Before getting into the stuff that everyone cares about
(records/music) I’d like to touch upon some of the best stuff of the year in
terms of the stuff outside music.
My wife and I were very adamant about moving out of Syracuse this year
and for a few reasons we decided not to.
And they were due to good things.
At my day job a position came up that I had been after for a couple
years and it finally came my way, and that was the prime reason for staying
put. My wife also did a little
activist-related jail time that actually was a positive because of all the
negative attention it brought to the place that brought action against her (in
short, foie gras is evil and is probably on it’s way out as a thing that exists
in the U.S.). As a result of her
jail time she also got a kick-ass job and is now doing activism full time and
getting paid for it. How inspiring
is that?
I also got to put out 4 incredible records this year by
bands that totally rule and are great people to know both on a musical level
and as friends. Bleak bring
inspiration to this town as a band that works and tours harder than most anyone
I know. They are unstoppable. Ex-Breathers bring a breath of fresh
air to hardcore and introduce all sorts of wonderful influences people may have
forgotten about, and do so in an exciting and energetic way. Grizzlor may try their hardest to
expound upon the miserable aspects of life, but I see right through it because
I can’t help but smile at how awesome their riffs are. And Dialysis… well, it’s my own band. But we made a record that I’m really proud of simply because
of a bunch of crazy ideas we had were executed exactly how we envisioned them
and how the art and packaging came together that I was able to oversee every
step of the way.
And I have more plans for 2016 that I’m excited about.
And there was loss this year as well. It’s not positive, but it must be
acknowledged. To Chris Jennings,
who battled numerous health issues his entire life, struggled with trying to
maintain himself through it all, and got 46 years out of this life… it was
honestly more than I expected. So
he will go down as a fighter in my book.
And to my dear cat Firecracker who was claimed by
cancer. She was a loving animal
companion for the entirety of her 14 years on this earth in my home. It’s a hard loss, but I always tried to
give her the best life I could.
OK, NOW THE RECORDS (in no particular order):
GODSTOPPER, “Lie Down”
This band clearly gives a lot of love to The Melvins. But The Melvins give a lot of love to
Kiss, which a lot of people don’t put together. It’s as if Godstopper picked up on that connection and
punched a glammy, singing hole right through their concrete wall-thick sludge
metal leanings to deliver their best material to date. The only crime here is that this album
was released only digitally. Don’t
let that keep you from allowing Godstopper to smash your skull in with love,
baby. (self-released)
KRILL, “A Distant Fist Unclenching”
In comparison to past stuff Krill moved light years ahead in
terms of songwriting and a very nice recording with this album, toured some,
and then promptly broke up in the fall.
Take three guys, playing with minimal gear, and making some of the best
damn racket that shares equal amounts quirky indie rock and voluminous amounts
of ‘where the heck did that come from’ musical dexterity and you get this
incredible record. I guess if they
had to break up this is a great way to go out. (Exploding In Sound)
COLISEUM, “Anxiety’s Kiss”
Each new Coliseum album that comes out these days tends to
be a grower for me. I’m a little
apprehensive about whatever new approach they take (and they are a consistently
evolving band that still manages to retain the spirit that makes them who they
are in a wonderful way). They took
a huge leap into less bluntly aggressive and more post-punk territory with
“House With a Curse” and after some time I found it to be my favorite album of
theirs. “Sister Faith” never quite
caught on with me as much as I’d hoped.
And this one here… well, I
thought I’d be left hanging for awhile.
But man, it caught me right away.
It’s nothing short of stellar.
The first two songs alone are a couple of the most anthemic tunes the
band has ever penned. The addition
of minor, textural synths to their love of things Dischord and Killing Joke
just completes the post-punk pile.
The rage is still there, it’s just translated into something a bit more
thoughtful and I love that about this band. (Deathwish Inc)
CLOAKROOM, “Further Out”
All slow, no go.
