Houston, TX’s O Pioneers! have played another round of musical musical chairs, this time welcoming Toronto’s Junior Battles as vocalist/guitarist Eric Solomon’s backing band. To celebrate their matrimony, Kiss of Death Records has announced the release of a split 7” between the two bands, recorded during a marathon practice session in Toronto last month. Both bands have offered up a new song, with O Pioneers! contributing “That’s My Blood” to coincide with Junior Battles’ “Passing Out.”

You can head over to O Pioneers!’ MySpace page to check out “That’s My Blood” and to Junior Battles’ MySpace page to hear “Passing Out.”

This pairing marks the eighth line-up change for O Pioneers! in half as many years, as half a dozen rhythm sections have done time alongside band mainstay Eric Solomon. Solomon elaborated:

“In December, we did our big month-long tour. Everything was awesome; all the shows were great, we weren’t struggling on the road, and then we got into a sweet van accident that totaled our van. So after dealing with all of that, getting everyone and everything home safely, I was stuck with myself in Houston and band mates in Indiana, with no economical way to get back and forth between the two. So at this point, I was looking to call it quits on this band. The dudes in Indiana didn’t really want to come down anymore, so I just said, “Fuck it. We’ll do Harvest of Hope, and that’ll be the last show. We’ll be surrounded by friends and family, and we’ll go out on a high note.”

When I started to break the news to said friends and family, people got bummed. Which kinda took me by surprise, because if you know me, I don’t think anyone likes my shitty band. I started talking with Sam from Junior Battles and Bryon from Kiss Of Death, and they basically persuaded me to not stop doing this band, with the promise of hugs and kisses. So I agreed, and kinda became the guy who has a back up band. Pioneers! played a couple of shows around Harvest of Hope with New Bruises filling in, and shit was epic. It was so fun, it made me excited to play music again. A week later, I flew up to Toronto to write and record the O Pioneers!/Junior Battles split 7″, and although I was only in town for 5 days and we only had 10 hours to practice, we wrote three of the best songs this band (with any members) has ever produced. Also, setting up a tour with these fine gentlemen to and from Rad Fest was a no-brainer. So although Pioneers! is really, really different now, I’m really excited for what the future has to offer for once.”

O Pioneers! and Junior Battles will be touring together in May on their way to Wilmington, NC’s Rad Fest. Dates are listed just below the “more” button.
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Sunderland, UK’s Leatherface recently stopped by Jack Rabid’s Rabid in the Kennel show on Breakthru Radio for a rare and detailed interview and to record a few live tracks. Among the songs performed was “Dead Industrial Atmosphere,” originally found on their 1992 full-length, “Mush.” You can click here to view the video and here to listen to the interview.

Leatherface will soon be returning to the States for a month-long tour in support of their most recent studio album, “The Stormy Petrel,” released last month on No Idea Records. The first round of dates is just behind the “more” button below, with more dates to be confirmed soon. Ninja Gun and label mates Young Livers have been selected for support.

“The Stormy Petrel” is the band’s ninth full-length album and was released by various labels worldwide. The North American LP/CD version was released March 23rd via No Idea Records. Their version features entirely different cover art and overall layout than the European, Japanese, and Australian versions. You can currently steam the entire album on their Punknews.org profile page.

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Late Night Wallflower has just posted an exclusive stream of a new track from The Riot Before’s new album “Rebellion,” which will be released on LP and digitally through the band’s new home, Paper + Plastick on April 27th.

You can head over here to listen to “The Middle Distance” and enter a contest to win a copy of the LP, a Paper + Plastick skate deck, and a copy of the most recent album from tour buds and label mates Cheap Girls.

You can also head over to the band’s MySpace page to hear two previously leaked songs from the album. Currently, you can steam “What I’ve Missed” and “The Oregon Trail.”

“Rebellion” was tracked at The Magpie Cage in Washington, DC with legendary producer J. Robbins (Jawbox, Jawbreaker, Against Me!).

