EP1 is the debut release from Absolute Melt, the latest project from former Murderburgers frontman Fraser. The EP was written, recorded and mixed by Fraser mostly at home, with additional recording done at Tonegarden Studios in Edinburgh, Scotland. Proceeds from the physical release (a limited lathe cut 10″ record) raised over £600 for Scottish Women’s Aid!
Cold Years are a UK rock band established in Aberdeen, Scotland. Emerging in late 2014 from a personal project of frontman Ross Gordon, the current lineup of the band is completed by Finlay Urquhart, Louis Craighead and Jimmy Taylor.
The Real McKenzies are celebrating thirty years as a band with a brand new album, Songs of the Highlands, Songs of the Sea (Fat Wreck Chords). The album itself was preceded by the release of the single “Leave Her Johnny”, a traditional 19th-century sea shanty that has been performed by many folk acts over the […]
The Real McKenzies are celebrating thirty years as a band with a brand new album, Songs of the Highlands, Songs of the Sea (Fat Wreck Chords). The album itself was preceded by the release of the single “Leave Her Johnny”, a traditional 19th-century sea shanty that has been performed by many folk acts over the years, and a fitting example of what the album has in store.
Songs of the Highlands, Songs of the Sea is an album of 12 traditional shanties and folk tunes; the title really gives it away in that some are songs of the Scottish Highlands, and others are songs of sea fairing and the sailor’s life.
Time-honoured Scottish drums and bagpipes open the album, with distorted guitars soon joining in, setting out the classic Real McKenzies sound of Gaelic punk rock with a strong traditional folk feel. Foot stomping, fist pumping, hey! shouting, “Scotland the Brave” is one of the unofficial national anthems of Scotland and is as good an opener as you’d expect. I know if I were Paul McKenzie I would open every live show like this!
“A Red, Red Rose”, a poem by the famed Robert Burns, is one of several songs on this album penned by the legendary lyricist and voice of the true Scotsman; “Ye Jacobites By Name” and the stomping “My Heart is in the Highlands” are also penned by his hand. The expected Real McKenzies sound continues on through “The Green Hills of Tyrol” and the lead single “Leave Her Johnny” and “My Heart’s in the Highlands”.
These songs are legendary for a reason and were written to be performed. I can well imagine a live show, unexpectedly finding myself in the pit, singing my heart out for Scotland in much the same way I sing for Ireland with the Dropkick Murphys. It is important that these folk songs remain as folk songs; that is, songs for the people, to be performed by and for the people, interpreted as needed for the time and audience. While nationalism and pride in your home are often negative traits, these songs remind us that we can be proud without it being at the expense of others.
At this point, the album takes a step down for me. We’re halfway through, I’m fired up, I’m ready to rock and next we have “Sloop John B” performed with acoustic guitar. It’s perfectly good, but I don’t see what it offers above or beyond every other version (Beach Boys excepted). There’s nothing wrong with it, and perhaps those with more polished taste will appreciate the darker feel than the Californian Pop version, but I keep waiting for the electric guitars to kick in with a big fast chorus in the style of so many 90s punk covers. Maybe it would sit better, grouped with other slower songs?
“Drunken Sailor”, picks up where it should be going for me: fast, mean, the way a shanty should be delivered, with the pounding drums and distorted guitars, and shouted lyrics and the cold sea wind rattling the windows, fogged with the breath of a crowd of drunk sailors.
“The Bonnie Ship The Diamond” takes a more traditional folky sound, which is to be expected for the band, but isn’t really to my taste. The Real McKenzies have always felt more like a folk band that listen to punk rather than a punk band that listen to folk, and in that is the uniqueness of their sound. I fear I lean more toward the punk than the folk, so perhaps it is lost on me.
“Dead Mans Chest” caught me out, opening with the riff of “American Jesus” by Bad Religion, complete with pick slide into the first verse. It’s an interesting take on both songs, but the familiarity of the Bad Religion classic takes away from the familiar “yo hoho and a bottle of rum” lyrics for me. I honestly wondered if they had chucked in a Bad Religion cover, and although it is a classic in this scene, it’s not what most would consider a traditional anthem!
“Swansea Town” is sung by Brenna Red from the Last Gang, and it takes the song in a similar direction to “The Bonnie Ship The Diamond”, with winsome melodies and a feeling of sadness that carries the words through the song.
Closing track “Blow the Man Down” is another traditional shanty sounds like it was a lot of fun to record, but I’m not sure where its place on this album really is. Much as with “Sloop John B”, it is a faithful performance, but it doesn’t feel like the Real McKenzies have really made it their own in any way, and in part that sums up this album. In places it is a Real McKenzies album that just happens to be traditional songs rather than originals, but in part it is also the Real McKenzies playing some traditional songs in a traditional way. I am almost certain these songs would be incredible live, and since they are on tour in Europe from January 2023, I shall make the effort to get out and see them and confirm my suspicions!
Scottish pop-punks Wrong Life released their new self-titled album today, and Dying Scene is stoked to bring you the exclusive premiere of the music video for “Living in the Key of Hope”. Here’s what frontman Fraser had to say about the video, which you can watch below: “‘Living in the Key of Hope’ is the […]
Scottish pop-punks Wrong Life released their new self-titled album today, and Dying Scene is stoked to bring you the exclusive premiere of the music video for “Living in the Key of Hope”. Here’s what frontman Fraser had to say about the video, which you can watch below:
“‘Living in the Key of Hope’ is the last song on the new self-titled Wrong Life album, which is out today. I didn’t feel comfortable miming along to the words of the song, and getting someone else to do it has been done a million times already, so the next logical step seemed to be getting my oldest friend to dress up as a mime artist for the first time in his life and do all of the heavy lifting.
