Free Diamonds are back with their sophomore Deep Elm release, and contrary to the previous album, the band quite changed their music style, developing a new, more original, and innovative sound.
The UK trio delivers sixteen new songs whose common aim is to make the listeners dance: such tunes as the opening “Backpack Escape Plan” have got a realy cathcy guitar riffs and drum beats that are super melodic, as well as the vocal and the acoustic guitars in the choruses. “Flamingo!” is the post-hardcore song driven by strong bass lines, while “Midnight Rainbow” is a cross between the acoustic ballad and the pop punk song, with very high vocals and a driving bass that can be heard during all of the tune.
The basic idea behind “By The Sword” is a strong attitude towards the dancing rhythms, with an explicit will to make you move, whenever it’s punk, ska, pop or electronic dance music. The result is impressive, and I’d be disapponted if you don’t check this out.
Tracklist 01. Backpack Escape Plan 02. Hugs & Kisses 03. Flamingo! 04. Cobracobana 05. Midnight Rainbow 06. What’s With The Yes? 07. A Herd Of Elephants 08. Hey Annalise 09. The Little Keyboard Song 10. Tumbling Tumbling Down 11. To Russia With Love 12. Teen Magic 13. Whip Crack Away 14. 2nd Is My New Favourite Position 15. Jealous Panther 16. My Boxing Days Are Over
Named after the distance from the band’s hometown of Cincinnati to Graceland, 500 Miles To Memphis release their first Deep Elm album “Sunshine In A Sunglass”. I was quite impressed when I popped the cd into the stereo, as a very loud and punk sound came out, that reminded me of Flogging Molly or Dropkick Murphys. As soon as “All My Friends Are Crazy” started, I realized how this band is more inspired by indie rock and roll than those two punk rock / Irish bands I mentioned.
The band plays fast rock and roll, with loud guitars that become acoustic sometimes, and are a cross between Lucero and Against Me!, with a more pop attitude, as on such songs like “Broken, Busted, Bloody”, which has got slow, melodic and poppy rhythms. “I’ll Miss You (Whatever)” is a classic souther rock and roll song, while “Fireflies” is more punk oriented, but the general atmosphere you breath in the record is the one of a strong rock and roll album that does not want to be labelled, so let’s leave it that way.
Tracklist 01. All My Friends Are Crazy 02. Broken, Busted, Bloody 03. Don’t Mislead 04. Darlin’ 05. My Time Is Up 06. Keep It Together 07. I’ll Miss You (Whatever) 08. Cheers 09. Fireflies 10. Let It Rain 11. Sunshine In a Shotglass 12. The Regret
Static Thought is a new young band to come out on Hellcat Records, and their debut “In The Trenches” is a sincere punk rock album.
The four piece hails from San Francisco and fuses elements of punk rock with a more rock and rolling sound, where they mix the early sound of GBH and the 90’s punk rock of Rancid, reminding me of the “Let’s Go” era, even tough Static Thought do not have such songs as “Salvation” or “Radio”.
“In The Trenches” is a fast punk album, and the band releases anthems like “Social Unrest” and “Corruption” where you will be taken into a 300rpm trip. Musically, the sound is very raw and straight in your face, but lyrically the band is quite weak, not bringing a lot of new stuff into the punk rock world.
If you’re die hard fans of Rancid and street punk rock music, check this out, you won’t be disappointed.
Tracklist 01 Drug Of My Mind (MP3) 02 Dead & Gone (MP3) 03 Corruption 04 Ignorance of the Youth 05 Junk, Dope, & Speed 06 Choice Through Struggle 07 Infiltrated Minds 08 Social Unrest 09 Religion, Sex, & Class 10 Trenches 11 Blisters 12 Reality II 13 Next To You
The Aggrolites are quite possibly the most exciting ska/reggae band around today, and their sophomore Hellcat Records release is the best album that the label has put out in such a long time. (The Aggrolites also played on Tim Armstrong’s solo album).
“Reggae Hit L.A.” is a 15 track disc where you will hear a ton of melodies, summer time rhythms and sunny beats, where ska, reagge and a little bit of punk beats take place: electronic rhythms fuse themselves with faster and more dancing chords, with songs like “Work It”, “You Got Five” and “Let’s Pack Our Bags” that are a true breathe of fresh music in the punk scene.
If you’re down with summer time, like to dance and want to experience a very original record, get down with “Reggae Hit L.A.”, you will be hit too.
Tracklist 01 Work It 02 Faster bullet 03 You Got 5 04 Reconcile 05 Reggae Hit L.A. 06 Lets Pack Our Bags 07 Left Red 08 Free Time (MP3) 09 Lucky Streak 10 Rhythm & Light 11 Well Runs Dry (aka Free Soul) 12 Hip To It 13 Fire Girl 14 Baldhead Rooster (Chapter 3) 15 We Came To Score
After an EP entitled “Star Is Dead” and an LP entitled “Histrionics”, both on the now defunct Fiddler Records, The Higher is back with a brand new disc on a bigger label, Epitaph Records.
