Sound Salvation Army

I never really got into Latterman.

The punk rockers from Long Island, New York were beloved by the org-core crowd for the few years they were together, heralded for their, “gruff vocals and blend of pop punk.” Reviewers fawned, stating, “The choruses are huge and fun and the melodies are dangerously contagious.” All of which I like, but for some reason I just never latched on to the band.

A lot of people were heart-broken when the group disbanded, but it wasn’t long before they all moved on to new projects that are just as acclaimed. Thankfully, this time I get it — the two most prominent, at least, are amazing.

Let’s start with the image you see above, the cover art for the full-length debut from Iron Chic. They’re a band that describes themselves (on their own website, no less) as “a decent band” that plays “adequate songs.” Not straying too far from the sound that was left behind when Latterman folded, the group slings deliriously catch pop punk reminiscent of latter-era Hot Water Music. Fantastically distorted bass and surprisingly melodic singing from gruff, raspy voices are the hallmarks of Not Like This, an album that is as long on passion as it is short on running time.

Admittedly the band’s sound here is not world’s apart from what they’ve done previously, but it is a fair shot at moving on to bigger things. The vocal hooks here are huge and the lyrics they convey, while liberally peppered with a particularly volatile curse word (”fuck,” if we’re being honest; this blog is already “rated r”) read like a stately position paper on personal politics and the politics of the person, about the merits of eschewing the lazy trappings of modern life in favour of personal accountability and never-say-die initiative to improve your own situation.

Despite that message, however, these words and sentiments have a decidedly less-than-cheery outlook. It feels like every inch of ground Iron Chic makes up is a fight, like the world around them is oppressive (probably more true than not) and is either filled with those looking to hold them back or those who blithely carry on through their day, ignorant of the state of the world around them.

For me the most resonant and relevant track is “Timecop,” a stand-out track that was actually re-recorded after appearing on their first demo. The song is a manifesto about leaving the past, no matter how glorious it may seem, in the past and moving on to something bigger and better. The band knows the memories of their youthful past experiences may be sweet, but dwelling on the past has never gotten anyone anywhere.

While a sense of not-quite-despair but not-even-close-to-happiness permeates many of the songs, the band wisely ends things on a rare note of positivity. While the majority of “Every Town Has An Elm Street” focuses on the need so many young people feel to retreat from their home city in search of something better, it also examines the same notion from the perspective of someone who has chosen to stick around and focused on making themselves better despite their environment. “From a thousand miles away,” Jason Lubrano, formerly of Small Arms Dealer, sings, “It’s a brand new day/and we all find our way home/home is where the heart stays/when the heart strays/home is where we are today.” It’s a statement that applies as much to the band’s position as it does to the characters in the song; regardless of starting a new band there’s a larger idea and effort the group is continuing to try and inspire in its listeners. That insistence is admirable and the songs are definitely there to back up the sentiment.

On the other side of the ex-Latterman coin, Bridge and Tunnel are only slightly more prolific, issuing a number of singles and splits in the last few years. The group’s take on punk is slightly more removed, retaining an obvious Hot Water Music influence combined with equal parts Fugazi. Reviewers have identified elements of finger-tapped guitars in the vein of Minus The Bear, aggressive post-hardcore, and American Football-style instrumentation.

I only know what about half of that means, but I know what I like and I like Bridge and Tunnel. I also like their 2010 EP, Indoor Voices, and I hope it isn’t the last chapter in their story (it’s the last batch of songs recorded before the group’s bassist/one of their singers left the line-up).

Not venturing too far from their previous releases, the band’s consistently-aggressive shout-singing has become more melodic than ever. The group benefits from having four unique voices delivering their words, constantly layering their tracks with back-up vocals and harmonies that reflect and enhance their slinky, progressive songwriting and phenomenal instrumentation.

Opener “Predecessors” is an inspired choice to begin the too-short set: the intricate guitar work is riffy, weaving their way in and around each other while the band’s quickest, catchiest rhythm yet amps up the energy. The band sings about the plight of our elderly, those whose legacy is taken for granted as they’re left to die on their own, segregated from family and society. On one hand it seems almost criminal for such a catchy song to be couched in such a dire sentiment, but on the other perhaps a catchy song is what’s needed to make people pay attention.

The five-song set continues pushing the band’s socially-minded agenda. They talk about how people are sold a rotten bill of goods through flighty consumerist trends, how routine and soul-crushing it is to live in the real world and have the same experiences over and over, and the downside of the transitory lifestyle of a musician.

The passion is the thing, with Bridge and Tunnel, and it’s a tangible passion that few other bands have ever felt, let alone sustained.

It’s interesting how the former Lattermen in both bands are definitely the minority of total members, but there are commonalities in both: each group has their own social agenda focusing on personal politics and the inherent shortcomings of society and the world around them but their music belies the somewhat dour nature of it all. I’m sure they’d all bristle at the notion of being thought of as “ex-Latterman” (they’re also ex-Slingshot Dakota, ex-Fellow Project, ex-Small Arms Dealer, ex-Agent, and ex-Regarding I), but regardless of their own musical origin it’s good to know that talented musicians don’t let the demise of one project prevent them from reaching even greater heights.

 

 Iron Chic - Time Cop [2:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Iron Chic - Know What I Mean, Jellybean? [3:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Bridge & Tunnel - The Staples: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Old Iron Chic releases can be found in their physical form at Dead Broke Records and on iTunes.

