“We all have a brilliant light inside of us. Our light can seem inadequate and dim in times of darkness and struggle. We may need another person to shine their light on us so that we can see a path forward.
Sometimes, we can be the one to shine the light for others. 'Illuminating' was inspired by a story that was shared with us about a friend helping another friend see their own light.”
Some people say no bands truly break up. Whether or not you believe this to be true, or simply hope it's true, nobody can deny that the return of Stretch Arm Strong to the stage at Furnace Fest 2021 was a welcomed surprise that hardcore fans needed.
Having gone on hiatus in 2008, their presence filled the festival with a palpable energy that one would expect from the posi-core legends. It also allowed them to reconnect with their friends, fans, and each other as Stretch Arm Strong, a rewarding experience the band was reminded of as much as those who joyfully crowded in front of the stage.
Perhaps it was only a matter of time before new music would be considered, or maybe not. Plenty of bands reunite to play old favorites and call it a day. Thankfully, not this time. After nearly two decades, the kings have returned with The Revealing, an EP that is so urgent and powerful, you'd think no time has passed at all before they last recorded.
With six songs clocking in at under fifteen minutes, the EP’s brevity is a testament to that first dynamic festival return and their eternal collective power as a band. No longer kids and now full-fledged adults with families and worlds outside of the band, Stretch Arm Strong is fully grounded in their craft and love for playing music as SAS. It's a mastery that slaps you with their unmistakable energy.
Opening track "The Mirror" slams forward with total ferocity and youthfulness, showcasing why they're still an important part of the scene. "Still Believe Part III" follows up on previous entries with an absolute crusher, concluding with a monster of a breakdown. On "Take a Stand,"the band enlists Lou Koller from Sick of It All for a killer guest spot.
The Revealing launches this legacy into a new era with the same energy they, and the countless listeners that have supported them throughout this time, love about this band. It’s a release that’s worthy of their exceptional discography, and a record that can only exist with the once-in-a-lifetime friendship and focus that Stretch Arm Strong has.
The EP will be released on 12" vinyl. Available now for pre-order and streaming on digital platforms. Click here to listen and pre-order yours. Buying abroad? Visit DEVIL DOG (UK) and EVIL GREED (EU).
CREDITS:
SAS is Chris, David, Jeremy, John and Scott
Gang vocals by Donna Dempsey, Ryan Dempsey, Jack Dempsey, Kevin Higgins, Mike Salerno, Mike “Smoogs” Smagula & SAS
Guest vocals on Take A Stand by Lou Koller / Sick of it All
Additional percussion and piano by Steve Evetts
Produced by Steve Evetts at Bell House Studios, Belleville, NJ
Mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side
Layout and design by Kevin Rej
Photos by JC Carey
“It's sad, it's silly, it's searching. A lot of it was made in the moment, with whoever was around, without much worrying about it. Looking back, it turns out the most lasting, universal songs and recordings tend to be the most personal ones.”
What does music mean to you? Is it catharsis? Friendship? A way to commune with others and reach deeper into yourself? Is it joy? Entertainment? A language when we otherwise struggle to speak? For all the ways music can manifest in our lives, and the bonds it creates within its communities, there are artists like Jonah Matranga who've lived them all and continue to give completely to it.
It is with great excitement that Iodine announces Sketchbook, the full ONELINEDRAWING collection from 1999 - 2001, fully remastered for vinyl and available now for streaming. Recorded largely in homes on the fly with people who happened to be there and willing to jam, it captures not only a place in time but the spirit of DIY in the truest sense. It's music made without pretense or plan, the kind that bubbles up from inside and spills out because it needs to. This is the first time these songs have been on vinyl. The Double LP is available for pre-order now and includes a 12-page zine by Norman Brannon (ANTI-MATTER ZINE, TEXAS IS THE REASON).
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 music career. Jonah has often straddled the line between the underground and mainstream. He’s worked with indie labels like Jade Tree and majors such as Atlantic, having fronted the bands FAR, NEW END ORIGINAL, and GRATITUDE.
His music has influenced bands from Deftones to Blink-182, and he was there for emo and post-hardcore giants in their earliest beginnings–taking bands such as Thursday and Dashboard Confessional on tour. Simply put, the scene cannot be separated from Jonah’s art.
Jonah has always written from the heart and performed in an intimate way that few others have accomplished. From basements to massive festivals, he brings the same energy to them all: raw honesty and an ability to make every show unique and personal. This is most apparent in Jonah’s solo and collaborative project ONELINEDRAWING. Jonah’s solo performance has always been about connecting with fans in an intimate setting, where they often perform with only a guitar and R2D2 sidekick.
Sketchbook exists as both a time capsule and thank you letter to fans and music itself–a combination of the period in which Jonah first embarked on his solo journey and a celebration of the vitality that music and community not only affords him but all of us.
SKETCHBOOK 2xLP + ZINE
DEATHWISH INC (US) // THIRTY SOMETHING (EU) // DEVIL DOG (UK)
CREDITS:
ONELINEDRAWING IS: Jonah Matranga
LYRICS BY: Jonah Matranga except 'Savory' by Jawbox, 'Got My List' by 7 Seconds, 'Engage' by Jonah Matranga & Micah Eberman, and 'Bye, Jon' contains lyrics from 'Building' by Sense Field.
SOUNDS BY: Jonah Matranga, except Walter Schreifels - Guitar solo in 'Always', Ian Love - Guitars on 'Be Real' and 'Always', Sammy Siegler - Drums on 'Be Real and 'Always', Jon Wiley - Vocals, claps, and stomps on 'Oh, I'm So Lucky', Allyson Seconds - Vocals on 'Got My List', and Dana Gumbiner - Production on 'Pollvanna'Kat Lanzillo on “Poison Darts.”
MASTERED BY: Mo Talaba at Numberstation Studio in Eugene, OR
ALBUM DESIGN BY: Jeff Caudill
TOUR DATES:
Catch ONELINEDRAWING at ZBR Fest in Chicago this May and on their US tour in Spring 2024 and Europe in Summer 2024. Dates TBA. Follow @aonelinedrawingis and @iodinerecordings on Instagram for updates.
]]>“Will you die with your eyes open?”
Washington D.C.’s NØ MAN is a necessary and much-needed voice in modern hardcore. Formed in 2017, the four-piece punk band has been alchemizing the personal and the political from the jump. Composed of members from Majority Rule, the band’s current aims go hand-in-hand with their past, sonically and thematically.
Their upcoming album Glitter and Spit is the band’s third full-length LP, solidifying their furious hardcore into a weapon of a record. Album opener “Eat My Twin” twists and refracts a mid-tempo riff into a sonic hammer, cracking open the record’s heaviness to come. Singer Maha Shami has fully come into her own as a frontperson, snarling out the most vicious vocals of her career on “Poison Darts.”
As the daughter of refugees, returning home to Palestine included witnessing first-hand the casual atrocities inflicted on her family. Though written before the current conflict’s boiling point, Glitter and Spit synthesizes the 70+ years of systemic violence carried out against Palestine and her own lived experiences. From school teachers and classmates telling her Palestine doesn’t exist, to being humiliated by soldiers at checkpoints when she visited her family, these many moments fuel the album’s lifeblood, coalescing on “Can’t Kill Us All.”
“They want to silence us,” Shami said at a recent benefit show in D.C. “We will be louder. We aren’t fucking going anywhere. Because Palestine will never die.” Glitter and Spit is a much-needed fire of an album, fueled by the anxieties and anger of the now, erupting in a cathartic inferno.
The band’s members Matt Michel (guitar/vocals), Pat Broderick (drums) and Kevin Lamiell (Bass) helped lay the foundation for hardcore and screamo in Majority Rule from 1996 to 2004. Alongside the band, vocalist Maha Shami has been a longtime friend, giving a “cameo” guest vocal performance on Majority Rule’s “Packaged Poison” in 2004. When Majority Rule reunited in 2017 to perform multiple benefit shows, it ignited a desire to keep creating, and no one was better equipped to step in as front person than Shami.
Their energy and spirit have brought them together on tour with bands like Portrayal of Guilt, Darkest Hour, FAIM, Entry and more. In 2023 they collaborated with former tourmates and fellow iconoclasts The HIRS Collective on the song “Sweet Like Candy.” They’ve also contributed to Secret Voice’s (the label of Touche Amore frontman Jeremy Bolm) compilation Balladeers, Redefined.
Glitter and Spit was recorded and mixed by Matthew Michel at Viva Studio, and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege.
TOUR DATES:
May 3 - RVA @ Richmond Music Hall w/ Strike Anywhere
May 4 - Brooklyn @ Saint Vitus w/ Strike Anywhere
NØ MAN - GLITTER AND SPIT:
DEATHWISH INC (US) // EVIL GREED (EU) // DEVIL DOG (UK) // PRE-SAVE (DIGITAL)
CREDITS:
NØ MAN IS: Maha Shami, Matthew Michel, Pat Broderick & Kevin Lamiell
LYRICS BY: Maha Shami except “Burning Skulls” by Lydia Lunch/Jeremy Gluck
ADDITIONAL VOCALS: Kat Lanzillo on “Poison Darts”
ADDITIONAL STRINGS: Johnny Ward on دمار
RECORDED & MIXED BY: Matthew Michel at Viva Studio
MASTERED BY: Brad Boatright at Audiosiege
ALBUM DESIGN BY: Zachary Hobbs
PHOTOS BY: Michael Thorn, Joe Lacey, Sean Reilly
On November 5, 2023, Iodine Recordings and Man Alive Creative hosted a special event at Generation Records in New York City to Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Quicksand's 1993 debut album "Slip." The event featured a panel discussion about the creation of the album and Quicksand in the 90s. The panel was filmed and edited by Hate5six's Sunny Singh.
