Wanted: 2 Album Review Writers
Due to increasing demand from bands and labels to review their latest releases, we are looking for 2 album review writers.We are looking for someone who is committed and would be able to contribute at least 2 album reviews a month.
If you're interested in writing album reviews for Alter The Press! E-mail Sean at seanreid.alterthepress@hotmail.com with an example of your album review writing and any other relevant details.
Note: If you have applied before, let me know your name and e-mail address.
Left Right Goodnight Set To Release New EP
Unsigned Leeds band Left Right Goodnight are set to release their new EP called 'If I Had To Make A Montage Of You...' on Tuesday March 3rd.The EP will be available at the bands shows and through their online store.
They will launch the EP with a headline show at Leeds Cockpit on Tuesday with support from The Auteur, Summerlin and The Valence Effect.
Left Right Goodnight will also be supporting Emarosa's one-off headline show on March 11th at the Royal Park Cellars in Leeds.
American Diary Update
American Diary have posted an update and 2 new songs on their myspace. They have announced they are working on a 14-track full length.The bands myspace blog stated:
"Hello boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, little girls and little boys and ofcourse to people who care and to those who don't... AMERICAN DIARY has new songs, new pictures, new layout, and a new attitude for the new 2009 year and the upcoming release of our new 14 track full length album in late spring/ early summer 2009! Please help us out and together we can make sure these awesome new songs will reach places we all never thought possible! Thanks so much to each and every person helping this proccess.
brandon, mikey, reeder
american diar"
Faith No More Confirm Reunion
Faith No More have confirmed they have reunited. The band will be performing with their final lineup, and does not include founding guitarist Jim Martin, who left the band in 1993.Press Release:
"Faith No More has always stood out as some sort of unique beast; part dog, part cat--its music almost as schizophrenic as the personalities of its members. When it all worked, it worked really well, even if the chemistry was always volatile. Throughout our 17years of existence, the mental and physical energy required to sustain this creature was considerable and relentless. Though amicable enough, when we finally split, we all followed paths seemingly destined to opposite ends of the universe.
Yet during the entire 10 years that have passed since our decision to break up we've experienced constant rumors and requests from fans and promoters alike. Nevertheless, for whatever reason, none of us kept in regular touch, much less to discuss any possibilities of getting together.
What's changed is that this year, for the first time, we've all decided to sit down together and talk about it. And what we've discovered is that time has afforded us enough distance to look back on our years together through a clearer lens and made us realize that through all the hard work, the music still sounds good, and we are beginning to appreciate the fact that we might have actually done something right.
Meanwhile we find ourselves at a moment in time with zero label obligations, still young and strong enough to deliver a kickass set, with enthusiasm to not only revisit our past but possibly add something to the present. And so with this we've decided to hold our collective breaths and jump off this cliff....
>BACK, GOD FORBID, INTO THE MONKEY CAGE!!!
We can only hope that the experience of playing together again will yield results erratic and unpredictable enough to live up to the legacy of FNM.
Who know where this will end or what it will bring up...only the future knows. But we are about to find out!
FAITH NO MORE are:
Mike Bordin, Roddy Bottum, Bill Gould, Jon Hudson and Mike Patton"
The Graduate Release Making Of Video
The Graduate have released the making of video for 'The Dopplegange' and can be viewed here.The Color Fred Acoustic EP Release Date
The Color Fred has announced his acoustic EP will be released in April.New This Providence Song Posted
'Letdown' from This Providence's new album 'Who Are You Now?' is streaming on the bands myspace. 'Who Are You Now?' will be released on March 17th on Fueled By Ramen.New As Cities Burn Album Release Date Announced
As Cities Burn's new album 'Hell or High Water' will be released on April 21st.Boys Like Girls Post Video Update
Boys Like Girls have posted their first video studio update and can be seen here.AsI Lay Dying Dvd Details Announced
As I Lay Dying have announced details of a 3 disc DVD set called 'This Who We Are'. The set will include one disc of live performances, one disc will be a documentary and the 3rd will be music videos and bonus features including more touring stories, profiles on personalities & more.Thursday to play Full Collapse album in entirety
Thursday will be playing the 'Full Collapse' album in it's entirety at the Rhode Island date of the Taste Of Chaos tour.Papa Roach to play two 10th anniversary club shows
To celebrate ten years of being signed to Dreamworks Records, Papa Roach will be returning to their roots.The band are returning to the club where they were first discovered, the Troubadour, on March 4th, and in New York City at the intimate Blender Theater on March 10th.
