Reversal Of Man

December 14, 2019, 12:00 pm

Reversal Of Man were a screamo/hardcore band from Tampa, Florida that began in 1995 and disbanded in 2000. It is my absolute delight to realize one of the most quintessential "screamo" bands have not been posted on here yet, and I can share their discography before this decade ends. It's another reminder that there is truly an endless amount of material to be posted, even if its this late in the life of this blog. Reversal Of Man are an incredibly influential act, who blended the developing sounds of hardcore, powerviolence, grindcore, emo, post-hardcore and screamo into their own niche blend. This developed in a non-existent Florida scene, or at least one that allowed for the progressive and forward-thinking political statements RoM set out to make (especially in regards to the emerging neo-Nazism perceived in the punk scene).

To this day, they stand as one of the most talented, prolific, and influential bands of their genre, and are undoubtedly vital in developing the sound we've all come to know and love. They had a lengthy discography spanning multiple splits and various releases, but the majority is readily available below. Most notably it includes an EP and an LP (Revolution Summer and This Is Medicine respectively), in addition to a semi-full compilation aptly titled Discography which includes all tracks released in their tenure, aside from the aforementioned releases. They also released a posthumous split with fellow Florida natives Combatwoundedveteran, in which both sides are worth your time to listen to. Like I said, I can't believe I have yet to post a band I consider "essential" to the genre, and I thoroughly hope you enjoy. There's also a great (albeit brief) retrospective here, which includes some breakdowns of their most well-known tracks.

Revolution Summer (1998)

1. The Set Up

2. Quantis

3. P3-1

4. Wives Tale

5. Hollowbody

6. Get The Kid With The Sideburns

7. Look Back And Laugh

This Is Medicine (1999)

1. January Twenty Second

2. Enoch Ardon

3. Fashion Cowboys

4. The Houngen

5. Butterflies

6. Mittens And Muzzles

7. Bless The Printing Press

8. The Lottery

9. Dying On Cue

10. Conjecture

11. Hills Have Eyes

12. Transfer Zounds

13. Hand Me Complaints Please

14. Rubberneck Telepathy

15. Idle Adolescents

16. Twenty Second Example Of Repetitive Nature

Discography (2001)

1. These Hills Have Eyes

2. I'm A New York Detective...

3. Pilot Gumby

4. Theory Of Lamastra

5. Slingshot

6. Plaster Of Paris

7. No Longer

8. Roswell

9. B.A. Baracas

10. Silver Pieces Of Eight

11. Patty's Lucky Number 7

12. Spectactle

13. A Child's Dream

14. 11B

15. Aura

16. Chupacabra (Goatsucker)

17. 1 Of 3

18. Song 7

19. Roswell

20. Independence Day

21. Scenery

22. Eagle And Arrow

23. Assembly

24. No Longet

25. Control

26. Obsession

27. Mercy

Electric Youth Crew (2002)

1. Reversal Of Man - Game of Chess

2. Reversal Of Man - Fire Sermon

3. Reversal Of Man - What The Thunder Said

4. Reversal Of Man - Burial Of The Dead

5. Reversal Of Man - Death By Water

6. Combatwoundedveteran - Pieces Of Judith

7. Combatwoundedveteran - Plagarezing The Father

8. Combatwoundedveteran - ....And Now That I Am Cornered By Vermin

9. Combatwoundedveteran - F That We're Not Here To Have Fun

Bandcamp

↧

Song of Zarathustra

December 17, 2019, 12:00 pm

≫ Next: Rise And Fall

≪ Previous: Reversal Of Man

Song of Zarathustra were a screamo/hardcore band from Sioux City, Iowa that began in 1997 and broke up in early 2003. They also took a brief hiatus beginning in 1998 and ending in 2000. They were a fairly prolific band, with a discography spanning numerous releases, and still stand as a unique band in their hardcore/screamo hybrid sound. They brought the traits of the genre, including intensive vocals, mesh of dissonant and octave chords, dark bass lines and rolling, heavy drums to the table, but with an energy that's distinctly their own. Having said that, fans of bands such as Antioch Arrow and Swing Kids will probably hear some of Song of Zarathustra's influences seep through. The band also utilized an organ in some songs (moreso in their later releases, when they really came into their own sound), which brings a whole new element to the table not commonly heard in songs like these. On a side note, Tad Kubler was their guitarist for a while, who went on to play in The Hold Steady post-Song of Zarathustra. Enjoy.

