Massachusetts blog Where It Ends has a new interview posted with FOUR YEAR STRONG vocalist/guitarist Dan O’Connor with the subject primarily on the band’s upcoming full-length Enemy of the Year. Although the piece is somewhat short on details, O’Connor notably credits the band’s increased focus on songwriting as the result of going through the songs on their 90s hits cover album Explains It All (which also explains the odd THIRD EYE BLIND thread which seems to run straight though the band’s suddenly refined take on pop-punk/melodic hardcore). Enemy of the Year hits stores on March 9th.

COUNTERPUNCH is a melodic hardcore band from Chicago that compares readily with regional legends 88 FINGERS LOUIE, and west coast melodicore veterans NO USE FOR A NAME. The band released a full-length in Europe and Japan several years back and a new one has supposedly been released in Japan titled Heroes and Ghosts. Four songs from the new outing are streaming on the band’s MySpace page.

- I have no idea how much of a commitment these guys make of touring, but it would be cool if a label like Fat took a chance on a 90s-style throwback like this. The band’s debut is available on CD from Interpunk.

108 frontman Robert Fish has joined forces with well-known Northwest hardcore mainstay Aaron Edge (HIMSA, IAMTHETHORN) for a new project titled ESHAS. The group has gone the simple route in describing their sound simply as “loud.” Take a listen to their debut tune, “Your Empty Dying Days,” which is streaming on their Facebook page.

From the inbox:

Richmond, Virginia’s blackened riff destroyers INTER ARMA have posted a new track from their forthcoming Sundown LP on Forcefield Records/Mirror Universe Records. The tune is available on their MySpace page.

INTER ARMA will be hitting the road to support the album throughout the spring & summer, with the following dates confirmed thus far:

• 03/06/10 – Washington, DC @ Corpse Fortress – w/ Braveyoung (fka Giant), Ilsa, Bodycop
• 03/07/10 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Kopec’s – w/ Skinless Boneless, Classic Static, Who Goes There
• 03/08/10 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class – w/ Gomorrahizer
• 03/09/10 – Columbus, OH @ 15th House
• 03/10/10 – Fort Wayne, IN @ 1624 N. Harrison St. – w/ Nak’ay
• 03/11/10 – Chicago, IL – TBA
• 03/12/10 – Dayton, OH @ 214 House – w/ Hex Noir
• 03/13/10 – Columbus, OH – day off chillin @ Scion Rock Fest
• 03/14/10 – Knoxville, TN @ The Poison Lawn – w/ Khann, Argentinum Astrum, Bucket Flush
• 04/02/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Where? House – w/ Infernal Stronghold, Battlemaster, Bastard Sapling
• 04/03/10 – Boston, MA @ Unit 11 – w/ Ramming Speed, Battlemaster, Bastard Sapling, Powerstance
• 04/04/10 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Charleston – w/ Castevet, Battlemaster, Bastard Sapling

- There’s a venue in DC named Corpse Fortress?!?

If you were mapping out ALKALINE TRIO’s discography, there would be a proportional relationship between the running time of a full-length and the farther out the band has stretched its sound from its punk rock base. After Crimson, ALKALINE TRIO started moving back down the mountain. Both Agony & Irony, and This Addiction are tidy, [...]

From the inbox:

You can get 2 Free CDs of your choice just for following Deep Elm on Twitter! But act fast because we are quickly running out of our allotted CDs…

• If you have a Twitter account, follow @deepelm.com (or go to www.twitter.com/deepelm)
• If you don’t have an account, get one… it will take 2 minutes
• After you start following, go to this page: www.deepelm.com/follower/ and Select your 2 Free CDs!
• Free CDs include THE APPLESEED CAST “Lost Songs” plus 11 other to choose from
• You must be following us on Twitter to get the CDs as your Twitter User Name is required

Follow Us: http://www.twitter.com/deepelm/

- It should be noted that there is a small shipping charge required, but I think this is a great deal nonetheless. Bands included are SMALL ARMS DEALER, APPLESEED CAST, RIDE YOUR BIKE, DARTZ, SOUNDS LIKE VIOLENCE, and TRACK A TIGER, plus several excellent Deep Elm compilations.

Everything you need to know about STRIFE, musically, in a tidy 147 seconds.

Panic Records is streaming Demo Sessions, a three song new EP from THE EFFORT. The 7″ is up for now up for pre-order. The songs were recorded in December 2009, and it is a prelude to the band’s upcoming full-length Wartime Citizens, which is expected from Panic sometime this summer.