IT'S THE YEAR END LIST 2023!!!

It was a wild year where I felt like I had to keep running to keep up because I had some big changes going on personally that were very exciting, but kept me quite occupied.

Number one on that list was I bought a house and spent several months completely immersed in the arduous, and quite frankly scary, process that comes along with that, as well as all the fixing-up, settling in, and so forth.  So lots of work there that was an exceptional change in life.

Hex Records had some amazing opportunities this year too- I had the great pleasure of releasing the debut LP from Facet.  It’s a ridiculously great-sounding record from an exciting new (ish) band and I had the pleasure of seeing them a couple times this year as well.

It was a dream come true to release the new record from Mums, a band that I have been mildly obsessed with for years now, and their gargantuan fuzzy riffs and playful songs.  Not only does the new LP rule, but it’s a total bonus that they’re just fantastic people to boot.

I got to reacquaint  myself with long time pals Kevin and Brenton and their new band Day Job.  I worked with both those guys about 5 years back with their other band Null, so it was a pleasure to release another worthy effort from their creative minds in the form of sludgy sledgehammer tracks.

There was a summer I wish didn’t end filled with activity, tons of bike rides (many of which were themed from the Talking Heads ride, the vegan donut ride, a Pee-Wee Herman memorial ride, a Devo-inspired ride, and the World Naked Bike Ride just to name a few), lots of swimming in rivers, and beautiful weather.  Honestly, the first summer in years where the heat didn’t eventually just make me wish it got cold.

But there was part sadness as well.  The world lost Rick Froberg of Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, Obits, Pitchfork, and artist extraordinaire.  I know much of the music I love, the kinds of bands I promote through my label, the art I find exciting- a lot of that has a connection to the art and music Rick was a part of making and his influence is nothing short of legendary.  I feel lucky to have been able to see three of his bands over the years on multiple occasions.  And a little more personal, my old pal Steve Muczynski passed suddenly- a very kind soul from Michigan/San Diego who always shared his music with me, would randomly touch base on and off, and for some reason was always buying CDs from me.  Small acts of kindness ya know?  I know his loss runs deep to many.  RIP Steve.

FAVORITE ALBUMS (in no order)

This year there wasn’t anything life changing; nothing that made me completely re-evaluate my interest in music.  There were just a lot of records that were really solid efforts, plainly said, a lot that just kicked ass.  So there’s a bit more than a ‘top 10’, and no ‘number 1’ because all this stuff was just swirling around my ears a lot.

FACS, “Still Life In Decay”

At first I didn’t like this band- too slow, too artsy, too minimalist.  Then I saw them and it was brilliant.  I also slapped myself for being a shmuck.  They have several albums.  This is just the newest.  The rest are great too.  And yeah, it’s exactly like I said- slow, artsy, minimalist on the surface- yet with a serial killer precision in execution and emotional wrangling through  crazy guitar effects and awesome use of space. (Trouble In Mind)

STRESS PALACE, s/t

Just came in at the start of the year.  Did you forget about it yet?  you shouldn’t.  It’s an awesome debut from this rather mysterious Houston (I think?) band. They have an awesome way of creating the kind of noisy post-hardcore that I like with all these interesting layers of mood and texture with some tastefully added synths.  It’s rare to see a new band start that already feels fully formed. (The Ghost Is Clear)

OBITUARY, “Dying Of Everything”

It’s been years since I listened to Obituary and nothing has changed.  They’re just as good as ever.  I know I can be a bit nose-in-the-air highbrow about my music tastes, I’m aware.  But sometimes you just need some caveman shit with riffs that will pile drive you through a brick wall.  Obituary have always been able to hit that groove while splitting yr skull.  Fuckin’ heavy. (Relapse)

GREAT FALLS, “Objects Without Pain”

It’s crazy to think Great Falls have been a band for well over 10 years, highly prolific with numerous releases, and they’re just hitting their stride now.  This is their most realized record and their most emotionally exhausting.  They write violent and bleak music that’s complicated and savage and pour their entire being into it all and you can hear it on here.  “Thrown Against the Waves” is kind of a perfect title that encapsulates what they do and happens to be one of the best songs on the album as well. (Neurot)

TRUTH CULT, “Walk the Wheel”

This was one of my most highly anticipated releases of the year and it shows the Baltimore punks delving deeper into melody and songcraft to pair up with their awesome DC-influenced Rev Summer/Swiz worship.  They also put on a heck of a live show swirling with non-stop energy. (Pop Wig)

HIRS COLLECTIVE, “We’re Still Here”

Whenever bands or artists talk about ‘collabs’ none of them have a goddamn thing on HIRS Collective, where essentially every song is a collab with various people in punk/hardcore/indie/hip-hop/whatever.  And they do this awesome thing where you get their distinct style of pummeling hardcore/grind/powerviolence while still giving their collaborators equal voice.  Who else would have Melt-Banana, Geoff Rickley, members of Thou, Fucked Up, Converge, and Full Of Hell all sharing space on the same record?  It’s fuckin’ nuts.  HIRS brings people together and that’s beautiful. (Get Better)

MIRAKLER, “How I Became the Devil”

What a killer debut.  I mean they really pack it in, no one can say they feel shortchanged by this because they cram like 17 tracks onto this record.  Some might say it’s a bit too long.  But with all the awesome riffage and chunky, gooey, noisy hooks stuffed in I’m going to say it’s a deal.  This Pittsburgh trio is one to keep an eye on because they’re streamrolling right on through with this record. (Reptilian)

STUCK, “Freak Frequency”

