Innerpartysystem

Division would like to welcome INNERPARTYSYSTEM to the family.

InnerPartySystem are four guys who were reared in the bleak small towns that surround Reading, Pennsylvania. The weathered houses, rusted factories and sprawling farms make this the landscape of true America. These environments are stark and mechanical, and they are pregnant with dark and anxious hope – sentiments that Patrick Nissley, Innerpartysystem’s main songwriter, carries in his writing. Innerpartysystem have a distinctive vision, as their songs incorporate throbbing electronic beats that nod towards Autechre, Chemical Brothers and Squarepusher but also the melodic and aggressive energy that’s not far from that you’d find in Nine Inch Nails, Ministry or even The Killers.

However, don’t be mislead, despite Innerpartysystems’s darker leanings their vision is coiled in music to which you can dance. Not the mindless dance music that one might find saturating the dance clubs today, but rather a sort that is predicated on a release of sharp energy with the most expressive means possible – your own movements on the dance floor. This is what makes Innerpartysystem special. There is a depth to the dance beat. There is a lingering emotion in the lyrics. There is an undeniable energy that will make you move.

Just as any great artist can reveal their minds eye to the listener in a three minute song, Innerpartysystem somehow finds a way to do more – they take your hand, place something important inside it, walk you through the seedy and desolate alleys of their home-town and then they hold the door for you as you gape the dark and familiar. But don’t be afraid, it’s just entertainment.

Elle Milano

Hailing from Brighton these days, Elle Milano originally formed at Leicester De Montfort University in the winter of 2004 and produced their own album released on the 14th April 2008 through Brighton Electric Records.

Produced by the band themselves with the intention of capturing what they call the “’band in a room’ sound” perfected by the Pixies on Surfer Rosa or Nirvana’s In Utero, there’s still an undeniable Englishness to Elle Milano’s ‘Acres Of Dead Space Cadets‘ album, perhaps the result of their self-built studio’s location in a Kent country cottage. It’s impossible not to hear musical and lyrical echoes of acts like The Cure, The Smiths, Blur, PiL (most ostensibly in Crisp’s occasionally Lydon-esque delivery) and even, at times, Madness.

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5IVE score high in NME

5ive.jpg”Epic, precise and intense – in ‘Hesperus’ metal fans have found the album that’ll drop Lemmy to the floor, weeping,” is what the NME say about 5ive’s (no, not that one) new album on Tortuga Records, awarding it a massive 9/10.

Deservedly so…..

Dazed on new Brain Jonestown Massacre LP

anton.jpg‘If you want to re-create the mindstate of BJM’s Anton Newcombe, try this. Find a desert. Get a bottle of mescal. Drink it. Fire up this album. Play it loud. Let the screeching feedback tear a new dimension in your brain. Watch the sun. Run towards it. Naked.’

Don’t smoke it…

Langhorne Slim

Langhorne Slim was born as Sean Scolnick on August 20, 1980. Hailing from Langhorne in Pennsylvania he later moved to New York in search of Blondes and Open Mikes in the Big bad Apple!

And well he did do, having recently sined to New Yorks finest Kemado Records, Langhorne Slim is due to release his self-titled album on April 28th 2008. This will be Langhorne’s first full length release following 2005’s critically acclaimed ‘When The Sun’s Gone Down‘ (Narnack Records), which Harp Magazine proclaimed, “A mad strummer from the heartland, a yelping choirboy looking for love and sexual healing…” A national tour will be announced shortly.

The eponymous release features 13 new tracks, which were recorded at the Great North Sound Society in Maine. The album was produced by Langhorne’s drummer Malachi DeLorenzo and Josh Ritter’s keyboardist/producer Sam Kassirer, who also contributed piano, organ and accordion. On the recording of the album Langhorne states, “This experience in Maine with Sam, Malachi and Paul led us to our most comfortable, cohesive and soul-shaking music to date.” The song “Sometimes” was produced and mixed by Brian Deck (Iron and Wine) at Engine Studios in Chicago. Additional players on the album include Paul Defiglia (upright bass), Dan Nosheny (tuba, trombone), Brian Deck (keyboards, assorted effects) and Jim Becker (violin).

Langhorne Slim began his musical career in Brooklyn. He signed with Narnack records releasing his first EP, Electric Love Letter in March of 2004. The more varied and band-oriented full-length, When The Sun’s Gone Down followed in the spring of 2005. In 2006, Langhorne Slim signed with V2 Records and in September of that year released the Engine EP. Recently, Langhorne completed tours with The Avett Brothers, Lucero, Murder By Death and Rocky Votolato.

