On Monday April 18th, while on tour with Aficionado in Cincinnati, OH, roots-punk band Nightmares For A Week awoke to find that their van had been broken into. The passenger side window was smashed and $8,000 worth of gear was gone, not including all of the band members bags and personal possessions that were stolen as well (luggage, GPS, iPod).

The band has posted pictures of the gear that was stolen on their website (http://nightmaresforaweek.com) and Facebook page so if you live in the Cincinnati, OH area, please take a look and keep an eye out for the gear.

The band’s insurance doesn’t cover the gear, so they are in a really rough spot right now. If you can spare any extra money, please donate via Paypal to nightmaresforaweek@gmail.com – any amount helps!

A couple months back our friend Matt introduced us to a great band from Chicago, IL called ALL EYES WEST. After checking out their music and talking with the guys, we decided that had to be a part of the release of their debut full-length.

Once defined by bands like Naked Raygun, Screeching Weasel and 88 Fingers Louie, the Chicago scene has always been known for it’s gritty, honest punk rock; and newcomers All Eyes West are continuing in that great tradition. What sets them apart are the band’s unique personalities, lead by vocalist/bassist Justin Miller whose desperate and emotionally charged lyrics have been the signature to bands like Arizona’s Signsedso as well as Chicago indie rockers Hinter. In addition, the band boasts guitarist Jeff Dean whose guitar style has defined the sound of The Bomb (with Jeff Pezzati of Naked Raygun), Noise By Numbers and Explode and Make Up for the last decade. Last but not least, All Eyes West features drummer Rick Fast who has been a staple of Chicago’s independent rock scene laying the foundation for renowned indie darlings Dialogue. Their self-titled debut LP, recorded at Million Yen Studios by Jeff Dean and mastered by Jon Drew (Tokyo Police Club, Fucked Up), pays homage to bands like Hüsker Dü, Swervedriver, Seaweed, Drive Like Jehu and Jawbreaker, which is a breath of fresh air in today’s punk rock world. Expect much to hear much more from this young band of seasoned veterans.

The band also has a bunch of shows coming up, including a show on April 22nd in Brooklyn, NY, opening for SEAWEED.

04/09 Chicago, IL @ Schubas w/ Driftless Pony Club & Tight Phantomz
04/20 Columbus, OH @ Ravari Room w/ The Garrison & Knife The Symphony
04/21 New Brunswick, NJ @ The Court Tavern
04/22 Brooklyn, NY @ The Bell House w/ SEAWEED
04/23 New York, NY @ The Lite Lounge
05/05 Omaha, NE @ TBA
05/06 Denver, CO @ 3 Kings
05/07 Phoenix, AZ @ Joe’s Grotto w/ Fivespeed
05/08 Las Vegas, NV @ Gypsy Hut
05/09 Los Angeles, CA @ TBA
05/10 San Diego, CA @ Ruby Room
05/11 San Fransico, CA @TBA

ALL EYES WEST “SELF-TITLED” CD/LP/DIGITAL FULL-LENGTH OUT APRIL 26TH; PRE-ORDER APRIL 1ST

Featuring eight tracks that keep with the band’s Chicago roots, ALL EYES WEST’S Self-Titled album is solid from start to finish, and displays the emotional edginess of legends like Quicksand, Seaweed, and Hüsker Dü. But don’t take our word for it. Scroll down to stream the second track on the album, entitled “Help Is On The Way”.

Tracklisting:
01. Fact Or Fiction?
02. Help Is On The Way
03. One Less Arrow
04. The Accident
05. Everything I Never Said
06. Preach To Rejects
07. Stations
08. Clocks On Slow

The vinyl version of the album will be pressed on two colors, 100 on 180 gram black vinyl, and 400 on solid green/solid blue marbled vinyl. The pre-order for the vinyl, CD and digital versions of the album will go live on April 1st at 12 PM Noon in the AFS WEBSTORE. All vinyl and CD orders will receive a free digital download of the entire album, e-mailed a day before the release date, on April 25th. Likewise, if you purchase the digital version of the album, you will receive your download code via e-mail on April 25th.

All Eyes West “Help Is On The Way”

Next Tuesday, November 9th, we will be releasing a teaser 7″ from Kingston, NY’s Nightmares For A Week. Featuring the single “Veins” and b-side “Feelin’ Blue,” the “Veins” 7″/digital single is definitely a good way to get to know the band before they release their debut full-length, “Don’t Die,” on December 14th.

The 7″ will be available to order on Tuesday [Nov. 09] from the brand new AFS WEBSTORE, starting at 9 AM EST. The pressing numbers are as follows: 50 black [exclusive to AFS WEBSTORE], 125 clear red, and 125 solid gray. The record will also be available digitally from all major digital retailers.

Head over to the band’s MYSPACE to stream “Veins” – and look out for an exclusive stream of “Feelin’ Blue” from AMP Magazine starting this Tuesday!

Nightmares For A Week’s debut full-length, “Don’t Die,” will be released on limited edition vinyl, CD, and digitally this December 7th via Academy Fight Song. If you’re not familiar with NFAW, now’s the perfect time. Here’s what Alternative Press had to say about the band:

“NFAW draw inspiration from years spent on the road, forgoing Anadivine’s atmospheric riffage for a gritty, whiskey-soaked twang that finds common ground between Johnny Cash and Jawbreaker.” – 100 Bands To Watch / Alternative Press Magazine

The vinyl will be available on the following colors: 100 180G black [exclusive to AFS WEBSTORE], 200 clear/solid gray swirl, and 200 red/yellow/blue swirl.

