The Lulls In Traffic Video

If, like me, you felt like crying when Copeland announced their break up, you were probably happy to hear that Aaron Marsh was joining a new project called The Lulls In Traffic.  You were then probably confused when it became apparent that the project was a hip hop project.  Well, all the questions that presented themselves are cleared away because The Lulls' first song is now available for your enjoyment.  Essentially, it sounds like a Copeland song with the added rapping of Ivan Ives.  The song is quintessential Marsh--ambient, sensitive, maybe even a bit too emotional.  The song falls a bit flat with lack of interest, but it shows promise for the future of this duo.
Watch the video for "The Rope to Pull Yourself Together" here.

Cattle Drums Release The Boy Kisser Sessions + 3 For Free!

Hopefully, some of you read my Cattle Drums' article. However, if you didn't check out their particular brand of post-hardcore, make sure to head over to Bandcamp, where Cattle Drums has just released their debut EP, The Boy Kisser Sessions, in addition to three more recent songs, all available for free.

R.I.P. You, Me, And Everyone We Know

I am sad to say that You, Me, and Everyone We Know has just announced an indefinite hiatus. Five of the six members of the band (all but Ben) announced that they were leaving the band, due to some undisclosed decisions that Ben had made. Ben's response said that he was working on staying sober, an issue may easily have been the breaking point of the band. I am absolutely heartbroken, as Some Things Don't Wash Out was easily one of the best records I heard last year. Also, not even two months ago I was sitting in Ben's van, giving one of my favorite interviews that I have done thus far. I wish Ben luck in his recovery, and the every one of the band members luck for whatever their future may be. You can read the announcement here. The band's last release will be Things Are Really Weird Right Now, first announced on this very site, out soon.

Tancred (Jess Abbott of Now, Now) To Release Album

After meeting the girls (and guy) of Now, Now at the Hellogoodbye tour, I gained plenty of respect for them as human beings. Of course, I already loved their music, but now I have a personal need for Tancred to be successful. Tancred is Jess Abbott's solo project, soon to be releasing Capes on No Sleep Records. Though I might have preferred the band to continue on their first No Sleep full length, Tancred is definitely an intriguing prospect. I hope that Jess uses all of her musical talents to create another excellent product. You can follow Tancred's progress on Facebook here.

New Found Glory Japan Benefit Shirt

A limited edition New Found Glory t-shirt is now available here. It features a pretty awesome design, and all proceeds will be donated to relief efforts for Japan. The band also just started work on their new album, which should be arriving this fall/winter.

Motion City Soundtrack Starts Recording New Album

Coming off of their debut major label release of 2010, My Dinosaur Life, Motion City Soundtrack have already begun recording their brand new album, which is currently nameless. Very little is known about this album at the moment. Expect info on who's producing the album, what label it will be released on, etc. in the coming weeks and months. The band was dropped from Columbia shortly after the release of their last album, so it would make sense if they went back to an indie label rather than major.

Sharks Stream New Song

Diversity and Rise Records was something I never thought to hear in the same sentence. The addition of Sharks to their lineup was extremely curious, and the band's new song definitely seems to not belong with the rest of the label. Taking after bands like The Gaslight Anthem and The Clash, Sharks produces songs that simply are the definition of rock and roll. The band's new song, "Sweet Harness", definitely has that Gaslight Anthem-esque twang to the guitar parts, though lead singer James Mattock doesn't have that uniqueness that Brian Fallon has. The song is definitely a great introduction to Sharks, and The Joy Of Living 2008-2010 will be released on April 5th. Until then, if you like the band's Facebook page, you can stream "Sweet Harness".

Leaked A Lot Like Birds Demo Feat. Kurt Travis

In a recent Tumblr post, someone seems to have leaked an untitled A Lot Like Birds demo, featuring recently added member Kurt Travis (ex-Dance Gavin Dance, Five Minute Ride). The seven-minute long track continues A Lot Like Birds' brand of progressive post-hardcore, while featuring Travis' vocal prowess prominently. The intro of the song is the same as the one to the rickroll from a couple weeks ago, which upset some fans. Travis sounds stronger than ever, backed by intricate guitar lines and crawling bass. Though the screaming is a bit rough, it might be merely the result of the lesser quality of demos in general. Lyrically, the repeated, spoken line "You might know this/But I've got a rifle that's stifling manners" builds up into a mathy riff leading into a breakdown of sorts, complimented by synths. Thankfully, it doesn't resemble a foray into Attack Attack!-type crabcore in the slightest. Immediately afterward, the proverbial roaring tide is quelled by a more ambient transition, which leads into a post-rock with screamed vocals section, closing out the song. For a demo, there's much to be pleased with here. Hopefully, this is a sign of the quality of their upcoming full-length.

Stream the demo here.

New Deep Elm Signing - The Cast Before The Break

By this point, it should be expected that Deep Elm will never sign a poor band. The Cast Before The Break is a perfect fit for the label, as the label has already produced and developed quite a few bands of similar style, including The Appleseed Cast, Athletics, and Moving Mountains. The band's post-rock meets indie-rock meets post-hardcore style is perfectly represented on "Head On A String", as they go from an Explosions In The Sky like intro to a vocal based verse, to a much heavier instrumental segment. The band has re-released their newly remastered LP Still, and hopefully will begin on recording new music soon. You can stream and buy the new album on the band's Deep Elm page here.

There For Tomorrow Stream New Track

There For Tomorrow has always had a special place in my heart. From absolutely adoring Pages, to writing my first atrocious review on their debut album, to seeing them open at one of the best concerts I've ever been at, I really don't think I'll ever grow out of them like I have of many of my other old favorites. The band shows a lot of musical growth in their latest track "Hunt Hunt Hunt", due to be released on their upcoming finished full length. The bass stands out more than any other song the band has ever released, and the multiple guitar parts complement each other very well, with the higher, more ambient part a perfect addition to the band's style. And of course, Maika's vocals are spot on as always. The fact that the song is damn catchy is just a bonus. You can stream the song on the band's Facebook page here.

