Washington DC’s POLICE & THIEVES have their upcoming EP Amor Y Guerra (Youngblood Records) streaming on the band’s MySpace page. The group features current and former members of WORN THIN, BALBOA, and BLEEDER RESISTOR, among others. RIYL: MINOR THREAT, DAG NASTY, BATTERY.

From the inbox:

Producer extraordinaire Nick Raskulinecz (Death Angel, Trivium, Marilyn Manson, Danzig) has started a new shoe company called HOOVES FOOTWEAR. HOOVES FOOTWEAR has partnered with Gravis Footwear to design to create a premium, limited-edition, core Metal shoe. HOOVES’ first signature shoe, THE BEAST, is limited edition and will be released on June 1.

The goal of HOOVES FOOTWEAR is to supply bands and other metalheads with a new shoe that fits the lifestyle, and to promote the metal scene and metal music as a whole.

“We wanted to create a show that fit the metal lifestyle,” says Raskulinecz. “We’ve always had to borrow from others when it came to comfortable sneakers. It just wasn’t right. Back in the 80’s it was the black & red Air Jordans. Then there were the Pumas, the Vans, the Converse – I mean, we rocked them, and these brands are all great in their own ways, but nothing had the total package, nothing screamed metal!”

THE BEAST is a black leather, bad ass high top that embodies the dark, evil nature of the metal lifestyle to its core. With a deep red pentagram lining, a skeletal blood stained insole and the HOOVES mantra embroidered on the tongue tag, these shoes personify metal.

THE BEAST from HOOVES FOOTWEAR is scheduled for delivery in June ’08 at a select group of core retailers and online at HOOVESARMY.COM. HOOVES will be celebrating the release of THE BEAST with a launch party in the LA area on May 24th.

- Websters Dictionary entry for Hoove: “A disease in cattle consisting in inflammation of the stomach by gas, ordinarily caused by eating too much green food and produces tympany and bloating.” I like it.

I’ve been whole-heartedly underwhelmed with this year’s releases. It’s a serious shame that I’m already warding off jaded demons at the ripe young age of twenty. When it comes to pop punk, this battle of discontent flares up like a bad case of syphilis. Anyone who takes this genre seriously, at the very least, must [...]

New Jersey melodic hardcore band THE FIRE STILL BURNS have finally shown off some new material, this time in the form of a demo titled “Come Hell or High Water.” The group features current and former members of ENSIGN, EX NUMBER FIVE, BIGWIG, LIFETIME and NORA (among others). The group released a stellar MCD titled Keeping Hope Alive on Blackout Records in late 2005. THE FIRE STILL BURNS is a looking for a new label to support the recording of a full-length. You can check out the band’s music on their MySpace page.

- Something about this band’s music, lyrical attitude, and overall vibe makes me dream about seeing them have a full-length release with the Revelations Records logo plastered on the back of the artwork.

Philly’s JENA BERLIN have posted a new track titled “The Great Plains,” from their upcoming 7″/digital EP This Is Yours As Much As It Is Mine, on Jump Start Records. The post-hardcore band released the well-received full-length Quo Vadimus on Jump Start in 2007.

- Very cool song. The vocals in the new song remind me another quality post-hardcore band, EX NUMBER FIVE.

Italy’s STRENGTH APPROACH recently released their latest full-length All The Plans We Made Are Going To Fall on GSR Records. Although the hardcore band has been around for more than ten years, the groups as influences bands like SICK OF IT ALL, KID DYNAMITE, and AMERICAN NIGHTMARE. Two new songs from the full-length can be heard on their MySpace page.

Bridge Nine’s HAVE HEART have added the brand new song “Bostons” to their MySpace page. This is the first song to appear from the band’s highly anticipated upcoming full-length Songs To Scream At The Sun, which see its release on July 8th (Sooooo far away!). The band will be heading over to Australia in May for a tour with PARKWAY DRIVE, and this summer, will cross the US on a run with new labelmates VERSE.

From the inbox:

Shot on location at a sold-out School of Rock show on December 15th, 2007 in South Hackensack, New Jersey, Here At The End of All Things captures the chaotic and adrenaline infused live show that has made THE NUMBER TWELVE LOOKS LIKE YOU so important to their fans, and to heavy music in general. The final show of a 75 day tour, the band tore through their eclectic set as though it were the last day on earth and the worst fate the universe could imagine was lingering outside the sold out venue doors. Fans have been debating the genesis of the strange extraterrestrial themes and quixotic radio broadcasts featured at the show and how they would be incorporated into the final dvd. When asked for some insight, Jase Korman lead singer for the band simply said, “We’ve been touring endlessly for years, but we still haven’t played for everyone, so this DVD is a great way to reach every man, woman, and child in the United States of America. If you are a fan of 1996′s Independence Day starring Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum, you will fall in love with Here At the End of All Things.”

This latest release from Eyeball Records not only features an entire live show from one of the heaviest and most well respected grind-core art-metal bands in music today, but also includes bonus material, music videos, an intimate sit down with the band, and a special second disc capturing the night‚Äôs audio, as well as bonus remixes courtesy of Jesse Cannon and more. The staff of Eyeball Records actually attempted to add CGI monsters, spaceships and an exploding White House to the final DVD performance but the furthest they got was a crudely drawn UFO on a notepad next to one of their computers. “None of us have ANY idea how to create CGI aliens… ” said a sullen Eyeball employee, “Will Smith would be appalled.”

Audio CD

1. Jay Walking Backwards (6:51)

2. Don’t Get Blood On My Prada Shoes (2:23)

3. The Weekly Wars (4:48)

4. Texas Dolly (3:40)

5. The Proud Parents Convention Held In The ER (3:31)

6. Grandfather (4:39)

7. Texas Dolly – J. Kale Gilgore Tribute (3:02)

8. Weekly Wars – Endor Remix (4:45)

9. Imagination Express – Jesse Cannon Remix (4:53)

DVD

Full Concert

Interview

“Grandfather” Music Video

“Like A Cat” Music Video