Smoke Or Fire "Beauty Fades"

LP - $14.65
LP UPC: 603111749518
STREET DATE: 5/27/22
CAT #: IOD019
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

Smoke Or Fire were formed in Boston, MA during the late 90s alongside countless bands in the Boston underground scene. They delivered their unique brand of heartfelt emotional punk that included complex layered guitars, dirty vocals, and lyrics that ranged from deeply personal topics to social criticisms of war and politics. The songs often drew comparisons to bands like Avail, Hot Water Music, and Against Me! Although, Smoke Or Fire brought their own unique take on the genre with catchy melodies, and sing along choruses.

The band released their debut EP “Worker’s Union” on Iodine Recordings in 2002, and after several US tours, Smoke Or Fire relocated to Richmond, VA where they caught the attention of the iconic NOFX record label Fat Wreck Chords. They signed to Fat and remained through their career, releasing three full lengths: Above the City (produced by Fat Mike/NOFX), This Sinking Ship, and The Speakeasy. Smoke Or Fire was praised by music critics, and revered by fans for capturing a raw energy and a genuine approach to punk music.

Smoke Or Fire toured relentlessly over their twenty-plus year history, with numerous US and European tours, sharing the stage regularly with bands such as: Avail, Against Me!, Dillinger Four, Hot Water Music, Descendents, Anti-Flag, NOFX, Silverstein, Rise Against, Bad Religion, and The Ataris (just to name a few…).

“Beauty Fades” is a collection of out of print and unreleased tracks from Smoke Or Fire. Side A includes their debut Iodine EP “Worker’s Union” which was completely remixed and remastered at New Alliance Studios in Boston, MA. Side B includes seven rare or unreleased tracks that span the history of the band, including the EP “Rises in the East” which was never released, but included a number of songs that were in the band’s live set throughout their tenure. The entire collection is being pressed on vinyl for the first time ever. Complete with all new artwork and packaging.

“Beauty Fades” documents some of the best moments of the band’s legacy with fist-pumping anthems and emotional breakdowns. Singer Joe McMahon remains adamant that these are the best songs he ever wrote, which capture a youthful energy and idealism that is fleeting for us all.

"Distinctive hooks, infectious melodies and fist-pumping choruses: It’s all here, and it sounds damn near perfect." – ALTERNATIVE PRESS

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Sunday Pints
  2. Beauty Fades
  3. 50 Cent Hearts
  4. Second Wind
  5. Running in Circles
  6. They All Go to California
  7. Modesty
  8. Nowhere to Go But Up
  9. Hand Me Downs
  10. Written to be Read
  11. Live On
  12. Someone Said We Flew
  13. Oxygen

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Available for the first time on vinyl
  • Fully remixed and remastered at New Alliance Studios
  • Indie Exclusive colored vinyl
  • All new artwork by Jeff Caudill (Gameface)
  • Features all rare or unreleased tracks

FOR FANS OF:
Against Me!, Avail, Hot Water Music, Lifetime, Dillinger Four, The Lawerence Arms

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Hey Thanks! "Start/Living"

LP - 14.65 / CD - $7.00 / Cassette - $7.00
LP UPC: 047338063291
CD UPC: 783495979685
CASSETTE UPC: 783495979678
STREET DATE: 5/27/22
CAT #: IOD036
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

Hey Thanks! formed in 2016 when 5 friends from outside of New Orleans, LA came together to share their love of music. They wrote songs that drew from their wide range of influences to include emo, punk, electronica, and indie-pop. They quickly developed a unique sound that set them apart from the majority of new bands emerging at the moment. They perfectly capture the essence of indie-pop music with earnest lyrics and hooks that you won’t forget. After several early lineup changes, the band found vocalist Travis Opal, who helped refine and define their exceptional sound.

The band gained a lot of attention soon after their formation around the New Orleans scene, being added to Warped Tour dates, and opening for shows with notable bands such as Metro Station, Issues, Save Face, I Set My Friends on Fire, and We The Kings. They quickly developed a dedicated following and have established themselves as one of the most well-known bands in the region.

Hey Thanks! spent the better part of two years writing and recording their debut full length “Start/Living,” working with an all-star team and some of the best production talent around today. The album was engineered and produced by Gary Cioni at Sound Acres Studio (Hot Mulligan, Crime In Stereo, Sorority Noise) and mixed by Brett Romnes (The Movielife, Heart Attack Man, The Front Bottoms, Oso Oso) and mastered by Mike Kalajian (The Devil Wears Prada, New Found Glory, Silverstein).

