Queens of the Stone Age - My God is the Sun

Queens Of The Steen Age are a 5 piece band from Palm Desert, California, United States. They recently performed at Lollapalooza Brasil and they played a new song. It's called My God Is The Sun and it's quite good. The intro is very indie rock and that's a thread that runs through the whole piece but it most definitely is a Queens Of The Stone Age song. If this is a good example of what awaits on the new album I am excited. (via consequence of sound)

Airs - 2013 - Adore

Airs is a two piece band from San Francisco, California. They play a self described brand of shoegaze that incorporates aspects of screamo to great effect. Adore is their third release and features guest vocals from Bitty Drake (Pity Sex, Procession) and Cat Miyashiro. They describe Adore as "an album about the disintegration of friendships and relationships and the inability to do anything about it." Usually shoegaze isn't my thing, it doesn't grab me the way it does other people but the infusion of punk and screamo into these songs just grabs and doesn't let go. The album is available on cassette tape from Driftwood Records. Get it here and support independant music

Still For A Moment is one of those songs that right from the opening chords you know it's going somewhere and my other favourite song Blue feels like the song starts already in gear and just never lets up. Throughout this whole album the guitars are huge and never stop coming at you. They go from melodic and melancholic to soaring and almost robotic.

On Adore Airs uses the wall of noise to great effect, venturing almost into noise territory with the layers and volume while never forgetting about some semblance of memory. The singer has a great voice, capable of both a melodic croon and a more frustrated shout but isn't afraid of throwing some effects on his voice to flow with the music.

Airs have lots of elements to work with on Adore. They have successfully brought a screamo sensibility into their songs which only serves to accent the nosier and aggressive aspects of shoegaze without abandoning the sense of vulnerability and intimacy shoegaze brings to the table. Watch for this album on best of 2013 lists, it definitely deserves to be there.

Nicknames - 2013 - Lowball

Nicknames are a three piece emo band from Cape May, New Jersey. They inhabit the punkier but still melodic area of emo. Lowball is their sophomore EP and it makes them a band I will watch. Nicknames play  a kind of emo that I've come to quite enjoy, there is just enough twinkle for flavour that adds some nice noodling and melodic moments but not so much that it becomes the overriding focus.

These songs easily shift back and forth between more upbeat moments of pure energy to moments of noodly, twinkling melody to everything dropping away except a tortured voice and back again. The singer has a nice voice that can go from more pleading melodic to a rougher shout all while bearing his heart clearly on his sleeve. If you don't like twinkly emo punk then there won't be much here for you but if you do like that then this is a solid album.

Dragon Boy Suede - 2013 - Douche Minutiae

Dragon Boy Suede is a rapper from Los Angeles California. Dragon Boy Suede is the rap name of Howard Kremer who is also a comedian, songwriter and podcast host. Douche Minutia is Dragon Boy Suede's third LP and Kremer's fourth LP overall. Previous Dragon Boy Suede songs have tackled the curative properties of DBS' wang (I Heal With My Steel), refusing to be gouged for flights home on holidays (I'm Not Paying $500 to Watch Douchebags Eat Turkey) and how you will respect him more when you realize he can summon wildlife. (You Won't Sass Me Like That When I Can Summon Wolves)

 Dragon Boy Suede is the kind of rap that there needs to be more off, not afraid to do entire songs about what tea one has in the morning (Chai Tea Morning) while also bragging he's so good at banging that your legs will be wobbling like a Newborn Baby Colt. Dragon Boy Suede is a rapper impossible to hate, how can you hate on a man who is "eating Shrimp Scampi while amputees fan me"? This while album is back to back bangers. If you're not afraid of some punchlines with your rhymes then Dragon Boy Suede will be right up your alley.

Bonjour Machines - 2013 - Bonjour Machines

Bonjour Machines are a four piece band from Tel Aviv, Israel. They play a noodly, energetic, pop punky brand of emo. This is their debut EP and they mine a very twinkly, punk poppy vein that could quite easily head in a garage rock direction. These five songs don't overstay their welcome, they burst open with lots energy, throw themselves relentlessly around the moshpit and then make way for the next song barrelling down the pike.



These songs are messy and all over the place but that is balanced by this bands ability to take the thinnest most precarious melody and blow it up huge. I have a bit of a problem with the vocalist, he can be a bit mushmoushed and weak at times which suits the music but can take a little getting used. Sometimes the songs don't gel as well as they could which just results in some uninspired noodling. But when everything is firing on all cylinders Bonjour Machine throw together emo, punk pop, with just a hint of twinkle and indie rock guitar licks for flavour and the result is a 5 song EP that will draw you in.

Mock Duck - 2013 - Inner Infinities EP

Mock Duck is a two piece, half from Japan, half from California. They play a unique brand of punk rock. They bring together elements of garage rock, drone metal, just a hint of psychedelia with a shit kicking attitude. The guitar tone is more of a fuzzed out stoner or sludge metal band, along the lines of Fu Manchu, but these songs are more nimble and energetic than most stoner metal.

