Happy Holidays everybody! We hope the season has been treating you all well. Here's a brief last minute post to round out the year.
Finally available for your listening pleasure is the Disseriph/Hides A Well Ukulele Split. Sporting four tracks (two from each band) this little gem has a run time of less than 12 minutes but we assure you it is worth every second! It is currently available for digital download and the CD will soon follow. On the subject of Hides A Well, their debut full length CD, "From A Safe Distance" is finally available and will be having it's proper release show on January 17th. The CD will also be available shortly from the NotRock Records Shop.
On a less good note Off Camber is ceasing to exist and will be playing their farewell show on Friday January 10th in Bethlehem PA. A final recording will be made of their undocumented material. Adam, James, and John will continue playing and creating music together as a new band called ENTIA. Rumor has it they've already got a show lined up in February. More details on that in 2014!
In other news that rounds out 2013 rather well...
The Lies is a new band on the scene that seem to be moving at breakneck speed with several shows lined up and an EP already available for you listening pleasure. Check them out!!!
Merry Christmas to us!Our pals in Hannibal Montana just released a new EP and it's just as amazing as we've come to expect their records to be. Please do check it out and enjoy it's rocking mathy awesomeness.
That's all we have for you this month. There'll be plenty of exciting stuff happening in 2014 so stay tuned for that! As we close this year we say thank you to all who have supported us and checked out what we do. We'll leave you with the recently released second chapter of John's award winning Fallout Chronicles Film Serial. There's lots of appearances from many NotRock musicians and others from the local music scene. Check it out and share with friends. Here's hoping you've had a fine holiday season and will have a most excellent 2014. Take Care Friends. - J.T.F.
We have a short update for you this month as we swing into full gear for the holiday season. Hopefully you've all survived massive turkey/pie intake. Currently John is rolling around the floor griping his belly as he tries to photoshop disc art.
Speaking of which, this years Holiday Comp, which is the 5th in our annual series is just finishing up some final steps and should be released into the ether tomorrow(Dec 1st)! Although there are not quite as many contributors as last years edition, this one still packs a wallop of holiday wintery goodness. CLICK HERE the link should be active by midnight Dec 1st. The CD will be released later in the month with an official release show on Dec 20th. More on that next month!
Our next tidbit of news we have is some recently unearthed treasures found deep within the NotRock archives. First up...
Enjoy these two Do Nothing Machine demos from back in the day. These were recorded circa 2001 to a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder back during the very beginnings of that band. They have never seen the light of day until now!
Next up is a fabulous rerecording of Graystone's "Static Fog". This song was rerecorded during the sessions for their full length masterpiece "The Harm" and was intended to be used on a compilation that ended up never coming out. So it sat for the last few years in the archives until now! Enjoy this gem!!!
Ok kiddies that's all the news fit to print this month. We'll see you back here in Dec. with much more info about the Holiday Comp release show as well as the progress of the long awaited NotRock Sampler Volume:4 and perhaps a few more surprises. Until then take care, enjoy your holidays, and be kind to one another. As we part we will leave with a video snip-it of a recent Off Camber show where half the band was sick so instead of completely bailing Adam and John just played a few KHANTRA tunes instead!
October's just about wrapping up and before it does we have some last minute news items to satiate your eager tastebuds. Pull up a chair and put some popcorn in the hopper.
Surprise!!! Human Dosage Factor dropped an new EP and NotRock has the honor of releasing it! Out of all our releases over the years we've never had the pleasure of adding anything death metalish to our catalog. Dare I say we've never had a reason to... UNTIL NOW! NR-044, HDF's second EP "BONED", is a 6 song onslaught of blast beats, chugging, scorching guitars, and crazy deep guttural vociferations that makes our aiwa boombox walk across the desk it's on. Guest appearances of Jillian (IDES) on backing vocals and Adam (Off Camber, Khantra) with a killer guitar solo, hit this release out of the park. It is available for download now with a CD on the way. Check it out!
On Oct. 17th the second chapter of John T.
Fisher's FALLOUT CHRONICLES premiered at the 2013 Terror Film Festival
in Philly. It was received very well and much to John's surprise it won the festival's award for BEST SCI-FI SHORT! After a couple small fixes Chapter 2 will up online for your viewing pleasure. Chapter 3 is currently in the final stages of post-production and Chapter 4 is not too far behind that.