Morrisey on downers on the vocals (I dislike Morrisey but love this
dudes vocals), sub-sub-sub level tar-thick tones through the bass, and plenty
of spacey static and crisp melodies on the guitar. Call it shoegaze, or whatever, I don’t care. There’s definitely elements of that but
a super heavy bottom end that drags all these awesome songs through the
muck. I just wish there were more
songs on this thing because the ten or so they dish out aren’t enough. (Run For Cover)
METZ, “II”
Some people have stated that this album is only so-so
because it’s essentially exactly like their first LP. To that I ask, “and what’s so bad about that?” The first Metz LP was fucking
awesome. There are minor
differences here- a little more use of vocals to add a hook, a bit sharper
production, establishing a riff a bit more and riding it out (“Kicking a Can Of
Worms” and “Spit You Out”). But
their fierce three-chord hyperactive mania, mixed with some serious early
Nirvana worship, is in full effect on songs like “The Swimmer” and “Wait In
Line”. (Sub Pop)
SWEET COBRA, “Earth”
How this Chicago group had devastating loss (guitarist Matt
Arluck succumbed to cancer several years ago) and came back as a trio to make the
strongest (and most different) record of their existence is truly a wonderful
thing. Their past material was
cool, but most of it never stuck with me too much. Every song on this record is a winner. It’s an amazing mix of QotSA’s sense of
melody and some of Cave-In’s less metal, yet still jackhammering, riffs thrown
together with a truly rocking spirit.
(Magic Bullet)
BEAUTY PILL, “Describes Things As They Are”
A late entry to the field this year, but I found it
incredibly surprising that this DC collective came out of hibernation to not
only re-issue their breakout EP “Cigarette Girl From the Future” (originally released
on Dischord in 2003), but also release a new LP. A large part of this break had to do with main collaborator
Chad Clark dedicating a great deal of time to production/engineering work, and
a life-threatening heart condition that slowed the man down for a few
years. But ever since his and
multi-instrumentalist Devin Ocampo’s work with Smart Went Crazy way back when
I’ve been obsessed with every project they work on. Beauty Pill came back strong, having recorded this album
over the course of quite a long while in a museum (more or less) open to public
scrutiny and adding numerous contributors and various instrumentation to their
already exciting sound. Chad
Clark’s gently smug voice and wry, devilishly-detailed lyrics accompany a good
deal of electronics, lots of studio effects/dissection, synth, stringed
instruments, regularly-occurring soft female vocals, and somehow it all comes
off as an incredible post-punk record.
Heck, they even do a glitch-riddled Lungfish cover on it too. (Butterscotch Records)
TORCHE, “Restarter”
I heard a lot of people say they weren’t really into this
record. Well, they have a screw
loose. That’s all I can say. This is just Torche through and
through. It’s a perfect
representation of what they do best, which is write incredibly catchy songs
that are ridiculously heavy. It’s
their formula and no one does it better.
Simply stated, Torche put out a really good Torche record. “Bishop In Arms” and “Loose Men” bring
the upbeat, poppy aspect to their sludge.
“No Servants” is the slow burner.
“Annihilation Affair”, “Undone” and “Barrier Hammer” all bring the bomb
string (and boy does “Barrier Hammer” ever bring it. It’s probably the year’s heaviest song by a long shot) to
those longing for Torche’s heavier side.
(Relapse)
CHERUBS, “2 Ynfynyty”
I’m not going to pretend like I knew about this band all
along and own an original copy of “Heroin Man”. All I can attest to is that in the early 90’s I was aware
that there was a band called Cherubs, and that’s about it. They were not very well known and split
for 20 years. And now, for
whatever reason, they decided to make a new record this year. It sounds like the result of three guys
who did too many drugs, dusted off all their weird amps, and made one of the
most awesome noise rock records of 2015.
It’s the combination of tripped-out Manson Family psychedelia, buzzing
guitars, high-pitched howling vocals and some of the most raucous bombed-out
riffs and sludgy distortion pedals making sounds that are ultra catchy for five
seconds before they trip and fall in weird timing, only to come back again for
more abuse. From the bombastic
bliss of “Monkey Chow Mein” to the absolutely smashing riffery of “We Buy Gold”
I’m displeased with myself for waiting so long before getting this. (Brutal Panda)
SOME RUNNER-UP’S:
GREAT FALLS, “The Fever Shed” (Init)- I still haven’t got my
LP. I’ve been jamming this since
the spring. Totally fucked up
mathy noisecore.
WILD MOTH, “Inhibitor” (Iron Pier)- Great energetic indie rock. Basically just an awesome rock record.
BLACKLISTERS, “Adult” (Smalltown America)- UK lads understand why it’s awesome to
mix The Jesus Lizard and Unsane.
Thank you.
SONGS:
“Talia”, by Self Defense Family
Definitely in the top 5 songs the band/collective has ever
done… and they have a shitload of
songs.
