Music Worth Checking Out: 3rd Quarter(-ish) 2016

Hi all. I'm grossly overdue for an update, but dropping my 4th iPod Classic on the basement floor in late July put a monkey wrench in my ability to chew through new music. I'm still in the process of adding and (re-)rating 75% of my pre-2012 music to my 5th one, which had to be purchased off eBay as a refurb since Apple doesn't make them anymore. So far, so good, but between New Japan Pro Wrestling, another trying Buffalo Bills season, Stern show, Artie Lange's podcast, the flood of new decent music, and making sure I actually listen to the records I buy, I haven't made any progress on the old stuff in months. Oh well. At least I will continue to have plenty of time to myself to eventually work on it (read: occasionally too much).

Well OK then, let's get on to the standard disclaimer and the music! This blog is really not meant for public consumption, although I appreciate every random reader from across the globe. The intended audience for this, which informs the way I write and describe/compare the music, is composed of the friends I’ve accumulated in my life with whom I’ve shared mutual enjoyment of music in the past. My purpose here is to attempt to foster or rekindle that facet of those relationships. Still, thanks for reading, whoever and wherever you are. Also, it doesn't matter whether it came out in 1997 or 2016. If I found out about it recently and I like it, I'll include it here. Also, don't mind the paste-asociated font/size changes. This editor blows, and it's not even worth the effort to fix. Let's do this, mang!

A Sight For Sewn Eyes - A Sight For Sewn Eyes

I don't even remember how long it has been since I discovered a new band as harsh as this that I loved. I might even have to go all the way back to when I first got into Botch, Coalesce, and The Bled. I don't even remember for sure, but I believe I heard of these guys via their vocalist doing guest screams on somebody else's album (Rarity or Riot Acts, maybe?). If you like mathy, crunchy, classic metalcore that keeps you guessing and occasionally travels into more ambient/post-rock realms, I can't stress enough that you should check for this Canadian outifit. This album used to be on Spotify but got taken down (their first album is still there, which I unfortunately haven't heard yet), presumably because they're working on re-releasing it on a formidable label. I don't have enough familiarity yet to suggest any tracks, so just crank it and promptly destroy whatever room you're currently in. I'm talking turnt tables, smashed lamps, and terrified pets/toddlers, fuckers. Put your goggles on.

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Deer Leap - Impermanence

Broken World Media seems to have become the new Topshelf Records in terms of putting out quality 90's emo releases, and this is a perfect example. This is emo of the slower and prettier type, maybe something like Elliott's Song In The Air. You really can't go wrong just starting out at the top here.

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Scout (Boys) - What If, Like, When We Die...

These dudes have gone on to change their name to Scout and then Shelly (with a total change in sound to boot) since this came out, but the important thing is that this is a nice chunk of indie/pop-punk-rock/emo that's of the more mid-tempo/upbeat variety. Some of it really reminds me of the few Joyce Manor songs I like, and there's definitely some face to face and early Alkaline Trio influence there. All song am good.

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Hiding Place - Hiding Place

Man, life sure is even more of an indecipherable blur when it's always night and no "day" really feels much different from the one before it. I say that because I have absolutely zero recollection about how I found this. I do know I loved it upon first listen though. Like Deer Leap, this is also firmly footed in the more contemplative, dreamier side of emo. The vocals and guitars frame the mood in the beautifully sad department with the occasional anguished yell, while the drums are a bit more restrained than I'd prefer. Still, I really really dig the total package and can't wait for my 7" to show up. Start at the top.

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Forest Green - Forest Green

Nick Diener of The Swellers assisted with the production/recording of this new entry in the rich history of earnest Michigan bummer skate/pop-punk. While it's too rough around the edges for me to recommend it to all Swellers fans, I'll certainly recommend it to you, fine reader. The vocals and music are probably more analogous to Title Fight's first couple albums. I think the raw emotion of the main theme of dude trying to sincerely cope (and fail) with his grandfather's death might be kind of painful to listen to for some, but I can totally extrapolate and relate in terms of how I'm going to feel when my paternal grandfather passes. Again, you might as well start at the top here too.

