A.M. Overcast - 2013 - Pellow

A.M. Overcast is a math rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Pellow is their sixth release. They play a melodic, poppy, progressive brand of math rock. These are pop songs but have a math rock basis so there are lots of twists and turns, nooks and crannies in these songs. The progressive and mathy nature is what keeps me coming back to these songs. They start as simple math rock or pop songs but the guitar riffs and songwriting immediately take off in different directions and there is a little bit of twee in some of the vocals, it's never overwhelming.


 The guitars are universally melodic, verging into twinkling in some places and the dual male female vocals add to the catchy nature of the songs. Amanlanchier stumbles over itself adorably before finding it's almost too catchy groove, Aquacellar is the same, fitting almost twinkly guitar riffs and catchy vocals overtop of a rambunctious song that eventually settles into a melodic groove. If you like short, melodic, catchy math rock songs with a pop bent that insist on taking left turns then is the album for you.

California X - 2013 - California X

California X is a four piece punk band from Amherst Massachusetts. California X is their debut LP They play a grungy, heavy brand of punk and wear their influences proudly on their sleeves. These songs owe a great debt to bands like Sonic Youth, Jay Reatard and Dinosaur Jr while the singer vocally sounds like Torche. The most redeeming factor of this album is it's heaviness. They combine all those influences into some kind of punk fueled beast that is almost stoner metal in it's heaviness.The main problem I have with this album is the songwriting. The songs are all solid but they roughly all sound the same.

California X have a clearly defined sound, it may be overly reliant on proclaiming their influences but they have clearly found the niche they like. But within that nice there just isn't the variation necessary to truly support a full length LP. Songs like Lemmy's World combine melodic guitars and buried vocals with a wall of noise and an overwhelming sense of heaviness to great effect while songs like Pond Rot just kinda sit there. If you like noisy, grungy punk rock that goes out of it's way to be heavy but still melodic this album will strike gold right off the bat but otherwise you might have to work at it. 

The Saurs- 2013 - Bring Me Fog

The Saurs are a garage punk band from Barcelona, Spain. Bring Me Fog is their debut EP. They play a dirty brand of garage rock bringing in elements of blues that would feel at home in Detroit. These are straight ahead garage rock songs that aren't afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves.

 Ain't No Deal starts off with a guitar solo and the proceeding is no less unhinged, Because Of You has an excellent female singer overtop of some blues influences garage punk, The Spring aims at something darker and heavier, ending up stuck in some mud and Maybe closes things out with a smoldering explosion of a song. These songs are melodic, energetic and verging on shambolic, if you enjoy garage rock there's something here for you.

Kreutzer Sonata - 2013 - Dead Ends EP

The Kreutzer Sonata are a three piece melodic punk rock band from Chicago. Dead Ends E.P is their sophomore album. They play a catchy blend of  street punk, melodic hardcore, more than a little screamo  with lots of gang shouts and backing vocals. The backbone of the all these songs is punk rock with a melodic focus, and The Kreutzer Sonata have so many tricks up their sleeves that their songs jump fluidly around and there is always either a guitar or a voice doing something interesting.

Incendiary - 2013 - Cost Of Living

Incendiary is a hardcore punk band from Long Island, New York, USA. Cost Of Living is their sixth release. They play a heavy brand of hardcore punk. The singer has a great, drill instructor shout that bounces nicely off the guitars pummelling you into submission. The songs are perfect examples of how to do hardcore well in the modern era, they manage to stay out of the quicksand of too much chugging and generic songwriting.

These songs are brief, heavy and incredibly pissed off, very similiar to Benchpress except for the absense of chaotic solos. Snake is a thumping, crawling hardcore anthem revelling in how heavy it is and Deed Before Creed is has a melodic slow burn beatdown feel. At almost a half hour the album does seem a little long but if you're into this kind of heavy hardcore then there's rarely too much.

Vices - 2013 - Between My Mind And The World

Vices are a five piece hardcore punk band from Sydney, Australia. Between My Mind And The World
 is their debut LP. They play a brand of hardcore punk that very much reminds me of Touche Amore with more chug. The singer has a very emotional, desperate shout and the guitars jam out a catchy melodic hardcore base.




