Max Bemis reopens the song shop

Today, Max Bemis has opened the doors of Song Shop for the first time since 2011. For the past four or five years, Max has written over 2000 personalized songs for fans of Say Anything and his other projects. Song Shop has gone from being a weird idea in Max’s troubled brain to a successful and oddly respectable creative enterprise of its own right. The songs have deeply resonated with buyers and reactions have been quite over the top, as the songs continue to improve with each wave, even attracting many repeat buyers.

Song Shop is a very simple process where a listener buys a song for either $75 or $150 (for a shorter or longer song, respectively) through the Song Shop site and PayPal. They are given 1000 characters to write about or describe anything at all: a situation, relationship, set of thoughts and feelings, event, or loved one. Wherever one’s imagination takes you, the song can follow. Max takes the description and turns it into a full on, acoustic Say Anything song, which you can download from the Song Shop site once it’s ready. Each song is written and released just for that buyer and there is no prescribed formula for how they are written.

Max does the songs in the order received as fast as humanly possible (some people get the song in a matter of hours, some in a few months) and since Song Shop has been running strong for so long, there’s a very efficient system in place to make sure everyone eventually receives their very own song.

In addition, before the next Song Shop opening, Max will call every person who bought a song to thank them for being involved. There are even bundle options available for buying your own EP or full album of songs (it’s 10% off for four or more songs).

For any and all info, or to buy your own song, visit http://www.merchdirect.com/songshop
Songs tend to sell out within the first few days to few weeks, so it’s recommended to get on it quick-like!

Gym Class Heroes announce tour dates

Gym Class Heroes will be playing some smaller venues on the It’s the Great Pumpkin Smashing Tour.

10/18 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
10/19 Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls
10/21 Detroit, MI @ The Magic Stick
10/22 Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
10/23 Buffalo, NY @ Infinity
10/25 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
10/29 Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
10/30 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
10/31 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

Gallows Announce New Single 'Outsider Art' + Video

Set for release on September 10th through the band’s own label Venn Records (in partnership with [PIAS] Recordings), Gallows third and self-titled album proves that their reputation as the UK’s most notorious and exciting punk band will not be changing any time soon.  Recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by long-term friends Thomas Mitchener and Steve Sears at Broadfields Studio in Watford in May this year, it is, say the band “our statement of intent, our laugh in the face of those who said Gallows were done when in reality we’re just warming up,” they continue. “We couldn’t feel more vindicated and proud.”One of the album’s many stand-out tracks ‘Outsider Art’ will be released as a single on October 1st. “I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life getting lost on the road,” explains front man Wade. “There’s some dark stories to tell. ‘Outsider Art’ is just one of them.”

A classic Gallows track through and through, it retains all of the bands power and aggression but at the same time leaves their ability to pen a distinctive melody intact. A special edition version of the album will also include a DVD documentary that provides a fascinating and often hilarious insight into the world of Gallows over the last few months. Gallows can now also announce that they will play a special record release launch at The Fighting Cocks  in Kingston on September 9th and have added a second night to The Underworld in Camden, now playing on both the 19th and 20th of October. Suffice to say, all of these shows will be hot, sweaty and utterly insane.

BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE to release 5th album, "I AM", September 18th

 After grabbing the attention of critics and fans alike with their brutally inventive 2011 tour de force Celestial Completion, Atlanta, Georgia metal adventurers BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE return with I AM, an album that may prove to be their biggest surprise yet when it drops September 18th on longtime label Solid State Records. 

Armed with what Metal Hammer called “massive songs, massive ideas and a massive array of instruments,” the Atlanta, Georgia outfit has forged a cottage industry out of defying musical expectations, pushing heavy music to its breaking point with horns, Middle Eastern sitar, choirs of sopranos and bone-crushingly  heavy riffage. Suffice it to say - with four full-length albums under their belt, the now veteran act  have truly mastered the art of throwing curveballs.

Now, with the metal world on the lookout for another backdoor slider, BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE are winding up with their best pitch yet - a fastball right down the heart of the plate in the form of I AM.