Our buddies at Beta Snake Records have been putting out great records and compilations for the past 5 years. Currently all their compilations can be found on their bandcamp page and other releases as well as distro items are available on their main page. Currently they are running an exclusive mail-order singles club that is super neat and is something that is not to be missed. The next single in line with two brand new exclusive recordings is...
Hides A Well! The only way to get this hot new single is to sign up for the singles club here. By doing so you'll get to cherish two exclusive recordings of songs "Saria" and "Bookcase" but sign up soon because there's only a limited amount and they're going quicker than hotcakes at a Sizzler breakfast buffet! In addition to that wonderful tidbit Hides A Well will also be releasing a 4 song maxi single "Temporary Tattoos" as a companion piece to their recently released "From A Safe Distance". Expect that in the next month or two in addition to the physical release of FASD. Meanwhile production wrapped on their first music video and is currently being edited by John. Still on the way is the split Ukelele EP with Disseriph. There was some unexpected hang ups with that one but it'll be released soon we promise. Hopefully we'll have much more on that next month.
Next on the news ticker: COMPILATIONS! That's right that's plural. As you know NotRock Sampler Volume 4 is well under way. As soon as a couple tracks come back from the mix/master plant physical production of the sampler CD will begin. However the process and release of this new extra expansive volume has taken longer than anticipated and it will unfortunately be put on the back burner for the next month as we rush into production on the newest installment of our annual Holiday Compilation. In order to get that released in time for the coming holiday season most of our production time and resources must be dispatched to that project. Work on Sampler 4 will resume mid December once the Holiday Comp is finished and done with. So for now the Holiday Comp is slated with a tentative (digital) release date of Dec 1st. Volume 4 of the Sampler should hit the streets in mid January (digital may come sooner). Anyway we apologize for the delay of the much anticipated new Sampler but until someone starts paying us copious sums of money to release records we will continue to juggle projects how we always have.
Ok we're total doofuses for not mentioning something so fantastic last month even though we absolutely meant to. Legendary Pittsburg based band the Lampshades have blessed the planet by releasing a new EP "Arena Punk". It contains 4 songs of indie-rock awesomeness. Do yourself a favor and pick it up/download it immediately. NotRock is so happy that these fellas are back at it again and even more stoked that they are creating and releasing new music. Hopefully they have much more in store for us. If you missed out on their other great release of yesteryear "The Lampshades Are Alright" you should absolutely pick that one up as well!
Well if one thing has been made clear in the short time Hell Mary has been a band it's that they are a group of hard working dudes. They're constantly out playing shows and now less than a year from the release of their debut record they've unleashed "Drifter" their second EP of 6 songs. Much like FOTF "Drifter" packs a serious wallop. Maybe even more so and that's really saying something because their first EP was like an A-BOMB going off on our stereo and in our eardrums. The songs on the new EP are more developed, more focused, and there's a sincere anger that comes through with the playing and vocals that has been missing from anything in the hardcore cannon for a long time. The lyrics can easily push this to be the poignant hardcore record of the year if not decade. Ratings are for chumps but if we did use them this would be a five for five record. Get at it immediately.
Be sure to make it out to their record release show with Off Camber and others!
..and finally, we were waiting to launch this gem digitally until we had a nice little physical package to put together but it's been a process that unfortunately amongst all the other projects and releases we've not been able to devote much time to. The clock has been ticking away and we're getting farther and farther away from what would've been it's tenth anniversary so what the hell... without further adieu enjoy the 10th Anniversary of Khantra's Self Titled release. This edition is complete with all the original album tracks as well as a compilation track from that era, four alternate demo versions of some songs, and the crowning jewel of this release; two previously unreleased b-sides from the Self-Titled session at Portrait Recording Studios. The two b-sides were originally not included on the record because it was decided they were not as mature as the rest of the material of that time. Having said that, they are a great testament of the era before S/T, of who Khantra was before then and where they came from musically. We hope your ears enjoy these treasures as much as ours did when we unearthed them from the archives.
Well that'll be all for this month. See you back here in 30! In spirit of the season we'll leave you with this halloweeny movie that John made back in college. Enjoy!