Limited Edition Silkscreened Posters for the event available here!
Iodine Recordings founder, Casey H. said about the event:
"The team at Iodine Recordings spent almost two years putting together the 30th anniversary edition of Quicksand’s iconic 1993 album ’Slip’. We wanted to celebrate this album every way we could and the event at Generation Records was an amazing way to wrap up everyone’s hard work, and to pay homage to this beloved record. It was really amazing to see Walter Schrerifels tell stories about writing and recording Slip, some of which many of us had never heard before. Photographer John Mockus, illustrator Melinda Beck, and Norman Brannon all helped paint the picture of what the scene looked like in 1993, and how Quicksand helped change the landscape for hardcore forever. It was an honor to sit on the stage with all of them and be a part of the preservation of a landmark record."
Tom Bejgrowicz of Man Alive Creative added:
"With the herculean effort that went into Slip's 30th anniversary, combined with the band playing the album on tour, it seemed only fitting that some of us should gather in the band's hometown of New York City at Generation Records and talk about the nuances of the album, the time in which the band and the songs were born, and expand upon the visual story. The panel I chose checked all the boxes: Walter represented the band, John captured the moments on film, Melinda's artistic vision is forever connected to Quicksand, Norm's frame-of-reference is second to none, and Casey had the vision to mark the anniversary in the most celebratory of ways. To put it lightly, it was a pleasure and a privilege it was to emcee the afternoon. Having Sunny and Hate5ix document that day to share with those who couldn't be there was the icing on the cake."
Walter Schreifels of Quicksand concluded about the event:
“It was so much fun to reminisce about Slip with this awesome panel of friends who were there at the time, and helped to make it such a special album for us.”
The panel included:
Walter Schreifels of Quicksand
Photographer John Mockus
Illustrator Melinda Beck
Writer/Musician Norman Brannon
Iodine Recordings founder Casey Horrigan
Hosted and Emceed by Tom Bejgrowicz
Filmed by Sunny Singh | @hate5six
Photography by Michelle Mennona
Celebrating 30 Years of “Slip”! We will be in NYC for an afternoon at Generation Records with Walter Schreifels, musician/journalist Norman Brannon, artist Melinda Beck, Quicksand photographer John Mockus, and Iodine Recordings’ Casey Horrigan the day the band plays the album front-to-back at Webster Hall. Come on out and join us!
GENERATION RECORDS
210 Thompson St., NYC
Sunday, November 5th
1-3pm // Free // All Ages
Exclusive limited edition silkscreen poster, hardcover LP books, and rare colored vinyl variants will be available while supplies last. Space will be limited, and admission is first come, first served!
This event will be filmed and documented by Hate5six
Flyer art: @onetricpony
Original live photo: @beemer138
We are excited to announce that Quicksand will being playing select dates to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of their debut album "Slip"! The US/Canada Tour will kick off this October, following the band's appearance at FEST in Gainesville, FL and will bring them to both the East Coast and West Coast, including a few dates in Canada. The band will play "Slip" in its entirety during the shows, you won't want to miss this once in a lifetime experience! Tickets are on sale now!
There are still limited copies of the SLIP 30th Anniversary Edition available on vinyl from our store, including only a handful of the Deluxe LP + Book. Once the book is sold out, it won't be repressed!
Quicksand Tour Dates
]]>10/06/23: Garrison, Orange Island, and Pilot to Gunner @ The Middle East - Cambridge, MA
GARRISON and ORANGE ISLAND will be playing a special reunion show on October 6, 2023 at The Middle East Downstairs. This will be both band's first live appearances in over ten years. Garrison will perform with their original line up, playing songs from The Bend Before the Break and A Mile in Cold Water. Orange Island will be celebrating their recent reissue of ‘One Night Stay’ and playing songs from throughout the band’s history. Tickets are on sale now!
Friday, October 6, 2023
GARRISON, ORANGE ISLAND, PILOT TO GUNNER, SINALOA, and NOT BAD NOT WELL
@ The Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge, MA.
$18 Advance / $20 Door / 8PM. [TICKETS]
Joseph Grillo from Garrison and Chuck Young from Orange Island reflect on their thoughts on playing live again after so long.
GARRISON: Some of us hadn't spoken in over a decade, not for animosity but simple happenstance and circumstance. After Iodine Records reissued the Bend Before the Break EP we would get on some collective zoom calls and reminisce over the past in between speaking of the present. It was so nice to speak to everyone again and remember why we chose these people to spend such a pivotal moment of our lives together in the first place. Simply put, my old bandmates are wonderful, inspiring people and I am better for knowing them. We had one rule, we would only do reunion shows if they would be fun. We all have only so much time as our lives have shifted and the responsibilities of families and careers take over so if we were going to be doing these shows then we needed to make sure we enjoyed them. Operating under that parameter we were fortunate enough to have our old pals in Orange Island also have a similar take on playing, and having the exceptional Pilot to Gunner on the shows only made the whole idea more perfect. So we put together a show on a Friday evening at a venue we had played countless times in the late 90s, and now we invite friends both old and new to have a drink and a memory with us, or perhaps make a new memory to look back on one day and smile about. ~ Joseph / Garrison
ORANGE ISLAND: I very honestly didn’t think we’d ever do another reunion show. First, I didn’t think it would be physically possible. I have also always been sure that there’d be at least one holdout (& there was a very real chance that I -my relationship to the person I was when we wrote these songs too strained; the subconscious expectations I always seemed to have about revisiting him & what he cared about too heavy -would be that holdout!). But when we geared up to do the One Night Stay release & the idea popped up in a conversation the five of us were having, every single one of us seemed down? And excited? It then became a juggling act of logistics and/or discussions about what we all wanted to get out of it, what situation seemed best case scenario. That scenario just happened to present itself when Garrison thought of us for their date which just so happened to coincide with the consensus we had all come to about what would mean the most to us: being in a room together as consistently as possible to potentially tap into whatever special sauce seemed to manifest itself whenever our various chemicals and guts would occupy the same space. It’s fun to have this shared history with each other & the popcorn kernels we left in the form of sounds to always find our way back. It’s fun to have a good relationship to what we made when we made it & healthy expectations about what it means to dedicate ourselves to the energy baked within it. Mostly though it’s just fun to smile at your friends when your old man muscles clumsily find their memory over & over again. We look forward to showing our friends the culmination of that fun come October. ~ Chuck Young / Orange Island
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“We'll run all night until they take our eyes.”
“The entirety of The Gray in Between is a portrait of an absolutely unrelenting fear and anxiety that never seems to let up. It is a journey inward. It is a reflection on ailment. It is therapeutic. It is a reminder to get out of bed every day even when it feels like there is no point. It is a reminder of the power that art and music hold. It is an inspiration. It is the embodiment of every emotion that runs through me every day.
In the darkest of times, we find joy through music - often with those who mean the most to us. While making The Gray in Between I knew I could count on being with Erik and Sean every week. In the chaos of everyday life, the writing of this record was the north star that we could look to no matter how bad things seemed to get. We carved out a space that felt safe and the darkness of the world seemed to melt away as we holed up and wrote.
I hope you'll find peace and inspiration as you experience this record, in your own way, with us.”
Jeff Smith, Jeromes Dream
February 2023
Photo by: Sarah Sanger
JEROMES DREAM - THE GRAY IN BETWEEN:
DEATHWISH INC (US) // EVIL GREED (EU) // BIG SCARY MONSTERS (UK) // PRE-SAVE (DIGITAL)
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“Pass the salt, pour it in my wounds.”
Few albums fully establish and encapsulate a genre like Quicksand's debut album Slip does for post-hardcore. Originally recorded in 1992 and released in early February 1993, Slip is as relevant and important an album today as it was nearly 30 years ago. Slip is a musical bridge between the 1980s New York Hardcore scene from which Quicksand's members cut their teeth on, and the burgeoning sound of the '90s heavy rock. It's an album that stands toe-to-toe with other great records released that year, but the band's NYHC roots give the record an edge you won't hear on an In Utero or Siamese Dream.
Lead track "Fazer" throws listeners straight into a brick wall of heavy guitars. Quicksand's gritty genius is immediately apparent in the song: a group confident in their ability to mix heaviness, melody, and big-chorus sensibilities in a way none of their peers could dream of. Frontman Walter Schreifels and company merge their vast pool of influences (citing everyone from Bad Brains to Danzig) into a sound that's undeniably Quicksand. Nowhere is this more apparent than the album’s lead single "Dine Alone." It's a deceptively catchy song that exposed countless MTV watchers to crushing riffs, Schreifel's gritty-yet-beautiful yowling, and a still legendary odyssey of a bridge.
