Highness - 2013 - Hold

Highness is a five piece post-hardcore band from Brooklyn, New York, America. Hold is their debut LP. Members have also played in such seminal bands as Christie Front Drive, pg 99, City of Caterpillar and more. Lots of catchy melodic hardcore that borrows heavily from the emo side of things. Gaea (Strings) comes barrelling out of the gates fulling form, trumpeting a band at the top of their game operating at full capacity, We're All We Need builds to a beautiful, melodic crescendo allowing everything to fall apart and Stitched Together simply kicks ass.  These songs build and tear themselves down with ease. The melodic hardcore space a lot of these songs operate in reminds me of Make Do And Mend style post-hardcore. If you like emo, hardcore or post-hardcore in any capacity at all, or just like good music made by old friends, Highness' Loud is highly recommended.

Pity Sex - 2013 - Feast Of Love

Pity Sex is a four piece shoegaze band from Ann Arbor, Michigan, America. Feast Of Love is their debut LP, third release overall, courtesy of Run For Cover Records. Expect multiple vocalists, layers of guitars and a near constant wall of sound. The songs are based around indie rock with shoegaze coming in with the wall of sound, burying the vocals in the mix and throwing in a keen sense of melancholy borrowed the emo side of things. The best song on the album is the opener Wind-Up, other highlights include the slowburn of Sedated and the driving rock of Drown Me Out and Honey Pot. If you like your indie rock fused with shoegaze and just a little emo, Pity Sex's Feast Of Love will serve well.

This Routine Is Hell - 2013 - Howl

This Routine Is Hell is a four piece hardcore punk band from Utretcht, Netherlands. Howl is their 3rd release.



 They play a straight forward brand of hardcore punk that isn't content to stay within the boundaries of anyone genre. The overriding sensibility is of hardcore punk of the beatdown variety but there are also moments influenced by emo and even a little bit of melodic hardcore.



Highlights include the title track, Don't Let Them and Nostalgia. Reminds me of Ceremony in stretching hardcore to it's limits and mining those border regions for aggressive, emotional gold.



 If you like your hardcore punk not content to be simply hardcore punk but never letting up on the aggression pedal, This Routine Is Hell's Howl will serve well.

Disembarked - 2013 - I Do Nothing But Regret The Fact That I Left

Disembarked is a five piece screamo band from Stockholm, Sweden.  I Do Nothing But Regret The Fact That I Left is their third release, courtesy of Dog Knights Productions. Their brand of screamo is inflected with some post-rock, giving it a melodic bite which thankfully isn't overpowering. The singer has a desperate shout reminiscent of The Saddest Landscape when he's not screaming his lungs out. The band behind him is nimble and not afraid to sprinkle in some melody. If you like your screamo desperate and driving, Disembarked's I Do Nothing But Regret The Fact That I Left  will serve quite well.

Saintly Rows - 2013 - Everything That I Was Afraid of Happening, Happened

Saintly Rows are a four piece screamo band from Albuquerque, New Mexico, America. Everything That I Was Afraid of Happening, Happened is their second EP. They play a brand of screamo that borrows heavily from the post-rock school of songwriting. These songs take awhile to build to their explosive climaxes which are extended in the post-rock style. On songs like Tetelestai and The Potomac the post-rock serves as a base on which the anguish of the screamo can be be lit on fire and reach even higher. If you like your screamo reaching for something beyond, Saintly Rows' Everything That I Was Afraid of Happening, Happened will serve well.
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Cerce - Stresscase - 2013

Cerce was a hardcore punk from Boston Massachusets. This split with Stresscase was their fifth and final release. They play a screamo inflected brand of hardcore, this split emphasizes the stomping hardcore more than the frantic screamo of previous releases. Songs like Blossom and Damaged Goods ride their rock solid riffs into the grind underneath an increasingly desperate screamer.



Stresscase is a four piece hardcore punk band from Los Angeles. The split with Cerce is their second release. They play a thrashy brand of hardcore that isn't afraid of tossing everything to the wind on strength of a powerful riff and a strong shouter. Lonely Leach and Shallow Grasp will beat the crap out of you and leave your body in the bottom of the pit.

Forgive - 2013 - Cloak & Dagger

Forgive are a five piece hardcore punk band from Ajax, Ontario, Canada. Cloak And Dagger is their debut EP. They play a straight ahead brand of  melodic hardcore. The guitars blare their chugging riffs while the singer shouts his gravelly drill sergeant shout. These songs take the time to stretch out, twisting and turning through solos and gang shouts. Highlights include Ache and Dagger If you like your hardcore with some solos and a gruff shout, Forgive's Cloak And Dagger will serve well

Kaoru Nagis - 2013 - Concessive

Kaoru Nagis is a seven piece screamo band from Annandale, Virginia, USA. Concessive is their debut EP. They feature current members of: Caust, Perfect Future, Cape Farewell, Carved Our Names in Snow, Kilgore Trout and x-members of Studying, Solomon Solomon, Age Sixteen. Kaoru Nagis plays a chaotic, powerviolence influenced brand of screamo. These songs never sit still, exploding in all directions at all times. Reminds me of early Loma Prieta and Ampere. These songs can go from a chug, to complete chaos, to melody and back in the space of a breath. If you like your screamo with no constants other than rage and chaos, Kaoru Nagisa's Concessive will serve quite well.

