DS caught a KILLER show showcasing female punk rockers! Otoboke Beaver, Drinking Boys and Girls Choir, and Ovef Ow played an amazing SOLD OUT show at the historic music venue Thalia Hall in Pilsen district. Fans came out and supported this exciting line up. Japan’s punk band Otoboke Beaver headlined a mind blown show in […]
DS caught a KILLER show showcasing female punk rockers! Otoboke Beaver, Drinking Boys and Girls Choir, and Ovef Ow played an amazing SOLD OUT show at the historic music venue Thalia Hall in Pilsen district. Fans came out and supported this exciting line up.
Japan’s punk band Otoboke Beaver headlined a mind blown show in Chicago! This quartet consists of Accorinrin – main vocals, Yoyoyoshie – guitar, Hirochan – bass, and Kahokiss – drums. Fans came out and were not disappointed. Find them here.
South Korea’s skate punk band Drinking Boys and Girls Choir brought their amazing sound and vibrant energy to Thalia Hall. This dynamic trio are Meena – bass, MJ – drums, Megan – guitar and everyone contributes to the vocals. Fans had a great night! Find them here.
Chicago’s art/post punk band Ovef Ow opened the show with some killer riffs and sound. Members are Marites Velasquez -bass, vocals, Nick Barnett – guitar, Sarah Braunstein – drums/vocals, and Kyla Denham-synth. Find them here.
Dying Scene sat down with the great Drinking Boys and Girls choir before their show. Stay tuned for that interview. In the meantime, check out our galleries from each band below!
The Pacific Ocean, sunshine, warm weather, sitting at the beach, spending time with friends, laughing, feeling joy, eating tacos, baseball, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Disneyland. All of these come to mind when thinking about the state of California. This is probably what you’re thinking about at this moment, right? Who are you kidding? You know why […]
The Pacific Ocean, sunshine, warm weather, sitting at the beach, spending time with friends, laughing, feeling joy, eating tacos, baseball, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Disneyland. All of these come to mind when thinking about the state of California. This is probably what you’re thinking about at this moment, right?
Who are you kidding? You know why you’re here. Okay, maybe all of us are thinking about tacos. Who doesn’t love tacos? Before you make that taco run, you’re going to need some mood music. There is no better band out there to get the blood flowing at any time of day than skate punk legends Strung Out. That’s right, legends. We know music is subjective, and everyone is entitled to their opinions, but knowing what this band has done for the genre, the scene, and the fans it is only fair to hold them among the best to rock a stage.
Strung Out is a five-piece melodic skate punk band from Simi Valley, California that has been busting ear drums and raising fists since 1989. They are more than just a melodic skate punk band, also mixing elements of heavy metal and progressive rock. Combining punk, metal and progressive rock has built a style for Strung Out resulting in a very diverse and appreciative fan base.
One of the very first bands to ever sign with the label Fat Wreck Chords, Strung Out has released nine albums and three EPs. Twisted by Design, Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues, An American Paradox and Exile in Oblivion are just a few of the albums the band has released that are classics in their own right. These albums showcase the melodic sound, fast guitars, relatable lyrics, and the passion the band emulates.
2024 begins a new chapter for Strung Out. The band is set to release their tenth studio album Dead Rebellionon April 5 via Fat Wreck Chords. This will be the first album with Daniel Blume on drums. Blume has filled in for Strung Out in the past but is now a full-time member of the band.
Dead Rebellion opens with the track “Future Ghosts,” boasting pounding drums and heavy hitting guitar riffs. The song as a whole seems to be a different approach musically for the band, mid-tempo and not as fast-paced but still melodic and aggressive. This is a great way to start an album. Show us something a little different but remind us why you kick ass. “Signal Fires” picks up the pace a bit, flashing those fast guitars and snarl from singer Jason Cruz. This is a standout track and will sound excellent live. The third track “New Gods” was released as a single on February 14, along with a music video, and this track gives off the vibes of a radio single. The lyrics are catchy, and fans will sing along at the band’s upcoming live shows. Here’s another example of Jason Cruz’ howling vocals and the pulsating guitar riffs presented by Jake Kiley and Rob Ramos.
“Life You Bleed” seems to embrace more of the melodic sound of the band. Slower in tempo and lyrics sung out this time more than shouted. “Nobody here is getting it right, everybody is losing the fight,” proclaims Cruz, referring to the current divisive state of society. “Veronica’s Song” almost sounds like it could have been made in the late 1990s but at the same time it is very much a Strung Out track.
There are many reasons to be excited about this album. The band continues to do what they always have done with their music, relay a message and hype up a crowd. While some of the tracks on this album may feel or sound different compared to the band’s previous work, the elements of the album are essentially the same. You still hear the melody; still feel those heavy and fast paced guitars and you’re still going to want to rock out while listening to Dead Rebellion.
This is a quote from Singer Jason Cruz when he was talking about the album title (note this is from source Fat Wreck Chords), “At the end of the day, when the lights go out, we all want the same thing. And that’s where the title Dead Rebellion came from – like, we got so far and here we are right back again, just fragmented and at each other’s throats constantly.”
Dying Scene interviewed Brian Amalfitano of Deaf Club before their show at Thalia Hall in Chicago. Other bands on the bill included Meth, See You Next Tuesday, Usurp Synapse, and DJ Speedsick. Dying Scene: Tell me about yourself and Deaf Club. Brian Amalfitano: My name is Brian Amalfitano. It’s very Italian. I’m the guitarist. This interview has been edited for length and […]
Dying Scene: Tell me about yourself and Deaf Club.
Brian Amalfitano: My name is Brian Amalfitano. It’s very Italian. I’m the guitarist.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
BA: I started this band with Justin Pearson. Originally, we played in our former bands. He used to be in Retox and I toured with him. We played three or four shows, and I was a huge fan of his projects, The Locust in particular. Six months later, I was in San Diego, which is stomping grounds for Three One G Records, Justin, and everybody, we saw a band called Metz from Canada, and he was like, “Look, what are you doing? And “I’ve been on hiatus for a little bit.” So, he said, “Hey, let’s start a project.” And I thought he was joking. He had a lot of projects going on and I thought, well, this guy is Justin Pearson, what’s he going to do with me? But essentially, we met again, and he started sending me drummers. He was touring with Dead Cross at that time. And so, Jon Syverson from the band Daughters at the time had recommended Scott Osmond, who is our drummer, and he said, yeah, why don’t you try jamming out with this guy? And that kind of became the nucleus of the band. Scott and I sort of wrote all the riffs and guitars and drums together. So, after we sort of wrote all that, we sent it to Justin, he put vocals on everything, and that became our first demo of five songs. I think it was six minutes. It was quick, and we’ve been sort of fleshing it out from there. That’s how Deaf Club started.