Tickets are on-sale now for both shows.
New Papa Roach Single and Making Of Video
Papa Roach have released the making of video for their new single 'Lifeline' and can be seen here.The band have also released a live video of 'Lifeline' here.
Aiden and VersaEmerge Added to Warped Tour
Aiden and VersaEmerge have been added to Ernie Ball Stage on this summers Warped Tour.Emarosa Headline Show Announced
Emarosa have announced a one-off headline show on March 11th in Leeds at the Royal Park Cellars. Tickets are £5 and available from here.Limited Edition Cancer Bats/Rolo Tomassi Split 7'' Announced
Cancer Bats and Rolo Tomassi are set to release a limited edition split 7'' on April 27th. There will be only 500 copies.In additonal Cancer Bats news, Hassle Records will re-release 'Hail Destroyer' on April 20th with 4 new songs (3 covers, 1 new song) plus a bonus DVD with thirty minutes of tour footage and three live visual tracks.
VersaEmerge Video Update
VersaEmerge has posted a tour video update from their current US tour with We The Kings. The video can be viewed here.Karate High School Guitarist Diagnosed with Cancer
Karate High School guitarist Geoff Garnett has been diagnosed with skin cancer, specifically malignant melanoma. The band has consequently canceled their March tour with Watchout! There's Ghosts.The band said:
"With only a few days before leaving for tour I was hit with this bombshell and honestly my first fear was not for my life, but that I couldn't tour," said Garnett. "Apparently cancer is a big health risk and these nerds in white labcoats with "fancy" phD's recommend I stay at home for proper treatments."
Garnett adds that the initial results are encouraging for a quick recovery.
The full myspace blog can be seen here.
The Blackout, Billy Talent and More Added to Download
Billy Talent and The Blackout are just 2 of 5 acts added to this year's Download Festival. Anvil, Buckcherry and Dream Theatre have also been added.Tickets for Download 2009 will go on sale at 9am tomorrow (February 13) from www.aloud.com. Prices are as follows: a full weekend ticket: £135, camping: £25, family camping: £25, car parking: £10 advance, £20 on the day, camper vans: £40, lockers: £11.
New Daath Album Announced
Daath have announced they will release their second album “The Concealers” on April 27th, through Century Media.The bands's latest webisode can be seen here.
Emmure Prepare New Album
Emmure have announced they are writing a new album and should be entering the studio in June.The band said:
"If you loved Goodbye To The Gallows and The Respect Issue or even if you didn't, this should be a pleasant surprise. Obviously all bands say that, but we plan on delivering the heaviest most energetic album of 2009."
New Billy Talent Album
Billy Talent have announced their new album 'III' will be released on June 9th.Four Year Strong Video Update
A new Four Year Strong video update from the current US Taste of Chaos tour can be seen here.Promotion: Anagram Promotions
Hey Sean here. Just a quick word to promote a small gig promotion company I've started with my friend Aaron.Anagram Promotions is based in Newark, Nottinghamshire and are currently looking for bands to play in Newark at the end of April. We would prefer pop-punk bands but we're open to have anyone play.
For more details contact anagram.promotions@googlemail.com or visit www.myspace.com/anagrampromotions.
Cancer Bats UK headline tour announced
Cancer Bats have revealed details of a UK tour starting in April.Dates as follows:
April
22 Brighton Engine Rooms
23 Belfast Spring and Airbrake
24 Dublin Academy 2
25 Cork Fred Zeppelins
26 Colchester Arts Centre
27 Oxford Academy
28 Cardiff Barfly
29 Glasgow ABC2
30 Leeds Cockpit
May
1 Stoke Sugarmill
2 Nottingham Rock City
3 Manchester Academy 3
4 Birmingham Academy 2
5 Bristol Academy 2
6 Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
7 London Underworld
Support is to come from SSS and The Plight.
