MORE STILL/FORM FOR YA.

 You got a song from the upcoming Still/Form LP, but how about a little more of a teaser?  Why not.  Here's a short video for the record with some other sounds found on "From the Rot Is a Gift", due out August 19th.

You can pre-order it now over HERE.

THE FAST AND THE WEIRD... IT'S THE MAY REVIEWS

 Once in awhile I go in on some crazy punk stuff, as opposed to my typical fare of noisy and weird.  But not to fear, there's some of that present this time around.  I really do enjoy when bands can take fast punk rock and do something wild with it.  Also, I do try my best to push new bands making freaky sounds and not just prop up established bands, or old heads still kicking around though I'll say the newest Helms Alee (a band well into their second decade together) makes some unique creative leaps, and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to review a discography from my hometown's first hardcore band from the early 80's that are more important on a national level than one would expect.  So dig in.

BASEMENT FAMILY, “Eerie Ennui”

This is a tough one to explain, but that’s part of what makes it so intriguing to listen to.  I think like contemporaries in bands such as Almanac Man or Kinghorn, or even Season To Risk if you want to go way back, Basement Family blend a handful of styles into a cohesive whole without any of it sounding forced, or out of place.  But it still makes for a wholly unique sound that can be tough to nail down.  There’s plenty of Midwest indie rock influence throughout with twangy, jittery rock consistent with aspects of the Touch and Go catalog.  And there’s also a whole lot of long-game, thought-out portions that insist the listener invest the time into the sound.  Shifting from delicate, softly cooed melodies to noisy-feedback sections falling off the rails, and into chunky rhythmic passages Basement Family tend to write longer songs.  That’s not to say this is intended to be enjoyed with a furrowed brow, necessitating that one absorb themselves into the record completely to squeeze out some degree of pleasure from the exercise in patience.  There’s some really catchy parts in here too.  “Head Retention” leads with ethereal vocals, carried by an up-tempo boogie throughout that eventually builds into an intense stop-start guitar claxon and a tumbling crescendo.  “Serial Queen” does the slow shuffle with a fun, noodly guitar riff backing it while “Struggle Run” has a strong bass riff with a wavering guitar strum and repeating high-end melody coming back over and over.  If heavy distortion were applied to it all it could become a post-hardcore anthem I tell ya.  But I digress.  A band such as this may kind their closest kin in groups like Knot (or Krill) in terms of being this smart, but noisy, and rather mysterious kind of entity.  This is definitely one of the more engaging listens I’ve had so far this year and I feel like I’m still wrapping my head around what they’re doing even after dozens of listens. (The Ghost Is Clear)

 

BIRTH ORDER, “Farewell, Square Horse”

There’s plenty of more current stuff that I’m reminded of when listening to Birth Order, but none of it I can precisely put my finger on at the moment.  If I dial it back in the wayback machine, their sound is a big amalgamation of various aspects of the Hydrahead mathcore stable, as well as the weirder heaviness of stuff like The National Acrobat.  But think songs that alternate between faster all-out abandon and slower, chunky/math-y heaviness with howling, drunken vocals that occasionally veer into tastefully sung choruses like on “Crabgrass” and the title track, which are a bit out of character (just a bit) from the rest of the record in the best way possible.  Most of these songs lean on the long side and perhaps they would benefit from trimming them down a bit, though for the most part they can make it work effectively. This is a low-key nice surprise, and rather unexpected.  A quality release worth checking out. (The Ghost Is Clear)

 

CATATONICS, THE, “Hunted Down” discography

I found it incredibly surprising to see a label like Southern Lord take an interest in, and release a discography for, the little-known Catatonics.  After all, all they really ever had to their name was a 7” released in the mid-80’s, as well as a comp appearance before splitting up.  I’m personally interested in this because The Catatonics were the first real hardcore band from Syracuse, emerging around 1981-1982 and splitting by late 1985.  I was just a kid at that point so by the time I got into hardcore almost ten years later The Catatonics were a long since forgotten relic.  Honestly, I don’t think I was even aware of their existence until the early 2000’s when their name would occasionally pop up in conversation, even though I’d seen their drummer’s glam-punk band Libertine in the late 90’s without knowing his bona fides (I’ll get to that in a second).  Later, around 2010-ish a local band named themselves after the group’s lone 7” and paid homage to the absolutely furious hardcore The Catatonics could dish up.

So, yeah, Syracuse wasn’t always known for militant mosh madness.  When drummer Belvy K relocated from NYC to Syracuse as a teenager he essentially started a scene in this town by getting this band going.  His whirlwind drumming style would lead him to join 7 Seconds and D Generation for awhile after The Catatonics called it a day before he returned to Syracuse to start Libertine, this time as a frontman.  The dude sort of fell off the radar after that but I recently learned that not only is Belvy K a co-founder/owner of the well-respected Brooklyn Bazaar venue in NYC but dude is the friggin’ godson of Debbie Harry.  So, I guess if punk points were credit cards this dude would have the Centurion Black version.

