Tiny Engines (FINALLY!) Announces Dikembe's Chicago Bowls 7" Release

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In perhaps the worst kept secret within the fake music industry, Tiny Engines will release Dikembe's highly controversial debut release, Chicago Bowls, on vinyl for the very first time. Banned pretty much everywhere (other than the internet), Bowls, as the "kids" call it, saw the tongue and cheek celebration of two things people either love or hate, the Chicago Bulls and weed. Oh, and Freaks And Geeks too.

Chicago Bowls saw an original digital release of 4/20/11. Tiny Engines will release a remastered version of the 4-song EP on 7" vinyl (rolling papers not included) in the Spring of 2013, 4/20/13 to be exact (and clever). Pre-orders to come soon. Get spliffed!

It was surprising to virtually no one - save for Dikembe itself - that Chicago Bowls, in all its anthemic, adrenalized indie-cum-emo / punk greatness, took the underground by storm in 2011. The ironic, pun-laden ode to weed and arguably (and less ironically) the greatest (?) championship squad in NBA history was a breath of fresh air ... playful, charismatic and downright infectious without emitting an ounce of pretension. Four revelatory cuts of undeniable, high energy DIY rock 'n' roll, Chicago Bowls cajoled the listener to laugh along with song titles such as "Scottie Spliffen" and "Michael Jordank." There was no doubt that Dikembe's playful nature was an integral part of its singular sound.

Broad Shoulders followed up Bowls to much acclaim, and while the first pressing of vinyl has sold out, the record is currently available digitally from Tiny Engines, Bandcamp, iTunes and other digital services. A second pressing of the 12-inch is now in production and pre-orders will launch in a matter of weeks. Stay tuned for more details.

Also, Dikembe is currently writing for the follow-up release to Broad Shoulders and the band expects to start recording soon for a tentative Summer or Fall release on Tiny Engines. Ride or die!

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SPRINGTIME Joins TINY ENGINES / Prepare Debut 7" For Spring Release

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Tiny Engines (Dikembe, Restorations, State Faults, Signals Midwest) is stoked to welcome Richmond, VA's SPRINGTIME to its growing roster. The label will release the band's official debut on 7" vinyl in the Spring. You can download the band's 2012 Demo for free HERE.

Playing D.C.-styled hardcore in the vein of Dag Nasty and early End Of A Year, Richmond, VA's Springtime brims with energy and an unmistakeable old school flare. Forming in late 2011 and featuring members of Family Cat, Tiger Tail and Cheyenne, Springtime's self-released demo was released only a few months later in March 2012. The songs showcase a maturity that is striking for such a young, wet-behind-the-ears band. The tension and tenacity of Springtime is palpable as the first chords explode. The passion of early DC emocore from Rites of Spring to Dag Nasty shines through in sharp bouts of energy that emanate from the band's songs. With short bursts of melodic fury and dueling, angular guitars over gruff but enticing vocals the band never fails to keep your undivided attention at all times. Mixed with the melodic punk/hardcore of scene giants like Leatherface, Texas Is The Reason and Lifetime, Springtime pay fitting tribute to their influences while confidently blazing their own path.

Springtime played The Fest 11 in October and just finished a few dates with labelmates, Run, Forever and State Lines. The band has one more January date scheduled. More tour dates to come.

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JAN 17 - Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter w/ Ex-Breathers, Razormaze, New Turks

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RUN, FOREVER / STATE LINES: Winter Tour Begins on Thursday (Jan 03 - 19)

• Three-Week Tour of U.S. in Support of new & upcoming Tiny Engines releases
• Settling 12-inch out now from Run, Forever / State Lines' Self-Titled 7-inch also available
• Alternative Press Exclusive: Stream "Linger" from State Lines' upcoming LP, For The Boats

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(photos by Jake Cunningham)

Beginning this Thursday (Jan 3rd), Tiny Engines' label mates RUN, FOREVER (Pittsburgh, PA) and STATE LINES (Long Island, NY) are teaming up for a three-week Winter Tour that will find both outfits playing shows throughout the East Coast, Southeast and Midwest.