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This Town Needs Guns - Disappointment Island

This is kind of a fucked up deal right here, kids. This is a really good album. It's probably better than most other stuff on this blog. And yet, true to its name, it still feels like a bit of a letdown simply because TTNG have become victims of their own greatness, Their knack for creating catchy pop vocal tunes over gorgeously angular finger-picking math-rock is by now the stuff of legend amongst those who know. Their impeccable live show can take much of the "blame" for that, as can the fact that their earlier material seems to inexplicably get better the more I listen (for real, if you didn't push through any initial meh with 13.0.0.0 and let it into your life fully, you've played yourself). So although I can't tell you any of this bowls me over, I can tell you that it might if you've never heard them before. There is also nothing skip-worthy here, so it's definitely sill a win. I think my favorite track is "Destroy The Tabernacle", with its deceivingly simple drum part. It's sort of like if The Police would've invented math rock and finger-tapping early in their career.

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wolves&wolves&wolves&wolves - Scorched Earth

I know jack shit about these guys but kept seeing their name come up on various sites and decided to give 'er a go after the fifth or sixth sighting. I was rewarded with gruff (largely) mid-tempo punk rock that shouldn't be foreign to fans of Hot Water Music, Banner Pilot or face to face. This is quite an old EP, and there are a couple newer releases you can beat me to the punch on if you'd like. Let me know how it goes. 

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Carpenter - Lifelines

I swear it felt like 17 years between releases for this band. The last one, Sea To Sky, had some real trouble living up to the absolute greatness of their debut full-length, my locked-in soundtrack to my first views of Lake Superior every time I head north, Law of the Land. Accordingly, it's really god damn great to have this 8-songer be more solid. I do wish the themes were a bit less personal and more in line with the "farmcore" anti-government environmentalist bent of much of the first two releases, but it helps when the burner "One Way Ticket To Hell" is one of their best ever. To the best of my knowledge, dude walks the walk too, as he owns and operates a farm somewhere in (central?) Canada after leaving cubicle life behind. And if you still don't get why they're one of the most unique punk(-related) acts to come out in the last 10 years, let's take a second to remember their myspace url, ".../joncougarisgod".

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My Iron Lung - Learn To Leave

Former Such Gold drummer, the venerable Devan Bentley, played drums for the recording (only) of this band's debut, and while the drumming was definitely my favorite part, it was still a pretty good stab at moody hardcore/post-hardcore. On this, their second album, a permanent (well, as much as such a thing can be in a punk band) drummer is on the stool who is not a predetermined favorite ever, bu the overall product is miles ahead. There's more variation in overall sound/mood, more texture, and less reliance on shouted monotone vocals that are the norm for the style. Some of it even reminds me of middle-era Balance & Composure. Check it out if you dug Gatherers at all.

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Russian Circles - Guidance

The best instru-metal band in the business returns with what has ended up being my favorite of theirs. You probably already know whether you like them or not, so just be advised the new shit rules if you're already a fan. Get your fucking life together and ask yourself why you haven't listened yet.

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Arrows In Her - It Tired Me All The Same

Now THIS is some genuine sad bastard music, brought to you by Broken World Media once again. Bleed your heart out to this finger-tapping moody mathy emo-rock that puts a new sound to the spirit of mopes like Mineral and Cross My Heart. Closer "I Watched A Show About Space" is my favorite bummer jam here. And if you like this, make sure to go back and check out their debut EP leaving.

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Balance and Composure - Light We Made

Assy cover art aside, I was ready for an enormous letdown with this one. I was warm but not hot on lead single "Postcard", somewhat thanks to a pleasingly disturbing video (see link below), despite it tipping the hat to a distinct change in overall sound for the band. I really loved their last album and wasn't interested in another god damn band making a major shift. Still, there was sort of a Talking Heads influence to it that was crazily appealing. And then I finally listened to the whole thing. The truth is that I really dig most of it ("For A Walk" won't get many more spins), and "Postcard" is probably my favorite. If you dig it too, give the rest of the album a couple of shots. I'm sure glad I got a curveball...for once.

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Jimmy Eat World - Integrity Blues

It's weird to see bigger cynics than me praise the shit out of this. While I will agree with the consensus that it's their best since 2004's Futures, it's not really hooking me much outside of preview tracks "Sure & Certain" (my favorite by far) and "Get Right". Furthermore, the curveball rocking ending to "Pass The Baby" is cool but would be so much better without the dead weight of the rest of the song. Admittedly I haven't given it more than two full spins yet, and I'm hoping it grows some. I'd like to be able to justify buying the vinyl so the two aforementioned tracks can be blasted properly. Including 7" b-side "My Enemy" would've helped the overall case for me.

