Current Spins

There's a lot of music out there that's really sweet and underappreciated, but because the bands or their labels are still trying to market it, I don't really feel cool with uploading it. That being said, this is a blog about music, and just because jams are still on the market doesn't mean they shouldn't be talked about up here.

Basically, this is some current stuff I'm really enjoying. If you don't really have the same taste as me that's cool, but on the off chance you might enjoy it, these are things I definitely recommend going out and spending your money on.

1. Capital — Homefront

How can I explain Capital? It's not really like anything you've ever heard before. It's sort of like hardcore that has come full-circle and rediscovered punk, not giving any credence to genre staples like singalongs or breakdowns, and just speaking honestly about whatever comes to mind. The music is really interesting and varied, no two songs ever really sounding alike. It's sort of like Paint It Black, I guess, although depending on the tune I'm more reminded of Gorilla Biscuits, Avail, Bane, or even A Global Threat. Weird. Sometimes the lyrics get a little corny, but that's sort of the price to be paid for the raw sincerity that produces other ones, like the story of the singer's first punk album (NYHC: The Way It Is — good choice). There's nothing else like it.

2. Title Fight — The Last Thing You Forget

I slept on this band for way too long. Yes, it's really poppy; yes, it's kind of emotional and really sappy. So what? Nothing has made me want to stagedive this badly since the first time I heard Lifetime. The variability of this band does indeed at times remind me of being at a New Brunswick Basement Show, but also of Sinking Ships, or even Horror Show. The lyrics are pretty good, I guess, mostly relationship stuff and being down on living in Pennsylvania, but the music is some of the most expressive I've ever heard from the core. It's catchy, but not like Blink-182 or anything; you just find yourself remembering the songs after hearing them once. I'll be bummed when everyone starts trying to sound like this (watch, it'll happen), but for now at least it's really new and powerful. Every bad boy has his soft side, I guess, but are you gonna get this or Buzz Ballads?

3. Battery — Whatever It Takes

Maybe it's moving to DC and living in a brand-new place, but this album speaks to me. It's solid youth crew, definitely, but it's a lot more than that as well. It's surprisingly personal, mostly talking about moving and being all alone, and the ubiquitous tour song. But it's also a positive, creative perspective on the scene, and brings to mind In My Eyes (the band), or even Richmond's Time Flies. Brian McTernan, probably better known for running Salad Days recording studio, does the vocals, and actually recorded the album — and it sounds pretty damn good. Basically, if you're down for some youth crew that's a little different from everything else, this is it.

4. Dag Nasty — Can I Say

Okay, so this one's old. Probably a lot of people are already on top of this and recognize the power of early pop-punk, but I guess I'm just a late bloomer. Anyway, after Dave Smalley moved back to DC from Boston and D.Y.S., he ended up taking over vocals in Brian Baker (of Minor Threat)'s new band. This is the first album they recorded, and it's awesome. It's definitely still hardcore, but it's a lot more than that; it's really similar to the later songs on Minor Threat's discography, if that's any clearer. These are some really solid tunes, and if you haven't gotten into Dag Nasty yet, do it… and start with this.

5. Offsides — It's A Struggle To Communicate

Holy shit. This might be one of the best EPs of 2008. From their humble demo, this band has come a really long way. The guitars are really crunchy; the drummer started spinning more breakbeat jams; the bassist now wants to mosh a lot more than just posi jump; and ya girl actually gets a little bit evil with the vocals. The songwriting has really been stepped up too, into the realm of simple but pretty melodic, with some really emotive riffs and tempo changes. Basically, this record starts out hard and never really lets up. That last song is absolutely killer too. Seriously, GET THIS.