Welcome to our brief September (last minute as usual) post. There's a couple points of big news this month so we'll get to it.
The next NotRock Comp is going just swimmingly. The layout is still being worked on before physical production can begin and that unfortunately had to be put on the back burner for something more urgent but awesome.
That reason is that the next installment of John's film Fallout Chronicles was being heavily worked on to prep it for it's world premiere at this years Terror Film Festival. The premiere will take place on Oct 17th. In addition to all that excitement the film was also nominated for 9 of the festival's CLAW AWARDS including: Best Actor (John T. Fisher), Best Supporting Actor (James Theesfeld), Best Supporting Actress (Liz Norris), Best Director, Best Sci-Fi Short, Best Short Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design, and Best Special Effects. If you can make it out to the festival it is highly recommended. It's a really great time with a lot of fantastic art.
The next big thing we want to tell you about this month is that the debut LP by Hides A Well has finally been released. "From A Safe Distance" is 10 tracks of indie-rock greatness and is fully available for digital download via their bandcamp page. A CD release is currently being prepped. We'll have more about that next month but for now download it and give it a whirl.
That's all that's fit to print this month. We'll see you back here in 30 with more great news including a possible last minute surprise addition to the NotRock roster. Until then live, love and take care.
There's not too much kicking around this month except the now deep into production NotRock Sampler Volume: IV. The tracks are more or less all in at this point and the design stage is kicking into full gear. It will be our biggest comp to date sporting almost, if not, 40 songs by the following artists: Hides A Well, Please Exist, Disseriph, Parliament of Owls, John T. Fisher, Atlas, Makeout Vertigo, Young American Artists, Skateboard Kyle, Smoke Tomb, Jayce Rova, Bible Fiction, Lost Wax, Deja Gravy, Young Legs, Little Light, Cephalopods and Their Allies, We Used To Love, Sally, Earth Anchor, Tiny Teeth, The Dark Matters, Fox Reactions, Purple Suns, Francie Moon, Badeda Ladies, Frootza, Hipstercrite, Kamp Koala, Second Born Sun, Jinxter, Bad Pilgrim, Riley Stallings, Pixl Visionary, Rabbit Velvet, JKB3, Dirty Thirties, Brick Mower, Avoider, and possibly a couple others. It's looking like a possible digital release in September with a physical release on CD in Oct. There's a lot of great content on this release that we can't wait to share with you so stay tuned for more complete info next month!
Hides A Well's full length was just this past week whisked away to get mastered up proper. Hopefully that sucker will be released into the world next month sometime. The Disseriph Hides A Well Ukelele split will finally see itself released in September. Official details on that next month!
Unfortunately that's all the time we have for this month. We will leave you with this recent video of our good friends Hell Mary playing some really wicked new jams!
TTFN - J.T.F
Time for another single serving of monthly NotRockage. A lot of stuff has happened scince our last post so we'll get down to it.
Do to some computer failures and the loss of photoshop (don't fret it's has since been reacquired) some upcoming NotRock releases have been delayed a tiny bit, mainly the Hides A Well/Disseriph split. This fine little EP is back on track and although this train may be a little late we assure you it will arrive at the station.
NotRock Sampler Volume: IV is now well underway. The layouts are being designed and the music submissions are pouring in. Thus far it looks like this volume will be around 30 tracks again however it's a tiny bit premature to tell for sure. Expect a full update and band listing next month (actually later this month).
Ok enough about our shortcomings. Here's some stuff you should be aware of on the aural front:
ATLAS Hopefully you're already aware of the fine musical phenomenon known as Atlas. If you are good. If not you've got catching up to do. On July 19th Atlas released "With Love, Evelyn McHale", an 8 song EP onslaught of post-hardcore pleasure to much fanfare. If you missed the release show we feel bad for you because it was truly incredible. Sadly, short of you having access to flux-capacitor equipped delorean, not much can be done about that. The next best thing to do would be to pick up a copy of their EP immediately, slam it into your music device and play ad nauseum. It's not the groundbreaking record of the century but nor is it trying to be. "With Love, Evelyn McHale" encompasses what Atlas does and does very well. They write and play heavy, melodic, high-energy, rock tunes that are very easy to swallow because they are in fact crafted that way. Masterfully I might add. All the songs are very stimulating to the ear from the beginning of the first notes through their often epic conclusions. The instrumentation is very well balanced and kept right where it needs to be without getting too flashy or technical but still has enough spice to make this effort anything but run of the mill. The drum and bass tie-ins really launch this music above and beyond what would already be a great listen. Atlas is a fantastic band to see live and they are a fantastic band to listen to on the stereo. Give it a whirl and you'll be singing along before it's done. They also get mega bonus points for sampling/referencing an excellent Twilight Zone episode. Very damn good.
