Girl in a Coma teamed up with Austin’s Transistor Six for a live video of “One Eyed Fool” filmed in Super 8! The video was filmed at an unannounced weekday gig and the band’s fans turned out in droves to support the San Antonio trio. “There was a line out the door and around the block and when Jenn, Nina and Phanie hit the stage you couldn’t help but feel the connection with everyone singing the words to all the songs.”
Transistor Six were inspired to work with the band after seeing Girl in a Coma used Super 8 footage in their video for “Smart” from their recent album Exits & All the Rest (Blackheart Records). Along with the “One Eyed Fool” video, they also recorded a five song live session and interview and did a Lomography shoot with the band.
Hot on the heels of their headlining Summer tour, Girl In Coma have announced fall dates in North America with Minus The Bear, Cursive, and a handful of dates with Alkaline Trio.
Girl In A Coma Tour Dates
8/15 – Corpus Christi, TX – House of Rock
8/16 – Pharr, TX – Pharr Entertainment Center
8/18 – San Antonio, TX- Tejano Music Awards
9/09 – Houston, TX – Green Park Stage
9/17 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop #
9/18 – Newprot, KY @ Thompson House #
9/19 – Detroit, MI @ St Andrews Hall #
10/21 – Gainesville, FL – Florida Theater of Gainesville *
10/22 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution *
10/23 – Orlando, FL – Beacham Theater *
10/24 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse *
10/26 – St. Louis, MO – Plush *
10/27 – Kansas City, MO – The Beaumont Club *
10/28 – Omaha, NE – The Slowdown *
10/29 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note *
10/30 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom *
11/01 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live *
11/03 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues *
11/04 – Lubbock, TX – Jake’s Sports Café *
11/05 – Denver, CO – The Summit Music Hall *
11/06 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot *
11/07 – Las Vegas, NV – Fremont Country Club *
11/08 – Tempe, AZ – The Marquee *
11/09 – Los Angeles, CA – Club Nokia *
11/10 – Pomona, CA – The Glass House *
11/11 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues *
11/13 – San Francisco, CA – The Regency Ballroom *
11/14 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades *
11/16 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom *
11/17 – Seattle, WA – Showbox at the Market *
* – w/ Minus The Bear + Cursive
# – w/ Alkaline Trio
What started out as a fun side-project for Sevendust guitarist John Connolly and bassist Vince Hornsby, Alter Bridge/Creed drummer Scott Phillips, and Tremonti Project/Creed guitarist Eric Friedman has become Projected. The band’s debut album, Human, will be released September 18 on Connolly’s own Yaya Papu LLC. label.
Produced by Connolly and Elvis Baskette (Alter Bridge, Puddle Of Mudd), the majority of the album’s music and vocals were recorded at Studio 1119, Connolly’s studio in his home office (“when it’s not being used by his wife to pay the bills or his daughter to play Webkins,” he jokes).
For Human’s artwork, Projected reached out to their fans on Facebook to submit their original concepts. The winner’s design graces the final album cover, while 16 runner-ups will have their artwork included in the CD case and on the back cover. One “Wild Card” winning submission will be seen under the disc inside the case. All finalists are receiving a “Top Tier Bundle” music and merchandise package, which includes the CD, T-shirt, autographed poster, sticker, and lifetime VIP laminate, all of which will arrive two weeks before the album is released. All of the submitted artwork can be seen on the band’s website (www.Projectedband.com).
“The idea behind this project originally started as nothing more than a group of us who were friends already, going into the studio to just record some tunes we had laying around and basically just have a good time with it,” explains Connolly. “No pressure from labels or any pre-conceived notions or expectations. Just making music and having a good time. Human is the end result of us working without deadlines or budget constraints… or a budget at all.”
“John, Vinny, Eric, and I have shared many miles and many stages together over previous years,” explains Scott Phillips. “We’ve always talked about collaborating and now it’s finally come to fruition. I might possibly be one of the biggest Sevendust fans ever, and to get the opportunity to work with a few of my favorite musicians on the planet, and some of my best friends, means the world to me. We wholeheartedly believe in these songs…believe in John’s vision…and couldn’t be happier about the future of Projected!”
