Fri, 09/09/2011 - 11:23 am

The World/Inferno Friendship Society are a gang of dangerous loonies who like to break things and have been making beautiful Orchestral Punk Rock records since 1997. Originally signing with the eerily prescient NJ Hardcore label Gern Blandsten (Ted Leo, Radio 4, Rorschach, The Liars) with whom they released two albums: “The True Story of The Bridgewater Astral League” (1997), “Just The Best Party” (2002) and a gang of singles which were compiled on “East Coast Super Sound Punk of Today!” They have toured incessantly for the last 15 years prompting one NPR spokesman to comment that the amount of jobs they have been fired from to go on the road would be “enough to save the present economy.”

The World/Inferno Friendship Society consist of 7 to 13 Lifers who enthusiastically delight in encouraging fans young and old to change the system from without and come blazing onto stages armed with cascading piano, ace saxophones, several drummers, snarling guitars, low B bass (plus whoever else gets in the bus), and are fronted by an undead Sherlock Holmes who has had his exploits profiled in the NY Times Arts Sections for the multi-media stage version of the group’s last record “Addicted to Bad Ideas.”

The industrious and attractive World/Inferno joined the Chunksaah Records roster (Bouncing Souls, The Loved Ones, The Measure S.A., Adrenaline OD) with their 2005 watershed “Red Eyed Soul” which was produced by NYC legend Don Fury at his Cyclone Studios in Coney Island, as was the aforementioned “Addicted To Bad Ideas.”

On their new release “The Anarchy and The Ecstasy,” Inferno hopes to make you dance, laugh and cry - often in the same song. With their full horn section, baby grand piano, punk guitar, five-string bass and dueling male and female vocals, this freedom fighting, punk-as-world-music cult channels Phillip K. Dick, Kurt Weill and Jonathan Richman on their 13th release. 

Pushing boundaries, grudges, genres, heartstrings and parole conditions, from the cow-punk thump of track "Disarming Smile" to the heartbreaking samba of "13 Years Without Peter King” and the attitude you've come to expect from the kids in "I Am Sick of People Being Sick of My Shit," "The Anarchy and The Ecstasy" shows The World/Inferno Friendship Society with refined songwriting style and virtuosic execution.

Based in Brooklyn, NY but soon to be sleeping on your floor, World/Inferno invites you to live The Anarchy and The Ecstasy - and know you want to.
See you at the shows.

For fans of: X, The Jam, Deaf School, The Rezillo's, being overdressed while slam dancing and a better world.

The World/Inferno Friendship Society Live
9/30/2011 Seattle WA The Highline *
10/1/2011 Portland OR Dante's *
10/2/2011 Eureka CA Veterans Hall *
10/3/2011 San Francisco CA The Rickshaw Stop *
10/5/2011 West Hollywood CA Key Club *
10/6/2011 San Diego CA Soda Bar *
10/7/2011 Las Vegas NV The Bunkhouse Saloon *
10/8/2011 Scottsdale AZ Chasers Bar and Night Club *
10/9/2011 Tucson AZ Club Congress *
10/11/2011 Denver CO Larimer Lounge
10/13/2011 St. Louis MO The Firebird
10/14/2011 Chicago IL Reggie's Rock Club
10/15/2011 Pittsburgh PA Smiling Moose
10/16/2011 Amherst NY The Forum
10/28/2011 New York NY Irving Plaza ^
10/29/2011 Pawtucket RI The Met ^
10/31/2011 Philadelphia PA Union Transfer ^

* = w/ The Phenomenauts
^ = Annual "Hallowmas" show

Tue, 09/27/2011 - 11:00 am

In support of their upcoming EP "Follow The Rattle of The Afghan Guitar" out October 4th on Youth Conspiracy Records, San Diego indie-punk heroes Weatherbox have announced a series of US tour dates kicking off next month with friends the Sainthood Reps, who will also be supporting their latest debut album, "Monoculture," out now on Tooth & Nail Records. In addition to Sainthood Reps, additional guests performing along the way include The Coathangers, ANR, Girl in a Coma and more. Complete tour dates below

The band is also announcing they've made their new album available a week early exclusively through weatherbox.bandcamp.com.

