While I have had spurts of listening to the Minutemen, fIREHOSE, and some random tracks he has put out, Mike Watt’s music output was never a priority for me, but when a punk rock legend plays a small venue ten minutes from your house, you take the gamble and drag your son with you. The […]
While I have had spurts of listening to the Minutemen, fIREHOSE, and some random tracks he has put out, Mike Watt’s music output was never a priority for me, but when a punk rock legend plays a small venue ten minutes from your house, you take the gamble and drag your son with you.
The Charleston, located in Downtown Fullerton, is a relatively new venue primarily used for weddings and parties. The venue has a kind of 1930s Prohibition-type theme, complete with a member-only club. Seating is limited, with a cushioned bench against the walls and four-person tables placed every few feet. Getting there as doors were opening, it seemed like the crowd was here specifically for the opening bands, Jettee and ALEXSUCKS. I could tell the Mike Watt fans as they were either dads with their kids, wore flannel, or both.
The first band, Jettee, is a five-piece from San Diego, California, led by Jett Foreman, son of Switchfoot bass player, Tim Foreman. The acoustics were not great for their jangly and sometimes synthy indie rock, but they sounded okay nonetheless. It was a very emotional set of songs that were clearly written from a personal place which included songs about surfing and growing up on the road with his father’s band filtered through a songwriter on his own journey of touring and making music. Showing their influences on their sleeves, they played three covers “As It Was” (Harry Styles), “Drive My Car” (The Beatles), and “Kids” (MGMT), and closed their set with Jett singing a few verses from a few other favorite artists before the band came back together and joined him to close out their last song.
The next band was ALEXSUCKS from Los Angeles. This set was much more aggressive than Jettee’s and brought a different type of energy. While Jettee was reflective, ALEXSUCKS was dancey. Their instruments were mixed much better than Jettee’s. One thing I would say about the newer kids starting indie bands is that they don’t pigeonhole themselves into one type of song. Lead singer Alex Alvarez did a fantastic job leading the crowd through a set that jumped through a lot of genres, but all in that indie rock bubble which made for an interesting set. ALEXSUCKS sounded like a cross between Tokyo Police Club and the Strokes with a smidge of Juliana Theory and Fidlar. I’m not sure if this is an effect of kids being raised on playlists and not latching on to full albums, but if this is the effect, it’s probably not a bad thing.
Mike Watt was recently on a segment featuring old Los Angeles punk rockers in a focus group on John Mulaney’s Everybody’s in LA. So, it wasn’t too shocking to see him using his cane or sitting during his set, but those hands can still play bass. Backed by Tom Watson (Slovenly and Red Krayola) on guitar and Raul Morales (FYP) the band played a jazz and surf-tinged punk set, starting with a couple of covers, The Stooges’ “Fun House” and Roky Erikson’s “Sweet Honey Pie”.
The rest of the frantic set was a mix of Mike Watt’s extensive discography of solo and Minutemen songs, along with selections from Tom Watson’s bands. Hearing Minutemen songs like “The Glory of Man” and “The Tin Roof” had me kicking myself that I had never made it out to hear Mike Watt perform before this. The highlight of the night’s set would be “Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing” from 1984’s Double Nickel on the Dime. While a good portion of the set was Minutemen songs, fIREHOSE songs were strangely absent from the set. At the end, Mike Watt was very generous with his time and took pictures with anyone who walked up on stage and asked him. One could argue that he deserved more than the ten dollar cover charge, but if there is one thing that’s for damn sure, Mike Watt still jams econo.
Houston pop-punk quartet The Lockdowns will be releasing their debut album Can’t Catch A Break this fall on Mom’s Basement Records. We’re thrilled to be kicking off the fun with this exclusive premiere of the album’s lead single “Heartbreak Radio”, a tried and true old school pop-punk track sure to be enjoyed by fans of […]
Houston pop-punk quartet The Lockdowns will be releasing their debut album Can’t Catch A Break this fall on Mom’s Basement Records. We’re thrilled to be kicking off the fun with this exclusive premiere of the album’s lead single “Heartbreak Radio”, a tried and true old school pop-punk track sure to be enjoyed by fans of the Queers, the Lillingtons, and of course the almighty Ramones. Press play and turn it up loud!