Song Of Zarathustra (1997)

1. One Strike At Romance

2. Murder In La-Jolla

3. Save Our Ship

4. Science, Science

5. Ramirez-Lira

Song Of Zarathustra/Johnny Angel (1998)

1. Song Of Zarathustra - Recommend For Digestion

2. Song Of Zarathustra - Black And Blue Award

3. Johnny Angel - Mercks

4. Johnny Angel - Yearbook

Song Of Zarathustra Vs. Spread The Disease (1998)

1. Spread The Disease - Cyst Of The Unborn

2. Spread The Disease - Black Eyed

3. Song Of Zarathustra - Theme For Bastard Children

The Birth Of Tragedy (2000)

1. Intro

2. Mess Of Zero

3. With Hands That Bleed

4. The Great Longing

5. The Evening Beat

6. Deep Yellow And The Burning Red

7. The Birth Of Tragedy

8. Science, Science

9. Cry Of Distress

10. The Stillest Hour

11. Machinist Union

12. Outro

Bote des Zorns (2001)

1. Inaccurate Accuracy

2. Half Mass

3. Quantity At Hand

4. Messenger Of Heat

2 Song EP (2001)

1. A Poisonous Movement

2. Lude Boy

A View From High Tides (2002)

1. We Scholars

2. Shakes In Pain

3. Find A Grave

4. Pill Catcher

5. Half Mass

6. A Poisonous Movement

7. Inaccurate Accuracy

8. The Messenger Of Heat

9. Tame

10. Time Passing

Near And Far Vol. 2 (2003)

1. Racebannon - Waltz Of El Diablo, Part I

2. Racebannon - Satan's Kickin' Yr Dick In, Part IV

3. Racebannon - Waltz Of El Diablo, Part II

4. Racebannon - Satan's Kickin' Yr Dick In, Part V

5. Song Of Zarathustra - Establishing An Introduction, Part I

6. Song Of Zarathustra - All Cries Of Accidents, Part II

7. Song Of Zarathustra - A Plan To End All Plans, Part III

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Rise And Fall

December 18, 2019, 5:36 pm

≫ Next: Best Of 2019

≪ Previous: Song of Zarathustra

Rise And Fall were a four-piece hardcore band from Ghent, Belgium that began in 2002 and have been inactive since 2012. They put out four full-lengths in their time, three of which were through Deathwish Inc. Additionally, they put out a split (below as bonus tracks on Hellmouth), an EP and a live album (which was from their 2012 record release show). They also put out a demo which I unfortunately do not have. Sonically, they took influence from metallic hardcore and crust punk, and would appeal to fans of bands such as Trap Them, Tragedy, Integrity, and Converge. With their four flawless albums, they are one of most consistent and essential hardcore acts to come out in the past 20 years or so, and I cannot recommend them enough. Enjoy.

Hellmouth (2004)

1. When They Come Down

2. Bottom Feeder

3. Hellmouth

4. As The City Burns

5. Where Ghosts Roam

6. Collapse

7. Tongue Tied

8. Turn And Run

9. Give And Take

10. Running Out Of Time

11. Kingdom of Heaven

Into Oblivion (2005)

1. Forked Tongue

2. Failure Is As Failure Does

3. The Noose

4. Live In Sin

5. The Void

6. Into Oblivion

7. Stakes is High

8. To Hell And Back

9. Lost Among The Lost

10. Ruins

Clawing (2007)

1. Clawing

2. Bottom Feeder

3. Them Bones (Alice In Chains cover)

Our Circle Is Vicious (2009)

1. Soul Slayer

2. Built On Graves

3. Harm's Way

4. It's A Long Way Down

5. To The Bottom

6. In Circles

7. Het Oof Van De Storm

8. Stillborn

9. Present Tense

10. Knowing

Deceiver b/w Sinking in Sin (2011)

1. Deceiver

2. Sinking in Sin

Faith (2012)

1. A Hammer And Nails

2. Deceiver

3. The Gallows Await

4. Burning At Both Ends

5. Things Are Different Now

6. Breathe

7. Hidden Hands

8. Escapism

9. Dead Weight

10. Faith / Fate

Alive In Sin (2019)

1. Dead Weight

2. Bottom Feeder

3. Into Oblivion

4. Failure Is As Failure Does

5. Breathe

6. It's A Long Way Down

7. Hidden Hands

8. The Noose

9. The Gallows Await

10. Deceiver

11. Forked Tongues

12. In Circles

13. Faith / Fate

Bandcamp

Deathwish

↧

Best Of 2019

December 20, 2019, 4:57 pm

≫ Next: Minor Threat

≪ Previous: Rise And Fall

As promised, here is my "best of" list for 2019, with some of my favourite albums to come out in the past year. Keep in mind this purely based on personal preference and not any kind of critical assessment. Additionally, the ranking is all pretty relative, so take the numbering with a grain of salt. This one was especially hard to put together, and I'm sure my listing will change by next week. I just want get this out before it goes through yet another endless revision. Please let me your favourite albums/songs/whatever from this year, as well as what albums I'm missing and my list sucks. If you are a strong enough person to pick favourites from this decade (I tried and failed), let me know those as well, I am genuinely curious to know. Without further ado, voila:

Honourable Mentions:
Gatecreeper - Deserted
Sect - Blood Of The Beasts
Defeater - Defeater
Origami Angel - Somewhere City
Hesitation Wounds - Chicanery

50

Sleater-Kinney - The Center Won't Hold

Have a Nice Life - Sea of Worry

Macseal - Super Enthusiast

Nuvolascura - Nuvolascura

Joliette - Luz Devora

Downhaul - Before You Fall Asleep

Overo - Overo

43

Abuse Of Power - What On Earth Can We Do?

