The Best Punk & Hardcore Records of 2015

Vexx live, Brooklyn, 2015 by Jaime Salazar
www.jaimesalazar.com

By Nathan G. O'Brien
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Hey freaks 'n' geeks, here's a list of my favorite punk and HC records of the past year, narrowed down from about a million to roughly 35. A couple of things to keep in mind: No cassettes or reissues are on this list, so before you go screaming about where G.L.O.S.S. and Uranium Club are at take a breather and relax. Cassettes and reissues are separate lists that I'll be putting up soon (along with rap and best overall albums.) And trust me, both those bands are covered. Also, this is not a ranked list; it's alphabetical by band name. Rankings a total bullshit anyway. I do my best to listen to as much as I can, but it's impossible to hear it all. While you may think there are some glaring omissions, it could be that I actually never heard it. So please chill before attacking me. If you've chilled and still feel like attacking me, then by all means, be my guest. If I missed something I'd love to hear about it. Hit me on Twitter at @OMG_NOB, email me at thee.n.o.b at gmail, or leave a comment below. As always, thanks for checking it out!

UPDATE: Scene Point Blank is now running this as part of their year-end feature 2015: A Year in Review.

Acousma - 2nd 7" (High Fashion Industries)

Eerie, punishing, and sneakily groovy all at the same time. Hardcore with a couple of sweet guitar solos right when you're not expecting them. From Canada.

Ajax - Self-Titled 7" (Static Shock)

New Yorkers playing tough as motherfucking shit hardcore. Imagine Scandinavia meeting Boston in the pit where nobody walks away unscathed.

Barcelona - Extremo Nihilismo en Barcelona 12" EP (La Vida Es Un Mus Discos Punk)

Malicious hardcore from Spain. So goddamn great you'll want to puke. Read my review here.

Black Panties - Future 7" (Windian), Prophet of Hate b/w Violence (Total Punk), Self-Titled 7" (Lumpy)

One man garage-y, weirdo, psych-out skeeze punk from St. Louis. Lumpy-affiliated so you know it's got that slime all over it. Each of these three releases are different explorations of sound, but all equally as great.

Blazing Eye - Self-Titled 7" (La Vida Es Un Mus Discos Punk)

Rhythmic, dance-able, darkened D-beat from Los Angeles. Read my review here.

Boilerman - Self-Titled 10", Doing Great 7" (86'd)

Trio of solid dudes outta Chicago. Both releases are awesome in their own way. The 10" is a little more urgent and grungy, while the 7" is in line with the pop-punk proto-emo sound of the early-to-mid-'90s.

Broken Prayer - Misanthropocentric A.K.A. Droid's Blood LP (Sorry State)

Another can't miss boundary-bending album from these Chicago strange-oid punks. Difficult to describe but I did my best to do so here.

Busted Outlook - Spitting Wind 7" (Warthog Speak)

Don't be fooled by the fairly standard sXe sports lettering logo. Pretty badass, especially due to the vocals and the sick crossover/metal parts. I bet these dudes wear shorts on stage. From San Fran.

Concealed Blade - Demo 7" (Beach Impediment)

Hardcore from Pittsburgh. '80s as all hell. Vocalist is a mean-sounding motherscratcher. Awesome axe work too. And what a great band name, amirite? Try not to get shanked while listening to it.

Dawn of Humans - Slurping at the Cosmos Spine LP (Toxic State)

Queasy, rhythmic sounds from NYC that challenges the notion of "punk." I get a little sick to my stomach every time I listen to it. In a good way though. Super trendy right now but not for lack of reason. 

Decades/Failures - Goodbye LP (Dead Tank)

Outstanding gothic, dark, synth-punk made by one, or maybe two guys (I should probably check on that) that live in sunny Florida. I was playing this for my 60-something year-old dad who had this to say: "Why would anyone celebrate such deliberate sadness?"

Diat - Positive Energy LP (Iron Lung)

The first time I listened to this I did so as I often do: laying on the floor in front of the stereo, with headphones on, and my eyes closed. My wife said it looked like I was having an orgasm. There's so many bands doing post-punk now that when you come across the really good stuff it's hard not ruin your undies. Surprising too that they're from Germany, which is something I'd normally hold against a group of white dudes.

Disgusti - A Thousand Prickly Needles 7" (High Fashion Industries)

Snotty punk/HC with a touch of grind tossed in for good measure. I mean, I don't know if that's a thing people normally do—toss a touch of grind in for good measure—but apparently they do in Ontario. If this was just a little bit faster and unintelligible it might be called powerviolence, maybe, but not for certain.

Ex-Cult - Cigarette Machine 12" EP (Castle Face)

Garage-y, post-punk-y stuff dripping with attitude. For the nihilistic, malnourished, cig-smoking, no shirt under a leather jacket contingent. From Memphis and featuring a singer that's kinda famous for being in some bands and writing some stuff.

Fatigue - Self-Titled 7" (Warthog Speaks)

Baldy hardcore outta San Fran. Oi! song structures done with a little more speed and less melody than what the term normally implies. One of those bands that could play to both the HC matinee crowd and the drunk skinheads.

Gay Kiss - Preservation Measures LP (Sorry State)

A violent ripper, front to back from this Phoenix quartet. Closes out with, of all things, a Nine Inch Nails cover. And a damn fine one at that. Read my review here.

Institute - Catharsis LP (Sacred Bones)

Anarcho post-punk, Krautrock, psychedelic proto-punk, and other far-out sounds. This is the first official full-length for these Austin regulars. Certainly you've heard of them by now. And if not, well get on it while they're still cool. They're only a few melodic numbers away from being massively well-liked by the H-word set.

Ivy - A Cat's Cause, No Dog's Problem 7" (Katorga Works)

Spastic, heavy, garage-leaning punk. Final output from this already deceased NYC band. Read my review here.

L.O.T.I.O.N. - Digital Control and Man's Obsolescence LP (Toxic State)

Imagine a punk heckling the band from the audience. "Where's the drummer?” He'd yell. The singer screams back from the stage, "We don't need a drummer. THIS IS THE FUTURE!" Well this is indeed the future and it sounds incredible. Goodbye Humans.

La Misma - Kanizadi LP (Toxic State)

Intoxicating punk via a quartet of New York women. Allure furthered by all-Portuguese lyrics. If you had told me this was recorded in 1983 I’d have no choice not to believe you. You’ll cry when you listen to it because you know you’ll never hear something this good again.

Mind Control - Self-Titled 7" (Forward)

Slime-core from Duluth. Gives you same uneasy feeling as going to the dentist first thing in the morning and then having that creepy grainy cement paste flavor stuck in your mouth all day.

No - Treating People Like They Don't Exist 12" EP (La Vida Es Un Mus Discos Punk)

Loud fast rules crew from London. Unique in a way that's hard to put into words. I think due to the guitars. Very angry. Whenever I listen to this on my bike I get wherever I'm going like twice as fast.

Red Death - Permanent Exile LP (Grave Mistake)

The debut album from a four-pack of DC dudes. Pop quiz: Did you like Sick Of It All when they weren't a caricature of themselves? Did you like Corrosion of Conformity before they went all Southern-fried metal on your ass? Do you have a worn out copy of AC/DC's '74 Jailbreak somewhere on the floor of your car under all the empty bags of Chili Cheese Fritos and Slim Jim wrappers? Do you sometimes wear long underwear under a pair of shorts? If you answered yes to any of these questions you'll love this.

