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.

Cutters - We Are The Quarry

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     The last time I reviewed Cutters, I likened their lo-fi approach to bands such as Built To Spill, Cloud Nothings and Teenage Cool Kids. On this new record, I believe they certainly retain a lot of that sound & feel, while throwing in a lot more straight-ahead rock-n-roll along the way. The vocals are still strong and clear and sung with so much heart it's near impossible not to sing along. The lyrics are brimming with positive vibes and hopeful miseries and I am more than reminded of Piebald in the lyrical and vocal delivery. So, Cutters have blessed their first LP upon the world filled with a little pop, a lot of rock-n-roll, a liberal dose of ramshackle fuzz and a whole lot of gusto. This time around, I am reminded of Piebald, Oxford Collapse, Reigning Sound and the aforementioned bands from the last review. All in all, this record has all the bases covered for fans of the straight up, good ol' fashioned boogie.

Dirk Frazel - Randy's Bacon EP

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     Here we have three songs from some high dudes out of Springfield, MO. Incorporating a little Skrumz, a little Post-Something, a bit of Lo-Fi fuzz and a lot of reefer madness, these songs travel a well worn path that never grows stale. The vocals are buried under a mountain of instrumentation yet still audible enough to add that welcome feeling of chaotic, cathartic recklessness to the songs. I bet these green lanterns could really tear apart a living room with their Lync meets Army Of Ponch meets Bonehouse amalgam. Good job, gentlemen!! I can't wait to hear more. Also, come to Seattle, I want to smoke you out!!!

Cutters - Trying Not To Die

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Punk Rock spirituals!!! This band nailed it with their own description!! Cutters are a New York four piece specializing in fuzzed-out, Lo-fi jangle Punk with so much heart and positive gusto, you can't help but get hooked. I am trying to figure out just exactly who these folks remind me of... I hear little bits from the likes of Teenage Cool Kids, Built To Spill, Titus Andronicus, Cloud Nothings and Kind of Like Spitting. Hell, I think these songs would even appeal to fans of Tigers Jaw. No matter where your tastes lie, I truly believe there is something here for everyone. If you like to smile while shaking your ass at a sweaty basement rock show, Cutters might just be for you!!

Husker Du - Warehouse: Songs And Stories

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    It can be pretty tough talking about favorite records sometimes. There will always be people out there with different views, different ideas and louder voices who can't help but berate you for your opinions about a band's discography and which album is the better of the bunch. That will not deter me here. Husker Du were a fine Hardcore band. They wrote competently when it came to the loud, fast rules. Apart from a few choice songs, I don't like those early records very much. Hardcore Punk can be a very stale, tired genre. There are so many bands doing the same damned thing and it all starts to sound trite and boring very quickly. It wasn't until the last two albums where Bob Mould and company really began to shine, in my opinion. 'Candy Apple Grey' is great, but, 'Warehouse: Songs And Stories' is Phenomenal!! Pop hooks, beautiful lovelorn lyrics and a heavy Post-Punk shimmer all added to a swan song album that spoke volumes. Husker Du were a band that went out on a high note. Just read the lyrics for 'Standing In The Rain' or 'Friend, You've Got To Fall."  Pure poetry.

8 Bark Forever!!!

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     Often overlooked, 8 Bark were one of the forerunners of that tightly wound, early 90's Post-Hardcore barrage. As much influenced by Fugazi as they were the Minutemen and Gang Of Four. Their songs were very bass-heavy and twitchy, sometimes spilling over into the funky and dancy territories that some "New Wave" bands were exploring throughout the 80's. Some of their happier moments even remind me of a band like Squeeze or something... I don't really have much more to say about this Chicago powerhouse. All of their stuff is up for free download on their Bandcamp page. Give them a listen and maybe let me know what you think.

Do You Compute - And We Are The Winners... LP

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     Coming from Paris AND featuring former members of Belle Epoque were just two of the reasons I was so interested in this band from the start. Naming themselves after a Drive Like Jehu song certainly wasn't a detractor for me either. And, just like their name would lead you to believe, these guys play it all jittery, driving and claustrophobic almost as well as Jehu played it. Now, some of you might scoff at that sentence, seeing as how Drive Like Jehu were and continue to be one of the most revered Post-Hardcore bands of all time. There have been many bands over the years who have tried and failed to emulate the urgency and raw emotion in song the way those boys from San Diego did it.