I feel lie Stuck are THE post-punk band for this era.  Their sound is clean, quirky, super catchy, and still a bit weird.  In a subgenre that can often get mired in boring snobs talking about nonsense guitarist/vocalist Greg Obis writes clever lyrics about real issues and modern day concerns in a way that evokes a slight panic, but also a refreshing take.  The couple tracks on here that feature backups by Melkbelly’s Miranda Winters are just stellar and a couple of the bands best tracks to date. (Born Yesterday)

BIG GARDEN, “To the Rind”

I try to be careful about nostalgia because it can be easy, alluring, and a distraction from cool shit happening now.  That’s not to say it’s not worth re-visiting, that’s fine.  Just don’t let it dominate.  Well, this debut by Thou project band Big Garden threatens to full-on teleport me back to the 90’s with it’s complete worship of stuff like Hum, old Smashing Pumpkins, and big, heavy grunge straight out of 1992.  You know how those Thou dudes write riffs.  Echoes of that are all over this, just more mid-tempo, less screaming, and piggybacking off of every episode of “120 Minutes” into one chunky glob. (Gilead Media)

FIDDLEHEAD, “Death Is Nothing To Us”

I used to be skeptical of this band because I thought maybe they were just big right from the get-go based off their previous band associations and were just cosplaying whatever it is they do.  But I was so wrong.  They really do write wonderful songs and Pat Flynn’s lyrics evoke real musings on life and death and the beauty in-between it all.  “The Woes”, “15 To Infinity” and “Going To Die” are all amazing tearjerkers of songs that are all stated fantastically while still managing to shoehorn in 108 and Bad Brains references.  Yes, there is Rites of Spring and Embrace worship, but it’s also just energetic and engaging music. (Run For Cover)

OPEN CITY, “Hands In the Honey Jar”

I wasn’t sure if we would ever hear from Open City again.  It seemed like a fun project band at first, but it seems like an ongoing real thing, despite rarely playing shows and 5 years between their last album and this one.  Still, this hardcore group of seasoned musicians has made another tribute to DC-inspired hardcore and Sarah Kirsch worship and if you know me, I really love hardcore when it comes from those sorts of reference points.  This is another fun one, in a similar vein as bands like Truth Cult. (Get Better)

FILTH IS ETERNAL, “Find Out”

I’ve been a fan of this group since seeing them under their previous moniker Fucked and Bound and their vicious live show.  They’ve only gotten better and maintained a similar sound despite some lineup changes.  But their mish-mash of grungy metallic hardcore mixed with lots of d-beat and thrash pacing is just solid ass-kicking audio terrorism at it’s finest.  Short songs, tons of energy, and still loud as fuck live. (MNRK Heavy)

PAINT IT BLACK, “Famine”

So it just occurred to me that Dan Yemin is on this list three times- a guest spot on the new HIRS Collective, the Open City record, and now the new release from the long-running Paint It Black, who strike back just as agitated and ferocious as ever.  This short burst possibly qualifies as a full length, but it’s more of a longer EP?  Whatever.  This recalls the best of the short-fast hardcore of their early material with some of the curveballs they’ve thrown in on later records, all of which are awesome and creative.  Lyrically, some of their most on-point and striking of their long run as a band. (Revelation)

Late Entry:

VULTURE FEATHER, “Liminal Fields”

I only stumbled upon this a few weeks ago, though it was released over the summer.  Total Lungfish worship, but with some extra turns and textures and I absolutely love it.  It’s chill but epic, beautiful and strange, and it’s their first record.  They’re seasoned players from bands I’ve never heard but that’s inconsequential.  Just check this out for pure bliss. (Felte Label)

SHOWS

I’m not going to lie, this year was a reunions wet dream.  I really hate to resort to that as I’d much rather concentrate on current and new bands.  But I saw Unwound twice and I never got to see them when they were around and they were magical.  I also caught Botch twice (who I was able to see many, many times over the years) and they’re one of my favorite bands ever.  And finally, while hardly a reunion at this point (more like a fully operational band in their second- well, third sort of- go around), I got to see Quicksand do a special set where they played “Slip”, pretty much my favorite record of all time, in it’s entirety from start to finish.  And that was pretty special I must say.  So while that certainly gives a big nod to the past there’s also some fantastic current stuff that I was stoked to experience live this year.

The Caterwaul Fest in Minneapolis was an exhausting long weekend, but an exhilarating event filled with a lot of people I was happy to see and hang around with, as well as a virtual boatload of bands that all kicked ass.  Seeing the USA Nails guys again, Cherubs, Rid Of Me, Facet, Multicult, Traindodge, Grizzlor, Chat Pile, Child Bite, Still/Form, Naw, and Kal Marks between a beautiful outdoor stage in great weather, and a packed indoor venue was really life-affirming and to know so many people are into this loud and ugly music felt quite nice.

In February I saw Sumac for the first time.  I know they’ve been a band a pretty long time at this point, and they all live in the Northwest.  What can I say?  I just hadn’t gotten around to it.  At this particular show I guess they were playing pretty much just older stuff and the venue they played was this relatively smaller hall with a very low stage and Thrones opened (and I’d never seen Thrones live either!).  But I gotta say, Sumac absolutely destroyed.  They sounded massive and had a ton of energy.  Really impressive.

In October I went down to Eugene for the day/evening to see a bill with an assortment of awesome current bands all completely rip it up in the perfect-sized venue.  Deaf Club, Entry, Help, and Filth Is Eternal all played together in what was easily a dream bill of fast and exciting hardcore/something-heavier-and-crazier-than-that at times and I can’t think of a better cross-section of how aggressive music can all be different in sound, yet still come across so forceful and engaging.  Truly awesome.

