Mike B.'s most recent reviews — Browse all
H2O
Nothing to Prove
Bridge Nine (2008)
Time lapses between albums can be a tricky phenomenon and this tends to ring especially true for punk and hardcore bands. The conventional wisdom holds that return albums are lackluster and leave longtime supporters wishing the band simply played shows and left their recorded legacy in tact. But H2O never adheres to convention. Their widespread appeal is a result of … Read more
H2O
Still the Same Fellas
Bridge Nine (2008)
There is no doubt in the sincerity of Toby Morse's declaration that H2O have nothing to prove. And while their canon of endlessly catchy and inspiring melodic hardcore songs speaks for itself, their return has generated intense speculation about whether we're getting an album of melodic New York hardcore or poppier leaning tunes a la Go. While I've never fully … Read more
Wolves & Thieves
Demo
Independent (2008)
Wolves & Thieves play melodic rock n' roll-inspired hardcore seeping with East Bay flavor. In the same way The Suicide File and Hour of the Wolf play music definitively rooted in hardcore punk, albeit with a heavy rock n' roll influence, Wolves & Thieves unquestionably sound like a hardcore punk band. They simply refuse to be fettered with the frustrating … Read more
Carnal Knowledge
Demo
Independent (2008)
Carnal Knowledge deliver a nice blend of fuzzy guitar-driven punk that is reminiscent of the nascent riot grrl records crossed with the East Bay bounce that anyone growing up punk in the 90's grew to love. And to top it off, they have dual vocals - something I've been a sucker for ever since I first heard Blatz. While their … Read more
