Alaska - Shrine

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     When I think of the sprawling wasteland that is the Las Vegas valley, I rarely think of anything other than shattered hopes, dreams lost at the blackjack table and another early morning spent squandering your kid's college fund just to pay back your bookie. Sure, I may be speaking from experience, but that's beside the point. It's not often I encounter a band from that area who can make me feel the sort of joy, lightness and elation a really good Durban Poison joint makes me feel. I've found that in Alaska. Never before has there been a more befitting moniker. 

     This wonderful band of lovable goofballs have crafted a record filled to the brim with so many posi anthems it's almost impossible not to grin like a bastard the whole time you are listening to this. I mean, doesn't everyone need a little chill in their desert heat? This record has it all. A bit of twinkle and math, some truly beautiful indie rock flourishes and those completely necessary and totally well-formed buildups that every great post-hardcore band should know how to incorporate into their songs to make them more than merely mediocre. The vocals are strong and confident from the sung to the screamed and do so much more than just merely float along with the music. They act as another instrument entirely while complimenting the structure and adding another layer to the already swelling soundscape. Alaska has perfected the formula and effortlessly turned that shit on its ear. This is one of the most exciting records I've heard this year and one of my favorite releases of the last few.

     These aren't merely punk songs or emo songs or post-whatever songs. These are modern psychedelic masterpieces written with a flare for the dramatic and a true sense of urgency and dynamics. With lyrics that are vague & opaque enough to make even the most grizzled beat poet proud, I imagine this is what Syd Barrett would be writing were he a 20-something emo kid living in Nevada.

     On a side note, the gentlemen who make up this wonderful ensemble are some of the nicest, kindest, most respectable house guests a show promoter could ask for. So, that may make my love for them a bit biased. Either way, you would be a fool to sleep on this record.

     If you need a comparison, how about mewithoutYou jamming with Foxing while Manchester Orchestra takes bong rips behind the mixing board. Or not. Just listen, make up your own mind and form your own opinion. 

     

A City Sorrow Built - Ai

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For my first post in more than half a year, I have decided to write about my favorite "shitskrmz" band from Indonesia. A City Sorrow Built have graced us all with one hell of a record in this, their debut full-length. After two stellar EPs, 'Ai' continues to compound on their beautiful, sorrowful, lush and expansive take on screamy, unhinged post-rock. The songs here don't really deviate from what they had created prior, most just building on an already solid foundation of ethereality, rage & somber reflectiveness. Through the myriad highs and lows represented here, we are bearing witness to a band struggling to find truth in a world that is decaying before their eyes, struggling to find solace in lost love and the wonder and uncertainty that is tomorrow. I'm really having a hell of a time finding bands to compare them to, but if you enjoy the sounds of bands such as We Never Learned to Live, Envy, City of Caterpillar, Serena Joy, Men as Trees, Single State of Man and/or Paris in the Making, I'm sure you will love everything about this record and this band in general. Essential doesn't even begin to describe it.

Citycop - Loner

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     'Loner' by Citycop is yet another favorite from 2014 which I haven't really had much chance to laud yet. Long before the record came out, I was at their house in Akron for a much needed visit when I got the chance to hear some early recordings of the songs. I knew then and there that it was going to be very special. I couldn't have been more right. This newest record has taken them to a plateau few bands will ever reach in their career. 

     The men in Citycop and I have been friends for quite awhile now, and I have been able to watch them grow and develop into the genre-destroying juggernaut they have become. When people ask me, I never have an easy time describing what they sound like. Calling them hardcore is selling them short. Calling them screamo is selling them short. Calling them emo is definitely selling them short. It's tough to classify a band who defy classification. Maybe if they were just your run-of-the-mill hardcore act, it would be a little easier to pigeonhole them... Maybe if they weren't so meticulous about making sure every note felt like it could be their last it would be easier to put them in a neat little box.

     One of the main things that set them apart, aside from the fact that each member of the band is a verifiable expert at their chosen instrument is Max's acoustic guitar. Now, there have been a couple screamo bands over the years to incorporate an amplified acoustic into their music, but none have been able to pull it off with the level of success and confidence that Citycop has. Max is certainly not your typical guitar player. He bleeds the notes out while incorporating everything from classical to jazz to middle eastern rhythms into his playing. His abilities are unparalleled. Todd is no different on the bass. He is like a spastic child possessed when he is on stage. Running, jumping, whirling and flailing all over like his very life depends on it. Eddie is definitely one of the most impassioned vocalists you will ever have the chance to watch. He feels the words like few others. And, Cody... The only thing I can say about Cody is that he is, without a doubt the best drummer out there, period. He is the modern, living embodiment of Gene Krupa. Bashing, smashing and destroying anything and everything you think you know about syncopation and beat. Alright, enough fawning over my boys, for now.