* Pre-order "Follow The Rattle Of The Afghan Guitar" here!

Weatherbox Live!
Fri 10/7 - Tempe, AZ @ Venue 104
Sat 10/8 - Albuquerque, NM @ The Gasworks
Sun 10/9 - Denver, CO @ The Walnut Room
Mon 10/10 - Liberty, MO @ Detto's Barn
Tue 10/11 - St Louis, MO @ Cicero's *
Wed 10/12 - Madison, WI @ UW-Madison *
Thu 10/13 - Chicago, IL @ Casa Donde *
Fri 10/14 - Cleveland, OH @ Now That's Class *
Sat 10/15 - Lansing, MI @ The Loft *#
Sun 10/16 - Wilkes-Barre, PA @ Redwood Art Space *
Mon 10/17 - Allston, MA @ O'Briens Pub *
Tue 10/18 - Hamden, CT @ The Space *
Wed 10/19 - Montclair, NJ @ The Meatlocker *
Thu 10/20 - Baltimore, MD @ Talking Head Club at Sonar *
Fri 10/21 - Amityville, NY @ Broadway Bar *
Sat 10/22 - Washington, DC @ Subterranean A *
Sun 10/23 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Barbary *
Tue 10/25 - Morgantown, WV @ 123 Pleasant Street *
Wed 10/26 - Harrisonburg, VA @ The Blue Nile *
Thu 10/27 - Greenville, NC @ The Tipsy Teapot *
Fri 10/28 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade *
Wed 11/2 - Austin, TX @ Emo's
Thu 11/3 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory $
Fri 11/4 - Dallas, TX @ The Prophet Bar ~

* with SAINTHOOD REPS
# with Deas Vail
$ with ANR
~ with Girl In A Coma + The Coathangers

Tue, 10/18/2011 - 4:08 pm

In support of their debut album "White Noise Bed" (out now on No Sleep Records) and their upcoming appearances at this week's annual CMJ Music Marathon in New York (specifically tomorrow's joint showcase with PASTE Magazine Rdio Showcase), Chicago psychedelic pop band Santah have premiered the new video for their song "Neighbors and Cousins" at PasteMagazine.com."Neighbors and Cousins" was shot on Lake Michigan by director Elijah Alvarado who says "the video is kind of inspired by the simplicity of the 90's pop-band music video. We just went out on a sail boat and had a great time."In addition, the band has also recently premiered their new Daytrotter Session which fans can listen to here.--Santah Live19-Oct: PASTE Magazine and Rdio Afternoon Delight New York #20-Oct: CMJ Showcase @ Rockwood Music Hall New York22-Oct: CMJ RWIM Showcase @ Sullivan Hall New York23-Oct: Richmond, VA The Camel *24-Oct: Charlottesville, VA The Box *25-Oct: Durham, NC Casbah *26-Oct: Charleston, SC Village Tavern *27-Oct: Louisville, KY Zanzabar *28-Oct Chicago, IL Subterranean *%