THE LAST OF THE REVIEWS FOR THIS YEAR

 The year closes out and a handful of releases made their way into paws and earholes.  And let me tell ya, it's a mixed bag:  there's two surprise releases, one of which is a reunion out of the blue I never thought would happen (Blacklisters and Coliseum).  There's a fitting tribute/memorial; part sadness, part triumph (Sulaco).  And there's, like several European releases in here (TV Cult, Blacklisters again, and Bug).  And among all that there's the general smorgasbord of new shit that I just found to be cool, interesting, or ruining my brain even more.  Happy holidays buttheads.

BLACKLISTERS, “Auf Dem Tisch” EP

Surprise!  For a band that finds it exceptionally difficult to get together- members are split between the UK and Germany- Blacklisters are a fairly prolific group and I appreciate that to a wonderful degree.  Last year saw the gonzo, sax-infused, ball buster “Leisure Centre” EP, while not too long before that was their total high-water mark LP “Fantastic Man”, and they got plenty of shit you can find that came before that too.  So on this new surprise EP they belt out four more noisy-as-hell rippers, erring on a more scuzzy, punk sound.  Though I’m going to say that I think part of that is due to this having more of a demo quality to the recording versus anything fancy.  Are these songs intended as near-complete drafts for a future LP?  It sort of feels like it, but for all I know they just wanted to throw out some new songs, distance between members be damned. The UK’s answer to Pissed Jeans with more repetitious rhythm? An international melee frothing over old Jesus Lizard records and zooted on whippits?  All possibles.  A band that I wish would tour the US at least every couple of years and kick our dumb behinds with their crazy music?  Definitely. (self-released)

BUG, “Lux Ultima”

This German band has been around for quite awhile and I’m not entirely sure what to make of it.  Their sound is most closely on par with long time noise riffers Big’n.  In fact, if I didn’t know what I was listening to I would have thought this was Big’n with lots of those punchy stop-start riffs and the garbled and growly vocals being almost identical.  And then they throw in some Jesus Lizard love on “I Bark At Nothing” with it’s quick pace and slide guitar that borders on plagiarism.  However, the band throws a curveball with “God’s Hell” as it’s a straight up black metal song.  Just, ‘sure, let’s put a black metal song in the middle of this album for no real reason.’  “Snafu” takes the complete opposite tack with a super slow and lurching sludge attack and it’s really pretty awesome. The lyrics fluctuate between German and English and are all over the map with (what I presume to be tongue-in-cheek) conspiracy theories about vaccines, 5G controlling our brains, Brittany Spears, American political disasters, and more.  It’s super weird and honestly a bit too on-the-nose in terms of it’s very obvious influences….  minus the random black metal song. (Interstellar Records)

C.L.S.M., “Infinity Shit”

Another (even bigger) surprise!  After closing up shop nearly 8 years ago Coliseum just went and decided to make another LP for the heck of it.  Since that time, where it was quite a clear decision to part ways the members have all been busy, diving fully into other bands such as Yautja, Fotocrime, Null, and more, leaving Coliseum, and the past, behind.  But the future is a weird place and here’s Coliseum to lay out the punk jams.  They’re clearly aiming to follow a sound akin to their early material, prior to all their explorations of post-hardcore and post-punk (all of which I adore).  However, the Coliseum that made the s/t LP and “Goddamage” was (aside from guitarist/vocalist Ryan Patterson) a completely different lineup.  So this is the lineup from “Sister Faith” and “Anxiety’s Kiss”, which produce a bit of a different sound. There’s the straight-ahead Motorhead/D-beat sort of fury found in Coliseum of old, minus some of their more melodic DC hardcore tendencies, throughout the record and one interlude kind of track that is slow, and has an almost omnipresent saxophone accompaniment (I mean, what’s Coliseum without trying new things?) as the lone outlier.  Late in the record you get a couple songs that have more of a fun and bouncy approach, kind of like something you’d hear from The Damned, on “Psychedelic Ward” and the closing title track. All in all, it’s a nice surprise from a band that I had such admiration for giving us all some new gifts. 

(Auxiliary/ Equal Vision)

THE MISTONS, “Extended Play” EP

Local trio The Mistons show up here on this new EP to remind the world scruffy power pop is alive and well and will worm it’s way into your noggin like Kahn’s brain leeches in Star Trek.  “Contagious” starts things off and, yeah, I get it man, this song is catchy as the cold in a packed school bus full of snot-nosed 4th graders in winter.  Most of these five songs are short, spunky, and to-the-point, although mid-point track, “I Can’t Stay”, slows things down a bit but remains just as hum-able.  The record closes with a cover of “Wait A Minute” by the Wipers, which makes sense from the perspective of being a local institution.  Yet while I often feel like under their energetic punk exterior The Wipers were often kind of dour (much like our frequently cloudy/rainy Northwest skies) The Mistons are far too jumpy and play like someone lit a fire under their asses for this cover to sound emotionally pouty.  There’s a hecka cool etched B-side art for you to gaze upon and that, along with just “Contagious” and “Brikka Brakka Firecracker” are worth the price of admission alone. (Nadine Records)

NAW / ASBESTOS WORKER, split 10”

Two semi-newer promising bands team up for a heavy dose of grungy, kinda metal-ish offerings.  Asbestos Worker was, at first, a solo project that is now a full band (or at least they were when I saw them earlier this year).  In my brain, when I saw them, it seemed slower and heavier, but these songs are pretty upbeat.  Thank punk riffs and beats with sludgy guitars and all the vocal and lyrical positivity of a Sheer Terror album.  Naw strike back after a raging full length a couple years ago with three new songs.  Their knotted, riffy metal-tinged noise stew remains as vitriolic as ever with vocals that alternate between evil screaming and harrowing singing.  The first couple tracks have parts that lean more into chunky, rhythmic grooves in parts where one could possibly detect a hint of nu-metal influence.  But this shit just sounds too pissed off and noisy to really fall into that trope.  It’s the final track- “You’re a Coward and This World Will Remain Unchanged Without You” that is not only a ‘damn, that’s harsh’, but sounds exactly as mean-spirited as the title implies where the group are at their peak and showing exactly who they are and what they can do. (Learning Curve)

