Except for some Mogwai and Explosions In the Sky, I typically don’t gravitate toward vocal-less, jammy music. but the times, they are a changin’….
Take 50% of DC post hardcore legends Fugazi found in the form of bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty, throw in some mysterious dude (at least to me) in the shape of Anthony Pirog. Mixedtogether, this trio plays some serious Hendrix-ish, surf punky, garage rock as The Messthetics who just released their first full length album, interestingly enough, on the famously historic DC hardcore punk label staple, Dischord Records. Nine songs of pure, balls to the walls jamming. I personally enjoy such tracks as “Quantum Path” and “Serpent Tongue.”
And then you have the 2/3 post-hardcore super group High Disciple, consisting of drummer Christopher Daly (Texas Is the Reason, 108, Jets to Brazil, Resurrection),Scott St. Hilaire (Lifetime, The Fire Still Burns) along with Larry DiGiovanni of Dub For Light fame, offering 5 star, Class A, space dub reggae music for your listening pleasure. The music remains consistently super chill and relaxed, so whether you walking down a NYC street enjoying a Starbucks unsweetened black or green iced tea, clearing the house gutters of leaves, or even getting lost while hiking in Acadia National Park in Mainerecently, these 6 songs will provide balance, serenity and a perfect soundtrack to our otherwise bland existence. Digging such cuts as “Tranquility” and “Gate Crasher.”
And because of this latest interest in instrumentally jammy music, I sought out the 2012 Heavy Blanket self-titled album to blow the dust off and give it a better listen since I have unfairly not done so in the past. This trio is a project by none other than guitar Jedi Knight and demi-god, J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., two high school friends and a crazy back story of Tuba pot smoking, counterfeit money, jail and revenge on Pearl Jam. While the funny back story may most likely bullshit, the music isn’t with J’s signature Big Muff’ed licks clearly and evidently present. Check out such songs as “Dr. Marten Blues” and “Spit in the Eye.”
Oh what else…..oh yeah, The Menzingers recently released a new single, “Toy Soldier”. Though not as solid as many of other their many other kick ass songs (seems a little rushed and awkwardly disjointed at times), still decent enough…
And then Beantown Hardcore kings, Slapshot, just released a new record, Make America Hate Again. No surprises here with Choke and Co. and that is sometimes a good thing. Straightforward, in your face hardcore brutality you expect from the band. Decent release but must admit I gravitate towards their 2014 self titled release more. Check out the song “Edge Break Your Face.”
And speaking of hardcore, been deeply intrigued by the latest release by NYHC heavyweights, Burn, entitled Do or Die (2017). Since their self titled release on Revelation Records, I was always attracted to this band because of their unique approach to an easily played out genre. When you mix Guitarist Gavin Van Vlack’s avante guard, pedal heavy riffs with Chaka Malik’s off-kilter but still balanced singing approach proves to be a lethal combination. Release that concoction into an energetic live setting, you may want to take out extra liability insurance because trust me, the venue with catch fire and….well…burn to the fucking ground. Songs like “Fate” and album title track are just two of many gems.
And to end things Hardcore, I tend to seek out LA Hardcore royalty, Strife’s live release from their 2017 sold out Troubadour show in LA . Though the band being over the whole straight edge thing, this record is a fantastic capture of the band, playing classic songs throughout their hefty discography. Killer live tracks of “Blistered” and “Through and Through” can be found here among many others.
Oh wait, one more thing hardcore….the latest Turnstile album, Time & Space (2017),was brought to my attention via a friend’s text while driving back from Boston/PAX East 2018 with my now 14 yo earlier this year.“Dude check this song “Generator” out” immediately turned into me checking out the entire album multiple times on the drive home to Jersey. T&S is 25 minutes of pure, serious punk rock perfection without taking itself too seriously. I hear a lot of other influences buried in the music, especially Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction, Porno for Pyros) inspired vocals. This Baltimore suburban outfit was on my friend’s upstate NY label, Reaper Records before jumping to the “majors” (Roadrunner) where the didn’t really do much for me, but now due to the latest record, they do a lot!
