Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Crash Love Is Complete

Davey answered an Ask AFI question early Tuesday morning, and implied along the way that Crash Love has been completed.
Excerpt from question: “Oh, and be careful! I don’t want anything happening to you before Crash Love comes out!”
Excerpt from answer: “I always fear that I’m going to die before I finish whatever current project I’m a part of, but fear not, we’ve made it – if I choke on my seitan tomorrow, Crash Love will still be yours.”
This means that the mastering process is finished, since the band had a hand in that and they say that their part is finished. All that remains now is artwork, packaging, promotion, and release.

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Vote AFI In Guitar Hero Greatest Hits Contest

Guitar Hero Smash Hits, the name of the forthcoming title in the series, has lauched its first annual music awards, “The Guitar Hero Smash Hits 2009 Music Awards.” Categories include Best Guitar Riff, Best Bass Lick, and Song Of The Year. AFI’s song “Miss Murder” has been nominated in those last two categories.
Click here to vote in the Best Bass Lick category.
Click here to vote in the Song Of The Year category.

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Video Of AFI Interview At Edgefest

Click here to see the video.
Regarding the Edgefest show itself, Davey said that the band had rehearsed more than for their KROQ show in December. He also talked about Crash Love:
“As with all of our releases, it’s very different than the last release, and it’s very different than the release before that. It’s hard for us to really step back at this moment … it is definitely a slightly new direction. I don’t think anyone would listen to it and not recognize it as us at the same time. For me, it’s something that I am the most proud of … Hopefully you’ll be as excited about it as we are. I think it’s fantastic.”


Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Blaqk Audio’s Cover Song Out July 28

Last month, Blaqk Audio recorded a song for the Love and Rockets tribute album. This song was not an original one. It was a cover of the song “No New Tales To Tell” and is the title track for the album. Now a release date for the Love and Rockets tribute album has reportedly been set: July 28, 2009. Here is the source for that date, but it has not been officially confirmed. The album has a MySpace page where Blaqk Audio’s song can be heard.

Love and Rockets are an Alternative Rock band that formed in 1985 and are still performing today.

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Nearing 100,000 Total Visits: An Open Letter?

On February 18, 2009, I started this blog. It was in the midst of the chaotic time now known as “Crash Love Weekend.” Do you all remember that first Crash Love thread? It was insanely huge, and became that way very quickly. Because it was so quickly moving, some (or many) fans couldn’t keep up.
And so the blog was born, to provide a clear explanation of what’s going on right now in the world of AFI. After 4 months, and almost 100,000 visits later, that’s still what I’m trying to do every day. It’s just my way of helping out the fans and promoting the band online. I do realize that I get some ridicule/criticism/flack for doing this and seeming self-important while I’m at it, but in the end… I’m just a fan, and it’s just another fanblog. I’m 14. We were all a bit self-important at that age, but I’ve grown up fast with the DF’s help. I’m different now. “I Am Trying Very Hard To Be [Human].”
As of this writing, my statistics show the count to be at 99,041 visits. Saturday night should bring in the magic number. In conclusion, I’d like to thank everybody who reads the blog and comments, participates in the polls (especially in the song contest; that turnout was amazing), and forgives me when I make errors that lead to misguided rumors. September 29, anyone?
Thanks,
-Jason (darkflame337)

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Hunter Is Not Leaving AFI

Contrary to what AFI’s Wikipedia page says (as of 7:00 p.m. EST) Hunter Burgan, the bassist, will not be leaving the band. This is an attempt at an online prank.
Update: All errors of the Wikipedia page have been fixed, and the AFI page has reportedly been “semi-protected indefinitely in response to an ongoing high risk of vandalism.”

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

The Davey Interview, Pt. 3

Part 3 of Davey’s recent interview with Joshua Katcher of TheDiscerningBrute.com has been posted. In this final part, there is no information revealed about Crash Love or anything else AFI-related. Instead, the two trade tattoo tales and discuss the world’s 50-year outlook.

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Davey Answers Ask AFI Question

Last night, Davey answered a three-part question in Ask AFI. Here is the question and answer.

Q: Hello Davey. Hope all is well. Any chance of new Zu being released by the end of the week? Im dying for some new tee’s. Also, any reason why Afireinside.net is requiring a log in for everyone? Can we suspect a site update? Tour dates soon?

