Sound Salvation Army

In today’s installment of our feature on vinyl-only releases, we touch once again on a cover song.

Hawks and Doves is the latest project from Gared O’Donnell, a guy who spent a lot of years as the creative force behind Planes Mistake For Stars. That band serves as a master class in all things heavy, running the gamut from soaring post-hardcore to guttural-vocal’d hardcore to near-metal riffing. The decade the band was in existence saw the release of five more-or-less full-length albums and as many singles and EPs. The highlights were many; I personally have purchased three copies of the flawless Knife In The Marathon EP, two of the Fuck With Fire LP, and at least one of all the rest, including the extremely hard to find CD version of the Fucking Fight EP. So yeah, they’re a great band.

But they broke up a few years ago after the varied and heart-stoppingly good Mercy. Sad, but Gared isn’t the kind to sit still. He’s actually been working on his new project for several years, his backing band constantly changing based apparently on whoever is in the room at the time. Essentially a solo project, it consists mostly of him and an acoustic guitar playing what No Idea calls, “blue-eyed soul played through a belt sander.” Trust me, its not as generic or bland as that makes it sound.

The vinyl release in question is the single for the song “Hush Money.” The title-track on the a-side is something of a transitional piece for fans of his previous work, opening with start/stop dynamics and some electric guitar vaguely reminiscent of PMFS’ harder rock. But the tone is far more muted and clean than anything found on those records, the rock guitar serving only to beef up the acoustic leads. The song ebbs and flows in O’Donnell’s characteristic style, building through the song’s final third only to come to an abrupt stop. The vocal is surprisingly clean, with only a few traces of his long-standing harshness bubbling to the surface. During the coda, when O’Donnell pleads “What would you have me do?” his voice melds with the other elements to form a hypnotic tapestry. Its a great introduction.

But the b-side just might make you forget all about what you’ve just heard.

Originally written by Bruce Springsteen for the grossly popular 1984 album Born In The USA, “I’m On Fire” was one of 10 singles released to promote the album. As I’ve previously stated, I fucking hate Springsteen’s cheesy 80’s because of some of the dated instrumentation and production techniques that were in vogue at the time. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t still writing decent songs.

“I’m On Fire” succeeds in O’Donnell’s hands partly because he stays true to the original. He does exactly what I would have done by keeping the building blocks of the song in place and stripping away the waste, namely the unnecessary synths. He embraces simplicity, letting his acoustic guitar and some choice reverb create an incredibly appropriate atmosphere; that tone and his delivery of the titular lyric sound more like a lonely man in an empty room languishing in his desire than one pleading with a lover to ease his troubles. Some subtle shifts to the song’s structure also help flesh out the arrangement, pushing the climax further towards the end and extending the outro to add some tension.

The mix pushes O’Donnell’s vocal to the forefront despite its feigned fragility, much like the Springsteen original did. But its here that you witness the full range of his vocal capabilities, the raspy hush he delivers most of the song betrayed by his subtle inflections and the ascending notes of the coda. When his voice nearly breaks during the ghostly falsetto that signals the beginning of the song’s outro, the song truly becomes his own. Its a hypnotic and affecting performance.

Of course, because it hews quite closely to the original in many ways there are those that might fail to see some of those subtle differences. But I’ve always maintained that a well-written songs doesn’t necessarily translate into a good cover. As evidence I include as well the absolute horror-show of a cover done by Johnny Cash for the Nebraska tribute that came out in 2000. I know its anathema to speak ill of Johnny Cash in the 00’s but nobody bats a thousand, not even the man in black. Gatsby’s American Dream (a band I love) proved that a well-written song doesn’t translate into an engaging cover when they butchered one of the greatest songs of all time. Just hear how horrible that went.

Way off topic. The point, I suppose, is that this 7″ is remarkable and Gared O’Donnell is an incredibly capable manipulator and creator of (semi-) popular song. I eagerly anticipate a full-length release from Hawks and Doves and its already been too long coming.

