Sophie's Floorboard: July 2022

Saturday, 30 July 2022

Chat Pile

Chat Pile are a four-piece sludge metal/noise rock band from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that began in 2019. Following two EP's and a split with Portrayal Of Guilt, this band has absolutely blown up with the release of their debut album, God's Country, this week. It's garnered a ton of praise and attention, and I have to say that it is all absolutely deserved. This is an unbelievably innovative record, fusing together a litany of sounds to create a statement that is visceral and impactful, conjuring up the image of an industrial dystopia, a burning earth, and the despondent howls coming from within it.

The band utilizes the heavy, down-tuned riffs of sludge bands such as Eyehategod, the metallic mechanical rhythms and nihilistic overtones of Big Black and Shellac, along with the angular, off-kilter aspects of a band like Unwound. Vocally, they switch between spoken hopelessly and screamed furiously, with a standout cathartic vocal performance. This isn't to say that Chat Pile just echo the sounds of the past, they just pull aspects from it to create an entirely new statement. It reminded me of listening to You Won't Get What You Want when it first came out, and the manic, painstaking response that it evoked. Not to compare the two, they're just both very dark and heavy records in an emotional sense.

Through the opening chants of "Slaughterhouse", the spine-snapping riffs of "Why", the strangely melodic "Anywhere", the haunting "I Don't Care If I Burn", and the absolute insanity of closer "Grimace_Smoking_Weed.Jpeg", this record completely floored me. Not to mention the stellar production, which the band handled themselves. This is without a doubt one of the highlights of this year, and I cannot recommend it enough. This band has earned all the praise they're getting, and they're just beginning. Enjoy.

This Dungeon Earth (2019)

1. Face

2. Rainbow Meat

3. Rat Boy

4. Crawlspace

Remove Your Skin Please (2019)

1. Dallas Beltway

2. Mask

3. Davis

4. Garbage Man

Portrayal Of Guilt/Chat Pile (2021)

1. Portrayal Of Guilt - Touched By An Angel

2. Chat Pile - Brutal Truth

Send The Pain Below (2022)

2. Roots Bloody Roots (Sepultura cover)

Note: Compilation here

God's Country (2022)

1. Slaughterhouse

2. Why

3. Pamela

4. Wicked Puppet Dance

5. Anywhere

6. Tropical Beaches, Inc.

7. The Mask

8. I Don't Care If I Burn

9. Grimace_Smoking_Weed.Jpeg

Tenkiller / Lake Time (Mr. Rodan) (2022)

1. Tenkiller

2. Lake Time (Mr. Rodan)

Brothers In Christ (2023)

1. Nerver - Kicks In The Sky

2. Nerver - The Nerve

3. Chat Pile - King

4. Chat Pile - Cut

Friday, 22 July 2022

Johnny Hobo And The Freight Trains

Johnny Hobo And The Freight Trains was a folk punk project helmed by Pat The Bunny (Pat Schneeweis) that were active from 2000 to 2007. They were mostly based out of Brattleboro, Vermont. I know I've covered two of Pat's other major projects, Wingnut Dishwashers Union and Ramshackle Glory, so while revisiting Love Songs For The Apocalypse, I figured it only fitting to include his first major project on here as well. Anybody familiar with Pat's other work is most likely familiar with this band, and if not they've got a pretty good idea of what to expect going into it. Songs about politics, religion, anarchism, alcoholism, drug abuse, isolation, homelessness, DIY and punk rock are his go-to topics, all of which are present in Johnny Hobo. He's got a penchant for writing quick-witted yet honest and vulnerable songs, all with four chords and vocals that demand to be shouted along to. On some recorded material, they utilized a variety of instruments, including drums, trumpets, and harmonicas, but when touring, it was mostly just Pat and an acoustic guitar.

There's a good chunk of material here, some with overlapping tracks, various compilations and live stuff, etc. so I've included some notes beneath a few of them as a guide to what's what. If you're just starting out though, their side of Love Songs For The Apocalypse is probably the best batch of songs. It's also included on the compilation Fight Like Hell, which also includes the majority of the tracks from various EPs. Caught In The Act Of Not Being Awesome and Live At Bandit H.Q. are probably their most popular live releases, both of which are worth your time. Enjoy.

