The Aggrolites came together purely by accident–just
five guys having fun in the studio, backing Jamaica
ska singer Derrick Morgan. Enjoying the music they
created together, they decided to book some shows.
They’ve since opened sets for the likes of Madness,
Rancid, Floggin’ Molly, The Selecter and Ozomatli.

The band took its name from the 1960s British slang
“aggro” which was a term used to describe the tough
raggae sound getting more and more popular in the UK.
“The Aggrolites collective goal,” vocalist Jesse
Wagner explains, “is to increase awareness of raggae
music–to show American’s especially that there’s a
whole lot more to Jamaican music than Bob Marley,
ganja and growing dreadlocks. We’d love to put it more
on the map.”

With an old-school raw underproduced sound, The
Aggrolites reflect their deep love for roccksteady,
ska and reggae through their music. The self titled
album is dynamic–no songs sound the same, from songs
ranging from pure fun, to serious tones on poverty.

The Aggrolites is a 19-track mix of sing-a-longs and
instrumentals that sounds straight out of 1967
Kingston. Their music can be compared to The
Ethopians, Toots and The Maytals, Mittoo and the early
Wailers. Prince Buster provided a powerful testament
to the Aggrolites’ authenticity, saying: “It reminded
me of the old days, I can’t believe that this young
band from America could play my music just as good as
the day it was recoded.” These are guys who are
genuinely interested in reviving the sounds of classic
raggae.

Time Again formed in 2004 with only two members. As fate had it, Vocalist Daniel Dart met Lars Frederiksen (Rancid, The Basards) at the Transplants video shoot, and invited him to see their performance at the Whiskey. Not long after that, they released a self-titled EP on Rancid Records in 2005, which made XM Radio’s To 25 of 2005. They’ve since shared the stage with punk legends Circle Jerks, Adolescents, Social Distortion, TSOL, and most recently Rancid. Dart explained, “I don’t think there is ever gonna be another band that I’d be as excited to play with than Rancid, no matter what happens down the road, no one can ever take that night away from us.” Their new album, “The stories Are True,” features thirteen old-school style street punk tracks that go a step beyond, infusing ska and folk style storytelling into their music–expressing themselves with no apologies. The title track “The Stories Are True” instills hope chanting: “Lying on the floor, you’re thinking you’re dead, but you wana live life and do it instead. You gotta understand how to be true; it’s out with the old and in with the new. You gotta do it now, you don’t’ wana go, come on now, life is your show.” The chorus rings in with, “Come on now, let it go, everything that you know, step aside, let it ride, and we’re turning the tide, it’s out with the old, in with the new, step aside, the stories are true.” This album is nonstop catchy yet raw, only to prove that street punk has survived with heart and passion.

After the great Tooth And Nail debut “Destination: Beautiful”, which sold over 70,000 copies, and after the “Destination: B-sides” album full of rarities, the five piece known as MAE is back with “The Everglow-Special Edition”, a new edition of the wonderful album “The Everglow”. The new work shows how the band developed a new music taste and new musicianship, with new songs filled with harmonies, unique vocal lines and keyboards. On the first listen, if you’re used to the catchy pop melodies of the previous stuff, you may be disappoint, but after two listens, I was really enthusiastic about the new band’s direction. These five guys from Virginia changed a lot: from a pop rock band they turned out into a real rock band, with serious lyrics, talent, music skills and a professional work that puts them on the same level of famous rock bands as R.E.M. or even U2. Really, “The Everglow” is a complete and mature album, where you can hear anything: from the piano driven songs to the pop harmonies, from the strong guitar walls of “Suspension” to the catchy choruses of “The Ocean”. There is room for anyone on the album, and “The Everglow” is the real deal: get this and own a piece of modern rock history. This Special Edition comes with three bonus tracks ( “Where The Falls Begin”, “A Day In The Life”, and the demo version of “Suspension” ) plus a bonus DVD filled with live performances, even at the Warped Tour, two music videos, bonus stuff and the making of “The Everglow”. If there is a band I can’t do without in 2006, this is MAE.

After a brillant EP crafted for Solid State, Far-Less is back with their debut full album on Tooth And Nail. The new LP is a true bomb of sounds, filled with melodic guitar riffs, metallic screams, and rock anthems, just like a cross between UnderOath and Beloved. “Everyone Is Out To Get Us” is a semi-concept album, with the five piece dealing with today’s world problems, communications, social life, and high politics, but with a basic attitude for rocking out on your stereo. The disc lives of its own life and I think Far-Less is totally under rated : if you like good heavy music with a touch of rock melody, check this out.

Lifetime (the former band whose members then went and played in other bands like Good Riddance, Paint It Black, Kid Dynamite, Armalite and more) is back with a brand new release, a two disc album filled with a 52 page booklet full of photos, information, liner notes, and everything you ever wanted to know about this germinal hardcore band that influenced such acts as Saves The Day, Taking Back Sunday and New Found Glory. “Somewhere In The Swamps Of Jersey” is made of two discs. On the first one, you will listen to a ton of rare tracks: the title track, taken from the “The Boy’s No Good” seven inch, and then the “Tinnitus Seveninches”, the “Lifetime” seven inch, and a lot of rare tracks, as “Money”, the song that appeared on the “Land Of Greed World Of Need” compilation, and previously unreleased remixes, with anthems as “Bedtime”, “Old Friend” and “Ghost”. Among the best track, you can listen to unreleased remixes of “Young, Loud And Scotty”, “Bringin’ It Backwards” and “New England”, while such tunes as “Ferret”, “Gone” and “Tradition” are some pearls that finally found a real life on this first cd. On the second disc, you can listen to the original first band album “Background”, with anthems like “You”, “Thanks” and “Alive”, and nine more songs recorded live. If you are interested in the pre-Jade Tree era of one of the most innovative hardcore punk band ever, “Somewhere In The Swamps Of Jersey” is what you’re looking for, but I think you should not forget of such great records as “Hello Bastards” and “Jersey’s Best Dancers”. Welcome back, Lifetime!

