Sinaloa - Chapel & Basement

Sinaloa is a state. Sinaloa is also one of the best post-hardcore / emo / insert inane genre tag here bands that are currently going. Many of you already know all about them and have probably heard a number of their albums and splits since the early 00's.

Earlier this spring Sinaloa made it down to NYC and for the mini tour released a screenprinted version of their Fathers & Sons LP and this cassette which is comprised of all the songs from Oceans of Islands played acosutically. The title of the release is due to the fact that these songs were recorded in a chapel which the drummers father arranged for them to use.

These version of the songs portray, in startling detail, the intimacy that has always laid at the foundation of any Sinaloa song. Their concern for the world around them has always had its roots in hardcore but such a humanistic approach goes much further back to the dawn of mans first questions. The resonant sounds and the acoustic quality of these songs hearkens back to a time when we didnt need to scream our questions, doubts, and fears about the world around us, but instead could have open discourse with the ability to shape things as they arise. Times have clearly changed and while the severity of what goes on around us continues to elevate in every way possible, this set of songs, presented as they are, juxtaposed with these quick moving and harsh dealing times, is a quiet scream for change. When the din of the world drowns out everything, sometimes it takes just a whisper to shatter the noise.

Sinaloa can be found here and here.
Explanations of all lyrics are included not inly in every release that the band puts out, but also on their website.

Junius - The Martrydom of A Catastrophist (2009)

This just dropped on Gimmesound, courtesy of the band and Mylene Sheath, and I just have to exclaim:

Holy Fucking Shit.. This is SOOOOOOOO GOOOOD!!!

Seriously, this band is amazing recorded. They are amazing live. Mylene Sheath is amazing and is easily one of the best record labels in existence right now.

If you know what the deal is with Junius then let me just tell you that this is going to floor you. The songwriting is so top notch and the vocals and lyrics (from what I can make out) are awesome and this works as a wonderful progression from the Fires of Antediluvia 7" that came out a year or two ago.

If you dont know Junius, well now is the time to get on board. Junius strikes some crazy balance between The Cure, The Chameleons, Depeche Mode (without the electronics), Mogwai, Caspian, and even, though some may see it as a stretch, Quicksand and other progressive hardcore bands of that ilk.

Simply put, they have a number of disparate influences that as a whole work to become something much greater. Visceral and real, haunting and illuminating, The Martyrdom of the Catastrophist is going to be a record to be remembered for years.

Mylene Sheath is pre-ordering the vinyl as of now, and I'll let their blurb speak for itself, as this package looks to be mighty intense. As soon as the funds free up I am grabbing one of these suckers and rest assured it will not be leaving my turntable without a fight.

----------

We're insanely proud to announce that we can begin taking preorders for the incredible new full length by Boston, MA's JUNIUS entitled "The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist". After two critically acclaimed EP's (later combined on a self titled reissue), the band can finally be experienced in true full length form and the results are nothing short of stunning! We've wanted to work with these guys since the humble beginnings of the label, so to finally be able to to work with them is a dream come true for us. Throughout the past few weeks we've laughed, we've cried, we've faught, we've healed, we've slept little and hugged lots - and the end result is something that not even we could have imagined =) The packaging is, quite simply, going to drop jaws. You'd definitely be hard pressed to find a harder working, more dedicated band. Constantly pushing themselves to the next level, both artistically and functionally as a band, Junius believes in what they're doing with all their hearts... and so do we. And it is with that mutual belief in one another that we announce the preorder for "The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist"!!

PREORDER HERE: Junius - The Martyrdom of the Catastrophist Preorder

We went all out for this monster - the vinyl will have 5mm spine, super thick 350gsm jackets with spot gloss and include a massive 11" x 11" 16 page paperback book in which the cover is on heavy, upgraded 250gsm stock w/spot gloss and the inner pages are on 200gsm uncoated paper featuring art by Drew Speziale (Circle Takes The Square) and illustrator Matt Gauck. The CD comes housed in a 300gsm cardboard gatefold CD jacket and includes massive 24 page booklet on thick uncoated paper featuring art by Drew Speziale and Matt Gauck as well. The album was recorded by Kevin Mills and Tom Syrowski (Weezer, AFI) and mastered by Dave Collins (Danny Elfman, Black Sabbath). There's also a tote bag edition of the vinyl, the record will come snuggled up inside a limited edition, preorder only, Junius tote bag! These will be hand screened by the band themselves in a very limited run of 25, exclusive to this preorder =)

Pressing info for the vinyl will break down like this:
-100 on clear vinyl with bronze haze
-100 black and bronze vinyl swirled
-700 bronze vinyl

All preorders will ship out in late October and as always, don't hesitate to let us know if you have any questions.