 A lot of times bands that incorporate drone/sludge/post metal bits into their songs tend to lose me for those portions, thankfully the intro is the only time this band falls into that trap. This album really shows the band's versatility, they manage to cram a variety of sounds into a relatively short EP. Looking forward to more.

Nobody, Ever - 2013 - Everyone Stood By The Side Of The Road

Nobody, Ever are a emo and from Leicester, England. They are a four piece emo band with a throwback style. Everyone Stood By The Side Of The Road is their debut EP and these four songs pack quite a punch. When not done properly I sometimes find this kind of emo a little boring, but these songs are well written and the energy never wavers. This band has a solid handle on the melody and songwriting, I really can't wait to hear what comes next.

new Loma Prieta - 2013

Loma Prieta are a screamo band from San Fransisco, California. They are a legendary four piece who play short, abrasive songs that walk the line between screamo and a hardcore songwriting style that leans towards a more chaotic blast. Their lineup has changed a bit over the years, last years I.V. came out on Deathwish Records.

This song is apparently from Deathwish's new sampler. Unsurprisingly, it rips.

Polina - Bonehouse - Kaddish - Todos Caeran- 2013

Polina are a screamo bad from Newfoundland, Canada. Bonehouse is a five piece punk band from Dundee, UK. Kaddish are a three piece screamo band also from Dundee. And Todos Caeran are a five piece screamo band from Edmonton, Calgary. 

The first half of this album is quite excellent. I am saddened to see on the last.fm page for Polina a post by one of the dude's saying the band is done and this is their last release. If that's true these are two solid songs to go out on, keeping with the sound that Polina grew into.

The second band making their debut outside of demo's is Bonehouse. They fit into the larger aesthetic of this whole album which flows quite well, while still maintaining their own identity. I especially like the breakdowen in Paper Thin Lungs, I am going to dive into this band's discography shortly.

After four great songs by two great bands the album unfortunately takes a bit of a slide. Kaddish is a band that has been around for a while, they put out a split with Wolf 359 in 2008. I can under stand why some people seem to really like Kaddish but for me the ingredients never come together like they should. There's nothing wrong with these songs they just never really click.

Which brings me to Todos Caeran. Todos Caeran are an awesome band. Their brand of screamo is epic and reaching and very rarely fails to just completely sweep me away in the tide of the song they are hammering out. But these songs, for some reason, just fail to ignite for me. These songs may not be my favourite on this album but they deliver the same solid punch I expect.

This is a really solid album, there are no bad tracks and all the bands are firing on all cylinders constantly. But for me the first half is the half that I keep coming back to.

Nazi Dust - 2009 - S/T 7" (Demo)

Nazi Dust are a band from Tampa. Florida. They play a noisy, focused and somewhat arty brand of hardcore. I believe this is their debut demo but I could be mistaken. I don't know much about this band other than their assocation with Youth Attack and having members of Cult Ritual.

I'm quite a fan of the singers voice, his shout is higher pitched than most and can put his screachy voice to great use cutting through the noise everyone else is making. These songs are short, and to the point, there are no wasted movements here. Though they make kick up an immense amount of noise and chug there is always a larger point being driven at. The last half of this ep kicks an immense amount of ass.

a writing blog

A buddy of mine is a good writer. His name is Derek Bartlett and if you're so interested you can check out his blog at Dark Alley Writings. There's not much there right now but I know the man is capable, he's already one post apocalyptic novel with lots of gore, killing and solid female characters. If you like Lovecraft or pulpy fiction or just rants about society at large check him out.

Foxmoulder - 2013 - Lethe

Foxmoulder are a four piece band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They play a dark, churning brand of screamo. Lethe is their third ep and the sound they have developed has lead them into a claustrophobic world where it sounds like everything is collapsing around you. The main problem I have with this EP is how short it, and Foxmoulder's other releases are. These songs are driven and focused while injecting just a hint of chaos which is one of the thing's that really draws me in. These songs barely reach 2 minutes which seems to be the perfect length for them, I would be very interested in hearing what they would do with a full length

 My only other problem is that the vocals are mixed a little too low. Yes it fits with the whole sound and atmosphere musically but I prefer to be able to hear what the singer is screaming about rather than just the sound of the scream. All in all this is a really solid EP, four dark, paranoid and seething songs that come barrelling right at you.

Braid + Balance + Composure - 2013

Balance And Composure  are a 5 piece band from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Braid are a 4 piece from Champaign, Illinois. This split is Balance And Composure's 6th album and Braid's 13th.

Balance And Composure are a punk rock band with emo and indie and even some post-hardcore influences. Some people are head over heals for this band, and while the flip hasn't been completely turned on yet, these two songs are solid punk rock songs. They have enough energy to keep everything moving forward but are melancholy enough to have their own sound.

Braid are a seminal punk rock band from the mid 90's. One of the better bands that inhabited the melodic side of the punk emo space. They split up in 1999, reunited for a some tours in 2004 and became active again in 2011. Braid's dominates this split and their songs do not disappoint in any capacity.