Buffalo, New York’s Damiera has reunited after briefly splitting up in April. The band has replaced the departed members and announced the additions of guitarist Steve Downs and drummer Josh Sparks, formerly of the Iowa-based band Spirit of the Stairway, and Jayson Dezuzio, a long time professional producer whose resume includes work with Coheed and Cambria, My Chemical Romance, and more.

The band had this to say:

The departing members were “seeking satisfaction elsewhere [and] they wanted to take another road for now… without having to be committed to a group setting.”

I love music, and I will continue to let go of every excess (money, home, health, etc) in order to find my end in it. I have been extremely fortunate this far, but I’d rather end with nothing and satisfied than end with everything and not use it.

They released their EVR debut, M(US)ic, earlier this year. The album was originally issued in a limited supply in 2006 through The Built on Strength Recording Company.

The band plans to resume touring in August.
Source Continue reading Damiera reforms →

According to CMJ, Canadian duo Tegan And Sara have signed to Sire Records.

Their fifth album The Con is due out July 24, 2007 One of the two sisters is also set to appear on another upcoming Sire release; that of labelmates Against Me!. That record will street just a few days earlier on July 10, 2007.

They released their last record, So Jealous in 2004.
Source Continue reading Tegan & Sara sign to Sire Records →

Brand New have posted a new b-side taken from their recording sessions for The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me. The song is available in physical form on the single for Jesus as issued in the UK.

You can check out “Brothers” on their myspace page.

The band recently wrapped up a trip to Australia. Frontman Jesse Lacey will be embarking on a solo tour with Kevin Devine beginning in late July.
Source Continue reading Brand New: “Brothers” →

Samiam has announced plans to visit Europe this summer. The long-running group will be touring in support of their latest Hopeless Records full length, Whatever’s Got You Down.

Source Continue reading Tours: Samiam (Europe) →

Protest The Hero has recently finished writing their second full-length album and will begin recording this weekend with producer Julius “Juice” Butty at Toronto’s Silo recording studio. The band expects to wrap up by August 1st with a fall release date planned.

Protest The Hero spent most of the last year on the road, performing every date on the Vans Warped Tour and opening for bands such as Dragonforce, Trivium, and All That Remains among others. The trips were not entirely without incident. The band recently shot their third video from Kezia for the song “The Divine Suicide of K” with director Colin Minihan and expect to debut the video in the coming weeks.

Lyricist and bassist Arif Mirabdolbaghi issued the following statement about the upcoming release:

The new album is a further attempt towards bridging the distance between technicality and musicality. We hope to use organized and creative songwriting to explore, both sonically and thematically, the emotions, ironies and realities of our surroundings. The songs probe the paradoxical nature of everyday life- chiefly that aggressive music is an adequate vessel to convey not only feelings of anger and frustration, but also wonder, pathos and optimism.

The band released their last record Kezia, in 2005. A US release followed in 2006.
Source Continue reading Protest The Hero hit the studio →

Melodic-hardcore bands Set Your Goals and No Trigger are teaming up for extended stay across the pond. The bands will be playing an impressive 52 consecutive dates, and hitting more than 16 countries. With such a busy schedule, the guys should be able to keep themselves out of humerous mischief.

Source Continue reading Tours: Set Your Goals / No Trigger (Europe) →

The Rhino Films production of What We Do Is Secret has wrapped up.

Director Rodger Grossman made the announcement:

I am excited to report that What We Do Is Secret is complete and will make it’s world premiere in the dramatic competition at the Los Angeles Film Festival. I cannot think of a more appropriate or more exciting place to premiere this film.

A ticket page is available here and you can click Read More to check out a list of screenings.

The film aims to document the life and untimely death of Germs vocalist Darby Crash. While it does not cover his entire life, the movie focuses on Crash’s “five-year plan” to become a legend before comitting suicide in 1980. To ensure that the film was true to the story, Director Roger Grossman enlisted the help ex-Germs guitarist Pat Smear, as well as members of Crash’s family and others involved in the late ’70s/early ’80s Hollywood punk scene,

Playing Crash is actor Shane West who is best known from his role on ER. Rick Gonzalez will play Smear, and many other figures from the time will be included in the film, including Captain Sensible and Penelope Spheeris. Bands from the era are also represented in the film, with The Bronx filling in for legendary hardcore act Black Flag.

Source Continue reading Germs film completed, first screenings announced →

Some scattered tour dates have been announced in support of Beastie Boys‘s upcoming album. The record is titled The Mix-Up and is due out June 26, 2007. As originally reported, the record will be instrumental and derives it’s sound from classic punk and new-wave acts like Public Image Ltd., Gang of Four, the Slits and Killing Joke.

Source Continue reading Tours: Beastie Boys →

Funeral For A Friend has posted the latest video from their new full length. The record is titled Tales Don’t Tell Themselves and was released May 14, 2007. It is the follow-up to Hours which was released in 2005.

Source Continue reading Funeral for a Friend: "Walk Away" →

Our friends at Late Night Wallflower recently spoke with This Moment in Black History to get some of their perspectives on being a minority in the punk scene, the double standards of Afro Punk, and NY Times’ blipster article..

For those unfamiliar with the band, the band plays a fairly noisy and aggressive brand of hardcore, influenced by Black Flag and provides a different perspective since half of the band is African American.

You can check out the interview here.
Source Continue reading This Moment In Black History talks to Late Night Wallflower →

Fat Wreck Chords‘ Only Crime has been added to Rise Against‘s current tour with Silverstein and Comeback Kid.

The band will head out on the road this Friday on the tour in support of their 2007 release Virulence and their forthcoming Think Fast! Records split with Outbreak, which is scheduled for a June 26 release.
Source Continue reading Only Crime join Rise Against / Silverstein tour →

Brooklyn’s Benji Cossa will release his second studio album Between the Blue and the Green on June 19th via Serious Business Records. The work is described as a mix of “outsider-folk, classic AM pop, lo-fi indie rock, and roots music.” The label has out the song “Sunset” online for download.

(Damn) This Desert Air features former members of a number of bands including Ex Number Five, Instruction, Elemae, Nora, Errortype: 11 and Merciana. The band recently uploaded new music to their MySpace site.

Nashville’s Stuck Lucky have released a split LP with Tampa’s Arm The Poor We Never Sleep. Each band contributes five songs, with Arm The Poor including their entire From America EP and Stuck Lucky including three new songs and two re-recorded versions of past tracks. You can preview some of Stuck Lucky’s tracks via MySpace.
Source Continue reading Benji Cossa, (Damn) This Desert Air, Stuck Lucky →