Anyways, not only does this discography have the sought-after “Hunted Down” 7” and comp track (“Descending In E”), but also demo tracks and live tracks, all of which have been remastered and polished up.  For the studio tracks the dusting off makes them sound absolutely raging.  The live stuff…  well..  they did their best.  The quality isn’t terribly great, but it was 1984 and I’m sure no one was doing a professional soundboard recording of some crazy punk band in a crappy VFW hall.  It isn’t essential material, but gives a well-rounded picture of the band moving from juvenile goofing off about seeking out more beer and kicking over neighbors lawn ornaments to the aforementioned “Hunted Down” where you can hear the band at their most vicious and playing their instruments like fucking jackhammers.  It’s fast, ripping hardcore and also catchy as hell.  “Hey, fuck your mother buddy!”  Welcome to Syracuse.  (Southern Lord)

 

DADDY’S BOY, “Great News”

Somewhere in the wreckage of a three-way pileup between Pissed Jeans, Born Against, and a station wagon full of Kill Rock Star vocalists the resulting collision produced Daddy’s Boy.  The whole thing is crazy, noisy punk energy with blown out bass distortion, off-the-rails guitar work, and vocals that feel almost reserved against music this chaotic.  Lyrically the songs attack the issues of the day and waver between sardonic wit and being pretty straight forward and on the nose.  Compared to the group’s last recording the vocals are more spoken this time around, whereas previously there was a bit more range going on overall.  It’s a unique contrast to how absolutely bat shit crazy the music is.  Still, it’s an 11-song ride where pretty much every song makes it’s point in less than two minutes and I cannot complain about that.  In fact, I think I’m going to go do crimes in front of a federal building after hearing this.  Get wild.  (self-released)

 

DEAF CLUB, “Bad Songs Forever” 7”

Deaf Club is another in a very long line of band’s helmed by Justin Pearson and retains very similar qualities to his other myriad of weirdo punk groups.  For whatever reason I’ve never had more than a passing interest in all these bands.  Maybe it’s because they have a similar sound?  Maybe they’re a little too constantly spazzy for me to fully appreciate on a consistent basis?  I admire the dude for helping make completely fucked up noise and somehow getting thousands of people into it.  Like, how does that happen?  Anyways, Deaf Club is, I guess, a bit more direct rather than the total mindfuck that The Locust goes for, and it’s a bit less metal than Dead Cross I suppose.  I was primarily drawn to this because of the cover art from one of my favorite creators out there- Paul Rentler.  It looks wild and the music is wild, so good match.  There’s four songs here, the first kind of a slower, chunkier, rhythmic beast that I’m way into.  Second track has an almost early Dillinger Escape Plan feel with it’s wild guitar antics and faster pace.  They rock a Pixies cover, warped into a version fit for circle pitting around a trash fire, and then close with “Ride With Cops, Shoot With Robbers”, which is sort of a good summation of all the elements going on throughout.  Oh, and Justin Pearson has been copping the lyrical and vocal style of Sonny Kay for years, but Sonny does it way better.  Still, props for wearing a killer influence proudly on your sleeves (that is if the shirt has any). (31G)

 

HELMS ALEE, “Keep This Be the Way”

Every single Helms Alee record is thoroughly excellent.  They’re a band that has never let me down because every one of their records has been so wonderfully consistent that they will be a sure bet for quality.  But I’m convinced I’m not the first to say that this is probably the band’s weirdest record to date.  If you’re six LPs (not to mention a handful of EPs) and 15 years into your time as a band it’s probably time to mix things up a bit regardless of how unique and awesome your sound is to begin with.  What have you got to lose?  This new Helms Alee came around with not too much pre-release hype so it’s a bit sudden and maybe that’s intentional.  Either way, on here guitarist Ben Verellen does the least amount of singing he’s done on any previous record.  I’ve always been a big fan of his distinctive howl, but that’s not to say bassist Dana James and drummer Hozoji Matheson-Margullis don’t have excellent pipes of their own as they carry the lion’s share of vocals throughout the whole record.  They also harmonize fantastically, but any fan of this band already knows that.  Verellen does add significantly more oddball effects to his guitar sound this time around, including a warped bending throughout the title track making for a disorienting listen, as well as an almost acoustic rendering of “Big Louise” (one of the few times the band has ever covered another artist).  The record opens with one of their biggest curveballs with a smattering of what sounds like synths (but I think may be more strange guitar effects), saxophone, and largely harmonized vocals carrying “See Sights Smell Smells”, and they added some cello keys to other tracks here.  But I’ll say some things do remain consistent on “Keep This Be the Way”- James’ massive bass tone, and the absolutely thunderous nature of the drumming.  The rhythm section of Helms Alee will always be absolutely mind-melting and it’s a hallmark of their sound.  And the harmonization of the three different voices of this band always makes things moody and somber, like the mist rolling over the forested hills of the Pacific Northwest in Winter, where the band calls home.  There’s a few classically heavy rockers fans of the band will no doubt enjoy as “Tripping Up the Stairs” and “Three Cheeks To the Wind” deliver the huge distortion and lumbering heaviness the band do so well. Despite trying out some new things on this record I still predict fans of the group are loyal enough to go along for the ride.  I know I’m enjoying it.  (Sargent House)

 

REAPER’S GONG, “Splintered Sun”/”Fevered Sheath” EP

Here we got some shoegaze-y grunge punk on a ‘friend’s basement’ recording budget.  But I think that’s rather intentional given this is another project from Full Of Hell dudes (who certainly know their way around a recording studio) further expanding their interest in various nooks of the noise rock spectrum.  I listened to their first demo and this is a little more honed in on achieving a certain sound, and despite the rough quality of the recording, it sounds better than that demo.  These two songs go by quick, but it’s enjoyable- sort of spooky, atmospheric vocals paired with junky, trash-sounding grunge punk and a hint of melody…  yeah, count me in.  For those into obscure references- this bears a strong resemblance to the likes of Shoppers and Sigh Down One.  (EstrangedCommunications)

 

WARTHOG 7”

NYC’s Warthog has now released 5 seven inches.  Why not just go for an LP at this point?  Then again, I guess I am personally of the mind that when it comes to super intense crossover thrashy hardcore I’ll take short and sweet, making me want more, rather than 10-15 songs that will likely sound rather repetitive to me.  So maybe this band has people like me in mind as their audience for these regular 7” slabs of insanity.  Whatever the case, they have been at it for at least 5-6 years at this point and up until recently my only frame of reference for this band was that their bassist was the original bass player for The Men- a very good band in their own right, but vastly different than this.  Warthog are no frills, heavy-handed really fast hardcore.  Just as much as they go for early 80’s NYHC they go in for Motorhead and d-beat crustiness too.  These are songs you expect to last no more than a minute but the three tracks here average out at over 3 minutes each, but it feels like it flies right by with how fast and ridiculously aggressive they play.  You really can’t go wrong with stuff like this, it’s a total blast.  (Toxic State)