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Taking Meds - My Life As A Bro

Broken World Media comes through yet again, but this time the primary. Instead we get ambitious, angular, mathy punk-influenced rock and post-hardcore. This is a side project of the singer/guitarist and bassist of Such Gold (Ben and Jon) as well as Skylar, who played guitar and did the scream vocals on Misadventures but does the primary singing here. Add some dude named Matt Battle (not many more badass names to be had in the world) on the drums, and the band is rounded out. As I started this paragraph, I started my second listen of this (and the first while not distracted by strangers' shit, piss, and blood), so I'm even less familiar than usual, but I know for sure it deserves your attention. A lot of it reminds me of what would've happened if No Knife were more punk. Some of it reminds me of Shiner too. That should really interest a few of you. 

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Belmont - Between You & Me

Our final entry in the rock portion of this update lists such genres as punk, pop-punk, hardcore, and melodic hardcore on their Badcamp page. And then comes the gross part..."easycore". That includes comedy bands like Four Year Strong and A Day To Remember, and if you don't know those names, be glad. I'm very glad I didn't notice that before I chose to listen, because in my opinion these kids manage to take some of the cooler parts that get lost in the sea of hot dumpster grease that is the those bands' music and intersperse them with really well-executed and catchy melodic hardcore and the kind of pop-punk that doesn't need defending because people don't like to shit on it like they do Man Overboard. (They make it so easy.) So far I consider all songs equal here, with only a couple "ehhh" parts over five songs.

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Denmark Vessey & Gensu Dean - Whole Food

Mr. Vessey, you had me at "I need them Rowdy Rod Ray-Bans". I've been thinking that myself lately. Shit's gotten weird...like, almost Killer Klowns From Outer Space weird.....and shitty. Anyway, to be truthful, with your cleverly subversive wordplay and ample flow, you had me when I first heard your first album Cult Classic last year. You're like an appropriately more raw version of Del the Funky Homosapien if he were from Detroit. Gensu Dean provides what's probably his most consistent body of production yet, rounding out another project I'm immensely proud to rep for my state. My personal favorite lyrically is "Biscuits & Gravy", which starts out with shouts of  "Jesus got me arrested!" and tells tales of partying buddy White Jesus, who turns boxed water into spiked punch and cavorts with bad hoes. "If you're nervous, go to Sunday service." Mello Music Group wins again.

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Skyzoo & Apollo Brown - The Easy Truth

Let's go for a double dose from Mello. This has to be in the top 2 or 3 pieces of work by both the MC and producer. Check opener "One in the Same" for a good example of what happens when both are at their best. Apollo often gets painfully mathematical and predictable, but there's mercifully little of that here. I think it's his best and most varied work since the Ghostface remix album he did. 

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MindsOne & DJ Iron - Phaseology

Now let's jump over to the other hip-hop label smashing it regularly these days, Ill Adrenaline. MindsOne did a great EP with Kev Brown last year, and this is at least as good. Check "Horizons" ft. John Robinson (OG version, although the remix is decent too. 

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Reks - The Greatest X

Weighing in at a beefy 35 tracks, this is essentially a double album from one of my top MC's of this millennium. Like most projects of such length, it would've made one hell of a single album. I'm thinking he made it so long so that the boom-bap would outweigh the 4 or 5 trap/bounce beats he sadly and inexplicably employs. Now that I look, I kept 22 songs on the iPod with only 6 in the "never ever listen again" category. No favorite jumped out immediately, but a re-listen during the writing of this paragraph would suggest "Gone Baby Gone", "Pray for Me: The Genocide Note", and how the hell did I not notice "Benjamin Button" more the first time? 

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Lessondary - Ahead of Schedule

This is a Wu-Tang-sized collective of dudes who have a pretty extensive discography I haven't paid much attention to, mostly because the bits I'd heard didn't move me much. This is pretty solid throughout though.

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Awon - Matte Black Soul

Are you looking for something smoother than a baby's ass? Like, maybe even as smooth as "Acid Raindrops" or "Rather Unique"? Then check out "Exquisite" off this LP. It's gorgeous. Surprisingly it's one of the few tracks not produced by Portland, Maine's own Phoniks. He has come on very strong in the last couple years and does produce my next favorite track, "Natural High". Also, it's pronounced "A-1", not like a kid with a speech impediment trying to pronounce "Aaron".

