The Arrival Note "Home Is So Far From Here"

LP - $17.50
STREET DATE: 12/6/24
CAT#: SDR-126
LABEL: Sunday Drive

Tampa, Florida's music scene is flourishing with new bands and packed local shows. Armageddon Records is at the forefront, releasing music and booking shows for touring and local acts alike. Josh Howell, who runs Armageddon, has also been leading The Arrival Note for the past couple of years. The band now presents their debut LP.

Since 2023, The Arrival Note has solidified their lineup with D'Angelo Casanas (Sugar Coat), Kyle Weidner, and Bayly Branson (Contention, Dogmatic). The group first appeared on last year's split 7" with Painful Choice and Sugar Coat, which hinted at their post-hardcore and emo blend.

On "…Home Is So Far From Here," the band refines this sound, creating something unique that draws from decades of genre influences. The opener and "Astronaut" feature heavier riffs reminiscent of Shift or Jawbreaker, while "Loveletter (For You)" and the outro "Chasing Powerlines" slow down with a softer sound, echoing bands like Mineral or Penfold.

The Arrival Note also collaborates on a few songs featuring friends from their local scene. Justin Ramone of Glazed and Travis Lowe of Postdrome contribute vocals on several tracks, while Howell's wife, Jaden, harmonizes on "Loveletter."

In 2024, The Arrival Note crafts post-hardcore/emo-inspired songs that honor the genre's roots without rehashing old sounds. "…Home Is So Far From Here" is contemporary and dynamic, offering an intriguing perspective on the genre's evolution and The Arrival Note's future direction.

TRACK LISTING:
01. All In A Lifetime
02. World Moves On (Feat. Postrome)
03. Shine
04. Astronaut
05. Based On A True Story
06. XOXO
07. Loveletter (For You)
08. Back To The Start (Feat. Glazed)
09. Interlude
10. Chasing Powerlines

MARKETING POINTS:

• Featuring members of Contention

FOR FANS OF:
Texas is the Reason, Braid, Sense Field

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Secret World "Guilt Is Good"

7"EP - $8.00
STREET DATE: 12/6/24
CAT#: SDR-129
LABEL: Sunday Drive

Secret World is a group of friends from Sydney, Australia. With members who've played in bands like Speed, Trophy Eyes, and Downside, Secret World formed to scratch the itch for more melodic punk music. Their initial demo, released in 2023 on Last Ride Records, offered a taste of their heavy melodies and abrasive riffs and vocals. In 2024, Secret World is releasing their debut EP "Guilt Is Good" on Last Ride Records, with Sunday Drive Records in America.

Producer Fletcher Matthews joins new members James Watroba, Adrian Kelly, and Dennis Vichidvongsa to expand on the demo's sound, crafting bigger hooks perfect for singing along and piling on. The lead singles "Living Less" and "The Way It Goes" showcase this evolution, with the latter accompanied by a music video capturing the group in their hometown. "On Show" and "Silhouette" offer a heavier, darker mid-tempo sound. Though concise at four tracks, Secret World creates a dynamic EP, building on post-hardcore sounds reminiscent of Seaweed, Fugazi, and Quicksand, while adding their own alternative rock 'n' roll flair.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Living Less
02. On Show
03. Silhouette
04. The Way It Goes

MARKETING POINTS:

• Featuring members of SPEED, Trophy Eyes
• Co-released in Australia with Last Ride Records

FOR FANS OF:
Fugazi, Drug Church, Seaweed

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Lockslip "Lockslip"

12" EP - $14.65
STREET DATE: November 29, 2024
CAT#: PRO-104
LABEL: Protagonist Music

Lockslip is the crushing self-titled debut EP from the Los Angeles metallic hardcore outfit. Forming in late 2022 and self-producing/self-releasing the EP in January 2024, the band turned heads quickly with this 14-minute display of chaos. With punishing breakdowns that any hardcore fan would enjoy, as well as plenty of complex mathy bits, this feels less like the debut release of a brand-new band, and more like an intentional and polished group looking ahead to the future. These 4 songs tell the story of being fed up with the status quo, and of expressing a deep inner turmoil through feedback-laden anguish. The EP was produced and mixed by drummer Noah Baxter at Dichotic Studios, mastered digitally by Brian Skipworth at Skipwave Sound, and remastered for vinyl by Nick Townsend at Townsend Mastering.

Featuring members of notable acts such as Entry, Auteur, Mom and the Mailman, and Decoybody. Pressed on 1-sided 12-inch vinyl with a screen-printed design on the B-side. Cover and screen-print artwork by James Hutton. Band logo art by Preston Weippert.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Guillotine Blueprint
02. Bend
03. Evildoer
04. Payment

MARKETING POINTS:

• Members of Entry, Auteur, Mom and the Mailman, and Decoybody.

FOR FANS OF:
Cult Leader, The Red Chord, Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge

Hidden Mothers "Erosion / Avulsion"

LP - $19.40 / CD - $9.60
STREET DATE: 11/29/24
CAT#: CRR220
LABEL: Church Road

Hidden Mothers is a progressive post-hardcore band from Sheffield, UK. Despite so far only releasing a single (2019's 'The Longest Journey Yet') and a three-track self-titled EP in 2020, Hidden Mothers have generated quite a reputation in the UK music scene, with sold out headline shows across the UK.

