In Loving Memory

"What a loss to spend that much time with someone, only to find out that she's a stranger". Just like the endless supply of Eternal Sunshine quotes, there is no shortage of bands to commemorate today. Though skramz is for lovers, there is no happy here. Exactly four years ago today, this little tradition began, where each Valentine's Day a band is posted to sadgasm to. It started with The Saddest Landscape, then it was iwrotehaikusaboutcannibalisminyouryearbook, then You And I, then Love Lost But Not Forgotten, and this year (as you probably already guessed), it's In Loving Memory. We started from the bottom, and have continued to sink lower into a pit of self-imposed loneliness, depression and despair.

In Loving Memory was a six-piece screamo band from Des Moines, Iowa that lasted from 1998 to 2001. Though I usually like to give more background to a band, anything that needs to be said about them has already been documented to perfection in this blog post on Iowa Hardcore. It provides a full, detailed account of the band's members, history, and also includes links to their discography. I'm just going to touch upon their sound. The band played a frantic and frenzied form of hardcore/screamo that was influenced by all this genre's legends, including Saetia and Jeromes Dream. They also shared a guitarist with The Spirit Of Versailles, another classic band. They also had two vocalists providing dual male/female vocals, which was a major factor in this cathartic chaos that they created. Their lyrics were personal, albeit brief snippets of poetry that leave the listener to fill in the blanks with their own reflections.

 In Loving Memory's recorded output was very small, with only two splits and one full-length (titled As Years Pass And Feel Like Seconds) being put out, and one of those splits featured tracks also on the full-length. Those are available over at Iowa Hardcore, which is the blog link I provided earlier, so full credit where credit is due. What I have here is the proper release of their full discography, which was put out in 2012 by Init Records. These recordings have been remastered, so the quality's a lot better, and you can really hear the complete chaos this band had to offer. Keep this shit on repeat today, cry if you like, indulge in your lonely estate and just know by next year it won't get better. Happy V-Day. Enjoy.

A Discography (2012)

1. This Is Ours

2. Who You Enthrall

3. Moments Like These

4. Open The Door For Me

5. The Choice Has Always Been Yours

6. There's So Much To Say

7. I Burned It Down

8. Caught Up In The Most Simple Of Things

9. Remember

10. Tonight I Scream

11. Song #1

12. Song #2

13. Song #3

14. Song #4

Bandcamp

Ritual Mess

Ritual Mess are a four-piece screamo band from Amherst, Massachusetts that first started in 2009. This band features three members that used to be in the legendary Orchid (and two currently in Ampere, with guitarist Will Killingsworth being the common factor in all bands). As expected, this shit is amazing. Taking influence from the Gravity Records roster, Ritual Mess plow through minute-long songs with the same grinding vigor they did over ten years ago. I'm not sure if they're still really active. Regardless, we've got an EP and LP from them, both out on Clean Plate Records, which is Will Killingsworth's own label. And before anyone mentions this, I'm aware that the picture above is of Jayson Greene in his Orchid days. I couldn't find a new picture of this band, so I'm reusing the Orchid one. Deal with it. Enjoy.

Ritual Mess (2012)

1. F+

2. Pig Island

3. Gnomes Of Zurich

Vile Art (2014)

1. Actualize The Taste

2. Formal Apology

3. #7

4. The Last Shout

5. Emma

6. Prison Too

7. Ritual Blood Pact

8. Interiors

9. Screw The Strand

10. Vile Art

11. Wasting

Bandcamp

Heart On My Sleeve

Heart On My Sleeve are a five-piece screamo band from Stockholm, Sweden that have been around since 2010. They were formed by former members of another fantastic band, The Hope And The Failure. Heart On My Sleeve play emotionally impassioned music that features some tortured vocals and heavy post-rock influence in the instrumentals. In particular, their last LP In The Midst of Hope and Nothingness is definitely recommended, both for its concept and incredible music. This is definitely recommended for fans of more melodic screamo. Enjoy.

