Breaking News: Vans Warped Tour reveals first round of bands

We Came As Romans. http://thesoundalarm.com/?p=3496

Much to everyone’s surprise, Vans Warped Tour announced its first five bands today. Normally, Warped Tour holds onto this information a little bit longer, but personally, I like seeing the line up earlier because it lets me get all the more excited.

Dance Gavin Dance, Every Avenue, Go Radio, We Came As Romans and The Word Alive are the first five bands to be playing the tour. This line up already proves that Warped Tour will have a line up catering to everyone’s tastes. Just in this group there’s everything from metalcore with The Word Alive to pop punk with Every Avenue and everything else in between. With such a variety, Warped Tour is looking to be amazing, once again.

Warped Tour also announced the exact tour dates today. The tour will start June 24 in Dallas and wrap up on August 14 in Hillsboro, OR. The tour will be swinging by our neck of the woods on June 26 in San Antonio, which is unusually early for the Texas dates.

A Skylit Drive releases tracklisting for “Identity On Fire”

A Skylit Drive's Michael Jagmin on the Average Guys With Exceptional Hair Tour. Photo by Holly Aker.

With two months, one week and one day to go until “Identity On Fire” hits stores, A Skylit Drive released the tracklisting for the new album today.

A Skylit Drive’s lead singer, Michael Jagmin told Alternative Press, “We’re extremely exited with the album. We took everything we did on Wires and Adelphia and were like, ‘What did we do wrong, what did we do right and what have never done but wanted to do?’ This record has everything to do with setting fire to the things that you don’t want and don’t need, and are only slowing you down. It’s about creating your own identity and being who you want to be.”

“Identity On Fire”‘s track listing is as follows:

1. Carry The Broken
2. Too Little Too Late
3. XO Skeleton
4. Conscience Is A Killer
5. Ex Marks The Spot
6. The Cali Buds
7. Your Mistake
8. Fuck The System
9. 500 Days Of Bummer
10. Tempt Me, Temptation
11. Identity On Fire
12. If You Lived Here You’d Be Home

This Is A Family Tour: The Justice League of hardcore

Tonight is a very exciting night for me. Although I have a million projects due and hundreds of chapters to read and my apartment could use a good scrub down, I will be ignoring all of these responsibilities tonight as I drive to San Antonio for the This Is A Family Tour. The tour includes Attack Attack!, Emmure, Pierce The Veil, In Fear and Faith, and Of Mice & Men, and with such an awesome lineup, this may be the best show of the year.

Of Mice & Men. http://theinterlude.com/2010/02/24/of-mice-men-streaming-full-album/

Of Mice & Men is a post-hardcore band from Costa Mesa, California. Although the band has only been around for a relatively short period of time, they’ve gone through quite their share of drama. In this year alone, the band lost both of the founding members, Jaxin Hall and Austin Carlile. The band has since found replacements for both, but it will be very interesting to hear if the band still resembles their sound from their self-titled debut album.

In Fear And Faith. http://www.findmusicplx.net/2010_05_01_archive.html

In Fear and Faith, who got their name from the Circa Survive song of the same name, is a hardcore/screamo band from San Diego. The band released “Imperial,” their second full length album, this summer to eagerly awaiting fans. The band’s first album, “Your World On Fire,” made a very impressive name for the band in the hardcore world, and “Imperial” kept up that legacy . Although In Fear and Faith follows the same sing/scream pattern that many bands use these days, they have been able to craft the perfect balance of clean vocals, grizzly screams, and breakdowns.

Pierce The Veil http://mixtapemedication.com/home/2010/8/24/interview-with-vic-fuentes-of-pierce-the-veil.html

Pierce The Veil, probably the softest band on the tour, is a post-hardcore band from San Diego. While still under the post-hardcore genre, Pierce the Veil sticks with clean vocals for a large majority of their songs. In fact, the only screams heard on the band’s new album, “Selfish Machines,” were from Jeremy McKinnon from A Day To Remember. Although Pierce The Veil’s sound might be called “emo” by some, I know for a fact that when they play live, they know how to turn it to 11.

Emmure. http://brokenglassonline.com/news/emmure-post-new-song

Emmure is a deathcore band from New York, and is no doubt the hardest band on the This Is A Family Tour. The best way to describe Emmure’s sound is to compare it to being hit in the face with a bag of bricks, and I honestly mean that in the best way possible. I think adding Emmure to this tour is a very gutsy choice, and it should definitely be interesting to see the differences between Emmure and the other bands like Pierce the Veil.

