Sunday 29 May 2016

The Get Up Kids


50 bands in 1 month. I figured #50 had to be something special. This band probably doesn't need an introduction, but here's one anyway. The Get Up Kids are a five-piece indie/alternative/emo/pop punk band from Kansas City, Missouri that formed in 1995 and broke up in 2005. They reunited three years later in 2008, and have been active ever since. Without a doubt, The Get Up Kids are one of the most seminal and influential bands to come out of the 90's, particularly on emo and indie in the next decade. From small, underground bands to very, very well-known names such as Pete Wentz and Mark Hoppus, The Get Up Kids have really made an impact on music. This is mostly due to one particular album, 1999's incredible Something To Write Home About, which features 12 insanely catchy pop songs that simply never get old.

Prior to Something To Write Home About, they had released a handful of material, including a great EP titled Woodson and another full-length, Four Minute Mile. This was fairly standard, catchy, 90's pop punk/emo fare, and their punk roots somewhat show. They gained a lot of attention in the following years as their sound grew more and more popular, until they made some huge changes in the early 2000's. On A Wire and Guilt Show found the band exploring new sounds, more in an indie/alternative range, with keyboards and a more mature approach to their music. After their reunion, this sound became even more prominent on their last album, There Are Rules, which is the last recorded material to date. It's all great stuff, so I highly advise checking all of it out, but Something To Write Home About is the clear essential here. Enjoy.

1. The Get Up Kids - Burned Bridges (Coalesce cover)
2. Coalesce - I'm Giving Up On This One (The Get Up Kids cover)

1. Woodson
2. Second Place
3. Off The Wagon
4. A Newfound Interest In Massachusetts

1. The Get Up Kids - I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel
2. Braid - Forever Got Shorter

1. Coming Clean
2. Don't Hate Me
3. Fall Semester
4. Stay Gold, Ponyboy
5. Lowercase West Thomas
6. Washington Square Park
7. Last Place You Look
8. Better Half
9. No Love
10. Shorty
11. Michelle With One 'L'

1. One Year Later
2. Red Letter Day
3. Forgive And Forget
4. Anne Arbour
5. Mass Pike

1. Holiday
2. Action & Action
3. Valentine
4. Red Letter Day
5. Out Of Reach
6. Ten Minutes
7. The Company Dime
8. My Apology
9. I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel
10. Long Goodnight
11. Close To Home
12. I'll Catch You

1. One Year Later
2. No Love
3. Holiday
4. Out Of Reach
5. Talking Shit About MxPx
6. Red Letter Day
7. Coming Clean
8. I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel
9. Ten Minutes
10. Last Place You Look
11. Pabst Blue Ribbon
12. Action & Action
13. Mass Pike
14. Woodson
15. Company Dime
16. I'll Catch You
17. Don't Hate Me
18. Off The Wagon
19. Shorty

1. The Get Up Kids - Central Standard Time
2. The Anniversary - Vasil + Bluey

1. Action & Action
2. Close To Me
3. I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel (Demo)

1. Up On The Roof
2. Suffragette City (David Bowie cover)
3. Central Standard Time
4. Close To Me (The Cure cover)
5. Forgive And Forget
6. Regret (New Order cover)
7. Beer For Breakfast (The Replacements cover)
8. Newfound Mass (2000)
9. Alec Eiffel (Pixies cover)
10. Impossible Outcomes
11. On With The Show (Motley Crue cover)
12. Ten Minutes (Demo)
13. Anne Arbour
14. Burned Bridges (Coalesce cover)
15. I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel (Demo)
16. Shorty (Demo)
17. The Breaking Method

1. Overdue
2. Stay Gone
3. Let The Reigns Go Loose
4. Fall From Grace
5. Grunge Pig
6. High As The Moon
7. All That I Know
8. Walking On A Wire
9. Wish You Were Here
10. Campfire Kansas
11. Worst Idea
12. Hannah Hold On

