popwreckoning

Chicago, IL pop-punk thrash combo So Many Ways have just revealed the cover art, track listing and release date for their Mightier Than Sword Records label debut. The self-titled album will be out on September 13, 2011 and is now available for pre-order in a variety of bundles at: http://store.mtsrecords.com/products/11935.

Track Listing:

1. Take It To The Limit
2. I’ve Made A Huge Mistake
3. Sleep Mask
4. Murf’s Life Hints
5. 37 Chambers
6. Oak Island
7. Dirtfoot

Since their formation in January 2009, So Many Ways has had their fair share of lineup changes. After recording the Real Talk EP with Jay Maas (Defeater, Bane) at Getaway Group studios later that summer, the band played a few shows together before parting ways with their then-bassist, drummer, and keyboard player. Not soon after the departure of those members, guitarists Jason Milbank, Murphy Welch and vocalist Colin Corley found themselves with a brand new rhythm section. After traveling to Florida to play a short string of shows, the band recorded their Floridian EP with Chris Hiser (Away With You). Floridian hinted at SMW’s heavier influences, but only showed a glimpse into what the band would become. After saying goodbye to yet another rhythm section later that year, So Many Ways welcomed drummer Keith Dow into the mix. The band recently added bass player Chris Catterson (ex Nightlights and Away With You) to the lineup and is ready to hit the road this month in advance of the EP’s release.

Tour Dates (with Major League and Carousel Kings):

Aug 8 Parkersburg, WV @ Radar’s Music Venue
Aug 9 Winston, NC @ Eliot’s Revue
Aug 11 Marietta, GA @ Swayze’s
Aug 12 Melbourne, FL @ Little Reggie’s
Aug 13 Orlando, FL @ Hoop’s Taven
Aug 14 Arad, Alabama @The Arabian Theater
Aug 18 Cookeville, TN @ Amps And Ramps
Aug 20 Chicago, IL @ Pancho’s  (also w/ Stay Golden and Late In The Playoffs)

http://twitter.com/smwftw
http://mtsrecords.com

The four members of YAWN come from the underbelly of Chicago, with roots in neighborhoods like Little Lebanon, Baghdad Row, and Polski Park. Having grown up together both figuratively and literally, their hearts remain embedded in trash but their dreams of success run deeper than the cold waters of Lake Michigan.

Having been in previous bands together and learning many valuable lessons on the DIY sense of creating music, they began crafting a new sound, one more aligned with the eclectic textures of Brian Eno, Aphex Twin and Yeasayer: a solid, badass rock core adorned with rich vocal harmonies, vintage world samples and atmospheric digital layers. Setting up shop in Wicker Park, they recorded new material in their basement. The DIY revelation led to the creation of “YAWN,” a 5-song EP that combines the poppiness of Phoenix with the complex lush layerings of Yeasayer and the creativeness of Unicorns.

Throughout 2010 the band has had the pleasure of opening for such great acts as: Yeasayer, Local Natives, Girl Talk, Twin Shadow, Glasser, Tanlines, RJD2, Steel Train, Memoryhouse, Twin Sister, Houses, Young Man, Class Actress/Beach Fossils, and a few others.

For now, YAWN is taking some time from playing live to finish their debut full-length, slotted for release this August. Be sure to check them out at www.yawntheband.com

Japandroids will take their live show back on the road in late August for a five-week, North American tour, their first headlining tour in almost a year. Japandroids have been busy writing the follow up to their critically acclaimed debut Post-Nothing and will premiere new songs from their forthcoming album due in 2012. The tour begins on August 27 in Vancouver, BC at The Waldorf Hotel and wraps up on September 29 in Edmonton, AB at Brixx and will also feature support from Fat Possum act Drum of Death on select dates. The tour also includes a handful of festival appearances, including Hopscotch in Raleigh, NC (Sep. 9),  Pop Montreal in Montreal, QC (Sep. 21) and Polyvinyl Records 15th Anniversary Showcase at Pygmalion Music Festival in Champaign, IL (Sep. 24).

Japandroids’ Post-Nothing, won raves from outlets all over the globe including Pitchfork, NY Times, NPR and Rolling Stone.   The band also made appearances on late night TV with performances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Last Call With Carson Daly.  Japandroids have logged in over 200 shows and festival appearances in support of Post-Nothing.

Tour dates can be seen at www.japandroids.com

Catch Crystal Antlers on tour now and pick up a copy of their new, self-released LP Two-Way Mirror out July 12.

