Phoenix, Arizona’s The Word Alive have released a music video for their song “The Wretched,” which you can check it out right here.

The track appears on the band’s most recent album, “Deceiver,” released last August on Fearless Records.

One of the things that is easy to notice in a lot of the punk rock subgenres, whether it’s Emo, Ska, Post-hardcore, Screamo or whatever, is that after awhile all the bands in the middle start to sound the same. Psycho-Billy, or Horror-Billy as it’s sometimes called, is not exempt from this.

The sound has come a long way from its beginnings (as Rockabilly in the 50’s) but over the last decade or so it seems to have stalled. If you search the ‘net or iTunes for Psycho-Billy bands you’ll find hundreds of them, but what you won’t find is a lot of diversity. Sure, there are some unique groups out there: Tiger Army, The Rosedales and the Horrorpops are just a few. But the vast majority of Psycho-Billy bands are near impossible to tell apart. The vocalists are often interchangeable, the lyrics cover the same tired subjects and the music is nothing you haven’t heard before. It often seems like the genre has a few formulas that they stick to and no one wants to expand beyond that comfort zone.

Still, I like the music and every time I hear about a new Psycho-Billy band I try to check them out, hoping to find (A) something new and unique or at least (B) a better version of what’s already out there. ‘Kitty In A Casket‘ is band that does a little bit of both. They don’t reinvent the wheel or anything like that: easy vocal comparisons can be drawn to other female-fronted groups such as The Creepshow and The Spookshow but what sets them apart are the songs they produce. Their lyrics are not exclusively about horror movie themes, and Kitty In A Casket show a much broader range of musical influence than most bands of their kind. Sure, the overall sound on this disc is Psycho-Billy but it doesn’t end there. The songs “Never Wanted” and “Run, Run” have a rock-n-roll sound to them. “Trash Talkers” and the title track, “Back To Thrill,” lean towards punk rock with a little bit of a hair metal thrown in the mix and “Prom Song” starts out sounding similar to “Is She Really Going Out With Him” by Joe Jackson or “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield and continues that mid-eighties pop rock vibe for the rest of the song. The mixing of genres makes this band stand out and adds some nice depth to the overall sound.

Here are some of my personal favorites on the disc:

The previously mentioned “Never Wanted”, a song with a great pounding bass line, and vocalist Kitty manages to sound both sweet and angry at the same time;

-“Shake Your Bones”, a fast paced Psycho-Billy duet about touring. The two singers, Kitty and Rene D la Muerte (from the band The Brains) sound great together and the stand-up bass is right up front on this one.

-“Headshot” is another really cool one. This song has more of a rock-n-roll sound and has a great bouncy chorus.

I also wanted to mention the song “Blutsauger,” as it’s one of the more interesting tracks on here. The song has a very spooky feel to it, especially the beginning. The song is sung in German, and there are times on this song that Kitty’s voice reminds me of Siouxsie Sioux (from Siouxsie and the Banshees).

Overall I was pretty impressed by Kitty In A Casket. I had never heard of them before doing this review but when I searched for more info on the band I learned that they have another CD and an EP that are also available. I plan on picking them both up soon. This review will show up as 3 stars but 3.5 is how I actually would rate it. Recommended to all fans of the Psycho-Billy genre, especially those who like the female fronted bands or want something that is just a little outside of the norm.

Hardcore-punk act Brutal Youth are streaming 2 new demos (“Glass Houses” and “Living With Ghosts”) on their bandcamp page.  The band recently announced that they will be releasing a 10″ split with Montreal band Tightrope so it’s likely the tracks will appear on that release.

Brutal Youth’s first album is available for free here.

Tightrope have their self-titled album available here.

California punk legends Pennywise have announced that they’re going to Europe this July and August for a run of festival shows. They will also play three shows in England. All the dates and locations can be found here.

The tour comes in anticipation of their long-awaited new record. Not only will it be their first release since 2008’s “Reason to Believe,” but it will also be their first with Ignite’s Zoli Teglas as the replacement of original singer Jim Lindberg, who quit the band nearly two years ago and now fronts The Black Pacific. It’s also going to be their first release on their longtime home Epitaph Records since 2005’s “The Fuse.” A summer/fall release date is expected.

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Dutch pop-punk act Cooper have premiered a music video for their song “Mr. Me” and you can check it out right here.

According to Kung Fu Records the band’s new album was released today but if it was, it didn’t come out in the US.  This band is harder to find information on than Jimmy Hoffa’s killer.

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Raw Cut Media have posted an awesome video of Strung Out performing the song, “Everyday.” The video was taken from the band’s recent stop in Montreal with Face To Face. You can check out the video here.

“Everyday” can be found on Strung Out’s EP, “The Element of Sonic Defiance,” which was released in 2000. The band last released “Agents of the Underground” in 2009 via Fat Wreck Chords. The band plan to release a retrospective album, entitled “Top Contenders: The Best of Strung Out” on July 19th.

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Alternative Press have posted their recent interview with Thrice frontman Dustin Kensrue. Kensrue discusses the band’s recently completed but currently unnamed seventh studio album, motivation, and what fans can expect from the album. You can read the interview here.

Thrice last released “Beggars” in 2009 via Vagrant Records.

Richmond punk rockers The Riot Before announced that they are parting ways with drummer Freddy Clarke and bassist Cory Manning. Frontman Brett Adams claims that the split is a friendly one, and posted this statement about the split:

The decisions were made about a month ago, both independently and amicably. There was a no big fight or incident that led to them choosing to leave, rather the culprit was exhaustion. The truth of being in The Riot Before, and I’m sure this is the same for a whole host of other small touring acts out there, is that you can either be in the band or have a life. It’s almost entirely one or the other. The jobs you work when home, the hours you work those jobs, the places you live, the tenuous relationships you hang onto, they all are governed by your involvement in this band. And about a month ago, Freddy and Cory decided it was time to focus on the rest of their lives. It’s a decision that I don’t at all fault them for making.

The Riot Before released “Rebellion” last year via Paper + Plastick Records.

Maryland rock outfit Every Avenue have announced a whole bunch of new details about their upcoming full-length, “Bad Habits.” You can check out the album cover over on the left, and the album’s tracklisting here. “Bad Habits” is due out on August 2nd on Fearless Records.

Every Avenue last released “Picture perfect” in 2009, also through Fearless Records.

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Indianapolis punk outfit Sloppy Seconds have posted some (long-awaited) US tour dates on their MySpace page. You can check out the tour dates here.

While most of the dates are set, July 25th’s Atlanta show is still up in the air. The band clarify any confusion by stating: “TELL THOSE FUCKERS AT THE MASQUE AND THE DRUNKEN UNICORN THAT YOU WANT SLOPPY SECONDS ON JULY 25!” So there you go, Atlanta.

Sloppy Seconds last released “Endless Bummer” in 2008 on Kid Tested Records.

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