Follow the Lockdowns on Facebook and Instagram for details on upcoming shows and all that fun stuff, and stay tuned to Dying Scene for more to come from their debut album Can’t Catch A Break.
This premiere is brought to you in part by Punk Rock Radar. If you’d like your band’s music video to be premiered by Dying Scene and Punk Rock Radar, go here and follow these instructions. You’ll be on your way to previously unimagined levels of fame and fortune in no time!
Sunday is usually a day for rest, reflection, recovery, reconnaissance and recharging. For most of us “adult-minded” people that may be true, but also a day to clean house, buy groceries, meal prep, take care of laundry, spend time with family, and most importantly NOT think about going back to work on Monday. This particular […]
Sunday is usually a day for rest, reflection, recovery, reconnaissance and recharging. For most of us “adult-minded” people that may be true, but also a day to clean house, buy groceries, meal prep, take care of laundry, spend time with family, and most importantly NOT think about going back to work on Monday.
This particular Sunday, June 9, I decided to throw a curveball into the typical routine and take a trip to Chicago to attend a White Sox game during the afternoon and see the band Strung Out for the very first time live at Reggie’s in the evening. That’s right folks, I pulled a double header of sorts and I can tell you it was absolutely worth it.
Accompanied by opening acts Ignite and Mercy Music, the show at Reggie’s in Chicago was the fourth stop on the tour for Strung Out. As I mentioned this was my first time seeing these punk rock legends rock a stage and I couldn’t be more excited. I also got to meet Meredith Goldberg, our very own Dying Scene Photographer and Contributor and witness her excellent camera wizardry. Meredith provided all of the awesome photos you are about to see.
The level of energy brought by all three bands – Mercy Music, Ignite and Strung Out – had the crowd of mostly thirty to forty-somethings moving the entire evening. A sign of my own age, as I felt sore the following morning. Punk ROCK! Eat your Wheaties and hydrate my friends.
Las Vegas’ pop-punkers Mercy Music started the show in Chicago on June 9. Prior to this show, I did not know much about this band other than they have been gaining traction amongst the scene. After watching their energy-fueled set, I can understand why. The trio bounced around on stage and played some very catchy tunes that garnered praise from the crowd. The singer was very engaging and had most of us clapping along as the band jumped their way through nine songs. I think I may have heard a nod to Weezer via guitar riff during a break between songs. Mercy Music closed their set with the infectious “Suddenly” off of their latest album What You Stand to Lose, available from SBAM Records.
Melodic hardcore outfit Ignite kicked things up a bit at Reggie’s after taking the stage and displaying some heavy guitars and fierce vocals. First impression of this band: loud, heavy, energetic, fun and an excellent live performance. Turns out Ignite has been cranking out fist-pumping and in-your-face punk rock since the early ’90s. Another band I did not know much about, but became an instant fan. To my surprise, Ignite played a hard rocking cover of U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” and everyone in the crowd sang their hearts out. Singer Eli Santana jumped around the stage and was giving off the vibe that he could also sing for Iron Maiden. Great choice having Ignite open for Strung Out, the bands complement each other well and I wouldn’t be surprised if both influenced their respective music.