Rixe - Coups Et Blessures 7" (La Vida Es En Mus Discos Punk)

You might think you don't like Oi! but then you find yourself fist-pumping to this French slab o' wax and you're like, oh shit I think I like Oi! now. Read my review here.

Snob - 2nd EP 7" (Self-Released)

Too good. Should be illegal to be this good. London hardcore punkers who happen to have one of the finest vocalists in all the punk land. And that guitar and bass tone, well, shit, wow, it's out of this world.

Society Abuse - Self-Titled 7" (Mind Rot)

Blazing USHC from somewhere in Florida. I'm in love with the tough but dejected vocals. Some nice D-beat and drone subtleties lying underneath too.

Straight Razor - Self-Titled 7" (React)

Pissed-off mid-paced USHC, ripe with blistering riffs, a beefy rhythm section, and Brendan Radigan’s signature snarl. I wonder who would win in a knife fight between these guys and Concealed Blade?

Vaaska - Todos Contra Todos LP (Beach Impediment)

This Austin-based band's versatility is really impressive. D-beat is at the core but surrounding that is a whole load of scorching axe work, agile drumming, and rock ‘n’ roll attitude. Read my review here.

Vexx - Give and Take 7" (Katorga Works)

A bit of a stylistic leap from their previous work; more Imaginative and dynamic song structures this time around. Heightened by Maryjane’s vocal dexterity; both haunting and commanding. From Olympia and they have that lovely PNW fragrance all over them.

The Warden - Self-Titled 7" (Lumpy)

Rock ‘n’ roll-infused hardcore from St. Louis. Super sweet breakdowns and scream-y speed parts that somehow manage to avoid the dreaded metal trap.

HDD Radio #34: KRS-One, Heady Shit, New Punk/HC, Zine Details, etc.

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Hey punks, rap kids, ballers, shot callers, urban lumberjacks, subculture photographers, normies, and posers! Welcome to another episode of the best radio show not on the radio. This time around I spin a variety of tuneage for all you greaseballs and neck-snappers to freak out on: KRS-One, some heady groove shiz, and a hefty helping of new punk & hardcore. I messed up a little when running down the tracklist on the last part but that's to be expected now isn't it? If you need to get it straight, I've listed every song I played below. (UPDATE: the main fuckup is when I totally forgot to mention the last song by Video Duct, and instead incorrectly said it was Total Dicks, which was the one before that, which means the whole punk/HC set is off by one track. Fuck me!) In news, the new zine is out! The Soda Killers no. 10 is a punk, rap, and graffiti fanzine and is totally free. All you have to do is hit me up on Twitter at @OMG_NOB (I always follow back) or email me at thee.n.o.b at gmail.



Tracklist 
Boogie Down Productions – Word From Our Sponsors
KRS-One – 2nd Quarter: Freethrows
KRS-One – Ah-Yeah
KRS-One – Forever (feat. Channel Live)
Boogie Down Productions – Stop The Violence
Yusef Lateef – Slippin’ & Sliddin’
Shirley Horn – Big City
1-Speed Bike – Why Are All the Dogs Dying of Cancer?
Beat Pharmacy – In The Sun
Lee “Scratch” Perry & Mad Professor – Dancing Boots
The Clash – Ghetto Defender
Institute – Cheerlessness
Cadaver Em Transe – Estrada Para Fes
Acousma – A Holy Tradition
Ajax – Priced
Chain Hex – ???
Concealed Blade – Don’t Get Caught
Disgusti – A Thousand Prickly Needles
Mozart – Boringer
Niegalo Todo – Vamanos a la Verga
Sonic Order – Apathy Breeds
Sunshine Ward – Surrender
Total Dicks – Overdraft
Video Duct – Channel 7

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Record Review: Mercy Killings - Snuffed Out 7"

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Mercy Killings - Snuffed Out 7" (Beach Impediment)
By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

This is the second 7” from this new-ish congruence of Richmond, VA old-timers. The band flexes a pedigree that includes Wasted Time, Government Warning, Direct Control and a whole bunch of others. Eight minutes in total of bulldozer USHC in the most straightforward sense. No fucking about whatsoever; just head down, get the fuck out of the way hardcore punk. As predicted, there are some pretty blazing albeit brief guitar leads, a few moshy breakdowns, and vocals that are appropriately gruff and angry. I’ve been listening to this for several months now but can’t seem to come up with more words to describe it other than the few I just used. I wish I could tell you that this was unlike anything you’ve ever heard before but truth is if you’re into this punk shit then you own a million EPs just like this one. That doesn’t mean it’s terrible—and to be clear, it’s not—but it probably won’t be making many of those year-end best-of lists that us stupid record reviewers love to throw into the black hole that is internet-based music criticism. The way I see it a band like this has two options: churn out a few more short punch-packing releases like this and then call it quits, or, choose to deviate from the script a bit and craft some songs that will keep listeners engaged for the duration of an LP. I’d hope for the latter, but can live with the former. It is hardcore after all. And sometimes that’s all that matters.

Originally posted here.

HDD Radio #33.5: Weekend Mixtape

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Hey, so long story short, episode no.34 is all set to go but can't be uploaded until the first of the month due to file size issues. In the meantime, here's a mixtape I assembled over the weekend. I'm calling this one episode no.33 and a half. It's a little different from the stuff I normally spin on this show but I'm confident you'll dig it. Shoot me an email (thee.n.o.b at gmail) if you want a copy of my new zine. And follow me on Twitter at @OMG_NOB. I always follow back, provided you're not a robot or a total asshole. Peace!



Tracklist: 
Better Daze – Stay Right Here
1-Speed Bike – Circle-Fighting Machine
Lee “Scratch” Perry – Thunder & Lightning
Supatone – Yorulamento
Banco de Gaia – Harvey & the Old Ones
Mabi Thobejane – Sidudla (Gus Gus Mix)
LCD Soundsystem – Thrills
Brycon Games – No Puppets
Skream – 8 Bit Crazy (feat Murs)
Mick Harris - ???
Afu-Ra & Jeru the Damaja – East New York Stamp
Black Nights – Zip Code
Lordz of Brooklyn - ???
Everlast – Some Nights
Sweet Tee & Jazzy Joyce – It’s My Beat
Ultramagnetic MCs – Ego Trippin’

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The Soda Killers #10 OUT NOW~!

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THE SODA KILLERS//PUNK, RAP & GRAFFITI FANZINE//ISSUE #10 

This thing just dropped. Tons of graffiti flicks, music reviews, scene reports, record store reviews, and burrito reviews. Yes, you read that right - BURRITO REVIEWS. 

Half-size, 32 pages front-to-back, photocopied, DIY as fuck.

All words by Nathan G. O'Brien. All photos by Rafe O'Brien. The Brothers O'Brien, ya heard!

GET IT NOW SOLD OUT

Don't be a poser.* Support DIY arts.

*Just kidding, you're not a poser.