------------------

So thats that!! Get on this shit!! If you like vinyl, it sounds like you cant lose out with this presentation and if you arent in the market for LPz than please support the artist by getting it for free at Gimmesound.com

Gimme Sound - Free Music, Good Causes

Whats up people! I hope everyone is having a nice summer so far. Mine has been tight and it never ceases to amaze me that whatever I anticipate any summer to be like, it always turns out so unexpectedly, and never for the worse. So things are good on this end, and I'm here to share the newest in free files sharing with those of you, like me, who feel that great music makes the summer days even better.



Gimme Sound is a new site that allows labels and bands to host their songs and albums for free download and still get paid through some light and inoffensive advertising techniques. The even better part is that part of the proceeds go to a charity of the bands choice. Very cool! I am not a master of how this plan exactly works, though I am sure if you wrote to some of the label owners, like Magic Bullet Records, Mylene Sheath or Excursions Into the Abyss, they may be able to give a bit of lowdown on the actual process, if knowing is half the battle for you... or something. :P

On a basic level though, what this means for you, the listener, is that you get free downloads of full albums from awesome labels, often in 320kpbs. The idea of this site has been done before, but Gimme Sound is hosting some really quality acts and the best part is that for each song you download the artist gets paid at a fairly reasonable rate. In other words, if you see any of these albums for download anywhere else, then you owe it to yr self and even more so, to the bands and labels, to make a free account on Gimme Sound and make sure that these amazing artists are being supported while you still get to have yr cake and eat it to. Its obviously a very cool idea and I personally would like to know more about how it works, and would especially like to see more of this kind of creative approach to the ever changing music industry.

I would like to take a few moments to go over some of the more exciting ones I have come across. Though I urge you to search around and see what else is offered besides what I mention, as often the labels entire works are available for free download.

----------
In the post rock realm, Mylene Sheath has put most of their current releases up and aside from the two below, that includes releases from Beware of Safety, If These Trees Could Talk, et al... But the two best options, IMHO are:

Caspian - Tertia


Caspians new albums is well worth the wait. They continue with their amp worshiping post-rock meltdowns, producing some of their greatest songs to date. La Cerva and its companion song, Ghosts of the Garden State are are both moving and cathartic. Of Foam and Wave is a quick grower with epic washes of sound. Frequent show closer Sycamore is also present here in wonderful form to close out the album. The rest of the new songs are just as tight and really, if you havent seen Caspian yet, then you owe it to yourself, as they are seriously one of the few instrumental rock bands worth hearing these days.

Gifts From Enola - From Fathoms


Gifts From Enola made waves with their first album a few years ago. Made by themselves in their dorm rooms, they displayed an incredible knack for dynamics without ever sacrificing play ability and catchiness. Harder than most instrumental bands without bending into the "post-metal" field of things, From Fathoms finds GFE greatly expanding on their sound, adding subtle electronics, even more subtle vocals, and a slew of amazingly written songs with their new guitarist and drummer. They have clearly gone in their own direction with this one and From Fathoms just continues to deliver on so many levels. They are touring right now, and will be playing Brooklyn this Sunday, the 9th. Come out and hang!!

------------

In the more post-punk/post-hardcore vein, Excursions Into the Abyss, has been up to some new stuff lately, and if sources are correct (they are, trust me, from the horse mouf!) there are going to be some seriously exciting things coming up on this roster, so keep yr eyes and ears peel'd. The current thing that excites me is:

Morrow - S/T


Morrow are from Bloomington, Indiana, and play a brand of rock and roll that touches on many sub genres to create an rich, textured and emotional sound. One part Pygmy Lush, one part Three Mile Pilot, one part Nick Cave and a few doses of post-hardcore mixed in make for a very unique yet extremely pleasing sound. Morrow is a new band, but its members have been playing music in the post-hardcore vein for years. Their debut CD displays an uncanny knack for whipping you over the head and wrapping you up in fuzzy blankets, all while delivering some of the best lyrics I have heard in a while. Lyrics are dime a dozen these days, so its always nice when something resonates and pleases the ears at the same time. Definitely grab this and give it a few spins. The first two songs are a mission statement of sorts, but the rest of the album continues to build on those themes and proves to me more and more amazing with each listen.