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A-F-R-O & Marco Polo - A-F-R-O Polo

I don't want to hear anybody talk about flow ever again without mentioning this kid. As a matter of fact, he defined it. Clever lyrics abound as well, though they're occasionally frustratingly not so in rare instances. More importantly, he's obviously incredibly talented (check him freestyling on Fallon) and loves to spit fire over classic boom-bap beats, as evidenced by multiple mixtapes prior to this EP. It's all fairly even, so take it from the top. 

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Kool Keith - Feature Magnetic

This relatively new marriage between Mello Music Group and Keith has been pretty fruitful. On the whole, I think I like this better than the L'Orange album (and probably a little better than the one with Ray West too). I meant to quote a few lyrical gems but failed to document them, and I need to just get this damn thing done already. Plus they're better heard than read anyway. Keith does all his own production, which has been a dumpster fire for the past few years, but here he proves he knows how to make something decent still. Don't get me wrong, there are clunkers, and a couple of the guest appearances are awful (I sincerely how anyone can consider Necro and Slug from Atmosphere as anything other than jokes). Check out "Tired" featuring Boston's own EdO. G. to counteract that.

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Skizz - Cruise Control

The artist formerly known as DJ Skizz has returned with another compilation album full of his solid boom-bap production with rhymes by worthy MCs like O.C., Your Old Droog, and Roc Marciano. Interestingly enough, my favorite track, closer "Peace God" features Da Villins, whom I've never heard of before. The production is smooth like those Awon tracks. Don't miss it.

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Your Old Droog - The Nicest

How about some of that "what the hell did he just say?" shit? There are truly not many more clever MCs holding a mic these days. In case you're unaware, this is the kid who took the hip-hop world by storm by revealing his music well before he revealed himself, leaving million to speculate it was Nas with voice alteration based on his lyrical abilities and cadence. Talk about a compliment...

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Dillon & Paten Locke - Food Chain

You guys remember the group Asamov from the early-mid 00's? They had a couple bangers on my hip-hop mixes. Paten (pronounced "Payton") Locke was in that group under the pseudoname Therapy. He does all the production. I don't know where the hell Dillon came from, but when these dudes get together, they make lovely hip-hop. Check "Humdinger" for evidence.

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Whew! That's finally it for this update. I could possibly do another one before the end of the year but don't hold your breath. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Music Worth Checking Out: 2nd Quarter 2016

Gather 'round, kids. Thanks for stopping by yet again. Boy oh boy am I excited to tell you about some of the records that have first graced my hairy old ears in the last 3 months. Let's just right to it, after this message from our sponsor.

Standard disclaimer time: This blog is really not meant for public consumption, although I appreciate every random reader from across the globe. The intended audience for this, which informs the way I write and describe/compare the music, is composed of the friends I’ve accumulated in my life with whom I’ve shared mutual enjoyment of music in the past. My purpose here is to attempt to foster or rekindle that facet of those relationships. Still, thanks for reading, whoever and wherever you are. Also, it doesn't matter whether it came out in 1997 or 2016. If I found out about it recently and I like it, I'll include it here.

Luca Brasi - If This Is All We're Going To Be

I continue to be in love with the previous full-length by these lads from Tasmania , and this one is exactly the step-up I hoped for. They blend punk, post-hardcore, emo, and straight-ahead rock with that worn-but-still-fighting feel I adore. The raw passion just oozes (consequently it looks like they slay live), and "Count Me Out" is a candidate for best album closer in a long time. I also love "Aeroplane", "Say It Back", and "The Cascade Blues". I really think the honorable Small Brown Bike is a good approximation of their vibe, much more so in the Nail Yourself... through Fell & Found era than the early stuff. I also hear echoes of Transit and Dikembe in parts. I've probably listened to this 30 times and I'm still loving it more with each rotation. Dude's earnestness just really appeals to me.

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Counterpunch - Bruises

Somehow these Chicago skate-punk vets escaped my attention until now (shame on you, friends who were already aware), and their latest, this 2014 effort, is a blistering smorgasbord of metal-tinged skate-punk. They're on the label owned by NOFX's El Hefe, and they're obviously heavily influenced by the Fat sound, especially Strung Out. "Young and Entitled" stood out most to me on the first listen.

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Belvedere - Revenge of the Fifth

These old dudes recently reunited, and I now regret not giving them more of a shot in their original incarnation because this is damn good. They also compose punk rock tunes in the skate/metal vein, and I also haven't had too much time to get familiar with this. I do know singer dude spent time between runs with this band in This Is A Standoff (favorite tune), which may interest some of you.

