Best of 2017!!!!

I haven't updated this damned blog in a VERY long time. I couldn't be bothered to review any of these records throughout the year. You'll just have to take me at my word when I tell you how absolutely amazing each and every one of them are.


Dad Thighs - The Ghosts That I Fear
Ostraca - Last
Foxtails - III
Converge - The Dusk In Us
Limp Wrist - Facades
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Luciferian Towers
Mahria - Analemma
Frail Hands - S/T
Erai - S/T
Citycop - The Same Stories That Never Get Old
Rosetta - Utopioid
Primitive Man - Caustic
Antiklesis - S/T
Heaven In Her Arms - White Halo
Celeste - Infidele(s)
Boneflower - Empty Rooms, Full Bodies
Echoes - Cornerstone
Barabbas, du Fortappade - Discourse
Shizune - Cheat Death, Live Dead!

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.

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.

Cerce - Adieux

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Cerce were a powerfully violent band from Boston. Cerce are dead. If you missed out on them, I feel sorry for you. If that is the case, all is not lost because Lovechild have stepped in to carry the torch. Anger, rage, sadness, paranoia... These are all feelings one might encounter while listening to these songs. If you can walk away from this record with any sort of renewed vigor for life, you are probably doing something wrong. This is the sound of a band at the end of their rope. I wouldn't want it any other way. Fans of Man Is The Bastard, Siege or Negative FX, you will find plenty of common ground here.

Cassilis - Quitting

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Um... Yeah... If you like it noisy, discordant, unbalanced and pissed, you don't have to look any further than the new offering from these dirty assholes from Philadelphia. Cassilis have become a verifiable wrecking machine dead set on decimating the ears of any unwitting prick who dare decide to drop the needle onto that groove. This goes beyond Punk, beyond Hardcore, beyond Screamo... These songs are lessons in damage. Take equal parts City of Caterpillar, the Jesus Lizard and a motherfucking atomic bomb and mix liberally. Go fuck yourself if you don't think this is going to be the best record of 2014.

Anopheli - A Hunger Rarely Sated

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     "Melancholy Doom-laden Emo Crust." There is nothing else that needs to be said. This band features members of other, very well known bands and is about as right on as it gets. Hailing from Oakland by way of London by way of a smoldering, burned out apocalyptic wasteland, I don't really know what else to say. If that initial description gave you goose bumps the way it gives me goose bumps, you should have no excuse but to absolutely fall in love with this and listen to it every day until the sun explodes and the world comes to an end. This should appeal to fans of Oroku, Alpinist, Fall of Efrafa, Vestiges, Lentic Waters, Jungbluth and the like.

Nayru - Recollections

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     This record rules, pure and simple. If you like chaotic, high pitched bird-like vocals and musical madness incarnate, you will enjoy this. If you like doom and gloom and the possibility of losing your mind, you will enjoy this. If you know anything about the storied history of San Diego Punk & Hardcore, you will most certainly enjoy this. If you have heard Malon and you enjoy them you will enjoy this. I like this record so much, it made my 2013 year-end list. Real Screamo is alive and well, this is a testament to that. If you are a fan of Jeromes Dream, Usurp Synapse, Neil Perry, the Kodan Armada or Helen of Troy, you will not be disappointed by this band.
    
    

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.

Dirt Nap - Just Ask The Boyz

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     Here we have the debut from Dirt Nap who hail from Springfield, Missouri. There are some guys from the band Dirk Frazel in the ranks here, so the stoned nature of these songs begins to make a bit more sense. Dirt Nap play it scuzzy, fuzzy, loose and unhinged. There are very prominent elements of Surf-Rock and possibly circus music and even some... Maybe, Latin rhythms. Shit! This is, like, THE Slack-Rock record for the new millennium. I am really glad I am stoned right now, otherwise I don't know if this would make nearly as much sense as it does. These songs are jangly, super lo-fi and really, really charming. The vocals are drawled with a sort of I-don't-give-a-shit energy that really works within the framework. I hear bits and pieces of everything from Built to Spill, Pavement, the Jesus and Mary Chain and Oxford Collapse. Basically, this record incorporates elements from Grunge to dirty Indie-Rock to Post-Punk and New-wave while being completely blanketed in the sort of outright reefer madness these guys have become known for. The three D's are very highly represented here... Dirty, Dancey and Deranged and personally, I wouldn't want it any other way.

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.  

Flagpolers - Demo July 2012

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Hook-laden and propulsive Punk from Vancouver BC is the order of the day here. These lads are angry, young and poor and all they can do to alleviate the pain and suffering of living through another day of misery is to therapeutically hammer out these tales of woe. I don't really find myself listening to stuff like this all that often, but when it's played with this much heart and passion, I can't help but bang my head. Over the years, the sound these guys are creating has been called many things. Pop Punk, Beard Punk, Gruff, Melodic Hardcore... Whatever you want to label it, Flagpolers are doing it well. If you have ever found yourself enjoying the sounds of Leatherface, Hot Water Music, 88 Fingers Louie or even Small Brown Bike, I don't see why you wouldn't like this.

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.

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

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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.