Monday, 29 December 2014

Old Man Gloom


Old Man Gloom are a four-piece sludge metal/ambient/post-metal/hardcore band originally from Sante Fe, New Mexico, but are now active in Boston, Massachusetts. The band formed in 1999, and is comprised of members from other very notable bands, particularly Aaron Turner (Isis), Nate Newton (Converge), Caleb Scofield (Cave In), as well as Santos Montano on drums. They were active in the early 2000's, put took a long hiatus to focus on their main projects. They returned for 2012's No, and released an amazing set of albums all titled The Ape Of God in 2014. They don't play live often, though based on live sets online, they seem like an incredible act. Besides that, they've released a slew of albums that we do have to enjoy. The Ape Of God and Christmas are personally my two favourites, though everything they've done is so intriguing and burgeoning. Old Man Gloom will definitely arouse your interest if you're a fan of the aforementioned bands, or if you simply appreciate bands that are pushing limits and experimenting with music, especially within more extreme/heavy genres. Enjoy.

1. Afraid Of
2. Flood I
3. Simian Alien Technology: Message Received
4. Sonic Wave Of Bees
5. Sonar Enlightenment Program
6. Rotten Primate
7. The Exploder Whale
8. Poisoner
9. An Evening At The Gentleman's Club For Apes
10. Vipers
11. Test Result: Alien Ape Distress Signal
12. Flood II
13. Resolving The De-Evolution Conflict
14. Scraps Theatre Presents: Confusion in Five Minutes

1. Brain Returns To Initial State
2. Bells Dark Above Our Head
3, Branch Breaker
4. Radio Crackles Spill Down My Face
5. Hot Salvation
6. Breath Drops In And Out Of Glass
7. Rape Athena
8. Roar Of The Forest Rose To Thunder
9. Clenched Tight In The Fist Of God
10. Only Dogs Hear (Here)
11. Jaws Of The Lion
12. Smoke Out Loud
13. Deserts In Your Eyes
14. Meditations In B Part V & VI
15. Cinder Of The Simian Psyche 
16. Three Ring Ocean Sideshow
17. Madied (Self: Reborn)

1. Zozobra

1. Christmas Eve Part I
2. A.L.F. Makes Accident, Or The Slow Advance Of Now Liberated, But Virally Contagious Chimps
3. Skull Of Geronimo (Feat. The Vocal Stylings Of James Randall)
4. Masami's Music Box 1
5. Branch Breaker (Live In NYC)
6. Masami's Music Box 2
7. Christmas Eve Part II
8. Gratuitous Bonus Track Made By Sensible Musicians Doing Questionable Things  

1. Gift
2. Skullstorm
3. Something For The Mrs.
4. Sleeping With Snakes
5. Lukeness Monster
6. 'Tis Better To Receive
7. Accord-O-Matic
8. The Volcano
9. Close Your Eyes, Roll Back Into Your Head
10. Girth And Greed
11. Sonic Dust
12. Valhalla
13. Christmas Eve parts I, II, & III (alt. version)

1. Grand Inversion
2. Common Species
3. Regain / Rejoin
4. To Carry The Flame
5. The Forking Path
6. Shadowed Hand
7. Rats
8. Crescent
9. Shuddering Earth

1. Eden's Gates
2. Promise
3. Shoulder Meat
4. Fist Of Fury
5. Simia Dei
6. The Lash
7. Never Enter
8. After You're Dead

1. Burden
2. Predators
3. A Hideous Nightmare Lies Upon The World
4. Arrows To Our Hearts

1. Fist Of Fury
2. The Lash
3. Predators
4. Shoulder Meat
5. Simia Dei
6. Never Enter
7. Promise
8. Arrows To Our Hearts

Note: The "Promo Version" was initially released for music reviewers, since it would be leaked through them. The real albums came after, and are technically two different albums under the same name and artwork. This was done as a way of adding to the surprise of a new release in the era of online music, in which new and surprising forms of release are scarce.