SULACO, “Spoth” EP

A few months ago Rochester human institution and accomplished bassist Lon Hackett passed away suddenly.  The dude had been slinging the low end for numerous metal bands over the last three decades and had a very unique style that only he could hold down.  Most notable of these bands is the long-running Sulaco who decided to take the last couple tracks they wrote with him and put them to tape.  Guitarist Erik Burke (also of a million bands from Brutal Truth to Nuclear Assault to Blurring), who may be the only other capable steward to deliver the goods, has done so in a way that honors their pal and does justice to a dude whose back catalog is thick with innumerable tracks of knotty, weird math-y riff stew heaviness.  These two songs stay true to the man and the band if you’re already a fan.  If you’re unfamiliar think plodding riffs, dizzying puzzle-like passages, crushing double bass, and parts that will make your fingers arthritic just thinking about how this could possibly be played by human hands.  A great starting reference point is Burnt By the Sun and early Mastodon, but I guarantee you’ll come across more than just that.  (self-released)

TV CULT, “Colony”

This is one of those albums that just drew me in with the cover art.  It just looked cool, especially the band logo.  Glad to say upon listening to it there was some solid music to back it up as well.  Drawing from the same sort of energetic post-punk well that you would hear from both older bands like The Wipers, as well as the first Shame record, TV Cult aren’t going for anything complicated, overly thought-out, or undefinable.  They play punk rock that’s fun and energetic, yet knows a thing or two about melody and dynamics.  The vocals alternate between hoarse shouting and low talking, and everything in-between is just a quick ride through 10 tracks from the first official LP (after re-recording many of these tracks from digital singles released over the last few years) from these Germans.  (Flight13 Records)

YATSU, “It Can’t Happen Here”

Heavy, grinding political hardcore madness is the game here and Yatsu are out here torching Park Place.  Similar in attack to fellow Texans Kill the Client (though maybe less metallic) the dudes in Yatsu give us 17 tracks that blast right by. The back-to-back of the short and simplistic title track and it’s noise-interlude counterpart “It’s Already Happening Here” speak to the themes of this record and the accompanying sort of duplicitous social upheaval occurring in our backyards through the sounds your hearing.  The two tracks do plenty with barely any words.  But if that doesn’t tell you enough maybe song titles like “Beaten To a Pulpit”, “Militarized Hope”, or “Afterbirth Of a Nation” will drive the point home.  Anyway, this is the kind of raging, pissed off hardcore/powerviolence you need in your life that isn’t just 20 second blasts.  The whole thing is fucking heavy, but it’s mixed into a stew where you get enough variety to keep things interesting and engaging throughout.  (The Ghost Is Clear)

HOLIDAY SALE AND GOODIES AND WHATNOT

 It's again that time of the year to consider not just others, but yourself.  You know your family is going to get you another hat you really don't need, or some gloves, or some shit you are allergic to, or whatever.  So just get your own gifts.  In that regard, we got you covered.

Here's the deal- I'm only doing a single sale item this year just to keep it simple.  The deal is this:  all 4 of my 2022 releases are going for $50.  That's it.  That's the sale.  It's a good deal.  It works out to less than $13 per record.  So go check it out here:

https://hexrecords.bandcamp.com/merch/holiday-sale-all-2022-releases-4-lps-for-50

You get STILL/FORM, 'From the Rot Is a Gift" LP (hazy gold/yellow), COLONIAL WOUND, "Easy Laugh" LP (neon blue), BRAIN CAVE/ KNUB split 12" (clear with rainbow splatter), and WIPES, "Making Friends" LP (solid pink).

Plus, there will be some goodies in each package (see picture)

That all being said, it behooves me to also remind you that we have a clutch of the UK pressing of MUMS, "Legs" LP that came out this year.  Ours have pink covers and come on either clear pink or clear/pink/blue splatter.  The UK version has a black cover and comes on gold nugget vinyl.  Just look at the picture below.  And get it here:

https://hexrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mums-legs

Finally, it should go without saying that the DAY JOB LP just came out and they are shipping as we speak.  But if you didn't get one ahead of time now's a good time to do that.  Each one looks different because they were all pressed on random regrind vinyl, which means whatever colors they had laying around they blended 'em together and they look sweet.  So get one here (or listen to the dang thing):

https://hexrecords.bandcamp.com/album/day-job-the-auger

DAY JOB FULL ALBUM STREAM AND SHIPPING UPDATE!

 Today we're beyond stoked to drop the full album stream for the debut DAY JOB full-length "The Auger".  The (presumably) handsome gents at Invisible Oranges are dishing out the premiere for you all so you can enjoy it in full while fighting over the last PS5 in a Wal-Mart.

FULL STREAM HERE!

The band will be playing a handful of shows to celebrate the release starting with this show on 11/25 in Birmingham.  Try and show up if you can.

As far as actual physical media is concerned, here's the scoop:

- CD orders are shipping now.  The band has their share of CDs as well.

- LPs ought to shipping within the next 1-2 weeks

- Streaming on all other platforms starts on 12/8/23

GIVE 'EM REVIEWS

 Now that we only have a total of 3 hours of sunlight per day (when we get sunlight) it's leaving me more time to listen to music instead of being outside like an idiot, right?  So before I start compiling a 'year end' list I ought to maybe take stock of what just came through my speakers over the last month.  And, jeez, these bands just don't let up.  They just keep releasing records!  What the heck!  So I threw in a book too this time around....  which is about records.

