Tuesday 21 March 2023
Zippyshare Update
Sunday 19 March 2023
Shoulder
Roosevelt
Friday 17 March 2023
The Lazarus Plot
The Lazarus Plot were a four-piece emo band from Elgin, Illinois that were active from 1997 to 1999. This gem of a band's output was limited, but what they did put out is absolutely incredible and severely underrated. They often utilize clean, melancholic arpeggios, and spoken word that often build into crescendos, which can either stay clean and become sweetly sung, or occasionally burst into heavy climaxes with shredding screams. It's a formula tried and true; fans of bands as vast as Eldritch Anisette, Plunger, Endive, The Little Rock Nine, Rainer Maria, Indian Summer, or Don Martin Three should absolutely be checking this out. I do want to emphasize that this isn't a direct comparison, as this band brought something truly special to the table, thanks in part to the dejected lyricism and raw, almost lo-fi production quality. It encapsulates a plethora of viscera and a spectrum of mood, or something along those lines. This may be slightly off-topic, but if you're a Bright Eyes fan, the singer of The Lazarus Plot is Laura Laurent (Lifted... track 12).
On another side-note, I just want to quickly shout out this fantastic new blog, Canadian Wasteland. It's incredibly comprehensive, and if you're into what I share here, you'll definitely find something to love there. Enjoy!
Saturday 11 March 2023
Zulu
Zulu are a hardcore/powerviolence band from Los Angeles, California. The band was conceived by Anaiah Lei in 2019 as a one-man project, with him performing all instrumentals on Zulu's two debut EP's. They have since rounded out their line-up as a five-piece, with Lei taking on vocal duties. The project also signed to Flatspot Records, who re-released the aforementioned EP's, and have just recently dropped the band's stellar debut full-length, A New Tomorrow. Out the gate, this project set itself apart by elevating the confines of hardcore, managing to seamlessly blend ferocious powerviolence bursts alongside soul and reggae influence, whilst interpolating samples from major figures in Black culture. This full-length was one of my most anticipated albums of this year, and it did not disappoint. I say it a lot, but this band is one of the finest in the scene at the moment, both in terms of originality and impact, and I would not advise passing this up. Enjoy.
Subliminal Excess
Subliminal Excess are a four-piece hardcore punk band from Chicago, Illinois that formed in 2019. Their debut demo come out in January of 2020, and gained some traction thanks to its raw, loose, and noisy take on hardcore that brings it back to its punk roots. Its poignant aggression takes aim at a broken social system, which comes through in both the lyrics and snarling instrumentals. They've now returned with a brand new EP, which captures the unfiltered energy of their demo while speeding up their already fast-paced sound. This is the kind of punk that I personally love, so of course this is highly, highly recommended. Enjoy.
Friday 10 March 2023
Closet Witch
Saturday 4 March 2023
Exhibition
Sunami
Sunami are a five-piece hardcore band from San Jose, California that formed in 2019. In a very short span of time, they've become one of the forerunners of modern hardcore (specifically beatdown with elements of d-beat), establishing a name for themselves through some wild, mosh-frenzied shows. Sonically, they do genuinely hit hard as fuck with their call-to-arms breakdowns, but deliver them with a sly wink, acknowledging the insanity of their over-the-top exuberance. Not much else to say, check out live sets by these guys, they're putting on some of the most insane shows in hardcore right now. Thus far, they've released a demo, EP, and a split with the incredible Gulch (RIP). They've got an LP coming at some point via Triple B, so get ready for that too. Enjoy.
Spy
Spy are a five-piece hardcore punk band from the Bay Area, California that formed in 2020. Thus far, they've put out two EP's and a split of straight-forward, raw hardcore, with stomping ferocity, gnashed breakdowns, and throat-shredded vocals delivering lyrics with charged sociopolitical statements. Highly recommended stuff, especially if you've been coming up with other incredible bands such as Gel, Scowl, Sunami or Restraining Order. Enjoy.