andynelson

Love this band so much. Ordered.

I missed the coke bottle so now I've gotta decide between the other two....decisions, decisions.  This was an awesome surprise to stumble upon today.
 
Edit: Now I'm seeing that the Euro version is on white with a silkscreen cover.  The plot thickens.

It matches the artwork perfectly. I tend to go for the most limited variant but opted with the clear w/ black.

or the coke bottle. erybudy loves coke so...

Hello, friends. Your new hymnal is available now. Resistance music for dangerous times.
 

 
Listen & get limited vinyl here (includes immediate download):
http://www.theeopencity.com
 
Euros & Brits go here:
http://endhitsrecords.bigcartel.com/
 
Wholesale copies available through Ebullition, RevHQ and Revolver.
 
About the record:
"I know you’d like if we just sat silent / and never challenged your ideas," asserts Rachel Rubino in the opening moments of Open City, the eponymous debut by the Philadelphia four-piece, over a blast of hardcore dissonance. “So here's how we feel, here’s what we want, here’s what we need: to be heard!” Open City is a project embedded with histories — people, places, sounds, scenes. Bringing together collective decades of experience in East Coast punk and DIY communities, specifically ones known for prying open the melodic sides of punk rock, hardcore and post-punk, the project is: singer and lyricist Rachel Rubino (Bridge And Tunnel, Worriers), bassist Andy Nelson (Paint It Black, Ceremony, Dark Blue), guitarist Dan Yemin (Paint It Black, Lifetime, Kid Dynamite, Armalite), and drummer Chris Wilson (Ted Leo & the Pharmacists). 
 
“Hell Hath No Fury” is the album’s opening track, an apt point of entry to Open City’s ten tracks of dynamic post-hardcore and Rubino’s wide-ranging vocals, which fluctuate from shouts and screams, to melodic hooks and the occasional deadpan. “I've personally never felt like I fit into the binary of what a woman should be or do,” Rubino says, reflecting on the song. “I feel a strong desire to disconnect gender from talents and actions. I constantly want to find new ways of challenging myself, and through that to challenge the stale ideas others have placed on us. I refuse to do so in silence. I believe in the individual’s right to govern themselves based on what they feel is right and true to their vision of a positive reality.” 
 
A shared ideology is central to Open City. The project grew out of a mutual desire for a band that rehearsed continuously, coupled with an urgent need for something faster and more aggressive than some of its members had done before. Yemin, Nelson and Wilson spent a year carving out the band’s sonic framework, searching for a singer who spoke their common musical language, one inspired by 90s basements and commitment to DIY as an ongoing process. By the time they found Rubino, they’d already linked up with Will Yip at Studio 4 to record the instrumental tracks for the record, fueled by eagerness, frustration, and utter necessity. The result is an album that moves seamlessly, full of thoughtfulness and careful rage. 
 
Open City draws direct inspiration from a specific period in underground punk. “The most exciting shows I’ve seen in my entire life have been in basements in New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York, during 1991 through the early 00s. Specifically Sarah Kirsch’s bands,” Yemin says, speaking of the prolific punk songwriter who played in 12 bands over 20 years, including John Henry West, Torches to Rome, Bread and Circuits, and Fuel. “Those bands were really inspiring in terms of how she did things, what the records sounded like and looked like, the interface between content and design, and presentation and process. Most recently Mothercountry Motherfuckers, the posthumous record that just came out, that was my favorite record of the past few years.” In the early 90s, Kirsch’s music left Yemin in awe: for its aggression, for its melody, the energy, the things said on stage between songs. 
 
Open City weaves in and out of pointed themes: sexism, not staying silent, but also the hollowness of words in the face of inaction. The stakes are high. “I am tired / and you are right / we’ve given up the fight,” Rubino scowls on “Nerve Center”. “Trading my cards in for other efforts / find a place where I can be more effective / What a fucking joke!” It’s a song that stares you right in the eye and couldn’t be better timed. "All these words they don’t mean shit when all you do is yell at bricks," Rubino screams on a cut that rallies against inequality, “Brother I'm Getting Nowhere.” 
 
