Minneapolis’ Quietdrive has a proud and organic streak that continues to captivate.  Since 2005, the band has made more than 900 appearances in front of every imaginable type of audience.  “We tour like maniacs, and we have never slowed down.  We are on our fourth van already,” vocalist Kevin Truckenmiller notes. That hard work paid off.  In the toughest sales climate to ever face the record business, Quietdrive’s debut release, When All That’s Left Is You, sold 64,000 in the US alone and put Quietdrive at the forefront of emerging artists.  The band sold another 400,000 digital singles as well.   Now the band is ready to launch their sophomore effort, Deliverance (The Militia Group), continuing to showcase their ability to deliver strong pop-rock gems one after another. 

Quietdrive – Myspace

The Higher – Myspace

Cory Lamb – Myspace

For more info check out: The Knitting Factory

Founded on beliefs that are in short supply within the current underground music scene, Bane has established themselves as one of the most influential and relevant bands in hardcore today. Since their inception, they’ve become one of the scene’s hardest working bands touring the world over and releasing the full lengths, It All Comes Down To This and 2001’s critically acclaimed Give Blood, an album that breathed life into the then-stagnant hardcore scene. Returning with their first album in three years, Bane offer up The Note – an album that embodies the spirit, the community, and the love of traditional hardcore that Bane has become synonymous with.

Bane – Myspace

Trash Talk – Myspace

For more info check out: The Knitting Factory

Sole, whose musical arc might be described as a series of battle raps whose range of targets has gradually widened. His early work, beginning with his demo of 1992 (which included such hits as “Cops Ain’t Shit”) was deeply beholden to the New York rap of that era, Lord Finesse most especially. These influences are readily visible in his first alb, (released when he as 16 in ’94), Mad Skillz and Unpaid Billz. Though the plural “z’s” were dropped from future releases, the forceful language and aura of overconfidence vital to classic battle rap remained. His proper, post-adolescent albums, Bottle of Humans (2000), Selling Live Water (2003), and Live from Rome (2005) each mixed traditional rap aesthetics with a more original and highly poetic approach with growing sophistication.

Sole – Myspace

Astronautalis – Myspace

Furious Styles – Myspace

For more info check out: The Knitting Factory

From the Metal Minute: “Static Tensions is an appropriate title for a band that has been progressively sifting through their troubles and finessing their sludge-punk-doom art into a cohesive soundburst of rightful and harmonious distortion. Pouring every ounce of sun-baked humidity from their native Savannah territory, the core remnants of Kylesa, Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants have triumphed yet again amidst the smoke of a hard-fought trench battle beginning with their radar-hailing sophomore album To Walk a Middle Course.  At this point in their career on album number four, Kylesa have not only taken the next logical step from the careening vibrancy of their Time Will Fuse Its Worth album, they have demonstratively issued one of this year’s statement albums in the form of the booming and dexterous Static Tensions.”

Kylesa – Myspace

Saviours – Myspace

Bison BC – Myspace

Blackmath Horseman – Myspace

For more info check out: The Knitting Factory

Dillinger Four are from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They formed in 1994. Civil War is their fourth full-length record. In terms of importance, they are to the ‘90s and ‘00s what Black Flag was to the ‘80s (without the Grateful Dead worship). In the time between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865, starting at Fort Sumter and ending at Appomattox, 600,000 Americans died in the American Civil War. That took almost four full years. Substitute beer and distilled spirits and add the constant distraction called life, tack on two extra years, and that equals D4’s Civil War. Have you heard the new Scared Of Chaka record? No, you haven’t. They broke up. Dillinger Four didn’t. Celebrate that math.

Dillinger 4 – Myspace

Riverboat Gamblers – Myspace

The Arrivals – Myspace

For more info please check out: The Knitting Factory

Thursday, September 24th

Hmm, two years ago Dance Gavin Dance lead singer Jonny Craig quit the band citing extreme tensions and personal conflicts and he has since joined up with Emarosa.  Now together on one co-headlining bill, is this the Gathering of the Tribes or the Ultimate Smackdown.  Will Jonny rejoin his ol’ buddies on stage or sneer at them from the wings.  Can’t we all get along?  Come and find out.

Rise Records Tour starring:

Emarosa – Myspace

Dance Gavin Dance – Myspace

Of Mice and Men – Myspace

Tides of Man – Myspace

Of Machine – Myspace

For more info please check out: The Knitting Factory

From Perth, Australia, Karnivool have been big heroes down under for a decade with their mesh of alternative and progressive rock. Says Sputnik Music:  “With what is sure to make waves all over the world, Sound Awake has thrust Karnivool right to the top of the Australian rock pile, completely eclipsing other heavyweights The Butterfly Effect and Cog’s latest efforts. While it doesn’t contain as many big choruses or huge riffs as Themata, Sound Awake shows their coming of age from a band with potential to one that has what it takes to go very, very far.”

Karnivool – Myspace

Opus Dai – Myspace

Woven – Myspace

Lunar Sway – Myspace

For more info please check out: The Knitting Factory