A Press Release Worth Cutting and Pasting (Courtesy of Solid PR):

“KEELHAUL is like the one friend that you’re actually looking forward to seeing when you fly home for the holidays… Still smoking weed in the parent’s basement, but, try as you might, you can’t fault him for doing it because ultimately you’re fucking convinced he’s got some shit figured out that you’re still years away from. Basically, this guy Keelhaul is a solid dude and maybe part of you wants to be him, no shame in it… most people are susceptible to societal pressures… you wanted to be an adult and you thought you knew what that meant… trips to the wine store… you should kick your own ass.

Keelhaul’s Triumphant Return to Obscurity, is not just a clever name for an album title marking a band’s return from obscurity, it’s an album title for a band’s release marking that same band’s return from obscurity. init? Chris Smith, Aaron Dallison, Dana Embrose, and Will Scharf have been at it as Keelhaul for over ten years and it shows. This record picks up on the band’s progression as if they were steadily releasing records throughout their six year hiatus. The pace is precise, the instrumentation is masterful and the guitar tones are absolutely appropriate. Look, your old pal Keelhaul knows what he’s doing and he has no clue what a Williamsburg is, so he feels no need to overcompensate by adding strings, vibes, horns, boners (well maybe boners), harps and/or electric flutes… to his compositions… which is a damn good breath of fresh air if you ask us.”

mp3: KEELHAUL – Lampshade (via Brooklyn Vegan)

- That’s right electric flutes, you’ve been warned! I reviewed their last album Subject to Change Without Notice here.

• ALL TIME LOW – Nothing Personal
• POISON THE WELL – The Tropic Rot
• SUICIDE SILENCE – No Time to Bleed
• THE DONNAS – Greatest Hits

- Has any other punk band ever had a vocalist sound this close to Dexter of THE OFFSPRING?!? I just can’t get that out of my head…

I put together this brief playlist last night for my commute today and I gotta admit, I think it’s a pretty damn good one…

• 1. TRIAL – War By Other Means
• 2. BOYSETSFIRE – (Compassion) As Skull Fragments on the Wall
• 3. REIGN SUPREME – I Stand Defiant
• 4. BANE – Scared
• 5. SICK OF IT ALL – Injustice System
• 6. STRIFE – Blistered
• 7. TERROR – Keep Your Mouth Shut
• 8. THIS IS HELL -Broken Teeth
• 9. HATEBREED – Divine Judgment

From the inbox:

YOUTH BRIGADE will be supporting the upcoming release of the BYO Records 25th Anniversary Boxed set with shows on the East Coast. Touring with them will be Minneapolis’ own, OFF WITH THEIR HEADS. The two bands share key interests that include a penchant for punk rock with more hooks than a fisherman’s tackle box and a love for each other’s bands! A third band will be joining them starting the September 17 date and will be announced in the coming weeks.

The full-length documentary Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records will screen in select cities in conjunction with these tour dates. More details on the release and movie screenings to come. This is only one leg in Youth Brigade’s planned touring which will extend into winter of ’09.

[More after the jump]

Slow-churn metal band HANDS have posted another new song to their MySpace page. The tune is titled “Of the Flesh” and is from their upcoming Facedown Records debut Creator.

1. A WILHELM SCREAM sign to Paper and Plastick Records. Quick, act surprised.

It has been six years since REACH THE SKY called it quits, but the band’s impression left on hardcore has hardly been forgotten. With a series of shows played in 2009, including an appearance at the Burning Fight celebration in Chicago last month, and a local headlining appearance last night with regional buddies A LOSS FOR WORDS, CRUEL HAND, NO TRIGGER (and Philly all-stars REIGN SUPREME), the band once again is rising in conscience. Website Future-Breed.com recently caught up with frontman Ian Larrabee to get word on all of the band’s current happenings and what the future might hold. Check out the interview here, and photos from last night’s show here.

- Still one of my favorite bands of all-time. So Far From Home is a knockout in every which way.