Massive thanks to Brian the Mime, Josh, Simon and The Banshee Labyrinth in Edinburgh for turning my poorly thought-out idea into something unexpectedly heartwarming and definitely a lot better than it would’ve been otherwise.”
Fraser has fronted a lot of great punk bands (The Murderburgers, FUCK! (It’s Pronounced SHIT!), etc.), and Wrong Life is no exception. You can find their new album on all major streaming platforms. Physical copies are available in the UK from Brassneck Records (vinyl) and Limited Fun Records (CD). My fellow Americans can buy the LP from Rad Girlfriend Records, or if cassettes are your thing, our friends at Cat’s Claw Records have you covered.
Photo credit: Capacitor Photography
Once again, it’s time for a festival, and once again, it’s time for us to see some music and think about it. This time, we are heading to Copenhell – Denmark’s biggest Rock and Metal festival, but after this year – I would call it Denmark’s biggest alternative festival. Copenhell takes place a weekend in […]
Once again, it’s time for a festival, and once again, it’s time for us to see some music and think about it. This time, we are heading to Copenhell – Denmark’s biggest Rock and Metal festival, but after this year – I would call it Denmark’s biggest alternative festival.
Copenhell takes place a weekend in June every year, and people from all over the world come and celebrate music. This year, Dying Scene found their feet on the ground, and it’s nice being home for stuff like this. Because as we know, I live in Denmark, but up north, and I have a special relationship with the festival, but I don’t wear any rose-tinted glasses when I’m here.
This year is special, tho, because it’s my first year as our EU/UK coordinator, and that means I have a team of three other amazing people. Peter Kirkeskov Rasmussen, Philip Onyx, and Sabina Hvass will give you some impressions of the festival and explain why we hope one of you, dear readers, will come along on the ride next year.
In Regards to Underoath
The first band of my day. Maybe not everyone else’s, but Underoath made their return for the first time since 2017. And I honestly can’t say I was disappointed one bit. While Underoath is a highly energetic band, sometimes the energy can take over and become a slight hiccup for vocalist Spencer Chamberlain, who was making sure that everyone in the audience was moving. But didn’t have the microphone with him for a few songs, which wasn’t his fault. I’m looking at you, sound techs. But after that minor hiccup, Chamberlain came back strong, while Aaron Gillespie continues to prove that he knows how to drum and supply the clean vocals flawlessly. I mean, come on, he wasn’t breaking a sweat. And it did help that they varied set list, considering that it was a festival. I have zero complaints about it. Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing a full concert with them.
Did you say prog?
Before they were announced to play at Copenhell, I have to be upfront and say I had never heard of Dvne before. But seeing they were from a prog-rock band from Scotland, I needed to check them out. So, walking towards Gehenna, which, in my opinion, will always be one of the best stages Copenhell has. The sound on that stage USUALLY doesn’t fail, but for Dvne’s instance, today was the day that it decided to play some games. Dvne will hopefully find their way back… Maybe sooner rather than later.
Who the fuck is Empire State Bastard?
Empire State Bastard is a band that consists of Simon Neil from the rock/post-hardcore band Biffy Clyro, Mike Vennart from Oceansize, and Dave Lombardo, the former Slayer drummer. It was an odd experience. First, I’ll say that the stage, Hades, was too big for them. They would have been better suited on Gehenna or Pandæmonium. But it was as it was. Now, I enjoyed their debut album, but it somehow got lost in translation because, for at least the first four songs they performed, they sounded a bit horrible. But after that, it did clean up a bit. I’m not going to dismiss this band after this performance because it was a first-time experience.
The Offspring, still got it?
I may be the wrong person to ask this. Wednesday was only my second time seeing them, but I can happily say that it was the best performance I’ve seen from the band itself. The energy that they all displayed. They were in sync. From the moment that they all came out on stage, I felt the audience was very much ready to sing along to their all-time favorites. I was prepared to get proven different from that horrible set at Slam Dunk last year, which left me utterly shattered.
But kicking off with “Come Out and Play”, I knew from that moment that I was not getting a moment’s rest. But then again, I am such a fan girl that I was with friends in the pit. From that song, until they played their cover of “Blitzkrieg Bop”, people were not standing still. They even gave us an encore; no way in hell would they be allowed to leave the country if they hadn’t played “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” and “Self-esteem”. Dexter has been sounding amazing lately, and the rest of the band is just absolutely on fire. Noodles was even impressed that he hadn’t fucked anything up yet.
But jokes aside, this is a serious review. The Offspring are more than they have ever been, sound-wise, and they managed to put together the dream setlist. Is there a new one in there? Yeah, but that’s so fine. That gave us time to catch our breaths after partying in the pit. And I could see that the pit wasn’t the only one having a giant party; the hill was as well. They had the audience’s full attention, and we were hanging onto every word. The banter that Noodles comes with is funny; he continues to be one of the funniest people in music.” We broke the world record for attendance here”, likely they did. Likely he was taking the piss; who knows. But if you weren’t at The Offspring, that’s fine, but you missed out on the most insane concert ever.
Gosh, if I could see The Offspring once a year, I’d be happy.
From womb to Pandæmonium, Dying Fetus is here
It’s been 11 years since Dying Fetus played Copenhell, and somehow I found my way to Pandæmonium to check them out since my friends told me about how good their live shows are. Normally I’m not into death metal, and we don’t review it on Dying Scene. But I felt I had to say some words about their show.
Taking their steps onto Pandæmonium to the sweet song “The Boys Are Back in town”. Dying Fetus had no time to mess around, decending into fast riffs, and mean growls, it’s easy to fall into the mood of moshing. Even though I stood way back. There’s no beating around the bush with Dying Fetus. They are a class act, with some fast drumming, dirty growls and zero fucks to give.
If you’re into Death Metal, I suggest you check out a show when the band is near you.
Standout Set: Let’s welcome St. Digue to the stage.
