Solid State Records‘ Oh, Sleeper guitarist Shane Blay posted an interesting article on his Facebook explaining some of the challenges faced by “Mid-Level Bands” when touring these days. The musician breaks down the various costs faced by bands including merchandise, booking agents, managers and more and shows why few bands can sustain themselves at that level or often lose money.

For the past 5 years my brothers in Oh, Sleeper and myself have sacrificed our lives, our time, relationships, birthdays, holidays, health(haha) to travel around and play shows for our fans. Not to say that isn’t been a fun ride! I would like to show you guys an average day in finances for a “mid-level” band like us. Im going to breakdown the average monetary in and outs of a day on tour. On tour bands have two ways to make money. Guaranties, and Merchandise.

Check out the article here.
Source Continue reading Oh, Sleeper guitarist explains band finances and challenges for “mid-level” bands →

Victory Records has signed death/grind/hardcore act Dr.Acula. Vocalist Tyler Guida commented on the signing::

I’m very excited to be a part of Victory Records and I know this is a great opportunity for us. As a band growing up we listened to VICTORY bands. We are looking to make the best record that we can make while satisfying our current supporters as well as reaching out to new music fans.

The band previously released The Social Event of the Century on Uprising Records.
Source Continue reading Victory signs Dr.Acula →

Think Fast! Records has signed Mountain Man. The band features members of Last Lights and the band formed after the tragic and sudden death of Last Lights vocalist Dominic Mallory in late 2008. The band released their debut 10-inch EP, One via Mightier Than Sword and the band was compared to bands like Neurosis and Converge.

The band has upcoming tours with Comeback Kid, Four Year Strong, and a slot on the Think Fast! Records & Think Fast! Booking 2010 Showcase Tour. n October, Mountain Man will enter the studio with Alex Garcia-Rivera (American Nightmare, Saves The Day) to begin tracking their debut full length for Think Fast! Records. The effort is expected to surface early on in 2011.
Source Continue reading Mountain Man signs to Think Fast! Records →

Tera Melos have launched the first in a promised series of videos for their next full length, Patagonian Rats. The video was directed by Behn Fannin (The Melvins, Nurses) and the album is due out September 7, 2010.

Source Continue reading Tera Melos: “The Skin Surf” →

Broken English Records has signed Too Tall Grizzly. The band will make their debut with the release of the EP, Stream of Unconsciousness. The album was produced by John Naclerio (My Chemical Romance, Just Surrender) and the Connecticut-based band is compared to Every Time I Die, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, and The Chariot.

Check out some music on their MySpace page.
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Many of you wrote in with the news that Bad Religion has posted the first song from The Dissent of Man. The record is due out September 28, 2010.

Source Continue reading Bad Religion: “The Devil in Stitches” →

Congratulations to Joseph O. of Brooklyn, NY for winning tickets to see Cro-Mags on the Temptress August 11 as part of the Rocks Off Concert Cruise. If you’re bummed you didn’t win, no worries: We’ve got another pair of tickets for you, this time to see Murphy’s Law play the boat. This one takes place the very next day.
Source Continue reading Contests: Win tickets to see Murphy’s Law on a boat →

GWAR, the always controversial, always violent, band of intergalactic marauders is seeing a sudden resurgence of popularity in their 25th year of brutalizing Earth’s denizens. In addition to recently releasing their highest charting album to date, Lust in Space, Gwar recently was, surprisingly, the closing act of the modern peace and love music festival, Bonnaroo.

Composed of aliens from throughout the galaxy, Gwar made a name for itself in the early 90’s by terrorizing and enslaving humans all while playing crushing heavy metal. While they faded from public fear in the end of the last millennia, they’ve recently (quite literally) exploded back on the scene, cutting some of their tightest and loudest tunes to date.

In order to get the scoop on the resurgence, PunkNews recently sent interviewer John Gentile on assignment, where he traveled to Gwar’s fortress in Antarctica to talk to one of Gwar’s more notable slaves, Dave Brockie, only to have the interview interrupted by the band’s fearsome and vile vocalist…

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Against Me! have announced a run of Canadian dates in September alongside The Flatliners and Young Livers.

All three bands will be supporting recent full-lengths; Against Me! issued White Crosses earlier this year, while The Flatliners and Young Livers released Cavalcade and Of Misery and Toil, respectively.
Source Continue reading Tours: Against Me! / The Flatliners / Young Livers (Canada) →

The Thermals have announced a headlining tour this fall with support from Cymbals Eat Guitars.

Source Continue reading Tours: The Thermals / Cymbals Eat Guitars →

We’ve got some exclusive first details about the upcoming album from The Brokedowns. The record is titled Species Bender and is due out September 14, 2010 . It’s their first new album since New Brains for Everyone in 2007.

Source Continue reading Exclusive: The Brokedowns detail “Species Bender” →

According to a new interview with vocalist Scott Russo, Unwritten Law has signed to Suburban Noize Records. Russo also confirmed a title for the new album, Swan. He commented on the signing:

Suburban Noize has come a long way since the days of the Kottonmouth Kings. They have different imprints to support different acts and artists. On top of that, [Label owner] Kevin Zinger is a long time friend of the band. He was actually a promoter in San Diego and put on some of the very first Unwritten Law shows. With that, it was nice to come to a label where we are close with the boss.

The band last released Here’s To The Mourning in 2005. In the intervening years, the band put together a re-recorded hits package titled The Hit List.
Source Continue reading Unwritten Law joins Suburban Noize →

Today, we’re excited to premiere the new video from No Friends for “Traditional Failures,” the title track from the hardcore supergroup’s recent EP for Kiss of Death. The clip was put together by Jason Shevchuk of Kid Dynamite/None More Black and you can check it out by clicking Read More.

No Friends notably features current and former members of New Mexican Disaster Squad, VRGNS, Gatorface, Municipal Waste and None More Black.
Source Continue reading Exclusive: No Friends: “Traditional Failures” →