As Vince Hornsby continues, “I’m grateful for the opportunity that I was given to work on this project with John, Scott and Eric. They are great friends and talented musicians. I look forward to getting all the songs out there for everyone to hear and excited about what the future holds.”
And Eric Friedman concludes, “Just a buncha bros doin’ what we love!”
Throughout the album, Projected serves up a healthy dose of the heavy with songs such as, “Alive” and “Breaking Me.” The listener can’t help but hear the Sevendust influences in “Alive,” with Hornsby providing the down-tuned bass tones while Friedman gives the song originality with eccentric guitar riffs. And on “Bring You Back,” Sevendust singer Lajon Witherspoon makes a special appearance on vocals.
“12804″ is one of the more personal and emotional songs on the album. To Connolly, this is one of the most prominent tracks due to the lyrical content, which pays tribute to the late Dimebag Darrell, whose life was tragically taken on December 8, 2004. In “12804,” the listener can hear the sorrow in Connolly’s voice and lyrics as he sings: “Somewhere there’s another all in for the other…Two can breathe forever…Nowhere there’s another life into the after…Two can live forever.”
After listening to Human, it’s easy to see and hear that this is just not another supergroup. It is a new band of musicians that have used their talents from being in other well-known bands to create an album that is unique and all of their own. From the opening intro track to the last song, “Breaking Me,” Projected solidifies their presence as a band that has not only created an exuberant album, but as a band with individuals that have come full circle as truly talented and memorable musicians for years to come.
Human Tracklist:
Into
HELLo
Watch It Burn
So Low
Bring You Back
12804
Alive
The Crown
Stella
Closure
Breaking Me
Today The Presets revealed their new single “Ghosts,” from their forthcoming album, Pacifica (out digitally on September 10 and in stores the 11th via Casablanca).
After the “face-melting techno” of the street track “Youth in Trouble”, “Ghosts” represents a sublime and adventurous musical turn for The Presets.
Minor-keyed Merengue grooves are topped with First Fleet melodies, while synth washes and skittering beats glide effortlessly across the track’s rollicking, undulating peaks and valleys.
“When Julian played me his initial sketch of this song it utterly blew my mind, ” explains Kim. “Taking a classic folk style, sea shanty and adding it to an up tempo techno groove was just genius to my ears.”
The Presets North American Tour Dates
10/13 – San Francisco, CA – Treasure Island Music Festival
10/15 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
10/19 – New York, NY – Terminal 5
10/20 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
10/21 – Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre
10/23 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
10/25 – Chicago, IL – Metro
10/27 – Los Angeles, CA – Club Nokia
10/28 – Pomona, CA – The Fox Theatre
This Or The Apocalypse has announced its brand new album, Dead Years, which will be released September 25, 2012. “Dead Years is full of some of the most painfully honest material we’ve ever written,” says front man Ricky Armellino.
This will be the band’s first release since Haunt What’s Left, produced by Josh Wilbur and Lamb Of God’s own Chris Adler in 2010.
Produced by Kevin Lankford and engineered by Andreas Magnusson, this is some of the band’s most aggressive material to date. Armellino continues, “The album features both some of the saddest, most melodic songs we’ve ever played and it also holds some of the angriest.”
When asked what fans can expect, Armellino concludes: “It’s about war and family, how we’re really never unaffected by the world around us, no matter how hard we try to get away from it. We’re very proud to finally get the opportunity to release it.”
Dead Years Tracklist
1. Hell Praiser
2. Power Hawk
3. In Wolves
4. Americans
5. Hate the Ones You Love
6. You Own No One but You
7. A Damn Moment
8. Gaunt and Fierce
9. Kill’em With Guidance
10. Hard Branch to Snap
Originally releasing their debut record, Monuments, in 2007, the band has not slowed down since. With a few dozen tours under their belt with bands like We Came as Romans, Periphery and Born of Osiris the band is hardly new to the hands-on approach. Things like giving lessons while on tour and actively taking a role in their day to day is what sets This Or The Apocalypse apart.
To say the last year has been an eventful one for Nonpoint would be an understatement. To be blunt, they went through more changes in a year than some bands go through in an entire career. With the departure of two bands members, the addition of three new ones, the change to a new record label and an array of other pet projects, it’s a miracle they found the time to record a new album.