Papa Roach to play Download Festival
Nu-metal legends Papa Roach have been added to this years Download Festival lineup.Metallica to play Dublin show
Metallica have announced a one off date in Dublin around their apperance at this years Sonisphere Festival in Knebworth.The band will play Dublin's Fairyhouse Racecourse - 1st August.
Vanna Poats New Single
Vanna's new single 'Safe to Say' can be heard on the bands myspace. Their new album 'A New Hope' is released on March 24th.
The Morning Of Video Update
The Morning Of have posted a video update, where they state they are demoing new material. The video can seen here.The Gaslight Anthem Release New Video
The Gaslight Anthem have released the video for 'Great Expectations' and can be seen here.New Fightstar Video
Fightstar have released the video for 'Mercury Summer' from their new album 'Be Human. The video can be viewed here.The Number Twelve Looks Like You Posts New Song
The Number Twelve Looks Like You have posted a new song called 'If You Holler' on their myspace. The track is taken from the bands new album 'Worse Than Alone' which is released on March 10th.Sean Smith of The Blackout to co-host XFM Rock Show
Frontman Sean Smith of The Blackout will be co-hosting the XFM Rock Show's Nu Metal Special.The Rock Show will be live on air from 10pm til' 2am Saturday February 28.
The station is available on FM dials in
Interview: Kyoto Drive
As part of our continue support for British independent bands, Sean talked to Birmingham-based band Kyoto Drive. Kyoto Drive are 4-piece pop-punk/emo band consisting of Adam Binder, Mike Levell and Chris and Mark Piper. They joined together in early 2008 and by the end of the year, they recorded and released an EP called 'Spotlights and Stars’, which the band released for free. They are now planning their first full-length, which will be released Engineer Records later in the year.Sean spoke to them about their history, their future and the Birmingham music scene.
Alter The Press!: So for those who don’t know who you are, tell us a bit of history about Kyoto Drive?
Kyoto Drive: OK, basically three of used to play in one Birmingham hardcore band called Forever Ends Today and the other one used to play in a different Birmingham hardcore band called Cassettes Lost Meaning. When both bands broke up the four of us came together wanting to play softer music. That happened at the start of 2008 and things kind of followed on from there.
ATP: How would you describe the sound of your band?
KD: That is a tough question when you’re trying not to sound like an idiot. We will stick with melodic pop rock, that’s a pretty safe answer.
ATP: Who would you compare your sound to?
KD: It’s a bit like New Found Glory, Hit the Lights, Spitalfield, Brand New, Circa Survive and The Early November in an all night dirty hotel orgy. Hotel staff included!
Kyoto Drive: OK, basically three of used to play in one Birmingham hardcore band called Forever Ends Today and the other one used to play in a different Birmingham hardcore band called Cassettes Lost Meaning. When both bands broke up the four of us came together wanting to play softer music. That happened at the start of 2008 and things kind of followed on from there.
ATP: How would you describe the sound of your band?
KD: That is a tough question when you’re trying not to sound like an idiot. We will stick with melodic pop rock, that’s a pretty safe answer.
ATP: Who would you compare your sound to?
KD: It’s a bit like New Found Glory, Hit the Lights, Spitalfield, Brand New, Circa Survive and The Early November in an all night dirty hotel orgy. Hotel staff included!