Attack Attack! http://www.last.fm/music/Attack+Attack!/+images/12213487

Attack Attack! will wrap up the show with their perfect blend of hardcore and dubstep, which they call crabcore. Reigning from Ohio, Attack Attack! is one of the first bands to popularize crabcore. Although I used to think crabcore was the stupidest word ever invented and the genre was even worse, Attack Attack! showed me my mistake, and I am now completely in love with it. Attack Attack! do crabcore better than any other band I have ever heard, so tonight’s show should be one for the record books.

Hey, December. You look awesome.

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=149865658376952

With only a few hours left in November, it’s time to look back at all the fun had in the last month and look ahead to all the fun still to be had in December. November was full of turkey time (or tofurkey for those of you like me), guys who refused to shave their facial hair, three times the fun at Fun Fun Fun Fest (what else was to be expected), and so many good shows. But now December’s finally here and that means the end of 2010, holiday cheer, and of course a million and one fun things to do. December is quite possibly the best month in general, but this December looks extra awesome.

Wednesday, December 1 – This Is A Family Tour. This tour is a great way to end the year. By combining Attack Attack!, Emmure, Pierce The Veil, Of Mice & Men, and In Fear and Faith, this is tour is like the Justice League of hardcore. I’ve been so excited for this tour for so long, I’ve barely been able to contain myself.

http://attractions.uptake.com/blog/trail-lights-austin-texas-982.html

Various dates in December – End of the semester! Starting next week, finals begin and the semester ends. For me, this end will be next Tuesday, December 7. It’s a very stressful, yet exciting time for students, and I know we’re all ready for a break.

Sunday, December 5 – Zilker Tree Lighting Ceremony. Even though the city of Austin nixed the Trail of Lights this year (which is a travesty and I could nearly cry), the Zilker Tree will still be on display. Austinites looking to spread some holiday cheer can grab some hot cocoa and spin under the giant tree until they puke or run into a stranger.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20279841@N00/27814549

December – 37th Street Christmas Lights. While it’s hard to pin down an exact date for this light display, it’s one you can’t afford to miss. The crazy, cooky, bizarre light display that residents of 37th Street put up is what keeps Austin weird. For decades these people have been putting lights on anything from an oven to a dinosaur, to a broken down car and calling it festive. If you’ve never seen these lights, you need to get down their ASAP. They won’t soon be forgotten.

Saturday, December 25 – Christmas! Oh, Christmas. In my opinion it’s one of the best holidays all year. The whole family gets together and (if it’s cold enough) starts a fire and plays Christmas tunes. It’s all so magical and fun. I can’t wait for Christmas!

Asking Alexandria to release remixed album in early 2011

http://www.last.fm/music/Asking+Alexandria/+images/46074567

Oh, happy day! Asking Alexandria recently announced that they will be releasing a remixed version of their album, “Stand Up And Scream.” The new album, entitled “Stepped Up And Scratched,” will take all the original versions of the songs from “Stand Up And Scream” and add more synth and dubstep elements. “Stepped Up And Scratched” will also include new album artwork and a new packaging.

Bring Me The Horizon did a very similar thing with their album “Suicide Season” earlier this year. Although “Suicide Season: Cut Up” was met with mixed reviews (as can be expected when a band crosses genres like this), I thought the remixed album was very good. The new songs captured the dark, hardcore essence of the original songs, but added a fun, dance-able element to them. If Asking Alexandria uses “Suicide Season: Cut Up” as inspiration for “Stepped Up And Scratched,” then it’ll be a really, really good album.

Also, like Bring Me The Horizon did, Asking Alexandria will be using popular DJs like Borgore, J Rabbit, and Noah D to mix the songs.

The album is due out in January, and I know by then, my excitement level will be way over the top.

Escape The Fate announces new tour

http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/escape_the_fate_announce_the_dead_masquerade_tour/

Get excited! Escape The Fate announced today that they will be heading back out on the road in January.

Besides Escape The Fate, the tour, entitled The Dead Masquerade tour, will include Alesana, Motionless in White, Get Scared and Drive A. Although Motionless in White does seem to be the odd one out in this line up with their hard-as-a-brick-wall sound, this tour looks like it will be top notch.

The tour will be in support of Escapes The Fate’s new self-titled album that was released earlier this month. The tour will also act as a welcome back for bassist Max Green. Green entered rehab on Nov. 12 for drugs and alcohol, which caused Escape The Fate to cancel their European tour alongside Bullet For My Valentine.

