IT'S THE YEAR END LIST 2024!

Most years I'll think about all the music I listen to throughout the year and while it's a lot I sometimes struggle to come up with 10 records that really made a big impression on me.  Like, the kind where I'm going to go back to them for years to come.  But ma oh man, 2024 really outdid itself in my view.  I actually had a tough time whittling it down this year, which is really rare for me.  There was A LOT of excellent stuff that caught my ear, so I'm going to try and keep all these descriptions fairly quick and if you haven't heard some of this stuff I strongly implore you to check it out.

There were also a ton of awesome shows, as seems to be the case for me every year because I happen to live in a town where a lot of great stuff comes to.  But I'm no slouch.  I get out of town enough to see shows other places (including the UK this year!).

Lastly, I wanted to look forward.  There's some stuff I'm anticipating rolling into 2025, some of it I know about quite well, other stuff a shroud of mystery looms and I'm excited just thinking about it.

But one more future item I want to address is that I will be ending this blog this year and moving over to Substack.  Yeah, I know.  People stopped using blogspot like 10 years ago (probably 15).  But I think substack will be a nice place to post up stuff.  Not only am I going to do reviews on a monthly basis, but I'm aiming to do more regular interviews, and some other content. I want to go for a reader-supported model which is to say if you sign up you'll get content in your e-mail at least a couple times a month.  And if you want to contribute financially I won't be mad either.  In fact, that would be awesome.  So be on the lookout for that.

And be on the lookout for a bunch of new records I'll be releasing throughout 2025.

USA NAILS, “Feel Worse”- London buddies just continue to drop one ripper after another.  No one does their take on noisy post-punk with the kind of volume, chaos, and unbelievable catchiness that they do.  They’re like 6 albums in and each one is just as fantastic as the next. F-E-E-L-W-O-R-S-E.

GOUGE AWAY, “Deep Sage”- What a return!  After taking a few years off to move across the country, think about life and stuff, and then re-group to make another banger of a record that leans further into their indie/post-hardcore side that began to spring up on “Burnt Sugar”.  This is the next exceptional step for this incredibly engaging and creative band.

PISSED JEANS, “Half-Divorced”- The Allentown ultimate warriors are never a let down.  Full of noisy riffs, abrasive pummelling, and sad-dad office worker lyrics that are both sobering and humorous these dudes never fail.  This may be their most hardcore-sounding album yet, but fans of their noisy punk/Jesus Lizard leanings of yore will be equally as pleased.

ANGELHAIR discography- It came out once and sounded so-so.  It came out again this year and sounds phenomenal.  Off-the-wall chaotic and noisy hardcore of the proto-screamo variety from back around ’94.  San Diego/Gravity Records style insanity by way of Colorado.  Essential.

INTO THE LIGHT EP- Life long friends making that beautiful post-hardcore stuff in the vein of Handsome, Shift, or Mind Over Matter.  It’s aggressive enough to get you moving but so catchy it ought to have a warning label from the surgeon general attached to it.

ILS, “To End Is To Begin”- There was a period where these dudes were playing out like every weekend and I saw them so much I was just hoping they would eventually get a new record out so I wouldn’t get tired of them.  Wish granted, and then some.  The second full length from the Portland riff-sniffers hits hard and quick.  Crazed, howling vocals and super tight ear-splitting noise rock heaviness.  Easy sell.

CONSTANT LOVERS, “Manifesting Now”- They’ve been doing things in Seattle for a few years now but I really didn’t know what this band was until hearing this and I’m not sure if I know any more now.  But I know I love this.  A variety of genres are thrown in a blender and magic happens and it all works in this strange brew of pretty and ugly, skronky and dance-y, saxophones and synths, burly bass and crazed vocal effects.

YELLFIRE, “Dear Gods”- I fully back bands that can take influences from the past and push it into their own unique territory.  In this case Yellfire take all the wisdom and riffery of out-of-the-box Seattle hardcore of yore and make their own expertly executed heaviness for the here and now, moving the needle forward while giving strong nods to foundational elements.

SCRUNCHIES, “Colossal”- This would have been the favorite band of every girl I went to high school with who I thought was badass.  Of course, that was a long time ago, but being badass is not limited to one generation and this Minneapolis trio made a hell of a record of grungy-punky dirges that flick lit cigarettes at strangers and stick old bubblegum to classroom doorways on purpose.

DRUG CHURCH, “Prude”- Every Drug Church record is immediate gratification but I always go in just thinking, ‘this is pretty good, but the last one was better’.  And then a few weeks later it basically becomes my favorite record.  I can’t figure out why that is. I do, honestly, think I still like “Hygiene” best overall but “Prude”  has some top-notch all-timers from them.  Musically, “Myopic” is amazing while “Demolition Man” and “Peer Review” may have some of my favorite DC lyrics around.

CHAT PILE, “Cool World”- Another easy sell.  It’s so ridiculously heavy and stompy it’s just incredibly easy to get into, every song bangs.  They ease off on some of the more experimental and weird stuff from the last record, and went straight for the tracks instead.  I feel no way about that, if they wanted to mess around they’ve been bold in the past for doing so, but I’m also not going to say no to more skull-crashing songs either.