Kids In Glass Houses Warm Up Show Announced
Kids In Glass Houses will play a warm-up show at Sin City in Swansea on March 4th. The band will be warming up for their support slot with Fall Out Boy.Dates:
March warm-up show:
4th - Sin City, Swansea
Supporting Fall Out Boy (with Hey Monday)
March 5th - Manchester MEN Arena
March 6th - London O2 Arena
March 7th - Cardiff International Arena
March 8th - The Brighton Centre
No Doubt/Paramore US tour dates announced
As previously reported, No Doubt and Paramore are set to tour throughout the summer.The dates are as follows:
5/03/2009 East Rutherford, NJ - Meadowlands Sports Complex (Bamboozle Festival)
5/16/2009 Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay Events Center (Tiger Jam XII)
5/19/2009 Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center
5/20/2009 Bakersfield, CA - Rabobank Arena
5/22/2009 San Diego, CA - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
5/23/2009 Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Wireless Pavilion
5/25/2009 Salt Lake City, UT - The E Center
5/27/2009 Denver, CO - Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre
5/28/2009 Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion
5/30/2009 Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center
5/31/2009 Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
6/02/2009 Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre
6/03/2009 West Palm Beach, FL - Cruzan Amphitheatre
6/05/2009 Atlanta, GA - Lakewood Amphitheatre
6/06/2009 Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
6/08/2009 Raleigh, NC - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
6/10/2009 Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
6/11/2009 Philadelphia, PA - Susquehanna Bank Center
6/13/2009 Pittsburgh, PA - Post-Gazette Pavilion
6/14/2009 Washington, DC - Nissan Pavilion
6/16/2009 Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre 6/17/2009 Montreal, QC - Centre Bell 6/19/2009 Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
6/20/2009 Boston, MA - Comcast Center
6/24/2009 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
6/26/2009 Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
6/27/2009 Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
6/29/2009 Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
7/02/2009 Milwaukee, WI - Marcus Amphitheater (Summerfest)
7/03/2009 Detroit, MI - Palace Of Auburn Hills
7/05/2009 St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
7/06/2009 Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
7/08/2009 St. Louis, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/10/2009 Indianapolis, IN - Verizon Wireless Music Center
7/11/2009 Chicago, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
7/13/2009 Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
7/15/2009 Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
7/16/2009 Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
7/18/2009 Vancouver, BC - General Motors Place
7/19/2009 Seattle, WA - White River Amphitheatre
7/21/2009 Concord, CA - Sleep Train Pavilion
7/24/2009 Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre
7/25/2009 Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
7/31/2009 Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
8/01/2009 Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Support is set to come from The Sounds, Janelle Monáe and Bedouin Soundclash on select dates.
New MxPx DVD Trailer
A trailer for MxPx's new double live DVD 'Triple Threat' can be seen here.More details about the DVD can be found here.
And Then There Were None Album Stream
And Then There Were None's new album 'Who Speaks For Planet Earth?, can be streamed here.Senses Fail UK Tour Details
Senses Fail's forthcoming UK dates have been confirmed. Tickets for the bands 8 dates can be purchased from Vagrant UK's online store, where fans can purchase a special bundle which includes a copy of the bands recent 'Life Is A Waiting Room' record and a ticket.Apr 18 - Norwich, UK @ Waterfront
Apr 19 - Portsmouth, UK @ Wedgewood Rooms
Apr 20 - London, UK @ Islington Academy
Apr 21 - Bristol, UK @ Academy
Apr 22 - Sheffield, UK @ Academy
Apr 23 - Glasgow, UK @ Cathouse
Apr 24 - Edinburgh, UK @ Studio 24
Apr 25 - Manchester, UK @ Club Academy
Gewapend Baton Release New EP
Dutch band Gewapend Baton have released new EP on 12'' vinyl and CD on Crucial Attack Records.
Press Release:
"We from Crucial Attack Records are really happy to announce that the Gewapend Beton "Empty Batteries" 12" EP/CD is out now! Six songs of perfect balanced hardcore punk, a mix of 80's influences from bands like Bad Brains, Zero Boys, Discharge and Reagan Youth. This al with a UK punk flavour and you end somewhere how this records should sound like."
A song called 'Take It Back' can be downloaded here.
New Anarbor Song Posted
Anarbor have posted a new song called 'Let The Games Begin' from their forthcoming EP 'Free Your Mind' on myspace.'Free Your Mind' is released on March 10th through Hopeless Records.
Enter Shikari release single as a free download tonight
Enter Shikari will be releasing new track 'Antwerpen' as a free download single via www.entershikari.com at 7:30pm tonight.BBC Radio One's Zane Lowe will be broadcasting the single later this evening on his regular show and once its been played, the single will be available to download on the bands official website.
The band have also just finished working on their new forthcoming record 'Common Dreads' which is slated for a release later this year.
Yellowcard frontman starts new band
Yellowcard frontman Ryan Key has started a new band called 'Big If' with Sean O'Donnell from Reeve Oliver. Ryan Key made the following statement:
'Hey buddies. Its Ryan Key. I'm writing to let everyone know that I have started a new band. I have spent the last few months writing and recording with my friend Sean O'Donnell, who was the singer of the band Reeve Oliver. Our band is called, BIG IF. I am super excited to finally have something to share with all of you. We have posted two songs and a short video on our myspace page.'
