Description (English):
Having released (under their previous alias) a split 7” with Rolo Tomassi, a limited edition tape and a solo debut single in the past year, Youves are no strangers to productivity. Allayed firmly with the UK underground, YOUVES are vocal proponents of the independent spirit; like Black Flag being produced by James Murphy, but without the steroids and militant dogma. They’re an efficient machine, well flexed, high on beer and protein, poised to steal hearts, minds and girlfriends.

Biography (English):
Having beavered away for a couple of years on their local midlands scene, these self-proclaimed ‘baby-faced as-sass-ins’ have recently taken things up a notch with plaudits from The Klaxons amongst other luminaries. If The Rapture had been hardcore kids in their youth they may have produced something as musically thrilling as Mirror! Mirror!

Tracklisting:
1. Fully Erect Serve And Protect
2. Aladdin’s Rave
3. Bigorexic
4. Another Djemba Djemba
5. Superstitious
6. My High Horse Is A Penny Farthing
7. On Probation

Youves – Aladdin’s Rave [PV]

Youves – On Probation

Description (English):
Debut four-track EP released via BSM/Blood & Biscuits, released in black screen printed, hand-numbered sleeves with free poster.

This is surprisingly ace and classy stuff for a debut and a slight change of attack for BSM. There’s LOUD keyboards, there’s gentle melodies and heart-wrenching lyrics. Opening track ‘Books’ is a beautiful slice of pop music, a song of lost love set in the confines of a giant library, wondering around the acres of books trying to forget the pain of losing something close. ‘Words Are Pegs Upon Which We Hang Ideas’ is the sound of The Books if they’d listened to more guitar bands, wonderful 50′s public announcements are woven into chiming guitars and upbeat, bouncing rhythms.

Biography (English):
Once upon a time in the sleepy seaside town of Falmouth, three boys came together and began jamming out cheesy, pompous instrumental songs for their own narcissistic pleasure. They get offered a gig at the university bar by their mate supporting Tubelord. In one week they reduce their silly spaz-outs into 4 songs and a loosely formed ’set’ and thus inflicted their ‘hobby’ upon an audience. This was a lot better received than planned and they have proceeded to play ever since.

Tracklisting:
01. Books
02. Words Are Pegs Upon Which We Hang Ideas
03. Beanieandodger
04. Vessels

Tall Ships – Chemistry [PV]

Tall Ships – Books

Tall Ships – Tall Ships EP

Description (English):
Debut EP from this brand new band, co-released between Holy Roar and BSM. One-sided white 12″ vinyl with b-side uniquely customised by the band themselves. CD comes in an awesome die-cut slipcase from ACDSleeve.

Biography (English):
August 2011 sees the release of Rosa Valle’s debut EP, ‘Holy Bermuda’, via Big Scary Monsters and Holy Roar Records. Released on one-sided 12” (with the b-side of every copy customized by the band themselves!) and on limited edition, die-cut CD, fans of Rolo Tomassi, Blakfish, Brontide, Shapes, Maths, We’ll Die Smiling, Tubelord, Antares, Gallops etc etc should find something they love here.
This band really are that unique and wide reaching – incredibly catchy intricate tunes that are not afraid to swing from serene to blistering. Impossibly young and impossibly talented, the bare fact that this ep was recorded only a few months after the band formed, is jaw-dropping. Exploratory, without ever being pretentious.
Having already appeared on BSM’s ’11 collection digital singles club earlier this year, Holy Roar caught the band live in their home town, and the deal was sealed for the first ever band to be on both labels. If that doesn’t give you a clue, nothing will!

Tracklisting:
01. Mathemagician
02. Irrelephant
03. Needles to Say Nothing Really Mattress (I’m declaring Judy a nemesis)
04. Lottery Fantasies
05. Dust Wasp

Rosa Valle – Lottery Fantasies [PV]

Rosa Valle – Mathemagician

Rosa Valle – Needles to Say Nothing Really Mattress (I’m declaring Judy a nemesis)

Description (English):
New album from Into It. Over It. on 12″ vinyl and CD. Twelve Towns is a compilation of 12 tracks that are together in one place for the first time, having previously been released individually on split 7”s with the likes of Everyone Everywhere, Empire! Empire! and Castevet.

This is the culmination of Into It. Over It.’s Twelve Towns series. Evan teamed up with six other artists to release six separate split 7 inches each limited to 500. Now that all of them are sold out we are pleased to bring you the Into It. Over It. tracks from the 7 inch series completely remastered and in one location. Twelve Towns will be released on August 9th, 2011 and the release includes a bonus track that wasn’t part of the 7 inch series titled “Westmont, NJ”. The vinyl version of this release will come with five bonus acoustic tracks which were recorded as a separate Nervous Energies Session. This item is for the digital album and downloads will include the 5 bonus tracks.

