by BBG

"Fly as high as the sun sweet prince. It was a glorious ride." -The Dream is Dead

The Dream is Dead guitarist Jared Southwick passed away following more than a week in a Muncie, Indiana hospital with "a liver and kidney condition (and all the complications that come with it)". The 34 year-old guitarist was a member of Harakiri and The Dream is Dead along with bassist Jason McCash who went on to form The Gates of Slumber. The Dream is Dead's last long-player was the Escape Artist burner Hail The New Pawn.

The Dream is Dead was already scheduled to play their last show ever at Dudefest 2011 in Indiana. That show will go on as planned, with Coffinworm guitarist Carl Byers filling-in for Jared.

Jared Southwick, R.I.P., you will be missed, but your riffs will last forever.

Continue reading "Jared Southwick of The Dream is Dead, RIP"

words by BBG, photos by Kris Arnold

Arab on Radar

Indianapolis was ablaze this weekend (July 9th & 10th), as Arab on Radar and Municipal Waste headlined Dudefest in Indianapolis, Indiana as part of a two day event in that city. The event also featured many other luminaries from the hardcore/underground metal scenes which also featured Voetsek (coming to NYC), Capsule, Get Rad (profiled here), Coffinworm (coming to NYC), Failures & Vaccine (who played NYC last night, pics coming soon), Landmine Marathon (who play NYC TWICE this week, with Salome), Trap Them (their new EP is out now), Phoenix Bodies, Pollution (who have a new 12"), and many others. Our photographer sent in his notes...

Dudefest, Day 1: The evening started off fairly sparse with a few crowding to the front to watch the bands and the occasional minipit. The hall was packed densely with merch booths and the bathroom supplying the Emerson Theater classic carnival game, piss on the cockroach in the urinal until he drowns. The crowd seemed to pick up by the time Landmine Marathon took stage, but it was the full force rage of Municipal Waste that really brought things into a fury.

Day 2: Irony-a-plenty at the ES Jungle. For those that don't know its a church and you can only chuckle when bands like Black Arrows of Filth and Impurity are on the bill and you're staring down a line of people wearing t-shirts depicting bloodied carcasses atop a pentagram. This day was a bit more rough and by the end of the night it turned into a photography war zone, just replace bombs with people, feet, and elbows.

Twitter reports confirm the reign of terror brought forth by Arab on Radar at Dudefest, their second show in a week as the band also played AS220 in their native Rhode Island on July 3rd. The band is currently working on a new record with no release date set yet.

Videos from both Arab on Radar shows and more pictures from Dudefest (Capsule, Failures, Municipal Waste, Landmine Marathon, Phoenix Bodies, and more... WARNING: don't look on an empty stomach), below...

Continue reading "DudeFest 2010 in pics & video (Arab on Radar, Municipal Waste, Landmine Marathon, Phoenix Bodies, Failures & more) "

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Failures - "Friends" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Vaccine - "Your Life's A Joke" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Veins - "ARTS" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Failures - "Rearing" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Castevet - "Grey Matter" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Vaccine - Demo (Mediafire, Zipped MP3)

Failures

The unfuckwitable Failures will team up with Vaccine to play Brooklyn at Acheron on July 11th, alongside Raw Nerves (from Portland - thats PLURAL not singular), Surroundings, and the final show from Rats In The Walls. The show takes place the day after the pair rips Dudefest a new onewith Arab On Radar, Voetsek, Trap Them, and many others.

Failures' S/T LP dropped last year on vocalist Mark McCoy's own Youth Attack imprint and currently have LP #2 in the works. The band features members of Das Oath, Orchid, Ampere, Cut the Shit, Charles Bronson, and many other outfits including McCoy's recent undertaking as guitarist, Veins.

Veins recently dropped their first release, the sold-out cassette for Youth Attack Records. Much like Failures, the band is a supergroup of sorts featuring McCoy, Ian Jacysyzyn (Castevet) , Michael Berdan (ex-Drunkdriver), Jeroen Vrijhoef (Das Oath), and W. Boone on bass. The band currently has no dates scheduled, but Castevet does; they will play NYC on August 1st at The Studio at Webster alongside Altar of Plagues, Velnias, and Man's Gin. Tickets are on sale. Castevet's Mounds of Ash is out NOW via Profound Lore.

Full Failures/Vaccine dates, and some video is below...

Continue reading "Failures & Vaccine touring, playing DudeFest & NYC (dates)"

by BBG

Arab on Radar

Arab on Radar are a Providence, Rhode Island based noise rock band founded in the mid-1990s. They went on hiatus in 2002. Members of the band went on to form or join the bands The Chinese Stars, Athletic Automaton, Made in Mexico... Arab on Radar's early sound was typified by thickly distorted, repeated bass grooves, 4/4 drum beats, and two deafening guitars that employed contrasting melodies and near-unison chords that drew comparisons to the Contortions.

Arab on Radar will reform to headline Dudefest 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 9th and 10th. The band will join a stacked lineup that includes Municipal Waste (playing Knitting Factory Thursday, tix), Trap Them, Voetsek, Landmine Marathon, Weekend Nachos, Get Rad, Coffinworm, and many notable others. Full lineup for the show is below. More info is forthcoming.

It's one of two notable shows recently announced for the Midwest this summer, with the incredible 25th anniversary of Amphetamine Reptile being the second! That show goes down in Minneapolis at Grumpy's on 8/28, and features a plethora of the label's greats including Melvins, Boss Hog, Today Is The Day, God Bullies, a Hammerhead reunion, and many others. For those considering the trek to Minnesota, the label has set up group rates for a hotel. Show flyer is below. Somewhere I hope that Unsane and pre-Betty Helmet's phone is ringing....

The Melvins are touring and playing NYC with Isis. Tickets for Webster Hall are still on sale. The Melvins will welcome their new LP, The Bride Screamed Murder via Ipecac on June 1st.

Weekend Nachos have a new EP on the way, while Get Rad was recently profiled in the latest edition of Short Wave Warfare.

Full dudefest lineup and AmRep flyer/more detals are below.

Continue reading "Arab on Radar playing Dudefest 2010 in Indiana, Amphetamine Reptile celebrating 25 years in Minneapolis (both lineups)"

photos by Paul Birman, words by Klaus Kinski & Black Bubblegum

Aaron Turner of Isis

Isis, assisted by Chi-town's Pelican and local heroes Tombs, hit up Irving Plaza on June 2nd as part of a larger tour for the ex-Boston, now-LA band. The Irving Plaza show marks the home stretch for Pelican and Tombs who have basically been on tour since March, having hit up SXSW and joined forces with Wolves In The Throne Room (who recently played NYC).

Klaus Kinski was at the show Tuesday night, he writes...

Continue reading "Isis, Pelican & Tombs @ Irving Plaza in NYC - pics "