     It's nearly impossible to compare Citycop to other bands. They definitely stand alone. I will say, if you enjoy non-traditional post-hardcore and you are yearning for something new and completely out of left field, you would be smart to give this band a listen. If you have ever enjoyed the sounds of Thoughts Paint The Sky, With Horses In Her Eyes, Frank Zappa, Ginger Baker, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, American Football, Karate, Miles Davis and/or The Chicago Art Ensemble, you may have just found your new favorite band.

Ice Hockey - Wavefunction Collapse

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     Ice Hockey is family. Ice Hockey are my brothers. Ice Hockey were born on the mean streets of the Quad Cities, which is a cluster of towns in Iowa and Illinois situated along the Mississippi River. I was born there, too. As a young man doing everything in his power to get out of the Midwest, I never would have thought a band of this magnitude could come from a place like that. Little did I know that I would end up regretting that belief someday. 

     'Wavefunction Collapse' is their newest offering, and with it you will find some of the most chaotic, bombastic hardcore this side of Combatwoundedveteran and Reversal Of Man. Now, don't take that to mean these guys are some sort of fly-by-night copycat outfit. That couldn't be further from the truth. Ice Hockey are blazing their own trails and tearing down any preconceived ideas about what a screamo record is supposed to sound like. This isn't all blast for blast's sake, shirt collar tugging, fall on the floor for effect samecore. These songs take on lives of their own because everyone in this band is a master of their craft. There are fun, noodly parts that bounce along until the breakdown drops and crushes it all. There are odd, experimental/psyche parts that let you know these guys have listened to their fare share of Yes & King Crimson records. There are unrestrained bursts of pure, unadulterated rage that should make you scared for your own safety. There is a snarling, smiling beast with a microphone doing somersaults and cartwheels through the crowd. All of these elements come together flawlessly to create a final draft that is haunting, hopeful and damaged at the same time.

     I could go finish this review with a RIYL list and all that... It's not worth it. You already know if you want this band in your life. I can't change your mind. The one thing I know for certain and the truth to end all truths is this: I am so happy to have these fellas in my life and I am 100% convinced that they are one of the best punk bands in the world right now.

Shizune - La Voyageur Imprudent

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Italy and screamo have gone hand in hand for years. With the likes of Raein, La Quiete, A Flower Kollapsed, Violent Breakfast, Endless Inertia & The Death Of Anna Karina paving the way for younger bands to carve out their own niche in a scene that has some really big shoes to fill. Shizune are filling those shoes with aplomb. This is the newest record from a band who have already proven themselves worthy of carrying the torch passed down from their progenitors. This is classic 90s influenced post-hardcore with very apparent emoviolence flourishes peppered throughout. Super passionate vocals sung and screamed in English, Italian, French & Japanese weave themselves seamlessly through tightly wound guitar lines that have an almost post-punk/goth feel, reminding me at times of bands like Echo & The Bunnymen or The Jesus & Mary Chain. That's pretty vague and I'm not sure if the band would agree with me on that one, but that is what I hear. If you can't get on board with a band experimenting and/or you don't like great post-punk, don't let that comparison dissuade you from checking this band out. This is a screamo record, through & through. Do you favor the Italian school? You will love this. Do you like Beau Navire, Disembarked, Vowel, Cavalcades & We Were Skeletons? You will love this. Do you appreciate DIY and the many facets that culture entails? You should support this band with everything you've got.

Things Fall Apart - S/T

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     I'm pretty sure we already have a contender for AOTY with this, the new record from Ohio heartthrobs, Things Fall Apart (TFA). These gents are part of the skramz vanguard & have perfected their take on somber, heart wrenching screamo through their newest batch of songs. The instrumentals lilt and swell with precision until the inevitable outburst brings everything crashing down around you. The vocals travel from a hushed murmur to an outright screaming aural assault, attacking from every angle, though never taking away from the power of the instruments themselves. Everything is as it should be in the mix which makes this whole thing feel that much more powerful. Having only had the chance to listen to this record a couple times so far, I can say with certainty that these songs have that lasting quality that means they will be stuck in my head for days, which is definitely the sign of a strong release. I don't really know what else to say about this... If you are a fan of their past work, you will most assuredly enjoy this. If you are just getting into real screamo and you would like a recommendation on a good band to start with, I can't praise these guys enough. If you are a fan of late 90s/early 00s screamo & post-hardcore, I would be flabbergasted if you couldn't find something to enjoy here. If you enjoy bands like Indian Summer, Ivich, Manku Kapak, Anomie, Carlisle, Anasarca, Old Gray, Calculator, Indian Taker & Suis La Lune, you WILL enjoy this.

