NOFX frontman Fat Mike and Get Dead singer Sam King’s genre-bending crossover project Codefendants has released another single off their upcoming album This is Crimewave. “Fast Ones” (ft. legendary rapper The D.O.C.) is the final entry in a five-part series of music videos. Check it out below and pre-order the record here. This is Crimewave is due out March 24th on Fat […]
NOFX frontman Fat Mike and Get Dead singer Sam King’s genre-bending crossover project Codefendants has released another single off their upcoming album This is Crimewave. “Fast Ones” (ft. legendary rapper The D.O.C.) is the final entry in a five-part series of music videos. Check it out below and pre-order the record here.
This is Crimewave is due out March 24th on Fat Wreck Chords imprint Bottles To The Ground. In addition to The D.O.C., other guests on the album include Stacey Dee of Bad Cop / Bad Cop, Seattle rapper Onry Ozzborn, and King’s Get Dead bandmates.
In case you haven’t already heard, AFI‘s major label debut Sing the Sorrow turns 20 this year. Yes, 20 years have passed since 2003! In addition to playing the album in its entirety at the Forum in Los Angeles, the band is releasing a 20th Anniversary colored vinyl reissue. This is the first official pressing […]
In case you haven’t already heard, AFI‘s major label debut Sing the Sorrow turns 20 this year. Yes, 20 years have passed since 2003!
In addition to playing the album in its entirety at the Forum in Los Angeles, the band is releasing a 20th Anniversary colored vinyl reissue. This is the first official pressing since the record’s initial release.
You can get the 20th Anniversary 2xLP reissue of Sing the Sorrow on Red & Black Pinwheel Splatter colored vinyl here (and basically any independent record store in the US).
There’s also a Red w/ Black Smoke color variant that was initially thought to be limited to 2,000 copies and exclusive to that show at the Forum, but it’s since popped up on the official AFI webstore. I’m sure that’ll make all those eBay flippers nice and pissed.
For a weekly rundown of all things punk rock vinyl, check out the Dying Scene Record Radar every weekend!
Canadian melodic punks Brutal Youth have announced Rebuilding Year, their first new album in seven years. It’s due out April 21st on Stomp Records. Check out the music video for the album’s lead single “Moonstones” below and pre-order the record here. Rebuilding Year follows 2016’s Sanguine. The 14-song album will be Brutal Youth’s fourth full-length […]
Canadian melodic punks Brutal Youth have announced Rebuilding Year, their first new album in seven years. It’s due out April 21st on Stomp Records.
Check out the music video for the album’s lead single “Moonstones” below and pre-order the record here.
Rebuilding Year follows 2016’s Sanguine. The 14-song album will be Brutal Youth’s fourth full-length release.
Good Friend, everyone’s favorite Northern Irish punk rock trio, have got a super fun video for your viewing enjoyment and your friends here at Dying Scene are fired up to share it with you. The video is for the track “Tell Me Ma,” a Northern Irish classic which if you’re like me, you have committed […]
Good Friend, everyone’s favorite Northern Irish punk rock trio, have got a super fun video for your viewing enjoyment and your friends here at Dying Scene are fired up to share it with you.
The video is for the track “Tell Me Ma,” a Northern Irish classic which if you’re like me, you have committed to memory from your Nana’s old Dubliners and Clancy Brothers tapes. The lads have given it a fresh spin, just in time to pregame for your St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Here’s what guitar player and two-time Super Bowl winning coach* Andy Reid had to say: “Anyone could have covered this song, to be honest. I fucking hate it, but if anyone is gonna butcher this tune it might as well be us!“
“Tell Me Ma” appears as part of a two-song digital single, being released by our comrades at Red Scare Industries. It’s due out this Friday (March 10th). Here’s where you can buy your very own copy. Here’s what ye olde label had to say:
We like to rib Good Friend about being from Ireland, but the truth is we love them for it. Well, now the joke is on Red Scare, because they’ve turned the tables and given us a couple Celtic punk songs to release in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Fans of The Pogues and Flogging Molly will enjoy this pair of rollicking ditties… Sláinte!
