Back to life, back to reality

Believe us, we are the first ones to admit that things sometimes move a bit, uh… slowly in Camp Roma. Sue us.*

Still, like the humble sloth or the mighty gacier, give us enough time and we'll get it done.

In that spirit, we're delighted to announce that our youngest progeny Praise The Divide is fiiinally available for purchase from the good folks at iTunes.

Even more in that spirit, we're celebrating by hosting the almighty Traindodge (who, conveniently, have their own new young'n—I Am Forever— and seriously, words fail…) at our home port of San Francisco. Deets:

In future news, we're hearing some rumors about an October Riddle of Steel reunion in St. Louis in honor of Hieu's wedding (congrats, Hieu!). At the time of writing Roma 79 can neither confirm nor deny these rumors, but we would suggest that if you live near a major metropolis in the Central or Eastern time zones that you avoid any unnecessary travel outside the region.

And so on and so forth, in perpetuity, etc.

* Please don't sue us.

You say goodbye, we say hello

No time for cocktails… 2 big ones today that will entwine like the double helix of your very core by the end of this section. Observe:

Praise The Divide is officially out of the closet and available directly from the Commander in Beef, Ascetic Records. If CDs are too passé for your 21st century lifestyle, hold your horses—sorry, hybrid digital mulching scooters—and keep an eye on iTunes et al for the downloadable version, coming within the next few weeks.

In more bittersweet news, our tremendous friends, musical inspiration, and frequent tour companions Riddle of Steel are bringing down the curtain on 9 years of unparalleled awesomosity. While we will definitely miss sharing the road and stage with this thundering vornado of tone and taste, we're happy to see them going out at the peak of their powers and wish them all the best in their individual pursuits.

And so… The Final Rockdown™. We're honored to be teaming up with ROS for one last barnburner through the Middle West, new album in tow. Do what you gotta do—it's make it work time. See you here:

Here it is laddies…

Alright, we're the first to admit that sometimes these updates get a little bit fluffy. It's not our fault — we don't make the news, we just tell it. Either way, what we got here is some real Godzilla action so get yourself focused 'cause we're not waiting:

Headline 1 — New Album. She's finished. Like, actually, really finished. Done. It was a long slog to get this girl out the door, but we pulled it together, packed her bags, and sent the little one off to finishing school. If we do say so ourselves, we're very proud of this one. We've named her "Praise The Divide" and she'll be available through Ascetic Records and iTunes later this spring.

Unless you live in San Francisco, which leads us to…

Headline 2 — CD-release and 100th show spectacular. We talked to the Big Man at Ascetic and he's letting us drop a couple boxes of these bad boys before the official release date. So we've gone and lined up a CD-release show. And on top of that this will be our 100th live performance. And we haven't played in San Francisco for 22 months. AND we're gonna be joined by the infamous Chango Malo of Tucson, AZ. We're crying as we write these words. What more do you want from us?

Roma is on the loose

You know what? We get it, okay? We have a problem — we're not very good at keeping in touch. Fine, so we've been a little busy for the past, um, year. What's the big deal?

Don't answer that, we'll tell you. The Big Deal™ is that we're breaking our vow of silence and setting forth across the continent for our last (okay, fine — first) shows of 2007 and first (and not last) shows of 2008. This tour includes our first ever appearances in EST country, with a handful of choice offerings south of the Mason-Dixon (Yankees, we promise we'll get you next time). Most excitingly for us, we'll be sharing the bulk of these dates with our Ascetic bros Riddle of Steel, plus one-offs with longtime cohorts Traindodge and Dropsonic and soon-to-be BFFs Big Sky Blue Earth. It's on:

Before we leave the Riddle of Steel tip, their newest manifesto is now shipping directly from Ascetic Records. It's 1985 and if you haven't placed an order, you're insane. There's some serious stuff coming from Ascetic in 08 — more about that upon our return…

Okay, the fact that it's 5.30 and dark means summer days have come and gone, and that means it's time to consult the handy biannual 3-part checklist:

1. Reset clocks — check.
2. Change smoke detector batteries — check.
3. Remember to have not forgotten to play a show in the last 6 months… oh, right.

