Jeff The Brotherhood, Dry Feet (Live In Philly 8/24/11)

This past Wednesday, I was feeling a bit bored and antsy, then I remembered about a Dry Feet show that was happening with Jeff The Brotherhood. I headed out to Philly's relatively new Bookspace for the first time, which is the coolest concept of a venue I've seen in a while. Pretty much, it's a warehouse filled with books for sale, and they throw shows there. So in between sets, I was reading "The Ninja's Guide to Throwing Surikens". Fuck yeah.

Dry Feet:

It amazes me I've never gotten a chance to see Philadelphia Beach rockers Dry Feet play a show. I've had their first album since it came out, but anytime they had a show, it conflicted with something else. Dressed in over the top beach attire (snorkels, etc), Dry Feet took the floor and blasted through a quick set which had a few in the crowd singing along and dancing to the sweet surf rock sounds.

In addition to "Can't Sleep at Night" and a few others off their only released album, they played some off an upcoming one, and the songs seemed to follow their surf rock path. I was a little surprised by how quick the set was, but given the history of their other bands, I guess I'm not too surprised.

Jeff The Brotherhood:

I've heard of this Nashville duo before, but have never actually heard them. They played a long set which had people in the crowd going strong. I don't know any of the songs, but I was digging their grungy garage rock. I was a little lost on some of the longer slower jams, but they'd always gain my attention back by rocking the fuck out with the next song. Highlight was definitely when they went to go take a bathroom break in the middle of the set, and these two random dudes took the stage (and their instruments), and started rocking the FUCK out.

MP3:
Dry Feet - Pray For Surf

More:
Dry Feet - Philadelphia Beach

Buy:
Dry Feet

The Reveling - Tributaries (For fans of The Menzingers, Gaslight Anthem, Smoke Or Fire)

I drowned a hipster in a tributary the other day... it wasn't mainstream! hahaha *ahem*. There are some albums that are just perfect for the current season. As we head into autumn up here in the Northeast (and try not to die in earthquakes apparently...), I find that The Reveling's June 21st release of "Tributaries" is the perfect soundtrack.

While I was a fan of their 2009 EP 3D Radio, Tributaries has shown how much the band has evolved. With 10 soulful anthems that are reminiscent of Gaslight Anthem and The Menzingers, The Reveling shows their ability to create a catchy ass song without getting repetitive or overly melodic.

Lyrically, the songs deal with a number of issues, from personal loss to growing up in a working class neighborhood (I particularly like the song Ironbound, which unless I'm mistaken, is about the section of Newark NJ. I had a lot of family living there as a kid and grew up not too far).

Usually this particular style of music is a bit of a grower for me, but I loved Tributaries right off the bat. Keep a lookout for The Reveling, I have a feeling Tributaries is going to be on a lot of people's top 10 this year.

MP3:
You can stream the entire album on the label's page.
http://blacknumbers.bandcamp.com/album/tributaries


More:
The Reveling - 3d Radio
The Menzingers - Chamberlain Waits
Summer Means Pop Punk Mix

Buy:
The Reveling

Punch, Loma Prieta Live In Philly (8/19/11)

Last evening before heading out to some ridiculous dance parties, I headed over to Philly's Barbary to catch San Francisco's Punch. I missed the first opener but caught San Francisco's Loma Prieta.

Loma Prieta:

I've never heard of these guys before and I also have no idea what their name means, but they were fucking brutal. Lots of feedback and noise, these guys reminded me a bit of Converge's older shit. They had a few people in the crowd dancing around, but it seemed like the majority of people had no idea who they were. Regardless, they fucking tore it up. I checked out their recorded stuff on their webpage, and recorded it's much more ambient. The live stuff was much heavier... definitely check them out if they come near you.

Punch:

Punch is one of the heaviest female-fronted hardcore... no fuck that... plain hardcore bands around. Once they took the stage the place instantly exploded into a frenzy of stage dives, pile ons, and pits (and one guy two stepping in the back by himself with a broken arm... cough no idea who cough).

These guys played a tight set with their incredibly positive yet pissed off 45 second bursts of pure fury. Playing some off their Self Titled, they unveiled some new tracks from a 7 inch that was released 3 days ago (and it sounded solid). If you like frantic hardcore like Coke Bust and Violence Violence era of Ceremony, you definitely need to check out Punch.