Run, Forever is touring in support of its new full-length, Settling, which (after a very long wait) is finally available from Tiny Engines. Likewise, State Lines' 2012 Self-Titled EP is available on 7-inch vinyl from the label as well. Both records can be purchased directly from the bands or Tiny Engines' webstore, and digital versions are available via iTunes and Bandcamp.

On a similar note, State Lines' upcoming sophomore full-length, For The Boats, has been recorded and is currently in the mastering stages. The 12-song effort will see an early Spring 2013 release from Tiny Engines. You can stream "Linger," the album's first single, exclusively at Alternative Press. For future news, exclusive debuts and other happenings, follow Tiny Engines' Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter.

As always, if you'd like to attend a show or speak with Run, Forever or State Lines, contact me here.

RUN, FOREVER / STATE LINES WINTER TOUR
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JAN 03 - Alexandria, VA @ The LAB w/ Monument, Hold Tight, Close Talker
JAN 04 - Richmond, VA @ Alex Wilhelm's House w/ Dikembe, Waxahatchee, Springtime, more
JAN 06 - Atlanta, GA @ Wonderroot / House Show
JAN 07 - Birmingham, AL @ God's Butt
JAN 08 - Memphis, TN @ Mad Dog's Doggie Den
JAN 09 - New Orleans, LA @ Big Top
JAN 10 - Houston, TX @ Mango's
JAN 11 - Denton, TX @ Macaroni Island
JAN 12 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Bad Grannys Bazaar
JAN 13 - Kansas City, MO @ Art Closet Studios w/ Emo Side Project
JAN 14 - St. Louis, MO @ Blank Space
JAN 15 - Peoria, IL @ Petra Family Ministry Center
JAN 16 - Chicago, IL @ Township w/ Dowsing
JAN 17 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Turtle Den
JAN 18 - Cleveland, OH @ Bad Racket w/ Annabel, Cherry Cola Champions
JAN 19 - Pittsburgh, PA The Vatican't w/ Brightside

DIKEMBE - Winter Tour (Dec 27 - Jan 06) Begins On Thursday

• In Support of BROAD SHOULDERS - Debut LP from Tiny Engines
• Touring with You Blew It! (Topshelf Records)
• Free mp3: "We Could Become River Rats"

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Beginning on Thursday (Dec 27), Gainesville, FL's DIKEMBE will embark on a two-week Winter Tour in support of its debut LP, Broad Shoulders. Joining the quartet on the road will be fellow Floridians and BFFs You Blew It!.

Broad Shoulders was released earlier this year via Tiny Engines (Tigers Jaw, Restorations, Run Forever, Signals Midwest, State Faults, State Lines) to much acclaim, and while the first pressing of vinyl has sold out, the record is currently available from Bandcamp, iTunes and other digital services. A second pressing of the 12-inch is now in production and pre-orders will launch in January.

Listen to "We Could Become River Rats" (free mp3). You can also stream the record in its entirety on Bandcamp.

As always, if you'd like to attend a show or speak with the band, drop me a line here. Stay tuned for more Dikembe news in the coming months, and be sure to follow the band on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates.

WINTER TOUR w/ You Blew It!
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DEC 27 - Jacksonville, FL @ Burro Bar w/ Kato
DEC 28 - Savannah, GA @ 912 Fest w/ Big Awesome, more
DEC 29 - Virginia Beach, VA @ House Show w/ Brickmower
DEC 30 - Alexandria, VA @ Little Man's Garage w/ Modern Baseball
DEC 31 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fire w/ The World Is..., Empire! Empire!
JAN 01 - Montclair, NJ @ Meatlocker w/ LVL UP, Osier Bed
JAN 02 - Boston, MA @ All Asia Bar w/ Old Greg
JAN 03 - New York, NY @ The Place w/ The Marine Electric
JAN 04 - Richmond, VA @ House Show w/ Run, Forever, State Lines, Waxahatchee, Springtime, more
JAN 05 - Atlanta, GA @ Wonderoot w/ Big Awesome
JAN 06 - Gainesville, FL @ 1982 w/ Caution Children, Innards, The Reptilian, Frameworks