Okay, well we have been busy in other departments — beefing up to a 4-man lineup and writing some delectable songitude that may well define your 2007 and beyond. But now we're done and that means break's over — for you.

The coming month will see you seeing us at one of 6 hand-picked shows in 6 choice locations, while we magnetize the new melodies with mild-mannered Carl Amburn within the merciful margins of the Mousetrap. Read it:

This is our first tour with rookie multi-tasker Rob Smith — we're damn excited about it and we think you'll like the new shape, but can Rob handle the pressure of the big dance?

To be continued…

Roma 79 + Rob Smith = 19-piece extravatorchestra

Alright, here's a doozy for your summer snoozy — Roma 79 is now most definitely one louder with the addition of our newest member, Mr. Rob Smith. I think Rob will be familiar to most as the atomic propulsor behind two of our all-time faves Traindodge and Riddle of Steel, and he's very kindly offered to help us beef up our sonic fillet with some of his trademark madness.

See, turns out that in addition to being the most ridiculous skin-banger on, well, both sides of the Mississippi actually, dude also tickles the frets and the ivories with a reckless abandon. It's totally… reckless. Anyway, Rob's built himself a little laboratory of amps, strings, keys, and electro-doodads over in the corner there, and we told him to go nuts.

Safe to say we're seriously excited about having Rob on board and we're looking forward to setting forth across the continent in our hefty yet muscular new incarnation… More on that before summer's end.

One last thing before we leave the subject of Rob — the aforementioned Traindodge have just signed and sealed their latest überwork. It's called Wolves, it's here, and it's the best thing you'll hear in 2006. Like winged jackhammers pounding the mountains of infinity, these guys just keep breaking new ground. Go on, do something nice for yourself…

We toured the world and elsewhere…

Okay, we're back. Our European adventure was predictably unbelievable - fantastic shows, beautiful cities, generous people, and an uncivilized amount of convenience store sandwiches. Our resplendent tourmates Riddle of Steel taught us a new chord every night… but only after we begged them for it. And to top it off we fulfilled a lifelong bandly ambition by gracing the hallowed grounds of Stonehenge. ("Ian, I was given this napkin" — you know the rest…)

A heartfelt thank you to all the friends and kindly strangers we met on this tour, and especially to Chris at Bloom: Explode!, Claire and Paul from A Badge of Friendship, Andy from Jack Ruby, our heroic driver and tour manager Georg, and of course our companions AE, JV, and Mr. Deuce Quatro.

Our silver-quilled scribe Andrew Elstner has posted his tour diary, a fine read. And eagle-eyed Paul McCallum took these photos of us owning London at The Garage — thanks Paul.

Finally, in other news, a nice review of The Great Dying over at Delusions of Adequacy, confirming that we are, in fact, quite adequate.

Bonsoir, mesdames et messieurs. Nous sommes Roma 79. Uh, nosotros travellando... por avion... uh... cordon bleu?

Forget it, here's the skinny – the Old Continent has beckoned and we're heading out next month for a 10-day swing through the UK, France, and Luxembourg. And most excitingly (for us), we'll be spreading the word with our Ascetic missionary partners Riddle of Steel. Believe…

Fish and Chips 2006 – all dates w. ROS

Well, freedom-lovers, here we are – 7,000 miles, 14 shows, 5 freshly minted tracks, and a score of caramel apple empanadas later, and we're back in Shaky Town.

Gargantuan thanks to our touring comrades Traindodge and Dropsonic for shepherding us safely through the heartland of our nation and the valley of our lost souls. Suffice it to say we had our bone marrow liquefied on a nightly basis by these six delicious gentlemen, and it's about as close to salvation as this particular trio is likely to get.

Titanic hugs and kisses to our secret weapon Carl Amburn, who slathered his sonic buttermilk over the aforementioned new songs (more on those another time…) before accompanying us in a dual chauffeur and soundman role for the rest of the trip. 'Twas a joy, sir, and we love you.