The album is proof positive that a band can write some of the heaviest riffs ever, while still pausing for moments to space out on songs like "Lie and Wait." The record concludes with a summation of all its accomplishments in "Transparent," offering up guitar riffs that manage to sound heavy and hopeful at the same time. "Transparent" reinterprets Revolution-Summer forward-thinking positive mindset in a new context of rock music. It's as though the band is aware of the righteous wave of great music they’re ushering in with this album. Slip gave everyone including Deftones, Glassjaw, Title Fight, and hundreds more the blueprint of what post-hardcore can accomplish. Quicksand firmly cemented Slip as an essential album in rock music and a testament to how far punk rock can go.
Slip was recorded by Quicksand members Walter Schreifels (Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today), Tom Capone (Beyond, Bold), Sergio Vega (Deftones, Moondog), and Alan Cage (Beyond, Seaweed) and co-produced by Steven Haigler (Pixies) and Don Fury (Sick of it All, Agnostic Front). Remastered by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden (Deafheaven, Joyce Manor).
STANDARD EDITION:
Available for the first time in over a decade, the 30th Anniversary Edition of Slip was completely remastered for vinyl using the original 1993 master tapes and includes bonus track "How Soon is Now?" The jacket artwork was reconstructed using original art elements and color improvements. Complete with several limited beautiful vinyl variants.
DELUXE GATEFOLD:
The Limited Deluxe Gatefold Edition includes a gold foil embossed Slipcase, a gatefold jacket, and a bonus triple gatefold poster, which features several never-seen-before photographs, rare show flyers, and commentary from Sam Siegler (Youth of Today, Judge, Rival Schools), Drew Thomas (Into Another, Bold), Jordan Cooper (Revelation Records), and Kate Reddy (108).
DELUXE LP + HARDCOVER BOOK:
The Limited-Edition Deluxe LP and 64-page hardcover book chronicles the release of this influential album. Includes a foreword by Walter Schreifels, never-before-seen photographs, original art, rare concert posters, show flyers, and ephemera from 1990-1994. Written contributions from members of Anthrax, Helmet, Sepultura, Thursday, Rise Against, Refused, Youth of Today, Thrice, Agnostic Front, Snapcase, Earth Crisis, Cave In, and many more. Complete with a case-wrapped, soft touch cover, a must have addition for any fan’s collection. Presented on a Yellow and Red Swirl Vinyl. Limited to only 2000 copies, with foil stamped numbering.
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There Were Wires had been discussing the idea of a reunion show for well over a decade, but with the sudden resurgence of interest in the band following our 2021 vinyl re-release of ‘Somnambulists’, it started to feel less like a pipe dream and more like a certainty. Myriads of text threads, Zoom meetings, and Google-flight-searches later, we all found ourselves in Jebb’s basement surrounded by the hum of amplifiers once again, digging through the crypt of riffs to see if the vibrations remained the same.
And they did.
After just a single brief reunion practice, core members Jaime Mason, Ryan Begley, Thomas Moses and Jebb Riley return with new addition (and old friend) Joseph Thomas (Purity’s Failure), to invoke the chaos one more time. You can find us on stage on April 28th at The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA. We will be joined by the Moshtrogen general herself DJ Joan, pals from olden days ‘Sinaloa’, and contemporary faves ‘Have a Nice Life.’ This event marks nearly 20 years since TWW has played live.
We do not know what lies for us beyond this show, but we do know it’s a joy and a privilege to give There Were Wires a second life, no matter how brief it may be. Thanks for taking part, and we hope to see you ripping it up with us in April.
- J. Mason / There Were Wires
Tickets are sold out for this show, but you can get details at www.honeypump.org
]]>2022 was an impressive year for new music, and it was hard for the team at Iodine to come up with our list of the best albums, so we asked our artists to share their lists. Take a look below for everyone’s picks!
Jolie Lindholm // The Darling Fire
1. Moodring - Stargazer
2. Thornhill - Heroine
3. VEXES - Imagine What We Could Destroy (If Only Given Time)
4. Gatherers - (mutilator.)
5. ttt (Crosses) - PERMANENT.RADIANT
"Jeronimo found MOODRING this year while looking for new music to listen to, and we didn’t realize at first that they were from our home state. Their new album was on heavy rotation in the car on our band road trips this year. Great harmonies, great songwriting, and the perfect mixture of melodic and heavy. We saw them on tour with THORNHILL and their live show was just as good—if not better—than the album."
Simon Brody // Drowningman
1. Soul Glo "Diaspora Problems"
2. (Tie) Nerver "Cash" & City of Caterpillar "Mystic Sisters"
3. (Tie) KEN Mode "NULL" & Chat Pile "God's Country"
4. (Tie) Desperate Living "Shame" & Ether Coven "The Relationship Between the Hammer and the Nail"
5. (Tie) Sunflo'er "All These Darlings and Now me" & Pilot to Gunner/Her Heads on Fire Split
Honorable Mention: Bloodlet "Stealing Fire" single.
"Drowningman was supposed to have put out a record this year. Life had other plans for us. As we put the finishing touches on the songs for the record in the demo process. We are glad that we didn't rush, and took time to start checking out the amazing music being made around us, and appreciate that we get to make music at such an exciting time."
Erik Ratensperger // Jeromes Dream
1. Weird Nightmare — s/t
2. Kate Bollinger — Look at it in the night
3. Soul Glo — Diaspora Problems
4. Meat Wave — Malign Hex
5. Drugdealer — Hiding in plain sight
"I typically don’t rate albums by year, but these were all ones I thoroughly enjoyed putting on repeat or stopped me in my tracks because the music hit a little different: Weird Nightmare - S/T, for example; the brainchild of METZ’s guitarist/frontman, Alex Edkin, is a breath of punk rock fresh air — offering grit, texture, and welcomes “weirdness” (no pun intended) baked within undeniable songwriting capabilities. Also… Meat Wave and Soul Glo clearly pushing their own envelopes with these stellar releases. Happy New Year, everyone!"
Jason Camacho // Audio Karate
1. MGMT - 11.11.11
2. Audio Karate - OTRA
3. Pool Kids - Pool Kids
4. Pup - Unraveling...
5. The Darling Fire - Distortions
"I have a hard time finding new music and listen to a lot of old music but…"
David Gorman // Orange Island
1. L.S. Dunes “Past Lives”
2. Christian Lee Hutson “Quitters”
3. Big Thief “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You”
4. Harry Styles “Harry’s House”
5. Tomberlin “I don't know who needs to hear this…”
"This was VERY hard for me… It’s rare that new, heavier music strikes a chord within me at this point in life. I’ve been a fan of all these guys for years now. L.S. Dunes’ collective talent has given us this beautiful blend of rock, metal, alternative and punk that is Past Lives. After hearing Permanent Rebellion, and playing it on repeat all summer, I had high hopes for the album and the dudes did not disappoint. The sequence of Bombsquad, Grifter & Permanent Rebellion is absolute perfection. Can’t wait to catch the live show!"
Keith M. // The New Scene (Host)
1. Holy Fawn - Dimensional Bleed
2. Greet Death - New Low
3. Anxious - Little Green House
4. Chastity - Suffer Summer
5. Foreign Hands - Bleed The Dream
"Holy Fawn is the greatest band."
Jebb Riley // There Were Wires
1. Cave In - Heavy Pendulum
2. PJ Harvey - B-Sides, Demos, & Rarities
3. Spice - Viv
4. Drug Church - Hygiene
5. A Place To Bury Strangers - See Through You
"Cave In could have cut this 14 song album down to just 7 or 8 tracks, and it still would have been my album of the year. While some are content to simply jog along; replaying the hits and miming the actions of their younger, more inspired-selves, Cave In ran a double lap on everyone else."
Sid Jagger // Her Head's on Fire / Garrison
1. 84 Tigers - Time in the Lighthouse
2. Ways Away - Torch Songs
3. Warpaint - Radiate Like This
4. Anxious - Little Green House
5. Meat Wave - Malign Hex
"I like guitars, and also drums and bass(es). 84 Tigers Killed it."
Thomas Moses // There Were Wires
1. City of Caterpillar - Mystic Sisters.
2. Cave In - Heavy Pendulum.
3. Pet Bric - Liminal.
4. Soft Kill - Canary Yellow.
5. IDLES - Brutalism single Live from BBC.
"Richmond Virginia always had an interesting scene. Bands like Haram and Malady among others, always stuck out to me. Mystic Sisters came out earlier this year. It’s full of noisy guitars and dark melodies that strike the right chord. Great to see these guys still active and writing interesting music."
Adam Marino // Attempt Survivors / Errortype:11 / Saetia
1. Helms Alee - “Keep This Be the Way”
2. Show Me The Body - “Trouble the Water”
3. Czarface - “Czarmageddon”
4. Spice - “Viv”
5. High Vis - “Blending”
"The new Helms Alee album is a perfect album front to back. I just love how heavy and beautiful it is at the same time. It’s been on repeat since it came out."
