Sophie's Floorboard: May 2021

Sunday, 30 May 2021

Danse Macabre

Danse Macabre were a four-piece screamo band from Trier, Germany that were around from 2001 to 2010. They out a slew of EP's and splits, with their standout and most well-known work being their only LP, 2005's Synkopenleben, Nein Danke. This is an undisputed essential screamo record of its era, and this band is a whole is one that this blog has been sorely lacking for years now. Sonically, fans of other chaotic, metallic screamo bands like Tristan Tzara, Louise Cyphre, or The Apoplexy Twin Orchestra will undoubtedly love them, though are most likely already familiar with them. Like I said, Danse Macabre is essential screamo listening, so enjoy.

Die Kritik Ist Nicht Die Leidenschaft... (2002)

1. Gregor

2. Was Bleibt !?

3. Ein Leiser Tod

4. Tantalostraum

5. Ehrengast Auf Dem Ball Der Reminiszenz

6. Phoenix

Danse Macabre/Killed By Malaise (2003)

1. Killed By Malaise - Endzeit Erwachen

2. Danse Macabre - Le Zero Et L'infini

3. Danse Macabre - 60 Sekunden Rhetorik

4. Danse Macabre - My Insurrection Drama

The Emo Armageddon (2005)

6. Merci Beaucoup, Warenform

Synkopenleben, Nein Danke (2005)

1. Zeitbombe

2. Synkopenleben, Nein Danke

3. Phoenix Part 2

4. Eine Schwalbe Macht Noch Keinen Sommer

5. Keine Atempause

6. Eine Frage Der Opportunitätskosten

7. Syntax Error

8. Da Kann Noch Einiges Optimiert Werden

9. Life is A Pralinenschachtel

10. Vier-und-Sechzig, Neun, Ein-und-Zwanzig

11. Tanzt Das Brot

12. Es Ging Mir Schonmal Besser

Her Breath On Glass/Danse Macabre (2006)

1. Her Breath On Glass - Gradually And Then Suddenly

2. Danse Macabre - Ich Habe Keine Ansteckende Krankheit Ausser Besoffski

Danse Macabre/Am I Dead Yet (2007)

1. Danse Macabre - Stars Down To Earth

2. Danse Macabre - Schon OK Irgendwie, Aber Nicht Mein Cup Of Tea

3. Danse Macabre - My Roommate's Car Needs To Be Cleaned Up And So Does My Life

4. Am I Dead Yet - Distance And a Saxophone

5. Am I Dead Yet - Knife Chasing The American Dream

6. Am I Dead Yet - Resurrectionist

Einerseits/Andererseits (2009)

1. "Als Band Unhörbar, Als DJs Allererste Sahne"

2. Einerseits/Andererseits

3. L'Apparemment Café

4. Der Pharisäische Käfer

5. "Privat Bin Ich Eher Nicht So Gut"

6. Fiasko

7. Zuhause, Aber Wo Ist Das?

8. Further Research Is Needed

9. Ja, Nein, Vielleicht

Thursday, 27 May 2021

GEL

GEL are a four-piece hardcore punk band from New Jersey that began in 2018. Following a demo, EP, and promo tape, GEL put out Violent Closure in February 2021, which has easily become on of my favourite hardcore releases this year. In its ten-minute runtime, the band knocks out seven tracks of noisy, feedback-laden and distorted punk with unbridled ferocity and raw conviction. To put it simply, this is fucking incredible stuff, and Violent Closure will definitely be blowing out many speakers to come. Enjoy.

Demo (2018)

1. Vitamin PMA

2. Point Of View

3. Confounded Masses

4. Restrictive Tendency

5. Time Bomb

GEL (2019)

1. Retrospect

2. Compulsion

3. No Warning

4. New Skin

5. Inferno

6. Counterfeit

HC For The Freaks / Promo Tape (2019)

1. TURBULENCE
2. CULMINATION
3. GLUE (SSD cover)

Violent Closure (2021)

1. XOXO

2. VIOLENT CLOSURE

3. ASSUMPTION

4. BITCHMADE

5. FREAK

6. TURBULENCE 2.0

7. P.O.V

Shock Therapy (2022)

1. Gel - Mental Static

2. Gel - Predominant Mask

3. Gel - Vibe Fucker

4. Gel - Guided Meditation

5. Cold Brats - Cli-Check-Mate

6. Cold Brats - I Love You Scooby-Doo

7. Cold Brats - Mac-n-Cheese

8. Cold Brats - Cynthia Tax

Only Constant (2023)