Record Review: Pontius Pirate - Pterodactyl Island LP

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Pontius Pirate - Pterodactyl Island LP (Backwoods Butcher, 2015)

By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

Every so often I go through a phase where I’m listening to a lot of pre-Independent Wormhole Saloon era Butthole Surfers. Such was the case when this 17-song slab-o-wax landed in my mailbox via Food Fortunata, the genius behind Ear of Corn fanzine. I promptly ripped this to MP3s so that I could listen to it while riding my bicycle. Wouldn’t you know it, it popped on one day and I was like, cool, Butthole Surfers, that should get me a few extra miles. A couple songs into it and I was like, wait, what is this again? Turns out it’s a trio of dudes—Poopy Necroponde, Teeth Aquariums and Food himself—known collectively as Pontius Pirate.

This is quite good; growing on me with each listen. Much like Pestilent Endeavors there’s a heavy dose of humor in the lyricism. And lot of the time the song lyrics are just straight-up narrations with little regard for the longstanding tradition of making sure the words rhyme. Other times the words rhyme but make absolutely no sense. Take the song “Wise Man” for instance: “I somehow caught AIDS from a pork chop and made my dad giggle and twitch but only Pete Marovich can get away with calling me a son of a bitch.”

They also clown on black metal with the song “What Would Black Metal Do?” which I love because, with the exception of maybe two bands, contemporary black metal is pretty goddamn boring.

Originally posted here.

Scene Report: Run The Jewels Live at First Avenue

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Run The Jewels live; First Avenue; Minneapolis, MN; 10/23/15

By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

“I’ll apologize now. If you are wearing glasses, you might want to put those away. If you hate being slammed into by people, you might want to make your way to the back. If you’re rocking brand new sneakers, I’m sorry. I’ve been there. I understand. But you’ve been warned. I’m sorry in advance about your new shoes.”

The speaker is El-P. He and his partner in rhyme Killer Mike are known as Run The Jewels. Maybe you’ve heard of them. No doubt a result of their relentless tour schedule—this being their fifth appearance in the Twin Cities alone in just three years—Run The Jewels have mastered the art of house-rocking. We’re midway through their headlining set at a sold-out First Avenue, where they’ll give this seemingly honest and understanding forewarning just a moment to sink in before Zach de la Rocha’s sampled machinegun-fast vocals crack from the speakers, signifying the arrival of “Close Your Eyes (and Count to Fuck)." “Run them jewels fast, run them jewels fast, run them, run them, run them…fuck the slow-mo...”

And then it happens.

BOOM!

Trackstar The DJ drops the beat and the audience explodes into a frenzy of neck-snapping, pogoing, fake gun-in-the-air-firing, fist-pumping lunacy…again. This is how it’s been since they took the stage. You wouldn’t think it could any crazier, any sweatier, or any OMG-ier. But it does.

Louder than fuck and with enough sub-rattling oompf to run a nuclear reactor, RTJ perform on this night—the second to last of their current tour—as if they are auditioning for their first record deal. Keeping the eager crowd enthusiastic for an hour plus in stifling heat, the duo themselves are intense and furious and restless and command the proceedings instinctively; reaffirming that they are thee force to be reckoned with in the hip-hip pantheon.

The openers Fashawn and Boots fill their roles adequately. The former, clearly understanding the importance of high spots, brings locals Prof and Brother Ali on for one song each. Meanwhile the latter’s The Weekend meets Nine Inch Nails gimmickry (about all the was missing was a bunch of mud and keyboards on boomerang stands) seems a tad out of place, but provides ample time to hit the bathrooms and grab last-minute drinks. And oh boy, the drinks are being had tonight.

RTJ enter the stage as they always do: with Queen’s “We Are the Champions” playing over the PA. They seize control immediately, doing “Run The Jewels”, and then “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry”, and later “Blockbuster Night, Part 1” and “Banana Clipper.” They bark out lyrics like Southern gospel preachers while Trackstar The DJ works the decks, providing a hard-thumping backbone and flexing his turntable dexterity.

Following “Love Again (Akinyele Back)”, the track with the famed hook “She wants this dick in her mouth all day”, El-P and Killer Mike spend an inordinate amount of time trying to drive home the point that it’s not the misogynistic sex rap it’s been mistaken for. “That’s the stupidest lyric for a love song we ever wrote” says El-P. Killer Mike adds, “But don’t get it twisted; it’s a love song. And if Gangsta Boo was here she’d tell you the same thing.”

Okay guys, whatever you say.

The set, which by my estimation contains just about every RTJ song there is—including “Lie, Cheat, Steal”, “Pew, Pew, Pew”, and “All Due Respect”—closes out with a rousing rendition of “A Christmas Fucking Miracle.” And when all is said and done, the crowd is left swaying in their own sweaty puddles, kind of drunk, and in complete awe.

“Dude, that was so awesome. My brand new Jordan’s are fucked. But I can’t wait to see these guys again.”

The speaker is my friend; a young Nebraskan transplant who has just witnessed his first rap show.

Originally posted here.

Record Review: Pestilent Endeavors - Adult Onset Death cassette

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Pestilent Endeavors - Adult Onset Death cassette (Backwoods Butcher, 2015)
By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

This is a cool tape sent in by Mr. Food Fortunata, the fine gentleman behind the always enjoyable and reliable Saginaw, MI-based publication Ear of Corn fanzine. A lot of these tracks—and there are a whopping 21 of them, although mostly very short—remind me of early Mudhoney. Some of the odder-sounding stuff on Flipper's Sex Bomb Baby! compilation comes to mind as well. There’s a fair amount of humor going on here. Take for example these lyrics from “A Cure For Everything”: “Alcohol is the cure for depression/Depression is the cure for herpes/Herpes cures nasal congestion/And congestion cures alcoholism.” There’s something really, ah, historical that resonates from this. Like it was made in the ‘80s. That, or by 40 year-old guys that decided to bang out the same kind of skuzzy punk that they listened to in junior high. That is not a rip, rather a compliment! A little-known band like Frantix is another good frame of reference I suppose. I’m not sure but Food might actually be in this band even though the players are identified as Patient Zero and Doctor X. (I lost the note the came with it.) I can tell you though with 100% certainty that he did the artwork, which is excellent and creepily engaging as always. The overall packaging is really nice. It’s a pro-printed 3x fold-out J-card that recalls the days when cassettes were the only medium (as opposed to the on-trend one they are now) so your stuff had to be on point visually if it was going to attract any attention.

Previously posted here.

Record Review: Deadmen - Anger Rising cassette

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Deadmen - Anger Rising cassette (Afraid of the Basement, 2014)

By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

This is some metalpunx ouf of New Jersey. Superfast and snotty as all hell. Like some spikey-haired punk singing for a grind band or something. There’s sweet breakdowns too, which lend it a hardcore vibe. Maybe I’m way off-base, but that’s what I’m feeling. Not always my favorite thing, but I find this rather endearing. Guitars are sick. Especially on “I Won’t Fight It” and “Go Out Like Darby”, which are the final two songs on Side B. There’s a level of crunchiness to the whole recording that I really dig. Pretty solid production but still like, loud and crusty, ya know. Plus they have movie samples in between songs which I always get a kick out of. And there’s some cool sample manipulation type shit incorporated. I should mention that this was sent by Shayne, a solid dude that I’ve been trading mail with for quite a while now. He usually sends along a copy of Afraid of the Basement fanzine (which he contributes to) which also happens to be the name of the label that put this out. I won’t lie, the fact that this comes on cassette makes me like it way more than I normally would. I’m a sucker for tangible items and even more so, if they're re-tread archaic formats. Really nice looking pro-printed packaging, which is no surprise as AOTB is one of the more professional-looking zines that comes through my mailbox. 

