Sunday 28 July 2024

Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start


Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start (they address it) were a five-piece emo/post-hardcore band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that were active from 1999 to 2008, with reunion shows occurring in 2013 and 2016. They released two full-lengths and a handful of EP's during their initial run. Sonically, they really were all over the place, so any description isn't going to do them any justice. It's a mesh of the angular, syncopated, mathy sound of Faraquet, the noodly arpeggios of Cap'n Jazz, and the melancholic indie anthems of Death Cab For Cutie. They pack a ton of variety into these relatively short songs, making both full-lengths incredibly engaging. Their final LP, the aptly titled Worst Band Name Ever is a little more subdued, so I do slightly prefer And Nothing Is #1, which is the suggested starting point. Even though they predate these bands, if you're into TWIABP, Cstvt, Everyone, Everywhere, Joie De Vivre, or Into It. Over It. (with Evan Weiss even being a member for a short period), I think this will appeal to you. Enjoy.

1. Song Competition
2. Working Title
3. I'm Holding Hands With Me
4. Action
5. Walked Out This Season
6. Real Philosophers vs. The Lovers Of Sights And Sounds

1. Here I Am Away
2. I've Just Seen The Best I'll Ever Be
3. Hopelessly In Like With Me
4. As Usual To Me
5. It Will Be The Month That I Have

1. You Landed So Gracefully
2. I Know You'll Find Out That I'm A Geek
3. My Argument Precedes Me
4. As Usual
5. Help Me Fix My Bike
6. Is That A Terrible Thing To Say?
7. See You In A Month
8. Time Wastes No Time
9. Muscle, When Will I See It?
10. By Surprise

1. Down To The Day
2. Come Away
3. Please Come To Me
4. Strike 2
5. Them All

1. Are We Seeing This?
2. Dear Erica
3. I'm Growing Out
4. Out To Get Me
5. Track 5

1. Janet Bateman
2. Melanie Flury
3. Rachel Strayer
4. Robyn Fleshman

1. Shawnee
2. Gas Station Hair
3. I'll Thank You Later
4. Am I A Cricket
5. I Am The Island
6. The Red Loop
7. Christmas Eve 1993
8. 128 Cayuga St
9. Maureen Kehoe
10. Boise

Saturday 27 July 2024

Kerosene Heights

Kerosene Heights are a four-piece emo/punk band from Asheville, North Carolina that formed in 2021. Their debut full-length dropped last year, which I didn't get around to checking out until now, which is unfortunate because this is right up my alley. They take influence from the punchier bands that came out of the emo revival thing such as Glocca Morra, Snowing, CSTVT, Joyce Manor, Title Fight, etc. They craft these raw, vulnerable songs that are meant to be shouted along to, brimming with energy and catchy melodies. A solid four-track EP was dropped last month, but if you're looking to check out one project, I recommend it be Southeast Of Somewhere, because that is a straight-up collection of bangers. Enjoy.

1. In Ur Blud
2. Something Abt U
3. Tired Of Me
4. Built To Chill
5. Pillcrusher

1. Drunk Uncle - Achilles
2. Drunk Uncle - Stave
3. Kerosene Heights - Van Of Leaves
4. Kerosene Heights - Manatee Shirt
5. Rose Ceremony - Final Rose
6. Rose Ceremony - Take A Moment
7. Thorn Tire - Expel
8. Thorn Tire - Poser

1. Salty Eyes
2. Same Shade Of Red
3. Last Time
4. Otis
5. Growing Up
6. Kathryn
7. Mission Valley Shopping Center
8. Perfect Timing
9. Going Away
10. In Suspension
11. Next To Nothing

1. Michigan Again
2. Dennis #3
3. Such Great
4. Night Walk Ultra

The February Stars Union

The February Stars Union were an emo band from Chicago, Illinois that were active sometime in the late 90's. Naturally, there's very little info out there about them, aside from their sole EP and split which are luckily still in rotation online. Sonically, they utilize a fantastic dual vocal approach, also intermingling cleaner, arpeggiated guitars with abrasive, octave-chord climaxes. Basically, if you're into Christie Front Drive, Jejune, Ribbon Fix, Everyone Asked About You, or Eldritch Anisette, this will more than likely appeal to you. Enjoy.

