Artist: Walter Schreifels

[* We accidentally deleted this post from late December; here it is in all of its glory once more. -- Ed.] Well, rock fans, it was a really strange year, one in which we personally and professionally -- and, yes, even to a certain extent here on the blog -- accomplished a great many big things. And all the ups and downs -- transcendent live sets on local stages, solitary post-midnight walks across frozen parking lots in the midwest -- had their soundtrack. Below are our picks for the 10 best songs of the year. These, [...]

Hardcore and post-hardcore icon Walter Schreifels posted an update on some of his plans for the coming weeks and months. Schreifels, who recently wrapped a tour with Rival Schools said this: The tour in the US was just what the doctor ordered. We missed having Ian around but it was really exciting to reinvent the songs and create a new dynamic and fresh energy between the three of us. I rediscovered how much i love to play guitar and I learned how to use effects pedals, by the end [...]

Click here to view the embedded video. I don't know if fanboy would be the correct nomenclature to describe my affinity for Rival Schools frontman Walter Schreilfels, and I don't think nostalgia would do the man justice. The fact of the matter is, the now defunct "post-hardcore" band Quicksand , which Schreifels also fronted, is one of my favorite bands of all time and I was only able to catch them twice. I've yet to see Rival Schools, which I would essentially describe as a more mature, poppier Quicksand and if [...]

Guys, to be honest, we're SO stoked to be doing really anything when it comes to legendary indie rock outfit Rival Schools , whether it's going to see them at a show, shoot Walter Schreifels as his Walking Concert alter ego or, today, in bringing you this amazing contest for a prize bundle for the band's most recent record, Pedals, including vinyl, picture discs, a tee shirt and an autographed poster from the boys. The bundle includes: (1) 180 gram Pedals vinyl (1) Running man picture disc Pedals [...]

We're surprised as you to say that, after all these years and all these bands, Wednesday night was the first time we had ever seen Walter Schreifels , who has been affiliated with more awesome bands than the average American owns records, perform live. Mr. Schreifels founded and has been the primary songwriter in New York Hardcore luminaries Gorilla Biscuits , as well as post-hardcore giants Quicksand and Rival Schools , among other things. After more than two decades in so-called alternative music, Schreifels finally released in 2010 a solo record under his own name. [...]

• Dine Alone Records - 07 Arthur Lee's Lullaby
• Walter Schreifels - Open Letter To The Scene

Walter writes: I was at Pukkelpop festival with Rival Schools earlier this week, still trying to make sense of it. The storm hit about twenty minutes before we were supposed to play. Strange to say, knowing what we know now but I was having fun watching the storm, by the time it really started coming down I was safe in the backstage area. As violent as the storm was it only slightly crossed my mind that someone would get hurt. I guess having seen that stage [...]

With Walter Schreifels continuously looking forward (with Rival Schools and other solo projects) rather than revisiting the past (Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand), I'm always on the lookout for post-hardcore bands that sound like 1994. While Schreifels might not be interested in making that kind of music anymore, it's not stopping him from working with bands that do. The singer recently worked with Pennsylvania's Title Fight and produced their debut album, Shed , which is a great slice of aggressive guitar work and nearly barked vocals that still maintain a [...]

by BBG Walter Schreifels on stage with Rival Schools at Union Pool ( more by Redboy ) It's hot time, summer in the city and I'm playing a residency at my new favorite bar in Greenpoint, Saint Vitus!!! I've been jonesing to play in Bk. and bust out some of my new material for "Jesus Is My Favorite Beatle" as well as soak up the only slightly less hot than daytime, summer nights AND for those of you who prefer the past to the future, have no [...]

Walter Schreifels on Ryan's Rock Show The latest instalment of Ryan's Rock Show features New York hardcore scene veteran Walter Schreifels , in which he gives a retrospective on his career, discussing his influential bands Gorilla Biscuits and Quicksand , the origins of the post-hardcore genre, and his current band Rival Schools . A veteran of the 80s New York hardcore scene, Schreifels is considered somewhat of a pioneer -- his former band Quicksand is ranked amongst forefathers who spawned the post-hardcore genre (alongside bands like Fugazi). [...]

