Reviews

Emma Miller

Corker Hallways of Grey LP

Darkwave post-punk with the occasional touch of gothic or otherworldly synths. CORKER’s LP starts off with a powerful rhythm section of pounding drums and a menacing bass line, setting the tone for the rest of the record. I appreciate the variety they managed to capture with the spoken word in “Forever Silent,” to a short noise section in the middle of “Distant Dawn,” to the faster, more punky guitar in “Wiring.” Some of the tracks blended together a bit for me, but I loved the choice of ending the LP with “No Necessities,” as it’s the darkest and gloomiest track that seemed to encapsulate their vibe as a whole.

Beef ll Manzo EP

Synth-y garage punk band with a slight touch of horror punk at times. I loved how cohesive this EP was throughout and how the songs continued to build off of each other. That being said, I feel like I wanted a little more variation with the synth throughout the different songs as it seemed quite similar in a couple of them, but I do think that it added another dimension to the songs. The combination of edge and a bit of goofiness, like in “Secondhand Toe Jam,” really made the songs come to life. In “Spell,” it felt like the synths were taunting me and egging me on to go and do something like run into a wall.

Kalte Hand S​ä​ureblocker 12″

Catchy, moody post-punk band from Germany. As someone who doesn’t speak or understand German, I loved that you don’t have to know exactly what the singer is saying to understand the music; it speaks for itself. KALTE HAND isn’t afraid to go heavy with the drums and rhythm section as a whole, as well as beginning and ending the album with anxious guitar lines that sound like they’re trying to escape something, all of which creates a darker and intriguing vibe to their music.

Brass Lip Vol. II cassette

Two-piece punk band with lots of shouting and feminist lyrics. I never would have guessed that this was recorded on GarageBand with only two people—the sound is so full that you can’t tell. The talking style of singing in the verses, with a quick tempo change for the chorus, made “Gentleman of Leisure” my favorite song. I enjoyed the more exploratory guitar in the intro and solo, and kind of wished there was more like that in some of the other tracks. The variation of more droning guitar in “Criminal Conversation” helped to build out their sound as well. Overall, I would say this is a solid couple of tracks.

Sabotage I’ve Got Big Feelings EP

Need some good screaming? Look no further. The duality of screams from both a female and male vocalist throughout this EP really blew me away, especially the call-and-response in “I’ve Got Big Feelings.” Somewhat screamo at times, but otherwise HC/punk, SABOTAGE is not messing around. With a sprinkle of tempo changes while still keeping their fast energy, these guys sure are hardcore.

3 the Hardway Cost of Living / Newspaper 7″

3 THE HARD WAY is a unique, kind of experimental riot grrrl band. With the first side of “Cost of Living,” you’re thrown into a very rhythmic setting with lots of female grunting and singing. It very much reminded me of “Pacific Coast Highway” by SONIC YOUTH, I loved it. On the other side, “Newspaper” felt more artsy and melodic. It made me feel like I was in a washing machine being tumbled around and hearing the singing from inside a soapy space. Overall, I really enjoyed how these two tracks played with each other and created a really unique experience.

Silicon Heartbeat 2889 EP

SILICON HEARTBEAT is a perfect horror rock/punk band for spooky season, but also year-round. These guys are so strange in the best way. I really enjoyed the variety of more punk songs to the weirder, more synth-heavy ones. With clear distorted bass lines sprinkled throughout ghost-like synths, they create an eerie vibe that seems to linger. They end their EP with a fantastic cover of KRAFTWERK’s “The Model;” a bit more reminiscent of BIG BLACK’s cover, but more otherworldly. Just by checking out their album cover, you know you’re in for an unearthly good time.

Beige Banquet Ornamental Hermit LP

BEIGE BANQUET is anything but beige when it comes to their musical style. They bring an almost artsy and darker vibe to punk, utilizing both distorted bass lines and heavy percussion at times. What gripped me most was the haunting repetition of vocal lines that were layered over noisy and gloomy instruments. They’re able to smoothly transition from a slightly heavier and noisier energy in “Parasitic Energy” to a quieter percussion solo in the intro of “Mind Lapse”, which I find just really well done. The use of spoken words was really interesting too, and kept me on my toes. Overall, BEIGE BANQUET brings a unique twist and energy to punk.