“Moon Funeral”, by Cloakroom
Heaviest riff with the coolest lyrics all year. Probably my most listened to song this
year.
“Torturer”, by Krill
Basically any song from this LP could qualify but I think
this was the catchiest song on the record and introduced me to this group that
called it quits too soon in my opinion.
“Blue Rose”, by Sweet Cobra
The punkest song on their new LP that rips by in a brief two
minutes while throwing equal doses of rage and melody in a riffy little nugget
of awesome.
“We Buy Gold”, by Cherubs
An absolute mess of weird timing and gargantuan riffs thrown
like your decrepit grandpa down a flight of stairs or the rhythmic pumping of
an oil drilling rig malfunctioning and spewing crude all over the
landscape. You choose. Deal with it.
RE-ISSUES:
ROLLINS BAND, “Lifetime”- There’s no added benefit here, no overhaul in the packaging,
or big re-mixing. It’s just
totally essential that more people own this record.
JAWBOX, s/t-
Yeah, Dischord rules on the re-issues here because they have always had
the best bands. They took this one
back from a major label. A
brilliant final album getting some love again
UNWOUND- In
general. Those box sets they have
been releasing are insane. And for
what you’re getting the price is extremely reasonable. Holy fuck on toast.
SHOWS:
Coliseum/ Child Bite/ Psychic Teens @ Asbury Lanes, NJ
6.12.15
The last time I was at this place was a few years ago to see
Rorschach and it was just as awesome of a venue back then as it was for this
show. Yeah, it’s an old run-down
bowling alley on the edge of the beach next to the ocean. It was blazing hot out this day, but
being that close to the ocean, with the breeze, made everything a comfortable
cool. I got to check out the town
and pick up some excellent scores at a few record stores. I got to catch up with my man Ryan from
Coliseum over dinner. I got to
witness Child Bite for the first time and see first-hand their bizarre
insanity, as well as talk to them a bit regarding old Detroit stuff. Psychic Teens were a little sloppy, but
even on their worst day they are an incredible band that I’d watch
anywhere. And, last but not least,
I got to see Coliseum play all their new stuff for the first time and it all
sounds so awesome. They are
definitely one of those bands that can break out all new stuff live and I won’t
be upset that they didn’t pull out the well-known jams. Forever forward with enthusiasm with
them and despite a small crowd they played incredibly.
Empty Vessels
One Fest Ithaca @ The Haunt 7.25.15
So my band played this show, and it was by far one of my
favorite sets we ever played.
There were a bunch of people, a ton of great bands, a lot of friends,
and the sound at The Haunt is always great. We got to pal around with our friends in Bleak, Twin Lords,
and Fucking Invincible, who all put on awesome sets. Got to finally see Full Of Hell and they brought some
serious intensity. And the
standout band for me was Empty Vessels, who made more racket playing on the floor
as just a duo than most of the bands combined, on stage, mic’ed. It was a great surprise to go along
with a great day with friends both old and new.
Torche/ Nothing/ Wrong @Mohawk Place, Buffalo 3.23.15
This is one of my favorite venues in the region. Mohawk is pretty small, pretty punk,
but always gets great shows. I was
beyond excited to see Wrong after playing their EP non-stop for months. They definitely did not disappoint on
my first time seeing them. The
heaviness was beyond compare and I think everyone walked away that night
surprised at how good the opening band was. Nothing was up next and they brought the hype with
them. They did put out a good record
though, so seeing them deliver the goods live was fun. I know others appreciated it more than
I did, but it was a nice in-between to Wrong and Torche. And speaking of which, I hadn’t seen
Torche in a couple years so catching up with their musical bombast was nice. They picked out the best stuff from the
new record and killed it. They played
for a really long time, but I sort of got lost in it and didn’t quite notice
til it was all over, so I suppose that makes for a good set.
Wrong
Roomrunner (final show) at U+N Fest @ Ottobar, Baltimore
10.3.15
So I knew nothing about this band until earlier this year
and was instantly hooked, not only because of the wild videos they had made,
but by the unfuckwithable music they dished out. I made every effort to see if they were playing shows or
anything, but the band had been mostly dormant for the last year as members had
other commitments. Then I come to
find they’re breaking up and this would be their final show (and first show in
over 8 months). I said ‘fuck it’
and got my ass to Baltimore to bear witness. It proved to be well worth my time as Baltimore is a great
town to chill. Good eats, great
record stores (Celebrated Summer, what’s up?), comics, and so on. The show itself was really cool too. There is a great deal of variety of
bands in town (and regionally) that represented on this bill, as well as a lot
of wonderful people that I hadn’t seen in far too long. Roomrunner came out and played
basically everything I could have wanted them to play (minus “Karn”). They were incredibly loud, tight, and
full of energy that would suggest they had been playing in secret during their
long absence from the live setting.
