Alright, it's that time when we ring in our silly Western notion of the new year (10 days after the solstice? Cause we're astronomically incompetent?) and I'm not really one for long lists. But I can give you a Top One list, so with no further adieu: the year's best album for me is by DC's hardest rockers, Police & Thieves. They've refined the style they had been building in their earlier efforts into something faster, but also more thought-out, more musically varied, even more intelligent. It sort of reminds me of the changes that created In My Eyes' Nothing To Hide LP, although P&T still draw heavily on influences like Dag Nasty. Carlos even get's a little melodic on the vocals a couple times, and I really dig it. Lyrics follow the same trends as before, mixing the personal and political with ease. The guitar work is crunch and precise with cool song structures, and the songs flow one to the next almost perfectly. My personal favorite is "Crusades," but every track on here is a banger. For real, give these dudes a listen.
Police & Thieves hail from the hallowed grounds of Washington DC, the intellectual inheritors to a musical tradition decades old. Basically, they sound awesome, mixing energy and passion with impressive songwriting and effort. They are, of course, named after the Junior Murvin song, although most people are probably more familiar with the cover the Clash released on their debut album. They've been around for almost 5 years now, with a couple EPs, a new demo, and now this LP. Go see them live.
Volver is a crucial hardcore/Rev Summer style band from Guatemala City. They recorded these songs with the legendary Don Fury last year. This EP is some of the most solid, thought out post-hardcore I've heard in recent years. I'm reminded of bands like Give, Cloak/Dagger, or the more straightforward moments of Lion of Judah, with a delivery at times reminiscent of Peligro Social (though that might just be that language; Spanish is anything but unpoetic). Some really cool moments interspersed with frenetic, intriguing structure changes. Most solid.
Volver is a 5 piece band from Guatemala. They have released a demo tape, a 7” called Guatemala Está Muerta and the Santa Cruz EP. They are currently recording a new EP due out real soon. You can buy all their stuff on our bandcamp site or get the 7” and Santa Cruz tape from Bajo Presión Records.
Plant's debut demo, a type of arty stoner metal or hardcore rock that's fast and raw and intricate. Members of Swamp Thing and Snuff Daddy. It's complex enough to come out as really high intensity, with a wall of sound made by everything being a little blown out, but still sounds approachable and simple on a superficial level. Real talk, listen to these dudes.
Wild Life is my most recent band. We set out to play some Rev Summer style tunes, but I don't know how well we hit that mark. What we did end up playing is (in my opinion) some cool, complex tunes that turned out to be a lot more contemplative and serious than what I usually play. I honestly don't know of any other bands to compare us to, except maybe the spirit of certain groups like Fugazi or later Turning Point. We never managed to find a singer, so me and Slagle, one of the guitarists, split vocal duties. Members of No Brainer, Slugz, The Volstead Agents, etc. I wrote most of the lyrics, so I've linked the song titles to what was on my mind when I was writing them. Check it out:
Wild Life is a new band from Charlottesville, Virginia. No shows played, and probably none ever will be. Thanks to Jake, Claire, Hannah, and Daniel for helping us out.
The worst part about this demo is that it's too short. These tunes are so smooth they disappear before you really grasp what all is going on. It's like listening to Lifetime, with the multiple guitars doing their own thing while the vocals lead, except that the vocals sound more like the dude from Silent Majority/Capital than Ari Katz. Some really smart song structure, powerful semi-melodic vocals, and awesome energy go a long way. Members of Praise, Sacred Love, and Broken Bodies. Solid melodic hardcore of the kind that's all too rare.
"From Baltimore MD, our influences include Lifetime, Silent Majority, Dag Nasty, Turning Point, Gorilla Biscuits, Hot Water Music." I'd call that a fair assessment.
Moms is a noisy, sometimes-fast band comprised of some dudes from Charlottesville (and now sort of Richmond), playing some noisy, angry hardcore. The first track reminds me of dissonant, Cali-style punk, similar to what Raindance or even Sucker Punch used to play in town. The rest of the demo moves on into more straightforward hardcore territory, with some thrashy, negative tunes good for the Cville Mosh (where you run back and forth in front of the band. It sounds lame, but you do it really fast!) They also hit some cool musical moments, like the intro to "Remorse Code," which sounds like Fugazi until it turns into Poison Idea. Good dudes, backed hard.