Most of these songs are pretty straight forward melodic hardcore songs but every so often one of the songs catches fire, Part.1, with it's slowburn, Home and Destinations are good examples of when the emotionality comes to the forefront, nudging them towards that boundary line between hardcore and screamo. If you like fast, emotional hardcore that isn't afraid to show it's scars then album will be right up your alley

Torche - 2013 - Keep Up

Torche is a four piece heavy metal band from Miami, Florida, USA. They play a very melodic stoner, sludgy brand of heavy metal. They have the heaviness down perfectly, the base is always a thick, heavy stoner metal   sludge fest but then layer over top melodic guitars and catchy vocals. Volcom Entertainment just released their new single Keep Up and it kicks ass. Via the Needle Drop

Benchpress - 2013 - Controlled By Death

Benchpress are a five piece heavy punk band from Lewistown, Pennsylvania, USA. Controlled By Death is their sophomore EP. They play a very heavy version of beat down, tough guy hardcore. The singer has an awesome barking growl and the guitars play thrash metal with great abandon. Metallic guitar tones and
melodic, chaotic solos anchored by a double base come barrelling at you at hardcore speeds, unrelenting for 12 minutes.

Silver Spoon takes a moment to let everything breath but never stops pummelling while Disgusted With The World Ft. Dion Barrella Of Rock Bottom is a whirlwind of brutal and heavy activity and No Place Like Home can't make up it's mind if it wants to be a riff filled thrashy monster or a slow burning, lumbering beast. If you don't like your hardcore punk heavy but still agile, thrashy and pissed the fuck off then there may be no hope for you.

Eros + Massacre - 2013 Behind The Aesthetic Form Lies The Repressed Harmony Of Sensuousness And Reason

Eros + Massacre is a four piece screamo band from Madrid Spain. Behind the aesthetic form lies the repressed harmony of sensuousness and reason is their debut EP. They play a noisy, chaotic and abrasive brand of screamo. Reminds me of Alexander Korda in the potentially pretentious, chaotic hardcore branch of screamo. 

The multiple vocalists are incomprehensible screams and are buried deep in the mix. The guitars churn out pumelling, distorted noise while the drums destroy the ground you're trying to stand on. If you enjoy insular, chaotic hardcore then this will be right up your alley.

Second To Last - Starters - Changing Tides

Second To Last is a pop punk band from Lodi, California. Changing Tides is their sophomore release. They are pop punk but the songs on this album are not afraid of getting their hands dirty. They cite Jawbreaker, Jimmy Eat World and Hot Water Music as influences. Radiation and Drugs are the best songs on this whole album, catchy with enough melancholy grit to make things interesting, after that the acousticness starts and I tune out.

Starters are a four piece pop punk band from Dublin, Ireland. Changing Tides is their sophomore EP. Their brand of pop punk is focused on a less melodic, more urgent street punk end of the spectrum. They cite Title Fight, Balance & Composure as influences, I would throw in comparisons to a less political, more melodic Class War Kids. There are still melodic guitars and vocals reaching for something beyond us all and they aren't afraid to simply let things float away into the ether. Second To Last is aiming down a more melodic path while Starters seems more interested in keeping everything moving forward at breakneck speed.

all sharks - 2013 - all sharks

All Sharks is a two piece post-hardcore band from Spain. All Sharks is their debut LP. They play a very sparse, screamo influenced brand of post-hardcore. They cite June of 44, Shellac and Slint as influences. The songs on this album are content to just stretch out and let the bass do all the heavy lifting with the guitars coming in to add effects while the singer shouts desperately. When everything is firing on all cylinders like on All Traitors, and Sharks, the guitars are riffing away or making some ethereal sound, the bass is throbbing relentlessly and the singer is shouting like there's a demon chasing him down while the drummer keeps everything in lockstep and makes it danceable.

Think early 90's angular, off kilter indie math rock merged with the raw emotion of screamo but being realized as post-hardcore that isn't afraid to just sit on a moving bass line and let that ride for five minutes. If you enjoy sparse post-hardcore this album will be right up your alley,

Things Fall Apart - 2013 - "All Of My Friends Hate Your Band"

Things Fall Apart are a screamo band from Colombus Ohio. They play a very heavy, doom metal influenced brand of screamo. "All Of My Friends Hate Your Band" is their fifth release. The songwriting style is fairly straight ahead screamo except there is a focus on being as heavy as possible. It transforms the songs from the frantic, punk based screamo into an incredibly heavy doom metal beast that is still agile enough to squish you like a bug.

