It has been quite a year for No Weather Talks. Next month they will play their first US show at FEST 11, coming only weeks after sharing stages with bands such as Latterman, Banner Pilot, and Crusades in their native Germany. Despite only forming late last year, Hamburg’s No Weather Talks has been making a lot of Festers’ “must see” lists after releasing an incredible demo earlier this year.
The 4-song demo opens with “Separation Perfected,” where Painted Thin-esque melodies wrestle with driving guitars and a sing-a-long chorus. “Forever Tomorrow” brings the demo to a close with female/male dual vocals working in perfect harmony, never fighting for attention, but rather complementing each other over Dischord-influenced angular guitar riffs.
Sadly, any new female-fronted band seems to receive the same old, lazy comparisons to those that have gone before, but these five friends are not the new Discount or Germany’s Fifth Hour Hero; they are No Weather Talks and they could be your new favourite band.
Jeff, at the always brilliant Rocket Fuel Podcast, just released his annual FEST preview special. Jeff sits down for an in depth interview with FEST main man Tony Weinbender. Tony discusses how FEST 11 came together, his picks of the weekend, and details of other projects he has been working on, like a Gainesville outdoor concert series and even a Tampa leg of FEST.
In addition to the interview, check out music from Latterman, Masked Intruder, Braid, and many more bands who will be descending on Gainesville late next month.
After an eight-year silence, Pilot To Gunner is back, releasing a new song from their forthcoming album. And I couldn’t be more excited.
When their debut album, Games At High Speeds, came out in 2001, I was blown away. Between the song structure and the vocals, it sounded really fresh to me and I was sold. But after only one other full length, 2004’s Get Saved (also an excellent release), PTG appeared to vanish.
Well, they’re back. Guilty Guilty is expected to drop in October on Arctic Rodeo Recordings and, like Get Saved, was produced by the legendary J. Robbins. Rumor has it that it’s 12 tracks of awesome. I’ll let you know if that’s true once I get my hands on a copy (expect a future post)!
The new song, “We Die Today,” is streaming at Punknews.org. It’s just over three minutes of angular, rhythmic, rock and roll with Scott Padden’s distinct vocals dancing powerfully over the tempo changes. The hooks are huge, too, causing uncontrollable head-nodding and body twitching.
If this track is any sign of the rest of the album, fans of PTG will be stoked to find the band back on the scene. And those unfamiliar with the band should quickly familiarize themselves with the back catalogue.
If you were fortunate enough to see Leagues Apart at Fest last year, you are probably already a fan. The Manchester, UK based band has been making friends around the world with their frenetic and fun live shows for years now. If you are in the crowd for their show at what is sure to be a packed Loosey’s at FEST 11, expect jokes, human pyramids, and plenty of beer. But, most importantly, expect to see one of the best bands England has to offer.
Leagues Apart proudly wears their influences on their sleeve – early Menzingers or Hot Water Music are a good reference point – but the band’s clever lyrics and amazing shared vocals add something uniquely English to the mix, making a sound that is all their own. With their most recent EP, Buffalo Club, the band does something very few manage; they capture all the passion, energy, and urgency you find at their shows and, in the process, make an EP that is virtually impossible to listen to without hitting the play button the second it ends.
Kiss of Death Records has posted a stream of two tracks from an upcoming 7″ split featuring Boston-based acoustic singer-songwriter Jeff Rowe and Oswego, New York punk rock band Mayflower. The record will be released April 24th. In addition to one original song from each artist, the split will include material in which Jeff Rowe and Mayflower cover each other’s songs.
“We’d talked about doing something like this for years, and it’s nice to see that come to fruition,” said Rowe. “It’s a fantastic thing to have a split out with people that you adore and love their music as well.”
The 7″ will be available on Rowe’s and Mayflower’s respective tours. Rowe will play several dates in Canada and the East Coast before heading off to Europe, while Mayflower will play a few dates in Quebec, including Pouzza Fest May 20th.
Check out “Out on a High Note” and “Crutch” right here.
Click “continue reading” to view Mayflower’s upcoming tour dates.
The official launch of the FEST 11 website was today, April 6th.
Lagwagon, Braid, Anti-Flag Streetlight Manifesto, Ensign, Red Fang, Mustard Plug, Joyce Manor, Dan Vapid and the Cheats, Crusades, Black God, and Cadillac Blindside (for an exclusive reunion show) have all been, now officially, announced for the eleventh yearly festival happening Oct. 26-28 in Gainesville, Florida.
Loma Prieta is a band of consistency. Having released four 12″ releases in just over four years, the band is committed to routinely writing, recording, and releasing music, and yet its members remain humble about their already-extensive output, hesitating to identify any of these 15 to 24-minute releases as “LPs.” I.V., the band’s Deathwish Inc. debut, further establishes Loma Prieta as an unstoppable force within the realm of hardcore. Embodying elements of screamo, emo violence, and traditional hardcore, the band’s sound is difficult to pigeonhole, as I.V. explores a diverse array of melody, distortion, grittiness, and experimentation, with many of these characteristics overlapping in a unique manner. I spoke to the band in Hamden, Connecticut, to discuss the record and the unrelenting drive that informed its creation.
Just before The FEST 9 (2010) in Gainesville, FL, NYC’s Bridge and Tunnel suffered a setback that would cause most bands to cancel. Guitarist Rachel Rubino broke her wrist in a bicycle accident meaning she would not be able to play. The band opted instead to play a cover set of hardcore songs as a three piece with Rubino on vocals. Arguably the most talked about set that year, these recordings were pressed to vinyl for a limited 7″ insert in the band’s 2011 LP, Rebuilding Year on No Idea Records.
Three months ago, Pianos Become the Teeth released their stunning followup to Old Pride. Refining the post-rock elements and sharpening the lyrical focus to be more direct, The Lack Long After is an incredibly weighty, touching and personal record with as much heart as its predecessor. It is a powerful, emotional record about the gut-wrenching challenges in confronting and subsequently accepting loss. It is also musical catharsis at its best, a testament to the transcending potential of the post-hardcore genre, and a record that will encourage you to remind your closest relatives of how much you love them. I spoke with the band in Hamden, Connecticut, to reflect upon the record’s completion and how it has informed the band’s perceptions of being engaged to such an absorbing aspect of their lives.
Crusades’ debut LP The Sun Is Down And The Night Is Riding Inopens with an extremely ominous and slow marching drum – very reminiscent of Fucked Up’s opener from Hidden World (which may or may not be where “Crusades” came from), except the band dwell on the dark biblical passages left behind by Fucked Up. But before you know it, “Attic” has kicked into gear and it’s time to get freaky. Crusade’s obvious influences lie somewhere between The Misfits and The Copyrights, blending dark and satanic imagery with mile-a-minute pop punk hooks, yet are distinctly neither wholly.
Jeff, at the always brilliant 
National Underground 