Casey // Iodine Recordings
1. The Darling Fire “Distortions”
2. Be Well “Hello Sun”
3. Holy Fawn - Dimensional Bleed
4. Zola Jesus - Arkhon
5. (TIE) Cave In - Heavy Pendulum & Her Head’s on Fire “College Rock and Clove Cigarettes”
"Making a top album list this year was close to impossible, but I had to put The Darling Fire at top. There was no other album that I listened to nearly as frequently. But it's not only such a breakthrough record for them, as I had been so intimately involved with the band as they wrote and recorded it, that it holds a special place. Some may say that it's shameless self promotion, but this record would hold the top slot even if it wasn’t on Iodine. Be Well’s “Hello Sun” isn’t a full album, but it earns a spot on this list because it is so damn good. This EP holds up better than most full lengths out there. Holy Fawn was practically perfect, Zola Jesus was beautiful and hit me hard, and Cave In returned by setting the bar high and delivered in a big way. Couldn’t leave off Her Head’s On Fire, who killed it with their insanely catchy debut."
Chris Enriquez // Light Tower / Spotlights / On The Might Of Princes
1. Chat Pile - God’s Country
2. Cave In - Heavy Pendulum
3. Lamacchia - Thunderheads
4. The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention
5. Author & Punisher - Kruller
"Chat Pile is a band I was just made privy to this year. They're on The Flenser who have a lot of great contemporary up and coming artists like Have A Nice Life, Planning for Burial and Street Sects to name a few. Joshua from Light Tower loves noise rock and sent this to me. I loved it from the get go but it still took awhile to really get into it. Spotlights was playing a gig in Akron, OH and it was playing in between bands and I had to shazam it cause I was like "woah, this is incredible." Sure enough it was Chat Pile's "God's Country. The production, the songwriting, the uniqueness of being heavy without doing it in a typical way and the powerful vocal delivery without being cliche. For me, it has equal parts Godflesh "Streetcleaner" specifically and early era Swans but with their own twist that makes it fresh and their own. In my opinion, it's rare that heavy bands can do all of the above in a way that is appealing, memorable, especially for someone like me in their 40's that has lived through so many eras of aggressive music. Chat Pile is a HUGE exception to the rule and is such a stand out for me."
Trevor Lee // Hey Thanks!
1. Crest by Bladee and Ecco2k
2. Fast Trax 3 by 454
3. NOT TiGHT by DOMi & JD BECK
4. SID THE KID by Deaton Chris Anthony
5. Bewitched by DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ
"This list was veryyyy tough for me to narrow down to 5. My top 3 were locks but i wrestled with about 11 other projects that i loved. After much deliberation this is the list. Mine will probably have some different energy than the other lists you’ll find here so i hope you check out some of this stuff with open ears and an open heart if you haven’t heard of them already. Enjoy (:"
]]>The Alternative premiers the music video for "Rising Tide"
By Zac Djamoos, The Alternative - November 21, 2022
Boasting members of bands as diverse as, among others, The Casket Lottery, Saves the Day, and Small Brown Bike, alt rock foursome Her Head’s on Fire has crafted a sound that resembles none of the above. They’re equal parts gruff and melodic, and when they burst onto the scene with their debut College Rock and Clove Cigarettes it was a breath of fresh air.
Today we’re excited to bring you an exclusive premiere of the video for “Rising Tide,” one of the record’s best cuts, and a great exemplar of Her Head’s on Fire’s strengths. About the video, vocalist Joseph Grillo explains:
I was listening to a conversation between Anderson Cooper and Stephen Colbert about grief after the loss of my father and Stephen said “death is a door to a room in your home that closes, and there’s no knob on the outside. You can never open the door again, yet you yearn to open the door and be in that room once more.”
It made me think of the moments we pass by and connections we miss because of work, or schedules, or the limits of our imagination. I ache to return to certain rooms in my life as we all do, but am motivated by loss to fill the rooms I still have left with as much joy and honesty and passion as I am able. Michael Feerick (Amusement Parks on Fire) edited together some footage of us from the legendary Liar’s Club in Chicago along with some footage from a couple larger shows we had recently done in Los Angeles.
Check out the video for “Rising Tide” below.
Premiered with The Alternative on 11/21/22.
Filmed by: Kyle Kilday
Edited by: Michael Feerick
Cover Photo by: Nathaniel Shannon
Limited vinyl of the "College Rock and Clove Cigarettes" LP by Her Head's On Fire are still available!
US: Deathwish Inc.
Canada: The Northern Scene
EU/UK: Evil Greed
Post hardcore outfit The Darling Fire hit us today with a gloomy, moody new video for the track “Rituals,” from their latest album Distortions, out now via Iodine Recordings.
Vocalist Jolie Lindholm shares her opinion about the video:
“‘Rituals’ is a dark expression of the things we do to maintain sanity in an insane world. Our spirit breaks time and again, but we piece it back together, becoming a morphed version of ourselves that’s grown from that anguish. The song’s structure demonstrates the ebbs and flows that life presents, with little breaths and a heavy bridge that slows time like our most traumatic moments often do.
“The actress, Autumn, plays a woman in pain who performs a ceremony in solitude, as an otherworldly entity begins to envelop her. She becomes increasingly more disturbed, contorted, and disheveled. We created an avatar by hand in our home–a mask of collected branches stitched together and wrapped in twine—so we could really show her transformation. She appears among us during our live performance at times, as my shadow, haunting me. She represents human suffering and the rituals that will sometimes invoke unintended things from deep inside of us.
“We knew Toddi Babu would translate our concept to film perfectly, with his dark and wicked treatment, hazy lighting, and edgy cuts. We were sealed in a sensory-deprived room for seven hours, lit only by candles and minimal lighting. The atmosphere was humid, energetic, and dusty, providing just the right amount of grittiness we needed. The performance itself became a ritualistic exorcism for all of us.
Premiered with Decibel Magazine on 10/05/22.
Videography by: Toddi Babu
Actress: Autumn Horne
Cover Photo by: Miranda Nathanson
Limited vinyl of the "Distortions" LP by The Darling Fire are still available!
US: Deathwish Inc.
Canada: The Northern Scene
EU/UK: Evil Greed
Friends, it is with great joy that we announce a bit of a name change around here. What once began as the healing journey of one human has evolved beautifully into a community of individuals who create and heal together. Each of the six of us have poured heart and soul into the both the art AND the purpose of what this band brings to the world, and we are honored to introduce you to The Iron Roses. No more “&”. Just us - together.
The future is writing itself every day, and we could not be more excited to be on this path together. It is a humbling honor to hold so many of your stories. To be seen and to be allowed to see you in return. This is an honor we do not take lightly, and we look forward to thanking you all in person soon.
This next chapter is a collective undertaking. Hope you’ll join us along the way.
With Love,
🌹 The Iron Roses
Nathan, Becky, Phil, Michael, Pedro & David
Rebel Songs is available now from Iodine Recordings in the official store at Deathwish Inc.
US TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED
🎟 United States (East Coast Tour)
10/24 Durham, NC @ Pinhook [TICKETS]
10/25 Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor [TICKETS]
10/26 Winston-Salem, NC @ Monstercade (Becky’s birthday!) [TICKETS]
10/27 Greenville, SC @ The Radio Room [TICKETS]
10/28 Atlanta, GA @ Boggs [TICKETS]
10/29 Gainesville, FL @ The Fest [TICKETS]
10/30 Orlando, FL @ Will's Pub w/ The Darling Fire [TICKETS]
10/31 Virginia Beach, VA @ W Beach Tavern [TICKETS]
11/1 Silver Spring, MD @ Quarry House Tavern [TICKETS]
11/2 Philadelphia, PA @ Milk Boy [TICKETS]
11/3 Brooklyn, NY @ Sultan Room [TICKETS]
11/5 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East / Upstairs [TICKETS]
EU/UK TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED
🎟 Europe w/ Clowns and Joe McMahon (Smoke Or Fire)
28.11.22 Austria Graz @ PPC [TICKETS]
29.11.22 Austria Linz @ Posthof [TICKETS]
30.11.22 Germany München @ Backstage [TICKETS]
01.12.22 Switzerland Zürich @ Exil [TICKETS]
02.12.22 Germany Stuttgart @ Wizemann Club [TICKETS]
03.12.22 Germany Hannover @ Musikzentrum [TICKETS]
04.12.22 Germany Leipzig @ Conne Island [TICKETS]
05.12.22 Germany Nürnberg @ Hirsch [TICKETS]
06.12.22 Germany Hamburg @ Knust [TICKETS]
07.12.22 Germany Berlin @ Columbia Theater [TICKETS]
08.12.22 Germany Köln @ Essigfabrik [TICKETS]
09.12.22 Netherlands Sittard @ Volt [TICKETS]
11.12.22 UK London @ Underworld [TICKETS]
12.12.22 UK Bristol @ The Exchange [TICKETS]
13.12.22 UK Manchester @ Satans Hollow [TICKETS]
OCTOBER 2022
10.21 - Boston, MA@ O’Brien’s Pub w/ Superdown [TICKETS]
10.22 - Providence, RI @ AS220 w/ Snowplows [TICKETS]
10.23 - Brooklyn, NY @ The Broadway w/ Light Tower [TICKETS]
10.24 - Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMoca w/ TIME [TICKETS]
10.25 - Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall w/ Pedals on our Pirate Ships [TICKETS]
10.26 - Chapel Hill, NC @ The Cave [TICKETS]
10.27 - Charleston, SC @ Tin Roof w/ Social Void [TICKETS]
10.29 - Gainesville, FL @ FEST 20 [TICKETS]
“Don't you know you are my everything. And don't you know you make my heart sing.”
