* U.S. Tour begins today
* First two shows = Street Smart Cyclist’s last two shows EVER

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Today and tomorrow, Brooklyn, N.Y. / Easton, P.A. duo Slingshot Dakota kicks off a two-month tour of the U.S. in style, playing what is sure to be two amazing shows with Street Smart Cyclist .

Of course, the news is a tad bittersweet as the Street Smart Cyclist boys have decided to call it a day. The festivities at tonight’s show in Brooklyn - as well as tomorrow’s Allentown, P.A. gig - will be the band’s last. It’s a shame too; Street Smart Cyclist’s sound combined jazzy, intricate emo and joyful punk rock abandon in a way that always evoked a warm feeling of nostalgia for bands like Cap’n Jazz while also pointing toward new ideas and a progression of their sound.

They leave us with an acoustic tour EP and a three-song seven inch…one of the first releases I ever worked for Beartrap and which remains a favorite to this day. Rumor has it that the band’s last few songs will eventually be released on vinyl and cd format. It’s a silver lining, I suppose.

Back to happier thoughts, namely Slingshot Dakota on tour. Most of September and October is booked / being booked, but there are a few shows that the band is trying to nail down. If you can help out, drop me a line or send an email directly to Tom and Carly at slingshotdakota@hotmail.com.

Tour
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AUG 29 - Brooklyn, NY @ The Silent Barn w/ Street Smart Cyclist (2nd to Last Show!), Small Arms Dealer
AUG 31 - Allentown, PA @ Jan’s Room w/ Street Smart Cyclist (LAST SHOW), Yo Man Go (Last show as well - wtf?)
SEP 05 - East Stroudsburg, PA @ East Stroudsburg University
SEP 06 - Baltimore, MD @ Frisbee House
SEP 07 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Model Home
SEP 08 - Washington, DC @ The Girl Cave
SEP 09 - Richmond, VA @House show! - 418 W. Marshall
SEP 10 - Raleigh, NC @ TBA - being booked
SEP 11 - Greensboro, NC @ Nate’s Place
SEP 12 - Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern
SEP 13 - Charleston, SC @ House show!!!
SEP 21 - St. Augustine, FL @ TBA - being booked
SEP 23 - Orlando, FL @ The Blackbox Collective
SEP 24 - Tampa, FL @ Transitions Skate Gallery
SEP 25 - Gainesville, FL @ Wayward Council
SEP 26 - Tallahassee, FL @ TBA - HELP NEEDED
SEP 27 - Pensacola, FL @ Sluggo’s
SEP 28 - New Orleans / Baton Rouge, LA @ TBA - HELP NEEDED
SEP 29 - Austin / Houston, TX @ TBA - HELP NEEDED
SEP 30 - Ft Worth, TX @ 1919 Hemphill
OCT 01 - Oklahoma / Kansas @ TBA - HELP NEEDED
OCT 02 - St Louis, MO @ House Show
OCT 03 - Bloomington, IN @ TBA - being booked
OCT 04 - Lexington, KY @ The Shrieking Shack
OCT 05 - Louisville, KY @ Skull Alley
OCT 06 - Cincinnati, OH @ TBA - being booked
OCT 07 - Northwestern IN @ TBA - being booked
OCT 08 - Grand Rapids, MI @ TBA - being booked
OCT 09 - Somewhere, MI @ TBA - being booked
OCT 10 - Columbus, OH @ TBA - being booked
OCT 11 - Kent, OH @ The Vineyard w/ Lemuria
OCT 12 - Cleveland, OH @ The Soggy Dog - Afternoon show w/ Lemuria, Sidekicks
OCT 12 - Pittsburgh, PA @ TBA - being booked
OCT 13 - Buffalo, NY @ TBA - being booked
OCT 14 - Rochester, NY @ TBA - being booked
OCT 15 - Oswego, NY @ TBA - being booked
OCT 16 - Syracuse, NY @ Women’s Info Center
OCT 17 - Plattsburgh, NY @ Koinonio Center
OCT 18 - Winooski, VT @ The Monkey House
OCT 19 - Boston, MA @ TBA - being booked
OCT 29 - Richmond, VA @ TBA
OCT 30 - North Carolina @ TBA - HELP NEEDED
OCT 31 - NOV 02 - Gainesville, FL @ THE FEST 7

