From A Second Story Window "Recompose"

7"EP - $8.00
STREET DATE: 11/15/24
CAT#: BMA053-1
LABEL: Black Market Activities

From a Second Story Window have returned with their first new material in over 15 years! This two song, Recompose 7” vinyl marks the band’s first release since their 2008 opus, ‘Conversations’. These tracks feature the full ‘08 line-up including Paul Misko (guitar), Nick Huffman (drums), Joe Sudrovic (bass), Rob Hileman (guitar) and a very special exit performance of longtime frontman, Will Jackson (vocals).

FASSW are pioneers of the modern metal core scene. Originally formed in western PA in 1999, FASSW incorporate dark, melodic tones with brutal elements of metal and grind. FASSW were musical peers to bands like Norma Jean & BTBAM, and have been cited as influences on artists like The Devil Wears Prada. The band recently played the farewell Furnace Fest in Birmingham, AL, which was significant as they were a returning artist to the fest from 2003. FASSW also performed at a series of sold out shows in PA, MI, NY & MA alongside artists like Deadguy, The Red Chord, On Broken Wings, Through the Eyes of the Dead, Flesh & Blood Robot & Nights Like These.

Opening track, ‘So Say We All’, explodes with FASSW’s signature dissonance layered by Jackson’s harsh growls. The song then soars into a clean melody taking the listener on a dark journey. B-side closer, ‘Earthen Eyes’ features a raging entrance, galloping riffs with a pile-on, singalong at the end. Masterfully recorded by longtime producer, Jocko at Moresound Studio in Syracuse, NY.

FASSW originally signed with Black Market Activities in 2004. The label reissued their, “Not One Word Has Been Omitted” EP/demo. Their debut full-length, “Delenda” landed in 2006, which was supported by extensive international touring. After several years of relentless touring across the US, Canada, and Europe, and some changes to the line-up, FASSW disbanded in 2008 before the release date of their final full length, “Conversations”.

In 2023, the band reformed in support of a one-shot, limited edition, multi-record discography pressing via the label, Wax Vessel which sold out in minutes. This new 7” marks a reunion with BMA and an exciting new chapter in the FASSW legacy.

TRACK LISTING:
01. So Say We All
02. Earthen Eyes

MARKETING POINTS:

• Recent appearances with Through the Eyes of the Dead, On Broken Wings, The Red Chord, Flesh & Blood Robot reunion at the Final Furnace Fest

FOR FANS OF: Norma Jean, BTBAM, The Devil Wears Prada

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Shai Hulud "Just Can't Hate Enough"

12" EP - $14.00
12" EP UPC: 603111812014
STREET DATE: 11/08/25
CAT#: IOD-74
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

Enter, for your enjoyment - whether in auditory delight or abject derision, our collaboration with Iodine Recordings who proudly present (or so we hope) our new EP: Just Can't Hate Enough X 2 - Plus Other Hate Songs.

Just Can't Hate Enough X 2 bridges the gap between Shai Hulud's 2013 album "Reach Beyond The Sun" and whatever the next one will be called. On full lengths we like to write varied songs and broaden our musical parameters; here, we just raged. Short, fast, pissed. More MDC than Opeth, though we love both and sound like neither.

Lyrically, as always, we try to isolate aspects of humanity we find regressive and counterproductive to mass wellbeing; analyzing bits of "profound hatred" we're always spouting off about. The original songs this time around deal with valuing reason, and the negativity often reaped by those who champion uncomfortable truths; the unfortunate and seemingly inevitable hardening of human hearts; and the importance of communication, and how its avoidance breeds contempt.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Sincerely Hated
02. Colder Than The Cold World
03. The Fucking Silence- Or: How Hates The Heat
04. A Profound Hatred Of Man
05. Just Can't Hate Enough (Originally by A Chorus of Disapproval)
06. Just Can't Hate Enough (Originally by Sheer Terror)
07. Blaze Some Hate (Originally by Excel)
08. Hate, Myth, Muscle, Etiquette (Originally by Propagandhi)

MARKETING POINTS:

• New collection of songs from metal-core legends Shai Hulud.
• Features four new songs and four covers with songs about “Hate” from: Chorus of Disapproval, Sheer Terror, Excel, and Propagandhi.
• Available on limited color vinyl, with a silkscreened B-Side.

FOR FANS OF:
Bane, Terror, Zao, Modern Life is War

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For Closure "Cliffside Serenades"

LP - $17.25
LP UPC: 198588656297
STREET DATE: 11/8/24
CAT#: MPR011
LABEL: QP Distro

With decades of experience performing in bands throughout the Southern California punk rock scene, the fivesome of For Closure are unquestionably seasoned musicians who have racked up countless days in hundreds of studios and venues, recording dozens of albums and touring across the country in their various projects.

However, For Closure itself is a relatively new venture for these veterans, launching in 2023 and affording them the opportunity to present themselves as a clean-sheet design, with fresh ideas and novel approaches to the music genres of power-pop and punk rock that they've been performing for decades.

The genesis of For Closure stems from the dissolution of the longtime San Fernando Valley-based band For Sale, which ran its course in the early 2020s, some thirty years from its inception. At the terminus of For Sale, vocalist Gizz Lazlo (former drummer for Dr. Know, U.K. Subs, The Freeze) and guitarist Luis Estefania (F.Y.P., Rhythm Collision, Buford) still had a stack of unrecorded material as the band's primary songwriters, but no band with which to perform it all. Enter the creation of For Closure.

