Naturally, all the records I released this year are kind of my favorites, so making this list is pretty much everything else I really thought was tops. I have listened to a lot of bands and music this year and a bunch of it was really quite wonderful. However this list, in no particular order, was really what I was feeling. So without further ado, here’s the stuff I caught myself listening to the most.
KAL MARKS, "My Name Is Hell”
I had been rather willfully ignorant of this band for way too long, or never gave their previous material the attention it deserved. But there was really no escaping this new record once I heard the first few notes of “Ovation”. Not only does this record benefit from a stronger recording overall, but also the addition of second guitarist Christina Puerto to make for stronger songs. These tracks are incredibly catchy, but also weird and noisy, occasionally breaking into sludgy chaos. They really are a band completely doing their own thing and it’s great. (Exploding In Sound)
HELP, “2053”
Like many of their shows that seem to be almost spontaneous and occurring in random weird locations (under bridges, next to parking lot loading docks, etc) this Portland trio kind of just started being everywhere suddenly and released this excellent full length after a couple EPs. They’re truly a punk band through and through but their music has a way of being minimalist in the loudest, most passionate, and chaotic way possible. And to see them live…. You gotta see them live as it’s always an experience. I guarantee you’ll be hearing a lot more about these cats in the next year. (Nadine Records)
CLOAKROOM, “Dissolution Wave”
A bunch of people will see this and be like, ‘oh yeah! I forgot about this one’. Released right as the year started “Dissolution Wave” found Cloakroom getting into their 10th anniversary and opting to not make a double LP this time and that’s just fine. The songs are still expansive, still big, and sludgy and dreamy all at once. And they took some new ideas too- like almost country-ish vibes, a couple more pop-oriented tunes, and crammed all those big sounds and big ideas into 37-ish minutes and I love it. They continue to be a wonderful band. (Relapse)
DRUG CHURCH, “Hygiene”
When “Cheer” came out I was pretty much convinced they had made their best, peak album. However this record just smashed that notion into smithereens. “Hygiene” is incredible. Here’s a band that pokes all the 90’s post-hardcore/alt rock/whatever fun spots for me and just gets better and better at making super catchy songs, cool riffs, and still be heavy and rocking. Catching them on tour for this earlier this year was truly a highlight as it’s impossible not to bounce around to “Million Miles Of Fun”, or be swayed by the poignant and direct lyrics of “Detective Lieutenant” and “Premium Offer”. So I’ll say it here- this is their best album (until the next one comes out anyway). (Pure Noise)
BASEMENT FAMILY, “Eerie Ennui”
This kind of came out of nowhere and I was struck by how I had a hard time defining the sound of this band. That’s usually a good sign. When I have difficulty describing a thing yet I highly enjoy it I get stoked. Basement Family totally do that. The lay out weird and intricate Midwestern indie rock that could find a home on a label like Exploding In Sound easily, but also adds a good dose of Sonic Youth-style guitar scree overload, the occasional foray into post-hardcore/noise rock-ish thump and wallop, and bits of lackadaisical flighty melody. It will lure you in, keep you guessing, and take fantastic little twists and turns. (The Ghost Is Clear)
PLOSIVS, s/t
John Reis is not only one of my favorite guitarists ever, but he’s also a national treasure, and a consistently reliable creator of only the finest punk music. So here’s yet another project in the gigantic resume of the dude featuring old RFTC bandmate Atom Willard on the cans, and Rob Crow from Finback also playing guitar and singing. So this makes for an excellent record of great catchy songs. Pretty music imagine Speedo’s writing/playing style colliding with Rob Crow’s most excellent vocals and songwriting style and you get Plosivs. This is a great match. You get everything from clever riffs, to plaintive melodies, to ripping rockers. (Swami)
HAUNTED HORSES, “The Worst Has Finally Happened”
Man, I wrote this band off before when they were just a duo because I figured it was just noise pedals with drums. But on this they just took it to a completely other level by adding a a bassist to contribute some seriously low end bombast and it makes everything sound incredibly creepy and weird and I love it. The baritone vocals and carefully curated soundscapes that sub in for guitars give it all an industrial sort of sheen, yet organic and punk enough to sound like controlled chaos makes this record a full-on winner. (31G)
ANXIOUS WAVE, “Live From the Poison Factory”
I was going to add this as a ‘runner up’, but whatever. These songs definitely get caught in my head. They have an awesome way of being a punk band that incorporates elements of ripping hardcore, some noise rock tendencies, as well as sounds that make me think of bits of the SST catalog as well as Cargo/Headhunter Records stuff of the early 90s. It’s a weird mix, but these dudes just made an awesome record and it kicks ass. (Nefarious Industries)
COME TO GRIEF, “When the World Dies”
