I Came Undone In This City. I Blame It On the Restaurants. But It Was Probably The Drugs.
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. Mixed together, 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 Maine recently, 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 Walter Chris 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.
Until next time….xo
PJH
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