DS: So, this is my first time seeing Deaf Club. What can you tell someone like me about your band?
BA: Well, it’s a little bit of…Justin had this one lyric, “highbrow caveman,” so it’s a little bit neanderthally, very abrasive, but a little bit highbrow. We’re trying to be a little bit smarter about what we do. It’s chaos, but it’s controlled chaos. We try to turn on a dime and it’s just very fast, but also very weird. We’ve always been influenced by the weirder aspects of music, so we use a lot of pedals and stuff like that. Obviously, he did that in The Locust, but he’s not playing anything. So, when we started this, I asked him if I could play pedals in this band and he said, “yeah, absolutely!” The weirder the better. So, I think it’s a little bit weird, but aggressive in a positive way. We’re not trying to scare people. We don’t want to be a hardcore band that’s a beatdown band, a macho band. Some people obviously throw elbows and kicks in the pit, but we’re not trying to send anyone to the dentist the next day. We’re trying to be nice and sort of be a community band.
“Some people obviously throw elbows and kicks in the pit, but we’re not trying to send anyone to the dentist the next day. We’re trying to be nice and sort of be a community band”.
– Brian Amalfitano
DS: Tell me about the bands you are touring with today.
BA: Meth, See You Next Tuesday, and Usurp Synapse. Seb Alvarez of Meth put together the tour. He’s friends with our drummer, Scott, for many years. Scott was in Meth for a little bit. He was playing drums with them; he plays drums with Glassing. So, he kind of knew Seb already, and Seb wanted us to come out here to play. So, between Scott and Seb, they just kind of emailed everybody and we’re like, let’s do this. It’s more of a DIY network sort of thing. We do have booking agents and things like that, but sometimes we just reach out to our friends, and we say, hey, let’s do this, and whatever route we could do. So, just the camaraderie of bands and communities in little pockets of America is kind of cool.
DS: How’s the tour going?
BA: It is fresh. It’s the second day. We’ve only had one show. The first show we blew out a tire on the van, which is kind of what happens, and we deal with what comes to us, so it’s all good now. We were on tour with Converge I think the first day out of California or out of Los Angeles we also blew a tire. And then we also blew three hoses on that entire tour, which was kind of wild. Our tour has van has 420,000 miles on it, so it’s been beat to shreds. The Locust used it. Retox used it. A bunch of bands used it, it’s a historical piece. Everyone’s great people, so that makes it better.
DS: So, it’s early in the year. What does 2024 look like for you?
BA: Personally, I think it’s great for Deaf Club. We have a couple tours coming up including a European tour. I’m not quite sure if they’re panning out and I don’t want to say anything before they’re confirmed. We’ve been writing material. I think we have a good amount almost for a full length, so hopefully a full length. We have some stuff for a split that we’re doing. We have the tour with Fuck Money, which are our label mates on Three One G. They’re also from Austin, Texas. They’re a phenomenal band. Austin’s kind of like our third home. It’s like LA, San Diego, and Austin. They treat us well and all the bands there are great. It’s looking good this year.
DS: What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five years as a band?
BA: Honestly, the hardest part of a band is just surviving the money situation of anything. If anyone cares enough in five years for us to be writing what we’re doing, that’d be great. We’re always trying to push the envelope and create new things, sort of carve out our sound a little bit better. I think even now for the next year, we’ve been writing songs that are a little bit lengthier. Our first album maybe had a song that was like 48 seconds. So, now it’s like, oh, it’s the two-minute mark and that seems reasonable. So, we’re writing better songs. Yeah, so for the next five years I hope we keep doing that and progressing as a band.
DS: Can you tell me a little bit about Three One G Records?
BA: Three One G is Justin’s label. It’s been around 25 years now. I remember, probably about 25 years ago, I started listening to Three One G and listening to the Locust and Gold Standard Labs and other labels from around that time from San Diego and sort of being in awe of the DIY aspect of it, the community aspect of it. And they were not tough guy hardcore. They were sort of skinny dudes doing things and getting essentially beat up by being what people would call them, effeminate, weird, nerdy or whatever. So, it gave me hope, it’s like punk can be weird. Punk cannot be a clique. San Diego created its own DIY community. It didn’t have to go to LA. It didn’t have to be a part of something. So, it kind of helped me think of those things where you could be an outlier even in an outlier subculture like punk and still find a little niche for yourself. And Three One G sort of has always done that. I think they’ve released a lot of great records, a lot of seminal records of just bands that were a little bit askew, a little bit weirder than your normal punk. And yeah, I think Justin has good taste in that regard, trying to find new things.
DS: Tell me about how you all keep the momentum going, especially with all your other projects.
BA: I think it’s just, it’s a lifer thing. It’s something that you don’t really think about. I own a record store. During the pandemic, we couldn’t tour. So, we were like, what do we do? And we opened a record store like, well, music is the one thing that keeps us all going and saves us and lets us have creative outlets and positive outlets. I think my first conversation with Justin in San Diego about creating Deaf Club was, I’m a big Sonic Youth guy and I was like, I’d rather be an underground band for 25 years or 30 years rather than this huge band that just breaks up after a couple of years. I’d rather have the longevity of creating good solid things and keeping it going. I think because we are all dedicated to that concept it helps us go, okay, yeah, maybe we don’t get all the love or the accolades or whatever for a couple years, but eventually someone might be listening, and you want to help that one person. We do get some people that say, “listening to you guys made my year,” or “saved me” helped us. And that’s some positive reinforcement that you just can’t buy it. So, it’s cool.
DS: You mentioned you have a record store. Tell me about it.
BA: We started it a year into the pandemic. It’s called Spinning Plate Records and we do a little bit of everything. I’m from Argentina, so the demographic is very much Latino. We started bringing in Rock En Espanõl, hip hop, Three One G records, music that I grew up listening to, and things that I, through the DIY community, was like, Hey, I’m going to sell my friends’ records. I started just creating a community based around that. That kind of transferred into Spinning Plate Records. It’s been cool. It’s been a good three years.
DS: So, tell me about your favorite performance as a band.
