Upstarter – Page 78 – PUNK | SKA

Bankrupt – Rocket to Riot City

First and foremost I’d like to point out that we (that usually being me) here at !upstarter review HQ really dig it when bands from across the world find their way to my inbox. I absolutely love the positive exchange of music and ideas from across this big ol’ punk rock community that I would like to refer to as the Earth. That said I’d like to introduce you to Bankrupt. Readers meet Bankrupt. Bankrupt meet my readers. Right now I’m listening to a five song EP from straight outta Budapest, Hungary. “Rocket to Riot City” is a catchy little number, albeit a short one, but full of substance despite its lack of duration. With a sound somewhere between the rockabilly of the Peacocks and the punk rock of Millencolin, Bankrupt’s Rocket to Riot City blasts back at a messed up world. I suspect there’s nothing like rioting and economic crisis amidst political disarray to make life a waking nightmare. (not that we aren’t becoming a frightening reflection of that here in the states) Despite all the chaos, Bankrupt has made a kick ass EP. I strongly urge everyone to do their part for their local economy and international relations and buy a couple copies.

www.bankrupt.hu

–Jerry Actually
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MUSHROOMHEAD TO RELEASE “VOLUME 2” DVD

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO PREMIERE OF “SAVE US”
AT WWW.THEGAUNTLET.COM

BAND ON TOUR NOW

NEW ALBUM COMING 2009

Mushroomhead one of the more unique and adventurous alternative metal outfits to ever emerged on the scene gears up for the DVD release of Volume 2, on October 28, 2008 on Filthy Hands/Megaforce Records. It’s the highly anticipated follow-up to their 2005 DVD release Volume 1. The new DVD features 2 ½ hours of pure mayhem featuring exclusive never before seen content, live footage from the past three years on their “Savior Sorrow” tour, music videos including Headbanger’s Ball 2007 Video Of The Year “1200,” “Simple Survival,” and the band’s brand new video “Save Us.” Other extras include video commentary, behind the scenes footage and band antics.

Check out the new video “Save Us” from the forthcoming DVD to premiere exclusively on The Gauntlet.com Thursday October 23.

Director Steve Felton states “it’s like wonka vision on mushrooms, video psycho therapy for the masses. Save us from ourselves!”

See it here: http://www.thegauntlet.com/article/278/14219/Mushroomhead.html

Mushroomhead will hit the studio this winter to start recording a new CD slated for attacked in early 2009.

Continue reading MUSHROOMHEAD TO RELEASE “VOLUME 2” DVD

Tim Fite Celebrates Halloween With A NEW FREE Digital EP

Available Only On 10/31/07

Brooklyn-based multi-genrist Tim Fite will release a new free, Halloween-centric recording via his website (www.timfite.com) on October 31st, 2008. Available for one day only, the innovative song cycle entitled ding dong Ditch comes at the culmination of his tour with Man Man and will be celebrated with a special Halloween show at the Starlight Ballroom in Philadelphia.

Fite says “I will be handing out more candy on Halloween this year, and all the bad kids are excited!!!”

Last year Fite had a bowl full of It’s Only Ketchup – his first haunting collection of Halloween music up for one day only for free, featuring such spine tickling classics as “We Look Good Together,” a sweet song about switching body parts with his love. The EP received over 12,000 downloads in one day as several influential blogs wrote of his intention to put the work up for a single day, or as Fite told Spinner.com “I am choosing ‘treat’…or is it ‘trick’?” Yet, the abrupt going-away of the EP left fans scrambling to find the songs elsewhere on the web.

This year Fite is adding a few more songs to his costume clad repertoire in the form of a brand new EP ding dong Ditch – a bone crunching, titty twisting examination of the less savory rituals of Hallows Eve. If you have ever hurled an egg at a neighbor, stolen candy from a baby, dug a shallow grave, or been disappointed by a box of raisins ding dong Ditch is the soundtrack for your Halloween mischief!

Stay tuned for more news on Fite’s recent proper release for ANTI- Fair Ain’t Fair which has received rave reviews in SPIN, Filter, and Alternative Press, and which he’ll continue to tour behind in the US and Australia.

Continue reading Tim Fite Celebrates Halloween With A NEW FREE Digital EP

LEATHERFACE BACK IN THE U.S.!

CATCH THEM AND NOTHINGTON
+ A TON OF OTHER BANDS AT THE FEST!

ALL SHOWS WITH TILTWHEEL, FORMER CELL MATES

11/02/08 Gainesville FL @ The Fest 7
11/03/08 Atlanta GA @ Drunken Unicorn
11/04/08 Chattanooga TN @ J.J.’s Bohemia
11/05/08 Asheville NC @ Emerald Lounge
11/06/08 Athens GA @ Transmetropolitan
11/07/08 Jacksonville Beach FL @ Landshark Cafe
11/08/08 Tampa Fl @ Transitions art gallery @ S.P.O.T
11/09/08 Orlando FL @ Redlight Redlight

Frankie and the gang are back! They’ll be making their first stop at this year’s The Fest, followed by more shows. These appearances are rare, so go drown
your sorrows and check em out!