Sunday, 28 December 2014

Kodan Armada


(The) Kodan Armada were a screamo/post-hardcore band from Louisville, Kentucky, that were active from 2000 to 2005 and went through numerous line-up changes. They put out one EP in their lifespan, as well as a handful of splits, all of which are compiled on their discography album Collection. The Kodan Armada are one of the standout bands from the late 90's/early 2000's screamo sound, along with bands such as Neil Perry, Saetia, Joshua Fit For Battle, and The Spirit Of Versailles. They played a cathartic style of music that focused more on the raw passion of chaos rather than cleanliness or production value. They fuse dark bass lines with ripping guitars, and top it off with strangled, shrieking vocals at their emotional and physical breaking point. Early in their career, they even had a keyboard player. They also brought out the quiet, melodic guitars with spoken word parts a top it. Basically they covered every aspect of the entire screamo genre within a handful of songs. The Kodan Armada's discography is small but essential. They are an integral part in the development of screamo/post-hardcore/emo/hardcore/you know how the list goes, and one of the best bands to come out of it. Enjoy.

1. If I Wanted To Hear The Beat Of Your Heart I Would Rip It Out And Stick It Next To My Ear
2. One
3. Two
4. Three
5. Butterfly Effect
6. Stars Will Always Be There
7. Outro

1. Kodan Armada - No Has Never Had Three Letters
2. Kodan Armada - Bullshit Buffet
3. Montcalm - I Stopped Believing In Existence 

1. Gospel - Congratualtions... You've Hit Bottom!
2. Gospel - Ghost & Gun
3. Gospel - What Means Of Witchery
4. Kodan Armada - Coppers!
5. Kodan Armada - Death Wears A Necktie
6. Kodan Armada - Say Something

1. What's Yr Damage? - Mourning Against 
2. Kodan Armada - iwishididnthatemyself.com

1. Kodan Armada - Kodan Armada Gave Me The Clap
2. Pretty Faces - Pretty Faces...Broke My Shit Up

1. Good Time
2. No Has Never Had 3 Letters
3. Punk Rock
4. Bullshit Buffet
5. Internet
6. Iwishididnthatemyself.com
7. Short Walks Down Long Roads
8. Handcuffs
9. Cops
10. Death Wears a Necktie
11. Importance
12. Say Something
13. Forgiveness
14. One
15. Share Something
16. Butterfly Effect

Tuesday, 23 December 2014

Best Of 2014

Alright, so as promised, here's my list of my top 50 favourite albums from 2014. It's been an amazing year, with a ton of great and innovative music coming out, regardless of genre or popularity. Keep in mind, these are only my favourites, not a definitive "best of" list, despite the title. Also, ranking them was really, really hard to do, so think of the numbers are being more approximate than solidified. Enough rambling, here are the 50 albums that floored me this year. And please, share your favourite albums, songs, EP's, anything, with me too!

Honorable mentions:

Prawn - Kingfisher
Conor Oberst - Upside Down Mountain
Tony Molina - Dissed And Dismissed
You Blew It! - Keep Doing What You're Doing
tUnE-yArDs - Nikki Nack

50. Self Defense Family - Try Me

49. Blonde Redhead - Barragan

48. BADBADNOTGOOD - III

47. Old Man Gloom - The Ape of God

46. Nothing - Guilty Of Everything

45. Timber Timbre - Hot Dreams

44. Trap Them - Blissfucker

43. Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence

42. Have A Nice Life - The Unnatural World

41. Grouper - Ruins

40. Xerxes - Collision Blonde

39. Free Throw - Those Days Are Gone

38. Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues

37. Perfume Genius - Too Bright

36. Tiny Moving Parts - Pleasant Living

35. Mogwai - Rave Tapes

34. Punch - They Don't Have To Believe

33. Seahaven - Reverie Lagoon: Music For Escapism Only

32. Sorority Noise - Forgettable

31. How To Dress Well - "What Is This Heart?"

30. Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) - You Will Eventually Be Forgotten

