Infest

Hopefully this band doesn't need much of an introduction, considering the massive influence they've had. Infest were a hardcore band from Valencia, California that were originally around from 1986 to 1991. They've reunited since then, and play shows and festivals sporadically. Infest were a massive influence on powerviolence, with their original material being continually repressed and circulated for years, and then their seminal full-length No Man's Slave being released in 2002, almost 10 years after they broke up. Infest were basically a powerviolence band before powerviolence existed, which is the expected next step when you're dealing with a band of Negative Approach disciples. Not only were they an influence but Infest managed to carry the torch by creating some of the most intense and aggressive music ever pressed to a record. Even years later, it still holds up as if it were released today. Even bands now are still trying to top what Infest did 25 years ago, which makes them one band on here that are obligatory to listen to. Enjoy.

Demo (1987)

1. Where's The Unity?

2. If I Were You

3. Mindless

4. Which Side

5. V.Y.O.

6. Snooze-U-Loose

7. Son Of The Sun

8. Going

9. The End

10. Dirty Dope Dealer

11. Sick-O

12. Screwed

13. Plastic

14. Pickled

15. Sick of Talk

16. Iran Scam

17. Life's Halt

18. Fetch The Pliers

19. The Mojo Hand

Slave (1988)

1. Break The Chain

2. Pickled

3. Sick-O

4. Plastic

5. Mindless

6. Which Side?

7. Voice Your Opinion

8. Where's The Unity?

9. Skcrewed

10. Machoism

11. The Game

12. Sick Of Talk

13. Iran Scam

14. Life's Halt

15. Slave

16. Head First

17. Sick And Tired

18. Fetch The Pliers

Infest/Pissed Happy Children (1990)

1. Pissed Happy Children - Never Fair

2. Pissed Happy Children - No Gain, No Pain

3. Pissed Happy Children - Seizure At The Circus

4. Infest - Mindless

5. Infest - Which Side?

6. Infest - Them

7. Infest - V.Y.O

8. Infest - Sick And Tired

9. Infest - Machoism

10. Infest - Head First

11. Infest - Where's The Unity?

Mankind (1991)

1. Mankind

2. Judge Me

3. Speak Easy

4. Once Lost

5. Excess Pig

6. Them

7. Nothing's Changed

8. Shackled Down

9. Just Act Blind

10. Kill The Peace

11. Three Or Nothing

12. The World Is Dead

13. Nothing Left Inside

14. Big Mouth

15. Outro

Live KXLU (2001)

1. Shackled Down

2. Mankind

3. Judge Me

4. Blinded

5. Nothing's Changed

6. Once Lost

7. Speak Easy

8. Kill The Peace

9. Excess Pig

10. Why Don't You

11. Sick And Tired

12. Just Act Blind

13. Seen It All Before

14. Slave

15. Pickled

16. Sick-O

17. Break The Chain

18. My World My Way

Note: Recorded in 1991

No Man's Slave (2002)

1. Cold Inside

2. Feeling Mean

3. Sick Machine

4. Upright Mass

5. Terminal Nation

6. In His Name

7. Behind This Tongue

8. What's Your Claim

9. True Violence

10. Sickman

11. Punchline

12. Contact

13. Effort Falls Down

14. You're A Star

15. Freeze Dried

16. Rabid Pigs

17. Lying To Myself

18. Nazi Killer

19. My World...My Way

Days Turn Black (2013)

1. Days Turn Black

2. You're Shot

3. Controlled Violence

4. Why Be Something You're Not (Negative Approach cover)

Live At The Oakland Metro (2013)

1. Break The Chain

2. Pickled

3. Mankind

4. Judge Me

5. Cold Inside

6. Feeling Mean

7. Sick Machine

8. Shackled Down

9. Just Act Blind

10. Voice Your Opinion

11. Behind This Tongue

12. Mindless

13. Which Side?

14. The World Is Dead

15. Kill The Peace

16. My World My Way

17. Excess Pig

18. Once Lost

19. Freeze Dried

20. Terminal Nation

21. In His Name

22. Nothing's Changed

23. Sick And Tired

24. Machismo

25. Nazi Killer

26. Sick-O

27. Where's The Unity?

28. Why Don't You?

Kid Dynamite

I figured since I already put Lifetime up on here last month, I couldn't let another month go by without the inclusion of Kid Dynamite. Both bands are massive influences in both melodic hardcore and pop punk of course, but the two are also related through guitarist Dan Yemin, who began Kid Dynamite after Lifetime broke up in 1997. This new band released two amazing full-lengths, both through Jade Tree, before breaking up in 2000. A compilation came out a few years later, titled Cheap Shots, Youth Anthems.