Previously posted here.

HDD Radio #33: Punk & Rap, New & Old

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Hello and welcome to another episode of HotDogDayz Radio. This time around is a lot like the last...and the one before that...and the time before that too...and...well, you get it. Nathan doesn't chat it up that much this episode though, but you'll still get a heaping helping of punk, hardcore, and rap music; old and new. Hope you dig it! As always, thanks so much for listening. If you feel like getting in touch, please do. Email: thee.n.o.b[at]gmail[dot]com. Twitter: @OMG_NOB



Tracklist:
Last Crusade – Personne
The 4 Skins – City Boy
Negative Approach – Hypocrite
Sick Of It All – Clobberin’ Timet
Malik B & Mr. Green – Dolla Bill
Malik B & Mr. Green – Devil
Mutual Daps – Words From the Agency (feat. Agentstriknine, prod. & cuts by DJ EonsOne)
The Alkaholiks – Let it Out
Smif-N-Wessun – Wontime
Czarface (Inspectah Deck and 7L & Esoteric) – World Premier (feat. Large Professor)
Czarface – Ka-Bang! (feat.MF Doom)
Mutual Daps – Gimmie Back My Slurpee (feat. Z-Man, cuts by DJ Quest)
Ivy – A Bum and a Playboy
No –Toil
G.L.O.S.S. – Masculine Aritfice
Dregs – Skin
Vaaska – Religion Destruccion
Mind Control – Dig
Fatigue – Bat Face
Mad Existence – M.E. Stomp
Society Abuse – Violent Crimes
Busted Outlook – Road Block
True Vision – True Vision
Busta Rhymes – Flipmode Squad vs. Def Squad (feat. Jamal [Mally G], Redman, Keith Murray, Rampage, and Lord Have Mercy)

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HDD Mixtape #3, Mini-Zines OUT NOW~!

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A little HDD housecleaning here...

I'm hard at work on the big 10th issue of The Soda Killers punk, rap, and graffiti fanzine (previous issue here), as well as HotDogDayz no.7 (previous issue here), and a new Cassette Dubs collection (first two volumes here).

Until then you can get your chubby, doobie-rolling, selfie-taking, ink-stained little fingers on the two latest issues of the mini-zine If You Stink At Getting Ladies, Call Me, no. 7 & 8.

They come HDD mixtape no.3 that I made in the middle of night during a thunderstorm this past July. It's 90 mins of punk/HC jammers taped from vinyl. PayPal $5 to thee.n.o.b (at) gmail.

Oh shit, I almost forgot there's a couple copies of the mini-zine Restore The Power no. 4 left too (here).

Hit me up on Twitter at @OMG_NOB.

Thanks for all the support over the years. It really means a lot to me.

If you're ever up for contributing, just give me a holler.

Nathan

Record Review: Ivy - A Cat's Cause, No Dog's Problem 7"

Ivy - A Cat's Cause, No Dog's Problem 7" (Katorga Works, 2015)
By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

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Before I heard this I didn’t know a lot about this band other than that they were definitely not the indie-pop trio of the same name. I picked this 7” up based strictly on the artwork, the title, and the fact that Katorga Works is a fairly trustworthy label. Visually-speaking it doesn’t exactly scream punk. And the title, well, who the fuck knows? So why not roll the dice, right? What I found out later is that they’re from NYC, and that this a follow-up to an LP and likely their final release. Ivy play spastic and heavy garage-leaning punk. There's some psychedelic guitar parts that remind me of King Gizzard & the Lizzard Wizard, although subtlety and kind of buried in the mix. In fact there’s so much going on here that it’s intoxicating and, ah, suffocating. And I mean that in the best way possible. It’s like free-form jazz played by punks who inhale nitrous balloons on the regular. Vocals make me think the dude is singing through one of those old-fashioned mics used by like, Elvis or Mike Ness or some shit. Or maybe a telephone like those dudes in Japanther. Eh, whatever, the point is: this totally rules. It’s nice to gamble on something and have it pay off once in a while.  ...Originally posted here.

Record Review: Broken Prayer - Misanthropocentric AKA Droid's Blood

Broken Prayer - Misanthropoic AKA Droid's Blood LP (Sorry State, 2015)
By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

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There’s two things in particular that contribute to the band’s unique sound. Obviously one is Panella’s synths. Stylistically they are all over the place. They can surge forth with maniacal abandon as they do on “Blood Suckers”, be delicate and melodic like they are on “Colors”, or blister your brain until it feels like a burnt marshmallow that’s still too close to the fire ala “Kid.”

The other driving force is Scott Plant’s vocals. Plant (formally of Civic Progress) flexes the same type of self-loathsome, angry, in-your-face stance that Pissed Jeans’ Matt Korvette does. His lyrics and delivery have a tendency to push buttons, bouncing between societal cynicism and sociopath-like sarcasm. He never goes over the line and says anything outright offensive but he’s not shy about confronting the listener with the realities that this world we live in is just plain fucked up. Songs like “Good Dudes” exists somewhere between Pissed Jeans and Condominium, with Plant’s vocals resembling the latter’s Matt Castore. Meanwhile “Blood Suckers” shows Plant occupying the same headspace as Watery Love’s Ritchie Charles, as he sing-speaks, “This world is a piece of shit. I can’t wait to leave it.” And on “White Children” his needle-poking sarcasm comes to a head, as he asks, “How could God let this happen to white children?”  ...read entire review here.

Record Review: Rixe - Coupes et Blessures 7"

Rixe - Coupes et Blessures 7" (La Vida Es Un Mus Discos Punk, 2015)
By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

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While the hook on the first track is a tad bit Oi!-by-the-numbers for me, everything else about this four-song piece of wax is so badass and invigorating that I literally cannot listen to it without having some sort of physical reaction. As anyone that’s read my reviews knows, I listen to a lot of music while riding my bike. When I have this in the earbuds I ride with only one hand because the other one is vigorously pumping a fist in the air.  ...read entire review here.

HDD Radio #32: Punk Rap Kids (That Are Now Adults) Back At It Again

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Listen as our fearless leader loses his mind, whilst playing a bunch of punk and rap music. Sets include all-DJ Premier production, all-new punk, and all-new rap. The rest of the playlist is rounded out with some Bad Brains and Beastie Boys. Nathan can be found on Twitter at @OMG_NOB, where he'll gladly follow you back provided you're not a robot or a complete asshole. A little bit of asshole goes a long way. I mean come on, have you ever listened to this show?


