Gossip -- September 2001

Dayton News
In Dayton related news, following their rockin’ debut performance at 1470’s West, The Avenue have parted ways with guitar player Justin (also from I Cried This Night).  According to guitarist and keymaster Mindy “Midi” Sorrel, the band has joined forces with the guitar player from Gary Coleman Orchestra and will continue preparations for future shows.

What ever happened to Dayton’s premiere punk rockers Phylum Idiota?  Seems they are laying low, practicing for another record (on a new record label, perhaps?), and endlessly fighting on their infamous guestbook.  We’ll be glad to have them back on September 7 when they rock Dayton with Breaking Pangaea, Waking Kills The Dream, and Scout’s Honor.

Dayton’s Shadyside decided to re-record their new full length, “What Can Save A Man From Himself.” Though folks have been waiting patiently, seems we’ll wait a bit longer.  They are also penning a couple explosive tunes for their live arsenal. Last but not least, these busy boys will put their songcraft to wax with the release of "Glass Hearts" 7" on A.R.E. Records.

For The Rest Of You All…
After 6 years and 8 releases, pop/rock pioneers The Promise Ring have left Jade Tree and signed a contract with the Anti- label, a division of Epitaph Records. The Milwaukee-based band will release their fourth full-length album on Anti- in Spring 2002.

All you sin lovin' hellions longing to hear the Kermit-crooning of Josh Caterer one more time won't have to set foot in a church or head to the RAWK section of your local Christian book story, after all.  That's right, your prayers or satanic rituals or Wiccan incantations or metaphysical computations or chi channelings or whatever it is you kids do these days have been answered. Josh and Mike Felumlee of the faithfully departed Smoking Popes and Tom Daily have reunited to form Duvall. The Double Zero Records site (www.doublezerorecords.com) says they'll have an EP out in the fall. It's fall now, in case you hadn't noticed, so keep an eye out for that.

If that wasn't enough, Double Zero is also putting out an album of songs by the likes of Mike Felumlee, Tom Daily, Honor System, The Ataris, Promise Ring, Jets to Brazil, Blue Meanies, Grade, Diesel Boy, Bad Astronaut, Notaword, Kid Snack, Hot Rod Circuit and New Found Glory that The Smoking Popes covered at some point or another (from No More Smiles, www.columbia.edu/~bs251/smpopes/). The album titled "The Party's Over" will also be released this fall.

All you over-the-hill-at-25-chunky-glasses-wearin'-big-ole-Janet-Reno-bag-totting-wishin'-you-had-or-hadn't-gone-to-grad-school-kids
must be living right, because the Double Zero site also says that it will also be putting out a SmoPo tribute album around January 2002. The Double Zero folks ask that you be patient with this one, as it promises to be a monstrous task. Sounds as if we'll have enough to tide us over.

Former Velocity Girl vocalist Sarah Shannon is preparing for her first solo album. Blake Wescott, who mixed Pedro the Lion's Winners Never Quit album will be at the helm during recording for her debut. Shannon's also planning to tour behind the as-yet-untitled release in the early months of 2002, possibly starting in February.

Dead Droid Records is planning the release of a Weezer tribute compilation for sometime this fall.  Rumor has it that the vinyl version will have a few additional surprise tracks.  However, a few of the current standouts slated for the compilation include, Piebald doing "No One Else," Grade covering "Surf Wax America," Further Seems Forever turning out "Say It Ain't So," and Chris Higdon of Elliott doing "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here."

SeeThru Broadcasting, the label run by producer and ex-Barkmarket frontman Dave Sardy, recently lost their funding from Belgium-based PIAS Records and plans to shut down later this month.  As a result, Enon (which is fronted by Dayton native John Schmersal), the Starlight Mints, and the Radar Bros., are searching for new labels to call home. This will likely delay Enon's fall release of their sophomore album.

Though this hasn't been confirmed it came from a reliable source - seems the Beastie Boys have shut down their Grand Royal record label citing "mounting debt and harsh industry conditions."  With ATDI on indefinite hyatis and Ben Lee's departure was there anything else worth putting out anyway?

Brother and sister or husband and wife?  According to several recent, the White Stripe's supposed sibling members, singer/guitarist Jack White and drummer Meg White, were once married. Reports suggest the couple split up last year, ending a four-year marriage.  25-year-old Jack, whose supposed real name is John Gillis, took his wife Meg's last name of White.   Though both members adamantly deny the rumor, it seems most recent media has adapted it as truth - who knows?

The Blood Brothers it seems are high up in the mix these days.  At recent shows at Koo's Cafe in Santa Ana and the Smell in Los Angeles, producer Ross Robinson (of Limp Biscuit and ATDI fame) and Ted Fields, who founded Interscope with Jimmy Iovine were in attendance.  Mr. Fields showed at the Smell (which has been described as the crustiest all ages venue in Skid Row downtown) in a limo! Seems the kids at the Smell made him feel really welcome, running on stage to taunt them at every turn.  Firsthand accounts of the insanity said that none of the Blood Brothers had the faintest idea why either would be interested in them.

