Rating: 5/5

by Shane Stiles

I remember when I heard the first Doomriders album.  For members of Converge to have a side project wasn’t anything new, but this was different.  From the second I heard “Black Thunder”, the title track from their last album, I was hooked.  I don’t know if it’s Nate Newton’s vintage feeling vocals or the low and booming sound of southern rock fury that seeps out from their guitars, but you can be sure that when you tune in to a Doomriders jam, you will be getting something original and relentless.

After the fade in intro, “Heavy Lies the Crown” (which links with their cryptic album art) opens up the album.  If you’ve been in this scene for more than a hot minute, you will appreciate what they’re going for almost immediately.  Drawing out southern metal, stoner jams, and some 70s rock aspects to form a true swamp thing of a sound.  But developing a different and innovative sound is nothing new for this bunch, with rhythm section JR Conners (Cave In) and Jebb Riley (Disappearer), Chris Pupecki’s (Cast Iron Hike) riffs and Nate Newton’s (Converge) guitar/vocal onslaught, you can only hope to contain them but for a moment.

The real hit on the record is the single, “Come Alive”.  Though there is no bad song on the album, this track really pulls together every bit of what they seem to be going for, starting with guitars only, then a tribal like drum backing before the song kicks in full force, almost enough to make just about any music fan jump on board.  While their signature brand of rock and roll is enough to hype up even the heartiest of fans, it’s catchy and chill enough to attract close to anyone, like moths to a roaring fire.

From beginning to end, Doomriders latches their fangs into you.  If this record doesn’t make your top ten lists for 2009, I am honestly ashamed.

Track Listing:1. Fade From Black
2. Heavy Lies The Crown
3. Bear Witness
4. Knife Wound
5. Come Alive
6. Night Howler
7. Crooked Path
8. Lions
9. The Equalizer
10. Night Lurker
11. Jealous God
12. Mercy
13. Night Beckons
14. Blood Avenger
15. Bloodsucker
16. Untitled
17. Rotter

Rating: 4.5/5

by Shane Stiles

Hardcore doesn’t always need to be fast two steps, headwalks and sing alongs.  Sometimes you need a smack in the face from the shit that life throws at us on a regular basis.  This is Lewd Acts, dirty, uncut, unadulterated.  After three seven inches and one full length, the band has made their presence felt in a big way with Black Eyed Blues.  Falling on the hardcore spectrum somewhere between Outbreak, Trap Them, and American Nightmare, Lewd Acts is what you would think them to be, raw as hell and unhappy about it (and everything else for that matter).

Produced by hardcore icon Kurt Ballou (guitarist of converge Converge, board wizard behind Disfear, Torche, Trap Them, etc.), Black Eyed Blues oozes with bitterness and power.  Each song offers a new level of intensity, whether it’s a lower low that makes your skin crawl like “Who Knew The West Coast Could Be So Cold”, the straight forward thrash of “Wide Black Eyes” and “Young Lovers, Old Livers”, or the epic nature of “Nowhere to Go”, it’s poignant and there’s no stopping it.

If the tracks “You Don’t Need Me” and “I Don’t Need You” weren’t enough to tell you the lyrical theme of this record, just know that Tyler Densley will pull negativity out of you, even if it isn’t there.  And by no means is this a bad thing, having the ability to illicit that kind of an emotional response from someone is sheer genius.   Don’t try to take it in all at once, it may be hazardous to your heath.  You saw what this level of negative thought did in Ghostbusters.  But if you’re looking for the next hardcore album you should own, look no further, it’s right here.