STILL/FORM, "FROM THE ROT IS A GIFT" DEBUT NEW TRACK, PRE-ORDER LP

 

The first single from the new STILL/FORM LP, "From the Rot Is a Gift" is now streaming at Decibel.  Take a listen to "Loyal, Like Dogs" and then go pre-order a copy of the record on LP, CD, or digital via the Hex Records bandcamp, or through the band's own page.  All LPs come on clear yellow/black haze vinyl and are expected to ship between August and September.  The entire record will officially be out August 19th.
The track is also now up on all streaming services for your convenience.

CHECK OUT "LOYAL, LIKE DOGS" AT DECIBEL
PRE-ORDER "FROM THE ROT IS A GIFT HERE OR HERE

A LOT OF STUFF REVIEWED. THANK YOU.

I'm glad this year has already been filled with a bevy of new music to check out.  It truly does make my world continue to spin.  And once again, there's plenty of variety to go around here so I highly encourage all reading to give this stuff a shot if you're unfamiliar.  Oh, and Deadguy stuff.  No shit.

 

ABSENT IN BODY, “Plague God”

So a couple guys from Amenra have this project band with one of the Cavelera brothers and Scott Kelly from Neurosis.  So what the heck does it sound like?  It pretty much sounds like Amenra mixed with Neurosis, but more industrial.  To be completely honest, I’m not an Amenra fan, or basically most any band that already sounds a lot like Neurosis.  That being said, I’m not sure whose influence on this project shines the most because this is mostly unsettling and scary end of the world music.  The lengthy, slow-moving, doom-riff, moving-heaven-and-earth heft of Neurosis is ever present.  But there’s also a cold, mechanical slough that would not be out of place on an Author & Punisher record.  It’s not the sort of thing I would typically give much time to but I have to admit this did evoke a feeling of hopelessness, like a nuclear winter in a burned out city, and, well…  I don’t get feelings like that really from most music (I often go for ‘anger’, ‘joy’, and so on).  So, hooray for bad feelings?  Try watching the video they made for “The Acres/The Ache” to get a visual idea of what all of this doomy-coldness is like.  The whole thing is five tracks and around 37 minutes of the wasteland in the beginning of  “The Terminator”. (Relapse)

 

BRAIN CAVE, “Drained Wisdom” 7”

These Cleveland dudes keep busy.  After just recently releasing their awesome “Log World” 7” they’re back with another EP.  This time it’s three quick burners that collectively clock in at around 6 minutes total.  But I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s some of the band’s best stuff yet.  “Drained Wisdom” remains consistent with Brain Cave’s rust-belt grunge-y post-hardcore but for the most part these songs are overall faster than the majority of their catalog to date, particularly on opener “High Rise”, and through much of closer “Bloodletting”.  Each song still throws in those catchy/tricky grooves the band does so well so it’s no departure for those already fans of the group.  If you’re just getting hip to Brain Cave I advise checking it all out really, you can’t go wrong.  They are always a blast to listen to and inspiring whether it’s as the soundtrack for hiking misty mountain forests or sledgehammering through drywall.  This EP is a digital release with a very limited lathe-cut 7” physical release.  (Head2Wall)

 

CHRMR, “Low In the Glow”

Several releases in Rochester’s metallic monstrosity known as CHRMR (or, for those who like vowels, ‘Charmer’) finds the band further homing their sound in what I feel can only be broadly (and vaguely) described as a modern metal sound.  While the fact they call Rochester home immediately makes me search for the Lethargy/Mastodon sound in their DNA, as there seems to be a permanent footprint left in that scene’s metal community by those musical titans, it would be lazy writing for me to just stop at that.  To a degree it’s true when one hears the stampeding double bass hammering your eardrums in certain songs.  But I feel that is limiting to CHRMR’s overall sound, which also includes a lot of the more melodic strains, especially in the vocals, to more current Cave-In material, or Gojira’s massive crunch.  The vocals primarily stick to the sing-y side of things, which isn’t really what I look for in metal like this, but I’ll cop to them being exceptional for what the band is attempting to accomplish.  There are a couple songs which also stick to somewhat somber, very melodic, and less heavy vibe where the vocals are exactly what the song calls for.  Personally, I get a bigger thrill from when the band is going full bore and plowing listeners over crushing riffs, which there is no short supply of here. (self-released)

 

DEADGUY, “Body Parts” b/w “Die With Your Mask On” 7” + zine

It’s 2022 and you read that correctly.  This is a review for new (sort of) Deadguy material.  I never thought I’d see the day either.  But, alas, it’s kind of just a new thing, not so much music.  There are two tracks here, the first of which is “Body Parts”- a long lost/abandoned track from 1994.  I believe the story is that the band recorded it, decided it wasn’t up to snuff, and ditched the track.  They lost any record of it until a friend of the band actually dredged up a copy.  The second track you all should know.  This is a demo version of “Die With Your Mask On”, which appeared officially on “Fixation On a Co-Worker”.  This version doesn’t quite have the drive of the known version, and lacks a little bit of the precision killing that makes the album version so vicious.  It feels like drummer Dave Rosenberg is still feeling out his parts in certain areas.  I will say, though, it’s a bit slower and sludgier which gives it an ugly edge, something Deadguy certainly never shied away from.  As for “Body Parts”, I can see why they ditched it.  While it’s a Deadguy song for sure it kind of operates in a different sort of space and mish-mashes parts together to form some sort of Frankenstein whole.  It’s cool, it just doesn’t fit the vibe Deadguy is known for. 

