See you next year (Updated)

The image at the top of this post is the logo you will find on all of the Midwestern Decline releases for the foreseeable future. It was designed by Dusty Neal, and I just thought I'd share it with all of you as it is one of many things I hope to be sharing early next year.

In the coming weeks and months you'll find band profiles, interviews, pictures and more, as well as details on the first batch of Midwestern Decline releases. Thank you to everyone who has taken time to read the blog, and 2010 will be the year that the Decline is in full effect.

Also, Dusty recently had a book published by Kingpin Tattoo Supply. It's entitled "How the Gods Kill". More details including ordering information can be found here.

Show on December 30!

I just wanted to remind everyone about the show on December 30 at the Pavilion. In addition to the normal hi jinks that can be witnessed at a Northern Indiana hardcore show, this one I have been told is beach themed. So everyone please bring your board shorts, beach towels, and shades. I'm personally still looking for a really tasteless Dos Equis shirt that I can add a third X to. Not much else to say here, and here are links to the bands if you want to check any of them out.

Thin Ice
Think Again
Iceberg
AXP
Karloff
Domestic Dispute

Updates

The few of you that read this may notice the new header at the top of the page. It was created by my good friend Dusty Neal of New Republic Tattoo. He also did some other art for the label that will be appearing on all Midwestern Decline releases. Aside from a generally rad dude to everyone in Karloff and most of the Northern Indiana scene, Dusty is an amazing artist, and you can check out his blog here. He is also doing the artwork for Karloff's "Bled Dry" and I'll be sharing that as soon as possible.

Also, I wanted to reiterate that if you are a band, label, venue owner, promoter, zine maker, whatever, I would like to share what you are doing on this blog. I don't only want to talk about what is going on in Fort Wayne, or with Karloff, or Midwestern Decline records, I want to talk about anyone who is doing something to better the state of our scene. If you, or anyone you know is doing something let me know either through this blog or at dkinnaley@gmail.com and I will gladly do a write up.

Upcoming Shows

I would like to let everyone know of a few shows we have coming up. First of all, this Saturday we have the privilege of playing with some old friends of ours when Saints Never Surrender get back together for a one off reunion show.

I can't really say enough about what this band means to me or to Fort Wayne's hardcore scene in general. There was a time when 200+ kids would show up at Anchor Community Church just because Saints was playing, and despite the fact that they were playing at a church there was nothing dogmatic or preachy about the band, something I think is a common misconception. They did the melodic hardcore thing before it was horribly over saturated with mediocre me too bands, and with their 2008 release Brutus I feel they released one of the most mature, records in a genre that I feel is often overly melodramtic and full of empty "scene unity", "brotherhood", and "posi" sentiments. They didn't do that, and are well worth checking out.

More importantly, the show is a benefit. I'm not sure which food bank the canned food items are headed too, but feeding anyone this winter is a good cause and if you are planning on making it out to the show, please bring a few cans of food

In The Face of War, Iceberg, and Metavari are also playing, and I could say plenty of nice things about all of them.





We are also playing Grind the Nite Away III at 1624 N. Harrison St. The annual big fest at the house is always one of my favorite shows of the year, and shouldn't be missed by anyone. The guys at the Harrison House have been doing all ages shows for years, and those who have not yet made it out there are really doing themselves a great disservice. Anyone interested in a DIY scene should understand the importance of all ages shows put on by people who actually care about what they are doing. These guys do. This year's lineup is awesome and here are links to all of the bands except Happy Birthday. I couldn't find a page to link to them. However, I'm sure since they are a grind band from Lima that they are worth checking out.

The Lurking Corpses
Peter J Woods
Instinct Control
The Fucking Panthers
Nak'ay
Pizza Hi-Five
Daisy Cutter
Happy Birthday

Also DJ Fresh Ben will be spinning between sets, and seeing as how he spins everything from Slayer to Jedi Mind Tricks he is my favorite DJ.

New Karloff EP

The idea for Midwestern Decline originated from our (the members of Karloff) desire to release our own music. As a result the first release on the label will be a new Karloff CDEP.

The EP, entitled "Bled Dry" was recorded and mixed in October and November of 2009 with Geoff Montgomery at The Ensomber Room in Fort Wayne, Indiana and mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering in Chicago, Illinois. It is the culmination of two years of hard work by the band and the follow up to last year's cassette split with Daisycutter

The track listing for "Bled Dry" is as follows:

Suicide By Fire
Desolation
Graves
Bled Dry
Dissent
Dreams and Nightmares
Faithless

The title track and Desolation can be heard at the bands myspace. More information, including reviews and release information will follow in the next few months. The record is currently set to release on February 6, 2010.

Welcome to The Decline

If you are a band, label, venue, tattooist, recording studio, or do anything to promote music from the Midwest I would love to put a link to whatever it is you do on this page. Likewise, if you or someone you know is organizing any sort of protest, community service event, convention etc. I'd love to know about it and give it whatever publicity I can. Of course this excludes anything with a racist, sexist, or homophobic bent, but I would hope that goes without saying.

Also, please send any show fliers, pictures, or video in so we can put them on the blog. Other than releasing music, Midwestern Decline is more so dedicated to further promoting the regional hardcore, punk, and metal scenes.