The Pink Spiders are back!! The Nashville quartet are the latest and greatest actor to join the ranks over at Pure Noise Entertainment. The first release to come from that partnership is “Gold Confetti,” a brand-new single that’s chock full of power-pop goodness. You can buy/save it at all the usual spots, or check out […]
The Nashville quartet are the latest and greatest actor to join the ranks over at Pure Noise Entertainment. The first release to come from that partnership is “Gold Confetti,” a brand-new single that’s chock full of power-pop goodness. You can buy/save it at all the usual spots, or check out the official video below…and stay tuned or more new music to come!
Shooting the show at Liar’s Club on January 28th posed another first for me in my Dying Scene adventure. I had no prior familiarity with any of the bands this time. The night was going to be a total surprise, what was I getting myself into? Why was James boneless? Who was throbbing the robot’s […]
Shooting the show at Liar’s Club on January 28th posed another first for me in my Dying Scene adventure. I had no prior familiarity with any of the bands this time. The night was going to be a total surprise, what was I getting myself into? Why was James boneless? Who was throbbing the robot’s heart? What was Nora marked with? Or did Nora do the marking? And what would I do if all the bands sucked? Well, thankfully I didn’t have to answer that last one because none of the bands sucked. It was a fun show I was lucky to cover.
First up, to start the night off right, was James the Boneless! There’s quite a backstory for James here. He went through a prolonged period of IV drug abuse, partially disintegrating his freaking bones. Yes his bones, yikes! Thankfully James cleaned up, but that accomplishment brought about another challenge. How could James get back into playing guitar? Well, it would appear he strapped on his sweet Dean Cadillac guitar and taught himself to play it sort of like a slide guitar, baring all the strings. He grips them from the top side of the neck with his forefinger. Although it gives him a way to play, his condition still brings notable pain to the performance, but James pushes through and puts on a great show. The band plays a breed of bluesy soul music with driving rock parts mixed in. The large lineup of the band generated a full and diverse sound. Besides the band’s usual bass, drum, and sax accompaniment, a synth, trumpet, and additional saxophone were added to the mix for the evening. James said he brought the extra musicians out because it was their debut show at his favorite Chicago venue. Beyond filling the stage with a full sound, I quite appreciated the contrast between the relaxed parts of songs and how they transitioned into energetic rock hooks.You can catch Jame’s the Boneless at Beer Can’d Fest on April 29th, at the Reopening of the Exit Fest (TBA), and at One City Tap on May 19th.
James was followed by the talented Robot Heart Throb. Described as genre fluid, Robot Heart Throb brought gentle R&B style passages that could morph all the way into heavy rock parts with some hip hop influence sprinkled throughout. At least that’s what I picked up. It was eclectic to say the least and I’m sure there were more influences at play. I’m hard pressed to think of any bands with a similar sonic footprint, making them a truly unique act to witness. The majority of their set consisted of drums, bass, keyboard, and lead vocals. However, the band’s fluidity also spread to their multi-instrumentalist approach to songs. Over the course of the night, the keyboardist took over the bass while the bassist picked up a guitar. On another song the keyboardist sang lead vocals, allowing the frontman to show off his own guitar chops. Besides playing guitar, he brought a saxophone to the mix, and even flute on one song! How often do you see a flute on stage somewhere like Liar’s Club? I’m saying not often, prove me wrong. The mix of arrangements brought all kinds of different vibes to their set. Be sure to check out Robot Heart Throb at their Schubas debut, an EP release show, on April 7th.