UNIFORM, “American Standard”- A band I’ve always mildly enjoyed on the periphery, but respected nonetheless blew my hair back (let’s imagine I have hair) with this one.  Compared to their other records the songs are way longer, considerably slower, the production sounds incredible, and it’s punishingly heavy.  Taking more cues from Swans and sludge metal and adding it to their industrial mix just makes this one a total crusher.  I also saw them live for the first time finally this year and this stuff on stage is simply amazing.

Runner-ups (because they’re also really worth mentioning)… 

FORCE MODEL, “Found Camera”- Technical but catchy, emotional and fraught, yet with big sounds and exuberant energy.  This new LA trio has a good thing going.

BRAIN CAVE, “Foot Off the Gas”- I love that this Clevo band is so prolific, dropping singles and EPs all over the place and finally following up with a second LP of crash-course post-hardcore of the basement show variety, rocking out loud as heck.

EDGING, “Concrete Cumming”- I have yet to see the live show but video evidence points to all out chaos for these saxy punx, blending a bit of love with totally wild cop-hating, expectation-dodging, freak-out jammers.

TOSSER, “Sheer Humanity”- I just love shit like this: massive riffs, a dash of shoegaze effects, picking up bits from the best of 90’s post-hardcore and letting it get rough like a barrel of rocks dumped off the top of a hill.

MANDY, “Lawn Girl”- How about a couple of the catchiest songs of the year from Melkbelly guitarist/vocalist Miranda Winters with a backing band?  How about like 7 more awesome songs to go with it?  It’s quick, but in that unique vein of fuzzy indie rock the experts at Exploding In Sound know how to track down and expose like pigs searching for truffles.

YUVEES, “Dead Keys”- Sad to see these Portland post-punks leave town, but happy for Northeastern America to be converted to full-on communists with their ultra-memorable Devo- meets- Gang of Four with added punk rock music.  


MOST ANTICIPATED OF 2025:

DEADGUY- All I know is they’re recording something.  “Fixation..” is in my top 10 records of all time, so yeah, I’m excited.  Is 2025 the year everyone gets incredibly pissed?  If a Deadguy record comes out that answer will assuredly be ‘yes’.

YOUNG WIDOWS- I know they have a new record in the can.  It’s been done for awhile.  So c’mon guys, let’s have it.  Consistently one of the most inventive bands in heavy music they move mountains and level buildings with repetitive simplicity that’s not so simple after all.  Can’t wait to hear what they have coming.  It’s been quite awhile.

HAUNTED HORSES, “Dweller”- OK, this one I heard back in the spring and I can tell you it’s a whopper.  If you were a fan of “The Worst Has Already Happened” you will not be let down.  It’s very much like that, just an improvement upon an already great thing.  Colder, harsher, more eerie, and still ripping.  In my view the Northwest’s best in industrial punk.

IN LIEU-  An exciting band out of Minneapolis that has been at it for awhile now, I finally saw them at Caterwaul this year and thought they were one of the better bands there with their impassioned grungy rock/riot grrl mix.  I know they recorded something new and I’m guessing it will see the light of day this coming year.

CLOAKROOM- Another band that never disappoints they’ve announced something new coming for 2025 and I look forward to how they further mutate their slowcore/shoegaze sludge mix.  Their last album introduced hints of indie rock, country and Americana to the mix so they certainly have range to their sound.  I’m always hoping for more of the slow/heavy because it’s a joy to listen to, but I also greatly appreciate when they throw a curveball too to keep things fresh.

VULTURE FEATHER- I’ve been singing their praises this whole year after showing up late to the party.  I won’t be caught left behind again. This band rules and their forthcoming album alludes to more great earworms using the singular, undeniable perfect part for each song.

PORCELAIN- The debut full length from the Austin group from earlier this year was great.  And then I got to see them live and they played a bunch of new songs that blew the last of my hair off.  I guess the bulk of them are going on a new record of some kind for next year.  Maybe I’ll grow a beard and they can shred that too once the new stuff is out.

BEST SHOWS:

USA NAILS/ MUMS, Liverpool, UK 6.7.24-

  Flew to the UK and saw my two favorite English bands on their turf.  I grew up in Liverpool (US) and being in the actual city it was named after was kind of neat.  Plus, first time ever seeing Mums and they absolutely. fucking. crushed. it.  Unbelievably loud and perfect.  Hanging out with the USA Nails cats and travelling up from London with them was an absolute treat too.

GORILLA BISCUITS, Portland, 5.23.24- In all my years I’ve never been able to see Gorilla Biscuits.  How anyone could love punk and hardcore and not love GB is beyond me.  They are the epitome of a fun and engaging band and they still bring it.  Plus, I got to sing along to quite possibly my favorite pro-animal song ever, “Cats and Dogs”, so bonus level unlocked.

BOTCH/ GREAT FALLS/ HELMS ALEE, Seattle 6.15.24- I was at the original last Botch show in 2002. This was essentially a repeat of that with basically the same bands (and some of my favorites of the Northwest, period), but I’ve never seen Botch more engaging and going off to their own music.  What a way to cap off an incredible reunion and do it all the right way (save for the exorbitant service fees from the Showbox, yuck).  They are, and will forever be, one of the defining bands of my generation and one of the best.