BA: One of my favorite performances we’ve played was at Elysium in Austin, Texas. We played at Oblivion Access Fest, which was a DIY and the first year of the festival. It was this young kid had thrown it, a friend of Scott’s. So, they invited us to play, and we played with Metz, which is again how Deaf Club sort of started, but I love Metz and so we were kind of honored to play with them. Three One G put out a seven-inch for them and that was just a good show and we did an after party. We’ve done SXSW where we played four shows in one day. But Metz for sure, that was a great show at Oblivion Access. I think Roskilde Festival was maybe our top show ever. That was in Denmark with a thousand-plus people. It was a whole festival. It was just phenomenal to get out of the States and be treated like…these people are like, oh, we just want to have you here. It was cool.
DS: So, are there any musicians who inspire you? Who would you like to collaborate with?
BA: I’m was huge Nirvana fan. Kurt Cobain is the reason that I play. I was eight or nine years old when he passed away. I bought Bleach and it said, this is Nirvana’s first record. So, I thought this must be the good one and it was super heavy. Then I started playing guitar soon after and we did a Nirvana cover for this band and a live set. If I could collaborate with anyone, Kurt Cobain. I know the other guys; we have different tastes.
DS: So, what song did you cover?
BA: “Tourettes.” So, we were on tour, and I think we’re like, oh, let’s do this cover song. We figured, I mean it has lyrics, but it’s just kind of yelling them. And so, we’re like, well, Justin, you don’t have to learn the lyrics, so you could just yell this rhythm and we could play it. At the time, the fill-in bass player, Collin Smith, played in a band called Se Vende, and was on tour with us, he’s a big Nirvana guy, too. so, we bonded over that. We’re like, let’s do it. Justin kind of makes fun of me. He’s good.
DS: What four bands should we be listening to?
BA: Fuck Money for sure. Fuck Money is a phenomenal band from Austin, Texas. I think Snooper is great. Meth is a phenomenal band. There’s Scott’s other band, Glassing. Just so many of our friends’ bands are doing such cool things. Sometimes it’s cool to see your own band members in those bands. Then you see what they could do or how creative they are in different aspects. You’re like, oh, I didn’t know that you could do that. So, Fuck Money, Meth, Glassing, and Snooper are really good bands.
DS: What bands are you listening to this week?
BA: I love Gilla Band, they’re Irish noise kind of post-punk weird. I love Metz. I love Tropical Fuck Storm, Australian band they’re more rock, but a little bit skewed and weird. I don’t necessarily listen to a lot of hardcore. I feel like you just start getting those ideas and those riffs. So, I like chiller bands. We listen to a lot of chill stuff in the band, even a lot of indie dream pop. Scott likes a lot of chill stuff, even though he’s a brutal drummer. I love Amyl and the Sniffers, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, The Murder Capital, and Crows. Yeah, it’s a little bit everywhere for me. There are so many good bands.
DS: What advice do you have for musicians and others in the music industry?
BA: I think you must do what you love. It’s a risk and rewarding, if you’re just looking to make money or just looking to do these things, you’re not going to do it. We all have our jobs. Justin has been running a record label for a long time, Jason works for Fender, and I have a record store. We get to go out on tour and do what we love. I retired young and started going on tour playing in cover bands and played in friends’ bands. If you’re a lifer and you really love it, maybe something will happen.
BA: First, I’m amazed at the wit and the sharpness that Martin Atkins has. The number of stories and jokes that he has. His quick sense of humor and his dry wit and the way that he delivers things was just mesmerizing. It’s almost like he’s a comedian. He could do standup if he wanted to. But then the collection that he has. The things with PIL and John Lydon. Gabe Serbian’s Locust uniform. And just seeing that, because I knew Gabe and I went to a lot of Locust shows and I helped them, and it felt really at home as well. This person cares about these things and it’s nice to see. And so yeah, just Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, all these historical things. People not only visit his museum, but they also send him things. That just reinforces that even a person of this level can be part of this DIY community. So, last time we stayed for two days at the museum. He allows bands to stay there as well, which to me is crazy. If you allow, I mean a punk rock band…I’m like, wait, you’re going to just allow a bunch of punk rockers around all these priceless artifacts? I’m like, what if they pocket something? So, it was kind of amazing that he just allowed us to stay there. He just gave us a key and was very welcoming to us. We went downstairs and listened to some secret tracks of the Johnny Lydon singing over The Beatles and this and that. I was like, this is blowing my mind. I love his merchandise, the Pigface stuff. I bought this “Eat Shit You Fucking Redneck” shirt and I wore that in Texas. So, yeah, just the sweetest guy. This reinforces the belief that even weirdos are nice, goth industrial people…that people think are scary, they wear all black or whatever. And it really helps you mentally to go somewhere like that. Sometimes you just stay in the flea bag hotel, and we have and there’s bugs or something that get me, and you’re like, no, no, no, we’re leaving. But just for someone to offer that, it is very welcoming, open. It’s nice. We couldn’t stay this time. We had planned it, but he was out of town, and he had to do an open house and all these things.
DS: Yeah, we’ve been to several events there and enjoyed it.
BA: There’s always things that you miss. It’s like going shopping at an antique mall and you’re just looking at everything and what am I going to see? And then he’s like, look at that little ticket stub. Look at that little thing. He has so many stories about that little thing and that little thing and that little thing. How do you remember that? Especially back in those days, I imagine the partying and the drinking or whatever. I’m like, I can’t remember what happened last week and I’m not even doing anything. There’s too much mayhem now.
DS: You’ve got some pretty incredible tattoos there, especially that Daniel Johnson one. Obviously, these things are important to you, so tell me about that and what they mean.
BA: So, on my upper right arm, I have all my novelists and stuff. So, I have Albert Camus, Tolkien, and George Orwell. I have the K Records because Kurt Cobain had a K Records tattoo but also K Records is a label from Olympia, Washington. But my twin brother, Sergio, and I got this for our birthday just for Kurt, and it’s the only one that I have on my left arm. But these are all musicians, Iggy Pop, Radiohead, Sub Pop, which was the first label that I really loved. Sub Pop and Three One G were sort of the things like grunge and punk and weirdo punk. And yeah, it got me into Nirvana, Soundgarden, and got me into playing.
“Daniel Johnson’s not the best singer, but because he does it and he loves it earnestly, he gained a following”.