Biography (English):
Write and record one new song every week for the span of an entire year: the concept sounds simple enough, but the execution? Maybe not so much. Most bands can’t produce ten or eleven tracks in twice that amount of time. Hell… I’ve been Earth-bound for more than 12,000 days and I have yet to produce even one hummable tune. Couple the difficult time constraints with the fact that if those 52 songs aren’t really really awesome, the intriguing experiment isn’t worth a hill of beans.
Insurmountable obstacles be damned, Evan Weiss — aka Into It. Over It. — produced exactly one song every week for a full calendar year. The fruits of his efforts, the aptly titled 52 Weeks, is what you now hold in your hands and without a doubt, it’s an ambitious, infinitely listenable and sorta-kinda insane 356-day undertaking that may eventually go down as the only recording project of its kind. Unless of course he decides to do it again, which is a distinct possibility.
Weiss, who is currently a member of Damiera and has also played in The Progress and Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start, originally conceived Into It. Over It. as a means to break free from a musical rut, as well as a brutally honest autobiographical outlet to document that quickly passing thing we call “life.” The first offering was posted on Weiss’ website on his 23rd birthday (09/27/07) and for each of the following 51 weeks he tackled the ambitious task of writing, recording and releasing one new song for the span of a year.
52 Weeks = 52 songs: a stat even more impressive considering that nothing was composed in advance. With occasional variances, music was written over the weekend, lyrics were penned on Monday or Tuesday and the songs were recorded Wednesday with Up Up Down Down’s Steve Poponi at the Gradwell House, although a few were also recorded on an Olympus WS-100 Voice Recorder. The finished track was then posted on the Into It. Over It. website on Thursday and offered to the masses for free download… and the cycle began again. At the end of a year, Evan Weiss’ “little” project received over 300,000 unique downloads and the venerable No Sleep Records had offered to release all 52 songs, remixed and remastered, in beautifully packaged 2xCD format.
Still, as I mentioned before, it’s the substance of this record that really matters. With amazing indie rock songs on full display — ranging from tender to tough, sweet to stinging, dynamic to downtempo — 52 Weeks isn’t simply 52 tracks randomly thrown together. Rather, each offering tells a uniquely autobiographical and often deeply personal story documenting Weiss’ life during the year. And while it’s all filtered through the pressure cooker that are the parameters of the project, nothing sounds rushed or insincere. Whether he embraces the full band set up in a bombastic, acerbic song like “The Liquor Your Older Friends Bought” or the driving, punchy “Blaaarrgh!!,” or he’s strumming his acoustic guitar into a voice recorder while sitting on a bed in Chicago (“ChiKeyGo”) or even laying down the electronica-tinged “Rapid Shitty SD” in the back of Damiera’s van on tour, Into It. Over It. is always real and heartfelt, and it always draws you in completely.
From front to back — the concept, the execution, the finished product — 52 Weeks is worthwhile in every possible way. Evan Weiss has created something in Into It. Over It. that you won’t likely stumble across again. And if you do, it won’t be nearly as good.

Tracklisting:
1.) Nashville, TN
2.) Orlando, FL
3.) Brenham, TX
4.) Cambridge, MA
5.) Summerville, SC
6.) Westmont, NJ
7.) Augusta, GA
8.) Buffalo, NY
9.) Billings, MT
10.) Portland, OR
11.) Washington, DC
12.) Pontiac, MI

Into It. Over It. – Summerville, SC

Into It. Over It. – Augusta, GA [Moon & Back Session]

Into It. Over It. – Pontiac, MI

Description (English):
Available for the first time on CD ‘Are We Now, Or Have We Ever Been’ is the blistering debut proper from Goodtime Boys. Straddling the divide between classic screamo and raw hardcore punk aesthetic, catchy as fuck and ridiculously passionate and heartfelt.
With 4 bonus tracks bringing this EP up to 9 songs clocking in at just under half an hour, this is the definitive introduction to Goodtime Boys career so far!

Biography (English):
Straddling the split between classic screamo and raw hardcore punk aesthetic, fans of Touche Amore, La Dispute, Bastions, Kerouac, Veils and The Long Haul will find much to love here. After spending the majority of 2011 on tour around the UK and Europe, the Cardiff five-piece released their long awaited EP, ‘Are We Now, Or Have We Ever Been’ on 10” vinyl via Tangled Talk Records in May 2011. Recorded by The Long Haul’s Lewis Johns at The Ranch Production House, the record marked a significant departure from their 2010 debut split with Solutions, containing five impassioned tracks that treaded the line between the aggression of hardcore-punk and the frail intensity of melodic screamo, drawing frequent comparisons to bands like La Dispute and Defeater along the way.

