Just to be clear, all MP3’s posted are for evaluation and/or promotional purposes only and are generally active for a limited time only. If you represent an artist featured on this site and would like any MP3’s removed, please email me at canyouseethesunset at gmail dot com. Really, though, this is music I love and think you will too. If you hear something you like, please support these artists. Buy their albums (on vinyl when you can) and merch, go see them in concert, and tell all your friends about ‘em.
No Harm Done was a band from Deltona, Florida that played its last show on August 19th, 2009. It’s too bad because their third (and final) album Escape was released in 2008 and is full of some awesome hardcore pop punk hybrid that reminds me a little of (maybe) Set Your Goals. Others might say it sounds like MXPX meets Strike Anywhere, or maybe something like a way way better version of Autopilot Off. More pop punk than hardcore, Escape is filled with woah’s and propelling fast-paced rhythms and is as catchy as H1N1. Sure, this is fairly derivative but done well enough that it’s easy to get past it. Despite breaking up, the band released three songs on a split 7” with Offsides (a band that features members of No Harm Done but is in no way comparable) in 2009 as well. At least we’ll have the memories, right?
Friday night the Mrs. and I headed out to our first show at what is probably Chicago’s newest live music venue, Lincoln Hall. It’s the new space from the same guys who’ve owned Schubas (one of our faves) for years and they really didn’t miss a thing. The main bar looks like just about any other recently renovated space in the neighborhood, but the live room is great. It’s not a huge room, but feels much larger with it’s high ceiling and large wrap-around balcony. Lincoln Hall is brand-spanking-new and (thus) everything (including the bathrooms) were spotless. Draft beers were $5 and with Bell’s Two Hearted and Three Floyd’s Alpha King on the list, we had no problems there. I’d highly recommend seeing a show there if you get the chance.
So… we were at Lincoln Hall for Kid, You’ll Move Mountains, Unicycle Loves You, and Bishop Allen. As I expected, KYMM was amazing. They played two new songs and a few off of their stellar 2009 album Loomings. Their set featured more knob-twiddling and more intensity (thanks in large part to the ridiculously good drumming of Nate Lanthrum) than their album though. Seriously, KYMM is one of the best local bands in Chicago right now. After their set, the wife remarked, “How is a band this good not signed to a label?” I’ve often wondered the same thing. (Note: turn of HD if the videos are taking too long to load).
I’d never heard Unicycle Loves You before (despite knowing their unusual name and that they too were from Chicago), but the energetic power-pop they brought to the stage was was better than I expected. I’d certainly see them again. Bishop Allen headlined and also did not disappoint. The wife is a big fan and really enjoyed ‘em as did I. Check out videos from their set below.
Gasoline Heart is a band from Orlando. They are a band that plays Springsteen-tinged mid-tempo rock that shows some obvious nods to its member’s Florida punk roots. It isn’t groundbreaking or even all that original because (like so many others do, so can you really blame ‘em) it seems like they’re aping The Boss just a little too much. Their second album, Nostalgia Ain’t What It Used To Be, starts off strong with “Never Been Worse” and “Can’t Keep A Good Kid Down” but the middle drags a bit. The album also finishes with a bang as “Sunshine State,” Eager Seas,” and the opening song’s reprise are some of the best moments on the album (as is album’s one oddly placed Clash style yelp). Take it for what it’s worth, but Nostalgia… is a pleasant and sometimes great, but sometimes trying too hard, and ultimately enjoyable rock n roll record. Frontman Louis’ vocals can sound like the golden hues of the setting sun washed down by an ice cold beer on a hot summer day. Perfect for us aging heartland rockers and the bars we so often find our stupid selves going through.
Paint. It. fucking. Black. Really, what can I say about this band other than frontman Dr. Dan Yemin should need no introduction to anyone reading this blog, right? Remember bands like Lifetime and Kid Dynamite? Okay then. Surrender (released on Fat Wreck) is the second 7”/digital EP that Paint It Black released in 2009 (the first being Amnesia on Bridge Nine) and aside from the opener “Sacred,” there’s not much melody floating around this four song EP that was produced by Kurt Ballou from Converge. It’s really nothing revolutionary but Yemin and company sound so pissed and these songs are so fucking incendiary and frenetically brutal that you won’t need it to be. Surrender is hardcore the way it was meant to be played and at about seven minutes long, you’ll have no choice but to spin it over and over. And I swear that “Sacred” also features guest vocals from Jason Shevchuk. Can anyone confirm this?
Howdy, folks. Things have been a little sporadic around here lately, but will return to normal right about now. Anyhow, I thought I’d share some new pictures of Teagan the baby who is now 7 months old and damn near 20 lbs. She’s also got a tooth and is a slobbering mess most of the time. Between Teagan and her sister, there’s never a dull moment here at casa de CYSTSFTS. I mean, how could things not be busy with two kids? Thanks for hanging in there.