Suppose you’re into electronic, mixed with a vocalist that reminds you of nothing less than a perfect vocal mix of Robert Smith, Siouxsie Sioux, and Ian Curtis. In that case, you need St. Digue in your life. I didn’t even know how much I needed it until I saw it last night. I admit that I can be lazy on the Danish music front, but let’s say I’ll work on it for the rest of 2024.The audience was there, alive, having the time of their lives, but it was the first day of Copenhell, and we had all been drinking, even though it was late. But all honestly, I haven’t had such a good time for a bit—just the moment to switch off and enjoy the music. Gosh, I finally understood why people around had been encouraging me to go to a show. Now I can’t wait to go more, and more.
That concludes the first day and only the beginning of our coverage of Copenhell.
Deanna Belos’ nom de plume et scène is Sincere Engineer, but sincere is also a great way to describe the human behind the guitar and voice. I recently did a photo shoot with the multi-hyphenate Midwesterner (singer, songwriter, guitar player and fun provider) as we rode Chicago’s Red and Green Lines, and took over parts […]
Deanna Belos’ nom de plume et scène is Sincere Engineer, but sincere is also a great way to describe the human behind the guitar and voice.
I recently did a photo shoot with the multi-hyphenate Midwesterner (singer, songwriter, guitar player and fun provider) as we rode Chicago’s Red and Green Lines, and took over parts of some CTA train platforms post-Riot Fest. This happened just days before Sincere Engineer embarked on a European tour. We later followed up with an interview in which she describes, among other things, the experience of being on stage, her creative process, and fun. That last word serves as a sort of mission statement for the Chicago native.
Deanna Belos starting playing the guitar at age 12. Her foray into music was due to the work of those who stood out to her when she was just a kid. She tells me,
“The bands I watched while I was growing up inspired me a lot.”
Belos soon discovered her favorite band, the Lawrence Arms, by way of Alkaline Trio, which she also loves. Belos is proudly from the Windy City and this is reflected through her affection for the hometown punk scene and the musicians borne out of it. So many of those who inspired her have become good friends, including the lead singers of the aforementioned bands.
The year 2022 saw Sincere Engineer promoted to one of the Riot Fest main stages. She looks as comfortable on it as she does on smaller stages in smaller venues. Her band, composed of guitarist Kyle Geib, bass player Nick Arvanitis, and Adam Beck on drums, also seems right at home on the expansive stage.
I asked her how conscious she is of the crowd and her surroundings as she performs. Belos tells me,
“I’m usually amped by the time we get on stage. But leading up to it I’m always nervous and pacing.”
Her strategy for relieving that case of nervousness?
“I always try to look at the crowd and make sure everyone’s having fun…” adding, “but I always try to look straight ahead and focus on playing.”
There was no doubt the Riot Fest crowd was having fun as evidenced by how many partook in a Corndog Circle Pit [Video by Pray AFK]. This particular circle pit was an homage to the opening track, “Corn Dog Sonnet No. 7” off of Sincere Engineer’s debut album Rhombithian. Belos joyfully relates her reaction when she noticed it happening,
“I was able to see it from the stage, yes! It was super cool. I almost teared up at it. A fan started a Facebook event to coordinate the corn dog pit and it kinda took off from there.”
“Corn Dog Sonnet No. 7” is an infectious tune but it also showcases her signature “Raw, Lonely Punk.” I am not quoting Belos there but rather a certain late legendary, comedian whose visage is inked on her leg.
It was in 2017, after Belos replied to a user called @braverygravy “Lol, maybe @NormMacDonald will listen to it.” The one-time Saturday Night Live cast member and comedy icon tweeted back: “I have. What’s not to love. Raw, Lonely Punk.”
To this day, Belos uses a screenshot of that interaction as her Facebook cover image.
It’s not hard to see why her songs and especially “Corn Dog Sonnet No. 7” hits so many, famous or not, in the heart so strongly, and somewhat painfully:
“What am I supposed to do now?
What am I supposed to do now?
When you’re still not around
And you’re all I think about“
When it comes to writing songs, it’s a melding of creative methods which works best for Belos.
“I continually write lyrics just in a document, but typically I’ll play guitar and just riff til something comes to me. If nothing comes to me I’ll use some previously written lyrics and try to puzzle them together to make a song.”
Belos’ humor is often in the form of self-deprecation, and she seems about as humble as any musician I’ve met. When pressed to list some of the qualities which help make her a great musician, this is about as boastful as she gets:
“I think I can write a relatable song and that helps!“
As to other parts of the life of a working professional musician, Belos returns to the same three-letter word so important to her.
“Favorite [part] is watching people have fun at our shows.”
With every favorite of that life, there are challenges as well.
“Hardest…touring probably. It’s fun and rewarding but it’s a hard endurance test haha.”
When it comes to Chicago venues at the top of her list, she has two.
“Metro is my favorite venue to play in Chicago! And Empty Bottle is my favorite to see a show at.”
Belos is grateful for the experiences she has had as Sincere Engineer.
“We have been so fortunate to get to play with some of our favorite bands. Playing Metro with Alkaline Trio was surreal. Riot Fest too. Hometown shows are always the most fun.”
But she is also keenly aware that not all shows are equally great. She maintains a pretty positive outlook even after such shows.
“I try not to beat myself up too much about it, but make sure to try harder next time.”
Belos, asked which musicians inspire her, returns again to two of her long-time faves with whom she is now friends.
“Brendan Kelly [Lawrence Arms, The Falcon] for his songwriting and stage banter. Matt Skiba for his song writing and being cool.”
While it seems, from her current success and increasing stardom as Sincere Engineer, that it must have been a foregone conclusion Belos would become a professional musician. However, she once considered going into the medical field. “Overbite” from Rhombithian describes how she disabused herself of that notion.
