Tuesday, 26 September 2023

High Vis


High Vis are a five-piece post-punk band from London, England that formed in 2016. They've released a handful of EP's as well as two full-lengths, the most recent of which came out last year. As usual, I'm pretty late to the game on this, since Blending seemed to keep popping up last year, and it took me this long to finally check it out. Of course, this is a fantastic album; it sounds like a bunch of hardcore kids got really into The Stone Roses, The Sound and Ride, among a litany of other acts you could name. It's a unique fusion of influence, with jangly guitars drenched in reverb and chorus swirling around a tightly-knit and driving rhythm section and distinct, shouted vocals. "Trauma Bonds" in particular was an incredible highlight. I'm sure this is now old news to most of you, but if you haven't given this band a listen yet, do yourself a favour and get on it. Enjoy.

1. A First For When You're Down
2. Positive Intervention

1. Luxor
2. Tribute

1. Choose To Lose
2. Walking Wires
3. Stabbed
4. The Bastard Inside
5. Voices
6. Altitude
7. Blood Moon
8. New Asbestos

1. Down To You
2. Desire

1. Talk For Hours
2. 0151
3. Out Cold
4. Blending
5. Trauma Bonds
6. Fever Dream
7. Morality Test
8. Join Hands
9. Shame

Sunday, 20 August 2023

Silver Scooter


Silver Scooter were an emo/indie band from Austin, Texas that formed in 1995 and disbanded in 2001. For most of their duration they were active a three-piece, but added a second guitarist before their final album. They released three full-lengths, a few EP's, and two splits, one of which was with Cursive. This band brought a strong sense of pop sensibility to the their midwest emo-influenced sound, with clean, melancholic guitars, winding bass lines and loud/quiet dynamics. That vocals especially were very poppy with sticky sweet melodies. Songs like "Pumpkin Eyes" could have even been alt rock radio hits if given a bit more exposure. If you're looking for a place to start with this band, their earlier material leans a little more raw, which includes The Other Palm Springs and the Cursive split, my personal favourite releases by them. By the time you get The Blue Law, they had gravitated away from the distorted emo and leaned into a clean, reverby sound, with acoustic guitars and synths being incorporated in a borderline dream pop soundscape. Enjoy.

1. Cup And String
2. Whatever Happened To Me

1. Biting My Nails
2. Come Around
3. Returning

1. Ball Of Yarn
2. Long Fence
3. Allergic To Love (Eric's Trip cover)

1. Tractor Pull
2. Regret Sets In
3. Good Man Down
4. Riverbed
5. Catching Fish
6. Pumpkin Eyes
7. Beating
8. Long Fence
9. Clarkston, WA
10. Solid Glass
11. 10 PM On Saturday Night
12. Pretty When We Land
13. Brain & Heart
14. Intruder Inside

1. Tribute To The Phone Calls
2. In Between Days (The Cure cover)

1. Silver Scooter - Sunlight
2. Silver Scooter - Bob's BBQ
3. Silver Scooter - D.
4. Silver Scooter - Holding The Flare
5. Cursive - Returns And Exchange
6. Cursive - Pulse
7. Cursive - Tides Rush In

1. Tiara - Swingset
2. Silver Scooter - Morning View

1. Tribute To The Phone Calls
2. Sleight Of Hand
3. Should've Stayed
4. Cancer & Wide-Eyed Looks
5. New Orleans
6. Deliver Me Driver
7. So Long
8. If Nonsense Only Knew
9. Sand Dollar Relief
10. Dinosaurs
11. Cup & String
12. Morning View

1. Goodbye
2. Amateur Actors
3. It's Not Real
4. Run (New Order cover)

1. Goodbye
2. Blue Law
3. Albert Hall
4. The Long Way
5. Black Stars
6. Dirty Little Bar
7. Terrorism Lover
8. The Lonely Singer
9. Remembering
10. On The Mark
11. Voice Of Authority
12. Crash

Get Fucked

Get Fucked were a short-lived five-piece hardcore/screamo project based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They only released one album, a self-titled record in 2004 via Level Plane Records. This project comprised of members from a ton of other notable bands, including Welcome The Plague Year, Neil Perry, Lickgoldensky, Tornado Of Knives, and more. Sonically, this is insanely noisy, dissonant hardcore played at an assaulting volume. It's a solid yet overlooked entry in the Level Plane roster, and is definitely worth giving a shot, particularly if you're a fan of Das Oath or pg.99, as a loose point of reference. Enjoy.