1. Too Intellectual For My Own Good
2. Self-Splitting Used To Be
3. Sunny Morning
4. My Name Is Failure-His Name Is Life

1. The Evergreen Trio - Always In The Afternoon
2. The Evergreen Trio - Incidentally
3. The Evergreen Trio - Only In Good Weather
4. The February Stars Union - And On The Seventh Month You Rested
5. The February Stars Union - Seconds From Something Else
6. The February Stars Union - Our Karass: God's Team (Amerida)

Friday 21 June 2024

Edith Pike


Edith Pike were a three-piece screamo band from Denver, Colorado that formed in 2022 and disbanded in 2024. In typical fashion, their output is inredibly limited, though showed a surprisiing amount of progression spread across their three releases. Throughout, they do all manage to keep things interesting by integrating a variety of sound, that extends from crushing hardcore influence to delicate arpeggios, all with tortured vocals that use the full range of the gas pedal. I'm trying to catch up on a lot of great modern acts that I've missed in the past few years, and Edith Pike is undoubtedly one of them, so enjoy.

1. tunnel twenty-nine
2. ...then it all came down
3. rushing into a burning home
4. kiss me here beautiful for these are truly our last days

1. bigger than a great lake
2. how to play bad golf
3. one
4. a childish crush can destroy your marriage
5. 101 ranch wild west show
6. two

1. herlovebeheadsdaisies - It's Like Holding A Ghost's Hand
2. edith pike - all that's left of you (swan song)

herlovebeheadsdaisies


herlovebeheadsdaisies were a three-piece screamo band from San Antonio, Texas that formed in 2022 and disbanded in late 2023. I managed to miss their sole release (up until a recent split), which was their fantastic LP carving initials up until now. This thing is raw, anguished, and genuinely timeless, as it'd be very hard to place a release date on it if you just heard it. The arpeggios are moody and melancholic, with climatic explosions of chaotic fury. They're kind of like a lower-fi and skramz-ier I Hate Myself or The Spirit Of Versailles, though don't read too much into that comparison. It's a solid album for the saddest of hours, enjoy.

1. wisconsin
2. pave today, burn tomorrow
3. Thank You DubNation! (the page will never be long enough)
4. deer man
5. empyrean
6. ophelia
7. the I see fire in her eyes one
8. riverbed
9. broth

1. herlovebeheadsdaisies - It's Like Holding A Ghost's Hand
2. edith pike - all that's left of you (swan song)

Widowdusk


Widowdusk are a five-piece screamo band from California that formed in 2022, while its members were still in high school and played their final show in December of 2023. This is one band I've been meaning to share for a while now, as I was blown away the first time I heard their EP I know where we're at, not where we're going a while back, especially its wonderfully anguished lyricism. With the release of their eclectic debut LP via the always-incredible Zegema Beach Records this year, they went straight to the top of the list of posts to be done. I don't have much else to say; in just a few short years they've become one of modern screamo's must-listen acts, so I implore everyone to check this out, since this band is right up this blog's alley.  Enjoy.

1. woodbury town centre (bedroom demo)

1. knots
2. I don't need you, or a drink
3. Oct. 26
4. selfless
5. holding on

1. untitled 1, live in my garage (4/8/23)
2. holding on, live in nate's room (11/19/22)
3. knots, live at my house (9/30/22)
4. well here's this, live in nate's room (11/19/22)
5. Oct.26, live in my gargae (4/8/23)
6. untitled 2, live in nate's room (11/19/22)
7. untitled 3, live at badlands (1/14/23)

1. widowdusk - I'm sitting, watching all my dreams die in front of me
2. widowdusk - I'm standing, completely vulnerable
3. ihuntmonsters - Cue the Burning Sensations
4. ihuntmonsters - Oh No! My Package "Did Not Arrive"
5. ihuntmonsters - Do You Remember The Time We Ran Across The Freeway

1. take a trip
2. Fucking assholes and their compact cars!
3. It's a Kurt thing, YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND
4. Australia hates you (JVB song)
5. Sleep through it
6. Siamo Cowboy Senza Pistole!
7. the one where we chant
8. Meow!
9. Let's dance to the rhythm of love
10. Stand by me, in Nate's car

Tapes Available:

Heanvely Blue


Heavenly Blue are a seven-piece screamo outfit from Detroit, Michigan that have been active since 2021, evolving from the band Youth Novel. I went to add a link to my Youth Novel post to explain the backstory there. Turns out, they're one of many bands that slipped through the cracks, as there is no post on them. Thus, I'll either add their material here or make a separate post entirely, time permitting. In summary, Youth Novel were from Ann Arbor, they formed in 2012 and disbanded in 2016. A few members reunited in 2020, but by 2021 there were no original members left. They changed the name, and three years down the line released their first material under this moniker. We Have The Answer came out in April of this year via Jeremy Bolm's Secret Voice label. Though it's technically a debut, the band already sounds honed and refined, brimming with dynamic energy. The vocals are varied, with rolling drums, syncopated riffs, and worming melody abound. If you're into Jeromes Dream, Gillian Carter, or Frail Body, this is a record not to miss this year. Enjoy.