 The band’s fifth full-length is baffling first and foremost because it’s not meant to be baffling. As guitarist, mastermind and band nucleus Seth Hecox explains, the album is less about reinventing heavy music than it is reinventing BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE. That’s not to say listeners won’t find the band doing its usual mind-warping and genre-bending, but the point of this album wasn’t to transcend the artform of metal music, it was to master it.

 “I AM is 100% head banging riffs,” Hecox says. “Gone are the sitars and horns of Celestial Completion. Instead, we’ve crafted an album full of the heaviest and most technical songs we’ve ever written.” 

 But hearing is believing, and thus Hecox and the ARCHETYPE boys are inviting fans to sample the new track “The Time Bender.” The catch? Listeners will have to settle for only a taste at first, but can unlock the remainder of the song by spreading the word for others to listen.

Listen to help unlock ‘The Time Bender’:

http://www.solidstaterecords.com/becomingthearchetype/thetimebender/

"’The Time Bender’ is a microcosm of the new album because it displays elements of what BTA has done in the past as well as elements of what the BTA sound is becoming,” says Hecox. “In that sense, it’s a perfect bridge between people’s past enjoyment of BTA’s catalog and people’s excitement over the new material. We’ve been playing the song live this whole summer so lots of ears have already heard a simplified version of this song and feedback has been spectacular. It’s encouraging to know that so many people stand behind what we do and willingly follow us in each step of our musical evolution.”

I AM available for preorder now:

http://www.merchdirect.com/BecomingTheArchetypeStore

Recorded with producer Shane Frisby (BURY YOUR DEAD, THE GHOST INSIDE), I AM, as the title suggests, is also a statement of an album that puts a new stamp on who BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE is and what it stands for following an inter-band shakeup - one that cleared the path for Hecox to assemble a true dream team of musicians around him.

After seven years and four acclaimed albums with longtime label Solid State Records, BTA is in the unique situation of being an accomplished veteran band with a roster comprised largely of young, hungry, wildly talented musicians poised for their first real test on the national front. It’s a fact that isn’t lost on the band who are embracing this perceived new lease on life as an opportunity to both reinvigorate the band’s wide fan base and tap into a huge cross-section of metal fans who previously might have balked at BTA’s unbridled, manic creativity.

I AM Track Listing:

1) The Ocean Walker

2) The Time Bender

3) The Eyes of the Storm

4) The Sky Bearer

5) The Machine Killer

6) The War Ender

7) The Weapon Breaker

8) The Planet Maker

9) The Sun Eater

10) I AM

 

The All-American Rejects Unveil New Tour Diary Video

To get fans excited for their upcoming tour with Boys Like Girls, The All-American Rejects have just unveiled a new tour diary video entitled, “TOUR de FALL pt. 1.” In the clip, shot during the band’s current run of US shows, front man Tyson Ritter rummages through his messy apartment for a wardrobe to wear on stage. He also tries on silly hats in the mirror and makes some tea.

The Rejects’ tour with Boys Like Girls will kick off September 13th in Hampton Beach, NH, and will close in November at The Wiltern in LA (complete list of dates, below). Head to the Rejects’ official site at allamericanrejects.com for more info and to purchase tickets.

The band’s latest release, Kids In the Street, is available now on iTunes.

Tour dates with Boys Like Girls:
Sept 13 Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom - Hampton, NH
Sept 14 University of Maine - Orono, ME
Sept 15 Xfinity Live - Philadelphia, PA
Sept 16 Utica Memorial Auditorium - Utica, NY
Sept 19 Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
Sept 21 Best Buy Theater - NEW YORK, NY
Sept 22 House of Blues - Boston, MA
Sept 23 Rams Head Live! - Baltimore, MD
Sept 25 Amos’ Southend - Charlotte, NC
Sept 26 Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA
Sept 27 Marathon Music Works - Nashville, TN
Oct 2 House of Blues - Houston, TX
Oct 3 House of Blues - Cambridge Room - Dallas, TX
Oct 5 Emo’s East - Austin, TX
Oct 10 University of N Iowa - Cedar Falls, IA
Oct 1 Illinois State University - Normal, IL
Oct 13 Royal Oak Music Theatre - Royal Oak, MI
Oct 16 Egyptian Room - Indianapolis, IN
Oct 17 The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
Oct 18 Riviera Theatre - Chicago, IL
Oct 21 Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
Oct 23 Utah Valley State College - Orem, UT
Oct 24 University of Wyoming - Laramie, WY
Oct 25 Club Centenario - Blackfoot, ID
Oct 27 Showbox Sodo - Seattle, WA
Oct 28 Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Oct 31 The Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
Nov 1 Grove of Anaheim - Anaheim, CA
Nov 3 The Wiltern LG - Los Angeles, CA

