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