Olympia, WA’s The Kidcrash have been forced to cancel their West Coast tour for a number of reasons:

We came to this conclusion for myriad reasons: no money, not enough shows, broken van, no merch, personal afflictions. A super sorry to everyone who was helping- i hope you can forgive us and understand that we (admittedly) suck.

I am happy to say that we are still playing shows in New Mexico and possibly a few on the way back up to Washington state. The latter depends on whether or not we can borrow equipment since we are taking John’s car instead of our van. We plan on playing in the northwest when we arrive as well, but even that’s presently tenative.

[Also], during our rare time together in the same state lines, we will be writing and recording new material for some split records.

The band released Jokes last year.
Source Continue reading Kidcrash cancel West Coast tour, plan to record material for splits →

Avenged Sevenfold have launched a teaser for their recently recorded live DVD. The disc captures a performance from the April 10th, 2008 show of the 2008 edition of the Taste of Chaos tour.

The DVD was directed by Core Entertainment’s Rafa Alcantra, who also worked on the band’s 2007 road documentary All Excess. The DVD package will also include a CD of seven previously unreleased b-sides that were recorded during the making of the band’s current self-produced album Avenged Sevenfold.

You can check out the teaser here.

In related news, the band was recently interviewed and remarked that they wouldn’t be doing the Warped Tour:

When Warped Tour lets us blow sh– up, you’ll probably find us there. They probably wouldn’t want us ‘cuz we would clean house on all the chicks and scare the emo kids.”

The band previously performed at Warped in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007. You can find the rest of the interview here.
Source Continue reading Avenged Sevenfold launch DVD teaser, too “scary” for Warped →

In an interesting example of “crowdsourcing,” Ted Leo, along with Tom Scharpling and the listeners of WFMU’s The Best Show on WFMU wrote a song together in about two hours talking about the “Hipster Apocalypse.”

Using lyrics written with the listeners, Leo and company wrote and recorded the song and the song itself was premiered live on the radio. You can check it out here.
Source Continue reading Ted Leo records and co-writes “The World is in the Turlet” live on the radio →

In May, Cursive began recording their forthcoming follow up to 2006’s Happy Hollow. Regarding the album, the band noted:

[We entered] the excellent ARC studios in Omaha, NE to begin work on our new record. RIght now we don’t have a title for this beast. [We have] 13 tunes going to tape for sure but may add in some more late bloomers. We hope to walk away with at least a 10+ song record and some great B-sides.

The band has also announced some shows later this month in Chicago. On June 27th, the band will hit The Subterranean and then on June 28th, they will play the Belmont Arts and Music Festival alongside the Smoking Popes, Maritime and many more.
Source Continue reading Cursive records, plans shows →

Thomas Barnett of Strike Anywhere sat down for a lengthy interview with French website, Bang Bang. (Though the site is French, the interview itself is in English.)

Thomas discusses everything from the recent American Hardcore film to the future of recorded music, at least for Strike Anywhere:

Seems like labels and bands are scrambling to find the gravity in their lives, to figure out what can make music work in the way that it did even three years ago. We have a lot of love and gratitude to Fat Wreck Chords, and a respect that will never fade. There has been a huge economic shift in the Independent world, and even Fat has had to downsize and alter its business model (thankfully only a little, and they are still very equitable with their bands- that hasn’t changed) to survive.

He also takes some time to thoughtfully address major label signings by political punk bands like Anti-Flag and Against Me!:

There are, for sure, inherent awful compromises in having relationships with major labels- almost always part of media conglomerates feeding directly other arms of many industries involved in weapons manufacture, not to mention the general funnelling of art into its toxic and oppressive one dimensional cultural products. But the sincerity and creativity with which our friends rightly mentioned above engage this broader (but not necessarily deeper) forum of spectacle and influence gives me heart and allows for a “wait and see” approach.

