Tonight: Jennifer O'Connor & Kaia Wilson in Brooklyn, new album releases

Tonight catch Tower of Song, a monthly songwriters series, featuring Jennifer O'Connor, Kaia Wilson of Team Dresch/The Butchies, Beth Wawerna of Bird Of Youth and Dawn Landes at the Rock Shop in Brooklyn. The night's theme is PLACE(S) and will feature collaborations, new songs, and old songs. Doors at 7:30, show at 8pm. 249 4th Avenue,. Come see the sweet, stylings of these performers. Advance tix here. 

Also, I'm pretty excited for this week's releases. Moving Mountains put out an excellent album that you'll love if you dig bands like Cave In, Thursday, and Sunny Day Real Estate, then Waves is perfect for you.

This Will Destry You- Tunnel Blanket (Suicide Squeeze)
Balance and Composure- Seperation (No Sleep)

Late Night Wars- Who's Going To Miss You If You Go? (Panic) 

Manchester Orchestra- Simple Math (Favorite Gentlemen/Columbia)
Man Man- Life Fantastic
Man Overboard- The Human Highlight Reel (Run for Cover)

Memory Map- Holiday Band

Moving Mountains- Waves (Triple Crown)
Okkervil River- I Am Very Far (Jagjaguwar)
Spraynard- Funtitled (Asian Man)

New Control album out today

Before I head to work I wanted to let ya'll know about Control's new album. "Obsolete Through Automation" is the Jefferson, New Jersey band's debut full-length with 11-songs. It's available digitally for only $4. "Live Together, Die Alone" was the first song that stood out, though I still need to listen to the rest of this album.

 http://controlisaband.bandcamp.com/album/obsolete-through-automation

Summer People release 'Teamwork'

Summer People have a new album called Teamwork out today.

You can download “Teamwork” on…

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hired-liars/id422903765?i=422903962&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Emusic: http://www.emusic.com/album/Summer-People-Teamwork-MP3-Download/12415447.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Teamwork/dp/B004PVZPSC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1298997808&sr=8-1-catcorr

AND the entire album is streaming on http://www.lowlightrecords.com/

Hard Nips release 10'', upcoming Brooklyn shows + free download

DOWNLOAD: Hard Nips- Release It

When I write about a new band, I like to make sure it's worth it. Lately not too many bands have impressed me, but a quartet by the name of HARD NIPS have. 

Hard Nips is an all-girl Japanese rock 'n roll band with a fun, highly spirited live show. The band has a 4-song 10'' EP out on Mixpak Records that totally rocks. Their sound has a riffy guitar groove with catchy beats that make for a cool listen. 

The band is playing with the glamous Living Days at a new bowling alley (think more intimate than Brooklyn Bowl), called The Gutter. How rad? They also play behind Williamsburg's tasty tater tot Lovin' Cups music venue, Cameo Gallery! Grab a free download of their first song above!

Hard Nips EP:


1. Release It
2. Sun Stroke
3. Picture
4. Alligator 

Hard Nips Live: 

2/11 @ The Gutter, Brooklyn, NY w/ Living Days [info]
2/15 @ Cameo Gallery, Brooklyn, NY w/ Chica Vas and Euro Band [info]

Ben Franklin releasing new 7-inch, playing in Montclair this Saturday

Ben Franklin is an awesome rock 'n roll punk band from Brooklyn you do not know, but hopefully soon will. With hooky, guitar driving melodies, and punky chords with urgent political, in-your-face lyrics, this trio is ready to make a fuss. 2 dude guitarists, 1 lady drummer. You'll be bopping around and singing to their tunes. Okay, so what's going on with the band? 

First, they'll release new music in the form of a 7'' vinyl record, a follow-up to their Optimist full-length, which you can to here that showcases their new direction. It'll be out on Kearny based label Killing Horse Records (¡No Pasaran!, Invisible Lines) later this fall.

Second, the band is playing in Montclair, NJ this Saturday with Black Water (featuring members of lead singer Billy of Ben Franklin's former band the Meltdown's), plus The Micks and The Porchistas. They'll debut a new band member and play some new songs. Tierney's Tavern, 136-138 Valley Road, Montclair, NJ 07042. 21+. 8:30pm. $5. Cheap show with some great bands. Good deal, eh?

Pregnant release LP, upcoming shows

Brooklyn punk trio Pregnant have released its debut LP for free download on Burn Books. Remember they put out a 7'' on Don Giovanni and played a few of their shows. Definitely check them out for some garage-punk jams that will get you moving. Listen to "Real Talk," "Help," or "You Give It To Me" for examples. These are songs you get crazy to at shows. A physical copy is only $14, including shipping and handling. Grab it here: www.burnbooks.org

10/1 @ Dead Herring
141 S. 5th Street b/w Bedford & Driggs
Brooklyn, NY
9pm. All Ages. $cheap

Pregnant- http://www.myspace.com/pregnantinbarnio
Home Blitz - http://www.myspace.com/homeblitz
Wild Thing - http://capturedtracks.com/
Fostercare- http://www.myspace.com/fostercarekooks
Humanbeing lawnmower- http://www.avispivak.com/frame_shop.htm

10/2 @ The Pyramids
32D S. 1st Street
Brooklyn, NY
8pm. All ages. $7.