Fire Hazard Demo (2003)

1. Skimming Bakunin

2. Church Hymn For The Condemned

3. Fuck The Dictionary

4. FLESREYLLIK

5. Only Two Of My Best Friends Are Actual People

6. Untitled

7. If By "Emo" You Mean "Drugs"

8. I'm So Punk I Hate Punk

9. Below Good And Evil

10. D.I.Y. Orgasms

11. Put Arsenic In The Frosting Next Time

Anarchy Means I Hate You (2003)

1. Only Two Of My Best Friends Are Actual People

2. Church Hymn For The Condemned

3. Fuck The Dictionary

4. D.I.Y. Orgasms

5. Below Good And Evil

6. I'm So Punk I Hate Punk

7. Put Arsenic In The Frosting Next Time

8. Untitled

9. PUNKROCKANARCHY

Easter Sunday Hangover EP (2005)

1. New Mexico Song

2. Fuck Cops

3. Not My Revolution (Oi! Oi! Oi!)

"All Power To The Wingnuts!" (2005)

1. "No Trespassing!" Waltz

2. Spraypaint And Alleyways

3. Crackhouse Song

Caught In The Act Of Not Being Awesome (2005)

1. New Mexico Song

2. Put Arsenic In The Frosting Next Time

3. Harmony Parking Lot

4. Election Song

5. Acid

6. Church Hymn For the Condemned

7. Whiskey Is My Kind Of Lullaby

8. D.I.Y. Orgasms

Note: Live album

Live At Bandit H.Q. (2005)

1. Captain Chaos - I Figured Out How I Feel About You

2. Captain Chaos - Figure 8

3. Captain Chaos - The Devil And My Grandpa

4. Captain Chaos - A Song For Tomorrow

5. Captain Chaos - I Dare You To Live Forever

6. Captain Chaos - Oh Sister

7. Captain Chaos - Up The Punks

8. Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains - New Mexico Song

9. Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains - Election Song

10. Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains - Church Hymn For The Condemned

11. Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains - D.I.Y. Orgasms

12. Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains - The Politics Of "Holy Shit I Just Cut My Hand On A Broken Bottle"

Love Songs For The Apocalypse (2005)

1. Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains - New Mexico Song

2. Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains - Church Hymn For The Condemned

3. Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains - Whiskey Is My Kind Of Lullaby

4. Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains - Acid Song

5. Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains - Election Song

6. Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains - I Want Cancer For Christmas

7. Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains - Harmony Parking Lot Song

8. Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains - Untitled

9. Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains - D.I.Y. Orgasms

10. Mantits - The Extinction Of The Human Race

11. Mantits - Kicking Your Shins

12. Mantits - Fear Makes The World Go 'Round

13. Mantits - World War 3

14. Mantits - Righteous Indignation Saved The World

15. Mantits - Ode To Freedom

16. Mantits - Kill Me In My Sleep

17. Mantits - So Long To The Ice Cream Bars

18. Mantits - Bitter Hole In The Wall

Chaos Infiltration Squad (2006)

1. Free As The Rent We Don't Pay

2. Johnny Hobo Is Dead

3. Skaggy

4. Crackhouse Song

5. Tampa Bay Song

6. No Trespassing Waltz

7. Where Is My Coffee (Where Is It?)

Live 1-26-07 Cortland, NY (2007)

1. New Mexico Song (Part)

2. Free As The Rent We Don't Pay (Part)

3. Whiskey Is My Kind Of Lullaby

4. DIY Orgasms

5. Where Is My Coffee

6. Green St.

7. Wagon Wheel

8. Harmony Parking Lot Wheel

9. Acid Song

10. Color In Your Cheeks

11. Going To Georgia

12. This Year

13. Tampa Bay Song

14. Fuck Cops Intro, Into Skaggy

15. No Trespassing Waltz

16. Crackhouse Song

17. Sellout Song

Live At Double-A's (2007)

1. Free As The Rent We Don't Pay

2. (You Gotta Fight) For Your Right (To Party)

3. Harmony Parking Lot

4. Whiskey Is My Kind Of Lullaby

5. Acid Song

6. New Mexico Song

7. DIY Orgasms

8. Where Is My Coffee (Where Is It?)

Is Dead! (2007)

1. New Mexico Song

2. Put Arsenic In The Frosting Next Time

3. Harmony Parking Lot Song

4. Election Song

5. Acid Song

6. Church Hymn For The Condemned

7. Whiskey is My Kind Of Lullaby

8. D.I.Y. Orgasms

9. As Free As The Rent We Don't Pay

10. Sellout Song

11. Skaggy

12. Crackhouse Song

13. Tampa Bay Song

14. No Trespassing! Waltz

15. Where Is My Coffee? (Where Is It?)

Note: Includes Love Songs For The Apocalypse and Chaos Infiltration Squad

Fight Like Hell • Recordings From 2004-2007 (2019)

