I Should’ve Started a Chemical Fire…I Should’ve Burned This Place to the Ground….
No intro necessary and in no particular logical order, my most go to 2018 releases. Spotify playlist to follow. Enjoy and Happy 2019. xo PJH Hot Snakes – Jericho Sirens (Sub Pop) – Catching this San Diego, CA post-hardcore phenomena live earlier this year in San Francisco was a life changing experience for me, especially watching Jon Reis’ guitar work first hand and especially since I never caught Drive Jehu live, ever…at least I caught 50% of the band this time around. It was nice to see and hear that the foursome doesn’t miss a beat after a 12 year hiatus. Song’s like “I Need A Doctor” “Why Don’t It Sink In” proves this garage punk onslaught is all that, where its at and then some. Buffalo Tom – Quiet and Peace (Schoolkids Records) – My Bean Town heroes return with a solidly mature release this year. When once they sang about feeling old and out of place in such classics as “Taillights Fade” and “I’m Allowed”, now they are older and reflecting on such topics as mortality and lost time in their latest effort. The opening track, “All Be Gone” quickly proves the trio still have some gusto left under their hood. For the “Colbourn disciples,” the bassist offers his best song yet with “Roman Cars.” “Freckles” starts out simmering before kettle whistling to a wall of sound finale while “Slow Down” beautifully reeks of Brit-Pop lyrical positivity. Turnstile – Time & Space (Roadrunner Records) – Despite the critics, purists, and haters (largely due to major label sellout charges), this latest release from the Baltimore...
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...
Latest Partial Musical Ponderings……March 2018!
Sooo, what have I been listening to as of late…..? Well, for starters and definitely a no-brainer, I have been gobbling up the new Buffalo Tom release, Quiet and Peace by the plateful. Released as an early present on Christmas Eve 2017 to all those Pledge Music band donatees and finally released to the masses earlier this month with some extra bonus tracks, my Boston heroes have proven once again that they still have a lot of shake left in their tush with this solid release. Such stand out tracks like “All Be Gone”, the Big-Star-ish flirtations of “Roman Cars”, “Freckles” to 1998’s Smitten feel of “Least That We Can Do” and the Brit-Pop lyrical positivity of “Slow Down”, there are many great tunes to be found here that blend well with the rest of their discography. My pal Jerry Lardieri of NJ sensation The Brixton Riot is going to guest spot a more in depth review of album in the near future (right Jerr?). So what else, oh….been becoming re-acquainted with Memphis, Tennessee’s “alt-country” kings, Lucero, especially since missing a recent acoustic gig by front-man Ben Nichols at Garwood, NJ’s Crossroads recently. I find myself returning to such great records as 2009’s 1372 Overton Park and 2002’s Tennessee more often. Also lately (re-) discovering Gainesville, Fla. punk-n-roll heroes, Hot Water Music in a major way. Heard a lot about them over the years and took a dive with their album A Flight and a Crash (2001) back in the day , which in hindsight, was the wrong place to start. After multiple false starts, I hastily and unfairly chalked up the band as...
What Caught My Musical Attention In 2017 AD…Part 2 of 2
Ladies and Gentlemen, I humbly present to you part 2 of 2….. I have updated the Spotify playlist from Part I to include songs from each of the bands below…..see below it is now COMPLETE. I am now stuffed, sun-burned and enlightened, hence I shall deep dive back into the musical past…but from what I heard with some early musical releases by the likes of Buffalo Tom (GODS), Superchunk, Brian Fallon, Mudhoney, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Royal They, among others, sounding like 2018 is going to be a kick butt musical year! Will find you at the tail end… 17. Iron Chic – You Can’t Stay Here- I accidentally stumbled upon this band via Spotify following a Gaslight Anthem playlist with their “hit” “Cutesy Monster” while shopping at a Wegmans in a far away, foreign NJ town while waiting out a birthday party my son was attending. The Menzinger’s nuttier first cousin from Long Island, NY, this punk -n- roll band makes a surprising return after some testing personal challenges with this new release. I can’t get enough of the song “You Can’t Stay Safe.” 18. Matthew Ryan – Hustle Up Starlings – a solid release from this Pennsylvania bred veteran whom I first heard sharing the same stage at a Brian Fallon (The Gaslight Anthem, The Horrible Crowes) acoustic show. While it doesn’t kick me as square in the groin like 2014’s Boxers, a lot of ground is made up with songs like “(I Just Died) Like an Aviator.” and the beautifully chilling “Maybe, I’ll Just Disappear”. 19. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Who Built the Moon?...
What Caught My Musical Attention In 2017 AD…Part 1 of (2)
Musically speaking, my head (and ears) can almost always be found back, oh, somewhere between 1977 and 1995. But there will be times I am forced to surface into the present to catch some light and feed and in the process and some effort, stumble across some pretty awesome new music. OK, fine, most of of my list consists of bands, or members that have been in other bands that have been around since 1977 or shortly thereafter….any further questions will require me to lawyer up. I am sure I overlooked some bands…all I can say is whoops! I shudder over the thought of all the awesome music we fail to never hear or overlook in our short, brutish lives. In no special order, I humbly present what caught my musical attention in 2017…Part 1 of (2)….and only 10 days into the new year, a big improvement from years past…. I also added a Spotify Playlist showcasing songs from each of the bands (all the way down…). I will update the playlist when part II of this series is released…. Enjoy like i know you will! 1. Dead Heavens- Whatever Witch You Are – Backed by a super group of musicians (Guitarist Paul Kostabi (White Zombie), Bassist Nathan Aguilar (Cults) and Drew Thomas (Bold, New Rising Sons, Into Another), NYHC legend Walter Schreifels (Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand, Youth of Today, Rival Schools, Walking Concert, World’s Fastest Car, etc), discovers guitar effect pedals and gets on his 70’s psych garage rock on with this one of many fun projects. I caught an intimate, live show @ Garwood NJ’s Crossroads back in June and...
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