Tracklist:
Bad Brains – At the Movies (live)
Group Home – Livin’ Proof
Mos Def – Mathematics
Big L – The Enemy (feat. Fat Joe)
Dilated Peoples – Clockwork
Non Phixion – Rock Stars
Decades/Failures – Secret Superstitions
Institute – Cheap Time Morals
Haldol – Law of Indifference
L.O.T.I.O.N. – Computers Don’t Have a Heartbeat
Survival – Taboo
Anasazi – I Was a Teenage Criminal
Dawn of Humans – Babies
Blazing Eye – Kill You
Lesion – Secretarian Rights
Action Bronson – Terry
Paul Nice & Phil Most Chill (Fabreeze Brothers) – Fashion Plate
Ratking – Makeitwork
Git Beats & Bob Banner – Trio (feat. Sean Price)
DJ EFN – Crazy Dope (feat. Milk Dee, Sean Price & Murder Mook)
Gangrene – Sheet Music (feat. Sean Price)
Starvin’ B – Biological Threats (feat. Skanks, Sean Price & Shatike)
Beastie Boys – The Grasshopper Unit (Keep Moving)
Beastie Boys – Heart Attack Man

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HDD Radio #31: Thrash-Punk, BR, New Punk & Hardcore, and more

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Our man in Minneapolis takes to the HDD studios once again; this time to play a bunch of tunes and pretend not to be the asshole we all know and love/hate him to be. Listen as he spins the thrash-punk revival of the '01s, some old Bad Religion, some new punk & hardcore, and a ton of other awesome stuff, all while scrambling to find the right words to describe bands without offending people. Check it out, and as always, let us know what you think!



Tracklist:
Tear It Up – That Life

Crispus Attucks – If We Can’t Have it, Were Gonna Take It

DS-13 – We’re Hardcore, You’re Not

R.A.M.B.O. – U-Lock Justice

Ruination – Who’s in Season?

Bad Religion – Pessimistic Lies

Bad Religion – I Want Something More

Bad Religion – Positive Aspect of Negative Thinking

Bad Religion – Heaven is Falling

Bad Religion – Lookin’ In

Bad Religion – Marked

Bad Religion – Nobody Listens

Bad Religion – At the Mercy of Imbeciles

Vivian Girls – Such a Joke

Koko Beware – Feed Me Baby

Thee Headcoatees – Spineless Little Shit

Baby Guts – Cricket Lung

Nu Sensae – Spit Gifting

Walls of Jericho – Athenian

Skarp – Turn Away

Jucifer – Queen B

Babes in Toyland – Blood

L7 – It’s Not You

Ivy – Cave Business

Black Panties – Soul Music

Boilerman – IV

Post Teens – Sewn Pleather

Violence Creeps – I’m Broke

Rose Cross – Radio Silence

Vexx – Sleeping in the Attic

The Warden – Live Round

Mercy Killings – Rot in Your Chains

Straight Razor – Morbid Medicine

Red Death – Permanent Exile

Subscribe in iTunes here. Direct download here.

Record Review: Vaaska - Todos Contra Todos

Vaaska - Todos Contra Todos LP (Beach Impediment, 2015)
By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

Vaaska play punk just the way I like it: noisy and fast. Like Criaturas, another band with whom they share membership, all they lyrics are in Spanish; something for which I am a total sucker even through my Spanish is shoddy at best. I mean, I can get through a week in Mexico if I’m only ordering food, taking cabs, and looking for the bathroom but that’s about it. But enough about me. What’s important to know is that this record totally rips.

Vaaska’s versatility is really impressive. D-beat is at the core but surrounding that is a whole load of scorching axe work, agile drumming, and rock ‘n’ roll attitude. The guitar solos on songs like “Guerra Sagrada” and “Masacre” are searing, extinction level licks that explode all over the tracks like mini mushroom clouds disintegrating basements full of crusty punks into piles of ash. And the drumming throughout the whole album drives an anxious, maniacal pace that rarely allows the listener a moment of rest. They play with a real assertive, almost arrogant attitude that I really dig. Kind of reminds me of Nightgaun. Production-wise, it’s fairly clean; not enough echo or white noise to be labeled as “raw”, or as big a room-filling sound as epic crust, but loud as all fuck.  ...Read entire review here.

Record Review: Blazing Eye - Self-Titled 7"

Blazing Eye - Self-Titled 7" (La Vida Es Un Mus Discos Punk, 2015)
By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

This is some of that rhythmic punk that's making the rounds lately. Kind of like Dawn of Humans (with whom they are currently label mates) but more on the crusty and menacing side than the weird and experimental. Blazing Eye is a quartet out of Los Angeles that share membership with Raw Ponx-affiliated acts like Drapetomania, Tuberculosis, and Sadicos. They have gained a bit of notoriety following a trio of intriguing demo tapes dating back to 2013. This is their big vinyl debut party, and it shows them evolving, albeit subtle, both in terms of style and production. They’ve added some atmospheric, brooding elements that lend them an air of darkened mystery. And the vocals hold a more prominent place in the mix this time around, which makes it easier to decipher the lyrics. To label this D-beat alone would be doing it a disservice. Although they do largely adhere to the beat, they’re sneaky in their approach. Their sound is more pulsing and fluid than it is rigid, allowing for some wiggle room inside the otherwise firm parameters of the D. If ever there were such a thing as danceable crust punk, this is it. That being said, at just four songs, it’s about the perfect length for this type of thing. Although the tempo is engrossing it would likely wear-on a little long over the length an LP. If they ever go that route, hopefully the will employ even more improvisation. I was truly smitten with their first demo tape, and I can pretty much say the same here.

Previously posted here.

Record Review: Asid Bateri - Demo cassette

Asid Bateri - Demo cassette (Dead Tank, 2014)
By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

Here's some of that good ol’ raw punk that was en vogue a few years ago. You know, those salad days before everyone started going gaga for the gothic, post-punk, all-weird-all-the-time trend that’s hot right now. (Personally, I like both styles quite a bit so I’ve got no complaints. I’m just having some fun here.) While the intro shows a band capable of crafting tight song structures and playing skillfully, the rest of this four song red cassette is noisy, blown-out hardcore in the vein of No Power. Discordant vocals buried amidst a feedback wave of D-beaten low end and cacophonous guitars; this shit bangs you over the head like a Dusty Rhodes atomic elbow dropping from the heavens. It’s unsettling and youthful, and in the true spirit of punk. ...Review continues here.

HDD Radio #30: '90s Rap CD Mix

Here's the 30th espisode of HotDogDayz Radio. Despite all the new changes in his life, Nathan somehow managed to put together a two hour playlist of rap songs from the '90s. Not your typical '90s rap mix though. Sure, you'll hear some of the usual suspects here, but he plays a lot of deep cuts and stuff from less-popular albums. And all off of CDs too. Hey, you gotta do something with them, right? Here's what he had to say about it...

"Yo, I don't hate on new rap cuz I aint tryna be some grandpa. But the last thing Imma pay any attention to is some wack-ass beef between Meek (his early mixtapes were fire tho) and Drake, who's known to be S A W F T saaawwwft.

I was driving down 38th last weekend with the fam listening to KMOJ and telling my wife about missing MCA and Guru (she prolly wan't listening though. Who could blame her, I'm hella long-winded) when I saw a dude on one side of the street rocking a Carolina blue beaded necklace with a Jordan Jumpman logo hanging from it, and another guy on the other side of the street sporting cholo-style with a throwback brown Padres jersey.