1. New Mexico Song

2. Church Hymn For The Condemned

3. Whiskey Is My Kind Of Lullaby

4. Acid Song

5. Election Song

6. I Want Cancer For Christmas

7. Harmony Parking Lot Song

8. Untitled

9. DIY Orgasms

10. **Previously Unreleased Demo**

11. No Trespassing Waltz

12. Spray Paint & Alleyways (Crackhouse Song)

13. Homebum Song

14. Fuck Cops

15. Not My Revolution (Oi! Oi! Oi!)

16. As Free As The Rent We Don't Pay

17. Skaggy

13. Tampa Bay Song

14. Where Is My Coffee? (Where Is It?)

15. Sellout Song

16. No Trespassing Waltz - alternate

17. **Fuck Cops-alternate version (digital only)

18. **New Mexico Song-demo (digital only)

19. ** New Mexico Song-demo #2 (digital only)

20. **Church Hymn For The Condemned-demo (digital only)

21. **Election Song-demo (digital only)

22. **Harmony Parking Lot Song-demo (digital only)

23. **D.I.Y. Orgasms-demo (digital only)

24. **I Want Cancer For Christmas-demo (digital only)

25. **The Politics Of Holy Shit I Just Cut My Hand On A Broken Bottle

26. **No Trespassing Walts-demo (digital only)

Note: Includes Love Songs For The Apocalypse, All Power To The Wingnuts!, Easter Sunday Hangover EP, Chaos Infiltration Squad, and various demos

Thursday, 21 July 2022

Atameo

Atameo are a four-piece screamo/emoviolence band from Israel that began in 2019. Following a single and fantastic Funeral Diner cover, their debut album came out on February 14th of this, co-released by Zegema Beach Records and Middle Man Records. Every once in a while, an album comes along that's just skull-fracturingly good, and this is one of them. From the opening moments of "it's not real", the band builds tension before unexpectedly erupting into some of the greatest controlled chaos that is emoviolence in recent years, with throat-shredding screams and dispondent lyricism to back it. Something similar can be said for the standout track "Hikikomori", which almost gave me whiplash when they kicked into to full gear. This is a dynamic record that can be noisy, discordant and chaotic, while maintaing an ebb-and-flow in each song and evoking strong visceral reactions throughout its runtime. Highly recommended, enjoy.

Marbles (2020)

1. Marbles

Never To Be (Funeral Diner cover) (2021)

1. Never To Be (Funeral Diner cover)

it sure is sad to hope for the best while expecting the worst (2022)

1. it's not real

2. it fills you with determination

3. versmold

4. marbles

5. hikikomori

6. bloom

7. why did you leave me behind? / now it's gone forever

Tuesday, 19 July 2022

Angry Son

One post, two bands. Strangely enough, this isn't the first time that's happened on here. I recently heard this fantastic new EP by the Angry Son from Japan, which reminded me of the American Angry Son from the early 90's, so it seemed fitting to cover both.

Angry Son are a screamo band from Japan that have been around since at least 2021. They've released three EP's so far, with two out this year. They play a blistering, chaotic style of screamo with some scorching vocals, which balances out with quiet arpeggios and gorgeous, shimmering tones. Not much more needs to be said really, from the first minute of "Sublime" off their latest Pranks For The Memories, they had my undivided attention while I delved into the rest of their discography. This is some amazing stuff, and no doubt a highlight for the genre in 2022. Fans of bands like Loma Prieta, Funeral Diner, and Sans Visage should definitely check this out. Enjoy.

3 songs (2021)

1. 祇園の夜

2. 散歩詩

3. 鴨川

4 songs (2022)

1. Indifference

2. Dialogue

3. Flicker

4. 回想録

Pranks For The Memories (2022)

1. Sublime

2. Transmit Failure

3. Sinking

4. Untitled

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

Angry Son were a four-piece hardcore/emo band from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that were around from 1990 to 1991. They played a melodic, heart-on-your-sleeve offshoot of punk directly influenced by bands like Rites of Spring, Embrace, Swiz, Moss Icon and The Hated. I've covered my fair share of relatively obscure bands from this early era of "emo" here, and I cannot understate how hard it is to find info on these bands, as most of them only exist in decade-old vinyl rips and a one-line bio on Discogs or something of the sort. There is an entire website dedicated to the documentation of Angry Son, including pictures, flyers, setlists, band history, etc. This is unprecedented, so I do encourage everybody to check it out here. An interesting anecodote, it does credit their name to the lyric from "Hidden Wheel" by Rites of Spring. It's often forgotten that the phrase originated there, years before Indian Summer came along and cemented it in one of the genre's most landmark songs.

Below is the majority of their discography. Their biggest release was the split with Fuel, which is all I had heard from them prior to this post. It's a fantastic split on both sides (the Fuel song in particular is incredible), with the cleanest sounding production. Diving into the demo and Yesterday were pleasant surpises, with the shaking vocals, melodic bass lines, and bright chords making for a raw take on a sound still in its early stages, similar to contemporaries like Admiral or Downcast. As for their other material, admittedly the audio quality of Skinny Criminal's Demo is pretty abysmal. I don't know if it's the original recording or the mp3 rip, but it's pretty rough to listen to. Same goes for Live At Trees, though that's more expected considering it's a live set. It's cool to have these for posterity's sake, but besides that, it's best to steer towards their other material. Enjoy.