Full of Hell - Weeping Choir

Somos - Prison On A Hill

Laura Stevenson - The Big Freeze

Free Throw - What's Past Is Prologue

Priests - The Seduction Of Kansas

James Blake - Assume Form

Vampire Weekend - Father Of The Bride

Swans - Leaving Meaning

Pkew Pkew Pkew - Optimal Lifestyles

Thom Yorke - Anima

The Hold Steady - Thrashing Thru The Passion

Amygdala - Our Voices Will Soar Forever

Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

Fury - Failed Entertainment

State Faults - Clairvoyant

Blood Incantation - Hidden History Of The Human Race

26

American Football - LP3

Mount Eerie / Julie Doiron - Lost Wisdom pt. 2

Shin Guard - 2020

Soul Glo - The Nigga In Me Is Me

Greet Death - New Hell

Great Grandpa - Four of Arrows

Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow

clipping. - There Existed An Addiction To Blood

Frail Body - A Brief Memoriam

Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center

Oso Oso - Basking In The Glow

The Menzingers - Hello Exile

Black Midi - Schlagenheim

Brockhampton - Ginger

Angel Olsen - All Mirrors

JPEGMAFIA - All My Heroes Are Cornballs

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen

La Dispute - Panorama

Danny Brown - uknowhatimsayin¿

FKA twigs - MAGDALENE

Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell!

Bon Iver - i,i

Tyler, The Creator - IGOR

The Drew Thomson Foundation - The Drew Thomson Foundation

PUP - Morbid Stuff

The National - I Am Easy To Find

And that is it. Thank you for sticking with this blog through its most inactive year to date, it's a major driving factor in keeping this thing going. I have one more post to go for this year, and then we'll be back in 2020. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and I'll see ya soon.

↧

Minor Threat

December 29, 2019, 4:38 pm

≫ Next: Glass Beach

≪ Previous: Best Of 2019

This is the last post of 2019, and the last post of the decade. It's weird to think of how much time has passed since its inception and existence for the better half of the 2010s. When trying to come up with a band to close out this "chapter" with, it just made more and more sense to use Minor Threat as a bookend this decade. They are one of the sorely missed bands not yet posted here, and were monumental in my personal discovery of all things punk/hardcore/indie related.

Since day one of this blog I have been averse to posting this band, because as cliche as it sounds, I didn't know what to say. Not for a lack of talking points, as there is an infinite amount of things that could be said about this well-documented band, and they have had more of a personal and profound effect on me than most artists I can think to name. After running through all the major classic rock and metal bands I could get my hands on, punk rock is the sound that began to really stand out to me. From my still-undying love of The Stooges and into the UK/New York bands of the 70's, it became my near-exclusive genre for a while, and that's what lead me to hardcore. Though all the hardcore mainstays of the 80's were massive influences (Black Flag in particular), Minor Threat stood out as a band that I just "got". Their youth-driven rebellion, anthemic songs and lyrics stuck out to me more than almost anything I had ever heard as being intensely personally relatable, which is the perfect things a kid in his earliest teen years needed to hear. Even going back now, shouting along to every word in every line to myself is an incredible (albeit embarrassing) experience. This band clicked in ways nothing had before, and provided a sense of purpose and community that I was able to take with me through all the musical phases that followed. After them it was Rites Of Spring, and that underground scene just opened up so many avenues of hardcore, punk, indie, alternative, whatever genre you want to name that lead me to pretty much all the bands I still love now. As dumb and cliche as it might sound, at the time music like this made me less alone, and have really stuck with me and shaped who I am today. Or something like that, this is long-winded, indulgent and boring so I'll cut it off here.

I don't want to delve too much into their history, since it's 2019; we have the internet, you don't need my third-person iteration of it. So to just give you a quick overview, Minor Threat were a four-piece (and for a time five-piece) hardcore punk band from Washington, DC that began in 1980. They were formed by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson after their former band The Teen Idles broke up. The two aforementioned people also co-founded Dischord Records, a seminal DC punk label that released all of Minor Threat's music, as well as a slew of other notable artists. Joining them was also Lyle Preslar (State of Alert, Samhain) and Brian Baker (Dag Nasty, Bad Religion). Early on in their career they released two EP's, both of which have become staples in the hardcore punk entry canon. After a brief hiatus in 1982, they returned as a five-piece with their sole LP in 1983, Out Of Step, saw the band expanding on the minute-long bursts of aggression they first produced. Shortly after the band called it quits, with its members wanting to move in different creative directions and mixed feelings to the increasing violence of hardcore shows. Their posthumous EP Salad Days explores this topic in depth more, and features a vastly different sound from their raw, unbridled origins. Members of Minor Threat remained very active in the music world, with them playing in a slew of incredible bands after, including Fugazi, Embrace, The Evens, Bad Religion, Dag Nasty, and Samhain.