Nora Marks closed out the evening, bringing a more traditional lineup and a sound more akin to what I’m used to on stage at Lair’s. They have a fairly standard four piece rock lineup, with 2 guitars, bass, and drums. Their vocal parts fill out nicely with rhythm guitar belting out the lead vocals, backed up by both the lead guitar player and the bass player. Their lineup presented solid, solid rock grooves to the stage. I would say their sound was somewhat laid back but came with plenty of driving parts too. All in all the songs had a feel good vibe you don’t always get these days. The drummer and bass player laid a tight foundation holding everything together. The lead guitar player churned out chimey melodies with her Telecaster that complemented the crunchy power chords of the rhythm player’s Firefly single-cut nicely. Things didn’t stay too mellow though. Towards the end of the set the lead vocalist left his guitar behind and took his microphone for a field trip into the audience. He let loose a great amount of energy and got the crowd even more worked up. It was a powerful end to the evening for sure.Nora Marks will be playing in Chicago on April 2nd as part of the Mic1park Midwest Magic Tour, don’t miss it!
Once more, this was a fun show, a pleasure to hear and a pleasure to shoot! Great performances all around by very talented musicians! Big thanks to Meredith for inviting me to shoot the show. The bands may have all been surprises to me,but it was no surprise to enjoy another excellent show at Liar’s. See the full gallery below!
Hello, and welcome to the February, 2023 edition of Dylan’s Favorite Punk Albums, EPs & Things! This is the column where I, Dylan (otherwise known as Screeching Bottlerocket), tell you what new punk rock albums, EPs, singles, etc. I enjoyed the most this month. I’m happy to announce that starting this month, this will be […]
Hello, and welcome to the February, 2023 edition of Dylan’s Favorite Punk Albums, EPs & Things! This is the column where I, Dylan (otherwise known as Screeching Bottlerocket), tell you what new punk rock albums, EPs, singles, etc. I enjoyed the most this month. I’m happy to announce that starting this month, this will be a collaborative effort with our friends at Punk Rock Radar. If you like discovering awesome new punk bands as much as I do, I highly recommend following them on Instagram and YouTube.
All that’s changing (aside from the spiffy new few graphics) is John from Punk Rock Radar and I will be doing a podcast-style video where we’ll talk about all my picks included in the written column, as well as his favorite releases every month. In other words, that means even more awesome new punk rock for all you awesome people to enjoy!
Here’s our video for February (let us know what your favorite releases of the month were in the YouTube comments):
I’m a sucker for a good Ramonescore record, and this debut LP from Sydney, Australia’s Rimmingtons is a really fucking good Ramonescore record. Check out Rocket to Rimtown below and grab it on beautiful colored vinyl here (US) or here (AUS).
I learned a long time ago not to judge a band by its name, folks. Ontario’s Hellaphant is the latest awesome band I discovered thanks to my strict adherence to that rule. If you’re into hooky pop-punk, their new album Crumble and Rise is required listening. Hit ’em up on Bandcamp to get the album on LP, cassette, etc.
I’m a longtime fan of Fraser Murderburger’s work and his latest project Wrong Life is absolutely not an exception. I really enjoyed the band’s first two EPs that culminated in 2022’s Early Workings of an Idea. This new self-titled is another step up when it comes to songwriting and production quality. These are some of the most sincere songs Fraser has ever put out. “The Quartermile” is probably my favorite track, but “Living in the Key of Hope” is a close second since we got to host the exclusive premiere for its music video. Listen below, buy the record here (US) or here (UK) / CD, cassette & digital available here.
Our next stop on this punk rock trip around the globe is Germany, where we are greeted by Empire Me. These guys have been around for a decade, but this is the first time I’m hearing of them. The band brings the heat on their debut full-length I’m Out. This is an excellent melodic punk album; it reminds me a lot of another great band whose name I can’t remember right now. Download it for $5 on Bandcamp.
So I guess Fat Heaven‘s new record isn’t really a “new record”, it’s a compilation album of previously released EP tracks… but there’s four new songs, too! Anyway, I hadn’t heard of these guys before their music video for “Quarter Life Crisis” caught my eye while doom scrolling Instagram at 3am. Trash Life is a great introduction to this super fun Brooklyn pop-punk band. Listen below and get it on colored vinyl here.