Headlining act Strung Out took the stage and started their set with the song “Future Ghosts” off of their brand new album Dead Rebellion. The song was the perfect intro to the show, a barrage of drums that’ll get the blood flowing leading into some ripping guitar riffs. There’s been mixed feelings about the new album among fans, but I can tell you that hearing this song live will guarantee it’s a banger. I was eager to hear some of the new stuff live and it sounded just as good as on record. I became a Strung Out fan in my late 20s thanks to a good friend lending me some of his CDs. The album Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues was among the many CDs I was given and it only took one listen to cement the album into “all-time classic” status. Hearing the band play “Bring Out Your Dead” and “Firecracker” during the show in Chicago felt surreal. Strung Out played a total of 19 songs at Reggie’s in Chicago (this includes 3 encore songs) and the energy level was the same for every song. Singer Jason Cruz made his performance known moving around the stage and frequently interacting with the fans. It seems as if the band effortlessly mixes elements of heavy metal, melodic punk rock, aggression, and intensity that makes for one hell of a show. Other highlights during the set include the songs “New Gods” and “White Owls” (both from new album Dead Rebellion), “The Animal and the Machine” from the album Transmission Alpha Delta, “Daggers” from the album Songs of Armor and Devotion and “Ashes” from debut album Another Day in Paradise. The band ended the evening with “Matchbook” from arguably their best album Twisted by Design.
It had been nearly 7 years since I last attended a show at Reggie’s. This show was no question one of the best I’ve attended at the venue.
One of my favorite things about going to shows is finding bands that are either new or new to me. While I was somewhat familiar with both Mercy Music and Ignite, seeing them live definitely made me a fan of both bands. If you get the chance to see either band, go for it because you will not be disappointed.
Strung Out announced to the crowd at Reggie’s that they will be playing Riot Fest this year in Chicago. I was not expecting to hear that so it was a very exciting surprise. If there’s any band that should be playing Riot Fest, it has to be Strung Out. They are legends in their own right and have paved the way for a lot of the bands who played Riot Fest over the years.
Strung Out finished an 18-show run in the month of June and just announced a West Coast run of shows starting in September with bands Adolescents and A Wilhelm Scream. Visit the band’s website here for info. Check out all of the photos from the show at Reggie’s in Chicago below via Instagram, taken by Dying Scene’s very talented Meredith Goldberg.
Day 2, let’s go. That is what I told myself when I woke up at 6 am, after four hours of sleep. But screw it, you want to know why? Because it’s LIMP BIZKIT DAY!! For months on our Discord channel, I have been waiting and waiting for this day. I have zero shame if […]
Day 2, let’s go. That is what I told myself when I woke up at 6 am, after four hours of sleep. But screw it, you want to know why? Because it’s LIMP BIZKIT DAY!! For months on our Discord channel, I have been waiting and waiting for this day. I have zero shame if we need to dissect my music taste. I cherish Limp Bizkit and how silly they can be. But it wasn’t just Limp Bizkit that was showing up on the sunny and warm Thursday. Haha, no, no – Mr. Bungle found their way to Copenhagen, Thy Art Is Murder served up on hell of a pit, and The Hives proved they could play the main stage at Copenhell.
Usually, I’m good at time management; I know how long it takes me from my home in Lyngby to Refshaløen, where Copenhell takes place. However, I am not in control of public transport, so while my busses were delayed, our group chat was going off about how DeathByRomy was about to start. I think it’s an understatement when I say I was annoyed. Having missed a few songs, I arrived at the end of “Hellhound”. Romy Flores has brought a band with her, and wow, this was the perfect way to kick off Thursday. “This song is about crashing my car,” Flores tells us before kicking off the song “Crash.” on record, it’s already an intense song, but hearing it live had the hairs on my neck rise.
“No Mercy” got the energy flowing on stage and in the crowd. DeathByRomy usually is a one-piece, but seeing a band accompany her on stage, bringing a well-rehearsed ping pong between each member, just showed how this was one of the best bookings Copenhell gave us this year. And when it all ended with “Day I Die”, you are left wanting more; that high you are on from the set is a wholly different drug. Next up, I hit Helviti right next to the stage for Thy Art is Murder. [Karina Rae Selvig]
Sometimes, I get tired of my friends going to shows in genres I have zero interest in because our group chats are constantly filled with praise or funny stories about what the bands did or said. Now Thy Art Is Murder is one of these bands that I have found to be highlighted constantly, followed by the phrase, “Karina, you need to see them.” And being as curious as I tend to find myself at festivals, I did indeed head over to Helviti with my trusty pal Sebastian to see what the hype with this band was about. Finding ourselves in the pit, I was not mentally prepared for the hell that was about to be unleashed upon me. Advice: if you are going to see Thy Art Is Murder, do not go into an area where a pit might erupt. Because that’s what we did, and I need to admit, I felt very claustrophobic being pressed up against people, but at the same time… Oh, I wanted to be in the pit, but due to an unlucky episode a few weeks prior, my pit days are over until the dentist says so.