FORCE MODEL, Corvallis 4.18.24- First, I’m very excited about Force Model, a new LA band and seeing that they were doing a West Coast tour I was stoked to go see them.  But the closest they came was Corvallis, a little over an hour south of me.  What was great about this show (besides FM being great) was how awesome of a small DIY scene this town has going on and everyone is basically excited about everything.  What a cool scene, a rad little venue, enthusiastic patrons, and good bands.  It’s what makes all this worthwhile.

CATERWAUL FEST, Minneapolis 5.24-5.27.24- Exploring Minneapolis, seeing a Keith Haring exhibit, eating great food, the scent of crackpipes on and near the train and the following bands (some of which I’d never seen and will probably never see again): Oxbow, Part Chimp, Brainiac, Dug, Murf, Pretty Please, Neckbolt, Facet, Couch Slut, J Robbins Band, Porcelain, Scrunchies, In Lieu, Bronson Arm.  Another year in a great spot, having a ball and getting really exhausted.

VULTURE FEATHER, Portland 2.23.24- Definitely a case of discovering this incredible band just a couple months before this show (even though they had played here like 5 times), getting super excited about their record, and seeing them live in  a short amount of time.  It was quite gratifying I tell ya.  And they were just as awesome live as I’d hoped they’d be.  Keep an eye out for more Vulture Feather if you love stuff like Lungfish, which I do.

GAYTHEIST, "THE MUSTACHE STAYS" PRE-ORDER AND FIRST SINGLE!

 

You have waited.  They have answered.

“The Mustache Stays” is the newest entry from long-running Portland institution GAYTHEIST.  On their first new material since 2020’s “How Long Have I Been On Fire?” the trio once again bring their joyous fun, clever wit, and utterly shredding musicianship to otherwise serious and morose subject matter.
The band lies somewhere between the heavily distorted grime of noise rock, the whiplash speed of punk and thrash, and ripping technicality of metal, and they always do it all with an undeniable sense of fun that you can hear pouring through the speakers.
This new album includes 10 new tracks, as well as one very special cover that was recorded mixed once again by long time collaborator Stephen Hawkes.
Wanna hear the first single from the record?  Do you want to pre-order the new record?  Why not do both.  Now.

                                                            CHECK IT OUT HERE

"The Mustache Stays" will officially be released on February 21st.  It's available on digital, CD, and vinyl with three variants:  sea glass/blue-ish, clear magenta, as well as grey vinyl limited to 100 copies and available only through retail outlets.

NEW BANDS, OLD BANDS, AND ONE BOOK- REVIEWS FOR NOVEMBER

 

This month I want to split things between the new and the old.  In this age where it’s become completely reasonable for bands that have been inactive for 15-20 years to all of a sudden  come back with very respectable reunion records I’m finding many of my old favorites in the ring again.  But it’s more important for new bands to make their mark in order to keep this thing going on and on.  I’m a big fan of at least knowing the past so we have perspective for the future so I’m OK with giving some shine there.  So these reviews start with some newer bands and their new stuff, as well as some older groups putting forth new efforts, and divided with one gigantic book about zine culture of the 80’s and 90’s, which I just find fascinating.

To start off I’ve been waiting for this one to get released officially just so I can gab at you about it.  For the better part of this year I’ve been rocking the first full length from Seattle’s YELLFIRE, “Dear Gods”.  They just took a minute to get it out into the world but I’m really glad it’s here.  It’s one thing to hear these impressive sounds on wax, and another to experience their heaviness live.  Taking sound and inspiration from other Northwest titans like Botch, Heiress, and Harkonen Yellfire add a bit of their own metallic hardcore tinge to forward-thinking heavy music and it certainly pays off.  They’re able to adequately pay respect to their peers (heck, some of them even show up to do guest spots on the record) while bringing that sound to an audience that may have been too young to originally see the groups Yellfire is holding a candle up to.  In other words, they do it right, move it forward, and I’m here for it.  It’s a cool looking record from a cool-sounding (and incredibly heavy) band full of some cool cats.  Here’s to hoping others get a kick out of this as well.

Next I ask the question, ‘does it count when your full length is 13 songs in as many minutes, or conversely, when you could potentially fit the entire recording on a 7”?  Is it still a ‘full length?’  I bet you NOWHERE doesn’t care one bit.  They’re dishing out their new record, “New Pain” and for those keeping score, it’s a one-sided LP with a really cool looking screened B-side.  So call it what you will.  I caught wind of them awhile back when they released their last batch of songs and this just really pushes things into a defined and hostile sound.  It clicked a bit more when I found out one of the members was in Retox at one point and that definitely shows here with the short-fast, almost grindcore approach to these tracks, mixed with the oddball spazz-outs you’d find across the Gravity Records catalog (see “Wooden Nickels” and “Tool Got Dull” for examples of that).  There is no song here that breaks the two-minute mark.  You could drive to the grocery store and listen to this entire thing twice before grabbing a shopping cart.  Wild stuff man.

As for records that take their time a bit more… Being a guy in the know I was aware NULL had recorded a new LP months ago, but I wasn’t sure what they were going to do with it.  And all of a sudden they just went and released it on very short notice, which honestly, is kind of great way to go about things.  Just get it out there, right?  So yeah, “First Sign Ahead” is the Birmingham bands third record and it sees them continuing on the path they’ve been on for the other LPs- simplistic, heavy, trance-like riffs with eerie melodies, a bit of outer-space/futuristic sounds, haunting vocals, and gigantic riffs.  I know that sounds like an apt description for stoner metal but Null have more of a likeness to bands like Lungfish in terms of repetition, they just use more guitar pedals and some synth too.  They have developed their sound a bit though here with some nods of moody post-punk in the way some of the vocals are approached (especially later on the record) and through some of the sound textures present.  Null is kind of an ‘all hail the riff’ sort of band, but contemplating it with a mug of coffee to sip rather than dropping out of life with bong in hand.

