Sophie's Floorboard: ISIYM

Band submission. ISIYM are from Melbourne, Australia, and they completely blew me away. Listening through their EP Pineapple Head through for the first time left me in complete awe. It's really refreshing to hear something that really pushes the boundaries of labels and conventions. The entire time they kept pulling out new ideas that kept things very interesting and engaging, with this constant sense of anticipation as to what they were going to do next. They'd go from guttural hardcore vocals to Beach Boys-esque harmonies, and incorporate elements of various genres including garage rock, post-hardcore, alternative rock, and post-punk. I suppose at their core they are a punk band, since they consistently deliver a very raw and energetic quality to every song. They go all out with that at some points, and other times fuse it with some very poppy and melodic sensibilities. Sometimes songs include both of these aspects. Their diversity is astounding, but their ability to execute these different dynamics is also done excellently. Their isn't any point on here that I feel like I'm listening to a different band or that they're forcing a part into their sound. It's all natural, and all awesome. I was kind of reminded of The Men (not that the two sound very much alike) because of this, since they're rooted in punk but are able to integrate many other sounds into the mix to keep things distinct and interesting. I would highly, highly recommend anybody checking this out. Seriously. You can download or buy it from their Bandcamp.