“I wanna give up
I wanna give up
I don’t wanna try no more
I wanna stop all these pathetic attempts and saving this shipwreck
Swim right out the door
Before it sinks with a fraction of what’s left of my dignity
I swept so many failed tests under carpets
Deep down I knew this is not what I wanted (not what I wanted)”
Sincere Engineer’s fan base is growing exponentially and no doubt many members of it are glad Belos abandoned attempts to place the initials D.D.S. after her name.
There is one part her life Belos did felt harder to abandon.
Per Belos,
“I was an animal care technician for laboratory animals. It was a tough decision and I’m still getting used to it. It still makes me nervous!”
Returning to the subject of the tour from which Sincere Engineer just returned, Belos happily indicates, it was a success and tells me
“The tour went really well! It was super fun to visit and play in a bunch of new places.”
Belos continues,
“It started in Ireland and ended in Germany. There were stops in England, Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria along the way.”
Such a whirlwind tour left little time for anything more than playing a set at one venue and traveling to the next city or town to perform there. She informs me,
“We did get a little time to sightsee. Not a ton. We went to the Guinness Factory in Ireland, saw the Berlin Wall stuff in Germany. The rest was mostly just doing stuff around the venues we played at.”
On this particular tour, someone especially close to Belos’ heart stepped in to help her out when one of the band members sadly had to stay back in the States. Per Belos,
“My drummer Adam [Beck] couldn’t do the tour because of work. It was nice having Jeremy [Hansen, her long-time boyfriend] there and made me feel less homesick, and he’s such a great drummer and it was an honor to play with him. He played in the band Tricky Dick in the ’90’s.”
Belos was not the only member of the band thankful Hansen could help out. Kyle Geib describes him this way,
“Jeremy was such a great candidate to step in on the European tour! We all love Jeremy.”
For Hansen, it was a blast as well. He tells me,
“It was lovely! Lots of fun. Shows were good. Hangs were good. Got to do some sightseeing. Doing it together was special.”
That’s the thing about Sincere Engineer. While it may be described as a solo project, Belos’ love and admiration for her friends, who double as her band members, is obvious, as is their love for her. This all adds up to…you guessed it…fun.
Belos now has a little breathing room to just kick back and relax at home. After an exciting and seemingly exhausting year, hopefully Belos will be able to enjoy the holidays with family and friends. Once 2023 hits though, she will be back onstage. First up, headlining at Bottom Lounge on January 14. Belos reports there are a couple of other events already inked on her 2023 calendar.
“And we’re doing Slam Dunk in the UK again and SBAM festival in Austria next May/June!”
Should be fun.
In what little time off from Sincere Engineer-related activities, Deanna Belos lists her favorite activities as “Bike riding, kayaking, plants.”
Please see below for images from my recent photoshoot with Deanna Belos, on September 23, 2022, and from her set at Riot Fest on September 16, 2022 in Chicago IL.
Main photo by Will Byington Stiff Little Fingers (SLF) is embarking on its final coast-to-coast U.S. tour. The tour also celebrates the 45th anniversary of the band’s seminal debut album, Inflammable Material. I caught up with SLF’s founder and frontman, Jake Burns, in advance of the tour’s commencement. Jake Burns founded Stiff Little Fingers in […]
Main photo by Will Byington
Stiff Little Fingers (SLF) is embarking on its final coast-to-coast U.S. tour. The tour also celebrates the 45th anniversary of the band’s seminal debut album, Inflammable Material. I caught up with SLF’s founder and frontman, Jake Burns, in advance of the tour’s commencement.
Jake Burns founded Stiff Little Fingers in his hometown of Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1977. Burns grew up during the “The Troubles,” as the sectarian civil war raging in Northern Ireland was known. Inflammable Material, which included amongst its classic songs, “Alternative Ulster” and “Suspect Device,” addressed the political turmoil and violence all around it, and brought them to the attention of music fans, and others, worldwide. It is still considered one of the greatest and most important punk albums ever made.
As stated on the band’s site, “Along with The Clash, Sex Pistols, The Damned, Buzzcocks, they were there at the start of the punk rock movement and are still recording and touring today.“
Burns, and his wife Shirley Sexton, moved to West Virginia a few years back from Chicago, where they resided for almost two decades. Burns and bandmates, Ali McMordie; Steve Grantley; and Ian McCallum, kick off their US tour on May 1st, 2024, starting on the East Coast and heading west.
Mer Gold: Please tell us about the inspiration for the title of the tour and the latest track from the band. I understand it is inspired by the “Hate Has No Home Here” campaign in Chicago.
Jake Burns: Yes, that’s correct. That local campaign had such a powerful title that I wanted to share it with people outside of Chicago. I felt it applied not just to a neighborhood or a city but, in fact, to life. So, I broadened the scope of the idea in the lyric to be pretty much all-encompassing.
This is SLF’s last US coast-to-coast tour, how did you decide the time was right to make it the final one?
To be fair, my knees pretty much made the decision for me! LOL. Seriously, though, we are all getting older and SLF have always prided ourselves on a pretty high bar when it comes to live performance. So, I decided I wanted to scale back the amount of touring we undertake to try and keep that bar as high as possible. I’ve seen a number of bands move into their 60’s and try to play as often as they did in their 20’s. In a lot of cases, they simply can’t pull it off and “ease up on the gas” a bit. Understandable, but I didn’t want to do that.
Photo by Michael Steff
What are you looking forward to most on this tour? What can your fans look forward to?
Playing a lot of towns that I know I’ll probably never see again. Most of the places we’re playing have incredibly fond memories for me and I’m looking forward to seeing them one more time. Also, they now contain friends I’m hoping to catch up with, even briefly, especially in Chicago. The tour set will be much the same as the recent one in the U.K., which means we’re putting in a couple of songs we rarely, if ever, play, as well as most of the old favorites.