--------
Magic Bullet Records, out of Virgina, aside from having post-rock faves This Will Destroy You and Lymbic System for free download, also has some great hardcore and indie stuff going on. Check these out and see what else they have up!

Kaospilot - Shadows


Kaospilot are from Norway, and while I had heard a bit of stuff from this band a few years ago, I had kind of forgotten about them until I heard just today that the new album is out, and obviously the band is still around. And let me tell you, this album is a fucking rager!! Sick, heavy and creative as hell. Lots of screams, lots of stuff to get angry about and lose yr shit over. I am definitely impressed as it seems while these guys were keeping low, they were obviously perfecting their craft of shredding brains. Apparently they are working out a tour to the US. So pay attention for dates to follow.

A City Safe From Sea - Throw Me Through Walls


A City Safe From Sea is a Massachusetts band with a lot going on in terms of sound and hooks. While I had never heard of these guys before, (save for the fact that guitar player Daniel Danger is a great artist that I have been following for the past few years) I feel it is safe to say that this is one amazing record, both in terms of production and song writing. So many hooks!! and such a great attention to detail went into every song. Its apparent that these guys spent a good deal of time crafting this album and its well worth your weight in salt to check this out if you ever liked anything from Meneguar, Joggers and bands of that ilk. Though I'll just say it right now, pretty sure this kills Meneguar at this point... It's still new to me, but damn, it feels so good! Abrasive when it needs to be but flowing and mellifluous the rest of the time, chugging along with hearty smiles. I look forward to a chance to see these guys.

Golden City - 10"


This is one that should get some people frothing. Im pretty sure a good cross section of you loved Christie Front Drive, and from what I often hear, a good portion of you also loved Antarctica, both featuring the song writing and singing of one Eric Richter. Its no surprise then that his new band, Golden City is yet another amazing addition to the more indie side of things in the punk/hardcore world. Eric clearly has a gift for writing these kinds of songs. Imagine an upbeat, more grown up version of CFD and Golden City is just a stones throw away from that, never trying to be something its not, and never trying to reinvent the wheel, but instead realizing that the strength of this music relies on the delivery and song writing skills of those involved. I am unsure of who is playing with him, but Im pretty into this album and this stuff doesnt always go over well in my book, but like I said, Eric has been doing this for years and if I have to choose someone to continue this heartfelt style of music, than I vote for him to be the one to do it. (Speaking of Daniel Danger, he did the artwork for this album.)

---------

So!! Thats a bunch of awesome and varied albums to download for free with the added benefit that the bands and labels are still getting paid and ever donating to charities that are doing things to better this world around us, instead of just continuing to act as cogs in the capitalist machine that the record industry seems to love being.

Remember also that these are all actual physical releases as well. Meaning you can order vinyl, CDs and other merch if you like to have a physical copy of things. The cool thing about that is that, say you want to buy the Gifts From Enola 2xLP from Mylene Sheath (which is completely worth it due to its awesome artwork and vinyl treatment) you can buy the record from the band or label, and then you can still go to Gimme Sound and download the songs to have for yr iPod and the band gets paid twice. Im all for supporting these hardworking and talented musicians who seem to do what they do out of a love for the craft. If anyone deserves the cash flow, it is these types of bands.

Spread the love, repost on other blogs, tell people on message boards and tell yr friends and loved ones. This may be another chance to subvert that great dinosaur of a record industry we've all been aiming to take down for years.

Trembling Hands - Demo

New Bay Area grind style hardcore band. Some may say "powerviolence". If that gets you wet, be my guest. As a rule, I find that this kind of stuff usually sounds good, no matter how rehashed or used and abused this sound can be. Even shitty grind sounds pretty cool in comparison to a lot of stuff out there. (The same can be said for shitty hardcore as well (and I dont mean Crabcore or any other "cores") I just tend to be biased towards liking it.)

So with that said, I often will move on rather quickly from grind-like, power violence, but this demo has me going back for more... Though not re-inventing the wheel, they know what theyre doing and they know how they want to hurt you. If you relent and let them in yr head, then yr doing the proper masochistic thing.

They will be touring at the end of the summer. Tapes and CDs to appear at the end of the month. Get on it.

--------------

As for the rest of the site. I told a few people I would do posts about albums that I was really into. There are a ton of other things I wanted to write about.... All in all, I just havent made the time. So, my sincerest apologies to those who may have been waiting for a post, and more apologies to any of you who have wondered if I was going to keep updating this site. As of now, the answer is 'yes', I will continue to update though I cant say how much or when. As of now its looking like once a month, but you never know what can happen.

