by Andrew Sacher

Hot Water Music

Chuck Ragan (of Hot Water Music) is taking The Revival Tour 2012 across the US and Canada this March and April. Like past Revival Tours, the shows feature a number of singers (usually of the punk scene) and their acoustic instruments collaborating on stage in a traditional folk music fashion. This year's tour hits NYC on March 30 at Bowery Ballroom, and in addition to Chuck Ragan, features Dan Andriano (of Alkaline Trio), Tommy Gabel (of Against Me!), and Lucero-associate Cory Branan. Tickets go on sale Saturday (2/4) at noon. The Revival tour also has ticket bundle options available with tour samplers, vinyls, posters, and more.

Nathaniel Rateliff, who released his debut album back in 2010, is on a number of the dates too, but unfortunately will not play at the Bowery Ballroom show. However, he will play in NYC one day before that show as part of the Communion-presented "Austin to Boston" tour, which kicks off at this year's SXSW in Austin. That tour hits Mercury Lounge on March 29 and also includes Ben Howard, The Staves, and Bear's Den. Tickets are on sale now.

Chuck Ragan's band Hot Water Music, who have been reunited since 2008, have announced that they're working on their first new album since the reunion and since 2004's The New What Next. They've been recording the album with Bill Stevenson (Descendents) and it should see the light of day this May on Rise Records, the label they signed to over the summer. Hot Water Music released the single "The Fire, The Steel, The Tread," b/w "Up to Nothing" in September of 2011. There's no word of whether or not these songs will appear on the new album, but you can stream them both below.

Hot Water Music have a few shows scheduled in 2012 including Bamboozle in Asbury Park, NJ and SXSW. Single day passes for 5/19 when HWM plays Bamboozle, along with The Promise Ring, A$AP Rocky, Action Bronson, and others, are on sale now. HWM doesn't have many other shows announced at the moment but maybe they'll schedule a NYC show when they're in the area for Bamboozle like The Promise Ring did.

All dates, streams, and tour fliers below...

Continue reading "Revival Tour announced w/ Chuck Ragan, Tom Gabel, Dan Andriano & Nathaniel Rateliff (who has his own dates too)"

Color Me Obsessed, a film about The Replacements, will be screening at a number of film festivals and other venues this year and next year. The film was produced by Gorman Bechard (of What We Were Thinking Films) and features interviews with Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, Craig Finn of The Hold Steady, Tommy Ramone, members of Husker Du, Robert Christgau, Jim Derogatis, Ira Robbins, Tom Arnold, and others. The film will premiere in NYC on November 16 and 17 at Bowery Electric.

We're excited to announce that, along with Bowery Electric, we're presenting MATS CITY, a Replacements tribute show that will take place at Bowery Electric after each screening. The show, which will be hosted by Matt Pinfield features a number of guests including Brian Fallon (Gaslight Anthem), Jesse Malin, Steve Wynn, Ted Leo, Chuck Ragan, Charlie Mars, Dave Hause (The Loved Ones), Matthew Ryan, Willie Nile, Tommy Ramone, Alejandro Escovedo, Dave Pulkingham, Walter Lure, Kevn Kinney, Don DiLego, Joe D'Urso, Danny Sage, and Nicole Atkins, and many more to be announced. Those singers will be backed by a band which includes Todd Youth, Matt Romano, and Johnny T. Tickets for the 11/16 and the 11/17 shows are on sale now (ticket options include movie only and show only, and both). A portion of the proceeds will go to Musicians On Call. Note that exact lineups for each date are TBA. Some performers may only be playing one day.

A list of cities the film will screen in and teaser video below...

Continue reading "new Replacements movie 'Color Me Obsessed' screening @ Bowery Electric before 2 special tribute concerts (on sale now)"

DOWNLOAD: X - Fourth of July (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Early Winters - Fourth of July (X cover) (MP3)

NOFX at Bonnaroo (more by Dana (Distortion) Yavin)

The Bouncing Souls ended their 4-night run at Highline Ballroom last night (7/9). They played all 8 of their albums over the course of the four nights in NYC. A full report and pictures are coming soon. If you missed it, the Souls will now do the same for Philly starting on July 13th. Tickets are still on sale for one of the nights. They also do it in London, Vienna, Denver, and LA. LA tickets go on sale... in September. Bouncing Souls have also added some new US dates in October before the Denver and LA runs too, including a few shows with NOFX.

The NOFX shows are part of a longer North American tour that NOFX headlines in October with Anti-Flag and Old Man Markley. That tour includes two nights at Irving Plaza, 10/7 & 10/8. Tickets for both shows are on sale now. NOFX also tour Europe in August.