A couple of my favorite moments in CUT N’ PASTE: THE AMERICAN HARDCORE FANZINE book, which primarily covers hardcore zines of the 80’s up to the early 90’s, is firstly- an image of a less-than-professionally drawn cover of O.C. Shitz zine of a family at Disneyland aghast in horror while in full view of a straining Mickey Mouse taking a giant shit next to a tree.  That’s the type of high grade entertainment one can expect from 80’s punks just getting into making their own zines.  Secondly, this nugget from Bill Florio, editor of Greedy Bastard zine who describes how Paul Bearer from Sheer Terror sent him a hate letter, but also called Bill late at night to tell him he was writing the letter.  Love it.
As a person who also got into zine making right around when this book sort of cuts off I was blown away by just how many hardcore-related zines were going in the 80’s as it wasn’t always terribly easy to have the resources to do this stuff at that time.  However, the numerous anecdotes from the 30 or so people who contributed stories say similar things- you just went for it.  You knew a person, or relative, with access to free copies; or the community college art department that didn’t lock the doors after hours; or someone who would send you pictures of bands you contacted through MRR classifieds.  Whatever.  It was a loose network back then and I found myself in similar situations when I first started doing stuff like this too.  It was cool to see.  The book itself is laid out wonderfully with literally hundreds of various zine covers from stuff I’m familiar with to stuff I’ve never heard of.  I’m actually pleased to see many of the anecdotes came from lesser-known zinesters rather than just the already well-documented rags of the time like Schism, Suburban Voice, MRR, Touch and Go and more (even though all are represented and are essential to the story of the era).  My only suggestion would have been that it seems like each interviewee was given a set of questions to answer but the questions are not shown and many of their answers seem like they’re responding to a question not asked which makes reading some of them a bit odd.
Also, if anyone out there has extra Letraset or Zipatone they have no use for please send it my way.  I still love using stuff like that.

Moving on to those who have a bit of age on the rest of us, there’s always been something in the water in the Chicago/Illinois region that produces some of the most jarring, but expertly played, rock music around.  It’s been a thing there for decades of consistently high quality ear damage.  How do they do it?  Perhaps off-and-on stalwarts BIG’N could answer that as they’ve been on the lesser known end of that world since 1990 and had a couple extended pauses during that time to look in for perspective.  It’s been a pretty long time (over twenty years in fact) since they released an LP but have had a couple EPs in-between.  But on “End Comes Too Soon” they come back more intense than ever with an awesome collection of tracks and I’m very excited to see them quite active again.  For the uninitiated they lie somewhere between the sparse and tight practicality of Shellac mixed with the unhinged rhythmic clobbering of The Jesus Lizard.  On their older material the wild growling of the vocals was almost outrageously out of alignment with the tightly-wound riffs, but they’ve found the balance here and it’s pretty much just through a really excellent recording that plays to the strengths of both the bands lock-step tightness through simple and effective riffs and the raving mad vocals attempting to tear it all to pieces.  There’s a number of not-quite interludes throughout that sometimes act as fodder, sometimes as what amounts to unfinished song ideas, but they hardly get in the way of the pile of new songs making up the bulk of this record.  I’ve had the good fortune of seeing Big’n twice now over the last few years and they’re unbelievable to witness.  This record adequately captures that energy and it even looks really cool too.

Speaking of cool-looking records, it’s been a really weird few years for reunions in that many, many bands from when I was a teenager that were not really all that well-known when they existed are getting back together for one-offs, maybe even small tours, and even sometimes new music. SAMUEL S.C. (originally just Samuel) are one such group that were always good, but largely forgotten and they didn’t have a huge discography by any means.  Still, they up and decided to release a new album last year and have played a handful of shows, and it’s all been good quality stuff.  So now they’re following up with a new 7” featuring two tracks- “Exit Scene” b/w “Who Says” that have a big, upbeat approach, and a fierce message.  Sure, they still sound like a 90’s college rock band on par with the likes of Velocity Girl, the Spinanes, or Autoclave but with more of a punch, and I’m here for it.  Of note, the design group/printing press/record label LandLand released this and it’s always worth taking a look at what they do because they put in massive effort with their packaging for every release.  This is no exception as a really nice screenprinted design adorns the custom Stumptown Printers arigato pack (I’ve used these for a couple releases myself and they’re great).