Slingshot Dakota’s latest full-length, Their Dreams Are Dead, But Ours Are The Golden Ghost was released in early 2008. Throughout the record, fuzzy, nimble keys collide with expolosive drum work, triggering heartfelt songs about friendship, community, living on the road and ultimately, following your dreams. Golden Ghost is a unique mix of sweet indie-pop melodies and DIY-inspired enthusiasm, and Slingshot Dakota’s music has never felt so honest and moving. Recorded by Latterman’s Phil Douglas, you can order a copy directly from the band via their myspace page or pick one up at a show.

Listen to Ohio! and the appropriately named Tour Song (Free MP3s)!

- A duo that makes duos exciting again. - Absolutepunk.net
- Golden Ghost might be one of 2008’s best hidden secrets. - New-Noise
- Golden Ghost was my first introduction to the band, and one I doubt I’ll soon forget. - The Punk Site
- Wow. Like seriously, wow. Simple and heartwrenchingly honest in all the right places. - Late Night Wallflower
- A refreshingly strong emotionally honest album filled with compelling indie-pop anthems. - DryveTymeOnlyne
- In the case of Slingshot Dakota, less is definitely more; this duo is overflowing with substance. - Pastepunk

* Canadian dates with The Swellers (Aug 27 - 31)
* September tour with The Gaslight Anthem and American Steel / O Pioneers!!! (Sep 12 - 29)
* October tour with Broadway Calls, Crime In Stereo, The Swellers

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Beginning today, Polar Bear Club (Rochester, NY) will be playing a few shows in Canada with The Swellers before gearing up for two weeks in September with The Gaslight Anthem and American Steel. O Pioneers!!! will be playing several shows as well.

The band is touring in support of their highly acclaimed debut full-length, Sometimes Things Just Disappear, which was released by Red Leader Records on March 11, 2008. It’s the follow-up to Polar Bear Club’s 2006 EP The Redder The Better .

Polar Bear Club will follow up their September dates with an October U.S. tour to include West Coast and Texas markets, culminating at the The Fest in Gainesville, Florida over Halloween weekend. The band will be touring with good friends Broadway Calls, Crime In Stereo and The Swellers (line-ups will vary). More details and dates soon.

Tour
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AUG 27 - Toronto, ON @ Reverb w/ The Swellers, The Artist Life
AUG 28 - London, ON @ The Salt Lounge w/ The Swellers, The Artist Life
AUG 29 - Guelph, ON @ The Shadow w/ The Swellers
AUG 30 - Montreal, QC @ Hemisphere Gauche w/ The Swellers
AUG 31 - Winooski, VT @ The Monkey House w/ The Swellers
SEP 12 - New Brunswick, NJ @ Rutgers University w/ The Gaslight Anthem, The Ergs
SEP 13 - Columbus, OH @ Bernie’s Distillery w/ The Gaslight Anthem, American Steel
SEP 14 - Covington, KY @ Mad Hatter w/ The Gaslight Anthem, American Steel
SEP 15 - Rochester, NY @ The Club at Water Street Music Hall w/ The Gaslight Anthem, American Steel
SEP 16 - Albany, NY @ Valentines w/ The Gaslight Anthem, American Steel
SEP 18 - Wilkes-Barre, PA @ Cafe Metropolis w/ The Gaslight Anthem, American Steel
SEP 19 - Richmond, VA @ The Canal Club w/ The Gaslight Anthem, American Steel
SEP 20 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 w/ The Gaslight Anthem, American Steel
SEP 21 - Nashville, TN @ Exit / In w/ The Gaslight Anthem, American Steel
SEP 22 - Louisville, KY @ Skull Alley w/ Static Radio NJ
SEP 26 - New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues w/ The Gaslight Anthem, O Pioneers!!!
SEP 27 - San Antonio, TX @ Rock Bottom w/ The Gaslight Anthem, O Pioneers!!!
SEP 28 - Dallas, TX @ Prophet Bar w/ The Gaslight Anthem, O Pioneers!!!
SEP 29 - Little Rock, AR @ Vino’s w/ The Gaslight Anthem, O Pioneers!!!

