoming tour dates, please visit www.ballyhoorocks.com or follow them on social media channels.
Pre-save "Shellshock" HERE.
Ballyhoo! Socials:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ballyhoo
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ballyhoorocks
Twitter: twitter.com/ballyhoorocks
Tour Dates:
_w/ Jimmys Chicken Shack 9/19-10/18_
9/19 NASHVILLE, TN | Hop Springs Beer Park
9/20 LITTLE ROCK, AR | The HALL
9/21 DALLAS, TX | SUNDOWN @ GRANADA
9/22 AUSTIN, TX | SUNSET STRIP
9/23 CORPUS CHRISTI, TX | Lit Fest
9/24 SAN ANTONIO, TX | PAPER TIGER
9/26 PUEBLO, CO | BRUES ALE HOUSE
9/27 ASPEN, CO | BELLY UP
9/28 DURANGO, CO | Animas City Theater
9/29 GRAND JUNCTION, CO | MESA THEATER
10/5 LAS VEGAS, NV | BACKSTAGE BAR
10/6 BAKERSFIELD, CA | Temblor Brew Co
10/7 SAN DIEGO, CA | OKTOBERFEST
10/8 HERMOSA BEACH, CA | SAINT ROCKE
10/10 SANTA BARBARA, CA | SOhO Music Club
10/11 SANTA CRUZ, CA | THE CATALYST ATRIUM
10/13 Roseville, CA | GOLDFIELD TRADING POST
10/14 CRYSTAL BAY, NV | CRYSTAL BAY CROWN ROOM
10/17 KANSAS CITY, MO | KNUCKLEHEADS
10/18 Indianapolis, IN | THE HIFI
10/20 OCEAN CITY, MD | SUN FEST
10/21 VA BEACH, VA | NEW REALM
About Ballyhoo!
Through 25 years and eight independent albums, the last four on their own Right Coast Records, Ballyhoo! have earned the exclamation point which marks their name. Starting in the basement of their mom’s Aberdeen, MD, home, rocking out on guitar and drums respectively, practicing every day, brothers Howi and Donald Spangler formed the proto-punk band in the mold of Green Day and Nirvana, with an eye towards the emerging ska genre led by Goldfinger, Sublime, 311 and No Doubt.
The group’s eighth and most recent studio album, the breezy, ska-fueled, hook-filled Message to the World, on their own Right Coast Records, finds the self-declared “beach-rockers,” having grown up in public, accepting the
responsibilities of adulthood while still hanging on to their dreams of world
domination. Stylistically, their music ranges from the hard-edged punk of 2018’s Detonate, which captured the feelings of anger and depression from dealing with personal loss and the exhaustion generated by over a decade on the road to the island reggae beats of the follow-up, Message to the World.
“Whatever you want to achieve, just focus on that and work towards it,” explains Howi about the Ballyhoo! ethos. “Don’t worry about followers, views, or even money. Just keep making good stuff. One day it may be possible to finally quit that day job and live your dream full time.”Ballyhoo! is still doing just that, purveying good vibes, positivity and fun live shows meant to take you away from real life...
Belvedere
Canadian Punks BELVEDERE Release New Single "Good Grief Retreat"
Track Appears on Band's Upcoming Album 'Hindsight is The Sixth Sense" Out May 14 on Thousand Islands Records (North America" / Lockjaw Records (UK/EU)
Long-running Calgary, Alberta punk band Belvedere has released "Good Grief Retreat," the first single off the upcoming LP 'Hindsight Is The Sixth Sense,' set for release (digital/CD/vinyl ) on May 14 via Thousand Islands Records in North America and Lockjaw Records in Europe and the UK.
Belvedere's Steve Rawles says, “This song speaks of the average worker and the system that benefits off their labour. While the rich can hide behind laws, regulations and a corporate veil that doesn't hold them accountable for their actions, the worker never gets ahead and has no chance of closing the wage and lifestyle gap. The Retreat in the title refers to the general populace demanding better conditions.”
'Hindsight Is The Sixth Sense' features guest vocalists Roger Lima (Less Than Jake), Rody Walker (Protest The Hero) and Dylan Toews (Wolfrik).
The album was recorded at Echo Base Studio in Calgary, produced by Casey Lewis and Steve Rawles, and engineered mixed & mastered by Casey Lewis.
Each label is carrying 3 exclusive vinyl variants of the LP, available for pre-order here: https://belv.lnk.to/GGR.
About Belvedere:
Canadian skate-punk legends Belvedere barely need an introduction. They are heroes of fast, furious, melodic punk, who’ve never lost sight of their roots.
2020 marked the 25th year of the band’s history, but since all of their tours were moved to 2021; the band felt the need to write and record their 6th full-length instalment, Hindsight Is The Sixth Sense. The album features a furious mix of old and new. The new direction in song writing is attributed to new members Dan Wollach on guitar and Ryan Mumby on bass. The all-familiar speed, the riffs, the insightful lyrics and singalong harmonies are all still there thanks to drummer, Casey Lewis and lead singer & founder, Steve Rawles.
Formed in 1995 and originally never even meant to play a live show, the trailblazing band from Calgary, Alberta quickly grew a reputation on the underground punk scene for their blazing fast speed and melodic vocals.
Album Tracklisting:
1. Happily Never After
2. Elephant March
3. The Ides
4. Camera Obscura
5. Retina
6. Chromatic
7. Good Grief Retreat
8. Comrade (feat. Roger Lima)
9. 2 Fast 2 Furious
10. Memento Mori (feat. Dylan Toews)
11. Automate (feat. Rody Walker)
12. Heartbreaker
13. Peace In Our Time
Socials:
www.instagram.com/belvederebandofficial
https://twitter.com/belvedere669
https://belvedere.bandcamp.com
Labels:
Call Me Malcolm
South London, UK Ska/Punk 5-piece Call Me Malcolm Has Released The New Album 'Me, Myself and Something Else'- Out Now on Wiretap Records
***
Stream the new album here:
Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2WV4ziC
Bandcamp - https://bit.ly/2Z7Tr4A
12" LP - wiretaprecords.com
***
“A saving grace of the genre.“ - Vinnie Fiorello (Less Than Jake)
“Breakthrough Artist” - Ska Parade/Ska Punk Daily
“Genius” - Vive Le Rock
"They use harder-edged melodic punk and skate punk as the basis of most of their music, blending in sax, trombone, and ska rhythms. This is pretty damn good stuff, and if you’re a ska-punk fan, you need to get on this quick."- Jersey Beat
"As ska begins resurging back to the mainstream, this album showcases how ready Call Me Malcolm stands to lead the charge by bringing their brand of music to today’s generation by leaning on the past to pull influence from those who’ve laid the path before them; Less Than Jake, Catch 22, Link 80, Authority Zero, and Voodoo Glow Skulls."- All Ages Zine
"It's an album laden with so many anthems...9/10"- Rock Freaks
***
South London, UK Ska/Punk band Call Me Malcolm have released their new full-length album “Me, Myself and Something Else" via LA-based Wiretap Records.
The band says, "We’re ecstatic for the release of 'Me, Myself and Something Else.' After two years of love and devotion to a record, it’s incredible to be working with a label who shares not only the same passion for the music that we make but also about creating a supportive global scene."
'Me, Myself and Something Else' is available on all digital services. 12" vinyl copies of the record are also now available at www.wiretaprecords.com.
+++++
Stream Call Me Malcolm's two new music videos here:
"Wake Up, The Monster Said"
"What You Burn"
+++++
Follow the band:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6WZUGL4ioInlABxJ0GAPAU?si=nrMpOdiJQzqkzGX8TxXssQ
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CallMeMalcolmBand
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cmmalcolmband
++++
Call Me Malcolm is a five-piece ska/punk band from Kent, UK, blending hard punk, a crunchy ska sound, and three-part harmonies. Described by Vinnie Fiorello (Less Than Jake) as “a saving grace of the genre”, the band was originally inspired by the US third wave leaders of the late 90s. Since then, Call Me Malcolm has evolved a harder, sharper edge, creating a unique sound which is eliciting plaudits from around the world.
April 2018, Malcolm released 'I Was Broken When You Got Here', an album telling the story of the band’s struggles with mental health, to critical acclaim. Recorded with Oz Craggs at Hidden Track Studios (Mallory Knox, Feed The Rhino, Riskee and the Ridicule), the release showcased the band’s layered, intricate songwriting. Ska Punk Daily voted this record #8 in their “Top 10 Ska Punk Albums of the Decade.”
Following last year’s success at Punk Rock Holiday, a capacity after show party at Boomtown and the main stage at Rebellion Festival, they embarked on a UK tour with US legends The Slackers.
May 2020 sees the release of their new album 'Me, Myself and Something Else', a record looking more outwardly at the struggle we face with mental health in the outside world. Call Me Malcolm is part of the Blackstar Amplification roster and represented by Hidden Talent Booking.
***
Catholic Guilt
CATHOLIC GUILT (Melbourne, AUS) Return With Blissful New Single + Video "Live For The Rush"
"I want to create and destroy at the same time, I want to laugh and cry at once, I want to change the world but not impact mine, I want to feel everything, all at once, I want to live for the rush"
"An anthem for the opposing feelings and beliefs that we carry inside of ourselves all the time. Hook-laden alt-rock that’s sure to thrill fans of 00’s scene heroes like The Ataris, Saosin, and Taking Back Sunday."- Tuned Up
Melbourne alt-rockers Catholic Guilt mark their return with the new banger "Live For The Rush," off their upcoming sophomore LP due out later this year on Wiretap Records.
The single is the band's first to feature new full-time guitarist/vocalist Megan Sidwell.
Stream "Live For The Rush" on Spotify: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/catholicguilt/live-for-the-rush
Produced by Ash Daws and Evan Lee at The Loud Noise Estate
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytPt_ZbF2s4
Video Credit: @LUSE Media
Vocalist Brenton Harris says, ‘Live For The Rush’ is a song about wanting to feel truly ‘alive’ again, after a prolonged period of emotional paralysis. It is about holding an insatiable desire to experience the sensation of life, yet at the same time living in fear of the risks and changes that might be required to do so.
It is a very human thing to want to feel everything, all at once, to want to explore all that this finite existence can offer, yet it is also a very human thing to want to protect the status quo because the status quo offers the safety and the surety of knowing, even if what we know isn’t providing fulfilment. ’Live For The Rush’ is an anthem about rediscovering the joy of the unknown and in the process learning to feel again.
Guitarist Dean Gordon adds, "Being a kid of the 90s the word ‘Rush’ has strong ties to extreme sports like surfing & skateboarding, taking me back to my adolescence and the excitement and freedom of the summer holidays. An escape from the responsibilities of everyday life, and the opportunity to get out into the world, take risks and make new connections.
It seemed fitting that musically ‘Live For The Rush‘ should look to conjure those same nostalgic feelings for the listener. Attempting to mirror the contemplative internal dialogue of fear, tension and ultimately bliss, when you decide to get up, get out there and experience everything life has to offer."
The video depicts a day of activity for a Sauce bottle character which turns into an uplifting jam with their friends who need a bit of spark.
The clip's director Sophia Van Doorn says "The premise of this video at first glance is silly, funny and kinda weird. But when you delve into the bright, shiny world that Sauce lives in, there’s a whole lot more to it. Given that Sauce is depicted in an overly saturated, orange-hued world, their life is a vibrant, action-packed and fulfilling existence. Its stark contrast to the initial band shots of gloomy, lackluster monotony creates a juxtaposition of light and dark. The band's jubilant facial expressions upon Sauce’s arrival are the hero of this video and really tie back to the incredible lyrics, uplifting the viewer. It was hilarious running around town shooting the Sauce scenes and the band nailed all their shots in every aspect - the fun and ridiculousness shines through in the video. As a first-time director of a music video, I’m thrilled with the outcome, it looks awesome. Awesomesauce."
Catholic Guilt combines elements of punk, alt, folk and rock, resulting in a sound they describe as 'honest music.’
Following the success of 2018's independently released debut EP Hymnbook Vol. 1 which saw the band sellout Melbourne's iconic Reverence Hotel, secure Spotify editorial playlisting and receive national radio airplay via triple j for singles "Counterfeit Guitars" and "Paper & Ink," the band released a critically acclaimed follow-up This Is What Honesty Sounds Like via the Californian label Wiretap Records in August 2020. A musical exploration of five very different human experiences, isolation, frustration, love, anger, and loss, This Is What Honesty Sounds Like earned the band national and international airplay via over 130 stations and received widespread acclaim from outlets including Alternative Press, Music Feeds, Brooklyn Vegan and Pop Matters.
The band also achieved the rare feat of having all five songs on the release secure triple j 'first plays' and a coveted triple j unearthed feature artist spot. The release also saw Spotify editorial playlisting support via New Punk Tracks ("Song Of The Renter", "The Awful Truth", "A Boutique Affair", "Life In Three Part Harmony") and The Scene ("The Awful Truth").
The band built off the success of the release by signing with booking agency Destroy All Lines and playing a run of shows in Australia, including multiple sold-out shows in their hometown of Melbourne.
Catholic Guilt has since gone on to appear on major Australian festivals Full Tilt and Knight and Day as well as stage a successful tour of the East Coast of Australia and secured the main support with Pure Noise Records act Real Friends and most recently landing a slot opening slot for Switchfoot. Off the back of the success of This Is What Honesty Sounds Like, they were invited to perform at the iconic Gainesville punk festival FEST in October. The band also contributed a cover of Saves The Day’s "At Your Funeral" to the Vagrant Records 25th Anniversary compilation Undercover On The Streets put out by Wiretap Records and Friend Club Records. This cover received Apple Music editorial playlisting on New In Rock.
The quintet recently welcomed guitarist/vocalist Megan Sidwell into the fold and released the single "Talking Fake." A slow-burning, emotive rock song about the communication breakdown that occurs within fractured relationships, the song saw Catholic Guilt expand their sonic palette, incorporating a Hammond organ, a string section, congos and glockenspiel. The single was accompanied by an award-winning cinematic short, co-produced by Soft Focus Media and Taymaynari Productions, the film tells the story of a couple who are drifting apart, thrown into a fantasy-stylized world of the night they first met.
+++
Catholic Guilt is Brenton Harris (Vocals), Dean Gordon (Guitar/Vocals) Megan Sidwell (Guitar/Vocals), Ben Caruana (Bass), Michael Condello (drums)
***
Praise for Catholic Guilt:
"...a casually genre-defying fusion of punk, emo, indie rock, folk..."- Brooklynvegan
" A beacon of light for anyone who finds themselves at the crossroads of pop punk and folk, Australian outfit Catholic Guilt blend the two seamlessly. Add prominent influences by bands as diverse as Against Me!, Thrice and the Menzingers and you’ve got sounds and styles that are as beautiful as they are varied."- Alternative Press
"...many moments that remind you of other bands/artists like Frank Turner, Pompeii, Against Me and The Menzingers...hugely melodic uplifting Rock n Roll, you are immediately aware that this is a band that will not leave you feeling flat, even when the subject matter cover such things as the feeling of isolation and social distance, they seem to be able to add an emotional uplift to it." (4.5 out of 5 stars)- ThePunkSite
"On the surface, their songs draw you in with catchy hooks and a welcoming Pop/Punk energy, however a closer listen will reveal a deeper emotional vulnerability hidden within their lyricism. 'This is What Honesty Sounds Like' is a triumph in songwriting from an up-and-coming band that revels in blazing a path that is clearly their own, all the while inviting us to walk alongside them."- Hunnypot
"Melbourne’s Catholic Guilt describe their sound as ‘honest music’ and on their latest EP we get to find out what that sounds like. Turns out honesty sounds like pop punk with folky undertones, thick with gorgeous melodies and slick hooks."- Punk Rock Theory
"...(the) tracks mix both pop-punk with the bonfire-style folk, an interesting but wonderful combo. The quintet is definitely a group to be watching for the rest of the year..." (Rating: 4.5/5)- Musiqtone.com
"Catholic Guilt's "A Boutique Affair" taps into the zeitgeist of distance, isolation, while adding a spirit of uplift and community...deeply melodic, highly energetic rock 'n' roll..."- PopMatters
"Catholic Guilt do that thing where they help you pick apart the seams of your barely held-together self worth but make it sound like a right fun time along the way."- triple J
"The group looks at the world with a mix of dismay and hope, as if they recognize that life is difficult but we don’t have to let it kill us."- Dusted Magazine
"Australian group of rockers delivering raw, emotional lyrics amid pounding drums, jangling guitars and sophisticated arrangement."- Artistic Echoes
***
https://www.facebook.com/catholicguiltmusic
Chaser
On April 9, 2021 CHASER will release their 5th full-length album, 'Dreamers’ via Thousand Islands Records/Sound Speed Records/ SBAM Records.
Jesse Stopnitzky shares, “Dreamers is a 13-song burst of anthemic and melodic punk energy with self-reflecting and hopeful lyrics. It is a reminder to keep chasing your dreams and keep your head up. It’s the most personal album we have written, touching on the highs and lows of life, but as always, with a positive CHASER twist.”
Vinyl, CD and merch pre-orders live at chaserpunkrock.com.
Album Credits:
Recorded and Produced by Paul Miner at Buzzbomb Studios in Orange, California.
Mixed and Mastered by Jason Livermore and Edited by Andrew Berlin and Jonathan Luginbill at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Artwork created by Sebas Theriault at Sterio Design.
Established in 2000 in the heart of the SoCal punk scene, CHASER continue to make a name for themselves playing fast, catchy and melodic skate punk.***
About Chaser:
Comprised of Mike LeDonne (singer), Jesse Stopnitzky (bassist/vocals), Bill Hockmuth (guitarist) and Davey Guy (drums), CHASER shares the same love for punk rock as the rest of us, hoping to make a difference.
For the last two years, CHASER toured internationally, playing some of the biggest punk festivals in Europe and Canada. They quickly developed a reputation of a “can’t miss” live show and rightfully earned main stage festival time slots. In 2018, CHASER released, “Sound the Sirens”, on Effervescence Records. With over 500 vinyl LP’s and 1,000 CD’s sold, it was voted by fans as a top punk album of the year. For CHASER, it was a return to the basics of what started it all for them.
Chief State
www.facebook.com/chiefstate/
Counterpunch
Chicago Skate Punks COUNTERPUNCH Releasing New 'Handbook For The Recently Debriefed' 7-Inch Featuring 2 New Songs on January 29, 2021 via Thousand Islands Records (North America)/SBAM Records (EU)
Title Track “Handbook for The Recently Debriefed” To Be Released December 15th
"It's time to hit the reset button," says Eric Hausser of the US punk band Counterpunch, when he looks at the hate and strife over religion, gender and sexuality. With their new songs, Counterpunch write a commentary on the society around them. Their metal drenched Skate Punk, inspired by the Fat Wreck era of modern punk rock had them tour around the world alongside some of the biggest names of the scene.
The new tracks "We, The Role" and "Handbook For The Recently Debriefed" make up the band's new 7" and are the first new Counterpunch songs since the band's 2014 album "Bruisers."
Thousand Islands Records (North America) and SBÄM Records (EU) will release the limited 7-inch double single on January 29th, kicking off 2021 with just the right amount of Skate Punk.
"Handbook For The Recently Debriefed" will be available to stream on all digital streaming sites on December 15.
Pre-save the single here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/counterpunch/handbook-for-the-recently-debriefed
Tracklist:
Side A - Handbook For The Recently Debriefed
Side B - We, The Role
Dead Alright
Montreal’s Dead Alright (the solo project of Brand New Lungs frontman Louis-Charles Berthiaume)
Stream on Spotify.
"An undeniable cut of late ‘90s skate punk that will appeal to fans of bands like A Wilhelm Scream, Millencolin, No Use For A Name."- Versus Machine
Montreal’s Dead Alright (the solo project of Brand New Lungs/ Never Hit Again frontman Louis-Charles Berthiaume) has released the new single "Groundhog Day" the next in line in a series of new songs that will be released throughout 2023.
"Groundhog Day" is a high-energy summer pop punk anthem that captures the frustration of feeling stuck in a never-ending cycle. With catchy guitar riffs, driving drums, and a sing-along chorus, this track is reminiscent of Blink 182 or Neck Deep. Dead Alright's good reviews from New Noise Magazine, Loudwire and Exclaim confirm their increasing popularity.
Bandcamp
Dearist
Wolverhampton, UK's DEARIST Debut New Track ("Fool's Heart")
Band's Sophomore LP 'Sonder' Out April 27
Wolverhampton, UK rockers Dearist are premiering their new single "Fool's Heart" off their upcoming sophomore full-length, 'Sonder,' out April 27 on Spartan Records.
Check out the track on Substream: https://substreammagazine.com/2018/03/premiere-dearist-fools-heart/.
Guitarist Chris Tucker says: "This song was a lot of fun to write. Our process in writing has always been to craft the song instrumentally first, melody and lyrics to follow. Instrumentally, I personally wanted to lay a foundation that exploits (vocalist) Adam’s knack for an infectious hook in the chorus but still retain the Dearist sound. When the lyrics and melody were added to this song, we all knew we had something special in "Fool’s Heart."
Pre-order 'Sonder' at: http://spr.tn/sonder.
All pre-orders include an instant download of the song “Drowning” and "Fool's Heart" as well as the band’s newly remastered debut album “This House Has No Windows.”
Dearist has announced a short run of UK co-headline dates with Leeds' The Lock & Keys, which run April 27-29. See dates below.
4/27 - Leeds, UK - Temple of Boom (The Meatlocker)
4/28 - Luton, UK - The Castle Tavern
4/29 - Wolverhampton, UK - The Giffard Arms
About Dearist:
The UK has always been a breeding ground for rock bands with unique sounds and massive hooks. Enter Wolverhampton's Dearist.
Dearist started life as a solo studio project in (lead vocals / guitars) Adam Binder's basement fueled by a creative need to put together an album of songs he wanted to hear. Hundreds of hours of writing and recording would lead to Adam putting together the current 5 piece line up and the 2015 debut album This House Has No Windows. The album gained the band some notable fans in Jeremy Bolm (Touche Amore) and Geoff Rickley (Thursday).
The band would go on to spend 2016 travelling the length and breadth of the British Isles playing to anyone that would give their unique blend of emo, grunge, and alternative rock the time of day. Regular touring saw the band cultivate a healthy fan base across the UK and their 3 guitar onslaught quickly gained themselves a reputation for being the loudest band on the scene.