Bad Blood - 2013 - Cracked

Bad Blood are a punk band from Sheffield, England. Cracked is their second release. They play a melodic brand of punk that borrows equally from emo as it does alt rock. Features members of Never Cry Wolf, Rough Justice and Without Our Crowns. Highlights include No Progress,  Broken Bones and the title track. Think Daylight or Balance And Composure and you won't be far off. If you like your hardcore with lots of melody and a straightforward songwriting style Bad Blood's Cracked will do you well.

Lay The Blame On Luck - 2013 - Demo

Lay The Blame On Luck is a four piece pop punk band from Brookly, NYC, USA. Demo is their debut recordings. They play melodic, slightly meloncholy brand of emo influenced pop punk. These two songs are equal parts indie rock and jump straight in the air pop punk. Corpses Of Past Mistakes makes me interested in where their songwriting will go from here.

Longings - 2013 - Demo

Longings are a three piece punk band from Amherst, Massachusets, America. Demo is their debut recording. Longings consist of Will Killingsworth, Meghan Minior and Cole Turkee who collectively have been in: Vaccine, Failures, Ampere, Orchid, Bucket Full of Teeth, Siamese Twins, Ampere, Death Evocation, Foreign Objects, Twerps, SKVLT and California X. Longings play a fuzzy, dark brand of post punk that isn't afraid of kicking up a noisy, hardcore storm. All of these songs attempt to the storm the gate with their dark, atmospheric post-punk. The only constant is the churning of the drums as these songs drive endlessly forward. If Bootblacks were more influenced by hardcore they might play something like this. If you like your punk in a darkened atmosphere with multiple vocalists Longings' Demo will do well.

Caust - [This is not for you.] - 2013

Caust is a four piece hardcore punk band from Virgina, USA. The split with [This is not for you.] is their fourth release. Caust plays a brand of chaotic hardcore that borrows heavily from screamo. They feature members of  Kaoru Nagisa and Swan of Tuonela. Sleep, Meaningless, Reasonless only lets up momentarily to allow the pain to come forward before slamming into hyper mode.



[This is not for you.] is a screamo band from Ocean City, Maryland, USA. The split with Caust is their second release. They play a straight ahead, brutal brand of screamo that takes no liberties. These songs launch themselves at full speed in all directions. The screams are desperate, the guitars go from raging to discordant ringing and back again while the drums churn the ground you stand on. [This is not for you.] is a band to watch.

Nevasca - 2013 - Demo

Nevasca is a four piece emo band from Murmansk, Russia. Demo is their debut recording. They play a brand of emo heavily influenced by the midwest emo sound. The singer Sasha has an excellent voice, going from clean spoken and singing into a shout at moments notice. The band beneath him plays midwest emo that goes between moments of twinkly calm and driving urgency. If you like your emo with an epic feel but don't want any post-rock and are ok with some twinkle, Nevasca's Demo will serve well.

MNMNTS - 2013 - The Choir Belongs To Us

MNMTS are a screamo band from Koblenz, Trier, Germany. The Choir Belongs To Us is their debut EP courtesy of  Bis Aufs Messer s via MEM. MNMNTS feature members of Ten Years A Day, A Case Of Grenada and Rachel Casca. These songs mine the post-hardcore and screamo veins coming up with long songs that are dark and somewhat crusty. Reminds me of Mahria, Todos Caeran and Amanda Woodward. If you like your screamo with an epic reach to it MNMTS' The Choir Belongs to Us is highly recommended.

No Tongue - 2013 - Body + Mind

No Tongue is a punk band from Oakland. Body + Mind is their second release, courtesy of Kyeo Speaks. They play a brand of hardcore that is hard to pin down in terms of genre adherence. They take the spirit of hardcore and turn into things like spacey jams (Dwanta) and an almost country wind down (Sad Country) and an all out attack that takes no prisoners (Shop Talk). All the way through on Body + Mind No Tongue charge their way through punk as they know it. No Tongue churns a myriad of influences in a blender with a heavy helping of hardcore and serves it up raw. If you like your punk with a genre hopping, experimental side to it, No Tongue's Body + Mind will serve well.

