Stone Angels — Within The Witch

Stone Angels are a metal band from the battered city of Christchurch in New Zealand. They play between a mix of genres, with elements of sludge, doom, and even rock all thrown together in a surprisingly clean and compelling manner; it's sometimes grindy but never grimey. The recording is pristine, and even though metal of this sort is not my preferred cup of tea, I'm definitely digging the tone of the album. Read the bio section below to get an idea of the context. These dudes clearly know their music, and I hope they make it out to the States before too long.

Stone Angels — Within The Witch

Track Listing:

1. The Dark
2. Within The Witch
3. White Light, White Noise
4. Bleeding Black
5. Withdrawing The Jinn
6. Grave
7. Coffin Cross

Stone Angels are a newish metal band from Christchurch, NZ. I'll let them say it in their own words: "The album is named 'Within The Witch' and is really an ad-lib artistic release in the wake of 10,000+ earthquakes which have been smashing the city of Christchurch, in New Zealand's South Island over the past year and a half. Christchurch itself as a city is really no more and the energy from such an event has had very few positive effects other than maybe as a source of inspiration for artists, musicians and creative writers alike. Within The Witch is a by product of the environment, and summarises the atmosphere and feeling of this broken city to a tee. It really is an interesting listen."

http://stoneangels666.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stone-Angels/249012665121631

Hightide Hotel — Secret Somethings Vol. 2

Hightide Hotel play a sort of airy, contemplative pop-punk or alt-rock that sounds like nostalgia made sound. Reminds me of a less distortiony Hold Tight!, but with less haste and more vocal harmonies. This well-recorded album has a good flow and good energy and makes for solid background tunes in any situation, although I'd be hesitant to call it an upper. Solid, sincere tunes for sure.

Hightide Hotel — Secret Somethings Vol. 2 (2011)

Track Listing:

1. Intro
2. Ballad
3. Ultimatum
4. Hollow
5. Your Bed
6. My Bed
7. Hospital Green
8. Malice
9. Closer
10. Outro

Hightide Hotel is a five piece from Philadelphia.

http://hightidehotel.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hightide-Hotel/100540060010431

Police & Thieves — Fracturing

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 — Fracturing LP (2011)

Track Listing:

1. Thieves Intro
2. All Saints
3. Urgency Of Now
4. Suburban Life Decay
5. Doubt Crusades
6. Campaigns
7. Race To The End

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.

Get merch and find show dates athttp://www.myspace.com/policethieves, or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Police-Thieves/22668852750

Volver — Santa Cruz

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 — Santa Cruz EP (2010)

Track Listing:

1. Miel
2. Me Hundo
3. Guatemala Está Muerta
4. Reprogramar, Activar

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.

http://volver.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/VolverCC
http://guatemalaestamuerta.wordpress.com/
http://www.bajopresionrecords.com/

Plant — Friendship. Love. Truth.

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.

Plant — Friendship. Love. Truth. (2011)

Track Listing:

1. Without A Heart
2. Spilling Sand
3. Alone, Alone
4. Yeshi Dhonden

Plant is a real time band, just getting started.

http://plantnyc.bandcamp.com/

Wild Life — Speak

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 — Speak Demo 2011

Track Listing:

1. Zeitgeist
2. Villa El Salvador
3. Speak
4. Monasukapanough

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.

http://wild-life.bandcamp.com/

In Between — Demo

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.

In Between — Demo 2011

Track Listing:

1. Luckiest
2. GBSB
3. Different Language
4. Lyons Mill
5. A Little More

"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.

http://www.facebook.com/LuckyPierre3
http://photoboothrecords.bandcamp.com/album/demo

Moms — Demo 2011

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.

Moms — Demo 2011

Track Listing:

1. Anatomy
2. Lascivious
3. Tooth
4. Inwardly Crippled/Outwardly Stunted
5. Fuck
6. Remorse Code

Moms is a noise punk band from the mean streets of Chartown. Get wild.

http://moms.bandcamp.com/

The Haverchucks — The Haverchucks 7"

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.

The Haverchucks — The Haverchucks 7" (2011)

Track Listing:

1. Ugly
2. Not Impressed
3. I Won't Try
4. Work's For Suckers
5. You Suck

The Haverchucks are a pop-punk band from Richmond, Virginia. They have out a demo and this EP.
http://thehaverchucks.limitedpressing.com/products/10312

http://www.facebook.com/thehaverchucks

Drug Church — Demo

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!

Drug Church — Demo 2011

Track Listing:

1. Visualize Latham
2. Scotia Snake God
3. Pro Attitude

Drug Church is a new band from Albany, NY, with members of Self Defense Family and California.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Drug-Church/137868099608576
www.drugchurch.bandcamp.com

Malatese — Absurd Constructor

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 — Absurd Constructor EP

Track Listing:

1. Paradise
2. World Panic
3. Mother Night
4. Shadow Figures

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

http://malatese.bandcamp.com/
http://www.myspace.com/malatese
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Malatese/134837331193

End Of A Year — with Caroline Corrigan

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.