But let’s talk about Thy Art Is Murder; before hitting the stage, “We Like To Party” by Vengaboys was playing from the stage, and as soon as the band took the stage, we needed to prepare to step the hell back. Because as the first riff came out of the speakers, the pit was getting going. The band indeed ate up the energy that was coming from the crowd, but clearly not enough to get the band moving on stage. Maybe I’m too used to punk bands that go flying off the wall at shows; it was a bit of a disappointment. Did I maybe expect a lead singer to jump from speaker to speaker? Yeah, actually. They had the main stage, which proved to be too big for them in the end. Indeed, the audience was the highlight of this show. From a circle pit that was never-ending to people on the ground rowing, you would be amazed by how the audience lifted the band, while the interaction between the band and the audience felt limited. But honestly, I would see them again; it was cool, scary, and overwhelming. [Karina Rae Selvig]
The Baboon Show
Starting my day off with iced coffee and Swedish punk was a brilliant idea. The energy from four piece, The Baboon Show, was radiant. The songs were short, groovy, and filled with conviction. And the band celebrated oddballs that cursed out sexism, racism, and capitalism to joyful crowd surfing and compelled the crowd to join in a “middle fingers in the air-morning gymnastics”. Adding kazoo to the song “You Got a Problem Without Knowing It” really got the party going. As did the Pyro during “Playing with Fire”. The Baboon Show pretty much left everything on stage, confetti on the ground and hundreds of smiling faces ready to continue their day at Copenhell. [Sabina Hvass]
I actually don’t know how to review Mr. Bungle. My first time seeing Mr. Bungle, and I actually didn’t hate it. Mr. Bungle is an odd band; they are funny and have some titles that make you go “ok…” but overall, you cannot deny that the stage presence that they have is intoxicating. Because what the fuck did I witness.
Starting their set with “Grizzly Adams”, Mike Patton came dressed for the event, from the cool braids to the word “Neck” written on his neck. Nothing could divert my attention from what I had signed up for. I’d say that they sounded good; they played some of their popular songs, which we probably won’t write the titles to, but if you are a Mr. Bungle fan, you know which ones I’m talking about. And they did some covers, actually a lot of covers, to the point where I questioned why. They have such an impressive back catalog; it just got too much. But whatever, they sounded amazing, and judging by the crowd, I wasn’t the only one thinking that! Would I see them again? Fuck yes. [Karina Rae Selvig]
The Hives presented high kicks, high energy, and a friendly, neighborly feud between the Danes and the Swedes on the Helviti stage late this Thursday afternoon. With confidence reaching far back on the concrete floor, The Hives busted the myth that garage rock does not fit a vast Copenhell stage. With a surplus of humor and charm, the band delivered a tight set, with swinging fan favorites like “Walk, Idiot Walk”, “Hate to Say I Told You So,” and finale, “Tick Tick Boom”! [Sabina Hvass]
Legendary guitarist of Rage Against the Machine, Tom Morello, kicked off on the Helviti stage performing his songs like “Soldier in the Army of Love” and medleys of RATM tracks to scenes of people joyfully crying, jumping, and pleading for revolution. A touching version of Audioslaves “Like A Stone,” was beautifully placed mid-set. With the addition of Måneskin, MC5, and eventually a Bruce Springsteen cover, “The Ghost of Tom Joad”, tension was clearly building. Morello and his band played an improvised track, “Copenhell Rocks,” leading up to the powerful release of energy during “Killing in the Name of”. To close the set, Morello guided an attempt to get the audience registered on the Richter scale as we jumped to John Lennon’s “Power to the People”. I’ll finish as I started: Legendary! [Sabina Hvass]
Now Zulu Are Through With Me
Back in 2019, I fell in love with an EP called “Our Day Will Come”, and that became a part of my hardcore journey. When they released “A New Tomorrow” last year, it came in as my number 21 best album of the year, which, in hindsight, I regret to this day today. However, once I saw that the hardcore/power violence band was making their appearance at Copenhell, it felt like a dream come true.