CLOSET WITCH, “Chiaroscuro”

It’s been a few years since this midwest band graced us with a new record and when it finally comes out- and hoo boy was it worth the wait- they go and announce they’re going on some kind of hiatus.  Well then, fuck me right?  It’s fine.  I’ll just rip this record over and over again and spazz out in my living room, lurking neighbors be damned. It’s really a perfect amount of music for a grind (more or less) band- 13 songs, 19 minutes.  Anything more might be overkill, and the best bet is to leave people wanting more.  Closet Witch definitely sound better and just a tad bit more structured than their last full length, where they certainly bow at the alter of Full Of Hell with less reliance on metal and noise (though there’s a bit of that to be found), as well as contemporaries in fellow Midwest grind maniacs Cloud Rat in terms of how well they execute this ridiculously fast pace while keeping things pretty chaotic too.  Here’s to hoping they grace us with some shows, or more music not too long from now.  But if not, well, this is one heck of an awesome record. (Zegma Beach)

DRIP-FED, “Leap For the Fountain” EP

I’ve been singing this bands praises for awhile now and here they go surprise-dropping this new EP on us all.  So listen up, because I’m gonna sing some praises again.  This band has done a great job, over the course of a couple of albums, of combining rowdy and raging hardcore punk with really inventive and catchy melodies making for some ridiculously fun songs.  On this new EP they go in even more on the melodies and deft musicianship to create parts that can be a bit tricky, but still rattle around your head like the earworms they are.  I think their last album, the exceptionally excellent “Kill the Buzz” had a little more aggression going for it overall in comparison.  Still, this is a quality addition to their catalog, filled with clever lyrics, brief songs (4 tunes in 10 minutes is all you need honestly), and lots of fun riffs made for making you and your knucklehead pals run around in a circle and bouncing off each others heads. (self-released)

DUST MUSCLE, s/t EP

If this hadn’t been recommended to me by a peer whose musical opinion I respect I wouldn’t have had any idea this existed.  Keeping it real low key dudes from Yautja (and formerly Coliseum) drop this EP full of off-putting ugly rock.  They go for a lot of those more jangly clean tones with the guitars, but the garbled screaming and menacing structure of the songs make the whole thing sound kind of nauseating.  I don’t mean in some gore-y death metal sort of way.  More like a very uncomfortable feeling of everything around you being sort of messed up and disorienting.  I’m sure it’s intentional.  Don’t get me wrong, it still rocks.  You just might need to throw up after you’re done rocking. (self-released)

“ESTRUS: SHOVELIN’ THE SHIT SINCE ’87” by Alpert Coyle and Scott Sugiuchi

I leaped at the chance to get a copy of this well ahead of it’s actual release date because while I don’t necessarily have an obsessive love of the Estrus Records catalog (which, if you do, I get it) I am an ardent fan of their whole ‘thing’- their consistency, their DIY ethic, their ‘family’ approach to working with bands, their making of a scene unto themselves, their willingness to try all sorts of crazy ideas, and most of all their art/presentation.  I absolutely love how their records were put together, the logos, their ads, and all the fun that went with it.  And a lot of that is due in large part to the tireless mountain of work Art Chantry put into much of the art direction of the label.  Now this book looks pretty fucking fancy, but some of it was also present in the Art Chantry-specific book “Some People Can’t Surf” from quite awhile back.  So I already had a familiarity going into this.  However, this is a book about the record label.  I’ve never been a huge garage rock guy, so aside from some more known bands in here (Man…. Or Astroman, The Makers, Mono Men, Southern Culture On the Skids, etc) much of this was unfamiliar to me.  Yet the story of the label, and founder Dave Crider, was one I could relate to- energetic guy in a small town (Bellingham, WA) realizes not much happening in his town, starts a band, turns it into a label, books endless shows at a hole in the wall dive bar, things pick up, and the scene comes to him, label flourishes into one of the most prolific purveyors of trash rock in the world with an astounding dedication to their craft, both in sound and art and things are good.  It’s what every small label out there hopes to achieve.  So yeah, I like this story.  I like the art even more.  This is a hell of a good-looking book and it’s filled with cool stuff.  (Korero Press)

EX EVERYTHING, “Slow Change Will Pull Us Apart”

Here’s four guys who clearly worship at the alter of the tangled and warped punk beauty of Drive Like Jehu, as much as they do the forward-thinking complex mathy hardcore of Botch.  As another group in the Kowloon Walled City family of bands (as well as like a million other bands) those highlights are present in terms of the perfect tone of the guitars, the expert level of musicianship, and the crispy clean recording.  So all those elements right there make Ex Everything worth at least a listen.  However, their songs err a bit on the long side and finding a hook amongst it all can be quite the exercise.  Their influences are clear, but can get a bit too involved for my taste, and thus some of the immediate impact you get from the first couple tracks starts getting a bit lost as the record winds on.  I will say though, having just seen them live their energy on stage is incredible and they can go toe-to-toe with any hardcore band half their age on that front.  But if you’re putting this on at home or something for a deep listen it’s take awhile to compartmentalize what they’re doing because they’re doing a lot.  (Neurot)