Tue, 01/03/2012 - 3:37 pm

Following the release of their new self-titled full-length album out now on No Sleep Records, and their year-end shows with Thursday and Screaming Females, Albany, NY's indie-punk hybrid Aficionado have announced a string of US tour dates supporting Electric Six. Taking place this March and April, the dates will also follow the band's return from Europe where they're currently touring the continent with friends End Of A Year Self Defense Family.With ten songs produced and recorded with AJ Mogis (Bright Eyes, M. Ward, Cursive), and on the heels of their critically acclaimed "When It Comes To Creation" EP, the songs on Aficionado's latest are sharp and more compact with less of an emphasis on wowing people with over the top antics and more of a focus on the songs themselves. The lyrical basis is centered on expositions of thinking for yourself, attaining what it takes to be a charismatic person, heeding to the realities of aging, and acceptance of change. Drawing from a range of influences such as Cursive, The Hold Steady, Sunny Day Real Estate and At the Drive In, Aficionado incorporates the sweet honey coated coo of Laura Carrozza which tinges the melodies and a harmonious male/female vocal styling alongside singer Nick Warchol.On their new album, Aficionado have created an opus based on the basic concept of pure camaraderie and solidarity amongst good friends, with the aim of simply making good music.* Purchase the new album from iTunes here!Aficionado Live!Europe w/ End Of A Year Self Defense FamilyJan 03 Sonic Ballroom Cologne, GermanyJan 04 Zoro Leipzig, GermanyJan 05 Cairo Wurzburg, GermanyJan 06 Kulturcafé Schlachthaus Dornbirn, AustriaJan 07 Jugendcafe Zwiesel, GermanyJan 08 Lorenz Munster, GermanyJan 09 Carlo Levi Antwerp, BelgiumJan 10 Green Door Store Brighton, United KingdomJan 11 Undertone Cardiff, United KingdomJan 12 Live Bar Cornwall And Isles Of Scilly, United KingdomJan 13 The Fighting Cocks Kingston, United KingdomJan 14 Banshee Labirynth Edinburgh, United KingdomJan 15 The Well Leeds, United KingdomJan 16 Stage Club Larisa, GreeceJan 17 Warehouse Club Volos, GreeceUSA w/ Electric SixMar 08 The Blind Pig Ann Arbor, MIMar 09 High Noon Saloon Madison, WIMar 10 Upfront & Company Marquette, MIMar 27 Wild Buffalo House of Music Bellingham, WAMar 28 Dante's Portland, ORMar 29 Neurolux Boise, IDMar 30 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UTMar 31 The Black Sheep Colorado Springs, COApr 01 Larimer Lounge Denver, COApr 02 The Bottleneck Lawrence, KSApr 04 Hi Tone Cafe Memphis, TNApr 05 Exit/In Nashville, TNApr 06 Radio Radio Indianapolis, INApr 07 Small's Hamtramck, MI

Mon, 01/16/2012 - 11:27 am

In support of their upcoming new album, "Awkward Breeds," out February 21st on Red Scare Industries / Really Records, Columbus indie-punk band The Sidekicks have premiered the first new single from the album entitled "Grace" currently streaming exclusively at AltPress.com.The band has also added additional live dates to the previously announced March US tour with Cheap Girls, full itinerary below.About The Sidekicks:It's not often that people who are serious about making music stick with their "first band", but that's exactly what's happened with Steve Ciolek (Vocals & Guitar) and Matt Climer (Drums), the long-time axis and backbone behind The Sidekicks. The two Cleveland natives were childhood buds that played high school sports together and shared an interest in spikey-haired punk rock bands that would probably make them cringe today. The first incarnation of The Sidekicks was a gruff punk rock quartet that bore the markings of bands like Against Me! and Hot Water Music; and their first proper full length, "So Long, Soggy Dog," is what caught the attention of the punk scene as well as Chicago label, Red Scare. It may have been gritty, but it was a clear sign of things to come and even then these teenagers stood out from their peers. The band was dedicated to the DIY scene and toured with like-minded punk bands such as Teenage Bottlerocket, O Pioneers!!!, Cobra Skulls, etc.The band's early praise and inherent comradery somehow compelled them to stick together even as life and college took the members to four different corners of the State of Ohio. They ditched the rigid trappings of the punk aesthetic and started incorporating more melodic and sophisticated influences into their sound reminiscent of Midwestern indie-punk acts like The Replacements or Smoking Popes. With the addition of guitarist and vocalist Matt Scheuermann, The Sidekicks forged their next LP, "Weight Of Air," which was named 2009's "#1 Album of the Year" by the genre's biggest fansite, Punknews.org. While their sound may have matured beyond their early punk stylings, they still abided by the underground ethos and continued to operate among the basement scene and toured the country with equally enlightened bands like Bomb The Music Industry and Tigers Jaw.At present, The Sidekicks have relocated to Columbus, Ohio, and with the addition of bassist Ryan Starinsky embark on the next chapter in their story. Through their maturing sensibilities and further experimentation upon pop structures, the band has crafted their third and finest record, "Awkward Breeds," due out February 21st on Red Scare (vinyl LP available on Really Records). They plan to support the album with much-anticipated touring throughout the year, including an already-booked full U.S. tour with Cheap Girls (as well as another run of support dates coming soon), appearances at SXSW, and more. Past achievements aside, the latest offering from The Sidekicks, "Awkward Breeds," will undoubtedly be considered their masterwork.The Sidekicks US Tour w/ Cheap GirlsMar. 1 Grog Shop Cleveland, OHMar. 2 Mohawk Place Buffalo, NYMar. 3 Middle East Boston, MAMar. 4 Asbury Lanes Asbury Park, NJMar. 6 The Knitting Factory Brooklyn, NYMar. 7 Oneonta American Legion Oneonta, NYMar. 8 Lilly’s Pad @ Toad’s Place New Haven, CTMar. 9 The Fire Philadelphia, PAMar. 10 The Camel Richmond, VAMar. 11 Cahoots Louisville, KYMar. 12 The Firebird St. Louis, MOMar. 14 Crosstown Memphis, TNMar. 18 Media Star Entertainment Hall Shreveport, LAMar. 20 Replay Lounge Lawrence, KSMar. 21 Slowdown Jr. Omaha, NEMar. 22 The Bourbon Theatre Lincoln, NEMar. 23 The Frequency Madison, WI