Speaking of Los Angeles punk bands playing 2 nights at Irving Plaza, as previously mentioned, X are doing that too. They will head out on tour in September and October, playing "Los Angeles" in full at each show along the way. As previously mentioned that includes Riot Fest East in Philly, Riot Fest in Chicago and two nights at Irving Plaza in NYC. But it also includes September 25th in Asbury Park, NJ and a bunch of other dates which are listed below. Tickets are available for the two NYC shows and the NJ show.

X released "Los Angeles" in 1980. Seven years later the Dave Alvin-written song "Fourth of July" appeared on their album "See How We Are" (which was reissued in 2002). Grab that song, and a recently made cover of it (in honor of last week's holiday), above.

In somewhat related news, Kid Dynamite will, as mentioned, reunite at FYF Fest in LA with Descendents, The Dead Milkmen and many others this September. While we await another east coast reunion, Kid Dynamite frontman Jason Chevchuk's other band None More Black will play some shows to tide us over. They'll play on October 25 at Knitting Factory Brooklyn and November 2 at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, NJ. Dig It Up, TheCore and Polygon open both shows as part of a tour down to the Fest 10. Tickets for the Knitting Factory show are on sale now.

To bring things full circle, TheCore covered The Bouncing Souls "True Believers" with Chuck Ragan at their show together on February 26 in Las Vegas. Video of that and all tour dates and other videos below....

Continue reading "Bouncing Souls, NOFX, X, None More Black, other punk shows"

Chuck Ragan

A reminder: Chuck Ragan goes solo TONIGHT (5/16) at the Bell House, a night of downtime for his tour w/ Social Distortion that hit Asbury Park on Saturday (5/14). Sharks and Sean O'Neill both open the Brooklyn show.

Chuck will hop back on tour with Social D in Norfolk tomorrow night, eventually making his way to Krazy Fest in Louisville where he'll join his still-reunited band Hot Water Music who will also play a few other dates in the coming months in the Midwest, and at NXNE 2011. All tour dates are below. Krazy Fest tickets are still on sale.

In other punk news, The Bouncing Souls have announced the support bands for their upcoming discography dates in NYC & Philly. That includes Hostage Calm, Dave Hause, and Weston on the 7/6 show (dedicated to The Good, The Bad, and The Argyle, Maniacal Laughter, Wild Street, Yuppicide, and Star Fucking Hipsters on the 7/7 show (covering Self-Titled and Hopeless Romantic), Up For Nothing, Iron Chic & The Loved Ones on 7/8 (the How I Spent My Summer Vacation and Anchors Aweigh show), and Lost in Society & Tim Barryfor the 7/9 show (The Gold Record and Ghosts on the Boardwalk). Tickets for 7/8 have gone the way of the dinosaur, but tickets for 7/6, 7/7 and 7/9 are still available. The Bouncing Souls will ALSO make the trek down to Krazy Fest this weekend. All dates and openers are listed below.

Gods & Queens are scheduled to play the 7/15 date in Philadelphia, and also recently played Public Assembly with Coliseum, Rise & Fall, Masakari, and Psychic Limb.

All tour dates and a video is below.

Continue reading "Krazy Fest is coming, Chuck Ragan is here, Bouncing Souls announced openers, Hot Water Music playing dates too"

photos by Tim Griffin

Lucero played Emo's in Austin, Texas on Tuesday night (2/22), one night before they appeared on Carson Daly (can't find a video), with an assist from Robert Ellis & The Boys. Lucero's set included a cover of Jawbreaker's "Kiss the bottle" and Bill Withers' "Ain't no Sunshine." Speaking of bottles, the four-song encore was accompanied by special guest (bottle of) Jameson. Pictures from that show show are in this post.

The show is/was part of a few tour dates that the band has before they go out for a stretch of dates as part of Warped Tour 2011. That tour, which Peelander-Z is also a part of, hits Nassau Coliseum on July 23rd and Monmouth Park Raceway in Oceanport, NJ the next day. Tickets go on sale 4/1.

Lucero is also on board for Krazy Fest in Louisville on May 20-22 alongside bands like 7 Seconds, Against Me, Hot Water Music, Coalesce, Title Fight (who are coming to NYC), and many others. Not long before then, Hot Water Music frontman Chuck Ragan is scheduled to play the Bell House with Sharks. Tickets for the May 16th show are on sale.

More pictures and tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Lucero played Emo's (pics), playing Warped Tour (dates) ++++ Chuck Ragan playing Brooklyn & other dates"

by BBG

The Bouncing Souls @ Webster Hall (more by Tim Griffin)

We're well on our way to making HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS the Jersey Shore's rockinest holiday tradition! This is our third year which marks the distinction between 'maybe we can pull this off' and 'a lifetime commitment'. We're happy to assemble a wild cast of our friends and comrades to entertain you and wish you well for the coming year. What's better than getting together with a couple hundred of your closest friends for the holidays and toasting each others' health? [The Bouncing Souls via press release]

The Bouncing Souls will play a four night residency at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ from Dec 26 - 30th as part of their 3rd annual Home For The Holidays series of shows. Each night features a different set of bands with:

• 12/26 getting Black Train Jack, Blacklisted, and Detournement
• 27th getting The Pietasters, a reunion of Worthless United, and Dave Hause
• 28th with their current tourmates Bayside, as well as P.O.S. & Static Radio NJ
• and on 12/30 with Chuck Ragan, Screaming Females, and The Night Brigade.