After connecting with producer/drummer Wal Rashidi (Jr. Juggernaut, Turning Violet, Sleep Pod Two) to lay the groundwork -- and soon thereafter joining up with bassist Steve Wilenkin (Dead Man's Life, I.D.K., Life in a Burn Clinic) and guitarist Marc Maxey (Sloth Fist, The Killing Flame, Justice League) -- the group engaged in recording sessions at Studio in Redlands, California, yielding its first single releases ("Carousel," "Moon at Noon," "No Condition"), its most recent single ("Hazy Mourning") and ultimately assembling its forthcoming yet-untitled, full-length album, to be released in 2024 via Mindpower Records.

And that was supposed to be the end of the story: a collection of recordings done, an album released and maybe one live show to prove For Closure existed.

However, freshly out of the studio and armed with the inspiration to hit the stage, the quintet began rehearsals and subsequently launched into a string of live dates in their Southern California region, playing venues throughout Los Angeles and San Diego counties. Soon thereafter, For Closure also hit traction on radio in early 2024, with its "Moon at Noon" single declared as the "Coolest Song in the World" by SiriusXM's "Little Steven's Underground Garage" radio show, which provided For Closure incredible exposure to audiences far outside its SoCal locale.

For Closure is now a full-fledged project and plans for more shows and songs are well in the works. While this highly experienced group holds enough musical credentials to fill reams of pages on its collective resume, the grand opening of For Closure has since commenced -- and that offers a chance to write another chapter in the collective musical history of its members.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Carousel
02. Moon at Noon
03. Hazy Mourning
04. No Condition
05. Water Fountain
06. Careful What You Wish For
07. Last Breath
08. Repetitive Motion
09. One More Day
10. Heard It All Before

MARKETING POINTS:

• "Moon at Noon" - "Coolest Song in the World" on Little Steven's Underground Garage on SiriusXM
• West Coast tour November 2024

FOR FANS OF:
Doughboys, Alkaline Trio, Samiam, Lemonheads, Goo Goo Dolls

Instagram | Facebook

Venus Twins "/\/\/\/\/ (Stitching)"

CASSETTE - $7.50
STREET DATE: 11/8/24
CAT#: 31G148
LABEL: Three One G

Twin telepathy is real: "Being twins is definitely an unusual life experience; it seems the only way Venus Twins works is that the only two people in the band have this specific connection to one another." Venus Twins was founded in Denton, TX in the summer of 2018 by Jake (drums) and Matt Derting (bass and vocals). They began writing/recording their first release, Kickass, immediately after inception, followed by a relocation to Brooklyn. Venus Twins' first LP, Eat Your Dogs, accompanied this relocation. The next release was RAXIS, paired with nearly non-stop touring for two years averaging a show every 3.4 days, playing with bands such as Whores., Heavenly Blue, and Pons. Of upcoming release Stitches (visualized as /////), vocalist/bassist Matt explains: "I love sewing and making clothes. Throughout the recording of this EP I was practicing a lot, and it started to feel like a perfect metaphor lyrically." The band is influenced by bands such as Hella, Gilla Band, Machine Girl, JOHNNASCUS, PageNinetyNine, Melt Banana, The Locust, The Mars Volta, and Anthony Green, as well as non-musical artists like Kurt Vonnegut, Andy Kaufman, Robert Eggers, the feeling of constantly being stressed out, and living in NYC.

Stitches was recorded, produced and mixed by Hayden Ticehurst at Studio G in Brooklyn, as well as his personal studio. Mastered by Dan Millice (Hella, A$ap Rocky).

TRACK LISTING:
01. Prelude /////
02. I Just Can't Get Enough!*
03. God Help Me Bury This Fucking Light
04. Stitching
05. It Can't End Like This*

MARKETING POINTS:

• Supporting The Blood Brothers, December 16th - Warsaw, Brooklyn

FOR FANS OF:
Machine Girl, Lightning Bolt, Jeromes Dream, The Locust, Converge

Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube

Harvestman "Triptych: Part Three"

LP - $15.95 / CD - $9.60
LP UPC: 657628448013
CD UPC: 657628448020
STREET DATE: 10/17/24
CAT#: NR132
LABEL: Neurot

At its heart, music has always been a questioning of inheritance – a dialogue with predecessors and forebears, the forging of one’s own perspective in relation to what has come before, and for some, a plunge into the boundless realms between. For Steve Von Till, that process has always taken on an added dimension to become the most sacred of tasks. Whether through the apocalyptic uprising of Neurosis, the sonic deconstructions of their sister project, Tribes of Neurot, the invocatory intimacy of his eponymous solo albums or his instrumental psychedelic reveries in the guise of Harvestman, that dialogue has never just been with musical influences, but with what underpins them: the primordial, elemental forces now banished to the peripheries of our contemporary consciousness, yet still broadcasting a signal for all who will listen.

Drawn to the megaliths, ruins and ancient sites mapped out along the British and European mainland’s geographical and psychic landscapes, the folklore and apocrypha forever resurfacing as portals from a rational world, Triptych is a meditation forged from traces and residues, and an hallucinatory recollection of artists who have tapped into that enduring otherworldliness embedded within us all. It’s a dream diary narrating a passage through Summer Isle where Flying Saucer Attack are wafting out of a window, a distant Fairport Convention are being remixed by dub master Adrian Sherwood, celestial scanners Tangerine Dream are trying to drown out Bert Jansch and Hawkwind are playing Steeleye Span covers, all prised out of time yet bound to its singularity.