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Worship This! - Mint

There's no reinventing of the wheel on the second album from these beard-punk/post-hardcore/emo codgers from Akron, but if you like that sort of stuff, you'll find a succinct and enjoyable 10-song album here. I haven't picked any favorites yet, but I didn't delete any songs either. I'm planning on picking up the wax from A-F Records at some point this year.

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Sport - Slow

The vibe is quite similar with Sport but leans more in the emo direction. Their previous album was one of my favorites of 2014 (#5 to be exact) and had a couple 5-star songs. They almost broke up, but found their mojo again during what supposed to be the final tour, and this is the result. It's consistent and solid, but it's not as dynamic as I was hoping for. Accordingly, I'd say you can't go wrong picking almost any song, except "Leaves", which has no percussion and therefore bores me.

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Shitty Neighbors - Better Now

Let's keep the punk rock flowing as we turn our ears toward Toledo and enjoy this fantastic cover art. This one's an EP that came into my awareness thanks to Worship This shouting them out after a show they both played. It's solid, it shows massive potential, and all songs are equally worthy of sampling.

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Saosin - Along The Shadow

I stayed cautiously optimistic after hearing original vocalist (also of Circa Survive and solo fame) Anthony Greene was making new music with these guys, and yet I was still kind of surprised when I found myself loving most of this. I like their first couple EPs (actually I downright love the first one) and the first full length (self-titled) with Cove Reber singing. It got spotty after that, and I haven't liked a Greene-associated project since Circa's On Letting Go, but I dare say everything has come together for me with the wide range of sounds and punk/metal sub-genres they adeptly demonstrate on this baby. Check out absolute ripper "The Secret Meaning of Freedom" (their first attempt at double-time beats - who does that 13 years into their career? That's so fucking cool!) and the more emo "The Stutter Says A Lot" for starters.

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Fairlane/Ringfinger - split 12"

After highlighting Fairlane's latest EP in my last post, I checked out their 4 songs from this split, liked three of four, and ordered the LP from Floodlight Records. They're a good blend of mid to late 90's post-hardcore/emo/alternative (good god I hate that word), and each of their songs are worth at least a cursory listen, but I'll be damned if Delaware's Ringfinger didn't steal the emo show on this one. Check "Night Light" and then download their previous material from their bandcamp.

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Elzhi - Lead Poison

The most gifted lyricist ever from Michigan and one of the best of all time in my opinion, Elzhi came correct as fuck on this long overdue LP (ask his Kickstarter backers...I knew better) full of ambitious boom-bap that absolutely demands repeated listens due to its depth and intricacy. It's really quite captivating to listen to a dude tell and show you why he's one of the best to ever hold a mic while he's also speaking on the black cloud of depression that persistently threatened the existence of the very album it helped to make incredible. I honestly don't want to say any more now. Just fucking listen already if you haven't. Hurry up. Not now but right now. I love all of the following: "INTROverted", "February" (featuring one of the most creative boom-bap beats you'll ever hear - see video), "MisRIGHT", "Two 16's", "Cosign", "Cloud", "FriendZONE", "WEEDipedia", and "EGOcentric".

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Havoc & Alchemist - The Silent Partner

Well, kids, even though Alchemist is on an even bigger roll lately than he was in the late 90's, I still wasn't expecting much from this. I'm also not much into the ignorant thug rap anymore, but Mobb Deep gets grandfathered past that clause, plus Havoc actually sounds like he's getting a little more insightful as he ages (finally). The result is me honestly being pretty fucking blown away by how good this is. There's knock-you-on-your-ass percussion and piano stabs all over the place, creating the best and most consistent soundscape Hav has had since Hell On Earth. It's seriously that good. No bullshitting. I've unfortunately only given it 3 or 4 listens so far, but I can tell you "Impose My Will" and "Just Being Me" are good places to start. It's a god damn travesty this apparently has no vinyl destiny currently.

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Apathy - Handshakes With Snakes

You may remember Ap from as far back as 2000 ("The Smackdown" was a hell of an introduction), around the AudioGalaxy days. He has been fairly consistent over the years, with the Honkey Kong album probably being his pinnacle for me considering "Check To Check" is my favorite song of his, but I don't think he has ever made a home run album. That might've changed here. I never really realized how good of a producer he was until now, as he crafted every beat here. I've admittedly only heard most songs once, and I do remember one with a truly awful/embarrassing chorus, but check "Charlie Brown" and "Blow Ya Head Off" for good examples of what I speak. It was pretty damn sweet to have two huge surprises from old heads (this and Havoc) this time around.