Ephemera - S/T

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     Ummmmmm.... I feel a little strange writing about this band because I keep wanting to use the word "supergroup" and I feel like that is just such a stupid word in general, but I don't exactly know how else to describe the combined effort it took to create these songs... Basically, what exists here are beautiful screamo/post-rock songs built by a bunch of movers & shakers within the modern skramz scene. Folks that helped craft these works of art play in or have played in bands such as: Suffocate For Fuck Sake, Shirokuma, Totem Skin, Sore Eyelids, Anemone, Via Fondo, Heart On My Sleeve, Trembling Hands, Rainmaker, Coma Regalia & Vi Som älskade Varandra Så Mycket. If that's not enough of a solid pedigree to get you to dive headfirst into these songs of sadness, beauty and insanity, I don't know what else to do for you. 

     All you need to know is this; The musicians who have come together and taken the time to create this record are some of the most talented, dedicated punks in the world. There is so much heart and passion pulsing through these compositions that it's almost impossible to keep it contained. These songs sound like they are constantly on the verge of complete collapse, and you should feel very good about that. I would recommend this to anyone interested in the above bands as well as Tristan Tzera, June Paik, Funeral Diner, The Kodan Armada and/or Laeirs. This is hardcore for the hardcore.

Hurricäde - Anachronisms LP

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     My goodness. Today marks an end to one of my longest inactive streaks ever. I couldn't think of a better way to pick up where I left off than by talking a bit about one of the great heavy hitters of the Spanish post-hardcore scene. Hurricäde is a 3-piece band who hail from Girona, a city in the northeastern part of Catalonia. They formed in 2007 and this is their first LP and third release overall after two stellar 10" records prior. Though this record came out in 2014, it's never too late to heap praise on perfection in sound. 

     As most of you know, Spain has long been a fertile breeding ground for some of the harshest, most inventive screamo of the last 15 years. I don't know what combination of ingredients came together to make the area so perfect with regards to birthing such an amazing and vibrant community, nor do I really care to know. The point is, Spanish screamo bands such as Costacurta, Heads And Heads, Ulises Lima, Colchon, OSTENde, Arse Moreira, Under The Waves, Enoch Ardon, Standstill, Gone With The Pain, Viva Belgrado & Hurricäde have all had a hand in creating music that continues to inspire and invoke heartfelt rumination.

     Musically, these guys take the best parts of the bands that came before and blend them to create an interesting amalgam of intense, noisy and claustrophobic screamo/post-hardcore that has certainly been hard to describe. The vocals are appropriately screamed with the occasional off-key singing part or spoken word build-up that brings to mind luminaries such as I, Robot & Yaphet Kotto. The guitars twist and flail around in an almost math-rock fashion which makes me think of Botch at times and June of 44 at others. The rhythm section certainly keeps the backbone strong here, with a heavy low-end and a drummer that can turn on a dime. Sometimes, the band will drop the chaos and settle into a bass-heavy groove where I can also decipher some influence from bands like Slint, Drive Like Jehu & Polvo. Definitely not a bad batch. 

         Saltamarges Records is a label you should definitely give your undivided attention to if you find yourself enjoying the heavier, noisier, post-rockier side of things. I can't recommend them enough. This LP is a perfect place to start.

Best of 2014 - Top 80

This list is in NO PARTICULAR ORDER. All of these records are amazing and should be spinning in your head and bleeding from your speakers 24 hours a day.