"Coming from Wolverhampton is both a blessing and a curse" says drummer Jimmy Taylor, "Wolverhampton was once voted the 5th worst city to live in the world. On one hand it sucks that we live in this dying city where nothing ever happens and where there is no music scene. However on the other hand, because there is nothing going on in our local area, it has always forced us to go and look for music from every corner of the globe and from different eras. Those records then find their way into our songwriting. You’ll find nods to 90's alternative like Oasis and Stereophonics, you’ll hear influence from 2000's emo like Bayside and Taking Back Sunday, but then we're trying to mash that up with something more modern. Something you maybe haven't heard before."
Alongside the live shows, Dearist spent 2016 penning ideas for album number two and in January 2017 Dearist hit the studio to record the drums for 12 songs that would make up their sophomore release. The boys then took those drum tracks back to Adam's home studio and spend the next 12 months teasing them and working them into the album that has become to be known as Sonder.
"The idea for the album title Sonder came really late in the process" says Adam, "I realized I was writing a lot of the lyrical content from other peoples perspectives. I had lyrics based on a friend that took his own life. I was singing about what it would feel like to be in a car accident, lying there waiting for the ambulance. I had a song about how my Dad must have felt when he suddenly got taken really ill. I came across this article about new words that came about in 2017 and the word 'Sonder' was in there. Basically it is the realization that everyone else is living a life as complex as your own, full of joys and sadness. It really encompassed the overall feel of the album."
"I had a really clear vision of how I wanted this album to feel and sound" says guitarist Lee Jarratt. "I love those albums, where you put them on and its non stop bangers. Albums like Take This To Your Grave by Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American, Bring Me the Horizon’s That’s The Spirit and the Taylor Swift 1989 album. I wanted to create an album like that, where it just didn't let up, full of choruses and hooks."
Dearist is a true DIY beast. Not only does singer Adam and drummer Jimmy take on the recording side of the band, but guitarist Lee shoots and edits all the band's music videos. Now armed with a strong sophomore release, a brand new label, and a thrust to tour, 2018 is looking to be a great year for Dearist.
SONDER - "the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own."
Diesel Boy
Diesel Boy Release "Gets Old" (First New Album Since 2001) via SBÄM Records
“A musical powerhouse that’s as fast as the Dickies and cockier than the Ramones, and this album drives them even farther up above the masses." (4 stars)- The Punk Site
Order "Gets Old" here: https://shop.sbam.rocks
Pre-save: https://bfan.link/gets-old
A lot has changed since Diesel Boy last made a record. Three presidents have been sworn in, its members made five kids, the record business collapsed, oh and there was that pesky pandemic. But after twenty years away, the beloved punk rock quartet is back with a new record ('Gets Old'), their first shows in decades, and a fresh outlook on playing music.
"In a genre of music that is over saturated with joke bands, Diesel Boy stands above the pack." — Punknews
"The band expand the boundaries of its punk-pop sound while keeping its trademark snotty humor intact." — Allmusic
"Diesel Boy employ obscure references like they're Thomas Pynchon." — Village Voice
Diesel Boy formed in 1993 on the campus of Sonoma State University in California’s wine country, where several members went to school. By 1996, they had generated enough of a buzz locally to become the first band signed to Fat Wreck Chords’ imprint Honest Don’s, releasing four albums for the label and logging tens of thousands of miles in their Ford Econoline van alongside a who’s who of the era’s notable punk acts.
Burned out after heavy touring, the band decided to catch their collective breath and returned to civilian life in the early 2000s, trading punk clubs and van life for marriages and mortgages. Life remained busy, but with a different set of responsibilities.
Fast forward two decades, and Diesel Boy’s members have settled comfortably into middle age. But over the pandemic, the band realized how much they missed playing together, missed connecting with their fans, who still tallied over a million streams on Spotify each year alone. Not wanting to just be a legacy act, the band decided to focus on making a new record as the vehicle for their return. Now based in Seattle, returning members Diesel Dave (vocals and guitar) and Greg Hensley (bass) are joined by Chad Philipps (guitar) and Christopher Thomas (drums), two rad dudes whose musical chops add new layers to the band’s skate punk sound.
The quartet holed up in Christopher’s basement and began assembling the dozen songs that make up their fifth album, “Gets Old,” their first since 2001. Though the band’s lineup has changed, the songs are classic Diesel Boy. “Gets Old” manages a delicate high wire act, balancing the snarky and the sincere, the melodic and the muscular. The album is littered with the band’s trademark pop culture references and features songs about music festival bros (“Festival Summer”), sad black metal fans (“Corpse Paint Blues”), chess-playing automatons (“The Turk”), and fellow songwriters who died too soon (“Two Stones”). It was produced by Matt Bayles, known for his work with Pearl Jam, Mastodon, and Botch, who leans equally into the guitar-heavy sound he is known for while flexing his pop sensibilities. The album is a whole lot of fun, showcasing a musical evolution that simultaneously picks up right where Diesel Boy left off. The first single “Bismarck,” is a pop-punk banger featuring a guest appearance by Kim Warnick of legendary Seattle band The Fastbacks.
To support the album, Diesel Boy will hit Europe this summer, playing the Brakrock, Punk Rock Holiday, and Tells Bells festivals, as well as several headlining shows. The band will also play stateside before they depart, with dates in their now-home of the Pacific Northwest to follow.
Don't Panic
Northeast Pennsylvania's DON'T PANIC Releasing 3rd Full-Length ‘Setting up to Fail’ on August 25
Northeast, PA rock/pop-punk band Don't Panic will release its 3rd full-length 'Setting Up To Fail' on August 25.
'Setting up to Fail' Pre Save - https://orcd.co/n3y4gab
Pre Order (Vinyl/CD) - https://dontpanic.bigcartel.com/product/setting-up-to-fail-vinyl-cd-bundle
Formed in the Pocono Mountains of northeast Pennsylvania in 2009, Don't Panic is named after the Douglas Adams-penned favorite novel of founding vocalist/guitarist Ted Felicetti.
Joining Ted were Keith Slader (bass), Anthony Paesano (drums) and AJ Larsen (guitar).
The five-piece's simple mission since day one has been to make genuine, fun rock and roll music.
After an almost decade-long hiatus ending in 2019, The band released its first full-length effort 'See Through It All' in 2020 and then a follow-up full-length with 'Dark Horse' in Sept 2021.
Drawing off their collective influences from bands like Bayside, Millencolin, Foo Fighters, & No Use for a Name, Don’t Panic’s third full-length album ‘Setting Up To Fail’ arrives following a very busy year and a half on the road touring in the U.S and U.K and performing with the likes of Less than Jake, Bowling for Soup, The Ataris, The Spill Canvas, Face to Face, Alien Ant Farm, Lit, Mest and tons others.
Of the new album, Felicetti says, "We have been at it for 4 years now. Powered through a worldwide pandemic and wrote and released two albums in that time. But, I can say without a shadow of a doubt, this new record is this band finally stepping into its own. The songs are the most matured versions of our writing abilities and I have never been more proud to release something with my name on it. It's the perfect mix of the rock and roll bands I grew up on like the Foo Fighters, and my punk rock roots listening to bands like Face to Face and No Use for a Name. "Newer" bands like Bayside and the Menzingers also played a major role in shaping the songwriting here, and I am more than happy to lean into that when the time calls for it-- but all while shaping and creating our own sound and feel. In our own lives we have never belonged, but with this record I finally feel like we have a place."
What’s next? An open road and good times with plenty of Miller Lites and all of their friends. Because that’s all that really matters.
Socials:
Website - https://dontpanicofficial.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/DontPanicOfficial
Instagram - www.instagram.com/dontpanicjustrock
X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/DontpanicPA
TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@dontpanicjustrock
Youtube - www.youtube.com/dontpanicofficial
Don't Sleep
Don't Sleep Releases New Album 'See Change' Via End Hits Records; New "20/20" Animated Video Now Streaming
Band consists of Dave Smalley (DAG NASTY, ALL, DOWN BY LAW, DYS) on vocals + bassist Garrett Rothman (Junction), drummer Jim Bedorf, and guitarists Tom McGrath (Very Americans) and Tony Bavaria (The Commercials, Very Americans).
"Keeping the classic combo of skating and hardcore music alive, Dave Smalley's punk band features a crew of park rippers in the new video for their song "Dead On The Inside.""- Thrasher Magazine
"There's a lot of hardcore punk pedigree within the group's ranks. But more importantly than that, Don't Sleep pen fantastic songs."- No Echo
Don't Sleep have released their sophomore album, 'See Change' via End Hits Records. The 9-track LP was co-produced by the GRAMMY-nominated team of Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland (August Burns Red, Silverstein)
The band, made up of Dave Smalley (DAG NASTY, ALL, DOWN BY LAW, DYS) on vocals, bassist Garrett Rothman (Junction), drummer Jim Bedorf, and guitarists Tom McGrath (Very Americans) and Tony Bavaria (The Commercials, Very Americans), are debuting a new animated video for the track "20/20," which is now streaming on PunkNews.Org.
Rothman says, “We are excited to introduce our new single “20/20” and the accompanying video. “20/20” is on our “See Change” LP, which drops TODAY on End Hits Records. “20/20” is truly a summer jam – it has a big, anthemic quality to it with an uplifting chorus that everyone can relate to – “someday I’ll be free!” Like any great summer jam, it’s the kind of song that you want to listen to while driving around town with your windows down.
The video for “20/20” is a montage of Don’t Sleep live shows, but interspersed with scenes from Harrisburg, PA, the hometown of 4/5 of Don’t Sleep. The video was beautifully edited by Josh Nesmith. Josh’s vision resulted in a dreamy, ethereal piece that we are really proud of and truly accentuates the song.”
Smalley says, "At peace with this reflection/No regrets, no introspection." Mortality is a reality of the human experience. We will all die. Some of us too soon (Hendrix, Keith Moon, John Stabb), some living shockingly long (Keith Richards, Willie Nelson). To quote Gandalf from Lord of the Rings: "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." In this life, we will all make huge mistakes, but most of us will also try hard, try to do better, and do good things that make those around us happier and this world around us a little brighter. So just know that is part of your story, inevitably. That contrast. Pain and redemption. As Eckart Tolle puts it, we need to realize that the pain body wants to define us, but it is not who we are. In life we are working toward true consciousness. "Another lonely road...someday I'll be free.""
Stream the new album 'See Change' HERE.
Stream the video track-by-track, featuring shout-outs from Ingo Knollmann (Donots / Duchamp), Tim McMahon (Mouthpiece / Hands Tied), Damien Moyal (As Friends Rust / Culture / Morning Again), Porcell (Youth Of Today / Shelter / Values Here), Greg Polard (Where It Went Podcast), Brett Rasmussen (Ignite), John Ross Bowie (Comedian / Actor), Scott Vogel (Terror / Buried Alive / World Be Free ) and Roger Miret (Agnostic Front) here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG48STX6iW0
About Don't Sleep:
Whoever said lightning only strikes once clearly has not met Dave Smalley.
From being right in the middle at the birth of US hardcore punk with DYS to creating the blueprint of melodic hardcore with DAG NASTY, from helping to invent pop punk as we know it with ALL to finding himself in the middle of the west coast punk explosion of the 90s with DOWN BY LAW: Smalley was always on the forefront every time hardcore punk stretched its envelope.
While others may use a legacy like that as an excuse to take it a little slower Dave Smalley has no intention to rest on his laurels and keeps writing new music and releasing records.
When he founded DON’T SLEEP with fellow east coast punk rockers Garrett Rothman, Tony Bavaria, Jim Bedorf and Tom McGrath in 2017 the world was more than excited about seeing him front a fast yet melodic hardcore band again.
Being motivated by the immense positive feedback DON’T SLEEP was finally ready to release its debut album “Turn the tide” in 2020. And then the world came to a grinding halt. But after the dust settled all five members decided that DON’T SLEEP was too important to not overcome all obstacles thrown in their way.
The five piece went back into the rehearsal room, finished 8 original songs and added an amazing TOM PETTY cover to the mix. The result is DON’T SLEEP’s second full length “See Change” and it will see the light of day on JUNE 2nd, 2023 worldwide via End Hits Records.
It is a record that combines all elements you have liked about Dave Smalley’s music in the past while sounding incredibly contemporary in the here and now.
“DON’T SLEEP is very much a combination of five distinct friends coming together and making a unique sound”, Smalley says. “It is a rare thing to have such cool synergy and energy and end up focused like a laser beam. It is powerful, melodic and purposeful. We respect and love the common roots we all grew up in and are coming together to make a sound with that as our foundation, but also looking to the future and growing.”
Big help to make “See Change” sound so fresh and current came from an unlikely pair of producers, the Grammy award winning team of Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland.
Guitarist Tony Bavaria explains the unusual choice:
“While they've worked a lot in the metalcore world (i.e. August Burns Red, Polaris) they've also done some really great sounding rock records for bands like Live, Candlebox, and Everclear. But they are also local hardcore / punk guys we knew for almost twenty years. Knowing how talented they are and the diversity of their work, we really wanted to see what they would be able to bring to the table. It was awesome to have the opportunity to work with them in a world class studio that would probably not be available to a hardcore band like us!”
The end result couldn’t be more of a testament to the shared chemistry between band and producers. From the blazing hardcore opener “Harrisburg Graves” to the catchy mid-tempo punk rock of “Promise Made”, from the epic chorus of “20.20” to the subtle off beat and reggae leanings of “Love is the suture”:
There is something here for all Smalley and punk fans, no matter what of his projects you first fell in love with while the powerful modern production sounds very rooted in the here and now.
Along the catchiness and amazing musical energy DON’T SLEEP’s “See Change” is also full of lyrical inspiration – as you would expect from a band fronted by Dave Smalley.
Bassist Garreth elaborates: “I think we've always had the perspective of seeing music and punk/hardcore as a positive force, where the people involved can make a difference in the world around them. It's been reflected in our name and in our album title "See Change". If you see injustice or something that needs to change in your surroundings, make it happen, visualize it, "See Change", know it's possible, and work to make it better.”
So, let’s just hope that this lightning will strike again and again.
“See Change will be released worldwide by End Hits Records on JUNE 2nd 2023 on limited colored vinyl with two different cover options (one for North America and one for Europe/UK). The digipack CD version will contain 8 bonus songs that have not been available on compact disc before.
Preorder your copy now from the End Hits Store (EU/UK) or from Deathwish Inc (North- and South America).
DON’T SLEEP are currently planning tours around the USA and Europe/UK to celebrate the release of “See Change.”
www.instagram.com/dontsleepband
www.facebook.com/Dontsleepband
Everyone Asked About You
Seminal Little Rock DIY Queer Tweemo Outfit EVERYONE ASKED ABOUT YOU Releases "Handsome Beautiful" The Next Single Off Upcoming 'Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts' Which Compiles The Cult Favorites' Complete Recorded Works
Available As Vinyl 2xLP (+ Digital and Cassette) on September 8 via NUMERO GROUP
Included Band's 'Let’s Be Enemies' LP and Their Two And A Half 7"s Released Between 1997-2000
Remastered from the original DATs for maximum nostalgic crunch, this deluxe 2xLP is housed in a gatefold tip on sleeve and includes a 20-page book crammed with flyers, photos, lyrics, and an extensive essay on this crucial missing link between Midwest emo and the Moog synthesizer.
Band Playing Brooklyn Shows September 8 & 9 at Saint Vitus
Watch The Visualizer for "Handsome Beautiful" Here
"There was never another band that was able to replicate Everyone Asked About You’s sound. The Little Rock, Arkansas, four-piece introduced elements of twee pop into emo throughout their all-too-brief tenure, but thankfully Numero Group is doing a full remastered reissue of the band’s catalog, titled Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts. The first single “Sometimes Memory Fails Me Sometimes,” is one of the longest tracks in the band’s discog–and one of the most forceful, showing that they could stand up to any other band in the genre in terms of muscle."- The Alternative
"It's perfect in it's imperfect state."- Blood Makes Noise
"If you have a fondness for late 90's emo, this is going to be gold to you..."Sometimes Memory Fails Me Sometimes" has that awkward beauty and left-of-center pop hooks that you're going to adore."- If Its Too Loud
Seminal Little Rock, Arkansas queer tweemo band Everyone Asked About You has dropped "Handsome Beautiful," the next single off the upcoming Numero Group release of 'Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts', which compiles the band's complete recorded works.
"Handsome Beautiful" was tracked in 1998 between their self-titled 7” and 'Let’s Be Enemies' LP, and is a building ballad that meanders around a simple flute and jangly guitar riff before exploding into a maelstrom of flailing and off-key harmony screams.
The Deluxe 2xLP vinyl release of 'Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts', includes the band's 'Let’s Be Enemies' LP and their two and a half 7"s released between 1997-2000. The release is now available to pre-order/pre-save (including digital and cassette).
Pre-save/Pre-Order 'Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts' HERE.
Stream the album teaser video HERE.
To celebrate the release of 'Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts,' Everyone Asked About You will play two record release show at Brooklyn, NY's Saint Vitus on September 8 and 9th.
September 8 Show w/ Death Party
September 9 Show w/ Caithlin De Marrais
Penned between heated sessions of MarioKart64 and Goldeneye, Little Rock high school quartet Everyone Asked About You developed their own take on the emo sound that was sweeping the midwest in the late-‘90s. Built around the twin guitar attack of Chris Sheppard and Collins Kilgore, the band was held together by drummer Lee Buford’s pulverizing drums and dusted with Hannah Vogan’s twee-adjacent vocals. Channeling Rainer Maria’s earnestness, the Promise Ring’s knack for melody, and the Rentals’ penchant for synth, Everyone Asked About You the biggest secret to come out of Arkansas since Whitewater.
The History:
By 1997, emo was in the early throes of its first evolution since erupting out of the D.C. hardcore scene a dozen years earlier. This new wave was less concerned with its post-hardcore forebearers' political peccadilloes and blood curdling shrieks, favoring instead a light-weight, mix-tape friendly, and hyper-sensitive version of pop punk.
Bands like Promise Ring, Get Up Kids, Braid, Mineral, Christie Front Drive, and Rainer Maria were at the forefront of this evolving sound. Little Rock, AR had Everyone Asked About You.
The band formed in 1996 and consisted of Chris Sheppard, Lee Buford, Collins Kilgore, and Hannah Vogan, who bonded over a shared love for bands like Unwound. John Beachboard and Matt Bradley joined in 1998 contributing to the 1999 release of 'Let's Be Enemies.' Eventually, they incorporated synthesizers into their sound, influenced by bands like The Rentals and Rainer Maria.
They released their self-titled debut EP in 1997, which featured songs like "Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts," "Me Vs. You," and "It's Days Like This That Make Me Wish Summer Lasted Forever." The EP received mixed reviews, but the band's dedicated fans supported them.
Lyrically their songs explored the trials and tribulations of adolescence, as well as Sheppard's own journey in discovering his sexuality ("Boston") and coming out as a gay man.
Sheppard, says, “If there's a theme through all of our songs, it's an emotional and physical distance, challenging goodbyes and misunderstandings and terrible communication.”
Everyone Asked About You broke up in 2000, but their music continues to be influential to emo fans around the world. With fewer than 2000 records across their entire recorded output floating around, fans flocked to YouTube and MP3 blogs to download needle-drop rips and sing the praises of Hannah and Chris’s adolescent poetry. And now younger generations have begun discovering the band through social media-- a lost chapter in emo’s pre-mainstream history.
Everyone Asked About You reunited for their first show in 23 years in the winter of 2022, and plan to tour more in the months ahead.
Photo: @ danielbergeronphoto; Daniel Bergeron 2023
+++
'Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts'_ 2xLP Tracklist / Credits
A
1. Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts
2. Me Vs. You
3. It’s Days Like This That Make Me Wish The Summer Would Last Forever
4. Everyone Asked About You
B
1. A Better Way To A Broken Heart
2. I Will Wait
3. Sometimes Memory Fails Me Sometimes
4. Handsome, Beautiful
C
1. Crazy
2. Boston
3. Song For Chris
4. Letters Never Sent
5. Taxi
D
1. Last Dance
2. Let's Be Enemies
3. Solitaire
4. Across Puddles
5. Greek To Me
6. Outro
+++
Produced for reissue by Ken Shipley & Rob Sevier
Coordinated by Jana Gautschy
Original recordings engineered by Barry Poynter
Additional engineering by Jim “Watts” Vereeke on B3-4
Mastered by Jeff Lipton & Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering
All songs written by Everyone Asked About You, published by Songs Of Numero Group
Lee Buford - drums, programming
Collins Kilgore - guitar, keys
Chris Sheppard - vocals, guitar, keys
Hannah Vogan - vocals
John Beachboard - keys on C1-5, D1-6
Matt Bradley - bass on C1-5, D1-6
Additional personnel:
Kristin Wanek - handclaps on A3
Story Matkin-Rawn - flute on B3
Chris Wilson - glockenspiel on B3
Carrie James - violin on C4
Photos courtesy of Adam Heathcott & Sara Padgett Heathcott
+++
Socials
Instagram www.instagram.com/lets.be.enemies
Twitter https://twitter.com/letsbeenemies
Website https://numerogroup.com
Fabled Mind
FABLED MIND Reveals Title Track Off Upcoming LP 'Project Paradise,' An Electrifying Dystopian Concept Album, Out August 29 on Vinyl Only
Digital Release Coming In January 2024
Punk Rock from Copenhagen
"Strongly influenced by the great skatepunk bands of the 90ies...you can’t help but get swept up by tunes that are as technical as they are melodic."- Punk Rock Theory
"One giant slab of ultrafast, supermelodic technicalities pervaded with enormously precise basslines and technically demanding drumming. The band took fundamentals of melodic hardcore punk, basics of skate punk and harmonies of pop-punk music, threw them all together into a blender, instantly resulting in a glorious melodic punk rock album that can pair to even bigger names in the game."- Thoughts Words Action
"Creative, intricately composed and lyrically engaging...full of fast, catchy and melodic tunes with a lot of heart; ideal for fans of RX Bandits, Millencolin and Rise Against."- Idioteq
Photo: Rocio Arcenegui
Copenhagen's Fabled Mind returns with 'Project Paradise,' an electrifying full-length dystopian concept album, emerging from the shadows as an experimental hybrid-genre phenomenon, deeply rooted in a love for the exhilarating punk rock of the 90s.
The band has teamed up with Thousand Islands Records (CANADA) Lockjaw Records (UK) and Nasty Cut Records (EU) for the release of 'Project Paradise' on vinyl, set to drop on August 29th. The LP takes listeners on a captivating narrative journey, inviting them to contemplate their own existence in an ever-evolving world shaped by technological advancements.
Stream the title track here: https://fabledmind.lnk.to/projpparadise.
The band writes, "The song explores a sinister mechanism within Project Paradise, which erases human dreams and replaces them with captivating hyper-positive illusions to hook and control individuals within the AI’s simulation system."
