New Morning Glory Song!

Morning Glory’s debut Fat full length, Poets Were My Heroes, will be released on August 28th! A cathartic audio voyage from beginning to end. The album contains so many crescendos and opposing moments of reflection that when it came time to decide on which song best represented the album, we debated, hard…everyone had a favorite; but we settled on “Patiently” which does a nice job of representing the album as a whole. The verse is powered by strings (which is definitely different) and then the chorus brings a rollicking anthemic melody. It’s almost like a microcosm of the entire album. So, download it here, order your copy and get stoked to see them live! Preorders will receive a digital download link via email a week before release date. Read what Ezra from Morning Glory had to say about the song below:

 

Patiently… This is a kick ass song with a beautiful string section and it was one of the last songs we tracked for the new record; in part because it took a bit to save up for the string quartet. The words, especially the second verse, were written about an ex-gf who liked to destroy things, especially us. I hope she reads them one day. I really like this song, it’s got a beautiful staggered vocal section, a la “row, row, row your boat”, at around the 3 minute mark, which thoroughly frustrated Caleb, our violinist during the recording. This must be a great song cuz Fat picked it as the free download. It has a great melody and a lyrical tone which begs hope for everyone who feels like they do everything right even when no one is looking. We’ll definitely be playing it on our upcoming tour. In short, the whole record fucking sways and rocks and this is a good example of that cross section.

-Ezra Arrow Kire

Harrington Saints – Pride & Tradition

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© 2012 Pirates Press Records / Contra Records
[rating:8/10]

With a name like “Harrington Saints”, I’m immediately struck with the idea that this is a serious business, no holds barred, blue collar, in your face, working man’s street punk band. Maybe it’s familiarity with the genre, but there was no mistake in my assumption. These particular saints hail out of a little east bay town know as Oakland. You may have heard of it.

The band has been around since 2005 and Pride and Tradition is their second full-length. This one is produced by Lars Frederiksen. You may have heard of him. With it you get 11 tracks planted firmly in the vein of Oi and Street Punk; Blue collar rock and roll for the poor souls that have had their back broken by the man and get nothing in return.

The music is short, crisp, poignant, and timely yet timeless. (until such a time as people aren’t getting the short end of the stick I guess … so yeah, timeless.) That said, Street Punk isn’t the be all, end all for me. There is a strong tendency to get a bit repetitive. The Harrington Saints work to remedy this by not sticking strictly by the books. Tempos shift and not every track is a full on shout along. The themes run constant though; A desire for more, the tenuous grasp on the American Dream, white collar bandits, the ones who don’t put the effort in for their fair share.

Bottom line: If you like punk rock and you feel like you’ve constantly got the boot against your neck, rock the hell out and shout along with the Harrington Saints when they come crushing through your town.

–Jerry Actually

The Wonder Years – A Year As A Ghost

THE WONDER YEARS

ANNOUNCE

A YEAR AS A GHOST: ON TOUR WITH

THE WONDER YEARS

                                       

               PRE ORDER BEGINS TODAY

 

 

June 14- Hopeless Records and The Wonder Years are excited to announce the upcoming release of A Year As a Ghost, a 200-page, soft-cover, full-color, matte-finished intimate look at life on the road and at home with The Wonder Years that includes a download card for the bands successful 2011 release “Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing” plus 11 rare recordings including basement demos and B-sides.  The year or so during which The Wonder Years created and toured in support of “Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing”  was the most eventful of the band’s career thus far and photographer Mitchell Wojcik was there, camera in hand, every step of the way. Mitchell moved to The Wonder Years hometown and sat alongside them in the van during every tour in order to capture the moments previously only experienced by members of the band. Inside the book you’ll find original lyric book scans, hand-written tour stories, scans of artifacts and upwards of 500 photos taken on formats ranging from 35 mm film to cell phone camera pictures. An immense amount of time, energy and love was spent making this book more than just photos thrown onto pages; this is a story told through mixed mediums of a band putting their whole hearts into playing the music they believe in all over the world.

 

The audio portion of the collection includes the 13 tracks originally released on Suburbia plus three B-sides, two studio acoustic versions, one nervous energies session version, four basement demos and a joke nu-metal song the band wrote to break writer’s block.

 

Mitchell took over 100,000 photos during his time with the band. Orders placed before June 30th will receive an original print, unique to them, signed by everyone in the band.

 

 

 

Pre order A Year As A Ghost: On Tour with The Wonder Years here!

www.hopelessrecords.com/thewonderyears

Pre order bundles include the book or book + A Year As A Ghost T-shirt.

 

An official street date is yet to be set due to production times, but expect it to ship to you as soon as it arrives to us in the early fall. Information on exact ship dates will be sent out as soon as they are available.