Woven together from home studio recordings that span two decades, and with some notable guest appearances including; The Bug, Douglas Leal of Deafkids, Wayne Adams of Petbrick, Dave French of Yob and Sanford Parker, this final part of the Harvestman Triptych seeks once again for a lost world, with the voice of poet Ezra Pound extolling the virtues of "gather[ing] from the air a live tradition". Elsewhere, "Herne's Oak" provides seismic bass waves that physically halt the track in its steps - giant footfalls as Herne's antlers themselves are dragged along a corridor. Another curious and mysterious piece of British folklore brought to life by Harvestman.

If Triptych is a multi- and extra-sensory experience, it extends to the remarkable glyph-style artwork of Henry Hablak, a map of correspondences from a long-forgotten ancient and advanced civilization. As with Triptych itself, it’s an echo from another time, an act of binding, a guide to be endlessly reinterpreted, and a signpost to the sacred that might not indicate where to look, but how.

Cover art is by Henry Hablak, who also designed the art for Part One and Part Two.

Part Three will be coming on October 17th's Hunter Moon.

Part One was released on the Pink Moon on 23rd April and Part Two was released on 21st July's Buck Moon.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Clouds Are Relatives
02. Snow Spirits
03. Eye the Unconquered Flame
04. Clouds are Relatives (The Bug - 'Amtrak Dub Mix')
05. The Absolute Nature of Light
06. Herne’s Oak
07. Cumha Uisdean (Lament for Hugh)

MARKETING POINTS:

• Features Steve Von Till of Neurosis
• 5th Harvestman album
• Part three of a three-part series with each releasing on a full moon

FOR FANS OF:
Steve Von Till, Neurosis, Wovenhand, Converge

As Friends Rust "Lightless"

LP - $17.25
STREET DATE: 11/1/24
CAT#: EH099
LABEL: End Hits

The 'Lightless' EP sees AS FRIENDS RUST confronting existential and cosmic loneliness with intensity, imagination and, of course, hooks. Picking up where 2023's Any Joy LP left off, and now joined permanently by bassist Andrew Seward (Against Me!), the band presents five urgent rockers that rage through both inner and outer space, leaving only earworms in their wake.

Writing for Lightless began immediately upon the band's return from their tour of Europe in support of 2023's Any Joy LP. Picking up where the album left off, the Lightless EP is a massive, catchy work focusing largely on cosmic loneliness - a theme echoed in its airbrushed, 70s/80s sci-fi artwork. The EP was mixed by long-time collaborator James Paul Wisner (Further Seems Forever, Paramore, Dashboard Confessional), and mastered by Will Killingsworth at Dead Air, and will be released on November 1st, just days ahead of the band's tour supporting QUICKSAND and HOT WATER MUSIC.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Skimming
02. The Full Armor
03. Lightless
04. Scene Report
05. Lost In Space

MARKETING POINTS:

• On tour with Hot Water Music and Quicksand this Fall
• Mixed by long-time collaborator James Paul Wisner (Further Seems Forever, Paramore, Dashboard Confessional)
• Mastered by Will Killingsworth at Dead Air

FOR FANS OF:
Hot Water Music, Quicksand

Planes Mistaken For Stars "Do You Still Love Me?"

LP - $18.15 / DELUXE CD - 17.25
LP UPC: 791689665580
INDIE LP UPC: 641956287116
DELUXE CD UPC: 791689665597
STREET DATE: 11/1/24
CAT#: DW229
LABEL: Deathwish Inc.

A harrowing document of life, death and transcendence, Do You Still Love Me? is the fifth album from Planes Mistaken for Stars (PMFS), the band’s second outing for Deathwish Inc. and first new music since 2016. It is also the first PMFS release since the death of frontman Gared O’Donnell, whose cancer diagnosis loomed heavily over the recording and whose ghost guided the mix. Chemo and radiation would not stop him from making this masterpiece, in which the band finds itself reeling from the gut-wrenching horrors of their leader’s unimaginable absence.

Written in Peoria amidst the forced isolation of a global pandemic and recorded by Sanford Parker in Chicago, these thirteen songs burn the ears to listen. Album opener “Matthew is Dead” wastes no time with niceties as Planes mourns the 2017 death of founding guitarist Matt Bellinger — Gared’s throat-shredded rasp seethes as if taunting himself: You’re dead, you’re dead, you’re dead— guttural human screams unbottled and broken glass shattered as transcendental meditation and musical catharsis, for band and listener alike. These acute and raw moments are found throughout the record, audible wounds you can hear, see, taste and almost touch. We’ve only got the night, as Gared knew and preached and lived. Just one last drink, shall we begin?

