Thursday, June 30, 2011

Cowboys Are Indians



Cowboys Are Indians are a totally under-rated screamo band from New Hampshire. Maybe the reason they aren't that well known is because they are from New Hampshire. I first heard about these dudes, as many of you probably did, when I got the split they did with Cassettes on Fire a while back. I picked up that shit in Lancaster when Cassettes toured with The Caution Children. Speaking of The Caution Children, they are going on tour with We Were Skeletons real soon so check that shit out.

After I heard that split, I remember getting on the internet and trying to find more of their stuff. I wasn't a master manipulator of the internet at that point so I didn't find shit except for their myspace. I couldn't really find anything on them so I just thought they broke up or something. I'm almost positive I mySpace messaged them for shows up in New Hampshire but nothing ever worked out.

Recently however, I was talking to Rob from Bear Records and he was telling me about how he is going to put out this hot new Cowboys Are Indians LP. At first I was like "Fuck yeah this band is still a band" and then I was like "Yo give me them tracks". I don't think he gave me anything.

When we went on tour we got to play with Cowboys Are Indians in Allston with Caffeine Patch. I was so fucking stoked all day about seeing them finally. I was kind of surprised when I talked to people at the show and people were saying that they never listened to Cowboys, so I was talking them up and shit. I think that they ended up playing last that night, but I don't really remember.

They fucking killed it. I couldn't tell you if they played new shit or old shit, but every song was tight. It isn't super technical, although the drummer rips it the fuck up. Duel vocals are goin' on which sound nice together. No bass player and two guitarists. Kind of sounds like Storm The Bastille, maybe. Surprisingly European sounding without it sounding like a generic imitation, you know? Still really pretty punk and hardcore though.

For serious, once you hear this band you are going to kick yourself in the fucking face for not getting into this shit sooner. The new album rips it really reallhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gify hard, and if Rob tells me to take it down I will but I don't want to. Its too good to not share. Download their EP, splits and upcoming LP below. Once it comes out, or pre orders go up, snag "Constantly Fucked", its BEAR 30. Buy shit from them because they deserve your money. Video from the Allston show is here, that archive bullshit doesn't embed right. Heres an old as fuck video.


Word.


***


Self Titled


Cowboys Are Indians / Giant Fucking Mirror Live Split


Cowboys Are Indians / Cassettes On Fire Split


Constantly Fucked

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Dick Zoo



Dick Zoo is a weird band from Boston. I think. I don't really know how many people are in the band, but I know that Jake from the Sharpest, who is my boy, is in this band. It sounds like there are two dudes, one playing synth or something and Jake playing drums, but I don't know. I've listened to the tracks that Jake has sent me on the internet a few times and it was cool but I was never really wasted enough to get down with it. That and I was always like watching Duel Survivor or something. Tonight I am wasted enough.

Now, it doesn't sound like Lightning Bolt or anything, but its the same idea I guess. It sounds like alot of that Providence noise art stuff that Load Records was putting out a few years ago. I was super into Lightning Bolt in high school so I am somewhat familiar with that whole noise scene. This shit is similar I guess.

The recordings are really low fi. Macbook low fi, although I do not know how they recorded. Hopefully Jake reads this and comments with some more information. I don't know. Its cool, its just really noisy and shit. The loudest thing in the recordings are the drums, which are pretty sporadic and fast. Blasty kind of but not really. There are vocals that are really distorted. I heard Jake wears a dress when they play.

One of the albums, "Rosa Parks", is an actual Dick Zoo album. The other songs are just tracks that Jake sent me when I demanded more Dick tracks. Some of them have different artist info, like Lesbian Hand Grenade. I don't know if it is a different band or something, but its the same dude(s) and I'm posting it anyways. Point of the story is that the "Random Songs" link are an assortment of tracks I got and I'm not really sure if they are all technically Dick Zoo songs. Jake is in the band The Sharpest, and they are really really cool. They are super groovy and funky and if I had one of their albums (and a girlfriend) I would totally have sex to it.

Below are two albums. Download it, and if you are in Providence/Boston keep an eye out for The Sharpest or Dick Zoo. When I get The Sharpest tracks I'll throw em up. Word.


