I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START, EXCEPT TO SAY THANK YOU.

BOAT, Black Whales, Typhoon, Ritchie Young, Nathan Walker, Kat Gardiner, Dave Depper, Alicia Rose, Jeremy Hadley, Mississippi Studios staff, Lagunitas Brewery, people of PDX who went to Mississippi Studios last night, and the lady at Kinko's who helped me with the enlarger, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for making Holidang! sucha fucking crazy success. Not only was the house packed, not only did all the bands blow peoples' minds and get to all hang out, not only did the Riot Act DJ Wrecking Crew make asses oscillate, but upon emptying the donation boxes this morning, I learned the amazing news that right now, we get to to to the bank and cut the National MS Society a cashier's check for $495.61!!!!

The house was packed (making it a little tougher to get to those donation boxes), and times are tough, so truly and honestly, our minds are blown over here. Also, a quick story about Black Whales: at the end of the night, they said, "We don't need fucking gas money! Fuck you!" and stuffed bills, with great vigor, into the donation till. I mean, holy shit. Both they and BOAT (who were, in an act of Riot Act universe big-uppageing, sporting some Screaming Females shirt action) drove down from Seattle for the show--Ritchie Young, who also runs amazing PDX venue The Woods, had to go, you know, run his venue right after the set. And Typhoon, as many of them are underage, had to go hang out at the pizza shop next door for hours waiting to play, then they had to split afterwards, too (liquor laws must be followed, so they were). These are not small sacrifices.

SO--THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Riot Act Media has the most awesome bands and people of all time. And more wanted to be involved; we just had to cap the bill. THANK YOU. Did I say thank you yet?

Happy, happy, happy (and safe) New Year's Eve, friends. We here hope that each and every one of you can give 2009 a proper send-off and help usher in 2010, or as we call it, "Two Thousand and Win".

IN PDX TONIGHT: HOLIDANG! @ MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS

Don't miss it! BOAT, Black Whales, Typhoon, Ritchie Young (of Loch Lomond) and the Riot Act DJ Wrecking Crew are going to jingle yr jangle (what?) at Mississippi Studios TONIGHT. Get there early, as there's no cover--but donations are being taken at the door that'll go to Multiple Sclerosis research, thanks to our amazing, amazing, amazing bands. MERRY HAPPY, YOUSE GUYS.

GET READY FOR 2010!

Good Monday, everyone--and welcome to the FINAL MONDAY OF THE AUGHTS. Whether or not it's weighed more heavily on the tough or effortless side for you, I don't know one single person for whom 2009 hasn't been a pretty crazy year--and next year promises to be, perhaps, even more bonkers. Fortunately, it is already proving to be a year that brings us plenty in the way of MEGA JAMS, many of which we here at Riot Act are getting to tell you about first.

There's plenty to come in 2010 for Riot Act Media bands with just-out, forthcoming or on-the-horizon releases, so prepare to be hearing mucho from us on Ben Davis ("Charge It Up!" is out next Tuesday on Lovitt), Rauelsson ("La Siembra, La Espera Y La Cosecha" is out 1/12 on 180 gram colored vinyl on Hush), Shellshag ("Rumors In Disguise" is out 2/6 on Don Giovanni), Screaming Females (their "Singles" collection is out the same day on the same label), Blunt Mechanic ("World Record" is out this spring on Barsuk), Metroid Metal (who we can't wait to tell you about!), Boy Eats Drum Machine (Tender Loving Empire), Typhoon (Tender Loving Empire), Ape Cave (the Portland, OR band formerly known as Church, also TLE), Jared Mees & The Grown Children (also TLE), Murdocks (aka your new favorite band from Austin, TX), and more. And that's not even us touching on what's going on with Visqueen (holy crud, have you seen the amount of amazing love our bro Rachel is getting from Washington Post, NPR and more?), Black Whales, Finn Riggins, Loch Lomond and everyone else we're so lucky to work with.

Strap on that New Year's Baby diaper, folks--it's going to be an incredible year.

Much love,

Joan, Nathan, Dave & Riot Act Media

Screaming Females Announce NYE Show at the Cake Shop in NYC!

You heard me right! 2009's break out band of the year is closing down the oughts at the Cake Shop in New York City... $15 gets you a free pbr and the shreddiest new year's eve party in the city. Not to be missed!

Visqueen and frontwoman, Rachel Flotard, capped off an amazing year last night opening for Vampire Weekend and Muse at Seattle's "Deck The Hall Ball!"

As you're reading this, Rachel Flotard from Visqueen is somewhere over the Pacific en route to Laos to deliver much needed aid to schoolchildren. This past couple weeks have been the icing on the cake for an amazing return to form for her and her band Visqueen!

On monday, she was interviewed by NPR's Ari Shapiro on Morning Edition. Later that same day, Stephen Thompson (NPR's Music Editor) on All Songs Considered named Visqueen's Message To Garcia 2009's Biggest Surprise of the Year! Tuesday rolls around and the band plays Seattle's Deck The Hall Ball to about 7000 people as the only local band on a lineup that included Muse and Vampire Weekend. Then this morning, she flew out on her aid trip to Laos with a few thousand dollars to pave the school's floors and twenty suitcases full of school and medical supplies for her return trip to Ban Na Mouang.

When she returns in a month, Visqueen plans to tour the entire US with stops at Noise Pop and SXSW...

All images copyright Curt Doughty

HOLIDANG!

BLACK WINE'S S/T FULL-LENGTH = OUT TOMORROW!

It is beyond fitting that Black Wine's self-titled debut is being released on Don Giovanni for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that, in many ways, Don Giovanni came about in order to put out early releases by Black Wine guitarist Jeff Schroeck's former band, New Jersey punk legends The Ergs. Throw in the fact that Black Wine's other members, Miranda Taylor and J. Nixon, comprised the rhythm section of another of Jersey's most explosive bands, Hunchback—and that Screaming Females frontwoman Marissa Paternoster (herself beyond influenced by The Ergs) helped record Black Wine's debut, and the familial nature of how Black Wine fits into the New Brunswick scene becomes even more clear.

Schroeck, Taylor and Nixon have lived the essence of what punk community should be about—different folks in different bands in the same community sharing ideas, making music together, supporting each other—for a decade now. With Black Wine, the trio is exploring a slightly poppier musicality, building upon the cult successes they've experienced in their other bands to achieve a heightened degree of songwriting prowess, steeped in grit and rich with experience. And boy have they ever had plenty of amazing experiences.

Both bands—Hunchback and The Ergs—broke up following a tour in early 2008; when they played one final show at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, NJ on November 15th of that year, each member of each band playing that night got onstage and demolished every instrument in reach. There's something to be said for closure, because closure makes way for rebirth.

Cut to one year later, and not only did Black Wine find themselves having recorded some of the finest output of their careers, but Schroeck and Taylor are engaged to be married. Black Wine is the phoenix rising from the fire of The Ergs, and the fire sounds great. Think early SST drive; think early Sub Pop crunch, think forward.