MUZZY SIGNS WITH F.O.F LABEL GROUP/EMI

DEBUT EP ‘THE BOAT HOUSE SESSIONS’ TO HIT NOVEMBER 11, 2008

Still living in Aurora, Indiana, a small, rural burg on the Ohio River 15 miles outside of Cincinnati, where they all went to high school together, the band’s three members—bassist Nich Backman, guitarist Ricky Short and drummer Jason Reed gear up to release their debut on F.O.F Records/EMI, The Boathouse Sessions, the band’s five-song EP, recorded at the group’s boathouse rehearsal studio and produced by Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano (Jesse Malin/Anthrax) will hit the street and Internet on November 11 with a sting of tour dates to follow.

Listen to The Boat House Sessions at this link:
http://www.muzzymusic.com/industry/

The Boathouse Sessions runs the gamut from the track “Mindframe” that starts with a hip-hop riddim, segues into an industrial, robotic Devo vibe and ends up with a winding Ricky Dean Short guitar solo in its ode to “the man/who rolls the dice/tonight” and “the man/who pays the price/tonight.” “Cold” boasts a loping country beat, soulful harmonies and the reason for the EP’s parental advisory sticker in its Faustian confrontation: “There’s a man in the back/And he’s got a gun/And he looks fucking pissed.” “Pickle” builds to a rocking climax in its tale of a perverse moral dilemma—whether to save a girlfriend or a pitbull from drowning. “The Yellowest” offers an ‘80s new wave jangle to its tale of post-apocalyptic doom: “The threat is gone/We have to carry on/The world is spinning faster,” while “Carla” is a sweet love song tempered with ‘70s blue-eyed soul falsetto, equal parts the Bee Gees, Todd Rundgren and Hall & Oates.

Creating a sound that is definitely all their own Muzzy still manages to channel a musical resemblance to the grunge-pop of Weezer, the eclecticism of Ween, the musicianship of the Phish and, most importantly, the transcendent universality of the Beatles.

With the release of The Boathouse Sessions EP, Muzzy are ready to take their brand of rock out of the woods and into your homes. Today Aurora, tomorrow the world.

Look for a full CD release in the spring of 2009.

NEW OWNER RELAUNCHS INDIE UPSTART STANDBY RECORDS

Young music industry visionary Neil Sheehan has recently taken over independent label Standby Records (originally owed by Nick Moore of post hardcore act Before Their Eyes) and is gearing up to re-launch the label. Specializing in fresh, cutting-edge music and operating out of Los Angeles and Cleveland, Standby Records aspires to bring superior music to the masses having secured distribution through Victory Records/Sony/RED.

Standby Records is poised to make their mark on the modern day industry with their carefully selected roster of artists. Already slated for release this month, October 28 (iTunes only) Settle The Sky ‘Now That We’re Waiting’. Look for first quarter 2009 releases from Tonight Is Glory, Count Your Blessings, Freshman 15 and Australian buzz band Guns For Glory.

At 32 Neil Sheehan is already a music industry veteran, founder of HM-Live (www.hm-live.com) an Artist Development firm, the parent company of HM Management and Concerts, formerly Hardcore Marketing, Inc., Media Science Design and Chin Music Studios all located in Cleveland, Ohio. Sheehan is one of the industry’s youngest street marketing pioneers, as well as artist manager and concert promoter. At 26, he spearheaded the original Support Our Troops Concert which became the framework for Hardcore Marketing, Inc. Also in the world of management he is responsible for launching such acts as, Forever In Terror (Metal Blade Records), The Drama Summer (Eulogy Records), Beneath The Sky (Victory Records), Driver Side Impact (Victory Records), Epicurean (Metal Blade), Before Their Eyes (Rise), Dearestzazel (One Eleven Records), Luna Mortis (Century Media), A Perfect Murder (Victory), Last Chance To Reason (Tribunal), Dead Man in Reno (Candlelight), Dead Legend (Masquerade), Deception of a Ghost (Forsaken), The Burning Season (Eulogy), Heart Set Self Destruct (Masquerade) and (Guyz Nite (20th Century Fox) to name a few.