Urban Misery Demo 2024 cassette

URBAN MISERY kicks off their demo with a slower and distinct bass line that quickly morphs into a super fast-paced classic punk song. It’s hard to choose what stood out to me the most: the wailing screams that seem to hover around you, egging you on, the high energy bass that seems to jump out of the shadows and attack you, or the guitar which seems to act as third vocalist in adding high-pitched tones in an almost call-and-response way in “WTF.” Overall, great fast-tempo punk.

Bathouse Helping Bats Helping People 12″

Noisy garage punk band with whiny screaming. I’m a bit prejudiced because of my love of bats, but I thoroughly enjoyed this album. With each song, you get jolted with a different style of fast and upbeat noise. I can’t decide what my favorite track is. I loved the funky intro into the heavy-ass chaos in “Ideal Specimen,” as well as the build-up in “Bathouse” where you’re just hit with a wall of sound that catapults you through a void.

Lothario Hogtied LP

Very raunchy and fun lyricism with lots of sexual themes that matched the vibe of the music. I also enjoyed the distorted vocals and distinct bass lines. However, some of the songs kind of blended together for me and made me a bit bored. I think having most of the songs in the same tempo throughout, and with similar drum tracks at times, made the songs sound quite similar. The album felt a bit long, but the bit of variation of “Doggy” to “Suckhole” back-to-back did help. Overall, the album felt a bit “meh” to me, but if you’re into this style of garage punk/rock, I’d give it a try.

Rabid Children Does the Heartbeat LP

Not quite sure how to categorize these guys, but I’d say somewhere in the noise pop/experimental rock realm. The album kicked off with some great noise and gloomy vibes, and each song that followed was unique to the one prior, with some nice tempo changes. It slowly became more pop than rock as the album progressed. The ghost-like keyboard sounds were a unifier throughout the album, which I thoroughly enjoyed. To somewhat finish off the album, the mega solo in “Other Dreams” definitely felt like I was being exported to some other world; truly rad. Overall, I tended to like the first couple of tracks the best as they were the most experimental, but I thought that this LP was a gloomy good time.

V/A No Sleep Til Palestine is Free cassette

What a weird collection of music, I loved it. Nothing is more punk than a collection of bands in the name of an issue they deeply care about, and No Sleep Til Palestine is Free is a perfect example of that. The variety of genres was refreshing, as it had experimental electronic, punk, no wave, garage rock, folk, and more. This album really has it all and keeps you on your toes, not knowing what to expect next. While in some of the tracks, you can hear that the recording quality is not the highest, but I feel that it contributes to the angry punk vibe that’s felt throughout the album. The tracks that really hit home for me were “No Sleep (Live),” as I feel they really embodied the vibe of the whole album and was great to hear it as a live version. Overall, I loved how strange and fun this collection of music was!

Irked Snakes EP

Garage punk band from Northern England. I was drawn to the illegible screaming in the opening track “Snakes,” but found myself a bit bored as the songs went on. I did enjoy the variation in their songs, with the feminist lyrics in “Backstreets,” to the more pop elements of “Move”. The rhythms in the first few opening tracks were intriguing as well. However, I found it difficult to distinguish this band from other garage punk bands, as there was nothing that really jumped out to me.

Paratonnerre Paratonnerre demo cassette

Garage punk three-piece from France. While I had a bit of trouble distinguishing them from other garage punk bands, something that stood out to me was the droning guitar. I feel that if the guitar had less character and was more like a basic rhythm guitar, then there wouldn’t be anything super intriguing about them. However, there were elements I enjoyed like the lyricism (specifically in “So Broke”) and how they incorporated French into at least one of their tracks. For me, I quite enjoyed the character of the guitar, but it felt a bit “meh” overall.

Mantarochen In the Badgers Cave EP

MANTAROCHEN is a darkwave, gothic post-punk band from Germany. I was immediately drawn to their EP solely from the title—In the Badgers Cave, so badass. With the opening track, “Reflection,” you feel as though you’re in another world. Perhaps underwater, swirling in the moody abyss they’ve created. Reminiscent of SELOFAN with distinct bass lines and synths, they are able to create an atmosphere of unrest, leaving you with a haunted feeling. I loved how lost I got in this EP.