“Zu” is short for Zu Boutique, Davey’s limited edition clothing and jewelry line. As far as new items, Davey says “The next batch are exciting. I’ve been wearing the one off piece quite often (I get’m early, you know?) I’d look more towards post weekend moments for nuzu.”

For the AFireInside.net login question, here is the Despair Faction thread about that issue. About a site update, Davey says “hmm…. I suppose so!” However, that does not mean a site update is imminent. It just means that one will happen at some point, which is already expected.

For the part of the question about tour dates, Davey said “all we’ve got so far are the Aug dates” referring to the European festivals planned already for August. This most likely means that AFI is still planning the entire tour before confirming the dates.

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Davey Interview, Pt. 2

Part 2 of Davey Havok’s interview with Joshua Kutcher of the thediscerningbrute.com has been posted. Unlike the first part, Crash Love was never mentioned. Instead, Davey discussed his clothing line, veganism, and more.

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Partial Transcription of Davey’s Interview

In part 1 of Davey Havok’s interview with Joshua Katcher of The Discerning Brute, Davey spilled all about Crash Love.
Here is what he said about the album itself:
“I truly, truly feel that it’s the best thing we’ve ever done, and the album has a sense of continuity and timelessness to it, that I feel we haven’t ever achieved before up until this point … We’re really just working on getting the record mastered and getting it out, which should be September.”
Here is what Davey said about possible videos/artwork:
“It’s hard to really get involved with thinking videos until we know what the single is. I wished [we could make videos for everything]. That’s what I was thinking today when we were going over some of the mixes. I would love to be able to have a live action visual representation of every one of these songs because they each mean so much to me and they evoke such very strong images in me because they come from my life and they come from my perspective, so of course there’s that for me. I would love to do that. As you were saying, whatever we like to dowe feel that the aesthetic should complement itself in all parts of the work.”
Here is what Davey said about the lyrical side of the album:
“For me, what I’ve written lyrically is slightly different from what people usually expect from me. There are those moments of detachment, and despondence, and dark emotional moods that occur on this record, which is typical for me. A lot of the record is a social commentary on the decline of art and culture that we’re all facing today, what with the pervasive influence of media, and of a culture that is self-perpetuating, that really sometimes not only doesn’t recognize substance, but shuns it.”
Here is what Davey said about Begin Transmission:
“Truly where that comes from, in essence, is that’s how we grew up: listening to bands and going to see bands. There was very little divide there. We do things like invite our fans to come and sing on our record. When I was 15 years old, if Robert Smith would have invited (or right now, you know!), if that would happen, you know, like Robert Smith or had invited me to sing on the record I would be like “okay, this is the best moment of my life.”
Ready? Set? Analyze.

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Crash Love In Process Of Being Mastered

Here is what we know from Davey’s interview:

* Crash Love is being mastered
* It will most likely be out in September
* A first single has not been decided yet
* No plans for videos have been made yet

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Davey Havok Being Interviewed About Crash Love

In Crash Love, Davey, Interview on June 23, 2009 at 1:12 am

Davey Havok is being interviewed by his friend Joshua Katcher in a three-part, 30 minute interview that will be airing exclusively on Joshua’s site, The Discerning Brute. The interview will be about “the forthcoming album Crash Love, ethical handsomeness, hedonism, [predicting] the future, and even … a tattoo show-and-tell!”

The interview will be in three parts. The first will be Tuesday morning at 9 A.M. EST. The second will be on Wednesday at the same time, and the third part will be on Thursday at the same time.
This will not be a live interview. It has been pre-taped so that you may watch it anytime after it has been posted. The times are provided simply for those who wish to see it first. If you cannot watch videos from work, audio will be available tomorrow directly following the interview.

See Davey’s post here.

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

It’s Official: We Have The Tracklist Confirmed

We have confirmed with a trusted source close to Interscope that the following track list for Crash Love is indeed the official tracklist as of now. This is the same tracklist that appeared on the Crash Love promo disc reviewed by Bombshell Magazine. However, we have not known until now that this is the official tracklist.
1. Torch Song
2. Beautiful Thieves
3. End Transmission
4. Too Shy To Scream
5. Veronica Sawyer Smokes
6. OK, I feel Better Now
7. Medicate
8. I Am Trying Very Hard To Be Here
9. Sacrilege
10. Darling, I Want To Destroy You
11. Cold Hands
12. It Was Mine
Our source reminded us, however, that anything can change between now and when Crash Love becomes available for pre-order on August 25th.
We may possibly accrue more information from our source in the future.

