A/WAY’s beats arrive fast, with the bounce and rhythm that can make HC such an unexpectedly danceable genre. Of course, they’re mostly blasting 4/4 tempos, but they start, stop, and weave enough to avoid total uniformity. The guitars are satisfyingly thick, with a lead or metallic touch from time to time. The vocals are wrapped in (not drowned out by) the guitar and drums. A good listen for angry walking or tackling last week’s dishes.
This is, judging by the liner notes, a project recorded by two friends. Very heavily influenced by the Revolution Summer era of D.C. hardcore, with the lyrics all sung in Spanish. I really enjoyed this and was more than a bit disappointed when the four songs came to an end, as I wish there was a bit more. Perhaps there is more forthcoming but, if this is all that AWAY has to offer, it is a hell of an offering.
Recorded live on KCSB radio on 10-25-2012. Hailing from Santa Barbara, CA, BECOME has the throwback Revolution Summer sound down perfectly. These songs are beautifully crafted, instantly familiar, and super well done, and all of this comes across even being performed live on a radio show. Personally, I probably would have cut out all of the horribly awkward banter with the radio host from the tape release of this, but to each their own. I see that the only other thing the band did was a demo tape on German label Take It Back Records, and I will be attempting to track one of those down now.
Having formed in Nantes, France in 2017, this marks CIRCLES’ sixth release. The band notes ’80s DC hardcore as a main influence for their sound, with a melodic twist. I hear this in songs like “Sunglasses,” with pummeled drums, angular guitars, and shouted/sung lyrics. While the title track “Still” starts with a FUGAZI-esque riff, it really takes a turn with a long, almost orchestral outro, featuring synths and keys. Other songs like “Giants” and “Waves” have brighter, splashy drums with a tambourine rattle and some of that melodic vocal influence, producing a pop-forward sound. Given this range of focus, I was a little lost after the first listen, but after a few plays, I think CIRCLES achieves the cohesiveness of a solid album with Still.
Fast hardcore punk. Five short songs, each clocking in well under a minute in length, most of which still finding the time to have a tough breakdown. Picture something mixed between LEFT FOR DEAD-type spastic riffs and tough CHAIN OF STRENGTH breakdowns.
DEMAND delivers a very by-the-numbers, pro run-through of early ’80s USHC with some of the anthemic qualities of Japanese D-beat. Nearly Human has a satisfyingly thick, grimy sound while still allowing the band to show off. They really have an ear for hooks and beats, the essential ingredients for a mid-song breakdown. I pointed my finger, pumped my fist, and windmilled straight through this record.
L.A.’s new blood. EN LA MURETE’s debut EP is nasty and ferocious ’80s-style USHC, similar to WASTED YOUTH, GANG GREEN, or maybe something that should’ve been on the Welcome to Venice compilation or a failed business idea Doug Moody came up with in the late ’80s. Sung both in English and Spanish. Reminds me of the reek of the sewage going through the alley before getting to the backyard gigs of Los Angeles. True punks from the streets of L.A., recommend release.
I’ve been waiting for this collection for a while now, and still I was speechless when I held it in my hands and dropped the needle. Imagine a band with such a massive impact who never ever released a record during their existence—an existence that spans just eleven songs. That’s it. And yet I feel like ESPERANZA grabbed all of the positive elements about turn of the century DIY hardcore and just refused to let go over the course of those eleven songs—maybe that’s just all they needed, or maybe the flames that burn the brightest just burn out faster. Fierce and uncompromising politics (“21st Reason to Kill [then-California Governor] Pete Wilson” as a prime example…and possibly the single best track on the record) and an energy level that was infectious, these kids just exploded when they played. And you felt it with every pore. Musically, their sound lands somewhere between MINOR THREAT and LIMP WRIST—but more developed and amped up than the former (yeah, I said it) and a couple of years before the latter really got rolling. It’s USHC to be sure, and you’d be hard pressed to find a finer demonstration of the genre…but it’s also more than that. This collection is everything that it should be—the tracks are given the proper sonic attention and the sheer sound alone is worth the price of admission, while the accompanying 20-page booklet follows the band through flyers and stories and images. In hindsight, ESPERANZA is even better and bigger now than they were at the time. Nothing but praise.