The Riot Before recently returned from a tour with label mates Cheap Girls and will be performing at Rad Fest in May.

Any day now, Kiss of Death Records will be releasing a new one-sided 12″ EP from No Friends, entitled “Traditional Failures.” The band features Tony Foresta (singer of Municipal Waste) on vocal duties and 3/4ths of the recently defunct New Mexican Disaster Squad. Their sound has been described as “80’s style hardcore in the vein of Dag Nasty, Descendents, and Gorilla Biscuits.”

In anticipation of their upcoming tour (dates below), Kiss of Death is giving away the entire EP for free download. You can dowload the album here.

“Traditional Failures” Tracklisting:

1. A Look Ahead
2. Letter of Apology
3. Permanent Black Eye
4. Armed to the Teeth
5. Control Freaks
6. Traditional Failures

NO FRIENDS TOUR DATES
4/02/10 Raleigh, NC @ The Pourhouse w/ Deep Sleep, Double Negative, Pollution
4/03/10 Harrisonburg, VA @ Macrock w/ Deep Sleep, Double Negative, Wasted Time, Valkaryie
4/04/10 Washington DC @ TBA
4/05/10 York, PA @ The Skid Row Garage w/ Deep Sleep, Common Enemy, and Olde Tiger
4/06/10 New Brunswick, NJ @ Bosnia w/ Deep Sleep, Nightbirds
4/07/10 Boston, MA @ Church of Boston w/ Deep Sleep, Ramming Speed, Hellbent Hookers, Livver
4/08/10 Brooklyn, NY @ Bruar Falls w/ Deep Sleep, The Bombettes, Nightbirds
4/09/10 Philadelphia, PA @ The Terrordome w/ Deep Sleep, Affirmative Action Jackson, John Wilkes Youth
4/10/10 Richmond, VA @ The Bikelot w/ Deep Sleep, Cloak/Dagger, Dry Spell, Freeman

NO FRIENDS previously released their S/T album July 28th on No Idea Records.
You can find the album streaming on the band’s Punknews.org profile page.

The Measure [SA] are putting the finishing touches on their next full length. Simply entitled “Notes,” the album spans 14 new songs recorded with Chris Pierce at Technical Ecstasy in Milltown, NJ in the Fall of 2009. The band is currently mixing the album and expects to have it out by early summer 2010 on their new home, No Idea Records.

Singer/guitarist Lauren Denitzio had this to say about the direction writing has come on the new album:

“2009 was a hard year, let’s put it that way. I think it shows loud and clear on this record. These songs, for me, are definitely about a place and a time and were my way of working through the whole spectrum of things from being in love, to not knowing how to handle that, to life threatening illness, abusive relationships, to hating New York and my place in it. The record is louder and faster than our previous ones, and we know that we definitely became a more aggressive band. There are some of the most upbeat and optimistic songs we’ve ever written along with the most pessimistic. I love this record, and I think it’s the equivalent of a lightbulb going off over our head, musically. This is what we were always supposed to sound like.”

The Measure [SA] will also be doing a short run on their way to and from their performance at Harvest of Hope Fest in St. Augustine, FL. Along the way, they’ll share stages with Shellshag, Small Brown Bike, O Pioneers!, Cheap Girls, Defiance, Ohio, and The Menzingers. You can click “more” below for the dates!
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Michigan’s Small Brown Bike have released the details for “Composite Vol. 2,” the second installment in their 7” series of new material for No Idea Records.

Scheduled for release on March 9th, “Composite Vol. 2″ will feature two new songs tracked this past January in the band’s home recording studio and mixed/mastered by Dave Feeny at Tempermill. The 7” will be limited to 1,100 physical copies, which will include a digital download. Side A will host “Some Optimistic,” with the flip side being home for “Never Walk This Alone.”

The band commented that the two new songs “feel a little slower and colder than Composite Vol. 1’s material. That’s what a winter in Michigan will do to a band.”