Kid Dynamite reunited a few time after their initial break-up. Once in 2005, and then a handful of times between 2010 and 2013 before officially calling it quits. Their members have been involved in a handful of amazing bands, including Paint It Black, None More Black, and The Loved Ones, in addition to the obvious Lifetime. As far as sound goes, Kid Dynamite are pretty straight-forward. Catchy, heart-pumping "youth anthems" were their forte, and have made them a timeless classic, so please enjoy. I included a compilation of covers just because there are a ton of amazing bands that appear on it, including The Ergs!, The Wonder Years, Comadre, Lewd Acts, Make Do And Mend, This Time Next Year, Broadway Calls, Death is Not Glamorous, This Is Hell, the list goes on and on.

Kid Dynamite (1998)

1. Pause

2. K05-0564

3. Sweet Shop Syndicate

4. Table 19

5. Ph. Decontrol

6. Showoff

7. Bookworm

8. Scarysmurf

9. Ronald Miller Story

10. Bench Warmer

11. Zuko's Back In Town

12. Never Met The Gooch

13. News At 11

14. 32 Frames Per Second

15. Pacifier

16. 3 O'Clock

17. Shiner

18. Wrist Rocket

19. Fuckuturn

Shorter, Faster, Louder (2000)

1. Pits & Poisoned Apples

2. Death And Taxes

3. Cheap Shot Youth Anthem

4. Copout

5. Handy With The Tongue Sword

6. Living Day Lights

7. Introduction To The Opposites

8. Gate 68

9. Troy's Bucket

10. Rufus Wants A Hug

11. Got A Minute?

12. Penske File

13. Rid of The Losers, Bring On The Cruisers

14. Three's A Party

15. S.O.S.

16. Two For Flinching

17. Birthday

18. Give 'em The Ripped One

Cheap Shots, Youth Anthems (2003)

1. Heart A Tact

2. Breakin' A Memory

3. Give 'em The Ripped One

4. Two For Flinching

5. Rise Above (Black Flag cover)
6. Deny Everything (Circle Jerks cover)

7. Hateful (The Clash cover)

8. I Don't Wanna Hear It (Minor Threat cover)

9. Macho Insecurites (Dead Kennedys cover)
10. Showoff

11. Sweet Shop Syndicate

12. Never Met The Gooch

13. Fuckturn

14. Scary Smurf

15. The Ronald Miller Story

16. Bookworm (Demo)

17. The Unheard Chorus (Demo)

18. 32 Frames Per Second (Demo)

19. Wrist Rocket (Demo)

20. News At 11 (Demo)

21. Death & Taxes (Demo)

22. S.O.S. (Live)

23. Heart A Tact (Live)

24. Handy With The Tongue Sword (Live)

25. K05-0564 (Live)

26. Never Met The Gooch (Live)

27. The Penske File (Live)

28. PH. Decontrol (Live)

29. Deny Everything (Live)

30. Untitled

Carry The Torch: A Tribute To Kid Dynamite (2009)