– Brian Amalfitano
BA: Daniel personally for me, I love him as far as, he had a lot of mental health issues. For him to sort of overcome them enough to write love songs and to write by himself on a little pump organ piano. And his guitar and sort of show you in a different context…maybe Bob Dylan‘s not the best singer, or John Lennon‘s not the best singer or Daniel Johnson’s not the best singer, but because he does it and he loves it earnestly, he gained a following. He also sat there and dubbed his own cassettes, drew his own drawings, and handed them out to people. If that’s not one of those penultimate DIY ethics, maybe even not knowing that that’s part of DIY and punk rock, just having that mindset of I just need to get this out of my brain and I need to hand it to people to see if they relate. I doubt he ever thought he was going to be famous or anything. I got to see him before he passed. And even just listening to his voice and still having that same refrain, that same sort of childlike voice. And even though he kind of would shake in the middle of the songs when he was singing, he was very calm. His body was very calm. I thought that that sort of spoke to the power of music. And so Lo-fi, DIY, Daniel, maybe it’s not what a hardcore kid would do or not but it’s very much wearing your heart on your sleeve. A little bit of innocence is necessary in music.
DS: The great Wayne Kramer recently passed away. I know you’re a fan. You’ve spoken about losing Kurt Cobain and Daniel Johnston. How do we survive losing our heroes?
BA: I think for me personally, I grew up an atheist. My grandfather gave me a lot of books on atheism growing up and sort of the reverence of life to realize that people are human and frail and maybe they’re not going to be here the same way that none of us are going to be here, but to enjoy them, to enjoy their influence. Some of these books, music, film, they stay with us for a very long time, and they stay here longer than us. Nick Cave, I think said it, “I’m creating these things that are going to outlive me and hopefully will influence someone and help them live a better life.” And I think Wayne particularly as well, I got to see him recently when he did the shows with Kim Thayil (Soundgarden) and the MC5 stuff, the reunions, for him to have lost all his band members prior and for him to have been in jail but to still come out and do Jail Guitar Doors and to help people come out of that, just giving back to the community, I think he did a lot more than people give credit. Sure. Kick Out The Jams. But these heroes, especially because I was very young when Kurt died, it was an impressionable sort of thing. I remember them playing, I was in Argentina at the time. I was living there with my family. They’re from Argentina, and they played unplugged in New York nonstop on MTV Three. It was, and it sort of made me fall in love with the soft side of it as well, the melodic side of things, and to sort of listen to these words and listen to what these people care about and your heroes are sometimes flawed but they also teach you about beautiful things. If you could take that with you, then I think they’ve done their job. And that’s really all we could do for each other as far as humans.
DS: Do you have any other thoughts for the Dying Scene’s readers?
BA: Yeah. Just do what you love. Be as weird as you are. Just be yourself. It seems hard when you’re young because there are scenes. Everyone says punk is just for the outsiders. And sometimes within punk, you’re like, I’m a crusty, I’m hardcore. You can’t be part of our clique because you don’t dress a certain way. I think that the youth seem to be open to not only gender fluid, but genre fluid and sort of just being fluid in general. Just being able to go from hip hop to punk rock to this. Hopefully, being less judgmental of each other but also being less judgmental on yourself. There’s a lot of growing up in your youth where you just doubt yourself and you could cause harm to yourself. We all find something. It’ll be good the longer you stay in the game, it’ll be good for you.
Big things are happening lately! Baseball season has begun, I just won the Dying Scene company Easter egg hut (3x consecutive champ btw), and today we’re premiering a new track from Dallas punk band Morocco! “Livin’ in the City” is the lead single from the band’s forthcoming Shitheds EP. Check it out: Here’s some background […]
Big things are happening lately! Baseball season has begun, I just won the Dying Scene company Easter egg hut (3x consecutive champ btw), and today we’re premiering a new track from Dallas punk band Morocco! “Livin’ in the City” is the lead single from the band’s forthcoming Shitheds EP. Check it out:
Here’s some background on the song, provided by drummer Forrest Cook:
“Livin in the city was written by our bass player Bob over the course of a decade through the really traumatic breakup of his last band, involving heavy drug use, hospital visits and jail time for the parties involved, through alcoholism and homelessness and followed him to his current state of sobriety, employment and being the rockin fucking bassist he is in our little band Morocco. As for me Forrest the drummer, Livin’ in the City was the reason I wanted to get back to jamming with Bob in the first place. I am soo incredibly happy that we were finally able to record this song, and that it is going to see some light. It is incredibly meaningful and always was to me and especially for my friend Bob.”
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!
Holding Absence played Gramercy Theater in New York City on February 14th. Love (and crowd-surfers) were in the air. There was much speculation leading up to the show, if the concert would even happen. Vocalist of the band Lucas Woodland has been battling an illness which left his voice extremely raw. He had to cancel their […]
Holding Absence played Gramercy Theater in New York City on February 14th. Love (and crowd-surfers) were in the air. There was much speculation leading up to the show, if the concert would even happen. Vocalist of the band Lucas Woodland has been battling an illness which left his voice extremely raw. He had to cancel their Baltimore date in order to rest. The day of, there was anticipation and nervousness. Would they even play? If they did, would it sound good? Upon seeing the performance we can confidently state it was one of the most fun shows all year. Lucas himself said during the show, “This morning I woke up and didn’t have my voice. I shouldn’t play a show but it’s fucking Valentine’s Day in New York City!” The band gave it their all and committed to their performance 100% despite the obstacles. Being at this show was the best way to spend the holiday in the tri-state area.
The main aspect we noticed was the overall energy and enthusiasm the band had on stage. They were electric. Lucas was jumping up through the air, kicking his feet, head-banging. If no one told us he was sick, we would not have guessed it on our own. Guitarist Scott Carey was playing complicated riffs while dancing and grooving to the rhythm. Ashley Green was furiously slamming away on the drums and never lost his intensity. Bass-wise, Ben Elliot also created a memorable performance. He had a clear and commanding stage presence. The band didn’t have a weak link. Despite it being a slightly abridged show, they removed any uncertainty we had by the end of the first song.
The band played a career-spanning set. It was fantastic to hear tracks off their first album [self titled 2019] which is now half a decade old. I do wish we got to hear more of the new record. 2023’s The Noble Art of Self Destruction was a defining moment in the emo scene. Not only did it help break the band into the mainstream of rock more but it was also a refreshing genuine record. Through its 42-minute run-time there isn’t a single second that’s wasted. Holding Absence is getting better and honing their craft with each record. The only complaint I have of the set was I would have liked to hear more new material.
