by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Geoff Rickly - Mixtape 1 (ZIP)

Geoff Rickly w/ Thursday at The Chance in 2010 (more by Meghan McInnis)

Geoff Rickly, former frontman of the now defunct post-hardcore band Thursday, released his first collection of solo recordings, Mixtape 1, for free on his website. He recorded the entire thing in his apartment while Hurricane Sandy was hitting and while he asks for no money for the recordings, he says, "if you feel like you want to pay for this music, please make a donation to the Red Cross." Geoff's been volunteering himself to help out with Sandy relief and just played a benefit at Knitting Factory with Will Sheff, Jean Grae, and many others. Regarding the release of the mixtape, Geoff writes:

The Mixtape format is meant to be a casual way to try out some new things. There are some brand new songs, along with a cover and a rewrite of one of my oldest favorites. The majority of it was recorded in my apartment in the middle of Hurricane Sandy and the song New Sympathies, in particular, reminds me of those heavy winds and deep waters.

There are no strings attached, no hidden marketing games. This doesn't reflect my belief that music should be free or any desire to revolutionize an industry. I just want to do this myself, for now. No art-by-committee, no selling music. Just me & my friends at home, making songs(bedroom songs, songs not too polished up). I'll keep making more of these and giving them to you when I finish. Maybe someday I'll make a proper record and sell it. Maybe not.

The bedroom-recorded quality and the fact that it was recorded during a devastating storm which wreaked havoc on his home state makes the songs especially haunting. And songwriting-wise, it picks up on the high note that Thursday left off on. I personally thought their last album, 2011's No Devolución, was their strongest in years and one of their best overall, so solo material from Geoff Rickly comes as nothing but a pleasant surprise. You can download the mixtape at the top of this post.

In October, we mentioned that Geoff planned to go on a house tour with Terrible Things (Fred Mascherino). Details for that tour have been revealed and it appears that Geoff won't be at the NYC date, but will instead open for Anthony Green in NYC when their tour together hits Irving Plaza on December 5. Tickets for that show are on sale now. That tour also hits Freehold, NJ on December 8 at Encore (tickets). All dates on that tour are listed below. As for the house shows, Geoff is still on board for the one in Wallingford, CT (tickets) and a few others, all of which are listed below.

In related news, Geoff Rickly's United Nations bandmate Daryl Palumbo (who also fronts Glassjaw and Head Automatica) has a new project with Richard Penzone of Men, Women & Children called Color Film, who will release their debut LP, Living Arrangements, at some point in 2013. They played a set in NYC during CMJ at the Irving Plaza show with GZA, Killer Mike, Sweet Valley, Haleek Maul and Bear Hands. The Music Ninja was there and writes, "So, what does Color Film sound like? Maybe a tad more (new wave-y) melodic than Glassjaw. That is to say: intense, ear-shattering, screech/yelp rock." You can stream the track "Bad Saint" form their upcoming debut below.

That song stream and a list of all dates, below...

Continue reading "Geoff Rickly releases first post-Thursday solo material, going on tour (mixtape download, dates)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Tone Tank - The King of Surf Guitar Rap EP
DOWNLOAD: Junk Science - "Fire Drill" EP

Where's la bouef? Ah! There's Labouef and Palko!

Chris Palko aka Cage, who's new album Depart From Me hits stores on July 7th via Definitive Jux, is prepping to take his show on the road after tagging Yak Ballz for support. Joining Palko on stage as part of the "Cage band" will be producer of a large portion of Depart From Me and ex-Hatebreed guitarist F.Sean (aka Sean Martin), as well as DJ Chauncey of XO Skeletons. The tour includes an album release party of sorts during a two night stay at Southpaw (July 2nd tix here and 3rd tix here) where Palko will sign posters and copies of his new album. Additional support for July 2nd is TBA, but Junk Science & "The King of Surf Guitar Rap" Tone Tank are on board for night two.

Cage recently dropped the I Never Knew You EP, which is currently available for "pay what you want" download at the Def Jux site. The EP accompanies the video (viewable below) that was directed by partner-in-crime and star of the upcoming Michael Bay explosion-fest Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, Shia LaBouef. No word on where Shia is with the reported Cage biopic.

