AS YOU WERE zine #1 & 2
This makes me very excited. Here we have a professionally put together comics anthology
zine put together by punk folks making punk comics. The first issue has a theme of house shows, so all the
stories revolve around that. The
best of the bunch here involves the haunted house ghost circle pit (Anthony
Sorge), the incredibly detailed and wacky spread from Liz Suburbia, and curator
Mitch Clem’s rumination on missing a Mountain Goats living room gig. The second issue features a grim cover
by Ben Sears and focuses on ‘the pit’…
so ya know, moshing. It’s
pretty funny really. Mitch Clem
again offers a tale of slipping on his ass feeling like a shmuck, Ben Snakepit
(whose comics I’m usually not really into) makes an incredible short based
around a D.R.I. song, and the single page gag from Will Laren is worth the
price of the zine alone. Other notable
offerings come from Ramsey Everydaypants and Marcos Siref. A very worthwhile purchase if I do say
so myself. (Silver SprocketBicycle Club)
BLEAK demo
This must be two different recordings, both done fairly
close together, because this band has only been active a short while and they
sound radically different. For
Syracuse-area people, if the bands Architect, Blood Money, and Cowards ring any
bells just mash ‘em all together and you get Bleak. It’s quite an apt summation of what they’re doing. For outsiders, think Disembodied
worship. The first two tracks are
the newest of the lot and represent an excellent step forward, both in terms of
writing and recording. It sounds
loud, mean, and heavy as garbage truck full of bricks. The second batch of songs, in my
opinion, should have been shelved until the band could get a proper recording,
and had been playing together for awhile.
I feel they are too premature.
A couple of the songs are pretty good, but one of them is missing the
boat completely as the drums are out of whack and it feels disjointed in a
negative way. But as far as the
new tracks go, keep ‘em coming because now that they have their bearings they
sound pretty unstoppable. (Bleak)
CAYETANA demo
It’s kind of awesome when people you’re friends with, whom
you had no prior indication that they could play instruments, just get it together,
make a band, and record some jams.
A couple Syracuse-area transplants got this band going down in Philly
not too long ago and what you get is some mid-tempo indie-leaning punk. It has energy, but it’s also perfect
for those Spring days where you know Summer is coming up and you’re just
relaxing in the backyard taking it all in. That’s what these songs feel like. It’s nothing mind blowing, but having seen them live
recently they broke out a whole bunch of other songs not on this demo that hint
towards pretty awesome stuff to come.
I’ll be on the lookout for sure. (Cayetana)
EX-BREATHERS, “Collision”
So I’m not sure when exactly this record was released, but
when I caught this band playing at Gainesville Fest this year they were the
surprise hit for me. They exploded
with such energy and balls-out chaos, all the while still playing incredibly
tight, I didn’t know what to make of it all. Musically it took a few listens to nail it down, but it
still is far from perfect. So I’m
not sure if this is what they intended, but I’m definitely reminded of noisy mid-90’s
Wreck-Age Records offerings like Die 116 and Gern Blandsten math rockers 1.6
Band colliding in a frenzy of Keelhaul-esque drum fills, and blasting
urgency. Sure, weird references,
but that’s the best I got. Lyrics
are fairly straight forward and the album artwork definitely does not allude to
the wildness contained within. A
very intriguing band to be sure, one with some uncommon sounds, but it will
shave your scalp clean off once the needle hits. I suggest seeing them live (if you’re a Florida panhandle
resident this might be easier) as the record hardly does justice to their live
sound. Total blast rock. (Living Lost Records)
MANDATE OF HEAVEN, “Mark Music”
Mandate Of Heaven is synonymous with Syracuse underground
rock, as salt potatoes are to local cuisine. Yeah, salt potatoes.
Look it up and salivate, bonehounds. Either way, Greg Pier (AKA Mandate Of Heaven) has been
dishing out album after album for a dozen years or so now, and he, and a
regularly (semi) rotating cast of musicians rarely play outside of town. My preference is on the bands more
aggressive and raw output, but they have, over the years, laid down some
excellent slow jams. “Mark Music”
(already having been out for some time) is not only the best-sounding recording
the band has done, but it’s most ‘grown-up’ (for lack of a better term). While we get a couple more Sabbath-y
style beefy tracks (“From the Center” and “If Twenty”), it’s balanced out by
some bluesy jams featuring some pedal steel (“Riverbed”) and boogie rock
(“Cruel, Cruel Aristocrats”). The
group also has a long-standing affair with tricky off-time riffs, as showcased
on “Scrapper’s Blues”, which might be my overall favorite song on the
album. It sounds like an eclectic
mesh of styles, but it’s all tied together by Pier’s distinctive crooning and
melodious wail. Outsiders might
see this as left-of-center bar rock.