1. Viva Belgrado - Flores, Carne
2. Kaddish - Thick Letters To Friends
3. Blue Friend - I Will Be Your Blue Friend
4. Yumi - Epicureans
5. We Were Promised Jetpacks - Unraveling
6. La Parade - Voces Del Exilio
7. Perfect Future - Manifesto
8. Forever Losing Sleep - I Lost Myself Again
9. Courtesy Drop - Stabilize
10. Frameworks - Loom
11. Citycop - Loner
12. Vi som älskade varandra så mycket - Den sorgligaste musiken...
13. Nous Étions - La Manière Noire
14. Fuck, Wolves! - Jetzt ist nicht jetzt, jetzt ist immer.
15. Youth Novel - Turned Around Abruptly Beside a Mirror and Jumped...
16. Celebration - Sompting
17. Ito Project - 遠方より終着 & 喚起 / 契約
18. Downfall Of Gaia - Aeon Unveils The Thrones Of Decay
19. Cara Neir / Flesh Born - split
20. МАЯК - Искусство приводить себя в беспорядок
21. Elephant Opinions - Awakening Will Be A Journey
22. Locktender - Rodin
23. Human Hands - S/T
24. Monte Ida - Devotion
25. Young Mountain - Fragile & We're Drowning In Slow Motion
26. Handwriting! - You're Mad And I'm Still Here
27. Ritual Mess - Vile Art
28. 52 Hertz - Somnolence.
29. Black Love - S/T
30. Aviator - Head In The Clouds, Hands In The Dirt
31. Bag Of Bones - Third Dimension
32. Killeur Calculateur - Book Of Flags
33. Capacities - S/T
34. The Great Old Ones - Tekeli-li
35. As We Draw - Mirages
36. Devil Sold His Soul - Belong ╪ Betray
37. Alaskan - Despair, Erosion, Loss
38. Rosetta - Flies To Flame
39. Sport - Bon Voyage
40. Øjne / Улыбайся Ветру - split
41. Crows-An-Wra - Kalopsia
42. Plaids - S/T
43. Old Soul / Lentic Waters - split
44. Storm {O} - Sospesi Nel Vuoto Bruceremo In Un Attimo...
45. The Tidal Sleep - Vorstellunskraft
46. Iselia - II: Dawn
47. Love American - Hollow Crosses
48. Причал - Отголоски
49. Plebeian Grandstand - Lowgazers
50. My Fictions - Stranger Songs
51. Tetola93 - S/T
52. Mariesena - Ruth
53. We Came Out Like Tigers - Ever-Crushed At Pecket's Well
54. Anopheli - A Hunger Rarely Sated
55. Weakness - Too High To Die, Too Drunk To Care
56. Aleska - Time Is A Curse
57. Flesh Born - Han
58. Jeanne - Demo 2014
59. Svffer - Lies We Live
60. Left Astray - Don't Look For Me
61. Disembarked - Nothing's Wrong Here
62. Nothing - Guilty Of Everything
63. Panopticon - Roads To The North
64. The Hotelier - Home, Like Noplace Is There
65. He Whose Ox Is Gored - Rumors
66. Fearless Leader - Fiercely Loyal
67. Hightide Hotel - Naturally
68. Palmkite - 2011
69. Pianos Become The Teeth - Keep You
70. Tiny Moving Parts - Pleasant Living
71. Charlotte Light And Dark - S/T
72. Jungbluth / Callow - Split
73. Batièn - Frammenti del mio flusso che insieme sono...
74. Manku Kapak - 2 Songs
75. I Refuse - Öffnen ​/​ Atmen
76. Baton Rouge - Totem
77. Sore Eyelids - For Now
78. Under A Sky So Blue / Celebration - Split
79. Remek - S/T
80. Shirokuma - Sun Won't Set

Strays - S/T EP

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     I thought this blog was dead. I haven't posted anything here for months, one of my longest inactive streaks ever. Leave it to my insanely talented friend Ben to get me back in the mood to fawn over another one of his awesome bands!!! Ben used to play in Sleepless, whom I have written about a couple times before. They became one of my absolute favorite Emo/Post-Hardcore bands almost instantly after hearing them for the first time a couple years ago. This post isn't about my love for Sleepless, this is about the Hard Rockin' juggernaut that is Strays. For a two-piece, the sound here is very full, building off some seriously scuzzed-out, balls-to-the-wall, revved-up Rock with instantly recognizable Post-Hardcore leanings. These Ontarians have created a Bluesy, gritty, Punk as fuck masterpiece that will have fans of bands like Panthers, Black Flag, Thin Lizzy, Planes Mistaken For Stars, Trapdoor Fucking Exit, JR Ewing, Malkovich & Stolen Bikes Ride Faster slamming around their rooms with wild abandon. While it is unfortunate that Sleepless is dead, I am so glad Ben is still rocking his ass off and having fun playing what makes him happy. Strays make me wish I had long hard so I could achieve the true hessian headbang to these songs. If you like your Punk with heavy doses of ROCK, you will not be disappointed.