Permanent were a brilliant band based out of Richmond for a few years in the middle of the last decade. This was their demo from shortly after they formed in 2004, a couple songs of which they carried on to the Sleeping EP. These tunes are all powerful, well-constructed melodic hardcore in the vein of, well, themselves. No one else sounds quite like Permanent ever did. They even have an instrumental closing track, something that can either round out or break a record. Also on this album is an attempt at For All Time's "300 Miles," one of the greatest songs ever to come out of Charlottesville, which unfortunately isn't done justice here. Permanent was never meant to be a metalcore band, I guess. But when they're playing their own style, it's perfect. Nothing else is like this.
Permanent originally formed in Richmond with a combination of members of Charlottesville's For All Time and Blacksburg's Hold Me Back. They put out a demo, this EP, a split with Resonance, and Sink|Swim, a masterpiece of melodic hardcore. I can't stress enough the depth of this band. They broke up a few years back, and I'm still bummed I only ever saw them a few times. Still hoping for a reunion.
Alone In A Crowd was a short-lived band from the late-80s NYHC scene, with members of Side By Side, Judge, Raw Deal, Breakdown, and Uppercut. You can read the full bio below, but long story short they were really only around long enough to record an EP and play one show. This is pure spontaneity: four songs and a cover (how many bands do I know that have done that? How many bands have I been in?); that kind of impermanent catharsis that hardcore is better than any other genre at producing, and it really comes out in their sound. This reissue of their 7" includes the live recordings from their single show (the conversation between songs is some of the best I've ever heard), so basically it's the same thing twice. But that's good, because it's two different versions of "When Tigers Fight," the hardest song ever written. Also "Teenager In A Box," a cover from Government Issue, an under-appreciated early DCHC band. This is what hardcore should be. Enjoy.
Reissue Bio: "Although 1988 was just the beginning of Punk Rock & Hardcore for many, for Alone In A Crowd it was their last chance to say what they wanted to, a farewell to a scene they held in such high regard. New York Citys Side By Side had just broken up, it was early 1988 and Jules Massey (vocalist) wanted to form another band. Lars Weiss, who played bass in Side By Side and Uppercut, was the first to be asked, he was to play guitar. Howie, an old friend of Jules, came in to play second guitar. He was later in an early incarnation of Moondog (which later evolved into Quicksand). Lars recruited ex-Breakdown guitarist Carl Porcaro to play bass, who was then playing in Raw Deal (later known as Killing Time). Weiss also brought in Rob Sefcik, who was drumming along side Lars in Uppercut. Songs were written. Soon after the band recorded their debut release at the legendary Don Furys studio. With vocals that were reminiscent of those on the Antidote EP, the same bottom heaviness of The Abused and Negative Approach, and that Don Fury drum sound, this record was a classic from the start. A 7 ep was released on Rhode Islands Flux Records in 1989. Two pressings sold out very quickly and it was never re-issued. Finally, 15 years later, it has been re-issued for the first time on cd with additional studio and live recordings and a video of their only show."
The Haverchucks' new-ish self-titled EP. It's more hard-driving pop-punk, sort of akin to the Ramones if they were more into occasional solo riffs and not dressing like a cartoon. This EP is definitely harder than the demo, faster paced and a little more irate. I'm not into it quite as much (it's not really as groundbreaking and fresh-sounding), but it's still pretty solid, taking a little more influence from some 90s bands. "Work's For Suckers" is an anthemic account of, well, not working a shitty job (the anthropologist within me wants to write about Resistance Communities and Urban Maronage, but I'm holding back). Between these dudes and Hold Tight! I'd say RVA is in a pretty good spot for the future of pop-punk.
