A year ago, this site published my review of Rohnert Park, the then-new album from San Francisco based hardcore act Ceremony. I cited the similarities of that record with those of comparatively more popular acts Fucked Up and Pissed Jeans, two groups that record for “indie” labels that are distinct from those owned by the hardcore subculture. It appears I was not alone in that observation, as Matador Records has announced Ceremony has signed with them, effectively leaving hardcore imprint Bridge Nine. Artists leave smaller labels for bigger ones all the time, but this instance potentially signals a nascent trend in indie music: “popular” hardcore.

Unlike pop punk, so peppy and easy-to-digest, the kind of hardcore I’m referring to here is often scowling and anti-social, taking cues from both the subgenre’s unglamorous seventies/eighties originators as well as that same period’s “no wave” artisans. King Of Jeans, Pissed Jeans’ exceptional 2009 album for Sub Pop–yes, that Sub Pop–, was a dark and furious romp showered with #whitepeopleproblems galore (Pitchfork ranking: 8.3). Ceremony’s Matador labelmates Fucked Up just unveiled a rock opera (8.6, with “best new music” status) that has been received by discerning listeners as positively as their breakthrough The Chemistry Of Common Life (8.8, “best new music”). Even oldtimers are getting a second chance, as Black Flag/Circle Jerks alum Keith Morris is experiencing with OFF!, an invigorating quartet that dropped the SST-referencing The First Four EPs compilation (, “best new music”) on snarlingly irreverent and hipster-centric Vice Records. The latest act that Pitchfork is fawning over? Scandinavian punk teens Iceage (8.4, best new music). Taking all that in account, Matador’s snapping up Ceremony makes logical business sense.

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In a scene where yearly festivals are as abundant as they are sweaty, This Is Hardcore has emerged as the leader of the pack, unequivocally the most anticipated of all hardcore music events in America. Combining coveted reunions with plentiful appearances by modern acts big and small, the event brings revelers and pit beasts to Philadelphia for a humid August weekend. Part of the fest’s success stems from its notorious secrecy, and 2011′s is no exception. The lineup was embargoed until noon EST on Monday May 30, at which point tickets immediately went on sale online and at AKA in Philly. Extended from three to four days of music, the fest boasts performances from metallic acts like Madball, Maximum Penalty, Mother of Mercy, Nails, Reign Supreme, Ringworm, Suburban Scum, Terror, and Victims.

If you’re reading this now and you haven’t bought your ticket yet, you’re not attending This Is Hardcore 2011. Four-day as well as weekend passes sold out in less than 24 hours, and at the time of this writing, extremely limited numbers of single-day tickets were available. The full lineup, organized in order by day, can be found below.

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Blacklisted crept up on me at the tail end of 2009 with the surprise release of a then-vinyl only album called No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me. Noticeably more eclectic than its balls-to-the-wall predecessor Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God, that release was reissued a few months ago in CD format with a few bonus tracks. They’re approaching more Fucked Up sorta territory now, which I welcome since not enough hardcore bands demonstrate a willingness to experiment in the genre. You can get a taste of their current sound–which is still gritty as fuck–by watching the above footage of their set at this past March’s United Blood festival. If you’re one of the lucky sonsofbitches that scored a ticket to the sold out This Is Hardcore happening in Philly this past weekend, they played the fest this Sunday alongside the reunited Ink And Dagger, along with a ton of other killer bands. If you happen to reside in Europe, catch them live on their upcoming tour. Dates after the jump.

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If you’re one of those people who read this site every day (God bless you, you fucking masochists!), you may have noticed a lack of premium content from yours truly these past couple of weeks. That’s because I’ve been in Japan soaking in neon, dining on fresh sushi, and recoiling in horror at the perverse underbelly of otaku. I did manage to hit up a few rock bars in Osaka (Rock Rock — check out who else has been there!) and Tokyo (Beat Cafe), but otherwise this was a pretty metal-free trip–and that’s okay with me.

So, shit, man. Quite a bit happened in the wonderful world of hardcore while I was away! Ruiner broke up. This Is Hardcore 2010 finally revealed its drool-inducing lineup and sold out in less than two days. (I wasn’t able to get my tickets in time, sadly.) Unsane announced a series of U.S. dates where they’ll play 1995′s awesome Scattered Smothered & Covered live in its entirety. Notable releases included Ceremony’s Rohnert Park, for which I’ll be posting a review later this week. Some pretty awesome tours were announced as well. Check out the dates for some of these below.

Looking forward to your “Welcome Back” sentiments in the Comments section!

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Released stealthily though Deathwish Inc. quite late last year, Blacklisted’s vinyl-only No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me secured a well deserved (Dis)honorable Mention on my Best Albums of 2009 post, as I’ve found myself listening to it more and more over the past several weeks. It doesn’t quite top the extraordinarily aggressive Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God, but frankly neither do most hardcore albums of the past decade. Though my proper review of the album will come later, you can check out the title track streaming at the band’s MySpace page. Blacklisted’s sound has evolved into something… else. If you own a turntable, you should buy the record here.

After playing a great one-off gig last week in NYC with The Hope Conspiracy, United Nations and Mother Of Mercy, Blacklisted will finally tour for the new album beginning next month. A handful of the U.S. gigs will feature Gods & Queens, a phenomenal noise rock band that formed out of the ashes of Versoma. The opportunity to see both them and Blacklisted on the same bill is as awesome as dipping a chocolate bar in a jar of creamy peanut butter. Yum. The tour wraps up later in March when the band plays the United Blood fest, which (as I’ve already reported) will include sets from Madball, Maximum Penalty, Cruel Hand and a whole bunch of others hardcore acts. All dates below.

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Earlier this week, the organizers behind Virginia’s annual United Blood festival announced a preliminary list of the bands scheduled to perform at its fourth installment, which runs once again at Alleykatz in Richmond from March 26th through the 27th. For lovers of hardcore young and old, the lineup should seem damn impressive.

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Now ten years since originally forming, The Hope Conspiracy is still killing it. The band’s latest release was this year’s True Nihilist, a killer three-song EP showcasing the savage yet smart hardcore that we’ve come to expect from the band. No official word yet on when we’ll see a proper (and overdue) full-length follow-up to 2006′s Death Knows Your Name, but you can ask the guys yourself during their upcoming flurry of European and American tour dates this coming January. Opening acts for these shows vary, but include Nails (the latest project from Todd Jones, formerly of Terror and Carry On) and fellow Deathwish acts (and my Best Albums of 2009 picks) Blacklisted, Lewd Acts, and Rise And Fall. The New York date (flyer above) boasts an especially awesome lineup of hardcore supergroup United Nations, black metal locals Black Anvil, and Pennsylvania’s Mother Of Mercy, as well as the aforementioned Blacklisted. All dates below, with ticketing info when available.

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There I was, minding my business on the Internet when all of a sudden, the Deathwish Inc. Twitter account tweets about a new Blacklisted album. And not just new, but NOW AVAILABLE.

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