Blood Is Not Thicker Than Wine (2011)

1. Control Alt Delete

2. Heart On Her Sleeve

3. Blood And Wine

4. Linguistic Cure

Heart On My Sleeve/состояние птиц (2011)

1. Heart On My Sleeve - Assassin Limp-wristed and Shy

2. Heart On My Sleeve - Carry On Carry Me

3. состояние птиц - IX

4. состояние птиц - X

5. состояние птиц - XI

Stand-by, We're Going In For Life (2012)

1. Forever Summer

2. Today Is The Day

3. Bitter Verses

4. Without Scaffolding

Cavalcades/Coma Regalia/Heart On My Sleeve (2013)

1. Cavalcades - Distort

2. Cavalcades - Morning Eyes

3. Coma Regalia - What It Costs

4. Coma Regalia - What It's Worth

5. Heart On My Sleeve - A Fabrication Of Life

6. Heart On My Sleeve - Petticoat In Ashes

Totem Skin/Heart On My Sleeve (2014)

1. Totem Skin - Along The Lines Of Nature

2. Totem Skin - Totem Skin - To Live Is To Be Hunted

3. Heart On My Sleeve - For That Feeling That Never Came

In The Midst Of Hope And Nothingness (2015)

1. This Failure Is Not On Me

2. So I Ran With Scissors

3. Vicious Circles

4. What Doesn't Kill You (Will Damage You)

5. He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven

6. A Tale Of Two Hearts

7. In The Beauty Of It All

8. Home Is Where The Hurt Is

9. I Hate It When You're Here, But I Miss You When You're Gone

Bandcamp

Fucking Invincible

Fucking Invincible are a five-piece hardcore/powerviolence band from Providence, Rhode Island that got started in 2012. Since then, they've pounded out release after release of dirty, distorted, and heart-pummelling hardcore with a clear powerviolence influence and a slight hint of grindcore. This band also shares members with Daughters and Dropdead, which should be a clear indication as to why Fucking Invincible are fucking incredible. They also put on a killer live set, so get into this shit. Enjoy.

Demo (2012)

1. Shithouse

2. No Skin

3. Meeting With Subtraction Commitee

4. Ginsberg

Very Negative (2012)

1. Hellbound Heart

2. Unpopular Bible Verse

3. Illogical, Imperfect

4. Anti-Tomorrow

5. Death Defier

6. The Skeleton Fucker

7. Poison Eyed Deer

8. Violent Screaming Delusions

Downtown Is Dead (2013)

1. Please Await Further Instruction

2. Too Much Black

3. Ingested And Infested

4. Coffin Chaser

5. On Paper

6. The Both Of Us Are Dying

7. A Coma

8. Standing Perfectly Still

It'll Get Worse Before It Gets Better (2014)

1. Not What You Are

2. Dead Dogs

3. Ape As Man/Man Ape

4. All Good Things...

5. The Brotherhood of Unfulfilled Early Promise

6. Josephine

7. Why Keep Score

8. The World Keeps Turning

9. By Proxy

10. Inconsistent and Indifferent

11. Followed By The Sea

12. Open All Night

13. Progress Trap

14. Nothing, No One

I Hate Myself And Want You To Die (2015)

1. Cross / Uncross

2. Conflict Recital

3. Under The Sun

4. Ditched

5. Feeder

6. Like A Child

7. No Exit

8. Get It Wrong

Fucking Invincible/Lifespite (2016)