Lingering around the back of Camden's Electric Ballroom, kicking in the dirt and gravel before finally bumping into Rival Schools main man Walter Schreifels ambling along in a mauve velveteen jacket and beaten sneakers, it's a little like the past decade went all but unnoticed as myriad languages are mangled along the streets outside and the guttural rumble of ...And You Will Knows Us By The Trail Of Dead soundcheck trills everything inside. Sophomore, yes, sophomore LP Pedals has been a long, long time in the making, finally blossoming last month. Dots: Given the [...]

When it comes to songwriting and the subsequent construction of records, most bands are somewhat more prolific than Walter Schreifels' Rival Schools , fresh from the release of sophomore record Pedals, ten years after its predecessor. But then most bands don't have anything half as era-defining as debut LP United By Fate in their back catalogue locker room, and it's fairly evident that all that've made it down to their unfathomably early show (they're wrapped up by 8:15) are here to bask in its off-kilter post-hardcore glory. Whilst the anthemic, almost angular 69 Guns jolts with vigour, Schreifels bounding [...]

>> Do you remember all the confusion about Yuck and Yu(c)k , how the latter was a side project of the former? Probably not, these are the things that trouble only the most ridiculously fanatic among us. Our position on this was why bother confusing us, just pick one name and we'll accept the fact that you make guitar music and quieter music. Well, our unspoken and un-offered advice has gone unheeded, but the good news is that things are now somewhat less confusing . Yu(c)k is now Oupa . We know, you are relieved. [...]

• Mercury Rev - Opus 40
• oupa - Forget

Today we have a rather special session for you in the form of 'Society Sucker' by Walter Schreifels . Rather than a standard acoustic session, we got a freestyle pizza shop session. Rival Schools are heading out on tour throughout the UK this April with And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (dates here: http://www.rivalschools.net ) and Walter will be back with another solo record before the end of the year. His beautiful debut album An Open Letter To The Scene [...]

After a decade-long hiatus, Rival Schools is set to release their sophomore album, "Pedals," on March 8, 2011. Their debut, "United By Fate," has weathered the past decade far better than anyone could have anticipated (ahem... Flashback ?), but the question remains: is there a place for Rival Schools in 2011? Well, their first video from "Pedals," for the song "Wring It Out," answers that question with a resounding YES . Okay, yes, the video is somewhat suspect, but the audio is unquestionably good. Walter Schreifels vocals retain that raw emotionality featured on "United By Fate," and [...]

With New York post-hardcore legends Rival Schools' long-awaited second album, Pedals, due for release in March, we thought we'd ask drummer Sammy Siegler about the decade between this album and United By Fate. There are a lot of people who see United By Fate as one of the seminal albums of the last decade. How [...]

"Good things are coming our way/ Good things are coming, I'll wait/". So goes one of the more memorable songs from Rival Schools' only release, United By Fate. But although that's true, it's all about to change as the reformed and reinvigorated band are back with Pedals, out March 8. On the night of their [...]

Walter Schreifels may be one of the largest influences in music that no one knows about! He was a member of Gorilla Biscuits, then he formed Quicksand, and after Quicksand, he helped develop Rival Schools. One thing all of these bands have in common is that they only released one or maybe two full length albums. Yet, they left long impressions. Rival Schools' lone release, United by Fate , was 10 years ago. Even though they recorded a second album, it was never released. After reuniting in 2008 for some festivals in Europe, they have finally [...]

Filed under: Concerts and Tours , News , New Music , Exclusive Rival Schools have certainly taken their time getting 'Pedals,' the melodic punk band's second album, into the hands of fans. In fact, it's been nearly 10 years since they released their 2001 debut, 'United by Fate.' While fans may be clamoring for the new material, guitarist Ian Love reveals that the band decided to take things slowly to ensure they made the best album possible. [...]

Finally out in 2011, Rival Schools will bring Pedals, the follow-up to their classic debut album, and the band have a bunch of rad options for fans to get different versions and sets of the disc. All pre-orders of Pedals will include a digital download of the album, a signed Rival Schools poster and a [...]

• Rival Schools - Good Things

What an amazing time for indie rock. Each year we take issue with proclamations that any given set of 365 days was better or worse than any other set of 365 days, but we were very excited by what we heard this year, and what we think we'll be hearing next year. Musical trends ignore the calendar, of course, but we feel like in 2011 a lot of music is going to be informed by sounds characteristic of our favorite bands of the early '90s. Just a hunch, and this isn't the place to make that argument, but we feel [...]