For those who couldn’t get enough of the anthemic, full-throttle attack of Polar Bear Club’s debut EP, The Redder The Better, rest assured that Sometimes Things Just Disappear cranks out enough electricity to power the entire Eastern Seaboard. Coupled with their insanely unrelenting live show, Polar Bear Club routinely reaches emotional and melodic highs, simultaneously tearing up your heart and pumping it full of life.

Listen to Burned Out In A Jar (Free MP3)!

- Jam-packed with ace, life-affirming tunes for fans of Rise Against, Hot Water Music, Propagandhi and great, gruff punk anthems in general. - Rock Sound
- PBC has something special - an original voice - and the album is one that can be respected by fans of indie, hardcore and punk alike. - Wonkavision
- This immensely talented quintet have all the poise of seasoned veterans. Scary thing is, they’re only just beginning. - Alternative Press
- One my favorite albums to come out this year and quite possibly one of my favorite albums of all time. - ScenPoint Blank
- Packing unrelenting power and passion…Sometimes Things Just Disappear has classic written all over it. - Exclaim

* Tour begins next Tuesday (Aug 26 - Sep 29)
* Shows with The Gaslight Anthem, Polar Bear Club, Samiam and American Steel
* Finishing up new full-length for Asian Man Records

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O Pioneers!!! (Houston, TX) will be leaving for a month-long tour of the U.S. beginning next Tuesday, August 26th.

The trip will take them westward to California, back through parts of the Midwest and will eventually wrap up with a week throughout the Southeast and Texas with The Gaslight Anthem. The band will also be playing shows with Polar Bear Club, Samiam and American Steel.

Additionally, O Pioneers!!! are currently booking a week-long tour in October with Bridge And Tunnel as both bands make their way to The Fest in Gainesville. More info on those dates soon…

In other news, the band has just finished recording their sophomore full-length, Neon Creeps, which should be out sometime in November on Asian Man Records. They will also be contributing a song to a split seven inch with Mike Park on Suburban Home Records.

And finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t make some snarky comment about how the punk rock trail blazed by O Pioneers!!! over the past two years is littered with a ridiculous amount of vinyl - most of which Mitch Clem has provided artwork for. So I’m just going to point out that if you own all of them, you are a very dedicated fan, but perhaps you should take a closer look at this obsession with seven inches that has ruined your life and emptied your bank account. It’s a sickness, dude.

