After The Fall - Fort Orange (For fans of Propagandhi, Strike Anywhere, Old Rise Against)

I'm not sure if I've ever fallen in love with an album from a band that I never heard of as quickly as I did with After The Fall's "Fort Orange". Seriously, first ten seconds into the opening title track, and I was sold.

Besides the obvious Propagandhi influences (and as we all know, any band influenced by Propagandhi knows what the fuck is up), After the Fall know how to write a pissed off yet passionate song. I may be completely off, but I imagine the vocalist to be one of those dudes who only sings with his eyes closed. Deep shit, man.

Many of their breakdowns remind of Strike Anywhere's harder stuff (also coming out with a new album this year... stoked). After The Fall's "Fort Orange" is a no frills, spleen tearing good time.

Mp3:
After The Fall - Fort Orange

After The Article:
Housewives Interview Propagandhi
Lighten Up
Propagandhi - Supporting Caste

Buy:
After The Fall's Myspace

Lighten Up! - Absolutely Not! (For fans of Paint it Black, The Steal, Kid Dynamite)

Besides having a name that every hardcore kid should take to heart, Philly's Lighten Up! is the biggest breathe of fresh melodic hardcore air that I have taken since discovering The Steal.

With their debut LP "Absolutely Not!" the band blazes through 12 melt-facing songs in under 18 minutes. The first song "Invisible Checks" with it's heavy-soon-turned-melodic-straight-to-some-whoas-then-fuck-it's-over-already you pretty much know what Lighten Up! is all about: fast, pissed, yet fun music that is sure to induce plenty of stage dives.

I've must have listened to "Absolutely Not" at least 4 times in the past 24 hours. Easily one of the best albums released in 09.

MP3:
Lighten Up! - Invisible Checks
Lighten Up! - Reality World

Shitty Articles? Absolutely Not!
Paint It Black - Amnesia (New EP!)
The Steal - Bright Grey
The Steal - Self Titled

Buy:
Jump Start Records

Beastie Boys: A Bunch Of Hardcore Kids In Disguise

With the recent announcement that MCA from the Beastie Boys has been diagnosed with a very treatable form of cancer, I thought it would be a good time to revisit these hip/hop hardcore kids.

"What? Hardcore kids? silverunity, what the fuck are you smoking?"

Yes dear readers, when they're not fighting for their right to party, and not suffering from mass amounts of insomnia before they just so happen to reach their destination of one of the 5 boroughs (particularly Brooklyn), the Beastie Boys are stage diving, hardcore mofos. I posted an article back in '07 about their hardcore album (MP3 no longer works), so check out the montage of videos I found of some of their live performances.

Beastie Boys - Screaming At A Wall (Minor Threat Cover)


Beastie Boys - Holy Snappers


1995 Hardcore Set (Covers Circle Jerks on 2nd Song)


1983 Set


I Waaaant Soooome:
Beastie Boys - As Punk Rockers
10 Rules If You Wanna Be Hardcore
Comeback Kid
Kid Dynamite And The Art Of Moshing Everywhere
Static Radio NJ

Title Fight - The Last Thing You Forget (For fans of Transit, Jawbreaker, Shook Ones)

These Kingston, PA duders have just released their new "The Last Thing You Forget" which can be bought in a 3 song vinyl format or a 12 song CD (What the fuck?). The CD features the newest songs from Title Fight, along with everything else they ever released.

Often classified as melodic-post-ten thousand other adjectives-hardcore, "The Last Thing You Forget" CD is filled with pop punk tinged melodic goodness. Think if early Saves The Day ("Through Being Cool" era) wined and dined A Wilhelm Scream, had a crazy one night stand... and then boom: Title Fight was born.

For the most part, I can dig the album, but it's really the new songs I have a bit of an issue with. The new songs sound like they are trying too hard to be more post-hardcore influenced than pop-punk, and it shows. I felt like Title Fight sacrificed raw energy for melody in the newer ones, and it makes for some not-bad-but-kinda-boring songs. Maybe the band is just going through a turning point for them, and they'll nail the perfect balance of hardcore and melody that they are shooting for eventually... but for now I'd skip the vinyl, go for the CD, and listen to their older jams.

MP3:
Title Fight - Symmetry (New)
Title Fight - YoureYeah

The Last Articles You'll Forget:
Transit - Stay Home
Osker - Idle Will Kill
Smoke or Fire - This Sinking Ship
Fifth Hour Hero
Static Radio NJ

Buy:
Run For Cover Records

Reeeeehash (A Mix!)

So, my external hard drive that I have at work with all my music died (boo!). Luckily, I have all the music on my home PC as well, but this means I can't share any new sweet tunes... so why not use this as an excuse to rehash some songs that I've posted a few years ago!!!