Maybe it was somewhat inevitable that two bands of such long-standing renown would do a split together after spending a significant amount of time on the road together.  But QUICKSAND has never been a band to do splits, and rarely pulls off a cover. HOT WATER MUSIC, on the other hand, has a pretty long history of various splits, EPs, occasional covers, and man oh man, do they do a picture-perfect rendition of “Fazer” by Quicksand.  It’s almost identical to the original, save for the trademark gruff vocals of Chuck Reagan.  They also offer an original track and to be completely honest it’s been many years since I really dived into new HWM material.  I was a huge fan of their earlier, more scrappy stuff but “Undertow”, represented here, is a decent track- very upbeat, a bit rough, though very polished.
Quicksand do a cover of one of my favorite HWM tracks- “Radio Free Gainesville”, a song which Walter did backup vocals on on the original.  So now he’s just singing the whole thing.  It’s still kind of an odd take for Quicksand since they’re just completely in their own lane it almost feels weird to hear them do a cover at all.  Walter takes a lot of liberties with the vocals and pattern, and some of the guitar work.  The rhythm of the song remains the same as the original.  Their original contribution, “Supercollider”, is a true-to-form chunky, grooving ripper one would expect from the band that could easily find a place on their most recent LP.  There’s a bit of the space-y melody that dominated much of “Interiors”, but sticks mostly to the bouncy riff that we all know and love about the band.

Finally, NO ESCAPE always felt like a weird anomaly to me as they emerged at an interesting juncture of hardcore (and a few years before my time).  The youth crew era had come to a close and the metallic chugga-chugga of bands like Earth Crisis (when I did begin getting into this stuff) had yet to take off.  So their sound sort of felt a bit like a bridge between those scenes.  This is a remixed/remastered version of their original discography (which, on CD, was called “Just Accept It” as their lone full length and included split tracks, comp tracks, and their demo).  I’m honestly glad it was re-released this way now under the title, “1990-1993” because it sounds sooooo much better and does justice to their raging hardcore.  A lot of No Escape stuff was a bit on the slower end, embracing some of the tougher-sounding NYHC of the time but played a bit uglier, a bit meaner (I suppose if you had to live in New Jersey the animosity would be in your DNA…. or more likely your tap water), and vocalist Tim Singer’s distinctive shredded throat. On this, his first band, he’s pretty much all screaming and not the talking/ranting maniac that came out once he played in Deadguy and Kiss It Goodbye.  But that, mixed with the ultra-pissed music, made No Escape sound dangerous.  It’s like “Just Look Around” (the record, not just the song) as played by early Melvins.  This collection does come with a large booklet with tons of pictures and flyers, but I’m not sure how much of it is new and how much is culled from the original discography.  Either way, it’s worth getting just for how much better it sounds than the originals.  The reunion EP they released a few years back ain’t half bad either.

PINKO COVERS FUGAZI FOR MONTHLY SINGLES SERIES

 

The next instalment in our monthly covers singles series is now live and it marks the return of PINKO and they are covering Fugazi's "Do You like Me?"
This is the first new Pinko material in several years and you can find it at the link below:
hexrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hex-25-year

The LP version of the comp is still up for pre-order and these ought to be shipping before the end of the year for sure. Jackets and inserts have already arrived.  There's two more singles to go...  who do you think they will be?!
Enjoy!

 "Continuing the monthly singles series anyone who knows me well is probably wondering when I was going to get around to a Fugazi cover.  Well, here it is.  And it marks the return of Pinko, who have laid low for awhile now, and I couldn’t be more stoked to hear them at things once again.
So, Fugazi really knew how to write an anthem, and did so with unwavering conviction.  Their music was catchy, smart, and it got you moving and motivated.  And as a person running a label there is no better model to look to than Dischord Records, the label that released all their music, in terms of how to conduct oneself with fairness towards other artists and genuine love for the music you opt to help put out into the world. I still feel sparks go off in my body and brain when I hear much of their music.  It’s powerful stuff.
So where does Pinko fit into this?  Well, for one, I just love those dudes and wanted to have them be present because they’ve been an important part of this label for the last several years.  And they’re people who make it work.  I had some initial hesitation when they told me they were going to write a record with members in different parts of the country.  But true to their word they met up every couple months, wrote songs together, and then recorded it and went on tour.  And let’s be completely honest- Guillermo sounds a lot like Guy Picciotto when he sings, whether that’s intentional or not.  His voice and Pinko’s hectic and chaotic sound are a perfect shoe-in to be the band covering Fugazi on this.  Fugazi has a lot of great songs and “Do You Like Me?” is just one such representation that illustrates how vital this band has been in my life and the staunch ideals that everyone could take a valuable lesson from as well.
And if you haven’t picked it up already, the LP version of this comp is now available for pre-order and features an additional 2 tracks from other bands that have not been revealed yet."

REVIEWS: FOLLOW-UPS OF DIZZYING VARIETY

 

 

The themes here this month are first, all bands who are presenting follow ups.  It's their second, third, or fifth, whatever record.  Second theme: a virtual cornucopia of variety as colorful as the leaves in a New England forest in October.  And hey, it's October!  So this fits.  Let's go.