1. Fucking Invincible - Buy Or Die

2. Fucking Invincible - More Death

3. Fucking Invincible - Blessing / Curse

4. Fucking Invincible - Divisive Scum

5. Fucking Invincible - Cut Out

6. Lifespite - Blown To Shreds

7. Lifespite - Pray For Nothing

8. Lifespite - One By One

Facebook

Skewbald/Grand Union

Skewbald/Grand Union were a hardcore punk band that had a very brief tenure in 1981. Formed in Washington, DC by Minor Threat members Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, this project existed during their main band's brief hiatus. The two of them couldn't settle on a name, thus why they ended up with the shared name. They only recorded these two tracks, which sound as aggressive as the early Minor Threat 7"'s, but also shows them heading into the direction they would take on their sole full-length. This makes sense, since this was recorded right in between In My Eyes and Out Of Step. This 7" wasn't released until 1991, and was put out by Dischord Records (obviously). Eddie Janney plays guitar on this, who would later play in The Faith and Rites of Spring. Not much else to say here really, these are two solid tracks that Minor Threat diehards have got to hear. Enjoy.

2 Songs (1991)

1. Sorry/Change For The Same

2. You're Not Fooling Me

Dischord

Everyone Asked About You

Everyone Asked About You were a four-piece emo/indie/twee pop band from Little Rock, Arkansas that were around in the late 90's (only '97 and '98 are definite years). Though relatively unknown in their heyday, they've built up a following over the years, almost exclusively because of their sole 7". Besides that self-titled EP, they only ever released one split and another EP, neither of which gained as much attention of the self-titled one. They did record an album in their time together, but it wouldn't be officially released until 2012.

Everyone Asked About You are one of 90's emo/indie's best kept secrets. They took the juvenile pop energy of Cap'n Jazz and blended it with some incredibly songwriting. They clearly had an ear for catchy melodies, in addition to the raw guitar sound employed by contemporary punk/emo bands. They band featured two vocalists, one female and one male. The female vocals are dominant, and unique to say the least. They're very high-pitched and "girly", for lack of a better word. This is really where the band's sugar-sweet pop influence comes in, and one of the major factors that sets them apart as being this fantastically unique project.  It's also a clear indicator of where bands like Rainer Maria and Football, etc. would take influence from. The male vocals often act as a backing voice for the female vocals, though sometimes take the lead in the gruffer parts of their songs. Fans of 90's era emo will definitely see what makes this band so special, and why that one 7" has held up so well over the years. Their full-length is also fantastic. This is one of many bands that make me glad to be in the Internet era of music, because underground gems like this may never have been unearthed (or at least hard as hell to find). Enjoy.

Everyone Asked About You (1997)

1. Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts

2. Me Vs. You

3. It's Days Like This That Make Me Wish the Summer Lasted Forever

4. Everyone Asked About You

The Boston To Little Rock Connection (1998)

1. The Shyness Clinic - Barcelona To Madrid

2. Everyone Asked About You - I Will Wait

3. Everyone Asked About You - A Better Way To A Broken Heart 

Sometimes Memory Fails Me Sometimes (1998)

1. Handsome, Beautiful

2. Sometimes Memory Fails Me Sometimes

Let's Be Enemies (2012)

1. Crazy

2. Boston

3. Song For Chris

4. Letters Never Sent

5. Taxi

6. Last Dance

7. Let's Be Enemies

8. Solitaire / Across Puddles

9. Greek To Me

10. Outro

Priests

Priests are a four-piece post-punk band from Washington, DC, that formed in 2012. After a handful of EP's, their debut full-length was released this year, and it is nothing short of fantastic. Without a doubt this is one of my favourite albums I've heard this year. It's a culmination of what they've been working towards, and a complete assault, both sonically and political. Though their early work is definitely rooted in a more straight-forward punk approach, they've really embraced the more experimental side of post-punk here. The band utilizes dark bass lines, tight drums, and some spastic guitar playing that switches from sharp surf-rock riffs to reverb-drenched chords to all-out noise fests in a matter of seconds. On top of it all are the vocals, which are incredibly charismatic and emotive, with some great lyrics to boot. Enjoy.