Tickets go on fan Pre-Sale this Wednesday, October 21st and Thursday October 22nd @ chunksaah.com, and then go on general sale on Friday, October 23rd.

Screaming Females continue to make NJ proud as they've also just announced a tour with the Arctic Monkeys.

Chuck Ragan was just in town over the weekend, bringing his Revival Tour to Gramercy Theatre on Saturday night.

Blacklisted are scheduled to play the Deathwish day party at Santos during CMJ.

The Bouncing Souls are currently on tour with Bayside and Broadway Calls, a tour which ends in early November. Full tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Bouncing Souls announce 2009 holiday shows @ The Stone Pony (openers include Pietasters, Black Train Jack, Blacklisted, Screaming Females...)"

by Black Bubblegum

7 Seconds & Bouncing Souls on tour in 1994

Twenty years is a major milestone for any band, but in a genre like punk rock that thrives on boundless energy, ducking authority, and youth, it's a particularly notable achievement. This year marks the 20th anniversary of The Bouncing Souls, and yet more clicks on the odometer in the touring van. The band kicks off a set of dates this week with fellow NJ luminaries Lifetime and punk rock legends 7 Seconds.

7 Seconds know a thing or two about longevity. The band is currently approaching it's 30th (!) year and prides itself on being one of the longest standing hardcore bands in existence, joining the esteemed ranks of Bad Brains, DOA, and Circle Jerks among others. Vocalist Kevin Seconds has been the face of the band since inception, spending the last few years on the road as a solo acoustic act, similar to like-minded punks Chuck Ragan, Walter Schriefels, and Greg Attonito of The Bouncing Souls.

On the eve of the Bouncing Souls / 7 Seconds dates in NYC (which impact 8/21 & 8/22, Lifetime opens on 8/20 & 8/23), we got a pair of punk rock veterans to sit down for an interview... with each other! Greg called in to speak with Kevin Seconds while on the Warped Tour, and the two discussed their upcoming tours in their respective bands and as solo artists, as well as what it means to still be a punk in 2009. Read it below....

Continue reading "7 Seconds (Kevin) & Bouncing Souls (Greg) in conversation"

The second annual REVIVAL TOUR 2009--a nationwide trek founded by Chuck Ragan, the singer/songwriter/guitarist and Hot Water Music co-frontman--is set to launch October 13 in Louisville and wrap November 21 in St. Petersburg. Drawing from a diverse group of established musicians in indie Americana, rock, punk, Irish folk, Cajun, zydeco and blues, THE REVIVAL TOUR will take the band of traveling musicians through 32 U.S. cities including New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, Austin, Dallas, Atlanta and many more. In traditional revival fashion, once the music starts, this new guard of young, genre-defying, musicians keep it rolling, teaming in and out through each others' sets until the final farewell of the night.

THE REVIVAL TOUR 2009 will include: CHUCK RAGAN (of Hot Water Music), Jim Ward (of Sparta and Sleepercar), Kevin Seconds (Nov. 3-5 only), Frank Turner, Tim Barry (of Avail), Dave Hause (of The Loved Ones), Jenny Owen Youngs, Possessed by Paul James, Jon Snodgrass and Chad Price (of Drag The River), Joey Cape (of Lagwagon), Bob Lucas, Austin Lucas, Audra Mae, Tom Cook, Steven Brodsky (of Cave In), Water Tower Bucket Boys, Anderson Family Bluegrass Band, members of The Zydepunks performing acoustic, Jon Gaunt (of Whiskey & Co) on fiddle, Digger Barnes on the upright bass and more.

The tour comes to NYC's Gramercy Theatre on Saturday, October 17th. Tickets are on sale. After that gig, the tour will visit NJ's Asbury Lanes the next night. More details on the tour with its full lineup and schedule, below...