MP3:
Bigwig – Friends
Bomb The Music Industry- I'm a Panic Bomb, Baby!
Zero Down - Going Nowhere
Melt Banana – Spider Snipe

Classics:
10 Rules If You Wanna Be Hardcore
9 Easy Steps To Becoming A Skinhead

Buy:
Interpunk
Smartpunk

Ceremony - Scared People EP (For fans of Some Girls, Trash Talk, Blacklisted)

Man, Ceremony has been quickly becoming one of my favorite hardcore bands as of late. Released back in '07, "Scared People" has 5 new songs and one Negative FX cover from these Cali hardcore kings.

The songs are a bit more melodic than their newer "Still Nothing Moves You", and a bit less spazz-tastic (they songs are still bat-shit crazy). I can go in more details, but by the time you've read my post, you probably could have been done with the EP by now, so do yourself a favor, and check out the song below to get an idea what Ceremony is all about. (Although as just a single song, it feels kind of naked without the rest, "Scared People" was definitely meant to be listened to as a whole).

MP3:
Ceremony - Making With The Stale Air

More Stage Diving, Mic Grabbing Goodness:
Terror Fans Are Dicks
Ceremony - Still Nothing Moves You
Paint It Black - Amnesia (New EP!)

Buy:
Bridge 9

Jay Reatard - Matador Singles '08 (For fans of The Black Lips, Marked Men)

I know, I know. I'm a little late hopping on the whole Jay Reatard bandwagon, but only by 5 minutes. For those of you who have also missed the wagon (because you tried to ford the river and your fucking oxen died... should have just paid the toll) Jay Reatard is a garage punk rocker who appeals to both to those obnoxious punk kids and those god awful boring ass hipsters.

I was pleasantly surprised by the "Matador Singles '08". Say what you want about Jay (I've heard many claim he's a dick), but the man knows how to write some damn good hooks. The songs are ridiculiously catchy, with plenty of crunchy guitars and infectious choruses, as proven on tracks such as "See/Saw" and "Always Wanting More".

I'm not too familiar with Jay's other work, but if it's anything like this collection of singles, I'll definitely be sharing it with you all soon.

MP3:
Jay Reatard - Always Wanting More

More:
D4 - C I V I L W A R
Smoke or Fire - This Sinking Ship
Fifth Hour Hero
Static Radio NJ - An Evening of Bad Decisions

Buy:
Matador

Over Stars and Gutters - Consider This Your Curse (For fans of Dillinger Four, Lawrence Arms, Smoke or Fire)

I have something to admit. I was a bit hesitant to check out Over Stars and Gutters debut "Consider This Your Curse". The name itself hints at screamo and then once I saw the cover art, I was pretty damn certain. Lesson: Don't judge an album by it's cover (unless it's one of those youth crew shots... you can be pretty sure it's an 80s hardcore band.)

Coming out of Norman, Oklahoma, Over Stars and Gutters self released debut is filled with jaded punk rock anthems that pulls influences from Smoke or Fire and The Lawrence Arms. The vocals sound eerily similar to the beer tainted voice of Paddy from Dillinger Four, and with the mid-tempo anthems, add an urgency to each song.

I've been listening to "Consider This Your Curse" non-stop since I've heard this album about a week ago (it was released on July 14th). I don't see these guys staying unsigned for very long.

MP3:
Over Stars and Gutters - Less is Moore

Consider This Your Blessing:
D4 - C I V I L W A R
Smoke or Fire - This Sinking Ship
Fifth Hour Hero
Static Radio NJ - An Evening of Bad Decisions

Buy:
Official

Armalite (Live in Philly 7/19/09)

Every few years, when the moon becomes full and the goblins creep through the night, Armalite decides to play a fucking show. Although I actually headed down to Maryland this weekend, there was no way I was going to miss this rare occasion and I made it back in time (drove straight to the venue) to see this Philly supergroup.

Being played at the First Unitarian Church in Philly, instead of the foot and a half high stage bands usually play on, the bands were playing on the floor in front of the stage. By the time headlining Armalite took the stage, the crowd was thin (I guess that's what happens when you only have one album released 3 years ago, and you haven't played a hometown show in 2 years). Needless to say, I was pretty stoked.

The band took the uhh... floor, and ripped straight into "Grace". Atom and Mike's vocals were spot on, and Dan Yemin was jumping all over the damn place with his bass (although it's a bit odd to see him up front without the million stage dives of Paint it Black).

Having a bit of an onstage rivalry, Mike continually ripped on Atom's songs by pulling out a lit up hand held fan that spelled "Atom's Songs Suk" and hilarious commentary ("Feel free to hold your nose so you could all sing along with Atom"/"Thanks for sticking around through the opening bands and Atom's songs").