***



Rosa Parks



Random Tracks.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Sohns



Sohns
(say it like suns) is a five piece hardcore band from Texas. They just got done with their tour which overlapped with 424/7 on like seven occasions. It was the shit. On this tour, however, their lineup was changed a little. Their bassist couldn't make the tour for whatever reason, so one of their guitarists played bass. Ironically, that fool is some jazz trained bass wiz (THE WHIZ PLAYS THE BASS) and he fucking slayed it.

Before I talk about their actual tunes I need to say something about their gear and their tone. Honestly, their equipment was insane. Not insane like 3 pedal boards, but insane like "holy fuck everything sounds perfect". Best bass tone I have ever heard. The guitar was loud as fuck and surprisingly technical for a band like this. Obviously some parts had to be altered due to the switch from two guitarists to one, but still. And of course, the drum set that they use is fucking amazing. I don't know what kind it is because I don't really care, but it sounded so fucking good at every single venue I saw them in. All their equipment was top notch (when it was working correctly). Oh yeah, they were loud as shit too. Blue Letter loud status, but with like 20 less speakers. My ears hurt just thinking about how loud they are as a five piece.

Their tunes are dark. Very dark and driving. Its heavy as shit at times but never like sludgy or anything. They also throw in weird shit here and there, normally percussion related. I never listened to these dudes before tour, so I asked some people what they sounded like. No one really gave me a good description, except one person said it sounded like the music that would be playing in Hell. That sounded pretty cool to me. Before we left four tour Sohns played at Barclay House and some people and I walked over to check it out. At first I was more focused on Alex's stage antics to really listen to the music, but those fucking drums were spot on. These records are good, don't get me wrong, but you have to see Sohns live to get the full effect. They are alot heavier live. At first, like first song I saw, I thought Alex's vocals were kind of whatever, but the more I listened to them and saw them the more they really grew on me.

They have been a band for a really long time, like five years or something like that. They used to have a girl in their band, and that is why the bands name is "sohns" and not "sons". That's what I heard at least. Their most recent recordings, which is "to ward it off and drown it out", were recorded at that Red Room place up in Seattle where Native recorded Wrestling Moves. Dope huh? The other thing down there for download is a split that they did with The Grasshopper Lies Heavy. They are really dope too, hadn't heard them til I got this split but it is really cool.

Touring with these guys was a complete blast. Best dudes. Best tunes. Best times. I also fell head-over-heels in love with their merch girl. They are trying to find labels to put out some of their shit on vinyl eventually, so if you put out records please please please listen to this and get ahold of them if you like what you hear. I really hope that they get pressed because this shit would sound so bomb on wax. Below is their two above mentioned albums and a video of them playing in California this year (I spy a Suri). DOWNLOAD ALL THEIR SHIT, THEN BUY ALL THEIR SUPER DOPE MERCH.





WORD.

***


To Ward It Off & Drown It Out


Werewolf (Sohns / The Grasshopper Lies Heavy Split)

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Ordstro



Ordstro is the face of modern music to come.

I first met these dudes last year when we went to California for a four day stint of shows them in the bay and Los Angeles. you know that weird feeling you get when you meet someone for the first time but you know you guys are going to be really tight, tight like old friends tight? Yeah. That's Ordstro.

Three dudes playing power-violence way too goo. Real powerviolence. Real actual power-violence. The lyrics are all about politics and shit I guess. Henry and Chris, who play guitar and drums, are brothers, like the dudes in Good Charlotte. I like to imagine that's why they work so fucking well together. Some of the recordings have a bass on em, there was some other kid in the band for a time or something but for as long as I've known em they have been rolling around three deep.

I was originally going to do some kind of interview with Carlos, talking about things like the hardcore d.i.y scene and politics and stuff. I was looking forward to talking shit and stuff, but it never really ended up happening that way. After like two missed contacts because I sleep in, we finally talked yesterday. We ended up talking briefly about the band and their upcoming tour with Stares:

JULY 1ST- Fusion Cafe (Seattle, WA)
w/ Negative Standards, Stares, Mercy Ties, Numb
JULY 2ND - FASTCORE FEST (BC, Canada)
w/Obacha, Stares, SxBxB, Negative Standards, Stress Relief,
JULY 3RD- Chateu Noir (Vancouver, BC)
w/ Stares, Negative Standards, AHNA, Unlearn
JULY 4TH- Tyler's Mom's House (Seattle, WA)
w/ Stares, Stress Relief, more
JULY 5TH- The North Hole (Pdx, OR)
w/VxHxAxB, Stares, Wasichu, Honduran
JULY 6TH- Sue's Java (Redding, CA)
w/ Stares, Stress Relief
JULY 7TH- Holland Project (Reno, NV)
w/ Registered Sex Offender, Stress Relief, Stares
JULY 8TH- The Goondocks (Davis, CA)
w/ Caulfield, Di Bravura, Stares

