Exciting is a good term to use to describe the feelings from Cable putting out another album, particularly after they had apparently called it quits. Thankfully, their farewell turn juiced the band up enough to write and record a new album. The Failed Convict is the latest album from the Cable institution and the first with guitarist Bernie Romanowski in quite a while, which is a good thing for fans of the band's early material. The thirteen tracks here are an abrasive batch of songs with plenty of the sludge-y noise as well as a good helping of Randy Larson's (bassist and vocalist) broken sounding vocals, but initial impressions do have evidence for a bit of a jump in song composition as well. There are not many bands that can combine the styles into something that feels like their sound, and Cable accomplishes this well on The Failed Convict. The well worn familiarity that Cable's music exudes gives them an authentic air and screams working class angst. Still, the band seems in great form, adding nuances to their music that previously their music showed hints of possibility; well placed guitar leads cut through the morass of the steady rhythms adding … Read more
Jon Snodgrass used a sling a guitar in Armchair Martian and Drag the River but decided to go with the … Read more
The Bay Area has always been known for producing some great punk acts. One up-and-coming band is the newest addition … Read more
If I were to comprise a short list of individuals that I would love to sit down and just have … Read more
The European hardcore scene has always fascinated me, and for many reasons. But perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the … Read more
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Beginning with the layout of their album covers and continuing with the live recording theme, DCxPC Live releases are inspired by V.M.L. Records from the mid-1990s. Like that label, it’s about the energy and what it’s like to be in person at a show. While of course everybody wants a nice sounding record, the goal is more about mood than perfection. You’re going to hear more of the floor than you will the soundboard. Just like a live show. Building off that 1990s reference, both bands on this split are connected to that scene in many ways too. The members of Middle-Aged Queers date back to that scene, and The Raging Nathans can’t escape comparisons of their sound to the skatepunk of that era. As for the record itself, well… … Read more
Pussygutt is a two-piece ambient droning doom outfit. Well, not exactly but a more accurate description may be given as Pussygutt is a group that works their magic with two actual members and a revolving cast of collaborators as its two masterminds (Brittany McConnell and Blake Green) see fit. She Hid Behind Her Veil is the third album from the … Read more
Apocalypse Youth, this EP from San Diego band Lanterns is best described with one word: rich. It's a pop album that is rich in sound and rich in harmonies. The five songs here are surprisingly noisy for a band playing such a delicate kind of music, booming from every corner with loud drums and feedback. The guitar slings echo deeply … Read more
Split 7" releases are great when both bands are good. And luckily this time both Black Market Fetus and In Defence are good underground groups and this nasty little piece is as sweet as it is short- seven songs pass by hastily but it's certainly good enough to warrant repeated listens. Another positive is that both bands differ slightly in … Read more
The Lost Broken Bones is the first release on Suburban Home for this four-piece from Israel. This is my first exposure to this band, but they have been together for quite some time. Recorded at The Blasting Room, sonically all the right buttons are pushed. Sometimes the vocals veer into Unwritten Law territory, but I guess this is a chicken … Read more
Get out the lava light kids, and get ready to take a trip! Okay, maybe not that wacked out, but the influence is there. Produced by Paul Mahern (of Zero Boys fame), this band's debut full-length hits all the right buttons. Fans of 90's rock will hear Ride, Echo & The Bunnymen, maybe even a little Julian Cope. It's hard … Read more
How did I sleep on this band? I remember hearing about Mother of Mercy when their No Eden 7" was released, but I never took the time to follow up. Hailing from the greater Philadelphia area, this band took me by surprise with their debut full-length III. Mother of Mercy comes from the ashes of the now-defunct Let Down, who … Read more
I'm probably the last person that should be do a review on the latest album from Pennsylvania's Boxcutter. I haven't had a rough life. Both my parents raised me. I've never seen a friend die. Moreover, even though I wasn't the best kid in the world I never had any run ins with the law. Even today I live in … Read more
There are a slew of musicians who take the role of singer-songwriter after the break up of their former bands. At times this can showcase the talent that drove the bands to their success, or alternately show the need for collaboration to flesh out their ideas into worthwhile songs. Frank Turner fronted the mildly successful post-hardcore act Million Dead before … Read more
The whole Midwestern punk sound is something you either love or hate. I, personally love most of the main bands that have come from this genre but when it comes to newer bands, they have to do something to stand out among the others. It's a given fact that I'll enjoy the band but will I be telling my friends … Read more
Texas rockers ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead return with their sixth full-length effort, The Century of Self. The band's newest long player is the follow-up to So Divided, which was a polarizing album for their fans. Following the release of that album Trail of Dead eventually split from their relationship with Interscope Records. As a … Read more
California's In the Red always fell under the radar to me until I decided to listen to vocalist/guitarist, Mike Hale's latest solo album, Lives Like Mine. I really liked this album and his other solo work and was impressed enough with his acoustic outing to give In the Red's sophomore record, Volume 2 a chance. Unfortunately, I was let down … Read more
Deep Sleep sound like 1980's LA hardcore. A good example is the dual vocals of "Alone with You," but with twenty-one songs in twenty-five minutes, all the songs are pretty interchangeable. It's fast, sloppy, and underdeveloped. After my first listen, I learned that Three Things at Once is a compilation of the band's three EPs thus far, which makes sense … Read more
I knew next to nothing about this band before checking out this album but the fact that they are "recommended for fans of: Dinosaur Jr., Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, and Black Sabbath" was enough to spark my interest. This was a tad misleading as the band doesn't have too much in common with those four bands, with the exception of … Read more
Score one for the witty band name and reference to the cult movie of similar name, and score another for the ridiculously long album title. Black Blood of the Earth Parts 1 & 2 + Fur & Teeth actually is a collection of several releases by this collaboration between Brent Eyestone (Aughra, Forensics, Waifle, etc) and Mike Haley (Proprietor of … Read more
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