These are songs about sleepless nights, the reality of endings, about feeling stuck, honing on a purpose; about fighting, and then not fighting. “There's an inherent anger at the systems of oppression and abuse that constantly diminish and destroy the efforts of folks who are fighting for a better world,” Rubio says. “There's a deep disappointment for a lack of support and care from individuals in my life and in my community who I expected more from. There's a heavy dose of self-analysis, in a range from self care to self-loathing. Finding hope in strange places. Mourning loss along a timeline you cannot control. Trying to understand it. Admitting that I can't. It exists in that tense place where frustration is fighting apathy.” 
- Liz Pelly
 
Upcoming Shows:
Feb 03 - Suburbia - Brooklyn, NY
Feb 04 - Aurora - Providence, RI
Feb 05 - In The West - New Brunswick, NJ
Feb 16 - Everybody Hits - Philadelphia, PA
Feb 17 - Comet Ping Pong - Washington, DC
Feb 18 - Black Iris - Richmond, VA
Feb 19 - Downsquares - Baltimore, MD
Apr 29 - First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA

Ordered! 
 
 

This is fucking rad. Will pick this up without hesitation.

ordered.

Welp. Ordered then. 

Great stuff. 

Hello, friends. Your new hymnal is available now. Resistance music for dangerous times.
 

 
Listen & get limited vinyl here (includes immediate download):
http://www.theeopencity.com
 
Euros & Brits go here:
http://endhitsrecords.bigcartel.com/
 
Wholesale copies available through Ebullition, RevHQ and Revolver.
 
About the record:
"I know you’d like if we just sat silent / and never challenged your ideas," asserts Rachel Rubino in the opening moments of Open City, the eponymous debut by the Philadelphia four-piece, over a blast of hardcore dissonance. “So here's how we feel, here’s what we want, here’s what we need: to be heard!” Open City is a project embedded with histories — people, places, sounds, scenes. Bringing together collective decades of experience in East Coast punk and DIY communities, specifically ones known for prying open the melodic sides of punk rock, hardcore and post-punk, the project is: singer and lyricist Rachel Rubino (Bridge And Tunnel, Worriers), bassist Andy Nelson (Paint It Black, Ceremony, Dark Blue), guitarist Dan Yemin (Paint It Black, Lifetime, Kid Dynamite, Armalite), and drummer Chris Wilson (Ted Leo & the Pharmacists). 
 
“Hell Hath No Fury” is the album’s opening track, an apt point of entry to Open City’s ten tracks of dynamic post-hardcore and Rubino’s wide-ranging vocals, which fluctuate from shouts and screams, to melodic hooks and the occasional deadpan. “I've personally never felt like I fit into the binary of what a woman should be or do,” Rubino says, reflecting on the song. “I feel a strong desire to disconnect gender from talents and actions. I constantly want to find new ways of challenging myself, and through that to challenge the stale ideas others have placed on us. I refuse to do so in silence. I believe in the individual’s right to govern themselves based on what they feel is right and true to their vision of a positive reality.” 
 
A shared ideology is central to Open City. The project grew out of a mutual desire for a band that rehearsed continuously, coupled with an urgent need for something faster and more aggressive than some of its members had done before. Yemin, Nelson and Wilson spent a year carving out the band’s sonic framework, searching for a singer who spoke their common musical language, one inspired by 90s basements and commitment to DIY as an ongoing process. By the time they found Rubino, they’d already linked up with Will Yip at Studio 4 to record the instrumental tracks for the record, fueled by eagerness, frustration, and utter necessity. The result is an album that moves seamlessly, full of thoughtfulness and careful rage. 
 
Open City draws direct inspiration from a specific period in underground punk. “The most exciting shows I’ve seen in my entire life have been in basements in New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York, during 1991 through the early 00s. Specifically Sarah Kirsch’s bands,” Yemin says, speaking of the prolific punk songwriter who played in 12 bands over 20 years, including John Henry West, Torches to Rome, Bread and Circuits, and Fuel. “Those bands were really inspiring in terms of how she did things, what the records sounded like and looked like, the interface between content and design, and presentation and process. Most recently Mothercountry Motherfuckers, the posthumous record that just came out, that was my favorite record of the past few years.” In the early 90s, Kirsch’s music left Yemin in awe: for its aggression, for its melody, the energy, the things said on stage between songs. 
 
