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The Dirt Radicals’ Punk Rock Journey
The year is 1999. The air is thick and consistently burns on the small Southeast Asian metropolis of Singapore. A group of expat high school musicians hailing from Australia and Japan, form a band under the moniker Pug Jelly. The young band’s infectious, energetic brand of pop-rock/pop-punk quickly spread through the country, pushing them up the ranks of the local music scene and establishing Pug Jelly as one of the household names in underground Singaporean pop-punk. No easy feat, considering the fact that the band was spawned by foreign talent, and the nationalistic mindset that many Singaporean’s have. Despite the criticisms, the “local” band has seen international acclaim, proven by tours spanning across Southeast Asia, and a nomination for the MTV Asia awards.
Pack Your Bags…
Pug Jelly met their end in 2005. However, after a couple years worth of hiatus, lineup changes and a brief run under the name Saw Loser, The Dirt Radicals rose from the ashes in 2009, by previous Pug Jelly members: Australian brothers Sam and Matt Cooper (Vocals/Bass, Drums) and Japanese Masashi Kimura (Guitar/Vocals). Fueled by an insatiable hunger to create great music and put on energetic live shows, the band pushed the envelope of contemporary punk rock in dynamic and creative ways with the release of their first full-length, …I’ve Got A Rad Feeling About This! in August 2010. With catchy tracks like Jakarta, (my personal favorite,) Osaka Sundown, and lead single Pack Your Bags (which received heavy airplay on Singapore’s top radio stations).
The Dirt Radicals not only rocketed back to the top of the punk scene, but hungrily showed, with no discrimination, why they rightfully belonged there in the first place. With several tours, and a slew of headlining positions at Asia’s most major music festivals (Baybeats, Unionway Fest, Java Rockin’ Land, HoHaiYan Festival); one would think any band would have had their fill. But The Dirt Radicals are far from through.
Enterin’ and Destroyin’
After leaving Singapore with their eyes set on London, England, the band is currently due to release their sophomore album Enter Destroyer. The highly anticipated album features 13 tracks, sonically united by a darker, heavier sound combined with the distinctive rock-and-roll/punk rock vibe. Sam Cooper describes the album’s theme as the “disintegration of society. It’s about people lying and cheating to get ahead in the world. It’s about the people who carelessly enter and exit others’ lives, nonchalantly leaving a trail of destruction behind them.” The album, as the band has stated, will serve as a venting tool for their struggles in the members’ lives.
From Pug Jelly, to Saw Loser to The Dirt Radicals, the band has stayed true to their core message, great music and great times. With the Enter Destroyer set to drop on June 25th this year, it’s easy to see how far The Dirt Radicals have come, and far they’re going to go. The cigarette is far from done. Pre-orders for the new album begin May 28th on iTunes!
Ketch Harbour Wolves Release “Queen City: Volume One”
The album was recorded entirely over the winter of 2013 and was mixed by Laurence Currie at Sunnyside Studio (Wintersleep, Hey Rosetta, In-Flight Safety) and mastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel (Broken Social Scene, Hayden, The National).
Here’s what the band had to say about the album, “The content of the Queen City albums attempt to create a map of songs for Toronto arising out of specific sites within the city (Leslie Spit, Prince Edward Viaduct, Toronto Dominion Centre), weaving together history, mythology, and personal reflection into a dream-like cinematic narrative.
The title of the album refers to one of several monikers that Toronto has gone by since its foundation in the early 19th century. And yet the city shares this title with many other places throughout North America making it general and specific at the same time. Toronto serves as a backdrop for universal human emotions (love, death and longing) and Queen City: Volume One is a reminder that each of us has similar dreams and desires, no matter the location.”
The album is available stream from their website, Bandcamp and SoundCloud. For more information about the band be sure to check out their Facebook, and Twitter.
Tracklisting:
1. Pulled from the Wreckage
2. The Good Blood
3. Signs Were Everywhere
4. Should Have Learned
5. The Angelus
6. Through a Glass Darkly
7. 1992
8. The Beginning
Manchester Orchestra Record Store Day Collaboration
Wildlife Release “…On The Heart”
Vocalist, Dean Povinsky words about the album. “It keeps us going, keeps us living and gives us a place to be free. Don’t stop believin’? Follow your dreams? Sure. But it seems to me that the heart is too complex to be summed up in a catchphrase. I think it would be fair to say that this new album was created to try to make a little sense of that complex, mysterious, vital muscle. Maybe with a couple catchphrases thrown in for good measure. We buried our hearts deep inside this thing, and we hope you love it as much as we do.” Watch the music video for their track Born To Ruin below, and buy the full album in digital, CD, or 12″ form from their Bandcamp page.