SBB recently released “Composite Vol. 1,” a 7” on No Idea Records. The 7” featured two new songs recorded in 2009; “When We Run” and “Hourglass.” The 7” was limited to 1,100 copies. No Idea has 30 left for sale on their mail-order website. The band has about 50 copies they will be selling at their upcoming shows in March. Once they’re gone, you’ll still be able to purchase the songs via iTUNES. You can currently stream “Composite Vol. 1″ here.

The band will be playing shows in Gainesville and Orlando while in Florida performing at the second annual Harvest of Hope Fest (HOH FEST) March 12th-14th in St. Augustine, FL. In May, the band will set out for a string of shows in the Northeast, which they haven’t visited since 2003. All dates and support acts can be seen by clicking “more” below.
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The second annual Harvest of Hope Fest has announced the initial lineup for their multiple-stage music festival that will take place March 12th – 14th in sunny St. Augustine, FL. The festival serves to raise awareness and provide financial support for the Harvest of Hope Foundation, a charity organization that aids migrant farm workers across the country.

HOH Fest is the first multi-day concert of the 2010 festival season and uniquely different than many other festivals that will be happening this year. Last year, over 17,000 attendees took in over 100 punk, indie-rock, hip-hop, alt-country, folk, and blues bands.

This year’s line up showcases a diverse roster once again with national and international acts including Billy Bragg, Dr Dog, The Mountain Goats, Leatherface, Rogue Wave, Delta Spirit, Senses Fail, Anti-Flag, Dead Prez, Kimya Dawson, Samiam, Torche, Strike Anywhere, High on Fire, Anvil, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Dr. Octagon AKA Kool Keith, Small Brown Bike, Portugal. the Man, Black Sheep, Danielson, Coalesce, Man Man, forgetters (Ex-Jawbreaker/ Against Me!), plus over 150 more artists joining together to raise awareness to the plight of migrant farm workers! Harvest of Hope Fest is the only festival of its kind that has such a large group of musicians donating their time and performances to charity. A full list of first round confirmations can be seen below.

Right in time for spring break, the 2010 Harvest of Hope Festival is conveniently located on the St. John’s County Fairgrounds – which offers 90 acres of shaded grassy pasture for plenty of fantastic rustic camping. The festival is an ideal destination to spend spring break and support an amazing and blossoming charity organization. Harvest of Hope Fest is located just a short distance from historic St. Augustine and its beaches, and is within an easy drive of Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Gainesville.

Three-day tickets are on sale now and will rise in price as the festival draws closer. From January 14th through February 11th, tickets will be available at the early-bird price of $39.50. From February 12th to March 11th, they will jump to $49.50. Walk-up 3-day tickets will be $60.00. Single day tickets will be available for $25.00/day in advance and $35.00/day weekend of. Three-day camping passes are also now available at $19.50/person.

A small number of VIP passes are available at $99.50 per person. The VIP pass includes access to the VIP camping area, a three-day festival pass, and extra goodies to be revealed at a later date!

Proceeds from the charity fundraiser festival will benefit the Harvest of Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides emergency and educational aid to some of the hardest working and often overlooked people keeping our agricultural economy moving – migrant farm workers. Harvest of Hope distributes funds to migrant farm workers and their families to help pay for food, medical services, clothing, rent, educational scholarships, and more.

A donation-based application process for bands interested in performing at the 2010 Harvest of Hope Fest was created to raise funds and awareness for the Harvest of Hope Foundation. Over 250 artists from all over the country made a donation of $5 to the Harvest of Hope Foundation and were granted access to fill out the 2010 Band Application which included a section that asked what migrant workers’ struggles meant to them. The application process has now ended and on January 21st, HOH Fest will announce the winners chosen to perform.