BIO
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It was surprising to virtually no one - save for Dikembe itself - that Chicago Bowls, in all its anthemic, adrenalized indie-cum-emo / punk greatness, took the underground by storm last year. The ironic, pun-laden ode to weed and arguably (and less ironically) the greatest championship squad in NBA history was a breath of fresh air ... playful, charismatic and downright infectious without emitting an ounce of pretension. Four revelatory cuts of undeniable, high energy DIY rock 'n' roll, Chicago Bowls cajoled the listener to laugh along with song titles such as "Scottie Spliffen" and "Michael Jordank." There was no doubt that Dikembe's playful nature was an integral part of its singular sound, and perhaps one of the biggest reasons why we couldn't wait to hear what the outfit conjured up next.

Accordingly, it would have been easy for Dikembe to rush its debut full-length, but the band wisely spent the appropriate amount of time recording and mixing the ten amazing songs that would eventually make up highly anticipated Broad Shoulders. And from the first long-awaited note, it's clear that there's something truly unique manifesting itself Dikembe's signature sound - powerhouse rhythms, the acrobatic back-and-forth between the guitars and front man Steven Gray's confident-yet-completely raw and exposed delivery - is all still present, and it's imparted with even more vigor and conviction than ever before. However, album highlights such as "I Watch A Lot Of Jackie Chan Movies" and "Not Today, Angel" are thoughtful, nuanced and occasionally even haunting. They help to paint a picture of an evolving band and a record that is not only imaginative and memorable, but one that is fully realized and worthy of all the hype.

BEST PRACTICES - Exclusive Video Premiere on Punknews

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Providence, RI's Best Practices released their debut album, The EP LP, this past summer on Tiny Engines (Dikembe, Restorations, State Faults). The band recently shot a video for the first single, "Future Cougar", which can be viewed on Punknews.org.

The The EP LP 12" vinyl is limited to 500 pressed on three colorways (75 Yellow / 175 Black w/ screen printed B-side / 250 Translucent Green). All vinyl pre-orders come with an instant mp3 download for the 9-song album. You can stream the entire record on Bandcamp.

Featuring current/former members of Light The Fuse And Run, Wow, Owls!, Weak Teeth and Jesuscentric, Best Practices is a return to the fundamentals of punk rock. On the band's Tiny Engines debut, The EP LP, the quartet lets loose a whirlwind of (garage power pop) punk fury. Recorded with Will Killingsworth (Orchid, Ampere) at Dead Air Studios, Best Practices pummel their way through 9 songs in 12 glorious minutes. The band comes close to careening off the edge at points but never seem to overtake themselves. Chock full of razor sharp hooks Best Practices lays down a furious gauntlet that is as catchy as it is exhausting. All your left with as The EP LP fires towards the finish line is the feeling that you just want to do it all over again.

"If Dillinger Four grew up listening to Joyce Manor and played with the energy and rowdiness of early The Replacements it might sound like this." - AMP
"The EP LP is a one-sided 12-inch of punk that rests right in between Dillinger Four and Hot Snakes, with a little bit of twinkly emo sneaking in. It's supremely angular and rousing garage rock." - Punknews.org
"I've been listening to this on repeat - easily one of my favourite releases of 2012 so far." - Collective Zine
"Forget Fucked Up!, Best Practices is where it's at in 2012! How is this band not blowing up already?" - Rock Freaks
"Best Practices have discovered the punk rock set of best practices, delivering fast, energetic punk rock heavily laden in short bursts." - About.com