 

 Hawks and Doves - I'm On Fire: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Bruce Springsteen - I'm On Fire [2:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Johnny Cash - I'm On Fire [3:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Gatsby's American Dream - Don't Think Twice, I'm Alright: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Planes Mistaken For Stars - Little Death [3:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Check out the No Idea Records website and buy the hell out of this record. Do it for love.

Pat entries acoustic, Bruce Springsteen, covers, Gatsby's American Dream, hardcore, Hawks and Doves, Johnny Cash, No Idea Records, Planes Mistaken For Stars, rock, vinyl

Strike Anywhere is a smart group of people. Smart people who realize that a revolution can’t be fueled solely by the radical few that rail most vocally against oppression. Revolution is only successful when the masses become involved and help pour gasoline on the flames.

That must be why this record is so goddamn catchy. The Richmond, Virginia punks have been doing this for a long time and I think they realize that you can’t appeal to the masses with a barrage of atonal screaming and relentless riffing. They’re not afraid to throw a boatload of hooks at a listener in the hopes that they’ll dig for the deeper meaning.

The full-length Iron Front obviously doesn’t differ very much from the teaser EP I posted about a few weeks ago (especially considering two of the tracks appear on both releases). Contrary to their claims of making a harder and faster album this time around, my previous assessment of the EP holds true here: they’re not telling the whole truth.

Sure, it starts out with “Invisible Colony,” undoubtedly their hardest and fastest track yet. But the precedent the song sets is multi-faceted — while its quick as a bullet it also crams in a half-dozen rock-solid hooks and some of Thomas Barnett’s most infectious vocal melodies yet. Be forewarned: these tricks are going to be repeated a dozen more times in the next half hour.

“I’m Your Opposite Number” slows the pace down immediately after, comprising one of the group’s poppiest numbers since Exit English. Through the length of the album they vacillate back and forth between tunes that incorporate hardcore elements and those that utilize more thoughtful, sensitive, and melodic properties.

But there’s a fine line between a genuine rallying cry and and a platitude. I’m sure there will be zealots within the hardcore scene that will decry Barnett’s lamentations of U.S. xenophobia and border policy (”We are the ghosts of the fear of human rights/just beyond your security lights,” “This world is bigger than this/bigger than lies from our governments”) as little more than sloganeering. Who will dismiss “Hand of Glory” because of its soaring vocal melody, completely missing the indictment of first-world government’s economic priorities contained in the lyrics. Those who would argue that “Failed State”’s bleak view of societal evolution is misguided.

But try listening to the relentless pace and fury of “Spectacular,” the ceaseless insistence of “Omega Footprint,” the inherent wrongness of racial politics in “Summerpunks,” the powerful regret of lives lost due to failing war policies of “Western Scale.” Listen and then try not to feel spurred to action. Try not to feel your Western guilt. Try not to feel guilty for getting such a charge out of the music in spite of the bleak lyrical portrait.

If all that fails, cue it up to the final track. Listen as Barnett laments the history of colonialism and imperialism and the devastating impact its had on what were once sovereign nations. The dictatorships that enlist child soldiers to fight their wars. The empty promises made by the First World to make things better that never come to fruition. The reliance on near-slave labour to create prosperity in the mining sector of African nations.

That gets pretty heavy. But that’s just how Strike Anywhere rolls. Regardless of whether or not it spurs you to any kind of political action, there’s no denying that the songs on Iron Front are the most infectious this group has ever penned. Or, for that matter, some of the most infectious released anywhere by anyone in all of 2009.

Like I said, Strike Anywhere are smart folks. They likely know that some angry punk rock isn’t going to change the world. As a purely ideological exercise it obviously comes off a little one-sided; its the aural equivalent of watching a Michael Moore movie. Odds are good if you’re listening for the message its only going to reinforce your belief system. Perhaps that makes the band’s continued efforts to reach out to a wider audience all the more admirable. Either way its very inspiring to see young men that believe so strongly in their convictions.