HELL MARY Didn't get your fill from the recent Forever On The Fence EP? Well do not fret because the hardcore machine that is Hell Mary seems to be constantly moving forward writing and preforming new songs. They have recently posted a brand new tune for our listing pleasure. Brutally intense and consistent with their previous material "Choir Of One" satiates the thirst we were left with when FOTF was released, but on a little bit. One song is not enough. Hopefully we will get loads more from this band. PURPLE SUNS Last month we told you about Purple Suns forthcoming EP. Well it came out and it's awesome. If we had to sum it up in one word, HEAVY would be the one. That would however be selling this band and EP short of all the excellent dynamics and anergy that is mustered up on the four song "Yours", a perfect follow up to their great "Mines" EP. This has been a really impressive year for Purple Suns thus far so hopefully the trend will continue and in a couple months we'll get another EP entitled "Ours".
EARTH ANCHOR Holy crap! A good buddy of ours on the west coast put a band together and just released a fantastic record! Earth Anchor is band that you should pay attention to because although they are just getting started, they have the potential to be the next big thing. Get in on the ground floor with their first EP and a bonus record of B-sides and covers! Great stuff. Highly recommended.
BEDTIME STORIES Let's now take a moment to talk about an ensemble that is unlike anything else going on in the NJ scene or anywhere else for that matter. Bedtime Stories is a folky, ambient, spoken word experience that is truly something to behold. They just released their debut full length and it's pretty darn cool. We really appreciate the unique presentation of this band and the fact that they just plain exist. We defy you to not feel the emotional weight of "These Hearts Aren't Broken". It should be very interesting to see what they come up with for a follow up record. Wherever it may go NotRock will be along for the ride. SECOND BORN SON
The second effort from Second Born Son is certainly a welcome one. "Songs To Ride Your Bike At Night To" is a four song wallop of really nice, catchy but still rocking, acoustic songs that much like their first EP leave you wanting more. Give us a full length next time! None the less this EP is great anytime music so as they say: No time like the present.
GREYSCALE
Greyscale is a band from Tennessee that we had the pleasure of catching at a local show a couple nights ago. This was first time in a long time we've been so blown away by a bands live show. The energy and intensity of their set was through the roof and their songwriting is inspiring to say the least. Buy their records and if you can you absolutely should check out their live show!
Well that is all the news fit to print for July. Catch you back here in less than 30. As we part ways enjoy this Off Camber video from one of the last Secret Art Space shows.
- J. T. F.
This month we will share some great stuff with you from the immediate NotRock family and the ever expanding scene elsewhere.
On June 20th the new Insouciant EP: Variable Resistor finally landed. It is currently available digitally via their bandcamp site and a very limited number of physical CD's should hit the streets before summer's end. Variable Resistor contains five songs, two of which are the last material Insouciant wrote together as a band, two redone classic tunes and one brand new one they arranged spur of the moment just for this EP. NotRock is extremely proud to present this EP to you. Please do enjoy.
While we're on the subject of Insouciant check out this official video for "Fall". This was shot back in 2009 and sat unedited in the NotRock archives until now! Directed, shot and edited by John. There's at least two other videos that have yet to see the light of day. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for those but until then enjoy this one.
Hides A Well is a creative pot that is about to boil over this summer. Coming any day now will be the Ukelele Split with Disseriph sporting 4 tracks total (two from each band). The CD's (pictured) have arrived and the liner notes are undergoing the printing process. Later in the summer we will see the LP, currently titled "From A Safe Distance" released as well as "Temporary Tattoos"a five song EP/MAXI single! In Addition to this we heard rumor of some secret stuff that may or may not involve Beta Snake Records but we'll probably have more to say about that next month. In addition to all this fun stuff Hides A Well will be releasing their first music video! After many delays due to weather they finally (with the help of some nj celebrities) shot a video for the song "Secret Sitcoms" that will set the bar pretty high for future NotRock music videos. We can't wait to see it and share it with you!