The following is an excerpt from the “Rituals Of Life” retrospective Fanzine called “Second Chances.” The book contains notes, reflections, and essays from the band as well as Hatebreed, Rise Against, Bane, The Gaslight Anthem, Shai Hulud, Furnace Fest, Further Seems Forever, and more. (Available as a deluxe package, or on its own).
Stretch Arm Strong has just meant so much to me over the years. The friendships, the music, the stories and experiences were all so rich and beautiful. I brought together the group of guys that would initially form the band. Needless to say, they stuck with it a heck of a lot longer than I did! But my old pals were gracious enough to ask me to come back and lay down what ended up being quite a few vocal tracks on Compassion Fills the Void, their first full release after my departure.
The details of how I came to participate in recording this game-changing record, Rituals of Life, have gotten a little foggy over the years. I’m sure it was a conversation with Chris or Scott in late 1998 where I learned Stretch was going to be recording in Little Rock, AR. As fortune would have it, I had plans to be in the area on business that only required a minor tweak to be able to be there at the same time. “I’d love to stop by and hang out” was my reaction to the news. It was suggested there might be some opportunity to contribute vocals to the recording much like the Compassion record.
By the time I arrived, Chris had worked out some places for me in a few songs and we went to work. I remember everyone being crammed into one hotel room. The guys were kind enough to order me a cot to sleep on for a couple of nights. It was a fun couple of days for me just getting to take part in what had been a cherished part of my youth…being in this band with these guys. Having already taken part in recording Compassion, I was excited to hear the Stretch Arm Strong sound getting bigger and heavier.
Chris filled the role of vocalist in ways I never could and made amazing connections with the live audience. Everything was moving in a very positive direction, which was really exciting. Stretch was becoming the band I had hoped it would. Listening to the raw drum and guitar tracks being laid down in Little Rock confirmed that the band was continuing down the path of fast, heavy hitting music with thought provoking song topics you wouldn’t get from a lot of bands.
Despite hearing some of it come together in the studio, I was absolutely blown away by Rituals of Life a few months later when it was released. It was immediately my favorite record. I listened to it non-stop. The beauty of Rituals is how it stands the test of time. It’s a top ten album of all time for me even in 2022. It was a real honor to get to participate in recording this amazing album, but even better to get to be a fan of this band and to enjoy one of the best hardcore records made (IMHO) for years to come. Congrats on making a difference, guys!
- Matt McCarty
Original Bass Player and Vocals for Stretch Arm Strong
Photo by: Heather Vaught (@heatherxedge)
]]>“If no one lives for the shit that matters any more then that will just leave us all fucked and alone like someone down on their luck in some cheap motel.”
Dave saw a vocal coach in NYC & wasn’t allowed to drink. Bren was pushed to perfectly double guitar parts after usually staying up all night drinking with me. I had to learn how to play to a click track and the words I was writing (about drinking) were getting challenged in a way they had never been before. It was the year of our emo lord 2003 and we were working harder on a batch of songs than we ever had in our lives.
We pre-pro’d over Q-brews in Somerville, we did drum pre-pro at Poorman’s in Columbus Circle, we did vocal pre-pro around an imac straight out of Zoolander in a tiny room in Brighton. We pre-pro’d in the car while driving down to Beltsville. We pre-pro’d until we couldn’t pre-pro no mo’, until pre-pro just became pro.
We had found the formula that we felt finally worked for whatever this things was that we had been calling Orange Island. We had the five of us. We had Poorman. We had Squire. We had Salad Days. We had Camp Street. We were in full-on craft mode as opposed to writing quickly and playing songs live for a bit just to then hit a record button somewhere and hope for the best. We labored over drum fills, we improv’d with pedals we had never seen before, we built intros from choruses, we jammed bass lines into existence, and, most importantly, we laughed and experienced what turned out to be one of my favorite times to be alive. These were legitimately our best friends and somehow we had convinced someone to give us ten grand to make a record. We knew this had as much to do with whispers in ears as it did from years on the road. We were grateful. We wouldn’t squander this opportunity.
And here we are again. Lucky to be back spending time with these songs. Thankful that after about eight years of talking and dreaming, Casey has enough love in his heart for us to breathe new life into them. With new artwork from the legendaryTom at Man Alive Creative, we’ve reconceptualized the themes present in this record. Going back to the track listing I had conceived originally but had had to compromise on, what once was a record about the purgatory period between childhood and adulthood is now a record about a legitimate purgatory between life and death, heaven and hell. It’s a Twilight Zone episode we’re fittingly calling, One Night Stay.
Not only does the lyrical content gain new dimensions, new light, but sonically we were able to truly open the tracks up and give the songs the room they deserve. We might’ve tortured Alan Douches (another absolute legend) during the remaster process but it was imperative for us to be excited about this record, feel like it had enough new life in order to be confident in its push to you all. Why should you want to hold this in your hands? What makes this special in the sea of reissues and nostalgia-wanking? Because it’s a work of fucking art and an experience for the senses, ya jag!
When I was going through the lyrical content and trying to pick out little images here and there for early tries at the album art, I realized that there is a story here in these songs arranged in this way that I hadn’t ever necessarily picked up on and part of that story goes a little something like this:
You wake as if from dream but recognize nothing. It’s cold here, meat locker frigid. A faint electric buzz. Your blood, unwarm, says did you miss me. The sensation like it’s speeding through your veins faster than ever. Like it shouldn’t be able to. Like it’s mocking you. Like you should be dead.
You remember what eyelids are, open yours. You watch the blur’s hangoverish choreography. But there’s no vomit. Not caked on your clothes, not tidepooled in divots of pillow or bedsheet. Your breath smells air-conditioned and unacidic, like a shopping mall.
Your limbs aren’t right. Your neck won’t swivel. Your torso turns stiffly. Insects crawl out termite holes. Everything dusted in paint chips. You’re no stranger. All those morning-afters.
This is different though. A clunky corded phone brrrings from the mildewed carpet. The blood rushes preemptively to your head. As if all your choices, movements, decisions, thoughts, have been chiseled into stone by an unknown hand. Hello, you tell the phone that’s found its way into the crook of ear and shoulder. Hello, you tell the phone again.
Something metal pierces your cheek and skewers itself into a molar. You’ve never known pain like this. The phone melts itself into a vinyl disc made from the wax of the moon when its waning, welds itself to your face. The needle juts from your tooth. The record is grooveless and smooth. Then it begins to spin. Your bones become a dive bar sound system. The needle finds purchase and carves into the vinyl. Your body knows these songs by heart, of course. They inform you there’s a decision to make.
A projector clicks on and the wall is awash in glowing images of you. Stumbling around as a toddler with schmutz on your cheek. In the backseat of a car lit by moonlight and the awkward shuffle of first times. An inferno in the woods behind someone’s house, hoodie pockets stuffed with stolen cans. You cannot help but smile. All your past selves making scenes. Such horrible acting but you cannot look away. Every clip seems filmed with a thumb smudge on the lens.
The vinyl record remembers who is doing the spinning and starts crying out to no one in particular. The number you have dialed is not in service. Please, would you be so kind and hang up? You realize you’ve been fashioning the coiled cord into a noose. Right. The choice is yours. Everything else feels entirely out of your control. You’re indecisive. The wall is itself again. Your eyelids fall victim to gravity.
You see snakes and apples. You see bites and gardens. Your hair is a tangle of weeds sprouting from the dirt of your cortexes. The glint of blade and the flash of forever. The record whirrs and whines going an unfathomable RPM faster and faster and the needle is digging and digging further and further until the music is nothing but a finely ground plastic dust.
You inhale some, cough it out. And there, in your hands again, the phone. It’s crying out always, to no one in particular, to you.
-Chuck, Orange Island
Clinton, MA 2022
Photo by: Dickie Cummings
]]>This record is the one I’ve been waiting my entire life to make.
To have been fortunate enough to have written these songs with my husband and three great friends makes it even more unique.
It was created with all the blood, sweat, and tears we collectively had to give, and we faced so many crazy obstacles—and adventures—from inception to final master. Despite all the adversity, failure was never an option for me personally.
Writing these songs as a pandemic took hold of the world and wanting to complete them despite several small fires we had to put out over the past couple of years, was challenging, to say the least. In the end, it gave us time to reflect on what was important and helped to shape our sound. I personally tapped into a different side of myself that had been waiting to reach the surface and each song has its own little story, pulled from life experiences.
Our first single “Machina” begs the question: Who really supplies the power; thoughts; currency; attention; time; compassion; and fear required to run this odd place we inhabit?
Releasing this album with Iodine was a no-brainer. The concept for the label was in line with what we envisioned for The Darling Fire and we wanted to be there for the rebirth. It was a full-circle moment for Jeronimo and I, having crossed paths with Casey during The Rocking Horse Winner’s run.
Recording with Jay Maas was also a great experience. He was more than welcoming and easygoing. We aligned as far as our vision for the record and felt we surpassed what we set out to create together. Recording as snow fell from the sky during the second half of the trip to Haverhill, while sitting in a cozy studio, was magical. It was a nice finish after the twisted adventure we had to navigate to get to that point.