And then I drove home and got back around 6AM or something.
Die Choking
Riotous Outburst Fest Day 1 (Die Choking, Empty Vessels,
Grizzlor), Providence, RI @ AS220, 9.23.15
It was the middle of the week, five hours from home and as
luck would have it my wife gave a lecture in Worcester the day before so we
were already in the region. We
made a day out of chilling out in Providence with friends and eating good
food. I had never actually been to
a show at AS220 and was very excited to check out this vibrant hub of long-running
DIY culture that has excelled in this city. The show started pretty late, which was a bummer and
attendance was sparse. But the
three bands I came to see were a varied mess of aggressive and loud that
stacked up to be a killer lineup.
After a couple openers Empty Vessels once again decimated my eardrums
with just a couple cabs, a single guitarist and one angry drummer. All the new stuff they played really
seemed to be a great indication of things to come. This was my first time seeing/meeting Grizzlor after
deciding to put out a record for them and their live set was pretty much what I
hoped for. For a dirty, messy band
they sure did have their sound dialed in.
It was late when Die Choking started but they played so goddamned fast
and aggressively that I was infused with a violent amount of energy by the time
that they finished that I used to drive all the way back to Syracuse afterwards
through the night.
High On Fire, Lucifer, Pallbearer @ Lost Horizon, Syracuse
8.14.15
Any time I can see high On Fire it’s going to be worth it
because they are one of the best metal bands on the planet. There is no shortage of fury during
their set. Even Matt Pike, looking
pretty wrecked (though the fun-manchu stache was basically worth the price of
admission) delivered like a man possessed. They might have played two or three songs I instantly
recognized, the rest being either new or off the last couple records that I
have a passing familiarity with.
But it didn’t matter. They
just destroyed wholly and completely.
They played “10,000 Years”…
need I say more? Lucifer
was the first band I caught and their Sabbath worship came through wonderfully
with some very incredible vocals to carry it. Pallbearer, according to most people there, were awesome,
but I wasn’t feeling it. It’s High
On ire though, that’s what does it.
Total wreckage.
Metz
Metz/ Lightning Bolt @ Mohawk Place, Buffalo… April?
So I’ve been a big fan of Metz for awhile now and could only
imagine how wild they would be live.
Not only were they an incredibly energetic live band but they were
insanely loud too, which is a great combination for me. I had a chance to talk to them
afterwards and it turns out one of them was in a band that I had booked in the
past, so it was nice playing catch up some 15 years later. I’d never listened to Lightning Bolt,
but I was pretty sure I knew what I was in for and it was exactly as I had expected. The place was packed and everything
else was like some crazy, tripped out freak fest. It was only the two bands, which was good because it was a
weekday and I had to drive back home afterwards, so bonus points for keeping it
short and sweet.
Young Widows/ Austerity Program/ Shannon Wright @ Boot &
Saddle, Philly 3.15.15
Any trip to Philly is always a good trip. It’s quite possibly my favorite place
to visit in the Northeast due to it’s great record stores, great people,
incredible vegan offerings, awesome shows happening pretty much every day, and
the fact that basically every other person you see on the street is a punk
rocker. They got it good down
there. This show proved to be even
better due to some people I barely ever see showing up and hanging out, and
catching up with old friends I see on a regular basis. Oh, and this was the first time I got
to see Young Widows playing stuff off of “Easy Pain” (which was one of my
favorite records last year) and they absolutely killed it. They played a nice long set full of
stuff from their last three records and sounded just as good as ever, even with
a semi-new gear set-up. Austerity
Program was before them and I had never seen them either, but I have a couple
of their records. As a two-piece
with a drum machine they sounded almost exactly like their records (the stage
banter was a pretty funny distraction).
Big Black worship at it’s finest.
Shannon Wright played as well and I think my friends were more impressed
with her Nick Cave-style of noisy, sleazy swagger than I was, but it was nonetheless
a good set.
