Hangtime share “Can I Take You Out” video

Not too long ago we had a short chat with Canadian pop-punk band Hangtime about their new EP and the video for the track “One Nine Nine Five”. The aptly titled song is a throwback to a pop punk thought long gone but as this Toronto band will attest, is by no means dead. Now the band have debuted their new music video for the track “Can I Take You Out”; a sweetly romantic, melodic pop punk ode.

The track is a cut from their 2019 EP Invasion, which you can pick up via Bandcamp. Hangtime have a couple of upcoming Canadian shows on the horizon; with all the details available on their Facebook page.

When we spoke to the band and where their sound comes from, guitarist/vocalist Warren Gregson explained their influences;

“There’s no escaping the 90s sound I’m afraid, that’s just who we are. Actually, our biggest influences go back further than that. Most of us were first listening to bands like ALL, Misfits, Dag Nasty, Big Drill Car, Bad Religion, Doughboys, Nils… etc, back in the 80’s. I suppose that’s where the 90s sound for many other bands originated as well.”

Check out the new video and let’s reminisce about some good old school pop punk.

Longwave return with “If We Ever Live Forever”

New York indie rockers Longwave are returning with their first album in a decade. Titled If We Ever Live Forever, the album is the follow-up to 2008’s Secrets Are Sinister. The band have recently been releasing new music over the last year, with the single “Stay With Me” hitting airwaves in October of last year. Longwave have now revealed the music video for the new song “If We Ever Live Forever”, which you can view above.

If We Ever Live Forever is due for release October 25th via Bodan Kuma Recordings and will be followed by a short run of dates through the eastern side of North America. You can pre-order the new Longwave album from the band’s webstore.

Longwave first burst on to the scene with 2000’s Endsongs, but really started making waves with their 2003 release The Strangest Things (which included the hit single “Tidal Wave”). The latter was the band’s major label debut for RCA Records. We last covered Longwave in 2005, reviewing their terrific album There’s A Fire.

Premiere: Cathedral of Tears – “Black Emotion”

When Jack Grisham left legendary Long Beach punk band T.S.O.L. in 1983, he went on to form goth-inspired rock outfit Cathedral of Tears. Dubbed ‘darkwave’, Grisham formed the band with fellow T.S.O.L. alum Greg Kuehn, and while the band was relatively short-lived, their one release (1984’s self-titled EP) has found resonance and a following that still reverberates today.

Prior to the release of the EP, a 3-song demo was recorded. It was never officially released after the label found the songs not to their liking. Grisham took matters into his own hands and stole the masters and drove them to Los Angeles radio station KROQ himself. In a 2011 interview, Grisham tells the story of how the songs took off after that;

“I stole the master tapes from the studio and drove them straight to KROQ. As I was driving away they were already playing “Black Emotion” on the radio. It went on to be the #4 most requested song on KROQ in 1984”

Now some 35 years after the demo was recorded, Pine Hill Records will officially release the Cathedral of Tears demo that includes an early version of the song “Black Emotion”. We are very pleased to be able to share the lyric video for the demo, which you can check out above.

Pine Hill Record will release the 3-song demo as a 7″ on October 4th. The limited-edition release will be available in a run of 250 gray colored vinyl, and 250 clear vinyl. You can pre-order the 7″ now via Pine Hill Records.

Jimmy Eat World announce new album, “All the Way (Stay)” video

Arizona rockers Jimmy Eat World are returning for their 10th studio album dubbed Surviving. The band have previewed the new album by releasing the album’s first new song and music video, titled “All The Way (Stay)”. The song features the band’s infectious melodies and trademark rock n’ roll influenced emotionally charged rock and features unexpected SAX.

The much-anticipated follow-up to 2016’s Integrity Blues sees the band reach back into their discography, tracing a line back to their vanguard 1999 album Clarity. On the new album, vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins has said;

“I realize that I wouldn’t be who I am today unless everything happened exactly the way it did. I can listen back to our records and hear that maybe I was trying to tell myself some things before… but didn’t really want to let them in. Our 1999 album was called Clarity, but I really wasn’t on a quest for clarity when we put that out. The crux of the decision is ‘Am I going to do something different or am I going to continue even though I hate who I am right now?’ That’s the difference between surviving and truly living. That’s the point of the songs on Surviving.”