Chronic Sick might well have been the first American punk band to go the direction of full-on irony. I think they were really trying to out-punk the punks. See, they caught a lot of flak in their day for dressing like fuckups (punk), flirting with with swastikas and other ignant symbology (really punk), and writing lyrics that pissed of the burgeoning hardcore scene across the land (PUNX). Mostly it was the first tune off this LP that caused the real controversy, "There Goes the Neighborhood," about some new folks moving to town — "oh my god they're black!" But here's the thing, rather than being an actual racist anthem, these dudes were pointing out the ignorance embodied by bigotry. And in that light — impersonating people you disagree with to point out their flaws (think Colbert) — they're actually a brilliant band (The Landlords had a similar song about rape — in the liner notes they annotated it with "some people actually think like this!"). The rest of the tunes follow similar lines; rather than saying precisely what they mean (a la early Minor Threat, say) you might have to flex your head a bit to get what's going on.
Not only that, but they play some mean riffs. Today, this might be considered pop-punk, or at least going that direction. At the time they were probably just more influenced by 70's punk more than Black Flag, so it comes out really melodic and approachable — ironic, considering the title this EP claims for them. Anyway, sound quality's pretty good considering its age, and the content is just as applicable today. This is a real gem of a record.
From Last.fm: "Chronic Sick were Bobby The “K” (music, lyrics, lead guitar, backing vocals), Greg Gory (Vocals), Arnie Barrs (bass, backing vocals) and Joe Albano (drums). Formed in 1981 in New Jersey, this hardcore punk band had two releases on Mutha Records : “Cutest Band In Hardcore” 12” (Mutha 002), and a self-titled 7” EP (Mutha 008) between 1982 - 83’."
I picked up this 7" a couple years back, really because it had a cool cover and a band with an intelligent name. Turns out these guys have gotten pretty big in recent days. Their current sound isn't really my thing (arty experimental HC-rock, sort of like Ambitions or Energy), but at least at the point when they recorded this demo, they were one of the tightest melodic hardcore bands on the east coast. Some cool riffs, smart lyrics, a powerful drive in the rhythm section, akin to How We Are but with more approachable vocals. The last track is a real banger. Definitely worth checking out.
From Last.fm: "Hostage Calm is a rock/punk/hardcore band from Connecticut that debuted in the summer of 2007 with a 4-song CD-R Demo, later re-released on a 7” by Headcount Records. Their first LP, Lens, was originally released in May of 2008 on Redscroll Records, also based out of Wallingford. Hostage Calm released their second LP, Hostage Calm, on Run For Cover Records in August 2010."
Hold Tight! debuted with two EPs a couple years ago, Brother Bear and this one, To The Kittens! Want your pop-punk with fun and energy, but also a touch of personalism and some harsh-times sentimentality? Then this is for you. To The Kittens! is a darker album, especially on the highly personal diss track "Charm City," and the acoustic version of "Cornered." A little more Jawbreaker than Lifetime, you could say. They might not have the most original sound, but Hold Tight! does a damn good job of taking the framework of pop-punk and making it something entirely worth listening to.
The Mostly Dead hit their debut a couple years ago with two seven inches, this being one of them. They play a kind of precise hardcore punk with an undertone of rocknroll sensibility. Their recordings are impressively clean, so they sound a little more like a hard rock band than I'm used too. But their tunes are solid and upbeat, enraged but intelligent. Plus they have a song called "Nevernude," which is worth a shit-ton of bonus points in my book. Solid jams, for sure.
The Mostly Dead are a band from Washington DC who formed in April of 2008. They have recorded with Brian McTernan (Battery) and Matt Smith (Strike Anywhere) at Salad Days Studio in Baltimore, MD, and Joe Mitra at Developing Nations in Baltimore, MD. They released a couple records: "Slightly" and "Alive" in April of 2009, and "The Day They Turned Us All Into Slaves" in Feb of 2010. They are currently working on new material, and are now getting things restarted with a new bassist.
Some super sweet videos of Shin Kick from back in the day. Putting all of these in one place is probably the easiest way for people to find them. There's some pretty cool sets in here, that first show ever at the MRC and some of the classic shows at Dust. Watch me fuck up the lyrics to covers! Watch no one move as we play! Yeah!
This first one is from all the way back in May 2007 at the $1 show we played at the Music Resource Center. Here we cover Straight Edge Revenge by Project X, probably one of two times we ever played it live. It was our first show, and as I recall we basically played the demo and Brobleed. Menace to Society, my unnamed ska band, and Demagogue also played. Thanks to John Russell for filming this.