WHEN THE WALLS FELL Build Back Better
When The Walls Fell is one of many bands John from Punk Rock Radar introduced me to this month. Perhaps you saw our Band Spotlight on them? Build Back Better is the second full-length album from this “transatlantic punk band” with members in New York and Poole, England. It’s very good! The guitar playing is great (actually, it’s very intimidating to me as a mediocre guitar player). Name your price for this one on Bandcamp.
SCREECHING WEASEL Anthem for a New Tomorrow (30th Anniversary Reissue)
Alright this one probably don’t count, but I don’t give a fuck, I’m counting it. Anthem for a New Tomorrow is my favorite Screeching Weasel album (and one of the greatest pop-punk records of all time in my humble opinion). Mike Kennerty and the gang put a shiny new coat of paint on this beast and, though it may seem sacrilegious, I like it a lot. Check out my review.
I’m letting my Floridian bias show here, but I can’t help it. There’s something about Florida and ska that just works. The songs on Fort Myers ska-punks Bargain Bin Heroes‘ new EP Waiting for so Long are their best yet. If you’re a Less Than Jake enjoyer, you’ll like these guys. They actually just played with LTJ at the Culture Room in Ft. Lauderdale; hopefully everyone showed up early and skanked it up for Bargain Bin Heroes!
It’s awesome when music grabs you right from the get-go. Something about this debut EP from Peterborough, England’s Sprainer just clicked with me. I love it and can’t wait to hear more from these guys (blokes?). Listen below, buy it here.
Mixing skate punk and ska is something you’ve gotta be real fucking good to pull off. Finland’s Strum 101 is real fucking good. Their new EP Trial and Error is excellent and inspired me to go back and check out their back catalog, and you know what? That stuff’s real fucking good, too! Check ’em out, all their shit’s on Bandcamp.
Frenzal Rhomb is coming off two of the best albums in their illustrious career. Does The Cup of Pestilence have what it takes to top those records? Of course it does! How dare you question Frenzal’s excellence. This lead single is killer, I can’t wait to hear more.
Before we leave Australia, let’s take a moment to appreciate this new song from Frenzal Rhomb’s countrymen in Fake News. These guys are a great up-and-coming band that needs to be on your radar if you like skate punk as much as I do. “Rise & Fall” is the second single from their upcoming EP Take Me Away. Check out the music video below and keep an eye out for that EP.
This list needs some more ska, and our Bri’ish friends Faintest Idea are the right band for the job. “Kill Em Dead” is from their long-awaited new album The Road to Sedition, due out March 31st on TNS Records and Jump Start Records. Recommended listening if you’re into harder edged ska-punk like the Suicide Machines.
February saw the release of two new singles from the hottest new band in skate punk: Bridge The Gap. Their highly anticipated debut LP Secret Kombinations was recorded with Bill Stevenson at The Blasting Room. All the singles have been top notch; the hype is deserved. Check out the tracks below and pre-order the record here.
And back to Australia we go! Newcastle’s Long Distance make a very good first impression with their debut single “Left for Dead”. These skate punk (are you sensing a theme here?) newcomers have a bit of a poppy slant that I enjoy. Check ’em out and stay tuned for their second single “What You Want” and eventual debut EP.
OMNIGONE “Against the Rest”
Skate punk and ska: that’s apparently all I fucking listen to. Anyway, here’s another ska song. It’s the first single off Omnigone‘s new album Against the Rest, which is due out March 31st on the ska powerhouse that is Bad Time Records. Two former members of Link 80 are in this East Bay ska-core band, and if you like Link 80 (or Against All Authority, Voodoo Glow Skulls, or any other hardcore-infused ska bands), I can say with full confidence you will like these guys. Music video down there, pre-order over here.
Alright, now that our monthly ska quota has been met, time for some more skate punk! I’ve been pimping this (one man) band out for a few months now and I’m not stopping any time soon. Montreal’s Dead Alright is dropping new singles all the time. The latest one “Parasites” is a great song. Listen to it below and stay tuned for more on their debut album; release date TBA on Thousand Islands Records.