K.O. Queen #1 K.O. Queen cassette

Hardcore/screamo band that feels like they’re going to rip out your hair (in a great way). I was hooked when “Shrcc Attcc” started, and the raw, guttural sounds began. For me, it was a silly and hectic experience in the best way; the vocals were so goofy, crazy, all different pitches, that I swear only a dog could hear them. The track “Luv Bug” felt a bit out of place as it was acoustic with a banjo, unlike all the other tracks, but then the tape did return to its typical hardcore nature. Not entirely sure if I’m sold on that track or not, but all the others were a 10/10 for me.

Bed Maker Bed Maker LP

Without any prior knowledge of the band, my original reaction was “wow, this sounds a lot like the way Ian MacKaye sings,” just for me to find out that his sister Amanda MacKaye is the lead. Her vocals though have a touch of the droning of Siouxsie Sioux, mixed with the spoken yowling of Ian MacKaye. The majority of the songs are slow-to-mid-tempo with a kind of post-punk and artsy punk vibe. A couple of the songs sort of blended together to me, as they were sonically pretty similar and didn’t have a ton of variation. However, “Pan-Pan” had a nice tempo change and I think it’s a great song to end the album with.

Neuf Volts Ignorance cassette

A HC/classic punk band from France. The cover of the cassette originally drew me in with its classic punk vibe; it has drawings in the style of American Traditional tattoos, including the mythical creature, the Griffin. The fun doesn’t stop there, though. Using a combination of both French and English, NEUF VOLTS brings a high-energy sound (yet with no screaming, only loud vocals) that makes you feel like you are seeing them live at a show. The contrast of the higher-pitched yelling creates a delicious contrast to the fuzzy and distorted guitar. If you like any style of punk or hardcore, I would check these guys out.

The Side Eyes What’s Your Problem? LP

The SIDE EYES range from punk to hardcore to a touch of hard rock, all throughout one album. With a range of lyrics of the classic punk “get out of my face” style, to more thought-out lyrics as a comment on society, they give a classic hardcore, head-bopping vibe. Their LP is loaded with a shit-ton of super short, super powerful songs. Specifically, the tracks “False World” and “What’s Your Problem?” go so hard, so fast. Without giving you much time to think, they dive into their next track with a new kick to the face.

Pyrex Bozo EP

To define this EP in two words, I would say magnificent chaos. Heavy, distorted vocals/screaming overlay the tight fastcore instruments, while maintaining a bit of a spooky vibe. Specifically, the track “Viper” seems like the type of song that would be playing during a chase scene in a horror movie. I feel like this EP would be great to play if you need motivation to do something and want music to get you excited enough to do it. Overall, I would say that much like their band name, PYREX’s music is sturdy and timeless.

Hall Last Days of Youth LP

Gothic, dark garage rock by a three-piece from Berlin. Hall sounds as if BAUHAUS and the ORWELLS had a baby; they utilize a variety of tempos, mostly midrange, in combination with haunting vocals. The instrumentals didn’t “wow” me, as they mostly seemed to be in support of the vocals rather than standing on their own, and some of the songs seemed a bit repetitive in terms of melody. However, the songs overall are all very catchy and slightly off-putting, in a great way. The standout track on this album to me is “Last Days of Youth,” as it has a stronger presence than some of the other songs and delves into a slightly heavier vibe.

Snitfit Snitfit demo cassette

Nothing screams punk more than a group of teenagers making hardcore music, and SNITFIT, a group from Newfoundland, is a testament to the importance of it. With classic punk and garage-y instrumentals combined with riot grrrl lyricism, they bring a fresh style of punk feminism reimagined. Reminiscent of the yowling screams of Amy Taylor of AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS, combined with a deep passion bloomed from youth, SNITFIT has an enticing edge. Songs like “Bitch” and “Grope” show how SNITFIT uses blunt lyricism to strike through to the listener, as it feels like their instruments are somehow going to burst through the speakers and, quite literally, hit you in the face.