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

New AFI Bio Details Crash Love

AFI’s new online bio has been written by Total Assault, the online marketing company that is handling Crash Love’s online promotion. Below I have listed new info and quotes we have not yet seen.

“Crash Love is certainly not a concept album or rock opera by any stretch, but the songs are generally connected by a greater theme… The album title itself can be construed as a command, as a destructive kind of love, or as a desire for a relationship that’s heading inevitably toward disaster or flameout. The lyrics of some songs trace an arc from adoration to the desire to tear down the object of affection. These songs are written from perspectives both sympathetic and critical, as well from both the inside the relationship and outside.”

“The record is really more about how the great attraction to inappropriately shared intimacies, carefully constructed personas, and the loss of a sense of self can affect an entire world,” Havok explains. “As well as how this loss of self is sought after rather than resisted… With today’s media, we have such quick and pervasive access to the trivia of anyone’s lives. Everything is intensified and indulged, this desire and ability to know everything you possibly can about anyone, from what thread-count bedsheets they sleep in to whether or not they believe in ghosts.”


“I am so proud of this record. I really believe it’s the best AFI record. It honestly feels like we’ve made our first truly timeless record. We didn’t set out to do that–you can’t set out to do something like that–but it definitely feels like that’s what we’ve achieved: created the album by which we’ll be remembered.”

While Crash Love is the first AFI record to feature such prevalent sociopolitical and observational perspectives, the darkly personal AFI lyrical strain is distinctly present on standout tracks like “Medicate” and its stark portrait of a user/enabler relationship, as well as throughout the ill fated death ride scenario of “End Transmission.” Elsewhere, the newer approach shines on the self-explanatory “Darling I Want To Destroy You,” “Veronica Sawyer Smokes” with couples Jade Puget’s Smiths-esque guitar signatures with a tale of heartbreak brought on by disappointment with a teen idol, “Beautiful Thieves” with its privileged characters whose actions carry no consequences, and “Too Shy To Scream” which sets yearning, distanced adorations against the backdrop of a drumline-inspired shuffle propelled by Hunter Burgan’s bass and Adam Carson’s drumming.

Crash Love is, according to Carson, “the sound of the four of us playing in the same room. It’s by no means stripped down but you really hear the band. Sing The Sorrow–and to certain extent decemberunderground–gave us our first experience with big budget recording, which led to some really dense arrangements, electronics, overdubs and so on. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but this time we came in with 14 songs we were playing really well and wanted to capture that energy.”

Having entered the studio with fully formed and woodshedded songs, Puget and Burgan were freed to come up with novel approaches to each of their instruments–reducing their dependence on strings, keys and other embellishments both organic and electronic. Following a writing process that Puget recalls taking “the better part of a year,” the band convened in late 2008 with producers Joe McGrath and Jacknife Lee to begin work in earnest on what would become Crash Love. “We don’t jam,” Puget explains. “But we had the material so completely formed by the time we began recording that we were able to do things more on the fly this time, to concentrate on sounds as well as performance, to contribute anything that worked, that made a sound that was interesting. So we ended up with sort of a ‘Shabby Chic’ recording aesthetic: The sounds we came up with separately could be really rough and abrasive but assembled together they created an end result that was really beautiful.”