Tour
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AUG 26 - El Paso, TX @ House show w/ Buckeye
AUG 27 - Tucson, AZ / Albuquerque, NM - Need Help!
AUG 28 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Trunk Space, w/ Andrew Jackson Jihad
AUG 29 - Riverside, CA @ Awesomefest / Worthington’s Tavern
AUG 30 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Glass house (early show) w/ Cobra Skulls, The Anchor
AUG 31 - San Franscico, CA @ Thrillhouse Records, w/ Mike Park
SEP 01 - Reno, NV @ The Eyeball
SEP 02 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Rugburn
SEP 03 - Ft. Collins, CO @ House Show
SEP 04 - Boulder, CO @ House Show
SEP 05 - Colorado Springs, CO @ Triple Nickel Bar
SEP 06 - Lincoln, NE @ The Ghost House
SEP 07 - Oklahoma City, OK @ TBA
SEP 12 - Austin, TX @ Red 7 w/ Samiam
SEP 13 - Houston, TX @ The Mink w/ Samiam
SEP 19 - Houston, TX @ I Heart U House w/ Paul Baribeau, Good Luck
SEP 20 - Pensacola, FL @ Sluggos
SEP 21 - Chattanooga, TN @ TBA w/ Loki The Lion
SEP 22 - Birmingham, AL @ The Bottle Tree w/ Gaslight Anthem, American Steel
SEP 23 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits w/ Gaslight Anthem, American Steel
SEP 24 - Gainesville, FL @ Common Grounds w/ Gaslight Anthem, American Steel
SEP 25 - Tallahassee, FL @ The Beta Bar w/ I Made This Mistake
SEP 26 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues w/ Gaslight Anthem, Polar Bear Club
SEP 27 - San Antonio, TX @ Rock Bottom Bar w/ Gaslight Anthem, Polar Bear Club
SEP 28 - Dallas, TX @ Prophet Bar w/ Gaslight Anthem, Polar Bear Club
SEP 29 - Little Rock, AR @ Vinos w/ Gaslight Anthem, Polar Bear Club

* New 7-inch available for pre-order
* Quo Vadimus on vinyl
* Best 5 day tour EVER (with Scream Hello, Static Radio NJ, more)
* European tour with Antillectual (Sept 05 – 21)

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Philly’s Jena Berlin has just announced that their upcoming 7-inch, This Is Yours As Much As It Is Mine, is now available for pre-order from Jump Start.

Limited to 300 copies, pressed on red vinyl with hand-printed sleeves and inserts, the 7-inch contains two brand new songs as well as a digital download coupon for both, plus two additional tracks not included on the vinyl. The four songs were recorded by Zolof The Rock & Roll Destroyer’s Vince Ratti, who has also worked with Circa Survive, None More Black, Valencia and Achilles. You can currently stream “The Great Plains” on the band’s myspace page. You can also stream “Foolish Optimism” at Jump Start’s myspace page.

Also, for anyone pre-ordering the 7-inch, you can pick up Jena Berlin’s two long players, Passion Waits As The Program Keeps Going and Quo Vadimus, for a mere five bucks each.

Speaking of Quo Vadimus, Jena Berlin’s amazing 2007 sophomore full-length will also be receiving the vinyl treatment from Ass-Card Records in Europe. That’s right: I said Ass-Card. More details soon on how you can pick that up, but it should be available for their upcoming European tour.

Before their trek overseas, the boys will be leaving next Wednesday for a short five-day tour with Scream Hello. They’ll be joined by Static Radio NJ on a few of those dates, as well as cast of amazing bands: Bridge And Tunnel, One Win Choice, The Ergs, Sakes Alive and Nakatomi Plaza. Seriously…how ridiculously awesome is that going to be? I never wanted to be a roadie so much as right now.

Changing gears slightly, it’s worth noting that Scream Hello’s phenomenal upcoming full-length, Everything Is Always Still Happening, will be released on September 9th by Red Leader Records. The band’s four-song teaser EP, Smart & Stupid, is available now from the label as well.

Coincidentally, Static Radio NJ’s equally amazing debut full-length, An Evening Of Bad Decisions, will also see its official release by Black Numbers on September 9th. If you haven’t heard it yet, you can still stream the entire record at Punknews.org.

The August 29th show (see below) in the bands’ shared hometown of New Brunswick will serve as the record release for both albums. Additionally, SRNJ will have another all-ages release show in New Brunswick on the 31st at The Loft with Seasick and Rapid Cities.