The album revolves around the experiences and inner thoughts of the main character, serving as a powerful reflection of the human consequences brought about by the rapid technological transition in today’s society. As the integration of artificial intelligence with our biological systems nears completion, the very fabric of human reality is poised for a radical transformation. Project Paradise offers a glimpse into what this world might look like if certain paths are taken.
The album’s lyrics paint a vivid picture of a not-so-distant future where humanity is monitored and controlled by artificial intelligence, allegedly for its own benefit. The system, known as Project Paradise, was initially programmed by humans to ensure the species' happiness and carefree existence.
Exploring themes like happiness, freedom, loneliness, free will, suffering, social media, and consciousness, Project Paradise delves into the philosophical and psychological depths of the human condition. Drawing intertextual references from Greek mythology, such as Prometheus and Sisyphus, and venturing into the darkest corners of the album, you'll discover allusions to the controversial LSD experiments conducted during the MK Ultra project in the 1960s. Intriguingly, the echoes of the experiments have even reached Denmark, hitting close to home for lead singer Dion. One of Dion's family members was intimately involved in an unexplained LSD experiment, which was carried out as treatment. Tragically, this experience left a lasting mark, and her life was never the same again.
Musically, each song seamlessly blends into the next, creating a cohesive tapestry of sound. The tracks serve as individual reflections of the album's plot and the main character’s emotional journey, resulting in an expansive exploration of genres with the storyline serving as the connective thread.
Immerse yourself in the protagonist's daily life, a monotonous existence marked by interactions with a virtual world that elicit joy, dopamine rushes, and excitement. Yet, beneath the surface, an inner emptiness lingers, a profound sense that everything is predictable and lacking a true connection to the "real" reality, whatever that may be. Yearning for biological independence, the protagonist embarks on a mission to liberate himself and the rest of humanity from the thought control orchestrated by the machine.
Take a seat, find comfort, let your imagination run wild, and join Fabled Mind on their captivating and unconventional musical odyssey.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fabledmind
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FabledMindDK
F.O.D.
F.O.D. Announce New Album ‘Sleepville’ Out March 20
Belgian melodic punk rock outfit F.O.D. is releasing its widely anticipated fourth full album “Sleepville” on March 20, 2020.
Sleepville is a storytelling album that takes its listener on a journey through time. In their announcement the band writes that they will be ignoring the boundaries of punk rock for this release. If that does not spark your imagination, I don’t know what will…
The album will be out on CD and on 12” colored vinyl (4 exclusive colors) and released through Bearded Punk Records (BE) for Europe, Wiretap Records (US) for the US and Thousand Islands Records (CAN) for Canada.
Each record will come with an actual book that has its own artwork, which contains the story of the quiet town of Sleepville and its inhabitants.
For the last year, it’s been quiet around the Belgian foursome, but now they’re coming back with a huge bang. To start it all off, they are planning a release party for the album on March 20 at Cinema Plaza in Lier, Belgium, together with 4 supporting acts.
Keep your eyes peeled for more news about this very special release.
***
Upcoming shows:
MAR 20 Cinema Plaza- Duffel, Belgium (Album Release Show)
MAY 9 SBAM Fest 4 (Alter Schlachthof Wels)- Wels, Austria
AUG 7 Brakrock 2020/Brakrock Ecofest- Duffel, Belgium
***
Since the release of their debut EP 'Dance To This!' in 2011, F.O.D. has become a household name in the Belgian punk rock scene. The band built a steady live reputation with their catchy melodies, much in the vein of what their legendary predecessors such as Green Day, Descendents, Lagwagon and Bad Religion have delivered us over the past few decades.
Their first video, the instant poppunk anthem 'Carry on' became a classic among the scene. Seven years and three full albums later, F.O.D. has toured around the world playing shows with the likes of SUM41, Lagwagon, Satanic Surfers, No Fun At All, Frenzal Rhomb, Masked Intruder, Gameface, Implants, SNFU, The Menzingers, MxPx, A Wilhelm Scream, 7 Seconds, Strike Anywhere, Face To Face, 88 Fingers Louie, and many more. F.O.D.'s steady rise brought them playing main stages at major Punk rock festivals in Europe such as Groezrock(2x), Punk Rock Holiday, Jera On Air, KNRD-Fest, Brakrock.
Giants Chair
Midwestern Emo Vets Giants Chair Back After 23-Year Hiatus; 'Prefabylon' Out Now via Spartan Records
"...kinda sounds like if Thin Lizzy was a ’90s Midwest emo band."-Brooklynvegan
"...showcases all the band’s strengths in under three minutes: chiseled riffing with a hint of twang — raw, emotive vocals, rounded out by elliptical, evocative lyrics."- Rolling Stone
"...founded in 1993 by three friends with an affinity for loud, melodic rock songs. Really loud."- Kansas City Star
"...the three-piece cut forlorn melodies with serrated guitars like Pennywise chomping after children in 'It'."- Chicago Reader
"From 1993 to 1997, (Scott) Hobart’s three-piece monster rock machine Giant’s Chair spread the gospel of the Kansas City scene across the nation, along with cohorts like Boy’s Life, Shiner and Germbox."- The Pitch (Kansas City)
Influential 90's midwestern emo band Giants Chair is back after a 23-year absence. A new album, 'Prefabylon' will be released on December 6 via Spartan Records.
Contemporaries and tour mates of bands such as Jimmy Eat World, Boys Life, The Dismemberment Plan, Hoover, Sweep the Leg Johnny, Cap’n Jazz, Shiner, Boilermaker, and more, Giants Chair released a pair of albums on Caulfield Records in the 90’s and were a part of the early emo scene with acts like Boys Life, Shiner, Christie Front Drive, and fellow Kansas City bands such as Molly McGuire and Season to Risk.
About Giants Chair:
In the midwest in the early nineties, three musicians serendipitously found one another and began to power a sound. This sonic synergy charged not only the band’s own individually-heralded releases but would also influence decades of artists-to-come who would cut their rock-n-roll teeth on Giants Chair records. After years of writing and recording, after innumerable sweaty basement shows, after thousands of miles of highway blur, and a million fragmented memories, lives progressed, and the fire that fueled Giants Chair gave way to new responsibilities — but it never went out.
In the fall of 1989, Scott Hobart (guitar, lyrics, vocals) and Byron Collum (bass) both arrived to attend the Kansas City Art Institute. After a catalytic connection and several early band iterations in Kansas City, Hobart and Collum opted for a move to Collum's hometown of Green Bay, WI in the winter of 1993 to play with drummer Paul Ackerman. The trio relocated back to Kansas City the following spring as Giants Chair with their debut 7” Hot Boy on Caulfield Records. Soon after the band assembled enough songs to record their first full length album, Red and Clear, a cryptic epic - it was equal parts raw and refined. While many of the band’s peers trended toward post-rock deconstruction in the following years, Giants Chair returned with Purity and Control, the record that solidified the band’s signature balance of tight rhythms and forward melodies — deceptively simple hooks that collide with lush and layered sonic force.
For more than two decades now these records have lived on turntables, blasted through car speakers, rattled apartment walls, destroyed headphones, and have finally become recognized as the timeless artifacts of emotional experience and endeavor that they are for so many people. Yes, for many, each Giants Chair release serves as a time machine that can instantly transport them back to an earlier memory — a soundtrack for their wobbly path toward adulthood. As decades decay, the path remains, and it is no less mysterious for any of us. Now, in perfect time, 2019 marks the return of Giants Chair with the release of the bands highly-anticipated new album on Spartan Records, Prefabylon. ...and a soundtrack continues.
"I feel like the band kind of found US again,” says Hobart, “like a two-decade long slap-back echo, and I’m sitting on the couch playing guitar to it. Similar to a lot of people in the world right now, we’re feeling pretty anxious, and I think these songs come from that.”
Thematically, as a concept, Prefabylon is rooted in lyrics of their new song “Lost Again” — Lost between ghost towns — prefabulous ruins / makeshift intentions to shelter hope’s fools. “I was thinking about people building lives and meaning out of leftovers -- how hope springs eternal, but sometimes it’s ill-fated,” says Hobart. "So the title/concept for me is kind of a double-meaning — it calls into question disposable means and values, but also respects that, really, that’s all humans have ever done -- made lives out of leftovers.”
With all of the the band’s original core components and members still intact (no small feat of itself!) listeners needn’t brace for any departure from the band's signature post-punk DNA. Equal parts early new wave, skate punk, prog, political folk, and 70’s and 80’s radio rock, Giants Chair’s influences can be traced across their now ‘era-transcending’ catalogue. “As a band,” Hobart says “I think we must sound ‘midwestern.' It’s essentially classic, no-frills, rock elements creating a big wall of melody. At turns, the music reminds me of rolling landscape, sky and highways, old factories and farms, distant street lights and radio towers - how these things make me feel. Kind of a lonely, but somehow-hopeful ache while looking west... then the sky shatters. I remember saying at some point early in the music writing that I was hearing AC/DC meets My Bloody Valentine, but I guess we’ve always erred, to some extent, on the side of AC/DC. And maybe more ‘D.C.'- as in District Of Columbia” by now” Hobart laughs.
Fans conquer, with Prefabylon, Giants Chair is simply picking up where they left off — the same guys, the same process, the same gear, and the same feel. After a year of intensive writing and focused pre-production, Prefabylon came to life at Weights and Measures Soundlab in Kansas City, MO. with the help of engineer Duane Trower. When the band was finally ready, drums, bass and foundational guitars were tracked live, lightning-in-a-bottle, in two sessions. Over the weeks that followed, vocals and the remaining guitar elements were meticulously added to the mix. “I’m hearing that we sound like we never stopped playing,” says Hobart. “I’d like to think that’s the timeless wonder of limitation that our minimal talents force us to work with. Guitar, bass, drums, mouth. Tape it all together and turn it way-the-fuck up."
While most listeners will rest easy in the notion of sonic familiarity, those looking for artistic evolution will find it in Prefabylon’s lyrics. "I didn’t want to write or sing or yell about growing old - as frustrating as it can be,” says Hobart, “so, at first, I think I was going down the old safe road of lyrical crypticism - but, ultimately, I found it hard to be passionate in sheer abstraction. I really felt like I wanted to be more coherent in all this emotionalism. But, while I don’t want to be middle-aged ranting, I also can’t help that the things I’m most passionate about by now, are things about being a 48 year-old father of 2 sons, married for 21 years to the same patient woman, living in a big, rich, wasteful commercial of a country on an ailing planet -- sometimes wishing I could just get in the van with my rock and roll brothers and head West forever.”
While time passes for all of us, certain feelings and emotions have the ability to remain constant with the proper amount of stoking - and volume. It is through these feelings, these memories, that glimpses of refuge and hope still shine earnestly. The wheels spin, the cycles cycle, and we all tire, but there is enchantment in things, like these records, these sonic timestamps that point us back to who we were at our best — and our worst. And now we have another. While it’s unlikely that we head west forever, through records like Prefabylon, we can certainly keep that forward spirit alive and burning - maybe laughing back, from time-to-time, at our futures forgotten, before nostalgia kills us.
***
Grave Secrets
LA's Grave Secrets Release New Single "Bad Blood" Produced By Alex Estrada (Joyce Manor & Touche Amore)
New Album Out Later This Year
"Fast. Fun. Heavy as f**". "
"...a penchant for writing super-sized hooks...The Los Angeles-based trio ride the wave between power pop, melodic punk, and all points in between."- No Echo
Photo: Rick Perez @ Reckless Magazine
Los Angeles-based four-piece band Grave Secrets are sharing their latest single "Bad Bood," out now on Wiretap Records.
Grave Secrets seamlessly melds melodic punk & hardcore influences. Every member is a profound lover of nostalgic sounds with a modern touch. Grave Secrets works exclusively works with Alex Estrada (Joyce Manor & Touche Amore) at his Pale Moon Ranch studio. Wiretap Records will release the band's upcoming album later this year.
Harker
Brighton, UK Punks Harker Releasing New LP "Axiom" on April 23rd via Wiretap Records, Disconnect Disconnect Records, Shield Recordings, Fixing A Whole Records
***
“The Beast Must Die” harkens back to the glory days of ’90s fuzzed-out guitar rock, with a bit of ’70s proto-punk thrown in as well. The band itself has dubbed its unique brand of music “EMOGAZE” — a combo of emotional rock and swelling guitar feedback. By eschewing a fundamental element of each genre, Harker have created something all their own."- Consequence of Sound
***
Brighton, UK punk rock powerhouse HARKER are back with a new single "The Beast Must Die."
Harker - "The Beast Must Die" (Official Music Video)
The track appears on the band's upcoming LP "Axiom" out April 23rd on Wiretap Records, Disconnect Disconnect Records, Shield Recordings, Fixing A Whole Records.
"The Beast Must Die' is based on the idea of 'Mono-consciousness' by English writer Colin Wilson – as a philosopher, Wilsons writing was heavily focused on striving to live with a heightened sense of meaning and avoiding a closed mindset. This track is a study of characters with a lack of empathy and spirituality, in the end leading to apathy for existence. 'Mono-consciousness' is a beast that lurks inside, and needs to be hunted before it takes control of of us."- Mark Boniface (singer/guitarist)
+++
What others have said about Harker:
"...the first great punk record of 2018.."- Alreadyheard
It’s a punk thriller. Harker are gifted. Their music highlights punk at its best. Their honest heart-pullers are beautiful."- Punkanormal Activity
"Reminded me of some of the early 1990s punk from the likes of Husker Du and The Meat Puppets..."- Punk Online
“Don’t sleep on this album; you’re unlikely to find a UK punk album that hits this hard for a while now."- The Soundboard Reviews
"...infectious pop-punk tunes with teeth."- ThePunkSite
"we get a real Seaway meets Jimmy Eat World vibe, and that’s one gnarly combo" - MOSH
"a full fleshed-out ruckus punk rock assault" - Already Heard
+++
Harker:
Mark Boniface– guitar & vocals
Phoebe Saunders - bass & vocals
Tony Ware - guitar
Matt Claxton - drums
Harker online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HRKRUK/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HRKRUK
Follow Wiretap Records at https://www.facebook.com/wiretaprecords.
''AXIOM' is a statement of intent, a hit back against the apathy of modern living, an attack on idolization and a call for all the marginalized to take the helm – to kick against the pricks.
Foundations built upon a love for pop music, while leaning into their obsession over the golden era of Dischord records & 90s college fuzz sounds. Since 2014, the band have put out releases through well-established labels, including their EP 'A Lifetime Apart' and their first full length 'No Discordance' which followed in 2018 to critical acclaim – becoming a powerful punk/emo shot to the arm for the UKs indie scene, seeing the band go on to support the likes of The Wildhearts, Mercy Union & Spanish Love Songs as well as a string of UK and international tours including a successful tour of Japan in 2019.
2021 brings their sophomore effort 'Axiom' – recorded by producer Bob Cooper, the new album cuts into the state of modern living, discussing themes on isolation, social class and environmental change. Not content with sitting still in their punk-pop bubble and retracing steps, Harker have pushed against the grain with ‘Axiom’ - a middle finger to force fed algorithm produced pop. It sees Harker at their most experimental yet, delving into new sonic territories evolving out of the bands earlier radio-popfuzz rooted sound – pulling in more left field influences, such as Sonic Youth, Jets To Brazil & Black Sabbath.
Harker are a 4 piece 'EMOGAZE' band from Brighton, UK.'
Kurt Baker
Kurt Baker Announces New Album 'Rock N Roll Club', Out September 29 on Wicked Cool Records; Pre-order and Stream The Title Track Now
"What a tune, and what a great freaking band! This album is gonna be a monster."- Faster & Louder
"New England's Kurt Baker makes some of the finest vintage sounding power pop out there. It sounds like when the Ramones would cover classic rock tunes from the 60's, mixed with the sweetness of Big Star and the huge guitar solos of Cheap Trick."- If It's Too Loud
"Kurt Baker continues to impress... joined by Wyatt Funderburk, Geoff Palmer, and Kris Rodgers, it sounds like a potential top-ten LP."- Power Popaholic
Kurt Baker has announced a September 29 release date for his upcoming album 'Rock 'N' Roll Club' on Wicked Cool Records.
The title track and a new music video are now streaming along with the launch of pre-orders.
“ROCK 'N' ROLL CLUB” Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1-bP54utI0&feature=youtu.be
Directed by Wyatt Funderburk Shot during their tour of Spain - March, 2023.
Pre-save ' Pre-order link: https://orcd.co/rocknrollclub
Of the track Baker says, "Rock N Roll Club" is an ode to the live music venue - most notably, the dingy, dark, stale beer-smelling, sticker/poster-adorned walls of your local rock n' roll club. Where the music is always loud, the drinks are cheap(ish), and there are always great bands to be seen and friends to meet. Unfortunately in this day in age, The Rock N Roll club is an almost dying institution and this is sad. These clubs are the places where we've grown up, discovered our world of music, and have always let us musicians use their stages to play our songs. We still go there as fans too, to watch our friends and discover new acts. Without them, Rock N Roll - Punk - Alternative culture wouldn't survive. I vividly remember my first time going to a real Rock N Roll club called The Skinny - now Geno's, which coincidentally, the cover of the new album was shot. My world was changed in the best way possible because I finally felt like I could go somewhere where I belonged. This song is dedicated to Kip Brown, who wrote the song but passed away before ever completing it and recording it himself. Groups like Mott the Hoople, Kiss, and the Stooges were the inspiration musically. Under his musical and spiritual guidance from above, I finished up the track with Little Steven and KB Band in the studio, and we are honored to present it to you now, the title track, from the upcoming record - "Rock N Roll Club". Peace and Love."
Of the video, he says, "The "Rock N Roll Club" is a collection of homemade and fan-shot footage from our incredible tour in Spain this past year. It had been 10 years since the KB Band had toured in Spain together and we were received so well by the amazing friends and fans we have in that country. Every night we'd play Rock N Roll clubs - wild nights filled with laughs, dancing, and more important, the rock n roll music that makes our world go round. Enjoy the clip!"
***
Kurt Baker is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for his work as a guitarist and vocalist in the power pop and punk rock genres. He is the lead singer and guitarist for the Kurt Baker Band, a group that has released several albums on Little Steven Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records and toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe. Baker is known for his energetic live performances and catchy, upbeat songs that often feature clever lyrics and catchy hooks. He has drawn inspiration from a wide range of musical styles, including rock, pop, punk, and new wave. - It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine
Upcoming shows:
Sept 29th Malden, MA @ Faces Brewing
w/ Nate Doyle, Bad Idea USA
Sept 30th Portland, ME @ Genos
w/ Capisic, Jeff Beam, East End Redemption
Japan Tour
Oct 22th Halloween Ball at LOFT SHINJUKU. TOKYO
Oct 25th at Livehaus SHIMOKITAZAWA. TOKYO
Oct 26th at Top Beat Club TOKYO
Oct 27th at Top Beat Club TOKYO
Oct 28th at OYS NAGOYA
Dec TBA NYC @ TV EYE
***
What People Have Written About Kurt Baker'
"Power-pop perfection."- Billboard
"...punk-meets-Elvis Costello rocking... definitely fits in the power pop mold, but also has a heavier guitar presence that gives it more energy and intensity. Baker also incorporates a subtle New Wave touch, bringing to mind some of the finest rock gems of the 1980s... gets you excited for when we will finally be able to see acts like them perform live one day."- Glide Magazine
“Would make Elvis Costello proud... a record brimming with sweet harmonies, razor-sharp hooks, and addictive melodies...bringing to mind everyone from Jellyfish to Material Issue at various points of the record... A remarkably fun album by one of the most consistently solid acolytes of power pop working today.”- New Noise
"It's got that new wave/power pop meets early '80s FM rock (Donnie Iris, Cheap Trick, .38 Special) vibe with just a hint of '90s Lookout! Records. If you're into big hooks, punchy guitars, and catchy choruses, this album will not leave you wanting. Say what you will about 2020. But any year that gives us a new Kurt Baker record can't be entirely bad!"- Faster & Louder
"Kurt Baker does the power pop thing like a champ...the hooks are full of pop goodness and the singalongs come from all directions."- That's Good Enough For Me
"...a 12 track alt-rock masterclass. Traversing varying sonic landscapes such as new romantic, post-punk, power-pop et cetera, this set will thrill legitimate longtime fans and new converts alike."- Global Texan Chronicles
"One of the bright lights keeping the flames of power pop lit."- Jersey Beat
"Blending his signature indie garage rock and power pop styles, “Outta Sight” is packed with sweet melodies and grittier dynamics."- Rebel Noise
"This could easily be Baker's best album to date."- Real Gone Rocks
"Confirms Kurt Baker as something of a power-pop genius. ‘After Party’ is a lockdown tonic we should all take a swig of. - RPM Online
"......a total spoil of riches for any fan of 80s culture."- American Songwriter
www.facebook.com/KurtBakerMusic
Jessie Wagner
JESSIE WAGNER (Lenny Kravitz, Chic, Duran Duran, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, etc.) Releases New Cover Of 60's Soul Classic "Cry To Me"
"Soulful Sensation"- FolknRock
Jessie Wagner has released a new single-- a cover of the early 1960's classic "Cry To Me" by soul singer Solomon Burke. The track serves to tide fans over until the release of her sophomore solo LP on Wicked Cool Records in late 2023/early 2024.
Of her upbeat, doo-wop-flavored take on the beloved song, Wagner says “Ever since I saw Patrick Swayze gently sway Jennifer Grey in his beautifully sculpted arms to Solomon Burke's "Cry To Me," I was immediately obsessed with this sensual song. It continues to be one of my favorites, and I am ecstatic to release my take on this sexy classic.”
Stream the single on all streaming platforms: https://orcd.co/jessiewagnercrytome
The in-demand touring vocalist has shared stages with the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Chic, Duran Duran, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul) and is the frontwoman for NYC rock/soul band Army of the Underdog. She released her critically acclaimed debut solo album 'Shoes Droppin' in 2020.
***
What Others Have Said About Jessie Wagner:
"Ranging from the gritty power of Etta James and Aretha Franklin to the gentle sentimentality of Roberta Flack and Barbara Lewis, Jessie Wagner captures the energy of Stax and the sophistication of Motown.. a stunning debut that celebrates the past and heralds a promising future for Soul music." - The Alternate Root Magazine
" It vibes with a slick, cool aura, every track outdone by the proceeding one. It is killer without filler, oozing with the confidence..."- Big Takeover
"...could be the cure for the bleakness that is 2020. At the very least, we’ve got a fun soundtrack."- American Songwriter
"Vocalist Jessie Wagner can make any music soar"- Goldmine
"With its charming acoustic rhythms and drums, this beautifully written song simultaneously seems like an apology/non-apology to those you care about while dealing with relationship growth."- Folknrock
"Coolest Song In The World!"- Underground Garage
“One Of The Best Musical Surprises Of 2020"- Phil's Picks
"Jessie Wagner's vocals have heightened the music of artists like Lenny Kravitz, Chic, Duran Duran and others. On Wagner's new album, "Shoes Droppin," her vocal talents once again have a chance to truly soar."- Goldmine
Photo: Drew Bordeaux
About Jessie Wagner:
It’s been a long journey to center stage for Jessie Wagner. Having gained her greatest exposure to date by singing songs everyone knows the words to, on some of the world’s biggest stages, it’s only now, through sharing her own triumphs and pain, that the spotlight is shining directly on her at last.