GUIDING is a duo from Tokyo who play youth crew-style hardcore on their debut Will. Within roughly five minutes, GUIDING lays down four fast and angry stompers that have some solid breakdowns that are tailor-made for two-stepping. No reinventing the wheel here, but the DIY recording quality and Japanese vocals set it apart from the crowd.
Undoubtedly one of the more interesting records I’ve had the pleasure of taking a look at. Barcelona’s HATÂ have an interesting merge of NWOBHC, of course in the vein of bands such as the FLEX and, at points, even PAYDAY, with Spanish lyrics. There is a blatant rawer and slower aspect to the music however, acting somewhat as an homage to UK82, but more specifically other more modern Colombian acts, with elements of UZI expressed at points. While I certainly admire the diverse fusion here, particularly the ode to some of my favourite bands, HATÃ’s approach ultimately felt somewhat lackluster, as hardly any of the tunes failed to truly make an impact. Catalan band BAIXA PERMANENT instantaneously makes much more of an impact from the start of their side, with a take on hardcore paying tribute again to modern Spanish-language hardcore bands, but with the addition of mosh sequences of early/mid-’80s NYHC with drum parts from the likes of KRAUT, and of course early Boston hardcore. Again, such a take is indeed intriguing, and perhaps this could be accomplished, but some of the riffs didn’t feel as iconic as they could’ve been—to an extent, this and the musicianship is what holds both bands back from fully flourishing. While it was a somewhat amusing listen, I feel there could be far more development and impact in the tunes from both bands.
Super chuggy, youth-crew-esque hardcore. Three songs that truly sound like they came from a different decade. You know the sound; singy melodic vocals with barked gang backups, driving main riffs, chugging tuff breakdowns. As I write this I’m discovering that there is an unlisted fourth song on the demo, a cover of “Under Fire” by 411. Not hiding where their inspiration comes from one bit with this choice of cover.
OK, so follow me here. Dan Yemin joins the ERGS! and writes a new KID DYNAMITE record. That’s pretty much what we’ve got going on here, and it doesn’t come off as hokey or contrived. Are there some songs that could have been left at practice? Sure, but what demo doesn’t have those? All in all, this is a solid effort from a band with a good idea of where they wanna go musically. There’s a DESCENDENTS cover and an ERGS! cover too, and both are pretty top-notch. Not sure what’s next from this band, but I’m up for it.
It’s surprising how far small changes can go in HC/punk. If I RECOVER’s guitars had a little more bottom, they would be a pretty tight melodic HC outfit. Instead, the guitars sound a little lighter and looser than they could. The expressive drums and anguished, hoarse vocals help give the whole record a pensive, emo-ish feel. The songs are catchy, but the band doesn’t sound too focused on it. As their name suggests, the lyrical content is introspective and sincere.
A document of a relatively short-lived straightedge band from East L.A. This LP, as the title states, is their performance on L.A.-based college radio station KXLU, with six songs played live on air that were recorded onto a cassette by a friend of the band. Surprisingly, for a recording that is 32 years old, this doesn’t sound too bad. Aside from this recording, the band only released a demo (which is included on the digital version of this LP). INTERLOCKED doesn’t sound like the typical early ’90s straightedge band, as they utilize some effects pedals and the songs have really slow, drawn-out parts that all of the sudden burst into some blazing fast, almost powerviolence-ish parts. Reading the booklet that accompanies the LP, the band and the labels behind the release went back and forth as to which recording to release on vinyl, the demo or the radio performance—after listening to both, I think the right choice was made. This is a must-have for any fan or amateur historian of either early ’90s hardcore or East L.A. punk/hardcore. A well-put-together piece of obscure L.A. hardcore history.
Cure your lockdown bummer with some Revolution Summer…JADE DUST is from Santa Barbara, but is clearly attempting to channel a strain of emotional sounds born a continent away and over thirty years ago. While heavily indebted to EMBRACE, IGNITION, et al, as well as West Coast proponents like FUEL, the songs have enough cathartic energy and passionate desperation to stand on their own. The demo itself has a rawness that actually enhances the experience: If you’re anything like me, when you heard music like this for the first time, it was likely via a scuzzy home-taped cassette on a busted Walkman.