We really just talked about anal sex, Carlos not wanting to get married and how we would eat a dog if it was served at a restaurant. Not that exciting. I was coming down and had just got done backtracking through the woods looking for lost snacks with Senior Caso, and Carlos just woke up from a nap after his grueling day bossing people around at American Apparel.

Ordstro has five releases available downstairs, the most recent being the 2011 summer tape. They just put that shit out not too long ago. It was recorded at Texas Toast and I think Henry mixed it. I forget. All of their shit sounds so good, but their new shit is the dopest IMO. In My Opinion. Download all of it if you like "fast hardcore with breakdowns", they do it better than most of the other bands I've heard who try to do this.

Seriously though, super community minded individuals who actually give a fuck about their peers and their scene. Don't be a douche, download this. Go buy all of their merch too, buy it when you see them on tour. They are some of my closest friends, and we are working together quite alot in the future, which I couldn't be more excited for.



Word.


***


Summer 2011 Tape


Ordstro II


Ordstro / Sheeep Split


Ordstro / Ah-!!! Split



Ordstro / DEERS! Live Split

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Innards & Two Knights Split - No Scum Allowed



Two posts in like five minutes. I just got off tour with Innards, and they have been talking about this split for a long ass time. I didn't know it was out yet. I still don't know if the pressing is done. Anyways, Innards are dope skreemz and Two Knights are noodle dudes. Both are from the Lone Star State. The Innards songs are dope as fuck, per usual, and the Two Knights songs are pretty cool as well. First time listening to that band but im down with it. Down with the sickness. Go buy this when you can. I don't know shit about Two Knights, but if they have some merch you should pick it up. You should also pick up some Innards merch (Tracing 10inch and our split 7inch whenever that comes out). Innards are going on tour again this winter with The Reptillian, last I heard, so keep an ear out for that.

On a semi related note, since I just got back from tour I'm going to be throwing up some jams from bands I met in the last two weeks. I'm pretty stoked about that. Thanks for everyone who came out and kicked it and shit.

I got this from Circling the Drain, who seems to have the leak on everything. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifHopefully soon I'mma get something that I know no one else has. Crossing my fingers. Word.

***


No Scum Allowed

1994! - Most Deaf




There is still time for you to go check out 1994!, Snowing and Algernon on their U.S tour. Also, if you are in Europe, Algernon and '94 are coming your way in like a month. This is their new 7", which I should have picked up in Chicago but I had no money. Story of my life. Two new jams, and radical as they come. Check it out, buy it, and go see them on tour. Def one of the better bands out right now, and really good dudes. Mid-Atlantic all day.

Word.


***


Most Deaf

Friday, June 17, 2011

NEW RAEIN LP - SULLA LINEA D'ORIZZONTE TRA QUESTA MIA VITA E QUELLA DI TUTTI





Raein has just released their new full length LP, Sulla Linea D'orizzonte Tra Questa Mia Vita e Quella Di Tutti for free download on their website. The European version of the LP will be released sometime next week and be available on the band's Eastern European tour. A US release is soon to follow. The band has continued to progress forward in the vein of Nati da Altri Padri, the band's previous EP release. There's been a lot of things said about this band, so I'll just put up the LP and let it speak for itself.

Raein's Website

Photobucket

Sulla Linea D'orizzonte Tra Questa Mia Vita e Quella Di Tutti (2011)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Sea Breezes

Yo, hot new Baltimore skrims. Sea Breezes Justin from Age Sixteen, Sawhorse, A Perfect Kiss and like 25 noise/ambient projects. I don't know any of the other dudes, but one of them is Tommy from Age Sixteen's brother. The other dudes in this band were in Distance of, Safari Zone and Shadow Gov't. I honestly havnt heard these recordings yet, but, I had the opportunity to hear some demoish stuff form one of their practices and it was pretty sweet. Its solid skrimz mixed with ambient stuff and it flows really nicely. They always scream though, never singing or any other type of vocal style that can be used by a band like this. Honestly, this band sounds alot like Age Sixteen, but its not a bad thing at all. It's not a rip off, but more of a logical progression from that band all that stuff. Same guitar tone, kind of, and similair overall sound. I personally was a huge Age Sixteen fan, so its really nice to have this band be around. Check it out and support this band whenever you can. They are actually playing in Baltimore tomorrow evening at the Bell Foundry. Heres a video and the demo.