 

 Strike Anywhere - the Crossing: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Strike Anywhere - Postcards From Home: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Iron Front will kick your ass. Get it now from Buy the EP in vinyl or digital format from Bridge 9’s site. I’m sure they’d love it if you gave iTunes your money, but maybe try something more ideologically suitable like Download Punk.

Pat entries Bridge 9 Records, hardcore, politics, punk rock, Strike Anywhere

Here’s a quick hit to brighten up your Monday afternoon.

So SPIN magazine has this thing happening. They’re doing a full-court press for the 10th anniversary of Purple Rain, an album which to be perfectly frank is mostly lost on me as far as its importance in the cultural zeitgeist goes. I mean, I like “When Doves Cry” as much as the next guy, but that’s about as far as it goes.

Anyway, so they’re doing this track-by-track cover album called Purplish Rain with a pretty diverse and kind of awesome stable of artists contributing their own takes on the songs (including SSA favourites Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings). Nothing new there, of course. The newness comes in the form of a bright and shiny teaser for the next project from noisy hardcore geniuses the Bronx.

Maybe hardcore isn’t the right word. The Bronx are a riotously noisy band that cranked it past 11 a long time ago and have never looked back. Check out the first track below for proof. “Shitty Future” is a bruising cut from their first self-titled album, a ball of unfettered fury and buzzsaw guitars that will literally explode your ears in a live setting.

But the Bronx are an enigmatic group of fellows, apparently with some deep Latin roots. That’s why they’re releasing a full-length album of mariachi music later this year.

Yeah. Mariachi tunes.

As a warm-up, the band (under the slightly skewed moniker Mariachi el Bronx) recorded a cover of “I Would Die 4 U” for the Purplish Rain release. And it’s AWESOME. If I knew enough about mariachi music to speak about it critically I would happily do so, but since I don’t I’ll plead willful ignorance and just say that I enjoy the hell out of it.

Mariachi El Bronx is out in late August.

 

 the Bronx - Shitty Future [2:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Mariachi el Bronx - I Would Die 4 U: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Check out past Bronx releases on their website, through iTunes, and maybe InterPunk?

Pat entries el Bronx, hardcore, mariachi, Mariachi el Bronx, rock, the Bronx

If Regina’s music scene has an abundance of anything, its bands that take themselves seriously. Very seriously. Call Molten Lava the antithesis of that mentality.

The two-piece noise-mongers are not only the “shredliest” band currently operating in Regina, they also have more talent per member than pretty much any band ever. Drummer Tristan Helgason has been gigging around the city for more than a decade, starting out in high school hardcore outfit 400 Strong. He graduated to two high-profile gigs after that, replacing existing drummers in short-lived emo giants Filmmaker and Smallman Records’ Ghosts of Modern Man, the latter of which remains his current day job. He helped change the former from plodding, nearly slow-core sloths into an assured up-tempo rock band with powerfully emotional hooks. He helped reign in some of Ghosts’ more meandering tendencies, their songs becoming focused blasts of ferocity and energy. Unfortunately I don’t really know much about Liam Bryant’s musical resume, but trust me: the dude plays the bass like his father invented it and his birthright was mastering the use of that hallowed invention. Basically, the guy is a juggernaut.

Their sense of humour is clearly on display in their one and apparently only album, Sevens and Nines, and the titles of their songs. Those titles also serve as their manifesto: calling their songs “the Hunt For Shred October,” “Shred n Butter,” “Night of the Living Shred,” and “Liquid Hot Mammal” isn’t just joke-making, its also evidence of just how seriously fast and hard these men like their music.

Like many of the people that have attended their gigs in the last year and a half or so, they’re “shreddleheads” at their core. Over the course of eight songs and less than 25 minutes they craft an extremely complex and heavy sound that, on a technical level, rivals any metal or hardcore group I’ve heard recently. The most obvious touchstone for comparison would probably be the defunct Death From Above 1979, due more to the fact that they too operate with bass and drums only. But this is faster, more complex, and more cerebrally-crafted than anything that band has produced.

