The Round Table

As we reported last week, The Juliana Theory are  getting ready for a series of reunion shows to celebrate the 10-year-anniversary of the epically great album, Emotion is Dead.

Each show will feature the entire album, as well as a second set with fan favorites from The Juliana Theory’s entire catalog. Fans on the group’s mailing list will have first dibs on tickets and you can bet they won’t last. Of course, no Minneapolis shows (expected) so I may be making my triumphant return to NY – hopefully without the overnight in La Guardia …

You can sign up for the mailing list here.

As for those shows, wait in suspense no longer – we have dates and venues right here:

• Friday, August 20 – New York, NY – Highline Ballroom
• Saturday, August 21 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr Small’s Theater
• Sunday, August 22 – Philadelphia, PA – The Trocadero
• Friday, August 27 – Pomona, CA – The Glasshouse
• Saturday, August 28 – Los Angeles, CA – The El Rey Theater
• Sunday, August 29 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent

To make sure you’re up-to-the-minute on all things Juliana, follow Brett Detar on Twitter and keep an eye on the band’s Facebook page. And don’t forget to sign up for the mailing list!

Continuing with our predictions on bands for our newly minted “makin’ it” in 2010, we’d like to introduce you to The Rural Alberta Advantage or The RAA for those who are easily tongue-tied like myself. Hailing from, you guessed it, Alberta, Canada, The RAA are the real deal.

A three-piece indie band that writes about what they know, “hometowns and heartbreaks.” I first caught The RAA in concert last May at The Mercury Lounge on a pure whim — and — I’ve been hooked since. At the time, they played to a half-filled club and didn’t even have an album to release. Fast-forward almost 8 months, their debut album Hometowns has officially dropped, they played to packed crowds, and recently opened for Passion Pit here in NYC. Pretty amazing!

This past weekend, The RAA returned to the Mercury Lounge with a vengeance. Not even a terrible cold could sideline frontman Nils Edenloff as he soldiered on through not one, but two, 50-minute shows. The other bandmates were in top form as Amy Cole did her thing on back-up vocals, xylophone, and tambourine while drummer Paul Banwatt kept time to perfection. Check the band stats after the jump and audio of standout track “Don’t Haunt This Place.” Let’s just say they had me at “heartbreaks.”

Thanks to The Edgitator for the pic.

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It’s almost been 10 years since The Juliana Theory dropped Emotion is Dead, an album that defined the band for a lot of people, including me, and really showed a band who could push the boundaries of their genre. Ah yes, let me regale you with stories of a time when men were men, and bands were emo without being whiny babies. Think Texas is the Reason, Jimmy Eat World and Sunny Day Real Estate.

Unfortunately for all of us, The Juliana Theory broke up in 2006.

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Well, late last week we gave you a taste of the new single, “Belle of the Boulevard” off the upcoming album Alter the Ending by emo kings, Dashboard Confessional. This week, we bring you word that will offer a deluxe CD option for fans to enjoy.

As announced in Rolling Stone, Dashboard Confessional will go acoustic and electric on the new album. This decision was to appeal to hardcore Dashboard fans who have debated long and hard over whether they prefer Chris Carrabba unplugged or with his full band.

The Deluxe version of Alter the Ending will include a bonus disc which features acoustic versions of the album’s 12 tracks. Sounds like a win for everyone to us. And perhaps will satisfy our very own, Ghostface Millah, who noted the production on “Belle of the Boulevard” “sounded so slick that it was devoid of Carraba’s emotion.” Ouch! Guess we’ll have to see what the acoustic versions sound like come November 10th.

Emo fans rejoice! Dashboard Confessional, the OG kings of mainstream emo are back with a new album, Alter the Ending, due out November 10th. And we have the lead single, “Belle of the Boulevard” streaming for your enjoyment starting today.

Chris Carrabba’s voice still melts my heart with his velvety-smooth vocals. “Belle of the Boulevard” is quintessential Dashboard, let’s just say it makes you feel like it’s 2002 all over again. Grab your copy of Alter the Ending come November and check out Dashboard Confessional this fall on tour with New Found Glory. Full stream of “Belle of the Boulevard” after the cut. Excuse me while I go blast “Screaming Infidelities” and shout at the top of my lungs.

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Alt-rock group The Used rose to fame in 2002 with their singles “Buried Myself Alive” and “Blue and Yellow” when emo-rock was all the rage. Their success was magnified at the time by lead singer, Bert McCracken’s relationship with Kelly Osbourne, who had her own burgeoning “career” thanks to The Osbourne MTV reality show.

Like many of their counterparts, The Used faded into the background as alt-emo rock exited the mainstream spotlight. Well, the boys are back with a headlining tour. The Used will hit the road with The Almost and Drive A beginning in October. Pre-sale tickets are now on sale and will remain open until Friday August 28th, accessible at theused.net/tour.

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