Track Listing:1. Know Where To Go
2. Wide Black Eyes
3. Nightcrawlers
4. You Don’t Need Me
5. I Don’t Need You
6. Who Knew The West Coast Could Be So Cold
7. Penmanship Sailed
8. Young Lovers, Old Livers
9. Rot Gut Charlie
10. My Father Was A Locomotive
11. Nowhere To Go

Rating: 5/5

by Shane Stiles

It’s pretty rare to look at an album and think that there isn’t anything that could be better on it.  Since the release of The Illusion of Safety, Thrice has been constantly changing and maturing their sound.  When they released Vheissu (the record that caused them to part ways with Island Records), I was in complete awe and wondered what more they could do.  Four elemental themed EPs later, Thrice answered with complete musical fury.  Never doubt the creativity of Teppei Teranishi and Dustin Kensrue.  Be it heavy and slow metal songs, breezy electronic laced songs, or heart warming/breaking folk, this band can do it all.

It’s a showing of exactly why Beggars leaked so far in advance.  When your record is the one of the most (if not the most) sought after record of the year, people will go to great lengths to get it regardless of the repercussions.   Lingering more in the vein of the Water and Air themed EPs, Beggars is a jewel of a release, something like a more rock version of Radiohead.  Opening up with “All The World is Mad”, what could probably be deemed the heaviest track on the record.  It’s a smooth transition into a cd that seems to be void of the heavy tinges that highlighted their previous releases.  Followed by “The Weight”, with its monstrous chorus “come what may I won’t abandon you or leave you behind because love is a loyalty sworn not a burning for a moment”, giving Kensrue the chance to show off his signature shouting vocals, it’s a genius mix of a 95% melodic song using vocals to add harshness to the song.

It’s the third song on the record, “Circles” that really grabs you and makes you pay attention to the record.  Smooth, subtle and sincere, each note is delicate and with complete purpose.  What is not to love?  The rest of the record falls into place, while you could easily go into detail about the intricacies of each song, it’s best and more concise just to tell you that there isn’t a let down on the album.

Thrice assembled a record a little more upbeat than the previous EP sets but they’ve kicked up the writing to a totally new level.  Thrice is easily one of the best bands of the past decade.  If by some off chance you don’t have any of their records, please do yourself a favor and buy Beggars as soon as possible.

Track Listing:01. All The World Is Mad
02. The Weight
03. Circles
04. Doublespeak
05. In Exile
06. At The Last
07. Wood & Wire
08. Talking Through Glass
09. The Great Exchange
10. Beggars

Rating: 3.5/5

by Shane Stiles

Three albums into their career as Inhale/Exhale and the band is just now finding their stride as their guitarist John LaRussa said “this is the album we always wanted to write”.  Well now it’s out and the world can view full force what these boys are capable of.  Combining the sound and fury of The Lost, The Sick, The Sacred with the experimenting they did on I Swear…, the four piece hailing from Cleveland, OH is moving at a good clip running into the release of Bury Me Alive. Technical guitar virtuoso LaRussa has really outdone himself with this record.

Teetering to and fro from brutal chugging to complex/experimental riffing, held together by nearly mechanical drumming (in a good way), each song on Bury Me Alive offers something different.  While “Condemned” is highlighted by large, bright melodic sections with clean shouts/screaming, “A Dark Place For Your Mind To Be” has hooks more derived from sing alongs and breakdowns.  So goes the story of Inhale/Exhale.  When looking for a record that doesn’t shy away from creativity, they will never fail you.

There is one draw back to Inhale/Exhale and it’s a bit of a mountain to overcome.  With as many shifts as they make in their songs, the transitions on the album are a little rocky.  It’s hard to make things flow like a hot knife through butter when you jump from complex guitar/drum work into a basic beat and melodic chords.  This would have been the one thing they should have spent more time in the writing process on.  When it comes to cranking out awesome tracks, these boys have it down.  It’s just the connections and transitions that need a bit of patchwork.

Bury Me Alive is the band’s best work to date.  There’s no doubting that.  If you’ve never heard the band before, this is a great record to pick up.  If you’ve been a fan, this will open your eyes entirely to what Inhale/Exhale can do.