1. Antillectual - Wrist Rocket

2. Smartbomb - Heartatact

3. Ernie Parada - Bench Warmer

4. Call It Fire - 32FPS

5. Fallen From The Sky - Pits And Poison Apples

6. 12 Cent - Pacifier

7. Broadway Calls - Bookworm

8. All Teeth - Never Met The Gooch

9. Deny Everything - Zuku's Back In Town

10. No Secrets Between Sailors - Living Daylights

11. Lewd Acts - PH. Decontrol

12. Comadre - Death & Taxes

13. No Harm Done - Three's A Party

14. First To Leave - SOS

15. The Golden Age - Got A Minute?

16. Death Is Not Glamorous - Pause

17. Make Do and Mend - Ronald Miller Story

18. Endgame - Copout

19. Get Back Up - Sweet Shop Syndicate

20. Static Radio NJ - Give 'em The Ripped One

21. To The Lions - Rid Of The Losers, Bring On The Cruisers

22. Stay Warm - Showoff

23. Hollywood - Gate 68

24. Take My Chances - Handy With The Tongue Sword

25. Hour Of The Wolf - Breakins A Memory

26. The Geeks - Shiner

27. No Trigger - K05-0564

28. Jump The Shark - Scary Smurg

29. Sakes Alive!! - News At 11

30. Latin For Truth - Table 19

31. The Ergs! - Fuck U Turn

32. Soldiers - Introduction To Opposites

33. Kill Conrad - Rufus Wants A Hug

34. Spanish Gamble - The Unheard Chorus

35. Torchbearer - The Penske File

36. The Wonder Years - Cheap Shot, Youth Anthem

37. This Is Hell - Troy's Bucket

38. Troublemaker - Two For Flinching

39. This Time Next Year - 3 O'Clock 

Fugazi

In typical Floorboard tradition, I had to pick a special band for its 400th post. After a lot of deliberation, I had to finally settle on the best band of all, Fugazi. To put it simply, they're this pretty influential punk/post-hardcore band from Washington, DC that were around from 1987 to their 2003 hiatus and featured members of Minor Threat and Rites Of Spring. However, there is much, much more to be said about them, and I will not even be able to scrape the surface of what makes them the phenomenal band they are. Regardless of that, thank you for letting this blog kick around long enough to make it all the way to 400, and if we're lucky, it just might last another 400, haha.

Since the start of this blog, I've had serious reservations about posting Fugazi. The sole reason behind that is the sheer amount of things that could be said about this band. It could stretch anywhere from a master's thesis to a three-volume encyclopedia as to why Fugazi are, undoubtedly, the greatest band to ever exist. Consider influence, originality, experimentation, energy, politics, catchiness, lyrics, live shows, or any other myriad of categories that constitute defining a "great" band, and Fugazi go above and beyond mastering them in the same way that bands like The Beatles or The Velvet Underground are commonly heralded for doing, and rightfully so.

Fugazi are an experience to indulge in, and thankfully they are one of the best documented bands of all time. Of course there are the actual albums, which could constitute an entire volume of that encyclopedia explaining why the songs and the recordings are absolute genius, and that could be broken down track by track, album to album. However, I think it's best to keep it short and let others find out why this is for themselves. Besides a perfect discography, they have a ton of visually recorded material. Their documentary, Instrument, is a perfect starting point for anyone getting into them. There's some of their absolute best live sets in there (see: "Glue Man" and "Shut The Door"), as well as some interview footage, in-studio clips, and random scenes from their daily lives. It's a great insight into the band, all packaged into this one very artfully done documentary.

There's also the Fugazi Live Series, which involves the band making full live sets available through Dischord, so almost any one of their shows is either or will be available to hear in full at some point in time. Even on YouTube, there's a ton of full live shows from them that I'd encourage checking out, so you can see what made their shows such a mind-blowing experience. The on-stage improvisation is seamless due to the rigid practice schedule they had, and it is an absolute awe to watch a band that tight cut through a set as diverse as theirs. As far as other information about them goes, there's a plethora of it out there; whether it be through other documentaries, interviews, or readings both online and in certain books, there's plenty that's available and incredibly interesting.

There is so much I want to rant and rave about when it comes to Fugazi, whether it be their music or their modus operandi. Even what I have written down now seems insufficient, and it's taking a lot to not just start again and try it perfect it, haha. But never mind that, the thing that caught my attention about them wasn't some blog's description. It was their music, plain and simple. They're a rare breed of band, since everything is their discography is worth giving a listen to, since they constantly expand on what they've done to progress with what they're doing next. I'll quit praising at their heels for now, so here's everything I've got by them, and thanks for sticking around to 400. Enjoy.

Fugazi (1988)

1. Waiting Room

2. Bulldog Front

3. Bad Mouth

4. Burning

5. Give Me The Cure

6. Suggestion

7. Glue Man

Peel Session (1988)

1. Waiting Room

2. Break-In

3. Merchandise

4. Glue Man

Margin Walker (1989)

1. Margin Walker

2. And The Same

3. Burning Too

4. Provisional

5. Lockdown

6. Promises

13 Songs (1989)

1. Waiting Room

2. Bulldog Front

3. Bad Mouth

4. Burning

5. Give Me The Cure

6. Suggestion

7. Glue Man

8. Margin Walker

9. And The Same

10. Burning Too

11. Provisional

12. Lockdown

13. Promises

3 Songs (1990)

1. Song #1

2. Joe #1

3. Break-In

Repeater (1990)

1. Turnover

2. Repeater

3. Brendan #1

4. Merchandise

5. Blueprint

6. Sieve-Fisted Find

7. Greed

8. Two Beats Off

9. Styrofoam

10. Reprovisional

11. Shut The Door

12. Song #1

13. Joe #1

14. Break-In

Stage Dive Masters (1990)