Open City weaves in and out of pointed themes: sexism, not staying silent, but also the hollowness of words in the face of inaction. The stakes are high. “I am tired / and you are right / we’ve given up the fight,” Rubino scowls on “Nerve Center”. “Trading my cards in for other efforts / find a place where I can be more effective / What a fucking joke!” It’s a song that stares you right in the eye and couldn’t be better timed. "All these words they don’t mean shit when all you do is yell at bricks," Rubino screams on a cut that rallies against inequality, “Brother I'm Getting Nowhere.” 
 
These are songs about sleepless nights, the reality of endings, about feeling stuck, honing on a purpose; about fighting, and then not fighting. “There's an inherent anger at the systems of oppression and abuse that constantly diminish and destroy the efforts of folks who are fighting for a better world,” Rubio says. “There's a deep disappointment for a lack of support and care from individuals in my life and in my community who I expected more from. There's a heavy dose of self-analysis, in a range from self care to self-loathing. Finding hope in strange places. Mourning loss along a timeline you cannot control. Trying to understand it. Admitting that I can't. It exists in that tense place where frustration is fighting apathy.” 
- Liz Pelly
 
Upcoming Shows:
Feb 03 - Suburbia - Brooklyn, NY
Feb 04 - Aurora - Providence, RI
Feb 05 - In The West - New Brunswick, NJ
Feb 16 - Everybody Hits - Philadelphia, PA
Feb 17 - Comet Ping Pong - Washington, DC
Feb 18 - Black Iris - Richmond, VA
Feb 19 - Downsquares - Baltimore, MD
Apr 29 - First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA

This record rocks.

We probably will NOT have vinyl for the shows in February (maybe tapes).  Records are at the plant now (everything is approved) but I don't want to make promises and then not come through.
 
We will definitely have free lyric sheets though!

Also,

Pressing Information
800 CLEAR WITH HEAVY BLACK SWIRL
400 VIOLET
200 COKE BOTTLE CLEAR
 

Hello, friends. Your new hymnal is available now. Resistance music for dangerous times.
 

 
Listen & get limited vinyl here (includes immediate download):
http://www.theeopencity.com
 
Euros & Brits go here:
http://endhitsrecords.bigcartel.com/
 
Wholesale copies available through Ebullition, RevHQ and Revolver.
 
About the record:
"I know you’d like if we just sat silent / and never challenged your ideas," asserts Rachel Rubino in the opening moments of Open City, the eponymous debut by the Philadelphia four-piece, over a blast of hardcore dissonance. “So here's how we feel, here’s what we want, here’s what we need: to be heard!” Open City is a project embedded with histories — people, places, sounds, scenes. Bringing together collective decades of experience in East Coast punk and DIY communities, specifically ones known for prying open the melodic sides of punk rock, hardcore and post-punk, the project is: singer and lyricist Rachel Rubino (Bridge And Tunnel, Worriers), bassist Andy Nelson (Paint It Black, Ceremony, Dark Blue), guitarist Dan Yemin (Paint It Black, Lifetime, Kid Dynamite, Armalite), and drummer Chris Wilson (Ted Leo & the Pharmacists). 
 
“Hell Hath No Fury” is the album’s opening track, an apt point of entry to Open City’s ten tracks of dynamic post-hardcore and Rubino’s wide-ranging vocals, which fluctuate from shouts and screams, to melodic hooks and the occasional deadpan. “I've personally never felt like I fit into the binary of what a woman should be or do,” Rubino says, reflecting on the song. “I feel a strong desire to disconnect gender from talents and actions. I constantly want to find new ways of challenging myself, and through that to challenge the stale ideas others have placed on us. I refuse to do so in silence. I believe in the individual’s right to govern themselves based on what they feel is right and true to their vision of a positive reality.” 
 