The first two songs, You Didn't Leave Me Any Foot Steps To Follow In pt.2 and You Didn't Leave Me Any Foot Steps To Follow In pt.3 are excellent and set the standard for the rest of the album. If those songs don't drag you into their dark heavy world then this whole thing is a wash but if those two songs hit the spot then this whole album is pure gold.

Altona - Homage - 2013 - Split

Altona are a four piece hardcore punk band from Stouffville, Ontario, Canada. Homage are a five piece melodic hardcore band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Altona play a rather straight ahead brand of hardcore punk. The songs are short, hard hitting and get right to the point but aren't afraid of stretching out with some brief moments of calm.

Homage play a solid style of melodic hardcore with a gruff vocalist. The guitars do the heavy lifting in terms of melody, they create a wall of sound that has the potential to be stretched out into some post-rock style instrumentals. Thankfully they keep everything tight and the songs catchy.

Bernays Propaganda - 2013 - Zabraneta planeta

Bernays Propaganda is a dance punk band from Macedonia. Zabraneta Planeta is their third LP, released by Moonlee Records. This album reminds me of a more guitar based, early era Metric, the guitars do all the heavy lifting aside from the vocals. The moving baselines make sure everything has a danceable energy that never stops moving.

 When the songs are firing on all cylinders the guitars are firing off angular riffs that are melodic, danceable and just a little punk in the most rhythmic and pulsing sense. I would normally get tired of punk that focuses so much on melody and movement but the guitar also consistently has a fuzz or distortion around it that muddies everything for flavour. If you like punk rock that puts a danceable rhythmic sensibility on top off distortion laden but still melodic guitars then Zabraneta Planeta is for you.

The Discord Of A Forgotten Sketch - Black Love

The Discord Of A Forgotten Sketch is a three piece screamo band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Black Love are a post-hardcore band also from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This split was released by l'Oeil Du Tigre, responsible for such records as Brume Retina's Agresse Guele, and the four way Te Lloraría un Puto Río / Carrion Spring / The Discord of a Forgotten Sketch / Beau Navire split.

Both of these bands aim for the more angular, technical side of screamo. The Discord Of A Forgotten Sketch makes the decision to bury the vocals and shroud their entire sound in a nice haze. It works especially well when Music Cowboys alternates between moments of muffled melody and mosh pit moments of chaos. 

Black Love go for a more post-hardcore vibe that owe's a debt to early 90's emo. There are some elements of stoner metal in the thump of the drums and more than a little midwest emo in the desperate vocals. They cite Kyuss and Afghan Wigs alongside Mineral and Moss Icon as influences. Motorboats and Waterfalls has an excellent energy to it that keeps everything moving forward and the singers voice has the perfect combination of desperation and nostalgia all wrapped in a bundle of fuzz.

Witch Of The Waste - 2013 - All Other Voices

Witch Of The Waste are a five piece technical metalcore band from Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada. All Other Voices is their debut EP and it kicks a tremendous amount of ass. They draw together influences like Converge, Pantera, Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch and Animals As Leaders into a stew that is kinda hard for me to properly categorize. There are equal amounts metalcore, post-hardcore and then some grindcore thrown in for flavour. At the basis is speedy thrash metal, multiple gruff vocals and constant stop start technical punk rock that is also heavy as fuck.

 There are few things I enjoy as much as a thrash metal band with two guitars. There is a bit of the same old. generic,aggressive music aimed at the tight jeans and masacara set but at their best moments these songs transcend that straight jacket. Highlights include: Nothing Cute Ever Scuttles, High-Tech (For Heretics), Taking The Penguin For A Walk and Candlejack. If you like aggressive, technical music that isn't afraid to be progressive then this ep should be right up your alley

Old Gray - 2013 - An Autobiography

Old Gray is a three piece screamo band from Keene and Manchester, NH and Hartford, CT. They have been productive, An Autobiography is their first LP but is is their eighth release and third release of 2013. This LP is what I've come to expect from Old Gray. All the songs have consistent momentum and keep moving forward, shuffling the component pieces around.