29. Perfect Pussy - Say Yes To Love

28. Frameworks - Loom

27. A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Sea When Absent

26. Real Estate - Atlas

25. Manchester Orchestra - Cope

24. White Lung - Deep Fantasy

23. Young And In The Way - When Life Comes To Death

22. Taylor Swift - 1989

21. Owen Pallett - In Conflict

20. Fucked Up - Glass Boys

19. Aphex Twin - Syro

18. Cloud Nothings - Here And Nowhere Else

17. FKA twigs - LP1

16. Full Of Hell & Merzbow

15. Joyce Manor - Never Hungover Again

14. Tigers Jaw - Charmer

13. St. Vincent - St. Vincent

12. Pianos Become The Teeth - Keep You

11. The Hotelier - Home, Like Noplace Is There

10. Iceage - Plowing Into The Field Of Love

9. The Menzingers - Rented World

8. La Dispute - Rooms of the House

7. Swans - To Be Kind

6. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There

5. Modern Baseball - You're Gonna Miss It All

4. Single Mothers - Negative Qualities

3. The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream

2. Sun Kil Moon - Benji

1. The Gaslight Anthem - Get Hurt

Monday, 22 December 2014

Weatherbox


Weatherbox are a punk/indie band from San Diego, California that formed in 2005. The band is the main project of vocalist/guitarist Brian Warren, who is backed by a revolving door of other members. The band's sound is energetic, but with a ton of emphasis on melody, making them the perfect blend of punk, indie, and emo. Some of their contemporaries are Mansions, A Great Big Pile of Leaves, Into It. Over It., and All Get Out. If you like bands such as Say Anything, Braid, The Weakerthans, Dear And The Headlights, and Manchester Orchestra. Weatherbox are currently part of the Triple Crown Records, so there's another source of validation to this band's greatness. I don't really know what more to say except definitely check them out, they've knocked out a lot of material in their existence, so I'd suggest starting from the most recent and working back to the start, though a lot of is worth merit. Enjoy.

1. Snakes, Our Ground
2. The Thinnest Of Maps
3. The Clearing
4. Cowboy Mountain
5. Atoms Smash

1. Is Nice
2. The Seven Different Levels of Devil-Worshipping
3. That M.A.D.D.
4. Brian Wins Again

1. Atoms Smash
2. Armed To The Teeth
3. The Clearing
4. Wolftank, Doff Thy Name
5. Untitled
6. Moments Before The Smashing Of Future Ryan
7. Snakes, Our Ground
8. A Flock of Weatherboxes
9. I Worship Raw Beats
10. The Dreams
11. The Drugs
12. Drop The Mike
13. Trippin' The Life Fantastic

1. Broken Head
2. Ahoma Coma
3. No One's There (I Don't Care)

1. That Mann
2. King Friend (The Showing Of The Instruments)
3. They're Ready For Us To Come Home
4. This Space Intentionally Left Blank
5. Mindthings To Waste
6. YouTube The Clouds (Anything That Flies)
7. And You Will Know Me By The Trail Of Dead
8. Two Satchels of Light
9. I Haven't Kissed A Guy In Lightyears
10. Ask My Flashlight
11. Contactus, The Little Green Man
12. Don't Say Nice Things
13. No Hands (Anything That Moves)

1. Broken Glow Stick
2. The Bullets

1. Secret Muslim
2. My Head
3. Mountain
4. Heavy Map
5. Broken Glow Sticks
6. The Bullets

1. Sainthood Reps - Deadlines
2. Weatherbox - Big News

1. Pagan Baby
2. Bring Us The Head Of Weatherbox
3. The Fresh Prints Of Bill Ayers
4. Bathin' In The Fuss
5. Radio Hive
6 The Devil And Whom?
7. Dark All Night For Us
8. Drag Out
9. The Drones
10. Ghost Malls
11. Kick-Flips
12. The Last White Lighter
13. Love Me A Good Microcosm

Sainthood Reps


Sainthood Reps are a four-piece post-hardcore/indie rock band from Long Island, New York in 2009. The band was founded by former Brand New member, Derrick Sherman, along with singer/guitarist Francesco Montesanto. The band's music is an interesting blend of influences, to say the least. They fit in with contemporaries such as O'Brother and Balance And Composure, they sound like the next generation of Brand New or Taking Back Sunday influenced bands, and have their roots in 90's alt rock such as Nirvana, The Jesus Lizard, and Sonic Youth. Sainthood Reps blend intensive riffs with melodic post-rock sensibilities, along with harsh but melodic vocals. These guys are a prime example of solid, guitar-based rock, and are definitely worth giving a try. They put on one hell of a live show too, so be sure to check that out if you get the chance. Also, a major thank you to Joris and Jacob Shumaker for the help with this post. Enjoy.