Do You Compute have succeeded.

     The 10 songs on this full-length are a testament to Punks growing older, breaking free from the confines of any one genre and creating something that pulls from all directions. These songs can go from caustic, throbbing Post-Hardcore to distortion drenched, AmRep-style Noise-Rock to an almost Crust-n-Roll barrage of machine gun riffs in a single turn. The vocals aren't screamed so much as hoarsely shouted, which makes it pretty easy to understand what everyone in the band is yelling about. That's another thing I like... Three of the four guys are singing, growling and bellowing. It makes for a very well-rounded listening experience, with voices coming at you from all directions.

While some of the songs do pull heavily from that Jehu influence, they aren't overly reliant on that one sound. As I was saying, I detect everything from Jesus Lizard nihilism to the mathy aspects of Hero Of A Hundred Fights to the wall-of-sound confrontation of Tragedy or His Hero Is Gone. From Post-Metal to Aargh-Core to Indie-Thrash and everything in between. There is going to be something here for fans of any and all forms of heavy music.

The United Sons Of Toil - Forces Of Production

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The United Sons Of Toil (UST) are from my home state of Wisconsin. Madison to be exact. They have been a band for quite some time now and if you haven't heard them, you should really do yourself a favor and give their albums a listen. They play a vicious style of 90's worshipping Noise-Rock that hearkens back to the glory days of Amphetamine Reptile and Touch & Go. If you have ever enjoyed Helmet or Shellac or Killdozer or Scratch Acid... You will most certainly get off on these guys. Bottom heavy and driving and caustic and confrontational all rolled into one. This new collection of songs happens to be a remix album by a bunch of artists I have never heard of, and one I have. I don't normally find myself attracted to remix albums, like, ever. Usually, I feel like the remix does a lot more to take away from the original power of whatever song is being remixed. That is not the case with these songs however. For whatever reason, I feel the songs that UST create lend themselves quite well to the cut-and-paste treatment. I have especially been drawn to the Guerrilla Digital reinterpretations. Possibly because I have met Martin, the man behind Guerrilla Digital, a few times before, but, there is just something so harsh and otherworldly about his take on their compositions. This is a very interesting idea put together by an amazing band who should be way bigger than they are. I am recommending this for fans of Sludge, Harsh-Noise and/or Trip-Hop. There is a little something here for everyone.

Xaxaxa - Siromašni i bogati

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It isn't often I come across Punk bands from Macedonia. I am aware of the very rich history of bands and movements coming from that area over the years. I guess I can thank Socialism for the influx of western influence. Some parts of the former Yugoslavia weren't so lucky... Anyway, Xaxaxa are from Macedonia and play Punk Rock like the 80's never ended. These songs are brimming with drive, melody and R-O-C-K!!!! I hear equal parts latter-era Husker Du (Think 'Candy Apple Grey' or 'Warehouse: Songs and Stories'), Pegboy and any number of bands that were basking in the "Revolution Summer." Once again, if I haven't expressed this enough in the past, I am a complete sucker for bands not compromising their art and singing in English to cater to foreign audiences. It just naturally sounds better and more intense when a band sings in their native tongue. I am very grateful the band took the time to translate the lyrics for us dumb westerners. With regards to the lyrical content, Xaxaxa tend toward the political but they also create vaguely cryptic story lines that seem to be about death or redemption or the destruction of nature. Xaxaxa do a wonderful job of capturing the energy that those early Post-Punk and Hardcore bands were creating. It is a welcome change from all the Screamo and Chaotic Hardcore I have been listening to as of late. Before I go, I would also like to recommend their previous LP, entitled 'Tango Revolucioner'. It is also up for free download at their Bandcamp page.

Caiiro Foster - Piss Suit EP

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This isn't the first time I have fawned over Caiiro Foster on this blog. I am absolutely in love with this band. This new EP just continues in the fine tradition of spacey, fuzz-laden Post-Punk that these guys have been dealing in for awhile now. I hear a bit more Jesus Lizard in these songs. I also hear some My Bloody Valentine influence. Not a ton, just enough to keep the guitars nice and distorto. There are twinges of rage here, but, I envision the men in this band smiling like bastards when they play live. The vocals in the song Online Shopping have been killing me repeatedly over the last few days. Maybe a better song has never been written. Oh Toronto!!! When will you stop blowing my mind???