The new album is due October 18th and can be pre-ordered here. You can watch the new music video above.

We’ve covered Jimmy Eat World extensively through the years, and you can read our coverage below:

• Jimmy Eat World – Advocates of Emotion feature
• Jimmy Eat World – Damage review
• Jimmy Eat World – Invented review
• Jimmy Eat World – Chase This Light review
• Jimmy Eat World – Futures review

Bad Religion talk the Age of Unreason

Long-running punks Bad Religion released their 17th studio album, Age of Unreason, back in May. Met with a positive response, the album continues the band’s social commentary wrapped in their trademark soaring melodies and razor-sharp guitar work. This album is possibly their most poignant in recent years and includes songs like “Do The Paranoid Style” (a song that compares crazed conspiracy theories to feverish dance crazes) and “Chaos From Within“.

To provide insight on the new album, Epitaph Records and the band have put together a short documentary featuring commentary from members Greg Graffin, Jay Bentley, Brian Baker, and Jamie Miller (who replaced longtime drummer Brooks Wackerman in 2015). The doco sees them talk about some of the songs and their importance and impact in today’s society. Most poignantly perhaps, is Graffin’s statement that;

“society sucks… if you don’t encourage education, and enlightenment, and open-mindedness. Any time you enter a period in society where those messages are crushed or where the inspiration is gone, you enter the darker chapters of history. We wanted to, once again, with this record, light the flame; the candle of enlightenment. And hopefully, people will listen.”

Age of Unreason is out now on Epitaph Records. You can watch the film above, and read up on some of our previous Bad Religion coverage below:

• Bad Religion essay on ‘The Reissues’
• Bad Religion – The Dissent of Man review
• Bad Religion – New Maps of Hell review

Corridor get animated on “Topographe” music video

Montreal indie rock band Corridor have just released the animated music video for their new track “Topographe”. The band recently signed to long-serving label Sub Pop Records and are preparing for the release of their new album Junior, due October 18th. The francophone band recently spoke about the idea behind the Monty Python-inspired video, with band member Jonathan Robert stating;

“It’s a melting pot of stop motion, green screen, illustration, animation, collage, and live video. It’s the visual equivalent of the progression of the song, a simple idea that takes amplitude through repetition.”

Formed in 2012, Corridor released their debut album Un Magicien En Toi in 2013, sparking their trademark dazzling guitar-infused indie rock. Junior is their third full length album and was produced by Emmanuel Éthier, who produced the band’s 2017 album Supermercado.

After the release of Junior, Corridor will embark on a North American/European tour through the close of the year, hitting the US, France, the UK, Germany, and Canada. Tour dates can be found on the Subpop page while various pre-order options for Junior over at the band’s Bandcamp page.

Check out the music video for “Topographe” above. Très bien.

Western Australia punks The Decline talk “Brovine” video

Western Australia punks The Decline are currently prepping for the release of their new album Flash Gordon Ramsey Street, so naturally, they’re quite busy. The band have just announced a brand new Australian tour through October with Nerdlinger that will see the band hit all the major cities through Australia on a 12-date trek. But before the all of this madness, we spoke to guitarist and vocalist Ben Elliott about their animated music video for the Vegan-anthem “Brovine”, a song about sticking it to the meatheads and meatlovers of the world.

The track is just one of the great tunes on their brand new album- an album that is chock-filled with concise, up-tempo, no-frills skate punk that will entertain as much as it contemplates the lives of young punks in Australia and the world.

How did the idea for the video come together?

Elliott: I think the idea for the video came together pretty organically. The song definitely has some purposeful imagery and Fox worked really well with it and understood where the whole thing was coming from.

Did you guys have ideas to do a live-action video or was it always going to be animation?

Elliott: I don’t know about everybody else, but personally, I’ve always wanted to be animated. We really wanted to explore a few different ways of doing videos and we’re big Fox fans. We thought animation for this could go a number of different and exciting ways, so it just made sense to us.