It was also very clear the band did not take their success for granted. In the middle of the set Lucas grinned and said, “I didn’t even know if I would ever be in New York on holiday. Now I’m playing a show here!” Seeing the hoards of people at Gramercy all jumping in unison proved to us this band unlike no other. Their music resonates with people in such a profound way. Even though they have 1 million monthly listeners on spotify, it still feels like they’re on the verge of a breakthrough.
It being Valentine’s Day in New York City, everyone was there with their significant other. It was beautiful to see so many happy couples choosing to spend their night embracing emo punk. The band even played a deep cut off their new record, “Honey Moon” in honor of the holiday. Couples were holding each other screaming the lyrics. Even single people all had nothing but euphoric smiles. It didn’t matter where you were in life or who you were with, the night just felt so wholesome.
Overall, it was a fantastic concert. Holding Absence showed perseverance, talent, and a deep respect to their fans. They may have needed to cancel this show, but refused to. This showcases the kind of people they are. It’s not about the money, the fame, or any superficial reasons. They do it for the fans and the music. Another quote from the night is when Lucas asked the audience of people who were seeing Holding Absence for the first time, “I insist you come back when I can actually sing!” The show was 10/10; a truly stellar night.
Punk rock’s newest singer/songwriter Mirko Liang’s life has taken him many places. Born in Italy, relocated to Australia, and now living in Taiwan, Mr. Liang has led a much more adventurous life than yours truly; I’ve lived in the same area code my entire life. His next adventure is in music, and he’s off to […]
Punk rock’s newest singer/songwriter Mirko Liang’s life has taken him many places. Born in Italy, relocated to Australia, and now living in Taiwan, Mr. Liang has led a much more adventurous life than yours truly; I’ve lived in the same area code my entire life. His next adventure is in music, and he’s off to a great start with his debut album Art of the Wheel, just released today and streaming on Spotify and probably everywhere you might listen to music.
Your friends at DyingScene.com are bringing you the exclusive premiere of the music video for the album’s lone single “Inferno”, which features backup vocals from Mirko’s friend Andrew Jackson. Fun fact: Andrew used to be in Good Riddance and played drums on the band’s first recording, the 1990 Santa Cruz Hardcore demo.
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!
Four score and seven years ago, DyingScene.com was brought forth with one goal in mind: to introduce the unwashed masses to awesome new punk bands. Today we’re carrying on that proud tradition by introducing you to Rum Luck! You’re probably asking yourself, “Who is Rum Luck? What is Rum Luck? Why is Rum Luck?”. Well, […]
Four score and seven years ago, DyingScene.com was brought forth with one goal in mind: to introduce the unwashed masses to awesome new punk bands. Today we’re carrying on that proud tradition by introducing you to Rum Luck! You’re probably asking yourself, “Who is Rum Luck? What is Rum Luck? Why is Rum Luck?”. Well, lucky for you, I had the band type a brief paragraph introducing themselves:
“Rum Luck is a four piece punk band from St. Louis, Missouri. We’re bringing the nostalgic sound of all your favorite 90’s punk bands rolled into one! The sound of our debut EP Land of the Fools is a mix of all our favorite genres of punk: ska-punk, skate-punk, pop-punk and a hint of rockabilly.”
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!
Rum Luck is playing some shows, you should go to them:
March 30 @ the Heavy Anchor April 20th @ 420 SMOD Fest May 18th @ the Rude Dog Pub June 15th @ the Cooler BnB June 29th @ Platypus July 12th @ the Duck Room
Dying Scene sat down with Matt Hamilton (aka Pickle) to discuss his long involvement in the punk rock scene. Matt has been playing drums for many years and many bands, including Produkt, S.O.S., the Coffin Boys, the Worms, the Sex Pickles, Trash Idols, Blanket of M, and Slash City Daggers. He’s also been a roadie for […]
Dying Scene sat down with Matt Hamilton (aka Pickle) to discuss his long involvement in the punk rock scene. Matt has been playing drums for many years and many bands, including Produkt, S.O.S., the Coffin Boys, the Worms, the Sex Pickles, Trash Idols, Blanket of M, and Slash City Daggers. He’s also been a roadie for Eleventh Hour and Total Chaos and currently plays drums for Diskount Vodka and the Dead End.
Dying Scene: So Matt, tell me about yourself. Who are you? Where are you from? When did you get into punk rock? When did you decide to become a drummer and why?
P: My name is Matt Hamilton. Everybody calls me Pickle. I play drums. I started playing…well, I got into punk rock when I was about 15 years old. I didn’t start playing drums ‘til I was 17 and I’ve been playing punk rock ever since, for 30 plus years. I’ve played in tons of different bands through the years but right now, I’m playing in Diskount Vodka and the Dead End in Pueblo, Colorado. But I’m originally from from East Texas.
DS: Why did you decide to become a drummer?
P: Because I skateboarded from the summer of fifth grade all the way ‘til the beginning of 10th grade and I messed up my knee and I needed to do something so I didn’t lose my mind. So, I started playing drums and all my friends were musicians. So, I got a friend of mine named Kevin Fender (Eleventh Hour, Employer Employee, AUNTIE) to show me a little tempo and I built off of that. Here I am, to this day, it’s the only lesson than I ever had. I also played with tons of people through my lifetime but finally just got my life back together. So, now I’m actually making a dent in society, I think a little bit. So, that’s good.
DS: So, what other bands were you in?
P: Let’s see, way back in the day, I was in a band called The Coffin Boys. I was in band called Blanket of M, the Worms, and I was in a real big band in Arizona called The Slash City Daggers. We went worldwide with that. It was like a trashy, glammy, punk rock and roll band. It was fun. You could find that stuff online. I sat in and played drums with Jeff Dahl and Freddy Lynxx at a live show back in the mid or late 90s back in Arizona. That was pretty badass.
DS: That’s a lot to be proud of for sure.
P: Yeah, definitely.
DS: So, what brought you to Pueblo, Colorado?
P: I needed to get off of drugs and I had friends here and could smoke all the weed I wanted to. So, here I am and I got a little bit right-minded again and started craving drums. So, my old roommate used to talk about this guy at the plasma center who played guitar named Carlos. So, I went and found him and here I am playing music eight years later with him in the Dead End.
DS: You’re currently in Diskount Vodka and the Dead End. How would you describe your bands? And, how do you manage your time in both bands?
