Also out and ready to ship on February 22nd will be the SONIC AVENUES – TELEVISION YOUTH LP and the second press of the NIGHT BIRDS – THE OTHER SIDE OF DARKNESS LP! If you wanna reserve copies for your distro / mailorder / store get in touch through info@takenbysurprise.net – I’ll be checking emails on a regular basis!

THE CRY! is a music sensation emerging from the eclectic arts scene of Portland, OR.  With heavy power-pop influences like THE BEACH BOYS, EXPLODING HEARTS and THE SWEET, the band has re-crafted the 2 minute pop song for a new generation.  THE CRY! effortlessly merges 50′s style vocal harmonies and the jangle of 60′s pop hooks with the raw punkish emotion of the PDX street culture from which they come.

Their self titled debut LP will hit the shelves at the end of March 2012, you can already stream and download the entire thing on the band’s Bandcamp site! Our friend Yuki will press this LP in Japan on his label SP-Records!

TAKEN BY SURPRISE BANDCAMP

Check out our blog for a FREE DOWNLOAD of the BLANK PAGES 7″ and a lot of our other releases!

I’m stoked to announce that MOTHER’S CHILDREN from the city of Ottawa plan on touring Europe finally in May 2012! If you wanna have them play your town, get in touch through info@takenbysurprise.net – a tentative schedule will follow soon. We released their ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH 12″ EP this year and they have a full length LP out on DERANGED RECORDS. Check out a song from the EP and a video from their LP below!

On board for the tour are MONDO RAY from Munich. We are currently working on releasing their debut LP here, they did a 7″ with WINDIAN RECORDS recently, check it out it rules, there’s a teaser video below!

MOTHER’S CHILDREN – (Baby You Ain’t) Tough Enough by tbsr. Uploaded with BandPage by RootMusic

I am proud to announce that 2012 will start off with a real banger! The SONIC AVENUES – TELEVISION YOUTH LP will see the light of day! Again a cooperation with SABOTAGE RECORDS! In the Americas our good friends at DIRTNAP RECORDS will release this record. You can check out the title track TELEVISION YOUTH here! The band will return for a European tour in April 2012, together with their buddies STEVE ADAMYK BAND (who just released a fantastic new LP on DIRTNAP)! Dates will be announced soon!

W.H. WALKER LP in MRR #343

MOTHER'S CHILDREN EP in MRR #342

RED DONS 7" in MRR #342

OUT ON A LIMB LP in MRR #342

STEVE ADAMYK 7" in MRR #342

from RAZORCAKE:

OBSERVERS, THE : So What’s Left Now?: LP
Recently re-issued by Taken By Surprise, it never really seemed that hard to find in the States (courtesy of Vinyl Warning), but if there’s a record that deserves to stay in print, it’s this one. Top 10 record of the ’00s without a doubt. Hauntingly flawless melodies mixed with driving, rallying punk rock and intelligent lyrics. And in the end, as much as I love this record and find myself listening to it years later, one of my favorite things is that these guys are still playing in absolutely killer bands. If you don’t have this, I highly suggest putting down this magazine and getting your hands on it. And while you’re at it track down all the Red Dons, Defect Defect, and Artic Flowers releases you possibly can. -Daryl (Taken By Surprise)

OUT ON A LIMB: Drowned: LP
Out On A Limb are from Germany and play slightly-slower-than-mid-tempo post punk. The band claim Joy Division as an influence, which I hear a little bit, but the danceable drum parts remind me of the Cure for some reason. The feel of the record itself leans more towards bands like Heroin/Unwound/other early ’90s Gravity Records offerings, but the post punk influences creep up and become a lot more apparent at times, which makes the listening experience more interesting. The vocals are clean and sort of just hint at melody, and fit in well with the music. I kept feeling that the vocals sounded a lot like another band I couldn’t place until I decided that the accent just reminded me a lot of the Peacocks. The production on the whole record is very subdued, which fits the sound, and the mixing is excellent. -Ian Wise (Taken By Surprise)

RED DONS: “Forced Turning Point” b/w “Se Foi”: 7″
There is a small hand of punk bands that are unmistakably down that, I’m sure, would have a very wide appeal among people who “used to like punk” or “outgrew punk,” as well as, “Oooh, what’s this punk stuff about?” people. I’m not talking about the Rancid/Green Day axis of mainstream appeal. I’m talking the potential Fugazi levels of sustainability-large level, international underground level. Because the Red Dons are instantly catchy, smart-as-all-hell, musically interesting, and so big and realized in sound, that I’m hard-pressed to think of a band with a largesse of morals that equals the excitement of the music they’re currently making. For those who like: punk and/or punk and celebrating under that huge fuckin’ umbrella. Untouchable and worth hunting down? Absolutely. -Todd (Taken By Surprise)