But they did.
We caught up with singer Elias Soriano to go over all the changes in the Nonpoint camp and what it means for band that has worked relentlessly to amass one of the most dedicated fan bases in all of music.
Blog Rocking Beat (BRB): The last time we talked was about a year ago and it has been, from the outside at least, a crazy year for you guys. So let’s rewind about a year and lay all this out, okay?
Elias Soriano (ES): Sure.
BRB: After Ken and Zach left the band, I reach out to Zach to get an idea of what was going on. He said that the relationship had become “toxic” and it was clear that it was time to move on. Would you say that is accurate?
ES: The truth of the matter is that we wanted to move on without Zach and we let him go. We weren’t feeling the vibe on stage. We were getting comments from friends and family. Just the overall vibe of the band was getting to the point where I felt like he was just up there going through the motions. So we asked him to leave.
He and Ken had become good friends over the year-and-a-half he was in the band. Ken decided that he didn’t want to continue if Zach wasn’t in the band. So Robb and I said, “Okay, but we are going to continue with the band and move on without either one of you.” That’s basically what happened.
BRB: Following that, then, how did you guys get hooked up with Dave, Rasheed and Adam?
ES: We’re friends with a lot of people in the industry and Robb asked a couple of his friends if they knew of any good guitar players who would fit our style, a friend of ours passed Dave’s name along. We got in touch with him immediately and he started sending music right away, which was really our biggest complaint and concern with Zach can Ken; there was really no music writing going on. It’s like we were sitting back and waiting for things to happen, so we took the reigns and went forward. Dave immediately started sending music. After picking up Dave, we decided we were going to fill the rest of the slots right away.
As it was, Dave was in a band with Rasheed and Adam and had been for at least a year. They were called Inn Cinema. They all had a great chemistry. We invited those guys to join the band as well and they hit the ground running.
BRB: So it wasn’t so much a conscious decision to go to a 5-piece outfit as it was a happy accident?
ES: That was actually the catalyst that started everything. We wanted to add another guitar player. It was something that Robb and I felt very strongly about. Musically and performance-wise there were some things that were lacking and we wanted to have them in the band. When the subject initially came up, Zach and Ken were really against it. So when we had the opportunity to do it, we did.
It’s not really about the money. I understand that you now have to split the money with another person, but if it makes the music better that’s always going to be our goal.
BRB: So it sounds like they were all involved in the writing process.
ES: Absolutely! They wrote pretty much ALL the riffs. I think Robb contributed to the two of the riffs on the record. They all wrote their own parts and we ended up with 30 songs by the end of the writing. In 15 weeks we had zero songs with Zach and Ken. In less than eight weeks we has 28 songs with Dave, Rasheed and Adam. Their heads were in the game. They weren’t jaded. They weren’t lazy. They wanted to get in and do the work. They wanted to write music. The relationship is great on stage. We get a lot of great comments on Rasheed and his singing—
BRB: I was going to ask, is it nice to have another guy in the band who can sing is ass off?
ES: My God, man! When I have friends, like our brothers in Sevendust and Taproot, coming up to us and saying we never sounded better, it’s great. These are friends and peers and I respect their opinions because they know what we’re about. They know what we have been trying to do for close to 15 years in this band. These new guys, their hearts are gold and they really want to do this. They jumped in with both feet and it shows.
BRB: One of the other changes is that you guys are on Razor & Tie Records now. How did that come about? Did they approach you or did you approach them?
ES: We’re being managed by Split Media and Izzy Zivkovic and he’s really good friend with the people at Razor & Tie; they are in the same building. When we decided we weren’t going to release another record through Rocket Science, we were shopping around. We like that White Stripes approach of going in and doing one record with people and not getting locked down for a ridiculous amount of records or giving away too much percentage. And if the label really wants you, then they really want you.
So Izzy approached them about picking us up because they had such good success with All That Remains and what they are doing now with P.O.D., we loved the idea. Their staff is really aggressive. They are intuitive on the smartest and most current ways to promote bands. They have great connections with music writers and producers. Next to MCA from way back, it is probably the best label staff we have ever worked with in the last 10 years.