After logging thousands of miles as an in-demand vocalist on tour with Lenny Kravitz, Chic, Duran Duran, Kid Rock and most recently Little Steven and The Disciples Of Soul, Jessie Wagner revealed a very personal collection of songs with 'Shoes Droppin’ her 2020 debut solo album for Wicked Cool Records.
Displaying an impressive range encompassing bluesy R&B, neo-soul, acoustic balladry and rock a la John Mayer’s more confessional side, Shoes maintained a unified sound rooted in ’60s and ’70s style production. The songs traced times of darkness and redemption for the Norfolk, Virginia native, now based in New York City, who also fronts the rock/soul band Army of the Underdog.
Recorded during downtime from the Little Steven world tour, 'Shoes Droppin'' was produced by drummer Dave Diamond (Bob Weir, Derek Trucks) with engineer Chris Laybourne, and featured co-writes with seasoned soul guitarist Sherrod Barnes (Beyoncé, Angie Stone, Ashanti, Whitney Houston, Roberta Flack and Queen Latifah).
Wagner will release her sophomore solo effort in late 2023/early 2024.
***
www.facebook.com/jessie.wagner.568
Joker's Hand
LA's Joker's Hand Release Sunny New Single With A Powerful Message
"War Profiteer" -- A Sarcastic Take On Those Who Profit From Others’ Suffering, Now Streaming Everywhere
Joker’s Hand is a rock band hailing from Torrance, CA. Founding members Kevin Kawano and Matthew Lau met while attending film school at UC Santa Cruz. After writing dozens of demos and carving a name for themselves on the Los Angeles club circuit, the band met with producers Steve Ornest and Wyn Davis at Total Access Recording Studios (Sublime, No Doubt, Guns N’ Roses). They began working on what would become their debut self-titled EP, which was released in March 2020.
The band’s first single “Anthem,” landed in rotation on several FM radio stations throughout Southern California. Their second single “Gold Rush” charted on KROQ’s Locals Only, reaching #1 and staying in the Top 5 for nine weeks straight. KROQ’s Locals Only also featured their song “Hijacked” which also took the #1 spot, their second song to top the chart.
Best described as retro rock with a punk edge, Joker’s Hand songs are timeless, and their commercial accessibility reaches across the generations. The band’s explosive live shows coupled with their excellent vocal ability and musicianship has catapulted them above the noise floor of the Los Angeles rock music scene.
The Asian American duo has been active in the #StopAsianHate movement, recently performing at rallies across the Southland.
***
Stream the single "War Profiteer" HERE: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/jokershand/war-profiteer
Stream the song on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jokershand/war-profiteer/s-DAWz1k5fIA7
Stream on New Noise Magazine: https://newnoisemagazine.com/track-premiere-jokers-hand-war-profiteer/?fbclid=IwAR3QluGfYaejNn79DP5uutuIGNtjHjJ1039OINsZAeh76BMYvJAZiW_n8Ws
++++
Joker’s Hand's Kevin Kawano and Matt Lau are admittedly awkward in social situations. Raised with a rigid upbringing, the two rose above their anxieties and created one of alt-punk’s brightest bands.
“Every deck of cards comes with two jokers in it,” Kawano says about the moniker. “The joker cards are cast aside. You don’t expect to use them in a game. I’m half-Japanese and half-white, but my upbringing was more akin to a strict Japanese household. Matt, who is full Chinese, grew up in a similar fashion so we were pushed toward a ‘normal,’ career-driven life. We weren’t raised to take chances or speak our minds.”
As Joker’s Hand, the duo took a chance with a mélange of genres that are, in turns, buoyant or devastating.
With their roots in punk rock, rock and hip-hop, the South Bay band explores those genres in their three forthcoming songs, the reggae-tinged “War Profiteer,” the guitar-heavy “Hibakusha” and “Devil’s Nest.”
“These songs are very different sonically,” Kawano says. “‘Hibakusha" is a harder, faster punk song. ‘War Profiteer’ is a new sound for us. It shows our reggae pop side.”
“War Profiteer” is a sarcastic take on people who profit from others’ suffering.
Joker’s Hand don’t hesitate to show their serious side. “Hibakusha” is a Japanese word that translates to “survivors of the bomb,” a nod to the atom bombs that fell on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
“That became a blanket statement for survivors plagued with everlasting effects of radiation,” Kawano says. “In the decades following, after the conflict ended, they were shunned by the Japanese who didn’t understand what radiation did.”
The survivors were unemployable and cast aside in a horrible, cruel fashion. Joker’s Hand covers the Americans’ subsequent visits to Japan when they forced survivors to strip naked in front of a roomful of people and succumb to experimentation, Kawano says.
The subject has such a grasp of the duo that they’ve played concerts to oppose Asian American violence. It’s a movement that Kawano and Lau are passionate about.
“It’s messed up what’s going on,” Kawano says. “I get that people have been locked away for a year and this has not been easy for anybody. They’re looking for someone to blame because of where the virus came from and, frankly, it didn’t help with that president we had calling it the ‘Kung Flu’ and the ‘China Virus.’ We’re trying to help give a voice to people who may feel threatened by the current political climate and xenophobia.”
“Devil’s Nest” is the oldest song of the three and visualizes hell, which, to Kawano and Lau, is social situations.
“Growing up feeling socially isolated and unpopular from the herd led us to music, but also triggered a fear of letting people in,” Lau says.
That fear is something the two have worked hard to overcome. At the age of 16, Kawano had life-altering brain surgery.
“That surgery was my first real brush with death,” Kawano says. “It taught me to live for me and not for other people. I started taking chances. My own personal hell is never taking a chance on anything and letting my life pass by.”
The two met at UC-Santa Cruz film school and released their first EP on March 5, 2020 — just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It even had some of the top names in music behind it. Producers Steve Ornest and Wyn Davis met Joker’s Hand at Total Access Recording Studios (Sublime, No Doubt, Guns N’ Roses) in Redondo Beach. Despite the pandemic, the single “Gold Rush” hit No. 1 on KROQ’s Locals Only for nine weeks. They had a tour planned, which included several showcases at SXSW, as well as a festival with Sublime with Rome. They were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the pandemic waning, Joker’s Hand are proving their music is timeless and their commercial accessibility can reach across the generations.
***
Website: www.jokershand.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JokersHandBand
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jokershandofficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jokershandband
Knapsack
"A band that walked the line between indie rock and emo, always hinting at a breakout beyond those confines."- AV Club
"The sound of early-aughts pop emo unfolding in early 1997. Had they formed a few years later, Knapsack would’ve been Jimmy Eat World." ("100 Greatest Emo Songs Of All Time") - Vulture
"When it comes to Knapsack, either you love them or they aren't on your radar. The group lasted from 1993 to 2000 and during that time, they released three flawless albums. While members have all gone on to play in acts like Samiam and the Jealous Sound, there's always been something indefinable about Knapsack's brand of music. You could call it "emo," but that doesn't really do it justice because the hooks are just as massive as the introspective narratives frontman Blair Shehan effortlessly weaves."- Vice
"Knapsack’s debut is a spot-on example of the bridge between punk and emo." ("20 emo classics that helped define today’s scene") - Alternative Press
"In the years before “emo” became a dirty word — that’d be 1995 to 1998 — this California outfit delivered three albums of potent, crunching self-flagellation. Their awesomely titled swan song, This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now, is a minor classic of twentysomething despair: Frontman Blair Shehan hisses venomous lyrics over sharp, lurching riffs, as strings, organ, and sleigh bells (!) dial up the drama."- SPIN
"Their wordy powerpop-infected emo still resonates today. Especially with bands like Title Fight, Joyce Manor, and the like bringing heart-on-your-sleeve power chords to increasingly larger audiences, songs like "Thursday Side of the Street," "Katherine the Grateful," "Please Shut Off the Lights" and just about the entirety of the set sound like they could have been released yesterday. Time has treated this band well."- Brooklyn Vegan
Spartan Records has released reissues of Knapsack's three full-length albums, Silver Sweepstakes (1995), Day Three of My New Life (1997), and This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now (1998), fully remastered for vinyl, with each including an out-of-print bonus track.
In addition, Spartan has released an exclusive limited edition, hand-numbered box set which includes three exclusive variants and a book entitled This Version of Truth.
This Version of Truth is an oral history of the highly influential band, but also the story of like-minded bands coming together in a time before GPS, mobile phones, the internet, and social media. The 72-page book includes over a hundred exclusive flyers and photos, a complete show archive, and interviews with members of the band as well as members Mineral, Boys Life, Christie Front Drive, 7 Seconds, and other notable contributors. The result is a time capsule from a bygone era of independent music, a must-have for fans of Knapsack.
Beautifully packaged in a hand-number hardcover slipcase with new art direction by Jeff Caudill (Gameface, Low Coast), this special edition release features the band’s complete catalog remastered for vinyl with three out-of-print bonus tracks and includes three exclusive vinyl variants only available in this box set.
Order here: https://spr.tn/knapsack
About Knapsack:
Knapsack was an emo/indie rock band that was formed in 1993 by Blair Shehan (vocals/guitar) and Colby Mancasola (drums). Shehan and Mancasola were two high school friends studying at the University of California, Davis. Guitarist Jason Bokros and bassist Rod Meyer completed the lineup. By 1994, the band had recorded a single for independent label Goldenrod Records and signed with Alias Records later that year. Their debut album Silver Sweepstakes was released in 1995. They then toured extensively playing with bands such as Pavement, Rocket from the Crypt, Jawbox and Drive Like Jehu. Bokros left the group before the release of their second album Day Three of My New Life in 1997. He was replaced by Sergie Loobkoff of Samiam. Their third album This Conversation is Ending Starting Right Now was released in 1998. Knapsack reunited in 2013 to tour North America, Europe, and Australia.
Knapsack is Blair Shehan, Colby Mancasola, Sergie Loobkoff, and Edward Breckenridge
www.instagram.com/thebandknapsack
www.facebook.com/thebandknapsack
Little Steven’s Underground Garage
What others have said:
“Mind-blowingly great… Quite simply, Underground Garage is the most exciting thing to happen on rock and roll radio in years.” - Rolling Stone
"Little Steven has been doing the Lord’s work keeping the sounds of Nuggets-style psych pop alive through his weekly radio show, his SiriusXM channel and his own record label, Wicked Cool."- Paste Magazine
"Stevie plays all the music you need to hear and gives young bands the chance they deserve." - Bruce Springsteen
“It’s the best Rock and Roll Radio show in the world. Period.” - Billie Joe Armstrong
“It’s the first thing I listen to in the morning. It always sounds good late at night. One of my favorite things to do is listen to it on the way to band practice because I get inspired.” - Eddie Vedder
“The coolest DJ in the country. A proud throwback to the late-night hipster jocks of long-gone 1960's and '70s FM Radio.” - MTV
Listen To UNDERGROUND GARAGE on SiriusXM (CH. 21)
***
About UNDERGROUND GARAGE:
What do Little Richard, The White Stripes, Darlene Love, The Beatles, and The Ramones have in common? Little Steven’s Underground Garage! Maximum Rock and Soul!
In April of 2002 Stevie Van Zandt launched Little Steven’s Underground Garage, his internationally syndicated terrestrial Rock and Soul radio show. Each week Little Steven takes audiences on a two hour trip through all 60 years of Rock and Roll, and it's roots. Not only does The Underground Garage play the coolest Rock records ever made, but it has helped introduce over 1000 new bands throughout the history of the show including The White Stripes, The Strokes, The Hives, Arcade Fire, Gaslight Anthem, The Black Keys, Rival Sons, and more to an international audience. Over 40% of the format is dedicated to new music and emerging artists.
The show also features pop culture history, Steven’s anecdotes, fun facts, and occasional interviews. It is broadcast on over 80 stations in 200 plus markets, including internationally in Canada, UK, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, Peru, and Australia, as well as worldwide on the American Forces Network and Voice of America.
Over 1000 consecutive weekly episodes have aired and have included such special guests as Jack Black, Brian Wilson, Ray Davies, Peter Wolf, Iggy Pop, Ringo Starr, Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, and Bruce Springsteen, and has been endorsed by legends like David Bowie, Pete Townshend, Lou Reed, Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Robert Plant, James Hetfield, Debbie Harry and many, many others.
The success of the radio show has allowed Little Steven’s Underground Garage to expand beyond the world of radio into television, live events, albums, satellite radio, and more.
The Underground Garage on SIRIUSXM:
In 2003, after the success of “Little Steven's Underground Garage,” the newly launched Sirius Satellite Radio recruited Steven to create it's FIRST original content. He would start the service's first 24/7 branded music channels, while also continuing to record his syndicated terrestrial show. One channel was “The Underground Garage.” Stylistically the format is a continuation of the syndicated terrestrial show. While radio was turning towards computer generated playlists, Steven would go in the complete opposite direction and hire Rock and Roll personalities from various backgrounds as DJ's to add their own stories and anecdotes to the music.
++++
Underground Garage Programming Schedule (EST)
Monday:
12AM Rodney Bingenheimer
1 AM – 4 AM Rich Russo
4 AM – 8 AM Kelly Ogden
8 AM – 11 AM Michael Des Barres
11 AM – Noon SVZ
Noon – 3 PM Manfred
3 PM – 4 PM SVZ
4 PM – 7 PM Palmyra
7 PM – 8 PM SVZ
8 PM – Midnight Lenny Kaye
Tuesday:
Midnight – 3 AM MDB (rebroadcast)
3 AM – 4 AM SVZ (rebroadcast)
4 AM – 8 AM Kelly Ogden
8 AM – 11 AM Michael Des Barres
11 AM – Noon SVZ
Noon – 3 PM Manfred
3 PM – 4 PM SVZ
4 PM – 7 PM Palmyra
7 PM – 8 PM SVZ
8 PM – Midnight Lenny Kaye
Wednesday and Thursday:
Midnight – 3 AM MDB (rebroadcast)
3 AM – 4 AM SVZ (rebroadcast)
4 AM – 8 AM Kelly Ogden
8 AM – 11 AM Michael Des Barres
11 AM – Noon SVZ
Noon – 3 PM Manfred
3 PM – 4 PM SVZ
4 PM – 7 PM Kid Leo
7 PM – 8 PM SVZ
8 PM – Midnight Palmyra
Friday:
Midnight – 3 AM MDB (rebroadcast)
3 AM – 4 AM SVZ (rebroadcast)
4 AM – 8 AM Kelly Ogden
8 AM – 11 AM MDB
11 AM – Noon SVZ
Noon – 3 PM Manfred
3 PM – 4 PM SVZ
4 PM – 7 PM Kid Leo
7 PM – 8 PM SVZ
8 PM – 11 PM Drew Carey
11 PM – Midnight - “Friday Night Features” (see below)
FRIDAY NIGHT FEATURES:
1st Friday of month: CHICKS & BROADS (Genya Ravan)
2nd Friday of month: THE JERSEY GUY DOES JERSEY (Rich Russo)
3rd Friday of month: GOLDIE’S GARAGE (Genya Ravan)
Last Friday of month: FRIGHT NIGHT WITH THE COUNT (Peter Zaremba)
Saturday:
Midnight – 3 AM: MDB (rebroadcast)
3 AM – 4 AM; SVZ (rebroadcast)
4 AM – 8 AM; Ko Melina
8 AM – 10am: Palmyra's Trashpop Treasures
10am - Noon: American Revolution w/Mark Lindsay
Noon – 4 PM; British Invasion
4 PM – 8 PM; SVZ
8 PM – Midnight; Bill Kelly
Sunday:
Midnight – 4 AM Peter Zaremba
4 AM – 8 AM Speedie John
8 AM – Noon SVZ
Noon – 2pm: Palmyra's Trashpop Treasures (rebroadcast)
2pm - 4pm: American Revolution w/Mark Lindsay (rebroadcast)
4 PM – 8 PM British Invasion (rebroadcast)
8 PM – 9 PM Slim Jim Phantom's Rockabilly Rave Up
9 PM – Midnight Rodney Bingenheimer
***
www.siriusxm.com/channels/underground-garage
www.facebook.com/undergroundgarage
Love Again
San Antonio, TX's LOVE AGAIN Sign To Wiretap Records
Watch Video for their song “86"
Band Joins the #ArtistsForChange Program Donating a Percentage of Digital Royalties From The Song To NAACP Legal Defense Fund
San Antonio, TX emo/indie rock trio LOVE AGAIN have signed with Wiretap Records. The band’s current single “86” debuted in April and you can watch the video below.
With comparisons to bands like Taking Back Sunday, Armor For Sleep, Hot Rod Circuit, Into It Over It and more, “86" comes ahead of the band’s debut EP out later this year. As featured on Washed Up Emo as "Your New Favorite Band”.
To further support the ongoing efforts of equality, the band has joined the #ArtistsForChange program and is donating a percentage of their digital royalties from the song to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Listen/Watch below.
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/album/24sbfVr1i7qAgPrCcto6Df?si=MukAouyzT4KJ2yhrxl3ncw
Bandcamp- https://wiretaprecords.bandcamp.com/music
Music Video- https://youtu.be/y4gMeiiowEE
++++
www.facebook.com/LoveAgainMusic
www.instagram.com/loveagainmusic
Mickey Leigh's Mutated Music
Mickey Leigh's Mutated Music Tackles Equal Rights In Music Video For Socially-Conscious New Single "Two Kinds Of Law"
“Two kinds of law- one for the rich, and one for the poor..."
Legendary NYC musician (Birdland, The Rattlers, etc) and acclaimed author ("I Slept with Joey Ramone") Mickey Leigh is debuting "Two Kinds of Law" a powerful and timely new single with his band MUTATED MUSIC.
The track (inspired by a line in Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood' and a quote from a Martin Luther King Jr. speech) and its newly-released music video are now streaming everywhere.
Stream "Two Kinds Of Law" on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6b5kCQvp0pKXXBGblwJ4wS?si=mHjonmpxQpyEk1al-3Fvtw
Written & Produced by Mickey Leigh Performed by Mickey Leigh’s Mutated Music Vox/Guitar - Mickey Leigh Drums - Pat Carpenter Bass/Vox - Westley Crawford
Stream the official music video here: https://youtu.be/VC4OMIu1bMg
Of the new single, Mickey tells Spin, “Music is magical in so many ways. Rock n roll is one form of it that, magically, can be purely fun, but, at the same time can be a way to spread a message. And, aside from having a lot of fun with it, me and my fellow Mutated musicians think both are equally important - as long as it's an important message. The concept that there are "two kinds of law- one for the rich, and one for the poor," is not exactly one that came about recently. I first heard those words many decades ago, in a book and film called "In Cold Blood", and, though said in different words, in a speech by Martin Luther King Jr. I just, recently, felt compelled to write a song about it. Very compelled.
The importance of "equality" and "justice for all" has come to the forefront of our lives like never before. and, it's a message that needs to be repeated ...repeatedly. There aren't many ways to repeat a message repeatedly without boring people to tears, aside from immersing it in a catchy chorus and irresistible rhythm.”
***
About Mickey Leigh's Mutated Music:
With the release of a slew of singles with his band MUTATED MUSIC, MICKEY LEIGH is taking steps. A longtime figure in the influential downtown New York City music scene, MICKEY is no longer content with being in the shadows. He's stepping into the spotlight with punk-pop-country-jazz and blues-infused tracks that tell stories of colorful rock and roll lives. "These are 'The Stories That Never Got Told', so they never got old," states one of the key tracks. Of the heroine in "Little Cristine," MICKEY says "No. She ain't no ten. She's a number one." His modernized, "mutated" reworking of the classic civil rights/social-awakening song "If I Had A Hammer" boldly blares the powerful message calling for "justice, freedom and love between our brothers and our sisters" which is perfect for these troubled, frenetic and divisive times.
As he explained in his 2009 autobiographical family memoir "I Slept With Joey Ramone," MICKEY is inspired by his love of the music of the '60s. His life-long fever for rock & roll has never dampened, remains pure, and continues to fuel his drive to create great music. MICKEY LEIGH'S MUTATED MUSIC is brimming with tracks that have been called: "...instantly memorable, lyrically compelling, deceptively simple, hard-ass, life-loving songs full of emotional depth that deliver a punch far more intense than anyone could or would have expected...written with passion, played with precision, produced with perfection." MICKEY has been credited with "...the power-pop instincts of a Tom Petty and the street smarts of a Jim Carroll...not to mention a bit of The Who, Dylan, Springsteen and...Elvis."
Starting his first group at age 10 in 1965, hitting the stage of CBGB in 1977 with Birdland, the band he formed with literary legend/music journalist Lester Bangs, MICKEY is accustomed to having a front-row seat at musical revolutions. Replacing Lester on vocals, Birdland morphed into the prototype pop/punk band The Rattlers. His next band, STOP, saw 5 songs from their 1996 album 'Never' in rotation on BBC Radio. MICKEY has continually been the recipient of favorable media coverage, credited with being "...one of those people who influenced successful bands but remained relatively unheralded himself." Well, that's about to change.
***
Milliseconds
Milliseconds (Joe Easley and Eric Axelson of The Dismemberment Plan and Leigh Thompson of The Vehicle Birth) Releasing Debut LP 'So This Is How It Happens' on October 13, 2023
New Song "Time and Distance" Premiering on Stereogum
Photo Credit: Evan Bowles
Milliseconds featuring Joe Easley (drums) and Eric Axelson (vocals / bass / synth) of The Dismemberment Plan, and Leigh Thompson (guitar / noises / pedal board) of The Vehicle Birth will release their J Robbins-produced debut LP 'So This Is How It Happens' on October 13 via Spartan Records.
The first single "Time and Distance" is premiering today on Stereogum: https://spr.tn/timeanddistance.
Pre-order the album here: https://spr.tn/milliseconds.
+++
Many moons ago, Joe Easley (drums) and Eric Axelson (vocals / bass / synth) were in the Dismemberment Plan, and met Leigh Thompson (guitar / noises / pedal board), who was in the Vehicle Birth -- fourteen years later, and thanks to broadband, we now have Milliseconds.