But those who reside here know better, that there is more going on. While this album sits somewhat in a
mainstream context, and is not my overall favorite of their catalog, it
certainly is yet another awesome offering from the always reliable Mandate Of
Heaven. (Neon Witch)
NONAGON, “The Last Hydronaut” EP
I’m getting a real Frodus/Forstella Ford/Keleton DMD vibe
from this group. While that may
mean nothing to the reader (or heck, even to this band), it means a great deal
to me and should demonstrate that I have an instant affection and respect for
what they’re doing here. Nonagon
hail from the Chicago region and DNA strands of stellar indie/punk groups that
have littered the scene there over the years show up in the stylings of this
group with their nimble bass flogging, angular guitar gymnastics, and
dedication to analog recording techniques (at least it sounds as if this were
recorded analog). So yeah, my
initial reference points hold no ground as none of them are from Chicago. But what do you care? You should be at least checking this
out for a taste of some great rock. (Controlled Burn Records)
NO SIR, “The Future Is Bright”
Yes. Beat me
senseless with loud and dirty hardcore.
Some people look to 90’s grunge and noise rock with contempt, like it
wasn’t hardcore enough. Sure, if
you’re talking Silverchair or some such horseshit. But when hardcore kids pick up on Cows, early Helmet,
Unsane, and Melvins… well then,
argue all you like. I consider
those bands pretty hardcore. They
have buckets of spite and noise to go around and I feel like No Sir is picking
up on that pretty well. All these
dudes have played in (or currently play in) hardcore bands that fit a fairly
typical framework of the term. But
No Sir brings the noise and filthiness to the game, all the while keeping it
pretty catchy too. Upbeat ragers
like “I Doubt You’ll Ever Swim Again” bash skulls against slow clomp-and-thud
cranium crushers like “Wet Worlds”.
Highly impressive stuff. You
should get this now-ish. (TwelveGauge Records)
PILE, “Dripping”
One of my friends talked this band up to me recently, and then a few weeks later I ended up seeing them at Fest. They were excellent. I immediately picked up a couple of their records, this being the most recent of them. And since that time I have been trying in vain to accurately describe just what they sound like and I still don’t think I can quite capture it. But I’ll give it a shot, again. It’s as if The Pixies got into playing stoner rock. It has many of those quirky song structures, strange vocal inflections, and really off-kilter guitar melodies. But then it all comes crashing down in thunderous rock fury, and some anthemic riffs. This is considerably ‘heavier’ than the other album of theirs I picked up (“Jerk Routine”), but equally as interesting. I’m sure this band doesn’t give a shit what I say about them, so I’ll just sum it up as saying that this rues and is one of the more interesting bands I’ve heard in the last couple years. (Exploding In SoundRecords)
One of my friends talked this band up to me recently, and then a few weeks later I ended up seeing them at Fest. They were excellent. I immediately picked up a couple of their records, this being the most recent of them. And since that time I have been trying in vain to accurately describe just what they sound like and I still don’t think I can quite capture it. But I’ll give it a shot, again. It’s as if The Pixies got into playing stoner rock. It has many of those quirky song structures, strange vocal inflections, and really off-kilter guitar melodies. But then it all comes crashing down in thunderous rock fury, and some anthemic riffs. This is considerably ‘heavier’ than the other album of theirs I picked up (“Jerk Routine”), but equally as interesting. I’m sure this band doesn’t give a shit what I say about them, so I’ll just sum it up as saying that this rues and is one of the more interesting bands I’ve heard in the last couple years. (Exploding In SoundRecords)
RIVAL SCHOOLS, “Found”
This has been out for several months already, I know, but
hey, I’m just getting around to it.
Rival Schools were the perfect pick me up after years of post-Quicksand
depression, hoping that somewhere Walter was cooking up more brilliant
post-hardcore. When “United By
Fate” dropped in 2001 it may have moved a bit further from post-hardcore to
indie rock, but whatever, I’ll take it.