1. O'Brother - Lay Down
2. Sainthood Reps - Condor

1. Monoculture
2. Dingus
3. Telemarketer
4. Animal Glue
5. Hunter
6. No/Survival
7. Hotfoot
8. Holiday Makers
9. Reactor, Reactor, Reactor, Reactor!
10. Widow

1. Monoculture
2. Hotfoot
3. Animal Glue
4. Hunter
5. No/Survival
6. Dingus
7. Reactor, Reactor, Reactor, Reactor!
8. Widow
9. Holiday Makers

1. Sainthood Reps - Deadlines
2. Weatherbox - Big News

7. Gloom

Note: Full comp here

1. Shelter
2. Desert Song
3. The Last Place I Left You
4. Drone
5. Fall
6. Run Like Hell
7. Headswell
8. Quitter
9. Rapture Addict
10. Breath Worth Breathing

12. Occurrent (acoustic version)

Note: Please support the entire comp here

Twitching Tongues


If nothing else, Twitching Tongues are certainly a unique band within modern hardcore. This five-piece band formed in 2010, and hail from Los Angeles, California. They've worked their way about to being a name on everyone's tongues, for better or for worse. They lean towards the more metal side of hardcore, featuring vocals that sound more Ozzy Osbourne than Jacob Bannon, and the instrumental side recalls Type O Negative, with a hint of more traditional hardcore bands such as Agnostic Front. Twitching Tongues is a name to look out for, and to check their already-existing arsenal of material. Whether their sound appeals to you or not, Twitching Tongues are a band doing something different, which is always commendable for a band within hardcore to do. Also, I don't have their splits, but all those songs appear somewhere else below. A big thank you to Jacob Shumaker for the help with this post, and enjoy.

1. Razor's Edge
2. No Gold
3. Loveless Nightmare

1. Insane & Inhumane
2. Voluntary Confinement
3. Razor's Edge
4. No Gold
5. Loveless Nightmare
6. Forever My Queen

1. Gravitational Constant_ G = 6.67 X 10^-8 Cm^3 Gm^-1 Sec^-2 (Type O Negative)

1. I Fell From Grace Feet First
2. Insane & Inhumane
3. Astigmatism (Of The Phallic Muscle)
4. Distance Clause
5. Sleep Therapy
6. Voluntary Confinement
7. Arm in Armageddon Part I: Freezing
8. Arm in Armageddon Part II: The Peril of Our Season

1. Preacher Man
2. Feed Your Disease
3. At The Gallows End (Candlemass cover)

2. Equal Opportunity Destroyers

1. Eyes Adjust
2. In Love There Is Now Law
3. World War V
4. Good Luck...
5. Preacher Man
6. Deliver Us To Evil
7. Departure
8. Feed Your Disease
9. Frigid
10. S.M.D.

1. Eyes Adjust
2. Burn Forever
3. Preacher Man
4. Feed Your Disease
5. Sleep
6. Good Luck...
7. In Love There Is Now Law
8. World War V
9. Sorry I'm Not
10. Master Killer (Marauder cover)

1. Disharmony
2. Insincerely Yours
3. Asylum Avenue
4. Love Conquers None
5. Insatiable Sin
6. Cannibal
7. Sacrifice Me
8. Arrival
9. The End Of Love
10. Cruci-Fiction

1. AWOL (State Of The Union)
2. Harakiri
3. Kill For You
4. T.F.R.
5. Forgive & Remember
6. Gaining Purpose
7. Long Gone
8. The Sound of Pain
9. Defection (Union Of The State)
10. I Fell From Grace Feet First

Sunday, 21 December 2014

Rotting Out

RIP ROTTING OUT, 2007-2015


Rotting Out are a five-piece hardcore/punk band that formed in 2007, and since emerged as easily being one of the prominent Los Angeles hardcore bands around today. They've got a massive reputation for putting on an intense live show, and have a few very solid albums under their belt. Essentially, Rotting Out make music to mosh to. Plain and simple. Along with bands such as Backtrack, Turnstile, and Suburban Scum, they've made a massive impact on modern hardcore punk, and have introduced a ton of people to it. To all the people who continually request Rotting Out, enjoy.
1. Suicide King
2. Positive Views
3. I Want A Disaster
4. Kobe Bryant Lifestyle
5. You're Done
6. Laugh It Up, Kid
7. Two Worlds
8. The End
9. LA Girl (Adolescents cover)
10. I Love Living In The City (Fear cover)