Confirmed Harvest of Hope Fest 2010 lineup as of 1/14/10:
Billy Bragg, Dr. Dog, The Mountain Goats, Rogue Wave, Delta Spirit, Senses Fail, Anti-Flag, Man Man, Dead Prez, Kimya Dawson, Torche, Strike Anywhere, High on Fire, Anvil, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Sea Wolf, Dr. Octagon aka Kool Keith, Dead Confederate, A Wilhelm Scream, Portugal. the Man, Samiam, Leatherface, Dead to Me, Fruit Bats, Bear in Heaven, Freelance Whales, Cobra Skulls, Small Brown Bike, Glint, Stars of Track and Field, Danielson, Twin Tigers, Black Sheep, Coalesce, Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, James Husband (of Of Montreal), Signals (ex-The Mae Shi), Ortolan, Mercury Program, Off With Their Heads, The Loved Ones, Past Lives, forgetters (ex-Jawbreaker & Against Me!), Andrew Jackson Jihad, Assholeparade, Defiance Ohio, Chris Wollard & the Ship Thieves, Bomb the Music Industry!, Dear Landlord, Young Livers, David Rovics, The Riot Before, This Bike is a Pipebomb, Des Ark, Ben Davis & The Jett$, Shellshag, Weatherbox, Holopaw, Hawks & Doves, Angelo Spencer, The Blacklist Royals, Lemuria, The Measure [sa], Paul Baribeau, Algernon Cadwallader, Your Heart Breaks, Fin Fang Foom, Yula Beeri, The Future Virgins, Good Luck, The Mezingers, Capsule, Ben + Vesper, Jon Snodgrass, Austin Lucas, Mike Hale, Street Eaters, O Pioneers!, Army of Ponch, Virgins, Gatorface, Protagonist, American Cheeseburger, Savage Brewtality, Brainworms, New Bruises, Tubers, Cory Branan, Look Mexico, Whiskey & Co., Worn in Red, Ninja Gun, Grabass Charlestons, FIYA, Spanish Gamble, Anchor Arms, How Dare You, Slow Claw, Heads Held High, The Casting Out, Low Red Land, The Itchy Hearts, Yardwork, Panthro UK United 13, Mumpsy, The Beauvilles, The Tim Version, Tiltwheel, Dan Padilla, The Future Now, D.P., City of Ships, Only Thunder, Sloane Peterson, Too Many Daves, Pretty Boy Thorson, Lost Hands Found Fingers, Nut Nut, Ornate Escape, and Mike Bernos.

For more information on the Harvest of Hope Festival, including ticket information, camping info, and the most up-to-date line-up, please visit http://www.harvestofhopefest.com.

If you would like to help spread the word about Harvest of Hope Fest and the work of the Harvest of Hope Foundation, please join us on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, or help spread the word by posting any of the web banners from our banner page.

Off With Their Heads have announced plans to continue their tireless conquest of the road in support of their critically acclaimed album “From the Bottom,” released last year on No Idea Records, which found its way onto many writers top lists of 2008!

On this run, the band will be sharing the stage with the legendary ALL after tearing up the US and Canada with thrash lords Municipal Waste.

The band recently played at THE FEST 8 in Gainesville, FL, Riot Fest in Chicago, IL, and FUN FUN FUN FEST in Austin, TX. You can check out some fan footage from their performance at THE FEST 8 here: “Until the Day I Die”, “Keep Falling Down”, and “Your Child is Dead.”

You can click “more” below for the dates!

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Chicago’s The Bomb has just launched a stream of their entire new album, “Speed is Everything,” over at Punknews.org. You can check out the stream here.

“Speed is Everything” is The Bomb’s follow up to their acclaimed album “Indecision,” released by Thick Records on CD (2006) and by No Idea Records on LP (2007).

To celebrate the release, the band is planning a handful of album release shows around the Chicago area in September, followed by a string of tour dates ending with an appearance at THE FEST 8 in Gainesville, FL.

The Bomb consists of Chicago punk legend Jeff Pezzati of Naked Raygun fame backed by a line-up that includes guitarist Jeff Dean (ex-The Story So Far, Tomorrow’s Gone), plus bassist Pete Mittler and drummer Mike Soucy (also know as the pummeling rhythm section of The Methadones).

