Motion City Soundtrack Drop First New Song In Five Years

Finally some good news in 2020.

Emo comeback kids Motion City Soundtrack created shockwaves when they announced that they were dropping a new song today called “Crooked Ways”. It’s their first bit of new material in over fives years and their first since reuniting last year. MCS’s last release was their farewell album Panic Stations released on Epitaph Records (Greer, Off With Their Heads, Touché Amoré). The song was released on their label The Boombox Generation.

MCS were scheduled to play Slam Dunk back in May with The Wonder Years, Doll Skin, and ROAM, but was canceled due to COVID-19. No word yet if they’re playing the rescheduled dates next May.

The Fest 19 Postponed To 2021, Announce Killer Lineup

Surprised? You shouldn’t be.

The beloved Floridian punk rock music festival The Fest will not be taking place this year due to the current coronavirus pandemic that’s sweeping the world at the moment.

Founder Tony Weinbender broke the unfortunate news yesterday in a lengthly post on the festival’s website. “I know this is hard for many of you and it’s very hard on all of us,” Weinbender wrote to fans. “Many of us have worked very hard to bring you a killer lineup this year and the hardest part is knowing that even with our best intentions there is just not a feasible way to make FEST 19 the safe, fun, and awesome time we have all become accustomed to.”

Weinbender did however announce the new dates for The Fest 19, now taking place from Friday, October 29 to Sunday, October 31, 2021. He also posted three important options for those who bought tickets/hotel rooms/merch for this year’s installment:

OPTION #1: You can REQUEST A REFUND
OPTION #2: You can KEEP YOUR PASS/HOTEL/MERCH AND USE IT FOR THE POSTPONED 2021 DATES
OPTION #3: You can CHANGE THE NAME ON YOUR ORDER AND GIVE THE PASS TO SOMEONE ELSE WITH NO CHANGE FEE APPLIED

These requests will be good for the next 30 days. After Thursday, August 6, anyone who hasn’t contacted the website for refunds will automatically have their purchases transferred over to the 2021 makeup dates.

Now for the important part. Since the festival’s getting postponed, will there be a new lineup? Yes and no. So far, over 230 bands have confirmed that they will be playing in 2021, such as Frank Turner, Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Into It. Over It., Beach Slang, The Callous Daoboys, Red City Radio, Modern Life Is War, Gouge Away, Skatune Network, and The Lawrence Arms. For a full list of bands for 2021, click or tap here.

The Fest 19 will take place Friday, October 29 to Sunday, October 31, 2021 over the course of 18 venues in Gainesville, Fla.

The Fest started back in 2002 and has never missed a single year until now. Past bands and acts who’ve played the festival before include Mastodon, The Front Bottoms, Piebald, Jawbox, Off With Their Heads, AJJ, Direct Hit!, The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, La Dispute, and Hum.

The Most Anticipated Albums Of 2020 (Part Two)

Let’s continue, shall we?

If you didn’t read part one, click here.

Neck Deep 

Album: TBA (Hopeless Records)

Release Date: TBA

British pop-punk heavyweights Neck Deep were busy in the studio last year working on their currently untitled fourth outing. When asked on how the album is shaping out, vocalist Ben Barlow told Press by Bad Seed, “It’s fucking terrifying when you have nothing done for it and you don’t know how things are going to come out sounding. I’ve sat at home and I’ve written stuff but I rely on the other guys a lot to bring stuff forward and I just don’t know what everyone else is writing yet. We’re going to take our time with this record, essentially. We’re going to take up to a year to write it, if it happens sooner then cool, if it happens later then that’s fine too. We’re putting no pressure on ourselves with it.” The only track we’ve heard was the interesting “She’s A God,” which came out last summer.

Lana Del Rey

Album: White Hot Forever (Interscope Records/Polydor Records)

Release Date: Late 2020

Literally days after dropping her new album Norman Fucking Rockwell!, indie pop artist Lana Del Rey said she wasn’t taking a break and was already working on album number seven. Titled White Hot Forever, the album, according to a piece by The Times, has parts written already for the record. “It’s called White Hot Forever. I feel like it probably will be a surprise release sometime within the next 12 or 13 months,” she added. No singles have yet to appear from the album.

Movements

Album: TBA (Fearless Records)

Release Date: TBA

After spending a majority of 2019 touring and selling their mercy like hotcakes, Movements decided that they would start off the decade right by working on their second album. The untitled sophomore release by post-hardcore group Movements seems to be a killer good time. No release date nor single has come out yet.

Beach Slang

Album: The Deadbeat Bang Of Heartbreak City (Bridge 9 Records/Quiet Panic)

Release Date: 1/10

You don’t have to wait too long for Beach Slang to drop a new album. The Philly indie punk band will finally drop their third album later this month. The Deadbeat Bang of Heartbreak City is looking to be a powerful debut for the band as it will also be there first album with Bridge 9 Records (American War Machine, Slapshot, War On Women.) And from the two songs we’ve heard so far, them being “Bam Rang Rang” and “Tommy In The 80s.” Get it when it drops in a week.

