Bands You Need To Know - Joie de Vivre
Written by Lisa Garelick Thursday, 04 March 2010 14:34
Joie de Vivre is one of those bands that takes you completely by surprise. After receiving their record and looking over the artwork and song titles, I was under whelmed, chocking them up to another uninspired indie/emo band. But 30 seconds into the first track off their EP Summer Months, I was mesmerized by sweet noodling and wailing vocals. Joie de Vivre picks up where Mineral left off, while still managing to add their own touches with clean swells and a first-rate recording quality. At times, the vocals resemble the off-kilter brilliance of Cap’n Jazz front man Tim Kinsella, crying out raw emotion (see “Handshakes”).
Summer Months is Joie de Vivre’s debut off of Michigan label Count Your Lucky Stars. They’re currently touring the mid-west, staying close to their home of Rockford, Illinois. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of the band in the coming months.
Bands You Need To Know - Masshysteri
Written by Jason Mazzola Tuesday, 02 March 2010 14:16
This band submission comes from Jason Mazzola of Virginia punk outfit Cloak/Dagger. The band released a full length entitled Lost Art on Jade Tree back in November and just got off a week long tour with Off With Their Heads.
Two of my favorite bands of the past five years are The Vicious and Regulations. Both bands were from Sweden and shared members. They both wrote catchy punk songs that were simple but brilliant. Stripped down songs that got stuck in my head and that made long drives fly by. Live they were everything I expected them to be. They were also one of the first bands to break down my prejudice of European bands and I’m very thankful for that. Before these two bands, the European bands I was exposed to just seemed to mimic whatever was popular at the time in punk or hardcore. The Vicious and Regulations seemed ahead of the curve even if what they were doing was familiar, they were doing it with their own twist.
The Vicious played a house show here in Richmond and it was without a doubt the most packed, annoying, awesome, memorable house show I have ever been to. During Government Warning I was stuck in the hall way looking at the back of peoples heads looking at four rows of the back of other peoples heads. At the end of the night rumor had it there was close to 300 people that paid to get in. At a house! At that show The Vicious had their new 7" Igen with the song Masshysteri on it. They were mainly singing in Swedish on this release and I was not sure if I could fully get into it. I missed understanding what they were saying and I missed knowing the words to all the clever hooks. It was still the band I loved but they were again ahead of the curve.
Bands You Need To Know - Love Songs
Written by Joe Evans III Sunday, 28 February 2010 13:27
Love Songs aren’t just an underrated punk band, they’re THE underrated punk band. Featuring members of All You Can Eat, Conquest For Death, This Is My Fist!, and a world Air Guitar Champion (and that’s just Craig), they play their own kind of punk that’s often spastic, catchy, and always equal parts brilliant, and completely stupid. Think what you would get from combining Hickey with Weird Al worship.
I first heard of them after happening to see them play in Philadelphia with The Ergs! in the back of a small bar. They got up on stage, looking like they should be playing the awkward side stage of an arena hair metal show, dressed in tight fitting neon and hot pants, not to mention non-ironic mustaches. But, they immediately blew everyone away. They were fun, and could play the hell out of their instruments. And being up front, I had two band member crotches thrust into my face before the end of the set. My reaction? “This band is fucking GREAT.” I was won over enough to go over afterwards and buy a record.
“Hey, you guys were awesome. I want to buy one of your records, but only have enough money for one. Which should I go with?”
“Well, this one is our first record, and this one has pictures of dudes with no shirts on when you put it in your computer.”
I thought to myself “So these guys really are kind of nuts. Awesome.” I bought the record.
While they were on a bit of a hiatus, they’ve recently started playing again, and just put out a new album, Another Guaranteed 40 Minute Music Set on Little Deputy Records, which was my favorite of 2009, and I can’t recommend enough.
Bands You Need To Know - The Reaganomics
Written by Dan Case Wednesday, 24 February 2010 08:08
I don’t know about everybody else but I was pretty bummed initially when I heard that Ryan’s Hope had decided to put the band on the back-burner to start a new project under the moniker The Reaganomics. Ryan’s Hope captivated my attention with their unique sound that blended the aspects of everyone from Bad Religion to old Metallica to The Living End, and I really felt like they were a band that could have been huge with just a little more exposure. Well, I guess that ship has sailed and they have moved on. Heralded as straight-forward pop punk band, their new band retains all the members with a new drummer, with Greg Alltop moving from the drums to backing guitar, and features all the Hope members splitting vocal duties. Despite my initial hesitation towards the band, The Reaganomics are already making up for the absence of their former project with their first album Get Lost, Stay Lost, which was put out by Red Scare back in October.
Bands You Need To Know - Head Home
Written by Jason Draper Saturday, 20 February 2010 14:05
This band submission comes from Jason Draper of Buffalo alt/indie rock band Failures' Union. The band recently released In What Way on Paper + Plastick- be sure to pick up a copy and show your support!