P: Diskount Vodka is just straight up old school punk rock. Some of it kind of sounds like street punk, a little Oi-ish, kind of poppy…just a little bit all over the place. We have a split seven inch with Tv Tragedy coming out on January 13th on Split Personality Records out of Las Vegas. That’s a fun one and Diskount keeps releasing singles. February, we’ll release an album. Then as far as the Dead End goes, we are a psychobilly band with punk rock influences. I’m a punk rock drummer but I play a little bit of rock and roll in that band, too. So, a little bit all over the place also as well. Hopefully we have some new music coming out soon, too.
Diskount Vodka (left to right) Cuauhtli, Pickle, and Ellie.
DS: Cool. So, what are you up to right now?
P: Just getting ready to release more material with both bands, but Diskount Vodka for sure. We have new material coming. So, we also have a video that came out on December 1st, a little live video with a song that we’re about to release.
DS: So, with your two bands, have you achieved what you sought out to do as a drummer?
P: I’ve made goals and hit those goals but now I have new goals. So, I’m just going to keep moving up the ladder. Never stop. It takes forever to get anywhere being a musician, for some reason, but it’s worth it.
The Dead End (left to right) Pickle, LJ, and Carlos.
DS: Who are your biggest influence and inspirations? Tell me about your patches on your jacket.
P: As far as my biggest influences, of course the Ramones influenced me playing drums at a younger age. But here recently, Scott Churilla (Reverend Horton Heat, Supersuckers) who played with Three Bad Jacks, that dude was super inspiring to watch. So, I’d say that gave me a little bit of inspiration in my life to beef up my drums some. I like listening to a bunch of Oi bands. They’re pretty inspiring. Rancid always inspires me. I like all kinds of styles of music, so I listen to psychobilly music, too. I like The Meteors, The Peabrains, The Quaranteds, and Rezurex. There’s a bunch of good bands like that. I like everything from the New York Dolls to Johnny Thunders, all kinds of stuff.
DS: So, you’ve been performing locally and touring regionally for years now. What is the biggest show you’ve played? And, what is the best show you’ve played? Tell me about the most memorable show you’ve played.
P: The biggest show I’ve played is Hot Rod Rock & Rumble because there were hundreds of people in front of us and then thousands of people in the whole place that heard us. So, it was pretty wild. As far as memorable shows, I could go all the way back to when I lived in Arizona and played shows with David Gardner with the Trash Idols and those shows were very memorable. Playing with Jeff Dahl was something that was super crazy in my lifetime. Raymond Burton Estes (…And We All Die) told me to buy a Jeff Dahl tape at Camelot Music in the mall for a buck. So, I did and I fell in love with it. Years later, I got to play drums with him on stage and played his songs. I was super amazed. But he’s also recorded stuff for the Trash Idols and recorded stuff for Slash City Daggers also through the years for me. So that was pretty cool. I still keep in touch with the guy. He’s awesome. So, much inspiration comes from him, too.
DS: So, what would you say your proudest moments are?
P: My whole career. I like it all. It’s never been a dull moment, that’s for sure. Playing with the Fat Skins. They’re a really good Oi band and those guys are really good guys. So, I’ve played with a lot of good bands.
DS: What advice do you have for young musicians who want to start a band?
P: You don’t want to play music. Don’t ever play an instrument! No, I’m just kidding. I don’t know…just learn that instrument and feel it. If you don’t feel it, definitely don’t play it. Just keep moving forward. You’ve got to put in the work. You can’t just sit there and expect somebody to come give it to you. You’ve got to go do it.
DS: So, what’s next for you? What are some of the goals you have for 2024?
P: Just put out as much music as I possibly can and maybe tour some and who knows, shoot some videos for both bands. So, just do as much as I possibly can. I only live once.
For the first time, Dying Scene is heading to Copenhell, a festival in Denmark! We are so excited to be among the crowd and give you everything from daily reports and reviews to some festival BTS. Let’s examine some background on the festival and how we were lucky enough to be accredited for Copenhell. Copenhell […]
For the first time, Dying Scene is heading to Copenhell, a festival in Denmark! We are so excited to be among the crowd and give you everything from daily reports and reviews to some festival BTS.
Let’s examine some background on the festival and how we were lucky enough to be accredited for Copenhell.
Copenhell was started in 2010 by Live Nation and takes place in an area of Copenhagen called ‘Refshaleøen’. Back in 2010, when it began, the festival took place for two days with bands like Suicidal Tendencies, The Damned Things, Deftones, and Hatebreed, to mention a few. They only had two stages at the time. As time has progressed, Copenhell has expanded into more days, added a few more stages, and had some big names visit their festival, like Bad Religion, Danzig, Rise Against, Code Orange, Dropkick Murphys, Fever 333, Terror, Dog Eat Dog, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Kiss. Now it’s 2024, and while Copenhell has grown, one would expect a festival like this to lose its touch. I understand that some might say something else. And to that, I say, to each their own and move on, but I think this year might be one of the best I get to attend because of the lineup and the vibe surrounding it.
In this guide, I will also share my daily festival essentials and what happens in Biergarten afterward. I will explain why bringing a light jacket is essential because Danish weather changes faster than a toddler’s taste in food. And while speaking of toddlers, is it a good festival for kids?
So, let’s look at the lineup. Because it is a rock and metal festival, some might question why Dying Scene, a punk ‘zine, will spend time and effort at Copenhell. Well, friends, because of other the years, they’ve added more and more punk, hardcore, and for that, I’m so fucking thankful.
To the bands I’m watching and those I’m giving a chance because I’m open to new music and experiences:
Body Count
You’re probably thinking, “Karina, seriously? Body Count???” and the answer is, duh? Body Count is a band I’ve wanted to see for a long time, but sadly, I didn’t attend when they played at Copenhell the last time. Body Count is a rap metal group that Ice-T started in 1990, and they have some awesome tunes. You can find me on Saturday, June 22nd, absolutely rapping along.
Chelsea Wolfe
I fell for Chelsea Wolfe before she was announced for Copenhell via a colleague who told me she was set to release a new album in 2024. From there, I took any suggestions on what of hers I needed to listen to and have in my life. My buddy Troels even came with a whole album and told me to listen. Chelsea Wolfe has such a beautiful voice, and her newest album, “She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She,” became the main reason you can find me at her concert on Friday, June 21st.
Dropkick Murphys
Long-standing Friends of Dying Scene. Dropkick Murphys is one of the bands I’ve watched most in concert. I am a sucker for catchy songs, and DKM has undoubtedly made a career out of them. You can catch me at their concert on Friday, June 21st at 9 pm.