The DNA of the Dismemberment Plan, the Vehicle Birth, and the trio's prior band Statehood, are clearly present in 'So This Is How It Happens', but as a three-piece, part of the Milliseconds journey was reenvisioning the sonic landscape -- trying to figure out how sonic space was filled or left open. A large portion of that experimentation took place during the production of the album with heralded producer J Robbins. Milliseconds evolved and grew organically over time, and as a result, the band's debut release covers a wide sonic territory swerving not only through the band members' previous projects, but also through the haunts of bands like the Replacements, Hot Snakes, and the Kinks.
Track Listing:
1. Every Day is Decided
2. Time and Distance
3. Fallingwater
4. No Peaches
5. Killed by Convenience
6. Words Like Sparrows
7. Wake Me When It's Over
8. I'm Trying
9. Lost and Found
10. Drones
11. So This is How it Happens
12. We'll Never Know
***
Socials:
My Grito! Industries
FOUNDERS OF SOCAL LABEL WIRETAP RECORDS LAUNCH IMPRINT LABEL ‘MY GRITO INDUSTRIES’ WITH MISSION TO SUPPORT LATIN / LATINX ARTISTS
Los Angeles, CA – The folks behind SoCal based indie label Wiretap Records, have announced the launch of an imprint label known as ‘My Grito,’ aimed at supporting primarily Latin / LatinX artists in various mediums, including bands/musicians, artists/muralists, comedians, entertainers, and more.
The announcement comes at a fitting time, midway through Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15). To coincide with the launch of the label/organization, My Grito has also announced the signing of their debut band, Orange County’s 3LH.
3LH, the 60’s surf/garage inspired 4-piece, have been taking Orange County and neighboring areas by storm the last few years, quickly building a committed fan base. The band will release a new single in October titled “Here’s Johnny”, to kick off the release of their debut LP out in early March 2021.
In the meantime, get familiar with 3LH by checking out their latest single “Don’t Wanna Hold Your Hand”, available now to stream everywhere. HERE.
***
About My Grito:
Founders of the new imprint, ‘My Grito’ Rob Castellon and Oscar Toledo, explain…..
Oscar Toledo:
“2020 has brought some unique and unforeseen challenges in our country. We felt we needed to do our part by offering minorities, specially in the arts, a louder voice to share their talents and continue to bring positivity. After running Wiretap Records and working with many talented bands/artists in the punk/alternative rock scene, both Rob and I found ourselves looking to expand the brand by offering a platform to Latino talent in the music, art, podcast, comedy space and much more. The birth of My Grito begins by having two Chicanos that grew up in Santa Ana, CA who wanted to give a louder voice to ‘Raza’ during these difficult times for entertainers. Part of our inspiration is to uncover hidden talent in the Latino space that can share their GRITO to the world. Not only that… but to shine a spotlight on hard working Latino entrepreneurs and to contribute to charities that need our help more than ever.”
Rob Castellon:
“We’re fortunate to have been able to work with some incredible bands/artists within the Wiretap umbrella, and built a community of bands we love and will always be family. The extension of My Grito allows us to dedicate efforts to raising the voices of people of color, and in our case, Hispanic-Americans. Chicano/Latin/LatinX culture is immersed in American music. From early rock n roll artists like Richie Valens, Sam The Sham and The Pharoahs, Question Mark and the Mysterians, Thee Midnighters… most of which inspired low rider culture and more. So much of the contributions of Latinos live within music and arts culture. We’re excited to add to the rich contributions of Latinos in music, art, comedy and more by extending My Grito into the world.”
Follow My Grito on Socials:
Odd Robot
So Cal Power-Pop/Punk Band Odd Robot Releases New Song/Video "Lost Inside Yr Ocean"
Taken from the upcoming album "Deathmates" out this Fall via Wiretap Records.
Power Pop with songs about heartbreak, cynicism, and other human things. Former members of Longfellow
Southern California CA punk/powAn absolute blast... major summer vibes... all about the 60’s feel..."- The Whole Kameese
Odd Robot have returned with new music! The new single and video "Lost Inside Yr Ocean" appears on their upcoming album 'Deathmates,' out this Fall on Wiretap Records.
"Lost Inside Yr Ocean" (Official Music Video):
Stream the single on Spotify: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/oddrobot/lost-inside-yr-ocean
Andy Burris of Odd Robot says, “The sea is a durable metaphor—she is the bringer of life, the taker of life. Lost Inside Yr Ocean delves into that realm. The subject of the song is isolated and adrift. Despite no way out, they manage to cling to a bit of hope.
Sonically, the track evokes a 1960s beach atmosphere, thanks to the spatial reverberations of Telecasters and the band’s newest member and multi-instrumentalist, Nate Phung, on the organ.
The music video was filmed in Newport Bay, CA, and features professional divers (thanks to Apex Diving Services) and an extra special guest. Have a great summer, enjoy the track, and keep cool, kid!”
Pity Party
Bay Area Punks Pity Party Releasing New EP 'Sick Sad World Survival Guide' on August 25th via SBÄM Records
Tour Kicks Off August 24
"...tornado of pure energy..."- Bad Copy
Photo: Tommy Ly
Pity Party is an emo/pop-punk band from the SF/Bay Area, CA. Characterized by their frenzied, unforgettable live shows and fierce dedication to community outreach and mental health advocacy, Pity Party have been spreading their wild, barely-holding-it-together energy across the US since 2014. After years of touring the US, supporting acts like Jawbreaker, The Ergs! and Bad Cop/Bad Cop, having dipped their toes in touring internationally in 2019, Pity Party are ready to spread their love to the world.
"Our new EP titled ‘Sick Sad World Survival Guide’ is a re-recording/re-imagining of a few of our older favorite songs from our first LP Gnarbage, along with a cover and a brand new song "Ionize My Enemies". This collection of songs comes from our early 20's, doing dumb shit, watching close friends pass away, holding each other through the worst and finding ourselves on the other side.", says singer and guitarist Sarah Levy.
Pre-order the EP here: https://linktr.ee/therealpityparty
Problem Daughter
Salt Lake City, UT punks Problem Daughter have released a brand new song and music video titled "Self Amusing Smile", the first track is off their forthcoming album "Grow Up Trash" due out March 22nd on Wiretap Records (North America) and Bearded Punk Records (EU).
Check out the video and single, which is available today (Jan 25th) on all digital streaming sites. Problem Daughter last released their debut full length "Fits Of Disorganized Boredom" in 2016 via Dying Scene Records.
Started by high school friends in 2008, Problem Daughter plays some of the best blue collar, punk-rock grit and misery juxtaposed with catpop-punkpunk melodies you'll ever hear.
Named as the state of Utah's representative on Kerrang's 'United States of Punk', the best punk bands from every US state. Not regulated to a mere two chords and screaming, the quartet take everything great about punk and pack it into songs varied in structure and melodies that never grow redundant. Their music smells like a sweaty basement show, tastes like cheap beer on a lamp-lit porch and feels like not wanting to go home at the end of the night.
Link to "Self Amusing Smile"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEJJediASNU
Track available on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0rHmdXPEpHRo4EQaBYx8k1
Pulley
Pulley Releases New Album 'The Golden Life' via SBÄM Records
Long-running Southern California punks Pulley have released their latest studio album “The Golden Life” via SBÄM Records.
Stream the album here: https://bfan.link/the-golden-life
Order the vinyl here: http://shop.sbam.rocks
+++
Pulley is an American punk rock band from Simi Valley, California. Shortly after forming in 1995, the group signed to Epitaph Records. Over the next ten years, with the backing of the influential Los Angeles based independent label, the band issued five full length records, helping to build a cult following of supportive fans.
As time went on, Pulley members, Scott Radinsky (vocals), Mike Harder (guitar), and Tyler Rebbe (bass), continued to tour and release new music regularly, eventually adding longtime friends Trey Clinesmith on guitar and Sean Sellers on drums.
In 2019, after more than two decades performing live, both nearby and in some of the further reaches the planet, Pulley was honored to be inducted into the Ventura County Music Hall of Fame.
Furious, fast punk has always been a Pulley special. Mix it with California melodies and some serious production and you have one of the best bands around.
Band members:
Scott Radinsky - Vocals
Mike Harder - Guitar
Trey Clinesmith - Guitar
Tyler Rebbe - Bass
Sean Sellers - Drums
https://www.facebook.com/pulleymatters/
Raisin Awareness
UK Trio Raisin Awareness
"....awesome new single from the bright new hope in UK pop-punk, Raisin Awareness. A song of solidarity and hope in the face of a, let’s face it, pretty shitty world."- Loud Women
"...intense, technical take on skate punk. With nods towards melodic hardcore/skate punk this is a band who revel in the complex but are unafraid of a catchy hook or chorus."- Punktastic
"A Melodic punk banger...sounds like a musical collision between Face to Face and The Breeders"- Real Gone
"Raisin Awareness deliver a powerful musical experience, showcased by their ability to seamlessly blend elements of 80s and 90s punk rock with dance-pop aesthetic, resulting in a fresh and captivating sound."- Eat This Music
***
UK punk band Raisin Awareness's new song "No More" powerfully personifies the artist's ongoing battle with depression and anxiety, underscoring the persistent challenges encountered amidst their journey of personal growth.
Watch the HERE.
Filmed & Edited by Rob Piper, Jo D and Andy Borg
Stream "No More" HERE.
Jo D, the band's lead vocalist, and guitarist, says, "This song is my way of personifying my internal struggle with depression and anxiety. The lyrics, 'As we converse with these voices inside of our heads, I just can't believe all the things that I said to myself,' depict the constant, often self-deprecating dialogue that occurs in my mind.
Followed then by the line, 'it's like Piccadilly Circus inside of my head,' metaphorically illustrates the chaotic nature of my mental health battles. Much like London's Piccadilly Circus's bustling, overwhelming nature, my mind is constantly filled with noise, confusion, and turmoil brought on by anxiety and depression.
Despite the personal growth I've experienced, the response 'No more, no more, do you care' represents the relentless nature of anxiety and depression. Even as I evolve and grow stronger, these personified entities remain, constantly challenging my perception of self-improvement.
Further to that, the song's dialogue between 'Do you know me' and 'Do you care' signifies the complex relationship between personal growth and mental health. It's a testament to the fact that even as we make strides in understanding ourselves and growing, our mental health battles persist, sometimes making us question if any real progress has been made."
Band Biography
Raisin Awareness is a passionate pop-punk band hailing from the UK. The band formed in 2020 during lockdown when Jo (vocals/guitar) and Rob (drums) seized their creative opportunity. Soon after, Daggi joined on bass, making them an unshakable musical trifecta inspired by bands such as Hot Mulligan, The Swellers, The Flatliners & The Menzingers, and an 80s/90s mashup of genres.
Raisin Awareness are:
Jo D Vocals / Guitar
Rob Piper Drums / Backing Vocals
Daggi Wieczorek Bass
***
Upcoming Shows:
27/8/2023 - The Fighting Cocks, Kingston, UK
14/9/2023 - Carved Dive, Bromley, UK
4/11/2023 - The Fighting Cocks, Kingston, UK
Plus exciting shows to announce for 2024
Artwork: Daggi Wieczorek
***
Socials:
Links: marvelous.bio/raisinawareness
Instagram: www.instagram.com/raisinawarenesspals
Facebook: www.facebook.com/raisinawarenesspals
Label:
Lockjaw Records is an independent European punk and hardcore label. We are proud to be part of a thriving international music community, built on friendship, social-responsibility and a mutual love of punk rock.
Reel Big Fish
Rock Ridge Music
Reel Big Fish was one of the legions of Southern California ska-punk bands to edge into the mainstream following the mid-’90s success of No Doubt and Sublime. The band was distinguished by their hyperkinetic stage shows, juvenile humor, ironic covers of new wave pop songs, and metallic shards of ska. The group cultivated an underground following that broke into the mainstream in summer 1997 when their single “Sell Out” became a modern rock radio and MTV favorite. Their appearance in the movie “Baseketball” as the halftime band also gained them more fans and helped the band's popularity to grow. Still fronted by original lead singer and songwriter Aaron Barrett, they continue releasing albums and touring relentlessly, playing more and more countries and bigger venues all over the world.
Reel Big Fish recorded its self-released debut album, “Everything Sucks”, in 1995. “Everything Sucks” became a word-of-mouth underground hit in ska-punk and college circles, which gave the band enough leverage to sign with the indie label Mojo Records.
The label’s president, Jay Rifkin, and former Oingo Boingo bassist John Avila co-produced “Turn the Radio Off”, which marked Reel Big Fish’s first album for Mojo. “Turn the Radio Off” was unleashed in August 1996, and over the next year, the group continually toured in support of the album’s release, expanding their fan base all the while. In spring 1997, the single “Sell Out” began receiving heavy airplay from several influential modern rock stations in the U.S., which soon translated into MTV support for the song’s quirky video. By summer, the song had become a moderate modern rock hit, and the album had charted in the Top 100.
In 1998 the song “Take on Me” from the “Baseketball” motion picture soundtrack was released as the promotional single for the movie and once again found the band in regular rotation on rock radio and MTV in the USA.
The Album “Why Do They Rock So Hard” followed a year later, once again enlisting Oingo Boingo Bassist John Avila as producer. The album was not as commercially successful but is still regarded by many fans as the bands finest work. The band filmed a music video for “the Set up (You Need This)”, the only single released from this album.
The guys wound up on Jive Records in fall 2001 when their current label, Mojo, was bought by Jive’s parent label, Zomba. Reel Big Fish’s first release for Jive, a more rock-oriented record entitled “Cheer Up!”, appeared in mid-2002. This album was very successful in Europe with the video for the single “Where Have You Been” receiving heavy airplay on many music video channels.
Later that same year, RBF did a song for a Rice Krispies called “Snap, Krackle, Pop-punk” which was used in 3 separate commercials. Also that year, they recorded a cover of Toots and the Maytals “Monkey Man” for the Nickelodeon movie “The Wild Thornberrys.” The single for “Monkey Man” was also released in the UK and received heavy radio play as well as the music video being put on heavy rotation on Kerrang TV.
The band’s next album, the cynical yet catchy “We’re Not Happy ‘Til You’re Not Happy”, was issued in April 2005. Touring continued for the rest of the year, and Reel Big Fish happily parted ways with Jive in January 2006, having wished to be dropped from the label since the “Cheer Up!” release.
In August 2006, the group self-released a double-disc live CD (along with an accompanying DVD) titled “Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album”.
Barrett said of this album: “We finally captured the energy, excitement, and humor of our live shows that we were previously unable to create in the recording studio environment. And it all sounds really good!”
The album was very popular with RBF fans and is sometimes referred to as “the Reel Big Fish Stand-up comedy album” because of all the silly stage banter.
The band returned with some new material in February 2007, splitting an EP “Duet All Night Long” with their friends in Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer. “Monkeys for Nothin’ and the Chimps for Free” followed several months later, marking Reel Big Fish’s first full-length studio release since leaving Jive’s roster, and 2009′s “Fame, Fortune and Fornication” found the band covering songs by the likes of Poison, the Eagles, and Tom Petty.
In 2010, the band released “A Best of Us for the Rest of Us”. It included a 22 song disc of re-recorded hits and classic fan favorites as well as a bonus disc of 14 Acoustic or “SKAcoustic” versions.
2012 brought their 7th studio album, “Candy Coated Fury” (Rock Ridge Music), an inspired and infectiously catchy return to the hyperkinetic ska and biting wit of the band’s beloved early albums.
In 2014, RBF released their first Christmas Album, a six-song, digital-only album entitled “Happy Skalidays”. The album included 4 classic Christmas songs and 2 RBF originals.
With the late-2018 release of the band’s 8th studio LP, “Life Sucks...Let’s Dance” (Rock Ridge Music) Reel Big Fish are finding themselves with a new focus and a renewed sense of purpose, as well as a-- dare we say it-- happier outlook on life.
Barrett says, “We started recording the album in January 2018 and really took our time with it. Our friend and engineer David Irish just finished building his new studio “Pot of Gold” in Orange, CA, and we loved how everything sounds there. There’s just really good energy and good vibes there, plus there’s a really adorable studio kitten named Iggy Fluff there, so we may have accidentally made a positive, happy record instead of a pissed off, hateful record, oops...well, there’s a little pissed off-ness in there and some sarcastic, funny lyrics as usual! Also, I just got married so there might be a few sappy love songs on the album too! Yuck!”
He adds, “Recording the album with this line up was really fun, we all get along really well these days and everybody was excited to make a new record. Everybody had lots of great ideas and really got creative with everything and I really think it shows.
The new single “You Can’t Have All of Me,” is a danceable sing-along, catchy, hooky good old Reel Big Fish song. We didn’t reinvent the wheel... We just painted more checkers on it!"
The long-running ska heroes, fresh off a summer-long stint on the final cross-country Vans Warped Tour, and appearances at Scallywag! Fest (with Bad Religion, Pennywise, Less Than Jake and The Interrupters) and Sammy Hagar's Hightide Beach Party, remain as popular as ever, as they continue to tour non-stop, playing over 250 shows a year to thousands of loyal fans all over the world, gaining more and more underground popularity as the Ska scene continues to flourish.
Rest Easy
Vancouver Punks REST EASY (Feat. Members of Daggermouth, Shook Ones) 7" Vinyl 'Sick Day EP' Out Now on Mutant League Records
Vancouver punk rock 4-piece Rest Easy consists of members of Daggermouth and Shook Ones.
Stream "Get Busy Dyin'" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgJxYwdnLQ8&feature=youtu.be.
Rest Easy's 'Sick Day' EP was recorded by Tim Creviston (Misery Signals) and mixed/mastered by Paul Miner at Buzzbomb Studios, Orange CA (Death By Stereo, Thrice).
Stream: https://orcd.co/resteasy
Tracklist:
1. Get Busy Dyin'
2. Headaches
3. Bad Idea
4. Sick Day
Rundown Kreeps
"It's fun, danceable ska-punk with a dark side, and like a lot of good ska, it uses the euphoria of the music to deliver a purposeful message."- Brooklynvegan
Formed in 2009, LA-based trio Rundown Kreeps perform amped-up melodic Punk Rock with heavy dashes of frantic Ska, punk backbeats, and twangy vibes to keep audiences moving across a variety of dance floors.
Rundown Kreeps have completed several tours throughout the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, and Hawaii and have shared stages with notable acts like The Toasters, Reel Big Fish, Nekromantix, Buck-O-Nine, The Wierdos, The Phenomenauts, and Mustard Plug, to name a few.
All of Rundown Kreeps' past catalog of music is available on Apple Music, Spotify, Rhapsody, Tidal, Google Play, Pandora, YouTube and more!
Social Media:
Website- www.rundownkreeps.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RundownKreepsLA
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rundownkreeps/
Twitter- https://twitter.com/rundownkreeps
Settle Your Scores
Cincinnati, OH Pop-Punk 5-Piece SETTLE YOUR SCORES Signs with Mutant League Records
"What is it about the Midwest that generates pop-punk prodigies? Cincinnati’s Settle Your Scores are a perfect representation of the phenomenon with their catchy riffs and added metalcore flair."- Alternative Press
Photo: Alex Zarek
Cincinnati, OH pop-punks Settle Your Scores have signed with Chicago-based Mutant League Records. Watch for an album announcement soon. In the meantime, check out the first single and music video "1999" HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klSXqFL9PEg.
"1999" is out now and can be streamed on all digital platforms: https://orcd.co/r2l4kmo.
Recently featured on Alternative Press' list of "10 Next-Gen Pop-Punk Bands Who Will Transport You Back To The 2000's", the band's new single was produced by Nick Ingram at Capital House Studio (Hawthorne Heights) and offers a fresh take on a sound which is brimming with nostalgic sensibility.
Settle Your Scores is:
Christian Fisher - Vocals
Ricky Uhlenbrock - Guitar/Vocals
Patrick Bryant - Guitar
Jeffrey Borer - Bass/Vocals
Caleb Smith - Drums/Percussion
***
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/settleyourscores
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/settleyourscores
Twitter: https://twitter.com/syspoppunk/
Website: https://www.settleyourscores.co
sisters
Jason Blackmore (Molly McGuire) and Mario Quintero (Spotlights) Team Up With New Band SISTERS
Upcoming Debut Album 'Leecheater' (Out August 25) Is A Tour-De-Force of Heavy, Atmospheric Rock
New Single "Through The Cracks" Out Now
"...very literally sounds like a massive wall of fuzz and distortion...has every bit of that analogue sound that we crave, with swells of guitar feedback and a bass line that is so dirty you’ll need a shower after it enters your ears. They just don’t make music like this anymore."- Up To Hear
Stream "Through The Cracks" on Youtube
Stream on DSPs
Pre-Order The Vinyl
Photo: Chad Kelco
Jason Blackmore (Molly McGuire) and Mario Quintero (Spotlights) have combined forces with their new band known as SISTERS.
The duo's new single "Through The Cracks" appears on the upcoming album 'Leecheater,' which will be released August 25 on Spartan Records.
Blackmore says, “Through The Cracks” was actually a last minute song. I came up with the riffs for the song the morning of the day before I was flying home from our second recording session. Mario had come down to the studio that morning and I showed him the riffs. While he went upstairs to get coffee, I threw together the structure and then we just recorded it. I walked around the block to come up with the verse lyrics and melodies. We recorded my vocals after we recorded the music and while I was doing my vocals Mario came up with the chorus lyrics and melody. We slapped some vocals on the bridge and did a couple guitar overdubs and voila. Basically it’s a song about a person having a midlife crisis. Or that’s how I perceive it at least."
The album, 'Leecheater,' is a tour-de-force of heavy, atmospheric rock. Featuring powerful, distorted guitar riffs, driving rhythms, and Jason Blackmore’s distinctive vocals, 'Leecheater' is a gripping and immersive listening experience that showcases the band's ability to create big sonic soundscapes that push the boundaries of modern rock.
With its lush production and dynamic arrangements, 'Leecheater' is a must-listen for fans of heavy, atmospheric music and is sure to cement Sisters' place as one of the most exciting and innovative bands in the contemporary rock scene.
++++
Pressing Information
First pressing limited to 300 copies:
• Parasite (Violet / Black Quintuple Stripe) (300)
Full color jacket printed on reverseboard stock and full-color printed innersleeve.
This is a pre-order. All orders include an instant hi-quality download of "Born Again" and a full-album download on August 25th.