I wanted to kick things off this month with two highly anticipated releases that sonically sound exceptionally different from one another, but both follow a similar path- coasting on a good idea.  DRUG CHURCH is old hat on what works for them at this point, having been an active band for well over 10 years and 5 full lengths in.  CHAT PILE have been at it for a bit now, but everyone’s  hot to know if they can work their magic for the ever-questionable sophomore album.
It’s wild to see how well-received DRUG CHURCH has been in the last few years as I distinctly remember Pat Kinldlon giving me their demo and saying he’s doing this ‘project band’ and he ‘wasn’t sure if it would go anywhere’.  “Prude” is record number five and I’ll be perfectly honest by saying you could interchange the songs from this record and either of their two LPs before it and no one would be the wiser.  I know that may come off as insulting, but the truth is they picked up on a good thing and have run with it since.  If anything “Prude” is even more listener-friendly and moves along a bit faster than it’s predecessors.  Each of their records has its stand out tracks and this is no different with “Myopic” probably being my favorite here.  However, of all their records “Hygiene” is probably my overall favorite to date both musically and lyrically.  If for some reason you’ve never heard them it’s upbeat and melodic post-hardcore rock with gruff vocals and clever lyrics often about sad and fucked up people, a modern take on the sounds of groups like Seaweed, Rival Schools (if they were heavier), and current contemporaries like Militarie Gun.
CHAT PILE have also made an excellent second record that takes the blueprint of their initial LP “God’s Country” and just continues on that path with “Cool World”. The only real difference being a stronger/louder recording.  And like some of their other recordings they use the same exact layout style as before.  But something they have slowly leaned into more, which I can totally appreciate, is the oddly melodic, almost new wave, sorts of shimmering guitar leads that share space with the crushing barbaric bass/rhythm.  Sure, you could hear some of that stuff on their last LP, but they made it a bit more front and center on the split with Nerver and that continues on a number of tracks here like “Shame”, “Tape”, and the mechanized, futuristic shimmer of “Frownland”.  What is missing here compared to their last outing is the lack of pushing the envelope.  “God’s Country” had the spoken word horror show of “I Don’t Care if I Burn” and the extended closing freakout of “grimace_smoking_weed.jpeg”.  “Cool World” is just track after track of bangers.  I’m not complaining, they just went for what they excel at so it’s a satisfying listen front to back. Bonus points for putting Rush lyrics on the record matrix.  No one does matrix etchings anymore, it’s truly a lost hidden gem on records.

Next, we have a new release from JAYE JAYLE.  Jaye Jayle has the unique trick of being able to shapeshift into whatever the project wants to be, and yet still somehow sound distinctive.  It probably helps that with Evan Patterson being the driving force behind the music there’s going to be a hint of familiarity whether he’s playing with other people or solo.  On, “A Blue Bird Cage” he’s operating solo and re-doing six songs from across the Jaye Jayle catalog with just a guitar, his voice, and some effects pedals.  But hey, with a loop and delay pedal you can put down a rhythm and just play over it.  Sounds simple, right?  Maybe.  But will it sound good?  In this case, yeah, this stuff sounds awesome.  I’m tempted to take these versions over the original versions.  I’m always interested in what Evan/Jaye Jayle comes up with and these desolate and sparse meditations may be minimal but still stick in my head and swim around rent free.

I’m really happy to see that YUVEES finally released their new album, “Dead Keys”, after teasing it for so long and hit with a number of delays.  They had a couple earlier EPs that got the buzz going, and this is the real, deal first long player from them.  But just as they were really starting to take off here in Portland they went and moved across the country to continue the band elsewhere justas the record finally became available.  They are forgiven though because this thing just rules.  Yuvess play super catchy post-punk that drifts between Devo-esque weirdo pop and more noisy spazz outs (“Running” and “Opposite Day” stand out) reminiscent of stuff like USA Nails, even with one creepy Sonic Youth-inspired head trip (“Plywood Windows”).  I’m always a sucker for bands that incorporate catchy bass lines that lay the groundwork for guitars to kind of go off (and sometimes saxophones too) and make all sorts of weird sounds.  Add all that to alternating male/female vocals and you got a winner here.  So listen up East Coasters- you see these cats around, make sure you treat ‘em right when you invite them to play your town.

Moving along, I couldn’t quite tell if Chris Spencer delving into HUMAN IMPACT a few years back was just a one-off project, or something more serious.  Featuring half of Cop Shoot Cop their initial offering, I felt, was a bit lacking despite the formidable players involved.  It sort of seemed like they were searching for their sound despite recording a full length record.  But that lineup was not to last and instead this is now essentially the lineup of the current (playing the past?) Unsane with one guy from Cop Shoot Cop providing samples, textures, synths, and other various sounds.  And on this new offering, “Gone Dark” it sounds basically like Unsane with some samples, textures, synths, and various other sounds.  I shouldn’t complain.  After all, Unsane with some added texture does sound cool.  This record does sound cool.  Maybe it’s what ‘Unsane’ should be, rather than rehashing the past- moving forward with a killer lineup, a new name, and a variation on the sound

I caught wind of this Southern U.S. band awhile back with their last release and it kind of gave off early Unwound vibes to me.  It was fine for what they were going for, but I gotta say, SPLIT SILK have given us a new EP that significantly ups the ante with stronger songwriting and a bigger sound. “Bitter”s opening title track is a bit more aggressive and offers a big post-hardcore hook in the chorus while the second song, “Glimmer” is slower, more melancholy, and yes, captures that Unwound quiet-loud-quiet strange melody oh so well (that I suppose owes a bit to Sonic Youth too).  The band round things out with a pair of live songs, both culled from their last release, which capture a kind of live energy that differentiates it from the studio recording.