Matt Corby’s Past, Present & Future
Matt Corby has also released four other EPs: Into the Flame, Transition to Colour, My False, and Song For… This artist is not only meant for fans of folk music, but everyone. He writes powerful songs to pump you up, as well as more emotional laid back ones to listen to when relaxing. He is currently in the studio writing and recording for his debut album which is scheduled to be released next year. To keep up to date, you can check out his website and his Facebook Page where you can download his music.
The Story of The Falls
They met. They fell in love.
They wrote songs.
They fought. They made up.
They broke up.
They wrote songs.
The Falls focus their songwriting on documenting the love, betrayal, and the heartbreak of relationships. This Sydney based indie/folk duo decided that it would be better to create music, rather than just wallow in sadness. These fledgling recordings were just the beginning of what has become their debut EP HOLLYWOOD, which will soon be released sometime during March in North America.
Known for their live performances, and the emotion that is put into them, The Falls create intoxicating melodies, paralleled with their signature elegant harmonies. With an unmistakable sound, barefoot collaborators and best friends The Falls are definitely worth watching out for in 2013. For more information you can check out their website, and see their North American tour dates below.
NEW YORK, NY
7 March : 8:00PM – COMMUNION: ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL
24 March : 2:00PM – SONS OF ESSEX : THE AUSSIE BBQ
LOS ANGELES, CA
10 March : 3:30PM – THE ECHO : THE AUSSIE BBQ
SXSW AUSTIN, TX
12 March : 1:15PM – B.D. RILEY’S PUB : SHE’LL BE RIGHT
12 March : 6:15PM – in.gredients : in.sessions
14 March : 4PM – OPAL DIVINE’S : Sweet Tea and Pumpkin Pie Showcase
14 March : 12AM – STEPHEN F’S BAR : OFFICIAL SHOWCASE
15 March : 1:00PM – RUSTY’S AUSTIN : Swing House/Hype Music/D’addario
15 March : 2:50PM – HYDE PARK : Dejaset
16 March : 12:45PM – MAGGIE MAE’S : THE AUSSIE BBQ
16 MARCH : 9:00PM – The Tap Room at Six : OFFICIAL SHOWCASE
17 March : 9PM – THE FIREHOUSE : BLUE SKY OVER OVER AUSTIN
CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK TORONTO, ON
20 March : 1:00AM – CAMERON HOUSE BACKROOM : OFFICIAL SHOWCASE
21 March : 7:40PM – CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY : SOUND GALLERY
Marcus Foster’s Discography So Far
By 2010, the demand for Marcus Foster started to grow with in the US, which led to musical appearances on the Jimmy Fallon Show, as well as tours around the country. In the following year, Foster finally released his debut album, Nameless Path which contains “timeless quality which was once appreciated”. Furthermore his second EP The Last House was released in late 2012, and contains some of most diverse work to date. So if you are looking for some calming folk/blues tunes that contain sounds rarely heard in today’s music, Marcus Foster is the man you are looking for.
His music is available on iTunes, as well as his website. Furthermore, Foster will be touring around the United States during March and April, whilst completing his second album, tour dates can be found on his Facebook page.
Topshelf Records’ V-Day Charity Four-Way Split
Cam Boucher, of Old Gray’s words about this release. “With all of our respective bands currently working to promote records of our own, we thought it would be nice to come together and try to use any attention that we’ve recieved as bands to help give back to the community.”
The split is available to purchase now on Topshelf Record’s Bandcamp page with downloads being sent out at 4pm EST on Valentine’s Day. I recommend buying this release as the proceeds go to a good cause, and of course you get new tracks from amazing bands.
Paramore Releases Track Listing For New Album
Track listing:
1. Fast In My Car
2. Now
3. Grow Up
4. Daydreaming
5. interlude: Moving On
6. Ain’t It Fun
7. Part II
8. Last Hope
9. Still Into You
10. Anklebiters
11. interlude: Holiday
12. Proof
13. Hate To See Your Heart Break
14. (One Of Those) Crazy Girls
15. interlude: I’m Not Angry Anymore
16. Be Alone
17. Future
The Story So Far To Release New Album
You can check out the track listing below.
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