Track Listing:01. Rooms
02. Did You Ever Have A Touch To Loose?
03. Condemned
04. Over and Out
05. A Dark Place For Your Mind To Be
06. Intentions
07. Explosions
08. Fiction
09. Better Her Than Me
10. Thin Black Lines 
11. An Era

Rating: 4/5

by Shane Stiles

Since starting a few years ago in the heart of Charm City, Ruiner has been blowing through the hardcore scene.   Their debut record What Could Possibly Go Right was the soundtrack for any/every angst ridden kid who just wanted to scream at the top of their lungs.  You can’t just gloss over what that album was.  Then with Prepare to Be Let Down, they expanded their sound slightly but enough draw just a bit more melody into the equation.  Was this a small change or a sign of things to come?  It was an ominous vision, no one could possibly know that Hell is Empty was going to be the next offering from the band.  It’s only so often that we’re given a record where the band steps out of what’s comfortable.  Creating an undeniably dark record that has just as much melody as it does fury, Ruiner has crafted a gem.

It seems like this five piece has decided that something between Modern Life is War, The Hope Conspiracy and Murder City Devils is what they wanted to accomplish, and as sure as the sky above, they got it done.  As much as I love hardcore, we always need people to step outside of the box and give us something that may not necessarily be groundbreaking (see You and I, Ink and Dagger, Countervail, etc.) but it’s a much welcome change from the sound that we’re being offered by everyone else.  When partnered with the heartbreaking lyrics of Rob Sullivan, the music on Hell is Empty is timeless, worthy of multiple listens and easy to revisit.  From the track “Part Two” Sullivan says “Some good things aren’t meant to be.  Nothing is meant for me.  There’s no fairy tale ending, there’s no happily ever after.  You just live, you just die.  Maybe you’re a lucky one.” it’s obvious the emotion that he puts into each track he writes, it’s conveyed not only vocally but musically.

If you’re looking for jams with fast two step beats rivaled by brooding darkness, Ruiner is where you need to be settling down at.  This album easily jumps in the top 10 hardcore records of 2009.

Track Listing:

01. I’m Out
02. Two Words
03. Dead Weight
04. Part One
05. Part Two
06. Meat
07. Constrictor
08. Loneliest Of Hearts
09. Convenient Gods
10. Solitary

Recently I was given the gracious opportunity to interview The Glorious Unseen, BEC Recordings best and brightest act.  Hailing from Nashville, TN this band isn’t just a worship band, they’re so much more.   I discussed the band with singer Ben Christ.  Enjoy.

What was it that drew your youth pastor to start the separate group that eventually spawned The Glorious Unseen?

WELL, I THINK IT WAS A GENERAL DESPERATION FOR GOD THAT DREW US TO START THAT SMALL GROUP. ALL OF US HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED FROM CHURCH AND FROM RELATIONSHIPS FOR ABOUT A YEAR. SO, IT WAS THAT DESIRE FOR COMMUNITY THAT DREW US BACK TOGETHER.

How exactly did you go from being an average praise and worship band to being on BEC?

BEING IN NASHVILLE, THERE’S A NATURAL EXPOSURE THAT YOU GET IF YOU PERFORM MUSIC IN ANY CAPACITY. THERE’S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF MUSIC AND MUSIC BUSINESS STUFF GOING ON AROUND THERE. HOWEVER, I WASN’T SEEKING AFTER A RECORD DEAL OR ANYTHING. I GUESS THE FIRST IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS IS THAT I BEGAN WRITING MY OWN WORSHIP SONGS. SOME OF THOSE SONGS CAPTURED THE ATTENTION OF A LOCAL PUBLISHING GUY AT EMI CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP.  I SIGNED A PUBLISHING DEAL WITH THEM, AND TOOTH AND NAIL IS AFFILIATED WITH EMI. CHAD JOHNSON, ONE OF THE MAIN A&R GUYS AT THE NAIL, GOT EXCITED ABOUT THE WORSHIP STYLE I WAS DOING. I THINK HE HAD ALSO HEARD ABOUT IT THROUGH SOME OF THE BANDS ON THE LABEL – AS I ALREADY HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOME OF THOSE BANDS…

Was this a strange transition for you?  Did you ever think that it would develop into this?