In regards to their discography, the most essential is definitely the Complete Discography, thus why I listed it first. This includes all their recorded material in one compilation. The only things below it does not include are the tracks from the 20 Years of Dischord compilation, as well as the First Demo. I listed all their releases individually as well, in case you want to grab them all for individual artwork or track listings. On a slight side note, their first two EP's were released together in 1984, thus why you may sometimes see them listed as one album. As far as I'm concerned, their discography is one of the absolute most essential things ever posted on here, so please do enjoy, and Happy New Year!

Complete Discography (1989)

1. Filler

2. I Don't Wanna Hear It

3. Seeing Red

4. Straight Edge

5. Small Man, Big Mouth

6. Screaming At A Wall

7. Bottled Violence

8. Minor Threat

9. Stand Up

10. 12XU

11. In My Eyes

12. Out Of Step (With The World)

13. Guilty Of Being White

14. Steppin' Stone

15. Betray

16. It Follows

17. Think Again

18. Look Back And Laugh

19. Sob Story

20. No Reason

21. Little Friend

22. Out Of Step

23. Chasing In

24. Stumped

25. Good Guys (Don't Wear White)

26. Salad Days

Minor Threat (1981)

1. Filler

2. I Don't Wanna Hear It

3. Seeing Red

4. Straight Edge

5. Small Man, Big Mouth

6. Screaming At A Wall

7. Bottled Violence

8. Minor Threat

In My Eyes (1981)

1. In My Eyes

2. Out Of Step (With The World)

3. Guilty Of Being White

4. Steppin' Stone

Flex Your Head (1982)

10. Stand Up

11. 12XU (Wire cover)

Note: Minor Threat tracks only

Out Of Step (1983)

1. Betray

2. It Follows

3. Think Again

4. Look Back And Laugh

5. Sob Story

6. No Reason

7. Little Friend

8. Out Of Step

9. Cashing In

Salad Days (1985)

1. Stumped

2. Good Guys (Don't Wear White)

3. Salad Days

20 Years Of Dischord (2002)

5. Straight Edge (Live)

6. Understand

9. Asshole Dub

Note: Minor Threat tracks only

First Demo Tape (2003)

1. Minor Threat

2. Stand Up

3. Seeing Red

4. Bottled Violence

5. Small Man, Big Mouth

6. Straight Edge

7. Guilty Of Being White

8. I Don't Wanna Hear It

Dischord Records

Bandcamp

↧

Glass Beach

February 5, 2020, 6:34 pm

≫ Next: Short Fictions

≪ Previous: Minor Threat

Glass Beach are a four-piece band from Los Angeles, California that began in 2016. They released their debut LP last year on Run For Cover Records, which has sparked a ton of attention that continues to grow. They truly embody the "post-emo" tag, which (in this case) can be said to be some kind of emo jazz synth pop punk hybrid. The band has crafted a seamlessly unique and innovative sound, taking a myriad of influences from unexpected places to create a strangely cohesive, catchy and creatively genre-bending albums in recent years. There's far too much to really delve into here, except that it's a highly recommended listen that I think a lot of people will find something to like in. Enjoy.

the first glass beach album (2019)

1. classic j dies and goes to hell, Pt. 1

2. bedroom community

3. (forever?????????)

4. bone skull

5. neon glow

6. cold weather

7. calico

8. glass beach

9. (blood rivers)

10. dallas

11. (rat castle)

12. planetarium

13. soft!!!!!!

14. yoshi's island

15. orchids

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Short Fictions

February 5, 2020, 9:30 pm

≫ Next: Breakwater

≪ Previous: Glass Beach

Short Fictions are a four-piece emo/indie/punk band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that began in 2015. This is admittedly an entire new band for me, as I just got done listening to their latest LP, Fates Worse Than Death and felt an immediate post on them was obligatory. This was an incredible listen that features this energetic, melodic noodly midwest emo sound with the expansive catchy epics of early TWIABP. Plus you've got some fantastic vocal layerings and screamy undertones to boot. They change it up enough to keep it engaging, with each song hitting as hard as the last, with some strong lyric/songwriting and impressive musicianship to boot. This is guaranteed to be getting a lot more listens, followed by the inevitable delving into their back catalogue. Fates Worse Than Death is available on their Bandcamp for only $1, so if you are able to send some love their way, please do. Enjoy.

Demo (2015)

1. the buick is a deathtrap

2. year of the boar

Lights Ascending Out of Gloom: a Collection of Short Fictions and Poetry (2016)

1. My Somber Vacation

2. The Buick is a Deathtrap

3. Abject of Your Affection

4. Year of the Boar

5. I'm Not Depressed

6. The Disappeared

7. Teeth Falling Out of Nightmares

The Heart Is A Kaleidoscope (2017)

1. Mercury

2. Ellen (a Song About a Book)

3. The Heart Never Stops Beating

4. I'm Not Depressed

5. against all this, Youth (Song for Matthew)

There's a Dark Shadow on the Flames of the Burning Sun Pt. I (2018)

1. I Hate Everything in My Life and I Never Won't

2. In an Airplane Crash at the Peak of Mount Kilimanjaro

Fates Worse Than Death (2019)

