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Massachusetts-based Defeater are a band that plays by their own rules; they write narrative songs about fictional characters, release concept albums, mix melodic hardcore with acoustic ballads - all the while tapping into issues such as social awareness and environmental activism. Since their formation over four years ago, Defeater has released two full-lengths (2008′s Travels and 2011′s double-LP Empty Days & Sleepless Nights) and an EP (2009′s Lost Ground) that all follow a story-telling songwriting style the band has developed about a family set in post-WWII America in a working class town in New Jersey.

Defeater released their debut album Travels in 2008 (via Topshelf/Bridge Nine), which was the first conceptual (and environmentally- friendly) piece from the band, unique in that each song read as a narrative chapter from a novel while creating an embellished piece of fiction set in post WWII America in a broken home. The release of Travels caught the attention of fans and press alike with Punknews.org hailing it as “a new artistic peak for hardcore.” Defeater went on to tour the US and Europe before returning to Massachusetts to work on their follow-up EP, Lost Ground.

Lost Ground, released in November of 2010, contains songs once again written in an anecdotal style following the homeless man from “Prophet In Plain Clothes” off of Travels. Lost Ground tells”the story of how the character from ‘Prophet’ came home from war to end up on that street corner. The EP looks into how different races could fight and die for this country yet not all be treated with equal rights as citizens upon their return, and what kind of effects that inequality can have on a an honest person,” said Defeater guitarist Jay Maas. A much more melodic and dynamic album than previous efforts, Lost Ground was set to a volatile soundtrack of hardcore fury, punk melody, and metal technicality while the band explored some cleaner and bigger-sounding dynamics - leading Defeater to the sound they have today.

After many cross-country tours and a few trips overseas supporting Lost Ground, Defeater settled down in 2010 to begin writing what would become their definitive double-LP opus Empty Days & Sleepless Nights. Kicking off with ten of the heaviest and most intricately- written songs (Empty Days) Defeater has done to date, the second LP contains four acoustic songs (Sleepless Nights) that sound a lot like Rocky Votolato and Ryan Adams. Guitarist Jay Maas continued, “This new album was a very natural progression for us. we wanted to tell parts of the story with a different musical backdrop so we decided to follow the heavier tracks on this new album up with some acoustic songs, resulting in a double LP release.” Maas continued, “Empty Days & Sleepless Nights is truly our most realized work yet. While we wrote this record, we really incorporated all of our musical tastes and creative talents. There are some surprises on this record for sure, but also plenty to love for fans of Defeater. We couldn’t be more proud of how this album turned out.”

Since the release of Empty Days & Sleepless Nights last year, Defeater toured the North America, hit festivals like South By Southwest, Fun Fun Fun, Sound & Fury, The FEST, played across the UK and Europe, hit festivals such as Hell Fest, With Full Force, and more. With plans to hit Australia and continue to tour across the globe in 2012 and beyond, Defeater will continue to support “…one of the most original, brave and emotionally powerful albums of this or any other year. ” - Rock Sound UK, Empty Days & Sleepless Nights.

Octaves was formed in a warehouse in West Baltimore in Fall of 2008, comprised of four lightly-seasoned veterans of the Baltimore and Northeastern US music scene, and one unlikely newcomer at the vocal helm. The quintet began writing together with no real direction in mind, and the result of their musical efforts turned out to sound exactly how the five new-found friends had hoped it would; however they wanted it to. With this self-serving goal in mind, Octaves compiled enough material to fill their first LP, Greener Pastures, which would they would record the summer of 2009 during a weeks worth of overnight sessions at Atlanta's Glowinthedark Studios with recording engineer Justin Chapman.

The Mostly Dead, based in Washington DC, debuted in 2008. Within months of forming they recorded two 7”s, “Slightly” and “Alive” with Brian McTernan and Matthew Smith, at Salad Days in Baltimore Maryland. They released the albums in 2009 and hit the road.

Born out of the inspiration of the Washington D.C. Hardcore Punk scene in early 2010, comes Walk The Plank. Since their start, the band has toured relentlessly playing every sweaty basement, community center, and dive and they could. taking them to both coasts and Canada...And they won't be stopping any time soon.