Smush is in + Crowning to Japan!

October 09, 2024 by David Norman

Smush has arrived! Holy moly was that outside of the plant’s guaranteed time. Inserts are printed and the records look/sound great. Softseed Music made 150 of’em and they’re already more than half gone. U.S. store gets their copies when U.S. Dave returns from his Japanese tour with Crowning/Oaktails, and should all be shipped by the end of October. I’d probably keep an eye on their bandcamp btw!

Crowning cds are in stock in both stores + bandcamp. They are literally flying to Japan right now to join Oaktails for the tour. As stated, keep an eye on those bandcamps!

Members of Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow, Mourn Recif, and Hillsboro have a new group called Wollruss. Their first show is October 19th, 2024 at Oaklands with A Recorded Dawn, Shoplifter, and I.O.

Moshpit Nation unveiled their best of 2024 thus far and it’s littered with ZBR and Tomb Tree releases. Othiel, Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow, Edhochuli, and Demersal among other incredible albums (and EP). Click on the picture above or this text to go to the full list complete with review.

Machine Music three-quarters of the way through 2024 top 100+ includes Eyelet at #76. “One of the best and most memorable screamo-esque releases thus far this decade”. Amen! 3rd press is embedded below via bandcamp or either store. Click on this text or the pic above to go to the massive list!

Click here for a more in-depth post with band links, etc.

Rohan from Respire, Votive, Foxmoulder, Dela Trudo, and New Friends popped over for a quick podcast chat! Click on this text or the pic above to go to the full post, or just listen to us ramble below.

This Noise Is Ours covered Drei Affen’s most recent 12”LP ‘Seguimos Cigxs’. This sucker is long sold out but I’ve got an unclaimed rare painted version below. Once this is gone we’re like “out” out. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review. Buy that lone copy and/or jam below.

Of Death was on the podcast Not Just A Phase podcast that you can check out by clicking on this text. We released their 2x12” discography…two years ago? Yeah, about that. The shriekiest of birds.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: VENUS TWINS = Softseed and ZBR still has some RAXIS 12”s in stock, and those beautiful twins were recently signed to ThreeOneG, appeared on Mr. Beast and placed 4th/100 twins, aaaaaand released a new music video from an upcoming EP!!!

2024 - 06 - 19 /// 'I don't watch sports anymore' + Smush out/amazing

June 19, 2024 by David Norman

The two bangin’ Animal Faces EPs have been released on one 12” and they are selling well. I’ve seen a few people that hadn’t heard of this band before and it was nice to see them flip out. Yes, Animal Faces are that good. Sounds like the Lautrec and Caravels comparisons were helpful.

‘I don’t watch sports anymore’ 12” lathe split between Charger Port and Serling was just released! Check that mathy goodness out below and be sure to snag a ridiculously limited /50 lathe with special jackets by Josh from Vamonos Tapes! The black jackets are the regular covers, but there are a few alternate versions that will be randomly inserted into a few orders! Click on this text for the Serling premiere from This Noise Is Ours that I didn’t have chance to post before today.

Softseed Music released Smush’s debut LP ‘if you were here i’d be home now’ with a 12” pre-order this past Saturday. We’ve got some in the ZBR U.S. store despite the band being Canadian and on Softseed cuz goddamn it’s just so good. Heavy shoegaze/alternative/noise rock that is as powerful as it is beautiful.

Operation X-Ray did a great episode recently with a double dose of Softseed Music featuring both Smush and Leavs. Check out the Leavs music video below!

Exclaim gave both Smush and Terry Green some love with the “8 Emerging Canadian Artists You Need To Hear In June”, and honestly right now these are CanaDave’s two favourite records of 2024. Click on the pic or this text to go to the full post.

Everything Is Noise ran through their fave records of May and two of ours ended up on said list. Demersal and Niboowin have both been selling very well and are killin’ their live shows. Check it out by clicking on this text. I embedded the Niboowin album below for ya.