Demo (1990)

1. Unlimited Supply

2. Violation

3. Walk The Line

4. For Keeps

5. Dragnet

Live At Trees (1990)

1. Unlimited Supply

2. Head

3. Stained

4. Resist

5. Bullet

6. Suffocation

7. Fast

8. Window

9. All Is Now

10. My Little Friends

11. For Keeps

12. Dragnet

13. So Typical

14. Walk The Line

15. Yesterday

16. Thrown Away

17. Violation

18. The Pillar

Skinny Criminal's Demo (1991)

1. Touch This

2. Yesterday

3. Fast

4. Head

5. My Little Friends

6. Black

Yesterday (1991)

1. In Deep

2. Bullet

3. Big Picture

4. Resist

5. Yesterday

Fuel/Angry Son (1991)

1. Fuel - For Lock Of Better Words

2. Angry Son - Thrown Away

3. Angry Son - Suffocation

Website

Monday, 18 July 2022

1.6 Band

1.6 Band were a four-piece hardcore band from Holbrook, New York that began in 1989 and broke up in 1993. They briefly reunited in 2009 for a few shows and a new EP. During their initial tenure, they released a full-length, two EP's and a split with labelmates Rorschach. All of this was compiled on 1996's Broke Up, which is definitely the essential release here. The band's unique approach to hardcore consisted of abrasive, cutting guitar shrieks overlaying frantic, off-kilter rhythms. There's a commonly cited quote comparing them to the Minutemen "in a very, very bad mood" and I think that description is pretty apt, especially in the guitar work. Gang Of Four might be a good point of reference as well. Add in the more melodic influence of bands like Dag Nasty and Embrace, and this band's sound starts to take shape. Having said that, by the time of Pimpin' Ain't Easy, they had really honed their unique spin on evolving hardcore, making for something distinctly theirs. Fans of bands such as Merel, Policy Of Three, and Assfactor 4 will definitely find something to love here, and members of 1.6 Band were also involved in The Crownhate Ruin, Beyond, and Canyon. Enjoy.

Tongue Family Style (1992)

1. Sticks To The Skin

2. Let Me Breath

3. Beef Stew

4. Your Restaurant

1.6 Band (1992)

1. These Giants

2. Threads

3. Cancer In My Backyard

4. Keeping Me From Killing You

5. Plastic Bags

6. Squelched

7. Throwing Rocks

8. One Eye Open

9. Adult Hilter

Pimpin' Ain't Easy (1993)

1. Pushing Shit Back Into My Ass

2. Bullet To The Brain

3. Back In Church

4. Lollipops

Rorschach/1.6 Band (1993)

1. Rorschach - My War (Black Flag cover)

2. 1.6 Band - Trying (Dag Nasty cover)

Broke Up (1996)

1. Pushing Shit Back Into My Ass

2. Bullet To The Brain

3. Back In Church

4. Lollipops

5. These Giants

6. Threads

7. Cancer In My Backyard

8. Keep Me From Killing You

9. Plastic Bags

10. Squelched

11. Throwing Rocks

12. One Eye Open

13. Adult Hitler

14. Trying (Dag Nasty cover)

15. Sticks To The Skin

16. Let Me Breath

17. Beef Stew

18. Your Restaurant

19. Stew Pains

20. Wipe

21. Unfriendly

22. Substitute

23. Up For Sale

The Checkered Pasts Of All Kings Present (2010)

1. An Awful Jerk

2. The Pets Still Think He's Coming Back

3. Burning Coal

4. Skinflap

Spotify

Apple Music

Sunday, 17 July 2022

Threadbare

Threadbare were a five-piece hardcore band from Mankato, Minnesota that were around from 1993 to 1997. They put out one EP and two albums, along with a demo recorded in 1993 (which I unfortunately do not have). They recorded a Beyond cover which would surface years later on a split/compilation. Sonically, Threadbare were a very unique band that straddled the line between metallic and melodic. They could be heavy and dissonant with anguished screams, while also breaking for quiet, arpeggiated passages that resolve in bright octave chords, and with an impassioned delivery. I could be reading way too much into this, but with track names like "Hoover" and "Ignition", it wouldn't be surprised if there was some influence pulled from the evolving DC scene in the years preceding them. Since their dissolution, they've played a few reunion shows in 2008, 2009 and 2012. Members were also in active in other bands such as The Blinding Light, Snapcase, Reach, Bloodline, and Seconds Before. Enjoy.