Attica! Attica! Are born from Aaron Scott’s experience with punk/hardcore bands Marathon and De La Hoya – and this is a step in quite the opposite direction.

The first track opens up with a piano overlay with accompanying cello with Scott’s vocals bellowing a soliloquy of morbid proportions with him introducing a play, or production that does not bring the most positive images. “So I’ll just cut out my tongue and rip out my lungs because they are useless”.

The record plays like an intimate diary of Scott. The songs were written while traveling the country after Marathon’s break-up, many reflections and ideas went down on paper and now live in song. It’s his journal, one man’s ideas on the confusing world we live in and he presents them to you to digest in the form of Dead Skin / Dried Blood.

A good record to pause and reflect on, throw it in the car on a drive and get lost in your thoughts and winding roads.

Right from the panhandle of the United States, Tallahassee is home to well, I don’t know much about the city apart from it means “old town” and is the capital of Florida where I spent many winter’s as a kid growing up and only really remember that it was hot, cheesy, and the water tasted gross. If you ever find yourself in the great state of Florida, I suggest looking up the 3 chaps that make up this band, you won’t be disappointed.

One Small Step for Landmines operate on many levels, they weave threads of music that pour out of your speakers – this sounds way more huge then the 3 piece that they are. With each member taking up multiple roles within the band, they are able to capture a sound much larger then they would appear to be capable of.

It’s the kind of music you could put as a soundtrack for a Wes Anderson film, the cd packaging does a good job of reminding me of Life Aquatic. The art is similar with a big whale on the cover, but the book shows me it is actually a submarine, presumably where the band retreats to write bitchin indie records.

This band and their record makes you feel good about yourself and the choices you have recently made and they make pretty damn good music as well. If you have a big date tonight and need something to cover the sounds of intimacy, let One Small Step For Landmines steer that love boat. Hoorah!

Especially tracks “Is there anybody out there?” and “Everything’s gunna be all right”

The Holly Springs Disaster come to us from the windswept plains of Saskatchewan, and I guess it is true that everyone wants to leave; The band is a full roster of 5 and spend most of their time touring this new album.

HSD remind me of a few bands, so bear with me on the resemblances. If you put Every Time I Die, Fight Paris, old Killswitch Engage and Funeral For a Friend into a blender (or if you made them all have an orgy, or whatever) then the end result would be these guys. With the right amount of keyboard (not overwhelming like Underoath), breakdowns and clean vocals peppering Motion Sickness Love they create a well-rounded hard-rock record that should please fans of any of the aforementioned groups.

I know what you’re thinking, but there is space in this genre for this mid-western Canadian outfit – the record doesn’t come off as trite, or like they were trying too hard to jump on the bandwagon. Everything fits, the production is top-notch and I can only expect great things to come of The Holly Springs Disaster.

Experimental prog-rock collective known as The Sound of Animals Fighting have signed with the iconic Southern California based Epitaph Records.  This mysterious cooperative effort features members whose identities are the subject of intriguing anonymity and speculation and who are only known by their respective animal names.  TSOAF’s exceptional style of music features a complex arrangement of unusual song structures and tempos drawing from an array of influences including indie, rock, electronic, hardcore and even world music for one of the most unique collaborative projects around today.  Leaving only a trail of riddled clues, TSOAF’s shroud of secrecy has fascinated fans for over three years.  Originally assembled in 2004, TSOAF is a group of musicians and artists united with the common idea to create innovative music on the co-op level.  The outfit released their debut EP Tiger and the Duke in 2005 and a follow-up LP, Lover, the Lord Has Left Us…, in 2006.   Having only played a handful of rare live shows since, TSOAF will once again convene to begin documenting the next chapter of their mystifying career.

“After one album, a reissue of our first EP, and a live DVD (three very special releases to us), we bring you the latest newsflash: our third album will be released on the pioneering and long-established Epitaph Records. This third record coming out on Epitaph simply gives us a chance to reach new channels and new faces, which, ultimately, will work in everyone's favor, as you and we continue to grow, while simultaneously maintaining the independent ethics so important to us. Thank you for your ongoing support, and, as always, believe nothing you hear unless it comes straight from us. We are excited for the ongoing future of this incredibly cathartic project.”-          The Nightingale  

“Epitaph Records is proud to be a part of such a unique project,” said Epitaph Records owner and president Brett Gurewitz.  “They are by far one of the most enigmatic, experimental and envelope-pushing bands to arise from the contemporary post-hardcore scene.”  TSOAF joins a stable of reputable and ground breaking bands that include Converge, Busdriver, The Locust, Sage Francis and Refused among others.