About a year ago I played a basement show in Baltimore that my friend Jordan was doing. When we first showed up, Jordan told me he put a band on the show specifically for me, because he thought it was something I’d love. Throughout the years various people have made similar statements, and for the most part the bands they tell me about are decent, but nothing to write home about. For once, someone got it right.
I was completely blown away by Head Home that night. They play a noisy blend of 90’s alt and indie rock. Their sound is a perfect combination of “Here’s Where the Strings Come In” era Superchunk and “Bug” era Dinosaur Jr. They even have the lazy vocals down to an art. The most important thing that they learned from their influences was to not let the noisiness of the songs over shadow the pop and the hooks in the music.
Bands You Need To Know - Jettison
Written by Lisa Garelick Tuesday, 16 February 2010 14:09
Jettison combines the hard-hitting force of punk rock with the sentiment and expertise of the new wave of indie/emo bands. What’s so great about them is that I haven’t heard anything like them before. Sure I’ve heard bands like Make Do And Mend that walk the same lines between two worlds, but Jettison leans more punk, reinventing the way the two genres can be melded together. On their Drag EP, each song has its own driving force, pushing the record forward in new directions. I can’t think of one dull moment on the entire record.
So far, the EP is only available for download on their Myspace, but the band just finished recording a new record. There’s no talk yet of what they have planned, but if the EP has proved anything, it’s that this band has a lot to offer. For any New Yorkers reading this, make sure you go to their show at Bushwick Music Studios (55 Waterbury) on the 20th. You won’t regret it.
Bands You Need To Know - The Arteries
Written by Roo Pescod Friday, 12 February 2010 09:12
Our UK correspondent and resilient rocker Roo Pescod has sent us another rousing piece about a band he thinks you need to know. Make sure to check out his band Bangers' Art of the Underground 7" and split with fellow Brits Break the Habit.
When I first heard of The Arteries I instantly and inexplicably decided that they would be an oi-punk band who I wouldn’t enjoy, get on with or share any real interests with. For this reason I immediately dismissed them and refused to listen to any of their music. It was several months later that I realized how wrong I had been when I caught them live in a grotty pub in Camborne, Cornwall and gapingly realized that they might well be the best thing ever. They play fast, fabulously energetic punk rock with riffs and guitar solos and proper singing melodies, and best of all their album Blood, Sweat and Beers is one of the most addictive and consistent records I’ve had the pleasure of listening to.
Bands You Need To Know - Captain, We're Sinking!
Written by Lisa Garelick Monday, 08 February 2010 08:44
Captain, We’re Sinking! is Scranton, PA’s answer to the budding popularity of throaty melodic punk rock bands like The Menzingers and Polar Bear Club. Like those before them, their passion comes across honest and pure, radiating through sing-a-long choruses and heartfelt chords. What sets this band apart then? In addition to having a great songwriting sense, the band’s vocalists have a unique register and vocal timbre. Instead of the low growl, Captain, We’re Sinking! go for high(er)-pitched coarse melodies and though at times it seems like they’re straining to achieve results, the pain is felt and it feels right.
The band just released a new digital EP entitled It’s A Trap. You can download the record for free on Mediafire. They’ll also be making an appearance at Rad Fest in May. I definitely suggest downloading the EP and if you can, catching their set at the fest.
Bands You Need To Know - Crazy Arm
Written by Roo Pescod Saturday, 09 January 2010 21:07
Below is the first (official) band submission from Roo Pescod of UK hopefuls Bangers. This is something you guys are gonna see a lot of, because, really, I bet you get tired of hearing from us all the time, and it's nice to hear from someone who's actually doing it. Make sure to check out Bangers' Art of the Underground 7" and split with fellow Brits Break the Habit.
Crazy Arm play tighter and harder, more intricately, more tunefully, more passionately and more enjoyably than the majority of the UK scene. Every time I’ve seen them they create the same wall of rocking, twanging, sweating punk rock with a country throb whether the venue is a packed 400 capacity music club in their hometown or an old university boiler room in the cold, bleak North.
On top of this they have the sort of "real songs" that you can sing in a bus queue with your headphones in and your hat pulled down and feel embarrassed about later because you meant to keep it under your breath but just couldn’t as everything stopped and Darren roared "stick to the path that you have chosen" and the music triumphantly galloped back in.
Bands You Need To Know - Native
Written by Barrie Cohn Wednesday, 06 January 2010 13:06
Having been together since 2007, Native has toured the United States with the likes of La Dispute and Slingshot Dakota. This young band's style recalls a sound that resembles a bizarre (yet workable) mish-mash of Minus The Bear, At the Drive-In and Cap'n Jazz. Their 2008 EP We Delete; Erase was released by Forest Life Records and subsequently re-released by the band's current label, Sergent House. The band's newest full-length, Wrestling Moves, a natural continuation of their previous EP (albeit with more instrumental songs this time around), is currently available for donation-based download at the band's Bandcamp site.
Check out Native online and if you like as I did, check out a show and support the band on their never-ending tour schedule.
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