Heading the West Coast office will be new media pioneer Jon King bringing his boundless energy and extensive experience to the Standby Records family. Jon has an extensive background in new media, music marketing and artist relations. With stints at Total Assault and M80 Music Marketing firms and Mediaskare Records already under his belt, Jon is also the former editor at Loudside.com

Star Fucking Hipsters – Until We’re Dead

Crack Rock Steady sound is back with yet another incarnation. This time that familiar societal lash back is tempered with the addition of some ladies. Don’t let the kinder, gentler sound fool you. For all of its additional polish and melody, Star Fucking Hipsters may be the most subversive of the crack rock stead bands yet. SFH currently consists of the following lineup: Sturg Fuckin’ Hipster – Vocals/Guitar, Nico De Gaillo – Vocals, Frank Piegaro – Guitar/Bass, Yula Beeri – Bass, Ara Slack – Drums. Until We’re Dead contains 12 full tracks and an intro. Alternating male/female vox and some silky smooth harmonies over top of a death grip of worldly angst help to solidify the album as plenty high up on my list of currently favorites. So, please do enjoy.

–Jerry Actually
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Black President – S/T

Black President’s here y’all. You ready for it? Get ready for it. Welcome to some change I think we all can agree on, the debut self-titled release by punk rock quasi super group Black President. I’ve truely been looking forward to this release for some time and rest assured it does not disappoint. Black President was formed by Greg Hetson (Circle Jerks, Bad Religion) and Charlie Paulson (Goldfinger). Before the release of this recording, Hetson left the lineup due to conflicting obligations with other bands. If you want a rundown of the member history, checkout the Wikipedia entry. The band has since completed the roster with Jason Christopher (New Dead Radio) on bass and Roy Mayorga (Soulfly, Nausea) on drums. This release contains 14 old school hardcore punk tracks with a modern punk twist and no shortage of social and religious commentary. I don’t want to compartmentalize anymore than necessary to give you a big picture of what I’m listening to, but I’m thinking a mix of Bad Religion, Descendants and left leaning political fund raiser. Aside from the the obvious punk/rock trappings, be on the lookout for kickass little guitar frills and rock solid percussion. Whatever you do though don’t misconstrue the name of the band or the album as a tacit endorsement for any particular candidate. Instead, listen to the kick ass punk rock sounds and maybe think a little bit about who you really trust! Incidentally, the cover of Alice Cooper’s Elected is perhaps one of the best Alice Cooper covers I’ve heard to date … it brings a whole new meaning to “Rock the Vote”.

–Jerry Actually

Trusty – Demo

From the halls of obscurity to the mp3 folder of your fancy dang-fangled technology comes a blast from punk rock past. Trusty–Hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas–delivers with their “Demo” in a way that only 80’s ‘hardcore’ punk can. The disc, (presumably re-mastered from the original source) has that sweet combination of lo-fi and high intensity all while satisfying the needs of your inner angst-addled youth. According to their MySpace page, “in 2008, Trusty signed with Midwest record label DC-Jam Records to re-release The Paul Years as a 20th Anniversary special Edition CD that includes some never before released material.” I’d like to point out that this, being the only Trusty material that I’m familiar with, it is all new to me. What you get with “Demo” is 11 tracks (some superfluous and silly like “Find Bircho”) of punk rock in the vein of Minor Threat or maybe even fello Arkansas brethren Econochrist, albeit more melodic. “Demo” is good based primarily on its youthful urgency. There is something genuine and heartfelt about a group of kids that pickup instruments and fight back against a world that they are maligned against. That said, youth may also be many a bands shortcoming. The songs, for their intensity, often lack depth and focus and the lyrics tend to lean towards rhymed couplets. Not that I’m criticizing, you should hear some of the shit I wrote back then. Nevertheless Trusty brings me back to my early punk rock formative years of garage bands and sneaking out to see shows on school nights. If you have a longing for some fresh material of yesteryear, hop on over to the DC-Jam site and pick up on a copy of “Demo” from Trusty.

–Jerry Actually

Northside Kings – Suburban Royalty

Hells F-ing Yeah! Hardcore isn’t dead. Have you heard of a little band by the name of North Side Kings? Yeah, they pretty much kick complete ass, huh? Well guess what there Smacky, they’s got a brand new release out called Suburban Royalty. Not a bad level of correlation for a band with king in their name and hailing from Scottsdale, AZ ya think? Well here’s the cake, the new disc from North Side Kings is gut stompin’ arms flailin’ bone crushin’ circle pit hardcore that brings it back way freakin’ legit. What does it sound like you may ask, or more to the point who? Well sometimes I get tired of drawing comparisions for the lot of ya. It sounds like bad ass hardcore and they sound just like North Side Kings. Not familiar? Go out and get this new disc at all costs then (well don’t pay more than the going rate. I’m not advocating getting ripped off or anything) If you like your hardcore with the hard still intact and you want to get your hands on some good new shit with out going all the way to the East Coast, Suburban Royalty is your ticket to 15 blistering skull crushers including two well chosen covers. Enjoy!

–Jerry Actually