Tape 1 (2012)

1. Diet Coke

2. Talking

3. The World

4. Cobra

Radiation/Personal Planes (2012)

1. Radiation

2. Personal Planes

Tape Two (2013)

1. Leave Me Alone

2. Say No

3. Lana

4. USA (Incantations)

5. Lillian Hellman

6. Twelve

7. Watch You (Alternate Mix)

Bodies and Control and Money and Power (2014)

1. Design Within Reach

2. Doctor

3. New

4. Powertrip

5. Modern Love / No Weapon

6. Right Wing

7. And Breeding

Nothing Feels Natural (2017)

1. Appropriate

2. JJ

3. Nicki

4. Leila 20

5. No Big Bang

6. Interlude

7. Nothing Feels Natural

8. Pink White House

9. Puff

10. Suck

Bandcamp

Giles Corey

Giles Corey is a project created by Dan Barrett, a Connecticut musician who is also known for another project of his, Have A Nice Life. This particular project, Giles Corey, has been active since 2011 with the release of a self-titled album. It's garnered nothing but acclaim over the years, and for good reason. It's difficult to figure out a place to begin in describing this album (and all his work, for that matter). For one, and this is going to sound incredibly pretentious, but Barrett creates more than music, he crafts an experience. The atmospheres he creates are lonely, desolate, and most of all, engaging. From the artwork, to the book that accompanies this album, Giles Corey is a project that requires one's full immersion in. There is a clear, personal emotional intensity here, which simultaneously explores Barrett's own psyche, while also creating something for any listener to relate and indulge in. This kind of music is for the lowest points in life, and in exploring the darkest recesses of the mind, somehow a light at the end of the tunnel is found. Or something like that. Though though certainly are philosophical and emotional elements in his work, to quickly speak on the music alone here, it's absolutely fantastic. These atmospheres created with just an acoustic guitar, layers of breathy vocals, light percussion, and some background orchestral swelling reflects the depressive nature of this music alone, without even having to explore the book or lyrical accompaniments. Just by listening, this album still takes the listener on a conceptual journey through a person's depression and brink of suicide. I honestly can't recommend this enough.

What's essential here is the self-titled album, which also includes a booklet only included if you buy it on Bandcamp (which I highly recommend doing, but I've provided just the musical portion of it here). The follow-up Deconstructionist is technically not an album, but is described as a "philosophical tool". Again, I recommend reading more into it on Bandcamp, which also includes another booklet in its download. Hinterkaifeck is a fairly straight-forward EP, and Live in the Middle of Nowhere a fairly straight-forward live album (he even does some Have A Nice Life songs). Enjoy.

Giles Corey (2011)

1. The Haunting Presence

2. Blackest Bile

3. Grave Filled With Books

4. Empty Churches

5. I'm Going To Do It

6. Spectral Bride

7. Nobody's Ever Going To Want Me

8. A Sleeping Heart

9. Buried Above Ground

Deconstructionist (2012)

1. Awake Now

2. Infinite Death

3. Epsilon

Hinterkaifeck (2013)

1. Winter's House

2. Guilt Is My Boyfriend

3. Wounded Wolf

Live in the Middle of Nowhere (2013)

1. Blackest Bile

2. Grave Filled With Books

3. Guilt Is My Boyfriend

4. The Icon And The Axe

5. Deep, Deep

6. Earthmover

7. Wounded Wolf

8. Spectral Bride

Bandcamp

Granite to Glass - I Want To Live SINGLE PREMIERE

Hey guys, I'm happy to bring you the debut single from Granite to Glass, a new project featured long-time friend of the blog Jon Kohen. He's back under a new name with his first single, "I Want To Live". This track is taken from the upcoming album "for when you need this", which is slated for release on March 10. This new album is based upon a poem of the same name, which is written out as the album cover. The poem was written by Emily Katherine Yeadon, whose memory this entire album is dedicated to.