Do You Still Love Me? carries forward Planes’ natural evolution beyond post-hardcore and metal-tinged rock n’ roll, unveiling new layers with each listen. Intertwined vocals and infectious melodies simmer beneath the surface and occasionally boil over, shards of guitar strike like lightning as the rhythm section pounds its marching orders. Whether pummeling mercilessly or tenderly relenting, Do You Still Love Me? shows a band unafraid to lose itself in the musical maelstrom. I don’t have the shakes, the shakes have me — it’s not an easy listen, yet offers immense rewards with time, alchemizing a unique beauty from the pain and tragedy of its creation. It’s an emotional bloodletting for Planes and their extended family around the world, a collective primal scream of coping with life and last breaths, and eternal proof that death is truly not the end.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Matthew is Dead
02. Fix Me
03. Further
04. The Arrow
05. Modern Logic
06. Punch the Gauge
07. Do You Still Love Me? No1
08. Run Rabbit Run
09. Peace
10. Put Your Heart on the Fire
11. The Calming
12. In Hell
13. Do You Still Love Me? No2

MARKETING POINTS:

• The final studio album for the band as vocalist/songwriter Gared O’Donnell passed away before the album was complete
• Produced by Sanford Parker (YOB, Voivod, eyehatecod)
• Full service PR by Stephanie Marlow (Converge, Deafheaven)

FOR FANS OF:
Against Me, Rise Against, Texas Is The Reason

Official Site | Instagram

Loose Choir "Shy Side"

LP - $15.30
STREET DATE: 11/1/24
CAT#: PRO-098
LABEL: Protagonist Music

Sacramento, California's Loose Choir bend the trends of indie/alt-rock with punchy punk flourishes and moody folk earholes, the result of which is a blast of nostalgia and new noise in equal measure. Formed in 2022 by Rae Boys (vocals), Tatton White (guitar, bass) and Noah G. Prado (drums), the band took their time fleshing out the songs that comprise Shy Side, their debut full-length. The patience paid off, as Loose Choir's collaborative strengths yielded a formidable collection of arresting tracks brimming with poise and urgency.

Thriving in the aural limbo between alt-folk and the often urgent sonic real estate of guitar-forward mid-'00s underground rock, Loose Choir vacillates its dynamism to startling results. Boys' affecting vocals slice like sunrise over a rough sea; the tandem of Prado and White's well-rounded chemistry--having performed for years in Northern California punk band The Red Robot--pushes and pulls the songs' bones apart to lay bare their emotive underbellies.

Recorded by Chris Keene (Surrogate, Saves the Day, Emery, live guitar for Loose Choir) at his Chico, CA studio, Shy Side embodies the saccharine sentiments of romantic misdirection and the language of longing into a fiery, guitar-forward maelstrom that will all but require repeated listens.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Sun On Sea
02. Path
03. Santiago
04. Waves + Existence
05. Patinadora
06. Wait On
07. Shadow Hum
08. Spell Of Self
09. Hope I'm Not Wrong

MARKETING POINTS:

• Featuring members of Saves the Day, The Velvet Teen, Hard Chiller, Emery
• Mastered for vinyl by James Plotkin (Botch, Cloud Nothings, Aimee Mann)

FOR FANS OF:
Land of Talk, The Cranberries, Swervedriver, The Anniversary

Leaving Time "Angel In The Sand"

LP - $17.90
LP UPC: 843563181218
STREET DATE: 11/1/2024
CAT#: SDR-128
LABEL: Sunday Drive

"Angel In The Sand" illustrates a virtue, having failed or fallen to the ground--and rather than just noting 'the ground', 'sand' is used instead, suggesting the terrain of beaches in Leaving Time's hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. On their debut LP, the Jacksonville band expresses this image throughout the ten tracks. Lyrically, vocalist Reed Cothren details sorrow, regret, and loss, with each word reinforced by the vast and dark sounds of distorted guitars, heavy cymbals and drums, and melodic leads.

Since 2020, Leaving Time has created a distinct sound in the alternative rock realm, heard on their self-titled EP, and again on their 2022 follow-up, "II". The band plays incredibly heavy both in recordings and live settings. With a foundation in hardcore bands, their attitude and expression transfer perfectly to this setting. Like their previous recordings, Leaving Time returned to local Florida engineer John Howard (Magnitude, Ecostrike) for their LP, primarily written throughout 2023. With the support of new master engineer Zac Montez (Cloakroom, Turnover, Nothing), this collection of songs sounds massive. The intro track builds a tense feeling with minimal guitar leads and heavy bass with toms. Later songs continue building on this feeling, like the explosive single, "Arm's Length". The flow of the songs allows listeners to reach these pressure release moments, like in "Waiting," where drummer Jarod Whalen plays a mournful piano outro paired with an acoustic guitar. Small moments like these contrast the heaviness of the songs, showcasing Leaving Time's dynamic songwriting.

With the heaviness portrayed on "Angel In The Sand," the band closes with the song "And On," about acknowledging pain but moving on. It's not purely optimistic, but it again has a dynamic of contrasting emotions, brushed with dense yet beautiful sounds and melodies.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Fading
02. Choke
03. Only Forever
04. Wish
05. Arm’s Length
06. Angel In the Sand
07. Burn
08. Untitled
09. Waiting
10. And On

MARKETING POINTS:

• Debut LP from Leaving Time
• Upcoming tour with Glare in November
• Vinyl is housed in a DJ sleeve insert, with full-color, matte-varnish jacket

FOR FANS OF:
Hum, Smashing Pumpkins, Sunny Day Real Estate

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Fórn "Repercussions Of The Self"

LP - $17.25 / CASSETTE - $7.00
LP UPC: 765464057181
STREET DATE: 10/25/24
CAT#: VIS019
LABEL: Persistent Vision

Pioneers of "funeral sludge," FÓRN have been favorites of the metal underground since their formation over ten years ago. Kim Kelly, writing for SPIN in 2015, stated: "Rarely does a debut album spring forth from the womb so fully-formed and vital as Fórn's The Departure of Consciousness... The album's six, tense, foreboding compositions take their cues from Thou's poisonous sludge and funeral doom's lightless melancholia in equal measure, and come punctuated by sparse, blood-curdling howls... This album drags listeners into the utter depths of despair then leaves them there, alone, as the last light winks out."