Tracklisting:
1. Wake
2. Daylight
3. Harrow
4. Bliss
5. Sleep
6. The Rapture
7. Sabretooth, Mammoth
8. Deaner’s Last Weekend
9. The Rain

Goodtime Boys – Daylight (Live Promo)

The Goodtime Boys – Deaner’s Last Weekend

Goodtime Boys – Harrow

Description (English):
Debut album from the Icelandic singer-songwriter featuring 11 tracks of typically weird and wonderful lyrics! Weapons includes a cameo from Broken Social Scene’s Charles Spearin.

Biography (English):
Icelandic musician Snævar Njáll Albertsson is the mastermind behind Dad Rocks!, the solo project of the singer who initially rose to prominence with the Danish band Mimas. Dad Rocks!, however, is quite different: the guitar here is mostly acoustic and is accompanied by piano, trumpet, violin, viola, handclaps and much more. As Dad Rocks!, Albertsson is inspired by acts such as Bill Callahan, Owen, Why?, Akron/Family and Do Make Say Think. This has led to a sound that is a unique mix of folk, pop and lo-fi with complex guitar-work and anthem-like arrangements. However, Snævar Njáll Albertsson’s primary sources of inspiration are the relations closest to him. Most of all his little daughter who also inspired the name Dad Rocks!, naturally a pun on the ’dad rock’ genre. The use of pathos and irony is something that is explored throughout his work. Lyrically, this is also a central aspect with subjects both big and small. Sometimes delivered almost cynically but with words that are close to naïvism. Underneath this, the irony lurks at every corner, and even the title of the debut EP, “Digital Age”, explores this dynamic.

Whilst the EP was recorded in a lo-fi setting on an analogue tape recorder, Albertsson had another vision for the forthcoming debut full-length, Mount Modern, and went for a different aesthetic that allowed the instruments to stand out clearer to bring out every single melody carried out on the many instruments played on the album. For this task he enlisted Icelandic super producer Addi 800 (Blur, Björk) to mix the album and Tom Mcfall (REM, Stars, Regina Spektor, Bloc Party) to do the mastering.

Dad Rocks! has played at The Great Escape in Brighton, England and at SPOT Festival in Aarhus, Denmark in the spring of 2011. Dad Rocks! has furthermore been booked for several notable international festivals in 2011, including Popkomm and Iceland Airwaves.

Tracklisting:
01. Mount Modern
02. Weapons
03. Funemployment
04. Downaging
05. Major Labels
06. Battle Hymn Of The Fox Father
07. Lifestock
08. Farmscrapers
09. Take Care
10. Pro-Disney
11. Pants

Dad Rocks! – Weapons [PV]

Dad Rocks! – Battle Hymn of the Fox Father [PV]

Dad Rocks! – Lifestock [PV]

Dad Rocks! – Mount Modern

Description (English):
Much-loved Kingston lads Colour are splitting up, and to celebrate the life/mourn the death of the band Big Scary Monsters are releasing a collection of everything the band recorded packaged in an envelope with a huge A3 booklet. Look below for an idea of what it all looks like!

Big Scary Monsters will release ‘Anthology’, the Colour disography. It’s an album many of us hoped we wouldn’t see for a long time yet, marking the unfortunately early demise of this amazing band, but at least on the bright side; it’s absolutely amazing! A brilliant collection of 13 tracks spanning the last couple of years of recordings, making it an essential item for all avid fans. Alan (vocals and guitar) explains the origins of each track taken from the record:

Biography (English): (English):
Colour were brilliant. End of. They unfortunately broke up in June 2009 and shortly afterwards we convinced them that the world needed their music, so as a parting gift they put together ‘Anthology’, a 13 track Colour discography. Set to be released via Big Scary Monsters in September to coincide with their farewell show in London, it’s simply a must have for all fans of independent UK music.