IT WAS A BIT STRANGE AT FIRST – BECAUSE GIVEN THAT I HAD NEVER REALLY PERFORMED THESE SONGS OUTSIDE OF MY OWN CHURCH, IT HAS BEEN A BIT OF A TRANSITION TO START CARRYING THEM OUT ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND PLAYING IN MANY PLACES. BUT, AT THE HEART OD IT ALL, WE’RE STILL AT THE CORE JUST LEADING WORSHIP WHEREVER WE GO… WE DON’T HAVE TO PUT ON A ROCK SHOW. WE’RE STILL JUST BASICALLY DOING THE SAME THING WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE – JUST TO NEW AUDIENCES EVERY NIGHT. AND MANY OF THOSE AUDIENCES HAVE NO IDEA WHO WE ARE – SO SOMETIMES IT DOES SEEM STRANGE. BUT, WHEN GOD SHOWS UP AND STARTS WORKING THROUGH US – IT IS SO REWARDING.

Being able to share your voice and message with thousands of people as opposed to the small group setting you started in must be a great achievement for you.  Would you say this is one of the more rewarding experiences in your life? Explain.

OH OF COURSE – IT IS DEFINITELY VERY EXCITING. HOWEVER, THIS IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLEFIELD. BEING ON THE FRONT LINES OF WHAT REALLY IS A BATTLEFIELD SUPERNATURALLY IS VERY CHALLENGING. I HAVE FACED MORE CHALLENGES IN THE PAST 2 YEARS THEN I EVER HAVE BEFORE – AND I BELIEVE THIS TO BE BECAUSE WE ARE DOING SOMETHING THAT IS SERIOUSLY IMPACTING PEOPLE IN WAYS THAT CAUSES THEM TO SEEK GOD AND BECOME HONEST BEFORE HIM. THE ENEMY HATES THIS – SO THE ENEMIES FIRST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO WANT TO DESTROY US HOWEVER HE CAN. SO YES, THERE ARE MANY EXCITING THINGS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO DO THIS – BUT ALSO MANY CHALLENGES. IT IS A DAILY DECISION TO CONTINUE ON THE PATH THAT GOD HAS PUT IN FRONT OF ME.

What do you want people to get out of your music?  Do you feel you have more to offer to someone who is already christian or to someone who may not be christian? (better question: who do you think praise and worship music is better aimed at?)

WE HAVE STUFF TO OFFER TO BOTH CHRISTIANS AND NON-CHRISTIANS. PEOPLE WILL GET HONESTY OUT OF OUR MUSIC. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT GOD IS REAL AND WANTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH EVERY PERSON – PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE IN HIM AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE REJECTED HIM. WE’VE REALLY SET OUT TO CREATE MUSIC THAT GOD CAN COMMUNICATE TO PEOPLE THROUGH. WE’RE NOT TRYING TO WRITE “WORSHIP” SONGS SIMPLY SO THAT WE CAN SING THEM IN CHURCH. I’M WRITING SOME BRUTALLY HONEST LYRICS – ESPECIALLY IN THIS NEW ALBUM – AND I THINK ALL PEOPLE WILL FIND SOMETHING THAT STIRS THEM.

The amount of change between Tonight The Stars Speak and The Hope That Lies in You is fairly apparent.  How do you feel you matured in sound between albums?

WE’VE WRITTEN A MUCH MORE DYNAMIC ALBUM. THIS ALBUM WAS WRITTEN BY US AS A FULL BAND – AS OPPOSED TO THE LAST ALBUM – WHICH I PRETTY MUCH COMPLETELY WROTE BY MYSELF. I FEEL THAT I’VE REALLY IMPROVED MY VOICE A LOT OVER THE PAST YEAR AS WE HAVE TOURED SO MUCH… LYRICALLY, I’VE ASKED A WHOLE LOT OF QUESTIONS IN THIS ALBUM. I’VE BEEN A BIT MORE BOLD LYRICALLY THIS TIME THEN IN THE PAST. THE SOUND OF THE ALBUM IS FRESH AND EXCITING – BECAUSE THERE WERE 5 OF US THIS TIME CONTRIBUTING IDEAS. I’M SO GLAD I DIDN’T HAVE TO WRITE THE WHOLE ALBUM MYSELF, BECAUSE HONESTLY I WAS FEELING LIKE I DIDN’T HAVE ANY NEW IDEAS MUSICALLY. IT WASN’T UNTIL ALL THE GUYS STARTED CONTRIBUTING THEIR PERSONAL SONG IDEAS THAT I GOT REALLY EXCITED ABUOT THIS NEW RECORD..