As previously mentioned the next installment of the ongoing Sampler series, VOLUME IV, is underway. Submissions are already rolling in! It's a little early to divulge any of the fine contributors of this new Comp but as of now it looks like it's going to be the largest number to date! More on that next month!
Now onto local stuff:
Awesome pop-punkers Fox Reactions from central jersey recently dropped a five song EP that deserves your attention post-hast. This is the kind of fun punk music that people don't really make these days so it is a very welcome addition on the old aiwa stereo system. Makes for a great sing along while driving record or a great anytime record for that matter. Check it out.
Late Night Beers is a cool band that has emerged in the scene this past year. They just released great little 3 song EP that was recorded by our pal Sara Kosa. This EP has a somber mellowness to it but it still rocks. It's just a really nice, well-crafted bunch of songs. Here's hoping this is just the tip of the creative output iceberg for Late Night Beers because we are digging what we hear and really want to hear more.
Ok a couple of months ago we posted about Purple Suns. It appears their productivity did not stop with the EP they released only a couple months ago. Evidently they already have a new record well underway with a new song up for your listening pleasure. It's heavy as fuck like the perfect spawn of Sabbath and vintage Soundgarden. We CANNOT wait to here the rest of this record!
On that note, if you haven't already you should really check out Speakerkicker (Tanmay from Purple Suns' label, collective, blog). The Speakerkicker folk have been doing cool stuff supporting and promoting the nj scene for a long time now. Recently they did a great interview with Paul of Hell Mary and...
Bedside Manner is something that I reckon we've talked about in the past but we never give them as much attention as they deserve. We like to think of what we do here at NotRock as one big family collective. Bedside Manner are our brothers and sisters. They do a lot of great things in the NJ scene promoting bands and music related happenings. They release great records and with the help of a few others they put on fantastic local sunday matinee shows. So please if your taking the time to read this go over to their site and check out what they've been up to. Follow them on the facebook and all that because they've always got something to offer. We are happy to be affiliated with them and we're just plain happy that they exist.
Trust Fall is a phenomenal band from Virginia that we had the pleasure of seeing the other night. Their music is an intense, melodic post-hardcore that is absent from anything we've seen going on in NJ. Their live set was so full of energy and intensity it made us forget about how tired we were and how disgusting the walls and floor of the Meatlocker are. Highly recommend. They're on tour throughout July. Try to catch them if you can. We're certainly glad we did.
Lastly but certainly not least our pals Atlas (if you don't know who they are stop slacking and do some damn research) not only blew us away at their show the other night but are finally releasing a proper EP. The release show will be on July 19th (also playing: Please Exist, and the above mentioned Late Night Beers) It would behoove you to be there. We certainly wouldn't miss it. Enjoy the fun EP teaser trailer they made below!
Ok kids that's all the news fit for this month! That was a long one! Here's hoping the rest of the summer is that news worthy. Until then, enjoy the weather, support the arts and tell someone you care about how much they mean to you. Take care, and be kind. See ya in 30.
- J.T.F.
May has nearly passed us by and while much has occurred since our last post, there isn't too much to show for it... yet.
It's odd that at this time last year we were posting about Insouciant throwing in the towel and now they are just about ready to grace us with a brand new EP. All the recording has been completed and the mixing is in it's final stages. NR-040 is just around the corner. Expect more official news in next months post.
The Hides A Well, Disseriph Ukelele split is in production mode now and will be released in time for Hides A Well show on June 16th. Meanwhile they continue finalizing their debut full length which is due out sometime this summer. Also in production is their first video which is to feature epic battling with cardboard weapons. There are also some compilation appearances in the works including...
Not Rock Sampler Volume IV is in production now. We've reached out (well we're still in the process) to many, many bands, and musicians this time around. We really tried to extend our reach with the contributors on this comp to hopefully provide the largest most eclectic mix of music released by NotRock thus far.
