Øjne / Rainmaker Split

Rainmaker / Øjne - Split (2015)

Milano's always fresh screamo outfit, Øjne have teamed up with another European screamo outfit, Rainmaker from Eslöv, Sweden to bring you a two song split. It might only be two tracks each, but this is some top-level Euro skramz.

Rainmaker's track:



Øjne's track:



Also, while this split is free in digital form, I just peeped what the physical copy looks like and boy does it put any record from Record Store Day last weekend to shame. Here's the pic via Dog Knights Productions' Facebook:

Now that's a record worth getting and keeping.

Facebook (Rainmaker)
Facebook (Øjne)
Bandcamp (Rainmaker)
Bandcamp (Øjne)
Last.fm (Rainmaker)
Last.fm (Øjne)

Monday 105

All aboard.

SLOTHS - Twenty Years (2014)

Along with recording probably my favorite cover song of this year (Slint's Breadcrumb Trail), SLOTHS have a super emotional and intense release out right now called Twenty Years. It may only be three songs, but in that 12 minutes you will definitely feel the passion that these guys possess. Yeah, the name of this Portland, Oregon band is SLOTHS, but this is not a meme; this is genuine music.



Last.fm


Nnamdi Ogbonnaya - Bootie Noir (2013)

Nnamdi's sooper dooper secret side project. Bootie Noir includes a number of incredibly well crafted and sometimes bizarre pop songs feature all sorts of great musicians including Alicia Waters  (Oshwa) on track 4, Nate Kinsella (the Kinsella cousin from Birthmark and Make Believe) on track 11, Dave Davison (Maps & Atlases) on track 17, Bobby Burg (Make Believe/Joan of Arc), Peter Helmis (Algernon Cadwallader) on track 18, just to name a few. Check out all the guest stars here and sample Bootie Noir down here:

 

Last.fm

Lovechild - Migraine Music (2014)

Picking right up where In Heaven left off, Lovechild's Migraine Music sounds like the final boss of all circle pit battles. From modern hardcore to old school in-your-face punk rock n roll, this is some refreshing punk music you do not want to be sleeping on if you wanna stage dive at a Joyce Manor concert.



Have a lovechild with lovechild.

Last.fm

NFT's Got You Covered - Casa de Diversion Covers Vol. 3

Various Artists - Casa de Diversion Covers Vol. 3 (2014)

Here's a cool cover compilation put together by the hardcore/punk/metal loving blog, Toxicbreed's Funhouse. It features 24 up-and-coming  loud-mouths playing their favorite songs by bands ranging from The Misfits to Slowdive to Le Tigre to GG Allin to Mazzy Star . My personal favorite has to be Sloths's rendition of Slint's Breadcrumb Trails - putting the hardcore back into Slint's post hardcore masterpiece.


Go check these crushers out right now:


Toxicbreed's Funhouse
Bandcamp

Locktender - Rodin

Locktender - Rodin (2014)

The screamo meets post rock meets art outfit from Cleveland are back with a new album out called Rodin. Like Locktender's previous release, Kafka, this is somewhat of a concept album - this time about the works of Auguste Rodin, a French sculptor best known for "The Thinker, "The Age of Bronze", "The Burghers of Calais", and probably that nude sculpture from the art museum that made you feel weird things when you were a kid.

So, what do songs about sculptures sound like? Well, in a way, they sound like the history behind these large scale figures. For instance, the opening track, "The Burghers of Calais" depicts the scene of six persons of the town of Calais, France stepping up to King Edward III with nooses around their necks to be sacrificed so the rest of the town could live. The track is a lengthy one that echoes the Hundred Year's War in a way. "The Thinker" as a song is filled with a feeling of sorrow and pain delivered by always powerful Locktender vocals.

The second track is about Rodin's most famous piece, The Thinker. The Thinker is a sculpture of a man, well, thinking. He's seated with his chin resting on his arm as if deep in thought. The Thinker was originally apart of the Gates of Hell, a detailed group piece that was based on Dante's Inferno. Locktender take this piece and turn it into a gripping emotional hardcore track that deals with "a modern world built on a tired titans back".


Who knew sculptures could sound so cool?

Locktender are a band that do not settle with one genre and call it a day. Their work is always different depending on the subject material. Take a listen to the third track about the "Eternal Springtime" sculpture and you will see how much range these folks have. Locktender aren't just another band playing loud music, they do their homework (lame, right), but in the end it comes off so much more like an experience than just one sided music. One sided music not about sculptures.


Official Site
Bandcamp
Last.fm

Monday 100!

(Posted on Wednesday because I couldn't think of a good April Fools joke.)

Free Throw - Free Throw (2012)

Boy Meets World Meets Emo.

Free Throw are some bros playing emotional punk music from Nashville. Clearly they like 90's stuff, Pokemon, hanging out, drinking beer, and hats.


Sounds good to me.