Candlelight Release Demons EP

Candlelight Red have now released their new EP through Imagen Records, titled, Demons, available on iTunes. The EP, which was produced by Sevendust drummer, Morgan Rose, features 4 hard-hitting tracks including single and title track “Demons,” as well as “Cutter.” Morgan commented on the EP stating that it “came out unreal.” Fans can listen to the EP in it’s entirety now by visiting Revolvermag.com.

Candlelight Red will be hitting the road on the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival, which kicks off August 17th in Bonner Springs, KS and will be featuring Shinedown, Godsmack, Staind, Papa Roach, and more. For a complete list of dates and ticket information, head to the Fest’s official site at www.rockstaruproar.com.

For more information on the Candlelight Red as well as their EP, make sure to check out their official site as well as their Facebook and Twitter pages. Pick up a copy of Demons available now!

THE DARKNESS: Premiere Entire New Album ‘Hot Cakes’ Today

THE DARKNESS are gearing up for the release of their highly anticipated third studio album HOT CAKES, due out next Tuesday, August 21 on Wind-up Records. The British rock group will premiere the entire album exclusively today on Rolling Stone.com. Listen to HOT CAKES, here:http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/album-premiere-the-darkness-hot-cakes-20120814. Fans can pre-order HOT CAKES this week via iTunes: http://smarturl.it/hotcakesitunesdeluxe. The group’s raucous first single “Everybody Have A Good Time” is impacting radio now. Watch the hilarious video for the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkmno7nNWTg.

THE DARKNESS is teaming up with Indaba Music and Revolver magazine for an Epic Guitar Solo contest. Fans can record their own epic guitar solo over “Everybody Have a Good Time.” One lucky fan will win a signed Epiphone guitar, a $750.00 cash prize and much more. Enter now through September 4; voting begins September 4 and ends September 18. Visit:
http://www.indabamusic.com/opportunities/the-darkness-everybody-have-a-good-time-guitar-solo-contest.

HOT CAKES was produced by the band’s JUSTIN and DAN HAWKINS with long-time collaborator Nick Brine and mixed by Bob Ezrin. The resulting 11-song cycle delivers the epic rock anthems and infectious pop choruses the multi-platinum band has become renowned for worldwide (see full tracklisting below).

THE DARKNESS—JUSTIN HAWKINS (vocals/guitars), DAN HAWKINS (guitars/backing vocals), FRANKIE POULLAIN (bass) and ED GRAHAM (drums)—kick off a world tour with Lady Gaga today, August 14 in Bulgaria. In October, the group will return to the U.S. for two special shows: Sunday, October 21 in New York City at Terminal 5 and Wednesday, October 24 in Los Angeles at Club Nokia. See all confirmed dates so far below, and tickets are available now at: www.theactualdarkness.com.

The full track listing for HOT CAKES is as follows:

1. Every Inch Of You
2. Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us
3. With A Woman
4. Keep Me Hangin’ On
5. Livin’ Each Day Blind
6. Everybody Have A Good Time
7. She Just A Girl Eddie
8. Forbidden Love
9. Concrete
10. Street Spirit
11. Love is Not The Answer

Aficionado To Release New Ep On September 25; Announce Co-headlining Tour With Mixtapes

Indie-rock band Aficionado has announced they will be releasing a new EP, Empty, on September 18 via No Sleep Records.  The release will be available digitally as well as on limited edition vinyl 7”, which can be pre-ordered now at http://nosleepstore.com/product/1001/empty.

 

Stream the title track from Empty today, exclusively at FilterMagazine.com: http://bit.ly/SeNgPi

 

Aficionado, has also announced they will be joining No Sleep labelmate Mixtapes for a co-headlining tour along with support band Citizen, which kicks off on September 25 in Rochester, New York.