I got mad inspiration from that moment. So I decided to make this '90s rap mix."

Hard beats, rhymes, and cuts; forties, blunts, and baggy-ass clothes; Jeeps, JVCs, and bucket hats. Yeah, you know the deal. Check it out, and if inclined to do so, please send him some feedback. Twitter: @OMG_NOB. Bang your head to this. Peace!
-BNB

 
Tracklist:

Digable Planets – 9th Wonder

Company Flow – 8 Steps to Perfection

Jeru The Damaja – Jungle Music

House of Pain – Fed Up Remix (feat. Guru)

KMD – Get-U-Now

Beyond – Vinyl, Cassettes, and CDs
The Dynospectrum – Headphone Static

Atmosphere – Lyle Lovett

Kool Keith – Sex Style

Slick Rick – Kill Niggaz

Erick Sermon – Hittin’ Switches

Das EFX – Kaught in da AK

Redman – So Ruff

Public Enemy – Give it Up

LL Cool J – Soul Survivor

Onyx – Nigga Bridges

Young Black Teenagers – Blowin’ Up the Spot

The Goats – Wrong Pot 2 Piss In

The Alkaholiks – Can’t Tell Me Shit

K-Solo – Rock Bottom
EPMD – K.I.M. (feat. Redman & Keith Murray)

Method Man – What the Blood Clot

High & Mighty – The Meaning

Big L – Street Struck

A Tribe Called Quest – Get A Hold

A Tribe Called Quest – Baby Phife’s Return

De La Soul – Stone Age (feat. Biz Markie)

Del the Funky Homosapien – In and Out

Funkdoobiest – Who’s the Doobiest

KRS-ONE – Mad Crew

Subscribe in iTunes here. Direct download here.

2015 Mid-Year Best-Of: Albums

Top Five Records of 2015 So Far
And excerpt from Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2015)
By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank 

Starvin B - The Foreigner (Sickside)
The latest from this largely unknown New York emcee, this is '90s East Coast boom-bap worship up and down. Which might come as a surprise, as all the production was done by a Swedish guy and it was just released this last March. Rugged and raw rap music; it's the hard-hitting beats, record scratching, and skilled lyricism like this that will always trump other variants of hip-hop for me. When I'm riding my bike home from work on a sunny afternoon and this is in the earbuds I always wish that I was heading to a barbecue to get turnt up on forties and blunts. But then I remember that I'm not 20 years-old and that malt liquor tastes shitty and that I can't say things like "turnt up" without sounding like an idiot and then I get kind of bummed out.

Gay Kiss - Preservation Measures (Sorry State)

A refreshingly new breed of hardcore. Their originality is the result of borrowed bits and pieces of stuff we've all heard a million times but it still sounds pretty sweet and makes you go "arrrghh" and "ooogahh" and "fuuuuuuck" and slam a beer and throw the bottle in the air and take off running down the street. Or like, do more deadlifts and burpees if that's your thing. Both of those scenarios are my thing actually; although lately I've been doing more of the first and less of second, which means my lovehandles are out of control right now. Punk, metal, noise, and smidgens of mosh, driven first and foremost by grading vocals. Of the handful of new of new punk and hardcore records I've gotten my hands on this year, this remains atop the pile.

Barcelona - Extremo Nihilismo en Barcelona (La Vida Es En Mus Discos Punk)
Made up of members of Spain's GLAM and fronted by former Firmenza 10 vocalist, this is the true voice of the angry and alienated. Infectious and unsettling hardcore that swallows you in one fell swoop, chews you up with its razor-sharp teeth, and shits you out of its fiery anus into a million little pieces that flop around on the hot pavement like chickens out of water or fish with their heads cut off. Yeah, you read that right; I mixed those up on purpose, so don't be a dick and try to correct me.

DJ EFN - Another Time (Crazy Hood)

These days I find myself gravitating more and more towards mixtape style--as in mixed tape--and producer or deejay-based projects that feature numerous emcees, as opposed to full-length solo rapper albums. As my age goes up, my attention span goes down, and mixes seem to keep me more engaged. Plus, I came of age during the time when sample flip beats, turntablism, and vocally and lyrically dexterous rappers ruled the land, and cassette tapes of rap radio shows were traded among heads all over the world. Miami mixtape maestro DJ EFN's latest is a throwback to those days, featuring hand-picked production from nine different producers and over 60 rappers. It' on some cypher outside the corner store, beats blasting from a Jeep nearby, rockin' baggy sweats and cigarillos-type shit.

Red Death - Permanent Exile (Grave Mistake)
The debut album from a quartet of dudes who swim in the same incestuous D.C. pond scum as Coke Bust, Mob Mentality and a million others. Pop quiz: Did you like Sick Of It All when they weren't a caricature of themselves? Did you like Corrosion of Conformity before they went all Southern-fried metal on your ass? Do you have a worn out copy of AC/DC's '74 Jailbreak somewhere on the floor of your car under all the empty bags of Chili Cheese Fritos and Slim Jim wrappers? Do you sometimes wear long underwear under a pair of shorts? If you answered yes to any of these questions you'll love this LP. It's killer crossover hardcore served up alongside a slop bucket of Angus Young-inspired licks.

Follow Nathan on Twitter: @OMG_NOB

2015 Mid-Year Best-Of: Slept On in 2014

Albums We Missed in 2014
An excerpt from Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2015) 
by Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

In addition to listening to all the new stuff, a good chunk of the first half of the year is spent catching up on what I missed in the previous 12 months. Here's a look at some of the music I slept on last year...

Ghostface Killah - 36 Seasons (Salvation / Tommy Boy, 2014)Working alongside the instrumentation of funk and soul band The Revelations, and with fellow emcees AZ, Kool G Rap, and Pharoahe Monch in tow, Ghostface turned another one of his signature Tony Stark criminology tales.

Good Throb - Fuck Off (Sabermetric / Super-Fi / White Denim, 2014)
Post-punk really came into vogue last year, and as with any sub-genre popularity spike there’s some nonsense to weed through to get to the good stuff like this. Edgy and danceable (ala Gang of Four) meets clever and venomous (ala Crass) with a healthy farmer’s blow of Johnny Rotten’s snot all over it.

Kurraka - Self-Titled LP (Trabuc, 2014)
Energetic, thrashing, and rhythmic dark punk out of Austin, TX. All the grace and allure of La Fraction matched by the rawness of Tozibabe. The lyrics are sung in Spanish with an echo-y vocal effect that’s really captivating.

Ras G - Down to Earth, Vol. 2: That Standard Bap Edition (Leaving Records, 2014)
This prolific L.A.-based producer crafts rap beats the old-fashioned way: with an MPC, SP-404, Technics 1200, and endless supply of Phillies blunts. Spacey, Afrocentric boom-bap with a low end so heavy it’ll give you a baby heart attack.


Shaved Women - Just Death 12" EP (Ektro, 2014)
A couple years since their last release, these St. Louis, MO slime balls returned with a new 12” of noisy hardcore punk. Chainsaw guitars, hammering drums, dirty basslines, and creeper vocals drive home the anger and disgust that comes with being an inhabitant of this shit world.