Releasing music via labels such as Gilead Media, including a split with Yautja, the band went dark shortly after touring in support of its 2018 album, Rites of Despair. With a series of major events occurring in the personal lives of the band members -- births, deaths, and relocations across four states and two countries -- and with the COVID pandemic disrupting society as a whole, the years after Rites of Despair would serve as a crucial pause and reset, leading to the radical rebirth that is "Repercussions of the Self".

"Repercussions of the Self", Fórn's first new musical creation since 2018, bursts through the speakers with god-tier grandeur, mixing the downtuned sludge epics the band is known for, with a new, industrial, electronic dimension.

Notably, the album features Lane Shi Otayonii (Elizabeth Colour Wheel) contributing vocals and electronics across all its six tracks. A past collaborator, Otayonii makes her debut here as a full-fledged contributing member of Fórn.

"Repercussions of the Self" was engineered and mixed by Kevin Bernsten at Developing Nations in Baltimore, Maryland and mastered by James Plotkin at Plotkinworks. The artwork is a collaboration between Alexander L. Brown and Devin Toye.

Vinyl comes packaged in a full color jacket with a printed inner sleeve.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Pact of Forgetting
02. Soul Shadow
03. Hela's Choir
04. Anamnesis
05. Regrets Abyss
06. Dreams of the Blood

MARKETING POINTS:

• Engineered by Keven Bernsten at Developing Nations (Full of Hell) with mastering by James Plotkin (Khanate)
• Features new member Lane Shi Otayonii (Elizabeth Colour Wheel) contributing additional vocals and electronics across all tracks
• PR Campaign by Curran Reynolds at The Chain PR (The Red Chord, Chat Pile)

FOR FANS OF:
Thou, Bell Witch, Noothgrush, Grief

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Various Artists "Fest 22 Compilation"

LP - $17.25
LP UPC: 724399772668
STREET DATE: 10/25/24
CAT#: IOD-77
LABEL: Iodine

In celebration of the 22nd annual FEST in Gainesville, FL, Sell The Heart Records have partnered with Iodine Recordings to produce a new FEST compilation (the 3rd edition) featuring 15 artists performing at this year's event. The diverse lineup features bands from all across the festival lineup, including some exclusive tracks from the likes of: Candy Hearts, Apes of the State, The Dopamines, The Raging Nathans, Teens in Trouble, Sleave, Rad Owl, Rebuilder, Best Ex, Omnigone and more.

TRACK LISTING:
01. The Dopamines - Save Your Beers
02. Rad Owl - Funny Papers
03. Apes of the State - Toothache (Live)
04. Crossed Keys - Notebooks (Hope For The Hopeless)
05. Teens In Trouble - Brave (Live)
06. Bear Away - Gimme All Your Loathin'
07. Candy Hearts - What You Want
08. Rebuilder - Malcolm, Go
09. Spells (featuring Stephanie Byrne) - Don't Tell Me Anything
10. The Raging Nathans - Gone But Not Forgotten
11. Sleave - In Escrow
12. Porch Coffin - Makes You Cool
13. Tiny Stills - Getting Good At Feeling Nothing
14. Omnigone - Division
15. Best Ex - Cut Me Out

MARKETING POINTS:

• Limited one time pressing
• Featuring rare or unreleased tracks from 15 bands performing at FEST 22
• Benefit for Feed The Scene

FOR FANS OF:
Rebuilder, Best Ex, Candy Hearts

Squint "Big Hand"

LP - $17.25
LP UPC: 843563179451
STREET DATE: 10/25/24
CAT#: SDR-124
LABEL: Sunday Drive

Big Hand--in reference to the constant moving of time on a clock--can gather a sense of anxiety, excitement, hope and hopelessness. In a more literal sense, a big hand can pack a punch, swell, break and recover. The St. Louis hardcore-punk band, Squint render their perspective through their debut album, Big Hand, by a summation of decades of influences of punk, hardcore, alternative and art-rock. With the collaboration of producer Jon Markson (Samiam, Drain, The Story So Far) and much touring, Squint has developed their sound & presence to their fullest potential.