Will you miss touring coast to coast?
I’ll miss the people, but not the travel. That’s one of the main reasons for scaling back. But, we’ll still do the occasional festival if we get asked. They usually involve a few shows around the main date, so it’s almost certainly not the last time we’ll play over here, but it will be the last “long scale” trip.
Last year, you and your wife Shirley, moved from Chicago to a rural area in West Virginia. How did that decision come about for you both?
Well, without banging on about my age all the time as I don’t “feel” that old(!), but 65 seemed like a good time to look at slowing things down in all aspects of my life. Take a bit of time to “smell the roses”, if you know what I mean. Both Shirley and I have always lived in large-ish cities, Washington DC and Chicago in her case, Belfast, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Chicago in mine. So, I fancied living in a small town before I shuffle off this mortal coil. I looked at a lot of small towns, not just here in the U.S. but also back in Ireland and Scotland and we decided on this little one in West Virginia. Shirley has family in the State, so we’d been coming out this way for Thanksgiving etc for many years and knew we loved the area.
Is country life what you expected? I’ve seen some of the photos you have shared elsewhere, which are beautiful.
It’s fantastic. Everything we could have hoped for. We’re still finding new stuff after almost a year here. It’s such a change of pace to come from Chicago to a small town with around 3,500 residents. You know you’re not in a major city anymore when the main story on the local news is a runaway cow blocking the main intersection in town!
Photo by Will Byington
You are married to an American from the DC punk scene, and became a US citizen partially to vote against Trump. What is your reaction to his continued support? And in general, the support for those worldwide whose own autocracy flourishes?
I find it incredibly saddening. From the selfishly wealthy who can never see beyond their bank accounts when it comes to elections to those who have been duped into buying the scapegoat nonsense that his campaign relies upon, it’s all very dispiriting that this is where humanity is in the 21st century. That an obvious charlatan and snake oil salesman such as Trump can deceive and delude so many people, so easily it would seem, is heartbreaking. I refuse to believe that all of his “fanbase” are rabid racists, although a proportion undoubtedly are. I think that we have all been fed such a diet of mis-information over the past few years that it’s very difficult for some people to see the wood for the trees. And, the consequences of that are truly terrifying.
You are well known to be a supporter of Newcastle United FC of the English Premier League. How do you think your Club will finish out the season? Dying Scene readers will recall that you have noted your love for the NUFC in our World Cup special. Have you found a “Newcastle Pub,” in your new stomping grounds?.
A: No pub here, I’m afraid. I did buy the biggest television I could find and install it in the basement so I can watch the games. Newcastle have had a frustrating season to say the least. Hampered by an unbelievable injury list and also by over-achieving last year, I always felt we were a year ahead of schedule. As I said, the injuries haven’t helped, nor has Sandro Tonali’s ban. If they manage to get into any sort of European competition, that will constitute a decent season at this point.
Photo by Michael Steff
Stiff Little Fingers kicks off its final US Coast to Coast tour on May 1, 2024, at the Paradise in Boston, MA. Ricky Warwick, from Belfast, Northern Ireland. It ends (as solo headliner) at Observatory in Santa Ana, CA on May 26, 2024.
Dying Scene will be on hand for the Chicago stop at The Metro on May 10, 2024.
SLF will also be one of the headliners at Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas on May 27, 2024. In August they play Rebellion Fest in Blackpool, England; followed by dates in Cork and Dublin in Ireland; and Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Photo by Craig O’Connell
Whether you are longtime fans of the band or are just discovering the punk legends, whether you have seen them live or have yet to do so, make sure to catch them on the road while you still can.
Thanks Jake! Cheers!
Former Murderburgers frontman Fraser Murderburger’s new band Wrong Life have announced a new self-titled LP. It’s being co-released by Rad Girlfriend and Brassneck Records on February 10th. Check out the first single “Internal Bleeding” below and pre-order the record here (US) or here (UK). If you’re new to Wrong Life, check out their last release Early Workings […]
Former Murderburgers frontman Fraser Murderburger’s new band Wrong Life have announced a new self-titled LP. It’s being co-released by Rad Girlfriend and Brassneck Records on February 10th.
Check out the first single “Internal Bleeding” below and pre-order the record here (US) or here (UK).
If you’re new to Wrong Life, check out their last release Early Workings of An Idea. It’s a compilation LP featuring songs from the band’s first two EPs and a few bonus tracks.
Tracklist:
A1 Dreaming In the Key Of Violence
A2 Stay Awake
A3 The Quartermile
A4 Asymmetrical
A5 All Dressed Up To Go To Sleep
A6 Quiet While The Sickness Speaks
B1 Itchy Gums
B2 Death To The Encore
B3 No Part Harmony
B4 Internal Bleeding
B5 Living In the key Of Hope
Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly* column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. Kick off your shoes, pull up a chair, crack open a cold […]
Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly* column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. Kick off your shoes, pull up a chair, crack open a cold one, and break out those wallets, because it’s go time and this week’s Record Radar is fucking yuuuuuuge. Let’s get into it!
Check out the video edition of this week’s Record Radar, presented by our friends at Punk Rock Radar:
AFI’s Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes has been out of print since 2015, but it seems there’s a new unofficial pressing, potentially on yellow colored vinyl, making the rounds. I’ve seen this pop up at Death13ss Records a few times in the past week and it sells out really quick every time. If you’re chasing this record as hard as I’ve been, your best bet is to Favorite the product page on their Shopify store to be alerted if/when more copies are in stock.
How about some officially sanctioned releases? Kourtney Kardashian’s husband’s old band The Aquabats’ first three records are getting some snazzy colored vinyl reissues. Coming to a record store near you on May 24th, it’s The Return of The Aquabats! (on wax for the first time), The Fury of The Aquabats! (previously out of print for 6 years) & The Aquabats Vs. The Floating Eye of Death! (also on vinyl for the first time ever). You can pre-order all three records here.