Empire State Bastard
I need to find out what this band’s music genre is. But Simon Neil from Biffy Clyro has teamed up with Mike Vennar from Oceanside to create something that sounds like they are having much fun. Either way, I’m excited to see what it’s about! Catch me, humaning, at their concert on Wednesday, June 19th.
Fu Manchu
Isn’t Fu Manchu stoner rock? You’re probably asking yourself. And the answer is yes, but it’s the finest stoner rock. It’s the kind where you vibe with every song and likely end up in a mosh pit. Or at least, that’s my plan for their set. Find me on Saturday, June 22nd, living my best life.
Hatebreed
I’ll admit, I’ve only heard their first album. But I really want to see them. And from the videos I’ve seen on social media, they put on a fun and brain-dead concert! You can catch me there on Saturday, June 22nd.
JJ And The A’s
I saw them open for Civic last November, and that was entertaining. They have a great sound, and I look forward to seeing the band take the stage at Copenhell. I’m hoping they don’t clash with other bands. But you can catch me there on Saturday, June 22nd.
JOHN CXNNOR
I’ve never seen them perform, but nearly everyone I know has, and they all say the same. It’s the best thing ever, and I’m curious enough to see what this industrial metal band can do and if I join their fan club. You can catch me feeling the music on Friday, June 21st.
Karnivool
I’ve seen them live! They have blown me away! I love this band, and it’s a prog band. If you don’t have anything to watch when they are performing, I highly recommend catching them in action. They are unique, and you become a fan so quickly. You can see me chilling at their set on Friday, June 21st.
Lack
A Danish hardcore band that initially went their separate ways in 2008, they quickly reunited in 2021 for some shows. This year, they reunited for a few shows, and we are lucky to have Copenhell to give people what they want, which is Lack. I want Lack. Watch me get my mind blown on Thursday, June 20th. This is an important show for me.
Limp Bizkit
THIS ISN’T A DRILL; IT’S HAPPENING. Limp Bizkit is coming to Denmark, AND I’M THERE. I know, Limp Bizkit—really? Really. They aren’t even a guilty pleasure. I like this band. But they are playing Thursday, June 20th, and I’m there, likely in a mosh pit.
Madball
Don’t sleep on the New York hardcore band when they entertain the crowd on Friday, June 21st.
Mr. Bungle
I’ve slept on this band my whole life. Now, I’ll be amongst their audience on Thursday, June 20th.
The Hives
I slept on the fact that they visited Copenhagen in 2023 and kicked myself for that. But there’s always Copenhell, and that’s precisely where I’ll be seeing the band for the first time. I’m excited about it, honestly. Come dance with me on Thursday, June 20th.
The Offspring
Didn’t I see them at Slam Dunk in 2023? Yeah, I did. And it was something, BUT it’s The Offspring, and I grew up listening to them; I need always to attend their gigs when I can. Plus, I love dancing along to their songs… And singing along. Get over it.
Tool
I saw Tool for the first time in 2022, two weeks after I turned 30. From what I remember, I had the best time of my life at their concert. But I am attached to Tool’s music and look forward to their Saturday, June 22nd show.
Underoath
UNDEROATH, FRICKING UNDEROATH. Enough said, I’m there, and I’m ready for this. Catch us vibing on Wednesday, June 19th.
ZULU
Sorry, we can’t be friends if you don’t like Zulu. Since they started in 2019, Zulu has gone from strength to strength on the hardcore scene. Their debut album, “A New Tomorrow,” was an eye-opener with how they perfected the most challenging art in music. How cross-genres without it sounding cluttered and out of place. I think it is one of the best hardcore albums of 2023, and the intensity you hear on the album makes you leave wanting more. Find me on Thursday, June 20th, kicking it in the pit.
Here’s a list of bands I’ve never heard of or seen. I’ll attend blindly, so I will not listen beforehand because I sometimes like to do that.
DVNE
Escuela Grind
Sanguisugabogg
Twin Temple
There’s probably more, but I’ll leave it alone now and move on.
Next up, here’s my essential packing list for the festival that I’ve found necessary over the years.
Sunblock: It’s summer in Copenhagen, and even though our weather can go from sunny to cloudy in 0.6 seconds, the sun hits hard when it is there. Don’t neglect your skin; bring some!
A light jacket: I’ll refer to the above, but the evenings can get chilly, and you don’t want to catch a cold.
Wear comfy shoes: Your feet will love you!
Bring a power bank: That explains itself.
Sunglasses: Maybe put one of those cool strings in them so you don’t lose them.
Lip Balm: Yes, your lips will thank me later.
AND for those camping, you’re pros. Hit up the comment section to add your festival essentials! Kids at the festival; I have done that for those bringing children for the first time. My son’s sixth birthday was at Copenhell, and he had a blast. I felt safe, seeing him start his little mosh pit while those older than him looked on. But Copenhell has a section on bringing kids to the festival that you can find here, along with other IMPORTANT information.
Food
With the drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) flowing, it’s very important to eat, and Copenhell has a lot of variety when it comes to food! While there’s no word on what will be served (yet), I hope to see Naturli’ this year and have falafel and fries. A girl’s got to eat!
Other entertainment
Once again, Copenhell is bringing back Copenhell Con, which is fun and worth visiting! There are Q&A’s and loads of other great stuff to look at.
Once the music is over for the night, you don’t need to go into Copenhagen to have a grand ol’ time. You can visit Biergarten, where the afterparty doesn’t end until sunrise! A DJ will likely be spinning some records, but you can find all the bangers there—and likely most of your friends!
Last year, Copenhell had karaoke; that’s one thing I hope they will bring back. And what about football? This summer, we have the Euro Cup. Will it be shown in the hall behind the big bad Copenhell wolf? Time will tell!
Are you visiting Copenhell this year? If so, what are you really excited about? We are just happy to be part of a wholesome festival this year.
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:
This week’s first record is from The Yum Yums, a great bubblegum pop-punk band from Norway. They have a new record called Poppin’ Up Again due out next month on Screaming Apple Records. It’s available to pre-order on black wax (limited to 500 copies) right here, and shiny red vinyl (100 copies) right here. Unfortunately, no tracks are streaming yet, but if you haven’t already heard of the Yum Yums just know that they have my ringing endorsement. If you don’t trust my opinion, just check out their last record:
2 hours down I-4 from yours truly, Orlando, Florida’s Suck Brick Kid are releasing a new record on local label Smartpunk Records. If you enjoy newer pop-punk, you’ll wanna pick up a copy of The End is What I Want on one of these pleasantly named color variants: Urinal Cake Vinyl (ltd. 100), and/or Shit ‘n Piss Vinyl (ltd. 400). Check out a few tracks below and pre-order the record here – it’s due out May 17th.
