Polar Bear Club is an indie rock/hardcore band from Rochester and Syracuse, New York. A demo released in 2005 brought them much attention, and was a precursor to their first EP, The Redder, the Better, released in Summer 2006 on Triple Attack and Luchador Records. The EP contained catchy, pop-punk songs with lots of of opportunities for energetic sing-a-longs, and was found to be a fan and zine favorite throughout the year.
Hot Water Music is a Gainesville, Florida punk outfit known for Chuck Ragan's raspy vocals, as well as their searing Jawbreaker-esque guitars on earlier albums. The act first formed in 1993, and their first record, Finding the Rhythms, was released on No Idea and Toy Box records. Many fans commonly refer to Hot Water Music as the abbreviation, HWM. The name Hot Water Music comes from a Charles Bukowski book.
Hailing from Tacoma, Washington, Seaweed was one of those 1990s bands that combined elements of driving punk and rock sound with emotional vocals and catchy melodies. They were signed to Hollywood at one time, and have released five full-length albums and multiple singles over the span of their career. Seaweed's musical agenda was close to the 90s post hardcore scene, with contemporaries such as. Samiam, Jawbreaker, and tourmates Superchunk and Quicksand. They were well-known for their cover of Fleetwood Mac's 'Go Your Own Way' which appeared in the movie Clerks.
Forgiven Rival have been hailed as “pioneers in a new breed of urbanised rock”. Breaking into the scene in early 2005 they have continued on the up with a demo out and an impressive year of touring with some top notch Australian and International artists, including Kisschasy, Parkway Drive, Silverstein (CA), I Killed The Prom Queen and more. A band that knows just how important touring is they have impressively played in almost every Australian state and clocked up over 60 shows in one year.
Deep in the vast midwest Cincinnati's Foxy Shazam has spent the past year prior to their 2005 independent release (The Flamingo Trigger) writing, recording and carving their groove into the regional music scene with their loud atchable musical nonsense backed up by thier tideflunkty and marzegatie stage show. Foxy Shazam has strived to become a band that can take a non-directional sound and make it directional; utilizing blasphermizized piano and sloppy oof bass and guitar licks to create very organized noise which collides doosledly with a tastefully skewed pop sensibility.