The song is about standing up to abuse and the culture that surrounds it. How important was the message to the concept of the video and how did you want it portrayed?

Elliott: The song and the concept of the video really go hand in hand. A long time ago, I decided that I couldn’t continue being part of a system that (without good reason) views living beings as means to our own ends. You often get some ridiculous and irrational responses when you tell people you care about the rights of animals – these are often rooted in all sorts of notions that don’t make a lot of sense to me.

The video was done by Fox at X-Ray Studios- have you guys worked with him before? How did you guys end up with Fox?

Elliott: Fox has done a bunch of artwork for us and we’re big fans of his art. The idea of doing this video with him was a really exciting prospect.

What was the process of creating the video like- were you guys there for the storyboarding and how it would play out or was the idea presented to you as a completed concept?

Elliott: We had an idea of us as vigilante vegetable eaters being harassed by the “protein police”. What followed from that definitely related to the nonsensical ways people often respond to others not eating animals. Fox really helped this come to life and turned it in to something bigger.

Was “Brovine” the natural choice for the first single/video?

Elliott: It was the third choice! The first single/video we released from the album was “Verge Collection” and then we did “The More You Know”, which, although a 30-second song that may seem like a teaser, is actually a true representation of the sorts of musicians we are – easily distracted.

The Decline’s new album, Flash Gordon Ramsey Street, is out August 30th on Pee Records, Thousand Islands Records, Disconnect Disconnect Records. Photo by John Goodridge Photography.

Patternist talks “I Don’t Feel Real” video and new album

Indie pop artist Patternist is overcoming some of the apprehension that comes with being a performer the hard way: by going all out in his performances on stage, on record, and most recently, in music videos. Patternist is musician Gabe Mouer, who over the course of his relatively new career has crafted himself amongst the best in up and coming young artists. His spry synthesizer hued indie is evoking memories of noted artists like The Postal Service and Owl City, growing in stature and recognition over the course of his two recent EPs, 2015’s Youth Is Fading and the follow-up, 2016’s Give It Up.

Fresh from signing with InVogue Records, Patternist recently went and shot the music video for the track “I Don’t Feel Real”, a personal song about overcoming a songwriter’s crisis of identity. We talked to Gabe about the video, how shooting the over-the-top scenes went, his recent signing to InVogue, and what we can expect from his upcoming new LP due in September.

I enjoyed the video- it looked like fun- was the shoot a long day?

Mouer: Thank you so much! I was initially worried I wasn’t gonna be able to do this concept justice, so I’m really relieved that the response has been positive overall. The shoot was actually surprisingly quick, we had blocked out nearly nine hours for filming and I think by the time we wrapped we were barely over 5? Something like that. That all comes down to the direction and support of Anneliese and Aaron, they were so fantastic about communicating what they wanted for each shot while at the same time fostering such a supportive and encouraging atmosphere, it really helped in pushing me out of my comfort zone. 

Who are Aaron and Anneliese? They directed the video? How did you guys connect?

Mouer: We came across Aaron and Anneliese after checking out the work they did for the band Armors, who are friends of ours we had toured with previously. It’s rare to find genuinely funny and novel music videos, and after seeing just how much those videos oozed personality and humor, we were like “We have to work with these guys.” I’m thankful they were kind enough to acquiesce, haha. Aaron shoots and directs while Anneliese produces and oversees the art direction, but Anneliese also had a heavy hand in the direction as well. They’re a dynamic duo. 

You’ve talked about being an introvert, and that the concept of the video was a little daunting at first- but after filming, having fun, and seeing the end result- has that changed your approach to videos? Will we see more wild videos in the future?

Mouer: That’s my sincere hope. I mean, it was terrifying to be sure, there were moments where people would walk by and stop and stare, sometimes with their kids, as I’m like salaciously popping grapes into the mouth of this horrifying sex doll. But it’s all in service of the art [laughs]. With the admittedly downer nature of the record, the goal is to contrast its more dismal thematic outlook with a lighthearted approach to our videos. 

How different do you find making music videos like that to say performing live?