Suffice to say, life is good and the summer is always about the outdoors anyway. Maybe the winter will bring back the urge to nerd out to my favorite music.

Until then!

StapH - Keys EP (2009)

Sometimes I think I wait too long to review something and it feels like the more I like something and the more I listen to every tiny detail the further away I get from saying something coherent. Its at times like these that I feel like I should be a writing a haiku for all the albums I love. Capturing their essence so to speak, as opposed to surgically opening them up and scrutinizing all their intricacies.

Music so pretty
Would not be named after
A bad infection.

I dunno. I think I might need to practice with my haikus for a bit before I send them out to the world. But regardless, my point being that I find it very hard to describe this record as I have grown quite fond of it. I can describe my co-worker sitting across from me, but if I had to describe my friend Fooch*, I would have a hard time. I would be like "uhhhh, Awesome? hows that?"

So yeah, flip Fooch out for Staph...

Q: Sooo, whats this Staph band like?
A: uhhhhh... Awesome?

I mean, it leaves something to be desired. Dont you think?

Well, lemme try another stab at this. Staph rules... better? Okay, theyre "really really good"... okay, now im just toyin' around. Staph is really good. They jam out 3 amazing tunes on this, their first EP and they are going to be a band to keep an eye on, because if I'm not crazy (which I probably am) everyone still loves a healthy serving of the slow burn in their 90's styled hardcore. And by 'slow burn' I mean post-rock tendencies, and by 'hardcore' I mean bands like Still Life, Portraits of Past and Moss Icon as opposed to Minor Threat, NYHC or Earth Crisis.

So its with that explanation that I feel I can comfortably move forward and say that this album is one of the best emo hardcore records to not be released in the 90's. 'Harvest' starts with an awesome bass and drum rumble with all members screaming in unison before deconstructing and coming back together with guitars and the whole bit. its a tight fucking song and has great drums fills and offers up some really pretty breaks that would make some midwest emo kids happy. You might even call it twinkly, except they are still screaming, and not like Scream either... theyre really screaming.. and probably not screaming for change either. In fact, I dont have any lyrics, so ahem (HIT ME UP WITH SOME LYRICS) I can only assume they are screaming for dear life.

The songs go well together with a good sample tying them all together. The latter two songs exhibit a more subdued intensity that reminds me of Moss Icon at times while the majority of the album is something that could easily have a nice home on Ebullition with their great roster of bands. Skirting a fine line of overblown cacophony and outright prettiness Staph is clearly on the leading edge of this style. In fact, there are plenty of moments on this record that remind me of the amazing post-hardcore band Julia. Which, when I come to think of it, reminds me of DC stuff... I guess what I'm getting at is that this short 3 song EP exhibits a lot of style and variety without sacrificing continuity and, overall, this band is hard to pin down. Something I always look for in my music.

Label/blog - http://kidsisterrecords.blogspot.com/
Staph on MySpace - http://myspace.com/staphcamp

Comadre / Trainwreck / Saddest Landscape / Black Kites - ABC No Rio - TOMORROW! 3PM...

Yet another show I will be attending... this is a matinee though it probably wont start on time. 4 bands, 4 doses of awesome. If you dont know these bands, I suggest you get jiggy with the google search and start finding out.

Black Kites 3 song sampler can be found somewhere in the archives here. It rules.

Again, if you see me, say hi. Much greater chance of me meeting people at this show than the previous show at Webster Hall...

And dont forget, the Van Pelt is playing shows again! Tomorrow (Saturday) they are playing somewhere, and if I dont go, someone is going to pay, in blood. (You'd think someone would say something like that about Agnostic Front or something, but no, I'm ready to get violent over some pre-emo twinkly indie band.)

Moving Mountains, Irepress, Junius - NYC - TONITE!

Im probably going to be going to this... There is another great show going on tomorrow.. and my friend just told me that The Van Pelt is playing tomorrow night... Agnostic Front and Antidote are playing tonite as well. and I have a friend from college coming to Brooklyn and I definitely want to hang with them. So basically, I need another me..

But for those interested, All bands tread the line between post-rock and something harder. How hard is up for each band to prove. I can say this much, Irepress gets pretty freaking heavy. Moving Mountains spends more time on the post-rock side and well, I cant lie, Junius is easily the best band playing tonite, and easily worth going to this show just to see them (though Im pretty pumped on Irepress myself)

So, if youre there, and Im there, we probably wont run into each other, but if we did, it would be pretty cool.

Update: Sex-Vid, Mind Eraser, Iron Age, Failures show for June 6th