1. Davos
2. We Have The Answer
3. Pando
4. Glass So Clear
5. Certain Distance
6. Static Violence Speaks Static To Me
7. ...And Like That, A Year Had Passed
8. A Part Of Me, A Part Of You
9. Looming
10. Heat Death Parade
11. All Of The Pieces Broke

Febuary


Febuary are a four-piece screamo/emo band from Las Vegas, Nevada that have been active since 2023, with their debut release dropping in April of this year. This band wasn't on my radar, so thank you to Salem who sent me this, comparing it favourably to Pianos Become The Teeth and Leer. Needless to say that piqued my interest, and I'm glad it did as this is a solid album through and through. It features bright guitars that veer between melancholic chords and mathy noodles. The vocals are dynamic, often making excellent use of gang chants. At the drop of a hat, the quieter moments can pick up into genuinely heavy, frenzied, and searing climaxes that hit hard even on these raw recordings. If you're a fan of bands like Age Sixteen, Merchant Ships, Innards, or fellow Vegas natives Crochet, this is definitely something you should be listening to yesterday. Enjoy.

1. Markiplier Saved My Life!!
2. I'd Rather Burn Than Fall
3. Slow Dance Tune For Abigail
4. IDGAF
5. Brand New Shoes
6. No Way...
7. Bitches Love My White Belt
8. Kill Yourself If You Have Tinder
9. Interlude
10. Just Wait Till I Blow Up!!!

Friday 17 May 2024

Japandroids

Post #1200 in our 12th year. I was admittedly dragging my feet trying to figure out what band to use to mark this milestone, because I didn't another gargantuan undertaking like The Replacements and Jimmy Eat World were. Down the line both bands I was considering will still get that treatment (Sleater-Kinney and the Descendents, for the two of you wondering), but as soon as this band popped into my head, I knew I had found the perfect gateway back to posting. Like I said earlier, this blog has been running for 12 years, which coincides with the same number of summers Celebration Rock has been the soundtrack to. With the May 24 weekend upon us (hola Canada), Japandroids season is in session.

Japandroids are two-piece rock/alternative/punk band from Vancouver, British Colubmia that formed in 2006. Since their inception, their sole two members have been guitarist/vocalist Brian King and drummer/vocalist David Prowse. They self-released two EP's in their earlier years (which were later compiled as No Singles) before self-producing their debut full-length, Post-Nothing. The band almost called it quits, but thanks to the online traction that their debut picked up, they ended up embarking on a world tour following its release. It's unsurprising that their sound caught on so quickly, as their energy is positively infectious. In brief summary, they lay a base of noisy garage rock with pounding drums and huge, Hüsker Dü-esque guitars that shimmer with reverb and high-end melodies, while droning open strings to fill in the bass end. While that covers their exterior, these songs at their core take influence from the blue-collar, bleeding heart, youthful exuberance, and personal storytelling of someone like Bruce Springsteen, which is what elevates these songs to become anthems of fist-pumping hot summer nights.

While I do love their debut (try listening to "Wet Hair" without smiling), it was their sophomore release that put them in the stratosphere. The aptly titled Celebration Rock is 8 cuts of giddy euphoria, from the crackle of fireworks and anything-is-possible introduction of "The Nights Of Wine And Roses" to the hesistantly assured closer of "Continous Thunder", I've always thought that this thing takes place over the span of that one night everyone wants to re-live forever. I'm not going into it too much, but if you're unfamiliar with this band, please start with this.

Following another huge tour in the wake of their massively successful sophomore album, the band were quiet for a few years until their date (and final to date) album, Near To The Wild Heart Of Life. This one features a lot more studio and production tinkering than anything they had done before, resulting in a cleaner sound compared to their off-the-floor-style recordings of their early years. I prefer the first two albums personally, though still think this is a solid addition to expand the Japandroids canon. During the tour for this album, they recorded their show at Toronto's Massey Hall, which was released back in 2020 as a live album, and unfortunately that's the last we've heard from them. As a quick note to go complete the discography breakdown, they recently a series of singles throughout their tenure, most being album tracks on the A-side and covers on the B-side, which choices shows their wide array of influence. The only non-album single cuts are "Heavenward Grand Prix" and "Art Czars", if you're just looking for their originals. In closing, this is music meant for blaring out the car speakers, windows down on a sunny day. Nothing but an open highway around you, and all the time in the world ahead of you. Enjoy.