It’s good to have these guys. You can tell they really care. They are not letting anything fall through the cracks. They are not willing to let us do things that are mediocre. It’s really good. It’s like having another band member who is just as hungry as you are, without making it seem like they are just there to sell the records.
BRB: So going into the album, then, with all these changes, did you feel like you really had something to prove this time around?
ES: I think that with every record, just because we haven’t had ridiculous amounts of mainstream success—yeah, we’ve have singles and airplay, but when it comes to like Disturbed big… let’s be honest—with every record we feel we have something to prove, because we are trying to stay relevant and stay alive out here. This band has survived 15 years because of the music. This time around, more so than in the past, it was about making the fans understand that we’re still here and we have gotten better. We are writing better music. There is another chapter of Nonpoint and there is probably going to be another five chapters of Nonpoint. But I feel like this record and the music that we wrote and the response that we’re getting from the new music is proving it for us. We like to let the music speak for itself, but we went in with the intent of having a record that had 13 or 14 amazing songs on it and we weren’t willing to stop writing until we felt we had that.
BRB: Nonpoint, as a unit though, strikes me as the type of band that, as long as you keep putting out solid records, the fans will keep coming out to support you, regardless of whether you never have another radio single again.
ES: I have to credit that to one of our very first A&R guys at MCA. His intention was to get us that Pantera type of core following, so that we wouldn’t have to worry about radio. So even after we left MCA, we still toured that way. If there was a town where we were popular, we would hit that town four or five times each year to take care of those people who were supporting us.
It’s about keeping a smart business plan when it comes to the business side of the music. And the best part of this is that is my business and it’s fuckin’ rock and roll, man. It’s fun. It’s fun for me to have to schedule interviews like this. Every once in awhile, you have to put your head in the books to make sure that, financially, everything is alright and that your future is set. I mean, I have a daughter now. So it’s so nice to see when things fall into place as well as they have for us this last year. But I credit all of that to us starting out the right way and having managers teach us that we only spend money when we really need to. And I think we’ve been waiting for this moment in our careers to put everything into it.
BRB: Still, was there any worry about how the fans would take it, especially with Ken’s departure?
ES: Oh yeah. With Ken’s departure and his decision to leave, it was actually a surprise, because I know how much he likes to perform, but I understood why. People were butting heads and it just wasn’t working anymore. But once I saw videos of our new members, I really didn’t worry about it too much. The guys move around a lot on stage, just as much as Ken did. So we are really looking at trying to wipe that background away and focusing on moving forward from here.
BRB: Isn’t that part frustrating for you right now, though? I mean, you’ve got this record written, recorded, mixed, mastered and ready to go. Aren’t you chomping at the bit to get it out there and unleash this on the world?
ES: It drops in September, but I’ve been chomping at the bit since probably February! It’s been a long process for me, but the label really just got the record at the end of June. As soon as they got it, though, they were immediately on it. I’m not worried about them shelving it. They are on it, without a doubt.
BRB: Good, because it seems like it’s that one last piece of the puzzle.
ES: Oh, I know. The drop date for now is the 18th of September—maybe before, but also possibly after. There have been a lot of things I have historically worried about with the releasing of records, but the game has really changed. A lot of the months that used to be bad months are turning into the better months for sales. Things like album artwork now having to translate to an iTunes thumbnail take time. There are a lot of things for Razor & Tie to get around and when they say, “This looks like the time we should do it,” then I trust them.
BRB: More about the record, who was at the helm this time?
ES: We did 90% of the record with Johnny K and he’s a really great producer and great mixer. We did 12 songs with him. When we went to the label, they wanted us to do one more song. So we went back with Brian Virtue and Rob Graves. When we sat down with those guys, I had a song that I had been hanging onto with a riff that the guys just loved. We didn’t have time to get it done at Johnny’s studio. So when they asked for another song, we said, “Well, yeah, we do have another song.” So they said they’d like to bring in a writer who had worked with All That Remains, Skillet, Red and other hard rock acts and asked if I would mind sitting down and shooting some ideas back and forth. Now, I have never worked with a songwriter before in my life. And maybe four records ago, I might have been leery. Now, it’s like, how many more things am I going to write? I could use a fresh idea! So I stayed open-minded to working with a writer and from the first instant I sat down and start talking with Rob Graves, I was like, “Wow!” It was just great idea after great idea after great idea. It was really exciting and we definitely want to work with him on the next record, too.