Please Exist has resumed working on their first full length so hopefully that much anticipated record will see the light of day of these days. They are also finishing up the batch of songs that will be included on their second full length which they intend to begin tracking over the summer.
Hey check out this video of OFF CAMBER from about a year ago at the Meatlocker. It sounds awful but looks pretty neat.
It seems that is all the news fit to print this month. Hopefully June will see us posting about records actually being released. Until then be kind, go to shows, and support independent business and art.
- J.T.F.
P.S. We just caught the band CENTURIES the other night while they were on tour from Florida. Their live show produced a wall of sound assault that would make Phil Spector quake in his jail cell. Highly Recommended!!! Check them out immediately.
Hello everyone and welcome back for yet another helping of NotRockage. In this April month (by the skin of our teeth) of 2013 we bring you wonderful news from our immediate family and other local entities who are actively creating fantastic art.
First out of the gate there's a great show coming up JUNE 1st that ANNOYING CUSTOMER is coming out of hibernation for and playing! On the same bill will be Hides A Well, Please Exist, Disseriph, fragmnts, Young Legs, and Hannibal Montana! This is a show that is not to be missed. One never knows the next chance you might get to see Annoying Customer so do yourself a favor and clear your schedule the evening of June 1st!
Insouciant continues to work on their forthcoming ep. Instrument tracking has been completed and vocals are slated for recording in early May. More updates on that soon. In the meantime a long lost song has surfaced from the mysterious era between Fall and Dresser. Enjoy!
Hides A Well is finishing up work on their long awaited debut LP which as of now is slated for release in June. The Hides A Well / Disseriph ukelele split ep is also coming along and expected to be released sometime in the summer months.
Speaking of summer, in development right now is NotRock SAMPLER VOLUME IV! It is in very early stages right now but expect it to up the ante from the last volume and hopefully have a summer release.
Off Camber has released their split 7" with Between Your Mind And Tongue. It contains three Off Camber jams and two from BYMAT. Buy it or download it here. Better yet go to one of their shows get it from them direct. It has some crazy mad magazine-like fold in packaging that just adds to the awesomeness of this little bushel of dynamite. (Awesome limited packaging is not included with the download version. iPod kids you're missing out.)
A month or two ago we posted about our friends and soon to be local legends, Hell Mary and their forthcoming debut 7". Well, the wait is over. Their 7" Forever On The Fence has arrived and it is every bit as intense as we'd hoped. GET IT! It's 6 tracks of furious hardcore greatness that is not to be missed. Check it out and you shall not regret it however, be warned: placing the needle in the groove of this vinyl may cause explosions on eardrum and or planetary levels.
Rounding out our awesome local update this month is Makeout Vertigo! Check out their debut EP Smoking In The Girls Room HERE! It contains 4 sweet, jangley, indie-pop gems that will only leave you wanting more. Our only complaint is exactly that: we want more! Here's hoping these kids will drop a full-length of like songs sooner than later. Keep up the great work guys. We love what you're doing and are officially along for the ride.
Well that's all the news that's fit to print this month (save that thing we wanted to tell you about but now can't remember what it was for the life of us). Catch you back here in 30. Until then create, be kind, and take lots of candy from strangers.
Hey kiddies! It's time for your monthly dose of NotRock related hoopla. This one will be a tad brief as we still have eggs to dye and hide. None the less, the news we bring in this post is of a very joyous, exciting nature.
First up is Insouciant. That's right friends! Never say never because as of March 30th Insouciant began tracking a brand new EP. We're told it will consist of 5 tracks: 2 newer ones that were written just before their hiatus, 2 reworked classic tunes, and 1 completely brand new song that no one else has ever heard. This doesn't mean these fellas will be gearing up to play a show anytime soon but just the thought of our ears hearing some new Insouciant recordings is enough to keep us jumping for joy for quite some time. Here's hoping once they complete this EP they'll finish up that full length we were promised! We'll keep you updated as this project develops and of course you can follow their progress directly via their facebook or tumblr.
Next on deck is Please Exist. Their new EP "Let The Daytime Die" is out and available now! It has been added to the record shop page and in the coming days will have a button for purchasing tangible CD copies with snazzy packaging of the EP instead of just the digi download. Be sure to check this out immediately because it's not one to be missed.