Jena Berlin - Tour w/ Scream Hello
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AUG 27 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes w/ Scream Hello, Bridge and Tunnel, One Win Choice, more
AUG 28 - Philadelphia, PA @ Party Mansion w/ Scream Hello, Bridge and Tunnel, Algernon Cadwallader
AUG 29 - New Brunswick, NJ @ Court Tavern (Scream Hello / Static Radio NJ Record Release show!) w/ The Ergs, Spanish Bombs
AUG 30 - New York, NY @ ABC No Rio (early show – 3pm) w/ Scream Hello, Static Radio NJ, Nakatomi Plaza
AUG 30 - Brooklyn, NY @ Lost and Found Bar w/ Scream Hello, Nakatomi Plaza, Stay Alive
AUG 31 - Syracuse, NY @ Westcott Community Center w/ The Knockdown, Sakes Alive, more

As previously mentioned, after their short run with Scream Hello, Jena Berlin will be leaving for a three week tour of Europe with label mates Antillectual. Jump Start will be releasing the U.S. vinyl version of the Belgium band’s latest full-length, Testimony, on September 23rd.

European Tour w/ Antillectual
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SEP 05 - Oostende, Belgium @ OHK
SEP 06 - Le Havre, France @ Le Kingstown
SEP 07 - France @ TBA
SEP 08 - France @ TBA
SEP 09 - Toulouse, France @ Caravanserail
SEP 10 - Lyon, France @ Sonic on tour
SEP 11 - Vimercate, Milano, Italy @ Acropolis
SEP 12 - Weiner Neustadt, Austria @ Triebwerk
SEP 13 - Salzburg, Austria @ Zone 11
SEP 14 - Vicenza, Italy @ TBA
SEP 15 - Ljubljana, Slovenia @ Tovarna Rog
SEP 16 - Regensburg, Germany @ Punkhouse
SEP 17 - Munich, Germany @ Sunny Red
SEP 18 - Germany @ TBA
SEP 19 - Celle, Germany @ Buntes Haus
SEP 20 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Merelyn
SEP 21 - Mechelen, Belgium @ JC. Metteko

Long-running, long-named indie outfit Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start will be playing their last show ever tomorrow night at The Auction House in Audubon, NJ.

For all you wimps and sensitive types - or for that matter, anyone who can’t make it to Saturday’s festivities - the band will also be playing an acoustic pre-last-show show tonight at Tunes in Marlton, NJ.

Joining Up Up Down Down for both performances will be Lincoln, Nebraska’s Tie These Hands.

While Up Up Down Down’s touring schedule has been admittedly light over the past couple years, the early part of their career found them traveling the country at a time when indie meant independent and emo had nothing to do with jabbing yourself in the arm with your dad’s rusty screwdriver. That is what kids are doing these days, right?

According to front man Steve Poponi, “We have been doing this band with various line-ups for about 10 years, and after making Worst Band Name Ever, I am happy to go out on a good note and pursue other fun stuff (fatherhood, golf, taste testing).”

The last decade has blessed us with some amazing music from Up Up Down Down: the seminal debut full-length And Nothing Is #1, the equally impressive follow-up EP, Perris, CA, and their last release, the aforementioned Worst Band Name Ever. They were also one of the first bands to dive into the realm of free music (waaaay back in 2005) with The Internet EP and the Girls Names EP. Both are still available for download, as are additional releases, videos and other odds and ends. Check it here.

It’s unclear what the future holds for Poponi, Up Up Down Down’s one constant over the years. He’ll certainly be involved with indie rock in some capacity as he continues to record music for bands at his Gradwell House studios. It’s a good thing for me, since a big chunk of the Beartrap roster (Jena Berlin, Scream Hello, Braindead, Into It. Over It., Makeout Party, Brass) have recorded albums there. Either way, if you’re anywhere near the Philly area, it will be well-worth your time to attend these shows. After all, it’s the end of an era. A really great era.

Photographer RYAN RUSSELL recently posted a large update of 161 new photos on his infinitely browsable website.

Of course, it’s not just the quality of his shots that’s so impressive but also his ability to capture more than the simple live shot or the typical press photo. Russell has shared a tour bus with Ben Gibbard, David Bazan, the aforementioned Against Me!, Paramore and Taking Back Sunday. He’s captured rehearsal sessions for Converge, Death Cab and Minus The Bear, and he has photographed Mastodon’s video shoot for “Colony of Birchmen” and “The Wolf Is Loose.”