++++
"Leecheater" Track Listing
Born Again
Dead to the World
Black Stars
Through the Cracks
The Wick Effect
Windows
Feet on the Ground
Leecheater
++++
About Sisters
Jason Blackmore (Molly McGuire, Death Eyes) Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Mario Quintero (Spotlights, Sleep Lady) Drums, Guitar, Vocals
As the dust settled on prolific runs with influential projects, Jason Blackmore (Molly McGuire) and Mario Quintero (Spotlights) found themselves entering the pandemic era with an abundance of creative fuel left in the tank. United under a new moniker, Sisters, Blackmore and Quintero have joined forces to bring the best elements of their respective previous projects together to create something new and menacing.
No stranger to the post-punk world, Jason Blackmore and his band Molly McGuire dominated the early 90's and were considered to be among the early pioneers of the post-punk Kansas City music scene. Frequently pushing boundaries of what was possible in terms of rock music, Blackmore and Molly McGuire helped to inspire a generation of bands (Shiner, Boys Life, Giants Chair) who would go on to become torchbearers themselves. Molly McGuire’s heavy and melodic sound was a precursor to the post-hardcore and emo genres that would emerge later, and their music has been cited as an influence by bands such as Deftones and Hum.
Similarly, Mario Quintero's lead up to Sisters was equally as prolific. His other primary (and still active) project Spotlights formed in Brooklyn in 2013, and is often described as a mix of shoegaze, doom metal, and post rock. The band has released several critically acclaimed albums and EP's and their music has been praised for its atmospheric soundscapes, heavy riffs, and haunting vocals.
And now... Sisters, an amalgamation of brooding nuances, driving rhythms, and distorted guitar riffs that distinctly showcase the stylistic fingerprints of both Blackmore and Quintero. “Around 2008, I wrote a handful of Molly McGuire-esque tunes and hit up Mario to see if he would be down to record them for the hell of it at his San Diego-based studio, Black Box,” says Blackmore. “He was into it and Sisters was born.” Fast-forward. The world shuts down. “When the pandemic hit in 2020, we decided to pick five of our favorite jams and divvy up the lyrics and vocal duties,” Blackmore continues, “then Mario mixed and mastered the songs and we self-released the Make It Hurt EP. After it was released, we immediately agreed that we should make a full-length record. Recording is always fun, fulfilling and therapeutic – and our chemistry is undeniable.”
The duo's first full length, Leecheater, is a gripping and immersive listening experience that showcases the band's ability to create massive sonic landscapes that press the limits of modern rock. While hard to cleanly label, Leecheater pulls heavily from the more aggressive side of the nineties, but stylistically edges in the direction of bands like Neurosis, The Cure, or Robin Trower. “We really wanted the record to sound different,” says Quintero, “like if an old Minor Threat record was recorded through a Queens of the Stone Age machine – dry, dark, and chunky – I think we nailed it.”
Leecheater is heavy and moody, but still with a strong melodic sensibility. Lyrically the record pulls few punches, taking huge and divisive topics straight on with ruminations on drugs, death, religion, and love. Produced at Quintero’s home studio in Pittsburgh, the majority of Leecheater was recorded live over the course of two sessions. “Recording has become much easier as I get older,” says Blackmore. “I used to get stressed out and uncomfortable because I wanted everything to be perfect, and I had everything pretty much musically orchestrated and mapped out in my head going into a studio [but] Mario is a genius. He is a natural. He has the technical side of recording down. Which I do not. So it's the definition of teamwork. I bring in the songs and he knows exactly how to get the right sounds – when you are recording with one of your best friends in his home studio it's effortless, stressless and magical.”
The band will be supporting the release with live dates starting on the West Coast in the Fall. Stay tuned to Spartan Records for more details about Sisters, Leecheater, and upcoming shows.
• Socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sistersrock
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sisters.rock
Soraia
SORAIA Releasing New Album 'DIG YOUR ROOTS' On March 13
Tour Dates Announced
***
"All rise for the fire and euphoria of Soraia: Dig Your Roots is your road to garage-rock salvation." David Fricke, Rolling Stone/Sirius XM Radio
Photo: Andrew Zaeh
Philadelphia rock quartet Soraia will release their new album 'Dig Your Roots' on March 13 via Steven Van Zandt's label Wicked Cool Records.
The album, produced and engineered by Geoff Sanoff (Bruce Springsteen, Fountains Of Wayne, Dashboard Confessional) is now available for pre-order / pre-save with three instant grat tracks, including the brand new single "Dangerous" (which had its debut on David Fricke's SiriusXM 'Writer's Block' show last night, and is this week's "Coolest Song in the World" on Little Steven's Underground Garage) as well as the tracks "Still I Rise" and "Evergreen."
Recently named one of the "hardest working DIY bands on tour" by Audiofemme Magazine, Soraia epitomizes raw power, unrelenting energy, chaos, and freedom. With a live show that is frenetic and intensely interactive, the band's chemistry has been cemented through years of fierce, persistent touring from the dingiest dives to the most massive amphitheaters, helping them attract a worldwide fanbase.
+++++
Personal growth, rebirth, even revolution – such transformative concepts are the heart of what Soraia is all about. These heady themes inform the songs on Dig Your Roots, the band’s latest album, out March 13 on Wicked Cool Records.
“I look at Dig Your Roots as a continuation of what was begun on Dead Reckoning,” says singer and frontwoman ZouZou Mansour of the new album’s relationship to their 2017 Wicked Cool LP. That record’s release prompted Rolling Stone/Mojo scribe David Fricke to write Soraia’s “searing guitars, burning soul and true CBGB grit…are the rock you need, in your face now.”
“Dig Your Roots is coming to terms with the light and dark inside myself and in the world,” ZouZou shares. “I come from a diverse multicultural and multireligious background – my father was Muslim and Egyptian, and my mother was Belgian and Catholic. I was ‘different,’ and I hid some of my background from people, thinking I wouldn't be accepted. Digging my roots is being proud of who I am, letting it come before me even at times, being proud of where I come from, and asking the listener to do the same.
“Dig Your Roots also refers to loving what grounds you: the people, the lifestyles, the places you live, where you grew up. It’s being willing to dig up your roots and re-plant if where you are no longer keeps you free – metaphorically, of course. Inherently, I want this to be the message of the record: if you're down, get up.”
As a spiritual descendant of iconic women in rock such as Patti Smith and Joan Jett, ZouZou’s Philadelphia-based band also embodies elements of kindred spirits of the ’90s and beyond - like PJ Harvey and The Kills, with more than a sprinkling of ’60s Garage Rock and Soul. Their primal sonic attack spreads a message of perseverance through trials of love, loss and letting go.
Bassist Travis Smith continues to be a crucial root of the Soraia tree, co-writing five of the album’s new songs with ZouZou, including “Superman Is Gone” and “Wild Woman.” “Travis delved into places on this album that we didn't go to on the last record,” she reveals. “That's scary. But he did it, which ultimately made me do it, too. It's like, ‘Hold my hand, we're going into this dark cave, and who knows what's going to happen…”
Roots also finds drummer Brianna Sig with her first Soraia co-write, the enchanting “Don’t Have You.” “Her melody for the choruses reminded me of how The Sirens would lure sailors in Greek mythology,” ZouZou relates. “It was haunting and beautiful – and if Soraia isn't both of those things, then I don't know what we're doing here.”
The band faced an unexpected challenge when guitarist Mike Reisman, who co-wrote four Dig tracks, including 2019 single “Evergreen,” left the group. “Mike can’t tour for longer periods of time anymore,” says ZouZou. “It hurt. He still works with us and we still connect. But you grow closer with who remains, and grow yourself.” Going forward, Nick Seditious is handling guitar duties.
Further nourishing their roots is the continued support of Wicked Cool’s Stevie Van Zandt. The label head has been an advocate ever since naming their breakout track “Love Like Voodoo” the Coolest Song in the World on his syndicated radio show and SiriusXM channel Little Steven’s Underground Garage in 2013. In January 2020, Dig Your Roots' opening cut “Dangerous” becomes the tenth Coolest Song they’ve earned.
Van Zandt has even become a creative collaborator, penning “Why” for Dead Reckoning and co-writing two Roots tunes: 2019 Coolest Song “Still I Rise” and forthcoming single “Darkness (Is My Only Candle).” “I trust him more than anyone in knowing what I'm trying to say and who I am,” says ZouZou.
Complementing them in the studio once again is producer/engineer Geoff Sanoff, whose credits include notable work with Bruce Springsteen, Fountains Of Wayne and Dashboard Confessional. “He’s a member of the band when we’re in there,” ZouZou acknowledges.
Soraia has come a long way since their punked-up cover of The Kinks’ “(I’m Not) Like Everybody Else” hit #1 on Rock radio in South America in 2015. Their independently released debut album In The Valley Of Love And Guns from 2013 features five songs co-written with Jon Bon Jovi.
“I'm all about playing a fun song and throwing myself around, that's Rock ’n’ Roll at its heart,” ZouZou remarks. “But I'm also about telling the stories of resurrection and life and hope and darkness.”
The latest release in Wicked Cool Records’ ongoing partnership with The Orchard as distributor, Dig Your Roots kicks off another busy year for the label, following up the success of 2019 Billboard Heatseekers Top 10 albums by Jesse Malin and The Dollyrots. Both Malin and The Dollyrots are already slated to release new music for the label in 2020, as are Wyldlife, The Empty Hearts, Ryan Hamilton & The Harlequin Ghosts and many more.
Soraia is:
ZouZou Mansour: lead vocal, tambourine
Travis Smith: bass, backing vocals
Brianna Sig: drums, percussion, backing vocals
Nick Seditious: guitars
+++++
And now, the songs of 'Dig Your Roots' in ZouZou’s own words…
1. Dangerous
I was listening to a ton of Jet and The Vines at one point, and just loved the recklessness – especially in the screams on those songs – and the pure Rock eruption of it all. It's less than three minutes and explodes the entire time. “Dangerous” was born from that specific decision to write a song with those kinds of explosive dynamics and lyrics – and as always – easy and passionate conversations about the things we love.
2. Wild Woman
I had been listening to this female preacher talking about being “born inside the wild” and not knowing where you were – but that strong women thrived in the wild. I fell in love with that idea of birthing yourself – which is one way to put it – over and over when you enter into situations you're uncomfortable in, or have never been in. An added bonus is the notion of being a “wild woman” in that way was a different take on the idea I think social consciousness has on being a “wild woman.” Empowering instead of denigrating. Travis had written this swampy, mysterious riff, so we took that and made it the forefront of the song, and took the subject matter – pieced them together – and VOILA! WILD WOMAAAAAAN!!!
3. Evergreen
Mike played this riff that became the verses and said he heard this drumbeat like “Howlin’ For You” by The Black Keys for it. I had been watching the movie Black Snake Moan and heard this line that the main female character “had the devil in her.” That conjured up this old South feeling for me, so I wanted to put that in and give it that vibe. The story is told with a sometimes playful and teasing attitude, and sometimes aggressive and frustrated tone. It really felt freeing and gave the speaker the power back she didn't feel she had in the first place.
4. Foxfire
Travis had this intriguing idea of “foxfire” for a title line. I didn't know what it meant, so he told me all about it. It’s this phosphorescent light emitted by certain fungi on decaying timber. It’s beautiful when it glows, but it isn’t real, it’s a momentary thing. And when people would see it in the woods, many got lost being guided by it. We thought it would be interesting to write a song about depression from the standpoint of “foxfire” – or these glimmering thoughts that lead you astray and only give the illusion that everything's alright. The struggle to believe in any one thought, to characterize the confusion of that type of struggle from the speaker's point of view.
5. Darkness (Is My Only Candle)
Again, a song written almost together in a room. There's a line of a Rumi poem, “Darkness is your candle.” At the time, there had been the Charlottesville riots, and lots of violence that seemed horrifically reminiscent of the racial injustices of the ’60s. I remember thinking “Where are we?” and being really upset about all the hatred and racial slurs. This song came as a result of anger, pain, sadness, worry, and ultimately the idea we can't be separate anymore or stay quiet. It took a few sessions to write because Travis and I were both so impassioned about making sure we told the truth and stayed with the times as we saw them.
6. Nothing Compares 2 U
I had always felt so strongly about the Sinéad O’Connor version of this song. But despite being a big Prince fan, I had never heard his version. When I did, and heard the first line lyric change – “It’s been seven hours and thirteen days” – I knew immediately this was the one. Those numbers alone and the darker, more soulful approach he took to the lyric and melody spoke to me in a different way than the more popular version by Sinéad. In the studio, Geoff Sanoff really wanted to bring this Mott The Hoople vibe to it like “All The Young Dudes” – which added a lot more to our style of approaching it.
7. Superman Is Gone
Another Travis and I song, this one was specifically about the idea of being high and feeling like “Superman” when you did that first line of anything. I'm a recovering person, so it was important to me that I also tell the story of the anger I had at my father over being absent when I was going through that. I have already forgiven him and me about that, but I wanted to tell the story honestly. And there's a part of me that still questions where were a lot of different people in my life when I was busy getting high. That idea that you wonder where people were and what they were doing when you were hardcore in this addiction – with no feeling attached to it – just a human curiosity.
8. Way That You Want It
It's really just about this guy who is frustrated by a girl he digs but can't have. It's based lyrically off the same idea as “I Hate Myself For Loving You” by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, but from the viewpoint of another character – where I'm singing as the storyteller/observer instead of the person it's all happening to.
9. Still I Rise
Based on a Maya Angelou poem. I live my life in no particular time, almost in a time vacuum. And no matter what, you get up. Mike and I had originally written the song, and called it “I Am (Rise).” But Steven Van Zandt got a hold of it and loved the story of the song, so we rewrote the lyrics, and he rewrote the music to it, to really tell the story of people getting up after falling. I had taken a few lines from actual conversations or experiences I had. Then, Steven and I tried to pay homage as much as possible to the original poem. We rewrote it together in an afternoon – one of the best experiences I've had with him.
10. Don’t Have You
This was officially the last song written for the album. Brianna sent me two separate song ideas that ended up becoming “Don't Have You.” This was also the last song recorded for the album, and Geoff knew right away the approach to the piano. It became something really beautiful, and I wanted to keep it simple and stripped in the front end, so the lyric could pull in the listener. This was about my own heartbreak, and that little feeling of hope and possibility still inherent in the relationship is really powerful in the middle of the song. It was Geoff's idea to speak that part instead of sing it, and I was thrilled with how it came out.
11. Euphoria
“Euphoria” was written by myself and Travis. I loved the bluesy and spacious riff he came up with. I felt it left a space for some sort of testimony – so I told the story of all these experiences smashed together. Though each line seems to stand alone in some parts, they weave a truthful story of this woman coming back from the dead. I love the lyric in this one. Brianna had this great idea to end it in a church-y way, since it's mainly about wanting this high experience in life. And what a great way to end the record!
***
"DIG YOUR ROOTS" TOUR DATES:
Tuesday, Feb 4th @ Anchor Rock Club (residency) // Atlantic City, NJ
Friday, Feb 7th @ Tubby's // Kingston, NY
Saturday, February 8th @ 33 Golden Street // New London, CT
Tuesday, Feb 11th @ Anchor Rock Club (residency) // Atlantic City, NJ
Friday, Feb 14th @ Kung Fu Necktie (upstairs) // Philadelphia, PA
Saturday, Feb 15th @ Berlin // NY, NY
Tuesday, Feb 18th @ Anchor Rock Club (residency) // Atlantic City, NJ
Tuesday, Feb 25th @ Anchor Rock Club (residency) // Atlantic City, NJ
Friday, Feb 28th @ Maple Grove Tavern // Maple Heights, OH
Saturday, Feb 29th @ Rumba Cafe // Columbus, OH
Thursday, March 5th @ The Prospector // Long Beach, CA
Friday, March 6th @ The Redwood w/Olivia Jean (Third Man Records) // Los Angeles, CA
Saturday, March 7th @ Maui Sugar Saloon // Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, March 10th @ TBA (Private Show - acoustic set) // San Diego, CA
Wednesday, March 12th // @Navajo Live // San Diego, CA
Thursday, March 12th @ TBA // Las Vegas, NV
Friday, March 13th @ Gold Mine Tavern // Las Vegas, NV (west coast Dig Your Roots record release show)
Sunday, March 15th @ 2nd annual Rock n' Roll Flea Market (acoustic set) // Daly City, CA
Wednesday, March 18th @ Dusk // Providence, RI
Thursday, March 19th TBA
*Friday, March 20th @ Milkboy Philadelphia (east coast Dig Your Roots Record Release Show)
Saturday, March 21st @ The Record Collector // Bordentown, NJ
Wednesday, March 25th @ Melody Inn // Indianapolis, IN
Thursday, March 26th @ TBA
Friday, March 28th @ The Hub // Cincinnati, OH
Saturday, March 29th @ Route 33 Rhythm and Brews // Wapakoneta, OH
Tuesday, March 31st @ Barter Detroit // Detroit, MI
Wednesday, April 1st @ TBA (Chicago or Ann Arbor)
Thursday, April 2nd @ Rochaus // West Dundee, IL
Friday, April 3rd @ Liar's Club // Chicago, IL
Sunday, April 5th @ The Groove Nashville (record store) // Nashville, TN
***
Spartan Records
Spartan Records is an independent record label located in Seattle, WA founded by John T. Frazier. Prior to taking Spartan full-time in early 2013, Frazier directed marketing efforts at Tooth & Nail/Solid State Records and played an important role in the careers of bands like Underoath, Anberlin, mewithoutYou, As Cities Burn, Norma Jean, and Mae to name a few. Prior to that, he headed up marketing at Drive-Thru Records and worked with bands like The Starting Line, Finch, New Found Glory, and Something Corporate. He started his career at crank! A RECORD COMPANY working with bands like Mineral, the Gloria Record, and others.
Currently home to Ourlives, Sullivan, Schematic, Shy, Low, Trespassers, Barren Womb, Waypoint, Young Fox, and Over the Ocean, our goal is to help artists create and share their art - and through that process, we hope to help facilitate "moments" that transcend everything that divides us. We believe in the power of music to move us -- to inspire and change lives.
Spartan bands have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, and American Songwriter among others and heard on NBC, ABC Family, MTV, DirecTV, and alongside brands like Quicksilver and Fox Racing.
Steve Conte
Acclaimed NYC Guitarist, Singer & Songwriter Steve Conte (New York Dolls, Michael Monroe) Releases New Single "Fourth of July" (Co-Written by Andy Partridge of XTC)
New LP Coming In 2024
"Rock n’ Roll done the old fashioned way, with big chords, tasty guitar licks and a vocal aged to perfection. It’s a track that oozes positivity and shines bright with a good time vibe. It’s good to live in a world where Steve Conte feels the need to create music like this."- Backseat Mafia
"An exhilarating preview of what is to come from his next album due in 2024."- Louder Than War
***
New York City guitarist, singer and songwriter Steve Conte has released a new single, co-written with Andy Partridge (XTC) titled "Fourth of July."
The song also features drummer Prairie Prince ( The Tubes & Todd Rundgren) who played on XTC’s classic album, 'Skylarking.' On bass is Steve's brother John Conte, with Andrew Hollander on piano.
The track serves as a follow-up to his 2021 acclaimed solo album Bronx Cheer, and offers an early preview of his upcoming new LP due out in 2024 via Steven Van Zandt's Wicked Cool Records.
Stream the video HERE.
Stream the single on DSPs HERE.
“Fourth of July” was written with one of my favorite songwriters of all time, from one of my fave bands - Andy Partridge of XTC. I feel blessed to be writing with one of my heroes…and to be recording for Little Steven Van Zandt’s label, Wicked Cool Records," says Conte.
"With a title like “Fourth of July” I knew I didn’t want to make this song lyric at all patriotic American or about Independence Day - I wanted it to be about the sparks that fly, the fireworks that go off in a relationship. One with intense chemistry…love, fulfillment …bombs bursting in air, ya know? Explosions, yes - but no stars & stripes.
The chorus of the song is one that I’ve had kicking around since the 90s. I wrote the hook while getting ready to leave my NYC apartment for some July 4th event - I just started singing about what was happening that day. The hook was all there; chords, melody, the title lyric, the phrasing - complete with that odd timing. I thought it could be something special because I never forgot it."
On Working With Partridge, he says, "When I presented the idea to Andy, we had already written 4 songs together, so we were on a roll. I played it for him and without hesitation, he knew exactly where to go for the verse. That was exciting, after having this baby lay dormant for decades. He rattled off the verse melody, we came up with most of the verse chords together and then after we left the Zoom session, I tweaked some of the chords & melody a bit to fit my vibe. AP came up with the very cool guitar interlude and gave me some great arrangement ideas, as did my ‘remote’ co-producer Andrew Hollander.”
Long known for his memorable guitar work as a member of New York Dolls, as well as former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe’s band (with whom he still performs), Steve found international fame in recent years via his collaborations with Japanese composer and artist Yoko Kanno on the soundtracks to several hit anime series, including Cowboy Bebop.
Over the years he’s also worked with Peter Wolf, Eric Burdon of The Animals, Willy DeVille, Billy Squier, Willie Nile, Maceo Parker, and even been Paul Simon’s tour rehearsal vocal stand-in.
Conte first met Wicked Cool founder Stevie Van Zandt when the Dolls played Van Zandt’s Underground Garage Festival in 2004. “But my connection with him goes back to Jersey,” he says. “I grew up with his cousins in Matawan [near the Jersey shore], so I had been hearing about his legend for years.”
***
Raised in a musical family – Steve’s mother Rosemary Conte is a noted NY/NJ jazz singer – Steve started spending time in New York City as a kid, his father bringing him to his first Madison Square Garden concert, by none other than Chuck Berry. Some years later, Conte found himself playing an entire show onstage in Berry’s band. His own music first gained notice when his band Company Of Wolves signed to Mercury Records, releasing a self-titled album on the label in 1990.
What others have said:
"Bronx Cheer simply oozes cool and is an album full of attitude, energy and above all else, a real heart and soul, deep from within the bowels of New York’s rich musical heritage. A magnificent collection of songs, full of great melodies and fuzzed-up guitars, ranging from hard edged rock ’n’ roll to a heartfelt and soulful beauty. "- Louder Than War
"...as rowdy and raucous a collection of rock and roll as any you’ll hear this year. Not only are the songs quintessential New York City, they are the epitome of the city’s black leather clad heart and soul. "- Blog Critics
"The best rock and roll has the power to lift the sedentary from their chairs and make even the most blasé sing along. That’s a good description of what happens when you crank up Steve Conte."- Elmore Magazine
"A bright, fuzzy sounding slice of American pop rock suitable for all."- Backseat Mafia
***
Website: www.stevecontenyc.com
Strike Twelve
San Diego's Strike Twelve Release 'Last Band Standing’
"A refreshing take on 90’s melodic punk rock... they also play with the same authority as seminal melodic punk rock acts like No Use For A Name or Lagwagon. A keen balance between witty lyrics and uniquely diverse compositions make each track stand tall on its own. Hands down one of the best purveyors of the classic EpiFat sound around today."- The Punk Site
For Fans Of: The Vandals, Pulley, Unwritten Law
Photo: Catalino Alvarez Jr / Cat Eye View Photography
San Diego/Temecula punks Strike Twelve have released the new album 'Last Band Standing' via Thousand Islands Records.