Next we have us covering Honor Role's "I'm A Nerd" at Dust in July 2008. I had no idea we played it so fast, or that I appear to have epilepsy. Thanks to Scotty for taping this.
A couple weeks later, Scotty filmed us again at Dust and doing another cover, this time Rise Above by Black Flag. This was always a fun tune to play, although it looks like by this time people were already getting a little bored of it.
This is from one of the later shows we played, in September at the Laundromat (actually the basement at Nihal and Mike Reeves' place). Might have been that show with the Libyans, but I could be wrong. We're playing Closed Venue, the first song we ever wrote. I also appear to have a wafro. Thanks to Scotty for shooting this.
Now, these were all I could find online, but there's a chance there are more out there. If anyone knows where one is or decides to upload one they've been sitting on for three years, let me know!
Saw this band play at Magnolia last week, and it reminded me of what a singularly Charlottesville experience these guys are. See, the 40 Boys are a couple old punk rock heads who got together to play some rocknroll, and do so par excellence. They've been playing shows as long as I've been going to them, and are often as not the best set of the night.
In case you missed it, these dudes are into drinking. Take a gander at the track titles real quick, I'll wait for you. Pretty much every song is about alcohol, with the occasional sidestep to talking about rocknroll. Cause for real, these guys know how to rock. Tony and Porter turn old musical themes into something new with every song, and considering they're a 2-piece they do so with only a small margin for error. Anyway, this is their full length, presented here for you in the Charlottesville tradition of being from a burned CD, so the sound is a little blown out at places. But whatever, these guys are supposed to sound like that. The epitome of party tunes, although they have a couple surprisingly sentimental tracks too (I'm a 40 Boy is always a crowd favorite). Some of the best Cville has to offer.
The 40 Boys are a rocking and rolling 2-piece from Charlottesville (the "40 Boys are 38 members short" joke never gets old). Members of Riot Act, Dead Beat, The Elderly, Bella Morte, etc. Always worth seeing live.
Ok, we're back! (read in Ray Cappo voice), with Drug Church, an Albany band that features Pat Kindlon (from End of A Year) on vocals. The music is in that gray area between melodic hardcore and post-hardcore, reminds me of that Permanent/Resonance split I was spinning earlier. Or like Quicksand, but with Pat dropping his characteristic dry-throated cynicism overtop it all. Think hard, crunchy guitar but with minor 7ths and arpeggios, and sticking to Pat's "fast drums are poison" mentality, not that they're particularly slow. Anyway, it's three cool tunes of good quality, and like the masterpiece that is this song, yo, it'll make you think!
Malatese describe themselves variously as "nerve punk" and "trance punk," and I guess that's a good way to understand them. These tunes are weird, in a really good way. The music walks the fine line between adventurous punk and what I would term "hard indie," with a bit more shoe gazing than than your average DIY group and a fair bit more aggression than any other band with a similarly twee name. It's a psychological turn of tune, mixing various elements of oldschool punk, surf, and rock melodies, all overlaid by droning vocals that, while unusual, fit the music really well. This is pretty obviously a home recording, but considering it's the home of a music industry major, that's not really a strike against it. For me, this is some solid chilltimes music; to most people this would be more suited as a soundtrack for pogo. Either way, it's pretty cool.
Malatese is a punk band from Harrisonburg, Va., deep in the cool little JMU music scene there. Word on the campus is they're named after an intriguing book collection. They have several upcoming shows, of particular note is:
4/14: @ Magnolia House, Charlottesville VA w/ Bunnybrains
4/25: @ The Galaxy Hut, Arlington VA w/ Buck Gooter
I figure it's time to get back to my Charlottesville roots. The Elderly were another first-half-of-the-decade local punk band, sort of the same time period as Riot Act or Barracks Road. For a lot of people, The Elderly were the best band from that era, and with good reason. Their sound is self-described as "Angry Samoans getting butt-fucked by Iggy Pop while shooting dope with Johnny Thunders," and that's actually closer to the truth than you might expect. The Elderly play punk rock, with an emphasis on the rock — these dudes can really jam out. This album is something approaching a discography, although it might be missing a recording or two. Sound's great, music's great, a cover of the Dead Milkmen to boot — this is a cool piece of history.