Showpaper Benefit Show

Pregnant - www.myspace.com/pregnantinbarnio
Byrds of Paradise - www.myspace.com/byrdsofparadisenyc
Sleepies - www.myspace.com/herecomethesleepies
Aye Nako - www.myspace.com/ubervamps
Mr. Dream - www.myspace.com/mrdreamnyc

The Saddest Landscape to release album on 9/21, pre-orders up

The Saddest Landscape is releasing its first new full-length in 7 years called You Will Not Survive on September 21st. You can pre-order the 12'' LP and listen to the a new song, "Declaring War on Nostalgia" here.

Haunting and massive in its scope, You Will Not Survive echoes a maelstrom of emotions while retaining a staggering poise and precision. Rarely does a record push you so close to the edge only to save you at its dying breath. The Saddest Landscape provides cathartic therapy for desperate and dark matters of the heart. With passionate vocals and pummeling, powerful instrumentation, the band never relents and continues to redefine listeners' expectations. You Will Not Survive reestablishes The Saddest Landscape within the scene and firmly entrenches the band as a pioneer in the ever-evolving screamo genre.

Bern & The Brights: New EP out July 17th at Hoboken show + free song

We've spoken about Bern & The Brights here quite a few times. For good reason, the Montclair band is active in New Jersey and New York, and simply release some groovy, danceable songs that brighten you up. Pun intended. Bottom line is they have their shit together.

So I'm pleased to announce that the EP (cover art on left) the band's been prepping will be out this summer. Swing Shift Maises is the band's first studio recording in the band's two-year history, showcasing 5-songs from the violin-driven rock band. It will be released on July 17th at the band's CD Release show at Maxwell's. They perform at 8:30pm with Madison Ave. Boys, The Fave, and Anthony Walker and The Medicine Chest. $8. The band also have shows this summer in Jersey City, Union, Montclair, Newark, and Princeton.

We're excited to offer you a free download of the band's single "Sangria Peaches." You can download it using the following information:

Direct Link: http://www.bandsonabudget.com/downloads/sangriapeaches
Password:  btbdlsp10

What do you think of the song? 

New Album Releases (Tuesday, June 8th)

Pick from these choices:

Against Me- White Crosses
Anna Rose- Nomad
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti- Before Today
Ceremony- Rohnert Park
Coffee Project- Moved On
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals- Self Titled
Jace Everett- Red Revelations 
Kaiser Cartel- Secret Transit
Last Days of Empire- The Veronica Project
Off With Their Heads- In Desolation
Kingdom of Sorrow- Behind the Blackest Tears
The Dig- Electric Toys
The Holy Mess- Benefit Sesh 7''
Tokyo Police Club- Champ
Refused- The Shape of Punk to Come (deluxe, 2xLPreissue)
Rookie of the Year- The MOst Beautiful
Rooney- Eureka
Starring- Wife of God 7''
We Are The In Crowd- Guaranteed to Disagree (EP)
Wye Oak- My Neighbor/ My Creator

What are you picking up?

Night Birds (f/ members of The Ergs, Hunchback, For Science): 3 New Releases + Tour Dates

photo by Christopher Ernst

Night Birds, a punk band with a hint of old school hardcore, featuring Brian Gorsegner (ex-For Science) on vocals, Joe Keller (ex-Ergs) on bass, and Mike Hunchback on guitar, and Chris on drums, have three releases coming out. 1) 100 copies of their 2009 demo on tape for Ride the Fury's tape series. 2) 75 copies of “Killer Waves” single for Art of the Underground record series. 3) Self-Titled 7'' on Grave Mistake /Dirtnap that comes with a download code and a sticker. 

The band has two record releases: April 6 in New Brunswick and April 8 in Brooklyn, both with No Friends and Deep Sleep.

The band also said, “In other news, our drummer Chris is going back to stunt man school and can no longer do the band... His funeral show with us will be the record release show April 6th. We all love him, and wish him the best. Come give him a good farewell, then 2 days later, come give our new drummer, Ryan Mchale, a good welcoming at our Brooklyn Bruar falls show. He's a fantastic drummer, and you will like him.”

New Song: Lemuria "Expert Herder"

Lemuria in New Brunswick, NJ 6/23/009


Lemuria have posted a new song called "Expert Herder" off the band's new 7'' called "Ozzy," coming out this month on Syracuse, NY label, Hex Records. You can listen to the new song here. The 7'' features two new songs, plus a down-loadable song with a silkscreened cover and your choice of three colors. You can get it here.

The band is scheduled to play The Fest in Gainesville, Florida from Oct. 30-Nov. 1.

Thursday Sign to Epitaph Records+New Album Sping 09

After months of speculation and wait, New Brunswick's Thursday have finally announced they have signed to Epitaph Records. The band is planning to release its fifth full-length album next Spring. No further detail are available. On November 4 the band is releaseing a split album with Tokyo's Envy.

"We've always believed that music has the power to change lives and that all of us who have been lucky enough to make music for a living have a responsibility to try and make the world a more compassionate and livable place in any small way that they can," Rickly adds. "We hope that with Epitaph's help and guidance, we can do our part."

"One of our biggest concerns was that we find a situation where we could be free to just be Thursday," explains Thursday frontman, Geoff Rickly. "Epitaph have continually voiced their desire to help us become the band that we have always wanted to be. It's a great feeling to have a label encourage you to be more socially conscious and politically active. It's a great feeling to have a label owner push you to explore the most experimental and challenging aspects of your band's music instead of dissuading you. It's a truly great feeling to be working with a label that all of our friends have had so many great experiences with."