While the titles may seem ludicrous on the surface, they actually make some sense when incorporated with the music. Take for example “Night of the Living Shred,” which opens with an appropriately ominous bass squeal, no doubt representing the pained howl of the undead. Helgason’s relentless cymbal figure, so tight and focused it seems almost like a loop, carries over from the previous track and creates a backdrop for the song that is as unyielding as a zombie horde lumbering toward its wounded prey. It carries through the entire length of the song, its persistence communicating that escape is not possible. The remainder of the song is a furious series of Bryant’s short, quick bass runs; their savage tone and his furious fingering are akin to the brutality with which the living dead inevitably devour their prey. That track is followed by “Liquid Hot Mammal,” comprised of a rapid-fire slap bass attack that sounds like a combination of Flea, Daryl Jennifer, and Bootsy Collins. If the Red Hot Chili Peppers had a hardcore edge, they might sound like this.

While some would assume a mostly-instrumental album comprised entirely of two instruments might get a bit repetitive, Molten Lava do an admirable job of keeping you on your toes, throwing left turns into the mix on nearly every track. “Put Your Hand In The Pocket” features almost Dave Grohl-ish vocals, “Shred Life” has moments where Bryant’s bass strumming sounds more like regular guitar power chords more typical of punk rock, and “the D-Meaning” features shout-along vocals and a few decent tempo changes. Guiding the entire process along is Helgason’s stealthy, lithe, occasionally mind-bendingly great drumming.

The cherry on top of this sundae of hot lixxx is the album’s mix itself. Deliciously pushed into the red at every second, the album sounds on the brink of overheating your headphones at any second. The fact that it sounds so overpoweringly loud makes their label’s decision to press 200 copies on 180 gram vinyl all the more adorable.

But the sad news is that the era of Molten Lava is coming to an end with Bryant’s inevitable departure from the city. Followers will be given one last chance to scream the band’s name at the top of their lungs this Saturday night at the Distrikt. They’re meant to be seen live for so many reasons, mostly because they just look so alive when they play. Not only that, but they’re also the only band out there that I’ve ever witnessed performing a Refused cover that can actually do that legendary hardcore band justice. Click here for more information on the show.

 

 Molten Lava - the Hunt For Shred October: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Molten Lava - Night Of The Living Shred: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Young upstart label Harvest King Records are keeping the vinyl dream alive and you can find Sevens and Nines through their website. They also have numerous violent and energetic punk releases from other local bands.

Pat entries Canadian content, hardcore, Harvest King Records, metal, Molten Lava, punk, Regina Saskatchewan, Sevens and Nines

I’m an athiest, but I swear the decision to go see Fucked Up on Good Friday wasn’t intended to offend Jesus or his brethren. Still, the reward of an amazing presence was overwhelming enough that one could almost start to think that a higher power was looking down on us and smiling.

After a great opening band that was 100% made of metal, Toronto’s greatest hardcore band came on stage all furious ennui. That might not make much sense on the surface, but the duality of the band really comes sharply to light in a live setting.

While there are six members of the band, for 99% of the show five of them looked barely engaged in the performance aspect aside from playing their instruments (which they do flawlessly, I would point out). Disengaged from the audience, to say the least. But that’s fine, because the band’s frontman more than makes up for it.

Mr. Pink Eyes is absolutely an intimidating man: 300+ pounds, great bushy lumberjack beard, huge forehead scar (from an Iggy Pop-like moment when he shoved broken glass into his forehead and the ensuing infection), and constant teetering on the brink of total nudeness. But there’s a reason Fucked Up’s live show belongs entirely to him and that is the overwhelming sense of joy he so clearly gets from being up front. He spent about half of the set wandering the floor of the Distrikt high-fiving, hugging, and in general fucking with people. One dude even got his shirt unbuttoned and a rasberry blown on his stomach (we spoke to him after the set at O’Hanlons and he was pretty okay with it). The next moment he was carrying one of the three guitar players on his shoulders while they performed one of their shorter songs. He walked on top of one of the bars. He inspired one audience member to repeatedly jump off the balcony of the venue. He poured someone’s rye and coke into his boxer-briefs and frequently tweaked his own nipples. In every break he regaled the crowd with anecdotes and jokes, an incredible smile and a twinkle in his eye betraying the potentially-threatening appearance of a guy who bears a passing resemblance to members of Poison Idea.

