Here’s more mostly screamy, heavy music from the Solid State camp. Falling decidedly between the skull-bashing metalcore of THE CHARIOT, and sister-label rising stars, UNDEROATH, with an additional penchant for the atmospheric wanderings of HOPESFALL or the sadly defunct BELOVED, AS CITIES BURN have a well-varied, haunting sound at their fingertips. Son, I Loved Your [...]

After some trouble getting into the show I literally ran inside and up the stairs to catch Punknews Records artists RYAN’S HOPE. Luckily, I made it in time for their first song, and watched a 25 minute set of older material from the recently signed Joliet trio. I was only casually familiar with newer RYAN’S [...]

There’s a full review coming, but here’s the short of it: Jordan, you’re right. SICK OF IT ALL put on an amazing show, still 20 years into it. There’s no way that you’re going to get to me to believe that Pete (guitarist) doesn’t drink a cubic gallon of coffee before performances, though.

Lou also mentioned onstage his displeasure for Alternative Press’ drubbing of the new IGNITE record.

Also, I must thank Lou and Chris from STRETCH ARM STRONG for helping me get into the concert after a mixup with the guestlist.

1. It pains me to write this, but after two listens, I’m not impressed at all with AFI’s Decemberunderground. The only word that immediately comes to mind is “sterile,” and that’s not a good one. And what’s up with Davey’s new/artificial screaming voice? Yeeeesh…

2. Speaking of AFI, I wandered into a Hot Topic in the DC area on Monday and the moment I stepped into the store, the stereo began to blast “THROUGH OUR BLEEDING WE ARE ONE!” It was loud. So loud that it made my head hurt and made me want to flee to a quieter location, like the men’s department in Macy’s. It was a dark moment.

3. “Hopelessly Devoted To You Vol. 6″ is basically the blueprint for how “physical” label samplers are going to have work if they plan to survive/coexist in the digital download age. Two CDs, one of with a bunch of unreleased and rare tracks from some of Hopeless’ newer bands, the other with 22 “classics” from the Hopeless catalog (no HECKLE though, booooo), and a full-length bonus DVD with 27 videos. I haven’t viewed the DVD yet, but the CDs are mostly great and the pairing of oldies from the original Hopeless acts provides great contrast to where things have moved in punk rock.

4. I seriously need to read this book…

5. My brother is in New Orleans this week on business. He relayed the following message earlier: “We drove through the 9th Ward earlier today. It was a total mess but kinda fascinating. There are thousands of cars abandoned everywhere.” Hmmmm….. see #4.

6. Two bands you’re going to be hearing a lot about from zine writers in the coming months, if not already: END OF A YEAR (Revelation) and UNITED STATES (Iron Pier). The second generation of “Revolution Summer” music has arrived…

7. Free full-length streams from Napster.com that I recommend (reg. required – it’s free!):

88 FINGERS LOUIE – Behind Bars

REACH THE SKY – Open Roads and Broken Dreams [EP]

ERROR TYPE 11 – The Crank Ep

After a couple of full-lengths on Thick Records, THE METHADONES have assembled a covers disc of power-pop songs for Red Scare. The good thing here is that unlike most covers discs, this one doesn’t suck. Those VIPs at Punknews.org have made the full-length available for streaming for a limited time, and you can check that out here.

Gratuitious Press Release Enclosed:

“In light of the continued interest in the legendary San Francisco skate-punk band CODE OF HONOR — as well as the recent resurgence of early-80′s melodic hardcore within the online “blogging” community — the quartet and its original label Subterranean Records is reissuing its full discography. The 25-song disc titled Complete Studio Recordings 1982-1984 collects all of the band’s tracks from landmark releases like the 1984 album Beware the Savage Jaw and the lauded collector’s item split LP with Sick Pleasure (a band that featured members of Code of Honor).

Code of Honor is considered to be one of the founding bands of a movement dubbed “skate punk.” Along with other early melodic thrash bands JFA, Minor Threat and The Big Boys, Code of Honor mixed the melodic sensibilities of surf music and their exceptional musicianship with the frantic energy of hardcore punk. At the time, skateboarding was considered a fringe sport — the folly of outcast youth who often shared an appreciation for punk rock, and in some cases started bands of their own. Thanks to the coverage of founding skateboarding culture avatar Thrasher Magazine the blossoming skate-punk scene reached a wide-spread audience even though most of the genre’s bands were from California.

