BRAND NEW SIN: New Dates Announced

Syracuse, New York hard rock band BRAND NEW SIN has scheduled the following "Southern Beer Run" dates:

Oct. 23 - Jaxx - Springfield, VA
Oct. 24 - Canal Club - Richmond, VA
Oct. 25 - Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
Oct. 26 - Steppin Out - Virginia Beach, VA
Oct. 31 - Mac's Bad Art Bar - Syracuse, NY

BRAND NEW SIN recently posted its new single, "Rusty Drain", on the group's MySpace page. The track features BRAND NEW SIN's latest addition, singer Joe Sweet from Utica, New York, who replaced Joe Altier this past spring.

BRAND NEW SIN drummer Kevin Dean recently spoke to Syracuse's The Post-Standard about how the group landed its new vocalist.

Sweet made a lasting impression on a couple of fellow musicians 15 years ago. Sweet was the front man for the Utica rock band NINE BALL at the time; Syracuse rockers Kevin Dean and Kenny Dunham were fans. "In concert, you hear this guy's voice, and you say, 'Wow,'" Dean says.

When Altier and BRAND NEW SIN parted ways amicably in January, Dean put word out on the band's several web sites that they were seeking a replacement. They received e-mails from about 50 hopefuls from around the country. "We didn't have time for a cattle call like 'American Idol', Dean says. "So we started with an e-mail with some questions. 'Have you ever been in a band? Have you ever toured? Have you been on a label?'" They picked out their favorite 20 responses and asked them to send performance footage on DVD. "They were from California to Texas to Alabama, but mostly regional," Dean says. They decided to call in one area candidate for a live audition. And then Dunham remembered how much they loved Sweet from those days with NINE BALL.

"They called me," says Sweet, 35, who lives in Utica. "I've been getting into rock again. I thought, 'That's pretty convenient. I went there and tried out."