John Smith - Woman EP

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John Smith are another exquisite Toronto band. They play it sassy and angular. Screamy Post-Punk/Post-Hardcore is the name of the game here. I am reminded of The Blood Brothers, Song Of Zarathustra, Frodus and maybe Refused or more so, The International Noise Conspiracy, if only because the vocals here are just so full of sass and audaciousness. This is just great!!

Suns - The Engine Room

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Suns, from Connecticut, are playing a rather morose brand of Emo-ish Slowcore that is working in perfect harmony with this rainy Seattle weather. The idea of "Blackened Emo" is a recent revelation for me, though, that descriptor pretty much sums up what I am hearing in these songs. Willy, Willy, Billy and Pete have certainly been studying up on their Codeine, Slint and Blacktop Cadence records. These songs completely encompass that Loud-Soft dynamic I have loved and relied on for so many years for inspiration. The sad stories of life, love and broken hearts contained on this record are exactly what I have been looking for lately. If you enjoy Cloud Nothings or Ghost Thrower, you should grab this immediatly and get with the program. Well Done Guys!!!

Mclusky - Mclusky Do Dallas LP

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In 1990 or '91, I saw the Pixies at the Barrymore Theater in Madison. I saw Mclusky at Bottom Of The Hill in San Francisco in 2000. I owe my life to both those shows. In the long run, I believe 'Mclusky Do Dallas' and 'Dolittle' will be records I am listening to 60 years from now. To my ears, Mclusky took what The Pixies did and added a few layers of sick wit and smarmy outlandishness. The songs on this record can and do go from a hushed whisper to a lion's roar. Stop-on-a-dime inventiveness and some of the funniest, smartest lyrics certainly don't hurt. I am sure everyone and their crippled attic sister already know about this album. I don't care. It has been ages since I listened to this and I am going to spend all day basking in it's glory.

Caiiro Foster - Self Titled EP

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Continuing with my Toronto fascination, I present to you, my fair readers, this slab of fuzzy, grungy Post-Punk from the brilliant men of Caiiro Foster. These songs are all over the map, style-wise, pulling from all sorts of influences. I hear everything from Sonic Youth to Nirvana to the Virgin Prunes to City of Caterpillar. The spoken/shouted/screamed vocals sound like the rantings of a lunatic on the verge of complete mental collapse. I certainly wouldn't call this Hardcore, though, it is about as Punk as it gets. I am absolutely in LOVE with the song 'Wahmbulance'. It is the fastest song out of the three, and in being so, the most closely related to what one might envision a Hardcore Punk song to sound like. There is something about the pacing and thrust of that tune that just gives my goosebumps goosebumps. I think it might be the ramshackle nature of the chorus. Totally off-key and tons of not-giving-a-fuck. I could listen to that song about a million times without getting sick of it. All told, I think this EP would appeal to fans of stuff like The Replacements, Drive Like Jehu, The Fall, Killing Joke, Sisters Of Mercy, Haram, Across Tundras and Television. Well done!!

HRSLVR - The Tease EP

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Here we have another wicked addition to that vast Torontonian D.I.Y. family. Horselover, or HRSLVR, are a completely uncategorizable monster that have arrived to tear the proverbial babies from their terrified mother's wombs. The two songs here are driven by sass and swagger. Not unlike early Blood Brothers or Chariots, which if anyone remembers was the band that Travis from Song of Zarathustra started after the demise of SoZ. The band cite influences such as Daughters and These Arms Are Snakes. I can definitely hear bits and pieces of those bands here. But there is something else lurking beneath the flailing Punk Rock surface, a seamy, roiling undercurrent that suggests something has been feeding on Shellac or Butthole Surfers records.  The result is a far grimier, foul-mouthed racket than you might expect, snatches of grubby rock n’ roll or groaning Festival of Dead Deer-esque dirges forcing themselves shoulder-to-shoulder with the unregimented Punk Rock clatter and making for an EP that never goes exactly where you think it will.

