It’s treacherous to be privy to something before the rest of the kids on your block. There’s a certain responsibility to keep the juiciest part of the surprise secret, while rubbing the noses of your neighbors in the bragging rights that you, not they, got there first. Somehow, Alternative Press manages to do neither in their review for THRICE’s The Alchemy Index Vols. I and II: Fire and Water, giving the reader (or just me) almost nothing to gnaw on for the coming months until it’s our turn to listen, and it sure seems like an unenthusiastic four-stars. Tell me why they earned it! I should have come out of the review feeling jealous, or impatient, or even intrigued if they had branded it a flop, but each time I read the review, all I gather is vague praise.

You can read the article for yourself here.

“Black Parade-right” is an odd qualifier, as well.

From the inbox:

“THE FIRST STEP is putting the finishing touches on a new 4 song 7″ EP to be released early next year. Recording is complete, and they’re working on the mixing/mastering, along with the layout for the record.”

- Hmm… four songs? That’ll probably clock in around six minutes.

From the inbox:

Respected and beloved singer/songwriter NEKO CASE will see the re-release of her acclaimed 2006 album Fox Confessor Brings The Flood with the addition of a five-song bonus disc from Anti- on November 6th, 2007. The label will also serve-up straight reissues of 2000’s Furnace Room Lullaby Р- which was recorded as Neko Case and Her Boyfriends Р- and 2002’s Blacklisted on the same date.

Bonus material for the updated version of Fox Confessor will boast a previously unreleased demo version of the song “Behind The House,” plus a four-song sampler that includes full-length versions of Blacklisted excerpts “Deep Red Bells” and “I Wish I Was The Moon,” plus the title track from Furnace Room Lullaby and the album’s first cut “Set Out Running.”

Originally issued on March 7th, 2006, Fox Confessor Brings The Flood topped a myriad of the year’s “Best of” lists and has been unanimously praised. Entertainment Weekly called it “Her finest album” while Spin raved, “Her majestically outsize voice is one of pop music’s best.” Newsweek wrote, “With a big soaring voice belting out songs full of eerie, enigmatic poetry, Case sounds like the brooding sister of Patsy Cline or Loretta Lynn” and The Washington Post added, “Her out of this world voice brings instant chills.”

In a four-and-a-half star review of 2002’s Blacklisted was listed as “highly recommended” by All Music Guide, and described as “a personal exploration of the heart and soul that proves sad and beautiful can often walk hand in hand.”

As for Furnace Room Lullaby, Interview dubbed it a “deceptively effortless shot at high art, each tune alternately smoky and barbed-wire taut with more than a taste of rainforest melancholy.”

2007 has been a tremendously busy year for Neko. Currently on tour with the indie rock band The New Pornographers in support of their new album Challengers, Case recently wrapped a successful tour with Rufus Wainwright.

- “Rainforest Melancholy?” Isn’t the rainforest an exciting place to be? Sure, the dampness must be a downer every now and then, but the animals in the rainforest aren’t exactly a glum set.

Fearless Records’ EVERY AVENUE have their brand new EP Ah! streaming on their pureVOLUME page. The group will be on the road this fall with SICK CITY and THE MILE AFTER.

11.24.07 – Tinley Park, IL @ Mojoes Rock House

11.25.07 – Lansing, MI @ Macs Bar

11.26.07 РCanton, MI @ Serendipity Café

11.27.07 РLouisville, KY @ Bulldog Café

11.28.07 – Nashville, TN @ The Muse

11.29.07 – Little Rock, AR @ Vinos

11.30.07 – Ridgeland, MS @ Old Keypoint Building

12.03.07 – Marietta, GA @ Swayzes

12.07.07 – Jacksonville, FL @ The Pit

12.08.07 – Tampa, FL @ Transitions Art Gallery

12.15.07 – Arden, NC @ Graffiti Music Hall

- I’m really tempted to think that EVERY AVENUE are just another contemporary pop-punk that had a little too much FALL OUT BOY in their breakfast cereal, but the songwriting is quite good for the genre. Catchy and superficial in just the right places!