An unfortunate reality for many opening bands is that they rarely catch our attention which is highly unfair to them because we are all so selfishly focused on seeing the main act. All this changed when I caught Oakland’s Feral Ohms catching my otherwise ODD-tinged attention, opening up for the Hot Snakes at San Francisco’s hottest new club, The August this past May when work brought me to nearby Sacramento. The band name is very fitting as this trio spit out song after song of rabid, eardrum damaging, rock n roll – just how I like it! If tracks “Love Damage” “Living Junkyard” don’t do it for you then….oh I don’t know….
And don’t get me started on San Diego’s Hot Snakes because I just wont shut the fuck up since they my latest musical obsession at the moment. Not only does their recent release, Jericho Sirens, continue to blow my mind, but their live shows are a life changing experience. The intensity the band belts out on stage is aptly described as “post hardcore garage rock” and is immeasurably, well…INTENSE…the only word I can use to describe this four piece outfit whose members played in other boastful west coast acts like Drive Like Jehu, Night Marchers, Rocket from the Crypt, etc. An added bonus is college pal Jason Kourkounis drums for this lethal foursome. Watching “Jay” play that night in San Fran brought all those Buffalo basement shows memories quickly back….sigh.
Finally, Rochester, NY’s Indie rock pop superstars, Forevers, quickly return with their first full length release, Between the Banners, Beneath The Floors (2018), even while still enjoying the residual high off their 2017 ep release, Cotton Thrones that made my same year “best of” list. Think The Replacements. Think the Afghan Wigs meets Guided By Voices with a sprinkle of lyrical witticism a la Hold Steady and even U2 in the mix. And may I dare suggest one of my guilty pleasures, Third Eye Blind is also lurking in their musical shadows when I hear David Baumgartner (also of Muler), Nick WalterChris Reeg and Darren Dewispelaere latest collected, impressive efforts? I also hear a band who really, really like their Moog and puts it to the test. Tracks “Wait It Out”, and first released single “ Mattress” are just a few of standouts. The band’s latest offerings is not yet offered in digital media format but you can find (and buy) taste samples right here…. https://forevers1.bandcamp.com/releases
See my Spotify playlist below trying to capture as much music mentioned above as possible.
In case you care what I have been listening too lately (and I know you secretly lose sleep wondering)…here you go…since you insist….
Local Maplewood, NJ hometown indie rock A-Leaguers, Tri-State, continue their collective, at ease, upward momentum with their latest 5 track release , we did what we could do(2016) on the ultra-cool and equally Jersey label, Mint 400 Records . The killer riff on the opening track (and one of my personal favorites), “Summer Nun” kicks in the thruster a bit since their beautifully gliding, yet slightly subdued 2 song EP, New Minuits (2015). Again you find guitarists Julian Brash and Jeff Zelevansky trade off engrossing and seamless electric six-string conversations when not splitting vocal duties, while the complimenting percussionist union of Mason Rather (bass) and Brady McNamara (drums) keeps everything delightfully moving and grooving along. wdwwcd is simply a fun record from start to finish. It’s a perfect album on replay, tapping your foot on a sunny, sandy Miami beach while lounging lazily under palm trees, slightly concerned about falling coconuts, weird, unrecognizable birds and equally weird, unrecognizable insects (proven this past holiday weekend). Other stand out tracks include “Petty” (“boy, you got a lot to say….”), Siamese twin track “Suture”and “Automatic Man.”