Kohosh - Survival Guide LP

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Kohosh from Seattle play layered Anarcho-Punk with passion, sincerity and hope for a brighter future. I am honored to be able to call these ladies and gentlemen my friends. It is bands like this that keep me amazed and infatuated with our local scene. Ummm, I guess I should mention the extensive list of bands Kohosh have in their pedigree: Agatha, Alliaceous, Contravene, Creosote, Garmonbozia, Oroku, Pipsqueak, Roanoke, Skarp, Snuggle... I am sure the list could go on. That doesn't even really matter here though. Kohosh unequivocally stand on their own amongst the myriad sounds the band members have mined over the years. I can certainly hear some of that early Crass Records sound in these songs. They are definitely not playing it typical here. These songs are longer, drawn-out affairs that rely on atmosphere and that oh-so-sweet build-up to get the point across. With a twin guitar attack, beautiful wandering bass lines, ripping drums, some of the most entrancing cello work presented on a Punk record in years and Taryn's mesmerizing vocals bringing it all together, this record is a heart stopper!! I should have some band comparisons to give you, but, I am sort of coming up short in that department. How about this? Antischism, Spitboy, Kill The Man Who Questions, Remains Of The Day, Zounds, The Mob, K.U.K.L., Post Regiment, Submission Hold, Gorilla Angreb... Yeah, they are certainly working within the frame of amazing inspiration and pure heart. If this is the sound of modern Anarchy and social change, I am completely on board. One thing I need to mention is my inability to find a full album link... So, you are going to have to get by with the songs on their Bandcamp page. You could also just contact the band and buy the record directly from them. Oh yeah, I should mention the fact that this record was released collectively by five labels. Trujaca Fala Records from Poland, Tomorrow Belongs To Us Records, Acclaim Collective from Japan, Cut The Chord That... Records and Seattle's own Persons Unknown Records, who I can't find a link for. By the way, Kohosh are going to be on tour in April, here are the dates:

Go see them when they come to your town. Say hello, they are some of the nicest people in the world.

We Were Promised Jetpacks-'These Four Walls' LP

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Over the years, Scotland has offered Americans a number of very lovely things to take our minds off the dullness of everyday life.  Scotch Whiskey,  the Loch Ness Monster, Golf.   Three things that bring joy to my heart and a tear to my eye.  We can now add 'We Were Promised Jetpacks' to that list.  These four young men from Edinburgh have crafted the most perfect dark Pop album of the last twenty years.  I know this record came out last year, but, this is a new blog and I can't help but write about it.  Seeing as how it was my favorite album of '09, I feel I should let the world know just how special I think this band is.  Beginning with a template that borrows from very, very early U2 and adding the emotional frailty of the Smiths while tempering with the bleak lyrical outlook of, lets say, Joy division.  I might go so far as to say the songs have an almost Gothic feel to them at times.  One of the first things I noticed about these songs and actually one of the reasons I love these songs so much is the fact Adam (guitar/vocals) doesn't try to hide his accent.  It is right there in all its drawn out, strangely inflected glory.   This record is flawless and these guys absolutely destroy live.  I hope they can continue crafting amazing songs and not fall prey to the dreaded sophomore slump so many young bands suffer from.  I for one, am rooting for 'em.

Alexander Blake Schwarzenbach Still Has It.