With one minor exception, from start to finish this album is solid. Most of these songs reach for the sky in angst and emotional turmoil only to either burn the ground underneath them (I Still Think About Who I Was Last Summer)  or simply collapse into themselves (My Life With You, My Life Without You). The songs that take another route start off at full tilt and never let up, churning the ground beneath you (Wolves, The Graduate)
.

The only part of this album I actively dislike is the spoken word chill of Show Me How You Self Destruct. But after those annoying seconds are finished, The Graduate comes screaming at you with fury and passion to spare and  Emilys First Communion raises the bar with violins and female vocals that only add to the epic style songwriting.

If you've ever listened to Old Gray before you know what to expect, some spoken word overtop of ambient guitars, some gang backing vocals and some noodly guitar riffs that evolve into something different. Their songwriting can be a little bit of an acquired taste but once the bug has bitten you I bet you An Autobiography will be on repeat.

KEN Mode - 2013 - Entrench

KEN Mode are a three piece metal band from Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. Their version of metal is unrelentingly heavy songs played at hardcore speeds with liberal doses of noise. Entrench is their fifth album in ten years, released by New Damage Records and Season of Mist Records.

The beginning is a little rocky, as great and powerful as Counter Culture Complex is, the second track No; I'm In Control just doesn't grab me like it should. But after that minor misstep the rest of the album proceeds to kick major ass. The whole middle of the album displays KEN Mode's ability to move between technical, modern played at hardcore speeds into brooder, nosier stomps and even some magnificent slow burning anger. The middle three songs, The Terror Pulse, The Promises Of God and then Romeo Must Never Know do exactly that progression and it is very satisfying.

Entrench is one that I know I will keep coming back to because not only do I really enjoy quality metal played at hardcore speeds but this band is also so versatile and the other elements only serve to accent the song writing and aggression. I did not expect to like Romeo Must Never Know but it is my favourite song on this album with The Promises Of God and Counter Culture Complex tied for second. Check this out if you like hardcore or heavy metal, there will something great in here for you.

The Flaming Lips & Bon Iver - 2013 - Ashes In The Air

The Flaming Lips are an psychadelic experimental rock band Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Bon Iver is  a band founded and fronted by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. You might remember The Flaming Lips as the weirdo rock band who's singer likes to wear all white and walk on audiences in a hamster ball.

Most of the time they are a little too progressive and weird for my taste but I admire them from afar for having a distinct style and staking out their territory. The Flaming Lips have a new album out and what a better idea for promoting that album than making a video for a song from last years album, The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends, specifically their collaboration with indie folk rock band Bon Iver.

I actually quite enjoy Ashes In The Air as a song more than I expected considering I don't really listen to either of these bands regularly but right from the get go the video is weird that it just overwhelms you. That screencap above probably explains more than I am able to. If you have any idea what this video is about please enlighten us all.

Aleska - Mariesena - Bears Split 2013

Aleska are a four piece from Metz, France, this split is their second album and their third EP The Waiting was also released last year. Mariesena is a four piece from Odessa, Ukraine, this is their sophomore release. Bears is a screamo band from Tasmania and this is their sixth release, they have also released a split with Todos Caeran .

This whole album rips from start to finish. Each band delivers their own brand of screamo and is unique, the album works better as a compilation than a cohesive statement of an album. If you like screamo, hardcore and post-hardcore in even a slight capacity there is a band on this album you will find something to enjoy.

First up is Aleska. They have a little too much post-hardcore in their mix for me to really appreciate them. I quite enjoy ...And We're Not Afraid Of Eternity, especially the gruff backing vocals and the strained shouts but could take or leave Friends And Foes. Next up Is Mariesena who play a roughly melodic brand of skramzy screamo. They have that nice thick guitar tone that I think I keep hearing that I keep quite enjoy. Their songs are chunky and pound away at you and the ground you stand on. About Dying Relations might get stuck in the mud partway through but the anguished shouts save you before the guitars come rushing back in to pound away again.

Bears closes out this 3 way international split with their brand of pummelling, epic screamo. They would fit perfectly on a show with Todos Caeran and Book Of Caverns. If the opening riff to Rust doesn't catch your attention then there may be no hope for you.

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. 

Regents - 2013 - Antietam After Party

Regents are a punk rock band from "DC / Philly and Alabama." The band is a supergroup, past members having played in such seminal bands as Maximillian Colby, Sleepytime Trio, Frodus, Men’s Recovery Project, Battery, Thursday and Combat Wounded Veteran. Antietam After Party is their debut LP on Lovitt Records, though given the past history of the bands membership this should hardly be considered a debut anything.