Flowers Taped To Pens - Self-Titled 7"

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     Some bands use the buildup effectively. They can play around with a few plodding, repetitive notes and take the listener to comfortable heights before letting them down slowly and with ease, like an old man submerging himself in a lukewarm bath. Some bands use the buildup to just lay waste to anything and everything around them. They add layer upon layer of burning, broiling anger and paranoia until the plateau just can't contain the energy any longer and the crest explodes with a fiery passion that rivals the destruction of Pompeii. Flowers Taped To Pens (FTTP) are definitely in the latter group.
     FTTP play the Real Skramz with some very traditional Emo leanings. There are the requisite slightly off-key clean vocals that bend and swell and crescendo into outright maddening shrieks that would make any mother bird happy. There are twinkles here and there and plenty of cathartic feedback-drenched outbursts. Couple that with the absolutely naked lyrics of sadness, regret, uncertainty and loss and you have one hell of a complete package for anyone interested in the sounds of pure emotion.
     The young men in this band do a great deal for their community and their local San Diego scene. There are a number of other amazing bands within this family of dedicated Punx who want nothing more than to create and nurture safer spaces for everyone to feel comfortable. I had the pleasure of booking a show for a couple of their brother bands, Nayru, whom I have written about before, and Meryl Streaker. Both bands should be of great interest to anyone with even a passing curiosity for fall-on-the-floor, chaotic Hardcore with heart.
     All in all, I really don't know what else to say about this band and the wonderful lineage of other bands they have had a hand in creating. I guess I am a little biased in favor of anything these folks decide to create from now on. Spending time with them made this old man feel young again. They were wonderful house guests and I feel so blessed to be able to call them my friends.
     It hasn't been easy finding sonic comparisons. I guess I would have to say you will most assuredly like this if you have ever found yourself grooving to the sounds of the Kodan Armada, Helen Of Troy, Thoughts Paint The Sky, Sailboats, Cassettes On Fire and/or I Wrote Haikus About Cannibalism In Your Yearbook. Enough said, just listen.

Winter Dust - Autumn Years

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     Having listened to this record 7 or 8 times in a row now, I am still totally at a loss regarding how best to describe it... Yes, this is a Post-Hardcore record, in that the songs can and do travel from hopelessness & despair to unbalanced madness and back again seamlessly. Yes, this is an Indie-Rock record, in that there are hints of Pop here and there and an undeniable playfulness that reminds me of a band like Frightened Rabbit. Yes, this is a Post-Rock record, in that the songs don't generally follow a standard structure, opting instead to ebb & flow through highs and lows like waves crashing against a "Fake Beach". Yes, this record is brimming with melancholy. I don't know if it's the piano that features so prominently throughout that gives these songs such a mournful feel, like a funeral march or a war memorial. But, listening to this so much over the last few days has really made me grateful for the random flashes of sunshine we get here in Seattle.
     Winter Dust are from Italy. They have been playing music together since 2008. The band themselves have described their own sound as "Postrock-Emo-Core" which makes a lot of sense to me when you consider the bands they recommend as comparison. Thrice, Moving Mountains, Envy, Caspian, Explosions In The Sky. All great reference points when trying to describe this wonderful collective of brilliant musicians. I would even throw in some other names like Desert City Soundtrack, Joie De Vivre, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Benton Falls, Iselia... Maybe even Elliot...? Sometimes, comparisons are useless. Especially when a record can stand so well on its own without the need for namedropping.
     In the end, the thing that matters most is how truly in love I have become with this record. I really wish I would have heard it at the tail end of 2013 when it came out. It most certainly would have been on my top favorites of the year list. No matter... this is one of the best records I have ever heard in my life and I will most certainly continue to enjoy it well into old age. That means everything.

Mariesena - Ruth

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     These Young Ukrainians just keep getting better and better at every turn. This record is pure brutal, emotional catharsis that just bleeds heart and renders me speechless every time I listen to it. Emo, Screamo, Skramz... Whatever you want to call it. Trying to describe a band like this to someone who is already a fan of the genre is a lesson in futility. You already know you will like this if you have ever found yourself digging the sounds of Love Lost But Not Forgotten, Waifle, Jihad or the wonderful Witching Hour records roster. From a whisper to a scream and I have been hooked since the first day I heard these guys.

