NOISE BY NUMBERS – Over Leavitt (Jump Start): As a band that will have to work impossibly hard to shake itself from the shadows of ex-member legacies (I’m looking at you Dan Schafer and Jeff Dean), NOISE BY NUMBERS seems up to the task on Over Leavitt, their second full-length. I’ll describe this release as basically being mature pop-punk that sounds like the classic Lookout! sound all grown up. It’s got a feel of GREEN DAY if they focused their energies on something other than concept records, but still kept to having a monolithic sounding recording (a huge positive on this release). Trust is an important personal component at any age, and the band touches on that topic with perfect grace on “Swarm of Flies”. As complete a full-length as they come.

LANDMINES – Commerce and Marx (Paper + Plastick): There’s nothing subtle about LANDMINES – they hit hard and fast and with bluster to spare. The punk/hardcore band spiritually aligns itself with the STRIKE ANYWHERE / TRIAL BY FIRE / NEW MEXICAN DISASTER SQUAD crowd, and maybe it’s the cool black and white artwork on Commerce that’s clouding my opinion, but I swear the band has made a few nods to DISCHARGE and other 80s UK hardcore punk/crust bands as well. I’m a bit weary of the band by the album’s end, with its 13 linear-firing songs pushing 30 minutes. I feel the need for speed, but LANDMINES could stand to mix things up more from a tempo and songwriting standpoint.

SANTAH – White Noise Bed (No Sleep): No Sleep signed a band that sounds like WILCO crashing into VAMPIRE WEEKEND. The artwork booklet has no lyrics, but black and white photos of a family from what looks like the 1950s. I really don’t understand indie rock pretensions sometimes…

From the inbox:

Suburban Home has adopted Minneapolis, Minnesota band, THE EVENING RIG. We will be helping The Evening Rig to release their new album, Nothin’ to Hear Here which will be released in late 2011/early 2012. Until then, we ask you to please enjoy the 11 song sampler which compiles a number of tracks from the band’s first 2 albums, Never Been’er, and Is Doin’ Stuff.

The Evening Rig started when members of THE CARDINAL SIN and the CRUSH got together to start writing music. After releasing their first album, Never Been’er, Peter Jesperson (Manager of the Replacements, A&R of New West) had this to say: “The Evening Rig are one of those rare rock groups that seem to turn up out of nowhere, holding all of the goods. Their debut album, Never Been’er, is astonishingly strong, well written and played, confident, powerful, melodic … the singer in particular just kills me. They’re the best new band I’ve heard out of Minneapolis in eons.”

This pretty much sums up how I [SH owner Virgil Dickerson] feel about the band’s first 2 albums and throughout the years, I’ve gotten to know them very well. I’ve actually known Rebecca “Becky” Hanten since her days in the Cardinal Sin. Early this year, I went out to visit an old buddy who lives in Minneapolis. During this time, I got to hang out with the members of the Evening Rig quite a bit and it became pretty clear that we see eye to eye with regards to music, touring, and putting out albums. When I booked a few shows for the Evening Rig in Colorado, we again hung out and the conversation came up that we should figure out some way to work together. They mentioned that they were planning on recording and self-releasing their upcoming album, Nothin’ to Hear Here, and I just threw out the possibility of helping them promote and distribute the album. I’m very happy to say that they were into this idea and as such, we will help release the record in early 2012. The Evening Rig carry the torch that Midwest acts like Husker Du and The Replacements helped to light. They have played with Lucero, Two Cow Garage, The Hold Steady, and more. They will fit in nicely with the Suburban Home Family.

The Evening Rig 11 Song Sampler by Suburban Home Records

Ghost Knife – Soft Bullets by End Sounds

- Hooky, pop-punk with an old-school late 70s feel, featuring members of J CHURCH and RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS. A debut full-length will be out this fall on End Sounds.

From the inbox:

Florida natives FALLEN FROM THE SKY will be releasing a series of free digital single bundles starting August 23rd, 2011 that will include tracks from their sessions with producer Shaun Lopez (Far, Deftones,The Black Pacific). The first installment of the free bundle series will include the song “Rebuilder” and an acoustic version of “Wolves” produced and tracked by Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional.

The single bundles will feature a bonus music video for the titled single as well as B-side tracks that will be a mix of cover songs, new material, and acoustic songs recorded by the band themselves in their own FFTS HQ studio.

“When you do something for the right reasons people gravitate towards it. If we were in this for the money, we would have been done a long time ago” explains FFTS drummer Giancarlo “Jim” Aservi. “After creating such amazing music with Shaun during such a transitional time for the music industry, releasing these songs for free just seemed like the right thing to do. There’s a ton of people out there who have stood by us over the years, and this is for all for them.”

Fallenfromthesky.net

FFTS Digital Single Bundles by fallenfromthesky

After a lengthy break in new music, screamo/hardcore/metal outfit CIRCLE TAKES THE SQUARE has made available their brand new four song release Decompositions Vol 1. Chapter 1. Rites of Initiation, on their Bandcamp page. The 24 minute release is available to stream and for paid download, with physical copies coming sometime this fall.

From the inbox:

We are extremely excited to announce the addition of Holyoke, Massachussetts’ punk rock four-piece, THE STEREO STATE to our roster! Having been compared to Samiam, 88 Fingers Louie, and No Use for a Name, THE STEREO STATE combine nostalgic elements of 90’s Fat/Epitaph style punk rock with more mid-tempo melodic leanings similar to Dinosaur Jr. and Jawbreaker.

Have All My Friends Gone Deaf? was engineered and produced by Trevor Reilly of a A WILHELM SCREAM fame at his Black & Blue Studio in New Bedford, Massachussetts in May of 2011.

Trevor states, “When The Stereo State came to record with me, it really felt like a party was rolling through. I could tell immediately that these four guys were the best of friends and really just had the best time with each other, and it shows in the music they create. I could tell they couldnt give less of a shit about being popular or famous, all they cared about was these songs they labored over with love. I heard flashes of Bouncing Souls, Black Train Jack and even Lifetime in these jams. The honesty of east coast punk permeating every chord and drum fill and it brought me back to when i was a kid hearing those groups for the first time. Their songs were from the heart and catchy as fuck. Such a rarity these days. I am honored they let me produce this record and I am proud that we share the same home state. Timeless energetic rock music that aims for your soul, not your wallet. “

Have All My Friends Gone Deaf? will hit stores on October 4th, 2011 in digital and CD formats. Check out the brand new track “As Honest As I Can Be” by clicking here.

- Hey Andy!

Via Kiss of Death Records…

Ordering information.