A shared ideology is central to Open City. The project grew out of a mutual desire for a band that rehearsed continuously, coupled with an urgent need for something faster and more aggressive than some of its members had done before. Yemin, Nelson and Wilson spent a year carving out the band’s sonic framework, searching for a singer who spoke their common musical language, one inspired by 90s basements and commitment to DIY as an ongoing process. By the time they found Rubino, they’d already linked up with Will Yip at Studio 4 to record the instrumental tracks for the record, fueled by eagerness, frustration, and utter necessity. The result is an album that moves seamlessly, full of thoughtfulness and careful rage. 
 
Open City draws direct inspiration from a specific period in underground punk. “The most exciting shows I’ve seen in my entire life have been in basements in New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York, during 1991 through the early 00s. Specifically Sarah Kirsch’s bands,” Yemin says, speaking of the prolific punk songwriter who played in 12 bands over 20 years, including John Henry West, Torches to Rome, Bread and Circuits, and Fuel. “Those bands were really inspiring in terms of how she did things, what the records sounded like and looked like, the interface between content and design, and presentation and process. Most recently Mothercountry Motherfuckers, the posthumous record that just came out, that was my favorite record of the past few years.” In the early 90s, Kirsch’s music left Yemin in awe: for its aggression, for its melody, the energy, the things said on stage between songs. 
 
Open City weaves in and out of pointed themes: sexism, not staying silent, but also the hollowness of words in the face of inaction. The stakes are high. “I am tired / and you are right / we’ve given up the fight,” Rubino scowls on “Nerve Center”. “Trading my cards in for other efforts / find a place where I can be more effective / What a fucking joke!” It’s a song that stares you right in the eye and couldn’t be better timed. "All these words they don’t mean shit when all you do is yell at bricks," Rubino screams on a cut that rallies against inequality, “Brother I'm Getting Nowhere.” 
 
These are songs about sleepless nights, the reality of endings, about feeling stuck, honing on a purpose; about fighting, and then not fighting. “There's an inherent anger at the systems of oppression and abuse that constantly diminish and destroy the efforts of folks who are fighting for a better world,” Rubio says. “There's a deep disappointment for a lack of support and care from individuals in my life and in my community who I expected more from. There's a heavy dose of self-analysis, in a range from self care to self-loathing. Finding hope in strange places. Mourning loss along a timeline you cannot control. Trying to understand it. Admitting that I can't. It exists in that tense place where frustration is fighting apathy.” 
- Liz Pelly
 
Upcoming Shows:
Feb 03 - Suburbia - Brooklyn, NY
Feb 04 - Aurora - Providence, RI
Feb 05 - In The West - New Brunswick, NJ
Feb 16 - Everybody Hits - Philadelphia, PA
Feb 17 - Comet Ping Pong - Washington, DC
Feb 18 - Black Iris - Richmond, VA
Feb 19 - Downsquares - Baltimore, MD
Apr 29 - First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA

Oh yeah -- there is a TOUR edition of the LP that has a special cover with unique hand-drawn art by Ross Farrar in the style/series of the cover drawing (each one is different).  We'll have them at all shows.  I think this board is the first place I'm posting that.  Surprise!!

Thanks, everyone.  All of the vinyl for the first press is the same -- sea foam green.  I presume it will sell out pretty quick and get repressed on other color(s) but not really sure what the plan is for that yet.
 
There will be a limited edition for either the tour or the record release shows (maybe both) that will involve each copy having some original one-of-a-kind artwork, but we're not really allowed to talk about that yet.
 
There's a cassette version forthcoming too, as well as some other surprises.  Lots in store!

Thanks, everyone.  All of the vinyl for the first press is the same -- sea foam green.  I presume it will sell out pretty quick and get repressed on other color(s) but not really sure what the plan is for that yet.
 
There will be a limited edition for either the tour or the record release shows (maybe both) that will involve each copy having some original one-of-a-kind artwork, but we're not really allowed to talk about that yet.
 
There's a cassette version forthcoming too, as well as some other surprises.  Lots in store!

Hi, we will still play songs from all the records.  As always.
 
Thanks to everyone who has checked out the new songs or picked up the record/book so far.  Really looking forward to the rest of this year.
 
xo
amn

Hi, we will still play songs from all the records.  As always.
 
Thanks to everyone who has checked out the new songs or picked up the record/book so far.  Really looking forward to the rest of this year.
 
xo
amn

Hi, we will still play songs from all the records.  As always.
 
