Titus Andronicus- The Monitor

Written by Morgue Kalish Tuesday, 31 August 2010 16:54

Much like the play for which they are named, there is one word to describe this album: Epic. For Christ’s sake, it opens up with Abraham Lincoln’s infamous Lyceum Address. You know the one, “As a notion of free men, we will live forever or die by suicide”. Epic? Yeah, I thought so.

The Monitor is a combination of sick guitar licks, just the right balance of distortion, delicious vocals, catchy choruses and great lyrics. Seriously, it sounds like someone took all of the Jersey from Bruce Springsteen himself and tossed that shit into a blender with punk rock and gravel. You like anthem punk? You like rock and roll epics? You listen to orgcore? How about Indie punk? Yeah, these guys are for you. I’m not even sure if I can legitimately classify this as a “punk” record, due to the massive amount of shit that’s going on in each and every song. I mean, seriously, you name it, it’s there. Folk? Rockabilly? Punk? Rock and Roll? Garage? This album has it all, and you’d be missing out on something great if you didn’t give these dudes a listen. Seriously. Go do it. Now. Get this bad boy from XL Recordings.

Defiance, Ohio Tour Announced

Written by Frankie Cappello Tuesday, 31 August 2010 14:12

Defiance, Ohio will be touring through September in support of their latest album Midwestern Minutes. The tour includes two dates with veteran rockers The Bouncing Souls. Midwestern Minutes was released in July by No Idea Records. Tour dates are posted below.

Cause A Scene Compilation Out Today

Written by Lisa Garelick Tuesday, 31 August 2010 12:04

Bright & Barrow Records have compiled what they believe to be the best of New York and New Jersey into one compilation dubbed Cause A Scene Compilation, Volume One. The label has enlisted the likes of The Measure [SA], House Boat, Wax Phantom, The Tattle Tales, and more as a part of the project. Check out the track listing below and be sure to attend the release show this Friday in New York at Arlene's Grocery with special guests The Tattle Tales, Banquets, and more. 

Shang-A-Lang- The Collection

Written by Shahab Zargari Tuesday, 24 August 2010 16:38

How do you eat trail mix packs? I prefer opening up the package and dumping 1/4th of the bag into my mouth. I’m not one to separate all peanuts and almonds and M&Ms and raisins so that I may eat them all separately. That totally defeats the purpose of it being a “mix” – am I wrong? Well, if you’re anything like me and dig chomping on a good mix, then this collection of out-of-print and rare songs from New Mexico’s Shang-A-Lang will have you doing cartwheels of joy.

I first caught wind of the project soon after singer Chris Mason’s DIY hardcore punk band, The Answer Lies, bit the dust. And to one’s surprise, Shang-A-Lang turned out to be quite a different beast that The Answer Lies, a much poppier and garage-ier bastard child. The Error: You Cannot Add Yourself as a Friend (songs that made it onto this collection) was not only an instant favorite, but after a few represses was virtually an instant hard-to-find gem.

Bars of Gold- Of Gold

Written by Paul Daniels Tuesday, 24 August 2010 16:04

Like most people, I felt like Bear Vs. Shark breaking up in late 2005 was one of the most horrific atrocities to strike the music world; something beautiful and necessary for the world that I took advantage of was suddenly taken from me. I became violent. I lashed out and friends and loved ones, lied in bed for weeks and vowed off of music forever. Sure, bands like Cannons, Champions of History and Wildcatting have come out of the aforementioned post-hardcore break-up, but they have all fallen short of filling the void that was left in my heart. Naturally, when I heard about Bars of Gold I was filled with high expectations, un-relenting anticipation and a quiet reserve so I wouldn’t be hurt again. When I heard the debut album Of Gold, I said a quiet prayer thanking the rock gods for bestowing upon the world a proper replacement for the lack of new Bear Vs. Shark material.

Sundowner- We Chase The Waves

Written by Paul Daniels Tuesday, 17 August 2010 21:34

As far as Midwestern punk rockers are concerned, Chris McCaughan might very well be the messiah. Playing in the former yet still well appreciated Broadways and currently alongside fellow Chicagoans Brenden Kelly and Neil Hennessy in the crowd favorite The Lawrence Arms, he has developed a pretty impressive resume with relative ease. When he decided to try his hand at a solo punk goes acoustic project, I was excited. Sundowner lived up to the high expectations I have for Mr. McCaughan, and solidified its place as a collection of acoustic tracks that even punk kids in the mosh pits can appreciate. The only problem I have had with Sundowner is that it has been three years since Four One Five Two. But wait! What’s this?..........SUNDOWNER IS BACK!

Balance and Composure/Tigers Jaw- Split

Written by Dan Case & Paul Daniels Wednesday, 11 August 2010 16:20

Side A/Dan:

I came into this album solely for the Tigers Jaw side but after numerous listens, I have to admit I’ve been listening to the songs from Balance and Composure twice as much. This is by no means a slight to Tigers Jaw; it’s just that the A side of this record is just that good. While I thought the Doylestown, PA boys’ previous release Only Boundaries was a solid release, these newest four tracks have completely sold me on the band.

BAC’s tracks on this split are like everything right about Crime In Stereo’s …Is Dead meets instrumentation of their hometown brethren Daylight. One minute you’ll get in your face, harsh melodies, the next quaint, sluggish breakdowns. The stress and strain on Jon Simmons vocals are so intense at times (“Twenty-Four”) on this album it had to believe the median age of this band is 19. Intense is definitely the word to describe Balance and Composure’s side of this album. Regardless of numerous tempo fluctuations, everyone note feels like it was played with such a concentrated force that makes for a truly engrossing listen. On “Rope,” the New England quintet closes out their half of the record with harrowing bass line that crawls to a finish that will leave you want nothing more from the group than…more.

Feature Film about The FEST "Fested" Out September 15th!

Written by Administrator Tuesday, 10 August 2010 23:09

Our good buddy Reese, who helped us as crew for Fest 7 & 8, is finally finished with his movie about The FEST. From the site for the film GetFested.com:

It was filmed over two weeks spent in Gainesville around Fest 7 in 2008. The film follows Gainesville's SPANISH GAMBLE (formerly DIRTY MONEY) and friends on their quest to play and experience the epic weekend-long festival that has been called things like "punk rock christmas", "a big, drunk, punk rock, bearded, tattooed family reunion", and "the last true home of punk rock".

See the new trailer below:

The Menzingers Premiere 'I Was Born' Video

Written by Josh Allamon Saturday, 07 August 2010 03:41

The Menzingers premiered the video for their latest single, 'I Was Born', on MySpace Thursday night. The track is off of the band's sophomore album Chamberlain Waits.

Bands You Need to Know - Tightrope

Written by Mackenzie Singleton Wednesday, 04 August 2010 03:35

Meet Tightrope. Straight out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, these neighbors to the north play an energetic, punk/hardcore hybrid. Somewhat reminiscent of another local band, The Sainte Catherines, these youngsters are off to an amazing start after forming less than a year ago in October 2009. The band has released one three-song demo, available for free via a link on their MySpace and are "currently writing new songs for a 7 inch". Keep your eyes and ears on these kids as they very well be the next big French Canadian punk band.

Read more to download the demo and more!