In early 2010, following the release of their first full-length album and the completion of nine US and European tours, Crystal Antlers finally settled down to focus on a new record. With their constantly evolving sound of experimental, punk, noise & psychedelia, and newest addition/influence to the band, organist Cora Foxx, Crystal Antlers developed a sound uniquely their own which is showcased within their second full length. With the new material in hand, the band began recording Two-Way Mirror in September 2010 at the Compound studio in their hometown of Long Beach, California. The completed tracking was sent to producer/mixer Jack Endino, (known for his work with Nirvana) for mixing, and finally to influential punk artist Raymond Pettibon for album art.

Tour dates are as listed below:

Jun 13 Reno NV – Holland Project
Jun 14 Sacramento CA – Luigi’s Fun Garden
Jun 15 San Francisco CA – Thee Parkside
Jun 26 San Diego CA – Che Cafe
Jul 04 Los Angeles CA – The Echo
Jul 11 Los Angeles CA – The Echo
Jul 18 Los Angeles CA – The Echo
Jul 25 Los Angeles CA – The Echo
Aug 06 Brooklyn NY – Glasslands

Visit www.crystalantlers.com for a FREE download of single “Summer Solstice.”

Indie-pop quartet Funeral Party will be opening for Panic! At the Disco along with fun. at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City this Sunday,  June 12^th. Their debut album, The Golden Age of Knowhere (released March 29^th), was produced by Lars Stalfors (Matt & Kim, The Mars Volta) and mixed by Dave Sardy (Band of Horses, LCD Soundsystem, Oasis). They’ve already performed on David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel, and have supported the likes of The Faint, Cut Copy, The Mars Volta, and Crystal Castles.

Amongst the insane amount of momentum they are gaining globally, Funeral Party is an Alternative Press Band to Watch for 2011 and they performed several sets at SXSW last March in Austin. With all of this press, they are definitely a band to see sooner, rather than later!

So how would you like two tickets to go see Funeral Party and fun. supporting Panic! At the Disco at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City on June 12^th? Leave a comment below by 12pm on Friday, June 10^th telling us the name of your favorite Funeral Party song and why. The comment that stands out to the Editors the most, wins.

Please remember to include a working email address so we might contact you about picking up your tickets.

British songstress Ellie Goulding has announced a headlining North American tour in support of her debut solo album Lights that will begin July 23 in Atlanta.

Having already conquered her native Britain with the best selling debut album of 2010, singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding has won over the US audience garnering rave reviews.  Lights is, as the New York Times put it, “a happy car crash of signifiers: part electro-pop, part soul, part blues, part indie rock, part folk”  and Rolling Stone calls Lights, “sweet, sexed-up folktronica.”

Be sure to catch Ellie Goulding this summer at first annual Kanrocksas on Friday, August 5. For a complete list of tour dates, visit www.elliegoulding.com

Buzzed about California band Young The Giant, known for their live shows, which boast arena-sized hooks influences ranging from jazz rhythms to surf pop harmonies, will continue to tour in support of their self-titled debut. The band is pleased to announce that they will provide sole support to Incubus on their late summer tour. Young The Giant will join the tour on the August 30th in Columbus, Ohio, wrapping up on October 9th in San Francisco.

Young The Giant are planning several performances at a series of festivals including KROQ-LA’s Weenie Roast June 4, Live 105’s BFD on June 5, Summerfest in Milwaukee July 5, main stage of Lollapalooza in August and Austin City Limits in September.  Their self-titled debut has been hailed as “vivid, vibrant rock… a pop masterpiece” by Wall Street Journal, while Billboard deemed them “rising stars.”

Below is a complete list of supporting dates with Incubus:

8/30/11 Promowest Pavilion Columbus, OH
8/31/11 AE Stage Pittsburgh, PA
9/1/11 SPAC Saratoga, NY
9/3/11 Jones Beach Theater Wantagh, NY
9/4/11 PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ
9/7/11 Mohegan Sun Hartford,CT
9/9/11 Comcast Center Boston, MA
9/10/11 Susquehanna Bank Center Philadelphia, PA
9/11/11 Merriweather Post Pavillion Baltimore, MD
9/13/11 Virginia Beach Amphitheatre Virginia Beach, VA
9/16/11 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte, NC
9/18/11 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre Tampa, FL
9/20/11 Bayfront Park Amphitheater Miami, FL
9/29/11 Gexa Energy Pavilion Dallas, TX
9/30/11 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Houston, TX
10/1/11 The Backyard at Bee Cave Austin, TX
10/5/11 Comerica Theatre Phoenix, AZ
10/7/11 Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, CA
10/8/11 The Joint at the Hard Rock Las Vegas, NV
10/9/11 Shoreline Amphitheatre San Francisco, CA

For more information, visit www.youngthegiant.com

Bright’s Passage, the debut novel from renowned singer-songwriter Josh Ritter, will be released June 28 on Dial Press/Random House. Already receiving critical acclaim, Thomas E. Ricks (Fiasco, The Gamble) praises, “After earning his place as one of the most gifted songwriters of our time, Josh Ritter goes off and writes a terrific novel. This is one of the finest first novels to come our way in a long time,” while Dennis Lahane (Mystic River and Shutter Island) heralds, “Josh Ritter is already one of this country’s most accomplished songwriters. Based on the heartbreaking, luminous Bright’s Passage, he may become one of our most accomplished novelists as well.”