Thanks to everyone who has checked out the new songs or picked up the record/book so far.  Really looking forward to the rest of this year.
 
xo
amn

Hi humans,
Our debut 7" is out now on Katorga Works, and we suggest you buy it ASAP, so Sharkey's children
can afford to go to a nice private school:
 

 
This is the debut 7" single of Philadelphia's Dark Blue. Reminiscent of late 80's English oi!/pop,
the band's sound is not unlike the perfect marriage of the Stone Roses and Last Resort. A magnificent
simplicity is paired with tales of life in Canberra, the capital city of Australia and the spiritual home
of bandleader John Sharkey III.
 
http://katorgaworks.bigcartel.com/product/dark-blue-subterranean-man-7
http://katorgaworks.bigcartel.com/product/dark-blue-subterranean-man-7
http://katorgaworks.bigcartel.com/product/dark-blue-subterranean-man-7
 
You're also invited to download the record in its entirety for FREE, by clicking here:
http://icoulddietomorrow.blogspot.com/2014/05/new-katorga-works-releases-blotter-dark.html
or here:
http://darkblueskins.bandcamp.com/
(Feel free to share!)
 
/
 
We also have a few shows planned. In theory, we'll have another new 7" in time for these. In theory.
 

 
Saturday May 24th 9:00pm
 
DARK BLUE
PSYCHIC TEENS
NO OTHER
 
At Johnny Brenda’s
(1201 N Frankford Ave. In Philadelphia, PA)
21+ / $10 / Tickets On Sale Now At R5Productions.com, JohnnyBrendas.com & AKA Music
Or, Click Here - http://www.r5productions.com/event/547027/
FB Event - http://www.facebook.com/events/639930292746779/
 
+
 
Friday May 30th
 
LOWER (Denmark)
DARK BLUE
LA CRUOR
 
The Acheron
57 waterbury st, bk, ny
8pm - $8 - 21+
advance tix - http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/561699/
FB Event - https://www.facebook.com/events/244228319097278/
 
+
 
I think we're playing somewhere in Clevo on May 31st, but I have no idea what the deal with that is. OK, bye for now.

http://noisey.vice.com/blog/noisey-presents-paint-it-black-in-nyc-with-hop-along-night-birds-and-bad-canoes
 
SATURDAY 8TH MARCH 2014
 
PAINT IT BLACK
HOP ALONG
NIGHT BIRDS
BAD CANOES
 
BROOKLYN NIGHT BAZAAR
FREE
6PM
NOISEY.COM
 
Although the show is free (or maybe ESPECIALLY in light of that fact), our friends from the Ali Forney Center will be on hand to accept your donations of new t-shirts & socks, as well as monetary donations. Please visit http://www.AliForneyCenter.org to learn more about how you can help homeless LGBTQ youth. Check yr privilege.
 
FB Event - https://www.facebook.com/events/209402029251554/

http://noisey.vice.com/blog/noisey-presents-paint-it-black-in-nyc-with-hop-along-night-birds-and-bad-canoes
 
SATURDAY 8TH MARCH 2014
 
PAINT IT BLACK
HOP ALONG
NIGHT BIRDS
BAD CANOES
 
BROOKLYN NIGHT BAZAAR
FREE
6PM
NOISEY.COM
 
Although the show is free (or maybe ESPECIALLY in light of that fact), our friends from the Ali Forney Center will be on hand to accept your donations of new t-shirts & socks, as well as monetary donations. Please visit http://www.AliForneyCenter.org to learn more about how you can help homeless LGBTQ youth. Check yr privilege.
 
FB Event - https://www.facebook.com/events/209402029251554/

This Wednesday night at the Church!
 

 
Wednesday December 11th 7:30pm
 
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS
MORNING GLORY
DIRECT HIT!
THE HEADIES
 
At The First Unitarian Church
(2125 Chestnut Street In Philadelphia, PA)
All Ages / $10 / Tickets On Sale Now At R5Productions.com & AKA Music
Or, Click Here - http://www.r5productions.com/event/389797/
FB Event - http://www.facebook.com/events/1422966604593247/