Bum City Saints – Spirit of the City

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Rating: ★★★★★★★★½☆

bum_city_saints_spirit_of_the_citySpirit of the City is fast becoming one of my favorite releases. The disc came out in 2013. I’m just getting around to reviewing. My laziness often betrays me. As a saving grace, I had this CD in my car for a couple weeks and kept listening to it on my daily commute. The more I listen, the more hooked I become.

For those that don’t know about this band, (including myself) They hail from the bay area and have been rocking the fuck out since around 2007. Like many other badass rock and rollers, they’re a trio. And, as if you didn’t already know it, the triangle is the strongest geometric shape found in nature. Don’t believe me? Look it up.

At any rate, Spirit of the City is an intense blast of punk rock channeling the energy of both West Coast punk and East Coast hardcore. The sound, while distinct is reminiscient of Rancid, Jughead’s Revenge and Agnostic Front (albeit with more whoa whoa whoas)

The release kicks out 13 tracks. You can check out their Reverb Nation (http://www.reverbnation.com/bumcitysaints) page for a sample.

Support local punk rock, kids! Go find some of this and go see them live if you can. And stay tuned, ‘cause I hear there’s some new music from Bum City Saints coming out in the next few months.

–Jerry Actually

Jolie Holland Announces New Album

NEW JOLIE HOLLAND ALBUM WINE DARK SEA OUT MAY 20th

The A.V. Club Premieres Video For “Waiting For The Sun”

Anti- Records is proud to announce that JOLIE HOLLAND will release her bold new album Wine Dark Sea this May 20th. In anticipation of the release, the A.V. Club is premiering a video for the joyous slice of deconstructed r&b, “Waiting For The Sun.” You can watch here: http://www.avclub.com/article/get-an-exclusive-first-look-at-jolie-hollands-new–201505

JOLIE HOLLAND has always embodied everything weird and wonderful in the history of American music, but Wine Dark Sea takes it to a new level. Raw and unrestrained, bristling with kinetic energy, Wine Dark Sea is unlike anything she’s ever recorded, but is also the purest and most assured evocation of HOLLAND’s vision to date.

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A joyfully unrestrained masterwork, the record delivers: louder, noisier, raw and visceral. It is an inventive and fiery reimagining of delta blues, free jazz, classic r&b and country, infused throughout with a no wave abandon.
The album features symphonic swaths of noisy electric guitars and percolating polyrhythms supporting some of the most powerful vocal performances of HOLLAND’s career.  This combined with some of her most direct and memorable songs make Wine Dark Sea her most joyful and fully realized work to date.

Wine Dark Sea was self-produced by HOLLAND who mined New York’s fertile downtown jazz and experimental scene for an ensemble of talented musicians including Doug Wieselman (Lou Reed, Antony and the Johnsons), Indigo Street and others.  The sense of fun they had recording the album is tangible. Says HOLLAND:

“I told Doug Wieselman I wanted an Ethiopianesque bass clarinet solo on ‘All the Love’ and he said, ‘yeah, I got that.’  I asked him to give me a tremolo guitar like Pops Staples, and he brought that spirit through for ‘Dark Days.’   I asked Geoffrey Muller, the bassist, to give us a bass line for ‘Waiting for the Sun’ like a sweet boyfriend telling his lady he’s picking up the whole bill for their vacation on the beach. I wanted it to have that comforting, manly vibe.   And he hooked us up.”

In case you couldn’t tell, we’re pretty excited about this!

Jolie Holland – Wine Dark Sea Track Listing

  1. On And On – 3:56
  2. First Sign of Spring – 4:52
  3. Dark Days – 5:17
  4. Route 30 – 4:50
  5. I Thought It Was The Moon – 4:01
  6. The Love You Save – 5:13
  7. All The Love – 4:10
  8. Saint Dymphna – 6:14
  9. Palm Wine Drunkard – 6:06
  10. Out On The Wine Dark Sea – 5:51

The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute

I’m so late on this review that I hardly think it’s fair for me to even write this, so I’m going to clip the press release for you, and tell you that this is an inspirational album in tribute to a punk rock legend. The profits from this release go to the Tony Sly Memorial Fund, so please help if you can and pick up a copy of this release.

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PRESS RELEASE BELOW:

tony_slyLegendary San Francisco-based punk label Fat Wreck Chords has announced the release of The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute. Set for an October 29 release, the 26-track covers album was recently compiled to celebrate the life of the late No Use For A Name frontman Tony Sly, who passed away on July 31, 2012 at the age of 41. Featuring bands such as Rise Against, NOFX,Yellowcard, Simple Plan, Bad Religion, The Bouncing Souls, Frank Turner and many more covering No Use For A Name songs, The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute is a unique showcase of Sly’s poetic and philosophical songwriting gift delivered through this varied assemblage of artists, fans and musical colleagues. Profits from the sale of the album will go towards the Tony Sly Memorial Fund(http://www.tonysly.org), which has been established to assist Sly’s wife, Brigitte, and their daughters, Fiona and Keira.