Lastly, aside from Hides A Well putting the finishing touches on their full length (which we expect to have a late April or early May release) they will also be teaming up and releasing a split UKELELE EP with DISSERIPH! How awesome is that?!?!?! Recording on this fun little record has already begun so hopefully we'll see that very soon. Stay tuned for more intel on that.
So far the growth and blooming of spring has put 2013 on track for a very exciting and productive year for the NotRock family. We look forward to sharing lots more great records with you as the year progresses. Until then, enjoy watching the 10 Commandments on tv this weekend, eat lot's of jelly beans, and support independent business, music, and art. Happy spring everybody! See you back here in 30.
Welcome back for another serving of always nutritious and plentiful NotRock related news.
WOW! Right out of the gate we have a whopper to tell you about! Please Exist's new EP (NR-039) has a title: LET THE DAYLIGHT DIE. AND the lightspeed production of recording, mixing, & mastering this EP has been completed! IT'S DONE!!! The physical record is in production currently and it will bare a release date of MARCH 15th! The release show will be held in Byram NJ at the C. O. Johnson Fieldhouse. Finally, the world will have a tangible release by these heavy hitters. Let the countdown begin!
Other excellent news regarding the Please Exist show on March 15th is that it will see the triumphant return of Courtney Stodden Age Sixteen! Dormant since last spring CSAS have been slowly picking away at their much anticipated debut LP: In Labored Lockstep. We're told that they have only a couple instrument tracks left and then vocals to finish up the recording. Even though we have to wait a little while longer to get our grubby, little, cheetos-stained fingers on their record it is exciting to know the wait to see these fellows on stage again is just around the corner.
Oh Insouciant! How we miss you. This is stressed even more so now that a rough mix for Consolation Prize (a track off their much anticipated, post-hiatus full length) has surfaced on their bandcamp page. Does this mean the boys are back at work on finishing up this record? Not necessarily since the date of the rough mix is from 2011. Still, we sure hope it does because although we need no reminder of how great Insouciant was, this song is a shinning example of them at their very best. Here's hoping more of these tunes surface very soon. Maybe some surprises as well?
For any of you out there that have been following NotRock since the beginning, Frank Barbiere needs no introduction. For the newer comrades, Frank was the guitar player and lead vocalist for pop-punk extraordinaires LETTERBOX. Although he still plays music, these days he is currently making quite a name for himself writing comics. His new pulp adventure FIVE GHOSTS: The Haunting of Fabian Gray is getting a lot of buzz and makes it's debut March 20th on Image Comics! This looks like an absolute blast and the art is just phenomenal! Frankly (no pun intended) we can't wait to check this book out. Keep up on the FIVE GHOSTS facebook page with what's sure to be a huge hit! And be sure to head to your local comic shop on March 20th and pick up a copy or two!
While we're on the subject of non-music things let's divert our attention to video games. Shawn and Jesse of Annoying Customer have started up EIGHT GENERATIONS a podcast that is all about their love and life of playing those electronic games. This podcast is a lot of fun even if you're not a hardcore gamer. In this podcast they cover games they grew up with, games they're playing now, history of different consoles and platforms, and a lot of other great stuff that makes the listen completely worthwhile. CHECK IT OUT HERE! Keep up the good work guys!
In closing we thought we'd tell you about BIBLE FICTION. We've caught these guys at a Please Exist show and have been listening to them since. Bible Fiction is like one of those really awesome bands you saw in the HYPE! documentary that you had to search out and buy the record of after you watched it. In other words the totally slam on stage and it'd be in your best interest to check them out. They have a new 7" out now that you can find on there homepage. In the meantime enjoy this video that has VHS tape in abundance.
Well that's all the news fit to print for this lovely fragile February. See you in March!
- J.T.F.
