Black President Hits The Road

BLACK PRESIDENT SET TO HIT THE ROAD WITH BOUNCING SOULS

DRUMMER DAVE RAUN JOINS BAND AS FULLTIME PLAYER

DEBUT CD OUT NOW ON COBRA MUSIC

“BLACK PRESIDENT is a band founded on the belief that the human race is angry, greedy, simple & ugly. We believe in educating ourselves, treating the world & people around us with the same respect we would take from it. We are not “politically correct”, we’re just not ignorant”. Black President self-titled debut out now on Cobra Music.

After filling in as guest drummer on dates with TSOL Dave Raun will be joining the band full time replacing drummer Roy Mayorga. “Dave is a badass… We stayed at his house when our van broke down in Fresno on the Warped Tour and it just clicked. He came in, killed it on the TSOL tour, and has brought a whole new energy to the band. Roy is an old friend and amazing drummer who will definitely be missed. We wish him all the best and there are no hard feelings. Losing Roy for Dave is a quality problem that we can’t really complain about! We can’t wait to hit the road again in April.” States Christian Martucci

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Continue reading Black President Hits The Road

Skarhead and I Scream Records ink worldwide deal

We are very excited to announce the signing of Skarhead for the release of their long awaited new record “Drugs, Music and Sex”.

Skarhead was founded in 1995 by Lord Ezec and released the EP “Drugs, Money, Sex” that same year.
In 1999 their follow up album, “Kings At Crime” took the worldwide hardcore scene by storm and instantaneously became one of the all time classic hardcore records.

Today 10 years after the release of “Kings At Crime” Lord Ezec is back as frontman of the worlds most infamous hardcore bands.
“Drugs, Music and Sex” is recorded and mixed by Dean Baltulonis (Sick Of It All, Madball, Agnostic Front) and produced by Lord Ezec. The album features guest appearances by some of hardcore’s greatest such as Freddy Cricien, CIV, Jorge Rosado, Jamey Jasta, Armand & Craig from Sick Of It All, Vinnie Stigma and more.

The album is currently being mixed and set for release late Summer 2009. Continue reading Skarhead and I Scream Records ink worldwide deal

Honor Bright – If this was a movie

(c)2008 Honor Bright (now on Aux Records)
[rating:4.5/5]

honorbright Oooh! Shiny! Honor Bright is everything that I love in radio music today, with none of the crap. That r-word might be enough to deter many, but I’m a big fan of Warped Tour sounding artists, and these guys are some of the best.

Forearm tattoos, slightly-greasy protractor haircuts, and Goodwill shirts? Check!
Beautiful vocal harmonies, punchy high-hat heavy drums, chunky guitar parts? Check!
80’s pop-culture referencing song title with no relation to the lyrical content? Check!

The music is crisp and urging, the lyrics are emotive without being too emo. Sure, these guys sound like other radio artists, but if their live performances are half as good as this 6 track ep, they’ve already got one-up on most of them. This CD is brilliant and left me wanting more — I’ll be heading out to get their Aux Records re-released full-length to fill my fix.

-HK-47

The Rudy Schwartz Project – Bowling for Appliances

(c)2008 DC Jam Records
[rating:.5/5]

rudyschwartz This is the kind of music that makes people want to punch babies.  I’ve never been a huge fan of babies (except for yours, of course), so it’s more telling to say that this cd made me want to kick puppies.  18 tracks of useless, casio-keyboard-fueled, Ernest Borgnine referencing lyrics — I was sobbing with relief when the cd was over.

Thinking it might be my bias against creepy esoteric jazz, I checked with my Mister (a Zappa and Mike Patton fan) — maybe I was missing something?  No, he assured me, this cd is not Zappa-esque, it’s not layered with subtle genius nor painstakingly composed. This is the sort of crap that Mr. Bungle’s under-the-stairs dwelling troglodyte brother would bang out if he got loose.  Sorry, but I found little redeeming social value in this. Skip this if you don’t want to stab your eyeballs out with dull forks, and please don’t give this to impressionable children.

-HK-47

Shirts for a Cure Set Times

shirts_4a_cure Shirts for a Cure Announces Set Times For SXSW Free Show With The Bouncing Souls and Dillinger Four

Shirts for a Cure presents a FREE SXSW showcase on Friday, March 20th at Red 7. Doors open at high noon.