With over one million albums sold collectively throughout its 25-year career, No Use For A Name are one of the most successful and prolific acts to come out of the ’90s skate-punk scene. In 1987, at the age of 17, Sly joined No Use For A Name and immediately proved to be an essential part of the band due to his knack for effortless songwriting. He helped the band release its full-length debut,Incognito, in 1990, which was produced by Bad Religion guitarist/songwriter and Epitaph Records label head Brett Gurewitz and released by Bay Area record label, New Red Archives.

In 1993, No Use For A Name would go on to sign with Fat Wreck Chords for the release of their album The Daily Grind. But it would be the release of the band’s next full-length album, Leche Con Carne, in 1995 that would be credited for providing the band with an increase in wider popularity. This album featured the song “Soulmate” which was the first Fat Wreck Chords single to ever receive airplay on MTV. Collectively, Sly recorded nine studio and live albums with No Use For A Name and spent 23 years extensively touring the world, including five Warped Tour stints and countless music festivals throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and South America.

Sly was loved and respected by a wide variety of artists and musicians, and nowhere is that more evident than the roster of contributors to The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute. Bands from the Americas, Europe, Australia, UK, and even Israel contributed to this final chapter in the storied career of No Use For A Name and serves as an essential body of work honoring Sly’s celebrated talent and memory.

The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute track listing:

01. Karina Denike – “Biggest Lie”
02. Mad Caddies – “AM”
03. Strung Out – “Soulmate”
04. Rise Against – “For Fiona”
05. Bad Religion – “Let It Slide”
06. NOFX – “The Shortest Pier”
07. Snuff – “On The Outside”
08. The Bouncing Souls – “Homecoming”
09. Old Man Markley – “Feel Good Song of the Year”
10. Lagwagon – “Discomfort Inn”
11. Teenage Bottlerocket – “Via Munich”
12. Frank Turner – “Keira”
13. Get Dead – “Premedicated Murder”
14. Pennywise – “Devonshire and Crown”
15. Alkaline Trio – “Straight from the Jacket”
16. Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem – “Capo 4th Fret”
17. Yellowcard – “Already Won”
18. Swingin’ Utters – “Not Your Savoir”
19. The Flatliners – “Fireball”
20. Simple Plan – “Justified Black Eye”
21. Useless ID – “Frances Stewart”
22. Jon Snodgrass & the Dead Peasants – “On The Outside”
23. American Steel – “Dark Corner”
24. Frenzal Rhomb – “Flying South”
25. Anti-Flag – “Toaster in the Bathtub”
26. Joey Cape with Scorpios – International You Day”

Morning Glory Complete Work on New Album

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MORNING GLORY have completed work on their new album War Psalms. It’s packed with 13 memorable songs and will be released on March 4th. Listen to the brand new song, “Nationality Anthem,” which appears on both War Psalms and the limited edition split EP with Off With Their Heads. Read what Ezra Kire, singer of Morning Glory, had to say:

We took the summer off to record this record. We were driving Jesse (Cannon) nuts by camping out in his studio. I was up to writing at all hours of the night, taking brief naps under the piano. In the end we had 27 tracks from which to assemble this album. People who like earlier M-glory are definitely gonna like it. It’s faster, heavier, & more raw & stripped down than Poets, but retains that anthemic morning glory message. Brian Viglione (dresden dolls, and now violent femmes) added massive strength to the entire record with his powerhouse drumming style. Music is a forward moving journey & I can’t wait for it to be released. Everyone who’s heard it agrees that this record rocks.

War Psalms track listing:

1. Calm and Alarm
2. Standard Issue
3. Natas Behind Me
4. I Am Machine Gun
5. Nationality Anthem
6. I Want Control
7. War Haka
8. War Dance
9. Punx Not Dead, I Am
10. Karry On
11. This Kool-Aid Is Delicious
12. Know Your Wrongs
13. Home Free