Stoic Violence - Chained 12" EP (Video Disease, 2014)
The swan song for this short-lived Long Beach, CA crew. Hateful, abusive, and vile; this is nihilistic hardcore to the bone. It claws at your cerebral like mechanical walking harvester clear-cutting a forest of sequoias.

The Underachievers - Cellar Door: Terminus Ut Exordium (RPM MSC, 2014)
Beast Coast members AK and Issa Gold followed up two excellent mixtapes (as well as each one’s solo mixtape) with their official debut album. Eschewing conventional trappings, the record includes production by a number of relatively unknowns (aside from a lone contribution from Statik Selektah,) which adds to an overall tone of experimentation and cerebral elevation.

Ugly Frank - Bobby Hill (mixtape, 2014)
There’s something murky and weird, and a little bit scary going on Tacoma, WA. They’re called ILLFIGHTYOU and they don’t give a fuck about your pre-conceived notions of Northwestern rap music. Sporting malt liquor-soaked rhymes and G-funkified trap beats, emcee Ugly Frank stepped out with this banging solo EP.

Vallenfyre - Splinters (Century Media, 2014)
The sophomore release by this UK knuckle-dragger doom-death metal supergroup is steeped suffering and despair. The production value is superb, Gregor Mackintosh’s vocals continue to impress, and that guitar tone; my fucking god, it's incredible.

Maximum Rocknroll presents: Sound the Alarms!! (Maximum Rocknroll, 2014)
This is a double LP compilation that features the best present day punk and hardcore from around the world. 32 bands from 14 different countries, including Synthetic ID, No Statik, Vivisektio, Question, Kuudes Silma, Kvoteringen, Culo, Obediencia and a whole bunch more. If you want a snapshot of what’s going in punk/HC around the globe today, look no further.

Follow Nathan on Twitter: @OMG_NOB

Scene Report: Babes in Toyland at Rock the Garden

Babes in Toyland live; Rock the Garden; Mpls, Mn; 6/21/15
By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

It’s difficult for me to write about Babes in Toyland without sounding at least a little bit gushy. Like other local-ish acts from their same era that made waves beyond the confines of the Twin Cities (Bob Mould, Soul Asylum, The ‘Mats) Babes had a lore about them that was intriguing and important to a north woods-dwelling punk rock-craving youngster like myself. There was Lollapalooza in the Civic Center in 1993, the uncountable suicide runs to see them play First Avenue—down from Bemidji and back up again in the same night, just in time to make it to class the next day—and the last local reunion back in 2001. And then there was the birthday message from drummer Lori Barbero that I saved on my phone for so long that it was eventually deleted when it exceeded the allowed number of days. To say I was excited to see them play again for the first time in 14 years would be a bit of an understatement.

Following a spirited set by Seun Kuti—son of revered Afrobeat artist Fela Kuti, and brother of Femi Kuti—who, playing alongside his father’s old backing band Egypt 80, performed the best hour plus of music Rock the Garden had to offer up until this point (rivaled only by the previous night’s headliner Belle and Sebastian) the trio took to the stage to an eagerly awaiting audience.

Things got off to a jittery start with “Bruise Violet” when the three sort of fumbled over each other. It wouldn’t be the last misstep of the evening, but that mattered little, as every time they were able to laugh it off and get right back into things without must disruption. And if a lyric was missed, and there were a few, the crowd filled in for them.

Barbero took to the mic early to express her gratitude. “Minneapolis is the place to be today. I promised I wouldn’t cry.” Then with a slight tremble, “But that’s going to be really hard.”

Following along the Fontanelle tracklist, they played an inspired version “Right Now”, which had some of the elders abandoning their positions near the front of the stage; amidst a cloud of dust they turned and headed for more stable ground further up the hill.

And then it was singer-guitarist Kat Bjelland’s turn to speak. “It’s nice to be here. We missed you. Our kids are here.” She paused to point out bass player Maureen Herman’s daughter and her own son (who could be seen headbanging stage-side throughout most of the set) before stating, “I’m really happy.”

They pounded through a lengthy set that drew heavily upon the three releases that this “classic” lineup of Babes recorded: Fontanelle, the Painkillers EP, and Nemesisters. Seeing them play songs like “Handsome and Gretel” and “Sweet ‘69” in the blazing hot sun conjured fond memories of the alt/punk festival boom of the ‘90s that Babes in Toyland frequented.

During “Spit to See the Shine”, one of two tracks in set from the To Mother EP, Bjelland really let go with her signature wails, showing her vocal capabilities haven’t lost any steam over the years. It’s awesome to see the song that inspired a 2006 retrospective collection of Twin Cities bands featuring women (Spit To See The Shine: Twin Cities Women Who Rocked 1987 – 1998) take such a prominent role in the set.

Despite their outwardly bombastic sensory assault Babes in Toyland were always sneakily groovy. In the live setting songs like “Drivin’”, the lone track featuring Lori on vocals, and “Vomit Heart”, from their debut album Spanking Machine, Herman and Barbero’s pulsing rhythm section is fully realized. The first crowd surfer of the evening appeared during the latter.

It was heartwarming to see all the young people, especially the young women, making moves to get near the front. Even more so to see adults making the necessary room for them rather than posturing with the whole “I was here first” thing that happens all too often among the arms-folded crowd. Babes in Toyland were a fierce favorite to young people and catalyst for female empowerment the first time around. There’s no reason they shouldn’t be some 20 plus years later. Perhaps even more so now, given the things each of these women have experienced in the time that’s passed since then.

They wrapped up their set with “Dust Cake Boy” and came to the front to take a sheepish bow. Barbero, always the gracious one, hung back to take photos of the audience with her giant pink-cased cell phone. And the only smile that was bigger than Lori’s was my own.

Setlist:
Bruise Violet
Right Now
Swamp Pussy
Won’t Tell
Ripe
Spit to See the Shine
He’s My Thing
Bluebell
Drivin’
Spun
Ariel
Oh Yeah
Handsome and Gretel
Vomit Heart
Sweet ’69
Dust Cake Boy

Follow Nathan on Twitter: @OMG_NOB

Photo courtesy of Michael Speake: www.MichaelSpeake.com

Originally posted here.

Scene Report: Belle and Sebastian at Rock The Garden

Belle and Sebastion live; Rock the Garden; Minneapolis, MN; 6/20/15
By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

As a hot and humid day began its turn towards much needed cooler temperatures, Scotland’s baroque pop sweethearts Belle and Sebastian took the stage to close out the first day of this year’s Rock the Garden; an annual weekend of music hosted by the Walker Art Center and 89.3 The Current.  Stuart Murdock, draped in his signature black and white striped longlseeve, and company started things off with “Nobody’s Empire”, a single from this year’s Girls in Peactime Want to Dance. Pausing for a brief acknowledgment from the crowd, they transitioned effortlessly into “I’m A Cuckoo” from 2003’s Dear Catastrophe Waitress, which had even the most worn out folks up and dancing.