1. Inside The 8lb. Dorm Fire
2. Recipe For Patio Pieces
3. Exciting Irish Nativity
4. Horticulture; Nature's Alien
5. Installation Frenzy
6. Tires, Tires, Globally
7. It's A Petites And Juniors
8. Spactacular Action

Saturday, 19 August 2023

Growing Fins


Growing Fins are a four-piece emo band from Toronto, Ontario that formed in 2015. Thus far, they've released two fantastic EP's, with their most recent being a self-titled release that came out in the summer of 2021. This band plays an energetic, heavily math rock-inspired style of midwest emo, with some frenzied fretwork and some gruff yet melodic vocals that often push into screamo territory. If you're a fan of bands including Gulfer, Macseal, You Blew It!, Tiny Moving Parts, or 1994! you should absolutely check out Growing Fins. Their self-titled EP in particular is incredible, and the rambunctious opener "Ogilvie" and epic finale of "...and then I hotboxed my washroom." are worth the price of admission alone. Enjoy.

1. Pizza Elbow
2. The Party Planning Comittee
3. Scotland

1. Ogilvie
2. Highway To Heck
3. Caelin's House
4. Yikes (Pt. 1)
5. Pronounced Liked Nikes (Pt. 2)
6. ...and then I hotboxed my washroom

Wednesday, 19 July 2023

Articles Of Faith

Articles Of Faith were a five-piece hardcore punk band from Chicago, Illinois that were formed in 1981 by vocalist Vic Bondi and originally disbanded in 1985. They reunited in 1991 for a European tour that wrapped up in 1992, and were inactive again until 2010, when they released a new EP and played a handful of shows. Sonically, the band got their start playing fast, loose and raw hardcore influenced by Bad Brains with overtly political leanings in their lyrics. Where AoF really started to take on a sound of their own was with the addition of a second guitarist in 1983. 1983's Wait EP was a transistional record for the band, with their straight-forward hardcore viciousness still very much intact, but with a darker, noisier, take on it.

They released their debut full-length Give Thanks in 1984, with Bob Mould (of Hüsker Dü) as producer. That influence is definitely apparent on this, as they retain the same fast-paced frenzied attack they developed in their early years, but took a more dynamic, sometimes even melodic approach to it. They were crafting strong songs, with the dual-guitar interplay in the foreground on tracks like "In This Jungle" which was incredibly ahead of its time. After a fantastic debut, the band disbanded the following year, but not before recording its follow-up. In This Life was released posthumously, with Bob Mould once again helming production. The album incorporated those big, distorted and reverb-soaked guitar chords akin to Hüsker Dü, but with one hand still very much on the hardcore wheel that the aforementioned had completely mvoed away from at this point. Lyrically, they eschewed their politics to take a more personal and introspective approach, which paired better with the more melodic sound they grew into it. In some ways you could say they were a precursor to emo, though that's a whole other discussion.

Their full discography was compiled in 2002 by Alternative Tentacles in two volumes. It's worth it to go through everything they released to hear their strong start and quick evolution. I included the individual releases as well (as well as a compilation and live album they also put out posthumously) if you wanted them individually, though the collection is the definitive essential. Highly recommended and insanely underrated, enjoy!

