Agent
I Wouldn't Trade That for Anything
Iron Pier (2006)
I know many of you out there don't remember the grunge explosion of the early to middle 90's. After Nirvana's "sudden" success, major labels swooped down on the rain drenched city of Seattle and signed everyone from Soundgarden to Seaweed in hope that maybe their label would find another alternative rock goldmine to strip for all its worth. Well, for … Read more
Capital
Signal Corps
Iron Pier (2006)
Finally, Tom Corrigan has come back to his roots and fronts Long Island hardcore unit, Capital. I'm sure the name Tom Corrigan isn't the most recognizable name in hardcore but he used to sing in the criminally underrated Long Island outfit, Silent Majority. I don't think there was anyone this side of Ohio more excited than me when I heard … Read more
Self Defense Family
You Are Beneath Her
Iron Pier (2013)
Surely there has been a band (not just a group of musicians) that is as forward thinking about what the concept of being a “band” is as Self Defense Family (the band formerly known as End Of A Year), but none that I can think of other than say SunnO))) in the way that collaborators shape the music; You Are Beneath Her is just one piece of … Read more
Thieves and Assassins
Martyr Brigade
Iron Pier (2007)
Everything I get in for review goes through the same process. The first thing I do after I greedily rip into the manila envelope like a kid on Christmas is check out the layout. You can tell a lot just from a cover of a CD. Usually if the cover depicts a scene of armored knights upon horseback fending off … Read more
United States
Divorce Songs
Iron Pier (2006)
United States are back, following up their Fuck It Tapes cassette release with an pseudo-urgent catcall of angular and somewhat disjointed full-length tunes on an album entitled Divorce Songs. The band is from Brooklyn and these songs, according to the one sheet, are about "surviving the city, struggling in the city and learning in the city." The lyrical content definitely … Read more