Cyrus Gold

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Cyrus Gold sure know their way around the low-end!! These Pittsburgians have built a strong sound with equal parts grimy Rock-n-Roll and rabid, off-kilter Post-Hardcore. The rhythm section thuds along while the guitar swirls, churns and drenches everything in overdriven noise. The vocals are rough, raging and rabid. Mix equal parts Black Sabbath, Deadguy and the Swans and you will have a pretty good idea where these miscreants are coming from. If you were ever a fan of Amphetamine Reptile records, the Jesus Lizard or Big Black, you will find plenty to enjoy here.

Yusuke / Delos - Split 7"

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     This split features two bands from two very different points on the map. Delos come from Bremen, Germany, and while they do display some of the same aggression as their forebears, these songs are less meat-and-potatoes Hardcore or Grind and more just bitter, pounding Screamo built on straight-ahead propulsion and a propensity for open chords and bouts of languid misery.
     Yusuke are from the Normal, Illinois area. They also play Screamo with a very lo-fi approach and an almost Power-violence bent that most certainly sends them into Emo-violence territory. The vocals are appropriately screeched and unhinged, though they do take some time out for pretty parts and deep hardcore vocals and the occasional movie sound-bite here and there.
     Neither of these bands are breaking the mold, but when the mold fits so well, why bother breaking it? This is a wonderful split by two bands brimming with passion and heart. I am not going to bother trying to compare either of them to any other bands. You already know you will like it, so like it.  

We Never Learned To Live - We Never Learned To Live

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I am stoked to be able to add yet another stellar release to my year-end 'best of' with this three song rager. We Never Learned To Live are from Brighton in the UK and they play a very well developed strain of Post-Rockin' Screamo.  The songs are long and full and brimming with enthusiasm which is more than I can say for some bands trying to execute this style. There is so much going on it's impossible to get bored, even when each track runs well over the five minute mark. Each song is built on that ebb & flow style of build-up/breakdown while the lyrics paint quite the morose picture of pain, loss, regret and redemption. The guitar tone throughout is eerie and ominous and almost reminds me of a funeral march or something. They are certainly leading the listener to the dark beyond with these songs. I think this would appeal to fans of Neurosis, GY!BE, Circle Takes the Square, Suis La Lune, Cult of Luna or any other band who know how to deftly combine atmosphere and rage into one cohesive package.

Sleep Kit - Sleep Kit

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These lads from Germany have a huge affinity for the Emo/Screamo of the late 90's/early 2000's. I hear hints of everything from Twelve Hour Turn to I Hate Myself to Leatherface to Grade. This is rockin', screamy Punk with melody galore. I say it's well worth your time.

Ice Hockey - The Way It Is Now

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Ice Hockey are from the Quad Cities region in Iowa. The exact same place I originally came from. Hell, a few of them may have even been born in the same hospital as me. That doesn't have anything to do with why I enjoy these songs so much. The fact that they are coming through Seattle on tour in January and I booked their show also has no bearing on how awesome I think these guys are. Sure, I have a deep admiration for hometown sounds. Sure, I book a lot of shows for super amazing bands. Sure, Ice Hockey are really, really good at what they do. None of that matters. The pure and simple truth is, this record just makes me feel content. They are obviously having a ton of fun playing these songs. There is a sweet lightness that accompanies the harsh overtones which makes this whole thing feel so Midwest. There are some Twinkles, some Skramz, some Post-Rock-isms here and there... Everything is right with the world.

Todos Caerán - Town Of Cats

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You know this is good. I don't have to tell you how good it is. Canada does it again. Todos Caerán have sauntered in at the last minute and released what quite possibly could be the record of the year. Screamo doesn't get much better than this.

Yaw - Malda LP

Caleiah Records
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Yaw are a dedicated group of rabble-rousers from the Basque Country who are creating some seriously intense Post-Hardcore not unlike Amanda Woodward and Envy. The vocals are appropriately raw, the lyrics are in the personal as political realm and screamed in their native tongue and the songs as a whole have that wonderful, drawn-out Post-Rock influence permeating thoughout which any fan of the aforementioned bands should enjoy.

Caleiah Records is a radical label from Spain doing amazing things for our Hardcore scene. Besides putting out some of the best Screamo records of the last decade, the folks who run the label are working tirelessly to bring as many international heavy hitters to their shores as they can. It couldn't hurt to show them some love and support.