WORD OF MOUTH Las Vegas band Hemlock has been a metal mainstay since hitting the scene in the early ’90s, supporting Slayer in 2003 and embarking on lengthy tours on their own. Now, the band is back with a new LP, Mouth of Swine, its first since 2013. In those two years, Hemlock put out a live record and wrote new songs, all while living on the road, then went into the studio earlier this year at LA’s Kingsize Soundlabs and Stagg Street Studio.
Produced by Channel Zero guitarist Mikey Doling and recorded in five days, the new album focuses on the recording industry and the watering-down of modern music. “Most of our music and lyrics have always had a positive spin on everything,” drummer Brian Smith says. “Everything [now] is so processed and packaged, we wanted to do something more raw again and stay true to ourselves.” Mouth of Swine also takes on the bigwigs in the industry. “You’re out there working hard, and a lot of the times money stays at the top and doesn’t trickle down.”
The band will celebrate the official CD release with a performance at the House of Blues on Friday, October 2 with Dim, Wretched Sky and Bipolar ($10).
SQUIDHAT ATTACK Vegas’ Franks & Deans, billed as “The World’s First Rock ‘N’ Roll Rat Pack,” will release a new album, How Did You All Get In My Room? on SquidHat Records, with a limited, blue-vinyl pressing. Paying homage to Sinatra & Co. with punk-driven covers of the old Vegas lounge favorites, Franks & Deans will perform a free album-release set on Halloween—complete with toga party—at the Double Down.
Also, in SquidHat pop-punk news, the label just released Never Die, the debut EP from The Damnit Jims, and signed The Negative Nancys to its stable of Vegas bands. The label is also working on a Prince cover album, titled Punk Sexy: A Las Vegas Punk Rock Tribute to Prince and set for a Record Store Day 2016 release on purple vinyl, with Mercy Music, The Quitters and New Cold War among the participating acts. And lastly, SquidHat has announced the creation of sub-imprint SquidProQuo, which will release music from non-Vegas artists, beginning with Tokyo three-piece—and Double Down frequenter—The Heiz in November.