1. Honed Blade

2. Fortified

3. Attainable

4. Out Of Mind

5. Dicey

6. Calling Card

7. The Way Out

8. Worn Down

9. Snake Skin

10. Composure

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

Call It In The Air

Call It In The Air were an emo/indie band from Michigan that were active some time in the late 90's to early 2000's. Deriving their name from a Jimmy Eat World song, their debut LP came out in 1998, and is a criminally underrated gem. Just A Morning Thought is an incredible album, and one that fans of bands like Texas Is The Reason and Christie Front Drive have been longing to hear. The band exudes an incredible variety of sounds throughout its tracklist, all with an honest and impassion delivery. They pull influence across the board of the emo/indie underground of the time, from the distorted pop punk of "Against The Wall" or "Atarri" to the clean midwest arpeggios of "Useless" or "Lava". Vocals can drift from airy and lightly sung to full-blown screams of desperate hope. Album highlight "Turn On Softly" elevates heavenly, and is one of many great examples of the band incorporating unique instrumentation (in this case, a glockenspiel). Admittedly this is a relatively new discovery for me, but I have played this album a few times in the past few days and had to share it, as I think a lot of people would love this if given the chance to even hear it. Enjoy.

Just A Morning Thought (1998)

1. Two Suns

2. Sometimes Hello

3. Against The Wall

4. On A Ride

5. Useless

6. You'll Never Dance Again

7. There I Was

8. Turn On Softly

9. Tel-13

10. Charlettes Web

11. Atarri

12. Lava

The Maccabees/Call It In The Air (2000)

1. The Maccabees - Perron

2. The Maccabees - Ghost And Hollow Eyes

3. The Maccabees - Sleepyhead

4. The Maccabees - The Wait

5. The Maccabees - No Secrets Between Sailors

6. The Maccabees - Another Day

7. Call It In The Air - Growing Old

8. Call It In The Air - Three Piece

9. Call It In The Air - Time After Time

10. Call It In The Air - Low And Behold

11. Call It In The Air - Lockwood's Revenge

12. Call It In The Air - My New Book

Pictures Can Tell

Pictures Can Tell were an emo/indie rock band from Salt Lake City, Utah that were around from approximately 1998 to 2001. In that time they released two albums, and that is the most info I can find about this band. Sonically, they're loosely comparable to bands like Mineral with the clean, arpeggiated guitars distinct to midwest emo building into soaring crescendos of melodic octave chords. Their songs typically range from 5-7 to minutes, with plenty of variety in between to accompany the rise and fall of their sound. Vocally, they're akin to early Jimmy Eat World. Both albums are definitely recommended, though Everyday might be their crowning achievement. Enjoy.

In Time (1999)

1. Wrapped In Time

2. Watch Or Wear

3. In Time

4. Only Thought

5. If I Said

6. Straight Lines

7. More Than Once A Day

8. How To Wait

Everyday (2000)

1. Everyday Disease

2. More Than That

3. The Best To Bring Me Down

4. Wash Our Hands And Walk Away

5. She Remembers

Saturday, 22 May 2021

Forgetters

Forgetters were a three-piece indie/alternative band from Brooklyn, New York that were active from 2009 to 2014. The band was formed by guitarist/vocalist Blake Schwarzenbach, best known as a member of Jawbreaker and Jets To Brazil, drummer Kevin Mahon, who was the drummer for Against Me! pre-Reinventing, and bassist Caroline Paquita (later replaced by Michelle Proffit). Forgetters were created in the wake of Blake's short-lived project Thorns Of Life, and put out one EP in 2010 and an LP in 2012. Sonically, the band are pretty hard to pin down. There are flashes of Jawbreaker-esque moments in Blake's vocal cadence and melodic chord patterns (especially on the EP). On other tracks, they schew towards a psych-garage rock sound, with a raw delivery and production. Even that descriptor feels like an over-simplification, as each song offers something new. They were short-lived, and though they may not hit the highs of the aforementioned bands, are still worth a check out in their own right. Enjoy.