At it's best this LP hit's all the high marks of that 90's emo sound we know and love and keeping in that punk rock spirit but not being afraid to try something a little bit different and daring. This album doesn't reinvent the wheel by any stretch of the imagination and that's quite the pedigree and back story to live up to which this album does without even trying that hard. When everything is hitting on all cylinders the songs are fired with a necessary punk rock attitude.

One of the things that makes this record so vital is the diversity in sounds Regents produces. My favourite tracks include Cron Job, Night Soil,  Bowfingers and Start To Beginning and aside from a common punk rock starting place none of these songs sound like each other. This may not be the most consistent album ever but with such different sounds there's bound to be at least something for everyone.

You can stream it for free at the Brooklyn Vegan or buy the LP at Lovitt Records.

Secret Smoker - 2013 - Terminal Architecture

Secret Smoker is a punk rock band from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They are a three piece and Terminal Archictecture is their debut LP. It is chock-full of angry, precise punk rock songs aimed directly at you.  These songs are intricate, each one has a message and it is delivered as clearly as possible while still maintaining a poetic license. Also, the drummer made his own drums.

Mark and Billy started the hungry ghost collective back in 2007 with a bunch of other bands. Terminal Architecture is I believe Secret Smoker's debut LP, their sophomore album after a split with Nothing!Nothing!Nothing! 

Below is one of my favourite songs of theirs. On their bandcamp page Billy explains this song is about watching  people in airports, and also about our culture of fascination with death that we don't like to talk about.

Most of these dudes where in other bands before this. Bands they were in included jenaset, girlscout heroin, sad idea, whimee(why me), the human record, four square, pistols at dawn/code duello, brown leaf vertigo, we are the living and billy the living.

This album is one I keep coming back to. There are really great songs, Volume Diss-Course, Sight In Sound and the title track are quite excellent and the album as whole is very cohesive. Secret Smoker have their own very angular and accurate punk rock sound which works just as well in individual songs as it does making a longer statement.

 You can purchase their LP Terminal Architecture from Protagonist music here

Healing Powers - 2013 - Listing Your Problems, With No Intent To Solve Them

Healing Powers are a three piece band from Durham, UK. Healing Powers play an emotional brand of hardcore that everyone needs to get familiar with. This three song EP, Listing Your Problems, With No Intent To Solve Them, comes roaring out of the gate and doesn't let up at all. I enjoy every part of this album. The singer has a great rough shout, the guitar transitions nicely between more solid, thick riffs to some noodly lead riffs dancing around the aforementioned gruff shout. The middle track I'm No Fun is my favourite, the singer's voice is still gruff but drifts away a little bit which plays with the meloncholy guitar riffs while still having enough energy to keep everything moving forward. Easily one of my favourite EP's of the year thus far. I really can't wait to hear more from this band, they've started on a solid base, hopefully they build on this solid foundation.

Cloud Nothings - 2012 - Attack On Memory

Cloud Nothings are an indie rock band from Cleveland Ohio. Their latest album Attack On Memory is their third LP.This is the kind of guitar driven, moody, indie rock that I like. Cloud Nothings borrow heavily from garage, noise and punk wells which produce a boozy, hazy but still driven album. While it is front loaded the whole album comes together nicely so long as you have an appetite for noise and garage rock.

My three favourite songs, Wasted Days, Fall In and Stay Useless are the only parts of this album I keep coming back to. Those three songs, aside from the noise interlude in Wasted Days, are all excellent songs that bear up to repeating. Seperation, which comes immediately after the previously mentioned tracks, is an excellent instrumental but lacks some of the visceral hooks of it's predecessors.

My main problem with this album are the slow burn and noise elements. Sometimes I like noise, I have a soft spot for A Place To Bury Strangers, but especially when paired with indie rock that is aiming at something retro it just grates on my ears. There's nothing particularly wrong with the second half of this album but after the instrumental things just fail to click as they did with most of the first half.

For all my frustrations with some of these songs in comparison to their brethren there are some truly excellent songs on this album. Which only serves to highlight the noisey, slow burning parts that burden this LP.