If you’d like to contact Ryan about taking some photos for you, drop him a line here.

Middletown, Connecticut’s THEY AND THE CHILDREN is leaving today for a short tour of the East Coast in support of their debut full-length HOME.

The record - which is available in both CD and vinyl formats - was released by Kill Normal on July 1st, 2008. You can pick up a copy from the band on tour or from the label here.

Expanding on TATC’s brand of crushing, epic hardcore laid out on their 2005 EP, Thoughts On Becoming A Ghost (Tor Johnson Records), Home is even more bombastic and vibrantly dynamic, alternating between thrash-inspired riffage, slowly-churning, ominous grooves and soaring, melodic interludes. The album is a testament to the band’s commitment to the DIY community, as well as a call for solidarity between those of us who realize that society is becoming so commercialized that it can barely be considered a “culture” any more.

Head on over to Punknews.org and stream the album in its entirety. You can also grab two free mp3s for the songs “Mechanical” and “Invisible.”

TOUR
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JUL 25 - Wilmington, DE @ 700 Club w/ Dead Uncles
JUL 26 - Richmond, VA @ Rumors w/ Dead Uncles
JUL 27 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Roboto Project w/ Dead Uncles
JUL 29 - Brooklyn, NY @ The Wreck Room w/ Dead Uncles
JUL 30 - Burlington, VT @ Metronome w/ Dead Uncles
JUL 31 - Peterborough, NH @ Peterborough Public Library w/ Dead Uncles
AUG 01 - Boston, MA @ Wadzilla Mansion w/ Dead Uncles
AUG 02 - Providence, RI @ TBA w/ Dead Uncles
AUG 03 - New Haven, CT @ Summerfest

TATC play blazing, fuming anthems, but they also slow the tempo at times, creating labyrinthine efforts that simply are awe-inspiring. - Jersey Beat
TATC have found a point where hardcore, drone and psychedelia meet and the confluence of the three is akin to rocket fuel. - RnRNonsense.com
Home is an epic, sludgy, bubbling blend of crescendo-crammed creation. - Punktastic
Home is a lush and beautiful album with a rough edge. - Late Night Wallflower

Beginning today, ANNABEL (Kent, OH) is hitting the road for a little southern lovin’ in support of its well-received debut EP Now That We’re Alive.

Playing an infectious brand of indie pop laced with feverish melodies, Annabel balances it all with post-punk dynamics that convey a heightened sense of urgency. The trio takes the best from several different genres, forging their own unique path as Now That We’re Alive shines a bright light on the band’s future.

Check out a free mp3s for the song “Boquet Mines.”

You can also watch Annabel’s Pink Couch Session where they perform a great acoustic version of “Parade Rest.” The video comes courtesy of the always entertaining and endlessly explorable If You Make It.

TOUR
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JUL 23 - Durham, NC @ Bull City Headquarters w/ Delay, Friendly Fire, Resist Not
JUL 24 - Saint Augustine, FL @ Nobby’s Sports Bar w/ Delay, The Winslows, Cough, Dark Castle
JUL 25 - Jacksonville, FL @ Shanty Town Pub w/ Delay, Monikers
JUL 26 - Orlando, FL @ The Black Box Collective w/ Delay, Monikers
JUL 27 - Naples, FL @ TBA w/ Delay
JUL 28 - Tampa, FL @ Skate Park of Tampa w/ The Tim Version, New Bruises, Inertia!, Crow’s Path
JUL 29 - Gainesville, FL @ Wayward Council w/ Jammy Dodgers
JUL 30 - Tallahassee, FL @ Oafhouse
JUL 31 - Pensacola, FL @ Sluggo’s w/ Delay
AUG 01 - Atlanta, GA @ 141 Moreland w/ Delay, Shang-A-Lang, Jonsin’
AUG 02 - Athens, GA @ The Hangar w/ Delay, Nana Grizol