Continue reading "Revival Tour 2009 w/ Chuch Ragan, Jim Ward, many more"

Photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

If not obvious by the 2008 Fun Fun Fun Fest coverage so far, I was having the most fun (fun fun) over the weekend with all the punk, metal and hardcore on stages 3a and 3b (two connected stages to avoid long times between sets). Highlights and pictures from day one are HERE. Highlights of day two (9/9) were DOA, Frightened Rabbit, the ska punk, politics and crowd of Leftover Crack, Cro-Mags (jam) (John Joseph w/ one of Cro-Mags' past drummers, AJ from Leeway on guitar and Craig Setari of Sick of it All on bass), what I saw of St. Vincent and Black Angels, the vegan sausage pizza, and Bad Brains. I managed to catch a few songs of Islands who sounded great, but totally missed Spinto Band and Annuals. Also saw pieces of Kevin Seconds, Chuck Ragan, and Ben Nichols's solo-frontmen sets. Saw Black Joe Lewis and most of Trash Talk, but neither lived up to my expectations in the daytime festival setting. I went back and forth between the pre-headliner sets of Minus the Bear and Bouncing Souls, and ran over to watch one song of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah during a Bad Brains reggae segment. Despite the competition, CYHSY still pulled in a respectable sized crowd. The stages were far enough away in general, but I could also still hear Alec Ounsworth's unmistakable voice at times between Bad Brains songs depending on where I was standing (I watched Bad Brains from various areas throughout their set). Clipse were headlining on the stage farthest away from Bad Brains so I totally missed them, and Kool Keith, who played that same stage earlier. Bad Brains ended earlier than curfew which meant I got to run over and catch about 20 minutes of Tim and Eric which was a great way (laughing) to end the hectic two day fest.

One unfortunate aspect of the weekend was the dust. It was a problem at ACL this year too. Dry dirt and wind meant you were constantly breathing it in. A signifigant portion of the crowd was wearing bandanas or other gas mask-like things on their faces. I didn't, but I should have because I think it made me a little sick. More pictures from day two below...

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2008 - (some of) day two in photos "

Jamie Lidell @ ACL 2008 (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Van She Tech @ Santos
* Ra Ra Riot @ Sound Fix
* Atmosphere @ Irving Plaza
* Fucked Up & guests @ Rogan Store
* Jamie Lidell, World Provider @ Highline Ballroom
* Yelle, Funeral Party, Kap10Kurt @ Webster Hall
* TV on the Radio, The Dirtbombs @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple
* Dillinger Four, The Measure, The Ergs @ Danbro Brewery Warehouse
* Wovenhand, Silver Summit, Beat Circus @ Knitting Factory
* Debbie's Hairy, Black Gold & DJ Sammy Jo @ Mercury Lounge
* The Undisputed Heavyweights's last show ever w/, Wakey! Wakey! & friends
* Salt & Samovar, Leah Siegel, Swati @ Fontana's (Heeb mag Obama Fundraiser)

Earth cancelled their Union Pool show tonight. Municipal Waste cancelled their Danbro Studio show tonight. Charlatans UK cancelled their Bowery Ballroom show tonight. Bumblebeez and Ladyhawke cancelled their show at Santos tonight.

TV on the Radio plays their first of three shows tonight. Jamie Lidell plays his first of two.

Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music is on tour. Video from his show last night at Blender Theatre below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

by Black Bubblegum (though not even close to metal)

Last month, indie rock blog Productshop NYC shuttered it's doors (RIP) to make way for Stories In High Fidelity, a place "for bands, record stores, labels and writers to share their stories, tour diaries, memories and so much more", a sort of "Huffington Post of music", if you will. To celebrate the launch, the site lined up a cocktail of noteworthy music writers like Chuck Klosterman (Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs, Fargo Rock City), Dan Kennedy (Rock On: An Office Power Ballad), Rob Sheffield (Love Is A Mix Tape) and Marc Spitz (We Got The Neutron Bomb) along with musical guests Rocketship Park and a full headlining set by Jaymay. The "pre-CMJ extranvaganza" will be held at Highline Ballroom on Oct 20th, tickets are on sale.

After Highline Ballroom, Jaymay will hit the road with The Hotel Cafe tour... and although she won't be in NYC when the tour rolls through town at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg, Thao Nguyen will, along with Rachael Yamagata, Meiko, Emily Wells, & Samantha Crain. Tickets for the Brooklyn show are on sale. Full tour dates are below.

Compare/Contrast Hotel Cafe's lineup to the "singer/songwriter" one at the Blender tonight (10/13) with Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Ben Nichols (Lucero), Tim Barry (Avail), and Frank Turner. Tickets are still available. "Chuck Ragan The Revival Tour" will be scooting through the US through mid-November, including a date at the Fun Fun Fun Fest with a shit-ton of great bands (but no Flipper), and a string of dates with Tom Gabel of Against Me! (who recently played a solo show of his own).

Thao Nguyen recently ate books with Paul Simon, Department Of Eagles, Tunde Adebimpe, Kyp Malone, Parker Posey, Ira Glass, Bobby Cannavale and Patricia Clarkson.

All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Hotel Cafe vs Chuck Ragan The Revival - 2008 tour dates, Jaymay, Thao Nguyen, & Stories in High Fidelity"