The music itself obviously loses a fraction of its weight on a stage; as full a sound as three guitar players can create, its not quite the same as layering 70 guitar tracks on a single song. But while the mass of the songs may be compromised, they don’t lose an iota of their power and they gain plenty of urgency and muscle. Oh, and speed. They gain a lot of speed.

So yeah, it was highly amazing. The band was incredibly tight, the singer was ecstatic and hilarious, and the songs are the best-written songs in the whole damn country, as far as I’m concerned. I’m still pumped.

But that was also just the beginning of an incredible weekend of live Canadian punk rock. More to come!

 

 Fucked Up - Son The Father [6:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Fucked Up - Year of the Pig (US 7" edit) [3:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Don’t forget: Fucked Up stuff is still available from Matador Records and What’s Your Rupture?.

Pat entries Canadian content, Fucked Up, hardcore, live music, punk rock

I’m so psyched Fucked Up is finally going to be playing Regina in April. I’ve been looking forward to this since 2006 and my dreams are coming true!

To celebrate, here’s one of the best things I’ve seen in recent weeks: Fucked Up vocalist Damian Abraham appearing on Fox News. The host is clearly a douche nozzle, but at least he’s got good taste in (some) music.

I can hardly wait. I bet he’ll still have the glass in his skull.

 

 Fucked Up - Son The Father: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Fucked Up - Year of The Pig (US remix) [3:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Fucked Up stuff is available from Matador Records and What’s Your Rupture?.

Pat entries Canadian content, Fox news, Fucked Up, hardcore, live music, punk

This thing just sounds legendary.

While Fucked Up have been hardcore’s red-headed stepchild ever since 2006’s Hidden World, they’re on a whole other plane of existence right now. The Chemistry of Common Life is a dense, dizzying pastiche of 80’s hardcore, 70’s rock, and measured bombast and experimentation.

Those that criticized the band’s first full-length may not find much to change their minds on this record, but if you’ve enjoyed any of their work the last couple of years (in particular the flawless, majestic Year of the Pig) the rewards are rich and constant. Detractors will continue to lament the fact that their music is “challenging” simply for the sake of being challenging; that vocalist Damian Abraham has a range that’s too limited even for punk music; that their ideas are more expansive than their abilities. But it’s important to realize that every moment of this album is fully-realized and meticulously planned, that nothing happens without intent.

Whether its intentional or not the band actually does work to address some of their detractors, mostly by throwing more guest vocalists on the album than some bands have members. Right from the flute refrain that opens the first track, a minute’s worth of densely-layered guitars, and the thrilling vocals from members of Toronto’s excellent Lullabye Arkestra, if you aren’t captivated you either don’t have a pulse or are mistakenly writing this record off as noise. Fans of their older, more directly hardcore-inspired material will hate the continued “softening” of their sound, especially considering the two instrumental tracks (one of which consists of nothing more than layered guitars and is quite frankly downright pretty). It’s the best example of everything that’s going on under the surface of these songs. Matador’s press material has trumpeted the fact that the band has as many as 70 tracks on some of these songs, and the three live guitar players often contribute more than a dozen guitar parts to several songs. Each track is bursting with sound in a terrific, complicated way. The aforementioned flutes, Beach Boys harmonies on “No Epiphany,” the incredible melodies throughout and Dallas Green’s (Alexisonfire, City & Colour) vocals on “Black Albino Blues” all augment songwriting that would be captivating enough on its own.