We could never have accomplished what we did without Iodine, Jay Maas, Rogue Planet Mastering, and the team we’ve built together to see this album through. We’re so fortunate to have come together at just the right time.
Finally being able to send these tracks off into the world like grown children is scary—yet thrilling at the same time. We can’t wait for you to hear the album in full!
Thank you for listening to Distortions. We’ll see you on the road very soon…
- Jolie Lindholm, The Darling Fire
South Florida 2022
Photo by: Miranda Nathanson
]]>Friendship can seem like such a light word at times, someone you played tag with on the playground or sat next to at a lunch table. Maybe you have shared stories of cutting school, thrilling concerts you attended and danced at, or those sleepovers that linger in your mind so much longer now than the actual hours you spent giggling in sleeping bags on basement floors. But as life turns and twists around in beautiful curves and difficult tangles your friends and their friendship come to mean everything to you, like looking into a mirror at a different face with the same eyes, that have known the same exhilarations, the same loves, and the depth of the same tears.
The three other men in Her Head’s on Fire are friends I’ve found after my youth and they each hold libraries worth of experiences and emotions that I want to bask in the glow of and drink down deep into my veins. Making these songs together and being on stage with them is simply the joy of being alive, the exasperated relief of finding that mirror refection in a world that can seem so dark at times. How very lucky am I?
I hope this record finds you well, I hope it gives you something to smile about, and most importantly I hope it is listened to with your friends, to become yet one more brick in a foundation of time spent on this earth together.
All my love.
-Sid Jagger, Her Head's On Fire
New York City 2022
Photo by: Nathaniel Shannon
]]>February 25th through March 18th Nathan Gray & The Iron Roses will be making their way through a good portion of the US to support the new album REBEL SONGS and tickets are on sale now!!!
And as if that wasn’t enough… They are also bringing a very special support act by the name of Black Guy Fawkes.
Please head out and support the band on their first US tour of 2022!
Nathan Gray & The Iron Roses - 2022 Tour Dates
2/25 - Providence, RI @ Askew
2/26 - Boston, MA @ O'Briens
3/01 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Funhouse
3/02 - Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle Brewing Co.
3/03 - Knoxville, TN @ Brickyard Bar and Grill
3/04 - Memphis, TN @ Growlers
3/05 - St Louis, MO @ Red Flag
3/06 - Bloomington, IL @ Nightshop
3/07 - Milwaukee, WI @ X-Ray Arcade
3/08 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
3/09 - Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
3/10 - Hamtramck, MI @ Small's
3/11 - Cincinnati, OH @ Legends Bar & Venue
3/12 - Columbus, OH @ Spacebar
3/13 - Nashville, TN @ Springwater
3/14 - Atlanta, GA @ Boggs
3/15 - Richmond, VA @ The Camel
3/16 - Brooklyn, NY @ The Knitting Factory
3/17 - Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
3/18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Milk Boy
¡OTRA! is a special record because it’s an opportunity for us to bring to light songs that either no one outside the band has heard, or songs that only die-hard fans know. Some of my favorite The Smiths tunes are those found on Louder than Bombs, not the conventional albums proper. This is our homage to that in a way, a collection of the unreleased tracks from our three albums Space Camp, Lady Melody, and Malo. We were so fortunate to work with producers like Bill Stevenson and Trever Keith, who helped us find that sound.
I think the result is a nod to how consistent our sound is, the songs flow as though this was a proper album of songs written and recorded at once rather than over a span of nearly a decade. Lovely Residence has our old friend Agent M (Emily Whitehurst) singing duet with Art, and they kill it. Segway has some of my personal favorite guitar work, and Black Covering and Betrayed have some of Art’s most honest (and pretty sad) lyrics. The songs bring us back to a more simple time when we gave everything for this band, writing and playing together for so many years.
I’m really happy through working with Iodine, this record is seeing the light of day and getting such a special treatment with 7 exclusive variants. Digital remastering from the original 2” analog tape sessions of Space Camp before we remixed it in ProTools (and ruined the warm indie vibe), remastering at the Blasting Room off their archived masters, and the self produced songs Care Carelessly, Black Covering and Lovely Residence.
Working on ¡OTRA! has even gotten us writing and recording again, perhaps this won’t be the last Audio Karate release.
~ Jason Camacho
January 14, 2022
Somewhere on the West Coast
Photo by: Forrest Locke
When we entered 2020 we had no idea what obstacles would be in our way just in our personal lives as we attempted to finish and mix this record. The emotions that went through us during a time in which we were all remotely contributing to mixing notes and unable to see each other face-to-face was troubling and indeed worrisome, but ended up being the driving force and the last piece that this record needed prior to being considered comlpete.
Each peak and valley throughout the sonic landscape captured here almost mirrored the daily challenges and fear of the unknown we were experiencing personally, which ironically enough is also similar to the tales being told in these songs. And while this was never said out loud by any member of the band, I know for me personally I couldn’t help but think this may be the last thing I ever contribute to musically, so we needed to make every second count. There’s a certain feeling to that time for us that is also somehow captured here as well on this record. I can’t explain it, but it’s there.
During this time we were also reflecting on albums we grew up on, specifically albums that told a story and had fluidity from beginning to end. Albums that captured the listener, track by track, and invited them in as an equal participant as this is what we had hoped to achieve and I am most certain we did. While everyone enjoys a great single, we hope that this record is enjoyed and consumed as a complete package, as whole, from its mysterious beginning to its near tragic end.
And with all of this being said, we knew we had to find someone specific that we could trust and that was brave enough to help steer the ship safely, as for us it’s more than just a debut record; It’s what we lived that year. We are very proud and honored to release this through Iodine Recordings and we hope you enjoy this and join us on the journey that is MMXX. Thank you.
~ George Chamberlin
January 14, 2022
Philadelphia, PA
Photo by: Casandra Marie Photo
]]>
New Noise Magazine premiers the music video for "Serious Heavy Drama"
By New Noise Staff - November 10, 2021
Boston hardcore luminaries Garrison have announced the re-issue of their most popular release, 1999’s seminal The Bend Before The Break, through Iodine Recordings.
The record harnessed a raw and genuine youthful energy and now, 23 years after its initial release, Iodine Recordings present The Bend Before The Break for the first time as a full-length LP, including the tracks “You’re Devastated, I’m Sure” and “Untitled,” previously unavailable on vinyl.
The new B-Side includes rare and previously unreleased material that spans the band’s history from 1998 to 2004, including their first seven-inch record “24” and their split EP with U.K.’s Hundred Reasons, all fully remastered and featuring all-new artwork by Dan McCarthy.
Watch the video for the album’s iconic opener “Serious Heavy Drama” below:
The track’s video, edited by Duncan Wilder Johnson for DWJ Creative, features excerpts from the band’s 2000 U.S. Tour with Elliott and Boy Sets Fire.
Garrison was born in Boston during the heyday of the prolific late ’90s post-hardcore scene. Their cohort featured heavy hitters like Piebald, Cave In and Converge. Following in the footsteps of bands like Quicksand, Drive Like Jehu, and Texas is the Reason, Garrison drew from many influences to create a hyper-melodic sound that ranged from hardcore to emo, all without fitting neatly into any genre. They executed a complex and unique sound, seamlessly combining technical guitar riffs, melodic vocals, and heavy breakdowns in a way that few bands were able to achieve.
Garrison toured relentlessly, playing regularly alongside iconic bands of the era such as The Get Up Kids, Hot Water Music, Taking Back Sunday, and New Found Glory. Originally released on Revelation Records in 1999, The Bend Before The Break combine hyper-melodic songs with heavy breakdowns and deeply personal lyrics, put together into a somber record that remains relevant today as part of the post-hardcore and emo canon.
On the video for “Serious Heavy Drama,” vocalist and guitarist Joe Grillo states:
“This video was filmed by the band on our first full U.S. tour with Boy Sets Fire in the summer of 1999. We had just put out our first release on Revelation records, ‘The Bend Before The Break.’ I’m so glad we found these tapes, as it captured an important time of our youth, traveling the country in a van with friends. After all this time, the fact that these songs still resonate with fans and a newer audience is very humbling. We chose ‘Serious Heavy Drama,’ a tongue-in-cheek reference to the emo scene at the time, as it was always our opener and the fan-favorite.
Casey from Iodine Recordings is an old pal and has always been a big fan of the band. We reconnected after a couple of decades, and it seemed like a blast to be able to work together again and reissue this LP. Casey had suggested we work with Dan McCarthy (a local artist) for a new cover to give the remastered tracks a new visual component that gave the album new life and meaning. Everything felt perfect to me, and I was really happy to see it all come together.”
Photo by: Joe Gonzalez-Dufresne
Filmed by: Garrison
Edited by: Duncan Wilder
Video excerpts from Garrison Tour in 2000.
Premiered with New Noise Magazine on 11/10/21.