Our beloved Adam from Terry Green was on the Metal On Metal podcast which is linked via this text. 12”s are so fucking low. Canada/International is out of splatter with only 4 quad left and the U.S. store has like 6 copies total left.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: TENUE = We got tapes coming for this next release, check out this epic new music video/song!!!

2024 - 06 - 14 /// Gil Cerrone pre-orders & Charger Port + Serling split

June 14, 2024 by David Norman

First off, Terry Green 12”s are almost out! You wanna get one later this summer? Unlikely! You want one this fall? Ha! You want one before the end of the year? Not happening. We had over 200 copies and we’re already down to about 5-10 copies per variant per store. We love you Terry.

Animal Faces releases on Monday, promo pics imminent. /100. More info further down!

Gil Cerrone has a brand new song + pre-order for their upcoming 12”LP ‘Consumer’. This Australian band ripped Tomb Tree up with their ‘Coronach’ a few years back so we’ve all been eagerly anticipating this one and it doesn’t disappoint. 8 songs of fiery screamo release July 12th, 2024 on Tomb Tree, Cremation, and No Funeral but you can pre-order that sucka now and jam “Golden Age”.

‘I don’t watch sports anymore’ is the new Charger Port + Serling split 12” lathe comes out next Wednesday June 19th on Tomb Tree, Fisher King, and Soft Grit Recordings. You can jam a Charger Port exclusive jam on (((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))) for their closing track “hey is for horse is”. Only 50 lathes were made, 25 clear and 25 black with incredible/unique jackets by Josh of Vamonos Tapes. Click on the text or pic above to go to the premiere or listen to it directly below.

Softseed Music is landing some pretty awesome stuff lately, with Spain’s Leavs joining Smush as heavy shoegaze artists. They just premiered their first song/music video from the upcoming album ‘Natura Universal’ that combines shoegaze with post-hardcore, dream pop, and indie rock which releases in full September 6th, 2024. We’ll have a couple a copies in the distro when it drops. This band features members of Tröpical Ice Land, Hurricäde, and Llacuna!!!

This Saturday is the Smush release show at Green Auto Body in Vancouver which Softseed Dave aka CanaDave will be attending (with some goodies) so please come out and show your support for the band! 12" pre-orders open at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST with the show happening at 7pm that night.

As mentioned we got that incredible pair of Animal Faces EPs releasing on one awesome 12” on Monday!!! US Dave is taking promo pics today so we’ll toss them up on Sunday with an additional reminder about the release. We made 100 12”s on eco-mix that release June 17th at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST! Take a gander below at the band ruining everyone at Soybomb back in the fuckin’ day.

Grind On The Road gave Demersal some love, which makes maybe 70% of the blogs I know having posted glowing reviews of this new album. Stock has dwindled so don’t expect to find these floating around later this year! Click on the text to go to the review and jam it below.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: SURUT = My bandmate and I were discussing Finnish bands and he showed me this. Very sick black metal/screamo.

2024 - 06 - 10 /// Smush & Animal Faces are next

June 10, 2024 by David Norman

It is with unbridled enthusiasm and childish glee that we are announcing the SMUSH and SOFTSEED MUSIC partnership. After hearing the two singles, Vancouver Island's Softseed Music clamored to get on board with Vancouver-based shoegaze band Smush, at which point the two realized they were on the same wavelength. This BC alliance is showcasing its strength on Friday June 15th, 2024 when the debut full length 'if you were here i'd be home now' by Smush will release with a 12"LP pre-order!!! This Softseed Music release will be a minimum run of 100 copies on colored vinyl, with the final number being determined by the pre-orders that take place over this weekend. Softseed also runs Zegema Beach Records, which has a U.S.A. store for those south of the Canadian border, and will be fulfilling US orders at a fraction of the shipping cost! Oh happy day.