1. Fates Worse Than Death Pt I: I Don't Want to Wait Out the Apocalypse with Anyone but You

2. Fates Worse Than Death Pt II: Anthropocene

3. Cities Under Water

4. Nothingness Lies Coiled at the Heart of Being (It’s Such a Good Feeling)

5. Really Like You

6. I’m Proud to Know You, You Are Special (Goodbye, Ryan)

7. Living In Places Like These Can Be Bad For Your Health (Can’t Live Here Anymore)

8. Property of Pigeons

Bandcamp

Facebook

↧

Breakwater

February 9, 2020, 2:13 am

≫ Next: Glassing

≪ Previous: Short Fictions

Breakwater were a four-piece hardcore/emo band from Vancouver, British Columbia that were around from 1994 to 1996. They utilized the loud/soft melodic/chaotic dynamic in the vein of Indian Summer (and originated with Slint), to give you an idea of the post-rock/hardcore blend they were working with. As expected, their discography is incredibly limited but overall very solid, with "Five" being a definite highlight. Enjoy.

Demo (1995)

1. Two

2. Four

3. One

4. Five

5. Seven

Five (1995)

1. Five

2. Seven

Closure/Breakwater (1996)

1. Closure - Servant To Silence

2. Closure - The Children's Crusade

3. Breakwater - Eleven

Compilation Songs

One

Twelve

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Glassing

February 12, 2020, 6:13 pm

≫ Next: Home Is Where

≪ Previous: Breakwater

Glassing are three-piece post-hardcore/post-rock/blackgaze band from Austin, Texas that have been around since 2015. They put out their most recent LP, Spotted Horse in May of last year, and this could very well been my most slept-on release of 2019. This album is immense, with so many sonic highs and lows with a seamless dynamic range. Influences come from all sorts of places, notably post-hardcore and black metal (particularly the tremolo picking and blast beats) for the more aggressive parts. They can just as easily take a melodic, atmospheric post-rock to the more ambient parts of songs and entire tracks. Take "A Good Death" as an example, with its slow build, ethereal shoegaze-esque vocals in the middle, and its finale of cathartic screaming and athletic drumming.

I'm not too sure what else to say except this band has blown me away with the clear musical inclination they show, and their ability to build epics through a litany of source material. Not to much the clear instrumental prowess and absolutely flooring vocal deliveries. This is blissful heaviness at its finest, and I only wish I had heard this sooner. Enjoy.

Light and Death (2017)

1. Life Wrecker

2. Human Height

3. Safe Hate

4. Jorogumo

5. Heavy Donor

6. Swathe And Spume

7. Berlunga

8. Memorial

Spotted Horse (2019)

1. When You Stare

2. Sleeper

3. Lobe

4. Coven

5. A Good Death

6. Bronze

7. Follow Through

8. Fatigue

9. Way Out

10. The Wound Is Where The Light Enters

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Home Is Where

February 12, 2020, 6:32 pm

≫ Next: The End Of The Century Party

≪ Previous: Glassing

Home Is Where are a four piece emo/indie band from Palm Coast, Florida that have been around since 2017. Above all, they a testimony to emo's constant relentless revitalization. This band takes its cues from early midwest/revival and skramz bands (with some notable The Brave Little Abacus influence) and blends it seamlessly with elements of folk (harmonica included). Their energy is fantastic, songwriting is top notch, and they bring a newness to a nostalgic familiarity that reminds you why you got into this genre in the first place. Thanks to Nick for introducing me to these guys, and enjoy.

alabama / henry (2017)

1. alabama / henry

our mouths to smile (2019)

1. alabama

2. venison

3. alsace-lorraine

4. dob bylan

5. cicada summer (we were on the roof when the ufo's came)

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

↧

The End Of The Century Party

February 13, 2020, 7:00 pm

≫ Next: Harrison Bergeron

≪ Previous: Home Is Where

The End Of The Century Party were a four-piece screamo/hardcore band from Tampa, Florida that began in 1993 and broke up in 1999. They released one LP and a handful of 7"'s, which is pretty standard for a band in the scene they were kicking around in (which is the same scene that birthed Palatka. They were one of the earliest examples of emoviolence, a sound blended hardcore (and what would later become "screamo") with powerviolence influences, making their songs incredibly short, sharp and spastic outings. All their material was compiled on a discography release in 2004, which is what's below. Enjoy.

