Less than a year after the release of their previous full-length, Dan Vapid and the Cheats have returned with a brand-new studio album, titled Welcome to Dystopia. It features 16 tracks in total and comes out September 23rd on Eccentric Pop Records. We’re pleased to be premiering the album’s first single below, called “Sour Pauline”. When asked about the inspiration for this song, Dan Vapid said “I was thinking about the toxic people that I’ve encountered over a lifetime when the song ‘Sweet Jane’ by the Velvet Underground was played on shuffle. I’ve probably heard that song a hundred times, but on this occasion the title ‘Sour Pauline’ popped into my head, along with a melody. From there, the remainder of the song quickly followed.”
When discussing the record’s overall theme, Vapid indicated that a common thread is present throughout the album, as it was written entirely in 2020. He said, “Welcome to Dystopia is an unfiltered response to everything I was (and still am) feeling about what faces us as a country and society. It’s mostly angry and dark. There’s not a lot of sunshine, rainbows and lollipops here…most people use social media to convey what they are thinking and feeling. For my own sanity, I try to stay away from social media as much as possible and prefer music to be my outlet.”
Check out the video for “Sour Pauline” below, which was made by Henry Weintraub from Memorable But Not Honorable, (a cassette label based in Eugene, Oregon). Vinyl and CD pre-orders for Welcome to Dystopia will be available starting September 16th from Eccentric Pop. Also, be sure to catch the Cheats when they play Cobra Lounge on November 19th with The Methadones, The Copyrights, and Mikey Erg. Tickets for the show can be purchased here.
This Saturday, The Lawrence Arms are playing Metro with The Copyrights, Sam Russo and Dog & Wolf. The show starts at 6:00 PM, is all-ages and tickets can be purchased here. The Lawrence Arms are touring in support of their latest album and Epitaph debut, Metropole, while The Copyrights just announced that they’ll be releasing a new 7” on Fat Wreck Chords this summer called No Knocks. Also, Sam Russo released a split EP on Red Scare last month with TLA singer/bassist Brendan Kelly and it can be ordered here. Check out the above photos of The Lawrence Arms that were taken by JIC’s own Katie Hovland. They’re from the band’s practice space and were shot just before their recent show at the Concord Music Hall.
They Liver is set to take place Friday, July 12th and Saturday, July 13th, at both Township and Ultra Lounge. Over 35 bands are scheduled to play, including local and national acts. The event gets underway at 5:00 PM on Friday at Township, with performances by The Slow Death, Vacation Bible School, The Brokedowns, M.O.T.O. and more. At 6:00 PM on Friday, Ultra Lounge hosts Meat Wave, Great Apes, Canadian Rifle and Sweet Cobra, as well as five additional bands. Saturday starts again at Township at 5:00 PM, with The Sky We Scrape, Hanalei, The Copyrights and others scheduled to play. The fourth and final show begins at 6:00 PM on Saturday at Ultra Lounge, and features Rollo Tomasi, The Mons, Explode and Make Up, Damp Hay, The Fur Coats, Lynyrds Innards, Haymarket Riot, Cooler by the Lake and more. All shows cost $12, but weekend passes are available too. The Township shows are 18+, while Ultra Lounge is 21 and over. We spoke with the men behind They Liver, Vito Nusret and Ian Floetl, and talked about how they organized the event, the various bands that are playing, what’s unique about these shows and more. Continue Reading…
Earlier this month The Copyrights released their fifth full-length, North Sentinel Island. The band formed in Carbondale, Illinois in 2002 and through the years has progressively perfected their signature take on classic, mid-‘90s pop punk. North Sentinel Island finds the group further experimenting with different sounds to create what is arguably their most comprehensive album yet. We spoke with singer/bassist Adam Fletcher about the new record, its recording process, their extensive touring plans this fall and more. Continue Reading…