Now three EPs and two full lengths in, what’s next for The Glorious Unseen?

WELL, HAHA – I DIDN’T THINK ABOUT IT LIKE “3 EP’S AND 2 FULL LENGTHS”. THE TRUTH ABOUT THAT IS THAT WE’VE REALLY ONLY DONE 24 SONGS IN OUR CAREER HAHA. THE EP’S YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT I’M ASSUMING ARE “EMBRACING THE CALL” – THE FIRST RECORD I RECORDED INDEPENDENTLY, “CRIES OF THE BROKEN” ‘ THE ACOUSTIC VERSIONS OF THE SONGS ON “TONIGHT THE STARS SPEAK”, AND “HOW HE LOVES” EP – WHICH IS SIMPLY A COUPLE SONGS FROM THE NEW RECORD “THE HOPE THAT LIES IN YOU” – RELEASED A MONTH EARLY… SO REALLY, “EMBRACING THE CALL”, “TONIGHT THE STARS SPEAK”, AND “CRIES OF THE BROKEN” ALL HAVE ALMOST THE SAME SONGS ON EACH… AS FAR AS WHAT’S NEXT FOR US – WE’RE GONNA KEEP GOING ON THE ROAD THIS FALL AND SPRING AND SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES COME OUR WAY… WE WOULD LIKE TO PLAY AS MANY GIGS AS WE CAN. WE’RE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT TOURS WE CAN GET ON. I WOULD LIKE WHATEVER WE DO TO CONTINUE TO BE VERY MINISTRY FOCUSED – SO WE’LL SEE WHERE THAT TAKES US..

In your bio, you say “I felt like this was music that even kids into Underoath and hardcore music could worship to. That’s where I found my musical niche.”  Could you explain what you meant by this comment?  What are your main influences when writing musically?

MY MAIN INFLUENCES WHEN WRITING ARE ALL ACROSS THE BOARD. I DO LISTEN TO A LOT OF HARDCORE MUSIC – BUT CLEARLY OUR MUSIC IS NOT HARDCORE. IT’S TOUGH TO DESCRIBE EXACTLY WHY A HARDCORE KID WOULD LISTEN TO THE GLORIOUS UNSEEN. WE’VE GOTTEN A LOT OF POSITIVE REVIEWS RECENTLY FROM GUYS IN CHRISTIAN HARDCORE BANDS – SO THAT HAS HELPED OUR “CREDIBILITY” IN THAT MARKET. I FEEL LIKE IT COMES DOWN TO THE HONESTY IN THE MUSIC I GUESS. WELL, ALSO THE STYLE OF WORSHIP HELPS A TON. THIS ISN’T HAPPY-CLAPPY PRAISE AND WORSHIP. BUT YEAH I THINK THE HONESY IN THE LYRICS HAS DRAWN THAT SCENE IN… ALSO, IT’S BECAUSE OF THE NATURAL RELATIONSHIPS THAT I HAVE ALREADY HAD WITH HARDCORE BANDS AND SUCH. IT’S NOT LIKE I’M SOME GUY WHO HAS NO IDEA WHAT HARDCORE MUSIC IS TRYING TO WRITE WORSHIP MUSIC THAT HARDCORE KIDS WILL LIKE. I USED TO BE IN HARDCORE BANDS. I’VE BEEN AROUND THAT STUFF FOR A LONG TIME.

There seems to be a bit of a dark undertone in your records.  You’ve gone with a reoccurring theme of being lifted up.  Have there been some life experiences that have driven you to write from this angle?