Tracklisting:
01. Conversations
02. Silverbeast
03. Outerspace
04. Shamu
05. Some Miles
06. Over The Moon
07. Chutes
08. Tired Eyes
09. Unicorns
10. Run Like You’re Being Chased
11. Jewels Like Fairy Lights
12. Tallulah’s My Mothers Name
13. Dinosaurs

Colour – Tallulah’s My Mothers Name [PV]

Colour – Tired Eyes

Description (English):
After a low key digital demo release and an appearance on the ‘Holy Monsters!’ split 10″ with Shapes, Holy State and the Tupolev Ghost, Brontide have FINALLY arrived with their debut album.
The wait has been more than worth it. Almost considered Holy Roar veterans at this point, Brontide have done things the right way – not blowing their load too early, instead taking their time to create a truly wonderful album that showcases all the promise they have displayed live to date.
With members having done time in The Petty Thief, Pictures, Le Swing, Iwasacubscout and La Roux – Brontide are a true melting pot of far more than their collective experiences. Veering from near-Converge like intensity, to Kinsella-esque passages, to serene post-rock, Brontide have delivered an instrumental rock album for all occassions and tastes. 8 songs delivered it a continuous flow, this is a 50+ minute journey that truly shows Brontide have arrived.ood on a long overdue re-match and the guys completed their first US tour ever in May of 2011. They will return to Europe this summer.

Review (English):
“A debut album that is every bit as nod-along appealing as the best pop to have emerged in time for the summer season” – BBC Music

“Sans Souci” is a continuous piece of music that ascends and descends with ease. Articulate, virtuoso and surprisingly entertaining! – Clash Magazine

“In it’s willingness to experiment, “Sans Souci” successfully earns every minute of it’s run time.” – Rocksound Magazine

“A hugely accomplished debut” – Kerrang Magazine

Tracklisting:
1. Matador – 6:06
2. Limehouse Ink – 5:23
3. Jura – 4:16
4. Arioso – 7:58
5. Bob Mundon – 5:31
6. Bespoke – 3:07
7. Tenbytwobyfour – 8:58
8. Sans Souci – 10:10

Brontide – Matador [PV]

Brontide – Sans Souci [PV]

Brontide – Arioso

Description (English):
THE PROJECT: Algernon Cadwallader was incepted in the attic of a suburban home midway through the year 2005 as an attempt to reunite 3 ex-bandmates who missed playing music with each other. The chemistry was still there but needed new blood. While Peter Helmis was away for the summer, Joe Reinhart and Colin Mahoney continued to write tunes for this new project. A drummer to complete this puzzle was found in long time acquaintance, Nicholas Tazza. Peter returned from his travels and the newly named band quickly crafted their first four songs, which they would record and release as their demo early in 2006. The band now had a face. On Christmas night, 2005, Algernon Cadwallader played their first show at the Be Happy House in Philadelphia amongst close friends. It lasted 3 songs. They continued to write but had no foresight as to where these songs would end up until they found themselves with an album s worth of material, recorded it themselves, and released Some Kind of Cadwallader on their best friend Craig Woods label, Be Happy Records, in April of 2008. In this time they gained a small local following, and the record release show (with new drummer, Tank Bergman), packed with attendees singing along in such a way that they became active members of the performance, made it evident to bandmates that something special was happening. With the arrival of Tank s bright new personality also came the farewell to an old one. Colin left the band that summer. Having only toured lightly around the members school and work schedules, the band was ecstatic to venture out on their first US tour in the fall of 2008. With a full length album out and an invite to play No Idea s The Fest they were finally swimming in the deep end. Unfortunately, their hearts sunk to the bottom only two weeks in to their eight week tour, when Tank broke his foot. Not until eight screws and six months of therapy later was he finally able to re-familiarize himself with his drum kit. The following year would be the re-birth of the band as a three piece. During this time, the Fun 7 was released, the first batch of songs to come from this line-up. In the fall of 2009 the band was invited to tour Europe with Denton, Texas Teenage Cool Kids. They gleefully accept and embarked on their longest tour to date, on a foreign continent. Upon returning they began writing and accumulating songs for what would become their second LP. Parrot Flies was released on the band s own Hot Green Records and, in Europe, by Big Scary Monsters in the summer of 2011. With this victory came the courage to make good on a long overdue re-match and the guys completed their first US tour ever in May of 2011. They will return to Europe this summer.

Biography (English):
Algernon Cadwallader is Tank Bergman, Peter Helmis, and Joe Reinhart, 3 friends from Philadelphia that grew up playing loud, sloppy, fun music. We have all played together in different bands, with different people, but this lineup seemed to stick. 1 s/t demo 7”/tape/ cd, 1 “Some Kind of Cadwallader” LP, and 1 “Fun” 7” later we are knee deep in a 2nd full length. We like to do things ourselves. Pete makes the t-shirt designs. We print all the shirts in our warehouse. Joe records and mixes all the music in his studio.