Last.fm

Ice Hockey - End Phase (2014)

A little something-something from the Quad-City screamers, Ice Hockey. Put it on during your favorite NHL team sporting event for full effect.


Jockcore.

Last.fm

Sleeping People - NOTRUF (2013)

Another complete miss from last year, this is Sleeping People's two-song 12incher, NOTRUF. Sleeping People were one of the first instrumental math rock bands I ever discovered and therefore will forever be in my books as one of the best in the math rock game. While this is only a little taste of what Sleeping People from San Diego have to offer, I think NOTRUF provides the perfect opportunity to get into these guys.


Last.fm

Calculator - This Will Come to Pass

Calculator - This Will Come to Pass (2013)

Calculator should not be new to this site. Unfortunately, as I look back in the archives to no other post of Calculator other than a mention, this is the first time I've posted anything by this band. It's a shame really because these guys are pretty sweet and deserve some recognition. Well shame no more, here's some Calculator!

This Will Come to Pass is Calculator's 2013 release packed with some great post hardcore and emo that flows very nicely and in a not so overwhelming manor. Calculator vocal duty also relies more on shouting than it does screaming, which is why I wouldn't necessarily write these guys off as typical 'screamo'. Nevertheless this is some cool material, especially from the instrumental stand point of things.

Highlights: "Gasping, But Somehow Still Alive", "Becoming / Whisperings in Sleep", "Permanent State of Daylight", "Reverie", and "Last Breath".


Similar acts/sounds: Ten Thousand Leagues, tongue, Innards, Jowls, Beau Navire, The Reptilian, Caust, William Bonney, and other stuff, I guess.

Last.fm

Monday LXXXXII

New Keith forgets to hit the "publish" button edition.

Shizune - Shizune. (2013)

Through the discovery of the Italian screamo band, Øjne I was directed to another Italian band with a passion for post-hardcore type music. This is Shizune from Lonigo, Vicenza.



Think Touche Amore, but Italian.

Last.fm

Paul Newman and the Ride Home - (sic) (2013)

When someone thinks about ukuleles, they probably either think about fat guys singing about rainbows, Spongebob, or Tiny Tim (the one with the ukulele). I, on the other hand, am haunted by the thoughts of summer camps and horrible Youtube videos. Luckily, Paul Newman and the Ride Home are neither summer camps nor really bad Youtube videos. They do however have a ukulele... but I guess it can stay.

But really, Paul Newman and the Ride Home are a pop punk band from Baltimore that just so happen to also have a ukulele. It's an interesting listen, no doubt. Give it a try:



Last.fm

The Saddest Landscape - Exit Wounded (2013)

On a more serious note, Northeastern shouters, The Saddest Landscape got in a pretty rough accident while on tour last week. Apparently the tires on their van exploded causing them to crash. Luckily, no one was too injured in the accident but their van is totaled and the tour is pretty much ruined.

The Saddest Landscape play some really cool screamo/early emo-inspired music that I've been enjoying for sometime now. If you don't know these guys, I would ask that you give them a listen and support them. Their newest release, Exit Wounded is a 5 track EP filled with uncontrollable emotion and incredible instrumentation. I'm going to leave a link to sample the album but I highly recommend that if you like what you hear to support these guys. And by support I mean give them your money.


Be sure to also check out their little split with My Fictions which includes an incredible 13 plus minute emotional masterpiece of sorts (more on that later though).

Topshelf Records
Last.fm

Øjne

Øjne -  Undici/Dodici (2013)

Something about being from Europe always makes screamo sound that much more enjoyable. Øjne in particular are from the wonderfully non-English speaking country of Italy. Milan, Italy to be exact. I'm not sure if that makes the music even better as well, but it's definitely cool.

Øjne's sound here on Undici/Dodici is very reminiscent of early real screamo and other great screamo acts from Europe like Daitro and Sed Non Satiata, Raein, and La Quiete. That being said, those are some wicked bands to sound like if you are going to sound like anything relatively emotional and hardcore. These guys had me at Italian screamo. Seriously, that's all I really even need to say at this point.

Highlights: The whole shabang, but I'm digging the opener, "Glasgow" the most right now.


PS: Through my extensive research via Google translator, apparently "Øjne" means "eyes" in Danish. So, there's also that.

Bandcamp
Last.fm

Monday LXXXX

Getting there.

Atalanta - Tainted (2013)

Very passionate and soul-gripping screamo. From the streets of Chicago and beyond.



Almost a little sludgy even.

Last.fm

Future Death - Future Death (2013)

Future Death is my answer to a new Zach Hill project minus Zach Hill. With spastic drums, blazing guitar riffs and  distorted female vocals, Future Death are mashing all sorts of sounds together and making it work. It's awesome!



For fans of Hella, Marnie Stern, Lightning Bolt, Caddywhompus, or Tera Melos.

