Mixtapes, Even On The Worst Nights, No Sleep Records The one catalyst that has kept me a voracious music fan willing to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars of albums, t-shirts, shows for three decades now is the natural high I get when I find a band that makes me laugh, moves me [...]
Generation of Vipers, Howl and Filth, Translation Loss Debuting in 2005 with Grace, and producing a steady stream of releases on their Red Witch Recordings imprint, Translation Loss (and Inherent Records) have picked up Generation of Vipers and reissued their 2011 release Howl and Filth. At first pass, Knoxville, TN’s Generation of Vipers are one [...]
Stop Breathing, Self-Titled, No Idea Records Just in time for the warm weather comes Stop Breathing’s self-titled debut for No Idea and it’s a remarkable combination of breakneck thrash, punk and hardcore; the perfect soundtrack for this Summer’s skate sessions. This album is fast, superbly fast, which is perfect for restless listeners (like me). Just [...]
Toys That Kill, Fambly 42, Recess Records With 12 years under his belt, and a 10+ year run with F.Y.P. before that, it is incredible that Recess Records founder/Toys That Kill mastermind Todd Congelliere is still making 70s and 80s-inspired punk that sound as relevant as ever. And there will be a lot of elder [...]
Balance and Composure, Acoustic, No Sleep Featuring three songs from what was damn near my favorite album of 2011, Separation, Balance and Composure deliver an acoustic EP/7” uncovering an extremely passionate group of songs that translate seamlessly for their unplugged treatments. Though vocalist Jon Simmons typically delivers the three songs here with a growl and [...]
Struck By Lightning, True Predation, Translation Loss While Columbus, Ohio based guitarist/vocalist Gregory Lahm may be perhaps best known for his tenure with Dayton’s Mouth of the Architect, a churning and atmospheric post-metal powerhouse, he is definitely most dangerous as head growler and axeman for Struck By Lightning. Struck By Lightning’s True Predation (released by [...]
New Bruises, Chock Full of Misery, Kiss Of Death/No Idea Records For a record bearing the title this one does, the long-awaited new record from Tampa’s New Bruises is a surprisingly fun and nostalgic punk rock romp that reminds the listener what a band can accomplish just a few chords, some melody, and a catchy [...]
You Blew It!, Grow Up Dude, Topshelf Records Someone in Florida must have a Dolorean outfitted with a flux capacitor that they’re using to travel back and forth from 90s basement shows to recover and deliver undiscovered emo gems to graying/balding, 30-something genre hold outs (like the writer) thirsty for a glimpse at the good [...]
Marriages, Kitsune, Sargent House Records Kitsune is the Japanese word for fox, who became a popular subject in Japanese folklore. Kitsune possessed magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. What an appro-fucking-po title for the seamless Sargent House debut from Marriages. Kitsune is a dense and moody, dynamic rock record that draws from [...]
DNF, Hurt, High Anxiety/No Idea Records During these strange times having a neck tattoo is as likely to say “I’m a vegan, let me read you a poem about my fixie,” as it is, “Don’t mess with me motherfucker!” Playing intentionally brazen and caustic music seems somehow less dangerous too in a culture where modern [...]