Speaking of happy days, this Saturday is the release show at Green Auto Body in Vancouver which Softseed Dave will be attending (perhaps with some goodies) so please come out and show your support for the band! 12" pre-orders open at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST with orders shipping early-mid August. If you haven't heard Smush yet, check out the two music video singles that have been released (in our bio) and submerge yourself in the beautiful-yet-heavy shoegaze that swirls around influences Slow Pulp, Low, and Helmet. See you on Friday <3 <3 <3

Oh shit would you look at that? That’s the new Animal Faces 12” art that releases next on ZBR. As you can plainly see, it houses both early EPs by Toronto’s ultimate screamo band. We made 100 12”s on eco-mix that release June 17th at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST! Check out the music video for “Forward Through” below!

A week after Animal Faces sees the release of the new Fallingwithscissors EP ‘the birth and death of an angel’ on cassette. The glitchy, chaotic metalcore is phenomenal and sounds like a clusterfuck of early Meth., Deftones, Sectioned, and .gif from god.

Demersal’s new album is down to less than 5 copies over our 3 stores so don’t sleep for much longer! No Clean Singing gave their self-titled some much deserved props in their latest ‘Thing You May Have Missed’ segment. Click on this text for the review, jam/buy it below.

Gil Cerrone from Australia have something new coming next month and this Friday is their first single so keep an eye out! We are down to our last copies of their previous EP cassette.

Vibora also got some love over the weekend from Crossed Letters. Anyone who was at ZBR Fest 2024 knows how incredible this band comes off live, and not having a copy of this phenomenal record is damn well near screamo blasphemy. Second press out now. Click on this text for the full 9/10 review!

Operation X-Ray played some serious jams on Friday including a brand new Serling song from their upcoming split with Charger Port! That releases next Wednesday June 19th on 50 12” lathes and it’s fuckin’ awesome. There’s also some Smush, fallingwithscissors, and Terry Green on the episode!

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: MALIŠA BAHAT = Croatia’s best band is finally ready with their debut full length and holy shit it does not disappoint!!!

2024 - 06 - 05 /// Terry Green out + Excrucis announcement

June 05, 2024 by David Norman

Terry Green is out and is kicking serious ass in the nicest, most Canadian way possible. Sorry, eh? Congrats to anyone who purchased in the first hour as we had a sale price for the hardcore fans so congrats to all who jumped at the opportunity to buy such a stellar album immediately. Both variants are going fast, with some going to Germany for distro through I.Corrupt and Zilp Zalp but they probably won’t arrive until late June/July.

There’s a sophomore Excrucis full length on it’s way and a teaser just released this morning. I gotta say, the first one on Tomb Tree (linked below) is great but this new album ‘There are Collectivities that Devour Souls’ is fucking exceptional.

A message from Nick:

Hey! My name is Nick Stetina, I’m a mastering engineer from outside of Chicago. Working on Lower Automation’s recent EP “Welcome to My Deathbed” turned me on to the Zegema Beach Records roster and I am STOKED. What a rad bunch of bands. In the spirit of working with artists and music that I am a genuine fan of I wanted to extend an offer to do a free test master for anyone in the ZBR+Tomb Tree family. I encourage you to hit me up as your wrap mixes for you next project; let’s make some noise together 🤘🏼

www.nickstetina.com

hello@nickstetina.com

John from Usurp Synapse and Displacer came on the (((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))) podcast and chatted with DehVE (that’s the Canadian one) about their original run, short-lived second run, and their current third incarnation that recently released ‘Polite Grotesquries’ aka the ‘AssIIAss’ EP. Jam/buy said EP here. Click on the pic above to go to the full blog post or just listen through Bandcamp below.

Demersal got some love from Scream Blast Repeat (our first look at the blog, too, and it’s great!). A few copies remain but won’t last till the end of the year, that’s fer sure. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review. Jam/buy below.

Operation X-Ray played Lower Automation and Nuvolascura in their most recent episode!!! Yum yum.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: SMUSH = Softseed Music got in on the ground floor and will be releasing this stellar 12” with pre-orders opening upon digital release June 15th, 2024. Gorgeous but heavy shoegaze for fans of Slow Pulp.