Antpile - Black Smith - 2012

Antpile are a four piece screamo band from Georgia and Black Smith are a five piece from Florida. This split EP released by Passenger Seat Records is quite good even though it is a tad lopsided. Antpile play rather straight ahead screamo that owes quite a debt to more traditional hardcore, lots of little melodic guitar lines going every which way while the singer does his rough shout. While I quite enjoy a couple of these songs, Jeremia and  I Said being my favourites, most of them just kinda sit there, not kicking up the kind of noisy storm that I prefer with screamo.

Black Smith's side of the album improves things significantly. Black Smith play a brand of 90s emo that I can rarely get enough of when done well. On their facebook page they point to Jimmy Eat World, Mineral and Texas As The Reason as their influences. Almost all these songs are great and I don't even mind the somewhat obvious punk pop influences. The singer has a beautifully melodic voice that just tends towards sadness,the guitars reach for the stars with an epic sound and the backing vocals tie everything together with their gruffness. While I like the first side with Antpile, it's the second side with Black Smith that I keep coming back to.

Continents - 2012 - .​.​.​And Silence Anchored Our Feet In Granite

Continents is a 5 piece band from Dresden, Saxony, Germany. On their sophomore EP .​.​.​And Silence Anchored Our Feet In Granite Continents plays a straight ahead brand of post-hardcore and screamo, only slightly slowing down for some spoken word. Continents is made up of Simon, Dominic, Flo, Tobi and Kris. Together on their sophomore EP, they meld together post-hardcore and screamo influences, and manage to do some spoken word without having to dip into post-rock territory. 

The album starts off innocuously enough with the instrumental Adrift, immediately followed by the To You, A Thought which has the longest spoken word piece on the whole EP. I am glad that they stay out of the post-rock territory behind the spoken word parts, makes the whole song more interesting. The vocalist has multiple styles, going from spoken word, to an impassioned yet sad shout all the way up to a higher pitch shout to accent forward motion. The guitars transition nicely between  kicking up distortion and noise and actually providing some moments of melody. It's all over too quickly, Continents makes a clear statement, one that I want to hear more of.   It has been released on 10" transparent vinyl by Pike Records and Flood.

Mahria

Mahria are a four piece band from Edmonton, Calgary, Alberta. They play an awesome straight ahead brand of screamo. Lots of emotive screams from frontwoman Colby Burnett and a noisy yet melodic double guitar attack courtesy of Lealand and Mike and the solid rhythm section blasts everything into place. There is quite a scene going in Edmonton and Calgary right now, Todos Caeran, Book Of Caverns, Coalspur, Brain Fever and Gnats are the ones I know of.

Mahria is no exception in this list of awesome screamo bands. They play a hard hitting, noisy, somewhat abrasive but not chaotic brand of screamo. Their debut was a split EP with Todos Caeran and while the songs are good the production value is not the greatest. The best place to start with is their debut self-titled LP. The whole album is really solid and the production problems from their first release have been completely fixed. Standout tracks include Ghost Limb, Instrumental and Lights, a video for which appears above.

Their most current release is a split EP with Watcher, a screamo band from Victoria, British Colombia Canada. It is being released by Clue #2 records, the same label is putting out Book Of Caverns new LP Homes as well. It basically continues the sound Mahria has laid over their past releases, melodic guitars slice through noise and Colby screams her head off, even through a rare moment of calm, while Watcher's songs are much more obviously hardcore influenced, they have a more churning, powerful bottom end and their singer has a deeper shout. You can purchase it here

Araby - 2012 - alone.

Araby is a two piece band Grimbsy & Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Araby play a very noisy brand of screamo. With just the two piece they manage to make quite the noise. On their debut LP alone. they come blasting out of the gate and never let up. The singer has a nice high shriek that he usese's liberally, and I quite enjoy how full a sound they get as just the two pieces


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The drums have a hard hitting quality, churning up the ground beneath you as the music slows down or falls apart. The guitars on this album walk a line between sweet riffs and moments of noise and chaos. The album is definitely more front loaded with a more introspective second half but it ends on a rather strong note.

shameless self promotion

SMAWJ is a singer/songwriter from Peterborough Ontario. SMAWJ is me, Scott McKee Arncliffe Wannan-Johnston. I have been writing songs and playing guitar for coming up on 6 years now. I write and play on a yamaha acoustic guitar, occupying a weird space. The songs I write are too angry and fast to be purely folk music but also too sad and acoustic to be truly punk, it's a weird border to be on. This year I released two EP's, The Substandard Wish Club and Time Is Stuck, both available for free.