That record has remained, over the last 12 years, a staple in my rock
diet. Its such a wonderful record
that I adore. So, seeing as this
long-lost collection of demos recorded in 2003 has surfaced on vinyl, it still
fits in that time frame of when the band was still pretty fresh. Granted, second guitarist (and supplier
of insane guitar effects) Ian Love is not on this recording. He is replaced with the very capable
Chris Traynor (Fountainhead, Orange 9mm, Helmet). But I have to admit, the songs on here certainly are in the
demo stage. I can see most of them
having turned into great songs by the time they made it to a legit
studio/album. Whatever. I’ll take it. I think the best of the bunch comes in the second half of
the record, culminating in the wonderful “Big Waves”, which kind of sounds what
the title suggests. They also do a
great Buzzcocks cover of “Why Can’t I Touch It”. For the completist.
(SRC Vinyl)
SAN ANGELUS, “Soon We’ll All Be Ghosts”
By all accounts this is a supergroup that I ought to be very
down with. But such is the 50/50
odds that just because the people who are in the band might individually have created
great stuff and together might not turn out what you expect. That being said, the performers on this record are dudes from
Undertow, Sparkmarker, and Pelican.
This should be the greatest aggressive post-hardcore to hit since about
1997. Instead we get very
mainstream friendly rock, heavy on atmosphere and a dreamy disposition. It’s not bad, just kind of bland. A lot of the songs don’t really go
anywhere honestly. They have some
nice parts, mediocre rocking, the occasional catchy riff, but it just sort of
sits there overall. And I guess a
couple of these dudes already moved on to other things, so I guess we’ll see
where they go next? (Amber andWool Music)
SLINGSHOT DAKOTA, “Dark Hearts”
More like ‘Dank farts’, amirite? Ya know, because this couple is always talking about
farting? Anyone? Anyone? OK, that being said, SD are one of the most sincere couples
out there making music. And for
such softies they play so loud and hard it’s stupid. I mean, you get keyboards, soft vocals, and drums. That’s it. But Carly lays on those keys like no one’s business, boosts
them through some bass thingy, and Tom beats on his drums like they just mugged
his mother. So, live, they always
kill it. But this record feels a
bit more reserved than their live show and I think I’d be way more into it if
they captured more of that live energy.
A few of these songs are meant to be chill and I can understand
that. And there are a few that
have a very live, big feeling to them that are better experienced from the pit
of some basement show, or small stage.
“Rasta Bacca” is probably the best song on here (even though I think it’s
about smoking pot) just because it has such a wonderfully catchy lead that
sounds like it could have come from an old Devo record. (Top Shelf)
WEEKEND NACHOS, “Still”
I remember seeing this band once, years ago, when they were
still pretty new and I couldn’t get over the fact that the singer looked like
he flipped out on people for a living.
The music reflected that attitude of flipping the fuck out,
repeatedly. While I have not
exactly paid attention to their recorded output I know their live shows are
typically nothing short of burning-mattresses-prison-riot intensity and the
songs on this all-too-brief LP have that same kind of intensity I recall. How does it stand up to other records
they have done? No idea. But here’s what I hear: short bursts (typically) of down-tuned
and freakishly tight grind/powerviolence, followed by slabs of meaty riffs
Crowbar wished they wrote (or that Weekend Nachos respectfully borrowed). It’s a great combo if you’re the type
to wear your Iron Lung t-shirt to the dojo. (Relapse)
WINDHAND, “Soma”
You think you like Electric Wizard? Yo, Windhand REALLY likes Electric
Wizard. I mean, a lot. I thought I was listening to an
Electric Wizard record actually.
I’m not complaining though.
I probably have a better chance of seeing this band than I ever do the
English titans of sludgy doom.
Windhand will have to do.
But, so help me, if they play that 30 minute long track that’s on this
record live I might not be into it.
13 minute long songs, max.
And yeah, that describes the longest of the six songs on this
monster. The rest keep it a tidy
6-8 minutes each… no worries. Regardless, bask in riffs slower and
heavier than one of those Jawa sandcrawlers, complete with atmospheric female
lead vocals over top of it all.
It’s a pretty bad ass experience, man. (Relapse)
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