A good show, one that I wish would happen more often which covered all of their songs (minus Metastic).

Setlist:
-Grace
-Husker Dave
-When Nice People Think Dumb Things, Attack, Vote
-Destination: Not Home
-Entitled
-Unfinished Business
-Other Entertainers
-Dan's Hands Melt
-New Wave
-I Am A Pancreas (Seek to Understand Me)

Mp3:
Armalite - I am A Pancreas, Seek To Understand Me
Armalite - Dan's Hands Melt

More Armalite:
Armalite Album Review
Back When I Saw Them In 07

Buy:
No Idea Records

Yardbeat - Straight From Yard (For fans of New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, Desmond Dekker, Toots and the Maytals)

(picture taken from their homepage, which hasn't been updated since 1999... I like the MS Paint Frame).

Flash back to 2003. I was a college freshman when my college radio station was cleaning out their inventory and had a "free bin" mostly filled with pop/emo/alternative rock crap. I was sifting through the CDs, and was starting to feel hopeless about finding something redeeming when I stumbled upon Yardbeat's "Straight From Yard". The cover looked like a ska album, could this be something I like? Oh yes.

Yardbeat is a straight up ska band with some jazz influences. Coming from Jamaica and playing mostly instrumental songs, "Straight From Yard" provides the perfect background music if just laying out on the beach or some straight summer chillings.

MP3:
Yardbeat - Fortune Teller
Yardbeat - Intruder

More Straight Chillin:
Hub City Stompers - Blood Sweat and Beers
Hub City Stompers - Ska Ska Black Sheep
Ruder Than You - Big Step
The Slackers - Self Medication

Buy:
Beatville Records

Aaaand We're Back (A Mix)

So, it's been a week since I've last posted since I was out of town on vacation! I meant to put up a "Gone Fishing" Post, but things were so hectic here (went to bed at 4 am, had to leave for flight for 6 am).

Anyways, I headed down to the US Virgin Island of St. Thomas, and my god, do I want to move there. Bonus: any place who's pop music on every radio station is reggae is ok in my book!

MP3:
Aus Rotten - ...And Now Back To Our Programming
Bouncing Souls - We're Coming Back
MU330 - Vacation

More sweet mixes for when we're gone:
Memorial Day Weekend Mix
I Went To Graduation And All I Got Was My Camera Stolen
Good God, I'm Going To Die
The Top 5 Punk Band Names
Scenester 101: 9 Easy Steps To Become a Skinhead
A Mix For Warm Weather And The Beach
A "Save The Planet" Mix

Buy:
Interpunk

Big D and the Kids Table - Fluent In Stroll (Brand Freaking New Album!)

Big D and the Kids Table has been one of my favorite ska-punk bands for the longest time now, and one I've seen more times than I can keep track of. While initially I wasn't a huge fan of Strictly Rude (and posted about it), the album eventually grew on me. Where older albums like Good Luck were straight ska-punk, Strictly Rude was a straight up ska/reggae/dub album, Fluent In Stroll simply has ska undertones. Wait. What?

Yes. You read that last sentence correctly: Big D's latest album isn't a ska album. Released on 7/7/2009, Fluent in Stroll is definitely the product of Big D experimenting with different styles including blues, jazz, funk, mariachi, lounge, etc. While some of the songs are ska songs that feel like they could be off of Strictly Rude (Chin Up, Boy!), most of the songs ska influences are subtle.

Big D also introduced a new call-response style female vocals that are reminiscent of The Soviettes or the B-52s. While it works in most songs (Doped Up Dollies), there are some where they feel completely out of place. I was also surprised by the complete lack of punk. There aren't and ska-punk jams on here at all, or any noticeable punk influences.

The lyrical content is a bit different too. No longer are there songs about passing out on shag carpets or lighthearted songs about turtles and frisbee. Instead, about 90% of the songs are straight up love songs, or encouraging friends that they will too be in love one day.

I'm not exactly sure how I feel about Fluent In Stroll yet. The songs aren't bad by any means, but they seem to lack the energy that Big D and the Kids Table is famous for. While I don't hate the album, I honestly don't see this one in my regular rotation often.

Mp3:
Big D and the Kids Table - Doped Up Dollies On A One Way Ticket To Blood

Fluent In Housewive Articles:
Taj Motel Trio - Life of the Party
Big D - Strictly Rude
Hub City Stompers - Ska Ska Black Sheep
Ruder Than You - Big Step
The Slackers - Self Medication

Buy:
Side One Dummy

Terror - Lowest of the Low EP (For fans of Madball, Death Before Dishonor, Throwdown)

I usually hate tough guy hardcore/metalcore, but for some reason, I've dug Terror's "Lowest of the Low" EP ever since it came out in 2003. Coming from Los Angeles, Terror incorporates enough thrash elements and keeps chunky breakdowns to a bare minimum, keeping me interested.