Word.


***


Summer Demo

Monday, June 6, 2011

The Shy Violet



I don't know what the insider or proper term for this kind of music is, but its basically 80's influenced trippy lo-fi pop. Theres a bunch of people making music like this, so i hear, but the only group like this I have ever really listened to was Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffitti. You know, that kind of stuff.

The Shy Violet is the current moniker of Jordan Romero. He is from Frederick, Md, but now is in Savanaha, Georgia. I think. He used to be in Drug Money and made acoustic music as The Laurel Tree. Basically Jordan writes and records all this stuff himself and then sometimes plays them live with a band and other times he does it by himself.

I heard that The Shy Violet made a music video, like a real music video. I think he is getting more popular in this scene. He did some tours with Spermwhales which seemed to go well. Peaks, the most recent release, is going to be put on vinyl, I'm pretty sure, which is going to rule. I'm really stoked to hear that shit on wax. Download the three shits below. Keep an eye out for shows and his vinyl.





Word.

***


Teenager Speed


Peaks


The Clay Models

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Calculator



Calculator are a really tight hardcore band from the Los Angeles area I think. Isn't it something like they go to school all over but are from LA? I don't know really, but I think that is correct. This band plays a style of hardcore that is influenced by multiple genres, obviously, and sounds similar to fellow California natives Touche Amore and Comadre, kind of. I mean there are the like harder hard parts, then the pretty parts, and some driving parts here and there. The new shit has a really fucking heavy part. I remember last summer around the 4th of July I booked these guys a show in Maryland and after the show I was smoking a blunt with most of this band and the dudes in Burn Idols when the guitarist of Calculator and I started taking about being in bands and shit. I don't remember the entire conversation but I do remember that he was talking about how the point of being in a band like this is to come up with really intricate music, shit that is challenging to play, and just get the songs on lock-down. Musical progression and shit. I thought that was really cool, and I think about that when I listen to Calculator. I still think that they generally put the vocals up a lil too high in the mix, but thats just me. The instrumentation is fucking boss, and sometimes its hard to really hear that shit, especially if you are using jankity laptop speakers.

So, below are two links for all of their material. There is a link for These Roots Grow Deep, which is a collections LP of all their shit from their past EP's and splits and what not. I think that they have had a shit ton of releases that culminated in These Roots. My friend has this on vinyl and it sounds fucking sick. The other link is for their hot new shit, New Forms. Ramez tells me I'm the firs to get it or to post it up or something, so big ups to Skramez for holding it down.

They are going on tour really soon with The Saddest Landscape up and down the west coast, and all of the combined dates are conveniently placed on this here flier:

There are, however, two additional dates which Calculator will be playing without The Saddest Lanscape. The first being in Olympia, Washington at my house, and the last being somewhere in Los Angeles. All of their detailed show information can be found here.

You should go to their website, which is right here, and buy the preorder for New Forms, which is coming out on Melotov. For real though, Melotov is pumping out the good ass records recently. I mean that label has always ruled, but she is cornering the market on this good ass California music. And, for real, shes a really cool person. Really nice.

Calculator is going to raffle off a test press of New Forms between people who get that pre order, so all you collectors should jump on that shit. I don't know whats good with the head count on Roots, but you should also get that shit before it sells out. They have some other gear, like a shirt and a monster patch, that is pretty wrad.

For real. For real though. Buy their shit online so they have them gas muns. Go see them on tour with The Saddest Landscape west coast kids. You know you want to go to these shows because TSL hasnt been over here in like 7 years or something.

Get them downloads down there, and watch the video down there too. The video is of an unreleased new track, ohhhhhhhhhhh.



Word.


***


New Forms


These Roots Grow Deep

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Innards / мища - 424/7 Split




I don't really know what to talk about right now. Vancouver just won game two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs because the Boston goalie fucked up super bad. Idiot.