I never really checked out Grief when they were originally around, so I ignorantly have nothing to hold this up against. But I really don’t give a rat’s ass because this is so freaking epic and huge that whatever lineage came before is irrelevant. The recording on this is so solid and big-sounding it elevates the sludge genre. And while that’s something I don’t go for a heck of a lot Come To Grief truly win me over with songs that don’t drag on forever, laying on the riffs like bricks in the foundation of a house, and tastefully crushing anything that gets in their way. (Translation Loss)
SCIENCE MAN, “Nines Mecca”
My man John Toohill is a musical mad scientist. His one-man project Science Man has blossomed into a full band (on the live end anyway) of furious, absolutely unhinged crazy hardcore punk. While that may not seem entirely like anything new go and YouTube this album. There’s a video for every song on the record and they’re all super weird, freaky, and will make you ponder reality as it is. All that together with this great music makes for one hell of an audio and visual experience. (Swimming Faith)
FAVORITE EPs and DEMOS
BLACKLISTERS, “Leisure Centre” - Completely bananas follow up from these Brits with tons of sax, a rhythm section so lumbering you’d think Bigfoot was stomping through your rec room, and noise rock bona fides to make the Jesus Lizard blush. (Exploding In Sound)
FULL OF HELL, “Aurora Leaking From An Open Wound”- Emerging from out of nowhere, and a tour-only physical document the prolific mid-Atlantic sonic abusers drop a few tracks focusing more on their jagged noise rock chaos instead of their grind core go-to. There’s still plenty of absurdly heavy too and I’m convinced this band will excel at any style they try. (self-released)
SUNTOUCH HOUSE demo- I’m a bit biased because this is Colonial Wound dudes. But this *almost* makes the Colonial Wound full length sound tame in comparison. Four songs of chaotic hardcore heaviness that gives love to everything from the fierce and moshy style of Indecision to the all-out evil heaviness and sludge of Today Is the Day. It’s fucking wild. (Daze)
BRAIN CAVE, “Drained Wisdom” 7”- By the time they released this the band had already recorded the songs for the split I released for them and I thought, ‘geez, I would have loved to have released these songs too!’ This is three songs in six minutes and showcases the bands more upbeat hardcore style, playing fast, having piles of great riffs, huge fun breakdowns, and awesome songs. You can’t go wrong with these dudes. (Head2Wall)
DAY JOB, “Be a Friend, Make a Friend” demo- KARP meets Unsane. That’s all I need to say. And you’re wondering why I’m putting out their next record. C’mon, get a clue. This is fucking vicious. (self-released)
FAVORITE SHOWS
If last year was a sort of soft opening back into seeing live music again this year was an all out cornucopia of live music experiences and I got to see a ton of stuff.
-NO COAST FEST down in Denton, TX (10/27-10/30) was another fun go around as I saw a ton of friends from all over, finally got to see USA NAILS live (who were incredible by the way), as well as a ton of other bands that I'd probably rarely ever get the chance to see, and got to hang out in the wonderful little town of Denton. The travel to and from sucked, but everything else was a blast.
-Playing a few shows with DIALYSIS again after three years of not getting on a stage was a much-needed outlet (10/7-10/9). And it was in a variety of weird places, which I will always take over a professional stage any day of the week. We played a library in PA, a diner in Buffalo, and the basement of a community center in Syracuse. And I got to hang/road trip with my homies which is always a bonus. Oh, and we also got to play with some awesome bands that I otherwise probably wouldn’t be able to see on my coast.
-I took a little trip up to Seattle to see the HAUNTED HORSES record release show (8/20) that STILL/FORM was invited to play last minute, and was also one of the first live shows Nick from Gaytheist played with GREAT FALLS as their new drummer and he (and they) absolutely crushed it. It was also my first time at the venerable Bar House, a great spot run by a great dude and the perfect space to see some super loud, super wild bands and a big crowd giving them all the attention they deserved.
- SICK OF IT ALL came to the PNW and were joined by AGNOSTIC FRONT and CROWN OF THRONZ on 9/13. It had been probably close to 10 years since seeing SOIA, over 20 seeing AF and probably at least 8 since COT. Northwesterners don't exactly get NYHC style, but people certainly tried their best and it was incredibly fun. While I am hardly the mosh fanatic I once was I could not help but stagedive and go off for SOIA. And when Crown Of Thornz played "Love Sick"? Hoo, forget it. But I'll tell you this- moshing with a mask on is super exhausting, and I was also feeling sore for a straight week afterwards. It was all worth it because each band was excellent (I mean, of course SOIA was, they're one of the best live bands you will ever see) and was a reminder that despite all the weird music shit I get into I still have a lot of love for hardcore.
-And to cap it off, this guy went to see that massive TURNSTILE tour when it passed through town (5/02) because stop trying to deny it- they’re amazing, incredibly fun, and put on a heck of a show. Sure it was packed to the gills and I usually find that kind of a deterrent, but the energy was incredible. Oh, and having both TRUTH CULT and EKULU open for them was about the best new hardcore bands going you could bring along with you. And to be honest, Truth Cult gives Turnstile a run for their money in terms of how incredibly good they are on stage. And they were the opener. So do yourself a favor and keep an eye on them.