1. Good Luck/Bad Days
2. Laugh It Up, Kid
3. Skin
4. Vandalized
5. City Of Shame
6. From The Inside

6. Unhappy At Home

1. Street Prowl
2. Faith And Failure
3. Eyes Peeled
4. Laugh Now, Die Later
5. S.B.T.S.
6. Iron Jawed Angel
7. Dead To Me
8. Goddamn
9. Redeemer
10. She Sings
11. Reel

1. The Wrong Way
2. Blade of Rust
3. One More Kiss
4. A Question
5. Stab
6. The Shoot Out
7. Verbal Risk
8. No Clue
9. Roots & Will
10. Three Of Us
11. Bangarang

1. Born
2. Eyes Wide
3. End Of The Road
4. I Don't Care (Circle Jerks cover)
5. Live Fast, Die Young (Circle Jerks cover)

Set Your Goals

Set Your Goals are a pop punk/melodic hardcore band from San Francisco, California that formed in 2004. Since 2012/2013, they've been on a break. Prior to that, Set Your Goals released three albums that have solidified their position as being one of the most noteworthy bands in pop punk, and for good reason. They perfectly capture energy and melody, with a pounding instrumental section and two vocalists. SYG's blend of pop punk and melodic hardcore would pave the way for bands such as Such Gold to carry the torch. This is a band that anyone within this realm of music has to hear, so here they are. Thanks a lot to Jacob Shumaker for the help with this post, and enjoy.

1. Reset
2. How 'Bout No, Scott?
3. Goonies Never Say Die!
4. Sharptooth
5. Latch Key
6. Do You Still Hate Me? (Jawbreaker cover)

1. The Steal - The Steal
2. The Steal - Long Long Song Titles Are So Two Thousand And One
3. The Steal - That Fucking Hurt
4. Set Your Goals - Goonies Never Say Die!
5. Set Your Goals - How 'bout No, Scott?
6. Set Your Goals - Latch Key

1. Work In Progress
2. We Do It For The Money Obviously
3. Dead Men Tell No Tales
4. Mutiny
5. This Song Is Definitely Not About A Girl
6. An Old Book Misread
7. This Very Moment
8. Flight Of The Navigator
9. To Be Continued
10. Don't Let This Win Over You
11. Echoes
12. Forgotten (Gorilla Biscuits cover)

1. We Do It For The Money Obviously!
2. Last Straw Interlude
3. This Very Moment
4. Flight Of The Navigator
5. Echoes

1. Message In A Bottle (The Police cover)

1. This Will Be The Death Of Us
2. With Hoffman Lenses We Will See The Truth
3. Look Closer
4. Summer Jam
5. Like You To Me
6. The Fallen...
7. The Few That Remain
8. Equals
9. Gaia Bleeds (Make Way For Man)
10. Flawed Methods Of Persecution & Punishment
11. Arrival Notes
12. Our Ethos: A Legacy To Pass On

1. Cure For Apathy
2. Start The Reactor
3. Certain
4. Happy New Year
5. London Heathrow
6. Trenches
7. The Last American Virgin
8. Exit Summer
9. Unconditional
10. Product Of The 80's
11. Raphael
12. Illuminated Youth
13. Not As Bad

1. Only Right Now
2. I'll Walk It Off

Saturday, 13 December 2014

2014 In Review...

So, it's that time of year again. That time to scrounge and scramble to listen to all music that was put out in the past year that you never got around to initially, but have to now properly construct your end-of-year best-of list. So, to make life easier, I figured I'd compile all the links for albums released this year in one massive post. This way if there's anything you missed or want to revisit, bam, it's right here. I will be posting my own best-of list soon, but for now feel free to share some of your favourites album and such, I'm really curious to know!