Copyright 2021 - Iodine Recordings, Revelation Records
Artist: Garrison
Song: Serious Heavy Drama
Album: The Bend Before The Break (Reissue)
Catalog # IOD-18
After eagerly opening the first box of CDs, we allowed ourselves only a couple of minutes to be angry about the cover before clinking together the celebratory forties we had bought for the occasion and then loading the boxes from a cramped Allston apartment kitchen into a borrowed Ford Taurus. The plan was to drink and drive all around New England for as long as it took to deliver every single copy of our first official release to everyone who had signed up for one at either of the two record release shows we had had where we didn’t have any actual records to release. It had been like showing up to a ceremony with an empty cage and no doves...twice. After those two minutes or so of disappointment, the layout of the EP became a joke between all of us. We joked about the color orange; we joked about all of the photos of us; we joked about the computer generated phone cord. Is there, now, anything more beautifully dated than a phone cord? If I had the means and the ability today I’d make a music video where my forty year old self hears some tinny music coming from somewhere and follows the sound to a landline receiver lying on the ground. I pick it up, put it to my ear and hear one of the tracks off the EP. I then notice the extra long phone cord seemingly having traveled a great distance to end up on my floor. I grab it and start following it through the doorway of my house, pulling it like a rope, as I make my way down the street and through various other houses and apartments, past divorces and weddings, through the births of children, past careers and part-time jobs, through friendships lost to drugs or miles or differing opinions about erring on the side of humanity, past bars, through wars and mercy luncheons, past funerals and burials, in the windows of vans and out the windows of buses, through national tragedies, into party garages and basements, through learning to unlearn, and moving beyond self-indulgence, until finally reaching the other end where nineteen year old me stands holding the other receiver. He probably has a beer waiting for me. “You’re welcome” is all he says and the camera stays on us for a bit, ripping off the iconic last shot of The Graduate. What the fuck do we do now?
So yeah maybe the phone cord makes sense NOW as this infinite tether between the me now (whoever that may be at any given point over the last twenty years) and the me then (forever a constant, a northstar guiding me back to a world that was too insular to fit in any larger societal context). But we didn’t title it the Shape of Calling because we were aware of the potential this allegory held. No, the title simply stems from the fact that The Foo Fighters Colour and Shape and Refused’s The Shape of Punk to Come were two of our favorite records at the time. And also because the idea I concocted for the layout (because I was a control freak at the time who needed to dip his paws in every aspect of the creative process) was basically just marrying two pop culture images that I had been drawn to: Sgt Peppers insert (which I first encountered through a parody that the Simpsons had done) and the foldout picture of 10CC’s album How Dare You. That was basically all we did back then: borrowed various disparate aspects of media we encountered and cobbled them together in different iterations in order to hopefully convey the illusion of new.
Orange Island was a selfish band. We wrote songs that we ourselves would want blaring through car speakers, words that we ourselves would want to shout into the night. Practices were group therapy and playing out felt like the most fun way to spend our free time. We wrote love letters to moments that we intuitively knew were fleeting (in that profound way that only children standing on the bridge to adulthood can feel) and we did it for the benefit of an ever-changing future version of ourselves. I feel like we start creating in our teenage years because we hear a voice in our head that whispers "you look infinite right now why don't you try to write something down" almost as if we instinctively know that the pleasure center of our brain is filled with infinity but that it also has an expiration date (the nucleus accumbens stretching out during adolescence & then immediately beginning to shrink so that it acts almost like a little pouch filled with our own personalized forever that every now & again we get to reach inside of to grab some of the little bits of this infinity and sprinkle them out, making a trail of confetti that will hopefully allows us to always find our way back, back to how life felt when this pouch was at its biggest?). I don't know, sometimes I think we create just in order to get better at remembering and nowhere is this more evident than on The Shape of Calling. Any time I’ve listened to any of these songs I’ve felt an immediate and visceral connection to the kid I was when we wrote and recorded them. I think I even knew back then that I was trying my hardest to score what would eventually become simply a montage of images that’s edges would only blur more and more over time. I needed that score; I knew this time of my life deserved more emotion than photobooks could elicit. So when I hear these noises I can remember clearly, for example, the holiness that one might feel when tiptoeing around the passed out bodies of friends and strangers alike in the early morning hours of parents away or newly living on one’s own in city apartments. I can see clearly again the faces of friends and acquaintances and feel what it was like to not be able to tell the difference between the two yet. I can taste the subtle ecstacy inherent in summer emanating from the bodies of crushes and revisits. And I lose my breath in that way that you do when the window is down and you’re on the highway trying to make one of the other members of the caravan laugh because you have to take separate cars filled with equipment to the show.
What this record did well was capture the fun and sloppy energy that existed in my life at that time We were mostly just trying to make the exact type of music that, when we had first experienced it intimately, felt like a call home (though if I’m being honest I wish I could do it all again and record every song with the Tommy James and the Shondells setup/vibe because that would’ve made for a more interesting listening experience 20 years later). Music, to me, when I first started interacting with it seriously was a conversation that pre-dated me and that would live on after me. I needed to feel like a part of that conversation and I needed that badly or I felt like I would get crushed by the weight of a meaningless existence. These songs are not mature in any way but then again I’m not sure we wanted them to be. I’m also not sure they could’ve been. I was a fresh 19 and Bren was 17 when we put the finishing touches on them before demo-ing them with Poorman (our maybe fourth set of demos in two years). My fondest memories of their creation involve Dave and I working on expanding the lyrics during the 6pm to 2am shift at my job at the Clinton State Pool. The songs are earnest and sentimental that’s how you get “drinking with your boys and singing songs out loud all night”/“dreaming with your boys and keeping hope alive all night” and “I’ll drown in you if you breathe this life with me” & of course they were written before death changed my world and this release came out right before the country would change forever, so context also exacerbates this sort of naivete in the songwriting. This truly is a “before” record. A kind of innocent and urgent record that concerns itself primarily with the NOW. It’s a record written in the shadow of Y2K by kids that didn’t quite take the doomsday stuff all that serious.
Signing to Iodine as their first official band brought with it an air of legitimacy which was very important to an insecure band such as ourselves (that stayed insecure in many ways throughout its career) because you have to remember that this was a time where gatekeeping informed value in a lot of ways. Since we’re talking the year of our emo lord 2000 this was when the music business hadn’t changed over to the Internet yet. Instead of searching on your computer for music that people had made potentially in their bedrooms or whatever people went to record stores and leafed through bins, so it was important to have an entity believe in you enough to invest their time and resources in getting you into that bin. Casey was that entity for us. He was taking a chance on us and we were taking a chance on him. We sort of learned together as we went. We were always suffering from imposter syndrome (since we had basically grown up around amazing bands made up of people that became our friends) but we also had that special reserve of arrogance that blue-collared suburban kids have. I remember always telling Bren that the next year would be our year. “2000 is going to be our year.” “2001 is going to be our year.” “2002 is going to be our year.” Mostly because that’s how it felt. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to hop into the studio whenever we had four or five songs that we were excited about. The latest batch of songs had made their way into Casey’s hands and after a serious business meeting at a Pizzeria Uno on Comm Ave I was able to bring the offer to the other band members and we decided to give it a whirl. Casey immediately went to work creating promotional materials involving photoshoots and booking shows for us outside of Massachusetts and getting us back into the studio. It was easy to see immediately that he wasn’t fucking around and he wasn’t going to sleep until he made us the darlings of Iodine and to a larger extent the independent music scene of the time. And because of this hard work I was able to realize that though I was making music for selfish reasons as a way to always find the way back to myself (& perhaps my friends could do the same), people outside of my circle were actually able to take these songs as their own and add their own context.
I remember playing a show in upstate New York early on and hanging out with some of the kids that had come (probably the few that had actually shown up) just to have something to do and keeping in touch with them over AOL or signmyguestbook dot com after. One day they told us that one of the songs on the EP was helping them all deal with a profound loss: one of their friends had just passed away tragically and somehow the song lifted their grief even in the tiniest of ways. That wasn’t the intention of this particular song, I had actually written it as what I thought was an anthem to justify not overthinking hookups with ex-girlfriends, but there it was: someone had taken it and given it a more important meaning and that’s when I realized oh shit this is bigger than us and oh shit I made my way into the conversation and thank god and let’s keep going. Let’s see how many people we can get to bring themselves to these songs so they become no longer ours.
~ Chuck Young
Clinton, MA 2021
Photos by: Kristina Harbor and Neighbor Hansen
]]>Iodine Recordings Relaunch by New Noise Magazine
By Frankie Torok, New Noise Magazine - August 3, 2021
Influential punk/hardcore label Iodine Recordings has relaunched after a 17-year break, releasing reissues of their signature records, as well as adding new bands to their roster.
Founder Casey Iodine has rebooted the label after closing it down in 2004 and traveling the world, only to realize there was something missing in his life – Iodine Recordings.
Casey Iodine says:
“The label grew faster than any of us had expected with numerous new signings and releases in our final year. The music industry was rapidly changing with the emergence of digital music sharing and our sales dwindled to a trickle — even though our bands were very popular and mostly playing sold-out shows. I made the decision to close the label rather than continue digging a deeper hole that we didn’t see a way out of. I never liked the way things ended, and not a week has gone by over the last 18 years that I didn’t think about how I wished things went differently.
Iodine was always known for its diversity of sound as we released albums from different genres and no two records were alike. The brand always reflected my personal music taste, and I believe that is what set Iodine apart from other labels. We’ve always been known for the quality of our releases, and I hope to keep that reputation going strong.”