While the ambient Arca, the long awaited return of Strictly Ballroom's Jimmy Tamborello, played out a few times and promptly disappeared, he made a showing at the Knitting Factory, Calif., recently in a new project, Figurine. Figurine has been described as "lock yourself up in your bedroom all day and play with buttons and knobs" music - for those of you in the know that translates to "the twee bastard son of Belle & Sebastian and Ladytron."

Bellingham, Washington's Death Cab for Cutie, have set the release date of their third LP, titled “The Photo Album,” for October 9th. Chris Walla, resident DCFC guitarist and studio whiz, manned the boards once again for the new record, and the album features ten new songs. An exclusive limited edition version of the record will be available through Barsuk Records and at Death Cab for Cutie shows beginning in September 29th. The limited edition will include a bonus disc with the band's cover of Björk's "All is Full of Love.”

Simon Joyner, who I’ve admittedly never heard of, has planned a short U.S. tour in support of his ninth solo album, “Hotel Lives.” The real news is that Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst, has described Joyner as his biggest lyrical influence on a number of occasions, and plans to tour with Joyner in late September.  The pair will play a handful of dates around the U.S.
Bright Eyes, Simon Joyner tour dates:
10-04 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
10-05 Los Angeles, CA - El Ray Theatre

New York rock outfit the Strokes have finally settled on RCA Records as their new home. The Strokes have previously released three songs on the U.K.-based Rough Trade imprint, and will remain on Rough Trade in the U.K. The five members of the band recently completed their first national tour opening for the Doves.  I guess there is some controversy regarding their album cover art, which was released in the U.K.  According to a reliable source, apparently the naked bum is too much for America...the Rough Trade release has a cover with a female model who is bent over.

The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne is supposedly writing, producing, and directing his first full-length feature film titled, “First Christmas On Mars.” The plot of First Christmas involves space colonists celebrating Christmas on Mars, with an alien replacing Santa. Coyne and his Lips bandmate Steve Drozd will star in the film, and the band will provide the score.  How bizarre…

Pavement guitarist Scott Kannberg has formed a new, Bay Area-based trio that he is calling the Preston School of Industry, named after a reform school near Oakland. Joining Kannberg are bassist Jon Erikson and drummer Andrew Borger of the Moore Brothers.  Their album, “All This Sounds Gas,” was released by Matador in late August.

On September 18, Modest Mouse will release their newest EP, “Everywhere And His Nasty Parlour Tricks,” which will include four tracks from their out-of-print, vinyl-only “Night On The Sun” EP, three new tracks and re-mixes of several songs from their 2000 album “The Moon & Antarctica.”

Other releases to keep an eye out for this month include: Murder City Devils “Thelema” on Sub Pop, Tenacious D TBA on Epic, Superchunk’s “Here’s To Shutting Up” on Merge, and Vue’s “Find Your Home” on Sub Pop.

The Baltimore trio, Convocation Of… recently completed recording nine new tracks for their upcoming Tiger Style full-length “Pyramid Technology,” which hits stores on October 23rd.

Seattle rockers 764-HERO have also agreed to release their next full-length with Tiger Style. The band is looking to record their follow-up to “Weekends of Sound” (Up Records) some time this fall. The target release date falls sometime in the spring of 2002. 

The long-anticipated Tristeza remix album should be on the horizon this fall.  Featuring remixes from “Dream Signals in Full Circles,” the album will feature cuts by Styrofoam, Simon of Cocteau Twins, Windy & Carl, Astorria, Yellow6, Sientific American, Marumari, etc.  The vinyl, which will contain bonus tracks, will be released on Rocket Racer. Gravity Records will also be releasing a 5-song EP soon.

Garrison has just completed recording for their new album “Be A Criminal,” which was recorded at the Inner Ear Studio in Virginia with J. Robbins.  After they release the record, Garrison will be embarking on tours of the US and Europe.

Elliott is now in the process of recording 5 songs for a new EP to be released by Revelation in early 2002.

Cave In has finished recording some new music with Kurt Ballou at God City. They mixed the material during the first week of June, and the track list for the sessions includes new songs "Day Trader," "Stained Silver," "Devil's Head Piñata," "Breath of Water," "Harmless Armless," "Bigger Riff," and covers of Giants Chair's "The Callus" (a rare B-side) and Nirvana's "Breed".

The Poison The Well/Throwdown split is expected in November. It will include a cover by each band. Throwdown is covering "Around the Fur" by the Deftones, and Poison the Well will be covering "Today" by Smashing Pumpkins.

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