So, if you’re a fiend like me, you will have splurged for the version of this that came with a zine too and I was hoping for an abundance of crazy Tim Singer design work.  Instead the majority of this is just photos documenting the band’s first reunion show in Philly last year.  Yeah, good photos, but maybe some anecdotes, or just cool design stuff would have been more up my alley.  Whatever the case it’s Deadguy and I’m on board because I’m a sucker for that band.  (Manalive)

 

DUG, “Pain Machine”

I passed on this band initially because I rarely ever go for the slow drone sludge that spends five minutes feeding back off of a single note while the drummer hits the snare a few times.  I got nothing against amplifier worship, but if it’s just droning I can’t really hang with that.  And, originally, that’s what it felt like the duo making up Dug were going for, if anything just to get their own rocks off to making ugly noise for half an hour.  But then I saw them live last year and they seemed to be having so much fun for a band that sounds so low and agonizing (hell, this new record is titled “Pain Machine”), and found they actually throw in some riffs here and there.  So I had to give it a second chance and I’m glad I did.  Maybe that first record was just feeling out a concept.  This time around they got a handle on what they aim to do and pull it off really well.  Yeah, they’re still working off ultra simplistic riffs/sparse caveman drumming mostly at a glacial pace, but there’s songs in there with structure and movements and it’s gnarly.  You get one throwaway track of tuning/dissonance, but six more of slow, evil crushers.  “Sulk” is the high water mark and actually moves with some degree of discernable tempo and lays down riffs so thick you need a table saw to cut through them, despite the depressing title.  I’m glad I gave this band another chance because for a subgenre that often bores me to tears this is a rare example of a record of that ilk that gets me pretty excited when listening to it. (The Ghost Is Clear)

 

GOOD GOD, “Hollow Tree”

I feel as if writing a review for this rather new Syracuse-based group for an audience that comes from many different places may be a moot point because the references I am about to make will be so hyper-local most readers will just scratch their heads, or shrug their shoulders.  I got a feeling from listening to Good God that I haven’t really felt since first discovering some of the local bands from my hometown back in the early 90’s.  They honestly sound like they belong on a bill playing a Friday night at either Styleens or the Lost Horizon with Dracula Jones, Wallmen, and Spamhammer.  Maybe once the show is over you and your pals dip out to Cosmos for a slice, or Zopies for a late night espresso, or perhaps Happy Endings if you’re already in Armory Square to catch an open mic slam poetry night.  You remember the tape the band gave you at the show so you toss the Zig Zag Zen dub out the window and throw Good God into your tape deck as you wonder when the next time they will play?  You assure yourself there will no doubt be a flyer advertising such at Olivers or Knuckleheads, so you lean in and enjoy the sound.  And honestly, if I pivot from the way back machine to less of a ‘what the fuck is he talking about?’ position I’ll say that Good God bring about shades of local institution Mandate Of Heaven while dropping a decent amount of psych-doom rock into their sound, mixing in a serious dose of the kind of Northwest rock you might hear from the early Sub Pop catalog (maybe Mother Love Bone minus the glam,? Green River with better riffs?).  It’s a very time-and-place sounding recording to me, one that digs deep into the cobwebbed recesses of my early teenage youth. (self-released)

 

MODEL PRISONER, “Compulsion Analysis” EP 12”

I’m not sure what world we now live in where a couple of guys from The Minor Times feel comfortable with playing in a band that is a shade removed from potentially devolving into a beatdown hardcore band.  If it weren’t for the down-tuned blasting reminiscent of Trap Them, Black Breath, or even a bit of Nails that’s slipped in regularly there would be a whole lot of punch-you-in-the-face thuggery going on.  So as just a bit of background, this band was started by a couple guys outside of Philly who were doing this as more of a recording project.  Enter guitarist Tim Leo from Minor Times to fill out the sound, as well Minor Times vocalist Brendan McAndrew to lend his throat-shredding scream to these songs.  And honestly, that dude has been away from the mic for far too long so it’s good to see him using it again as his voice is perfectly made for such assaulting music such as this.  This is up online now, but the band is making some fancy-schmancy lathe cuts with screened b-sides for collector types who enjoy that sort of thing in the near future.  As if a record of any kind could contain stuff like this.  The grooves will have to be cut clear through the wax.  (self-released)

 

PLOSIVS, s/t

Upon first listen to this debut full length from the San Diego supergroup featuring John Reis (Speedo, you know who the fuck he is), Rob Crow (c’mon, Pinback dude), Atom Willard (RFTC, drummer of every band ever), and, well, I don’t know the last dude…  but whatever…  I was assuming a combined talent of each members known styles and instead it just felt like a Hot Snakes record with Crow’s melodic, tenor style vocals.  Like, a very clean version of Hot Snakes.  I wasn’t mad or anything, just a bit nonplused.  So I gave it a few more spins and yeah, Reis’ patented garage-punk guitar style does dominate.  But it’s more tailored to Crow’s adroit singing style so those melodies really shine here, as opposed to the somewhat dirtied-up playing you’ll often hear on Hot Snakes, and other Swami-related records.  And then you hear a few tracks where Rob Crow’s songwriting style is very apparent such as “See You Suffer” and the shimmering “Pray For Summer” and it begins to become apparent these dudes are acting as a unit and combining their individual styles in a way that is familiar but has it’s own voice and style.  The first few tracks on the LP really exhibit the tandem lock step Reis and Willard have from playing together for so many years and it isn’t really until “Never Likely” where Crow’s more melodic tendencies (in his guitar playing, not just his vocals) begin to show up.  So yeah, it took me a couple listens to really grasp it, but this is an awesome album from some seasoned dudes who have all been pals for ages, but I would have never really expected to collaborate on music.  But here we are and it came out pretty awesome. (Swami)