Finally, I’m going to spend way more time talking about how interesting I find the art and story behind this record than the actual music on it.  That’s not to say the music doesn’t hold up.  I’ve seen this live and as simplistic and barbaric as it may sound on record trust me when I say on stage (or floor) it’s a primal display of total aggression and chaos.  So on their third LP, “Freedom Sweet Freedom”, REGIONAL JUSTICE CENTER kind of fulfill a promise made from the get-go.  The project started as drummer/vocalist Ian Shelton’s protest against his own brothers incarceration and the system that incarcerated him.  Now his brother is out of prison and is co-vocalist/co-lyricist on this record.  I find that fascinating.  Additionally you get another dose of Mark McCoy’s layout and design (which has adorned other RJC records).  His style is bananas- various photo-collage images altered but so realistic as to make you question the bizarre nature in which they exist and if they could actually be real scenarios.  So yeah, ‘what about the music?’, you ask (if you’re unfamiliar): a dozen hardcore rippers packed into 15 scant minutes that toe the line between powerviolence and beatdown primitivism.  While each song barely scrapes the one-minute mark and tends to follow a similar formula throughout (super fast part, ultra slow and simple breakdown part) it’s honest.  It says exactly what needs to be said, be it issues of incarceration, the stigma of criminality following one around indefinitely, or getting out of the system and not looking back.

GREAT FALLS COVER RORSCHACH, COMP LP PRE-ORDER!

 

The next cover in our ongoing monthly cover series comes from our old pals in GREAT FALLS as they lay waste to "Mandible", originally by Rorschach.  As an added bonus/surprise vocals for the track have been provided by Dave Verellen from Botch.

I could  go on and on about how much all those bands mean to me, but I'll leave that for you to read in the extensive linear notes which will be featured on....  (wait for it)....
THE ACTUAL, PHYSICAL LP VERSION OF THIS COMPILATION! 

Yup, you can now pre-orderthe LP version of this single series comp. Featuring all the songs already released this year to date, as well as 3 more yet to be revealed (for a total of 14 tracks) we're so stoked to see it come to fruition. The comp is pressed on eco-mix vinyl, so no two copies will look alike and will come with a large format 16 page booklet to go with it featuring extensive writings about the bands and songs featured on here, as well as a bunch of cool art.

You can check it out here:
https://hexrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hex-25-year

 

SERIOUSLY, SOME OF THE BEST STUFF YOU'LL HEAR THIS YEAR. REVIEWS FOR SEPTEMBER

 

This month is all about either very well-known bands presenting their latest, or bands who should be really well-known offering incredible new work…. for the most part anyway.  It’s really been quite a stellar year for new music so far but I’m starting to think this last month has presented some of the most impressive stuff I’ve come across so far.  Literally everything on this month’s listening platter is a true gem. And it’s all super varied and wild stuff.  So here we go…

And on the 26th year (since their last record) the noise rock Jeebus arose from the grave to give us a new album.  So, of course, THE JESUS LIZARD is going to be the lead review here.  Sure, they’ve come out of retirement on a few occasions to bless us all with live shows (which, in their case, is just as good as, if not better, than their albums).  But far be it from any one’s minds that they actually felt the need to write more music.  Well, in my humble opinion, “Rack” picks up essentially right where their last proper album “Shot” left off.  It’s as if the rest of us took a very long nap and they just kept writing.  I’ve always personally been more of a fan of frontman David Yow howling and grumbling incoherently like he did on many of their classic LPs from the early 90’s because it just sounds so fucked up.  But I respect that he made a conscious effort before “Shot” was recorded to clean up his vocals a bit, enunciate, and keep in time with the rest of the band and that effort continues here.  Thee’s still a good dose of howling and hollering to be found, of course.  My favorite tracks on the record close out the A-side and open the B-side:  the off-the-wall and chaotic “Lord Godiva” and the slower and thought-out “Alexis Feels Sick”.  They’re two of the bands strongest songs in….  well, at least a quarter century!  But honestly, everything here is a worthy effort with several other tracks being exceptionally strong too.  It’s pretty wild to think a band that has basically not existed for over 20 years can come back this strong as if they never stopped playing together.

I’ve been a casual listener of the extremely non-casual UNIFORM for years now, and it wasn’t until last week that I finally saw them live (which was awesome by the way), so some things jumped out at me immediately when I checked out their latest LP, “American Standard”.  First off, these are long songs.  The first track is over 20 minutes, which is definitely out of the norm for the band.  Secondly, this sounds so massive compared to their other releases and leans more into Swans and metal territory rather than the more ‘industrial’ tag they were branded with early on.  I didn’t catch any of the splits and collabs they’ve done in the last few years, but as a band this seems just like a natural progression of getting better at what they do both from a songwriting and recording quality perspective.  I don’t particularly care for some of the more black metal elements they added but they make it fit into their sound with ease and it only appears in two areas.  What’s very present is the crushing repetition and raw emotion on display that’s captured with clarity and volume.  It’s almost overwhelming in a good way and the creative use of ‘melodies’, leads, and minor use of synths to push their sludgy and weighty riffs into something original is awesome; in particular on “This Is Not a Prayer”, definitely my favorite track on the record.