For those of you already familiar with Jon's work, this project will surely have you excited. His distinctive whispered, airy vocals are on full display here, carefully letting out some of his best melodies yet. This new track manages to bring both a melancholic sensibility and a pop melody to the table, making for an immediate stand-out song and a good indication of what a fantastic this new album is going to be. In the past, Jon has worked with a string quartet in the past (his cover of Elliott Smith's "Between The Bars" is still breath-taking), but on this new project he has both an orchestra and a choir backing him. The lush strings and delicate backing vocals really create this massive wall of sound behind his voice and guitar, but never detract from the clear stand-out song here. This new production is a welcome addition to Jon's continually mesmerizing songwriting, and if "I Want To Live" is any indication,"for when you need this" is going to be a major album to look out for this year.

Laughing Hyenas

Laughing Hyenas were a punk/blues band from Ann Arbor, Michigan that were around from 1985 to 1995. In the band's ten year run, they only had two consistent members, which was vocalist John Brannon (formerly and currently from Negative Approach) and guitarist Larissa Strickland (formerly from L-Seven, not to be confused with L7). They had a few different bassists and drummers, though their original two (Jim Kimball and Kevin Munro) did later play in a fantastic band called Mule. Kimball also played drums in The Jesus Lizard a few years down the line. Those two guys were replaced by the bassist and drummer from Necros, to continue the hardcore punk lineage in this band.

Regardless, back to Laughing Hyenas. Though the band's background was definitely hardcore punk, they took a markedly different approach to punk as a whole. They came out with the same blisteringly intensity, but with more blues/garage rock influence, making these songs just as visceral, but with a larger musical palette to take from. Brannon's vocals just shred, and he does sound quite different to his distinct bark in Negative Approach. Strickland comes up with some very inventive riffs that blend punk, blues, and a hint of noise rock together effortlessly. Their sound did progress through the years, though. Their first two LP's are sonically similar, with their magnum opus Life Of Crime having slightly slicker production (with play sin their favour). It's their final LP, however, where the band's change is sound is definitely apparent. It kind of likes a cross between The Rolling Stones and Nick Cave (who was a definite influence on their whole career, especially his stuff with The Birthday Party), which is a fantastic mix. It's darker than the rest of the band's material, and the early raw punk influence has clearly matured into a full, deep sound in which the band really explores its ideas in length.

Since it doesn't really fit naturally anywhere in this post, I must as well as just lump it in and say that almost all their releases were put out through Touch and Go. After they break up, Brannon formed Easy Action, and years later reformed Negative Approach. Strickland sadly died in 2006, but with phenomenal music like this, her legacy won't soon be forgotten. Enjoy.

Laughing Hyenas (1986)

1. Stain

2. Hell's Kitchen

3. That Girl

4. Gabriel

5. Playground

6. What Tomorrow Brings

7. 18

Note: This was their demo tape

Merry Go Round (1987)

1. Stain

2. Hell's Kitchen

3. That Girl

4. Gabriel

5. Playground

6. What Tomorrow Brings

7. Soul Kiss

8. Candy [Bonus Track]

9. Dedications To The One I Love (Live) [Bonus Track]

10. Don't Bogue My High [Bonus Track]

11. Public Animal #9 [Bonus Track]

Note: Bonus tracks from a 1995 reissue of this EP

You Can't Pray A Lie (1989)

1. Love's My Only Crime

2. Seven Come Eleven

3. Black Eyed Susan

4. Lullaby And Goodnight

5. Sister

6. Desolate Son

7. Dedications To The One I Love

8. New Gospel

Life Of Crime (1990)

1. Everything I Want

2. Hitman

3. Let It Burn

4. Kick

5. Here We Go Again

6. Wild Heart

7. Outlaw

8. Life Of Crime

Crawl (1992)

1. Crawl

2. Living In Darkness

3. Walk

4. Girl

Hard Times (1995)

1. Just Can't Win

2. Hard Time Blues

3. You're So Cruel

4. Stay

5. Slump

6. House Of The Blues

7. Each Dawn I Die