Thanks also to Hieu at Ascetic, and all the insanely great bands we were fortunate enough to do time with – Riddle of Steel, Chango Malo, Found Dead On the Phone, Self-Evident, Batter the Drag, Booher/Davis, Darkmoor, Mesa Falls to Mephisto, Briley, Mustangs and Madras, Japanese Sunday… oh, my sweet Lord.

And thanks, of course, to you – dearest supporter of fine music.

In other news, The Great Dying is officially out there and currently stinking up FM airwaves across the land. At last count we're nestled safely inside the CMJ Top 200, cracking the top 30 at a full 26 college stations (including 2 straight weeks in the #1 slot over at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, GA – seriously). Even better, FMQB is reporting The Great Dying dropped at #25 on the commercial FM SubModern albums charts, and Gold at #15 on the singles charts… Booyakasha! So keep your ears open and let your local disc jockeys know what's what.

Happy holidays, see you in '06.

Rock forecast – Fall 2005
Majestic, with a strong chance of team spirit.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are very pleased to announce that our debut full-length – The Great Dying – is now complete. Even as we speak it’s limbering itself up for a November 15 release date from our good friends at Ascetic Records. But we know you’re hungry, and we aim to feed:

Option 1 – the album is currently available for purchase directly from Ascetic (under "Releases"). Order today to shred tomorrow!

Option 2 – pick up a copy at one of our upcoming shows… that’s right – tour season.

We’re kicking things off with a CD release show at San Francisco’s Hemlock Tavern, followed by a litter of dates throughout the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts and large swaths of the Mississippi watershed. We’re lining up with some serious hell-bringers on this one, including Traindodge and Dropsonic for the Midwestern leg, so stuff your bedtime in a sack and let’s get deaf!

Finally, big thanks to Simon for the new site design.

We've posted a track from our upcoming album here. Stay connected to Ascetic Records for more info on the release.

While you're at it, check out Ascetic's brodacious summer lineup – there's a Riddle of Steel full length, a Traindodge EP, and new GPS on the way. I'm telling you, mans, it's buttery…

The journey toward The New Album™ is nearing its end. Keep one eye on Ascetic Records for more info and a musical preview coming soon…

In other news, our dear pals Doris Henson have just released their new masterwork – Give Me All Your Money – on Desoto Records. It's, umm, amazing… a must have for 79ers the world over. Check it out over at Desoto.

Big news for us, and you.

Ascetic Records will be releasing Roma 79's first full-length, due out in 2005. We are very excited to be part of an Ascetic roster that includes some serious heavyweights – Traindodge, Riddle of Steel, Stella Link… Huge thanks to Hieu and the crew, we're really looking forward to being involved.

There is still much to be done, but we'll keep you posted on the recording as it evolves and let you know where and when. Expect us when you least expect us…

Happy half-decade!

Roma is back in Baghdad after a highly succesful campaign through the heartland. A most sincere thank you to Carl Amburn for an unbelievable recording experience, endless hospitality, and some valuable frisbee practice. We have a few tracks to finish up before sending back to Carl for mixing, but we'll keep you posted on our progress.

Huge thanks also to slayers Doris Henson, Traindodge, The Life and Times, Lying In States, Chango Malo, and all the other great bands we were fortunate enough to share the stage with.

Tour MVP: Cheewna, who chugged down as much unleaded as we could throw at her and kept coming back for more. 10-4, good buddy…

The tires are warm, the riffs are massive, and the dates are in place. We'll be revealing our sensitive side to Carl Amburn at The Mousetrap for the better part of two weeks, with some great shows stuffed either side and in between. To wit:

Please come out and see us if you can. We'll give you things.

In other news, our consentual relationship with Viacom continues. We recently recorded some music for Nickelodeon. What can we say… it's for the children.

We're heading out to Oklahoma in September to record our full-length debut with the incomparable Carl Amburn at The Mousetrap. On the way out, between sessions, and on the way back, we'll be hooking up with some of our favorite comrades in noise: The Life and Times, Doris Henson, Traindodge, Chango Malo, and more to come. Keep an eye on the shows page, we'll update regularly as the dates come together.