ALBUMS

Backtrack - Lost In Life
Bane - Don't Wait Up
Bayside - Cult
Capacities - ST
Code Orange - I Am King
Cruel Hand - The Negatives
Cutters - We Are The Quarry
Dads - I'll Be The Tornado
Dikembe - Mediumship
Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) - You Will Eventually Be Forgotten
Expire - Pretty Low
Fireworks - Oh, Common Life
Frameworks - Loom
Free Throw - Those Days Are Gone
Full Of Hell & Merzbow
Gnarwolves - Gnarwolves
Handguns - Life Lessons
Have Mercy - A Place Of Our Own
Hightide Hotel - Naturally
Hostage Calm - Die On Stage
The Hotelier - Home, Like Noplace Is There
I Am The Avalanche - Wolverines
Joyce Manor - Never Hungover Again
La Dispute - Rooms Of The House
The Menzingers - Rented World
Michael Cera - true that
Modern Baseball - You're Gonna Miss It All
More Than Life - What's Left Of Me
My Iron Lung - Relief
Neck Deep - Wishful Thinking
New Found Glory - Resurrection
Nothing - Guilty Of Everything
Pianos Become The Teeth - Keep You
Prawn - Kingfisher
Punch - They Don't Have To Believe
Real Friends - Maybe This Place Is The Same And We're Just Changing
Seahaven - Reverie Lagoon: Music For Escapism Only
Single Mothers - Negative Qualities
Sorority Noise - Forgettable
Such Gold - The New Sidewalk
Tigers Jaw - Charmer
Timber Timbre - Hot Dreams
Tiny Moving Parts - Pleasant Living
Transit - Joyride
Trap Them - Blissfucker
Trash Talk - No Peace
United Nations - The Next Four Years
Warren Of Ohms - The Wolf And The Fox
Weatherbox - Flies In All Directions
Xerxes - Collision Blonde
You Blew It! - Keep Doing What You're Doing
Young And In The Way - When Life Comes To Death


EP'S/DEMOS/SPLITS/COMPILATIONS

Adventures/Pity Sex
Alcoa - Thank You
American Football - Deluxe Edition
Animal Faces - Half Asleep
Balance And Composure - Tiny Raindrop B-Side
Basement - Further Sky
The Beautiful Ones - Flowers Are Forever
Brave Bird - T-Minus Grand Gesture
Calculator/Innards/Capacities/Ittō
Citizen - Silo
Cloakroom - Lossed Over
Cloud Rat - Blind River
Converge - Live At The BBC
Crywank - Shameless Valentines Money Grab
Crywank - Embarassing Early Recordings
Dangers - Five O'Clock Shadow At The Edge Of The Western World
Daisyhead/Have Mercy
Drifter - Demo 2014
Droughts/Frameworks/Kittyhawk/Prawn
Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate)/Joie De Vivre
Flowers Taped To Pens - Flowers Taped To Pens
Four Year Strong - Go Down In History
Frameworks/The Saddest Landscape
Full Of Hell/Psywarfare
Gnarwolves - Chronicles Of Gnarnia
Ivy League TX/Turnover/Maker/Such Gold
Joie De Vivre/Prawn
Joyce Manor/Toys That Kill
Jon Kohen - The Heart of The Machine
Knuckle Puck - While I Stay Secluded (2014)
Man Overoard - Passing Ends
Mat & Chris Kerekes - Winter Split
Mat Kerekes - EP
Mat Kerekes - The Midnight
Modern Baseball - Techiques
Neck Deep/Knuckle Puck
Nohealth - Faux Pas on the Train Tracks Led to Starlight Damage (Part I Deathrattle)
Nothing - In Metal
Old Gray/Tiny Moving Parts
Prawn - Settled
Seahaven - Silhouette (Latin Skin)
Slow Bloom - Slow Bloom
Somos/Sorority Noise
Sorority Noise/Radiator Hospital
State Champs - The Acoustic Things
The Story So Far - Songs Of
Such Gold - Choosing Cages
Touché Amoré - Live On BBC Radio 1: Vol 2
Turnover - Blue Dream
The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die - Between Bodies
TWIABP - The Distance
TWIABP/Rozwell Kid/Kittyhawk/Two Knights
Twitching Tongues - World War Live
You Blew It! - You Blue It