1. Overdue
2. Stay Gone
3. Let The Reigns Go Loose
4. Take The Fall
5. Grunge Pig
6. High As The Moon
7. All That I Know
8. Walking On A Wire
9. Wish You Were Here
10. Campfire Kansas
11. The Worst Idea
12. Hannah Hold On
13. All Eyes On The Liar
14. The End Is In Sight
15. My Photographs
16. Wings And Wheels
17. Through The Haze

1. Hannah Hold On (acoustic)
2. Dreaming Underwater
3. How Long Is Too Long (alternate version)
4. Overdue (acoustic)
5. Let The Reigns Go Loose (alternate version)
6. Wish You Were Here (alternate version)
7. Grunge Pig (alternate version)

1. Man Of Conviction
2. The One You Want
3. Never Be Alone
4. Wouldn't Believe It
5. Holy Roman
6. Martyr Me
7. How Long Is Too Long
8. Sick In Her Skin
9. In Your Sea
10. Sympathy
11. The Dark Night Of The Soul
12. Is There A Way Out
13. Conversation

1. Man of Conviction (Piano Demo)
2. Man of Conviction (Acoustic Demo)
3. The One You Want (Robbie's House Demo)
4. Never Be Alone (Piano Demo)
5. Wouldn't Believe It (Robbie's House Demo)
6. Holy Roman (Acoustic Demo)
7. Holy Roman (Live at the Lodge Demo)
8. Martyr Me (Version #1 Demo)
9. Martyr Me (Version #2 Acoustic Demo)
10. While You Were Sleeping (Demo)
11. Martyr Me (Live at the Lodge Demo)
12. How Long is Too Long (Scott Litt Demo)
13. Sick in Her Skin (Robbie's House Demo)
14. Take The Fall (Demo)
15. In Your Sea (Robbie's Basement Demo Vocal #1)
16. In Your Sea (Robbie's Basement Demo Vocal #2)
17. Sympathy (Solo Acoustic Demo)
18. The Dark Night of the Soul (Piano Demo)
19. Is There a Way Out (Robbie's House Demo)
20. Conversation (Robbie's Basement Demo)

1. I'll Catch You (Acoustic)
2. Overdue (Ed Rose Mix)
3. Wish You Were Here (Demo)
4. Walking On A Wire (Ed Rose Mix)
5. Lost In The Light
6. Send Us A Saint

1. The One You Want
2. Sympathy
3. Never Be Alone
4. Holy Roman
5. Action & Action
6. Better Half

1. Coming Clean
2. The One You Want
3. Holiday
4. Action & Action
5. Stay Gone
6. Woodson
7. Martyr Me
8. I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel
9. Mass Pike
10. Campfire Kansas
11. Red Letter Day
12. Sick In Her Skin
13. No Love
14. Shorty
15. Ten Minutes
16. I'll Catch You
17. Don't Hate Me
18. Is There A Way Out?

1. Forgive And Forget (Demo)
2. Red Letter Day (Demo)
3. Close To Home (Demo)
4. Central Standard Time (Demo)
5. My Apology (Demo)
6. Holiday (Demo)
7. Valentine (Demo)

Note: Bonus downloads with 10th anniversary edition of the album

1. Welcome To Daytrotter
2. Sharin' Stone
3. Your Petty Pretty Things
4. I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel
5. Overdue

1. Your Petty Pretty Things
2. Keith Case
3. Tommy Gentle
4. How You're Bound

1. Tithe
2. Regent's Court
3. Shatter Your Lungs
4. Automatic
5. Pararelevant
6. Rally 'Round The Fool
7. Better Lie
8. Keith Case
9. The Widow Paris
10. Birmingham
11. When It Dies
12. Rememorable

1. Maybe
2. Better This Way
3. I'm Sorry
4. My Own Reflection

1. Satellite
2. The Problem Is Me
3. Salina
4. Now Or Never
5. Lou Barlow
6. Fairweather Friends
7. Common Ground
8. Waking Up Alone
9. The Advocate
10. Symphony Of Silence
11. Brakelines
12. Your Ghost Is Gone