Topbunk - 2013 - Better Sleep

Topbunk is a two piece emo band from Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Better Sleep is their second EP. They cite Algernon Cadwallader and Tigers Jaw as influences. Topbunk plays a wirey brand of emo with a dose of indie rock that keeps the songs scrambling forward. Highlights include Branigan and Comfort Driving. If you like your emo scrappy and noisy Topbunk's Better Sleep will serve well.

Oppressor - 2013 - Bad Mind

Oppressor is a four piece band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Bad Mind is their debut EP. They play a heavy brand of thrash metal that uses hardcore to attack even harder. Their brand of crossover thrash rarely leaves the mosh pit, focusing only on inflicting maximum sonic pain. Lost/Life finds a groove and rides into the dust, while Dagger holds back momentarily before the pummelling really starts. If you like your thrash metal with a heavy helping of hardcore, Bad Mind will serve well.

Hassler - 2013 - Amorality

Hassler are a hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Amorality is their second EP. They play a straight ahead brand of beatdown hardcore that comes roaring out of the gate and never lets up. Amoral has a deadly anger to it, Retaliation has an extra helping of desperate anger while Apathy shifts gears only to better pound you into the pavement. They take a helping of street punk to limber up their hardcore. If you like your hardcore, dirty, lofi and pissed off Amorality will serve well

Beth Garner - 2013 - Much Later For You

Beth Garner is a singer and guitar player from Austin, Texas, USA. Much Later For You is her new LP. These are old school rock and roll and blues songs. They shake and shimmy, making danceable rhythms while Beth croons overtop. Beth also sings on What You Gonna Do About Me from Buddy Guy's new LP Rhythm & Blues. On Much Later For You there are equal parts guitar heroics, lively horns and boogie down rock and roll. Highlights include Much Later For You, I'm The One and Doin' Me Wrong .If you like your rock and roll with some horns and a tight rhythm section Much Later For You will serve well.

Big Al And The Heavyweights - 2013 - Sunshine On Me

Big Al And The Heavyweights are a four piece blues band from New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Sunshine On Me is their new LP. They meld Blues, Zydeco and some straight forward rock and roll into a catchy combination. Reminds of the Downchild Blues Band if Downchild had a swamp boogie feel. Highlights include Pass A Good Time, Peaches, So Many Women and Sunshine On Me. Don't You Want Me has the most use of a cabasa that I've heard in any popular music let alone the blues. If you like your blues very danceable with some swamp boogie Sunshine On Me will scratch that itch.

Boulevard Lane - 2013 - Boulevard Lane

Boulevard Lane is a four piece blues band from Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA. Boulevard Lane is their debut LP. The core of the band is singer-songwriter Angela Andazola and Bill Royal, former lead guitarist for Strange Brew and Blues Royale. They play a mixture of rock and roll with some country and blues thrown in on this album of originals. Highlights include Take Me Away, Best Of Me and A Few More.  Angela can have a floating, ethereal quality to her voice and she puts it to great use on If You Fly while Bill has a great emotional voice and puts his mandolin to great use on the aforementioned A Few More. If you like bluesy straightforward rock and roll Boulevard Lane will scratch that itch.

Delbert & Glen - 2013 - Blind, Crippled & Crazy

Delbert McClinton and Glen Clark are blues musicians from Texas, USA. Blind, Crippled & Crazy is their new LP. They started playing together in the early 1970s, blending blues, country and rock & roll into a rollicking, down home feel. These are songs about age & aging, broken hearts and lovers that would be at home in any juke joint. Highlights include Been Around A Long Time, Whoever Said It Was Easy, Peace In The Valley and Tell My Mama . If you like your blues a little easy going but with the capability of rocking out at a moments notice Blind, Crippled & Crazy will scratch that itch.

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David Shelley & Bluestone - 2013 - Trick Bag

David Shelley & Bluestone are a five piece blues band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Trick Bag is their new LP. They play a hard driving brand of blues rock and David Shelley has a powerful voice. Think Texas style blues rock by way of Florida. These are big, burly songs that damn near explode out and demand attention. Highlights include When I Was Your Superman, War Part, Trick Bag and City Of Angels. If you like your blues with a side of old school rock and roll Trick Bag is for you.

Grady Champion - 2013 - Tough Times Don't Last

Grady Champion is a singer, guitar player and harmonica player from Canton, Mississippi. Tough Times Don't Last is his new LP. He plays a brand of blues influenced by Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin' Wolf, Lionel Ritchi and Smoke Robinson. He can belt out the blues with the best of them and write a rock solid song on which to exhibit his harmonica skills. These are energetic songs that will get stuck in your head. Flourishes like the female chorus accent the catchiness. Highlights include My Time Baby, Trust Yourself, Broken Down Cadillac, Glory Train, Things Ain't What They Used To Be, Ghetto, Cookie Jar,