 

Since their inception in 2004, the Albany based band has gone through many changes with their music evolving at each step of the way.  What started off as a straightforward post-hardcore band in the early years wound up as an eleven piece theatrical prog-rock spectacle before finally stripping things down again to a comfortable seven members, which include Nick Warchol (vocals), James Kehoe (guitar), Chris Tenerowicz (guitar/horns), Chris Kehoe (bass), Craig Dutra (keys), Laura Carrozza (flute/vocals) and Mark O’Brien (drums).

 

After years of DIY touring, Aficionado landed a record deal with No Sleep Records in 2009,  which resulted in their first EP, When It Comes to Creation.  Following the release the band quickly gained traction in the media and began touring the country with notable bands.

 

In 2011, the band released their eponymous debut full length, Aficionado, which received critical praise from the media and found them touring in support with acts like Tim Kasher (Cursive), TS & The Past Haunts, Thursday, MewithoutYou, Electric Six and Fair to Midland.

 

While still ever evolving, Aficionado’s new EP, Empty, showcases a masterful craft of songwriting that brings together eclectic instrumentation and indie rocks riffs, signaling another musical milestone in the band’s career.

 

Pre-order Empty today at http://nosleepstore.com/product/1001/empty and stay tuned to http://www.aficionadoband.com for news and updates from the band.

###

Empty Track List:
1. Empty
2. The Slack

Aficionado/Mixtapes Co-Headlining Tour Dates (w/Citizen):
Sep 25 - Rochester, NY - Dubland
Sep 26 - Columbus, OH - Art Space
Sep 27 - Indianapolis, IN - Hoosier Dome
Sep 28 - St. Louis, MO - Cicero’s
Sep 29 - Tulsa, OK - Eclipse
Sep 30 - Austin, TX - Mohawk
Oct 1 - El Paso, TX - Open Gate Church
Oct 2 - Albuquerque, NM - Gasworks
Oct 3 - Mesa, AZ - Underground
Oct 4 - San Diego, CA - Che Cafe
Oct 5 - Tijuana, Mexico - You Revolution
Oct 6 - Pomona, CA - Aladdin Jrs
Oct 7 - Fresno, CA - Chinatown Youth
Oct 8 - San Jose, CA - Musik Inc
Oct 9 - Reno, NV - Fort Ryland 2000
Oct 10 - Portland, OR - Minus World
Oct 11 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon/Lounge
Oct 12 - Boise, ID - The Venue
Oct 13 - Ogden, UT - Mojo’s
Oct 14 - Denver, CO - Blast-O-Mat
Oct 16 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean

Go Radio Announce Fall Tour With Safetysuit

Rising alternative rock band Go Radio has announced they will be joining SafetySuit for a fall U.S. Tour in support of their forthcoming album, Close The Distance, which is scheduled for release on September 18 from Fearless Records.  The tour kicks off on September 7 in Philadelphia and wraps up October 5 in Houston.

Anticipation for Go Radio’s new album, Close The Distance, continues to build with the recent release of the band’s hot new single, “Go to Hell,” which has garnered major buzz online amongst fans and critics alike.  The debut of “Go to Hell” followed the release of the band’s wildly popular lyric video for their new song “Collide,” a song which MTV.com described as “like stepping into a boxing ring with the pros: The track’s electric guitars hit like Manny Pacquiao jabs, while singer/guitarist Jason Lancaster belts like a heavyweight.”  

Catch Go Radio on tour this fall and visit http://wearegoradio.com for more information regarding the upcoming album, Close The Distance.

Pianos Become the Teeth Announced as Support on Title Fight’s Fall Headline Tour

Baltimore, MD’s Pianos Become The Teeth will join Single Mothers as support on Title Fight’s upcoming fall tour. On select dates are Tigers Jaw, WHIRR, Power Trip and Face Reality. The tour kicks off October 26 in Pittsburgh, PA and runs through November 30 in Philadelphia. Pianos Become The Teeth’s critically-acclaimed LP The Lack Long After is available now on Topshelf Records.