This split is going to be put out on 7 inch by Word Problems and Texas Toast. Innards is from Fort Worth, Texas and мища is from Baltimore, MD. If you don't know these bands you can check out previous posts where we actually gave enough shits to describe the groups. We were hoping to have the wax by our combined tour, but complications here and there have pushed the record's release back to like the end of the month or something. I don't really know. мища has one song and Innards put two tracks on this split. Seeing as we wont have the vinyl of this release, both bands are going to be selling it on alternative mediums. If you can't figure it out, 424/7 is, obviously, 420 424/7

I'm posting this now for two reasons, the most important being that it has already been posted up on some other blogs so theres no point in me waiting any longer. The second is promote tour I guess. I would have liked to have put up a buy here link so we can get that money, but none exists yet. When its for sale I'll edit this post with a link. I am now going to post our tour dates and links to those shows' facebook events because we are all stupid broke and need your cheddar for gas:

June:
9- Baltimore, MD - The Bell Foundry
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=211115615576218
мища, Innards, Pansori, the Sharpest, Voyage In Coma, Sea Breezes

10- Philadelphia, PA - Hong Kong Garden
22 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA,19123
мища, Innards, more TBA when I get in the loop

11-Providence, RI - The B Cave
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129953693749692
Cam Foss, Twin Cyclist, Sleepwalkers, Ancestors, Three Cheers For Columbine, мища, Innards

12-Allston, MA - The Whacky Kastle
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=159656544097850
мища, Innards, Sohns, Caffeine Patch, Cowboys Are Indians

13-Brooklyn, NY - The Charleston
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=121569837925248
мища, Innards, Sohns, Sleep Bellum Sonno, Ghost Robot Ninja Bear

14-Pittsburgh, PA - The Shop
мища, Innards, Sohns, Worn Out Tigers, Edhochuli (JON'S BIRTHDAY)

15-Southbend, IN - Generic
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=130660637010946
Pachangacha, Innards, мища, William Bonney, The Reptilian, Sohns

16-Kalamazoo, MI - The Strutt
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=105177486239121
мища, Innards, Sohns, William Bonney, The Reptilian

17- Milwaukee, Wi - The Borg Ward
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=112400898846580
мища, Innards, Living and Wrestling, William Bonney, Half Awake, Slob Donovan

18-Chicago, Il - Strange Light
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188617244517164
мища, Innards, Sohns, Algernon Cadwallader, Snowing, 1994!

Come hangout and get shitty.

Word.
Also, this might be our last post until this tour is over because we are both going.

***


424/7

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Ampere - Like Shadows



I don't really try as hard as I once did to get these hot new albums first and throw them up here, so I let all these other blogs go out and get em for me. There are only so many new records that are coming out that I really give a shit about, so my interest in intensive blog lurking has wained dramatically. Last night in between bong sessions and Magic The Gathering battles I saw that Damian Jozwiak, some jaded kid from Indiana who seemingly spends most his day on the internet and runs a tumblr music blog called Re-Winded Tapes posted up this album. If he had it then I would imagine that he got it from Circling The Drain or something, because that blog seems to be pretty on top of their shit.

Ampere's new full length, Like Shadows, sounds like a continuation of All Our Tomorrows End Today, which arguably was their best release as a whole. They had some preview songs up on soundcloud for a minute and one of those tracks was a second part to a AOTET song, Escapism. This is the first release the band has put out since their split with Off Minor back in '08, so of course this shit is a BIG FUCKING DEAL. It seemed that Ampere took a back seat to Will Killingsworths recording profession and his slew of recent side projects (Weaklings, Failures, Vaccine).

Like Shadows is ridiculously good. I'm serious. Obviously anything this band puts out will be bad-ass, but this is a really solid album, which like the new Beau Navire, does not have any fluff tracks on it. 15 fucking awesome tracks ranging from like 20 seconds to like 2 minutes. I don't really know what else to say about the album. If you like Ampere you already know what you are getting yourself into: no one else sounds like Ampere.

The release for this record is coming up in Easthampton right? Its like in the first half of June I think. They are also playing the You and I reunion in July. I would imagine that Clean Plate is putting out this record, but there might be some other people involved. If you like the fucking record buy it. This is one records that is really worth your money.



Word.

***


Like Shadows