In the summer of 1979, Code of Honor guitarist Michael D. Fox and Steve Tupper founded Subterranean Records as a vehicle to document the rabidly growing San Francisco punk scene. The label went on to release classic underground recordings by proto-grunge band Flipper as well as the Dead Kennedys, Chrome, Helios Creed and many others. Fox ran the label’s in-house recording studio and engineered sessions for numerous groups as well as capturing his own bands Sick Pleasure and Code of Honor on tape. The split debut album for both groups was issued on Subterranean in September 1982. The classic “What Are We Gonna Do?” single — featuring a photo of an airborne skater on the sleeve — followed in 1983. The band’s first and only full album Beware the Savage Jaw, released August 1984 fully showcased the quartet’s remarkably innovative fusion of punk, surf, metal, western and classic rock.It’s widely considered that bands like At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta, My Chemical Romance and NOFX would never have existed without Code of Honor setting the standard first.”

- Who?

From the inbox:

New Jersey’s The NUMBER 12 LOOKS LIKE YOU announced this week the full schedule for their “The Outta The Midst” headlining tour. The package includes dates with Heavy Heavy Low Low, The Jonbenet, Yakuza and label-mates Signal To Noise running from late June in Buffalo through the end of July in Nashville. In August, there is rumor of a co-heading run Fear Before The March of Flames before heading back into the studio in the fall to begin working on their sophomore full-length for Eyeball Records due out in Spring 2007.

Dates:

Jun 30 2006 The Buffalo Icon Buffalo, NY

Jul 1 2006 Grog Shop Cleveland Heights, OH

Jul 2 2006 Alvin’s Detroit, MI

Jul 3 2006 The House Cafe Dekalb, IL

Jul 5 2006 Creepy Crawl St. Louis, MO

Jul 6 2006 House Of Bricks Des Moines, IA

Jul 7 2006 Ascot Room at The Quest Minneapolis, MN

Jul 8 2006 The Bottleneck Lawrence, KS

Jul 9 2006 Marquis Theatre Denver, CO

Jul 10 2006 Club Boom VA Ogden, UT

Jul 11 2006 The Venue Boise, ID

Jul 12 2006 Fat Tuesdays Spokane, WA

Jul 13 2006 Chop Suey Seattle, WA

Jul 14 2006 Hawthorne Theater Portland, OR

Jul 15 2006 The Boardwalk Orangevale, CA

Jul 16 2006 Masonic Lodge Paso Robles, CA

Jul 17 2006 The Belmont Fresno, CA

Jul 19 2006 Showcase Theatre Carona, CA

Jul 20 2006 Soma San Diego

Jul 21 2006 Celebrity Theater Las Vegas, NV

Jul 22 2006 The Clubhouse Tempe, AZ

Jul 23 2006 Scrappy’s Tuscon, AZ

Jul 25 2006 White Rabbit San Antonia, TX

Jul 26 2006 Walter’s On Washington Houston, TX

Jul 27 2006 Gypsy Tea Room Dallas

Jul 28 2006 The Complex Memphis, TN

Jul 29 2006 Rocketown Nashville, TN

Brita Filter Not Included…

Abacus Recordings is extremely proud to announce the signing of PURIFIED IN BLOOD and will be releasing their new album, Reaper Of Souls, in the U.S. on June 27th. Hailed by many as the most exciting act to emerge from Norway since Turbonegro, Purified In Blood combines blazing riffs and solos with controversially political lyrics. One might say that the band’s innovative concept of “metal with a message” is something akin to EMPEROR meets EARTH CRISIS.

Boasting six members with a dual lead vocalist and twin guitar attack, Purified in Blood has become known for its high energy live performances. In fact, the band won Norway’s national underground music contest for unsigned bands (ZOOM) in 2004, and more recently, the award for “Best Live Act” at Norway’s prestigious Alarm Awards 2006.

The band has already completed two U.S. tours in support of the 2003 EP, Last Leaves of a Poisoned Tree, on New Eden Records, and regularly tour Scandinavia and Europe. Now armed with an incendiary new full-length album, Reaper Of Souls, the band is more than prepared to expand it’s mission to the rest of the world. With the goal of dedicating half of the year to touring in the U.S., and an unwavering work ethic, Purified In Blood is determined to make its mark in America.

band site: xpurifiedinbloodx.com

myspace: myspace.com/purifiedinblood