End Of A Year Self Defense Family — with Caroline Corrigan

Track Listing:

1. Marissa Wendolovske
2. Eric Hall (Acoustic)
3. Jeni Leigh
4. Philip Jose Farmer

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."

http://selfdefensemusic.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_of_a_Year
http://www.myspace.com/endofayear

Strike A Match — Demo 2011

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 — Demo 2011

Track Listing:

1. Strike A Match
2. 1000 Eyes
3. Dead Time in the Living Room
4. You Don't Have to Fuck People Over to Survive
5. Sleepers Awake
6. Let's Be Human Beings

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.

http://strikeamatch.bandcamp.com/

Real Talk — Kill Someone You Don't Know

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 — Kill Someone You Don't Know Demo 2010

Track listing:

1. College
2. Class Trip
3. Lone Wolf
4. High School
5. Punk Things Are Cool
6. Crazy
7. Dance Party

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.

http://killsomeoneyoudontknow.bandcamp.com/
http://www.myspace.com/realtalk6669

Amendment Records Sampler 2011

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.

Amendment Records Sampler 2011

Track Listing:

1. Contra Todos Mis Miedos — Colera Mental
2. Contra Todos Mis Miedos — 11-22
3. Entrefuego — Heridas Que Aprenden A Sanar
4. Police & Thieves — We're Not The Only Ones
5. Remission — Seeded
6. Invierno — Escondite
7. Columnas — Proclama
8. Shield — Anima Annihilation
9. En Nuestras Venas — Evasion
10. Waterglass — Valley
11. Remission — Love
12. Contra Todos Mis Miedos — Scusarmi
13. Remains To Be Seen — Spirit
14. Approach — Struggle

http://amendment-records.com/

The Haverchucks — Demo

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.

The Haverchucks — Demo (2010)

Track Listing:

1. Jimmy's Song
2. Allison Don't Love Me Anymore
3. Work It Out
4. All My Time With You
5. My Own Way

The Haverchucks are a new pop-punk band from Richmond, with a couple of shows coming up. Get into it.

http://www.deathtofalsehoperecords.com/downloads/dtfh072.html

http://www.facebook.com/thehaverchucks

Pussywillow — Let Freedom Ring Demo

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 — Let Freedom Ring Demo (2010)

Track Listing:

1. Ten Commandments
2. Mirrored
3. Bell
4. Let Freedom Ring

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.

www.pussywillow.bandcamp.com

Warbound — Shades Of Red Demo

Warbound are a solid new band from DC. This is their demo from only 2 months ago, it's hardcore that references the mid-80s really hard. Like, I'm hearing a lot of early youth crew, but also other stuff from that time when people still just really loved keeping it fast and hard. It's the essence of hardcore. And they cover NA.

Recording quality is a little lo-fi, but that actually works really well for this. It's nice and crunchy, and the vocals stand out on top nicely. I'm also digging how it's obviously only one guitar on here, it sounds real, you know?

Warbound — Shades Of Red Demo 2010

Track Listing:

1. Punching The Wall
2. You Don't Have A Rep Yet
3. Like Chains
4. Shades Of Red
5. What Will Remain?
6. Age Of Apocalypse
7. Unstoppable
8. Why Be Something You're Not (Negative Approach)

Warbound is a pretty new group from the DC area. Cool dudes, cool band, go check them out when they play!

http://www.myspace.com/warboundhc

Raindance — Demo 2010

Raindance is a new band from Charlottesville, members of Werebear, Full Court Press, Gutter Strutter, that whole crew. Chappy once again fronts, this time with almost scarily negative lyrics and some insightful commentary on sexuality and relationships. Recording quality is solid if not groundbreaking, but the music is straightforward and well-played (Sam can put some good crunch on a guitar) and there's a good matchup between vocal content and musical style. It makes allusions to Richmond riffs, but also to newer West Coast bands like Trash Talk or Ceremony. Maybe I'm analyzing too much. Anyway, solid dudes, solid band. Check this out if you're into good music.

Raindance — Demo 2010

Track Listing:

1. Flaws
2. Broken Machine
3. Come Alive
4. I Know Your Type

Raindance started a year or so ago in Charlottesville, although half the band lives in Richmond now. They don't seem to be doing too much at the present, but hopefully they'll get it going again and play some more house shows.

http://www.myspace.com/raindanceva

Dead Beat — The Accuser

This demo reminds me a little of Swamp Thing, or maybe even Bracewar. Similar music, similar vocals… same Richmond, I guess. Really well recorded and well played music, interesting songwriting (so many dissonant chord progressions, tempo changes, some good crunchy chugs), the kind of violent, youthful lyrics you might expect. I can imagine some good breakdown mosh for these guys. Definitely worth checking out.

Dead Beat — The Accuser Demo 2010

Track Listing:

1. The Accuser
2. Bound At The Knees
3. Fists
4. Persecution
5. You Lose

Dead Beat are a new Richmond hardcore band, from the same scene as Tough Luck. It's cool that new people are stepping up and kicking out the jams. Real talk.

http://www.myspace.com/deadbeatsxe