From the inbox:

BAD BOOKSs, a collaboration between Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra will release their sophomore album II on October 9th. Today Triple Crown and Favorite Gentleman Records launch a physical pre-order for the album in conjunction with the debut of the latest single off the album, “It Never Stops.” This October Bad Books will hit the road for tour dates across the United States.

II was recorded at Favorite Gentlemen Studios in Atlanta, GA and was produced by Devine, Manchester Orchestra’s lead singer Andy Hull, and Bad Books/Manchester Orchestra guitarist Robert McDowell. Rob Schnapf, well known for his work on Elliott Smith’s seminal recordings XO and Either/Or, lent his talent to mixing the album. II expands upon the bands well received self-titled debut, which won praise for the unique “union of opposites” in Hull and Devine’s songwriting explored on NPR’s All Things Considered. Alternative Press were impressed with the dynamic too, writing that “the thing both Hull and Devine are famous for is the ability to write great songs,” going on to say that “when the two styles meet, it’s especially rewarding.”

- Digging this. I felt that the first BAD BOOKS full-length survived only on the strength of 4 or 5 songs, so it didn’t make for a very strong long player. Hopefully the depth heard on this song is a direction of things to come.

• BAND OF HORSES – Mirage
• TITLE FIGHT – Floral Green
• THE WHIGS – Enjoy the Company
• DOWN – The Purple EP
• WE ARE THE OCEAN – Maybe Today, Maybe
• GO RADIO – Close the Distance
• SET IT OFF – Cinematics

- TITLE FIGHT look to establish themselves as post-hardcore/neo-grunge (I can’t believe I’m really writing that…) heavyweights, while BAND OF HORSES appears adds a newfound lightness to their sound (it’s also a bit boring at times). DOWN do their grim/grime/gruff thing, while WE ARE THE OCEAN unleash strong lead vocals on top of the big, booming melodic rock sound, mostly unaffected by a lead vocals line-up change. 

- Brand new song from the band’s just-released fourth full-length. Sugary, bouncy pop-punk…

- Pretty great new song from New York’s PENTIMENTO. The band recently announced signing to Paper + Plastick/Black Numbers for a joint release of their upcoming debut full-length out this November.

From the inbox:

New York Hardcore has an undeniable past, present and future within the ranks of all of the members of The Last Stand. The Brooklyn based band features Mike Scondotto of the long running INHUMAN on vocals, along with Dion De Nardo on bass, Stephen Della Croce on guitar & Jimmy McCormack on drums, all members of the band SHUTDOWN, who spent most of their recording career on Victory Records.

Since the band’s first live show in October of 2010, The Last Stand has been playing all over the Northeast, sharing the stage with the likes of legendary Hardcore bands like Sick Of It All, Madball, Agnostic Front, Murphy’s Law, Youth of Today, Maximum Penalty and Terror – as well as newer Hardcore artists like Wisdom In Chains, Suburban Scum & Trapped Under Ice. In 2011 the band released their debut 7” EP on 1124 Records. In 2012 TLS entered Nova Studios with producer Jerry Farley to record their debut full length The Time Is Now, featuring guest appearances by Lou Koller of Sick of It All, Dave Franklin of Vision & Joseph James of Agnostic Front/Inhuman.

“This band came together for two reasons in 2010 – the first was for the love of Hardcore”, says vocalist Michael Scondotto. “The other was to have fun playing with friends, who are more like an extended family. In the tradition of the many bands that came before us and continue to inspire us, The Last Stand hopes to carry the torch and show the world that New York Hardcore is alive and as vital as ever. We are very happy and excited to be releasing The Time Is Now on Eulogy Recordings, a label we have all admired and respected over the years.”

Look for The Time Is Now to be released worldwide through Eulogy Recordings in January 2013 – 13 tracks of 100 % New York Hardcore!

- EX FRIENDS feature Joel Tannenbaum, bass player for PLOW UNITED. The band has a brand new 7″/digital EP on Paper + Plastick. With this song clocking in only at 81 seconds, it appears that some habits are hard to break…

- Austrian punk/thrash/metal, for fans of MUNICIPAL WASTE, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, and DRI.

- I missed this when it was first posted last month, but as I’ve rocking the new S/T full-length almost non-stop, this song has become one of the album’s clear standouts. Rare does a band lose its ‘look at meeeeeeeeee!!!!’ frontman and replace him with a tougher, rougher sounding presence and come out from the ringer for the better. If there was a better fit for the band than ALEXISONFIRE’s Wade MacNeil, it would take a lot of convincing for me to believe it. Huge victory for Bridge Nine in adding GALLOWS to their roster.