1. Styrofoam

2. Turnover

3. And The Same

4. Runaway

5. Merchandise

6. Sieve-Fisted Find/Reclamation

7. Break In

8. Song #1

9. Margin Walker/Bad Mouth/Waiting Room

10. Long Divison/Blueprint

11. Shut The Door

12. Promises/Two Beats Off/Repeater

13. Reprovisional

Note: This was a popular live bootleg

Steady Diet of Nothing (1991)

1. Exit Only

2. Reclamation

3. Nice New Outfit

4. Stacks

5. Latin Roots

6. Steady Diet

7. Long Division

8. Runaway Return

9. Polish

10. Dear Justice Letter

11. KYEO

Albini Demos (1993)

1. Returning The Screw

2. Smallpox Champion

3. Walken's Syndrome

4. 23 Beats Off

5. Public Witness Program

6. Great Cop

7. Cassevetes

In On The Kill Taker (1993)

1. Facet Squared

2. Public Witness Program

3. Returning The Screw

4. Smallpox Champion

5. Rend It

6. 23 Beats Off

7. Sweet And Low

8. Cassavetes

9. Great Cop

10. Walken's Syndrome

11. Instrument

12. Last Chance For A Slow Dance

Red Medicine (1995)

1. Do You Like Me

2. Bed For The Scraping

3. Latest Disgrace

4. Birthday Pony

5. Forensic Scene

6. Combination Lock

7. Fell, Destroyed

8. By You

9. Version

10. Target

11. Back To Base

12. Downed City

13. Long Distance Runner 

End Hits (1997)

1. Break

2. Place Position

3. Recap Modotti

4. No Surprise

5. Five Corporations

6. Caustic Acrostic

7. Closed Captioned

8. Floating Boy

9. Foreman's Dog

10. Arpeggiator

11. Guilford Fall

12. Pink Frosty

13. FD

Instrument Soundtrack (1999)

1. Pink Frosty Demo

2. Lusty Scripps

3. Arpeggiator Demo

4. Afterthought

5. Trio's

6. Turkish Disco

7. Me & Thumbelina

8. Floating Boy Demo

9. Link Track

10. Little Debbie

11. H.B.

12. I'm So Tired

13. Rend It Demo

14. Closed Captioned Demo

15. Guildford Fall Demo

16. Swingset

17. Shaken All Over

18. Slo Crostic

Furniture (2001)

1. Furniture

2. Number 5

3. Hello Morning 

The Argument (2001)

1. Untitled

2. Cashout

3. Full Discloure

4. Epic Problem

5. Life And Limb

6. The Kill

7. Strangelight

8. Oh

9. Ex-Spectator

10. Nightshop

11. Argument

20 Years of Dischord (2002)

19. The Word

20. Burning (Live)

First Demo (2014)

1. Waiting Room

2. Merchandise

3. Furniture

4. Song #1

5. The Word

6. Bad Mouth

7. Break-In

8. Turn Off Your Guns

9. And The Same

10. In Defense Of Humans

11. Joe #1

Dischord Records

Black Love

Black Love are a post-hardcore band from Montreal, Quebec that formed in 2011. One of the most noteworthy things about this band is how hard they are to pin down in terms of sound. For one, they (presumably) take their name from an Afghan Whigs album, and that influence does creep into their sound. Their early material reminds me of Hot Water Music for some reason, mostly because of the vocals and pummeling energy they've got going. Black Love have a bunch of very technical riffs going on, and a lot of lead guitar parts, which is a unique feature for "post-hardcore" as a whole. Their full-length is a bit of a departure from that, with that HWM pumping sound being replaced by a sparse, post-rock influence and a much darker atmosphere with some desperately screamed vocals. As much as I try to stick a tag on them, it still doesn't properly reflect what they have going on. Black Love are a phenomenal band that I highly recommend if you're looking for something new and unique, but with an odd familiarity to it. Enjoy.

