Billy + Joe is comprised of Smoke or Fire singer/guitarist Joe McMahon and Vancouver-based singer/songwriter Billy the Kid. The recently formed duo began 2012 by covering one song per day for the month of January. They created both a Facebook and a YouTube page to document their work, and have since covered songs from bands such as: The Descendents, Rancid, Jawbreaker, Face to Face, Hot Water Music, Samiam and more. The pair has also written some original material and played a few shows, and plans to continue doing so in the future. Take a look at one of their videos above, a cover of Billy Bragg’s “To Have and To Have Not.”

Photo by Katie Hovland

Eastland Disaster is a new Chicago band that features singer/guitarist Dan Knapik, (Textbook, Venom Lords) singer/bassist Gina Knapik, (Venom Lords) and drummer James Farn, (Kamikaze Eyes, Duress). They’re playing this Friday, January 13^th at Beat Kitchen, along with About the Mess, The Heat Tape and Dan Vapid & The Cheats. The show starts at 8:30 PM, costs $10 and is 17+. Last summer, Eastland Disaster recorded several songs with Matt Allison at Atlas Studios, some of which will appear later this year on a seven-inch for Underground Communiqué Records. Check out one of the band’s songs below, called “Still Not Over You.”

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This January Underground Communiqué Records will rerelease The Methadones’ classic 2004 album, Not Economically Viable. It was remixed by Matt Allison at Atlas Studios and basically rebuilt using various master tracks from the original recording sessions. The end result is a complete and highly favorable reproduction of one of the best pop punk records of the last decade. Also included is a previously unreleased song called “Let’s Call It a Night.” The LP will be available on three different colors; white, clear red and clear with smoke, and will feature updated album art as well. Check out the new version of “Sorry to Keep You Waiting” below.

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Noise By Numbers recently released a video for the song “Disappointed,” which comes from their latest album and Jump Start Records debut, Over Leavitt. Noise By Numbers features members of The Bomb, Dan Vapid & The Cheats, Textbook and others. Later this month they’ll release a split seven-inch with England’s The Magnificent, and it will be available on colored vinyl via Solidarity Recordings, (USA) and Drunken Sailor Records, (UK). Take a look at the video above and order the new record here.

Photo by Katie Hovland

Chicago’s Big Science is playing this Friday, May 6^th at Subterranean, (2011 W. North Ave.). Color Radio and An Aesthetic Anaesthetic open the show, which starts at 9:30 PM, is 17+ and costs $10. Check out a brand-new, previously unreleased song from Big Science called “Loose Change Century” below.

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Photo by Katie Hovland

Ratasucia is a new band that features singer/guitarist Dan Hanaway, (The Honor System, The Broadways, Slapstick) bassist Chris Carr, (The Honor System) and drummer Tim Scare. Their debut album, White Noise Pollution, is scheduled to be released this summer on Asian Man Records. Check out a song from the record below.

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Chicago’s The Scissors are currently demoing songs for their fourth full-length and plan to begin recording in May. The album is set to be recorded at Catfish Studios in Lombard, Illinois and will be coproduced by the band and Steve Mast, (ex-Plain White T’s). “Answers” is sung by guitarist Yvonne Szumski, who’s now handling a bulk of the lead vocal responsibilities. The song features blazing guitar leads, a driving rhythm and plenty of rock ‘n roll attitude. In some ways it’s similar to certain aspects of their 2010 record You Can Make It Dangerous, but in others it displays a new and exciting portrayal of the band. The version of “Answers” that’s streaming below is in fact a demo and will differ from what ultimately appears on the forthcoming album. The Scissors recently returned from a successful appearance at SXSW and upon completion of their new record intend to tour extensively in 2011. By all accounts they’re a great live band, so be sure to catch one of their upcoming shows and look for a new Scissors CD later this year.

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Last fall, Dead To Me played a show at the now-defunct Ronny’s in Chicago, Illinois. The set was punctuated by two of their finest songs, “Ran That Scam” and “Day Without a War”, off their Little Brother EP and African Elephants album respectively. Special thanks to Jason Thompson from The Sky We Scrape for being kind enough to film this for us. Be sure to check out Dead To Me’s latest seven-inch, Wait For It…Wait For It!, which was released via Brick Gun Records.

Fat Wreck Chords compilation, featuring 22 songs and photos from JIC’s Katie Hovland. Release date: 11/23/10