A track like "Sunshine" demonstrates Squint's core identity--fuzzy hardcore with a catchy melody inspired by mid-late 80s punk/hardcore like Rites of Spring, Hüsker Dü and Black Flag--however, Squint dive much further into the well of 90s alternative rock with songs like "Magic" and "Half Asleep" which pull in many cues from bands like Pixies to Third Eye Blind and Everclear. Building on top of the Squint's ringing guitar melodies, they've crafted larger choruses than before, while still staying true to their core. Lyrically, vocalist Brennan Wilkinson poetically exhibits his frustrations with time and growth while facing obstacles that result in getting stuck in the same routines--it's a constant push and pull of progression and regression. Wilkinson's distinctive voice is shouted on each song, expressed in angst, but also hope. In the closing, self-titled track, "Big Hand", Squint builds on a slow tempo to fast hook, and lyrics shift from a sense of emptiness to an aspiration to take back control of time--or the Big Hand.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Lesson Learned
02. Sunshine
03. Magic
04. Half Asleep
05. Well Wisher
06. Pack Rat
07. Crawl Back
08. Grace
09. Golden State
10. Big Hand

MARKETING POINTS:

• Produced by Jon Markson (Samiam, Drain, The Story So Far)
• Debut LP from Squint
• Upcoming EU tour with Feverchild this fall

FOR FANS OF:
Hüsker Dü, Pixies, Third Eye Blind, Drug Church

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Grief Mop "You Were Right Here But So Far Away"

CD - $8.00
STREET DATE: 10/18/24
CAT#: SDR-131
LABEL: Sunday Drive

Written over the last couple of years, "You Were Right Here But So Far Away" marks the first studio recordings from songwriter Joseph Lacy (The Record Play, Transit). With friends sharing co-production credits, the debut EP came to life and was initially released in the summer of 2024. The songs are heavy yet beautiful, blending influences of emo and alternative rock from bands like Starflyer 59, The Appleseed Cast, The Gloria Record, and Elliott. Thematically, the four songs explore grief, memories, and dread that come from losing a loved one. Lacy dedicates "Spider ring (song for tim)" to his late, beloved friend and musician, Tim Landers. "You Were Right Here But So Far Away" is now being reissued on Sunday Drive Records this fall. The band has expanded to a full lineup, (ft. members of Infernal Diatribe: Brandon Lamontagne, Matthew Heath, Chris Mathews) begun playing their first live shows, and started writing their next record.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Iwishiwas
02. Spider ring (song for tim)
03. Intro
04. Fortynine

MARKETING POINTS:

• Featuring members of Transit and Infernal Diatribe

FOR FANS OF:
The Appleseed Cast, Starflyer 59, Elliott

Instagram

"Cut & Paste: The American Hardcore Fanzine" by Patrick Kitzel

BOOK - $31.90
ISBN: 979-8-9868736-3-3
STREET DATE: 10/18/24
CAT#: UNDERWELT02
LABEL: Unterwelt Books / Tribal Publishing

From the early fanzines covering the pioneering bands of our scene to the staples that established the classic feel of the American Hardcore Fanzine and everything in between. Presenting a visual collection of over four hundred fanzines accompanied by distinguished Fanzine creators such as Al Quint - Suburban Voice, Hud - Flipside. Kent McClard - Heartattack, Tim McMahon - Common Cause, Mike Gitter - XXX, Fred Hammer - It’s Alive, Chris Daily - Smorgasbord, Porcell - Schism, and Brett Beach - Hardware, to name a few. Cut & Paste offers a diverse range, both visually and in terms of the individuals featured, which will give the novice important insight into our scene and, at the same time, give the ones who have been along for the ride for a while a worthy trip down memory lane. Unterwelt Books follows up its 2023 release of CIV’s “ A Roadies Tale” with another great piece of collected Hardcore history.

MARKETING POINTS:

• Presenting a visual collection of over four hundred fanzines
• accompanied by distinguished Fanzine creators such as Al Quint - Suburban Voice, Hud - Flipside. Kent McClard - Heartattack, Tim McMahon - Common Cause, Mike Gitter - XXX, Fred Hammer - It’s Alive, Chris Daily - Smorgasbord, Porcell - Schism, and Brett Beach - Hardware & more!

Common Wounds "All Night Blood"

LP - $15.95
STREET DATE: 10/18/24
CAT#: PRO-100
LABEL: Protagonist Music

All Night Blood is the anticipated debut full length album from Phoenix Arizona's thunderous quartet, Common Wounds. Expect an emotionally charged, down-tuned homage to the music that built the foundation of their youth, building through well-crafted and expertly recorded songs that were meant to be heard at high volume. Containing nine post-hardcore statements that draw heavy elements of noise rock, emocore, and grunge, All Night Blood is punctuated by driving riffs, heavy percussion, and forays into melody which are accentuated by passionate, gritty, and often anthemic vocals. The lyrical themes of the album examine hope and hopelessness, struggles with mental health, relationships, and the societal and economic systems that are constantly bleeding us dry. With meticulous attention to the sonic experience, All Night Blood was recorded and co-produced by Zachary Rippy (Gatecreeper, Cave In), mixed by Scott Evans (Great Falls, Sumac), and mastered by Carl Saff (Unsane, Sonic Youth).

TRACK LISTING:
01. Cognition
02. Broken Hands
03. Vainglory
04. Mile Marker
05. All Night Blood
06. Parochial
07. Lost Voices
08. So It Goes
09. The Diplomat

MARKETING POINTS:

• Packaged in beautiful Reverse-Board Covers, and includes a bonus Postcard Set.
• Three different vinyl colorways including 2 metallic options and a limited black w/color stripe.
• Members of Run With The Hunted, Suicide Nation, War Tongue, Landmine Marathon.
• Co-produced by Zachary Rippy (Gatecreeper, Cave In) at Sound Signal.
• Mixed by Scott Evans (Great Falls, Sumac).
• Mastered by Carl Saff (Unsane, Sonic Youth).