1. The Boys Are Leaving Town
2. Young Hearts Spark Fire
3. Wet Hair
4. Rockers East Vancouver
5. Heart Sweats
6. Crazy/Forever
7. Sovereignty
8. I Quit Girls

1. Art Czars
2. Racer-X (Big Black cover)

1. Darkness On The Edge of Gastown
2. No Allegiance To The Queen
3. Sexual Aerosol
4. Lovers/Strangers
5. Lucifer's Symphony
6. Couture Suicide
7. Avant Sleepwalk
8. Coma Complacency
9. To Hell With Good Intentions (Mclusky cover)
10. Press Corps

1. Younger Us
2. Sex And Dying In High Society (X cover)

1. Heavenward Grand Prix
2. Shame (PJ Harvey cover)

1. The House That Heaven Built
2. Jack The Ripper (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds cover)

1. The Nights Of Wine And Roses
2. Fire's Highway
3. Evil's Sway
4. For The Love Of Ivy
5. Adrenaline Nightshift
6. Younger Us
7. The House That Heaven Built
8. Continuous Thunder

1. Near To The Wild Heart Of Life
2. North East South West
3. True Love And A Free Life Of Free Will
4. I'm Sorry (For Not Finding You Sooner)
5. Arc Of Bar
6. Midnight To Morning
7. No Known Drink Or Drug
8. In A Body Like A Grave

1. Near To The Wild Heart Of Life
2. Love --> Building On Fire (Talking Heads cover)

1. North East South West
2. Fire In The Western World (Dead Moon cover)

Massey Fucking Hall (2020)
1. Intro: Near To The Wild Heart Of Life
2. Near To The Wild Heart Of Life
3. Fire's Highway
4. Heart Sweats
5. Arc Of Bar
6. Intro: Younger Us
7. Younger Us
8. North East South West
9. The Nights OF Wine And Roses
10. Intro: No Known Drink or Drug
11. No Known Drink or Drug
12. Continous Thunder
13. Young Hearts Spark Fire
14. Sovereignty
15. Intro: The House That Heaven Built
16. The House That Heaven Built

Wednesday 27 March 2024

Narrow Head


Narrow Head are a five-piece alternative rock band from Houston, Texas that formed in 2013. They've put out three full-lengths and a slew of other releases, with their most recent stuff all being put out by Run For Cover since joining their roster in 2020. Admittedly I have not done much of a deep dive on this band, even though they've been requested a ton and their latest LP, Moments Of Clarity gained a good amount of traction last year. The band's sound consists of big, heavy, shoegazy guitars and alt rock riffs juxtaposed against very melodic vocals. That's not a very good summation, but I'm sure a lot of you are more familiar with them than I am. If you're a fan of bands such as Superheaven, Daisyhead, or Modern Color and haven't heard them yet, I highly suggest you give them a try. Despite being new to them, everything I'm hearing is incredibly solid. Enjoy.

1. Glass
2. Nervous Habits

1. Far Removed
2. Make It Hurt
3. In Slow Time
4. Nervous Habits
5. Brain Dead

1. Hard To Swallow
2. Ash Anywhere
3. Emmadazey

2. Feels Like Sand
3. Ashtray
4. Cool In Motion
5. Stay
6. Nancy France
7. Paranoid Hands
8. Wallflower
9. It's Whatever To Me
10. Uncover
11. See You Around

1. Stuttering Stanley
2. Nodding Off
3. Snoozy

1. Satellite
2. Ash Anywhere

1. Yer Song
2. Ponderosa Sun Club
3. Stutterng Stnaley
4. Hard To Swallow
5. Crankcase
6. Nodding Off
7. Night Tryst
8. Emmadazey
9. Wastrel
10. Delano Door
11. Bulma
12. Evangeline Dream

1. T.W.I.N.

1. The Real
2. Moments Of Clarity
3. Sunday
4. Trepanation
5. Breakup Song
6. Fine Day
7. Caroline
8. The World
9. Gearhead
10. Flesh & Solitude
11. The Comedown
12. Soft To Touch