The new album “On Fire” is really different from the previous stuff, which was a nice mix of pop punk and rock, and the older songs were quite weak and boring. Instead, the new songs sound totally different. The five piece releases a disc where you can hear a ton of catchy melodies, fused with superb guitar riffs and rocking rhythms. On the Epitaph page you will read these guys sound a mix between pop, punk, emo and R&B, and this is all true: just listen to the first single “Insurance?” and you’ll get what I mean. It has a mix between rock and pop, but played with a super emo attitude, which makes the whole record really fun and easy-listening.
“On Fire” was produced/Mixed by Mike Green (Paramore, The Matches) with mixes by pop hit-master Matt Wallace (Maroon 5,), and it also features a bumpin’ bonus track remixed by Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump. If you need your 2007 summer record, here it is.
Tracklist 01. Insurance? (MP3) 02. Guts 03. Rock My Body 04. Weapons Wired (MP3) 05. Histrionics 06. Movement 07. Can Anyone Really Love Young 08. Darkpop 09. DARE 10. 31 Floors 11. Our Movie Rules 12. Pace Yourself (Patrick Stump Remix)
After a career longer than 20 years, after helping creating and spreading the punk rock word, Bad Religion is back with their 14th album, the third on Epitaph Records after they left major label Atlantic. I will be straight: this is the best “comeback to Epitaph” album, much better than “Process Of Belief” and even better than “The Empire Strikes First”.
The new disc is made of 16 songs in the pure old school Bad Religion style: not only in the music, which is fast, loud and with top-clever lyrics, but also in the artwork, as the crossbuster on the CD (I think I did not see the Bad Religion logo on a Bad Religion CD since the 1994 album “Stranger Than Fiction”), as well as the complete package, which makes me think of it as a Bad Religion record.
The songs: the new songs sound like a cross between the old style of album as “Suffer” and “No Control”, with very fast guitar riffs, singalongs, choruses and the new progress started with “Process Of Belief”, even though there is not a single slow song on “New Maps Of Hell” that reminds me of “Sorrow”. And this is good, for sure. Tunes like “Germs Of Perfection”, “New Dark Ages” and “Murder” are extremely fast and short, while “Before You Die”, “Honest Goodbye” and “Prodigal Son” are the most catchy and - I’d dare to say - poppy, of the whole record. There is not a single second of boring moments, as songs are built to stick in your ears from the first listen, and if you are a die hard fan of the band, you will also enjoy the last tracks “Submission Complete” and “Fields Of Mars”, which I think make the record a little bit too longer for the average music listeners.
“New Maps Of Hell” is surely the biggest album Bad Religion released since 1994, and I am so glad to say that these guys never die, and it’s good to see them back again.
Tracklist 1 52 Seconds 2 Heroes & Martyrs (MP3) 3 Germs Of Perfection 4 New Dark Ages 5 Requiem For Dissent 6 Before You Die 7 Honest Goodbye 8 Dearly Beloved 9 Grains Of Wrath 10 Murder 11 Scrutiny 12 Prodigal Son 13 The Grand Delusion 14 Lost Pilgrim 15 Submission Complete 16 Fields Of Mars
This split between 2 bands in the Tri state area combines has a great combination between poppy happy and crude lyrics from the Erection kids, and less poppy more mature lyrics and riffs from Title Fight.
Both bands have a great style.And although both bands have a different sound they really work well together on this album.Erection Kids seem like they would be more enjoyed by the younger crowd while Title Fight is for the older folks who expect more from a band then just dick and tit humor.
Don’t get the wrong impression of the Erection Kids, their lyrics are pretty bad ass, and not just T&A (really not at all) this is just the impression I get from the band and how I would expect their shows to be.
This album really rocks, with both bands not only having an awesome fun sound, but really give you an idea of what to expect if you went to a show in the Tri state area.
Everything a punk band needs to put out a kick ass album.Gasoline is a fast; pissed off mess of sound and aggression (in the good way).Baby Guts music is hard and fast just the way I love it too be, and with the female vocals as snotty and aggressive as they are you can almost feel the rage spewing from the vocalist Laura.
The lyrics are impressive too, but the bands musical ability walls into the same category as many snotty punk bands, Not to bad, but not to good either.But the snotty vocals cover this fact up very nicely.I should also point out that most of these tracks were recorded in 2005 but this album has just been released recently.
One more won’t kill us is the debut release for this 4 piece all girl band.This album has trashy intense vocals and a blazing sound.These girls will stay in your head all day long.Many of the songs have great reply value and will keep you singing along with every listen.
The Hedrons have only been around for 2 years now, and with this their first release there going to do nothing but continue putting on amazing shows and killer albums.
If you like all girl vocals with an attitude and a sound like Blondie meets the Ramones then you should check these chicks out!
How it feels to be erased is an amorous and emotional combination.The album isn’t just slow and melodic songs though.Many people believe emotional songs have to be slow and ambient but Safe as houses creates a wonderful combination of passionate and melodic songs with faster and more coarse and angry songs.
It’s nice to hear an indie rock band that doesn’t follow the same style and “safe” indie path that so many other bands these days seem to be following.Good music, good songs without all the extra bullshit most bands just copy over and over again.
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