Now in the webstore: OLD MAN GLOOM Seminar II 2xLP (second press).

As many of you know, the GLOOM has been resumed, marked by the band playing their first live shows in 9 years.

To commemorate such a monumental occasion for such a heavy band, we went heavy with a special repress of Seminar II.

How heavy? 180-gram vinyl heavy. Available in two delicious flavors: black and orange. Copies are out on the road with the band currently and some are in the webstore. Both versions are EXTREMELY limited, so don’t hesitate in picking these up if you need them.

Each copy is housed in the original foil-stamped gatefold jacket and each copy now comes with a free download card, giving you full access to the entire album for the Mp3-player of your choice.

If anyone out there knows this label, you know how precious this band is to us and how happy they make us with every song… it’s truly an honor to bring this one out for human consumption yet again.

To order these 2xLP’s, head on over to the webstore.

Now in the webstore: VALERIAN SWING A Sailor Lost Around the Earth 2xLP + bonus 7″.

These were imported in from Italy and we don’t have very many of them. If you recently caught VALERIAN SWING on their U.S. tour, you know that this means you should probably act quickly if you want to own one.

This is without a doubt the ultimate way to experience this album: 45 RPM virgin vinyl on super thick slabs. Gatefold cover. As if that wasn’t enough, each copy comes with a bonus/exclusive 7″ featuring remixes from Simon Scott (of SLOWDIVE) and ISAN.

I believe only 500 of these were made over in Europe. We’ve got less than 20 to sell. Again, act quick if you want one.

To order this 2xLP + 7″, head on over to the webstore.

When we first began putting together the VERMAPYRE & IDES OF GEMINI split LP release, the concept of both bands (hailing from entirely different continents) ever sharing a stage together was but a hopeful notion (with no practical means readily evident at the time). But as fate would have it, the legitimately kind folks with Scion A/V recognized the brilliance of both bands and are footing the bill to put the members on airplanes bound for Tampa, Florida this June, where they will perform for FREE alongside PSYCHIC TV, SLEEP, MERZBOW, CHURCH OF MISERY, OXBOW, ST. VITUS, and so many more.

The event takes place on June 2 and you can make your free reservation here. Enjoy.

Now in the webstore: THIS WILL DESTROY YOU S/T 2xLP (BAJILLIONTH PRESS – I’ve literally lost count at this point).

On the heels of “The Mighty Rio Grande” being featured throughout and closing out the “Best Picture” montage at the Oscars this year, you might suspect that we might have experienced a spike in sales.

That would be putting it lightly.

Within 24 hours of broadcast, every single copy of S/T was sold out from both us and our distributors worldwide. Emergency represses of both formats had to be implemented immediately. CD’s were back in circulation within a week of the show and now a fresh shipment of the vinyl is upon us.

While most of this pressing was sent over to our distributors for retail, we’ve held onto a good amount to take care of direct-from-label mailorder demand. So if you’ve been waiting to order since the big show, thanks for your patience.

Now in the webstore: MAJORITY RULE Interviews with David Frost LP.

This is the third press of this classic hardcore album and we’re happy that it coincides with the 15th anniversary of the label.

Here’s some thoughts and sentiment I expressed from the last pressing of this release (a couple years ago):

When I think about these records in particular, I’m reminded of a rare moment in life where I actively felt a part of a thriving (local) community. It was very exciting waking up every day and knowing that you were going to see all of your friends and work on so many projects before returning to your bed (if you even went to sleep that day!). Things felt urgent and everyone’s actions and behaviors followed suit.

In many ways, Majority Rule was the anchor for everyone during those times. Starting with the record release for “Interviews With David Frost” at the Wilson Center (w/pg.99, Darkest Hour, Waifle, and City of Caterpillar opening!), Majority Rule shows became these pulsing beacons of community pride where hundreds and hundreds of people would come to every show, know every single word to every song, and altogether combine to create a truly transcendent experience that left us all with…. hope? Motivation? Cathartic satisfaction? These three guys and their music definitely did something special for and to all of us living in the area at the time.

What’s most amazing to me in the present day is how well both of these albums held up. Repressing them doesn’t feel at all like a novelty or nostalgic kitsch in the slightest. I still get goosebumps. I still believe in what’s going on from the point the needle touches down all the way until it picks back up. It’s my sincerest hope that a lot of folks that weren’t into DIY punk/hardcore back then (or maybe missed out on the whole DC/NoVA revival of the early 00′s) will be able to pull even a sliver of what these records have already given so many people. You’re in for a treat…

Now in the webstore: BOY SETS FIRE This Crying, This Screaming, My Voice is Being Born LP (SECOND PRESS).

To kick off its 15th year as a label, Magic Bullet Records is going all the way back to release #1 and giving This Crying, This Screaming, My Voice is Being Born, by BOY SETS FIRE, its just dues on vinyl format. In attempts to provide an unfettered look back into an era long gone and reconnect a bit with the roots of both the band and the label, the presentation and execution behind this one comes straight from the humble DIY work ethic of both. Instead of digitally constructing the layout and zipping it up for a professional printer to mass-produce, assemble, and ship direct to distributors/stores, all inserts and assembly was executed as it was back then… essentially, huddling around a photocopier for a couple hours, followed by several more hours of folding, stuffing and bagging everything on a living room floor.

