Up the Punx! (Social Security Checks)

Here is your limited time opportunity to get your hands on the new Face of Face single, "Should Anything go Wrong." The release of this single is probably just to calm down super fans (like myself) who have visiting their website daily in hopes of the long promised, fall release date of Laugh Now, Laugh Later, their first full length since 2002. Laugh Now, presumably being released on frontman Trevor Keith's Antagonist Records, has been pushed back to early 2011 (nicely coinciding with Face to Face's 20 year anniversary). If this lead single is a sign of things to come, we may see something a little different from the southern Cali crew. "Should Anything go Wrong" is much darker than your typical Face to Face fare, taking some of the more aggressive sounds off How to Ruin Everything and mixing them with the melancholy pessimism of Ignorance is Bliss. When lead vocalist Trevor Keith is singing, it sounds, lyrically and melodically, pretty par for the course, but musically, this almost sounds like it could almost be a Bronx song. As always, there is that intricate, Descendents inspired bass line, but gone are the echo laden, open, high toned guitars. Replacing that is a super fast, deeper, more driven guitar sound. It sounds like Keith has taken on the backing vocals as well, a change from previous albums. Of course, this is only one song and may in no way resemble the rest of the album cuts, but so far as singles go, this one's pretty solid. Perhaps Face to Face is adding a little stronger edge on this reunion effort, and that wouldn't necessarily be bad. Side note: Keith was on LA Ink to get tattooed with this phrase by Corey Miller, who also did the album art for Laugh Now, Laugh Later. Miller is also apparently responsible for the album title. Interesting. When the album is out, check back here for a full review.

If you have two minutes (literally) and nothing better to do, the world famous Queers punk rock music group has two tracks from their upcoming full length streaming on their myspace page. Seriously, for a band that have approximately 23,654 albums (most of which have the same 30 songs on them), both of their new tracks are under a minute long. "I Knew GG when he was a Wimp" is certainly the stronger and more creative of the two. Joe Queer once again name drops the Rat, the long defunct, but mucho beloved Boston punk club, and gives us his account of "how it really was." "Fucked in the Head" is just a dirty, throw away tune, nothing particularly memorable. Oh well. Back to the Basement, due out in a couple of weeks on Asian Man Records, could be a pretty short, snotty album if these tracks are any indication. Again, a full review to follow its release.

Also, Ben Weasel contributed an interesting piece to Carson Daly's show about panic attacks and agoraphobia. Also appearing on Carson Daly, Off!, Keith Morris' (of Black Flag and Circle Jerks) new band that sounds suspiciously like Black Flag in a good way. Off! have a boxed set of their 7"s coming out in November on Vice Records complete with cover art by Raymond Pettibon, who did much of the most iconic Black Flag imagery. Preorder from Interpunk, and you get a free button and patch. Get your hands on this; it's pretty vital. Not a bad week for old punkers. (and apparently Carson Daly too!)

Face to Face
The Queers
Asian Man Records
Ben Weasel on Carson Daly
Off!
Interpunk