As a special preview to fans, the first chapter of the book is currently available for download at www.joshritter.com. A select series of events are planned in support of the novel, including appearances in New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland (OR), and Seattle. Ritter will also head out on a small tour this summer, including a series of co-headlining dates with the Old ‘97s as well as appearances at San Francisco’s Outside Lands festival and the DMB Caravan tour.

The novel follows a young, widowed veteran of the First World War, Henry Bright, as he and his infant son, along with an unlikely guardian angel flee from a forest fire and Bright’s cruel in-laws. Shifting between their strange journey through West Virginia’s foothills, Bright’s memories of the trenches of France, and recollections from his childhood, the novel is at times suspenseful, quiet, and often humorous. Known for the storytelling and literary sophistication of his lyrics, Ritter has long explored the idea of writing fiction, but was finally spurred to begin Bright’s Passage after he found a song idea refusing to stay within the bounds of the form. The resulting novel was written over an extended period of time on tour buses, in between shows, and during early mornings at home. In Ritter’s own words, “A story that started as a song is now a world inhabited by characters that are still surprising to me.”

Two of punk rock’s rising stars and label-mates La Dispute and Balance and Composure, have announced plans to tour select cities in Ontario and Quebec, Canada with friends Make Do And Mend this summer.

The dates are in support of the bands’ recently released and forthcoming material on No Sleep Records, including La Dispute’s recent split EP with Koji and sophomore full-length album due out later this Fall, as well as Balance and Composure’s debut full-length album, Separation.

La Dispute w/ Balance and Composure and Make Do And Mend

July 05, 2011 London Music Hall London, ON
July 06, 2011 Mavericks Ottawa, ON
July 07, 2011 Underworld Montréal, QC
July 08, 2011 L’App-Art Trois-Rivières, QC
July 09, 2011 Café L’ Agitée Quebec City, QC
July 10, 2011 Bar Le Magog Sherbrooke, QC
July 12, 2011 Millard’s Garage Sudbury, ON
July 13, 2011 Mansion Nightclub Barrie, ON
July 14, 2011 The Mansion House St Catherines, ON
July 15, 2011 Time To Laugh Kingston, ON
July 16, 2011 Mod Club Toronto, ON

For more information check out www.ladisputemusic.com and www.balanceandcomposure.com

Austin, Texas based singer-songwriter Brandon Kinder has made quite a name for himself. Not only is he the front man for the indie folk rock band The Rocketboys, but he’s ventured out into the solo world as well, under the moniker The Wealthy West. He used SXSW to his advantage to debut some new tunes of his own and though I wasn’t even in attendance, I can tell you they were well-received.

I was lucky enough to experience The Rocketboys firsthand in a live setting, and let me tell you, it was fantastic. I have always held the belief that when a band is better live than they are on the album, that’s when you’ve found a true gem. When a recording can’t express everything that a band is, that’s how you know. That’s the real music; those are the passionate ones. And though I only briefly met them on a college town stop in the middle of Missouri over a year ago, I bought two albums on the spot and don’t regret a dime of it.

Brandon Kinder’s solo material released under the name The Wealthy West definitely sounds like the material I’m so familiar with, but it has a more intimate and acoustic feel to it. Kinder’s songs are accessible and he has a knack for heartfelt storytelling. His music has a touch of an Americana feel that I’m sure is thanks to his Austin roots. It’s simple and that’s why I think I’m so drawn to it. The first song “Love Is Not Enough” is simply an acoustic guitar, a keyboard and Kinder’s soulful voice singing earnestly and honestly. “Another Bad Idea” features touches of banjo and tinkling percussion; the steady tempo and bright percussion balances nicely with the melancholy lyrics. “Give Me Resurrection” is quiet and intimate with whispered vocals. “You cannot take my love away” is repeated over and over throughout the song with subtle backing vocals to create a truly beautiful piece. “Home” picks up in tempo slightly and features a more hopeful sound with plucked guitars, harmonica, accordion, and banjo as well as female vocals which really add character and warmth. The short and sweet EP wraps up nicely with the now-familiar melancholy musical and lyrical sounds in “Not A Pretty Pair”. It’s a small sample of what’s to come in future volumes, clocking in at a mere fifteen minutes. But I assure you it’s a fifteen minutes well spent.

Be sure and give Brandon Kinder’s music a listen. It’s passionate and simple, and you can’t go wrong with a sweet voice and an acoustic guitar.