Bridge and Tunnel is a proud product of No Idea Records, where you’ll find vinyl and CDs galore. They’re also on iTunes.

Pat entries Bridge and Tunnel, ex-members, Iron Chic, Latterman, New York, No Idea Records, pop punk, post rock, punk rock, second chances

It seems like every punk in the world is setting aside their power chords and picking up an acoustic guitar these days. I have to say, it’s getting a bit tired.

Too often there’s some kind of affectation to it, like the only kind of non-punk music punks feel comfortable playing is something akin to old outlaw country: songs about booze, bottles, women, and hard times. Fun at first you guys, but you’ll never be as good as Drag The River so why bother trying (Greg Graffin of Bad Religion being one of the worst purveyors of warmed-over country and Americana on albums so bad even the Weakerthans couldn’t save them)?

Chris Wollard’s solo work has proven much more satisfying to me, an example of what can happen when a truly gifted musician follows whatever muse captures him. While the first solo track he put out was acoustic it had much more of a straightforward rock or pop feel. His surprisingly flawless debut full-length, recorded with his band The Ship Thieves, spanned a ridiculous amount of rock niches from 90’s alternative to power pop to sensitive ballad.

No one would ever mistake Wollard’s previous full-time gig in Hot Water Music as immature, so it sounds not-quite-accurate to call his solo/Ship Thieves work more mature. It’s a different kind of mature, with tracks on the self-titled LP carrying a decidedly grown-up tone. “All The Same” is about a couple who fall asleep on the couch watching a movie, foregoing a night out for a night of rest. “Oh, Whatever” sounds like an apathetic anthem on the surface but it’s informed by enough age and experience to feel genuine and reasoned in its misanthropy. “Hey B” resonates with the endless weariness that only decades on the road can create.

Which brings us to Wollard and the Ship Thieves 2010 release, an untitled 7″ with two songs that showcase how much further the band has moved ahead of that first album. Both songs are considerably more up-tempo; A-side cut “Anybody Else” is the most rocking song they’ve committed to tape yet. The song has an insistent, bouncy bass line and a simple pop-rock guitar chord progression that doesn’t even bother to try taking center-stage. The constant snare strikes push the song along with every beat and you can see the smile on Wollard’s face despite his consistently-gruff singing.

“Left To Lose” is slightly reminiscent to the LP’s “You Always Leave,” thanks to it’s brushed-snare drumbeat, vaguely recalling country the latter’s country leanings. Wollard’s acoustic guitar, world’s away from the damaged back-porch sound of he and fellow HWM frontman Chuck Ragan’s Rumbleseat recordings, takes the lead once again with a bright set of open chords and a sprightly-picked lead. The catchy chorus may be short on words but it’s long on hooks, the falsetto sections bringing Wollard closer to genuine crooning than he’s come before.

It’s clear Wollard and the band have come into their own as a cohesive unit, operating under a hive mind that is producing songs that are as dense, brief, and catchy as possible. The body of work he’s released under his own name is definitely more full-realized than The Draft, the band he formed after HWM’s collapse with HWM’s bassist and drummer. That project seemed like it was still aiming for HWM territory but was unable to reconcile the fact that that previous outlet simply didn’t exist anymore, that the dynamic had shifted. This 7″ may only be two songs that end far too quickly but it’s enough to make it clear that this band is a living, breathing entity, that is fully realized and has its best work ahead of it.

Oh yeah…and then there’s this thing.

Or more specifically these things. It was a busy year for Hot Water Music, just like it was for Chris Wollard and the Ship Thieves. His reunited band continued to play gigs all over the world and No Idea Records, HWM’s long-time home, continued to issue new volumes in their Live In Chicago 7″ series. We’re up to four now and it’s a magnificent collection, especially for die-hard fans like me who haven’t yet been able to find their way to one of those shows.

Captured at a reunion date at Chicago’s legendary Metro theatre, each record contains four songs from what was a speedy, lively, and furious set. Some of the records are mostly old songs, some are split, some have mostly new songs, but all see the band firing on all cylinders and not missing a single intricate note.

The packaging is terrific. Each record is on its own colour of vinyl, corresponding with the coloured insert in the record, and the covers are die-cut with the band’s classic logo.

Just for fun, here’s a few of those tracks for fans like me. I’ve been lucky enough to be on top of the order rushes when they go on sale, but each of the four volumes is now completely sold out. Var, No Idea’s mastermind, has indicated that we’ll get up to at least six chapters so make sure you keep your eye peeled.

 

 Chris Wollard & the Ship Thieves - Left To Lose [2:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Chris Wollard & the Ship Thieves - The Same To You: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Hot Water Music - It's Hard To Know (live at the Metro) [3:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Hot Water Music - Rooftops (live at the Metro) [2:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Hot Water Music - A Flight and A Crash [2:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Hot Water Music - Alachua (live at the Metro) [3:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You can get the second pressing of the Anybody Else 7″ from Sound Study Recordings in their web store. It’s a limited run of 500! On lavender vinyl! The always-amazing No Idea Records also has them for sale in their distro catalog. No digital for this little number, but iTunes has the eponymous LP.

Pat entries 7" singles, Best of, Best of 2010, Chris Wollard, Chris Wollard and the Ship Theives, Hot Water Music, indie rock, live music, No Idea Records, pop rock, reunings, rock

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

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