Cementing The Seams: punk

3:51 PM

Vacation - S/T LP (2011)

Vacation are hard to peg. Aesthetically I think we're supposed to assume that they are a pop-punk band. Musically, describing them that way would be horribly innacurate. On their self titled LP, Vacation draw from a lot of diverse decks. Sometimes it's undeniably pop-punk. At others their lo-fi garage pop sound dominates. Some parts even sound like big ticket indie rock, but somehow, every song sounds like all this shit at the same time. I don't know how they do it, and I really don't know how to describe it, but I can tell you that you're gonna like it.

Stream and Download from The Recording Label

Buy it from Mandible Records

11:05 PM

Gasmask Terror - Like Daggers EP (2011)

I don't feel the need to justify this to anybody. Suffice to say that it is the perfect follow up to "Black Sun/Fake Gold" and Gasmask Terror are unfuckwithable. Get on it!

FFO: Skitkids, Ripping, Wailing, Shredding

10:11 PM

Billy Raygun / Lipstick Homicide - Split LP (2011)

Man this is awesome. No frills, just all around fantastic pop-punk from two little known-bands who have got their shit correct. Lipstick Homicide is a female-fronted band from Iowa that offers up some feel-good bike riding jams for hot summer days. Pretty kitschy, straight forward jingles, but catchy as all hell. Billy Raygun... I don't even know, their side is so god damn good. Dillinger Who?

FFO: Bad Banana, Dillinger Four, Lemuria, Ambulars,

2:43 PM

Sneeze - Grandma In The Trenches 7" (2011)

Sneeze are a relatively new band from Boston who play a poppy sort of grunge/pop-punk amalgam. They are embarking on a nation wide summer tour with The Clippers in July so be on the lookout for that. Sneeze comprises members of L'antietam and Ape Up and they sound nothing like either of those bands which is pretty awesome. "Grandma In The Trenches" is 8 songs worth of excellent 90's riff rock with a heavy post-punk feel that totally reminds me of Slowride. Albeit a little rougher around the edges. This needs to be in your rotation this summer.

Stream and Download at Bandcamp

Buy it from Bear Records

6:20 PM

Iron Chic - Split N' Shit EP (2011)

On their European tour, Iron Chic will be releasing 2 seperate 7"s (one a split with Pacer) but for those of us who don't live in Europe they have posted the songs from both as one digital EP for download via their bandcamp. For those of you not in the know, Iron Chic are one of the best Jawbreaker/Lifetime/Latterman progeny bands going right now (particularly because they were Latterman). Anyway, this is fantastic pop/beard/orgcore punk rock, and a hell of a way to follow up their 2010 LP "Not Like This". Check this out.

FFO: Get Bent, Bridge & Tunnel, The Sidekicks

Stream and Buy (or get it free) at Bandcamp

7:03 PM

Ghostlimb - Infrastructure (2011)

So this finally came in the mail, which I suppose means it's about time to say a few words about it. "Infrastructure" is the latest LP by California hardcore 3-piece Ghostlimb, and it is one of the stand-out records of the year. Ferocious hardcore punk with an abundance of great riffs, subtle melody and a train load of pure energy, "Infrastructure" is far and away Ghostlimb's most realized, well-rounded effort to date. Honestly this album caught me by surprise, as I suspected it to be merely good. A lot of hardcore bands that get way more attention are trying pretty hard to write a record like this. Ghostlimb rip through 11 tracks and leave everything else in the dust with a final song aping hip folk punk bands like Against Me. And they do that better too.

FFO: Graf Orlock, Punch, Unless, the bay area

Ghostlimb at Bandcamp

Buy it from Vitriol

10:00 PM

Sleepies - Hot Singles EP (2011)

Oh man, I almost forgot to post this. Sleepies are back for the first time since releasing one of 2010's best LPs with a 2 song digital EP called "Hot Singles". The Brooklyn band offers up more of the same snotty post-punk riffage that made me fall in love with the their LP last year. If you aren't listening to this band, you're doing it wrong.