FOR FANS OF:
Unwound, Young Widows, Exhalants, Love Letter, Whores, Red Hare, Chat Pile

Resting on Pretty "Dragwave"

CASSETTE - $6.50
STREET DATE: 10/11/24
CAT#: PRO-102
LABEL: Protagonist Music

Jenn X and Emma Geddon initially met via social media in late 2022 and became instant sisters, bonding over their mutual love of drag and dark music. Only a few days into their budding friendship, Emma offhandedly tossed out the idea of starting a project together that would combine these two creative pursuits. And, as fate would have it, Jenn was already yearning for the exact same thing. Despite living at opposite ends of California, the two goth queens began writing songs in 2023. They quickly discovered they possessed a rare and highly coveted level of musical synergy. They’d already completed rough mixes of their first two songs before even having the chance to meet in person for the first time.

With the release of their debut EP, “Dragwave,” Resting on Pretty has set out to not only craft songs listeners can lose themselves to on the dance floor but also to serve as a lyrical haven for the beauty and unwavering power of drag and queerness. Anyone who has ever felt like they didn’t fit in with the normative world are invited to live and slay and sing with Resting on Pretty. And this is only the beginning of so much more to come...

TRACK LISTING:
01. Nightmares in Black Lace
02. Fierce Claws
03. (An)nihilist
04. V.A.M.P.
05. We Got Gutz
06. Here Comes the Rain Again

FOR FANS OF: Boy Harsher, Q Lazzarus, Drab Majesty, Skinny Puppy, Antarctica

HELP "Courage"

LP - $17.25
LP UPC: 667758960996
STREET DATE: 10/11/24
CAT#: 31G143
LABEL: Three One G

Portland's Help is the frenzied sound of a broken and collapsing society. In a world beset with anti-human reactions to daily struggles, Help responds with ways to dismantle evil machines and systems. It is this pro-human mindset that brought Help band-mates Ryan Neighbors (Guitar/vocals), Morty (bass), and Bim Ditson (drums) together. All three had spent the last decade or so in other, perhaps more restrained, bands: Ditson with grinding indie rockers And And And, Neighbors with alt-pop dynamos Portugal. The Man and with his electronic project Hustle and Drone. With Help, they are retrieving punk roots each member had put down in their teens. They are ripping the seams back open to see what's really inside. "Everyone is angry," says Neighbors, "Make some art about it." Help is the band Portland needs right now. Fuck it, it's the band the whole world could use a heavy dose of if we want to climb out of the dark ages of greed and into the next century of mutual aid and collaborative self-directed communities of creativity.

Help's new EP "Courage" is centered around heartbreak and pain. Progress as a series of fresh new hells. Hoping that it is better to be in love than to be right, while enduring the apparent absence of both love and coherence in American culture. The short version of the story of this record is that both Ryan and Bim's lives were exploding and falling apart. Okay, okay, it's a breakup album. Their vulnerability in these songs became necessary for their survival. Though deeply personal, these songs are meant as an invitation for others to feel and hurt freely. After all, this may be one of the last freedoms we get to enjoy in this crumbled world. Courage. In the face of hopelessness, in the face of everyone pretending anything is fine, in the face of the end of things meant to last and last. Courage. For the band, Courage is a step towards a broader sound and an experiment in honesty over security. The upcoming vinyl release from Three One G Records also includes the band's debut self-titled EP. Their focus in all they do: Remove fear from decision making. Act in defiant joy. Refuse to dominate others. Do not hoard the gifts of the universe. Remember: the future is uncertain. Ends don't justify means. Solidarity now. If the goal is growth, success is an ending. War and love are forms of death. This record is an example of the destructive nature of growth: on the planet, on the human spirit, on our ability to hold on.

A note from the band about the EP: "As much as we feel like Courage is a cohesive piece of music and stands alone, we wanted to give fans more bang for their buck and a more complete listening experience. We decided to press our self-titled EP, Help (released in 2019), on side B of the vinyl as well as make these songs bonus tracks on the digital release. The songs we wrote in 2019 still mean just as much to us as these new songs, our lives were just breaking in different ways, and they will be next time around too."

TRACK LISTING:
01. The Consequence
02. Black Cloud
03. Courage
04. Fresh New Hell
05. Claustrophobic Nightmare
06. Feel So Alive (Do You Have To)
07. Help
08. Devil is a Snake
09. Pennies on the Ground
10. Staying Awake
11. Skeletons
12. Class War Now

MARKETING POINTS:

• Produced by Sonny DiPerri (Portugal. The Man, Animal Collective, Protomartyr, Emma Ruth Rundle)
• Vinyl features bonus tracks

FOR FANS OF:
Chat Pile, Shellac, Idles

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Onelinedrawing “Scan Anxiety”

7"EP - $7.00
7"EP UPC: 724399772651
STREET DATE: 10/11/24
CAT#: IOD-76
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

Jonah Matranga has been making music for over 30 years. A prolific artist, he has become an enduring institution in the scene with a devoted fan base, rich lineage, and varied career that has straddled the line between the underground and mainstream.

Jonah has always written from the heart and performed in an intimate way that few others have accomplished. This is most apparent in Jonah’s solo and collaborative project Onelinedrawing. “Scan Anxiety was written for someone in a desperate situation. I don't know what Chinese Satellites was written about, but it feels similar somehow. If these songs find you feeling overwhelmed and help you through to a more serene place, that's what they were meant to do.” Scan Anxiety features the original song of the same name and a cover of Chinese Satellite by Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst with artwork by Kevin of 7 Seconds.