As much as I love the music, on a lyrical level this record speaks directly to me in a very tangible way. The band asks questions surrounding the creation of life as we know it that are complex and genuine. They may come down on the opposite side of the fence as organized religion, but they also realize that too many questions go unanswered for anyone to really know anything and they allow for the wondering. Its an intelligent stance that most people don’t allow for in hardcore music and its a big part of the album’s appeal.

While the advent of auto-tuner, pop country, and Britney Spears’ resurgence prove that popular music only got dumber and lazier in 2008, Fucked Up is the antithesis of everything that was dashed off in an hour-long studio session, pitch-corrected, and soullessly mass-produced.. And if you can’t see it, you aren’t paying attention.

 

 Fucked Up - Son The Father [6:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You can buy one of the best record of the year from iTunes or Matador Record’s webstore.

Pat entries experimental, Fucked Up, hardcore, Matador Records, punk rock, the Chemistry of Common Life

2. Gaslight Anthem - the ‘59 Sound
I tried to listen to this album through new ears today, imaging what it would be like to hear it again for the first time. I couldn’t do it.

I think that might be the most complimentary thing I can say about the 59 Sound; that every time I hear it I remember every note, every chord, every backing vocal, every melody, every drum fill even. And I want to. I want to sing every note at the top of my lungs and have someone next to me singing the harmonies. It’s joy incarnate as far as I’m concerned. It’s overall the most enjoyable album of the year, by far.

3. Glass and Ashes - Glass and Ashes
It’s kind of a rare occasion when I find myself willfully putting on really, really noisy music. As much as I like punk, hardcore, and a small number of metal bands I’ve never really gotten on board with the whole noise scene. I like loud, angry music but I like it with purpose; at least, with more purpose than being difficult for the sake of being difficult.

I bought a special, limited-edition pressing of the Glass and Ashes self-titled LP on a whim when No Idea Records put up some copies of a pressing meant only to be sold at the Fest, their annual music festival in Gainseville. Something like 250 copies were made with pretty much no artwork and it is absolutely okay because the songs completely stand on their own.

The beginning track is an appropriately-titled hardcore blast. “From The Moment The Floor Dropped Out” is among the fastest, most brutal tracks on the album, a constant barrage of near-indecipherable lyrics spat with ferocity by a vocalist that sounds somehow melodic and impossibly harsh all at once. What follows is forty-five minutes of brutal music that is also at times brooding, ominous, violent, and deranged.

But it really is amazing how listenable it is when you get right down to it. There is an accessibility, a melodicism that makes the music surprisingly palatable. It’s noise, but it’s adventurous noise. As is usually the case, that stems from the fact that no matter what style of music these songs are performed in, they’re just exceedingly well-written. These guys have the potential to be huge.

Well, at least as huge as dudes in noise bands get.

 

 Glass and Ashes - Seconds Before The Floor Drops Out: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The ‘59 Sound is doing very well on iTunes and can be boughten physically from the label.
Glass and Ashes albums and other paraphernalia is made available through Steve Jobs;  and Var and the gang at No Idea Records, one of the most legit independent record labels ever.

Pat entries Best of, Gaslight Anthem, Glass and Ashes, hardcore, No Idea Records, noise, pop rock, punk rock, Side One Dummy, the Fest

Having never been around as an angry adolescent in punk’s nascent days, I’ve never really embraced the music’s early, heady music. While the early 80’s pop-punk and mid-hardcore groups (Descendents, Hüsker Dü, other SST groups) I’ve come to appreciate, the more abrasive trailblazers have always remained just outside of my grasp. Black Flag, Big Black, Minor Threat, Teen Idles, (early) Bad Brains, Circle Jerks…they just don’t have something I apparently need to gravitate towards the music.But for the first time in a long time, I find myself head-over-heels for bands with middling production, questionably abrasive vocals, (occasionally) unsophisticated arrangements, and plenty of awesome cursing. Coincidentally, it also reflects my passion for vinyl, as all of the releases I’ll reference here are out on wax.At the forefront are two of the most pleasurable releases of last year.