FEVER SLEEP, s/t EP

The local fellas in Fever Sleep come from a long line of countless other bands and convened together clearly because they are lifers who just can’t stop the endless cycle of band addiction.  Yes, we see it time and time again- these healthy young people pick up a guitar and it ends up being a gateway to the stage, and even when they try to stop- starting families, getting ‘real’ jobs, having kids, getting old- that demon keeps calling them back.  Why, some of these people have 4 or 5 bands going at once!  Some can count off dozens of bands they’ve been in over the years; their eyes sunken, pockets empty, flannel shirt tattered.  Thankfully, Fever Sleep say ‘yes’ to band addiction and keep the devil in business.  I’ve seen them a bunch, as they mostly operate at the local level, and I gotta say, the songs on this new 12” have a much darker and somber feel than how it all comes off live.  I don’t mean that in a bad way.  These are still energetic and heavily melodic grizzly punk songs.  Yet there is a darkness, a cold melody that permeates throughout these tracks that alludes to bad times, tough situations and maybe, just maybe, the glass pipe of (dun, dun, dun) band addiction! (Thirty Something Records / Ashtray Monument)

GREAT FALLS/ RADIATION BLACKBODY split 7”

Yes, this is the third record Great Falls has released this year.  But to be fair I think all the material was from the same recording session.  Still, thanks an insane amount of output for a band so complex and emotionally devastating.  And also to throw it all out there when they got a new drummer who put his mark on a bunch of these songs within the space of just a few months.  Anyway, this is the last of it and it’s another fastball, face-smashing slab of almost grind at the beginning followed by a crushing, collapsing sort of riff at the end.  If you heard the “Funny What Survives” EP earlier this year it’s very in line with that group of songs.  On the flip side is Radiation Blackbody, a duo that I had no idea was still going.  RB is 2/3 (or just the rhythm section) of long-defunct noisemongers Anodyne who absolutely punished eardrums through non-stop touring in the early aughts.  Radiation Blackbody formed soon afterwards and they’ve just gotten weirder since.  They toss out a blast of instrumental bass/drum knotty riff-mangling that will suit your interests if you enjoy Voivod if they smoked crack.  It’s a quick little offering but comes with kind of a hefty price tag because 1) it’s a fairly small pressing and 2) the leverl of badass-ness that went into screenprinting these covers and assembling them is some next level shit.  Pretty to look at, ugly to hear.  (Ancient Temple/ 7 Degrees Records)

PAINT IT BLACK, “Famine” EP

It’s so good to see this band back with a relatively longer offering (still an EP though for all intents and purposes) where the band seems to give a bit of everything they’re known for.  The first couple tracks (as well as the 30 second ripper “Serf City, USA”) go for that fast, direct, “CVA” hardcore style.  Meanwhile, “Safe” takes on more of that overtly melodic style as heard on their second LP, “Paradise”.  From there we get some of the fucking-with-convention experimentation the band tried out on “New Lexicon” with the rhythmic pounding of closer “City Of the Dead”, as well as the harrowing “Exploitation Period” where the bulk of the song is just a creepy bass line and vocalist Dan Yemin shouting his always compelling prose over it while strange background noise filters through.  And I can’t say “The Unreasonable Silence” recalls anything from any of their other records, but it’s seriously the closest thing to a new Fugazi song since…. well, Fugazi.  Paint It Black, 20 years on, still make important records with engaging, vicious music and I still consider Dan’s lyrics to be some of the most well-written screeds against the world at large- clever yet direct, insightful while still harsh.  Just like their music.  (Revelation)

RID OF ME, “Access To the Lonely”

Rid Of Me has always excelled at somber, emotionally-wrenching slow burners, and then all-out crushers and there is no point on their second LP where that is not on display more than the back-to-back tracks of “Gutted” and “Hell Of It”.  The Philly crew really went all out on this one and put their all into it, and I imagine they are darn proud of it.  I think it’s an overall exceptional effort with stronger and more developed songwriting, as the group has really gotten their footing (a lot of touring and members having played together in previous bands helps too).  The record leans more into the slower, more melodic stuff with a sort of permeating sadness or remorse, though they often add a hefty dose of distortion to it all just to drive the emotion home.  I’m always a fan of when they’re more upbeat (the aforementioned “Hell of It”, or “Libertarian Noise Rock”) because they can beat you within an inch of your life with a riff.  The real challenge is bringing that emotion and they have truly managed that well.  (Knife Hits)

TRAINDODGE, “The Alley Parade”

Truly a band’s band, Traindodge are the secret kept for the last 25 plus years that every band worth their salt in post-hardcore rock aesthetic knows about and worships, and yet amongst the masses they’ve remained largely unheard.  But in all those years they have failed to release a dud of an album (and they have a bunch of albums).  I remember hearing about this band in the late 90’s, whispered by other Midwest legends such as Giants Chair, Shiner, and Boys Life with reverence.  Years later, when I had the pleasure of working with Portland post-hardcore rippers Prize Country they went and did a split with the group and I thought, ‘they’re still together?’ Fast forward another 10 years one of the Traindodge guys lives in Seattle and has a band up there and once again I thought, ‘they’re still together?!’ And FINALLY, over the spring I actually saw Traindodge live and witnessed just why so many bands hold this group in such high regard.  Sure, they all look like the most dad of dad rock bands, and to an extent they are.  However, you will be hard pressed to find a group whose sound is so pitch perfect, present, loud, and full.  Their music is brawny but soulful, heavy but taut and precise, thoughtful without over-thinking it, and it simply rocks very hard.  This is a great addition to their already exceptional canon of work.  (Spartan Records)

DAY JOB, "SIMPLE MACHINE" NOW STREAMING

 

The second single (and actual first track) from the upcoming Day Job debut full-length, "The Auger" is now available to check out.
"Simple Machine" is debuting today so maybe go take a listen to it.
"The Auger" is due out at the end of November and will be available on LP/CD/digital.
All vinyl copies come on random regrind vinyl, meaning no two copies will look alike and will be on various mixtures of colors. Should look interesting.
A little background about this song from bassist/vocalist Kevin Wright: "Simple Machine came from an old riff I had been bouncing around for awhile. I feel like the somewhat mechanical repetition felt like a fun device with the overall concept we were working towards and it felt like a suitable back drop for the cycle of grievances of just being a person. Just the sort of dull pounding that comes with the monotonous menagerie of the day to day."
@dayjobnoise will be playing a record release show on 11/25 in their hometown of Birmingham, AL at the Woodlawn Theater.
Check the song out here:

HALLOWEEN TIME REVIEWS!