St. Louis’ Wes Hoffman & Friends are releasing their new album How It Should Be this coming Friday, February 23rd. Jump Start Records has two sweet color variants as well as black wax on their webstore, while Canada’s Wrecking Crew Records has an exclusive coke bottle clear variant (their store seems to be down but I guess you can message them on Instagram to buy a copy if you want that variant). Check out the latest single below! Highly recommended listening for fans of newer MxPx.
Here’s something cool! Washington, DC label For Love of Records is putting out a yuge Dischord Records tribute compilation featuring local bands covering songs by Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Jawbox, etc. Head over to their Bandcamp where you can listen to the whole thing and pre-order the 2xLP titled DC Does Dischord on some really awesome looking color variants.
Bracket’s 1994 debut album Forestville St 924 is being reissued by SBAM Records in honor of its 30th birthday. There are two color variants – blue marbled & white marbled – supposedly limited to 50 copies each, which I feel like has to be a typo considering these have been up for pre-order for over a week and haven’t sold out. Either that or this is the least in-demand reissue of a record that’s been out of print for 30 years. Anyway, get your copy here!
After giving their new single “Still” one listen, German melodic punk band For Heads Down went from being a band I’d inexplicably never heard of, to a band with one of my most anticipated records of 2024. The band’s self titled album is due out on April 19th, with Thousand Islands Records handling the US release and Disconnect Disconnect Records spreading it throughout Europe. Check out that single below and buy this record!!!
British ska-punks Call Me Malcolm have a new album called Echoes and Ghosts coming out on March 1st via Bad Time Records. Check out the latest single below and get the record here on a color variant that is equally as beautiful as its name is long: Electric Blue w/ Bone & Red Splatter. The band has another variant with a slightly less impressive character count (Electric Blue / Red color-in-color) available on their webstore as well. Members of the Bad Time Record Club will be receiving their own exclusive variant via snail mail next month, too.
Face to Face gave the very polarizing Ignorance is Bliss its first-ever vinyl release a few years ago (now that I think of it 2019 was actually 5 years ago, is that a few?). That was a 2xLP release and I remember it selling out fast as fuck. Anyway, now they’re reissuing the record for its 25th Anniversary and it’s a 4×10″ release this time. There are 3 color variants – Graphite, Cyan Blue & Doublemint – with 1,000 copies total. The price? 60 fuckin’ smackers. I’ll pass, but maybe you want it: send your money here.
Green Day’s Kerplunk is back in print for the first time in a long time. For some reason this record hasn’t gotten a repress since 2014 and I don’t mean to alarm any of you but that was a fuckin’ decade ago. Sheesh. Anyway, Kerplunk’s back on the menu! 1-2-3-4 Go! Records seems to be the place where this is most readily available online, but I’ve seen a few rekkid stores posting that copies have started to trickle in, so maybe your local store has it? Perchance.
If you like the Flatliners or mid-period Millencolin, you should check out Scotland’s Cold Years! They’ve got a new record called A Different Life coming out on April 26th. Check out the lead single “Roll With It” below and go here to pre-order the record on Half Black, Half Blood Red with White Splatter colored vinyl (say that 10 times fast!).
Fat Music for Fat People turns 30 in the year of our lord 2024, so naturally it’s time for a repress. This has been out of print (on colored vinyl at least) since 2012, so Fat’s US store sold out of the standalone LP pretty much immediately. They do have some Colored LP + Shirt bundles left, however (as well as black wax), and you can still get it on colored vinyl from their Australian webstore.
After whetting our whistles with a 20th anniversary compilation album last year, Belgian punks the Priceduifkes have announced a new album with new songs! Dancing Dirty comes out on March 15th on Striped Records, who you can purchase the record from here if you’re in Europe, or you like paying a lot to ship records to the US. If you don’t like paying a lot to ship records to the US, you’re in luck! Our friends at Mom’s Basement Records are selling this record, in the US! Also be sure to add that awesome new Odorants record to your cart before checking out.
Have you heard about the new Hot Water Music album? No? Well, let me tell you about the new Hot Water Music album. It’s called Vows and it’s due out May 10th on Equal Vision Records. There’s a bunch of color variants for this one, some of which have already sold out. You can find links to all the places you can purchase them with your preferred fiat currency here.
A bunch of dudes from Voodoo Glow Skulls (who, fun fact, I recently learned have blocked Dying Scene on all their social media accounts lmao), Death By Stereo and a few other bands have a new band called Mutiny. Their debut EP is being released by Ska Punk International as a 12” with a 30 page manga for the weebs. The first pressing is limited to 300 copies and that shit sold the fuck out. Maybe there’ll be a second pressing? I have no clue. Stay tuned!
Asbestos Records is releasing a split 7” from The Homeless Gospel Choir and Dissidente, both covering Dead Milkmen songs. There are three different splatter variants, each of which looks sick as hell and is limited to 250 copies. Get it here.
As if The Offspring didn’t already have enough Greatest Hits album, here’s another one! Puck Punks: Powerplay Hits was released as part of the Anaheim Ducks’ Come Out and Play Night with The Offspring!. It’s limited to 1,000 copies on orange vinyl and features “Want You Bad”, “All I Want”, and a few shitty songs from Let The Bad Times Roll. Surprisingly, “Come Out and Play” is omitted from the tracklist. People are trying to sell this piece of shit for $100+ on discogs, but you can get it from the Anaheim Ducks Team Store for the somewhat more justifiable price of $34.95.