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Timeless Truth - Cold Wave

Pretty cool cover art, huh? The Large Professor-produced "Wavelength" (see first video) is just as cool. Apparently I've been sleeping on these guys for a good 5 years, which is a shame, and they have at least one other EP and LP that I'll be checking out with my next batch.

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Thanks for reading! Come back again in October. I'll be neck deep in Rex Ryan hatred by then.

Music Worth Checking Out: 1st Quarter 2016

Hey, gang. Welcome back for another go 'round. The nocturnal lifestyle still isn't lending itself to productivity or motivation, but luckily the music that I've discovered in the first 3 months of 2016 (and a couple from the end of the year that didn't make the list) is reason enough to spur me to write. It has me excited for the rest of the year, including new Elzhi and Deftones albums soon and possibly new Prawn in the fall. But before I get too far ahead of myself, let's review what 2016 has brought to my ears.

Standard disclaimer time: This blog is really not meant for public consumption, although I appreciate every random reader from across the globe. The intended audience for this, which informs the way I write and describe/compare the music, is composed of the friends I’ve accumulated in my life with whom I’ve shared mutual enjoyment of music in the past. My purpose here is to attempt to foster or rekindle that facet of those relationships. Still, thanks for reading, whoever and wherever you are. Also, it doesn't matter whether it came out in 1997 or 2015. If I found out about it recently and I like it, I'll include it here.

Peregrine - Sorry About The Mess

It has been quite a while since I've been this blown away by a debut release. This band is from Worcester, Mass and formed from the ashes of Ghost Ocean, whose two EPs were highlighted in previous years in this blog. It seems like most of the time bands that form out of the breakup of one you like don't measure up to their predecessor. I approached this six-song EP with that assumption, and within two listens realized I couldn't have been more wrong. They sound like they've been together a decade and have honed the shit out of their style, and it all flows so effortlessly between 90's emo and post-hardcore with flourishes of indie rock, shoegaze, and mid-tempo pop-punk. They remind me of so many personally revered bands that I had to make a list to keep track, and here's what I came up with: Sore Eyelids, Counterfit, Jimmy Eat World, Your Best Friend, Sunny Day Real Estate (circa Diary), Tokyo Rose (circa Reinventing A Lost Art), Face To Face (circa Ignorance Is Bliss), The Beautiful Mistake, Mineral, Further Seems Forever, and Somos. It'll be such a god damned egregious error if this never gets the vinyl treatment. I'd listen to the whole thing once through if I were you, but the standouts for me are the title track and "Mistakes That Make Us".

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face to face - Protection

By now you should've heard that this is at least a very good if not truly great return to form for these grizzled vets, one of the first punk bands I ever got into. Their return to Fat Wreck Chords set the stage perfectly for them to make fans forget the almost unlistenable previous album with a triumphant piece of work that, to me, rivals their best. I could go back and forth on whether Big Choice or face to face is my favorite, but this is damn close along with Don't Turn Away. If you seriously haven't heard this yet (hurry up, you're failing at potential joy in life), dial up "Double Crossed", "See If I Care", or "It Almost All Went Wrong" and rejoice.

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Somos - First Day Back

I've read quite a bit of fair criticism about this album by people who adored Temple of Plenty like I did. Those gripes tend to range from the production being too spit-shined and lifeless to the fact that there are 11 tracks and 3 are more like ambient/electronic interludes than songs, but despite those blemishes I think this is a really fucking enjoyable listen with a couple of truly strong songs in "Alright, I'll Wait" and "Thorn In The Side" (see video links). It's crazy how these guys have gone from a raging melodic hardcore machine on their demo (at least on "Showed Up Late") to an emo and pop-punk tinged indie rock band on their 2nd album, and yet I've loved the progression despite it never going the way I'd have wanted it to. I can count the number of bands I can say that about on one hand. I love how the vocal cadence and tone remind me of mid-80's gloomy Brit-pop, but what really keeps me sold is the drum work. This kid injects so much more energy into everything than 95% of other drummers would. Nice chap, too. I look forward to the next time I get to see them.