Demo (1982)
1. Articles Of Faith
2. What We Want Is Free
3. Streetfight
4. Poison In My Sweat

1. Everyday
2. My Father's Dream
3. Bad Attitude
4. What We Want Is Free

1. I've Got Mine
2. Wait
3. Buy This War

1. Give Thanks
2. In Your Suit
3. I Objectify
4. Acceptance
5. Everyman For Himself
6. Five O'Clock
7. Hollow Eyes
8. Chicago
9. In This Jungle
10. American Dreams

1. Remain In Memory
2. Doesn't Have To Be That Way
3. Wasn't I Right
4. Wheedle Dee
5. Around In Circles
6. Nowhere
7. Trains
8. Wait For Me
9. Never Really Understood
10. Cambridge
11. In This Life

1.I've Got Mine
2. Buried Alive
3. Sin And Redemption
4. My Father's Dream
5. Articles Of Faith
6. By My Rules
7. What We Want Is Free
8. Born To Be
9. Wait
10. Buy This War
11. Streetfight
12. Ghost In The House
13. Everyday
14. Bad Attitude
15. Dependence
16. False Security
17. Up Against The Wall
18. Poison In My Sweat
19. Belfast

Note: Compilation of material pre-Give Thanks, includes remixed version of the first two 7" EP's, compilation tracks and demos 

1. I've Got Mine
2. Acceptance
3. Five O'Clock
4. Remain In Memory
5. Wait
6. Bad Attitude
7. False Security
8. Give Thanks
9. In Your Suit
10. Trains
11. What We Want Is Free
12. American Dreams
13. In This Jungle
14. In This World

1. Buried Alive
2. False Security
3. Everyday
4. My Father's Dreams
5. Bad Attitude
6. What We Want Is Free
7. Give Thanks
8. In Your Suit
9. I Objectify
10. Acceptance
11. Every Man For Himself
12. Five O'Clock
13. Chicago
14. Hollow Eyes
15. In This Jungle
16. American Dreams
17. In This Life

1. I've Got Mine
2. Wait
3. Buy This War
4. Up Against The Wall
5. Fine Line
6. Empty Rooms
7. Remain In Memory
8. It Doesn't Have To Be That Way
9. Wasn't I Right?
10. Wheedle Dee
11. Around In Circles
12. Nowhere
13. Trains
14. Wait For Me
15. Never Really Understood
16. Cambridge
17. In This Life
18. What We Want Is Free

1. Vic Bondi - Hardball
2. Vic Bondi - Fortunate Son (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)
3. Articles Of Faith - Buy This War
4. Articles Of Faith - American Dreams

1. With A Vengeance
2. Coming Off The Rails
3. New Normal Catastrophe
4. Hammer Song
5. Brother John

Saturday, 15 July 2023

Econochrist


Econochrist were a four-piece hardcore punk band that originated in Little Rock, Arkansas before moving to California and settling in the Bay Area. They were active from 1988 to 1993. In that time, they delivered two full-lengths, three EP's, a split, and a handful of compilation track appearances. Their debut EP came out in 1988, which was a solid albeit standard hardcore release for its era. They really came into their own after their cross-country move that occurred shortly after, along with Mike Scott coming in as their new bassist. His bass lines were the driving backbone to songs still heavily rooted in fast-paced power-chord punk, but with a well-rounded sense of dynamics, balancing elements of melody and dissonance. It also continued to establish their markedly political lyrical leanings. Their gradual evolution continued through Another Victim and their magnum opus Trained To Serve, both released by Vermiform Records. The now-defunct label is best remembered for their work with Moss Icon, Born Against, Heroin, Rorschach and more, all good indicators of the forward-thinking extremities Econochrist espoused in their latter years. 

They dropped their dark and angular swan song Skewed on Ebullition Records in 1993, with their intensive vocal delivery, fretboard frenzied bass work, cutting guitar parts and pounding drums in chaotic tandem, and then called it quits. They marked their gravestone with the following year's retrospective discography, which includes all their released recorded material along with the handful of compilation tracks they dropped over the years. Highly recommended, especially as this band often goes unsung in their placement of genre-pushing political hardcore that emerged in the early 90's. Enjoy.