MP3:
Punch - Break A Leg

More:
Punch - Self Titled
Cokebust - Lines In The Sand
Ceremony - Violence Violence

Buy:
Punch

This Is Jazz - Warehouse (for fans of Trash Talk, Paint it Black, Ringworm)

Photo taken by the great http://www.blakelarsonphoto.com

People often skip opening bands because they really just want to see the headliner, and I get that, but I've discovered so many damn good bands by watching opening sets. Philly's This Is Jazz are one of those bands. At the last show I saw them at (Static Radio NJ, One Win Choice) TIJ were giving out their 6 song EP Warehouse for free.

The band plays heavy hardcore, and the entire 6 songs is over in 6 minutes. Recorded in Philly's favorite warehouse (RIP Ox), the band has a more caustic sound than a lot of the Philly hardcore bands (amplified due to the "I gargle glass and rusty thumbtacks" voice of the lead singer).

If you dig hardcore bands like Trash Talk, definitely give This Is Jazz a listen. Oh and the best part? You can download Warehouses for free on their bandcamp.

MP3:
This Is Jazz - Spacecash

More:
Trash Talk - Plagues
Ceremony - Violence Violence

Buy:
This Is Jazz

They Stay Dead - EP (for fans of The Deviates, Satanic Surfers, 1208)

I'm going to keep this post short, but a few months ago I received the 3 song EP from Edmond, Oklahoma's 4 piece band They Stay Dead. Let me just say I was hooked within the first listen.

These guys pull a lot of different influences, but upon listening the melodic punk they used to blast at the skate parks is what comes to mind (specifically The Deviates and 1208). In a post-punk-indie-insert-your-new-styles-here, it's refreshing to hear a band that just is playing some straight up skate punk. If you're into solid melodic punk in general, definitely check these dudes out.

MP3:
They Stay Dead - Darkness

More:
The Deviates
The Muggers
Have Nots

Buy:
They Stay Dead

Cerebral Ballzy - Self Titled (For fans of Black Flag, Bad Brains, Circle Jerks)

Hey you know what's weird? Brooklyn punks Cerebral Ballzy's latest "Self Titled" release is on Adult Swim's (yes, the cartoon network program) record label. Oddness factor aside, any reader of this blog knows that I love Cerebral Ballzy ever since I've seen them a few years back.

Bringing their drunk, don't give a fuck punk rock to the masses, their latest debut full length contains some new songs and some redone earlier material of theirs. They still are playing the old 80s influenced punk rock similar to early Black Flag and Circle Jerks (which is appropriate considering their tour with OFF), however it took a little while for me to get used to the clean recording job (the aggression is still there, it just is a little more produced).

I've read a lot of reviews on other punk sites shitting on this album referring to it as a hipster trend, especially since the guys from pitchfork have claimed to dig it. Seriously, who gives a flying fuck? These guys have been at it for a little while, I've seen them play aggressively in basements and shitty ass dive bars, and it's always a good rowdy time. As long as they keep it up and don't soften up due to their new fanbase, I couldn't give two fucks who listens to them.

MP3:
Cerebral Ballzy - Puke Song

More:
Cerebral Ballzy Live 3/30/11
Cerebral Ballzy - You're Idle EP

Buy:
Cerebral Ballzy

One Win Choice, Static Radio NJ, This is Jazz (Live in Philly 8/7/11)

Last night, I headed to the place where dreams come true (a basement in Philly) to catch Static Radio NJ and One Win Choice. The place had a solid turnout for a random Sunday Funday house show, and the small basement felt packed with the 30 or so kids there.

This Is Jazz

I caught these guys back in February at The Ox open for The Menzingers, and they've improved quite a bit since. They played their hardcore tighter and with more aggression than the last time I saw them, and their random musings were pretty entertaining "this song is about frozen yogurt and suicide. We thought it just made sense to mix the two topics". I picked up their demo so hopefully I'll get a chance to put a lil' somethin somethin up about that.

Static Radio NJ

Finally, I catch these guys at the beginning of their set instead of halfway fucking through! I've loved these NJ hardcore turned Lifetime-esque punks for quite some time, and they played a sick (albeit short) set in the basement. The majority of their set consisted of songs off "An Evening of Bad Decisions" with some new ones that haven't been released yet scattered in. The new ones continue where Evening left off, sounding even more melodic (sorry hardcore kids).