Pennywise

Pennywise are back with their 9th studio album ‘Reason To Believe’ this year. Having been knocking out an album every two years since they joined Epitaph in 1991, Pennywise are still on top of their game and having lasted seventeen years Pennywise is not and never will be your average punk band!

Formed in 1988, the legendary band of vocalist Jim Lindberg, guitarist Fletcher Dragge, bassist Randy Bradbury and drummer Byron McMackin, Pennywise inked with Epitaph Records for their eponymous 1991 debut and helped to define the emerging Californian punk scene. Seventeen years later and over three million albums sold worldwide, the punk rock legends are going as strong as ever.

“Reason To Believe” is produced by longtime Pennywise fan and seasoned producer Cameron Webb (Social Distortion, Mötorhead, Sum 41). This latest offering will mark the bands ninth studio album released on MySpace Records in the United States and available in Europe on March 24th 2008 and Australia on March 29th. The album will be release in Europe as a standard CD and a limited-edition vinyl version with two bonus tracks, not available in any other format.

Witch

Witch are: J Mascis, Kyle Thomas & Dave Sweetapple

Witch is no “indie metal super-group” or side project. To prescribe such journalistic stigmas would be to underestimate the commitment of Witch’s members. After their self-titled debut in 2006, Witch returned to the studio to work on their sophomore album, “Paralyzed”.

The new album, to be released this spring on Tee Pee Records, remains true to the classic heavy rock sound of the first, but has evolved as the band has learned to play to each other’s strengths.

The Vermont based band’s new songs highlight the rhythm section of Dave Sweetapple (bass) and J Mascis (drums) who return to their punk roots and attack with a more aggressive tempo. This foundation allows Kyle Thomas (guitar/vocals) to construct wailing vertical melodies of guitar and sinister vocals. Witch has turned out a record that burns with hostility, like the track, Mutated, but also smolders with intensity, like the track ‘Sweet Sue‘.

Kyle points out that the band “does not practice and barely ever play shows”. This has allowed the chemistry and music to grow organically and a bit more spontaneously. Live, the music morphs into a beast of its own instead of sounding like a CD on playback.

At the heart of the album is still the heaviness that dominated the last record, this time though Witch is creating a style more their own.

The Subways join Division

Rock 3-piece The Subways join Division’s online PR roster this week to promote their forthcoming album and tours. Look out for  ‘All or Nothing‘ released this June via Warner Bros.

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The Metros

The Metros are from a musical background—Adamczewski’s father designed record sleeves for A&M and Payne’s father played session bass for Glenn Tilbrook. After recording a 5 track demo over two days in March 2006 in Honor Oak Park London with The Mysterious Hand, the band worked with The Great Baxter Dury and got signed to 1965 Records by James Endeacott (who had previously signed The Libertines, The Strokes and The View). All five members were still under 18 at the time. The Guardian described them as “Punk’n’roll urchins”.

Formerly known as Eastern Bloc and The Wanking Skankers, they list Squeeze, Ian Dury and The Beastie Boys as their major influences.

Their debut single, “Education Pt. 2”, was released on March 17, 2008. Their second single, “Last of the Lookers”, was released on June 2, 2008.

Fightstar

Since Fightstar‘s inception the band has comprised Charlie Simpson (vocals, guitar, keys), Alex Westaway (guitar, vocals), Dan Haigh (bass) and Omar Abidi (drums). marrying a heady combination of post-hardcore, hard rock and metal, progressive rock and acoustic, the band currently release their music independently through Search and Destroy Records, which is distributed via PIAS Recordings.

The band have received overwhelming support since the earliest of their live shows and their debut EP, ‘They Liked You Better When You Were Dead’ (2005) was a critical success. Since then, their three studio albums have obtained top 40 chartings and praise from fans and critics alike. Indeed, debut album ‘Grand Unification’ (2006) was regarded as “one of the best British rock albums of the past decade” by Paul Brannigan of weekly rock magazine Kerrang!. Nominations at the Kerrang! Awards for ‘Best British Newcomer’ and ‘Best British Band’ soon followed, before second album, ‘One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours’ (2007), went Top 30 on the UK Album Chart. The follwing year, a b-sides compilation album titled, ‘Alternate Endings’ (2008) was released. The four-piece then funded and co-produced their own third album, ‘Be Human’ (2009), which became their highest charting album after peaking at #20 in the UK.

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