Last.fm

CUSS - Heavenly (2013)

Incredible new release from Jesus Lizard-like Portland, Maine noise rock outfit, CUSS. Heavenly is a bit more refined than their previous releases recording-wise as well as musically-wise now that they have An Anderson guitarist, Dan Smith on beautiful Slint guitar duty to add a little melody to the madness. Since I'm a better listener than a writer I would definitely recommend checking out the review of Heavenly in the Portland Press Herald with some kind words and an appropriate star rating (pronounced stah ratin', of course) for a local news paper judging a "noise rock" band. Just check it out.


Also, CUSS are playing a show real soon at Matthew's in Portland, but Alex their singer won't be there. They're still going to be playing but ask that if anyone wants to sing their songs step up and sing along with them.

Last.fm

NFT's Got You Covered with Phillip Miller!

Phillip Miller - Hecka Sad Chips (2013)

Phillip Miller plays guitar in the Sacremento band, Alan Heart of the Lion who play emo/screamo/passionately sad music. He also likes to make old-school video game soundtracks. Hecka Sad Chips is a combination of those two things: emotional music and video games; the result: chiptune emo. Well, sort of...

Hecka Sad Chips features 10 songs by relatively emo-y/screamo-y/melodic hardcore bands turned into 8bit video game-sounding gems. They don't really sound sad, but rather like they came straight from that Game Boy Color that you totally still have kicking around somewhere. You know what I mean.

The bands included in the chiptune transformation include some bands I'm pretty familiar with like CityCop, Comadre, Tiny Moving Parts, and Kidcrash along with a few other sweet new finds like Missive, Leer, Kite Runner, Place Called Home, and Phillip Miller's aforementioned band, Alan Heart of the Lion.


The cover of Hecka Sad Chips also features an old-school video game/pixel art transformation of Place Called Home's Eternal Sunshine (2012), CityCop's Family Tides/Labors of Love split w/Les Doux (2013), Tiny Moving Parts's This Line is Long & Full of Friendship (2013), and Missive's Not a Minute Goes By (2012) album artwork.

Enjoy!

Facebook (Alan Heart of the Lion)
Bandcamp
Last.fm

Monday LXXIX

Another fortnightly Monday post. A couple days late.

Sic Bacchus - Sic Bacchus (2013)

Sic Bacchus are a gritty superhero reboot.

This is their self-titled 3-song 7incher.



Last.fm

Vacation - Do Shit AKA The Do Shit Disc (2010)

Vacation are a pop punk band with a bit of a lo-fi/garage rock feel to them. They'll be playing a sweet punk rock house show somewhere in Portland, Maine real soon. Tell your cops friends!

DL The Do Shit Disc for free over at the always mega-cool internet website, If You Make It Dot Com.

Last.fm

Mr. NEET/Conjjjecture - Day of Caring Split (2013)

This split features two of Portland's own experimenting with electronics and drum machines, Mr. NEET and Conjjjecture. The two respective bands have a song to share on the split, including a new recording of "Only Rabbits", and one collaborative among friends and former band mates. The recordings were done by Mike Cunnane at Cut the Shit Recordings and featured everyone from the Portland post-whatever rock legends, Huak.



Also be on the lookout for Conjjjectures new album, Living For Dead Labor. 

Facebook (Mr. NEET)
Facebook (Conjjjecture)

NFT's Got You Covered: Orchid!

Various Artists - Epilogue of a Car Crash! A Tribute to Orchid! (2013)

Dog Knights Productions presents a 25 song tribute to one of the most influential and essential bands in screamo, Orchid. Epilogue of a Car Crash, named after the chilling closer from Chaos Is Me, features 24 screamo/hardcore/punk whatever bands assembled from all over the world with the soul purpose of honoring the band that probably got them into this whole skramz mess.

The album includes some familiar names like: Full of Hell, For Want Of, Carrion Spring, Lizards Have Personalities, Foxes, Republic of Dreams, Innards, and Sed Non Saitata (twice!); along with some new names (to me) like: Coma Regalia, Voyage In Coma, Questionable Youth, Lord Snow, Itto, History of the Hawk, Todos Caerán, and many more!



Dog Knights Productions's official site
Dog Knights Productions's Bandcamp

Secret Plot to Destroy the Universe - I Only Miss You When I Want To

Secret Plot to Destroy the Universe - I Only Miss You When I Want To (2012)

Man, this is just the album that I needed right now.

Emotional, gripping, aggressive yet somber, and all around riddled with sadness.

Secret Plot to Destroy the Universe is a post hardcore outfit residing in Pennsylvania. This is their release from 2012. I've already listened to it two times in the passed hour or so and have been listening to the title track, "I Only Miss You When I Want To" nonstop since I discovered it from The BIG Comp.

Track 4, "Aimless" features an amazing speech from the Charlie Chaplin talkie film, The Great Dictator (1940). This is the scene:

Other highlights: pretty much all the other songs not mentioned.



sad bastard

Facebook
Bandcamp
Last.fm