Watch the video for "Baseball Bat" here: https://youtu.be/NmmM301ezr4.
Video shot by Danny, Joey, Matty, and Melisa. Edited by Aaron Bruski.
Guitarist/vocalist Matty T says, "'Baseball Bat' involves a violent physical release caused by prolonged emotional suppression. Sometimes I just can’t bite my tongue any longer and before I open my big mouth it’s better to physically exert myself."
Strike Twelve is
Matt Turek (“Matty T”) - guitar / vocals
Joe Treister (“Joey T”) - bass / vocals
Dan Bahou (“Danny B”) - drums
Danny B, Matty T and Joey T of So-Cal punk rock band Strike Twelve have been playing live at your local dive since 2003. Whether they’re first or last in the lineup, they will undoubtedly be the band having the most fun. They love what they do and they love doing it with each other, which is why all three members have stuck with the band since the beginning. With an unmatched chemistry that can only be developed with twenty years of friendship, it’s safe to say that this isn’t just a phase. Their new album Last Band Standing will be out in summer 2023 on Montreal-based Thousand Islands Records, and hopefully it will help to take their excellent adventure to the international stage.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/striketwelve
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/striketwelve
Tad Doyle
Thomas Andrew Doyle (aka the "Grunge Godfather" TAD) Releases His 9th Solo Full-Length 'Forgotten Sciences'
"Where would modern rock n’ roll be today without Thomas Andrew Doyle?"- V13
“The score is nature in its majesty...Completely immersive...it is highly recommended to hear it through a good pair of headphones..."- Ess-Fo
"Tad or Thomas Andrew Doyle to give him his full name has been a constant and comforting presence over the past thirty five years when it comes to alternative music and still is to this day."- Echoes and Dust
FORGOTTEN SCIENCES is the ninth solo full-length by the "Grunge Grandfather" Thomas Andrew Doyle (aka Tad), who brought us the pioneering grunge-era band TAD, the punk aesthetics of HOG MOLLY, and the heavier doom-metal of BROTHERS OF THE SONIC CLOTH.
On this new release, Doyle continues to go back to his symphonic roots, to begin a new musical chapter in his already impressively successful career. Flexing his musical prowess yet again in a never-before-utilized way, FORGOTTEN SCIENCES showcases Doyle's many vocal and multi-instrumental talents. The songwriting and lyrical content delves into the darker side of human existence, yet the underlying message is a positive one.
Doyle states, “This album is a note to self to stay in the moment and clear of the trappings of time. It is an affirmation that everything important happens in the present moment. Everything is an inside job, and there are no solutions to be found outside our indomitable spirit."
Forgotten Sciences is available on vinyl:
https://mvdshop.com/products/thomas-andrew-doyle-forgotten-sciences-lp
CD:
https://mvdshop.com/products/thomas-andrew-doyle-forgotten-sciences-cd
Digital Download Only and Exclusive Bonus Track:
https://thomasandrewdoyle.bandcamp.com/album/forgotten-sciences
About Thomas Andrew Doyle
Born Thomas Andrew Doyle in the 1960s in Boise Idaho by two army veterans in a lower-middle-class family, Tad is most widely known for being the frontman and leader of the band TAD. Tad was one of the founding members of the GRUNGE music movement.
He began his musical passion and career at the age of 5 years old when he would bang on oatmeal boxes and coffee cans trying to emulate his older brother who had a drum set. His formative years were spent first learning how to play the E-flat Tuba in grade five that his grandfather had played in the early 1900s.
However, Tad's true passion was for drums and percussion. In grade six he took the next step in his journey by studying the vinyl records of the time and playing along on a set of drums given to him by his grandmother, which he still has and plays to this day.
Later, Tad graduated high school, then continued his education by studying music composition and performance at Boise State University mentored by the nationally known and respected Dr. John Baldwin, a music professor. At the age of 18, he began playing drums in jazz bands and quartets in nightclubs around the Boise area.
Later he played in rock and punk rock bands around the area before deciding to move to Seattle with his band H-Hour in 1986. Enter the story of TAD the band.
TAD (Sub Pop, Giant, East West, Amphetamine Reptile) were one of the heaviest Seattle bands to emerge from the mid to late 80s, fashioning a loud, slow, lumbering grind that unlike many of their peers, was inspired far more by ’70s metal than punk. Devoid of melody and focused on their feral-pounding rhythm and primal-tonal-assault, TAD are still respected and revered as one of the most ferocious bands to come from the U.S. West Coast. Tad’s music simply steamrolled over everything in its way. The band's albums recorded with Jack Endino, Steve Albini, and Butch Vig helped usher in the "grunge" movement. A cameo in Cameron Crowe's 'Singles' and tours with the likes of Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden followed, with the band ultimately disbanding in 1999.
In 2017, Thomas Andrew Doyle (TAD, Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, Hog Molly, H-Hour) went back to his symphonic roots to begin a new musical chapter in his already impressively successful career. Roughly a year later, in April of 2018, INCINERATION CEREMONY was released to the universe as a fresh and very unexpected work. The result took what people thought they knew about the grunge/doom-metal legend and shattered all preconceived notions and perceptions about what he was capable of. Doyle had returned to his formative roots and came forth with a symphonic take on what was going on in his head. Spawned from the dark, tenebrous recesses of Doyle’s psyche, came an immense sound of textures, rhythms, and material suitable for film scores and stand-alone listening, disquieting all who are within an earshot.
People who are familiar with his music should expect the unexpected. Doyle’s entry into the world of symphonic composition is no novice attempt. INCINERATION CEREMONY is a musical journeyman’s expression that is genuine, heartfelt, honest, uncompromising, and revelatory. It is superbly visceral in its delivery.
Heralded by many as his finest work to date, Doyle has been called the “musician's musician” by his peers.
Talk Show Host
Photo: Amanda Fotes
"...catchy, anthemic punk..."- Brooklynvegan
"Musically, "Crisis Actors" is a darker song compared to the bright, power-poppy "Blood In The Sand." It's a moody, minor-key punk song with hints of Bad Religion, Samiam, Jawbreaker, and other classic '90s-ish punk."- Brooklynvegan
"Talk Show Host might be from Toronto, but their music is as summer- and surf-ready as any California pop band’s. “Blood in the Sand” (is) a powerpop gem."- The Alternative
“The songs are catchy as all hell, with great songwriting and top-notch arrangements. There isn’t a bad song on this LP; it’s excellent throughout, and recommended for all fans of power pop, pop punk, and just good music.”- Jersey Beat
"...cotton-candy pop punk ...hits all of the pop-punk checkboxes. 'Mid-Century Modern' is an enjoyable summer listen."- New Noise
Toronto punks Talk Show Host have dropped their ultra-catchy debut LP 'Mid-Century Modern’ via Wiretap Records/Disconnect Disconnect Records. On the new record, the band declares its love for ‘90s punk, larger than life guitars, catchy pop melodies and indie rock detours. This is the sound of a band that has taught themselves all the tricks in the power-pop playbook and left notes in the margins.
Talk Show Host have spent their life building to this moment. Since 2015, the Toronto trio have been steadily releasing hit after hit, starting with 2016’s Disunion Tour EP and culminating in 2017’s 'Not Here To Make Friends' EP (recorded by John Dinsmore). With over 100 shows under their belt locally and in sojourns overseas in places like France, Belgium, Italy and Germany, as well as opening slots for bands like Planes Mistaken For Stars and Pet Symmetry, Talk Show Host are ready for their moment.
Their spotlight has arrived with 'Mid-Century Modern', the band's first full length record. Over 10 songs, the band, consisting of Chris Veinot (guitar & vocals), Fabien Rivenet (bass & pastry) and Sean Woolven (drums & backup vocals), takes us through a cavalcade of pop-punk hits. Lead single "Blood In The Sand" is the sort of anthemic sing-along masterpiece that will find you with fists in the air singing along by the chorus, "Crisis Actors" is the three-piece channeling their inner Anti-Flag while "Warmest Condolences" finds the band exploring new sonic playgrounds, deftly shifting to a more indie-rock laden arena. This is the sound of a band that has taught themselves all the tricks in the power-pop playbook and left notes in the margins.
Working once again with producer John Dinsmore (PUP, Single Mothers) in his studio the Lincoln County Social Club, the band worked tirelessly to see their vision fulfilled. On 'Mid-Century Modern', bear witness to the crystallization of punk rock perfection, honed and refined in the DIY trenches and masterfully polished by superlative skill and striking songwriting.
'Mid-Century Modern' is out now via Wiretap Records in North America, and Disconnect/Disconnect in the UK and Europe.
'Mid-Century Modern'
Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3vVSytx
Bandcamp - https://bit.ly/3fQJGQr
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/F0BuPfYQ6IQ
Facebook - www.facebook.com/talkshowhost.ca
Instagram - www.instagram.com/talkshowhostrocks
Follow Wiretap Records at www.facebook.com/wiretaprecords
The Cocktail Slippers
Oslo, Norway's The Cocktail Slippers Release New Single "Good Love"
A Rock 'n' Roll Ode to Love and Empowerment
Touring U.S. in November
"Cocktail Slippers firmly believe that are few things more thrilling than classic rock n’ roll, and keep the torch burning with “Good Love.”"- Alt77
Brace yourselves for an electrifying rock 'n' roll experience as Norwegian sensations Cocktail Slippers, prepare to release their highly anticipated single, "Good Love."
Renowned for their stadium rock anthems, captivating stage presence, and unforgettable performances, Cocktail Slippers are set to take the music world by storm once again.
"Good Love" is a powerful rock 'n' roll ode to love and empowerment that delves into the story of a girl who seemingly had it all. Yet, despite all her possessions, she learns that what she truly really needs is something more profound- genuine and good love.
The track echoes the timeless words of The Beatles, reminding listeners that love is the ultimate necessity in life. Recorded live at the renowned Propeller Studios in Oslo, "Good Love" showcases the raw energy and passion that Cocktail Slippers bring to their craft. The band's impeccable musicianship and the seamless chemistry between its members are evident in every note, ensuring an immersive listening experience that will resonate with rock enthusiasts worldwide.
Drawing inspiration from the energetic spirit of 60s and 70s garage rock, Cocktail Slippers infuse "Good Love" with a raw and captivating sound. The song's catchy hooks, dynamic guitar work, and anthemic vocals create an irresistible blend that will have audiences feeling the surge of positive energy. With a surprising rough edge towards the end, reminiscent of rock legends like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple, Cocktail Slippers showcase their versatility and pay homage to their rock 'n' roll roots.
With their latest album, "Shout It Out Loud!," receiving critical acclaim, Cocktail Slippers have solidified their position as a force to be reckoned with in the rock music landscape.
Their energetic live performances, visually striking stage presence, and unwavering passion for rock 'n' roll have garnered them a dedicated fan base worldwide.
As the world yearns for the excitement of live music, Cocktail Slippers are ready to deliver unforgettable performances that will leave audiences electrified. With their upcoming shows, featuring new stage outfits inspired by superheroes and 70s glam, Cocktail Slippers are set to create an immersive and visually stunning experience for fans.
The band will come back to the USA in November for a tour on the East Coast.
About Cocktail Slippers:
Cocktail Slippers are a Norwegian rock band known for their exhilarating live performances and infectious sing-along anthems. With a sound deeply rooted in the rich history of rock 'n' roll, Cocktail Slippers have garnered a loyal fan base and critical acclaim both in Norway and internationally. Their music blends elements of garage rock, punk, and pop, creating a unique sonic tapestry that never fails to captivate audiences. With a string of successful
releases and electrifying shows under their belt, Cocktail Slippers continue to push the boundaries of rock music while leaving an indelible mark on the industry.
With their latest single, "Good Love," Cocktail Slippers continue to leave their mark on the rock music scene.
Stream "Good Love" On DSPs: https://orcd.co/cs-goodlove
***
Cocktail Slippers:
Silje Hope (aka Hope): vocals
Stine Bendiksen (aka Rocket Queen): guitar and backing vocals
Astrid Waller (aka Sugar Cane): bass and backing vocals
Sara Andersson (aka Vega): guitar
Maria Storaas (aka Smash): drums
What others have said:
"Their future is quite bright because they keep getting better and better! The secret of their longevity is their passion for the music, obviously!"- Stevie Van Zandt
“The Cocktail Slippers sound a lot like The Go-Go’s, but with gats instead of L.A. cheer, and a mule kick in their high heels,” - Rolling Stone’s David Fricke
"The five-piece, Oslo-based, all-female Rock band has a star-studded performance history sharing stages with Paul McCartney, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and many more, and has a depth of commitment to live performance that shines through even on their confident and bold studio recordings."- Glide Magazine
"The Cocktail Slippers brings pure fun and limitless energy into rock n’ roll. The Oslo outfit blends a wide array of styles to formulate a pristine collection of infectious pop-influenced punk. Ephasizing melody over mayhem, Shout It Loud is a party that everyone remembers, and nothing was broken. All of Shout It Loud is a delight, and I really do not want to wait another seven years for new music."- Jersey Beat
***
Website: www.cocktailslippers.com
Facebook: facebook.com/cocktailslippers
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cocktailslippers
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@cocktailslippers
The Dollyrots
THE DOLLYROTS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM PRE-ORDER
'NIGHT OWLS' WILL BE OUT ON OCTOBER 13; YEAR OF THE BUNNY TOUR DATES IN JULY AND SEPTEMBER
As they get set to embark on the second leg of their Year Of The Bunny Tour rock-pop-punk duo the Dollyrots announce their new album. 'Night Owls' will be out on October 13 on Wicked Cool Records.
Pre-order it here: https://the-dollyrots.myshopify.com/collections/night-owls.
Every pre-order comes with an instant download of the song “Hey Girl” and a surprise bonus track. Pre-orders made directly from the band’s site will receive additional downloads that include demos and alternative versions and will be delivered in advance of the October 13th release date. In addition, the Dollyrots are offering one-of-a-kind and limited items with Night Owls pre-orders that includes stage gear, custom guitars, phone calls from the band, private acoustic house party performances, band wardrobe, lots of bundles and more. Go check it out at https://bit.ly/DRNightOwls.
“You know how they say a band’s first album is usually their best? Well, I think because we had time for this one, you know, since the world stopped due to Covid, it’s a lot like a first album. We had so many bits and pieces and once we could finally get into the studio it all just flew out of us, like we had been holding something vital & urgent in for years. Because we had. If you love The Dollyrots you’ll love “Night Owls". If you don’t know The Dollyots, you’ll probably love it too,” says singer / bassist Kelly Ogden.
Hear more from the band here: https://youtu.be/xL_Qms9vtrU.
For 'Night Owls,' the band once again enlisted longtime collaborator John Fields (Jimmy Eat World, All Time Low, Meet Me At the Altar) who is responsible for the bulk of production credit. Both the CD and vinyl will be presented in deluxe packaging with holographic covers and double-sided poster inserts. The neon yellow album is being pressed on 180-gram vinyl.
Always active on the live circuit, the band is heading out on a West Coast run with Dog Party as support starting in Denver at the Punk Rock Saves Lives Festival on Friday, July 21. The Dollyrots are Kelly Ogden (vocals and bass) and Luis Cabezas (guitar) with Aixa Vilar (Go Betty Go) on drums. This fall they will embark on a co-headlining run with Tsunami Bomb, including a September 1st pitstop at the 3rd annual Camp Punksylvania Music & Camping Festival. Tickets are available at: http://www.dollyrots.com.
The Dollyrots have released albums on Panic Button/Lookout and Blackheart Records and are now working with Stevie Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records. They have hit the Billboard Heatseekers chart multiple times. Lead Singer Ogden can also be heard daily on SiriusXM's Underground Garage as the host of the 'Sunrise Surprise' radio show weekday mornings from 4 am EST to 8 am EST.
Tour dates:
w/ TSUNAMI BOMB
8/31 • Sonia • Boston, MA
9/1 • Camp Punksylvania • Scranton, PA
9/2 • DC9 • Washington, DC
9/3 • Amityville Music Hall • Amityville, NY
11/1 • Jack Rabbits • Jacksonville, FL
11/2 • The Earl • Atlanta, GA
11/3 • The Cobra • Nashville, TN
11/4 • The Bark • Tallahassee, FL
11/5 • Crowbar • Tampa, FL
Hear more from them here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1TrzTUgWQlVRkoVGR0L7jy?si=ZUvs9e9oSIq7NiGSQt9tkA
The Hangmen
Legendary LA Band The Hangmen Releasing 'Stories To Tell' on September 8; First New Full-Length Since 2019
European Tour Dates Announced
Stream The Latest Single "Midnight Riders"
“...dirty, sloppy, scuzz drenched, spilled beer, piss stained, rawk... They channel the Ramones, Gun Club, Cramps and the Rolling Stones and turn it all into a wild musical slop that gets stuck between your ears!” - Keith Morris (Circle Jerks, Black Flag, OFF!)
Photo Credit: Melissa Babasin / (L to R) Jorge Disguster: Drums, Vox / Angelique Congleton: Bass, Vox Bryan Small: Vox, Rhythm Guitar / Jimmy James: Lead Guitar
As musical trends come and go, The Hangmen have remained uncompromising since their formation in 1986. From big money major label deals to debilitating drug addiction, lead singer
Bryan Small has continued to charge forward with the headlong momentum of a runaway train.
Bridging the gap somewhere between The Gun Club and the Rolling Stones, the band’s latest offering, Stories To Tell smashes together Small's lurid love songs with unsparing, unsentimental blasts that shine a penetrating light into the dark and seedy corners of life. From the melodic “Midnight Riders” to the haunting “On The Outside,” Small delivers an album with a simplicity and depth of songwriting reminiscent of Neil Young and Tom Petty.
_“Midnight Riders is a rite of passage song. It’s the way my friends and I lived in our early days navigating life, being in bands and coping with everything as kids in Hollywood. We didn’t have boundaries. We had mentors who were notoriously fucked up geniuses in our eyes. I’m not surprised by the path we took for ourselves - some made it, some moved home and some died."
Small himself recently relocated after 38 years in Los Angeles to his hometown of Missoula, Montana, so his kids could grow up around family.
“We recorded in different studios over the course of about a year and a half, which is the way some of my favorite albums were made,” reveals Small, “This is the first record since Mike Ness (Social Distortion) produced In The City that I’ve kinda let go of the production and mixing to get a different view of these songs.”
Longtime Hangmen fan Rob Schnapf (Elliot Smith, Beck, X) also stepped in to produce two tracks on Stories: “On The Outside” and “Last Time I Saw You,” a tribute to “Rontrose” Heathman, the former Hangmen and Supersuckers guitar player who passed away in 2020.
Stories To Tell also includes a raucous cover of Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Sinister Purpose.” “CCR has always been a part of The Hangmen’s DNA to some extent. It was a bit of an overlooked song that spoke to us. Jimmy James (guitarist) brought it to the band and it was a natural fit.”
Stories To Tell will be released September 8, 2023 on Acetate Records. A month-long European tour commences September 13 in Paris.
+++
STORIES TO TELL PRE-ORDER
Label site: https://acetate.com/the-hangmen/
BandCamp: https://thehangmen.bandcamp.com/album/stories-to-tell
+++
WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID:
“I find myself totally fixated by The Hangmen’s dirty, sloppy, scuzz drenched, spilled beer, piss stained, rawk crud noise stylings. They channel the Ramones, Gun Club, Cramps and the Rolling Stones and turn it all into a wild musical slop that gets stuck between your ears!” - Keith Morris (Circle Jerks, Black Flag, OFF!)
“If you haven’t seen The Hangmen live, you should kick yourself in the ass!” - Mike Ness (Social Distortion)
“A mix of buzz-saw chord structures with a Country and Western flavor reminiscent of Crazy Horse” - Steve Appleford, Los Angeles Times
“Welp, Bryan Small has done it again. This record is so Hangmen, it hurts - this may just be the best record they’ve ever made. I’ve listened to it 35 times already and I can’t get enough. The hits just keep on coming! 6 stars out of five!!” - Eddie Spaghetti (Supersuckers)
‘The Hangmen’s punk rock ferocity and country/roots music puts them in an artistic class with the likes of other Los Angeles greats X, Gun Club and Social Distortion.” - Vincent Jeffries, Allmusic.com
'STORIES TO TELL' TRACK LISTING
1. Broken Heartland
2. Midnight Riders
3. Last Time I Saw You
4. On The Outside
5. Sinister Purpose
6. Bayou Moon
7. Behind The Wheel
8. Stories To Tell
9. Hard Luck Jim
10. Runnin' Kind
***
BAND HISTORY:
Formed in 1986, The Hangmen immediately caught the eye of Circle Jerks frontman Keith Morris, who began managing the band and produced the demos that landed them a deal with Capitol Records. In 1989 they released their self-titled debut produced by Vic Maile, (Motörhead, The Who “Live at Leeds”) before switching to the newly formed DGC Records whose roster included The Nymphs and Nirvana to name a few. That seemed like the perfect landing spot for the band, but unfortunately the Rob Younger (Radio Birdman) produced album Suicide Doors was never released and the band dissolved into addiction.
Not one to be down for long, a newly sober Small started writing again, the result was 2000’s Metallic I.O.U. released on the Los Angeles-based indie, Acetate Records. The Hangmen found a willing accomplice and partner in crime in label owner Rick Ballard, who produced their follow-up, We’ve Got Blood On The Toes Of Our Boots, a live recording of their OOP Capitol Records debut and 2019’s Cactusville. Tours with longtime fans Social Distortion and the Supersuckers followed. Mike Ness would later produce The Hangmen’s 2007 release In the City. “I totally feel like we're kindred spirits,” Small says looking back, adding that both bands emphasize “simplicity, and doing what you do and staying true to that.”
In 2010, the popular Finnish record label Hype Records released Lost Rocks, an eighteen-song Hangmen retrospective. Shortly thereafter, former Supersucker Ron Heathmen joined the band for 2012’s critically acclaimed East Of Western. 2019 marked the release of Cactusville as well as a performance on legendary European television show, Rockpalast.