Signature titles to be reissued include the 20th anniversary remaster of Jeromes Dream’s Presents, out September 24. New signings include Audio Karate, Onelinedrawing, The Darling Fire, Ritual Earth, and more to come. The Darling Fire will premiere their cover of Fugazi’s “Reclamation” at Punk Rock Theory on August 6.
Iodine adds:
“I was always looking for a reason to bring the label back and get some of those final releases the attention they deserved. It started with There Were Wires, who reached out looking to reissue their final release Somnambulists, which was originally released in the final weeks before the label shutdown. Originally my intention was to re-issue Iodine’s back catalog or releases from that era of friends’ bands, but I was overwhelmed by the warm reception the label received when I announced its return. I quickly reconnected with a lot of artists that I worked with over the years and found myself in numerous discussions for signing new artists to work with on the label for new releases.”
Influenced by labels like Sub Pop and Dischord, Iodine seamlessly developed a brand that was respected for its quality rather than adhering to a specific genre. The label eventually functioned as a breeding ground for the best new artists who eventually went on to upstream and to do big things: Smoke or Fire signed to Fat Wreck Chords, Orange Island put out releases on both Rise Records and Triple Crown, Gregor Samsa moved to Kora Records, and There Were Wires went on to form the bands Doomriders and Disappearer.
Additionally, the label team booked shows, managed tours, and helped build and foster a community. This was most prevalent each year when they hosted the annual music festival, dubbed “Iodine Fest.”
Ultimately, Iodine was more than a label — it represented a scene. Casey’s decision to revitalize the label and reissue many of the catalog’s out-of-print titles spurred an overwhelmingly positive response from fans and the industry, which led to new signings and contract negotiations, and thus, Iodine Recordings was officially back in business.
Iodine plans to remain a small and focused operation with a singular mission and one that has not changed since its inception in 1996 — releasing the best of the best in indie music and always putting fans first.
Words by: Frankie Torok
Premiered on: New Noise Magazine - August 3, 2021
Photo by: Casandra Marie Photo
20 years after their breakup, Jeromes Dream remain one of the most influential screamo bands of all time. Just a month before their 2001 breakup, the Connecticut band released second LP Presents and showcased a new style. More akin to noise rock and incorporating elements of hardcore and math rock, the ideas on the album were left unexplored until Jeromes Dream followed it up 18 years later with reunion album LP.
“This record was an opportunity for us to explore uncharted musical territory and ignore any preconceived notions of what we should sound like,” reflects drummer Erik Ratensperger. “At the time of writing and recording Presents, we were in a strange headspace and felt socially isolated, but creatively liberated. There’s an air of cynicism in the music, and in the lyrics, but we felt like we had cracked the code. Looking back, it’s a shame that we parted ways only months later.”
To commemorate the album’s 20th anniversary, engineer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Loma Prieta) remastered the album for reissue in September. The band also has a new music video for the song “This is for Baby Fat,” which features live footage of the band’s 2019 appearance at 924 Gilman Street.
“I can remember what it was like to be a kid trying to find a foothold in a world that was so soul-crushingly hostile that Erik, Nick, and I had no choice but to turn inward and create what we did the way we did,” adds bassist/vocalist Jeff Smith. “Presents captures the darkness we, as a band, collectively felt at the time it was released. A lot of what we were feeling at the time has continued to be relevant to me. Listening back to the record, I feel the fury, disillusionment and situational hopelessness we three discussed regularly as clearly as I did back in 2001. But I also felt the focus and clarity that we finally learned to channel when we played together toward the end of our first run as a band. While the music on the record is brimming with cynicism and angst, there is also a vulnerability that was always present in our music. Nowhere better does this vulnerability come through for me than 35. Hopefully, you can find your own connection with the record and its songs the way I do.”
Presents is set for reissue on September 24 via Iodine Recordings, but listen to the remastered version of “This is for Baby Fat” and watch the video below.
Video excerpts from Jeromes Dream Tour in 2019.
Premiered with Decibel Magazine on 08/11/21.
Filmed by: Jonathan Valesquez
Edited by: Erik Ratensperger
Cover Photo by: Adam Gerhold
Copyright 2021 - Iodine Recordings, Microspy Music
Artist: Jeromes Dream
Song: This Is For Baby Fat
Album: Presents (Reissue)
Catalog # IOD-17
Youth can be captured in the warm sunlight on your arm, extended out the driver side window of a white Chevy Econoline, in the sweet floral North Carolina summertime, as you drive to a public pool with newfound friends having slept on their farmhouse floor the previous night. A soundtrack of indie rock advance copy cassettes, provided from Gorman’s Newbury Comics hook up, playing over the dull hum of the motor that matched the malt liquor hangovers of half of us.
As we age decisions layer upon decisions, carving out a life for ourselves that has a complexity usually not grasped in our youth. Something that is beautiful can either be empowering or stifling depending on the day, your dopamine levels, and your willingness to embrace the savageness of existence.
But youth has a magic about it, the undetermined future of endless possibility like wandering in the dark. Sometimes the sly acknowledgment that experience is fleeting and wonderful, the realization that such moments will soon become memories upon which a life is built can allow you to look back on your first summer tour down the east coast, not with a wistful desire to relive it, but with a deep satisfaction of having lived it the one time.
These days are always "the days," but when played well our collective "memory lane" can illuminate the next adventure, so that you may not be lost, but instead hold a lantern to light the way.
~Joseph Grillo, NYC 2021
Photo By: Greg Mailloux
]]>Today is the day. Finally. We get to share with you the twentieth anniversary of Presents. And, for the first time, on vinyl. It’s crazy to me to think that this weird, angular, twenty year-old record holds enough weight with enough people to bring it back to life. But here it is. The last few months of planning have felt like opening a time capsule. From writing the record in Erik’s bedroom at the Rock House in Amherst, Massachusetts in early 2001, to recording with Kurt Ballou at God City, to laying out the artwork with Hrishikesh Hirway from The One AM Radio in New Haven, Connecticut, to finally sharing the songs with people live for the brief time we had left as a band in that first iteration, I can remember what it was like to be a kid trying to find a foothold in a world that was so soul-crushingly hostile that Erik, Nick, and I had no choice but to turn inward and create what we did the way we did. Presents captures the darkness we, as a band, collectively felt at the time it was released. And, without going deeply into it, it’s crazy to me that a lot of what we were feeling at the time has continued to be relevant to me.
Listening back to the record this morning, prior to writing this, I felt the fury, disillusionment, and situational hopelessness we three discussed regularly as clearly as I did back in 2001. But I also felt the focus and clarity that we finally learned to channel when we played together toward the end of our first run as a band. While the music on the record is brimming with cynicism and angst, there is also a vulnerability that was always present in our music. Nowhere better does this vulnerability come through for me than 35. Hopefully you can find your own connection with the record and its songs the way I do.
I’m really glad that we are partnering with Casey at Iodine to bring this record back to life and give it new meaning. Whether you were there back then, you discovered it in the years after we took a break, or this is your first listen, this newly re-mastered version with re-imagined artwork really makes it feel like a new record to us. And while it isn’t without its flaws, the record, again, is, to me, a perfect snapshot from a time that was ushering in a new kind of global darkness while we did our best to navigate the difficulty of our very early twenties. Speaking for Erik and Nick, we hope that you enjoy Presents in its new form. Take care, be kind, and stay safe.
~Jeff, July 29, 2021
Photo by: Adam Gerhold
]]>Decibel Magazine premiers the music video for "His Talk, Her Teeth"
By Vince Bellino, Decibel Magazine - March 30, 2021
Those who remember the late-’90s and early-’00s wave of metalcore that spawned such seminal acts as Converge, Cave In and Isis may remember Massachusetts hardcore crew There Were Wires, whose former members went on to play with Doomriders and Disappearer. The frantic blend of chaotic hardcore and moody post-metal led the band on tour with Daughters and Zombi, plus shows with Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Mastodon and other stalwarts of the scene at the time through today.
In 2003, There Were Wires released the killer Somnambulists album, but it went unheard by the masses when then-label Iodine Recordings closed its doors in 2004—until now. The label has reactivated, primed for reissues and new releases starting with Somnabulists, remastered and pressed on wax for the first time.
For the uninitiated, Decibel has a new video for “His Talk, Her Teeth,” compiled from live footage from 1999 to 2004. There Were Wires’ sound is reminiscent of the genre’s greats—anyone with a love for Deadguy, Cave In and bands like Zao should take notice of There Were Wires.
“This video perfectly captures the feral intensity of There Were Wires’ live shows from 1999 to 2004,” the band tells Decibel. “Whether playing a big stage or a tiny basement, there was always a wild, unpredictable energy and that’s part of what made it so fun. Edited by bassist Jebb Riley’s former Doomriders band mate, Michael Quartulli.”
Video excerpts from the There Were Wires documentary filmed in 2003 and 2004.
Premiered with Decibel Magazine on 03/30/21.
Filmed by: Matt Spearin & Ben Sisto
Edited by: Michael Quartulli
Copyright 2021 - Iodine Recordings
Artist: There Were Wires
Song: His Talk, Her Teeth
Album: Somnambulists (Reissue)
Catalog # IOD-16 / TJR-50