The band toured relentlessly, prior to the pandemic, and shared the stage with many up and coming bands such as: Greet Death, Keep Flying, Dozer Tx, Nominee, Bad Luck, Sundressed, Fernway, and Super American.

In 2021, Hey Thanks! caught the attention of the recently relaunched Iodine Recordings, who quickly signed them for several records, to include the official release of “Start/Living” on vinyl and CD. Start/Living breaks down the boundaries of pop-music and expertly incorporates elements of 90s alternative, electronic rock, and emo. Twelve infectious songs that captures the complexity of youth, longing, and love. Featuring the singles “From Me 2 U” and “The Part I Call Myself.” They are planning on hitting the road in 2022 to tour and support the release.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Conversations Make A Way
  2. From Me 2 U
  3. This Small Space
  4. The Part I Call Myself
  5. On Top Of Me
  6. I’m Sure It’s On The Way
  7. Fun Charade
  8. How It’s Supposed To Be
  9. Would You Believe It
  10. Promise It’ll Be Over
  11. If It Takes Me Forever
  12. In Seconds I’ll Be Gone

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Debut Release by Hey Thanks!
  • Produced by Gary Cioni (Hot Mulligan, Crime In Stereo, Sorority Noise)
  • Full PR Campaign by Atom Splitter PR
  • Shows and Tours planned for 2022 (US / Europe)

FOR FANS OF:
The Maine, Taking Back Sunday, Motion City Soundtrack, The 1975, The Summer Set, The Academy Is

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The Darling Fire “Dark Celebration”

LP - $14.65
LP UPC: 810017640553
STREET DATE: 4/22/22
CAT #: IOD-SPAR063
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

After years of individual success in some of the scene's most beloved bands, The Darling Fire was born of both deep struggle and deeper friendships. A veritable mosaic of indie notoriety, the band features members or ex-members of The Rocking Horse Winner, Further Seems Forever, Dashboard Confessional, Poison The Well, Shai Hulud, As Friends Rust, and Strongarm among others. The debut album, Dark Celebration, is in many ways what you'd anticipate — energetic, powerful, melodic, and heavy; however, it is far more nuanced than you would imagine. The collective sum of the parts and the alluring heart-on-sleeve lyrics produce a more intimate, spacey and bewitching experience — an authenticity that speaks to the true cathartic nature of the project. The result of their collaboration with producer J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines, Government Issue) is a powerful coalescence of artistry and vision — a record that five artists spent their entire careers waiting to make.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. For the Loveless
  2. Nevertwin
  3. Omaha
  4. Catatonia
  5. Silver Spider
  6. The Constant
  7. Saints in Masquerade
  8. In Twilight

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Featuring members of: Shai Hulud, The Rocking Horse Winner, As Friends Rust, and Dashboard Confessional
  • Playing Furnace Fest 2022 in Birmingham, AL
  • US Tour planned for Summer 2022

FOR FANS OF:
Deftones, Nothing, Hum, Narrow Head, Slow Crush

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Audio Karate "¡OTRA!"

LP - $14.65 / CASSETTE - $7.00
LP UPC: 603111749419
CASSETTE UPC: 603111749440
STREET DATE: 3/18/22
CAT #: IOD21
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

From the suburbs of East Los Angeles, CA, four Mexican American kids came together in 2001 to form the band Audio Karate. Audio Karate developed a unique sound that drew from their many influences such as Descendents and Jawbreaker. Their unique mix of melodic and emotional punk rock helped them develop a big fan base and quickly caught the attention of Kung Fu records, who signed them in 2001 alongside bands like Blink-182 and Tsunami Bomb. Audio Karate were far from being just another “punk” band, and their blend of melodies and hooks set them apart, making it difficult to place them in any one genre. The band has mastered the art of writing infectiously catchy songs with deeply personal lyrics, while still remaining upbeat and fun.