Thanks to our friends over at Decibel Magazine, we recently premiered “Pleng,” the newest music video from out resident crazy Italians VALERIAN SWING.

As Decibel writer Kevin Steward-Panko points out:

It’s a deceptively simple visual complement to the sort of stuff Don Caballero don’t write anymore, but notice they’re playing in a room you might otherwise see in a Perceptual Psychology textbook, that drummer David romances his kit like the math ‘n’ roll version of Brutal Truth’s Rich Hoak and just what the hell is going on behind the Correggion, Italy-based trio as they bound around?

To check out the article and full video, please visit the Decibel site:
http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/valerian-swing-oddball-video-complements-oddball-band/

Vice Magazine has released a mini-documentary on INTEGRITY, filmed in Berlin on the band’s recent European tour. Three-parts in length, the entire piece includes live footage and is viewable online for entirely free:

Part one: http://www.noisey.com/en_uk/watch/meet-integrity
Part two: http://www.noisey.com/en_uk/watch/micha
Part three: http://www.noisey.com/en_uk/watch/jagged-visions

As we continue to celebrate the 15th year of Magic Bullet Records, it’s time to reveal another awesome twist.

As many in the listening audience will recall, the first ever record released on the label was BOY SETS FIRE‘s This Crying, This Screaming, My Voice is Being Born back in 1997. Fast forward to 2012 and BSF singer Nathan Gray has brought his new band into the fold; a six-headed monster of sound that has been christened I AM HERESY. What makes this news truly unique is that it officially marks the first time second-generation family members will be releasing music on Magic Bullet, as two of the guitar players in I AM HERESY are Nathan’s son, Simon Gray, and Simon’s dear friend Jonah Latshaw (yes, as in the son of BOY SETS FIRE‘s Joshua Latshaw). (Interestingly enough, it WON’T be the first time a father and son have played on a Magic Bullet release, as AUSTIN LUCAS has routinely incorporated the talents of his father Bob into his recordings.)

While we’re still trying to figure out the proper nomenclature in billing these bits of trivia (“from the members of members of BOY SETS FIRE?”), most important to note right now is: a.) the band’s music fucking rules, b.) they are about to enter the studio for their 6-song debut album with us, and c.) you can read more about I AM HERESY and listen to a demo of the song “Butchers” here.

Eric Richter recently did a phone interview with Ray Harkins and Tom Mullen of the Washed Up Emo Podcast. During the ~67 minute conversation, Eric goes deep into the origins of his musical experiences both prior and during the heyday of CHRISTIE FRONT DRIVE (on top of various other topics and tangents). The conversation does a great job in being both extremely real and  candid. And from a historical perspective, it’s a great conversation for younger people currently involved in creating “underground” music to hear.

The entire conversation can be streamed and/or downloaded from:
http://washedupemo.buzzsprout.com/4504/42705-episode-8-guest-eric-richter-christie-front-drive

In related news, Eric recently played Noise Pop out in San Francisco with CHRISTIE FRONT DRIVE. It was a ton of fun and easily the longest CFD set in history (13 songs!). Thanks to all who attended. We’re now in the process of transferring the old recordings into modern formats to continue the process of getting all CHRISTIE FRONT DRIVE material back in print.

In the meantime, Eric continues to rehearse with new band HIGHNESS. Rounded out by Andy Buckalew, Brent Eyestone, Graham Scala (all ex-FORENSICS) and Ryan Parrish (ex-DARKEST HOUR), the band is currently working on their first album, due out sometime in 2012.

In a surprise moment that truly bowled over the band and label alike, the producers of the 84th Annual Academy Awards (aka the Oscars) edited and cued the entire “Best Picture” nominee montage (essentially, the climax of the show) to “The Mighty Rio Grande,” from THIS WILL DESTROY YOU‘s S/T album. Prior to broadcast, we were aware that the music would be used in conjunction with any wins and specific coverage of Moneyball (the song appears five times in the film and in the official trailer), but none of us had any clue that the entire show would climax and close out to the song.

While it would be far more hip to put forth an air that we didn’t care about such a big, “stupid industry” award show, the fact of the matter is that the band, label, and everyone involved with that song and album were touched and blown away to see the song utilized in such a surreal and special moment that was shared with many people all around the world. Thanks to all involved with the production of the show and thanks to everyone who tuned in and had such nice things to say.

For those that missed it, here’s an archive clip we found on the web. Skip ahead to ~15:50. Tom Cruise introduces the piece, the music hits, and then last the duration of  the nominee feature. Enjoy:
• THIS WILL DESTROY YOU “The Mighty Rio Grande” featured on the 84th Annual Oscars show

In the event you haven’t been able to check out IDES OF GEMINI just yet, here’s a great opportunity to do so at no cost. Our friends over at Insound have been so kind as to include a song off the split LP with VERMAPYRE on their bi-weekly “Vinyl News Mixtape.”

You can download the entire mixtape for free at:
http://www.insound.com/promos/vinyl-mixtape?from=48990

Copies of the split LP are still available on green and brown vinyl from the webstore.