Here’s another one to file under “better late than never.” Little Lungs Hoist Me Up! EP (from 2008) is a gem of a record and one that more people need to hear. Evidently the band features former members of Tin Kitchen (a fact that means nothing to me). What drew me into this is the fact that Little Lungs (at times and maybe because of the female vocals) sounds a lot like the almighty Discount, and that’s never a bad thing. Really it’s just a ramshackle marriage of indie rock and pop punk that’s well-written and melodic without being saccharine or overly catchy. Just imagine Slingshot Dakota with guitars instead of keyboards and you might get the idea. It’s energetic, it’s bouncy, it scratches and claws in a way that just a wee bit more angular than the typical band from this genre. Do yourself a favor and get a copy of Hoist Me Up! as it really is worth seeking out. It’s out on Salinas Records and the band has a new 7″ due out soon as well. I can’t wait!
I should have written about The Please & Thank Yous and their album Mind Your P’s & Q’s some time ago but better late than never, I always say. It’s a good thing I listened. Their raw and emotional yet bouncy offshoot of pop-punk is the perfect antidote for all that might be ailing you during these cold dark Chicago winter days. I’m a sucker for gritty pop punk, and while this isn’t gritty in a gruff way, it borders on being lo-fi and ramshackle so, yeah, I pretty much love it. Mind Your P’s & Q’s is (quite simply) what happens when jangly indie-folk-rock meets pop punk (more or less). It has a relaxed and almost familiar sound that makes me feel instantly at home listening to it plus this album is the best thing I’ve heard since compiling my best of 2009 list about a month ago. The album reminds me (at times) of any/all of the following: The New Dress, Operation: Cliff Clavin, early Green Day, Sarge, The Thermals, old Against Me!, old Dinosaur Jr., Squirtgun, and Wolfie. That’s quite a list, right? There’s a little bit of everything going on here… I mean, it’s almost as if The Please & Thank Yous would be perfect as an indie prom dance band. This is seriously some amazing stuff. And if you care to know, Mind Your P’s & Q’s was recorded by one of the guys in another local-ish band, Joie De Vivre. Get a copy of this today and check out the record release show 2/15 at Ronny’s in Chicago. You won’t be disappointed.
I’m gonna be really blunt here and just say that Arliss Nancy is a rock band from the great state of Colorado and on their most recent album, Dance To Forget, they sound a little bit like Two Cow Garage, Lucero, Drive By Truckers and Drag The River but not exactly the same as any of ‘em. You could easily stop reading here and get it exactly, but still… Their particular brand of rock music could be (sorta) labeled as alt-country rock but is more rock than country despite being kinda twangy. Call it slow-burning Southern rock if that makes you feel better about it. It’s gruff but (as I just said) there are shades of dark gothic country that come through as well. Dance To Forget is also heavier that I expected it to be, and while I also discern bits and fragments of late 90’s alternative rock in the big guitars, there is plenty of heartache everywhere else. Listening is like drinking white dog straight with a chaser of razorblades. And with that, I’ll pour myself another drink and keep on listening. Suburban Home should sign these guys.
Can I get a “fuck yeah!” Alright! Kids, you should listen to Your Favorite Trainwreck to hear how rock music should be played. The band is fronted by Jeff Caudill (ex-Gameface) and Michael “Popeye” Vogelsang (ex-Farside) and also features Robbie Rist (seriously he’s the guy who, as a kid, played Cousin Oliver on The Brady Bunch) on drums and Jeff Holmes on bass. Their four song demo isn’t complicated but it is 100% fuckin’ awesome! It’s just good ol’ fashioned rock music with hints of alt-country and bits of the punk these guys are better known for just peeking through. It actually sounds somewhat like Gameface around the time they recorded the split with Errortype:11. I’d compare it to Buffalo Tom or (perhaps) a more straightforward version of the little known (but awesome) band Dada. You know, melodic and rockin’ but with just the right amount of and everything else you could ask for. What are you waiting for?
Despite the flood of negative comments about Detroit, Michigan’s Fireworks on Twitter today, I do think this Fireworks album is better than I initially thought. It just took a few more listens to grow on me and sound like more than just a facsimile of New Found Glory. All I Have To Offer Is My Own Confusion is full of hardcore influenced pop punk that fans of (yes, you’re about to cringe) New Found Glory, early Fall Out Boy, or (perhaps) The Starting Line. The songs are melodic, catchy, good, and all that, if you like this sort of thing and way less hardcore than some. I initially wanted to say that they weren’t really all that great when compared to many of their peers, but it just took a few listens. Even so, I still don’t love All I Have To Offer Is My Own Confusion or find it really all that interesting. These guys could be huge as they’ve got that radio-ready sound that I’m sure all the kids love and the songs are uber-catchy . I don’t hate this, but it doesn’t blow me away. Perhaps my indifference and apathy towards this either means that I’m jaded or it’s just OK and nothing more.
