The “Sibilance” staff has a serious case of spring fever, with thoughts of Wiffle Ball games dancing in our heads. Seems the scene has got a case of the springs, too, as there are a slew of new releases coming down the pipeline for summer. Hoo, boy!
The Leftovers, still riding the sonic wave of Stop, Drop, Rock & Roll from 2004, checked in this week to say they’re close to announcing a release date for the new full-length, Party Tonight. Apparently, at that time, we will also be receiving word about “two national and international comps,” (those would be compilations—please note the Leftovers’ hip use of industry lingo now that they’re, like, punk veterans and stuff) “a 7”,” (that’s punk talk for a single) “and our tours in the US and UK this summer. Just wanted to let people know we’re still around.” Ah, isn’t that sweet, a little bit of false modesty to underscore a sweet-ass UK tour while the rest of us wait for those damn Tall Ships from Opsail to come back to town this summer (we don’t actually think they’re coming, but wouldn’t that be sweet?). We’ll get you more details when they wind up in our in box.
Five Foot Ficus actually already released their new album, Blue Walls, with a St. Paddy’s Day gig at Brian Boru. We’d call that a bad plan. Everybody knows that true rock fans are already passed out and in bed by the time bands start on St. Paddy’s Day. Dudes, we started drinking at 6 am, you think we’re up for booty shaking at 9 pm? Not so much. Anyway, FFF recorded the disc at Pete Morse’s Busted Barn (Pfeifle wrote a “Beat Report” about him a few months back) last summer, and it was mastered at the Studio, with design by Scott Whitehouse. Directly after the Boru gig, bassist Mike Martin quit the band. Too much McGillicuddy’s? Nah, guy’s moving to Minnesota. Must be a Twins fan. No word on his replacement, but we’re on the case.
Ross from Ogre checked in this week to announce that he and his metalhead bandmates have signed a deal with Japan’s Leafhound Records to release their new album, Seven Hells, this July. The new disc “features seven tracks about such uplifting topics as cannibalism, war, and burning witches.” Yikes! And what’s up with Portland bands getting big in Japan? Last week it was rapper jdwalker, this week it’s prog-metal-Rush types Ogre. We can’t find the pattern.
Finally, not only is this a new release, but it’s a new direction for former Matraya and Stars Look Down guitarist Zach Romanoff. On May 3, at Chicky’s, the former rocker is going all acoustic on us with a debut of new material that he’ll be recording in May for a self-released six-song EP that’ll arrive in June. Romanoff says he just got back from a recording session in Toronto set up by BMG. Must be nice.