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I am thirty three years old.  I did not hear Jawbreaker until I was twenty three.  Bivouac being the first record I heard.  The album that completely changed my life.  Though, I had known about them for a long time before that.  Having been involved in the Punk/Hardcore community in the Midwest for awhile, very few bands escape the radar when kids are starving for any sound from "out there".  As a younger man I explored every facet of the scene to see which social group I could most comfortably align myself with (as young men are prone to do).  First, at Thirteen or Fourteen, it was Straight Edge.  That was fine for awhile,  we loved Minor Threat, we loved Uniform Choice, we loved skateboarding and Coca Cola.  All fine activities for children before the discovery of girls, alcohol and the almighty plant.  Eventually, middle school became high school.  I was left with little comfort from my peers.  Sure, I had a few cohorts with similar beliefs and interests.  Mainly skating around, getting stoned, listening to Black Flag or Minutemen.  Some friends were getting turned on to bands like Braid, Evergreen, Still Life.  At the time, maybe I thought those sounds were just a bit too tame for me.  I was hearing Crust and Grindcore for the first time, absolutely falling in love.   I could never explain to Willie what it meant to me that, while he was developing a love for 311 and Sublime, I was getting more out of bands like Septic Death, GISM or Deviated Instinct.  I am sure those bands from our youth still meant plenty to him,  I just didn't understand why his tastes were beginning to travel so far askew of our original path.  My beliefs, and clothing were getting a bit grimier, while he was beginning to resemble the jocks we fought so vehemently against when they would hurl insults, rocks and fists at us after school.  Looking back, I realize how closed minded I was.  If it wasn't Hardcore for the Hardcore, I didn't want to have anything to do with it.  How ridiculous.  Needless to say, our friendship did not last.   I wonder what ever happened to him?   Eventually...  1995, Graduation, escape from Wisconsin!!  As soon as I had a bit of money saved up, I decided to buy a ticket to California.  Oakland to be exact.  I wanted to be where Gilman was.  I wanted to walk the same streets that Neurosis walked.  I wanted to live the Crust Punk dream.  With my Dreaded Mullet just right and my clothes patched up with all the right band patches,  I sure looked the part. The problem was, it just wasn't moving me the same way it had a few years prior.  For all the shocking, outward imagery and revolutionary banter Crust Punks had, there was very little action.  The music was not standing up to the message.  I saw far too many punks succumb to living for the bottle, the needle, the nothingness.  Shit, I am plenty guilty of wasting my life away on pointless substance abuses.  It is still a struggle today.  Maybe that is why I am writing this blog.  Sober now,  I feel like my mind is finally clear after years of clouded motionlessness.
     Anyway,   the late nineties were filled with hopping trains, organizing Food Not Bombs, collecting vintage typewriters, writing as much as I could and exploring new sounds.  I was finally beginning to understand the attraction to Classic Rock.  Robert Johnson became a salvation.  Suddenly,  those bands I was too afraid to grasp as a younger man were beginning to make an impact.  I devoured everything Ebullition Records, everything Gravity Records, everything No Idea Records, anything and everything that was or could be considered Emotional Hardcore.  Frail, Jasmine, Ivich, Current, Portraits of Past, Reversal Of Man, Forstella Ford, the Ladderback, Orchid.  These bands were proving you could write thoughtful progressive lyrics without having to resort to tired cliches.  I had found a new favorite sound. 


     The new Millennium was upon us.  Everyone was in a panic, wondering if the world was going to go black at the stroke of midnight.  Luckily, 2000 came and went with little fanfare.  I had just moved back to the Bay Area after a much needed break from the road.  I was living in Richmond with a roommate who had the largest record collection I had ever known.  It was a veritable wonderland.  Everything from original Avengers records to one off pressings of Zappa bootleg 45's!!  One day, as I was exploring the letter J in the LPs, I happened upon Jawbreaker.  I hadn't thought of them for a long time.  But, I had learned one really important thing about them by then...  Girls ABSOLUTELY loved them!!!  Shit, if the ladies like them, than they would have to like a guy who likes them, right...?  I might as well throw it on the turntable and see what all the commotion is about.  Holy Shit!!!  First song!!!  "Shield Your Eyes"!!!  Fucking Brilliance like I had never heard!!  And those lyrics!!!  Never before had I encountered such naked, raw emotion!!  And the title track!! Ten minutes and six seconds of hectic, distorted beauty that made me weak in the knees!!!  At that moment, Jawbreaker became my favorite band.  'Unfun' is certainly a fine first album.  Filled with shining moments of the wonder to come.  'Bivouac' is, well, quite possibly the greatest Pop/Post/Punk/Hardcore/Emo/Whatever record ever made.  '24 Hour Revenge Therapy' is also amazing.  Absolutely tear jerking Post Punk written by a man who could only speak from his heart.  Lyrics laid so bare, it was almost discomforting listening to them.  Shit, I even enjoy listening to 'Dear You'.  Unfortunate for me, I had, by years, missed the boat on ever seeing them live.  Jets To Brazil was a competent replacement.  'Orange Rhyming Dictionary' had some very strong, stand out tracks.  Still, where was the energy? where was that bitter restlessness?  Where were those tears of rage?  Gone with the years, I guess...


Enter Forgetters.  The first new band from Mr. Schwarzenbach since Thorns Of Life, and the first to produce any vinyl.   This self titled double 7" is a welcome return to form for Blake.  Gone is the polished Pop of Jets To Brazil, opting instead for that fuzzy, distorted, whiskey and cigarette delivery we all loved so much.  The songs are darker, more driving, more in line with 'Bivouac' than anything from the three Jets albums.  Hallelujah!!!!  Also featuring Caroline Paquita from the band Bitchin' on Bass and Kevin Mahon from Against Me on Drums.  This is a much appreciated reintroduction from one of the most amazing lyricists of the last thirty years.  Thank you Blake,  Welcome Back.