 

SCIENCE MAN, “Nines Mecca”

Science Man is the one-man project of Alpha Hopper guitarist John Toohill, who apparently cannot go more than a week without coming up with some new, insane music or art project.  In this case it’s both.  For Science Man’s second LP in just as many years this collection feels a bit more organic.  I say that because previously the drum tracks were all programmed, which gave the music a bit of an intentional industrial bent to go with its wild garage-y hardcore/punk.  It’s like every song had “Jesus Built My Hotrod” as a referential framework.  On “Nines Mecca” not only does the instrumentation feel less drum-machine based (either a live drummer did record this or our man just got way more refined with his drum programming) but the overall sound comes off even more vicious and unhinged.  It’s pretty much just a crazy hardcore record in the spirit of stuff like Hank Wood and the Hammerheads or Gag.  In addition, there’s a video for every song from this record (all ten of them) that were released week by week leading up to the LP and each one is fucking bonkers, some of which feature other Alpha Hopper cohorts and friends performing cult rituals, taping balloons to people and smashing them in some weird bondage/S&M sort of situation, and bits of animation.  It’s a hell of an undertaking, but one that pays off in quality.  Heck, you can even grab a VHS of all the videos to go along with the record if you want.  (Swimming Faith/ Feral Kid)

 

LETTERS 'I' THROUGH 'Z' BE DAMNED. REVIEWS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE ALPHABET.

 Hey, it just ended up this way.  There's a bunch of rad stuff that popped up over the last month that's going to force me to make room on the top left side of my record shelves and push everything further down the line.  So yeah, check out some excellent bands (a couple of which from right here in Portland!) and they new music they're dishing out to you all.

ABANDONCY, “Pastel//Anguish”

The second full length from Abandoncy shows them exhibiting the traits of their native Kansas City emo/indie musical DNA- that Midwestern rock laid down by the likes of Season To Risk and Giants Chair but they go and make it weird.  They insert an uneasy, tension-filled distress to all their songs and just a bit of chaos here and there.  They’re kind of pissing in the genepool, if you know what I mean.  The exceptional cover art (by NYC-based illustrator Caroline Harrison) furthers the sounds on here- tranquil, Muscha-esque backgrounds with a seemingly distressed character in the foreground.  It’s kind of the sound that the band puts on display throughout the recording. In some cases it works quite well, and certainly makes them stand out as originators in their scene.  Other times it gets a bit far off course, particularly on the last couple tracks on the album; at least for my tastes anyway.  But if you like discomfort (and not just narcissistic gratification) with your loud and abrasive/scatterbrained rock this could be a decent place for you to start. (self-released)

 

ALMANAC MAN, “For Your Cause”

This is kind of a hard band to pin down because they definitely have their own sound.  While that sound owes a great deal to post-hardcore rock staples like Traindodge, or even stuff like Prize Country, one would think maybe these cats are from the Midwest.  But then they throw a sludgy backbone into much of their material that gives off a bit of a Northwest vibe.  And atop it all, a lot of fuzzy yet melodic and clever guitar work and now any sort of geographical indicator is about as useless as a map of Antarctica on Mars.  Turns out this trio hails from Denver, so there’s that. I guess if you’re in Denver you should probably seek these cats out.  I’m not sure if this record qualifies as an LP or an EP…  maybe, let’s say a mini-LP?  You get 6 songs, but they’re all sort of long to give you a solid 26-27 minutes of music.  So you tell me?  Either way, it’s a good mish-mash of different sounds that work very well together, even though it may not be easily categorized, and that’s a good thing, as it makes them their own thing despite a lurking familiarity to other like-minded artists. (The Ghost Is Clear)

 

BITTER BRANCHES, “Your Neighbors Are Failures”

At first I had a hard time mashing Tim Singer’s one-of-a-kind abrasive stream of conscious howl with music that wasn’t trying to murder you at all times.  Bitter Branches seemed to be coming from a somewhat less heavy direction and that was just weird to me.  But then they did a 7” last year that brought their sound into a bit more focus and made me a believer.  And now, with their first actual full length the group bring in a lot more Touch and Go/AmRep musical vibes that I feel are far more befitting the vocals than on previous recordings.  They have just embraced a sort of creeping, wild energy that sounds just as unhinged as the man behind the microphone and it works to wonderful effect.  From the Jesus Lizard-esque bass-drum dominance on “Circus” and tension-filled anxiety of “Solo Trip” to the Andy Coronado-style (Monorchid, Skull Kontrol) bouncy stop-start guitar work on “The Man Who Never Cries” and “Sorry, You’re Not a Winner” some of the influence is apparent and a great path to explore.  While Bitter Branches are at their best (in my opinion) when they’re ripping more aggressive, faster songs, or going for a deliberate lurking sort of nervous restlessness they do step back into familiar territory of some more melodic material on the longer songs reminiscent of their first EP but just more honed and articulated into a band that has figured themselves out.  (Equal Vision)

 

COORDINATED SUICIDES, “Frankie’s Chrysalis” EP

This Wisconsin-based group released a couple of these songs last year and I’m not sure why the significant lull between what is half this EP and all four tracks now, but whatever the case, here ya go.  In all likelihood you’re probably not familiar with this band, but a few years back they had another release and this is very different in a ‘damn, they really progressed, haven’t they?’ sort of way.  This new (ish?) EP combines a sound that can best be described as the unsettling screaming/singing manic heaviness of “Willpower”-era Today Is the Day mixed with some of the shoegaze-y elements that Sonic Youth would sometimes bring to the table, and then add a fuck ton of noisy sludge to the whole thing.  Yeah, odd mix right?  But it’s cool.  I played a show with these dudes a few years ago too and they were, by far, one of the most socially awkward bands I’ve ever encountered, which is good.  Bands this weird and unsettling should be strange humans as well.  Check out the wild style of the first three tracks and stick around for the fourth closing track “Victorian Gift” and it’s Neurosis-styled end times apocalyptic riffs.  A most interesting mix of sounds by weird dudes, it’s a win-win.  (AVRCRC)