ABSOLUTELY. I MENTIONED BEFORE HOW I OFTEN FEEL AS IF I’M IN A SPIRITUAL BATTLEFIELD, I’M ALWAYS IN THE MIDST OF THE FIGHT – NEEDING GOD TO COME AND LIFT ME AND RESTORE ME. THIS LIFE OF FOLLOWING GOD AND ALLOWING HIM TO USE ME TO SPEAK TO A CULTURE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT REALLY BEEN DIRECTLY SPOKEN TO IN THIS WAY BEFORE IS A TOUGH JOURNEY. WHAT WE’RE DOING IS SOMEWHAT GROUNDBREAKING IN THAT IT IS A NEW STYLE OF WORSHIP – IT IS SPEAKING TO A DIFFERENT AUDIENCE THAN THE AUDIENCE THAT MOST MODERN WORSHIP HAS SPOKEN TO.

ALSO, THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE ASKED IN THIS RECORD. I HAVE FELT THESE QUESTIONS WEIGHING ON MY HEART – AND HAVE ALSO HEARD THEM ECHOED AMONG MANY PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE MET ALONG THE WAY… I FEEL THERE ARE TIMES FOR ALL OF US WHERE WE HAVE THESE QUESTIONS COME TO OUR MINDS, WHERE WE WANT TO ASK GOD – “HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN TO ME”, AND ALSO THINGS LIKE “HOW CAN YOU STILL LOVE ME IN THE MIDST OF WHO I AM??” THIS IS WHERE WE CAN BE BRUTALLY HONEST WITH GOD – AND TELL HIM OUR HEARTS. I DON’T WANT TO JUST WRITE HAPPY SONGS WHERE WE CAN ALL FEEL GOOD, CAUSE THE TRUTH IS I DON’T FEEL GOOD ALL THE TIME, I AM OFTEN TIMES IN THE MIDST OF A STRUGGLE – SO I HAVE TO CONVEY THIS WITH HONESTY.

Who did you record The Hope That Lies in You with?  Are there any interesting stories about the recording process?

WE RECORDED THIS RECORD WITH KEVIN BRUCHERT – A GUY WHO HAS RECENTLY MOVED TO NASHVILLE AND BECOME A PART OF OUR CHURCH. HE USED TO OWN A RECORDING STUDIO IN RICHMOND, VA – BUT HAS RECENTLY FELT THE LORD CALL HIM TO NASHVILLE. IT’S AN AWESOME STORY ABOUT HOW GOD HAS RESTORED HIM INTO STUDIO WORK AGAIN. WE HAD QUITE AN ADVENTURE RECORDING THIS THING. THE DRUMS AND PIANOS WERE DONE UP IN ROCHESTER, NY AREA IN AN OLD WAREHOUSE. MUCH OF THE VOCALS AND GUITAR STUFF WAS DONE OVER AT EMI STUDIOS IN NASHVILLE. WE HAD TO JUMP AROUNF QUITE A BIT IN FINDING WHAT PLACES WERE OPEN TO RECORD IN, BUT GOT IT DONE!

One of the things we most appreciate about The Glorious Unseen is a sense of honesty and vulnerability.  Does it take a lot out of you to write these songs?  Do you view it to be at all therapeutic?

YEAH, I GUESS IT IS REALLY THERAPEUTIC FOR ME, CAUSE I’M ABLE TO SAY WHAT’S HONEST TO ME EACH NIGHT. THESE SONGS ARE JUST PRAYERS. SO BASICALLY, I’M  PRAYING CONSTANTLY FOR AN HOUR EACH NIGHT WHEN WE’RE PLAYING… IT DOESN’T TAKE A LOT OUT OF ME TO WRITE THEM – IT ACTUALLY GIVES ME LOTS OF EXCITEMENT TO WRITE THEM!!

How do you feel God has blessed your life?