Discography 1993 - 1999 (2004)

1. Isn't It Perfectly Fucking Delightful To Be So Goddamn Certain

2. Crash Course In Fatherhood

3. Ask My Exorcist Or School Psychiatrist

4. Become A Part, Come Apart

5. The Only Reason You Say You're A Vampire Is Because Werewolves And Frankenstein Don't Get Laid

6. Swear The Barrel

7. Devolution Defined

8. With Breakfast In The Morning

9. People Aint No Damn Good And Shit

10. Everything Stops

11. 102

12. Always On The Outskirts, Enthusiastically Missing The Point

13. Circles Gather

14. With No Regard

15. They Built A City Out Of Radish Dust

16. Knocked Into Place

17. Clean Shot

18. Filed

19. I'm Your Pusher

20. So Long

21. Hope Me Blind

22. Childhood Hopes (Of Self Defense)

23. Older Than Dead

24. Convenience Store Regular

25. Let Me Go

26. Only Attempt

27. Preserving Shit

28. Spermy

29. Centralized Knowledge

30. Numb

31. So Long (Demo)

32. Only Attempt (Demo)

33. Centralized Knowledge (Demo)

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Harrison Bergeron

February 14, 2020, 6:40 am

≫ Next: Amber Inn

≪ Previous: The End Of The Century Party

"Come back and make up a goodbye at least, let's pretend we had one." Would the year be complete without a reminder of your inconsolable loneliness? Absolutely not, thus we end up back here on Valentine's Day with another lonely hearts club band. Since 2013, this dismal day has been spent with the screamiest of bands and Sunshine-iest of quotes to pour all your empty sorrows into. It's a day to reflect on the absolute nothingness that has continued to fester since all of this got started. This year's saddition is Harrion Bergeron, which I have sorely neglected in posting thus far, but thankfully "Darkness Washed Over The Dude" was meant to be this year's sadgasm anthem. I'll also include all previous entries in the comments if rock bottom wasn't low enough.

Harrison Bergeron were a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania screamo/emo band that were around from 2005 to 2006. They played a blend of classic screamo in the vein of Saetia and Neil Perry, with a hint of midwestern emo, making them semi-comparable to Make Me. They later went all-out in the emo vein, with members of Harrison Bergeron later playing in seminal bands Street Smart Cyclist and Boy Problems. Thought they never received tons of attention, their sole EP Dead Bergeron has been consistently passed around the webs of the internet, never letting it die out, and for good reason. This is a collection of fantastic tracks full of raw, unhinged goodness. I'm not even sure if it was ever officially released, but thankfully it's emerged more intact than your shattered heart, and meant to be played at full volume on this despised day. Just remember, things won't get better. Don't enjoy.

Dead Bergeron (2006)

1. Undead and Undone/To The Basement

2. Instrumental

3. Like Lightning, Six Billion Strong

4. Darkness Washed Over The Dude

5. Kick It To The Curb

6. Speak On It

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Amber Inn

February 21, 2020, 6:54 pm

≫ Next: The High Cost Of Playing God

≪ Previous: Harrison Bergeron

Amber Inn were a four-piece emo/hardcore band from Sacramento, California that were around from 1994 to 1998. They were foundational in the dark and dynamic Dischord-influenced hardcore scene that's now better known as "emo". Taking their cues from Fugazi, and along with contemporaries Indian Summer, Amber Inn ripped through songs of octave-chord and dissonant messes, shouted vocals, heavy bass, tense rhythms, and the loud/quiet Slint sound. They were one of the earlier Ebullition Records bands, and one of the many flagship bands that label put out. Their sole LP, All Roads Lead Home is one of the greatest documents in 90's emo, and was later re-released to function as a discography album, including all their released material (which was mostly put out on 7"'s). Enjoy.

All Roads Lead Home (2000)

1. Leave With Dignity

2. Shouldering Reflex

3. A Thousand Spotlights

4. Sandpaper My Eyes

5. The Inherent Purity Of Rain In May

6. This Is Not An Entrance

7. Salvage Mission

8. The Sky Is Blue

9. Life Instantaneous

10. Through The Blinds

11. Out Like Irsay

12. Serenity In Hand

13. Wednesday Streak

14. Winter She Whispered

15. Hint Taken

16. Dead Calm

17. Martyr Complex

18. With Regrets

19. Flamingo Stance

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The High Cost Of Playing God

February 28, 2020, 7:37 pm

≫ Next: Gulch

≪ Previous: Amber Inn

The High Cost Of Playing God are a four-piece metalcore band from Austin, Texas that have been around since at least 2019. They recently dropped a four-track EP with notable influence coming from early era Converge (as the band name would suggest). They pull off this sound flawlessly while keeping it fresh and avoid the trappings of direct derivativeness. Definitely recommend for fans of classic 90's metalcore. Enjoy!

The Leech (2019)

1. The Leech

The High Cost Of Playing God (2020)

1. Judge, Jury, Executioner

2. Sanity

3. Better Method

4. Release

Bandcamp

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Gulch

February 28, 2020, 7:40 pm

≫ Next: Frances Quinlan

≪ Previous: The High Cost Of Playing God

Gulch are a five-piece hardcore band from Santa Cruz, California that have been around since at least 2016, thought its members have been active in tons of local bands prior. They came together to create some of the most unhinged and unpredictable hardcore in recent years, taking on a blend of metallic hardcore and death metal influence to create chaos in its purest form. Burning Desire To Draw Last Breath is a virtually perfect EP, and a good jumping off point to get into one of the most explosive bands around. From the looks of their live shows, they are front runners in setting the bar for hardcore this decade, so I am more than pumped to see what they do next. Enjoy.