It’s just nice to work with someone who gets the sentiment of what we are trying to deliver and to be able to trust that person so you don’t have to take care of every single thing yourself. When I hit a wall, he’ll say, “What if you sing this note here,” or “Since you already talked about this idea here, why don’t you change the subject a little in the next verse?”
BRB: So was most of the work done lyrically or with arrangements?
ES: This time it was with melody more than anything else. We covered things like cadence and where I would sing. And together, it got things going really smooth. It really polished it out. It was cool. I was really floored by the process. I mean, this time around, between Johnny and Brian and Rob, I felt like we made a record—a real record. In the past, the label gives you money and tells you to go in the studio. You come out with some songs. They pick a single. And that’s it. This time around, though, I felt like I was really in it. We wrote for months. We recorded for 10 weeks. It was just great for us. I just can’t wait for the people to hear it.
Nonpoint is currently on tour. The first single is “Left For You.” If you haven’t heard it yet, here’s a listen.
Canadian rockers, The Veer Union, racked up a lot of airplay with their 2009 release, Against The Grain, thanks primarily to the success of the single, “Seasons.” That single was indicative of the album as whole. Led by Crispin Earl’s uncanny ability to craft very catchy melodies, Against The Grain was one of those rare albums that you could put on for the first track and keep listening to the end without getting bored.
So skip ahead to 2012. After a change in record labels, The Veer Union drops Divide The Blackened Sky and one thing is for certain, they are not playing nice this time around. Don’t get me wrong, the strength of the album is still Crispin Earl’s vocal hooks. The gap between the hooks and the rest of the elements has closed considerably. The end result is an album that is even more listenable.
The most noticeable difference is that this is just a tougher record. From the first words Crispin Earl growls (“I’m tired of being told to bite my tongue”), we can sense pent up energy that is just waiting to explode. That same energy is felt in the guitars, which are a lot louder and heavier this time around. The riffs are bigger. The drum crashes are harder. In all, it sounds like The Veer Union didn’t just set out to record an album as much as to attack the performance and make a statement.
That power is balanced, however, by smarter songwriting this time around. Guitar melodies decorate choruses in a way that adds depth without taking away from the power. It’s not easy to do and they nailed it this time. That growth alone would be noteworthy, but they didn’t settle there. To further accent Earl’s vocals, the band worked out sensible harmonies and backing vocals. They even let guitarist, Eric Schraeder be more prominent on vocals, particularly on the track “Last Days of Life” where his voice sounds remarkably similar to Seether singer, Shaun Morgan.
In the end, all of this adds up to tracks that are simply dynamite and designed to thrive in a live setting. From the title track, to the opener “Borderline,” to the momentous “Live Another Day,” Divide The Blackened Sky is loaded with potential hits. The final result is an extremely listenable album in a time when other bands are focusing trying to get a breakthrough single. Chalk one up for The Veer Union.
Seminal LA indie band, The Jealous Sound, has announced a fall tour with Long Island, NY’s Daytrader. The dates kick off on September 13th in Fullerton, CA and run through October 20th.
The band’s latest LP, A Gentle Reminder, was released back in January to widespread acclaim and was their first set of new material since 2003’s Kill Them with Kindness. Made in the Foo Fighters’ Studio 606 with John Lousteau producing, A Gentle Reminder features founding member Blair Shehan (who Entertainment Weekly described as an “emo genius” on their “Must-List” earlier this year) working alongside the Foos’ Nate Mendel and new drummer Bob Penn.
“We were pleasantly surprised to have the most successful and enjoyable tour of our career this last Spring,” offers Shehan. “Looking forward to playing the old favorites, a couple from A Gentle Reminder that didn’t make the set last tour and a brand new song that we’re very excited about.”
In conjunction with the tour, Rise Records will release a limited edition, split 7″ featuring tracks by The Jealous Sound and Daytrader.
“Rise Records is very excited to release this limited edition tour press 7″. I’m a huge fan of The Jealous Sound (and of course Daytrader) and I’m honored to release music with them. I personally can’t wait until the Portland, OR tour date,” says Rise founder Craig Ericson.