Audio Karate spent the early 2000s touring heavily and shared stages with bands like Blink-182, NOFX, The Ataris, Face to Face, and had many Van’s Warped Tour appearances. Their first studio album “Space Camp” was met with much acclaim from critics and fans, and the band was often featured on MTV and Fuse TV. Their follow up album “Lady Melody” was produced by Bill Stevenson of the Descendents. The record straddled pop-punk convention and technical oddity, with unique key changes and riffs that seemed to sound “wrong” while sounding gloriously right. Even Stevenson wondered how they did it, marveling at times during their recording sessions: “Technically, this shouldn’t work.”

Audio Karate went on a long Hiatus in 2006 and returned in 2018 to record their third album “Malo” for Wiretap Records and support their idols, Descendents, on a U.S. tour. Shortly after their return, the band began working with Iodine Recordings for anther release. “¡OTRA!” is a collection of their rare and unreleased material that spans the history of the band and feature works produced by Bill Stevenson (Descendents/ALL) and Trever Keith (Face to Face). Featuring guest vocals by Agent M / Emily Whitehurst of Tsunami Bomb and new original artwork by Chris Shary (Descendents/Teenage Bottlerocket). “¡OTRA!” contains some of Audio Karate’s best songs that have never been released on vinyl. A soon to be essential volume for pop-punk and emo fans’ collections.

“Well crafted melodic-punk and the passion in the vocals is undeniably infectious. Bill Stevenson once again has produced a gem of a record!” - Punk News

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Lovely Residence
  2. Segway
  3. Care Carelessly
  4. Black Covering
  5. End Won’t Justify the Means
  6. She Looks Good
  7. Do You Miss Meaning Everything to Me?
  8. Betrayed

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Contains all rare and unreleased songs never pressed on vinyl
  • Produced by Bill Steveneson (Descendents) and Trever Keith (Face to Face)
  • All new artwork by Chris Shary
  • Tours and Festival appearances planned for 2022

FOR FANS OF:
Jawbreaker, The Ataris, Jimmy Eat World, The Lawrence Arms, The Menzingers

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Ritual Earth "MMXX"

LP - $14.65 / CD - $7.00
LP UPC: 603111749310
CD UPC: 603111749341
STREET DATE: 3/18/22
CAT #: IOD020
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

Philadelphia’s Psych-Metal outfit bestow their epic debut album. “MMXX” delivers monolithic riffs in a vast soundscape with pounding heavy grooves and vocal hooks. Emerging from the darkness of a collapsing nebula, Ritual Earth reverberates the electronic radiation of all things Doom, Space, and Psychedelia. Heavy, Slow, Atmospheric and Dark. Seven charged, dystopian transmissions set to the pulse of the dying universe to come.

Ritual Earth formed in 2018 when Philadelphia cult sludge veterans, Chimpgrinder, found themselves in need of a new vocalist capable of aiding the band with their journey into new musical exploration and refining their sound. The band quickly connected with former hardcore vocalist George Chamberlin (Autumn, Aim of Conrad), who’s vocal range allowed the band slow to a more expansive and layered sound. The pairing resulted in a new band that merged the riff-rock stylings of Heavy Psychedelia, the slow tempos of Doom Metal, and the atmospheric elements of Shoegaze. The band later added keyboardist Mark Boyce (Boss Hogg, Delta 72) who included synthesizers and electronic elements to the music.

Throughout 2019, Ritual Earth began playing shows along the East Coast and released a three-song demo, that received positive reviews and acclaim from listeners and critics due to their unique sound and crossover appeal. The band gained a following in the Philadelphia area while sharing the stage with bands like High Reeper, Age of Truth, Green Meteor, and Thunderbird Divine to name a few.

By September 2020, the band finished writing and recording their debut full length while working with engineer David Downhan and Gradwell. The album quickly grabbed the attention of several labels, and the band began working with Iodine Recordings, who Chamberlin had previously worked with while in Aim of Conrad. Iodine Recordings is excited to present Ritual Earth’s debut album “MMXX”.

Track Listing:

  1. Solar Ecstasy
  2. Escape Velocity
  3. Reprisal / Nebulas Diabolos
  4. Free From My Vessel
  5. I Am Dreadnaught
  6. Ascension Dimension

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Debut Release by Ritual Earth
  • Promotional free Flexi Vinyl containing bonus track “Distress Signal”
  • Shows and Tours planned for 2022 (US / Europe)
  • Featuring members of: Aim of Conrad, Autumn, and Chimpgrinder
  • Crossover appeal in various genres

FOR FANS OF:
Kyuss, Elder, Nebula, YOB, Monolord, Cave In

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