Polar Bear Club – Chasing Hamburg
Hamburg, Germany is the city where The Beatles cut their teeth in the early 1960′s and has, thus, become somewhat of a mythical place in the history of rock music. So even though that isn’t the context that it’s presented in here on Polar Bear Club’s latest, Chasing Hamburg, it almost makes sense that PBC (Read more…)
Such Gold – Stand Tall EP
Without even looking it up, I can tell you with 99.9% certainty that Such Gold has got to be from somewhere near Buffalo, NY (Rochester actually). Who else is gonna write a song called “Four Superbowls, No Rings?” So yeah, Such Gold’s new EP, Stand Tall, was recently released and features the three songs from (Read more…)
Age Sixteen – Open Up Finders, Please
I’ve heard the phrase, “If it’s too loud, you’re too old,” spoken many times, but I, now, might finally actually know what it means. Age Sixteen’s debut full length Open Up Finders, Please is packed full of chaotic but somewhat melodic screamo that is as intense as it is varied. The album’s 9 songs clock (Read more…)
Agent – Awake In Their World 7″
If you aren’t familiar with this Long Island, NY quintet I’d suggest you take notice as this four song 7” is pretty doggone good. Awake In Their World was recorded by Phil Douglas (ex-Latterman) and falls squarely in that same vein of post-Lifetime East Coast hardcore-influenced melodic pop punk that really isn’t quite pop punk (Read more…)
Over Stars And Gutters – Consider This Your Curse
Consider This Your Curse, the debut full-length from Norman, Oklahoma’s Over Stars And Gutters, just may be one of the best surprises I’ve come across all year (thanks Beartrap). The band’s gruff mid-tempo punk rock fits somewhere between the likes Hot Water Music (but poppier), Polar Bear Club (but a bit more uptempo), and Dillinger (Read more…)
The Reptilian – Boy’s Life EP
I’ve been to Kalamazoo, Michigan a few times (mostly to drink Bells beer) and can easily imagine The Reptilian calling the city home. I mean, I can certainly hear a bit of Kalamazoo on The Reptilian’s latest offering, the Boy’s Life EP. It begins with circularly noodling and mathy indie-emo that falls somewhere between DEP, (Read more…)
Reverse The Curse – Paths EP
Reverse The Curse is a band from Hiram, OH and if their self-released 5 song EP Paths from last year is any indication of things to come, these guys might be huge. With a sound ranging from gruff and gravelly melodic post-hardcore that’s almost like pop-punk to dark brooding sing-a-longs that wouldn’t sound out of (Read more…)
La Dispute – Somewhere At The Bottom Of The River…
Wow. Even though I didn’t want to like it this La Dispute record simply based on the ridiculously long-winded title, Somewhere At The Bottom Of The River Between Vega And Altair, it’s actually really good. These guys are from Grand Rapids, Michigan and this is their debut full-length (although it doesn’t necessarily sound like it). (Read more…)
Review: Polar Bear Club – Sometimes Things Just Disappear
It could be very easy to be disappointed with Sometimes Things Just Disappear after Polar Bear Club’s awesome debut EP The Redder, The Better but just give this one a little time; it’s a slow burner. On this (their debut full-length) Polar Bear Club continues to blend catchy pop-punk hooks with slower and more angular (Read more…)