Forgetters EP (2010)

1. Vampire Lessons

2. Too Small To Fall

3. Not Funny

4. The Night Accelerates

Forgetters LP (2012)

1. Strike

2. Lie Artist

3. I'm Not Immune

4. Turn Away

5. Hoop And Swan

6. Die By Your Own Hand

7. O Deadly Death

8. Les Arrivistes

9. In America

10. Seconds

11. Ribbonhead

Spotify

Apple Music

Friday, 21 May 2021

Fire Team Charlie

Fire Team Charlie were a three-piece screamo band from Houston, Texas that were around from 2004 to 2008. I don't have much info on them, aside from the handful of releases they put in that duration, which were thankfully all released as one incredible discography in 2012 by Moment Of Collapse Records. Sonically, think of the blistering instrumental technicalities of Hot Cross with the raw outpouring of Saetia. Arbitrary comparisons aside, Fire Team Charlie were an amazing band in their own right, and truly encapsulate the emotional torment that I love about this genre. They crafted gorgeous melodies and drove them to chaos, with some of the most impassioned vocals and lyrics you'll ever come across. Not to mention they do an incredible cover of Rites Of Spring, which really solidifies their discography as flawless. I know I say it a lot, but this is truly, highly recommended. Enjoy.

End Of A Year/Fire Team Charlie (2007)

1. End Of A Year - McEnroe

2. End Of A Year - Harrison At Clapton's Wedding

3. Fire Team Charlie - Captain Fantastic And Boris The Heavy Metal Kid

4. Fire Team Charlie - Someday We'll Look Back

Damezumari/Fire Team Charlie (2007)

1. Damezumari - Halvsies (The Metaphysics Of Presence)

2. Damezumari - Becoming Instead Of Just Being

3. Damezumari - Karesansui

4. Damezumari - Normality Is Just Something You Are

5. Fire Team Charlie - Hay Shortage

6. Fire Team Charlie - Best Christmas Ever

7. Fire Team Charlie - Mind Implosion

8. Fire Team Charlie - Emotional Cannibalism

9. Fire Team Charlie - Flag Draped Coffin

Note: Songs on the FTC side previously appeared on a 2005 demo

Fire Team Charlie (2007)

1. Battle Of Marathon

2. Golden Dragon

Fire Team Charlie (2008)

1. Reflections Of A Heartless Man

2. ...So Now He Trudges

3. A Light That Darkens The Sun

4. Poisons Disguised As Potions

5. PC Punks Fuck Off

Discography 2004 - 2008 (2012)

1. Reflections Of A Heartless Man

2. ...So Now He Trudges

3. A Light That Darkens The Sun

4. Poisons Disguised As Potions

5. PC Punks Fuck Off

6. The Battle Of Marathon

7. Golden Dragon

8. Hay Shortage

9. Best Christmas Ever

10. Mind Implosion

11. Emotional Cannibalism

12. Flag Draped Coffin

13. Captain Fantastic And Boris The Heavy Metal Kid

14. Someday We'll Look Back

15. Theme (Rites of Spring cover)

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

Thursday, 20 May 2021

Calm

Calm were a three-piece emo/post-hardcore band from San Jose, California that were around from 1994 to 1996. Members of the band were previously in landmark bands Mohinder and Indian Summer, while later going on to be in Jenny Piccolo, Duster, and Her Space Holiday. Sonically, they really stand on their own from those aforementioned projects. Calm go big, with crushing, distorted and heavy chords that sound absolutely massive, with plenty of feedback and long periods of instrumental-only breaks. When the vocals do come in, they're a lot more subdued, with an often double-tracked drawl. Not to make any direct comparisons, but fans of bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Built To Spill would probably dig this a lot. The always-fantastic Numero Group made their three releases widely available in 2020, with much better quality than the vinyl rips found here. You can check that out at their Bandcamp or any streaming service below. Enjoy.

Calm (1995)

1. We've Made a Contact but Worship Silent I Make a Whisper I Am a Sinner

2. Slide the Needle in Under Blue Skin I Took a Picture So I Still Can Burn You

3. The Spirits Fall upon the Wheel to Turn the Spokes with Angel Grace When I Am Gone with Broken Wings the Spirits Fall to Take My Place

4. Demons Reloading Such a Beautiful Disease Trigger Pull this Trigger

5. Silk Wrapped Hands in a Masquerade Even When Things Are Picture Blue I Keep It under My Pillow Now Just in Case Theres Nothing Left to Do Outrun Myself

6. Be Still / We Will Live Like Thunder

Calm 7" (1996)

1. Arlington Sunset

2. Wild And Free

3. Sign Crushes Motorist

4. The Vacancy

Moonraker (1996)