Yak Ballz and House of Blow (aka F.Sean and Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw, Head Automatica fame) are currently collaborating on some tracks, with one to appear on an upcoming Def Jux compilation. Yak Skywalker also recently posted his thoughts on one of his favorite hip hop songs ever, Camp Lo's "Luchini" (I have to agree) as well as dropped details on an exclusive series of shirts with fellow Weathermen El-P, Cage & Aesop Rock. More in a recent blog post here.

Video and dates below...

Continue reading "Cage & Yak Ballz - 2009 Tour Dates, videos & stuff "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Rival Schools - "Take One For The Team" (MP3)

"So yeah, I draw the line at Quicksand". - Walter

Walter Schreifels. Sam Siegler. Two names of a very select few who defined a sound and a movement in the late 80s and early 90s, New York Hardcore. Building upon the zen-like teachings of prophets with names like HR, MacKaye, and Raybeez, Walter Schreifels and Sammy Siegler cut their teeth in the blooming NYC scene with the legendary Gorilla Biscuits, Youth Of Today, and Judge, as well as Side By Side, and Project X.

Quicksand and CIV, as well as MTV support, multiple LPs and music videos followed, culminating in the reunion of the two Youth of Today bandmates in Rival Schools. Sam and Walter formed the band in 1999, with their lone LP United By Fate coming in 2001. The band split the following year, scrapping existing recordings that were believed to be the basis of the new album. Six years passed, and Walking Concert, Nightmare of You, Head Automatica, and solo work followed until early 2008, when Rival Schools announced their reformation. The announcement was followed by festival dates in Europe, ultimately leading to a handful of US shows.

Which leads us to NYC... The band have lined up a pair of shows at Maxwells and Mercury Lounge in early November which sold out quickly, but the band have also agreed to headline the free BrooklynVegan day party at Knitting Factory on Oct 25th! In part one of their first joint interview ever, we poked and prodded Sammy and Walter about their past & present projects, the old days, and blow-up dolls...

Continue reading "an interview w/ Rival Schools (Walter & Sammy) (part 1)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: United Nations - The Spinning Heart of The Yo-Yo Lobby (MP3)

Hey wait! I know that hairless chest (photo by James Petrozzello)

A band of unknowns announced their new self-titled LP to be released on Eyeball Records on September 9th, as well as another EP and a seven inch. Ok, they aren't exactly unknowns... it's just that the true line-up of United Nations ISN'T known. Lets start with the facts.... Yesterday, Geoff Rickly of Thursday sat down with Alternative Press to discuss his new side project, United Nations, a "secret supergroup of mid=90's screamo revivalists"

, here's a snippet:

So who are the members involved with this project, and what do they do in the band? Besides you and vocals, obviously

Well, I actually mostly played guitar and did some of the singing. The rest of the band are in contracts, so they're anonymous.

How did this idea first come up?

I was... This is really weird... I've known a kid named Daryl who plays in Glassjaw for a long time, and we used to go to shows, all the same hardcore shows, and we would get excited about a lot of the same bands. We both really loved what was going on on the West Coast in the early '90s, like Gravity Records stuff, really spazzy stuff. We also really loved the Ebullition style, mid-'90s, what they call the emo power-violence stuff.

Read the whole thing here.

So we have some kind-of-but-not-really confirmation that Daryl Palumbo is on board. That in and of itself is not a mindscrambler, but add in the fact that Converge has confirmed that drummer Ben Koller (also of Acid Tiger and ex-Cave In fame) is on board, as well as that message boards / the world's most accurate online encyclopedia are claiming Cooper of Made Out of Babies has joined on, UN takes on a whole new realm of possibilities.

United Nations is streaming their entire self-titled album at their myspace and you can download "The Spinning Heart of The Yo-Yo Lobby" from that record above.

In related Thursday news, Japanese badasses Envy will share a split with the band for Temporary Residence Limited, due on vinyl (with accompanying CD) September 15th. Spanning seven tracks, the record will have four new joints from Thursday and three new ones from Envy. The split was recorded this spring and Thursday enlisted Anthony Molina of Mercury Rev to remix one track, "Appeared And Was Gone", the lead in to Envy's first song. Pick it up at TRL when it drops....

Continue reading "United Nations = Thursday + Glassjaw + ?, full stream, MP3"