Once again, we head towards Gehenna, and I find myself a bit on edge since Wednesday’s continual failure to secure proper sound for the artists throughout the day. Zulu took the stage and five right into “For Sista Humphrey”, but not long after, they were forced to stop their performance since they were experiencing some technical difficulties, which wasn’t their fault. As the show went on, they managed to get the crowd going, playing some of their biggest bangers from the album “A New Tomorrow”, and managed to get me dancing and screaming along. While I may have had the time of my life, it was an unfulfilled experience, but you know what? That’s how it is sometimes. But I’m still fangirling over seeing Zulu kicking ass at Copenhell. [Karina Rae Selvig]
Wrapping up the day with Danish post-hardcore band Lack – the band that delivered the soundtrack to angsty train rides in my college years. Recently resurfaced from a long hiatus, their new songs were performed with precision, intensity, and emotive strength that I could only have dreamed of. The punchy drums placed some really powerful and dynamic details onto hard riffs that were handed back and forth. Bass, guitar, and vocals ripped through the chilly summer air with lyrics leaning into the accompanying genre-bending music – call it emo, screamo, noise rock, or hardcore – this band is still gallantly spreading out in punk territory with guts and heart spilled and spewed over the crowd. Lack dove into their back catalog with the biting “Hund”, bisexual anthem ” Deserters,” and swinging “5 p.m.” standing out as highlights as I moved further and further toward the stage. As lead singer and guitarist Thomas Burø bravely proclaimed that ‘The future is female” and called out the half-hearted crowd surfing in the front rows, some of my fellow female audience members were also motivated to take a surfer view over the show as it concluded. A beaming performance by this band on the big stage, they always deserved. [Sabina Hvass]
As I mentioned earlier in the post, I have waited for a chance to see Limp Bizkit. As a matter of fact, I know they’ve been to Denmark a few times, but I never really had anyone to go with. But at a festival, everyone is there. This was one of those that I call a mandatory meet-up gig. The one where you expect everyone you know to make an appearance and have the best time with you, even if they don’t like the band that much, or as much as me.
As the song “Sweet Home Alabama” was playing from the speakers, my friends and I were making our way through the sea of people there to see Limp Bizkit in action when we found our other friends and the band came on stage; they dove right into “Full Nelson”. From then on, it was every person for themselves. I had told my friends earlier that I wanted to go to the pit for Limp Bizkit, and those who weren’t feeling it could stay back and chill. So, into the pit I went with two friends, and that’s where I discovered what I liked about the band. See, they actually sound good live. There is no doubt that Fred Durst & Co. still has a lot to offer. In between their songs, they did give us some covers, and that gave us some minutes of downtime before they started playing their hits like “My Way”, “Break Stuff”, and so on. The moment I heard the first notes to “Boiler”, I think my mouth dropped. What a pleasant surprise that came from Helviti, I swear – The delivery, the atmosphere, and every moment felt terrific, actually, throughout their whole show, which flew by in a blink of an eye. They can come back anytime, and it’s fair if you don’t like Limp Bizkit, but don’t be shit and hate on others that do. [Karina Rae Selvig]
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. Let’s get into it!
Check out the video edition of this week’s Record Radar, presented by our friends at Punk Rock Radar:
SoCal punk band One Square Mile’s new 12” EP Source of Suffering is out now on Sound Speed Records. It was produced by Cameron Webb, whose work you’re familiar with on releases from NOFX, Pennywise, Alkaline Trio, and the awesome new Chaser record Small Victories! Sound Speed Records has three color variants up on their store – solid yellow /100 (proceeds from this one are going to the Surfrider Foundation), translucent w/ yellow / brown /100, and translucent brown w/ gold flakes /50. Catch ‘em all!