Stream and download at Bandcamp

12:30 PM

Bad Banana - Cry About It 7" (2011)

Part three of this block of lady punk posts comes to us by way of another duo called Bad Banana. Actually they now play with some other people but that is a minor semantic detail (because as we all know; duo means 'danger'). Anyhow this 7" just came out on Puzzle Pieces Records and is the perfect follow up to their 10 song demo "Crushfield". With additional accompaniment and time behind the mixing board Bad Banana have gone from recorded-in-a-bathroom lo-fi pop punk to whatever comes next. 4 tracks of truly infectious summer jams that should have me biking, skating and flipping this record over and over until September.

Stream some of the demo tracks on Muxtape

Buy it from Puzzle Pieces

9:32 PM

Lazy Mary - Crazy Hairy EP (2010)

I picked this 7" up sort of on a whim when I tacked it onto some other stuff from Mountain Man Records. As it turns out Lazy Mary is a Long Beach lady duo who play balls-out garage punk and (I would allege) just don't give a fuck.

Listen at Bandcamp

Buy it from Mountain Man

10:18 PM

Big Eyes - S/T EP (2010)

It is officially spring (for me anyway), and as everyone knows that means it is pop-punk season. To kick off what hopefully becomes a string of related posts, I feel it necessary to post this EP by New Jersey trio Big Eyes. This is perfect sunny weather, bike riding music. Think The Runaways (oh yeah did I mention the singer was a lady?) mixed with proto pop-punk ala The Ramones. Throw in some modern punk flair and a pretty strong surf influence and you have all the parts for Big Eyes. I really hope this band releases an LP.

Stream at their blog

Buy it from Tankcrimes

11:49 PM

Big Kids 2011 (pt. 2): Don't Be A Baby EP

People need to start hearing this shit.

Peep this post for info regarding the purchase of this record album

Go to Europe from April 25th to June 6th to see these guys.

5:54 PM

Big Kids 2011 (pt. 1)

If you have any taste at all then you can probably skip this post because you definitely know everything it contains. Or you could read it anyway and feel smug about how cool you are. If you have for some idiotic reason have not listened this band yet, then prepare to punch your genitals in regret/self-actualization. Either way the Big Kids will still be the best pop-punk band in the US/world/universe and they will still have 2011 by the balls with all the great music they are putting out.

Firstly, both the Hoop Dreams tape (Mountain Man Records) and LP (Protagonist) have been repressed.

Secondly, the Kids have a slew of NEW music being released. Their split 7" with Koalacaust has been out and shipping from Mountain Man (see above) for a few weeks now.

Mountain Man also has their newest EP "Don't Be A Baby" on cassette up for preorder right now. A 7" version of said EP is available from Top Shelf for preorder as well. These should be shipping in the next few weeks.

Soon enough they will also be releasing a split 7" with pop-punk freight train Joyce Manor. Look for it soon at Solidarity Records.

AND, this summer Big Kids will be headed to europe to tour, but before that they'll be releasing a new LP stateside with Protagonist.

Excited yet?

Stream some new tracks at Bandcamp

Follow their Blog

6:19 PM

Sound Check - Herds

I got the newest Herds 7" in the mail today and it and I'm way stoked on it. Herds are a punk band from Chicago who play a version of roots hardcore with a grim modernity. Residue Records (the Chicago label responsible for the last two Canadian Rifle releases) just released the band's Michigan EP. Give it a listen and pick it up.

Listen at Bandcamp

Buy at Residue

11:44 PM

Stay Ahead of The Weather - We Better Get Goin' If We're Gonna (2010)

I need to pay closer attention to pop-punk. I'm way too jaded about it and always miss great records because of it. This is one those records that luckily I finally got around to listening to. Stay Ahead Of The Weather is from Chicago and shares members with local emo acts Native, Into It. Over It. and Castevet. So take those bands, multiply by Bridge & Tunnel and carry The Sidekicks and you'll get an idea of what to expect. It's always great when two or more good bands come together and produce something of equal or greater value (see Able Baker Fox) and this has definitely happened. Stay Ahead definitely have the emo influence of their parent bands (is this a term?) but are definitely rooted in punk, paying lyrical homage to Jawbreaker. Anyway, this was released as a 7" by No Sleep Records back in October, and is sold out there but can still be found in a few distros. Check it out.