No Harm Done was a band from Deltona, Florida that played its last show on August 19th, 2009. It’s too bad because their third (and final) album Escape was released in 2008 and is full of some awesome hardcore pop punk hybrid that reminds me a little of (maybe) Set Your Goals. Others might say it sounds like MXPX meets Strike Anywhere, or maybe something like a way way better version of Autopilot Off. More pop punk than hardcore, Escape is filled with woah’s and propelling fast-paced rhythms and is as catchy as H1N1. Sure, this is fairly derivative but done well enough that it’s easy to get past it. Despite breaking up, the band released three songs on a split 7” with Offsides (a band that features members of No Harm Done but is in no way comparable) in 2009 as well. At least we’ll have the memories, right?
Gasoline Heart is a band from Orlando. They are a band that plays Springsteen-tinged mid-tempo rock that shows some obvious nods to its member’s Florida punk roots. It isn’t groundbreaking or even all that original because (like so many others do, so can you really blame ‘em) it seems like they’re aping The Boss just a little too much. Their second album, Nostalgia Ain’t What It Used To Be, starts off strong with “Never Been Worse” and “Can’t Keep A Good Kid Down” but the middle drags a bit. The album also finishes with a bang as “Sunshine State,” Eager Seas,” and the opening song’s reprise are some of the best moments on the album (as is album’s one oddly placed Clash style yelp). Take it for what it’s worth, but Nostalgia… is a pleasant and sometimes great, but sometimes trying too hard, and ultimately enjoyable rock n roll record. Frontman Louis’ vocals can sound like the golden hues of the setting sun washed down by an ice cold beer on a hot summer day. Perfect for us aging heartland rockers and the bars we so often find our stupid selves going through.
Paint. It. fucking. Black. Really, what can I say about this band other than frontman Dr. Dan Yemin should need no introduction to anyone reading this blog, right? Remember bands like Lifetime and Kid Dynamite? Okay then. Surrender (released on Fat Wreck) is the second 7”/digital EP that Paint It Black released in 2009 (the first being Amnesia on Bridge Nine) and aside from the opener “Sacred,” there’s not much melody floating around this four song EP that was produced by Kurt Ballou from Converge. It’s really nothing revolutionary but Yemin and company sound so pissed and these songs are so fucking incendiary and frenetically brutal that you won’t need it to be. Surrender is hardcore the way it was meant to be played and at about seven minutes long, you’ll have no choice but to spin it over and over. And I swear that “Sacred” also features guest vocals from Jason Shevchuk. Can anyone confirm this? 
Here’s another one to file under “better late than never.” Little Lungs Hoist Me Up! EP (from 2008) is a gem of a record and one that more people need to hear. Evidently the band features former members of Tin Kitchen (a fact that means nothing to me). What drew me into this is the fact that Little Lungs (at times and maybe because of the female vocals) sounds a lot like the almighty Discount, and that’s never a bad thing. Really it’s just a ramshackle marriage of indie rock and pop punk that’s well-written and melodic without being saccharine or overly catchy. Just imagine Slingshot Dakota with guitars instead of keyboards and you might get the idea. It’s energetic, it’s bouncy, it scratches and claws in a way that just a wee bit more angular than the typical band from this genre. Do yourself a favor and get a copy of Hoist Me Up! as it really is worth seeking out. It’s out on 
I should have written about 
I’m gonna be really blunt here and just say that 
Can I get a “fuck yeah!” Alright! Kids, you should listen to 
Despite the flood of negative comments about Detroit, Michigan’s Fireworks on Twitter today, I do think this Fireworks album is better than I initially thought. It just took a few more listens to grow on me and sound like more than just a facsimile of New Found Glory. All I Have To Offer Is My Own Confusion is full of hardcore influenced pop punk that fans of (yes, you’re about to cringe) New Found Glory, early Fall Out Boy, or (perhaps) The Starting Line. The songs are melodic, catchy, good, and all that, if you like this sort of thing and way less hardcore than some. I initially wanted to say that they weren’t really all that great when compared to many of their peers, but it just took a few listens. Even so, I still don’t love All I Have To Offer Is My Own Confusion or find it really all that interesting. These guys could be huge as they’ve got that radio-ready sound that I’m sure all the kids love and the songs are uber-catchy . I don’t hate this, but it doesn’t blow me away. Perhaps my indifference and apathy towards this either means that I’m jaded or it’s just OK and nothing more. 