Look, it’s another Canadian skate punk band on Thousand Islands Records! I promise they’re not paying me to heap praise on their bands, that label just puts out really good shit. Debt Cemetary‘s new single is awesome! I think it’s time these guys released an album, eh? Fun fact: the singer from this band makes a guest appearance on that Dead Alright song I just talked about.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s Red Atlanta reminds me a lot of early 2000’s pop-punk but faster and with really cool lead guitar parts. Their new single “Reaching Out” has a kinda Slick Shoes-ish vibe. Check it out and if you like it, go back and listen to the band’s 2019 debut album Unsettled. Also keep an eye out for a next album coming soon.
Brighton, England’s Making Friends are either named after a No Use For A Name album or a Lagwagon song, so that should give you a good idea of what their music sounds like. They just put out a great new single called “Damage Control”. Check out the music video for it below and stay tuned for more on the band’s upcoming album.
In case you didn’t already see it (and actually give a shit), I posted a list of my Top 10 favorite punk albums of all time. It’s hardly a definitive list, most of the shit’s from the 90’s and later. I guess if you want a better idea of the kinda shit I’m into, this is a good way to find out! Check out my list here.
February was a busy month for the Dying Scene Record Radar! The biggest announcement in the world of punk rock vinyl was probably the 25th Anniversary reissue of ALL‘s Mass Nerder. I got my copy (actually I bought two variants because I have no self control), did you? Go here for more info on where to send your money.
Have you checked out the awesome interview Dying Scene’s Jason Stone did with Jason White of Green Day, Pinhead Gunpowder, The Influents & a million other bands??? Stop what you’re doing and check that shit out, it’s awesome! Read the interview here.
That concludes the February installment of the column. Thanks for checking it out! Keep your eyes glued to Dying Scene for all things punk rock and follow our friends Punk Rock Radar on Instagram, YouTube, etc. And be sure to join us again for the March edition; it’s already shaping up to be a killer month for new releases!
Here’s a Spotify playlist with songs from all the releases featured in Dying Scene & Punk Rock Radar’s Best of 2023 series so far:
New Jersey ska-punk veterans Streetlight Manifesto are independently releasing colored vinyl reissues of all their full-length albums, except the re-record Keasbey Nights. Everything Went Numb, Somewhere In The Between, 99 Songs Of Revolution: Volume 1, and The Hands That Thieve are all available on white colored vinyl on the band’s webstore. You can get them […]
New Jersey ska-punk veterans Streetlight Manifesto are independently releasing colored vinyl reissues of all their full-length albums, except the re-record Keasbey Nights. Everything Went Numb, Somewhere In The Between, 99 Songs Of Revolution: Volume 1, and The Hands That Thieve are all available on white colored vinyl on the band’s webstore. You can get them separately, or in a bundle with all four records.
They’ve also repressed Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution’s A Call To Arms EP for the first time in seven years. That’s available here.
You may recall that Streetlight Manifesto went through a very long, public legal battle with Victory Records over the rights to their master recordings. In 2017, the label relented and agreed to sell the masters to the band, enabling them to reissue these records through their own label Pentimento Music Company.
Streetlight last released The Hands That Thieve in 2013. They teased plans for a new album a few years back, promising to “release this behemoth of a record sometime in 2022”. So far nothing has come of that, but we’ll keep you posted if that changes.
For a weekly rundown of all things punk rock vinyl, check out the Dying Scene Record Radar every weekend!
Mighty Mighty Bosstones singer Dicky Barrett has started a new band called The Defiant. Other members include ex-Offspring drummer Pete Parada, longtime Street Dogs bassist Johnny Rioux, original Smash Mouth guitarist Greg Camp, and The Briggs frontman Joey Briggs. They’ve finished recording a 12-song debut album and plan to release it later this year. The […]
Mighty Mighty Bosstones singer Dicky Barrett has started a new band called The Defiant. Other members include ex-Offspring drummer Pete Parada, longtime Street Dogs bassist Johnny Rioux, original Smash Mouth guitarist Greg Camp, and The Briggs frontman Joey Briggs. They’ve finished recording a 12-song debut album and plan to release it later this year. The band also posted teasers for two tracks, “Everybody Loves Me” and “No Nothing”, which you can check out below.