Bio: "The Elderly is an old school punk rock (with some roll in there) band from Virginia. We formed in late 1999 after the demise of our band Guilty By Association. Many member changes later, the current line-up is as follows: "Scary" Larry Houchens (drums, b/vox) and Josh "Old Man" Mustin (guitar, lead vox). We are influenced by old punk, 50's rock and country, metal, girl groups, some new punk and garage too, you name it. We are known mostly for our fun attitude and very high-energy shows that leave you wanting more."
Maybe I'm too into this band, I don't know. End Of A Year (or Self Defense Family as they are now known) has metastasized beyond being just a semi-typical hardcore fivepiece, spreading into this weird conglomeration of different artists (you can read more about it here). God that sounds pretentious on my part. But in just the last year or two the band has broken new ground for hardcore; I see them sort of like Fugazi for this decade. Anyway, this is four tracks from their new "You Are Beneath Me" LP (a cool album, although venturing farther from blastbeats/breakdowns hardcore than ever, but that's not really an issue. This does sound pretty different from their demo though. Also every track beyond the intro is someone's name, wiki them if you're ever bored.) with Caroline Corrigan, an Albany musician and artist, on vocal duties. So it's the same tunes with melody in the vocals; lyrics are the same too (this is the band that wrote, "people do people things;" truer words were never spoken). Definitely worth checking out if you're into music.
Band bio: "We wanted to play music we liked so we got together and did it. No one else really liked it and we were pretty comfortable being the band who tours the country but no one really likes. Revelation called one day and it was pretty weird but i like the Kiss It Goodbye record a lot so we decided to go with it. Then that didn't go the way we planned and we started to put out a bunch of 7 inches. Deathwish Inc saw that, and got in touch, it was weird but i really like the Blinding Light album so we decided to go with it. End Bio."
Avail's other demo from before they moved to Richmond. More cool upbeat tunes from back when they were all young, and Tim Barry on drums. Apparently there was a thriving little scene in Reston in the late 80s, although Avail is the only one that made it out of there. Anyway, to a lot of people this is where Avail first became known, and is actually a favorite album. I can see why; it isn't exactly the Avail that was touring the country a few years later, but it's still an incredibly innovative band, doing things no one else ever did. Now, this was only released on tape, and the rip is a little grainy, but that's sort of the point of a good demo, isn't it? These are some killer tunes, catchy without being poppy. Also, considering the date, this was right at the forefront of post-hardcore. Not to rave too much, but this is one hell of a band.
Excerpted from Jade Tree Records: "What some may not realize about AVAIL is that, like most bands, they came from humble beginnings in suburban Reston, VA. They were just like any other kids rocking in their parents’ garage, but instead of ripping out covers or aping their heroes, AVAIL were defining their unique sound at a very early age. By the time Joe Banks (guitar), Tim Barry (vocals) and Beau Beau (cheerleader / uber-roadie) moved the band to Richmond in 1990, the group had already almost honed their effortless blend of the classic Southern rock and protest folk that was in their veins with the melodic skate punk that constantly filled their ears. The backdrop of everyday life in Richmond, though, proved to be the key ingredient in solidifying the band’s immediately recognizable sound. Barry’s tales of everyday struggle and triumph became inextricably tied to the life (and death) of his hometown, at once creating blue-collar anthems that are often not just highly personal, but also highly political. It’s this ability to seamlessly streamline both sonic and lyrical content (along with a relentless touring bug) that has truly made the songs of alienation, travel and anti-establishment triumph… legendary."
An interesting band from Norway, Strike A Match play a refreshingly a-stylistic type of punk. It's kind of disjointed, but in a good way. Not much distortion, no hard breakdowns or real solos, just cool jams. Sort of reminds me of Regulations, what with the whole Scandi thing, but also sort of a rock'n'roll sensibility that hearkens all the way back towards to some early eighties tunes, before punk was a style and not just an attitude. Yeah, refreshing is a good word.
Strike A Match are a reasonably new band from Oslo, Norway, with members from a bunch of other bands over there that unfortunately I'm not too familiar with. Cool band in what's always been a cool scene, from everything I've heard. Check it out.