DISCOGRAPHY:
1989 The Hangmen
2000 Metallic I.O.U.
2002 We've Got Blood on the Toes of Our Boots 2004 Loteria
2007 In The City
2011 Lost Rocks: Best Of
2012 East Of Western
2019 Cactusville
2020 Thunderhead (single)
2023 Stories To Tell
***
THE HANGMEN EUROPEAN TOUR 2023
13/09 WED PARIS, FR @ LA DAME DE CANTON
14/09 THU RENNES, FR @ LE NOKTAMBÜL
15/09 FRI St. GUILLES CROIX VIE FRI, FR @ ROCK THE SEA
16/09 SAT PERIGUEUX, FR @ LE MOULIN DU ROUSSEAU
17/09 SUN ZARAGOZA, SP @ SALA Z
19/09 TUE LIERGANES, SP @ LOS PICOS
20/09 WED A CORUÑA, SP @ MARDI GRAS
21/09 THU MADRID, SP @ CLAMORES
22/09 FRI BURGOS, SP @ AMB
23/09 SAT BILBAO, SP @ KAFE ANTZOKIA
24/09 SUN TOLEDO, SP @ PÍCARO
26/09 TUE GRANADA, SP @ LEMON ROCK
27/09 WED BENIDORM, SP @ ROCKSTAR
28/09 THU VALENCIA, SP @ LOCO CLUB
29/09 FRI BARCELONA, SP @ SIDECAR
30/09 SAT MONTPELLIER FR @ SECRET PLACE
01/10 SUN COMO, IT @ JOSHUA BLUES CLUB
03/10 TUE ZAGRED, HR @ HARD PLACE
04/10 WED BELGRADE, RS @ KC GRAD
05/10 THU PRAGUE, CZ @ VAGON
06/10 FRI BERLIN, DE @ WILD AT HEART
11/10 WED HAMBURGH, DE @ APOLLO CLUB
12/10 THU KOLN, DE @ SONIC BALLROOM
14/10 SAT MESSANCY, BE @ BACK TO THE PIPELINE
***
The Len Price 3
UK Garage Rock Trio The Len Price 3 Re-Releases Acclaimed 2007 Debut LP 'Chinese Burn'
Available For The First Time On Vinyl with 4 Additional Songs (+ CD/Digital)
"A straight shot of garage pop, chased by some punk histrionics and gentle psychedelic leanings. Chinese Burn seems to fly by, powered by a volatile mixture of ale, nicotine and only lightly masked disgust at the world around them."- Paste Magazine
‘A true national treasure indeed’ – Vive Le Rock Magazine
"These are the facts: bare-bones guitar, bass and drums; classic British-freak-beat song hooks and vocal harmonies; fifteen songs that roll over you like a mono copy of the Who Sings My Generation, in just half an hour. And no one in the 3 is named Len or Price" - David Fricke / Rolling Stone
'Chinese Burn' the 2007 debut album from acclaimed UK garage rock combo The Len Price 3, has been rereleased by Wicked Cool Records, for the first time ever on vinyl, with 4 songs previously not available on the digital/cd.
Order the Vinyl/Stream on DSPs:
North America - https://orcd.co/chineseburnvinyl
UK - https://orcd.co/chineseburnvinyluk
Frontman Glenn Page says, "We’ve been really excited about 'Chinese Burn' coming out on vinyl for the first time. A lot of people that come to our shows are vinyl heads - me and Neil are too! It’s great to finally have all our albums in this format and we’re really grateful to Wicked Cool for making it happen."
About The Len Price 3
Weaned on the raw, passionate, two-minute tunes of the Who, the Kinks, and the Clash, The Len
Price 3 are a high-energy garage combo from the Medway district of North Kent in the United Kingdom. Comprised of Glenn Page on guitar and vocals, Steve Huggins on bass, and Neil Fromow on drums (no; no one in the band is named Len Price), the Len Price 3 got their start at a bar in Maidstone where bands could pay for the privilege of rehearsing in front of the drinking customers.
When the trio were banned for playing too loud, they simply changed their name and booked another gig under the new moniker a few weeks later. Eventually, the band found an audience for their revved-up, no-nonsense sound, and shared stages with a wide variety of noted acts, from the Libertines to The Lovely Eggs.
In 2005, the Len Price 3 came to the attention of the Australian label Laughing Outlaw Records, who signed the band and released their debut single, "Christian in the Desert" b/w "Dorolea," as well as their first album, Chinese Burn. The album received strong reviews and the band toured extensively in the United Kingdom, with airplay and multiple live performances on Radio 2 and Radio 6 as well as going to America for the first time to play the 2006 South by Southwest Music Conference. During that trip, they met Steve Van Zandt who, unknown to the band, had come to see them play at a small bar in Greenwich Village on a Monday night in New York. They were headlining the evening but were disheartened when the entire audience left after the support band finished. Not to be beaten, the band took to the stage and delivered a blistering performance to only the sound man, or so they thought, because at the end of their set, Mr Van Zandt came out of the shadows and offered to sign them there and then to his label, Wicked Cool Records. They released their second LP, Rent a Crowd, in 2007 which was helped along nicely when Southern Comfort used ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ for a global advertising campaign, and was also featured as one of the free to use songs in the popular ‘Rock Band’ game. Their third album 'Pictures' was moving into a slightly slicker and less tethered-to-the-garage-territory. It arrived in early 2010, along with a support slot with Sir Paul McCartney at Hyde Park in London and a mention on the front cover of Rolling Stone Magazine – where David Fricke in his article said of The Len Price 3 ‘ Rock ‘n Roll Don’t Need Saving, The Cure’s Right Here.' Fricke had been to see the band a couple of times during their American travels. After a long break that included a perhaps unsurprising change in labels, the band returned in early 2014 with a new album, Nobody Knows. In an interview with Vice Magazine, Billy Childish described the Len Price 3 as a group who took his songs and simply added a pop edge to them. Angry at the unjust and flagrant untruth, The Len Price 3 shot back with a song about their accuser, "Childish Words." It was the lead-off track on the band's 2017 album Kentish Longtails. At this time, the band also supplied the entire soundtrack for the independent film ‘Pubmonkey’, and the title track ‘Swing Like a Monkey’ was taken from the album. This was followed by extensive touring in the UK and Europe as well as a headline slot in Las Vegas to support both the album and the film. The film is now in the final stages of being approved for release by the streaming services such as Amazon Prime and Netflix.
Now, with over 40K loyal global supporters on the Facebook page and regularly well-attended shows up and down the UK and Europe the band are back with a stripped-down, post-lockdown celebration of all things The Len Price 3 with their new offering, Ip Dip Do. The album was originally sold at gigs on the now retro format of CD as there was no way to get hold of Vinyl quickly enough. The band sold out of the original pressing almost immediately, followed by digital and vinyl releases later in 2022.
Now in 2023, The Len Price 3 are celebrating the re-release of Chinese Burn on the Wicked Cool Label, this time including a gatefold vinyl release. The band did a sold-out launch show in February at the iconic Lexington venue in London to mark the occasion. The album that started the story is now available again, and a whole new generation of LP3 fans are enjoying it for the first time. The band will be promoting the album with shows in UK, Europe, and the US throughout 2023.
Fans of The Len Price 3 don’t just like the band, they love it and become loyal followers over many years. If you check them out, you might just find out why…
***
The Van Pelt
NYC Indie Rock Heroes The Van Pelt
Release 'Artisans & Merchants' -- First New Studio LP In Over 25 Years
"26 years since their last proper album, The Van Pelt have finally released an entire album of new music. But The Van Pelt sound just like you remember them. Artisans & Merchants has that classic Van Pelt mix of spoken word, sprawling instrumentals, and the occasional melodic singing, and these new songs carry the same emotional weight and lyrical wit as the band's classic '90s records. They truly had more to say, and they sound fantastic saying it."- BrooklynVegan
“Despite being released some 25 years after their initial split ‘Artisans & Merchants’ is a perfect reinterpretation of the band for today’s audience, containing just as much lyrical obtuseness and weirdness as ever, but not at the expense of some kick-ass indie-rock." (4/5 stars)- Upset Magazine
"The Van Pelt is back in force with their fourth full-length LP. The band was noted for their abstract lyrics and artful arrangements, and such is the case here. The music is lush and dreamy, but not typical dream pop; it’s got more of an orchestral feel. The music ebbs and flows while lyrics are sometimes sung, sometimes spoken. Listening to The Van Pelt is an immersive emotional experience."- Jersey Beat
Influential New York City indie rock band The Van Pelt has unveiled its long-awaited fourth studio full-length, 'Artisans & Merchants,' out today via Spartan Records in North America, La Castanya in Europe/World and Gringo in the UK.
The band's first studio recording in over 25 years, was recorded and mixed in Summer / Fall 2021 by Jeff Zeigler (The War On Drugs, Kurt Vile) at Uniform Recording in Philadelphia, PA, and features guest appearances by Nate Kinsella and Ted Leo among others.
Order 'Artisans & Merchants' in the Spartan Records store https://spr.tn/thevanpelt and on Bandcamp https://thevanpelt.bandcamp.com.
Vulture‘s 100 Greatest Emo Songs of All-Time
BrooklynVegan’s Top 18 Emo Albums of 1996
""Finds the band's Slint-like mix of post-rock, post-hardcore, and spoken word in fine form. It sounds like it could be stripped straight from the band's classic '90s era, and it sounds fresh today too."- Brooklynvegan
"The lines between post-hardcore, indie rock, and emo blurred on the two mid-’90s full-lengths from the Van Pelt."- Pitchfork
"New York City’s The Van Pelt are an influential, but too often overlooked indie rock band -- cult favorites for many an emo-inclined crate digger." - Consequence
"...should be mentioned a lot more than they are when you talk about the history of emo."- Washed Up Emo
***
'Artisans & Merchants' Track Listing:
1. We Gotta Leave
2. Image of Health
3. Artisans & Merchants
4. Punk House
5. Old Souls from Different Epochs
6. Grid
7. Cold Coconuts
8. Did We Hear The Same Song
9. Love Is Brutal
Reunion show soundchecks revealed that this band has a voice that was prematurely muted by their inability to see clearly in the thick of their rise.
More than two decades later, The Van Pelt has returned to explore what was left behind with a new collection of songs, 'Artisans & Merchants.' This is not a reunion album. This is vindication. For lovers of The Van Pelt, listening to 'Artisans & Merchants' is like hearing the voice of a dear friend you haven't seen in years -- a friend you used to share countless beers with over banter that went nowhere other than delivering a solid night. Your friend is older, they've changed. In some ways you're worried for them, looks like they might be teetering on the brink of something. In other ways, it's the same old them, a nugget of a soul too unique to ever be altered. It's for those unfamiliar with The Van Pelt though for whom we should be truly jealous. This is a stand-alone album, incredible vital songwriting in and of itself regardless of the long history this band has. The climax of the single "Image of Health" perhaps describes the beautiful desperation best: "And you never felt more alive / Than when the priest came to read you your rites!"
***
https://www.facebook.com/thevanpelt
The Venomous Pinks
The Venomous Pinks Release New Single, A Cover of Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' 'I Want You"
Music Video Stars Soma Snakeoil and Lady Scorpius
"From poppy sensibilities to heavy riffs, the new new track “I Want You” from The Venomous Pinks is the perfect soundtrack to your weekend."- New Noise Magazine
Tempe, AZ all-female punk rock trio The Venomous Pinks has released a new single and music video, a cover of Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' "I Want You," which will appear on the band's upcoming album of the same name.
Check out the video (starring dominatrixes Soma Snakeoil and Lady Scorpius) here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKZeRcyejQk&feature=youtu.be
Guitarist and vocalist Drea Doll says, "I Want You is an in-your-face, unapologetic, punk rendition of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts’ timeless classic. We set out to infuse our unique style and uncontrived attitude to change up the cover while lovingly nodding to its original roots.”
++++
If members of Bikini Kill and TSOL musically collided in a Russ Myer movie, the soundtrack scoring the scene would be orchestrated by The Venomous Pinks. Hailing from Mesa, Arizona the three-piece trio creates an unapologetically, uniquely addictive, in-your-face punk sound, that instantly makes the soul hurt so good, you can’t help but yearn for more.
Newly signed to Die Laughing Records, music is the religion they worship, and their church is the road. Having formed in 2012, they have blasted their way from the garage and into the spotlight, shredding the stage with some of punk rock's finest bands, such as: Bad Religion, Iggy Pop, Anti-Flag, The Bouncing Souls, just to name a few. Even though they have been touring all over the country, they have street cred to back them since their loyalty to their local roots runs deep.
***
What others have said about The Venomous Pinks:
"The Venomous Pinks are a punk band. Not a "girl" band or a "chick" band, but a punk band."- New Times
"If people think the punk scene has lost its passion, wait till you hear THE VENOMOUS PINKS."- *Infrared Mag*
"...hits hard and fast, and doesn't let up."- Punknews
"...unadulterated punk rock"- New Noise
"...good old-fashioned kick your teeth in punk rock and roll."- ReadJunk
Thousand Islands Records
https://thousandislandsrecords.com
“Montreal’s Thousand Islands Records has racked up an impressive resume since its inception in 2016. The label which, understandably, started with a roster of Canadian bands, has quickly ventured abroad- picking up international acts from Europe and co-releasing albums from around the world. Focusing heavily on melodic, skate, and hardcore punk TIR has an ear for good music and typically knocks it out of the park on each release. They also tirelessly support their acts with promotion and a lot of the back-end stuff, letting the musicians be musicians.” – Jeff Sorley, That’s Good Enough For Me
Traindodge
Oklahoma City Post-Hardcore Titans Traindodge Reveal "The New Low"
Track Appears on Upcoming LP 'The Alley Parade' Out September 22 on Spartan Records
"The song’s brash, discordant, bass-heavy post-hardcore sounds as powerful as Traindodge did in the ’90s."- Brooklynvegan
Photo Credit: Dylan Johnson
After two decades of timeless records, Oklahoma City’s Traindodge continues their post-hardcore dynasty with the release of their eighth LP, 'The Alley Parade', due out on September 22, via Spartan Records.
Upon the release of the album's second single "The New Low", vocalist/guitarist Jason Smith says, "The New Low. It’s about seeing what you want to see in someone regardless of where it might lead you. Sometimes you find that you hold vastly different definitions of the same words you’re using with someone. Then gradually you realize you’ve been having conversations of pure insanity with them the entire time."
Stream the single "The New Low" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOBtF5rv6T4&t=3s
Stream on DSPs: https://orcd.co/thenewlow
LP available for pre-order here: https://spr.tn/traindodge.
Pre-save here: https://orcd.co/thealleyparade.
While the band’s collection of canonized albums have become required listening for every budding heavy band since the 90s, and their legacy of hundreds of shows (sharing stages with the likes of Mudhoney, Cursive, Avail, and Botch, to name a few) has impacted thousands, perhaps the biggest mystery surrounding Traindodge is how under-the-radar this band has flown throughout its prolific career. Whether it be a nod to the band’s integrity or an unwillingness to conform for commercial success, as journalist Jason Heller put it, “Unlike the hordes of post-hardcore wannabes who think screams, noise and posing make the band, Traindodge synthesizes brainpower and horsepower into a contorted, rock-heavy wallop that’ll leave you scratching your head as much as banging it.”
In 1993, brothers Jason and Rob Smith joined bass guitarist Chris Allen in a pre-existing band. Over the next three years, the three musicians connected deeply over a shared love for the harder side of indie rock – Fugazi, The Jesus Lizard, Jawbox, and much of the already buzzing Kansas City scene. After endless amounts of writing and some natural lineup shifting, Traindodge was born.
“At the time, the loftiest goal I had was to go on tour and if we were lucky, make one album. I figured we’d maybe last three to five years. That’s a long time when you’re 22. None of us knew anyone who’d had a band that long,” says Jason Smith (vocals/guitar). “One thing that shifted for me [early on] was realizing that the more I invested myself in the band, the more satisfying it got. Getting on the road and meeting like minded people confirmed for me that even the midwest can seem like a bigger place. Even through the flimsy ‘networks’ we were stumbling through in our first few years, I could gradually see the reality of being that band that traveled around and woke up some unsuspecting crowds. Maybe it’s a defect I have, but I just found that lifestyle really addictive. I still love it. Even in the down times we’ve had, I’ve always felt like I’m where I belong.”
Fast-forward twenty seven years later, The Alley Parade is the band’s eighth full length record, and first since 2016. The lineup also features second guitarist Ross Lewis who joined Traindodge full time in 2011. “We’ve been chipping away at writing this record more or less since the last one came out, which, with all of us not in the same city, and a global pandemic to boot, took a sec,” says Rob Smith (drums/synth). “Some of these songs were written in 2017, and some were finished weeks before we went into the studio last year. That gives the newer songs a more spontaneous feel, while the older ones feel a bit more ‘lived in,’ and I think that’s a strength of the record – it is the most immediate, accessible thing we’ve ever done.”
While new in approach in some ways, longtime listeners of Traindodge can rest assured that The Alley Parade packs just as much grit and punch as any of its recorded predecessors.
• Socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/traindodgeokc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traindodge_band
Versus The World
Santa Barbara, CA's Versus The World (Feat. Members of Lagwagon, Good Riddance) Releases New Album "The Bastards Live Forever"
Produced By Cameron Webb (Motorhead, Sum 41, Megadeth)
"The songs are big and soaring, eminently melodic and poppy, with plenty of emotionally charged lyrics and lots of metallic flourishes and riffs. Nearly every song turns into something on an epic scale."- Jersey Beat
"'The Bastards Live Forever' is a confessional punk album created by genuine musicians who want to talk about real pain and real experiences."- Santa Barbara Independent
"What makes any punk/pop-punk/post-punk album truly one for the ages are great hooks, and this album has them in spades. Versus The World have definitely put their best foot forward with The Bastards Live Forever."- The Indy Review
"...fast-paced, catchy punk rock."- BrooklynVegan
Santa Barbara, CA's Versus The World have released their Cameron Webb-produced album “The Bastards Live Forever” via SBÄM Records.
Stream the LP here: https://bfan.link/the-bastards-live-forever
Of the album, singer Donald Spence says, "I can’t tell you how much work went into this collection of songs.I’d always been taught that if what you were working on wasn’t (what you thought) was your best... start over. Never put anything into the world that you were not absolutely sure of."
"The Bastards Live Forever" consists of 11 songs crafted to perfection. VTW's unique style of melodic post-punk elevates every member's skill from their other projects including Chris Flippin of Lagwagon. Obviously, Versus The World is not all about musical craft but you can hear a passion and an urge to scream out deeply rooted feelings in every syllable throughout the record.
About Versus The World:
A post-punk unit from Santa Barbara, California featuring members of Lagwagon and Good Riddance, Versus the World issued its eponymous debut album in 2005 on Kung Fu Records. Drawing from their dense pedigree the band blends elements of pop-punk, melodic post-hardcore and troubadour-style vocals by founding frontman Donald Spence. Versus the World has toured extensively worldwide on subsequent releases Drink.Sing.Live.Love (2012) and Homesick/Roadsick (2015) in support of bands such as No Use for a Name, The Ataris, Lagwagon and MxPx. In 2021 the band teamed up with producer Cameron Webb (Motörhead, Megadeth) to make 'The Bastards Live Forever' which is due out in May 2023 on SBÄM Records.
Photo: Casey Pinckard
A post-punk unit from Santa Barbara, California featuring members of Lagwagon and Good Riddance, Versus the World issued their eponymous debut album in 2005 on Kung Fu Records. Drawing from their dense pedigree the band blends elements of pop-punk, melodic post-hardcore and troubadour-style vocals by founding frontman Donald Spence. Versus the World has toured extensively worldwide on subsequent releases Drink.Sing.Live.Love (2012) and Homesick/Roadsick (2015) in support of bands such as No Use for a Name, The Ataris, Lagwagon and MxPx. In 2021 the band teamed up with producer Cameron Webb (Motörhead, Megadeth) to make The Bastards Live Forever which is due out in May 2023 on SBÄM Records.
https://www.facebook.com/vstheworldmusic
Wicked Cool Records
https://linktr.ee/wickedcoolrecords
Wicked Cool Records is the Garage Rock label founded by "Little Steven" Van Zandt in 2005. The label evolved out of Van Zandt’s weekly syndicated radio show Little Steven’s Underground Garage, as it became clear that some of the best Rock and Roll wasn’t receiving the support it deserved.
Wilmette
Chicago Pop Punk 5-Piece Wilmette Releasing Debut Full-Length 'Hyperfocused" on August 4
Produced By Seth Henderson (State Champs, Knuckle Puck)
August 31st Album Release Show at Chicago's Subterranean Announced
"Wilmette, have their foot on the gas from the first note..."- The Whole Kameese
Photo: Alex Zarek
Rising Illinois pop punk 5-piece Wilmette will release its long-awaited debut full-length, 'Hyperfocused,' on August 4, 2023 via Mutant League Records.
The band has announced a hometown album release show on August 31 at Chicago's Subterranean.
Stream on DSPs here: https://orcd.co/hyperfocused.
Order 'Hyperfocused' on vinyl, plus merch and more here: www.mutantleaguerecords.com.
Guitarist Griffin Guge says "For us, this album has been a mixture of what we’ve done before and what we’ve individually wanted to try at some point in our lives. It strongly diverges from where we’ve gone, but still maintains the juxtaposition of genres that we’ve always tried to maintain. Celebrating the release of this album at the Subterranean on August 31st is a huge honor for us considering that we haven’t been able to play many shows in recent years. We hope the excitement is going strong, because we plan on giving it our all.”
Stream the latest video "Circa '99" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjghZD9MZeI.
Video directed by Alex Zarek.
Stream "Circa '99" on DSPs: https://orcd.co/xvq3rmm
+++++
Hailing from the Chicago suburbs, Wilmette combines pop-punk and hardcore with a fresh style that relies on pop hooks, honest lyrics, and strong musicianship. The band's emphatic debut EP "Anxious Body" was released in 2019 to much acclaim.
'Hyperfocused' Track Listing:
1. No Conviction
2. Hyperfocused
3. Playing Dead
4. I Don't Even Want To Be Around Anymore
5. Circa ‘99
6. Small Talk
7. Everybody Wants Me Dead
8. No One Knew
9. Sunflower
10. Out Of My Hands
What others have said about Wilmette:
"....prepare for the world takeover of Wilmette."- *New Noise Magazine*
"Crushing together the buoyancy of modern-day pop-punk with the sort of gristly intensity that you more often find in hardcore..."- Rock Sound
As Featured in Alternative Press' '12 Bands You Need to Know"
Wiretap Records
LA Based record label featuring releases from: Kamikaze Girls, Spanish Love Songs, Odd Robot, Breaklights, Wolves&Wolves&Wolves&Wolves, Avenues, HiGH, Regarde, Get Married, Elijah Newman & The SideEfects, I'm Fine. Cables & Arms, Warn The Duke, Watch For Horses.
www.facebook.com/wiretaprecords