 

Track listing:

1. Came Out Swinging

2. Woke Up Older

3. Local Man Ruins Everything

4. Suburbia

5. My Life as a Pigeon

6. Summers in PA

7. I Won’t Say the Lord’s Prayer

8. Coffee Eyes

9. I’ve Given You All

10. Don’t Let Me Cave In

11. You Made Me Want to be a Saint

12. Hoodie Weather

13. And Now I’m Nothing

14. My Life as Rob Gordon

15. Me vs the Highway

16. Living Room Song*

17. Don’t Let Me Cave In (Nervous Energies)*

18. Woke Up Older (Acoustic)*

19. Local Man Ruins Everything (Acoustic)*

20. Came Out Swinging (Demo)*

21. Don’t Let Me Cave In (Demo)*

22. Coffee Eyes (Live Demo)*

23. Woke Up Older (Live Demo)*

24. It’s Murder-Suicide (Nu-Metal Jam)*

* Previously Unreleased

FOR MORE INFO:

www.hopelessrecords.com 

www.thewonderyearsband.com

Dead Ellington – Refuse

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© 2012 Dead Ellington

[rating:8/10]

Refuse is the 3rd release from Boston’s Dead Ellington and the first EP in a three part series. Recorded at Little Eden Studios, Asbury Park, NJ with Pete Steinkopf (of Bouncing Souls), the EP delivers 5 solid punk rock tracks.

The recording, upon listening, is obviously punk rock, but there is definitely an emo-ish feel to it in both the vocals and the tempo downturns on the majority of the tracks. As well, there is a very 80’s poppy feel on the closer, “Miracle”. I’m thinking Plimsouls maybe, but what do I know? I’m not familiar with previous material from the band, so I can’t suggest that this is normal for them or otherwise. Either way, it isn’t my cup of tea, but not an unpleasant experience either.

Lyrically, the band brings a very positive message. To wit, from track three, “Network”, “There ain’t no power like the power of people, ‘cause the power of people don’t stop.” I think the band sums up their message well from their website with these words: ‘Refuse, Rethink, Rebuild is a new way of thinking. It is about looking at the reality of ones surroundings and creating something new. It’s all about refusing the present, rethinking the future, and rebuilding the past. “It’s a way of life not just music, it’s our manifesto, embracing the D.I.Y scene from street art to punk rock.”’

So, in the end, heartfelt punk rock, coming at ya straight outta Boston; Support your local scene and pick up a copy for yourself and/or your mother. You can find out more here: http://www.deadellington.com

–Jerry Actually

The Atom Age – The Hottest Thing That’s Cool

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© 2012 Asian Man Records

[rating:9/10]

It is a rather rare occurrence when an AMR release doesn’t just thrill the hell out of me when I listen to it. The Hottest Thing That’s Cool, the new release by Oakland’s The Atom Age is no exception. To that I say, “Hooray for rock and roll!”

The Atom Age is a 5-piece punk/rock band with a lot of horn laced garage punk cache. Don’t let the garage moniker throw you though; the tracks are by no means lo-fi. It is merely a designation, like a map marker to help you locate things that have some Hammond B3 in there somewhere 😉 If it’ll help you get a better idea of the sound, I’m thinking immediately of Rocket From The Crypt. That influence is inescapable, however the overall vibe is decidedly more aggressive. The additional punk-rockery (when combined with the horns) makes me think more along the lines of King’s of Nuthin’. I also guess that on a purely on a rock plus horns level, they also make me fondly remember a late 90s Portland band. So a nod to The Sauce, for all who remember.

The tracks run around the three minute mark, on average, with the occasional number clocking in at the three and half mark. This works out well with my appreciation of compact tracks. In conjunction with shortish track length, most of the songs are up tempo, with exception of track five, “I’ve Been Thinking.” For this release, I’m a fan of the faster pace as well. The structure of the music isn’t overly complex, but the addition of horns, effects, and strong arrangements make for a larger soundscape than might otherwise be imagined.

So, in a nutshell, five piece horn-laced punk rock with an intriguing and solid sound. The Hottest Thing That’s Cool is out now on Asian Man Records. The band is on tour in June, so check them out if you can. You can get more tour dates on the webs: http://theatomage.com/

–Jerry Actually

STREET DOGS FRONTMAN MIKE MCCOLGAN TO PLAY “GET OUT THE VOTE RALLY”

STREET DOGS FRONTMAN MIKE MCCOLGAN TO PLAY “GET OUT THE VOTE RALLY”

Multi-Platinum Recording Artists Headline Rally June 1st

Mike McColgan, the lead singer of the Boston Punk band Street Dogs, and the original lead singer of the Dropkick Murphys will play alongside Grammy Award-winning guitarist Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, Tim McIlrath of the punk rock band Rise Against, and many others in Madison, Wisconsin  this Friday, June  1st .