There is some solid Revolution Summer love going on here. It’s an all-too-short burst of up-tempo punk tunes that fall on the FAITH side of the split. Super upbeat, energetic and posi melodic hardcore that is very much in the vein of bands like GRAY MATTER, IGNITION, and RAIN. The best part about this is the youthful energy (no idea how old these folks actually are) that comes across in the music. It feels similar to the late ’80s/early ’90s Bay Area bands like FUEL and MONSULA that were also taking cues from those Revolution Summer bands. If the plan was to leave you wanting more, well done.
This band describes themselves as being influenced by mid-to-late DC melodic hardcore, and man, let me tell you…they’re either extremely self-aware, or they’ve done a great job learning how to reproduce that sound. My first thoughts went straight to RITES OF SPRING, EMBRACE, and GRAY MATTER. There’s a little bit of twinkling Midwest emo spread throughout as well. The vocals are energetic and melodic, they’re arguably the strongest part of these recordings. The guitar can be formulaic at points, but they sound great when they come out of the pocket. If you’re a fan of the late ’80s Dischord sound, you will love JADE DUST.
Man, we love to see a good ol’ split 7″. And this one rips. Two bands from Southern California, L.A.’s FIRESTARTER and the Inland Empire’s MADHOUSE, share the stage on this platter. FIRESTARTER carries on the youth crew (à la UNIFORM CHOICE and INSTED) style of their demo tape that I previously reviewed—they offer three tracks and they all rule. The last two tracks come courtesy of MADHOUSE who, on the other hand, go for unhinged speed and aggression not unlike HERESY or TERRORAIN, and it slays all the same. This is one raging 7″ that you should definitely blast out.
Ambient indie/shoegaze from Tijuana, Mexico. Five long, pretty, meandering songs, two of them clocking in at over six minutes. As the tape began, I thought it was going to be all instrumental soundscape stuff, which had my interest and was pretty intriguing, but it only lasted the introduction to the first song. The packaging of this really caught my eye and it was the first tape I popped on when receiving my box of demos to review. A double-cassette case which looks like a miniature DVD case, fold-out lyric sheet, and a live photograph of the band. The packaging really is lovely.
Falling somewhere between Revolution Summer, hardcore, and melodic indie rock, PEOPLE PERSON is a bit of an enigma. Five toe-tapping songs with intelligently written lyrics, complete with song descriptions for each in the liner notes. These borderline-intellectuals have a lot to say, and they say it well. Packaging looks great, which is unsurprising with what I have seen come out of the Extinction Burst label.
Pretty damn good hardcore from California’s oft-neglected High Desert. These guys clearly know their NYHC as much as any other hardcore band in 2020, but they draw upon turn-of-the-millennium bands like CARRY ON and COUNT ME OUT too, especially on opening track “Bloom.” RECLAIM’s sadly terrible cover art will probably doom them to a localcore dungeon, but the tunes are pretty great. Recommended for ardent scene supporters and more discerning hardcore fans alike.
This Chicago project’s debut LP delivers aggressive raw punk with somber tones and solid cavernous, reverbed screaming vocals, strident riffy as hell guitars, and sharply pointed drums. With former members of anarcho-punk beasts SIN ORDEN (who played once in my backyard on Argentina back in circa 2009, which I will never forget), they exude South Side Chicago attitude and scream about social inequities of the shit system as a very fast-paced ball of sound and mayhem. You are welcome to play here at my house again whenever you want! Recommended.
SAVIOUR COMPLEX’s new LP might dip into discord on tracks like “Rabbit,” but is otherwise uninterrupted sad punk. Their vocalist laments and rails and back again, always with a scratch at the back of the throat. There’s a lot going on underneath, too—the bass is almost always adding something to the guitars and from time to time will break out a sophisticated, scale-walking lead. The drums are everything from driving 4/4s to dramatic sways to a slow, lilting pace. This combo of pensive mood and innovation makes me think of the bands of mid-’80s Washington, DC.