You can check out the entire interview here.
Source Continue reading Thomas from Strike Anywhere talks politics, film, major labels →

After plenty of drama and tragedy, Hawthorne Heights have confirmed earlier reports that they would be releasing their next album on Victory Records.

The album and band were held back for the past while due to suits and counter-suits launched by the band and label over the past twelve months. Label boss Tony Brummel commented:

Everyone at Victory is ecstatic about the forthcoming album from Hawthorne Heights. It is by far their best material to date. When Victory and Hawthorne started our relationship in 2003 it was always about beating the odds. Our country has just seen and experienced historic change with the Democratic nomination of Barack Obama. Everything happens for a reason and there is tremendous positivity in the air.

We have lived in a reality of petty disputes, unresolved misunderstandings, unhealthy friction and negative sensationalism for too long. Forgiveness and the ability to reunite are powerful gifts. They create a spirit. Couple that spirit with great music and you have something that is extraordinary and transcendental. You cannot change the past but you can affect the future. There is a bigger lesson and story here than just releasing a new album. Victory, and I know Hawthorne Heights, are thankful to be a part of that.

The record is titled Fragile Future and is due out August 05, 2008.
Source Continue reading Hawthorne Heights announces “Fragile Future” (on Victory!) →

In typical low-key fashion, This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb have announced their fourth full length, Convertible The album features fourteen songs recorded at Revolution Sounds by Mike Pack in Chatanooga, TN and will be available soon on CD and vinyl through No Idea and (presumably) Plan-It-X.

No Idea has a stream of a new track from the album, “Hurricane Highway” and you can check that out here.
Source Continue reading This Bike is a Pipe Bomb release “Convertible” →

Danzig has announced the lineup for the 2008 edition of his Blackest of the Black series of tours. This year the trek will cover all of the U.S. and will include select Canadan dates. The tour is being billed as the 20th Anniversary tour for Danzig and will feature Danzig, Dimmu Borgir, Moonspell, Windos of Plague and Skeletonwitch.

As of right now, the tours frequent Misfits-set has not been confirmed. The previous 2006 edition focused on the U.S. West Coast and featured headliner Danzig alongside Lacuna Coil, The Haunted, Belphegor and Asesino. The festival debuted in the Summer of 2003 with Danzig, Superjoint Ritual, Opeth, Nile, Lacuna Coil and Behemoth. In most years of the tour, the event has included a Misfits set. Danzig released The Lost Tracks of Danzig last year.
Source Continue reading Blackest of the Black confirms Danzig, Dimmu Borgir, Moonspell, Windos of Plague, Skeletonwitch →

Florida-based melodic punk outfit Protagonist have announced a run of dates in Japan later this month. The band will be supporting their new full length, Chronicle. The band will be sharing the stage with Osaka, Japan-based street punk outfit, Last Target.

Source Continue reading Tours: Protagonist / Last Target →

Florida-based melodic punk outfit Protagonist have announced a run of dates in Japan later this month. The band will be supporting their new full length, Chronicle.

Source Continue reading Tours: Protagonist head to Japan →

Gainesville, FL natives Hot Water Music have announced the lineup for their upcoming show at The Troc in Philadelphia on Friday, July 11th. The show precedes their gig in New York City on July 12th at Terminal 5 which will include Thursday and Paint It Black.

The Philly show will include The Loved Ones, Ann Beretta and Cloak/Dagger.

The group’s last full-length was 2004’s The New What Next, while their retrospective, Till The Wheels Fall Off, released this year, compiled many covers, outtakes, B-sides, and other assorted rarities.
Source Continue reading Hot Water Music in Philly to include Loved Ones, Ann Beretta, Cloak/Dagger →

Terror have announced the first block of headlining dates in support of their Century Media debut. The record is titled The Damned, The Shamed and is due out June 10, 2008

The bill will also include The Warriors, Death Before Dishonor, CDC and Trapped Under Ice.

Source Continue reading Tours: Terror / The Warriors / Death Before Dishonor / CDC / Trapped Under Ice →