Mon, 02/13/2012 - 12:10 pm

If there's still a few scattered embers of the fire of '80s punk, hardcore and the birth of D.I.Y., they are burning inside Bomb the Music Industry! Formed by Jeff Rosenstock as a bedroom project reaction to the serious business machinations of his former band, BTMI! was never supposed to sell over 10,000 records or tour the world. They weren't supposed to headline festivals or drive their van over 300,000 miles. At the core of the band is the kind of reverse-careerist leaning that's more at home in a vicious thrash-crust-death-horror-rap-band. Instead, it's dressed up like Elvis Costello or Rivers Cuomo, a self-deprecating bunch of punks playing smart-ass pop songs. Oh, and giving it all away for free on the internet.Since 2004, Rosenstock and a rotating cast of guitarists, keyboardists, drummers, bassists, mandolin players, horn players, and assorted weirdos have been writing and recording music under the Bomb the Music Industry! banner. And every single song has been released by Rosenstock's own Pay What You Can online-only label, Quote Unquote Records. It's a choice that predated Radiohead or Nine Inch Nails, and it didn't stop the band from selling thousands of physical records, endearing them to a fan base who recognized that BTMI! were a band that actually respected and trusted them. That Scrambles, the band's last record, has been downloaded over 60,000 times, isn't half-bad, either.When you look at BTMI!'s history through that lens, it makes sense that Vacation, their latest full-length, will be a split release from Brooklyn indie Ernest Jenning Record Co. (also home to two of Rosenstock's other bands - Pegasuses-XL and Kudrow) as well as the first release Rosenstock's own label, the freshly-minted Really Records (also manned by Dave Garwacke, founder of If You Make It.) A further step away from the band's entrenched punk origins, Vacation will resonate with fans of bands like Titus Andronicus or The Thermals, ethically punk bands who take the genre and run in a totally new direction with it. For Rosenstock and BTMI!, that means thrashing My Aim Is True-style jams through the hive-mind of a group of musicians raised on The Blue Album and old Superchunk. It's punk for guys and girls who love Merge Records today as much as they loved Fat Wreck Chords in high school. It's music that's not ashamed of its past, but isn't interested in reliving it.Thematically, the band have been moving away from the dark introspection of their past material, with Rosenstock penning many of Vacation's songs while on a free vacation in Belize, hanging out on the beach and, for once, writing songs from a positive, grounded headspace. The optimistic tone of the record suits the band's loose, fun style, and as a result, Vacation has the very real feeling of a band coming in to their own, discovering what they do best and truly being comfortable in their own skin.Recorded by Rosenstock and guitarist Tom Malinowski at their homespun recording spaces, the record also features contributions from across the country, with friends in bands like Fake Problems, Bayside, Andrew Jackson Jihad, and Good Luck adding to tracks from their own homes, or when they would tour into BTMI!'s homebase of New York City. It's easily the biggest and best sounding record of the band's career, and marks the first time they've enlisted someone outside the band to mix and master, ensuring the final product is seriously massive.Vacation will still be available online, for free, as well as on vinyl and CD through Ernest Jenning Record Co. and Really Records. The band plans to tour like crazy once its released, adding a few more thousand miles to their worn-in van, and spreading the gospel of grown-up punks truly doing it themselves.* Purchase "Vacation" from Really Records here and Ernest Jenning here.