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Oslow - No Longer Concerns Me 7"

I'm already thankful to the great continent of Australia for giving me such thoroughly righteous bands as Paper Arms and Luca Brasi, and now I can add Oslow to that list. This 7" from 2015 is their most recent output (featuring standout track "Heirloom"), but their two previous EPs are also highly recommended (especially songs "Simple Lasting Light" from Field and "Cliffy" from Days Are So Bright Now). Like Peregrine, they blend 90's emo and post-hardcore but probably trend slightly more toward the latter. Still, they've developed their sound considerably between releases over a period of 4 years and show all kinds of different influences and moods. They really remind me of On The Might Of Princes circa Sirens, as well as Sport's Bon Voyage, and others like Small Brown Bike, The Casket Lottery, Algernon Cadwallader, Benton Falls, Title Fight circa Shed/Floral Green, Dikembe, Helen Earth Band, CSTVT....maybe a little At The Drive In circa In Casino Out. If anybody wants to go in on a couple 7"s shipped from Australia, get at me because I'd like to own this one but don't want to pay the entire shipping charge myself.

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The Red Owls - Do You Feel Any Better?

This melodic punk band features a member of The Ataris (pretty sure it's the harpsichord player) but has more edge than his other band while maintaining some of the catchiness. Implants, Lagwagon, No Use For A Name, and the general Fat sound come to mind. The last track doesn't do much for me but the other three are solid.

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Fairlane - WIRIS

Anybody remember late 90's Doghouse Records emo band Joshua? These ATLiens remind me a lot of them. They also employ some Quicksand/Handsome-ish riffs and rhythms in spots. Furthermore, they name Hum and Texas Is The Reason as main influences, so you know they've studied the ancient scrolls and should be a band I (and you too) would like. I have yet to check out their back catalog (fixing that as we speak) but this EP is very encouraging. If anyone wants to go in on a couple copies of this 7" (the label is in the UK), let me know.

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Riot Acts - Stuck

These Canadian post-hardcore/punk rock lads conjure up reminders of Autopilot Off/Cooter, post-Daggermouth band In Bear Country, The Beautiful Mistake, Thursday, and a dose of Story Of The Year's first album (before they went all metal on/up that ass). The double-time parts remind me of fellow Canucks This Is A Standoff, and A-Types era Hopesfall comes to mind in the chorus of closer "Lifeline". All in all, this is a very solid & promising EP that's pretty even throughout.

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(Chris Wollard & The) Ship Thieves - No Anchor

Blacktop Cadence and The Draft are the only Hot Water Music side projects I've ever cared to listen to. Nothing Mr. Wollard and the Thieves did before this interested me, but this is more of a straight-ahead punk 'n' roll album not unlike Hot Water's more recent output but with (even) less inspired drumming. It lacks memorability because of that but is still worthy of at least a few listens if you're a fan of the style.

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Beneficence - Basement Chemistry

Hip-hop is going to have a hard time topping this album for me this year. Just go fucking listen to it already, ya twerp! It's fantastic, and there are only one or two semi-duds. "Got That" and "Anyway It Goes (ft. MC Eiht)" are stupendous, "Smooth Hardcore (ft. A.G.)" and "When The Sun Comes (ft. Masta Ace)" are really god damn good, and "Manuscripts (ft. MindsOne)" is ridiculous. Ill Adrenaline Records is constantly going toe-to-toe with Mello Music Group for most consistent label in boom-bap these days.

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Murs & 9th Wonder - Brighter Daze

This super duo just can't stop making records together no matter how many times they say they're done, and the world is a better place for it. I don't even have any real highlights off this, but there's also no junk either. You know what to expect from these two by now, and Murs is as clever, poignant, and raw as ever. As a result, this might even be their strongest effort overall.

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People Under The Stairs - The Gettin' Off Stage: Step 1

You also should know what to expect from Thes One and Double K by now, and for the most part they deliver on this EP (they're doing a series of these instead of an album...I'm guessing the kids need braces or something). It's not their strongest work, but it's not as dull as Highlighter or Stepfather, which I consider their low points. "Saturday Night Again" is probably a good representative if you only have a few minutes.

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Truth - From Ashes To Kingdom Come

Here's another solid entry from Ill Adrenaline Records, though this one is more notable for its features, production, and overall staunch throwback aesthetic since Truth himself doesn't 100% convince me on the mic. "New Type of Something (ft. Sean Price)" is probably a good place to start.

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Thanks so much for checking out this update. I hope you found something to take along with you. Until the next time we meet, be kind to dumb animals and have some safe.