My “Buffalo Bro” Daryl who I can “geek talk” music for days, weeks, even months on end (and have the never-ending text to prove it), have been digitally nudging (read: nagging) me to listen to the latest Touché Amore’ record, Stage 4 (2016) for months, but not as long as he has been nagging me to listen to Elliot Smith’sXO. I finally broke down, found time and listened…and listened…. WOW. I like it…. a lot! Based out of Los Angeles, this four-piece hardcore band found the perfect balance of familiarity and unique, of the definable and almost indefinable. They apply a unique spin on an otherwise played out genre, somehow making melodic shoe-gazey, indie rock riffs hardcore with minimum doses of extra crunchy distortion and beautifully bridging the hardcore and post-hardcore/emo sound, similar to Title Fight. Atypical singing patterns/rhythms and very deep, extremely personal thought provoking lyrics only add to their refreshing approach. The album title holds a double meaning, being the bands 4th record and also the very worse stage of cancer, a subject that rears its ugly head throughout the recording, apparently due to leader singer Jeremy Bolm losing his mom to the dreaded disease recently in 2014. The subject matter certainly sends my brain hurtling back 30 years ago when I lost my own mother in the same fashion, leaving me slightly envious that Bolm could scream about it for months on end touring and finding relief while I just buried those feelings deep down inside somewhere long ago where they mostly remain to this day. Ironically, after all this time, I can find some relief in Bolm’s circumstances and the bands music, knowing I am not the only one that ever went through such a soul-shredding event. Opening track, “Flowers and You,” “Displacement,” “Benediction,” and “Water Damage” are just some of the many great songs on this record. Check it.
The Menzingers is a Philly band I heard of a number of times but only started listening to their music because I saw they played a recent show at Garwood, NJ’s infamous Crossroads, this time nudged by the club’s Facebook page. Another 4 piece, the band plays an all too familiar sound, but they do it in a way that keeps my interest. Punk -n- Roll at its finest. The first song of theirs I got hooked on, “Remission,” off of 2014’s dour-ish Rented World, is nothing special when it comes to many other songs I subsequently discovered in their impressive catalog, but it only takes that little something to keep the tune and video on replay in my life (in this case, it’s that little “uh” leader singer Greg Barnett blurts (Accidently? Deliberately? Both?) after the first verse, or even the killer sing along chorus “Everyone needs a crutch…I need a wheel chair…I need a reason to reason with you…”). Their new record, After the Party (2017), was released just a few weeks ago and remains in heavy rotation in my life. A much cheerier release, they managed (and I slightly plagiarize from another review because I agree), to keep their street cred intact while making radio friendly songs. Check out song like “Lookers,” Mid-Western States,” “Your Wild Years,” “Black Mass” …oh, just listen to whole record, it’s great from start to finish!
Dinosaur Jr.’s latest, Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not (2016), is also filed under easy listening in my life. For die-hard fans, this is a typical, predictable record for the original band lineup, and that is just perfectly dandy for us. Interestingly, a little bird (i.e. drummer Murph) mentioned in an interview that GAGOWYN came to life because J. Mascis “freaked out” about not having any new songs and quickly threw some together. Many in the know would agree that the thought of J. losing his shit is hard to imagine, considering he never seems to have a pulse and really quiet during interviews. And when he does say something it is quite clear why he constantly accused of being a stoner (which he isn’t, at least according to him). Yes, the final results sound rushed when knowing this little back story, but the results are still rockingly impressive. Standouts include the opener “Going Down, “I Told Everyone” and “Tiny” but my favorites are “Lost All Day” right into “Knocked Around.”
The Cloud Nothings is another band I was slow on the draw about until I stumbled upon their latest release, Life Without Sound(2017). An incredibly solid listen from start to finish. It took me multiple listens on many runs final figure out what I love about this band/record: I can’t pigeonhole this band because they don’t sound like any other band that I heard of. I can’t honestly think of any other band that the Cloud Nothings sound like. Offering a completely refreshing, catchy indie sound. they mix the perfect blend of melody with umph…what’s not to like? Such tracks as the piano-tinged opener “Up to the Surface” and “Internal World” are pretty rocking tunes.