Pre-order(s) for all three formats of the release will go live at 12 PM Noon EST on November 15th in the AFS WEBSTORE. Also included with the pre-order will be an exclusive t-shirt bundle, limited to 50 shirts and only available through the AFS WEBSTORE. Don’t miss out!

We are extremely excited to announce our second December 14th release – Anchor & Braille’s debut album, “Felt,” featuring the beautiful musicianship of Stephen Christian [of Anberlin]. Here’s what Absolutepunk.net had to say in their review of the album:

“…the record is a stunning achievement. It is a labor of love in the truest sense of the phrase, and it certainly shows. You can hear Christian bleeding for these songs, and it is the sort of passion that elicits goosebumps from listeners ready to be swept up on an emotional journey.” -Absolutepunk.net

Featuring a gatefold jacket with a spot gloss finish and a full-color innersleeve, this LP is sure to be perfect in every aspect. The vinyl itself will be pressed on the following colors: 100 180G black [exclusive to AFS WEBSTORE], 200 solid off-white, and 200 solid red/solid black swirl.

Pre-orders for the record will go live on November 15th at 12 PM Noon EST in the AFS WEBSTORE, and will include a limited edition t-shirt bundle [exclusive to the AFS WEBSTORE], with only 25 t-shirts available.

At the end of 2009, we brought you Copeland’s “Beneath Medicine Tree” on vinyl for the first time ever. This December 14th we will continue our Copeland legacy to bring you the band’s second full-length, “In Motion,” on limited edition vinyl.

Featuring a matte finished jacket with spot gloss and a full-color innersleeve, this LP will complement the beauty of the original CD release. The vinyl itself will be available on the following colors: 100 180G black [exclusive to AFS WEBSTORE], 200 half clear brown/half solid white, and 200 half coke bottle clear/half solid brown.

Pre-orders for the LP will go live on November 15th at 12 PM Noon EST in the AFS WEBSTORE.

We’ve had the pleasure of working with Kevin Devine on a handful of releases over the past 5 years and we are extremely excited to be involved with the reissue of one of his best albums. Our fourth and final release out December 14th is the vinyl re-issue of Kevin Devine’s “Make The Clocks Move,” featuring brand new artwork and two previously unreleased bonus tracks [demos from the original recording session: "Funerals And Carnivals" and "You Knock Me Out"].

The double LP packaging will include a gatefold LP, double innersleeves, and will be available on the following colors: 100 180G black [exclusive to AFS WEBSTORE], 200 clear orange w/ brown splatter, and 200 clear brown w/ orange splatter.

Pre-orders for the record will go live on November 15th at 12 PM Noon EST in the AFS WEBSTORE, and will include a limited edition t-shirt bundle [exclusive to the AFS WEBSTORE], with only 50 t-shirts available.

My goal is to have every single pre-order shipped out no later than this Friday (September 17th). As soon as your order ships, you’ll receive an e-mail confirmation.

It’s time for me to get off here and start assembling/packing/posting orders. Please e-mail me with any issues/concerns/address changes/etc. and I will get back to you immediately: rj@academyfightsong.com.

Black vinyl:

Black vinyl (close-up):

Orange/black vinyl:

Orange/black vinyl (close-up):

Orange/black vinyl (another angle):

Blue/black vinyl:

Blue/black vinyl (close-up):

Blue/black vinyl (another angle):

White vinyl:

White vinyl (close-up):

Blue/white vinyl (came out more solid blue than swirled, still looks great though!):

Blue/white vinyl (close-up):

Orange/white vinyl (came out more solid orange than swirled):

Orange/white vinyl (close-up):

Orange/white vinyl (another angle):

Purple vinyl (band’s pressing):

Purple vinyl (close-up):

As of last week, we have received all of the printed materials for this release. This includes the jackets, innersleeves and booklet. If you’ve been following our blog for the past couple weeks, you know that we received the booklets a couple weeks ago and have posted pictures of them. Below you will find pictures of the jacket and innersleeves. They came out great, and the black flood printing inside each pocket looks super sharp. I couldn’t be happier with how everything has come out so far.

UMG e-mailed me this past Friday morning informing me that all of the vinyl has shipped from their plant in Indiana. I should have an accurate arrival date by tomorrow morning, which I will post on here. All of the printed materials are assembled, we just need to slip in the vinyl once it arrives. Again, we appreciate your support and patience, I know this release has been extremely frustrating.

Any issues/concerns/mailing address changes/hate/etc. should be directed to me at the following e-mail address: rj@academyfightsong.com

Thank you,
RJ & Justin

So after a long long wait, we’ve finally received the booklet inserts for the record. The booklets are 10×10″s (full color, matte finish) and mimic the original CD booklet, with subtle layout differences that coincide with the band’s vinyl layout. The jackets and vinyl will be arriving this week and we’ll be assembling and shipping everything as quickly as possible! Pictures of the booklet are below:

Front cover:

Pages 2 and 3:

Pages 4 and 5:

Pages 6 and 7:

Pages 8 and 9:

Pages 10 and 11:

Back cover:

Thank you so much for being patient and supportive while we get this release finished up and shipped out to you! We’re just as anxious to hold this record in our hands as you are! We’ll be posting pictures of the jackets and vinyl when they come in.

-RJ & Justin