Key also commented on the current state of Yellowcard also:
'Lots of you are sending messages asking about the fate of our previous bands. Neither Yellowcard or Reeve Oliver feel like it is necessary to announce official break ups. There may come a time down the road where we want to get together and play shows with those bands. Who knows when that may be, but we aren't ruling it out completely. However, Sean and I are really excited about working together and we are both focusing 100% of our energy and effort on BIG IF. I hope this clears it up a bit and thanks so much for all of this early support. We are going to need it!'.
You can check out Big If's MySpace page here.
Maps & Atlases start blog for US tour
Chicago's Maps & Atlases have started a blog which will be updated throught their upcoming US tour.You can view the blog here.
New Found Glory release pre-training video for new album
New Found Glory have released a pre-album 'training' video of bassist Ian Grushka preparing for the release of the bands new record.The video can be viewed here.
'Not Without A Fight' is released March 9th on Epitaph Records.
Review: Data Select Party - Guildford Boilerooms - 24/02/2009
Tonight's opening band Mathematics get the evening off to an energetic start, with the three-piece playing their own brand of infectious indie-pop. By the time, Look! Im A Ghost, hit the stage however, the venue had packed out considerably, (possibly owing to the fact it had been advertised as an eight start, not seven) and the extra bodies in the room add somewhat to the atmosphere, which, despite Mathematics' best effort, had remained stagnant for the entirety of their set. Look! Im A Ghost fare much better in the crown reception stakes, with their pop-punk tinged songs striking a chord with many in the crowd. Colour, are very, very impressive. The band sound much heavier live than on record, but rather than detract from the intricacies of their music, instead the live setting reveals a raw edge to the band. 'Run Like You're Being Chased' goes down a storm with the 18+ crowd, many of whom had come specifically for them.
This tour though, is all about Data Select Party. The London based band are clearly on the ascendancy, with anticipated release 'Hanging Out With Humans' finally available, alongside airplay on Radio One, few would deny Data Select Party's headline slot. Despite the age restrictions on tonight's show, (several are left outside for being too young) DSP can clearly pull a crowd, all of whom, are up for a good time.
Performance wise, the band are extremely tight, with soaring vocal hooks, and impressive fretwork. (Guitarist James, taps like a madman for instance.) 'Ultra Swing' and 'No Girls Allowed' provide the biggest sing-alongs of the night, whilst also cementing Data Select Party's place as one of the UK's top indie-rock bands.
It's probably only a matter of time before DSP are gracing much larger venues across the country, and on the evidence of tonight's performance, the transition wouldn't be a hard one to make for the London four-piece.
The remaining tour dates can be found here.
Chris Powers
Album Review: Look! Im A Ghost - A Life Aquatic
As far as EP's go, Look! Im A Ghost's 'A Life Aquatic' is a damn good effort. If you're looking for a musical revolution, you should probably stop reading, now. If however, you like pop-punk, with the emphasis on the pop, then you may be in luck!
For a band very much in their infancy, L!IAG have certainly pulled out all the stops, (or, more poignantly, pushed the boat out) with catchy hooks, clean production and great artwork. The music itself is pretty good too, with four very solid tracks. Opener 'Give It Up' provides an energetic start to the release, but the two standout tracks are 'All Along The Waterfront' and 'Sharks,' with the latter, being the band's choice for next single.
If the band can continue to write songs to a good standard, (and this effort is a very strong indication they can) then the future could be very bright for these four Surrey based lads. The water based theme throughout, may not be original, or innovative, but it does show the band are willing to push boundaries, by bringing a concept idea to the pop-punk field.
One word of warning though: Punctuation fans, beware. Exclamation marks halfway through sentences, and no apostrophe in I'm? Appalling stuff. But, joking aside, 'A Life Aquatic' is a very solid release, and if promoted well, could earn the band legions of new fans, and rightly so.
4/5
'A Life Aquatic' is out now, and can be bought here.
Chris Powers
Mayday Parade Punk Goes Pop 2 Cover Posted
Mayday Parade's cover of the Pussycat Dolls' 'When I Grow Up' from the forthcoming 'Punk Goes Pop 2' compilation can be heard here.Punk Goes Pop 2 is released in the UK on March 9th.