 

DAY JOB, “Be a Friend, Make a Friend” EP

I say ‘god damn’.  If you know me you will know exactly why I absolutely fucking love this EP because it combines a couple of my favorite things in music.  But while you start taking predictable guesses towards what that is let me go off for a second just to mention this is a couple of the guys from Null’s side thing so I’m clearly going to be a bit biased.  Plus, you can hear some of that meditative repetitiveness here and there (particularly on “Finger Prints”).  OK, did you guess why I like this?  Day Job have successfully done the pairing of a lifetime- managing to extract the ear-shredding, revenge-tinged, vicious noise rock of the Unsane with the riff-centric, fun, face-melting heaviness of KARP.  I mean, there’s a canyon-sized landfill full of bands that worship and attempt to emulate both these bands but very few come close and Day Job full-on succeeds.  You get five songs that just start out ridiculously heavy and crazy and it does not let up one bit through the 15 or 16 minutes of this thing.  It’s early in the year, but this is probably going to be my favorite EP, or demo, or whatever this year.  Go listen to this right now and then listen to it again.  (self-released)

 

DRUG CHURCH, “Hygiene”

At this point, four albums and several EPs in (I’m going to vouch for this being classified as a unit of time measurement, like ‘four score’), and going on 10 years as a band, how does Drug Church keep it interesting?  I think from the get-go they never claimed to be a band attempting to re-invent the wheel.  Listen to any one of their records and there is a level of consistency throughout which may not yield leaps and bounds of artistic growth, but continually pays off in the ‘fun’ department.  At heart I think they’re a hardcore band as the overall tempo of their songs is fast enough, the guitars crunchy enough, and the vocal delivery (overall) barked/shouted/screamed enough to keep a steady stream of stagedivers pleased.  However, the band take enough influence in bouncy post-hardcore sonic mutations and grungy riffs just to throw Hard X Core purists off the scent.  I feel like it’s the band’s stock-in-trade.  So while aside from a couple new effects pedals on display during various songs’ bridges and the vocal pairing between Pat Kindlon (not yelling on this song) and Husbandry’s Carina Zachary on the slower, more subdued and poppy “Premium Offer” the band pretty much offer up what you expect of them.  Maybe some will see this as a shortcoming because it’s the same sort of music they’ve been giving you all this time but so what?  The riffs are great, the lyrics are clever as always (“You fooled fools but that’s worthless/ Your pulse asks “what’s the purpose?”/ When tired is the entire sum/ That shit just makes you tiresome” on “Tiresome” for example), and the whole thing wraps up in under a half hour how can you complain?  Just give a spin on songs like “Million Miles Of Fun”, “Piss & Quiet”, or the chugging breakdown that closes out the aforementioned “Tiresome” and try not to jump around like a dum-dum. (PureNoise)

 

DRY SOCKET, “Cessation” 7”

For a band that has lain dormant for the last couple of years from the live setting Dry Socket kept themselves relatively pandemic-busy.  They added a second guitarist (though not on this recording I believe) and came up with a new 7”.  While it’s only three songs (and under 6 minutes) the degree of ‘ripping’ that occurs here is boss level, so certainly an issue of quality over quantity is at work.  The disturbing cover image immediately brings to mind the famous Warhol suicide print, but I think this is something a bit different.  That striking image is made even more unnerving when opening track “Phantom Pains” starts off with a rush of feedback and noise and howling screams repeating a coda then breaks into a powerviolence clip to make it known that these are songs borne from a great deal of frustration, uncertainty, and anxiety (maybe all too familiar over these last couple years, yes?).  Second track “Red” is almost just as fast as vocalist Dani Allen trades back-and-forths with bandmates alongside a fastcore beat that recalls some of Portland’s well-worn crust punk/fast hardcore tradition.  Closer “Shake” has a bit more variety (fast, and faster!) within it’s overall structure and is somewhat more, for lack of a better word, ‘fun’ despite it’s dire seriousness lyrically as the chorus is repeated ad nauseum at the end to great effect.  (Dropping Bombs)

 

HELP, “2053”

So I’m officially late to the party here.  Help are a Portland punk band, and getting a snippet of their wild live show via videos is making me feel a bit stupid for not catching on earlier.  However, I’m rectifying that through writing up their brand-new LP, “2053”.  The band serve up short little panic attacks in the form of repetitive noise squalls, pulsing drums, and an almost stream-of-conscious vocal delivery that would come off as the ravings of a madman if it weren’t so poetic.  Imagine the likes of The Fall (or for a more modern comparison, Protomartyr), but far more aggressive.  It’s all short bursts of destruction behind a barking voice with lines like, “I just kicked a suicide to death. The murder was incomplete” to get you fixated upon some deep thoughts long after the song has disintegrated and rolled right into the next barrage.  10 beatings, 20-some-odd minutes, a whole days worth of manic contemplation as a result.  Get Help. (Nadine Records)

HOLY SHIT! TOURS AND SHOWS!

 OK, don't fuckin' jinx it, just be cool.  There's, like, multiple (we're talking plural here) bands that I've released records for who are playing some shows this spring and even (I said be cool)...  going on TOUR.

Like I said, be cool.  Just play it cool.  It will happen.  So maybe come out of your plague shelter and hit up a few shows, be safe, enjoy yourself, and maybe even try being a little social.  I know, it's awkward, but maybe going out to a few of these it will start getting easier.