The album was recorded and mixed by J.Robbins at Million Yen Studios in Chicago and The Magpie Cage in Baltimore throughout February and March of 2009 and features guest vocals by Dan Yemin (Paint It Black, Lifetime), Bob Nana (Braid, Hey Mercedes), and Katy Radek.

Var Thelin, owner of No Idea Records, had this to say about having The Bomb as a member of the family:

“Naked Raygun was a huge inspiration for me. Along with Fugazi and Leatherface, they helped create the bedrock that defines the “Gainesville sound”. As much as I discredit the root idea that such a sound even exists or is quantifiable to such a finite point, I will at least concede that there are certain key influences for many a young (at heart) local miscreant.

“I digress. The fact that twenty-one years after NR played a legion hall in Gainesville, we are putting out a record that not only stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best NR album, but perhaps surpasses, well, this blows me away. I have a hard time finding words that express how much Pezzati’s voice shakes me to the core. So I’ll abandon words entirely and quote the man himself “Whoa Hey Ho”. Yes. This record means that much. Crafting the music and bringing the workhorse/powerhouse ethic are Jeff Dean, Mike Soucy, and Pete Mittler, who have truly risen to the occasion. They have been in countless Chicago bands, and continue to split their time with several noteworthy, exceptional bands, including The Methadones and Four Star Alarm. Energy. Focus. Intensity.

“As if it could get any better, the album was recorded by J. Robbins, who also makes appearances on various songs. He really brought out the best in the band and songs, amplifying and directing, especially in the vocal harmonies and melodies. Pezzati turned in vocals on the last Paint It Black album, and Dan Yemin returns the favor here. Bob Nanna also lends his inimitable pipes to the mix.”

Click “more” below for track listing and tour dates!

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No Idea Records and Distro have released the second installment of their Pretend Record series. The absolutely free downloadable comp features some sneak peaks on future No Idea Records releases from the likes of Gatorface, Assholeparade, FIYA, Tubers, and Worn in Red as well as some of the new and upcoming releases from various labels that No Idea Records exclusively distributes.

No Idea Overlord Var had this to say about Pretend Record #2:

“Welcome away from Volume Two of our SUMMERTIME WATERMELON festival of DOWNLOAD MANIA!! Limited edition and first-come, first served (shoes and shirt optional)… Nothing to trade, nothing to sell, in fact it’s all a big PRETEND RECORD!! You can’t watch it spin, you can’t hand number it, you can’t auction it. “Well, heck, what CAN you do with it?” You may LISTEN to it. With your ear bones!”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD!

V/A – Pretend Record #2 Track Listing:
GATORFACE “The Cleaner” (From “Wasted Monuments” on NO IDEA)
ASSHOLEPARADE “Big Death” (From “Welcome Fucking Home” on NO IDEA)
THE DOPAMINES “October 24th” (From THE COPYRIGHTS split on IT’S ALIVE)
WORN IN RED “Piled Like Bricks” (From “In the Offing” on NO IDEA)
FIYA “King” (From “Magic Words” on NO IDEA)
THE BANANAS “Radio Action” (From “New Animals” on RECESS)
PSYCHED TO DIE “Conditioned to Fail” (From “Year One” on DIRTNAP)
DEAR LANDLORD “Heartbroken Handshakes” (From “Dream Homes” first-press LP on NO IDEA)
TUBERS “Pale Sunbather” (From “Anachronous” on NO IDEA / BAKERY OUTLET / ECHO CANYON)
HELLO SHITTY PEOPLE “The Doppelganger of Chris Elliott” (From “Hello Shitty People” on 1-2-3-4 GO!)
SHANG-A-LANG “Best Intentions” (From “Sad Magic” on FAST CROWD)
WHISKEY TRENCH “Break Me Down” (From “Television” on KISS OF DEATH)
CITY OF SHIPS “March of the Slaves” (From “Look What God Did to Us” on SOUND STUDY)
STREET EATERS “Useless Eyes” (From “We See Monsters” on BAKERY OUTLET)
P.S. ELIOT “Augustus” (From “Introverted Romance in Our Troubled Minds” on SALINAS)