Also, the track we recorded with Trans Am's Phil Manley in January – Disposed to Violate – is featured on this month's Copper Press magazine compilation CD. Visit the CP site or your local rock and roll rumpus room for your very own copy.

We have a big show coming up in July with the excellent Bismark from Seattle. And we're Roma, from San Francisco… Anyway, if you haven't dropped by to see us in a while, this is your chance to repent:

Wednesday, July 21st – 10pm
Hemlock Tavern – 1131 Polk Street, San Francisco

We're still cooking up demos in preparation for recording later this summer. Meanwhile, keep an eye out for the upcoming issue of Copper Press magazine featuring Disposed to Violate on the compilation CD.

Next up, Club Awexome! presents:

Friday, June 18th – 9pm
Edinburgh Castle – 950 Geary Street, San Francisco

Once and future 79ers:

We finished our recording project with Trans Am's Phil Manley at Louder Studios and churned out two new ditties to be released later this year. Disposed to Violate is posted on the music page, our treat. This track will be appearing on the CD compilation accompanying the April issue of Copper Press magazine.

And in other news, a show:

Friday, March 5 – 9pm
Edinburgh Castle – 950 Geary Street, San Francisco
w. Heaven Is A Hotel (Dallas TX), Early Lines (Austin TX), Stay Gold Pony Boy (SF)

Listen up, bogons.

Roma 79's annual report has been published: 2003 was a smashing success! To kick off the new year we'll be parading our two thousand and four smiles for a weekend of shows in Southern California. Let this record reflect:

Friday, January 30
The Knitting Factory – 7021 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA

Sunday, February 1
The Rosary Room – 947 E Street, San Diego, CA

Also, we record songs…

Gather round, Washingtonians!

Roma 79 is invading the frosty shores of the Northwest, punishing riffs in tow and holiday treats in hand. If you live in the Portland or Puget Sound areas, take a break from your Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa shopping with some beer and loudness. Then buy our stuff.

Friday, December 19
Arnada Cafe – Vancouver, WA

Saturday, December 20
Le Voyeur – Olympia, WA

Did someone say Bay Area tour?

That's not the San Andreas, 79ers, that's "the scene" buzzing beneath your rock-steady feet. Roma 79 is hitting it hard in the coming weeks with 2 kickin' shows in 2 conveniently located cities:

Wednesday, October 29
Stork Club – Oakland, CA
w. Hijack The Disco, The Cables

Tuesday, November 11
Kimo's – San Francisco, CA
w. Houston (Minneapolis), Continental

Also, we're going to be recording a couple of tunes in December at Louder Studios with the wizardly Tim Green of The Fucking Champs and Nation of Ulysses. We're very excited to be heading back into the studio, but until then you can come on out and hear the new digs before we put them on wax, or injection-molded polycarbonate plastic, or whatever.

Hear ye, hear ye! Roma is in effect, and this time it's biblical.

We've been busy writing new tunes for a recording to-be-named later, and we'll be trying them out on y'alls as we hit the stage in the coming weeks and months.

Expect Comedy Central's Porn n' Chicken DVD to be available in September, complete with the Roma 79 score. More events will be posted on our shows page… Hope to see you all soon.

Ahoy! We're venturing out on a West Coast mini-tour at the end of the month, and are playing some really cool shows with some great bands. We're especially looking forward to having our asses handed to us by Traindodge. Those of you in southern Arizona will be able to hear us perform live on KXCI 91.3 FM's The Home Stretch – Live at 5 on Friday May 30.

If you live near any of these cities, please make sure to come check us out. Here's how it looks:

We also have some badass new t-shirts, two different designs in multiple colors. Parade your love for Roma 79 in our stylish get-up! Check out the merch page for ordering information.

Here's the lowdown on the ho-down:

We've just completed recording the entire score/soundtrack to Comedy Central's first original movie – Porn 'n Chicken. The movie is soon going to be released on DVD in the US and on TV all over the world. We'll keep you informed on the DVD release, which is currently scheduled for sometime this summer.

To hear some samples of Romaporn in action, visit our music page. There are three exclusive music clips from the film.