“God Save Us” is the sophomore Ferret Music release by the hardcore punk heroes Remembering Never, after the previous “Women And Children Die First”. If on the previous disc the band used to play a more metallic music, on the new effort the five piece plays more hardcore, with anthems like “The Grenade in Mouth Tragedy” and “Closed Caskets” where you can see how they really take influences from old school hardcore and modern metal. Call it mosh, or call it hardcore, but when “God Save Us” will hit your stereo, you will not be able not to move and crash yourselves against the wall. As on the previous album, the band delivers socially aware themes, with a real pissed off attitude towards the evils of society and especially religion. On “Women And Children Die First”, Remembering Never used to deal with politics, government’s wrongs and politicians’ lies; on “God Save Us”, the band releases songs like “Plotting A Revolution in A Minor” and “Closed Caskets” where they smash your God into pieces. If you think you have the stomach to deal with top quality and honest music, get into this!

The final release from Philadelphia’s finest hardcore band is a DVD packed with 90 minutes full of adventures, live shows, punk moments, friends, hardcore punks that tell the whole story of Kid Dynamite. This DVD, which was too good to be put only as a bonus disc on the “Cheap Shot Youth Anthems” album, is the final masterpiece where you will learn all about Kid Dynamite: stories, life on the road, life at home, life shows, the band’s 2005 reunion and more and more again. The DVD is made of 32 chapters where you can witness all of the above, plus live shows, sweaty stage divings and songs like “Pacifier”, “Never Met the Gooch” and “Heart A Tact” and 25 more raging live performances that made the history of this four piece. If you have ever been a fan of KID DYNAMITE, this DVD is a must own!

Jonah Matranga is my man. I think he is my idol. After playing on such projects as Far, New End Original, Onelinedraing and Gratitude, and being an active part in the indie rock scene, Jonah is back with a new release: a double CD and DVD that features some of his best live performances ever. On the CD, you get two live performances, an acoustic one, where you can hear Onelinedrawing songs, and an electric one, with anthems like “Lukewarm” and “A-L-L-Y-S-O-N”. This CD has got only 12 songs and it’s not that long, because if you are hardcore fans of Jonah, time will fly while listening to this record. Instead, the DVD is full of content: two live shows, one recorded in the big Chain Reaction and another one in a small house, and a documentary on Jonah’s solo project Onelinedrawing, with videos, commentary, photos, and more stuff. I personally own any release by this artist and if you go on jonahmatranga.com, you will get in touch with his wonderful world.

The Fold is a new band I have no fear to say they truly rocked me. They hail from Chicago, and their new record is a breath of fresh, modern, melodic and emotional air, in a world where mediocrity gets its best, with a lot of bands that deliver one disc and then disappear. This is not the case of THE FOLD: this four piece was able to create a pop masterpiece, where melodic guitar riffs meet harmonic vocals. It’s a lot like a cross between the old U2 and the new Coldplay, with a little touch of Radiohead and Anberlin too. The disc starts with the awesome “Gravity”, where you soon realize these guys are going to be as melodic as your ears could enjoy. Anthemic songs as “New City”, “The Title Track” and “With You, I Sink” are the proof that the music on “This Too Shall Pass” is by far the most enjoyable you will hear this year, so roll your windows down and run fast with air through your hair.

Watashi Wa is back after some years of line up changes, a wonderful previous record and a twelve new songs that will make all pop music lovers happy. “Eager Seas” is filled with amazing songs about life, love, loss, friendships, brotherhood and sisterhood, and tragedy. I think that this is the best pop rock album I heard in such a long time, and without sort of doubt Watashi Wa is the future of indie pop. I am just sorry people do not seem to notice this band, which is one of the finest rock act around today, I am serious. Watashi Wa has got talent, active ideas, positive communication, tons of content, smart lyrics and emotional sounds. “Eager Seas” start with the sad and slow “10 Years and Seperating States”, with very mellow rhythms that will introduce you in the new seas. “Face”, the best song on the whole record, has got one ultra catchy acoustic guitar riff with Mike Herrera and Yuri from Mxpx playing their parts in the song: it’s a tune about relationship with a sister and with loss, and the vocals on this are way too perfect. The record, which is not a concept album, but a collection of inspired songs, goes on with the 80’s “Free Ride”, where guitar riffs remind of old heavy rock bands, and with songs like the piano driven “Sydney Tonight” and the whispered “2:57″. The band also included the old anthem “All Of Me” from the previous album “The Love Of Life” and I think this did not come out as the best idea ever, since it’s clear this is a sunny, catchy, and happy song, while the rest of the record is a serious moment of reflections of life’s hardest moments. Anyway, “Eager Seas” remain my favorite record of 2006 so far, and I think it will still be in December.