Friday 27 May 2016

Coalesce


Coalesce are a four-piece hardcore/metalcore/mathcore band from Kansas City, Missouri that formed in 1994, broke up in 1999, reunited in 2005, and have been active ever since. Besides that, I don't even know where to start with these guys. Coalesce are easily one of the most influential bands in metalcore, right up there with Converge and Botch. Not only are they influential, but they've put out some of the heaviest and most boundary-pushing music in hardcore (as a blanket term) history. Sean Ingram's low, guttural vocals are incredibly distinct and a huge part of Coalesce's sound. The band is also very tight, and very technically proficient. They wrote some incredibly complex arrangements, and very tricky fills and riffs, but still could hammer out a straight-forward heavy riff when it fit, and experiment with other sounds as they pleased. They also were affiliated with a ton of other great bands, including The Get Up Kids and The Casket Lottery, both clearly very different from the sound of Coalesce. This is a band of incredible musicians that have put out some of heavy music's best work, and I don't think much more needs to be said other than that. This shit is absolutely essential, so enjoy.

1. Aftermath
2. Peace Rape
3. Untitled

1. On Their Behalf
2. Harvest Of Maturity

1. 73-C
2. Grain Of Salt
3. Simulcast

1. Napalm Death - Food Chains
2. Coalesce - A Safe Place
3. Napalm Death - Upward And Uninterested (Demo Version)
4. Coalesce - Harvest Of Maturity

1. Today Is The Day - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Black Sabbath cover)
2. Coalesce - Supernaut (Black Sabbath cover)

1. The Get Up Kids - Burned Bridges (Coalesce cover)
2. Coalesce - I'm Giving Up On This One (The Get Up Kids cover)

1. Converge - Love As Arson 
2. Coalesce - Have Patience

1. Have Patience
2. One On The Ground
3. Cut To Length
4. For All You Are
5. Still It Sells
6. Chain Smoking
7. Did It Pay The Rent?
8. Every Reason To
9. I Am Not The First
10. This Is The Last
11. I Took A Year 

1. You Can't Kill Us All
2. Reoccuring Ache Of
3. A New Language
4. My Love For Extremes
5. On Being A Bastard
6. Measured In Gray
7. A Disgust For Details

1. Immigrant Song
2. Heartbreaker
3. Black Dog
4. Out On The Tiles
5. Whole Lotta Love
6. That's The Way
7. Thank You

Note: EP of Led Zeppelin covers, this was remastered and reissued in 2007 with the rest of their cover songs

1. What Happens On The Road Always Comes Home
2. Cowards.Com
3. Burn Everything That Bears Our Name
4. While The Jackass Operation Spins Its Wheels
5. Sometimes Selling Out Is Waking Up
6. Where The Hell Is Rick Thorne These Days?
7. Jesus In The Year 2000/Next On The Shit List
8. Counting Murders And Drinking Beer (The $46,000 Escape)
9. They Always Come In Fall

1. Coalesce - Vehicle (Boysetsfire cover)
2. Coalesce - In The Wilderness (Boysetsfire cover)
3. Coalesce - Bob Junior
4. Boysetsfire - 73-C (Coalesce cover)
5. Boysetsfire - Simulcast (Coalesce cover)
6. Boysetsfire - Nailbomb

1. 73-C
2. Grain Of Salt
3. Simulcast
4. A Safe Place
5. Blend As Well 

Note: This is a compilation consisting of the three songs from 002 that were re-recorded for this, and two songs from an EP titled A Safe Place, which was released in 1997

1. Aftermath
2. Peace Rape
3. Untitled
4. On Their Behalf
5. Harvest Of Maturity
6. Simulcast

Note: This was a 10" released at their final show (at the time), it contains their 1994 demo and some other early songs

17. Blue Collar Lullaby

1. I Am This
2. Son Of Son Of Man

1. Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin cover)
2. Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin cover)
3. Black Dog (Led Zeppelin cover)
4. Out On The Tiles (Led Zeppelin cover)
5. Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin cover)
6. That's The Way (Led Zeppelin cover)
7. Thank You (Led Zeppelin cover)
8. I'm Giving Up On This One (The Get Up Kids cover)
9. Vehicle (Boysetsfire cover)
10. In The Wilderness (Boysetsfire cover)
11. Bob Junior
12. Supernaut (Black Sabbath cover)
13. Cutting Away (Undertow cover)
14. That's The Way (Redux)
15. Thank You (Redux)