The fantastically-monikered Witches With Dicks’ one and only LP was listed as an “honourable mention” in my recent 2007 round-up, but as one generally does, I’m second-guessing that decision. Manual is a short, fun blast of rage and good humour — so much, in fact, that you could load it into a truck and get Steve Buscemi to drive it around the neighbourhood while he hits on 17 year-old girls. Yes, it’s angry; witness song titles like, “Die Painfully,” “Your Job Does Not Rock Balls,” “How To Cook 40 Humans,” “It’s Not Me, It’s You,” and “Fuck All Lindseys.” Kiss of Death Records has done a great job on the release as well, a nice package topped off with a 45 rpm 12″ slab of vinyl providing maximum sound quality. Abrasive as hell but smart, fast, and unexpectedly catchy.

The second front-runner is Toronto’s Fucked Up. I played the hell out of their first full-length, Hidden World, when it charted for my radio show. After releasing 30-50 7″ and 12″ singles, they put out a “debut” record filled with 5+ minute hardcore punk jams tweaked with piano, strings, organ, mandolin, and other ancillary instruments that don’t often crop up in punk rock. The Year of the Pig single was hands down the bravest and best song of 2007 in my opinion. For practical reasons (it’s 18 minutes long and would never fit on here, not to mention that I think everyone should buy it anyway) you won’t hear the song here, but instead I’m including a track from their latest release, “David Christmas.” They linked to it on their excellent blog, so I figure that’s okay. I encourage you all to buy whatever Fucked Up releases you can, as (to paraphrase Henry Rollins) this is a band riding a wave of sheer creativity and getting a tan.

New Bruises is one of those bands that I know literally nothing about, which is part of why I love them. I got their 7″ Goodbye, Middle Class from Vinyl Collective on a whim, as I try to support the dudes on the message board there that run small labels when I have a few extra bucks. Justin from Underground Communiqué loves the band, and this release is a great example of why everyone should. “Holding Pattern” is a great track, probably one of the finest of last year. Like Witches With Dicks, the band represents a sub-set of punk that bridges the (admittedly tiny) gaps between hardcore, punk, and pop-punk, reflecting what’s come to be known as the “org-core” sound most prominently played by Dillinger Four.

Two of the biggest bands in ”org-core” are O Pioneers!!! and Bomb The Music Industry! Besides their unforgivable abuse of punctuation, they are terribly interesting bands to listen to. BTMI! play a bizarre and sometimes head-spinning combination of ska and hardcore, often playing so fast they abandon human drummers altogether because they just aren’t quick enough. OP!!! began as something of a folk-punk band, but are now just a fierce two-piece with gnarly vocals and ceaseless passion. They two put out a FUCKING BRILLIANT split 10″ that would’ve made my previously-referenced Best of 2007 list if I’d received it before January 7th. BTMI!’s half is three of their most politically-charged songs to date (plus a Regina Spektor cover[?]), while OP!!!! provide their usual fiercely intense and passionate song stylings (along with typically ludicrous song titles like “You Know That Part In Superman III, Where He Is All Badass and Stuff? Yeah, I Bet That’s How You Feel Right Now”). Seriously, I can’t recommend this album enough. I would love it if you all went to Quote/Unquote Records’ website and download the whole thing for free. While you’re there, take note of the fact that it is the world’s first donation-based record label — and it’s been around for a year longer than In Rainbows. The vinyl release is being handled jointly by Asbestos Records and Team Science — both run by very nice and helpful gentlemen who are very nice and entertaining on internet message boards. Team Science has also been behind some exceedingly fantastic releases and is totally on a roll right now.So yeah, I know crusty punk rock isn’t necessarily for everyone, but I’m feeling it hard right now, so I thought I’d share.