 It's the best time of the year for the punks- Halloween!  Why?  I have no idea.  Maybe because we were always the ones perceived to be 'in costume' all year and the one day a year where everyone else dons a costume makes us all feel more at home?  Costumes and insecurity aside, it's just fun.  People get creative in different ways- with what they wear, what they put in their windows, or lawns, or whatever and I always enjoy a good dose of creativity to get my spirits up.  And that extends to a bunch of cool new stuff that came out over the last month or so that I'll pontificate upon here.  And in keeping with the holiday theme each review will get a bit of a Halloween nod as well.

ANOTHER HEAVEN, “IV: Heaven Sent”

These midwesterners have been around a minute but they’ve mostly flown under the radar (mine at least), aside from a couple really good singles here and there.  Based solely off those couple random songs I heard I decided I really needed to make sure I saw their set, playing quite early on a godamned Sunday at this year’s sensory-exhausting Caterwaul Fest in Minneapolis.  And they were just super, donchaknow (say it like a Minnesota native would).  Unbeknownst to me, they were about to release another new record and here it is.  This continues their heavy shoegaze dreamy rock that just can’t help but frequently break out into unbridled post-hardcore-but-slower heaviness in many of the songs.  I can’t complain about that.  It’s like the bliss of stuffing your face full of candy, pilfered from a night of trick or treating in the ‘good’ neighborhoods, and getting a sugar rush headache, only to be gouged later with a nasty stomachache from overdoing it.  Songs like “Erased” come across as pleasant, breezy, and poppy as can be and then they just shout at you with a hard stop-start chorus several times, alternating between the two styles all bi-polar like.  “Catacombs” gives you their best take on Hum for the first half and then during the second half they decide to demonstrate what it would sound like if Hum really liked Neurosis.  Patterns like this exist all over the record until closing track, “The Light” which has an almost Radiohead-quality to the melody and feel of the song.  Current contemporaries would place them around the likes of Soul Blind, Cloakroom, or Big Garden.  Eat it up like a king-size Zagnut kids.  (Mpls Ltd)

CRONIES, “L1V3 S1CK0 L0V3 F3ST”

Get a load of these bold motherfuckers.  Who comes out the gate swinging their dicks around just to show the boulder-sized balls they got to go with it like this?  They start their record off with some nasty chunky old Helmet sort of bomber and then go right into “Ice Pop” that sounds like it was birthed from the center hole in a mint copy of the KARP/Rye split.  After that they continue with some songs that sound like Chat Pile covering Rage Against the Machine, though I could probably do without the rappy-sounding vocals, which are most prominent on “Rentboy”.  And even though I cringe just a little bit at that it’s still bold on their part to just say fuck it and go for broke.  They bring it back at the end with a very long song that somehow manages to continuously rock the fuck out for over 9 minutes, like the entire time.  So hats off to Cronies for being the types that would double down by not only keeping their Halloween decorations up all year ‘round, but go in on having at least two 12 foot skeletons in their yard. (Reptilian)

DUG, “You Make Me Sad”

Slower than the plot of “Rosemary’s Baby”, but two dudes having more fun than the silliness of “Phantom Of the Paradise”, Dug is a band you really need to see in order to fully understand.  On their third album in probably just as many years the duo continue to lay on the crushing sludge/drone/amplifier worship to a ridiculous degree.  Most of the time stuff like this goes right past me and at first I kind of felt that way about this band too.  But then I saw them and witnessed just how much fun they were having, seemingly enthralled and giddy about how huge and heavy playing 5 beats per minute could be before an utterly flattened audience.  So yeah, on record it’s all doom, gloom, broken machinery, abstract samples, and occasional deviations into strange found sounds or electronic bits.  You’re kind of suffering through it, and some people like that.  Live, you’re cheering the sonic apocalypse while winging empty beer cans at the stage and the two guys in Dug are laughing with you before another note deflects the shotgunned tall boy with sound so dense you need a shovel just to get out of the room.  “Pain Machine” (the record before this) is probably their most ‘accessible’ one, but this ain’t too shabby either. (The Ghost Is Clear)

FILTH IS ETERNAL “Find Out”

I think I feel a bit misled by the first couple singles that were released from the new Filth Is Eternal record.  They had some hooks, some singing parts…. were they going soft?  Um, heck no.  Put this slab of wax on and the entire A-side is like getting creamed by a cement truck sick of waiting in Tacoma traffic on the I-5 and gone full road rage.  There is absolutely no letting up through the first 7 or 8 tracks.  It’s a new high water mark for the band, who have already been pushing their raging hardcore for years now.  At their most vicious they fall somewhere in between the stadium crust of Tragedy, and the HM-2 heaviness of Black Breath.  And at their least ‘heavy’?  I’d say they evoke some of the snarled shouts and catchy thump of L7.  It isn’t until the last 4 or so tracks where they do kind of stretch their musical wings a bit and try some different song structures, a number of leads and melodies, and not just plowing through riff after riff.  It certainly adds some tasteful balance to an already stellar record.  And this is a record that truly sounds as loud and heavy as the band does live, so kudos on a great recording that really captures what it’s like to see this band on stage (or floor), which is like a hearty kick straight to the Wolf-Mans nards.  (MNRK Heavy)