STEVE ADAMYK: Desecrate: 7″EP
Powerpop. The equation’s ass-simple. Be catchy as hell. Get every instrument bouncing and punchy. After the first listen, hum that shit in the shower. Hum that shit when eating your morning bowl of cereal. Hum that shit when your boss lashes your back. Hum that shit to the cashier at the supermarket. Go home, take your shoes off, and slide across your floor in your underpants humming that shit. It’s much easier to do poorly than pull off correctly. Think Tranzmitors. Think candy knife fights. Think style, but not slavery… to that style. Think Go! Ottawa! Go! Steve Adamyk! Nice. -Todd (Taken By Surprise)

MOTHER’S CHILDREN: Are You Tough Enough?: 12″ EP
A six-song follow-up to their debut record, Ottawa’s finest return with a great release. They actually remind me of the Minneapolis’s Crash Kids a bit (which is a good thing, trust me). I like “Sabre Tooth” and “What’s Your Problem” the best here. There is a reason Paul Collins brought these guys on tour with them. They simply rock, in the best tradition of 20/20 or The Plimsouls. Pick this up and you will be bopping along when you pick up your burger and strawberry milkshake at your local fast food joint. Yum. -Sean Koepenick (Taken By Surprise)

from TRUST :

MOTHER’S CHILDREN – ‘Are you tough enough?’ 12 Inch-EP
Wieder eine Band aus dem kanadischen Ottawa mit bestechenden Songs voller catchy Melodien. Mother’s Children spielen vollendeten Power Pop mit süßem Teenage-Gesang und reichlich 77er Gitarren, eingängigen und hitverdächtigen Hooklines sowie treibendem Schlagzeug. Sechs Stücke gibt es auf dieser EP zu hören, keiner davon nur Füllmaterial. Einer aus der Band spielt übrigens auch bei der Steve Adamyk Band, was nicht wirklich wundert, schließlich spielt dort drüber jeder irgendwie in fünf weiteren guten Bands. Ganz klar etwas für die gute Laune, unverschämt gut und gerne mal Live.
(andreas) takenbysurprise.net / myspace.com/motherschildren

RED DONS – ‘A forced turning point’ 7 Inch
Schon auf dem Album gab es bei den Red Dons optisch schöne arabische Schriften, dieses mal blieb es bei den Zahlen – sieht aber auch gut aus (ohne, dass es eine Bedeutung hätte). Mir kommt der Sound noch um einiges melodiöser vor als noch auf dem Album, was der band gut steht. Die beiden Stücke dieser 7 Inch wurden offensichtlich während der letzten US Tour in Chicago aufgenommen – und vielleicht glaube ich nur deshalb auch ein bisschen Chicago Punk Feeling herauszuhören. Wie auch immer: die Single ist jedenfalls klasse. Die Band (mit Leuten von den Observers und den Clorox Girls) spielt nach wie vor sehr gekonnt poppigen catchy Punk mit großartigem starkem Gesang, der völlig klar zu verstehen ist. Ein Muss! Die Flipside ist ein großer Wurf. (andreas) takenbysurprise.net

OBSERVERS – ‘So what’s left now’ LP
Die Jungs sind in die 77er Punkrock Schule gegangen und haben ihren Abschluss im Punk der 80er Jahre gemacht: aus Portland (Oregon) kommen die Observers und So what’s left now ist ihr Erstlingswerk. Zu finden gibt es da durchgehend hitverdächtige Songs, an deren Geschrammel man sich sehr schnell gewöhnt, und die dann schwer ins Ohr gehen. Natürlich bietet die band da nichts Neues, behauptet sich aber trotzdem klar gegenüber der Masse anderer Bands aus dem genre und entwickelt einen recht eigenen Sound. Besonders gut gefällt mir der Gesang. (andreas) takenbysurprise.net / myspace.com/swallowaleadpilldown

OUT ON A LIMB – ‘Drowned’ LP
Out On A Limb sind eine fantastische Band aus Karl Marx Stadt, die nun endlich ihr erstes Album vorlegt. Ihr Sound ist Bass lastiger, etwas düsterer und vor allem schwer groovender Postpunk/Wave mit schön punkigem Gesang, klasse Texten und großartigen Melodien. Jeder Song ist wahnsinnig gut und so etwas als Debüt zu hören ist Zucker. Natürlich: so ein bisschen Wipers, Joy Division und andere typische Bands als große Vorbilder für einen solchen Sound zwinkern uns da jedenfalls zu – und, um eine aktuelle Band zu nennen, eben auch The Estranged. Atemberaubend GUT und ein Muss. (andreas) takenbysurprise.net / myspace.com/kidsincoffins

After many delays it’s finally here! The debut 7″ by Berlin based BLANK PAGES. Members were / are active in bands like IDLE HANDS, MODERN PETS, LIES FEED THE MACHINE and DRAMAMINE. They pick up the torch from IDLE HANDS playing melodic punkrock with a certain WIPERS twist and offer 4 songs on this EP. Watch out for them playing your town soon!

For a copy please send 5.50 EUROS (Germany) or 8 EUROS (rest of the world) ppd via paypal to info@takenbysurprise.net OR buy it from our webstore here!

BLANK PAGES – Crossroads by tbsr

Also just in is the second press of the AUTISTIC YOUTH – IDLE MINDS LP. Get it here!