Both these albums are and will always be available online for free  but if you are interested in purchasing either of these albums on cassette tapes, you can do that now!

You can check out my merch page here http://smawj.bandcamp.com/merch. Or just download the music for free and make your own physical copies.

Alexander Korda - 2011 - Vous Vous Avez Encore Des Secrets Á Dire

Alexander Korda was a four piece band from Arizona. They played a noisy version of screamo, the whole aesthetic is decidedly lo-fi. Raw screams, waves of distortion and occasionally an eruption of violence that aims it right at you and doesn't let go short of complete chaos which serve to accent the few moments of calm and perhaps even a a melody. On their facebook page they cite Saetia and Orchid as their influences so you might have an idea as to where this band seems to coming from artistically.

T\his kind of screamo is very adept at conjuring a world view that is a particularly melancholy, desperate, lonely world. That sound is obvious and perhaps easy to obtain, it can be difficult to see intention clearly. And by the time that thought has worked itself out in my brain the ep has ended and it's time to hit repeat.

Members of Alexander Korda have played in or currently play in: Violet Eyes, I Hate My 7th Grade Self, Juliet and Graveflowers.  Eli who played bass and Frank who screamed are now in Violet Eyesand Keegan who played guitar is I Hate My 7th Grade Self .
And before AK, Eli and Keegan were in the band Juliet 

The Reptilian - 2008 - We Have Become

The Reptilian are a three piece band from Kalamazoo Michigan. They play a really awesome brand of indie rock that borrows liberally from the emo side of things. Lots of finger tapping,  lots of emotional shouting and bucket loads of melody. They play with the likes of Innards, Jowls, Annabel, ​Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate​/ & Joie De Vivre.

This ep is old, I think it's their second release after a four way split with Lautrec, Boy Problems & Osceola. They had four members at that time so they don't play these songs live any more but three of these songs are among my favourites.

The Truth About Dreaming - 2012 - The Act Of Falling

The Truth About Dreaming is a one piece screamo band from Lansing, Michigan, USA. It's the same guy that did Flowers In Gun Barrels as well as iwontstopwonderinguntilyoustopbreathing. FLIGB was solo project and IWSWUYSB started as full band but ended up as a solo project. Truth About Dreaming is his new main project and it's just as awesome has ever.

His sound hasn't changed at all, if you like high pitched screams and melodic guitars that quickly transition into distorted insanity then this will right up your alley. I have no idea what he's screaming about but it sounds really awesome. Truth About Dreaming is signed to Plastic Smile Records, I've bought 9 cassettes tapes from and they are all awesome. If your looking for some awesome screamo cassette tapes look no further

Afterlife Kids - 2012 - Geisterhand

Afterlife Kids are a four piece hardcore/screamo band from Berlin, Germany. They play brand of screamo heavily indebted to hardcore, there is lots of moshing in this music.  The basis is hardcore punk, riff after riff pound your skull into the pavement with only a few melodic guitar lines while the screamed vocals and some of the interludes push the music towards screamo. This isn't something that I particularly like, I don't like so much hardcore and moshing in my screamo but this definitely has it's moments.

Adventures - 2012 - S/T

Adventures are an emo band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, America. The band features members of Code Orange Kids and play music that has nothing to do with that band. Adventures is signed to No Sleep Records and play a straight ahead brand of punky emo. Think Algernon Cadwallader but less noodly, rock solid punk rock with an emotional punch and an awesome female vocalist. Three of the songs are very very good, and even the one I don't like isn't bad.

Adelleda - 2012 - Let's Talk About Adelleda

Adelleda is a 5 piece punk band from Hamilton Ontario Canada. They play very melodic brand of street punk with just a hint of politics thrown into the mix. High energy, melodic punk rock is always welcome coming out of my speakers. Their first release was last years LP Herkimer Street. They followed it up this year with an EP, Let's Talk Bout Adelleda.

