If you read yesterday’s A&E section of the Daily, you know that former Iowa State Student and 35″ Mudder bassist Chad Calek has started his own record label, True Player Records. You also know that his first signing was Indianola’s Index Case. Granted, this isn’t a huge deal for Index Case to sign with a start-up indie label, but it will give the band a major boost in the direction it wants to go. So congratulations to Index Case and to Chad Calek. And from what he tells me, True Player Records will be almost any band’s cream dream. This won’t be any major-label-screwing-the-band-around bullshit that has become so common.

Speaking of Index Case, last night the band got the opportunity to play at the legendary Roxy in Hollywood. The show was a showcase and Calek (who also serves as the band’s manager along with ex-Tears for Fears singer Curt Smith) told me Monday that many label reps and even a couple “legendary” producers were slated to be on hand.

A little news from Patrick at the Bi-Fi camp: Poison Control Center will be releasing a split 7-inch in October and will support it with a 4-day tour. Everybody’s favorite local band in green will also be contributing 18 minutes of music to a split E.P. that will also feature bands from California, Florida and Japan. And that isn’t even it. PCC also plans to start shooting a video for its 4-song single.

In other Bi-Fi news, the Envy Corps is wrapping up recording of its first full-length record. The new Organ Donor album is done and currently being mastered and the New Frankenixon album will be released in early 2003. A new Pookey Bleum (so much for the band calling it quits huh?) DVD and CD releases are expected before the end of the year.

Here is some disappointing news from Des Moines. The slated agreement between the Lazer Loud ‘n’ Local concert series and Toad Holler’s Wednesday fight night has been canceled. If you weren’t familiar with this ordeal, local bands would have had the chance to play in front of about three or four hundred during the intermission. No word on why things didn’t work out, but rumor is that the fight promoters didn’t want to spring the extra bucks for the bands and sound technicians, etc. Boycott fight night at Toad Holler.

Here are a couple releases that I can’t wait for. Anybody who saw the Veishea Battle of the Bands two years ago might remember a band from Cedar Falls called Marcato. The band was late for its set and only got to play a couple songs but it definitely made an impression with the raw ferociousness of its short set. The band then disappeared but resurfaced for a show about a month ago in Des Moines. Lead singer Kevin Drew sent me an e-mail a couple days ago telling me that the band is starting to play some live shows again and will officially be releasing its new EP, “The Miscellaneous Sounds of Torture,” in Des Moines on Nov. 23 at Hairy Mary’s. I’m not just trying to be nice to a local band when I say check these guys out. Heavy enough to please metal fans but melodic enough to please anyone else. And without a doubt one of the most socially conscious local bands you will hear.

Sept. 21 marks the release of Des Moines electronic metal band Devil With Cheese’s 6-song industry demo. If you were a fan of godkillgod you will love DWC, the reason being it’s made up of three of the same members. Look for them to play in central Iowa and the Midwest a lot after the release of the demo.

Last Saturday was 515 Day at the Fallout Shelter in Des Moines. 515 Day was a daylong concert featuring some of central Iowa’s best hardcore and punk bands. Zach Hoyt, one of three people who runs the Fallout Shelter, had this to say about Saturday’s event.

“Things went really well, all the bands played great sets, there was a huge turnout [at least 200 over the course of the day], there was a small problem with a couple people drinking and not liking us telling them to stop or leave, but beyond that everything was great.”

Hoyt also told me there are definite plans for another 515 Day.

Support local music! Everyone who is anyone is doing it . I swear.

Trevor

Fisher

is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Knoxville and is the A&E senior reporter.