It’s time for our first contest of 2009. Today, our contest comes from the venerable Polyvinyl Records. This month, the label will be releasing Owen‘s (the ep), The One Up Downstairs 7-inch and American Football‘s American Football EP on vinyl. To celebrate, the label has provided two retail sets and one test press set of all three albums.

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Say Anything‘s Max Bemis has re-opened his controversial and more controversial “Song Shop” project. As originally set up, the “shop” allows fans to purchase custom-written songs via a merch store for $150.00.

Part of the controversy stemmed from some people’s concerns about “for-hire” song-writing and the fact that the subject matter of songs was coming from paying customers rather than Max himself. Max himself responded to those accusations by arguing that detractors were simply “strange, slow and old.”
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Our stream today comes from Washington, DC-based hardcore (?) act Days. We’ve got a stream of the band’s new full length, I Am Love. Our review of their previous full length, Move the Mountains, described the band thusly:

Days is and isn’t a hardcore band. The riffs, song structures, and vocal delivery should make them sound like a hardcore band. But they don’t. There’s an assembly method afoot here, as well as a production aesthetic, that makes it something else entirely– something just as likely to alienate as to please someone for whom hardcore is a mainstay.

You can check it out on their Punknews.org Profile
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Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance and Leathermouth has written a little blog reminiscing and supporting the Bouncing Souls:

The Bouncing Souls are celebrating 20 years as a band this year. Can you believe it? It feels like just yesterday I was sneaking out of my mom’s house on a school night to go see them play at the Pipeline with Hambone. Ah but alas the Pipeline is gone, and I dont have school tomorrow ever again…but Maniacal Laughter is still one of my favorite records, and I still love when I can get Gambone to drive me to shows so I can bully his radio.

Ok so get this….for their 20 year anniversary the Souls have decided to go DIY again in the digital age, and release 1 song a month all year long direct from the bands label Chunksaah Records. And if you do what I did and subscribe to the record you get emailed every month on the 1st to remind you to go get the track and at the end of the year after you’ve gotten your 12th track you get an extra 4 new Souls tracks free just for subscribing! I think its a rad idea, and the first track “Gasoline” is up for download now on their site so if you’re a Souls fan go support, or if you’re not a fan yet, but want to check out an amazing band who has stood the test of time…go to their site and download the new track you wont be disappointed.

As he mentions, the tracks are available here.

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Minneapolis-based Off with Their Heads recently got to play live on a popular local TV show called Drinking With Ian. The entire performance took place on a moving city bus. Frontman Ryan Young explained:

So there is this local Minneapolis TV show called Drinking With Ian. It’s kinda like a late night talk show ala Conan, but everyone gets wasted while they shoot it and it somehow cross breeds with Pee Wee’s Playhouse or some shit. Anyway, they asked us to play on the show, and we said yes. I later found out that the show was being filmed entirely on a moving city bus. So six months later, here is a video of OWTH playing live on a moving bus on TV. We fucking made the big time, dude!

Check out the entire show here. You need to skip to about 22:50 for the performance.

The band’s album, From The Bottom, was ranked the sixth best of 2008 by Punknews.org readers.
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Love Equals Death has announced the departure of vocalist Chon Travis. He explained:

Love Equals Death proved to be a strong band and a fun band to be in, but I never felt comfortable in the band. I never felt like it was my band or that I was really apart of everyone else here. Kind of like Steve Perry felt in Journey. I have always wanted to try to do something that truly represented the essence and soul of myself. So right before I joined LED, I started a solo project that I put on the back burner, because things were going well with LED and I ended up getting too busy to focus on it.

I kept writing songs for both LED and the solo shit, knowing one day I would have to someday part ways with LED to fulfill my desire to express myself the way I had always dreamed. I was going to do this sooner and then the band hit “Road Block Numero Uno”. Our bass player got busted for some shit he shouldn’t have even had his ass fucking around with anyway. So, I knew I had to stick it out to support my boys in this time of need. So I stayed to help get the band back on track and I never leave anything on a negative note. It’s just not good business for the soul or the ones you care about.

Travis is planning to begin recording his debut solo album on February 13th at Motor Studios with helps from members of Envain, Nothington and The Action Design. It will be produced and engineered by Jamie McMann (NOFX,Good Riddance, Lagwagon). You can preview some music on Chon’s myspace page.
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The New York Times has put together a detailed article about the World/Inferno Friendship Society tribute to actor Peter Lorre. The show, which takes place tonight, is a one-off gig at Webster Hall based on the life and times of famed Hollywood horror director, and actor Peter Lorre (M, Casablanca). The performance, as part of the Under the Radar Festival, is a multi-media extravaganza with interactive video and elaborate stage show.

Of note:

If the idea of a raucous rock band performing a semiclassical song cycle in a proscenium theater sounds somewhat incongruous, that is exactly the kind of challenge that World/Inferno Friendship Society has been cultivating for more than a decade. The group’s eight current players – membership has been somewhat fluid – play saxophones and accordion in addition to guitar and drums, and dress in suits and gowns. Jack Terricloth sings in a smarmy slur and maintains a constant devilish smirk.

Check out the article here.
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Metal supergroup Shrinebuilder is set to record their self-titled debut album for Neurot Recordings. The group features Wino of Hidden Hand and St. Vitus, Al Cisneros from Om and Sleep, Scott Kelly of Neurosis, and Dale Crover Melvins. They’ll be recording with Big Business‘s Toshi Kasai in Los Angeles for a release date sometime this summer.

Scott Kelly will be documenting the recording process on his blog, including guest posts from the other members and photos.
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Ignite and RevHQ are teaming up to produce a special bag with the aim of raising money for Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. According to the band, the society is “one of the best direct action groups protecting whales and other sea animals.”

Ignite has been working with the group for some time and have produced the canvas bag with 100% of profits going to the society. his is a 16″ x 15″, 100% cotton canvas tote bag with two color printing on both sides. It’s big enough to hold about ten LPs.

Check it out here.
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Fearless Records has pushed back the release of Punk Goes Pop 2 to March 10, 2009. They have also confirmed the addition of a new cover, coming from Chiodos. The band will be covering Harvey Danger‘s hit “Flagpole Sitta.” (this song)

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Bob Mould has set a release date and track listing for his upcoming solo album. Due out April 7, 2009, the as-yet untitled record is the follow up to 2008’s District Line.

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Ohio’s Standby Records have announced the signing of female fronted pop-punk/power-pop outfit, Vice on Victory. The label will be releasing their debut, Glitter & Gold, on March 31, 2009. The record was recorded with producer John Burke (Driver Side Impact) at Chin Music Studios in Cleveland, OH.

You can check out three demos from the album on their myspace page.
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Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin have announced a short tour through the Midwest and some April shows on the East Coast. The band released Pershing in 2008.

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