Music is made up of three main elements: melody, harmony, and rhythm. Not all bands are graced with all three, at least not in this punk rock thing. Real Talk, on the other hand, can kick out some serious jams. While essentially a pop-punk band, these dudes play a lot harder and with more energy than a lot of people in that genre. The guitar work isn't jimi but it's damn impressive, and all the tempo changes are sweet. Lyrics are confrontational and intelligent. The thing most people are gonna stumble on is that the vocals are sort of a spoken word thing, sometimes a little bit like rapping (backstory: the singer's parents were home when he was recording and he had to tone it down. They're sort of different live). But these are some of the coolest 90's style pop-punk tunes I've heard since blink-182 jumped the shark.
Real Talk are a DC-area band playing an expressive style of melodic, fast pop-punk. Members of Warbound, Coke Bust, and other DC hardcore bands. They've got a show coming up March 19 with No Brainer at AU.
A cool sampler from a label focusing on Spanish hardcore. The language, not the nationality. Lots of variety between the bands, some sort of remind me of Trial, others of like Cold World; also there's an interesting indie tune in the middle. Of special relevance are two preview tracks from an upcoming split between our friends in Police & Thieves and Remission. The P&T tune has a sick tempo change in the middle, and Remission sounds kind of like Outspoken or Turning Point. Some cool canciones on here. Also reminds me how I need to bone up on my Spanish, I can't quite catch everything being said. But for the xenophobic: several of these are in English, or switch between. There's really no reason not to check this out.
Feeble was a pop-punk band from California in the 90s. Travis Barker (from blink-182) played drums; apparently this was his first band out of high school. Given that pedigree, I was a little unsure of what to expect, and frankly it took me a couple spins to get into this. Mostly the vocals surprised me, they have an uncanny resemblance to 90s rock. Dude hits a far greater range than I was prepared for, even from a pop-punk band. But after I got over my prejudice, I discovered that this is actually tight album, with cool guitar riffs and song structure in general. Pretty good sound quality, and lots of energy. Lyrics are pretty good, not actually as divorced from hardcore themes as the vocals would imply. The music can be a little smarmy (the intro, and this one ska-ish part), but they do play a Dag Nasty cover, and overall I'm impressed. And the drumming is, of course, solid.
Feeble were from California, roughly 1993-1996. They released only this EP as far as I can tell. Travis Barker on drums, that's pretty cool. Band went on to be Sorry Charlie after Travis left to join the Aquabats. Word.
4 Walls Falling put out this demo before anything else, way back in 1987. For those who don't know, they were one of the most energetic and politically and environmentally conscious bands ever to come out of Richmond, hitting a national audience by the early 90s. All of these tunes (except the last, untitled one) reappeared on the Culture Shock LP a year later, which is in my opinion their best release. But by Culture Shock the songs were in a different form with altered song structures, so it's kind of cool to hear them in this more stripped down style. As far as I can tell these tracks were ripped off an old cassette, so the sound's a little shaky, but alright overall. I'm digging this demo, especially as it compares to Culture Shock.
From Last.fm: "Four Walls Falling was an American political hardcore band from Richmond, Virginia from members of Unseen Force and Pledge Allegiance. Known as one of the greatest hardcore bands from the Richmond scene, the band had major success in the hardcore community, recording four 7-inches & an EP. They played their first show with 7 Seconds and Justice League in 1987 and toured the United States in 1992. The band broke up while touring Europe in the summer of 1995. They continued playing many times after including a reunion show at St. Andrews in College Park, Maryland."
Damn catchy pop-punk out of Richmond that just got started recently. Sounds sort of like the Ramones, but with layers of so many other pop-punk and punk rock bands that it's hard to point to any one influence. It's mostly simple song structures and harmonies, and comes out sounding like one of the least ego-driven bands I've heard in a while – these dudes are playing just because it's fun and sounds fucking sweet. The demo is previewable on the Death To False Hope website below (in case I somehow haven't convinced you), and sounds really good. Or just download it, you won't regret it.
Surprisingly good 80s hardcore from right nearby in ol' Virginy. Apparently Roanoke actually had a thriving little scene back in the day, and these dudes (M.N.P. – what that stands for I don't know) were one of the better bands. Vaguely reminiscent of the Landlords, but that has more to do with the style of punk at the time and recording style than anything else. But it's fast tunes, snotty vocals, political lyrics, and played by highschool kids. All pretty impressive. More of a full-length than a demo really, and the song structure on some of these is really tight. You need this if you care about southern hardcore at all.