The Jealous Sound and Daytrader Tour Dates
Sep 13 Slidebar Fullerton CA 21+
Sep 14 Bottom of the Hill San Francisco CA AA
Sep 17 Bunk Bar Portland OR 21+
Sep 18 Sunset Tavern Seattle WA 21+
Sep 20 Kilby Court Salt Lake City UT
Sep 21 Hi Dive Denver CO 18+
Sep 22 Czar Bar Kansas City MO 18+
Sep 23 Firebird St. Louis MO AA
Sep 25 Bottom Lounge Chicago IL 17+
Sep 26 The Loft Lansing MI AA
Sep 27 Mohawk Place Buffalo NY 16+
Sep 29 Il Motore Montreal QC 18+
Sep 30 TT the Bears Cambridge MA 18+
Oct 2 Gramercy Theater New York NY 16+
Oct 3 Ollie’s Point Amityville NY 16+
Oct 4 Milkboy Philadelphia PA 21+
Oct 5 Rock And Roll Hotel Washington DC AA
Oct 6 Motorco Durham NC AA
Oct 8 The Social Orlando FL AA
Oct 10 High Dive Gainesville FL 18+
Oct 11 529 Atlanta GA 21+
Oct 19 Soda Bar San Diego CA 21+
Oct 20 The Satellite Los Angeles CA
Poughkeepsie, NY’s That’s Outrageous! will be releasing their highly anticipated sophomore record, Psycho on October 9, 2012 via InVogue Records. This record follows up their 2011 release, Teenage Scream, which is out now on Rise Records.
Since beginning work in 2002 on Wilco’s A Ghost Is Born, Mikael Jorgensen has been an integral member of the band, both in the studio and on the road. The ever prolific Jorgensen, when not working with Wilco, has kept himself busy recording and touring as a collaborative artist. In 2007, Jorgensen, working with longtime collaborator and drummer Greg O’Keeffe as “Pronto”, recorded their Contraphonic Records debut, All Is Golden. It’s a ’70s-inspired tome that serves as a record of action – of waking up and moving on – cross-country trips to California – black days and blue nights giving way to better times and warmer promises. It’s AM-Radio songsmith filtered through the speakers of a modern-day prism.
In the spring of 2010, Mikael, Greg and Adam Chilenski on bass, entered The Bunker Studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to record Jorgensen & O’Keeffe’s newest LP, Bunny Hate Wolf. After listening to the expertly played and recorded basic tracks, Jorgensen felt the overall style was too predictable, ordinary, and decided to abandon most of the conventional instrumentation and replace it with more adventurous synthesizers and music technology of any variety. This labor intensive shift in perspective has produced one of the most interesting electronic music records in recent memory. The analog synthesizers and music software provide a stimulating, ever shifting context for these songs to unfold and develop. The result is an electronic music record that was built from the song up, without relying upon clubby or dance-music cliches.
On October 30th, Chapel Hill’s Odessa Records is releasing the lead single from those sessions “ARMZ” b/w “Love Drug” remixed by WAUMISS and features the incredible artwork of Cassandra C. Jones.
Electro-pop quartet, Beat Connection, has released a new video for “The Palace Garden, 4am,” the first single off its debut, The Palace Garden LP, out August 6th with Tender Age/Moshi Moshi. Directed by Jon Meyer, the swirling clip utilizes stop-motion photography to simulate the band levitating and spinning in their hometown of Seattle. Beat Connection just wrapped up its first North American headlining tour with White Arrows and MMOTHS including its first sold-out NYC show. The band will be perform live on KEXP on August 4th at 8pm.
Beat Connection began when members Jordan Koplowitz and Reed Juenger met in 2008 as freshmen at the University of Washington and started making late-summer-appropriate house music in Garageband. Creating dorm-room beats and venturing into DJing gigs, together they worked towards their last year’s Surf Noir EP. With the recent addition of Tom Eddy as lead vocalist, and drummer Jarred Katz, the newly minted quartet arrives with an album that finds them meditating on the idea of unattainable beauty, an idea that encases magical evenings, flooding happiness, and heavy regrets.
August 7th, 2012 