A new variant of the new Sum 41 album Heaven :x: Hell has popped up and this one’s different. It’s on solid blue colored vinyl (limited to 500 copies) and the only way you can get it is with autographs. You can get a copy signed by the band with a black marker for $89.99, and for some inexplicable reason they also have copies signed with a SILVER market that are an astounding $139.99! Holy fuck! Why does the marker used make it worth $50 more? No fucking clue brother. These are available exclusively from Premiere Collectibles.
Staying in Canada, we got Steve Rawles from the almighty Belvedere (and This is a Standoff – both of which are better Canadian punk bands than Sum 41 I might add) whose 2011 solo album Bonus Room is being released on vinyl for the first time. Our friends at Thousand Islands Records are releasing this on translucent blue colored vinyl, limited to 250 copies. Grab your copy here – they’ve got test pressings available as well for just 10 bucks more than a regular copy. Take notes Premiere Collectibles! Or don’t, you’re probably making a fuckload off dumb fucks paying $50 extra for silver markers.
Also while you’re visiting Thousand Islands’ storefront, add this new pressing of German melodic punk band Melonball’s debut album Breathe to your cart. This pink & black half & half is the third pressing of this wonderful record. Get it here.
Fat Wreck imprint label Bottles to the Ground record artists The Meffs’ debut album What a Life is due out on September 13th. It was produced by Frank (I believe that’s short for Franklin) Turner, who has been quoted as saying “It’s a fucking beast. I’m as proud of it as I’m allowed to be” so that’s cool. Franklin sings on one of the songs on the album as well so that’s also cool. You can get it here on black vinyl, or two mystery color variants – one of which is exclusive to a bundle with a slipmat.
New from our friends at Mom’s Basement Records: Canadian pop-punk band The Follow Ups‘ brand new record Know Who Your Friends Aren’t! This one’s available on two bad ass color variants (limited to 100 copies) each, as well as black wax (limited to 100 copies as well) from Mom’s Basement Records (USA) and Faster And Louder Records (Canada). Both labels have CDs and vinyl test pressings available, too, which is bad ass.
Sounds Rad Records is repressing the latest record from band that kinda reminds me of Green Day, otherwise known as The Mr. T Experience. This second pressing of King Dork Approximately, The Album consists of 100 copies on Yellow Smoke and another 100 copies on Black Smoke colored vinyl. You can get it from soundsradical.com tomorrow – Monday, July 8th, 2024.
Also available to pre-order from Sounds Rad tomorrow: Pansy Division’s debut album Undressed. The record has been remastered by Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering (the man behind most of the recent Screeching Weasel and MTX remasters) and will be available on violet colored vinyl.
The new Mad Caddies album Arrows Room 117 is getting a 2nd pressing (apparently the 37 color variants in the first run weren’t enough, though I’m pretty sure most of those are still available). SBAM has issued four new splatter color variants, all of which are limited to 100 copies each and can be obtained with money from their EU store.
Indianapolis 7-piece ska/dub/reggae/punk (their words, not mine) band The Operators just released their new record, incredibly creatively titled Self-Titled Second Album, on Jump Up Records. You can get it on powder blue and/or concrete colored vinyl, as well as compact disc(!), right here.
Luxembourg punk band Versus You has released a semi-career spanning compilation album called “A Collection” 2009-2024. The 2xLP set boasts a 25-song tracklist housed on yellow and red colored mechanically flattened 12” polyvinyl chloride discs (otherwise known as records by those in the trade). Get it here.
Chicago power-pop-punk band Space Age Zeros will be releasing their debut LP Strange New World on September 13th through Mystic Records. Yes, that Mystic Records. Check out the first single “Fireworks” below and pre-order the record (or CD (or both)) here.
Fraser Murderburger’s Wrong Life has released a new double A-Side single in The Politics of Projection / The Corrections. Limited Fun Records is releasing it as a clear lathe cut 7” which you can pre-order here. Profits from physical and digital pre-orders through July 26th will be donated to Scottish Women’s Aid.