It's 2013 and we have lots of great things to tell you about! 2012 saw the major overhauling of our website. Since then it has been tweaked and fine tuned many times and although this process will undoubtedly continue, 2013 will largely be dedicated to constructing a massive interactive data base compiling material from the depths of the NotRock archives and beyond. This will include but not be limited to photos, videos, flyers, etc. of all the bands who've had a place on our roster. Some bands have left behind more artifacts than others (sadly some great treasures have been lost to the ages) but we will keep scouring the depths of the known universe to hopefully uncover more. That being said, if YOU have some random treasure (it does not matter how insignificant you think it is) from yesteryear (a picture, a old VHS of a half a song from a NotRock band please do drop us an email and let us know. notrockrecords@gmail.com Until then brace yourself because the DATABASE IS COMING!!!!!!!! (uh slowly but surely) AND NOW BAND NEWS:
Please Exist is throwing a curveball ball at us folks. While we patiently await them to finish their mega full-length they decided to go into the studio and track a brand new EP. We're told they are going full steam ahead with production on this thing and to expect it available for your ears in March. So all of this means NR-039 is (As Of Now Untitled) Please Exist EP. Lots more details on that soon.
Those who missed this years Holiday Comp Release show also missed the debut of fragmnts (Raul from Insouciant, Bonbomb, and Hank from Bonbomb). In short, we were just plain blown away with what they were doing. Words cannot do their music/live show justice so for now enjoy this video snip-it from one of their tunes. We look forward to hearing/seeing much more from this band.
Without so much as a hint Disseriph released their first LP and boy is it good. If you caught our November news post you'll recall us telling you about Disseriph's live show morphing from a man with an acoustic guitar to a man with an electric guitar with a backing band on an iPhone. Right off the bat this may not sound too appealing but this is is Adam Kaniper we're talking about here. Long ago we came to the realization that Adam does most things better than us or anyone we know. Most people just try to keep up. When it comes to making music this dude is on a whole other level and that's why it's so refreshing to hear a record that is 100% out of his brain played by him as he knows it should be played. We've been awaiting this record ever since the Insouciant Circle Arrow EP. In many ways this record picks up were that left off (with a few years more skill and maturity). It sincerely does not disappoint. If you haven't downloaded it yet you are way late to this party but don't worry we don't foresee it reaching maximum occupancy anytime soon. It's a party for all to enjoy so tell your friends.
Our dear (departed?) nuclear-spaz-power duo RUSSELL has digitally released a 3-song EP that was only previously available in a very limited run of about a dozen CD's. Russell may not be playing anymore but these 3 tunes on the "Book EP" will at least remind us of how incredible a band they were. Their songwriting and playing is unparalleled. We truly miss these guys with all our hearts and hope they will make more music/play some more shows some day. Hopefully sooner than later. We have a bit of live show video footage in the archives that will be a highlight in the above mentioned database. Keep your eyes peeled for that.
Here's some great stuff we've been exposed to in recent months that you should check out ASAP.
Hell Mary is a fairly new NJ band that is throwing down hardcore that explodes our eardrums in just the right way. They've recently released 2 songs to stream off their forthcoming 6-song EP. If the rest of the EP is as good as these first two tracks then this is going to be a doozy of a record. The end of "Forever On The Fence" is so huge it's unreal. Check it out immediately and keep up with their news/show updates and whatnot on their facebook page.
We've crossed paths with Purple Suns a couple times now and found their live show to be super enjoyable. They recently released a 4 song EP "MINES" that rocks the way really good Soundgarden does. There's a classic rock psych vibe but it's kept fresh and usually pretty damn heavy. It's a total blast. Recommended track: all of them! But for some reason we are finding ourselves attached to "Any Animal". There's some really cool drum stuff going on in there. If you have the means to see these guys live we recommend it. Keep up with their facebook stuff. While you're at it check out this label/blog dealy. SPEAKERKICKER.COM
Patience EP by All The Hours You Wait is the last gem we'll tell you about in this post. This record kind of caught us by surprise through a seemingly effective, viral, ad campaign and quite frankly we're glad it did. This EP showcases 4 angsty, sad, angry intense, thrashing, pretty songs. There's a lot of great stuff going on in these tunes. Beautiful and intricate guitar work often explodes into a fury of screams intense rhythms. There's a lot that is reminiscent of early K Records band LYNC (and we mean this in a good way) and sometimes the vocals even recall the first Anniversary record (once again this is a good thing). None the less we are digging this a lot. This probably thrashes live. Hopefully we'll find out.
Boy oh boy, that's all the news fit to print this month fellas. We'll see you back here in FEBRUARY when we'll have more fabulous stuff to tell you about. Maybe even a new band on the roster! Until then stay warm, be kind and take care.