Their long awaited debut album 'Erosion/Avulsion' is a record that features all the blast beats, driving riffs and impassioned screaming that Hidden Mothers have come to be known for, but is also drenched in atmosphere, haunting melody, and delicate emotion, thanks in no small part to Luke Scrivens' potent lyricism and his Jeff Buckley-esque singing voice. It may have taken a while to get here, but Hidden Mothers 2.0 will not disappoint.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Defanged
02. Death Curl
03. Still Sickness
04. Caton Green
05. The Grey
06. Grandfather
07. Violet Sun
08. Haze

FOR FANS OF:
Holy Fawn, Birds In Row, Thrice, Converge, Oathbreaker, Envy

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State Faults "Clairvoyant"

LP - $17.25
LP UPC: 724399772644
STREET DATE: 11/22/24
CAT#: IOD-01 LABEL: Iodine Recordings

State Faults is a post-hardcore band from Northern California. Formed in early 2010, the group immediately began writing and recording music for what would become their debut EP, Head In The Clouds. The EP quickly spread through word of mouth and the band began to cultivate a devoted following.

In April of 2012 State Faults signed to North Carolina based indie label Tiny Engines and released their first full length record Desolate Peaks. After touring on the strength of the LP for the better part of a year, the band began preparing new material for their follow up record. They were picked up by No Sleep Records in 2013 and immediately entered the studio with bay area producer Jack Shirley to work on their sophomore LP Resonate/Desperate which they would release following their first full U.S. tour.

Two years after touring on the success of Resonate/Desperate with bands including The Saddest Landscape, State Faults entered a hiatus in 2015. Over the next four years, they would begin quietly compiling music for their third record. In January of 2019 the band returned to The Atomic Garden Studios with producer Jack Shirley and completed work on this their third LP, Clairvoyant.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Dreamcatcher, Pt. II
02. Planetary
03. Moon Sign Gemini
04. Sacrament
05. Olive Tree
06. Sleeplessness
07. Clairvoyant
08. Baptism
09. Funeral Teeth
10. Contaminature
11. Cemetery Lights

MARKETING POINTS:

• Recorded with Jack Shirley at the atomic garden
• Limited Red 180 gram vinyl

FOR FANS OF:
Birds In Row, Caspian, Deafheaven

Official Site | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

Gatherers "Massalette/Sick, Sad Heart"

7" EP - $7.00
LP UPC: 724399772705
STREET DATE: 11/22/24
CAT#: IOD-X02
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

Brazen in their delivery of raw expression and brutally honest, Gatherers have never been a band that shy away from exposing weakness and vulnerability in their music and in their unbridled lyricism that has always driven the band's emotional core.

Combined with the ever-impressive songwriting ability that successfully blends hard-hitting melodic hardcore with rock elements and ethereal richly textured atmosphere, Gatherers developed a unique identity for themselves within the scene.

Gatherers still brings to their new EP much a part of this melodic hardcore style that they always did so well, but beyond that, now with a far more deep and cohesive musical experience. Whole though maintaining their familiar abrasive edge, a distinct boost in personal and artistic confidence elevates this effort far above its predecessor, resulting in an extremely emotional experience from beginning to end. Aching and explosives vocals, sad dual guitar parts, stronger production, and a unique song structure contributing much more variety as a result, a constantly surprising and unrelenting in remarkable emotional outpour.

"NJ post-hardcore band Gatherers really swing for the fences on this one. It recalls Deftones and Glassjaw and it’s got the perfect mix of big hooks, harsh aggression, and crystal-clear production needed to really deliver on what Gatherers are going for.” - Brooklyn Vegan

TRACK LISTING:
01. Massalette
02. Sick, Sad Heart

FOR FANS OF:
Glassjaw, Departures, The Cold Harbour

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Mad Honey "DISCORDIA"

CD - $8.75
STREET DATE: 11/22/24
CAT#: DW263
LABEL: Deathwish Inc. / Sunday Drive

Last September, Oklahoma City rock band Mad Honey released their debut record Satellite Aphrodite. In celebration of its one year anniversary, they’re announcing a full-length reimagined album, DISCORDIA.

More often than not, the reworked songs sound like a broken cassette recording of a dream rock group being run through a washing machine, a mangled mess of distorted guitars, crunchy drums and hyper-pop synths laden with fuzz.

“The goal of this project was to make something so far removed from the original recordings,” says Bramlett. “I was really frustrated with all the shit going on in our world right now. The planet is dying, people keep killing each other, and I just wanted to get all that aggression out with the music and make something as crazy as our world feels. The songs were almost entirely recorded within a week’s time, just raw and live spur of the moment takes to really capture that feeling.”

The result is 11 tracks that span a variety of genres. Everything from the fast paced punk tinged “Headspin” and “fuckurself” to the hyper-pop ballads “red room” “when it all goes wrong” and “psych!!” While songs like “SATAPH” “TLS” and “k (the temple of my body” provide ambient hopeful soundscapes, hook heavy tracks like “EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED,” “u” and “HEAVY” showcase the catchy pop melodies of Mad Honey.

TRACK LISTING:
01. SATAPH
02. fuckurself
03. when it all goes wrong
04. red room
05. u
06. EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED
07. psych!!
08. Headspin
09. HEAVY
10. TLS
11. k (the temple of my body)

MARKETING POINTS:

• Reimagined tracks from their debut album "Satellite Aphrodite"
• CD is limited to 300 copies

FOR FANS OF:
My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Mazzy Star

Instagram | TikTok | Twitter

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

Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Linktree

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

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