Note: This is a remastered reissue of their 1999 EP, plus cover tracks from some of their splits

1. The Plot Against My Love
2. The Comedian In Question
3. Wild Ox Moan
4. Designed To Break A Man
5. Where Satire Sours
6. The Villian We Won't Deny
7. The Purveyor Of Novelty And Nonsense
8. In My Wake, For My Own
9. New Voids In One's Resolve
10. We Have Lost Our Will
11. Questions To Root Out Fools
12. By What We Refuse
13. Dead is Dead
14. There Is A Word Hidden In The Ground

1. Oxe To Ore
2. The Blind Eye
3. Joyless In Life
4. To My Ruin
5. Absent In Death
6. Through Sparrows I Rest
7. Ore To Earth

Our Sunday Affairs


Our Sunday Affairs were a four-piece emo/indie band from Robbinsville, New Jersey that formed in 2009 and broke up in 2013. A handful of EP's, a few splits, a compilation, and a sole full-length is what comprises their discography, which is quite a bit for a band that only existed for four years. Thankfully we've got a decent chunk of material, because they were a truly great band. They played a very noodley/twinkly brand of emo, kind of like Joie De Vivre or Algernon Cadwallader, but with a hint of screamier territory that fans of the Merchant Ships family and early Old Gray will definitely take a liking to. Basically, if you're into modern midwestern emo, you're into Our Sunday Affairs. Enjoy.

1. Sam's Summer At The Surf Shack

1. Wishing You Were Here With...
2. Sleeper, Look Straight
3. In The Eyes Of Sailors We're All Saints
4. Alyssa, I Refuse To Name This Song After You
5. We Sleep In The Sea
6. ...Smiles From Next Year

1. We Stand On The Shoulders Of Giants
2. Birdseed
3. Swing


1. Our Sunday Affairs - Your Blanket Fortress
2. Emo Side Project - Meet Us At Graceland In 20

1. Our Sunday Affairs - Joe Nameth (2 - 21)
2. Our Sunday Affairs - Suckin' On The Nookie (Quirky Asshole Type Guy)
3. Carved Our Names In Snow - Cogent
4. Carved Our Names In Snow - That Ringing Noise
5. The Whoopass Girls - Failures
6. The Whoopass Girls - Asian In Photographs

1. The Bastion
2. Curbing Your Enthusiasm
3. A Texas Sized Solution
4. Combo Move
5. Giving People Faces
6. Your Trip To Italy Was A Strange One But You Are Our Brother And We Will Be Ok

1. Police Rock
2. Hate Parade
3. It Turned My Tongue Blue!
4. Ooh, The Ghost
5. Defect To Juno (Bonus Track)
6. Your Blanket Fortress (Bonus Track)

1. Wishing You Were Here With...
2. Sleeper, Look Straight
3. In The Eyes Of Sailors We're All Saints
4. Alyssa, I Refuse To Name This Song After You
5. We Sleep In The Sea
6. ...Smiles From Next Year
7. We Stand On The Shoulders Of Giants
8. Birdseed
9. Swing
10. The Bastion
11. Curbing Your Enthusiasm
12. A Texas Sized Solution
13. Combo Move
14. Giving People Faces
15. Your Trip To Italy Was A Strange One But You Are Our Brother And We Will Be Ok
16. Shaq

Note: Compilation of Smiles From Next Year, Transitions, and Welcome Home, Kiddo plus a bonus track

1. Oilhead
2. I
3. Moon Sized Shield
4. II
5. Born In A Storm
6. III
7. The Hum
8. Gaia's Footsoldiers
9. IV
10. Woke Up Next To Rows Of Teeth
11. Fatter Wires
12. Cocoon
13. V
14. Happiness On Cooldown (End Song)