Barrett had the following to say about the new project:
“All I’ve ever really wanted to do is bring people together and share a message of peace, love, and unity. With that in mind, the music created by The Defiant could very well be some of the best I’ve ever had a hand in making, as well as one of the most important and thoughtful musical experiences of my career. I am thrilled to be a part of it.”
This will be Dicky Barrett’s first new music since the Bosstones broke up in early 2022, shortly after the release of their last album When God Was Great. After months of speculation regarding the band’s demise, the singer revealed in a recent interview that the breakup was due in part to his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Pete Parada was fired by The Offspring under similar circumstances.
According to the band’s website, The Defiant plan on touring following their debut album’s release. We’ll keep you posted as we find out more.
The drummer of The Defiant , Peter Parada , plays in Tim Pool’s lame emo incel band. The Defiant claims just to be anti-vax, but they associate with Tim Pool —a racist, homophobic, misogynistic, right-winger. This is everything The Clash sang against (and I’m pretty sure the Street Dogs too?).
And I came with receipts:
I’m sorry there are enough drummers in the world that you don’t have to use one who helps out a dangerous fascist homophobe. I was a fan of the Street Dogs back in the day because I thought they were pro-human, sad to see Johnny Rioux, Joey LaRocca, and Dicky Barrett work creatively with fascist Pete Parada and the guy from Smash Mouth — Joe Strummer is looking down from heaven gagging.
“All over people changing their votes
Along with their overcoats
If Adolf Hitler flew in today
They’d send a limousine anyway”
If you’re looking for some unique punk rock to check out, it doesn’t get much more unique than Oslo, Norway’s Fights. I stumbled upon this Norwegian “boogiecore” (that’s the term they’ve coined to describe their fusing of hardcore and boogie rock) band and their new single “Serenity Now”, and I was instantly hooked. I went […]
If you’re looking for some unique punk rock to check out, it doesn’t get much more unique than Oslo, Norway’s Fights. I stumbled upon this Norwegian “boogiecore” (that’s the term they’ve coined to describe their fusing of hardcore and boogie rock) band and their new single “Serenity Now”, and I was instantly hooked. I went back and listened to the long line of singles they’ve released over the last few years, and they’re all fucking awesome. Their singer’s got a cool scratchy, screaming vocal delivery, the drums are driving and give the songs a real adrenalized feel, and there’s a bunch of fuzz on the guitars and bass. Most of the songs have bad ass guitar solos and other experimental shit going on, too. Overall it really sounds like these guys have their shit figured out and know exactly what kinda sound they’re going for. Check out a few tracks below and find more on Spotify. I think they may have an album in the works, too, so be on the lookout for that.
Hard Pass
The drummer of The Defiant , Peter Parada , plays in Tim Pool’s lame emo incel band. The Defiant claims just to be anti-vax, but they associate with Tim Pool —a racist, homophobic, misogynistic, right-winger. This is everything The Clash sang against (and I’m pretty sure the Street Dogs too?).
And I came with receipts:
Tim Pool being racist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVJOZJkkwOs
Tim Pool being fascist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTg5Zo799N0
Tim Pool being transphobic: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-ex-lawyer-jenna-ellis-colorado-victims-1234636445/
I’m sorry there are enough drummers in the world that you don’t have to use one who helps out a dangerous fascist homophobe. I was a fan of the Street Dogs back in the day because I thought they were pro-human, sad to see Johnny Rioux, Joey LaRocca, and Dicky Barrett work creatively with fascist Pete Parada and the guy from Smash Mouth — Joe Strummer is looking down from heaven gagging.
“All over people changing their votes
Along with their overcoats
If Adolf Hitler flew in today
They’d send a limousine anyway”
-The Clash “White Man in Hammersmith Palais”
A
Find a good psychologist. Or maybe a proctologist.