Demolition Of Human Construct (2017)

1. Lie, Deny, Sanctify

2. Eco-terror

3. Monolith

Burning Desire To Draw Last Breath (2018)

1. Contemplate/Enact

2. Flesh Pursuit

3. Burning Desire To Draw Last Breath

4. R.S.A.

5. E.P.T.S.

6. Gruel For The Beast

2019 Promo (2019)

1. Cries of Pleasure, Heavenly Pain

2. Self-Inflicted Mental Terror

Bandcamp

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Frances Quinlan

March 26, 2020, 5:01 pm

≫ Next: The Newfound Interest In Connecticut

≪ Previous: Gulch

Frances Quinlan is an indie rock singer/songwriter best known as being the founding member and primary songwriter of Hop Along. Earlier this year she released her debut solo LP on Saddle Creek Records. As expected, her powerhouse voice and incredible lyrical abilities are on full display, while the guitar-heavy sound of Hop Along are put on the backburner in favour of some more varied instrumentals. She has an incredible knack for crafting pop songs that teeter the line of simplicity and intricacy, and any new material from her is more than welcome. It's unique enough to set itself apart from her previous work, though I would still highly recommend any Hop Along fan give this a listen if you haven't heard it yet. Enjoy.

Likewise (2020)

1. Piltdown Man

2. Your Reply

3. Rare Thing

4. Detroit Lake

5. A Secret

6. Went To LA
7. Lean

8. Now That I'm Back

9. Carry The Zero (Built to Spill cover)

Website

Saddle Creek

Twitter

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The Newfound Interest In Connecticut

March 26, 2020, 5:03 pm

≫ Next: Slow Fire Pistol

≪ Previous: Frances Quinlan

The Newfound Interest In Connecticut were a post-rock/post-hardcore/emo band from Toronto, Ontario that were around from at least 2002 to 2005-ish. I can't find too much info on this band, so if anyone knows anything please do feel free to share. Additionally, they apparently put out a split and EP prior to the sole full-length they are best known, but I can't find any of those. Thus, we've got just the LP here. It's a unique collection of songs, to say the least. They fall somewhere in between Godspeed You! Black Emperor, On The Might Of Princes, and The Microphones, with some definite midwest emo background influence. Despite those comparisons, the band really does stand out on their own, without contemporaries. Tell Me About The Long Dark Path Home is meant for cold nights, and will appeal to fans of drawn-out atmospheric build-ups, math-y rhythms, and dynamic sung/spoken/screamed vocals. Enjoy.

Tell Me About The Long Dark Path Home (2005)

1. The Computers Stopped Exchanging Information

2. And Started Sharing Stories

3. And Then They Kissed

4. Okay, You Can Be Tigers, But No Crashing

5. Five Years Of Work And We Built That Song

6. And It Sings For Itself

7. I Can Hear Your Footsteps Just Outside Camp - Sah, Sah, Sah...

8. I Can See Your Breath Rising In The Air

9. On My Back Watching The Northern Lights Recede

10. The Arctic Circle

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Slow Fire Pistol

March 26, 2020, 11:51 pm

≫ Next: armywives

≪ Previous: The Newfound Interest In Connecticut

Slow Fire Pistol are a four-piece hardcore/screamo band from Atlanta, Georgia that began in 2016. They feature ex-members of Foundation, but stand on their own in the excellence in the current screamo/hardcore hybrid, especially through a recent split with the you-already-know awesome Portrayal of Guilt. Slow Fire Pistol certainly hold their own prior to that, with an insane discography to this date of all hits no misses, one I cannot recommend enough. Enjoy.

Demo (2016)

1. Place In The Sun

2. Last Waking Moment

3. Crushing The Word Numb In Your Fingertips

Moment Of Clarity (2016)

1. So Called Power

2. Manipulation 101

3. Below The Bottom

4. Month Waiting Game

Beauty (2017)

1. An Epilogue

2. A Coke And A Smile

3. Flower For My Mother

4. Beauty

5. Words

6. A Life Worth Knowing

Love Riddled With Conditions (2019)
1. Sever Myself

2. Mask

3. Circle And Squares

4. A Love That Leaves You With Nothing

5. Give Me Back My Time

6. Sanctioned Killing

Portrayal Of Guilt/Slow Fire Pistol (2020)

1. Portrayal Of Guilt - The End Of Man Will Bring Peace To This Earth

2. Slow Fire Pistol - Heart Of Discernment

Bandcamp

Facebook

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armywives

April 23, 2020, 3:24 pm

≫ Next: Ten Grand

≪ Previous: Slow Fire Pistol

armywives are a five-piece screamo band from Brooklyn and Philadelphia that seemed to have begun 2010, but have been predominantly active since 2018 (or so it seems). After a discography of early material, they released a handful of singles throughout 2019, which leads us to their self-titled debut EP, released this month via Zegema Beach Records. This is 4 blistering tracks of post-hardcore leaning screamo, which fans of bands such as Kidcrash, Eyelet, We Were Skeletons, and Pianos Become The Teeth will revel in. Enjoy.