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

High Quality Preview of "Medicate" Chorus

A high quality preview of Medicate’s chorus can be found on AT&T’s site. This is because there are plans to have a Medicate ringtone. Click here to listen!
In other news, we now know that the Deluxe edition of Crash Love will be a double-disc version. This information comes via e-mail correspondence between OMB member popsicill and Interpunk:

“Thanks for inquiry about the upcoming AFI released. Unfortunately, they still haven’t released any further details other than the Deluxe is going to be a double disc. We’re trying to get more information and will update the item’s descriptions as more information becomes available. Sorry –I really wish we knew more already as well.”
Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Edgefest 2009

Here is one condensed post containing the setlist and some general information concerning last nights performance at Edgefest.
General Info:
Last night AFI played at the music festival Edgefest 09. AFI’s hour-long performance began at 7:05 P.M. EST and it was muddy throughout. 15 songs were played, including Love Is A Many Splendored Thing, an old song from the Very Proud of Ya recording sessions.
Setlist:
1. Girl’s Not Grey
2. The Leaving Song, Pt. 2
3. Kill Caustic
4. Summer Shudder
5. The Days of the Phoenix
6. Bleed Black
7. Silver and Cold
8. A Single Second
9. The Missing Frame
10. Dancing Through Sunday
11. Ziggy Stardust
12. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
13. Miss Murder
14. Totalimmortal
15. Love Like Winter

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Davey: Crash Love Out At the End of September

Before AFI played “The Days of the Phoenix” at Edgefest 09, Davey said this regarding Crash Love:

“Guys, really, I’ve got to be honest, it’s been a while since we’ve played. It’s been a while! Played 6 months ago, it’s the first time we’ve played since 6 months ago and that, like before that, it was, like, two years. Because we’ve been working on a new record called Crash Love that’s gonna be out in the end of September.”

Will it indeed be out by the end of September? Sooner? Or will it be pushed back. Tell us what you think in the newest poll.

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Jade Posts Crash Love Rehearsal Footage

Jade has posted a 55-second video on his blog showing three different clips. The first is a clip that is a couple of months old, though this time in a larger size. It shows Davey and Jade playing in black and white and slow motion. There is a strange bit of audio. The second clip shows Adam and Hunter playing. This clip is in color. In the third clip, the camera pans around to find Adam drumming and Hunter’s bass. Then a short drumming track begins.

Click here
to see the video.

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

AFI "So Close" To Finishing Crash Love Mix

Hunter left us a Twitter update early Wednesday morning regarding how close AFI is to finishing the mix for Crash Love.
We're so close to finishing the mix on the new album, I can almost taste it. It tastes albumy!


Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Crash Love Song on Guitar

After many rounds of “the upload didn’t work!”, we finally have a clip of the song that Jade posted. Note that this most likely won’t be exact. Sarah (to.die.for) posted this video last night. Critiques?

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Fall Tour Confirmed

Turns out my source was very reliable. Hunter just posted a blog about vegan pizza (surprise, surprise) which provided a pretty interesting little tidbit about AFI.

“If nothing else, this will serve as a list of places for me to visit on tour with AFI this fall…”



Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Summer Shudder an Essential

I feel like everything’s moving in slow motion. It appears there is so little going on in the AFI world but with the anticipation of this album, I just consume every scrap and morsel so quickly that I’m left hungry for more. I’m sure you all can relate.

This month’s issue of AP (feat. Jade’s essay on Jawbreaker) also contains a list which AP dubbed 10 Essential “Summer” Songs. Summer Shudder was first on the list, though I don’t much agree with their interpretation. I believe the lyrics are more along the lines of subtly calling someone out for being overly dramatic, “our lives look smaller now”, etc. Tell me what you think, it’s a pretty vague song.

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Jade Posts Guitar Tracking Video On His Blog

Jade has posted a video in the latest entry on his blog. Once past the book recommendations, a video can be seen of Jade during guitar tracking. Unfortunately, the video is without audio, but Jade offers up a challenge to guitar players: “If you’re a guitar player, maybe you can figure out the song.”
According to the post, AFI is still in the middle of mixing Crash Love.

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Christy’s "Day In The Life" Video Posted

AFI has posted the “Day In The Life” video for Christy, the fifth Begin Transmission winner. This video comes six weeks after Courtney’s video. In this installment, Christy takes Smith to a gun shooting club and a restaurant where Smith teaches her about eating with chop sticks. In the interview portion of the video we hear about her friends and their ideas about AFI. Click here to watch the video.
Note: All of the prior videos have been in order of when the winner was selected. Christy was selected after Brock, whose video has not yet been released.

Note: On June 30, 2010 AFI News HQ was hacked and all posts were deleted. This is one of the posts that was affected. The text here was imported from a backup, but all of the original comments are gone and the author credited below is only responsible for reposting in most cases.