The full release list for the 2024 our third favorite retail holiday Record Store Day was just announced. I gotta say, the lineup is actually pretty impressive this time around, and there’s quite a few releases on tap for the punk rock-centric collector. The full list can be found here, but these are the ones I think you guys will be interested in picking up:
Speaking of the Offspring, here’s another Offspring record! You can’t buy this one right now though, you gotta wait til Record Store Day (April 20th, 2024 for those who are unaware). It’s a 20th Anniversary reissue of Splinter, limited to 2,500 copies on… wait for it! Picture disc. For some reason. This record’s a bitch to come by though, so I’ll probably pay $35 for it or whatever the fuck they wanna hawk this shit for.
It wouldn’t be Record Store Day without the Ramones estate repackaging previously released material for the 20th time to top up their bank accounts. But hey, I’m not complaining, I eat this shit up every time! RSD 2024 blesses us with The 1975 Sire Demos, which is exactly what it sounds like: a bunch of early Ramones demos. Limited*** to 13,500 copies (lol) on ultra-clear w/ black splatter vinyl. In the extremely unlikely case that Mickey Leigh or Linda Ramone happen to be reading this, I beg you, please reissue the following: Acid Eaters, Mondo Bizarro, Adios Amigos, Loco Live & We’re Outta Here!. Maybe you can do a 90’s box set? And then double dip with some standalone color variants for each. Hire me for your marketing department! I’ve no shortage of million dollar ideas.
Speaking of double dipping with standalone color variants, look no further than this RSD Exclusive reissue of Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros’ Rock Art and the X-Ray Style. Following last year’s Mescaleros full discography box set (still available for $140 on Amazon btw) is the standalone reissue of this record. I think they did the same with Streetcore, too. Anyway, I guess if you just want this record this is a good value proposition for you. It’s a 2xLP limited to 1,800 copies on pink wax.
The Dead Milkmen’s 1987 album Bucky Fellini has never gotten a repress, until now that is. The record has been remastered and is being reissued as a 2xLP on “Ducky Yellow” colored vinyl, packaged in a snazzy gatefold jacket. The official RSD site says this limited to 4,500 copies… but also says it’s limited to 5,000 copies. You decide what you want to believe.
Frank Turner’s got a new record called Undefeated coming out in May, but he’s also got a 7” featuring a song from that record – “Girl from the Record Shop” – coming out a few weeks early for Record Store Day. This 7” is limited to 2,000 copies and is also gonna include a B-Side called “All Night Crew”.
Here’s a real fuckin’ big time reissue. Unwritten Law’s debut album Blue Room is getting released on vinyl for the first time ever, 30 years after its original release. It’s limited to 939 copies on navy blue colored vinyl and is branded as a “RSD First” Release, which leaves the door open for other variants down the line (and I’m sure there will be many). I’m pretty excited for this one and it’s probably going to be enough motivation to line up early outside the local store.
I feel like I’ve heard the name The Didjits before (it sounds familiar anyway) but I’d never listened to these guys until now. This shit’s bad ass! They’ve got a Double LP called Strictly Dynamite: The Best of Didjits coming out on Record Store Day. It’s limited to 1,500 copies on 180g green vinyl and includes a bunch of rare bonus tracks and shit (all of which would have been new to me regardless since I’d never heard of the Didjits lol). Editor’s note: Actually I take that back, the Offspring covered “Killboy Powerhead”, so I guess I’ve kinda sorta heard at least one Didjits song before.
The last Record Store Day 2024 release I’ll be featuring in this week’s Record Radar is 40 Years of Kepi & The Groovie Ghoulies, which is doing double duty as a greatest hits collection for both the Groovie Ghoulies and their fearless frontman-turned-solo artist Kepi Ghoulie. It’s a Double LP set with an orange record and a purple one, limited to 900 copies. Hey Kepi, Let’s Go! to the record store and buy this bad ass record!
Wrapping things up, I thought I’d do something a little different on this week’s Record Radar: featuring a CD release! Yes, you read that right, compact disc. Those are pretty fucking cool, too. Especially when they’re released by an awesome band from your hometown that you didn’t know existed until your friend in New York told you about them. Clearwater, Florida’s Toe Knife kicks ass. Their new EP Endless Cycle kicks ass. It’d be pretty kick ass if you checked it out and bought the CD (or maybe just buy the digital download if you don’t share my affection for shiny little plastic discs).
Well, that’s all, folks. Another Record Radar in the books. As always, thank you for tuning in. If there’s anything we missed (highly likely), or if you want to let everyone know about a new/upcoming vinyl release you’re excited about, leave us a comment below, or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram, and we’ll look into it. Enjoy your weekend, and don’t blow too much money on spinny discs (or do, I’m not your father). See ya next time!
Wanna catch up on all of our Record Radar posts? Click here and you’ll be taken to a page with all the past entries in the column. Magic!
Greetings, fellow degenerates! Welcome to the latest installment of the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is a weekly column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl. In addition to new releases and reissues, this week we’ll also be highlighting some Black Friday sales […]
Greetings, fellow degenerates! Welcome to the latest installment of the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is a weekly column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl. In addition to new releases and reissues, this week we’ll also be highlighting some Black Friday sales on vinyl records that may interest you. So kick off your shoes, pull up a chair, crack open a cold one, and break out those wallets, because it’s go time. Let’s get into it!
British punks Grade 2 have a new self-titled album on the way. The record produced by Rancid‘s Tim Amstrong is due out in February 2023 on Hellcat Records. Check out their new single “Under the Streetlight” below, and go here for links to where all the different color variants of the LP can be purchased.
If you read our latest Ten Underrated Punk Bands That Should Be On Your Radar column, you know who SACK is. If you didn’t read it (fuck you, why didn’t you read it? I worked really hard on that!) SACK is fronted by Kody Templeman (Teenage Bottlerocket, Lillingtons, etc.). Their new record Ripper! was released on CD earlier this year, and is now finally available on vinyl thanks to the friendly people at Red Scare. Pre-order this beast here.