While the foundation of opening track “Southpaw” is a drum machine hi-hat with a thick metal chug, it launches into a fiery D-beat and I’m thinking PAILHEAD’s “I Refuse,” and that sets the stage: SILAKBO drags you back to the 1980s, but they’re dragging sXe hardcore into the industrial techno clubs with you…and they’re feeding all the thugs and club kids a diet of anarcho-punk activism. A solo project that shines a light on injustice, a band that speaks from the heart of the Filipinx diaspora in California and the rest of the world, a killer hardcore band that offers their material with fucking purpose that surrounds the band like a shield. This first release is hopefully a harbinger—listen to the dark determination of “World of Death” and think about the sonic possibilities, especially when combined with the purity of mission and honest determination that fills every moment of this release.
Chaotic and aggressive hardcore is king. I mean, this is obvious. But when a band settles into melody, I want to hear HÜSKER DÜ and MOVING TARGETS, and that’s exactly where SNAKES land, with tinges of FUEL (and/or Dischord) in the mix to keep me guessing before they launch into more power. They maintain the balance well, and SNAKES spend five short tracks making their point and then exiting confidently.
This demo features two versions of two songs: one electric, the other acoustic. This felt a little gratuitous to me since the latter didn’t depart too much from the former. SPIRIT DIVE’s tunefulness is front and center, so it’s not like you’d miss it but for the acoustic versions. The electric versions are delivered via flanged guitar and the vocalist’s deep, from-the-belly belting. The rhythm section is definitely putting their hours in balancing the guitar’s treble with a full, lower-register sound.
From SoCal or close enough, this band does the alternative rock meets pop punk thing. This reminds me of softer BLINK-182 and ALKALINE TRIO or even SIMPLE PLAN. SIMPLE PLAN comparisons are never good. I’m not getting the pop skills feel of the first two mentioned bands, either. Moving on…
Extinction Burst continues their righteous journey, giving new relevant bands a platform and unjustifiably unheralded relics the credit they deserve. If you’ve never heard of the Q FACTOR, you are forgiven—they existed in a brief (but amazing) space and if you weren’t there then…well, why would you care? The nucleus of the band went on to form FORMER MEMBERS OF ALFONSIN (only slightly more visible in the rearview mirror), but not before dropping a killer (and poignant) EP and a slew of comp tracks, all compiled here. Heartfelt, intense, honest, no-bullshit ’90s DIY hardcore punk that is totally their own (even and especially with hindsight), with brilliant nods to SXE ‘core and melodic ’80s SoCal. There are only nine songs on this discography LP, so perhaps they had said all that they needed to say…I just hope someone is listening.
Lo-fi hardcore from Victorville, CA. From the little insert included I have gathered that this was a short-lived project from 2005 that wrote four songs and recorded live onto a four-track, released it as a demo, and played one singular show. This is a reissue of that same demo. It’s pretty cool, sufficiently pissed. The quality of the recording makes it a bit difficult to discern exactly what they sounded like. The mind fills in those garbled gaps, tho. Musically it falls somewhere between powerviolence, fastcore, and some tough-guy beatdown stuff.
A 7″ comp from the Mojave Desert in Cali. Bands included on this are RECLAIM, NOBLES BONES, MARRÁ”N, COUNTY FAIR, and CEL DAMAGE. Pretty much a hardcore collection that stays away from generic thrash. A good start for a lesser-known scene.
Four tight and well-constructed gems from this Californian post-punk band that navigates the turbulent waters of life in 2022 with songs full of emotion, imagination, and even a bit of drama. Hard to single out one song when they all constitute their own beautiful territory, but I can recommend the glorious opener “Burning” and the very intense closer “Withered.” There’s an LP coming soon to look forward to, so keep VACANCY in the loop.
Upbeat, driving melodic punk rock here—tuneful hardcore that in a more innocent time may have been called emo. The guitars churn and glisten like early JAWBREAKER or RITES OF SPRING atop surging bass and drums. The interplay between all three instruments really stands out, while the dark, introspective lyrics are reflected in the vocals, which are laced with a tortured drama that reminds me of Andrea Zollo of AREA 51/DEATH WISH KIDS. Deftly cramming six tasty little numbers on a bright green 45 RPM seven-incher; wonder what VACANCY will get up to next?