Mon, 08/20/2012 - 2:27 pm

In conjunction with last week's webcast live from TRI Studios, Jesse Malin has premiered this exclusive video of his recent performance coveringThe Clash's "Death or Glory," alongside TRI founder, legendary musician and Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir.

Following The Clash suit, Malin will be hosting a birthday tribute to Joe Strummer this Tuesday, August 21st on East Village Radio in New York from 4pm - 6pm Eastern. Special guests include Bob Weir, Jacob Dylan, Bob Gruen, Joe Sib and many more of Joe's friends, colleagues and collaborators sharing. Fans can listen live from the station's website at www.eastvillageradio.com.

Mon, 04/08/2013 - 9:59 am

In support of his upcoming new solo album, titled "Excavator" out April 23rd on Arctic Rodeo, Chamberlain guitarist Adam Rubenstein has premiered the video for his new song "Sunday Season" exclusively at MagnetMagazine.com. The video comes following last week's Rolling Stone track premiere for new song "I'll Retrieve."

In addition, Rubenstein will be performing this week with friends Lightouts, taking place Friday, April 12th at Union Hall in Brooklyn (full details below), and has launched pre-order for the new release available here.

About Adam Rubenstein:

Nostalgia is a uniquely human feeling. We often get that urge to open old boxes or sift through photos from our past in search of some indefinable clarity or perspective. Adam Rubenstein’s newest offering, Excavator (due for release April 23rd, 2013), was born of a similar experience.

A day spent exploring old hard drives, discs, notebooks and even cassettes left Rubenstein feeling both shocked and disappointed at how much material he had written, yet never properly recorded. It seemed like there was always an excuse or another musical project occupying his time.

“I often equate being a songwriter to having some inoperable disease, where ideas just keep rapidly proliferating beyond your conscious control,” says Rubenstein. “The volume of songs I’d written had become massive, and I knew they’d be forgotten if I didn’t commit them to tape somehow.”

Fortunately, this realization got Rubenstein back in the studio to flesh out many of his unfinished ideas. While some of the songs on Excavator are new compositions, others stretch back as far as a decade ago, when Rubenstein was fully entrenched in his heralded on-and-off-again band, Chamberlain.

The songs on Excavator offer a diverse, genre-jumping palette of ideas. Whereas the Beatles-esque “Playground” is a folksy ballad, there are also heartland rock’n’roll anthems like “I’ll Retrieve” and hypnotic, psych-leaning oddities like “Sunday Season.”

Throughout, the musicianship retains the impeccable standards set by Rubenstein’s past work with the influential Chamberlain, particularly his signature guitar work. Among the musical friends lending a hand on the album are members of Chamberlain, My Morning Jacket, Fiction Plane, and Angus & Julia Stone.

“I’m fortunate to have had so many wonderful friends and musicians contribute to this record,” says Rubenstein. “And I’m extremely lucky to still have a way to get this album pressed and heard after all these years of making music.”