As we prepare to feast today I thought I’d post some songs about love and giving a big thanks to the Review Stalker readers, Twitter Followers, music fans and bands. All 3 of you know who you are so a sincere thank you! Finding good songs that are a true thank you was hard. Anyway, It was little over a year ago we went big time with the official RS blog domain. Everybody wants to own their own brand. Right? The unofficial one lived for many years on blogger. Not a huge leap really just more control on this end. I basically just promised myself to put more than 5 cents of my time into it because I spent a lot more time than that listening to all sorts of music anyway and visiting other great music blog sites. Plus it’s always nice to keep one’s ears fresh. So I built a better mouse trap. Anyway, thank you for sending the latest and greatest new music so keep it coming people! Now go get stuffed. I have to go work on my best of 2011 list.
Thanks Giving Playlist:
01) Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) MP3 by Sly & The Family Stone (1970) Nothing says family like a Sly song. Such great music for such song that was written during the middle of the Vietnam war.
02) Very Nervous and Love (Album) MP3 by J. Mascis from Several Shades of Gray (2011) Fantastic mellow J release from this year. It’s going in the consideration pile for best of the best.
03) Thank You Jack White MP3 by The Flaming Lips from the Flight Test EP (2003) Funny personal diary song by Wayne Coyne and the boys giving thanks to Mr. White.
04) Inside of Love MP3 by Nada Surf from Let go (2002) One of the best guitar pop bands of the past two decades. I’m on the hunt for the female fronted version of this band. Any recommendations?
05) We All Love Mother MP3 by Crowder Brothers (1936) From Robert Crumb’s The Stuff That Dreams are Made of A very rare and obscure hillbilly song.
06) True Love Will Find You In The End MP3 by Daniel Johnston from 1990
07) You Don’t Love Me Yet MP3 by Bongwater from Double Bummer CD (1990). Probably one of my favorite covers & around songs all in one. I think I’ve posted it at least 3 times in the history of the RS blog. My daughter just mad my day already by asking to turn this one up. Usually it’s the opposite.
08) Lovenest MP3 by The Wedding Present from Seamonsters (1991) This is my favorite David Gedge release. Maybe because it’s the first one I ever heard. Warning it contains mountain high guitar walls of sound.
09) Don’t Laugh (I Love You) MP3 by Ween from God Ween Satan The Oneness (1991) Quite frankly no music fan should be without this record. It’s a critical element in the lo-fi genre.
10) Love Buzz MP3 by Nirvana Live in Amsterdam 11/25/91. This is a amazing live recording. Totally in their prime in this live set. If you friend the RS blog on the bookface there you will find a link in the notes to download the whole set.
Now go make a list and support your local record store tomorrow on Black Friday. Happy Hunting!
Not Enough MP3 I’ve only seen J play solo once. actually i think there was violin player cranking on the distortion just as much as he was during the solo parts – the shit was loud. This is actually a complete acoustic album that is just as much Crosby Stills Nash & Young as it completely Mascis. He always had that southern thing in his voice even for a hippie from Mass, not to say he could not layer on electric guitar with his riffage. Here’s proof he doesn’t have to at all. Great shit. [Buy]
The Breakup MP3 The Rural Alberta Advantage from Departing. I went to see these Canadians at the Mercury awhile back. Totally great show. All the tracks I’ve heard from this record are consistent love songs of sort or another. For lack of a bass player this music is pretty full. Also check out “Two Lover” which reminds me very much of something off of In The Aeroplane, Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel. [Buy] Two Headed Boy MP3 by NMH Two-Headed Coin MP3 by Obits Live at the Cake Shop 1/12/08
Vapor Transport System MP3 By the artist known as tymekz from vERTICAL eXIT 5 song ep. His music is foreign like the first time you heard radiohead get weird. It’s alien space trip hop with vats and vats of pharma and at the same time like puffy little clouds but with out the vocals getting in the way. If this music were a film it’s about space. [Get it here ] Puffy Cloud MP3 by Ween from God Ween Satan the Oneness (Crank this because it’s recorded really really low)
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