TAKING BACK SUNDAY’s Fred Mascherino has released details for the forthcoming debut of his side-project, THE COLOR FRED. The album is titled Bend To Break, was produced by Lou Giordano, and the packaging to the album is made of 95% recycled material. The album is scheduled to be released on October 30.

1. Get Out

2. If I Surrender

3. Hate To See You Go

4. It Isn’t Me

5. Complaintor

6. The Tragedy

7. I Didn’t See

8. Empty House

9. Minnesota

10. I’ll Never Know

11. Don’t

From the inbox:

STATIC RADIO NJ is heading overseas for a European tour in support of their debut EP One for the Good Guys, available now from Black Numbers. The band will be playing shows in Germany, Austria, Holland, France and Italy with ANTILLECTUAL

SEP 28 – Nijmegen, Holland @ Merelyn w/ Antillectual

SEP 29 – Paris, France @ Palais Bar w/ Antillectual

SEP 30 – La Rochelle, France @ World Breizh Center w/ Antillectual

OCT 01 – La Rochelle, France @ World Breizh Center w/ Antillectual

OCT 02 – Bordeaux, France @ El Inca w/ Antillectual

OCT 03 – Toulouse, France @ 3rd to Lose Punkers Fest. w/ Antillectual

OCT 04 – Montpellier, France @ Modjomatic Bar w/ Antillectual

OCT 05 – Cirie (Torino), Italy @ Tarus w/ Antillectual

OCT 06 – Bologna, Italy @ XM24 w/ Antillectual

OCT 07 – Milan, Italy @ Leoncavallo w/ Antillectual

OCT 08 – Florence, Italy @ C.S. Next Emerson w/ Antillectual

OCT 09 – Innsbruck, Austria @ Pmk Club w/ Antillectual

OCT 10 – Vienna, Austria @ T√úWI w/ Antillectual

OCT 11 – Mannheim, Germany @ Juz Mannheim w/ Antillectual

OCT 12 – Cologne, Germany @ Bauwagenplatz w/ Antillectual

OCT 13 – Caudry, France @ le Baron w/ Antillectual

Produced by Stephen Egerton (Descendents), One for the Good Guys is a throwback to when hardcore punk was short, fast, loud…and catchy as hell. Originally released as a 7″ on Chunksaah Records, the new CD version on Black Numbers contains two bonus tracks.

From the inbox:

500 MILES TO MEMPHIS (Cincinnati, OH) will be touring the US in support of their new full-length Sunshine In A Shotglass. Limited to 1000 copies, the album is now available from Deep Elm Records.

OCT 04 – Knoxville, TN @ The Corner Lounge

OCT 05 – Winston-Salem, NC @ The Garage

OCT 06 – Charlotte, NC @ The Milestone

OCT 08 – Atlanta, GA @ Smith’s Olde Bar

OCT 09 – Birmingham, AL @ The Nick

OCT 10 – New Orleans, LA @ Hi Ho Lounge

OCT 12 – Austin, TX @ Momo’s

OCT 13 – Dallas, TX @ The Double Wide

OCT 15 – Albuquerque, NM @ Atomic Cantina

OCT 16 – Denver, CO @ Three Kings Tavern

OCT 17 – Omaha, NE @ Saddle Creek Bar

OCT 18 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Uptown Bar

OCT 19 – Madison, WI @ The Klinic Bar

High-pitched emo-rockers CIRCA SURVIVE played a special, students-only show at Northeastern University in Boston tonight to a packed crowd. We also just had BRAND NEW (with free hot dogs!) play here on Saturday, so I guess my tuition money is being put to good use. I’ve never seen people go so nuts at this place, especially since the venue is literally a stage on one half and then a Starbucks on the other half, which always makes for witty banter from band members. I don’t know anything from their new album, but did recognize some older tunes. Regardless of the rumors about Anthony Green, the dude can hit the notes he sings on the CD and flails around like a maniac while doing so.

Check out more photos from the show here.