The Dead Masquerade tour will start in Tuscon, AZ on Jan. 20 and wrap up in San Diego, CA on March 12. Unfortunately Escape The Fate left out Austin while planning this tour, but no fear, they’ll be hitting San Antonio on Jan. 25. Also, with the tour ending on March 12, the possibility of the band playing South By Southwest is even better. Cross your fingers!

A Skylit Drive announces new album

http://indiependentmusic.blogspot.com/2010/11/skylit-drive-identity-on-fire.html

Yesterday A Skylit Drive made an announcement that had fans jumping for joy. The band revealed the official name of their new album and a sneak peak of the album artwork.

According to an article by Alternative Press, the album will be released in February 2011. Considering A Skylit Drive has been constantly on the road since the release “Adelphia” in  the summer of 2009, the new album, entitled “Identity on Fire,” is being released relatively quickly. However, A Skylit Drive has always been able to improve exponentially with every album release, and I’m expecting this “Identity on Fire” to be no different.

Also, with producer Cameron Webb, who’s worked with greats like Silverstein and 30 Second to Mars, A Skylit Drive can’t go wrong.

The AP Fall Tour plays Emo’s tonight.

http://blog.indiemerch.com/2010/08/ap-fall-tour-2010/

In a few hours, I’ll be squished between a bunch of sweaty strangers, fighting for my spot, and I’ll be enjoying every minute of it. Tonight I’m going to Emo’s to see The AP Fall Tour. This season’s AP Tour is all about the grit, and with Bring Me the Horizon, August Burns Red, Emarosa, Polar Bear Club, and This is Hell, it should get real gritty.

British metalcore band, Bring Me The Horizon, who will be headlining the show, released a new album within the last few weeks entitled “These Is A Hell Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let’s Keep It  A Secret.” Besides being the longest album title ever,  “Hell” has received some pretty good attention. According to billboard.com, “Hell” peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 chart, No. 2 on the Independent Albums chart and the Hard Rock Albums chart. However, some fans feel the album strayed too far away from the BMTH we heard on 2008’s “Suicide Season.”

August Burns Red, a Pennsylvania metalcore band, will be getting the crowd pumped up right before BMTH. However, with their total-destruction musical style, “pumped up” might be the wrong word choice. ABR is the perfect example of what a metal band should be: powerful guitars, ear drum bumping bass, throat-ripping growls, and breakdowns that guarantee you’re going to get a fist in the face. Hopefully, you’re still alive to see BMTH.

Emarosa, the post-hardcore band from Kentucky, will be the calm before the storm. With their sweetly rough vocals from lead singer Jonny Craig and absence of screams, Emarosa will be a nice way to prepare yourself for the war zone you’re about to enter. And although I’ve only heard snippets from the other to warm up bands, This is Hell and Polar Bear Club, I’d be willing to bet they put on a pretty great show too.

Tonight is gonna be awesome.

Hey, November. You look awesome.

October was a good month. We had some great fun at all the festivals including Austin City Limits, the Texas Book Festival, and Austin Film Festival. Some great movies were released like “The Social Network” and “Paranormal Activity 2” (even though I refuse to see it because I like having the ability to sleep at night). And of course, there was Halloween that needs no further explanation.  But now that it’s starting to get colder (and I mean really freakin’ cold. It’s like 50 degrees right now people!), it’s time to look onward to November.

 

http://en.metalship.org/bands/Bring%20Me%20The%20Horizon

Without it pausing to recuperate from the craziness of October, November is jumping head first into the entertainment world. This month has some awesome movies lined, a bunch of festivals on their way, and November doesn’t skip on the music. Here’s a list of some of the awesome things I’m looking forward to this November.

 

Thursday, November 3 – The AP Fall Tour. The AP Fall Tour is bringing Bring Me The Horizon, August Burns Red, Emarosa, The Polar Bear Club, and This Is Hell to Emo’s for a night of pure awesomeness. It’s been a while since British badasses Bring Me The Horizon have been in town, so this show is going to be packed. Get ready for a night of grade-A music, but maybe wear some padding. It’s gonna get rough.

 

Weird Al. http://blogs.knoxnews.com/brown/archives/2008/07/post_6.shtml

Friday-Sunday, November 5-7 – Fun Fun Fun Fest. Three days. Four stages. A bunch of music. FFF is in its fifth year now and it’s as good as it’s always been. Some of the highlights this year include Weird Al, The Casualties, Bad Religion, RJD2, a veggie hotdog eating contest, and the Descendents. Although Devo couldn’t make it, I’m sure it’s still going to be pretty awesome.