FINAL GASP, “Mourning Moon”

This sounds like early Van Halen playing Samhain.  I don’t mean that derisively either.  It’s fine.  It certainly makes it stand out.  But don’t tell me you don’t hear some of that Diamond Dave intonation in the vocals.  It’s there.  I’m just waiting for this guy to bust out some spandex and jump off the stage while doing a split.   Although I’m guessing that’s not going to happen, unless it’s occurring in a cemetery under a full moon and there’s zombie moshers around.  This isn’t my typical go-to punk, but I like it when I hear it. Get you some deathrock, goth, and hardcore all rolled together.  There is a distinctive 80’s quality to the recording on purpose, which just makes these punk rippers sound all that much more distinctive.  “Blood and Sulfur” stands out as one of the strongest tracks on record between it’s upbeat delivery, crushing stomp, and keeping things brief.  And yet, they cruise right into the title track afterwards, which might be one of the more melodic songs on the LP, adding some synth for texture while remaining spooky all around.  Honestly, if you’re not listening to this a lot this month (it being October and all) you’ve either got Samhain on repeat, or you’re doing something wrong with your life.  Carve a pumpkin, put it over your head, and skeleton mosh through Spirit Halloween.  (Relapse)

NECKBOLT, “Dream Dump”

Austin’s Neckbolt serve up a platter of songs more bizarre and off-the-wall than the entire 88 minute runtime of schlock horror B-movie “Blood Diner”.  As strange and out there as the band is they’re really not too far afield from fellow acid-trip experimental groove gurus Guerilla Toss, if they were winging it from a garage and with more duck tape holding everything together.  In other words, the group can reel you in with rhythmic repetition but then peel back the layers of reality through piles of feedback, distortion, and every conceivable voice modulator made even weirder through circuit bending (or some other process I’m too much of a layperson to understand).  It really does make for a wild and fun listen, especially because they mostly keep the songs relatively brief, which is just enough time to surprise you, confuse you, and then get out just as you begin to grasp what they’re doing. Recommended for fans of weird and original shit from another planet. (Born Yesterday Records)

OPEN CITY, “Hand In the Honey Jar”

We’re all lucky to be living in a timeline where we get to experience the individuals in this band get together to make music and share it with us.  It’s been a pretty long time since Open City graced us with new music (nearly 6 years I think), but to be fair, they are an extremely part time band so I suppose we ought to just feel lucky to get anything at all.  For those unfamiliar, Open City is half of Paint It Black with drummer Chris Wilson (Ted Leo/Pharmacists) and guitar virtuoso Rachel Rubino (Bridge & Tunnel) trading 6 strings for one microphone and absolutely shredding throat.  Despite an overt dedication to channeling all things Sarah Kirsch (Fuel, Torches To Rome, Bread and Circuits, a million other bands) and Dischord hardcore, you can still hear traces of guitarist Dan Yemin’s distinct playing style in there.  It all makes for an excellent listen of emotionally wrought, tenuously melodic, and energy-filled hardcore punk.  A couple welcome deviations from the overarching theme take place where Yemin slips in a full-on Paint It Black song with “Blitz Kids Stay Sick”, as well as an obvious nod to Philly legends Ink & Dagger at the end of “Return Your Stolen Property Is Theft”.  Meanwhile, midway track “No One Thinks About You More Than You” takes a slower, more somber, yet melodically uplifting respite before things pick up again through the second half of the record.  All told, this is a great follow up to their first album, filled with enough emotion to wake the dead Herbert West-style in “Re-Animator”. (Get Better)

TORONTO BLESSINGS, “Big Wins”

OK, try to keep up, geographically speaking.  Toronto Blessings are a band that does not hail from Canada, but instead the UK.  And yet, on the first few tracks here they really remind me of the punky noiseniks in Canada’s very own Metz.  So, just keep your head in England here, OK?  Because after that initial salvo of songs they pivot to the far more expansive and drawn out “Omission”.  And from there they get weirder as various guitar effects whizz and weave throughout the songs like laser fire in some sci-fi flick, to 70’s slasher proggy film synths.  Additionally, insofar as vocals are concerned, the band errs more on the sassy punk side evoking some kind of midway point between the freaked out spazz of The Blood Brothers and the more wavering singing of At The Drive-In.  I know this all sounds kind of like a mixed bag, but believe me, it works.  You get enough rippers that are nicely balanced out by some of the longer and more involved songs.  Just like the “Halloween” film franchise sometimes they just throw in the odd movie that doesn’t fit with the others, but regardless of which one you’re watching someone’s getting killed. (Serial Bowl Records)

WRONG MAN, “Big Plans” EP

The second EP from Wrong Man comes pretty quickly after their first one and I sort of wonder why they didn’t just roll with an LP from the jump.  In the long run I suppose it doesn’t mater, however, there is a noticeable difference between the songwriting on that first record and this one where it seems they put an emphasis on more melody than before, particularly in the layered guitars across the pensive and anxiety-inducing “Wait”.  Still present are the Rollins Band style bluesy riffs (especially on the title track) and the almost spoken word creepy crawl of “Lights Out”. Of course, there’s some seriously great screaming in that song as well.  This EP lacks a little of the more overt weighty heaviness of their first EP, but comes across just as crunchy in other ways.  Not everything has to come at you with a sledgehammer to be heavy.  This is more creeping killer waiting in the woods, a la “Killer In the Woods” (how’s that for a comparison?).  (Sunday Drive)