Stay Ahead of the Weather on Myspace

9:53 PM

Gasmask Terror - Black Sun/Fake Gold (2010)

I've slept on this long enough. Gasmask Terror are a punk band from France who play some straightforward, fast, raw punk rock with generous guitar solos ala hardcore bands like Skitkids (for one). The entire album is in the same key and tempo but the songs seldom reach the 2 minute mark. They all sound pretty much the same, but when they are this good it's hard thing to complain about. They rip through 11 tracks in just under 17 minutes, and they rip through them hard. Shit is on.

Buy it from Solar Funeral

11:11 PM

Armada - Premonitions 7" (2011)

Got an email, the contents of which included a link to the new 7" by Milwaukee hardcore band Armada who " play fast hardcore punk in the vein of Left For Dead, Extortion, xFilesx, Charles Bronson". It was a just description and I heard what I expected. And for once it was as good as I hoped it might be. "Premonitions" is 6 rapidfire tracks in 6 minutes and it fucking kicks ass. Think Like Rats if you need a frame of reference that I've actually used before. Anyway, hardcore is always best in short bursts and Armada do (does?) not disappoint. Nothing groundbreaking but totally genuine, fast, pissed and gooooood.

Armada at Bandcamp.

8:24 PM

Face The Rail - S/T LP (2010)

I don't even know what to say, but this should suffice: "Jangling guitar and fuzzed out bass Claliforna surf punk jams rooted in obscure DC Hardcore". I couldn't really say it much better, and you really shouldn't need any additional description before you start clawing at the buy button. Anyway, totally killer west-coast punk stuff a la Descendents, Adolescents, Aggression and the like. If you dug that Sleepies LP you should be into this. If not, you should be anyway. "Problems" is the jam of the year (probably).

Face The Rail on Myspace

Buy it from Headcount

8:59 PM

Basement - Songs About The Weather EP (2010)

I don't really understand how this band flew under my radar all of last year, considering they were involved with Run For Cover records and pretty much everything the label did in 2010 was shoved down my throat at every possible turn. This isn't a bad thing, these are the dudes responsible for the much lauded Hostage Calm LP and the oddly overrated Tigers Jaw catalog. This particular EP was actually released on City of Gold but now that's irrelevant. That being said you should know what to expect, kind of a Polar Bear Club or Hostage Calm vibe. Really they remind me of Above Them, perhaps because they are both from the UK. Anyway they released this and a two song EP (called "Two Song EP", which I probably like more, but its only "Two Songs") last year and it is worth a listen, even if you are burned out on the modern melodic hardcore bit.

Listen at Bandcamp

10:44 PM

Hostage Calm - S/T (2010)

I was familiar with Hostage Calm before listening to their new LP but it didn't really matter because it sounded nothing like I expected. Hailing from the indie/punk hotbed (evidently) that spawned recent emo revivalists My Heart To Joy, and Make Do And Mend (Connecticut), Hostage Calm have produced a over-the-top-catchy and imminiently listenable new record that plays effortlessly from start to finish. I hesitate to call it pop-punk because I feel like it implies a level of simplicity that the record far overshoots, but, there really isn't anything else to call it. It is pop and punk and it is pretty brilliant. The songs on the record are all so varied almost every one reminds me of something different (a few sound like Blueline Medic, others like Santana), and I can hardly remember which parts fit into which songs. I've been listening to it for a couple weeks solid now and it still keeps me guessing.

For fans of: Polar Bear Club, Pilot To Gunner, The Loved Ones

Hostage Calm on Myspace

Get it.

Buy it from Run For Cover Records

11:20 AM

Sound Check: Like Rats

Like Rats are a punk/hardcore band from Chicago, IL that play a stripped down, d-beat influenced sort of punk rock. Also, it comprises members of always well-recieved Weekend Nachos. Later this month they will be releasing a 5 song 7" EP with Cosmic Debris records, the label responsible for the new Ambulars 7" "Nothing To Say From Miles Away". Last year Like Rats released an 8 song EP which can be downloaded for free and is simply awesome. Get it now, then buy the 7".

Listen and Download at http://likerats.net/

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