New Jersey pop-punk veterans The Ergs have announced a 2xLP 20th Anniversary reissue of the cult favorite dorkrockcorkrod. LP1 is the original mix, remastered by Justin Perkins (Screeching Weasel, the Riverdales, the Manges, etc.) at Mystery Room Mastering. LP2 is a brand new 20th Anniversary remix of the album, completed by Steve Albini using the original master tapes. This one’s due out June 5th on Don Giovanni Records; not sure how many copies were pressed but the splatter variant looks pretty sweet. Get it here.
Rancid‘s B Sides and C Sides compilation LP seems to be getting its first official repress in a decade, as a random pre-order has popped up on Amazon with a listed street date of May 3rd. Details are nebulous at the moment; aside from the cover art looking pink instead of red, I’ve seen some conflicting information. Amazon and this store both list Pirates Press as the label, but one says its a Double LP and the other does not. There also seems to be some debate about the release date. I rolled the dice and pre-ordered it, surely Bezos won’t disappoint.
The Circle Jerks and Descendents are on tour with the Adolescents right now (no, you did not just step out of a time machine in the mid-80’s). They celebrated the tour’s kickoff with a 7″ on which they cover a few of each others’ classic songs. The Descendents take on “Red Tape”, “I Want Some Skank”, and “Beverly Hills”; the Circle Jerks put their spin on “Kabuki Girl” and “Hope”.
Like a lot of the shows on the tour, literally every variant of this 7″ sold out fast as hell. The (potentially) good new is, you can (potentially) get a copy from the bands’ merch tables on tour. There’s a tour exclusive splatter variant, limited to 500 copies and signed by both bands (it seems these are limited to 20 per show), and it sounds like they’ll both have the red color variant as well. Peep the dates here.
Denver punks SPELLS have a new record coming out on April 11th on Rad Girlfriend, Shield Recordings, and a few other venerable labels. Check out the lead single from Past Our Prime below and pre-order the record on “Snowy White” and/or “Blade Bullet” colored vinyl right here. The first 80 people to pre-order will get a hand numbered alternate cover art print. Cool!
Another leak from big dawg Bezos at Amazon.com – looks like The Dwarves are releasing a new “mini LP” not even 6 months after their latest record Concept Album. Keep It Reel features 7 new songs, 2 remixes, and “All for You” from the band’s aforementioned 2023 LP. Here’s the tracklist:
1. One Musketeer 2. Voodoo 3. Kinda Konsensual 4. Nobody Fucked You 5. I Had a Dream 6. Blast Off 7. Parasite 8. Invisible People 9. We Won’t Skate 10. All For You
Pop-punk supergruppe The Phase Problem‘s lineup includes members of Squirtgun, The Murderburgers, City Mouse, and a bunch of other great bands. Their 2023 debut album was 10 years in the making. Luckily the wait for album #2 was not nearly as long; The Power of Positive Thinking is due out next month on Lavasocks Records (US), Brassneck Records (UK), and Stardumb Records (EU). The record features guest appearances from Heather Tabor from the Teen Idols and original Squirtgun frontman Matt Hart, among others. It’s limited to 250 copies on red w/ yellow splatter colored vinyl. Pre-order this shit!
One of the marquee releases featured on the last Record Radar was NOFX‘s new EP Half Album. At the time, all the color variants were sold out, but since then a new variant on “green-gold” colored vinyl (whatever that means) has popped up on some European distros including Green Hell Records, Coretex Records, and Cruise Records. Supposedly this is limited to 500 copies and exclusive to German indie stores. I guess if you missed out on all the others (or you’re sick in the head and collect every NOFX variant) this is a good option for you to import.
Israeli punks Free Sergio new record The Nail in the Coffee is being released on vinyl by our friends at Punk Rock Radar, Cat’s Claw Records and High End Demin Records. Limited to 100 copies on yellow wax, this is a highly recommended pickup for fans of melodic punk with a harder edge (No Fun At All, Satanic Surfers, Belvedere, etc.). There’s even some ska-core sprinkled in here and there. Check the record out below and pre-order it here (US), here (Canada), or here (UK).
Washington State melodic punks Hilltop Rats are back with a new record for the first time in a long time. I’m about halfway through my first listen as I’m typing this and can confidently proclaim this is a god damn banger. Life You Lead is out now on Felony Records, with three bitchin’ color variants; one of those already sold out so quit fucking around and get your copy.
Everyone’s favorite Green Day album Warning is back in print on colored vinyl for the first time in a decade. The new Florescent Green color variant is up for pre-order everywhere but ol’ reliable Amazon is probably the cheapest place you can get it.
Dutch pop-punks Jetlag Jenny have a new 3-song EP called Animal Escapades due out April 19th on White Russian Records. Check out one of the tracks below and click this link to grab the 7″ on green and/or blue colored vinyl (each limited to 125 copies).
Days N Daze are releasing an LP of demos from recording session for their latest album Show Me the Blueprints. That includes five (5) never-before-heard songs. Very cool! The record is streaming now but the physical release won’t be out on SBÄM Records ’til May 31st. Get it here on one (or all three) of the following color variants: Dopamine, Cosmic Green, Dirty Orange. Limited to 200 copies each.
German punks Resolutions are releasing their sophomore album Monster Mirror on May 24th via End Hits Records. The lead single “Drop Dead” is great and the record comes in a pretty sweet looking reflective silver jacket. 3 variants: 50x lobster red, 200x black / white swirl (get both of those here), and 50x dewdrop (get it at the band’s shows).
New York pop-punk band Egghead (whose existence I’m just now being alerted to) released a compilation album called Dumb Songs for Smart People on Mutant Pop Records in 1999. 25 years later, it’s being released on vinyl for the first time thanks to the friendly people at Dead Broke Rekerds and Mom’s Basement Records. And as I finished writing this and went to look for links to pre-order I realized this shit is not up for pre-order lmaooooo. Well, when it is, it’ll be available on red and white color variants. Also probably worth noting these guys are playing some shows with the Ergs and Boris the Sprinkler in July.
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!