They played the title track off my favorite release by them (One For The Good Guys), and I have to admit, I really had to hold back from completely going nuts and losing my shit... (because with a broken arm, that would be a terrible idea... but my heart was two stepping if that means anything).

Highlights:
Green Hoody
The Waiting Game
Marc
Bothered
One For The Good Guys


One Win Choice

I am so glad these guys relocated to Philly, because I totally get to see them all the time now. One Win Choice always plays their hearts out whether it's to a crowd of 100 or 15 kids in a basement, and their energy is honestly captivating. Singer Dan is all over the place making the best of the tiny space (that totally rhymed daaaawg).

Majority of songs from their quick set came off of their latest Conveyor. Best dudes, check them out.

MP3:
One Win Choice - Places
Static Radio NJ- Marc

More:
Static Radio NJ - An Evening of Bad Decisions
One Win Choice - Conveyor

Buy:
interpunk

Off With Their Heads, Dead To Me, Holy Mess (Live In Philly 8/6/11)

Last evening, I headed out to Killadelphia's Barbary to catch not only our own Holy Mess, but also one of my favorite bands Off With Their Heads. This show was going to be a weird experience for me as I usually lose my shit, but due to my injured broken arm I was forced on the sidelines and *gasp* just to watch the show (probably will be like this until December according to doctors). I missed the opener but made it for the Holy Mess.

The Holy Mess

This was the first time I think I've ever seen the band sober, and it was weird. Sure, they played much tighter than the sloppy basement shows I'm used to with these dudes, but they didn't crack any jokes, have their ridiculous stage banter or anything... Regardless, it was a nice change of pace.

The band ripped through a bunch of songs, mostly off their Dismount EP (and one off Benefit Sesh). Only a few of us in the crowd were singing along to all the words, but with the Holy Mess getting more widespread praises and recognition, I expect this to change very soon.

Highlights:
Goodbye 3713
captain, we're drinking
crazy horny
coastline (i think)
Dead To Me

I respect these dudes, but I honestly never really got into them. Their album African Elephants left me a bit underwhelmed, but I have nothing against them either. Like their album, in the beginning I was feeling a bit bored during their performance, but things picked up. They definitely had a bunch in the crowd dancing around.

Off With Their Heads

Fuuuuuuuuck me. One of the most energetic and lively OWTH sets I've seen, and I have to just watch. The crowd was obviously stoked to be seeing them, and a pit broke out immediately. The band was incredibly short on time, and so they said no banter, just songs. In addition, singer Ryan seemed to actually be having a blast on stage instead of running through the motions that happened in the past.

After playing a few songs, Ryan asked the crowd "so do you guys want to hear the Hospitals EP?" They then played that in it's entirety, and topped it off with a few more (closing obviously with Clear The Air).

Every time they come around they have a different number of band members, and I have to say, I think they function best as a 3 piece.

Setlist (from what I remember, not in order):

Drive
Their Own Medicine
The Eyes Of Death
All I Can Do
Die Today
Theme Song
SOS
Your Child Is Dead
Idiot
Hard To Admit
Heroin in NYC
Jackie Lee
I Am You
Fuck This I'm Out
Clear The Air

Mp3
The Holy Mess - A Soulful Punk Tune About A Working Class Dreamer
Off With Their Heads - Drive

More:
Holy Mess - Benefit Sesh
Off With Their Heads - In Desolation
Off With Their Heads - Hospitals
Off With Their Heads - From The Bottom

Buy:
interpunk

Holy Shit I Broke Myself (A Mix)

It's been a long time trusty readers, and for that, I apologize. Shit has been insane over here. I wound up buying a new car, the next day shattering both my forearm bones at The Bouncing Souls show, and then being hospitalized for a few days for surgery to put some metal plates in, moving to a new apartment (shoutout to all my family and friends who moved me since I can't lift shit), and on top of it, had to give up my pet cat Reggae...

So, why not have a mix about my misfortunes?

MP3:
Melt Banana - Cracked Plaster Cast
Gorilla Biscuits - Cats and Dogs
Weakerthans - Plea From A Cat Named Virtute
Screeching Weasel - in the hospital
some girls - bone metal
flatliners - broken bones
paint it black - anesthesia
world inferno friendship society - m is for morphine

More:
A Ramones Core Mix For The Shorties
Songs to Piss Off The Personal Fitness Trainer Below Me Mix
Drunken Yuppies Breaking Into My House Mix

Buy:
interpunk