And we’ll close out this week’s Record Radar with a special offer from our friends at Punk Rock Radar: The Punk Rock Radar Birthday Box! For $39 you get: 2 random records! 1 shirt! 1 sticker pack! And most importantly, the opportunity to choose the topic for an upcoming Punk Rock Radar youtube video. It’s an unbeatable offer, folks. Head over to the PRR Store and take advantage of it today. And throw a few more awesome records in your cart while you’re there – I highly recommend Making Friends’ Fine Dying, Stank Finger’s Three Finger Discount, Goldenboy’s Qualmbum, and Snackwolf’s Lunch Breakdown, but you truly can’t go wrong with any Punk Rock Radar-sanctioned release.
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!
Canadian pop-punk band The Follow Ups‘ brand new record Know Who Your Friends Aren’t just released today – you can get it on some bad ass vinyl color variants from our friends at Mom’s Basement Records (USA) and Faster And Louder Records (Canada). Both labels have CDs and vinyl test pressings available as well! And […]
Canadian pop-punk band The Follow Ups‘ brand new record Know Who Your Friends Aren’t just released today – you can get it on some bad ass vinyl color variants from our friends at Mom’s Basement Records (USA) and Faster And Louder Records (Canada). Both labels have CDs and vinyl test pressings available as well! And on a related note, your friends at Dying Scene (I like to think of us as friends, at least) are premiering the music video for Track 13 “The Other Half of It”.
Check that shit out below, listen to the record, buy the record! The Follow Ups come highly recommended from this old school pop-punk fan to the next. If you like Screeching Weasel, The Queers, The Nobodys, The Riptides, etc. these guys are a surefire hit.
This premiere is brought to you in part by Punk Rock Radar. If you’d like your band’s music video to be premiered by Dying Scene and Punk Rock Radar, go here and follow these instructions. You’ll be on your way to previously unimagined levels of fame and fortune in no time!
We missed Starcrawler at Punk Rock Bowling as they were playing on the 2nd stage while we jammed up against the main stage. So when they showed up in San Francisco two weeks later we just had to be there. Opening up were The Vaxxines with new singer Chelsea Rose of Bite. The Vaxxines (and […]
We missed Starcrawler at Punk Rock Bowling as they were playing on the 2nd stage while we jammed up against the main stage. So when they showed up in San Francisco two weeks later we just had to be there.
Opening up were The Vaxxines with new singer Chelsea Rose of Bite. The Vaxxines (and Chelsea) are old friends and put on their usual tight mix of garage punk.
Niis are woman-fronted hard garage punk from Los Angeles with powerful vocals. In July and August they’ll be touring the West and South, you should see them.
Starcrawler are simply astonishing. Lead singer Arrow de Wilde has such a presence, amazing vocals and is visually incredible. The band behind her is solid and entertaining.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (or in this case Birmingham, UK), a band was born! That band’s name? The Zatopeks! Now, on this glorious day, 23 years later, and now residing in Germany, the Zatopeks continue to carry the old school pop-punk torch with pride, bringing us their brand new […]
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (or in this case Birmingham, UK), a band was born! That band’s name? The Zatopeks! Now, on this glorious day, 23 years later, and now residing in Germany, the Zatopeks continue to carry the old school pop-punk torch with pride, bringing us their brand new album Loitering & Sauntering. The record releases digitally tomorrow (July 5th) on Stardumb Records, with the physical release slated for August 8th.
However, DyingScene.com (that’s us!) is pleased to bring you the exclusive, world premiere(!) of Loitering & Sauntering! That’s right, you can listen to this wonderful album in its entirety right here, right now. Just scroll down the webpage a lil bit and click play. I can say with absolute certainty you won’t regret it. Also! Buy the record. You can get it on translucent pink vinyl and “babylon green” vinyl (each limited to 100 copies), as well as black wax (200 copies) right here. It’s also available from Forbidden Beat in Canada, Brassneck Records in the UK, The Machine Shop in the US, and Endless Detention Records in Australia.