Discography 2010-2014 (2014)

1. breathe

2. herald

3. see

4. choke

5. bygones

"thoughts + prayers"/unmarked/twenty-four karat (2019)

1. "thoughts + prayers"

2. unmarked

3. twenty-four karat

Note: Individually released tracks in 2019, included together for convenience

armywives (2020)

1. est cette vie?

2. est-ce la mort?

3. able

4. first you must die to be reborn

Cassette Available Here:

armywives

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Ten Grand

April 23, 2020, 9:40 pm

≫ Next: Infant Island

≪ Previous: armywives

Ten Grand were a four-piece post-hardcore/screamo band from Iowa City, Iowa that were around from 1998 to 2003. Up until 2001, they went by the name The Vidablue, until selling the rights to another band of the same name and changing theirs to Ten Grand. They were quite prolific in their time, releasing 3 LP's in 3 years, along with a slew of early material (some of which is included on the compilation What I Should Have Said Vol. 1) Unfortunately, the band came to a sudden end in 2003 with the death of their singer/guitarist Matt Davis. More info on the band can be found here if you're interested.

Sonically, the band played a spastic and frenzied version of hardcore that played with dissonance, dynamics, and insane rhythms. Instrumentally, they perfected the duel-guitar clash, and knocked out songs that keep you on edge while giving some dynamic breathing. Essentially, if you took the Dischord and Gravity Records rosters and threw them together, this is the sound you'd get. Enjoy.

Vida Blue (1999)

1. The Vidablue - What Difference Does It Make?

2. The Vidablue - Do Not Question Brain-O

3. The Vidablue - Midwinter

The Vidablue/Quatro (1999)

1. The Vidablue - Broken Jaw Factory

2. Quatro - Best Actor Award

3. Quatro - Slow Jammin' Earl

The Khayembii Communiqué/The Vidablue (2000)

1. The Khayembii Communiqué - The Des Moines Tapes

2. The Khayembii Communiqué - Better Times Are Left Dead

3. The Khayembii Communiqué - Lacking

4. The Khayembii Communiqué - The Death Of An Aspiring Icon

5. The Vidablue - Engine Down

6. The Vidablue - Me And Spike Lee

7. The Vidablue - The Dukes Are Trying To Corner The Market

8. The Vidablue - I Survived The Chair

What I Should Have Said Vol. 1 (2000)

1. The Vidablue - What Difference Does It Make?

2. The Vidablue - Do Not Question The Great Brain-O

3. The Vidablue - Midwinter

4. The Vidablue - The Detective

5. The Vidablue - Before The Action Commences

6. The Vidablue - Drop Dead

7. The Vidablue - Miette

8. The Vidablue - East Dearborn

9. The Vidablue - The City Sucks Tonight

10. The Vidablue - A Broken Jaw Factory

11. The Vidablue - '87 Yankees

12. The Vidablue - Industry

13. The Vidablue - Industry (Remix)

14. The Vidablue - So The Pitate Says

15. The Vidablue - Engine Down

16. The Vidablue - I Survived The Chair

17. The Vidablue - X 7

18. The Vidablue - I Claim This Land In The Name Of Taz

19. The Vidablue - Grave? Shovel! Let's Go.

20. The Vidablue - Bike Dance (No Scrubs)

Our Miracle Point Of Contact (2000)

1. The Vidablue - I Know It Works

2. The Vidablue - Making A Building

3. The Vidablue - I Claim This Land In The Name Of Taz

4. The Vidablue - Monocle

5. The Vidablue - Typhoid Mary

6. The Vidablue - Industry

7. The Vidablue - 1-2-3 Pregnant

8. The Vidablue - My Heart Goes Out To Me

9. The Vidablue - Three Cheers For Cause And Effect

10. The Vidablue - Why Am I Bleeding?

11. The Vidablue - H-E-Double Hockey Sticks

The Comprehensive List Of Everyone Who Has Ever Done Anything Wrong To Us (2002)

1. The Beginning

2. The Face I Make While You're Crying

3. Never Let Your Girlfriend Go Camping With That Guy She Met In Pottery Class

4. Grave? Shovel! Let's Go.

5. It's Not A Party Unless You're Doing It With Someone Else In The Bathroom

6. Thank You Ma'am, May I Have Several Thousand More?

7. Billy Ray Valentine, Capricorn

8. The Payload Theme Song

9. To The Library And Step On It

10. Bikedance (No Scrubs)

11. Ending

Note: Originally released in 2001 under The Vidablue name, reissued in 2002 under Ten Grand

Mike Lust/Ten Grand (2002)

1. Mike Lust - Coke Fader

2. Ten Grand - Sometimes You Say The Wrong Thing... When You're Stupid (Scary Movie 3)

This Is The Way To Rule (2002)

1. Hands Off The Merch

2. Wedding Song for Steve and Angie

3. R E S P E C T Me

4. Let's Wreck the Van

5. I Will Seriously Pay You to Shut Up

6. Scary Movie 4

7. Get Out Of My Dojo

8. This Isn't Heaven, This Sucks

9. Fuck You Guyses Teams

10. Now You Got What I Got

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