Next, I had the distinct privilege of hearing the new record from KAL MARKS months ago and immediately thought that it was somehow more catchy and pop-oriented than their previous efforts.  I was slightly confused, but I decided after a couple listens to let it rest and re-visit again around when they actually released it.  So my thinking on “Wasteland Baby”, the bands fourth or fifth full-length at this point, is a little more clear:  they have simply managed to develop many of their eccentricities with noise, bizarre sound effects, and Carl Shane’s distinct yowl into more honed songcraft.  There’s not as much of the extremes between their ‘too heavy for indie rock, too indie and weird for heavy music’ that were at the core of “Universal Care” or “My Name Is Hell”.  But believe me, I love that aspect of the band and it’s a big reason I’ve become a huge fan over the last few years.  On this new one they smooth that out a bit and the heavier moments (such as the sludgy ending of “Any Way it Goes”) blend in more with the catchier moments, as opposed to being one-or-the-other.  On a few songs it makes for a rather new experience for the band, at least to my ears, but there are other moments where it just works wonderfully like on “A Functional Earth”, “Midnight” and the closing title track.  A little less screaming/shouting, but just as much howling and lyrics about the daily drudgeries of life, banal existence of debt, groceries, and encroaching apocalypse while throwing in some great “Mad Max” lines while they’re at it.  I personally took way too long to get into this band so if you still haven’t checked them out don’t be like me, just get in on this.

One of the great surprises (of which there were several) of this year’s Caterwaul Fest back in May was catching the locals in SCRUNCHIES tear up the microscopic indoor stage at Palmers.  They’ve been cutting their teeth in various dives for quite awhile I discovered and they were on the cusp of delivering their third LP, “Colossal”, at the time I saw them.  So since then I’ve been anticipating this record and it’s no let down.  As a trio they utilize every bit of distortion, melody, harmonized vocals, and all out rock to land somewhere in the early 90’s Dischord riot grrl arena (think Slant 6, Fire Party) with something a bit more aggressive, though not quite as steamrolling as fellow Minneapolitans Babes In Toyland.  Hell, just consider those aforementioned references and update it to 2024 with a strong nod to catchy and melodic grungy punk of the past and you’re golden.  This is an excellent listen and fuckin’ rocks from start to finish.  I could put “Generator” on repeat all day and not get tired of it.

I don’t often make a point of beginning a review with the way a record looks (though it certainly is important) I’ll start things off with saying this is one of the loveliest-looking records I’ve seen all year, a real treat to the eyes.  And secondly, this is definitely something way out of my wheelhouse, but I enjoy it nonetheless.  I’m speaking of the new record from DUMMY.   “Free Energy” takes things even further into dream pop, shoegaze, experimental electronic and pop soundscapes, as well as a few other descriptors outside of my pay grade.  In a sense they’re all over the place and they really went for it in terms of expanding their own horizons as a band.  While their previous material certainly resided in the more pop end of shoegaze with some coloring outside the lines this one expands on those inklings and puts them out in front and it pays off as a successful accomplishment.  I’m not saying I’m going to be listening to this non-stop or anything, but I’m certainly impressed with how they’ve thrown in a variety of interesting sounds, textures, and hooks and made it work.  Your best bet is to listen to this on some nice headphones for a true experience.  It’s pretty obvious they were aiming for that too with the deft attention to how they could use the studio as an added instrument.

But now I’m going to reflect on something from the past, brought back up to the present: For such an insular and hyper-local band almost entirely relegated to Detroit-area lore THOUGHTS OF IONESCO were one of the most intense live bands you could ever witness in the late 90’s.  I had the good fortune to see them once at the annual Michigan Fest in ’99, not too long before they imploded, and it still sticks in my memory as one of the most visceral and mind-blowing sets I’ve ever seen and that was probably one of their better shows I’d guess.  They have a pretty good clutch of material for you to explore and it’s all fantastic.  They did a brief reunion a few years back, released a very good EP, and did a handful of shows around it and then once again closed up shop.  “Live Detroit” documents one of those shows (yet just released now) and they sound just as killer on this as when I bore witness, or on any of their records.  They run through the songs most fans know of, spread across several of their records.  To give an idea of what you’re in for with Ionesco is absolutely gut-wrenching emotional catharsis via late-era Black Flags sludgy/jazzy head trip, channeled through seismic Crowbar-sized riffs, and Voivod’s bizarre arithmetic.  There is not a single moment on here bereft of tension, even as the band is slithering through freeform jazzy segues; you feel like they could strike at any moment.  But rest assured, most of this is volume, power, and emotional bloodletting of the heaviest variety and it’s in your best interest to explore any and all Ionesco.

Finally, the Australian duo of PARTY DOZEN made a name for themselves when on their last record they got Nick Cave to guest on a track, which helped to shine a much-deserved spotlight on them and their super bizarre, wild skronk rock.  Actually, I have no idea how to classify them.  It’s mostly instrumental music, with just a drummer and a saxophone player.  But they add in sampled sounds and beats, and you’ll hear guitar here and there, but for all I know it’s the saxophone being run through various effects pedals.  Whatever the case, it all sounds gnarly.  So, they keep it going on their third LP, the wonderfully titled,  “Crime In Australia”.  Everything from chaotic and sludgy punk, to psychedelic trip-outs, to dance-y rippers is all filtered through sax and drums and the various other sounds/accompaniments to make it all work. The best examples of this wild mish-mash working together are on the back-to-back  “Judge Hammer” and “Bad News Department”, the first with it’s sleazy and swampy rhythm, the next having an almost motorik/new wave that breaks out in squalls of fuzzed-out horn blasting.  And they then follow those harsher songs with “The Righteous Front’, which sounds like it could be an early DJ Shadow construction.  Give these Aussies a shot.  It’s a varied collection, but trust me, it works on some weird level.