Live Demo (2011)

1. Altar

2. Chinaman and Malays

S/T Tape (2012)

1. Summertime / Chinamen & Malays

2. Black Baby Jesus

3. Altar

4. Graduation

The Discord Of A Forgotten Sketch/Black Love (2013)

1. The Discord Of A Forgotten Sketch - Coyotes

2. The Discord Of A Forgotten Sketch - Music Cowboys

3. Black Love - The Appalachian

4. Black Love - Motorboats and Waterfalls

Black Love (2014)

1. Corps Étranger

2. Black Baby Jesus

3. Becker's Leitmotif

4. Libertines

5. L'Insoutenable Légèretè De Sauce

6. Ø

7. La Fois Que Le Spot Est Passé Au Feu

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Jon Kohen - Curse the Darkness, or Create a Light PREMIERE

Some of you may already be familiar with Jon Kohen's work. Whether it be with his band Kismet, or his solo material, both of which have been covered on this blog, his output is always astounding. Kohen is a Lowell, MA-based musician who's new EP, Curse the Darkness, or Create a Light today. Accompanying him is the a 13-piece string ensemble, featuring some members of the Lowell String Quartet, whose gargantuan bliss of somber orchestration contrast perfectly with Jon's whisper-thin vocals and guitar. If you're looking for some incredible, beautiful-sounding indie/acoustic music, this new EP is definitely a go-to for 2016.

I've done a quick track-by-track breakdown of the EP, but really just encourage you to give a listen yourself. It's a fantastic piece of work, in both an artistic and personally touching sense. It reminds me a lot of some of amazing artists, including Elliott Smith, Iron & Wine, and Carissa's Wierd, who I can not say enough positive things about. Same goes for this EP, and all of Jon's work of course. He's been a long-time supporter of the blog, just as I've been a long-time fan of his work. Thus, I'd encourage you to give it a listen, not only for that but also because this is some truly fantastic music he's created, and it needs to be shared and heard, so please enjoy.

The first track here is "A Light", which begins as it's title would suggest, with a gentle, catchy melody backed by a fingerpicked guitar. It instantly resonates, and though the instruments and melodies sound bright, the vocals pack a looming or longing in them, giving off the shadow that all light inevitably produces, or something of the sort. The strings hang in the background until the song peaks in the middle, at which point they come in full-force, elegantly layering and building on each other. The song breathes for a moment to let Jon's melodies take over before ending in a loud, longing harmony of strings and vocals.

"Between The Bars" might sound familiar, and understandably so, since it's a cover of a classic Elliott Smith song. You can see Jon and the string section perform it below, and both the recorded and live versions are absolutely magnificent. First of all, Smith's music suits Jon's style perfectly, so the match is inevitably good. For this track, Jon manages to maintain the sober, haunting atmosphere that Elliott established, and lets the strings take the song to a new height. Whether it be the slight staccato at the beginning, or the long, flowing embellishes of the chorus, the strings really make a sad song soar.

"Dusk" closes the EP with a similar songwriting style as it began. It features quiet passages of fingerpicking for the  excellent lyrics and vocals to shine through, and then give way to this monumental wave of euphoria brought on by the quartet. The dynamic here is played perfectly, with the rise and fall played throughout until the musical (and emotional) crescendo at the end, which leaves the listener floored, and brings a perfect EP to a perfect end.

Curse the Darkness, or Create a Light (2016)

1. A Light

2. Between The Bars

3. Dusk

Vinyl pre-orders will be available at: Endless Bummer Records, Sorry Dad Records, and Super Moon Records!

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Andrew Thomson - Live At Apt. 2B

This past January, Drew Thomson played a set at Blacktop Records HQ in Tillsonburg, Ontario. It's a small town about 45 minutes outside of London, which is where his band, Single Mothers, originated. Though perhaps better known for his phenomenally raucous main project, he's developed a name for himself with his softer, acoustic-based material. The intimate, personal storytelling and self-reflections are put at the forefront, and this new tape is a perfect example of that. This new live set includes songs from prior tapes put out by Secret Voice and No Sleep, as well as a series of self-released EP's. What sets Live At Apt. 2B apart is the live setting, with the funny between-song banter, the crowd singing on "Bad Catholics", and the intimacy of the recording that makes it sound as though the listener is in the room.

Live At Apt. 2B will be available on April 16th, 2016 through iTunes and Spotify, in addition to Bandcamp. It's being pressed on cassette and limited to 100 copies on transparent green tint, so I highly suggest grabbing a copy as early as possible. I know I don't normally do promotions like this, but I am sincerely a massive fan of his work, and his other tapes are already permanent residents in my glovebox, and this one will definitely be joining them soon. Plus it's a chance to give an independent Ontario (where I'm from) label some support, so definitely give their entire roster a listen.

Get it here

Blacktop Records

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