The A.K.A.’s 12:30 – 1:00
Ruiner 1:20 – 1:50
Darkest Hour 2:20 – 3:05
Dillinger Four 3:25 – 4:25
The Bouncing Souls 4:45 – 6:00

First come, first served – get here early for guaranteed admittance

Kottonmouth Kings – The Green Album

(c)2008 Suburban Noize Records
[rating:1.75/5]

kottonmouthkingsgreenalbum Sometimes you watch an action movie and you leave the theater feeling like a badass, humming the Mission Impossible theme, hoping your car’s transformed into a James-Bond-mobile. You know that feeling… I just had a Fast & Furious movie marathon, so it left me in one of those post-car-chase-movie moods. Had I been looking for a soundtrack to keep that “I’m a misunderstood rebel car guy from SoCal” feeling alive, I’d throw in the Kottonmouth Kings new disc, “The Green Album”.

I’m not a gangsta.  I’m not from SoCal. I’ve never listened to the Kottonmouth Kings before, so I can’t judge this album, their 10th full-length, in comparison to any previous works.  That said, “The Green Album” is a decent assortment of 20 tracks that start off like a road race street party but winds down to a backyard love fest.

Continue reading Kottonmouth Kings – The Green Album

Hoods Sign to ISR

Hoods sign worldwide deal with I Scream Records

I Scream Records is very proud to welcome Hoods to the family.
Hoods founded in Sacramento, CA, in 1995 by Mike Hoods have grown into a Hardcore institution. Their music is a call to arms for all of those who have grown tired watching Hardcore be exploited and bastardized. Mike Hood has used his years of experience to craft one of the most brutal and honest West Coast Hardcore bands ever.
Hoods have released several albums on a number of independents and now the long-awaited new album “Pit Beast” is set for release in May 2009.

“14 years and we’re still here. Still playing Hardcore, still having fun and bringing the mosh. I had no idea when I started Hoods if we would even last a year. With so many ups and many more downs we definitely made our mark. Not only for West Coast Hardcore but all over the world. I live, eat and breathe this music”. Mike Hood

Laurens says: “We are excited to join forces with Hoods in the year I Scream Records is celebrating its 15th anniversary. They’re one of the hardest working bands out there and a great addition to our roster”

Hoods are on tour in North America in April 2009 and will invade Europe in May 2009. Make sure to check ’em out at a venue near you.

www.myspace.com/sactohoods

Pinhead Circus – Everything Else is a Far Gone Conclusion

(c)1999 BYO Records
[rating:3/5]

Ok, Here’s the brand new release from the Colorado trio know as Pinhead Circus. I like these guys, but not always on the first listen. This disc took till the fourth run through before I finally started really grooving along. I’m not in any way implying that the suck and they’ll grow on you. I just didn’t immediately fall into place with their groove. None the less you get 11 tracks of melodic Pop Punk and if that’s what yer into than by all means go get it. On a side note what is it with bands recently putting fewer and fewer tracks on their cd’s? “It’s quality not quantity”, You say. “Bullshit”, I say you pay the same omount for the disc wether or not there is 8 tracks or 28 tracks. I say, “The More the merrier” Sure it’s nice to see new material out but I like a lot of new material. Anyhow go get this CD. and Play track 9 for your older siblings (provided that your older siblings are about 25-30) they’ll get a kick out of it.

–Jerry Actually

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Greetings From The Welfare State

(c)1999 BYO Records
[rating:3/5]

I love listening to comps. I hate reviewing comps. There are just too many aspects going on at once. Do I pass judgement on the music as a whole or the individual artists or the generation as a whole? It’s hard to say. This comp Brought to you by BYO and Artcor Fanzine is “Greetings From The Welfare State” and no their not talking about Arkansas. This is the Best of British Punk going on now. Sure they may have a tiny little island, but they get the evil dreary weather that fuels their angst and misery. I should know I’m in Portland, OR (misery central) Whatever, If you’re looking to cross some international waters to pick up on some stuff the kids down the street arn’t into yet, go grab this comp and find some culture in the punks from the UK. Highlights for me include Goober Patrol, Newton Grunts and Four Letter Word. Later I’m Out…

–Jerry Actually

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Softball – S/T

(c) 1999 Asianman Records
[rating:3/5]

Add two parts Go-Go’s one part teen angst, smack ’em together and label ’em Made In Japan and you’ve got the power girl punk from Japan’s latest export Softball. I don’t want to come across as sexist, but I generally don’t listen to a lot of “girl” music. But damnit I like Softball. They have spunk and energy and punky Clash like sensibility. throughout the entire CD I’m kept marvelously entertained. the tunes are very heavily accented so that I can’t make out a majority of the lyrics, yet I find myself wanting to sing along even if only phonetically. If you like your punk a little on the poppy side and you’ve ever found yourself singing along to the Go-Go’s, add a little international flavor to your life and listen to softball. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

–Jerry Actually

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