From The Roanoke Times: "Мир was a South Roanoke-based foursome of politically conscious high school kids possessed of a rare degree of musicianship for a Roanoke punk band in those days. They were perhaps Roanoke's first touring punkers, playing shows in Richmond and Raleigh. They disbanded in 1985 when three members left for college, and one for prep school."
The band doesn't really have a website, but someone from The Roanoke Times made this interesting site about the punk scene there in the 1980s. Pretty cool stuff. Check it out here: http://www.roanoke.com/extra/punk/mnp.html
One of the best post-hardcore bands out there, although I guess that's a pretty ephemeral term. End Of A Year take some influence from Rev Summer bands (note the Embrace song as a band name), and turn it into their own beast. They're pretty big, you should definitely check them out if you've never heard them, cause I certainly don't have the words to describe them.
Anyway, this was a demo from a few months after they got started, but everything that makes them great was already going on even then. A lot of these songs were actually rerecorded on the Disappear Here LP a short time later, so there are some easy comparisons to be made. Basically, these recordings are a little less professional (as in, it sounds like they're having fun), the bass is higher in the mix, and it just generally has a warmer sound (as I guess the title would suggest). If you're a fan, you definitely want to get your sweaty little hands on this, and if you're not yet you might as well start here, cause it only gets better.
Band bio: "We wanted to play music we liked so we got together and did it. No one else really liked it and we were pretty comfortable being the band who tours the country but no one really likes. Revelation called one day and it was pretty weird but i like the Kiss It Goodbye record a lot so we decided to go with it. Then that didn't go the way we planned and we started to put out a bunch of 7 inches. Deathwish Inc saw that, and got in touch, it was weird but i really like the Blinding Light album so we decided to go with it. End Bio."
Pussywillow are a recent band from Harrisonburg, Virginia. This demo opens with a weird monologue on the merits of pussy (go figure), and then rolls into 4 punk rock tunes. The music is pretty interesting, hitting some solid minor chord progressions and controlled dissonance. The vocals on the first tune are in mono, but get more usual, if growlier, after that. Some interesting stuff if you're into western VA bands.
Pussywillow are a punk rock band from Harrisonburg. It's cool that there's still music coming out of that town since The Frontline (anyone remember them?) and Savage Land.
Cloak/Dagger, one of the most unique bands ever to come out of Richmond, got their start with this demo a couple years back. Originally a side project (members are/were in Count Me Out and Striking Distance), the band blew up pretty quickly, and with good reason. They play refreshingly different tunes, sounding like no one else but still being nothing but hardcore. Intense lyrics meet inventive riffs, in a hard way. The recording has a slight crunch, as any good demo should, and actually most of these songs are sped up and rerecorded on the We Are LP from a few years later. But they're still worthwhile tunes, and this demo is a good place to start from if you've never heard them/gotten into them. They also have a Mexican thing going on, I've seen the singer play in a knit poncho. Whatever, they're still fucking sweet.
Cloak/Dagger play a rehash of 80s hardcore themes and stylings, but in a completely different way from other bands. The single-guitar drive, rock'n'roll delivery, and dissonant chord progressions are all instantly recognizable. They have out 2 LPs, several 7"s, and this demo. Get into them, or stay short your whole life.
Hold Tight! are a somewhat recent pop-punk band from Richmond. This is one of their first EPs, solid jams along the lines of a more straight-forward Lifetime. You can tell these dudes came up listening to hardcore rather than just Green Day, which is nice. Good production quality, lots of energy and sincerity, fun song structure. What more could you want?
This is an ezine devoted to punk and hardcore. It's demos, EPs, 7"s and whatever else I have floating around that I feel should be uploaded, either to document a piece of history or to share music that not enough people are into. Most of this is from Charlottesville and central Virginia in the last couple years, but just about anything I'm into will end up on here eventually. If you have any music you want me to review/upload, feel free to shoot it my way. If you have any complaints or want anything taken down, you can email me about that too. Let me know what you think.