 

Tuesday, November 9 – Enter Shikari & Haste the Day. Along with Sleeping with Sirens, Ms. White, LightsGoBlue, Enter Shikari and Haste the Day are joining forces to bring you a show that won’t soon be forgotten. Haste the Day is an old pro at putting on shows that leave you begging for more, and combined with Enter Shikari’s clinically insane performances, you’ll be lucky to walk out of Emo’s without a minor flesh wound. Too bad I’ll be in San Antonio that night…..

 

A Skylit Drive. From http://cdill.glogster.com/A-Skylit-Drive/

Also on Tuesday, November 9 – Average Guys with Exceptional Hair Tour.  A Skylit Drive, Motionless in White, For All Those Sleeping, Woe Is Me, and Scarlett O’Hara are taking over the White Rabbit in San Antonio. I really don’t even need to explain how awesome this show is going to be because if I’m skipping out on seeing Enter Shikari, it’s going to be for a REALLY good reason. And it is.

 

Friday, November 19 – Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part 1. Every kid remembers the first time they picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It was the best book you’d ever read, and you were so excited to find out what happens to Harry, Ron, and Hermoine as they go through the seven years at Hogwarts. Well, for those of you who didn’t read about it, now you get to find out. At least half of the ending. As a tribute to Harry Potter and all his bravery, the Alamo Drafthouse is holding a Yule Ball right before the midnight screening of HP7.1. It may be the coolest thing that bookworms ever get to do.

 

Blessthefall. From http://www.alternativnews.com/2009/10/blessthefall-video-atticus-tour-3.html

Tuesday November 23 – Congregation of the Damned Tour. Consisting of Atreyu, Blessthefall, Chiodos, Architects, and Endless Hallway, the Congregation of the Damned Tour may just kill me. Whoever was the genius who put these hardcore gods together for one night of pure mosh-pit-thrashing-crowd-surfing-stage-diving-hopefully-I-don’t-get-punched-in-the-face-awesomeness deserves a really big fruit basket.

 

Thursday, November 25 – Thanksgiving. Take this day to give thanks for all the awesome times you’ve had this month. Then gorge yourself. It’s the American thing to do.

Well that doesn’t even nearly cover everything awesome that November is bringing to the table, but it’s a start. Prepare yourself for a lot of fun, very little sleep and even less money by the end of it all. Good luck.

Austin Film Festival takes Austin

http://wearemoviegeeks.com/2010/01/sundance-2010-preview-blue-valentine/

As if there haven’t been enough festivals this month, the 17th annual Austin Film Festival starts later this week The festivals runs from Thursday Oct. 21 to Thursday Oct. 28 and showcases over 100 films at venues all over the city.

One of the biggest movies showing at the festival this year is “127 Hours.” Starring James Franco, “127 Hours” is about a man’s struggle to make it back to civilization after a boulder falls and crushes his arm while hiking in an isolated canyon in Utah. The film is directed by Danny Boyle who won the 2008 AFF Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award and an Academy Award for his film “Slumdog Millionaire.” The one and only screening of this film is at 7 p.m. on Tuesday Oct. 26a the Paramount, and if you want to see this one, you better get in line early!

Another popular movies at AFF this year is “Blue Valentine” starring the smoking hot Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. “Blue Valentine” tells the story of a married couple who’s marriage has gone stale. In effort to rekindle their marriage, the couple goes to a theme hotel where years ago, they experienced a happier time in their love. The movie tells the story by switcheing between scenes of the younger, more in love couple and the present-day, older couple. Director Derek Ciamfrance is scheduled to be in attendance at the only showing on Friday Oct. 22 at 9:30 p.m. at the Paramount, and with 281 people who’ve already added it to their AFF calendar, you better show up early for this one too.

“Black Swan” is also one of the film’s getting a lot of hype at this year’s festival. The movie centers around a two ballerinas named Nina (Natalie Portman) and Lily (Mila Kunis). Both girls are trying to win the role of the swan queen in their production of “Swan Lake,” and as the girls compete with each other, they begin to create a twisted friendship, kind of like the saying, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Ballet Austin Artistic Director Stephen Mills will introduce the movie at the only showing at 7 p.m. on Wednesday Oct. 27 at the Paramount.