Also from Red Scare (in case you missed our story about it earlier this week): A first-time vinyl release of Sludgeworth‘s Losers of the Year. For those who aren’t in the know, this was a short lived project of Screeching Weasel‘s Dan Vapid that also featured his SW bandmate Brian Vermin on drums. This album was originally released on CD in 1995 through Lookout! Records, and old school pop-punk aficionados have been clamoring for a vinyl reissue for a long time. The wait is over! Head over to Red Scare’s webstore to grab your copy.
Punk supergroup Fake Names (ft. members of Bad Religion, Refused, Fugazi, etc.) have announced their new album Expendables will be released on March 3rd, 2023 through Epitaph Records. Check out the first single “Delete Myself” below, and pre-order the record here (yellow vinyl, US) or here (“black & white galaxy” vinyl, EU).
Today marks the release of Celtic punk veterans The Real McKenzies new covers album Songs of the Highlands, Songs of the Sea. Fat Wreck Chords is sold out of colored vinyl, but you can still get it on black wax from their webstore. For those outside of the states, the record is available here (CA), here (EU), and here (AUS).
And because you can never have enough Fat Wreck Chords in your life, here’s another new release from Fat! NOFX frontman Fat Mike has teamed up with Get Dead‘s Sam King on a new project called Codefendants. Check out the band’s new single below and order their 10″ split with Get Dead from Fat Wreck’s webstore.
A few Record Radars ago, we let you that the Transplants‘ self-titled debut album was getting a 20th Anniversary reissue. Well, those sold out really fucking quick so Hellcat Records has announced some additional, retailer-exclusive color variants. 1-2-3-4! Go Records and Smartpunk each have their own unique variants here in the US, and Banquet Records has an EU exclusive “cool blue” color variant.
Pirates Press Records is reissuing all seven Cock Sparrer LPs in honor of the band’s 50th Anniversary. You can get them individually for 20 bucks each, or as a set for $125 (that’s a savings of 15 dollars, folks!). No pretty colors here, just good ol’ black wax.
Just in time for the holiday season, Chris Farren‘s Like a Gift from God or Whatever is back in print on neon green colored vinyl. Head over to Asian Man Records‘ webstore and get a piece of this yuletide wax 🎄
Fraser from the Murderburgers is a busy guy! In addition to his current band Wrong Life (featured in Dying Scene’s Ten Underrated Punk Bands You Need To Check Out Right Now column) he has now announced another project called Absolute Melt. Check out the single “2am (The Face Changes Shape)” below, and go here to pre-order their upcoming 10″ EP. All profits from physical and digital sales will go to Scottish Women’s Aid, who help women, children and young people in Scotland affected by domestic abuse.
The first Black Friday sale we’ll be highlighting comes to us from the purveyors of pop-punk at Mom’s Basement Records. For one day only, everything on their webstore (including that awesome distro section with The Windowsill‘s album that I just gave a 5-Star review 😉) will be 30% off! Stay tuned to the label’s social profiles for more info. This is the sale of the year as far as I’m concerned.
Merchbar’s entire store is perpetually “on sale”, but their Black Friday Preview sale sees stuff marked down a bit more than usual. The sale has already started, and considering it ends in three days, I assume they’ll be having a proper BF sale later in the week. If you’re just looking for punk records and don’t want to waste precious time searching, you can find most of them here. Some highlights include the Ramones‘ Rocket to Russia ($17.99), NOFX‘s Pump Up the Valuum ($15.99), and Operation Ivy‘s Energy ($15.99).
If you’re looking for some gifts for the rude boy (or girl) in your life, Jump Up Records has you covered. They’re not having a sale per se, but they do have some awesome new shit on their webstore for Black Friday, including brand new reissues of some 90’s Moon Ska LPs, alongside a bunch of 7″s, CDs, and cassettes. Happy skalidays! 🎅
Everyone’s favorite indie record store Walmart is having a sale of their own. All vinyl records are $15 in-store at all Walmart locations (exclusives are discounted on their website as well). I’ve seen plenty of pearl-clutching going on about this sale, but I don’t give a fuck 😊 There are some good deals to be had here. I got The Clash‘s 3xLP Combat Rock + The People’s Hall for $15. There were a ton of WM’s new exclusive pressings of Green Day‘s American Idiot and International Superhits at my local store as well. There’s an ample supply of soundtracks and Luke Combs records, too, if you’re into that kinda thing. Sale ends Sunday, November 20th.
And of course, Wally World’s red competitor Tarshay has a sale, too. Starting Sunday, November 20th, all records (and movies, CDs, misc. other media) will be Buy 2, Get 1 Free. Is that cheaper than Walmart? I don’t know, I’m too lazy to do that math (probably not though). This sale will be online and in store, and there’s no limit on how many records you can buy. So if you really want all 375 copies of the new Adele album your local Target has in stock, load up that god damn cart!
Last but not least, we have Record Store Day Black Friday. Again, not much in the way of deals here, but there are some exclusive releases that may interest you. In addition to the 10th Anniversary reissue of Masked Intruder‘s debut LP we highlighted last week, you may also be interested in Goldfinger‘s Hello Destiny (reissued in honor of its 15th Anniversary), and a new Joe Strummer live acoustic album Live at Music Millennium. The only place you can (potentially) get these and all the other RSBF releases is your local record store on Black Friday (November 25th).
And that’s all, folks! Another Record Radar in the books. As always, thank you for tuning in. If there’s anything we missed (highly likely), or if you want to let everyone know about a new/upcoming vinyl release you’re excited about, leave us a comment below (or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram), and we’ll look into it. Enjoy your weekend, and don’t blow too much money on spinny discs. Please note: the Record Radar will be closed next week in observance of Thanksgiving. Have a safe and happy holiday, friends!
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