The artists are all hitting the stage in Madison in support of bringing out voters to the  Wisconsin recall election with current Wisconsin governor,  Gov. Scott Walker and challenger,  Milwaukee Mayor, Tom Barrett.
About Get Out The Vote Rally:

The “Get Out The Vote’ Rally” is sponsored by We Are Wisconsin and will help to provide a massive boost to canvassing efforts days before the recall election on June 5. The event, which will be held at the Madison Labor Temple at 1602 S. Park St., is free to the public with a sign up to volunteer to help get out the vote. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

For more information:
www.street-dogs.com
www.epitaph.com
www.hell-cat.com

The Downtown Struts – Victoria!

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© 2012 Pirates Press Records
[rating:9/10]

Ok folks, here it is, Victoria! the brand new full length from Chicago’s Downtown Struts. I’ve long been a fan of the punk rock sounds coming out of the Windy City and this newest venture doesn’t disappoint; equal parts rock and roll and angst all rolled together with enough ennui to bend the ear of the most cynical among us.

The tracks are longer and a tad slower than my attention span generally allows for, but the song writing and delivery is in a such a manner that I’ll sit transfixed through the entire album (and on a bad traffic day, I’ll sit through it twice) I’ve talked about bands that are wearing this new mantle before: Dead to Me, The Loved Ones, Hollowpoints. The list could go on, but I hope you get the point. The music is full on rock and roll but loaded with introspection and damn I do love some introspection.

What you get with Victoria! is 10 tracks that set a great stage for sad story telling; telling tales of a life lost in America. To me it symbolizes lost glory, a pining for halcyon days but retaking the faded sense of hope. The album encompasses a dying ember on a still burning torch. Not everything is lost, but what exactly does it take to rekindle that waning flame?

The bottom line is one of the best new releases that I’ve heard so far this year. If you’re a punk fan that also gives a shit about song writing and you can feel the heavy weight of words, especially in combination with music that matches the spirit of the lyrics, then grab a copy of Victoria! You can find more info on the band here: http://www.facebook.com/thedowntownstruts

–Jerry Actually

Jesse Lebourdais-I Go By The Sound

For those of you unfamiliar with Vancouver’s own Jesse Lebourdais, let me give you a brief introduction.  He is the lead singer of a melodic hardcore/punk band named Cambridge.  He is also an accomplished folk punk solo artist with three solo albums to his credit with his latest being I Go By The Sound.

The album was posted on Jesse’s bandcamp page Wednesday night, and I have to admit (and I have to pull this off this cheesy reference and there may be more  on the way) that I have been “following the sound” ever since and listening any chance I have gotten.

I don’t know where to start on the accolades for this album.  The song writing is sublime and in true folk fashion the story telling is rich (I am definitelythinking I must be smitten like a school girl right now because I am using words that are not normal for me).  Combine the storytelling with Lebourdais’ one of a kind vocal stylings and you have characters in the songs that sound, seem, and feel so familiar that it is almost as if they are old friends.  Check out “Union Man” for the best example of this. 

From top to bottom the 13 tracks that comprise I Go By The Sound are stellar but my personal favourite is the title track.  But I do have to say that my one issue with this song is when Lebroudais  belts out a reference to his music as “a testament to a life well wasted.”  I do have to say to Mr. Lebourdais that even if you never write another song, your life is not wasted in the least.

Softie

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© 2012 SoftieRockMusic
[rating:7/10]

I’m rocking out to the new release by Wichita’s own Softie. The self-titled release jam packs 15 tracks of guitar/drum duo garage-core onto a single compact disc. The tracks are diverse in their individual manner of rocking, but all are heavy on the rock and roll and to that end, the sum becomes greater than the combined parts. And folks, you just don’t always get that kind of synergy in a duo.

At any rate, Softie has been an on again, off again band in the Wichita scene for around a decade now and while I don’t have a lot of knowledge of their earlier work, I’m digging into what they are dishing up nowadays. I also am fully aware that some of the newly recorded tracks are, in fact, old tracks.

If I had to categorize, which I often do, I’d go ahead and call the band and raw blend of metal rock with a bit of punk edge, some cattle-core and a smattering of comedy. Honestly, I could do without the latter. It feels like the comedy is thrown in as a compensation measure and frankly it is unnecessary. Don’t get me wrong, some of the songs have a comedic base and that is fine, it is the little end thought false settle that seem out of place.

Jaded perspective aside, the songs do still rock. I had the CD in my car for a few trips to work and back and I didn’t opt for another disc, nor did I switch it over to NPR, so that’s a good indicator of my true feeling. Though I may have a slight bias as I know half the band, I’d still listen to this and stop in for a live show or two if I didn’t. My arbitrary points scale may not reflect it though. I’m not a math guy though. You run the numbers.

Bottom line is a fun disc with a rocking core. Go support your local bands and buy a copy, see a show, get some merch. Hell, do it all. http://www.reverbnation.com/softie

–Jerry Actually