Don't get me wrong, Terror fans are still dicks. When I've gotten into a some scuffles with people at shows (usually because they think it's morally acceptable to intentionally punch girls in the face...) 85% of the time, the douche in question is wearing a Terror shirt. But don't judge a book by it's cover, and don't judge a band by it's fans, Terror knows how to shred more than any other metal-core band out there.

MP3:
Terror - Better Off Without You

More Face Ripping Hardcore:
Teen Idles - Minor Disturbance (Ian Mackaye's original Band)
Ceremony - Still Nothing Moves You
Paint It Black - Amnesia (New EP!)

Buy:
Trustkill

Hub City Stompers - Blood, Sweat and Beers (For fans of The Toasters, Westbound Train, Symarip)

Over the past few years, NJ's skinhead ska band Hub City Stompers have gained a respectable sized following across the country. However, I was surprised to learn that many fans aren't familiar with their first album, "Blood, Sweat and Beers".

Somewhere between "Blood, Sweat and Beers" and "Dirty Jersey", Hub City Stompers had a complete line-up change, and the music on BSB is noticeably different. For one, the songs on their first album are a lot more horn oriented and seem a bit slower pace than Dirty Jersey or Mass Appeal.

The lyrics are often humorous and violent: take Chatterbox for example. A song about people who talk shit on the internet, but are cowards in real life: "You're dealing with a person not a screen/I'll double back slash your throat, and delete your fucking spleen". Genius. If you've never heard of Hub City Stompers (shame on you!), Blood Sweat and Beers is a good album to start with.

MP3:
Hub City Stompers - Little Julie Swastika

Blood, Sweat, and Housewives:
Hub City Stompers - Ska Ska Black Sheep
Ruder Than You - Big Step
The Slackers - Self Medication

Buy:
Megalith Records

Blow Stuff Up, It's The American Way! (A Mix)

Photo by: Hayford_Peirce

Hope all you fellow americans had a good 4th of July Weekend blowing crap up and creating pollution with fireworks... like true americans. Now get your ass back to work... like good americans.


MP3:
Champion - 4^th of July
Give Up The Ghost – Fuck What Fireworks Stand For
The Unseen – Goodbye America
Anti-Flag - America Got It Right
Aus-Rotten - American Ethic

More Music To Blow Shit Up To:
I got 99 Problems But Moving Ain't One
Birthday Mix
Tribute To All You Bored At Work Or School
Monday Morning Ant Brigade
Housewives Guide To Getting Through An Interview Without Being Bamboozled

Buy:
Smartpunk

Bedouin Soundclash (Live in West Chester 6/26/09)

(note: Dude on left... no longer in band)

So I know I'm a bit late posting this one, but I've been insanely busy with moving/getting locked out of my apartment from 2am till 9am... so screw it.

Last Friday, deciding to put off all forms of packing, my girlfriend and I headed out to small bar/venue The Note (West Chester, PA) to catch Canadian reggae rockers: Bedouin Soundclash. Bedouin Soundclash has gotten pretty big over the years, and so I was expecting a huge sold out crowd,but to my surprise, there were only about 50 people there... hell yeah!

This is going to sound horrible, but I can't for the life of me remember any of the openers (not what you think, I was completely sober), sooooo..... when Bedouin Soundclash took the stage, the crowd immediately started skanking it up.

Playing a little intro melody, Bedouin eventually ripped into "Until We Burn", and didn't let up for the rest of the night. To my surprise, in addition to the main two members and a drummer, they brought a small horn section, which gave the band a much more ska feel than on their albums.

Playing songs mostly off of Street Gospels and Sounding A Mosaic, the band threw in an old school ska mix, which consisted of covers by Desmond Dekker, the Specials, and Toots and The Maytals.

I was lucky enough to catch them headlining with a tiny crowd, considering now how they are apparently opening up for No Doubt. If they come in your area (without No Doubt), I'd definitely recommend seeing them live, they put on a hell of a show.

Setlist(Complete):
Intro
Burn
Living In Jungles
St. Andrews
When You Were Young
Bells Of 59
Jeb Rand
Gyasi
Criminal
Walls Fall Down
Nico
Message To You Rudy/Isrealites/54-46 Was My Number (cover)
Stand By Me/Cupid (cover)
When The Night
12:59
On My Block

ENCORE:
Shelter
Nothing To Say

MP3:
Bedouin Soundclash – St. Andrews