A collection of infectious indie pop tunes with sharp melodies, released just in time to serve as the soundtrack for the spring and summer months. - Absolutepunk
Packing in driving, spiraling shoegaze guitars with the vocals hidden behind the ever so pleasant sounds they deliver. Highly recommended! - Collective Zine
Songs explode with lush layers of harmony vocals that take your breath away. This is a record you should own. - Jersey Beat
Annabel have the cojones to stand with some of the powerhouses in indie and post-rock. - Pastepunk

Find Me A Drink Home, the fantastic debut full-length from power pop rockers Cheap Girls (Lansing, MI) is getting the digital treatment from donation-based label Quote Unquote Records.

That’s right…just click here and you can download all eleven songs for free, no strings attached! Of course, donations are encouraged; help the bands and label continue to record and release great music. While you’re at it, check out other Quote Unquote releases from Bomb The Music Industry!, We Versus The Shark and The Riot Before.

Produced by Rick Johnson of Mustard Plug and the aforementioned Bomb the Music Industry!, Find Me A Drink Home was released in CD format by Bermuda Mohawk Productions in April while Los Diaper Records released the vinyl version last month. Both are still available from the labels…and if you ever pine for a totally awesome throwback to 90’s melodic guitar rock (think Smoking Popes meets Dinosaur Jr.) you should definitely pick this up in one of its many available incarnations.

Find Me A Drink Home is one hell of a debut that has taken my heart hostage. - What We Hate
Fantastic guitar driven power-pop…like Sugar, this trio layers great hooks and crunchy rhythms that manage to gloss over some dark lyrics. - Pocket Full of Chump Change
Cheap Girls pay homage to bands like Lemonheads, Nada Surf and Superdrag, and despite their reference points being somewhat obvious, the record is an extremely fresh listen. - Punknews.org

STATIC RADIO NJ (New Brunswick, N.J.) is hitting the road today for an East Coast tour with Chicago’s Shot Baker. The band is also booking an August tour with Let Me Run (XOXO Records).

Both tours are in support of Static Radio NJ’s debut full-length An Evening Of Bad Decisions, out later this summer on Black Numbers. You can pre-order the record here or pick up a copy from the band at shows.

An Evening Of Bad Decisions was recorded in Hoboken, New Jersey with acclaimed production company The Machine Shop (Armor For Sleep, Boys Night Out, Every Time I Die). Not only does the album deliver on the foundation laid down by the band’s terrific debut EP,One for the Good Guys, it builds a towering skyscraper of soaring melodic punk rock anthems squarely on top of it. Bad Decisions is the record we all thought Static Radio NJ was capable of making. Sometimes it’s nice to be right…

Check out two free mp3s for the songs “Marc” and “Places.”

TOUR w/ Shot Baker
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JUL 02 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Volume Records
JUL 03 - Richmond, VA @ Ramakins
JUL 04 - Charlestown, WV @ Jumpin Java Cafe
JUL 05 - Newark, DE @ The East End Cafe
JUL 06 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes w/ Dead Tired, Tommy Brunett
JUL 07 - New Brunswick, NJ @ Court Tavern (upstairs show!) w/ Chokepoint
JUL 08 - Manchester, NJ @ Ridgeway Firehall
JUL 09 - Providence, RI @ TBA
JUL 10 - Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Loft

TOUR w/ Let Me Run
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AUG 09 - Locustdale, PA @ Locust Dale Firehall
AUG 10 - Blairsville, PA @ The Corner Pocket
AUG 11 - New York @ TBA
AUG 12 - New York @ TBA
AUG 13 - Massachusetts @ TBA
AUG 14 - Vermont @ TBA
AUG 15 - Dover, NH @ The Aviary
AUG 16 - Maine @ TBA
AUG 17 - Rhode Island @ TBA
AUG 18 - Connecticut @ TBA
AUG 19 - Greenpoint (Brooklyn), NY @ The Lost and Found Bar w/ The Reveling