Mouer: Personally, I’ve always had fairly bad stage fright. I’ll feel initially sick to my stomach before going out, I worry about what people will think. But, if you want to be a songwriter and you’re, like me, too egotistical to let other people touch your material, you have to bury debilitating thoughts and just go for it. It’s the exact same process for this video. Can I act? Can I dance? Probably not but who gives a shit. They share the same mental priming, “Well, what the hell else am I gonna do?”

It’s a very personal song- and you’ve said that it’s about overcoming a songwriter identity crisis of sorts. How do you feel about the finished song?

Mouer: I’m the last person to ask about the finished product because my MO is to vacillate wildly between delusions of grandeur and utter self-loathing [laughs]. I don’t know that I can feign any sort of objectivity. I think the track is not so much about my identity crisis as much as it’s documenting a period of hopelessness (channelled into this story about a person who finds themselves committed after a breakdown) that just happened to coincide with my feeling aimless in my artistic pursuits. I think I’ve done about the best I could do at the time in communicating those feelings in a hopefully interesting and engaging way. Then again, I still have people ask me what the song is about so maybe not [laughs]. 

You’ve said the song was your first step towards narrative songwriting. Have you found this writing process to be more natural or is it still a work in progress?

Mouer: Oh it’s always a work in progress for sure! But it’s taken me longer than it should have to realize what kind of songwriter I want to be, what my perspective is. I worried less about how Patternist fits into the Indie Pop zeitgeist and focused on trying to make the kind of record I wanted to hear, whether or not it’s what the people want is still up for debate. Also, having a higher track count and run time to play with helped divorce me from having to write a series of singles and allowed me to play around more. 

You recently signed to InVogue Records and are releasing your new LP in September. What can we expect from the new record? Have you adopted the same songwriting approach as you did to “I Don’t’ Feel Real” to the songs on the album?

Mouer: I’ve taken to describing the LP as “melodramatic guitar pop.” It’s a collection of short stories that explore various ways we isolate ourselves from the world around us, backdropped by a series of verb’d-out, emo inspired guitar riffs. It’s still a Patternist record, if such a thing can be said, but with more of a “rock band” approach mixed in with the usual bedroom pop sensibilities. From a lyrical standpoint as well as a melodic one, “I Don’t Feel Real” sets a precedent the rest of the record follows. Hopefully that adds up to something people can connect with.

The new Patternist album, I Don’t Know What I’m Doing Here, is due out September 6th on InVogue Records.

LA punks The Paranoyds talk “Carnage Bargain” video

Los Angeles-based punk band The Paranoyds are anything but conventional. The foursome are on the cusp of releasing their debut album Carnage Bargain this coming September and have been making a lot of noise. Musically, they’ve got elements of proto, indie, and early punk- but have forgone conventional genre sensibilities to meld the best of punk’s frenzied urgency with the artful tones of indie rock’s most captivating sounds.

Fresh from the release of their latest music video for the title track, we spoke to bassist and vocalist Lexi Funston of the band to talk their sound, their music video aesthetic, and how today’s manic society has influenced their music.

I love the video’s aesthetics- where did the concept of the video come from? 

Funston: Staz has this digital camera that was probably top-of-the-line in 2007 or something. It takes classic “Myspace” type photos and really grainy, but nice, videos. We wanted it to feel like a video we would have made in high school.

How was the shoot? Where did you guys shoot the video? 

Funston: Everything was filmed during our most recent summer tour. There were some long drives, so when it felt right or if we needed a break from being in the van, we would pull over and film some stuff on the side of the road. America has a lot of beautiful landscapes. 

It continues on the creative, unconventional videos you’ve done- “Girlfriend Degree” and “Hungry Sam” previously. Were there music videos or films that have influenced your visual style? 

Funston: Our past two music videos were definitely influenced by like D-horror films, John Waters, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and things along those lines; we love being camp and over-exaggerating things. But this one was different for us–we just wanted to do something that was like a fun, summer sing-along. 

You worked with drummer David Ruiz and Max Flick on the video- what were some of the reasons you felt they were the best choice for the video? 