1. Moonraker

2. Scientists & Saboteurs

Sunday, 16 May 2021

Greyhouse

Greyhouse were a four-piece emo/hardcore band from New Jersey that were around from 1991 to 1997. Sonically, their early work was reminiscent of the more melodic sounds that had begun to emerge from DC and Maryland with bands such as Embrace and The Hated, while maintaining a unique sound of their own. In a lot of ways, Greyhouse's earliest material is incredibly reminiscent of what would become midwest emo, and pre-dates Cap'n Jazz, Braid, and all that good stuff. As the band evolved, they grew into a more complex, post-hardcore sound, bringing in dark bass riffs, grinding octave chords, and dual shouted vocals. This band is incredibly underrated, which could be attributed to their material virtually unavailable for many years after they ended. In 2016, a discography LP was finally released Dives To The Deep End, which included all the material on their EP's, splits, and compilation appearances along with a few other recorded songs. Prior to that, Blogged And Quartered had put out one of their many incredible unofficial discography posts, which includes even more material than the officially released one. Since the link to the Blogged And Quartered one is down, I included it here as well. Enjoy.

Revolution By Numbers (1991)

1. November Twenty-Sixth

2. Meditation 17

3. Stuff

Greyhouse/Dahlia Seed (1994)

1. Greyhouse - Taking Gate/Offer

2. Dahlia Seed - Milk

Greyhouse/Fabric (1994)

1. Greyhouse - R.T.M.D.

2. Fabric - Brave Words (track missing)

Volume One (1996)

1. Twenty Six

2. Automatic

3. Scissors Paper Stone

Volume Two (1996)

1. Left Unjustified

2. Value Story

Dives To The Deep End (2016)

1. Twenty-Six

2. RTMD
3. Scissors Paper Stone

4. Automatic

5. Ever Nearing Joy

6. Left Justified

7. Value Story

8. Johnny's Temple

9. She Threw Things at Me

10. Taking Gate / Offer

11. Tough Shit

12. Pansy

13. Man in a Suit

14. Satchel

15. James

16. Hiball

17. Rose for Lindsey

18. One Hour Fire Rated

19. We Know We Are the Engine

20. Radio Nueva Vida

21. Ashes (Bonus Track)

22. November 26th (Bonus Track)

23. Meditation 17 (Bonus Track)

24. Pull Apart (Bonus Track)

25. Greenery (Bonus Track)

26. Stuff (Bonus Track)

Blogged & Quartered Discography

Original B&Q Post w/Tracklist

Thursday, 6 May 2021

moshimoshi

moshimoshi are a four-piece emo/indie/punk band from Helsinki, Finland that have been around since at least 2020. They released their debut EP this year on All That Plazz Records, and these 5 tracks are absolutely stellar. They play with frantic fretwork of midwest-twinkly emo with an insane, upbeat screamy energy. Fans of bands like Merchant Ships, Algernon Cadwallader, Two Knights, and Coping will definitely love this, as anyone remotely interested in the screamy emo-sphere (if such a thing exists) would. This debut is truly one hell of a good time, enjoy.

moshimoshi I (2021)

1. When Spring Came

2. Igotlostinsidemyhead

3. Tides

4. Birthday

5. Song 5

Wednesday, 5 May 2021

Swiz

Swiz were a four-piece hardcore punk band from Washington, DC that were originally around from 1987 to 1990, with a few reunion shows taking place in 2014. They began as a five-piece with vocalist Shawn Brown after his early stint with Dag Nasty. Following their first demo, their now four-piece line-up rounded itself out and stayed consistent until their final year. In between they managed to knock out two full-lengths, an EP, and a handful of other recorded material. Their two albums were originally released by Sammich Records, a label founded by Amanda MacKaye (sister of Ian and Alec). All their posthumous releases were done by the now well-known Jade Tree Records. One of their earlier releases was actually Swiz's discography compilation No Punches Pulled, which included everything they had put out with the exception of the With Ramsey demo, which would later also be released by Jade Tree in 2004. Members of Swiz were later active in Shudder To Think, Bluetip and Sweetbelly Freakdown.

Sonically, they are undoubtedly DC. They managed to blend the evolving melodic (dare I say emo?) sound of bands like Dag Nasty, while bringing the genre back to its raw, ferocious roots in bands like The Faith. They managed to hit an in-between era niche in the DC sound, which really makes them stand out even amongst other great bands like Ignition and Soulside. I'm not too sure if that description makes sense, so I just highly recommend giving No Punches Pulled to appreciate the band's uniquely underrated legacy. Enjoy.