The Dear Hunter Color Spectrum Announcement

The long awaited Color Spectrum EPs have finally been officially announced. June 7th will be the day that this beautiful series of concept EPs will grace our presence. As stated in many interviews, the songs for each of the different colors will represent what they "feel like" to The Dear Hunter's mastermind Casey Crescenzo. The concept of The Dear Hunter's Act series has already been a beautiful journey, and The Color Spectrum shouldn't be much different. It may even be a pleasant departure from the epic storyline of the band's other releases, and may allow one to more strongly enjoy and inhale each individual track. The series of EPs will be released as a vinyl box set, an absolutely stunning piece to add to anyone's collection. The progress of recording the EPs can be found on the band's special website.

New Moving Mountains Album

A Deep Elm alum, Moving Mountains is gearing up to release their second full length album, their first on Triple Crown Records. The atmospheric rock band is supposedly changing things up a bit for LP #2, shortening the songs and adding some heavier elements into the tracks. However, I'm sure whatever the band does will be great. From shorter, indie rock tunes such as "Sol Solis" to the ten minute post rock epics such as "Foreword", to the heavier tracks such as "With One's Heart In One's Mouth", Moving Mountains has shown diversity and excellence in every such style. Waves will be released on May 10th.

New Stay Song Streaming

Pop-rock goodness is something that can usually win me over. Stay is releasing a new album, American Cherry Bomb, this spring which will surely be played to death over the summer. The band is streaming a new track titled "Machine Gun Summer", in which the band shows off their new, edgier direction. Fans of Fall Out Boy will definitely find appeal in this track, and I'm hoping this is the sign of progression from the older, more generic tracks. The song can be streamed here.

Moving Mountains To Play Warped Tour

Maybe Warped is branching out?

Forever The Sickest Kids New Album

I have a bit of a history with Forever The Sickest Kids. From buying their CD on the first day from impulse to seeing them for my first real concert, they will always have a little bit of my musical past. That past almost seemed worth forgetting after the awful The Weekend: Friday, but the latest songs they have put out have been quite an improvement. "Keeps On Bringing Me Down" is the best song the band has ever put out, and the single that they played over Stickam wasn't bad as well. I have moved out of most of this genre, but I will at least give this album one listen and hope for the best. This is make or break for Forever The Sickest Kids.  Their self titled album comes out March 1st. Stream "Keeps On Bringing Me Down" on Myspace here.

Razia's Shadow In Theater?

In an email exchange with Forgive Durden's publicist, she mentioned that Thomas is currently working with a theater in New York in order to create a stage rendition of Razia's Shadow. This is currently the only project he is working on. Although I would love a new Forgive Durden album, I am pumped to see what he can do with this. Razia's Shadow was one of my favorite albums, and I would definitely see this if I could. Image of the email after the jump.

Panic! At The Disco New Single and Album Release Date

It's been quite a while since we've heard an album from Panic! At The Disco, mostly because of a split in the band that had one of the major creative forces, Ryan Ross, leave the band. A return to the Beatles influenced style of Pretty. Odd should not have been expected due to the takeover of that by The Young Veins, and "The Ballad Of Mona Lisa" confirms those beliefs. Fans of Fall Out Boy should be happy to hear this song, as Brendon's voice sounds eerily similar to Patrick Stump's, and the chorus could have come right out of a Fall Out Boy song. However, it still has that customary P!ATD theatric feel. Although the song has not been officially released yet, you can still find it by searching on Youtube. The new album, Vices and Virtues, will be out March 29th.

Iron And Wine New Album Stream

If you want to see the transformation of Iron and Wine from the debut to his newest album, Kiss Each Other Clean, just look at the album covers. From light, sepia tones on The Creek Drank The Cradle, to the forest colors of Our Endless Numbered Days, to the brightness of The Shepherd's Dog, to this psychedelic, multicolored madness. That perfectly explains the stylistic change of Iron and Wine, from the folky to the unpredictable, creative journey throughout Kiss Each Other Clean. "Me And Lazarus" sounds like it could have been written while on drugs, with the bassy beat and subject matter. There is synth aplenty throughout the album, taking different shapes in different songs. "Monkeys Uptown" is one of Iron and Wine's more upbeat songs, with a swing feel at times, while "Big Burned Hand" sounds like a jazzy soul song right out of the 50's or 60's. To those that thought Iron and Wine was boring before, such as myself, this album should throw all those beliefs out the window. As of the writing of this post, this is my favorite album this year, and the creativity throughout the album promises for it to end up on many end of year lists. You can stream the whole album here.

State Champs Album Stream

In a year where we are expecting excellent releases from The Wonder Years, Set Your Goals, Saves The Day, New Found Glory, and more, State Champs gets the honor of being the first great pop-punk release of the year. Similar to Four Year Strong, Fireworks, and New Found Glory, State Champs has the powerful gang vocals and mighty riffs expected from all of those bands. Their newest album is streaming in AbsolutePunk here, and is the start of quite a year of pop-punk.

Shad & Dallas - Two Songs

Canadian rapper, Shad, an upcoming star of the hip-hop genre, released a fabulous album last year -- TSOL. He's back to work this year, collaborating with fellow Canadian Dallas Green (Alexisonfire, City & Colour), on a release entitled Two Songs, released January 11. Made up of "Live Together" and a remix of an older Shad track, "Listen". Dallas' smooth vocals and Shad's smooth rapping make for a couple great tracks.

Check it out below.

"Live Together"

"Listen"