Barren Womb – Kill Hicks

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SPARTAN RECORDS SIGNS NORWEGIAN HARDCORE BAND BARREN WOMB;
NEW ALBUM OUT MARCH 11TH
Stream Barren Womb’s Hard Hitting New Track “Kill Hicks” Today At BrooklynVegan.com
January 28, 2014 – Los Angeles, CA – Seattle based indie label Spartan Records is proud to announce the signing of Norwegian hardcore band Barren Womb and the upcoming release of their debut full-length album, The sun’s not yellow, it’s chicken, onMarch 11th .  The record will be available digitally and on limited edition vinyl, which can be pre-ordered now athttp://spr.tn/barrenwomb.
In anticipation for the upcoming release, BrooklynVegan.com has premiered the first new track, “Kill Hicks,” today.  Stream it now at http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2014/01/norwegian_hardc.html.
“”Kill Hicks” was one of the last songs we finished up for the record, and it came together fast,” says guitarist/vocalist Tony Gonzahl.  “We had this kind of bluegrass influenced riff kicking about for a little while, but hadn’t really had the chance to do much with it. Then one day we started jamming and that riff came up. A couple of hours later we had the song pretty much done.  Although there is a lot of beauty to humanity, I feel that right now the negative far outweighs the positive. This is not a holier-than-thou attitude, I most definitely see myself as part of the problem.  Lyrically Kill Hicks deals with apathy and the bleak future ahead of us if we continue on this path.”

Continue reading Barren Womb – Kill Hicks

15 Years

I was checking on my domain registration recently and it turns out that upstarter.com is officially 15 years old today.

I’d like to say thank you to all the bands and labels and fans and friends that have helped make !upstarter what it is through good times and bad.

Cheers,
Jerry Actually

I Killed the Prom Queen Stream New Album

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I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN

Stream New Album Beloved at Alternative Press Now!
Listen by Visiting: altpress.com/iktpq

Australian purveyors of metalcore, I Killed The Prom Queen, stream their new album, Beloved, in its entirety two weeks before their February 18 US release date, out February 14 in Australia / February 17 in Europe. Visit Alternative Press to listen now: altpress.com/iktpq.

To pre-order Beloved, visit: smarturl.it/iktpqbeloved.

Beloved is the first new album from I Killed The Prom Queen in 6 years and they are primed for their re-launch of epic proportions. Since forming in Adelaide, Australia in 2000, I Killed The Prom Queen have maintained a standard of excellence that has placed them head and shoulders above the pack. Hitting their peak around 2006 with the release of their sophomore effort, Music For The Recently Deceased, the five-piece garnered local chart success and built a loyal worldwide following. However in 2008, mounting pressure and internal strife led to their premature demise. Yet, ironically, the hugely successful ‘Say Goodbye’ Australian tour, which was to be the band’s swan song, gave them the impetus to continue

For several years the band lay dormant, as members went on to play in other bands. In 2011, I Killed The Prom Queen reclaimed their sound, style, history, and legacy with an all new line up, and original member Jona Weinhofen who spent time with Bleeding Through and Bring Me The Horizon. Joined by new screamer Jamie Hope, Shane O’Brien on drums, Kevin Cameron on guitar, Benjamin Coyte on bass, and of course, Jona bringing vocal choruses, guitar, and keyboard to the mix.

IKTPQ entered the studio in 2013 in Gothenburg, Sweden with Fredrik Nordström (Bring Me The Horizon, At The Gates, In Flames, Dimmu Brogir, Architects UK) to record Beloved, their much-anticipated third album.

“We’ve really extended ourselves,” says Weinhofen, “But we’ve done it in a way where it’s tasteful and it makes sense with the music. It’s not like we’ve gone from sounding like a metalcore band to sounding like Dimmu Borgir. It still sounds very much like Prom Queen.”

Having overcome so much adversity during their 13-year existence, I Killed The Prom Queen have a fresh lease on life and a newfound desire to leave an indelible mark on the world stage. Look out, planet.

Catch I Killed The Prom Queen on the Take Action Tour this March through April, with The Devil Wears Prada, The Ghost Inside, and Dangerkids. Tickets are on sale now and moving fast. To purchase, visit: http://takeactiontour.com/

TAKE ACTION TOUR DATES

Mar 12 Ventura, CA – Ventura Theater
Mar 13 Pomona, CA – The Glasshouse
Mar 14 Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theater
Mar 16 Grand Prairie, TX – South By So What Fest?!
Mar 17 Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
Mar 18 Odessa, TX – Club Patron
Mar 19 Corpus Christi, TX – La Hacienda
Mar 21 Nashville, TN – Rocketown
Mar 22 Birmingham, AL – Zydeco
Mar 23 Jacksonville, FL – Murray Hill Theatre
Mar 24 Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
Mar 25 Baltimore, MD – Sound Stage
Mar 27 Lancaster, PA – Chameleon
Mar 28 Hartford, CT – Webster Theater
Mar 29 Providence, RI – Lupo’s Heartbreak
Mar 30 Albany, NY – Upstate Concert Hall
Apr 01 Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
Apr 02 Columbus, OH – Newport

I Killed The Prom Queen is:
Jona Weinhofen (guitar/vocals/keyboards)
Kevin Cameron (guitar)
Jamie Hope (vocals)
Benjamin Coyte (bass)
Shane O’Brien (drums)

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/iktpq.