Here are some words from the Zatopeks’ fearless leader (and singer) Will DeNiro:
“Loitering and Sauntering is our fourth album and our most history-inspired to date. If you’re into suburban paranoia, early twentieth-century antifascism, Cold War spies, insomnia on public transport or Polish Prime Ministers’ haircuts, then the songs really do offer something for everyone.”
This premiere is brought to you in part by Punk Rock Radar. If you’d like your band’s music video to be premiered by Dying Scene and Punk Rock Radar, go here and follow these instructions. You’ll be on your way to previously unimagined levels of fame and fortune in no time!
MEST has had a busy year so far touring across Europe before stopping back home to Chicago…and they are not done yet! 115 Bourbon Street is a New Orleans-themed venue packed with multiple stages and on Friday, June 28th hosted MEST and a slew of other bands, including Rematch, NightCap and Highwire. MEST released the […]
MEST has had a busy year so far touring across Europe before stopping back home to Chicago…and they are not done yet!
115 Bourbon Street is a New Orleans-themed venue packed with multiple stages and on Friday, June 28th hosted MEST and a slew of other bands, including Rematch, NightCap and Highwire.
MEST released the new album ‘Youth‘ via SBÄM Records on June 21st. It features guest appearances by Jaret Reddick of Bowling For Soup and Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills.
Of the new LP, founding member and front man Tony Lovato says, “The drives to the studio were about an hour and 20 minutes long. A lot of my inspiration for this record was found on those drives. I would just listen to all the records that I grew up listening to. Which brought back a ton of memories. It would just put me in another state of mind. The majority of “Youth” was written up in the hills of Los Angeles where I recorded a bunch of our early records. I would get random flashbacks seeing spots I hadn’t seen in years. But as much as I love all the memories and stories of the past, I’m not one to think that the best days are over. I’m creating new core memories and living my life now, so that in 20 years I’ll look back fondly. The same as I do now. These songs are a cheers to the past with a here’s to the future.”
MEST released their seventh album, ‘Masquerade,’ in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. They toured extensively in 2019 with Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, and Millencolin. Looking ahead, MEST plans to release three new LPs, starting with ‘Youth,’ and has secured deals with Avex Records in Japan and SBAM Records in Europe.
When asked to sum up 28 years of MEST, Tony replied, “I don’t know, I mean honestly it feels like we’re just getting started…”
Maintaining their blue-collar work ethic, MEST continues to earn fans through their grassroots approach and looks forward to performing their energetic live shows worldwide. The future looks promising as they prepare to release new music and hit the road again.
We’re back with another kickass premiere, this time from one of our favorite musicians and dudes ever, The Punk Cellist! Ian Legge has been tirelessly working on an extremely technical and unique full length these past few months and we’re super stoked to premiere its first single, The Punk Cellist’s rendition of NOFX‘s “It’s My […]
We’re back with another kickass premiere, this time from one of our favorite musicians and dudes ever, The Punk Cellist! Ian Legge has been tirelessly working on an extremely technical and unique full length these past few months and we’re super stoked to premiere its first single, The Punk Cellist’s rendition of NOFX‘s “It’s My Job to Keep Punk Rock Elite”.
The new record, due out later this fall, features songs from bands across the punk spectrum including Turnstile, Ramones, New Found Glory, Propagandhi, Blink 182, and more. Recorded in New Bedford, MA with none other than Trevor Reilly of A Wilhelm Scream, Legge played far more than only cello for this release, he demonstrated his mastery of every instrument during the full band sections.
Half the record is comprised of cello-only tracks similar to his EP released last year, while the other half includes a lead cello played over fast, melodic skate and pop punk. To catch The Punk Cellist live, his one remaining festival date is July 5 at Camp Punksylvania where he’ll be playing the full band half of the record.
What seems like ages ago, but was really only a little over a year, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ian over zoom. There is no doubt that another interview will be happening soon to coincide with the full length’s release, but you can check out the old interview here, along with The Punk Cellist’s brand new track and previously released EP below. Cheers!