1. It Runs Deep
2. Can't I
3. Think For Yourself
4. Camouflage
5. Blind Faith
6. Fuck Your American Dream
7. Ignorance

1. Comabox
2. More To This Life
3. Misspent
4. On One Day
5. The Exception
6. Behind Vanity
7. Tunnel Vision
8. Fights That Solve Nothing
9. Bullet With No Name
10. Weak Inside

1. The Detonators - Day To Day
2. The Detonators - Crime & Punishment + Angry Young Men
3. Econochrist - Petty Ways
4. Econochrist - Uncontrollable Urge

1. Another Lie
2. Your Duty
3. Purge
4. Any Questions?

1. Epidemic
2. Behave
3. Deadlocked
4. Treadmill
5. Invertebrate
6. At A Loss
7. 18 And Free
8. New Regression
9. One Sided Story
10. Divine Right

1. Withdrawal
2. Words Alone
3. Bled Dry
4. Passed On

Disc 1
1. Withdrawal
2. Words Alone
3. Bled Dry
4. Passed On
5. Epidemic
6. Behave
7. Deadlocked
8. Treadmill
9. Invertebrate
10. At A Loss
11. 18 And Free
12. New Regression
13. One Sided Story
14. Divine Right
15. Another Lie
16. Your Duty
17. Purge
18. Any Questions?
19. Repel
20. Seek To Use

Disc 2
1. Petty Ways
2. Uncontrollable Urge
3. Comabox
4. More To This Life
5. Misspent
6. On One Day
7. The Exception
8. Behind Vanity
9. Tunnel Vision
10. Fights That Solve Nothing
11. Bullet With No Name
12. Weak Inside
13. Take
14. Tooth Itch
15. It Runs Deep
16. Can't I
17. Think For Yourself
18. Camouflage
19. Blind Faith
20. Fuck Your American Dream
21. Ignorance

Wednesday, 28 June 2023

Horsewhip

Horsewhip are a four-piece hardcore band from  Saint Petersburg, Florida that started in 2017. Though the band's formation was recent, its members have been heavily active in the Florida extreme music scene for decades now. Horsewhip features alumni from incredible bands including Reversal Of Man, Combatwoundedveteran, Order Of Importance, Early Grace, and more. They fuse their road-worn expertise into dark, heavy and discordant hardcore that also pulls influence from crust punk and elements of prog metal (a la Mastadon). Both their self-titled and 2020 LP Laid to Waste are fantastic starting points, with neither one wasting anytime pulling their punches. They also put out an incredible split with Yashira back in January, with both bands contributing a single track each that collectively conjures up one of the most hellish landscapes crafted this year. Highly recommended, enjoy!

1. Aver
2. Funeral Circus
3. Dropping Out
4. Dirtbag
5. Spill
6. The Road
7. Fires

1. Stillborn
2. Feast
3. Inertia Walls
4. Ruin
5. Pray For The Dead
6. Charnel House
7. Closure
8. Remission
9. Holy Lies
10. Lowlands
11. When It Comes

1. Yashira - Burial Mound
2. Horsewhip - Circadian Rhythm

Buy the 7" here:

1. Buried

Squid Pisser

Squid Pisser are a two-piece hardcore/noise rock band from Los Angeles, California that formed in 2022. They dropped their debut LP via Three One G and Sweatband Records earlier this year. If you're familiar with the former's roster, this band is a welcome addition to its distinct catalogue. It's harsh, chaotic, and noisy hardcore delivered at breakneck tempos with unpredictable rhythms. The band's turbulent, alien sound is rounded out by a laundry list of excellent features and collabortors, including members from bands as disparate as Melt-Banana, Punch, Tera Melos, The Locust,and Starcrawler. My Tadpole Legion is a fresh take on slimy noise rock, and makes for one of the most face-melting 20 minutes you'll probably hear this year. Highly recommended, enjoy! 

1. Liquified Remains
2. Violence Forever
3. Marching For Trash
4. Everlasting Bloat
5. My Tadpole Legion
6. Both
7. Vibe Monster
8. Fuck Your Preacher
9. Lord Of The Frog