"I've loved making unique recordings for decades now, and that's how Scan Anxiety started. Some people were putting together a collection of songs for their friend who was going through cancer, and they asked me to be part of it … I just fell in love with the song, and wanted it in the world one way or another. Even though it was written about someone else's story, it became really personal for me. Chinese Satellite started as a unique recording too, it's just a gorgeous tune with a haunting lyric. I'll sing any song like that forever, whether I wrote it or not. I hope that Phoebe, Conor, and Marshall dig it."

TRACK LISTING:
01. Scan Anxiety
02. Chinese Satellite

MARKETING POINTS:

• Two new recordings by Jonah Matranga of FAR, New End Original and Gratitude
• Features a cover of 'Chinese Satellite' by Phoebe Bridgers
• Original artwork by Kevin of 7 Seconds

FOR FANS OF:
Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, Iron & Wine, The Decemberists

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Life Abuse “Systematization”

LP - $14.65
STREET DATE: 10/4/24
CAT#: AL-055
LABEL: Armageddon Label

Life Abuse is a new band based primarily in Albany, NY. Its list of xmembers of could easily be described as a "super group". Boasting past members of Self Defense Family, The Oath, Male Patterns, Under Attack, Devoid of Faith, Libyans, End of A Year, and LIMPWRIST, just to name a few from the seemingly endless list. However, it really boiled down to Mark Telfian and Dan Barker wanting to reconnect and play music together again. They had last played together in 2004 when their band at the time DEATHSQUAD broke up.

DEATHSQUAD formed in 2001 and they released a 7" on Youth Attack Records in 2003 and a second 7" on Bonus Choke in 2004. They kicked around the idea of trying to do some type of project together since Telfian had gotten back into playing music in 2018 with Under Attack. Since Mark had moved to Richmond, VA the idea of doing a band from that distance seemed unfeasible.

They figured the closest they would come to playing together was having their bands Male Patterns and Under Attack do a split 7", which came out in June of 2022 on Shock to the System Records. In October of 2022 Under Attack broke up and Telfian was trying to figure out what to do and who to play with. Since he had started playing music again he always gravitated back to playing music more inline with DEATHSQUAD. He had written about a dozen songs that he felt were in that same style. After sending a few songs for Barker to check out they decided to start playing music again almost 20 years later.

As fate would have it, Barker had run into Sean Doody at a Male Patterns show. This was in fact the record release show for the Male Patterns/ Under Attack split. They had talked for a bit and gotten caught up. Doody had moved away from Albany for a few years and had stopped playing music for a while. Dan immediately suggested getting Sean as he too was very into playing that style of music and wasn't currently playing in a band. The final member was long time friend Nate Wilson. Wilson had played in various Albany bands with every other member of Life Abuse including DEATHSQUAD with Telfian and Barker. Their idea was simple, play Euro-style Crust in the vein of such epic bands like No Security, G-ANX, and ABC Diabolo while blending Telfian's Negative Approach influenced riffs and a hint of early Megadeth. Nate brought a metallic edge to everything with his lead work and solos. The end result was old friends making the most brutal music they could in what seems to be the most brutal times.

A new brutal hardcore band from the New York's Capital District featuring x members of Self Defense Family , The Oath , Malte Patterns, Under Attack, The End of A Year, Devoid of Faith, Libyans , and Limp Wrist just to name a few.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Life Cycle
02. Systematization
03. Poisoned Chalice
04. Threnody
05. Strategy of Tension
06. Reconciliation
07 .Chosen Path
08. Failure By Design
09 Give Rise
10. No Perspective

FOR FANS OF:
Limp Wrist, Born Against, Lifes Blood, The Oath

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Lowen "Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran"

LP - $19.40 / CD - $9.60
STREET DATE: 10/4/24
CAT#: CRR228
LABEL: Chuch Road

Lowen is a London based Middle Eastern progressive doom band comprised of Nina Saeidi on vocals, daf, santoor and more, as well as Shem Lucas on guitar, alongside Cal Constantine on drums and Richard Stevenson on bass when playing live.

The band mainly focuses on the displaced identity of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Nina Saeidi, who lives in permanent exile from Iran. A country where playing metal is illegal and women singing unaccompanied risk execution.

The ancient world, its art and languages, form a backdrop for an exploration of the pain and longing of the diasporically dispossessed in her mournful wails and use of traditional tahrir vocals unique to Iran.

In 2023 Lowen played shows across the UK including Desertfest, Doomlines, Masters of the Riff, Uprising Festival and recently as a support for Conan in London. In 2024 they will be playing Warhorns Festival, Brighton Doomsday and are accompanying Green Lung on a 6 date UK and Ireland tour in May.

Their debut album "A Crypt in the Stars" was released in 2018 and in 2021 they released a live and improvised acoustic EP entitled "Unceasing Lamentations", which was sung in Sumerian and Akkadian.

TRACK LISTING:

1. Corruption on Earth
2. Najang Bah Divhayeh Mazandaran
3. Waging War Against God
4. The Seed That Dreamed Of Its Own Creation
5. May Your Ghost Drink Pure Water
6. Ghazal For The Embrace Of Fire

FOR FANS OF: Bolt Thrower, Dead Can Dance, Baroness

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