Here's a bunch of upcoming dates for Gaytheist, Still/Form, Exhalants, USA Nails, and the big 'ol Pinko tour

PINKO

3/25 @ Hotel Vegas- Austin

w/ FUCK MONEY//GLASSING//EXHALANTS

3/26 @ The Lonesome Rose- San Antonio

w/ THE GRASSHOPPER LIES HEAVY//WHEP//THOUSANDAIRE

3/31- El Paso, TX @ Mona Bar w/ Honduh Daze

4/1- Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress

4/2- San Diego, CA @ Black Cat Bar

4/3- Long Beach, CA @ Alex's Bar

4/4- San Fernando, CA @ The Midnight Hour Records

4/5- San Francisco, CA @ The Knockout w/ Facet

4/6- Bend, OR @ The Capitol w/ The Kronk Men

4/7- Tacoma, WA @ Plaid Pig w/ Proofs

4/8- Seattle, WA @ Southgate Roller Rink

w/ GAYTHEIST, STILL/FORM

4/9- Portland, OR @ World Famous Kenton Club

w/ MAXIMUM MAD, STILL/FORM, SEA MOSS

4/10- Boise, ID @ CRLB

4/11- Salt Lake City, UT

4/12- Denver, CO w/ Moon Pussy @ Lions Lair

4/13- Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge

4/14- Denton, TX

 

EXHALANTS

3/25 @ Hotel Vegas- Austin

w/ FUCK MONEY//GLASSING//PINKO

 

 

GAYTHEIST

 3/31- Portland, OR @ Dantes w/ Zeta

4/8- Seattle, WA @ Southgate Roller Rink w/ Pinko, Still/Form

 

STILL/FORM

4/8- Seattle, WA @ Southgate Roller Rink w/ Gaytheist, Pinko

4/9- Portland, OR @ World Famous Kenton Club w/ Maximum Mad, Pinko, Sea Moss

 

USA NAILS

 w/ Mclusky

4/1 – Bristol, UK - Fleece

4/2 – Manchester, UK - Gorilla

4/3 – Birmingham, UK - Hare & Hounds

ALPHA HOPPER

5/8- Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar

WIPES

5/13- Allentown, PA @ Emmaus Theatre

SCREWED, TATTOOED, AND REVIEWED- FEBRUARY STUFF

 Occasionally I think to myself that I'm a fairly predictable study in regards to my taste in music.  But let me ask you this- where else are you going to find one person who gushes about a band's love of Life Of Agony, while also reviewing a group that worships the dirt Unwound trod upon?  Wild card suckers!  Don't try to pin me down.

AGE OF APOCALYPSE, “Grim Wisdom”

Ya know, I didn’t think I’d ever go for anything resembling Life Of Agony or Only Living Witness ever again primarily because 1) those bands are quite singular and they have very limited output that I personally enjoy (a great deal at that), and 2) pretty much every band that has ever tried to ape either of those bands has done so miserably and failed altogether.  So how the fuck did Age Of Apocalypse manage to be so godamn heavy and, like, really good at pulling off the singing parts?  They’re certainly an ultra rare breed and, if you know me, you’re probably just as surprised as I am about me vouching for this.  I’m weirded out by it too. However, you will get absolutely buried under the chug here.  This is the kind of band I hear in my head when the thought of going to a show in Troy, NY arises- some filthy club where, somehow, people are still allowed to smoke inside.  A bunch of guys that look like extras from “Goodfellas” hang in the back while dudes up front with intentional dirt staches, wife beaters, and $50 Hatebreed tattoos (“done by a friend at their house”) clobber the ever-loving shit out of one another.  The set ends, two people leave with broken noses.  A busted up old Camero is seen driving off through slush-covered streets while you change your shirt to go to your night job at a frozen foods warehouse, the thought of “Grim Wisdom” echoing in your brain for the rest of the week.  (Closed Casket Activities)

 

 

AUTHOR & PUNISHER, “Kruller”

Author & Punisher is a one-man band that’s been at this project for probably around 10 years at this point but this is actually my first time listening all the way through one of their records.  If it’s not obvious by the title this is an album about some kind of pastry.  Well, probably not, but it would be a fun surprise if it was!  OK, so what’s the deal with Author & Punisher (for those not in the know)?  Tristan Shone is the guy behind all this industrial noise and racket and the big deal is that he makes his own instruments and devices for creating the music.  And by some of the pictures I’ve seen it looks as if he’s in some sort of robot exoskeleton, like as if helmet-less Darth Vader were trying to pilot the Power Loader from Aliens.  And I’m not sure how the other records sound, but given the imagery I’ve seen I sort of expected this music to sound even more mechanized and noisy than it.  Like there’s parts on here that have soul and textured vocals, some guitar accompaniment, actual structures to the songs with different movements, and so forth.  So maybe this is the classic man vs. machine conflict, battling for the soul of a tortured human, imprisoned by his own robotic devices!  Oh, the humanity!  But seriously, this is stuff not intended for my enjoyment as I find the songs to be a bit too long, and a whole sludge/industrial mash-up isn’t really doing it for me.  However, it is well composed and inventive, particularly for a single person running it all. (Relapse)

 

BACKSLIDER, “Psychic Rot”

This is actually my first time listening to Backslider, knowing them only as a reference check for a couple members other outfit- the far noisier and riffy Eye Flys.  That’s not to say Backslider is without their fair share of floor-rattling riffs.  Between opener “Asymetric Torment”, “Bone Thief” and closing track “The Floating Door” they’re able to lay down chunky dirge but still keep things moving at a pretty good pace.  It’s on several other tracks like “Pseudomessiah” and “Collision Of Desire” where they’re blasting full speed, not quite sure if they’re aiming for straight up grindcore or powerviolence.  But honestly, who gives a rat’s ass, it all sounds good.  This is being hawked as a full length, but I’m a bit hesitant to go that far when the 10 tracks here clock in at just over 20 minutes, and two of those tracks are just weird sampled interludes.  Maybe a long EP?  I dunno, it’s a minor detail.  I’m sort of glad they keep it relatively short and to the point because the eight ass-beaters on here will keep you wanting more.  (To Live a Lie)