Funston: David always had a vision for the scene whenever we would pull over to film something. He’s very patient and has a good eye. And we worked with Max on our previous video, “Girlfriend Degree”–he’s so good at what he does it’s crazy. He came to our rehearsal space and filmed us a few times and then took all the footage we took on the road and was able to turn it into a goofy, energetic video. Both David and Max definitely got across who The Paranoyds are.

So while the video is quite fun- the song itself is about something a lot of more serious (people higher up wanting to get all this evil work done at a wholesale price) right? Do you explore a lot of these themes on the new album? 

Funston: Lately, we’ve been writing more about contemporary events (it’s hard not to). We have songs about being an empowered woman, the ills of social media, cyber-stalking, etc… but we also have songs about having to do laundry on a hot day and wanting to be a bear to hibernate during winter. 

Was the idea for the video being a little less serious something you wanted to do and were there other ideas you thought about doing? 

Funston: Despite the lyrical content, the song itself is upbeat and we always imagined filming something that was more on the light-hearted side. 

The Paranoyds new album, Carnage Bargain, is set for release September 13th on Suicide Squeeze.

NYC New Wave act The Ritualists talk “Ice Flower”

New York City’s influence on music is a historic one. From the rise of punk and new wave in the US to the birth of hip-hop, the city’s soul is seen in bands and artists across genres and time. For New York new wave/rock act The Ritualists, their influence not only comes from the city’s music, but from the city itself- most notably the Lower East Side’s colorful cultural and societal history.

On the cusp of releasing their debut album Painted People, we talk to frontman, vocalist, and songwriter Christian Dryden about the band’s new music video for the single “Ice Flower”. Produced by Brother Brother, the video sees the visual representation of what Dryden calls “a personal decision to break away from a (perceived) toxic pattern, while also realizing that this “toxicity” can also be inspirational, beneficial and in some ways, therapeutic” atop the song’s captivating post-punk/new wave sound.

The video packs quite the punch- where did the idea of the video come from?

Brother Brother actually came with a skeleton of the concept and we sort of fleshed it out during the process. 

The aesthetic fits the tone of the song- there’s a brutalness to it isn’t there?

I think the tone is correct. However, I’m not sure I would say brutality is entirely accurate. The song is about making a personal decision to break away from a (perceived) toxic pattern, while also realizing that this “toxicity” can also be inspirational, beneficial and in some ways, therapeutic. Any time you are wrestling (no pun intended) with these thoughts and feelings, there is an internal struggle, some might even say, violence. 

You worked with Brother Brother on the video; what was it about this concept for the video that appealed to you the most? Were there concepts that featured the band that you decided not to pursue?

I think the concept of a façade or farcical behaviors is especially relevant today, in our world of social media. People, in general, are living more lonely, isolated lives, and yet they have these incredibly glamorous social media profiles, that indicate all kinds of happiness, travel & success stories. This isn’t so different from the corporate dance, which also encourages a great level of face-to-face decorum and formal tradition, while many are rotting on the inside. I think our wrestlers engaging in a somewhat different type of farcical dance, effectively illustrates this issue. 

There were concepts featuring the band, performing and acting. Our next video will likely include lots of band action. 

There’s a LES in the 80s influence to the music- what is it about Manhattan, LES in particular, of the 1980s, that appeals to you?

I definitely love a lot of 80’s post punk and New Wave. The more modern LES is a huge influence on us, in the sense that it is all about being fearless in your creativity. This city allows you, even encourages, originality. Growing up, the idea of creating music that had this sort of vibe, was not always well-received. However, once we were embraced by the LES rock scene, we realized our influences as a badge of honor and a benefit. 

And the song, there’s a darkness to the tone, the sound— what is the song about?

Correct, definitely a dark tone. I kind of referenced the meaning above. But it is kind of about making a personal pact never to write about this particular subject matter again, but acknowledging that this very subject makes me who I am and fuels my creativity. 

What are some of thematic undercurrents that listeners can expect on Painted People?

Love, war, mythology, poetry, people (famous and infamous) and hope. 

The Ritualists’ debut album, Painted People, is out Friday, August 2nd on Out Of Line Music.