Suburban Home Records has signed LA’s Jr. Juggernaut. The label’s announcement describes them as the “perfect middle ground” between Two Cow Garage and Armchair Martian. A full length titled Ghost Poison will arrive in March or April of 2008.

…Jr. Juggernaut have had close ties with many of our bands and it is just makes sense that their debut album will find its release on Suburban Home. I first found out about the band from Jeff Caudill, a great singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles that I have been talking to about possibly doing a record on Suburban Home. He mentioned Jr. Juggernaut as they share a bass player and when mentioning them, he said that I should check them out as he was sure I would dig them.

The next thing that happened shows how truly small this world is. Wal Rashidi, Jr. Juggernaut’s drummer, sent me a promo pack just days after talking to Jeff. I have known Wal since the 1998 as he played in this killer pop-punk band called Co-Ed. Wal is also one of the greatest rock journalists I know and I am not just saying that because he has given more than a couple Suburban Home releases favorable reviews. Wal is one of the good guys and whenever we spoke in the past, it was uncanny how close we were in musical taste. It was not surprising that I was absolutely blown away by the disc he sent me. The songs had the perfect balance between rock and country and I found myself listening to the CD about a hundred times.

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As I Lay Dying have announced another leg in their tour in support of An Ocean Between Us. The new shows kick off in early January and continue till the first of February.

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To celebrate the release of The Anti-Matter Anthology: A 1990s Post-Punk & Hardcore Reader and the imminent book release show/Snapcase Reunion/Callum Robbins benefit, we are publishing a two part interview from hardcore vets Norman Brannon and Rob Fish.

The two musicians – Norm of Texas is the Reason and Shelter and Rob Fish of 108 look back at the hardcore scene which spawned the book, remembering famous shows and anecdotes and more.

Norm put together a lengthy interview for us so we’re splitting it over two days. Check it out and be sure to visit The Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York this weekend to check out the book, watch Snapcase play and help out Callum and J. Robbins.

If you need to catch up, you can check out the previous chapter here.

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Aram Arslanian, the alliteratively named guitarist behind Champion and Betrayed has announced the formation of his own label, React Records.

Aram explained:

A record label dedicated to positive hardcore and The Straight Edge. That’s the bottom line but not the whole story: Hardcore has had a huge impact on my life and has introduced me to a worldwide community of like-minded people trying to make a positive change in the world. It’s provided me with an outlet of expression, introduced me to life changing ideas like The Straight Edge and Vegetarianism, and has given me the opportunity to do and see some amazing things. I want others to have that same experience so.

He is kicking off the label with the signing of Vancouver, BC-based Get The Most. The band includes former members of Blue Monday and may appeal to fans of Kid Dynamite.
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Long Island hardcore quintet Capital have posted four songs from their recent Revelation Records debut, Homefront.

You can check out the songs on their myspace page.
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Kevin Call, bassist of Comeback Kid since 2003, has announced his departure from the band:

Life has called on me to go in a different direction – one that no longer involves playing bass guitar in Comeback Kid. These past few years with this band have been the best years of my life. […] I wish the rest of the dudes the best of luck. We will be playing what will be my last shows in mid-December, including a show in my hometown of Minneapolis.

The Canadian hardcore band is touring Europe in support of Broadcasting….
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Despite the apparently downturn in the music industry, EMI is apparently gearing up for a shopping spree. The target? Profitable indie labels. In the middle of a significant restructuring, the major label has set aside $100 million to purchase “smaller-scale indie labels” and hopes to raise that figure to $200 million depending on conditions.

At the same time, the label’s private equity partners are hoping to slash costs in a variety of “non-strategic” countries and focus more on online marketing. You can check out the article here.
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Billboard has put together another update on the legal limbo in which Hawthorne Heights finds itself. With an estimated 25 songs written and a producer lined up, Hawthorne Heights is ready begin work on its third album but outstanding “legal aspects” are still holding things up.

Earlier this year, the Dayton, Ohio, quintet did some pre-production on the new material with producer Howard Benson (Daughtry, Hoobastank) but the band remains caught between indie Victory and major label EMI Records. The group is still battling its label, Victory Records, and its president, Tony Brummel, in Chicago federal court, claiming damage to the group’s reputation and its relationship with its fans.

Brummel countersued the band and Virgin Records, who he claimed was trying to steal Hawthorne Heights away. There are also outstanding copyright ownership and trademark infringement issues. Judge James Moran has ruled that Hawthorne Heights’ contract with Victory does not prohibit the band from recording for another company but that the group still owes Victory two more albums.

On top of that, the band’s management firm is in the midst of a bitter dispute over royalties from merchandise and recording.
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While on tour King Khan of King Khan and BBQ Show has had his guitar stolen in San Francisco. This MySpace bulletin has been circulating with a description.

It was a Thomas Guitar very banged up but still beautiful, probably not worth much in a pawn shop…. it was a black sunburst guitar with big metal plates in the front.

Khan is asking friends and fans to scour pawn shops and be on the lookout and offers a prize for whomever finds it.

BBQ (Mark Sultan) has been supporting The Sultanic Verses while Khan is supporting What Is?!.
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Billy Talent have posted a clip from their upcoming live DVD+CD, The record is titled 666 and is due out November 27, 2007. The performance features 16 songs from the Canadian band, and features two DVDs as well an audio recording of the show.

Punknews.org interviewed the band in January.
Source Continue reading Billy Talent: “This Is How It Goes (Live)” →

A Global Threat has called it a day after ten years. The street punk/hardcore hybrid said goodbye via a MySpace blog post.

It’s time. So we’re going to do it fast. It’s just like ripping off a band-aid…1…2…we broke up. A Global Threat is officially over. You can stop cheering now. So maybe your asking why? In the most diplomatic terms the breakup would probobly be characterized as a mutually agreed upon decision made by three individuals for seperate and different reasons. Too vague and impersonal? Sorry, thats all you get. This isn’t “Behind the Music”. We’ll also spare the wistful, sentimental comments on the bands history and the times spent making it. Our history is on record shelves and on worn fliers hung up on the walls of dark clubs, and our experiences and how we feel about it all will be in our heads and hearts (and maybe yours too), and in the end, that’s enough. No sense cheapening it on a myspace blog.

To end, the band puts it simply: “Bands come and go, get together and split up. The music and the memories are what lasts forever.“

The band released Where the Sun Never Sets in 2006.
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Streetlight Manifesto has released the final cut of their new video “We Will Fall Together.” The version which surfaced in late October was apparently a rough cut of the song and the final version is available now. The new version is also of considerably higher quality.

The song comes from the band’s new album. titled Somewhere In The Between.
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Portland’s promising screamo act Life At These Speeds has called it quits. The split appears to be amicable as the MySpace blog that sounds their demise reads:

Life At These Speeds has run its course, the band shall play no more. The end has been in sight for some time and though due to no ill occurrence, the moment has passed and the amps are turned off.

We feel as though LATS was a very worthy venture, as evidenced, if by nothing else, than by the length of the list of friends we owe to its existence. A great many thanks are heaped upon each and every one, known and unkown. These sentiments are conveyed with the utmost sincerity and with the hope that we shall meet again in the future.

The band released (and re-released) a pair of albums in 2006, To Your Health and their self-titled reissue.
Source Continue reading Life At These Speeds (2003-2007) →