Adelleda have a nice variety in their music. Like on their debut LP,  instead of sticking squarely in one area of punk Let's Talk Bout Adellada moves around a little bit. There is always a ton of energy blasting you in the face but there is a shift from more straight forward punk, that is lots of melody in the singing and clear guitar solo sounds with just a hint of shouted background vocals to dirty stuff up, to closing the album out with an almost straight up hardcore track. Less diversity than on their full length debut but this EP is a solid followup.

Adaje - 2012 - Yore Veils

Adaje where a screamo 3 piece from Memphis. They were active from 2006 to late 2012. They have released splits with bands like Close To Me, Shark Bait and Lizards Have Personalities. Yore Veils is their second LP and their final release. If you like screamo this should be right up your ally. Their first LP was a little too frantic for me, the transitions between the chords and the rapid pickings felt forced to for me but this LP, Yore Veils, is quite good.

The songs on Yore Veils are all fully formed and unique, Adaje has found their niche combing solid screamo with some progressive aspects that really allow the songs to breath. My favourite tracks are An Avalanche Of Broncos; Pending; To Become Corroded, Guided By The Light (great song and song titled) as well as Harrowing Sounds From The Ravine. Purchase the album on cassette from Broken World Media

Brightside - 2011 - Good Enough

 Brightside is an punk rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They feature ex-members of Code Orange Kids and the Edukators. They play a brand of emo that I quite enjoy. It's as close to pop punk as you can get without being incredibly poppy, while still having a base in actual punk music. The vocals are all clean and desperate and there's as real melodic sense above the anger and churn of the rhythm section. They pour an incredible amount of energy and emotion into their music which translates to pure energy. You can buy their LP Good Enough on cassette tape from Driftwood Records


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∞ - Näyt Kauas

∞ (or 8) is a four piece screamo band from  Jyväskylä, Finland. They released their second album Näyt Kauas in September 2012. They play a brand of screamo with some post rock and post metal influences. As such there aren't really any songs that I like all the way through, I like half to 3/4s of all the songs but the post metal/rock influences start to get to me. When the guitar gets focused on repeating a picking section, or everything gets drony, they start to lose me. Thankfully the balance is such that the boring post rock/metal bits are more than balanced out by the angry, punky screamo parts/

new IWontStopWonderingUntilYouStopBreathing

If you're into the modern screamo scene at all you've probably come across IWontStopWonderingUntilYoustopBreathing before. Started as a three piece and is now a one piece, it's the same guy that did Flowers In Gun Barrels and is now doing The Truth About Dreaming, both awesome projects.

He just released two new tracks for his latest album Heal. He's not reinventing the wheel here, it's the same style of screamo as he's done previously. Awesomely high pitched screamed vocals, guitars that constantly smack you in the face and a solid rhythm section bringing everything together.

Loud? - Connections

Loud? are a 3 piece emo band from Woodbridge Virginia. They just released their 4th album, an EP called Connections. They mine a melodic, Midwestern emo vein. I'm rather behind on school work right now so I'm going to forgo an in depth discussion of their sound, just know that if you like emo you'll probably like this.

The Concrete Summer - Glass Bones, Paper Skin

The Concrete Summer are a 5 piece emo band from Erie Pennsylvania. They have released one EP called Glass Bones, Paper Skin and it is one of the best albums I've heard an awhile. The music tends toward the sadder, more melodic and epic side of emo as opposed to more chaotic, hardcore focused variants. There are multiple vocalists and they are all awesome, but the one thing that really drew me in and hooked me is Julia's beautiful voice. She can be quiet, contemplative and sad before transitioning into a beautifully soaring melodic arc then transitioning back into a more quiet contemplative mode. My two favourite songs, Revvis and The Little Prince both work that formula to great reward. Some songs have tapping, some have a more raucous guitar tone, some have soaring vocals while some have gruffer vocals and shouts while all the songs are awesome.  You can listen for free below and bug the people at Driftwood Records to repress their EP.

what I listened to between November 8th and 15th 2012

This mix consists of what I listened to between the above dates.

On it you will find tracks from a split between Alta and Arizona Wilder

 some folk punk courtesy of Indra Zenn Verses The World,

an ep called Buried Beneath Those Years by Nakusa

 the Casus side of their split with I Don't Want To Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,

 an ep by the awesome screamo band Cabin Fire called Cathedrals Of Information

as well as a whole lot of Converge, selections from Petitioning The Empty Sky and Caring And Killing

You can download said rar here if you missed the link above