WELL, I’M ALIVE – I HAVE MY BASIC NEEDS MET. I GET TO BE USED TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS IMPACTING PEOPLE TO BE DIRECTED TOWARDS HIM. AND I KNOW THAT HE IS THE ONLY WAY ANYONE WILL FIND TRUE FULFILLMENT – SO WHAT MORE CAN I ASK FOR?

If you weren’t in The Glorious Unseen, what do you think you would be doing now?

PROBABLY DOING FINANCE OR TAX WORK SOMEWHERE – MAYBE BAR-TENDING. THOSE ARE ALL THE KINDS OF WORK I HAVE DONE BEFORE THIS BAND… BUT I HAVE A NATURAL URGE TO WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT IMPACTS PEOPLE ETERNALLY – SO I WOULD PROBABLY BE PRETTY MISERABLE IF I COULDN’T DO THAT IN SOME WAY…

The DVD features over two hours of live concert footage from three sold out shows in Berlin, Dublin and Glasgow. The footage documents the end of the band’s 2007 tour in support of Baby 81, their most recent full-length release and was directed and edited by Tessa Angus with live audio mixed by BRMC’s own Peter Hayes.

The second bonus DVD features over ninety minutes of intimate, behind-the-scenes footage as well as additional performance footage. The package is rounded out by a bonus audio CD featuring 14 songs from the concert film and a 48-page photo booklet.

The Los Angeles, CA-based group is currently at The Station House studio in Hollywood finishing work on their fifth studio album. The as-yet-untitled album is expected to have a March 2010 release.

BRMC is: Robert Levon Been – bass, vocals, Peter Hayes – guitar, vocals, Leah Shapiro – drums.

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB LIVE DVD
Berlin
Weapon Of Choice
Rise Or Fall
666 Conducer
Ain’t No Easy Way
Weight Of The World
Stop
All You Do Is Talk
Red Eyes and Tears
As Sure As The Sun
American X
Spread Your Love
Love Burns
Mercy
Dirty Old Town
Promise
Six Barrel Shotgun
Whatever Happened To My Rock n’ Roll (Punk Song)
Fault Line
Took Out A Loan
The Show Is About To Begin
Heart & Soul

LIVE CD
Weapon of Choice
Rise or Fall
666 Conducer
Ain’t No Easy Way
Berlin
Red Eyes and Tears
Love Burns
Mercy
Dirty Old Town
Promise
Six Barrel Shotgun
Spread Your Love
Took Out A Loan
Whatever Happened To My Rock N’ Roll (Punk Song)

BONUS FEATURES
Howl Studio Sessions
Making of “Weapon of Choice” Video
“Devil’s Waiting” (Somerset House)
“Rifles:” Live at T In the Park
American X: Short Film
BBC Radio Sessions Birmingham Interview
“Feel It Now” Jam
Bonus Concert Footage

Racking up over 300 shows in their short existence, Prima Donna is known for their energetic live shows, wowing audiences across the US and Europe.  Their 2008 debut release “After Hours” has been hailed as the second coming of 1970’s glitter rock, ala New York Dolls and Mott the Hoople, with sharp, concise songwriting and sing along choruses.

Green Day has long been supporters of the Los Angeles-based Prima Donna – lead singer Kevin Preston moonlights in the Green Day alter-ego garage rock quintet Foxboro Hot Tubs.

The complete tour dates are listed below:

09-28 Lisbon, Portugal @ Atlantico Pavilion
09-29  Madrid, Spain @ Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad
10-01  Barcelona, Spain @ Palau Sant Jordi
10-02  Toulouse, France @ Zenith
10-04  Paris, France @ Bercy
10-05  Cologne, Germany @ Cologne Arena
10-07  Berlin, Germany @ World Arena
10-08  Hamburg, Germany @ Color Line Arena
10-09  Copenhagen, Denmark @ Forum
10-11  Stockholm, Sweden @ The Globe
10-12  Oslo, Norway @ Spectrum
10-14  Dortmund, Germany @ Westfalenhalle 1
10-16  Rotterdam, Netherlands @ Ahoy
10-17  Antwerp, Belgium @ Sportpalais
10-19  Glasgow, Scotland @ SECC
10-20  Belfast, Northern Ireland @ Odyssey Arena
10-21  Dublin, Ireland @ The 02
10-23  London, England @ The 02
10-24  London, England @ The 02
10-26  Sheffield, England @ Sheffield Arena
10-27  Birmingham, England @ LG Arena
10-28  Birmingham, England @ LG Arena
10-30  Manchester, England @ MEN Arena
10-31  Manchester, England @ MEN Arena
11-01  London, England @ Wembley Arena
11-03  Munich, Germany @ Olympiahalle
11-06  Vienna, Austria @ Stadthalle
11-08  Zurich, Switzerland @ Hallenstadion
11-10  Milan, Italy @ Datchforum
11-11  Bologna, Italy @ Futur Show
11-12  Turin, Italy @ Palaolimpico

First Days of Spring, slated for a Oct. 6 release through Cherrytree/Interscope, is actually a two-part project. Singer and songwriter Charlie Fink not only led the album’s direction toward greater introspection and lush orchestration, but he also conceptualized and directed the album’s accompanying film of same name. Here is its teaser:

http://vimeo.com/6058198

Noah and the Whale will also tour Europe with Phoenix immediately following their U.S. trek.

Dates:

October

20 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Roxy Theatre
22 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Swedish American Hall
24 – Seattle, Wash. @ Crocodile Cafe
25 – Portland, Ore. @ Doug Fir Lounge
29 – Chicago, Ill. @ Lakeshore Theater
30 – Pontiac, Mich. @ The Crofoot’s Pike Room
31 – Toronto, Ontario @ The Horseshoe Tavern

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/09/noah-and-the-whale-bring-first-days-of-spring-to-u.html

This highly coveted main support slot comes on the heels of what has been nothing short of an already extremely successful year for London’s hottest newcomers.  The band released their debut album To Lose My Life earlier this year and the record shot to No. 1 on the UK albums chart the week of release. NME featured the band on their cover and glowing reviews poured in from The Guardian, The Sunday Times, and The Fly.  Stateside they earned praise from numerous publications including Rolling Stone, who called the album “polished synth rock…full of pulsating bass lines and high def keyboard atmospherics”, SPIN and The New York Times among others.  Following the debut album’s release White Lies opened for The Cure at the NME Big Gig at London’s premier O2 venue, embarked on tours with Snow Patrol and Glasvegas in Europe and a co-headlining tour with Friendly Fires in the US, performed a slew of successful shows at the annual SXSW Music Festival and played to a massive crowd at this year’s Coachella Music Festival.

The band has taken their critically-acclaimed sound around the world with performances at renowned international music festivals including Coachella, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, Roskilde, T in the Park, Benicassim, Virgin Mobil Festival, Rock Am Ring, Isle of Wight, Reading and Leeds. White Lies is also joining Coldplay on European dates as main support including a massive show at Wembley Stadium before they head over to the States in September.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see the band live when they play at a city near you, and for the most up-to-date information, head over to myspace.com/whitelies or www.whitelies.com.

Check out the live video for “Death” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfStQnmJC8g

North American Tour Dates:

Sept.     25^th Webster Hall                                                                      New York, NY

26^th Phoenix Theater                                                              Toronto, ONT

28^th Target Center                                                                    Minneapolis, MN

29^th Metro                                                                                   Chicago, IL

30^th Scottrade Center                                                             St. Louis, MO

Oct         3^rd OK Ford Center                                                                 Oklahoma City, OK

4^th Austin City Limits                                                              Austin, TX

6^th Toyota Center                                                                   Houston, TX

7^th American Airlines Center                                              Dallas, TX

9^th Phillips Arena                                                                     Atlanta, GA

10^th Rupp Arena                                                                        Lexington, KY

12^th Mid America Centre                                                       Council Bluffs, IA

13^th Sprint Center                                                                     Kansas City, MO

15^th BJCC                                                                                      Birmingham, AL

16^th Sommet Center                                                                Nashville, TN