 

 Witches With Dicks - How To Cook 40 People [1:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Fucked Up - David Christmas [4:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 New Bruises - Holding Pattern [2:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Bomb The Music Industry! - I'm Terrorfied! [2:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 O Pioneers!!! - You Know That Part In Superman III, Where He Is All Badass and Stuff? Yeah, I Bet That's How You Feel Right Now. [3:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

WITCHES WITH DICKS: iTunes has it, so does Kiss of Death and distros like No Idea
FUCKED UP: iTunes, surprisingly; also check out the blog and Deranged Records and again No Idea
NEW BRUISES: iTunes, maybe, as well as Underground Communiqué and again No Idea
BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY!: iTunes, Asbestos Records, Quote Unquote (free/donation shit), O Pioneers!!! split, No Idea
O PIONEERS!!!: iTunes, the band’s webstore has what’s still in print from various labels, No Idea

Pat entries 7" singles, Fucked Up, hardcore, Kiss of Death Records, New Bruises, O Pioneers!!!, punk rock, Team Science Records, Witches With Dicks

Heavy, technical music is a bizarre and in some ways hilarious thing. Sometimes it seems that almost every band is a genre unto itself: math rock, math metal, hardcore, extreme hardcore, metalcore, brutal core…it can get kind of silly. It also makes it hard to keep track of groups some time; I have to admit that even when you listen to the music on occasion it can be hard to tell the difference between groups (although I’m hopeful nobody is confusing Pig Destroyer with Destroyer).

Dillinger Escape Plan rose to the top of the heap with their first album. 1999’s Calculating Infinity was unanimously heralded as the flawless Holy Grail of math-core/metal-core/hardcore, a debut so daunting it took six years to craft a proper follow-up.

Now, just a few years after the release of Miss Machine, the band has unloaded their third LP on the world: Ire Works. While I personally find both near-perfect and engaging records, it’s interesting that the criticisms that plagued Miss Machine are also being levelled at the new album.

I’ve always chalked it up to people wanting to take shots at whoever happens to be on top of the game. The primary complaints with the two latter records seem to centre around the perceived softening of Infinity’s unrelenting brutality — and somehow it’s all Mike Patton’s fault.

DEP lost their original vocalist after the first album, releasing an EP with the legendary Faith No More vocalist making his usual schizophrenic mouth-sounds, and it was fucking brilliant. But when a new full-time vocalist was found and Machine was released, he was heckled for having too much of a Patton influence and for singing too much (re: at all). Despite the changes the band made on the EP, a lot of people resisted their continued presence on the next full-length. The band experimented, and if you were open to it it was incredibly exciting. But apparently, it’s not for everyone.

All in all, Ire Works might be my favourite of the three and its definitely the most intriguing by far. With only one original member left, the band has no problem diverging even further from their original path, stepping even further back from the expectations that first album created. Two songs are entirely sung — for pretty much the first time, no screaming whatsoever — and follow more traditional rock song structure, sometimes even with choruses. Of course, there are still plenty of songs with lightning-quick temp changes and blunt, constantly-shifting dynamics, guitars, and pummeling drums.

As much as a Patton influence is cited in their latter works, it seems to me there’s just as much (if not more) of a Trent Reznor fixation buried in some of these tracks, be it the techno-laced instrumental segues or the vocals in some of the darker, mostly-sung songs. It’s a truly engaging confluence of originality and influence, highlighted by “Milk Lizard,” an honest-to-god swingin’ tune that combines traditional DEP structure, a horn section, and some almost Southern-rock passages. Seriously. It’s completely insane.

Like I’ve said before, I’ll listen to pretty much anything that gives melody some consideration. It might not be easy for everyone to listen to, but Ire Works has it in spades, even if it takes some work to access it. It’s also one of the heaviest album of the year…and definitely one of the best.

 

 DEP - Fix Your Face [2:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 DEP - Black Bubblegum [4:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 DEP - Milk Lizard [3:55m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

DEP albums can be found from:iTunes: Two places: here for older stuff, here for newer stuff.
Relapse Records: All sorts of stuff here.

Pat entries Dillinger Escape Plan, evolution, experimental, hardcore