 

BIG WATER, “Park” EP

This Bummer-Canyons side project band offer up a quick EP after their debut full length last year.  They didn’t take long to put this out there, but then again it’s 5 songs in less than 10 minutes, so it’s not like they’re writing progressive concept records.  Or maybe they are, hell if I know what they’re yelling about.  Though if “Tours Over, I’m Driving My Mustang Home” is any indication I’m guessing no seismic, world-altering musical dissertations are being laid out here.  Nah.  This is three Kansas City dudes expressing some crazy, math-y emo where they get all noodley on the guitar but never lose the plot so you can still follow the rock.  Sure, it’s often kind of chaotic and wild, but it stays fun.  For fans of groups like Comadre, Forstella Ford, and bands whose entire discography consists of only 7” splits and/or late 90’s compilation appearances.  (The Ghost Is Clear)

 

CAPTIVE demo

One of the dudes from post-hardcore heavy-ass rockers Brain Cave up and decided to also get themselves on some Trap Them/HM-2 style grimey fastness trying to keep from unleashing their inner Terror love.  It’s all about finding some balance and side quests in life, right? Well, here you get blast beats fighting with beatdown smash-your-enemies parts and not a single song on this 4-song demo hitting the two minute mark.  Honestly, it’s impossible to be turned off by this (if you have any love whatsoever for heavy music) since it all goes by so quickly.  Just enjoy it, and barrel roll into your friends in some filthy basement.  (self-released)

 

IRON LININGS, “Pressure Valve” EP

I kind of happened upon this randomly and it’s one of those chances you take that pays off.  I really enjoy what’s happening here as Iron Linings may tread a familiar path of post-hardcore/noise rock with lots of heavy rocking parts, grooving heavy dirges, and the occasional chaotic tempter tantrum.  But there’s a feel to the guitars where they’re not constantly piling on as much distortion as possible and at times have a less aggressive, maybe melodic feel that I can only describe as sounding ‘Midwestern’.  Yeah, I know, I don’t write reviews for a living ok?  Anyway, much of the heavier sound comes from the plodding bass and the best example of all this is “On Pluto”, which has a great kind of bendy, twang drive with lumbering bass dirge for much of the song.  They’re not terribly far off from contemporaries such as Faking, or even Bummer (the last track begins with a total Bummer part), but this also wouldn’t be out of place coming out of somewhere like Louisville in 2005.  It’s a really fun listen and I’m sure you have 11 minutes to spare.  (self-released)

 

PRAYER GROUP, “Michael Dose”

I feel a little odd writing a review of this because I actually authored the press release for this record.  So instead of repeating myself, so I’ll try to vary the script. Virginia is not just for lovers, it would seem.  It’s also for misanthropic noiseniks bent on making your day exceptionally uncomfortable, which is kind of how Prayer Group have been rolling for several years now.  On their newest release they run the gamut of influence from noisy boy pack leaders like twisted and howling Jesus Lizard-ish worship (“Continuity”), sinewy and creepy thumpings reminiscent of Young Widows (“Spent”), not to mention a more chaotic ripping punk akin to Pissed Jeans (“World Of Mirror/World Of Mind”).  It’s nothing altogether new, but it’s good and it’s enjoyable.  And isn’t that what most of us want from a record?  No need to re-invent the wheel, so long as the tire is reliable and doesn’t blow out on you during the drive.  (Reptilian Records)

 

TORPORS, “TV Genius”

When you begin listening to the first full length from Torpors something immediately sounds familiar but, ya know, maybe it’s a just a coincidence.  Yet by the time you hit third track “Sense Of Self” with it’s nimble and clever bass runs and squalling guitar and then continues into the melodic/dirgey off-kilter thud on the title track it all becomes abundantly clear- these dudes fucking LOVE Unwound.  Holy shit.  It’s as if Unwound at their peak (which, for me, is around “Repetition” and “Challenge…”) just felt the urge to toss in some more of their punk/post-hardcore leanings and maybe gave a little love to Hoover while they were at it.  I mean it’s not just the focus on the creative bass parts and guitar leads, the vocals are right there as well.  The whole thing is a total love letter to the Olympia heroes of yore.  And if they weren’t such a unique band to pay homage to I’d think less of this group.  However, it’s done flawlessly, with adoration, and inserting a bit more aggression into the familiar sound.  There is literally no other information out there about this band aside from their bandcamp. (self-released)

 

WAR HONEY, “Shard To Shatter” 12”

I’ll give it to Handstand Records- they always surprise with something completely unexpected.  The label has released everything from thrashing toxic punk, to pop-dirge indie, and now to the dreamy, breezy melancholy of War Honey.  This is the kind of band you’d expect to find holed up in a dark corner of some smoky basement bar three nights a week crooning away to an ethereal, almost jazzy backbeat.  This relatively short EP (three songs and a brief instrumental interlude) give a hint at what they offer.  It’s honestly very outside my wheelhouse, but my only reference point here is that it strongly reminds me of that early 2000’s Jade Tree Records band Denali.  And while the vocals here soar in that same, highly trained sort of way it’s a little bit lower of a register pouring out of Gabrielle Dana with every fiber of her being.  This is a slick looking record too for being so short- pressed on a semi-translucent black vinyl with a screened b-side that shows through the darkened A-side.  Pretty cool.  (Handstand Records)