Tracklisting:
01. Springing Leaks
02. Pitfall
03. Preservatives
04. Parrot Flies
05. If It Kills Me
06. Glenwood Ave
07. Uniform
08. Sad
09. Chewed Up And Spit Out (In A Bowl)
10. Loose Cannons
11. Cruisin’

Algernon Cadwallader – Parrot Flies

* For Fans Of: The Get Up Kids, Kevin Devine, Walter Schreifels

Description (English):
New 12 track solo album from The Get Up Kids man. Order via this webstore to receive 2 free bonus MP3s, immediately, including a Saves The Day cover! T-shirt is Fruit of The Loom brick red shirt with gold print.

Biography (English):
Matt Pryor is a songwriter that needs little or no introduction. He is, for sure, best known as the singer/guitarist for Kansas City’s favorite sons, The Get Up Kids. But in addition to spending the better part of the last 15 years making records and touring the world with that pioneering and influential group, Pryor has found an outlet for his musical whimsy in a number of other different, and varied ways. There is, most notably, the New Amsterdams – the first project he embarked on alongside The Get Up Kids, with six album releases. In addition, Pryor has an alter-ego The Terrible Twos – a children’s music combo. And in 2008, his debut solo album, Confidence Man – the first under his own name – which was released by his longtime label Vagrant. This amounts to an expansive catalog – over 15 full lengths alone (!) – all with Pryor’s biting and insightful songwriting and distinctive vocal delivery.
And this continues in 2012 with a brand new solo release – again under his own name – called May Day. Like Confidence Man the new album was once more recorded at Pryor’s home studio, jammed in during the rare off time during what ended up being a busy 2011 for The Get Up Kids. Pryor had a number of song ideas rolling around in some form for a while, but it all coalesced in the month of May – hence the title. A concept album? In execution maybe, though not thematically. But indeed, Pryor finished writing, then recorded and mixed the album, during May of 2011. In addition, the financing for the record – garnered via fan-centric site Kickstarter – was also launched, and funded before June had arrived!
There is no disputing Kickstarter was a logical partner for the album, for if there is one thing Pryor has been known for over the years, along with his musical exploits, has been his dedication to, and interaction with, his avid fanbase – always eager to step behind the merch table, sign records, take photos and shake the hands of his supporters. To say the campaign was successful is an understatement, as it reached the intended goal in a matter of days, and ended up with contributions almost two and a half times the target! And Pryor has made May Day a truly fan-centric project, tapping into the community to both fund the record, and be involved in part of the creative process, including having the Kickstarter contributors help choose the album’s artwork.
Inspired by the experience with The Get Up Kids most recent release, Pryor chose to start his own label – Nightshoes Syndicate – for the release. And for sure this DIY ethic, and the fan community focus of the whole project, should be amplified even further with Pryor planning to initially eschew the traditional touring options, heading out to do a series of house shows to launch the album.
In some ways May Day can be seen as Pryor’s most basic and direct album yet. The recording, with the strict time frame imposed by the May deadline, was a case of ‘hit record and capture the moment’. Perfect! No time to dwell on things or over-think. That’s maybe personified by opener, Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down, with a spartan acoustic guitar and Pryor’s almost disembodied vocals. Or Unhappy is the Only Happy That You’ll Ever Be, built around a simple banjo. But the acoustic-based setting is an environment Pryor thrives on, personified by his live excursions on the Where’s The Band? tours, where he and a bunch of like-minded friends (including Dustin Kensrue from Thrice, and Chris Conley from Saves the Day), have headed out, leaving both their respective bands, and their electric guitars, behind, each playing acoustic renditions of fan favorites. Because sometimes it’s plain fun, with just an acoustic guitar and a microphone.
But that is not to say May Day is all austere and bare. Subtle embellishments are peppered throughout the record, helping it become multi-layered and fully formed. There’s the driving kick drum on The Lies Are Keeping Me Here, the dynamic piano on Your New Favorite and the haunting electric guitar in I Was a Witness. And there are more than a couple of upbeat tunes, including Where Do We Go From Here with its magical tinkling piano touches, and the joyous As If I Could Fall in Love With You Again replete with its almost Dylan-esque harmonica.
Don’t forget the glue that holds it all together into a cohesive whole, and makes it once again identifiably a Matt Pryor album, the lyrics, a roadmap personifying Pryor’s unique take on the world around him.

Tracklisting:
01. Don’t Let The Bastards Get You Down
02. The Lies Are Keeping Me Here
03. Where Do We Go From Here
04. Like A Professional
05. As If I Could Fall In Love Again
06. Polish The Broken Glass
07. Unhappy Is The Only Happy That You’ll Ever Be
08. As Lies Go… This One Is Beautiful
09. Your New Favorite
10. You Won’t Get Any Blood From Me
11. I Was A Witness
12. What My Tired Eyes Would View

Matt Pryor – May Day