All Time Low

Album: TBA (Fueled By Ramen)

Release Date: TBA

After a brief hiatus in 2019 for the band to work on other projects or endeavors, the Baltimore pop-punk band are back together writing songs on their second album with Fueled By Ramen (A Day To Remember, grandson, WhoHurtYou) and eighth record overall. We’ve been given a small taste of what might come in the form of an amateur video containing a new track called “Getaway Green.” They also posted a cryptic teaser which had their Last Young Renegade shirt being burnt, signifying that new music is on its merry way.

Dance Gavin Dance

Album: TBA (Rise Records)

Release Date: TBA

After blowing our minds with Artificial Selection two years back, post-hardcore legends Dance Gavin Dance are ready to do it again with their upcoming ninth album. So far, DGD teased us with two killer tracks, “Head Hunter” and “Blood Wolf.” And if those two songs show us what #9 may sound like, then it’s destined to be Album Of The Year worthy. 

Fireworks

Album: Higher Lonely Power (TBA)

Release Date: TBA

Pop-punk band Fireworks came out of retirement late last year when they surprised us with a new song called “Demitasse.” It was their first new song since disbanding in 2015. The only info we know on their comeback record is title Higher Lonely Power and a 2020 release date. Besides that, nothing else has come out. Either way, be stoked for more Fireworks.

Mayday Parade

Album: TBA (Rise Records)

Release Date: TBA

Beloved Floridian pop-rock quintet Mayday Parade have been busy since early 2019 working on demos for their eighth studio album and second overall with Rise Records (Crown The Empire, Kvelertak, Of Mice & Men.) No more news has come out from the group about the record, but they did give us a Christmas song to keep us cozy during the winter months. One thing’s for sure, it’s gonna be amazing.

Less Than Jake

Album: TBA (Pure Noise Records)

Release Date: TBA

“Love it or hate it, Less Than Jake is entering a new era. We have had a new drummer for just shy of a year, and the next album is being written without our old lyricist/drummer. There seems to be confusion on the matter, and I hope I can clear up any questions.” That’s all the news we’ve gotten so far from Less Than Jake bassist/vocalist Roger Lima when he posted that message on social media. Their ninth album and first new record in seven years will come out sometime this year on Pure Noise Records (The Amity Affliction, LURK, Take Offense.)

The Ghost Inside

Album: TBA (Epitaph Records)

Release Date: TBA

After going through hell and back after their tragic bus accident in 2015, Californian hardcore band The Ghost Inside are back with new music. The only reason we know of this is from a tweet the band made, tagging producers Will Putney (The Acacia Strain, Northlane, Thy Art Is Murder) of Fit For An Autopsy and Jeremy McKinnon (The Devil Wears Prada, Neck Deep, Veara) of A Day To Remember and longtime label Epitaph Records (Ariel View, guccihighwaters, Off With Their Heads.) Updates have been quite scarce since, but all we know is that the world needs more TGI.

guccihighwaters Signs To Epitaph Records

Just days after signing rapper Lil Lotus, Epitaph Records (Converge, Off With Their Heads, Save Face) are pleased to add guccihighwaters to their roster.

Morgan Murphy, the man behind the moniker, announced the news earlier today after teasing about it on Monday. To celebrate his signing, guccihighwaters dropped a new track called “highschool.”

“As soon as I met the Epitaph team I had a good feeling I was going to end up signing with them,” Murphy said in a press release. “It’s inspiring when you meet people that are actually excited about your music and genuinely believe in it. Finally, after about 5 months of talking about it, we did it and I’m eager to get everything going.”

Originally from Ireland, the rapper moved to New York at the age of 15. The project first started in 2017 when he dropped Post Death. He’s since released numerous singles and two EPs. guccihighwaters has obtained over 750,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Murphy has toured with Against The Current, nothing,nowhere., and Lil Lotus.

Starting in early 2020, the rapper will tour the U.S. alongside Lund. Tickets can be bought here. Check out the tour dates below.

2/13 — Santa Cruz, Calif. @ The Catalyst Atrium

2/14 — Berkeley, Calif. @ Cornerstone

2/16 — Sacramento, Calif. @ Harlows

2/18 — Portland, Ore. @ Hawthorne Theatre

2/19 — Vancouver, BC @ Fortune

2/20 — Seattle, Wash. @ Vera Project

2/22 — Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Greek Station

2/23 — Denver, Colo. @ Larimer Lounge

2/24 — Lawrence, Kan. @ The Bottleneck

2/25 — St. Louis, Mo. @ Fubar

2/27 — Chicago, Ill. @ Beat Kitchen

2/28 — Pontiac, Mich. @ The Pike Room

2/29 — Cleveland, Ohio @ The Foundry

3/1 — Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground

3/3 — Boston, Mass. @ Sonia

3/4 — Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Zone 1 Elsewhere

3/5 — Asbury Park, N.J. @ House of Independents

3/7 — Philadelphia, Pa. @ The Foundry

3/8 — Washington D.C. @ Songbyrd

3/10 — Atlanta, Ga. @ Purgatory: The Masquerade

3/11 — Nashville, Tenn. @ Highwatt

3/13 — Dallas, Texas @ Ruins

3/14 — San Antonio, Texas @ Paper Tiger

3/15 — Houston, Texas @ Secret Group

3/17 — Phoenix, Ariz. @ Pub Rock

3/18 — San Diego, Calif. @ Voodoo Room At HOB

3/19 — Los Angeles, Calif. @ 1720