Murdock took a moment to address the audience, stating, “This is my kind of party. I do like a garden party. It’s very civilized.” And that couldn’t be any truer. For an event that’s taken some heat from critics in the past for playing it too safe (known by its detractors as “the yawn on the lawn”), this year’s first day lineup—including thestandard4rd, Lucius, Courtney Barnett, and Conor Oberst—wasn’t exactly a raucous one. (Fret not punkers, Babes in Toyland reunited for a co-headlining slot on Sunday.)

The crowd really started heating up by the time they played “The Party Line”, the disco-ish track from their latest album, which was followed by “Another Sunny Day” from 2006’s The Life Pursuit. Security took it upon themselves to douse the welcoming front row with cold water. Recognizing that they now had the audience in their palms the band took to the mic to share some crowd-popping anecdotes. “I went swimming in Cedar Lake today”, said guitarist Stevie Davis. Murdoch followed up with a quip about the (rumored) longstanding Minnesota tradition of “cornholing.”

While it was all teens and twentysomethings up front, when taking a look around the vast amount of people populating the hill the generational gap became more apparent. It's hard not describe the older contingency without using the tired “aging hipsters” axiom because by and large, that’s who it was. (Present company included.) Salt ‘n’ pepper bearded rad dads in faded Twin Tone Records tees and selvage denim; women in colorful printed slouch necks, large-brimmed hats, and Egyptian-style sandals. And then there’s their children; sporting oversized protective earmuffs while hanging in dad's BabyBjörns or playfully prancing around on Aztec-print blanket with mom. Rock the Garden, like many of Twin Cities events of similar ilk, is a people-watching goldmine. And if you were looking close enough you'd have spotted Woody Harrelson making his way down the hill mid-set. (He's in town filming a movie.)

The band, which had swelled in size to include local orchestra accompaniment, played a trio of songs that included two new ones and an older crowd favorite. “The Model” (Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, 2000) was sandwiched between “Cat with the Cream” and “Perfect Couples.” During the latter Davis retooled some lyrics to give them a local albeit clichéd flavor. “He was from Minneapolis; she was from St. Paul. He liked Prince; she liked the Replacements. But they both had an affinity for Spider John Koerner!”

The rest of the set included songs that spanned their catalog, with a focus on recent works, but the most magical moment of the evening came during the second to last song. It was the perfect convergence of sensory awareness, as day had given way to night completely, and the lighted backdrop of our beloved Minneapolis shone bright: the Basilica and downtown skyscrapers to the right; a crescent moon and three bright stars to the left. A large group of fans were invited to the stage to boogie alongside the band as they performed a stunningly beautiful rendition of “The Boy With the Arab Strap.”

They played one more and the day wrapped up as most festivals in Minnesota do at the end of the night: with everyone scrambling to cash in those remaining tickets on footlong corndogs. Civilized indeed.

Setlist:
Nobody’s Empire
I’m a Cuckoo
The Party Line
Another Sunny Day
Cat with the Cream
The Model
Perfect Couples
Piazza, New York Catcher
The Everlasting Muse
Jonathan David
The Wrong Girl
Dog on Wheels
Dirty Dream #2
The Boy with the Arab Strap
I Didn’t See it Coming

Follow Nathan G. O'Brien on Twitter: @OMG_NOB

Originally posted here.

Scene Report: White Lung live at 7th St. Entry

White Lung live; 7th St. Entry; Minneapolis, MN; 6/11/15
By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

Abandoning my beloved NBA Finals, I bounced somewhere during the third quarter and rushed downtown to catch White Lung. Upon landing in Minneapolis tonight the four-piece were at the mid-way point of their current North American tour. The first handful of gigs was alongside the recently reformed Refused, but tonight’s show, like the majority of the tour, they were supported by So-Cal longhair quartet Obliterations.

Obliterations are made up of guys from Black Mountain, Saviours, and Night Horse. They released an album on Southern Lord last year that I never got around to listening to. And unfortunately tonight I arrived at the 7th St. Entry towards that tail end of their set; only catching two and a half songs. I’d say they’re a metal-punk mix of D-beat, Bl’ast, and like, the Germs or Poison Idea. The singer thanked White Lung for taking them out on the road, and then antagonistically threw in, “You guys are really nice. If that’s what you want to be known for…being nice.” Someone in the audience took the bait and yelled out, “Minnesota nice, motherfucker!” Touché.

The Entry is one of the finer venues in this city to see fast and heavy music; it’s dark, intimate, has great sightlines, and is loud as fuck. It was really difficult to gauge the medium age of the crowd. Even though it was 18+ there was a large contingency from the 30s and 40s hip dude crew. As usual the in-between bands set changeover signaled the great stare-at-our-glowing-phones onslaught that is show-going these days. Tallboys of Old Style and Stag beer were on special for $4.00 but coming off a week that has already included Best Coast on Monday, and CJ Ramone and Shonen Knife last night, I steered clear of the bar and kept a level head.

Mish Way and co. took the stage for a brief tune-up—asking the soundman for more reverb in both her mic and the bass monitor— and then blazed into a trio of songs from last year’s Domino release Deep Fantasy: “Sycophant”, “Face Down” and “Drown the Monster.” Even though Deep Fantasy marked the band’s progression into more indie-rock territory, these songs, when played live were done with the ferociousness of their earlier work on Deranged.

White Lung’s hardcore punk meets couture aesthetic is part of the band’s uniqueness and appeal. Way appeared in skin tight leather pants, a designer spiked bracelet, and a slouch neck long-sleeve that hung off her shoulder exposing a tattoo and a black bra strap. Deap Vally’s Lyndsey Troy, who’s filling in on bass for this tour, was also looking exceptionally stylish in her all-over print crew neck sweatshirt and miniskirt.

By the time their second set of tunes came around they were really getting into stride and the audience responded appropriately. The strongest reception of the evening thus far came as a result “Bad Way” and “Bag” which are two tracks from their 2012 album Sorry. The area in front of the stage soon became a reeling dervish of gyrating hips and sweaty foreheads. Way expressed her appreciation. “After driving so long to get here, it’s nice to see you enjoying yourselves rather than standing there with your arms crossed like, ‘I’m too cool for music.’” Then adding, “That’s what they do in Russia.”

Aside from two songs (“Lucky One” and “In Your Home”) they played the entire Deep Fantasy album. The final four songs however, were two standalone singles—“Two of You” and “Blow it South” sandwiched between two from Sorry. Midway through “Thick Lip” Way’s mic cut out. In typical punk rock fashion she powered forward, screaming the lyrics at the top of her lungs as Kenneth William laid his signature squealing guitar licks on thick, and drummer Anne-Marie Vassiliou pounded the skins with thunderous authority.

They ended the set with a vicious version of “Take the Mirror”, said ‘thanks’ and promptly left the stage, never to return. It was an abrupt ending that left the audience bewildered and wanting more. It was funny looking around the room at everybody as it settled in that they weren’t coming back for an encore. But I’m not complaining about a show getting over by 11-ish on a school night.

Setlist:
Sycophant
Face Down
Drown the Monster
Bad Way
Bag
Wrong Star
Snake Jaw
I Believe You
Just For You
Down it Goes
Thick Lip
Two of You
Blow it South
Take the Mirror

Follow Nathan G. O'Brien on Twitter: @OMG_NOB

Originally posted here.

Record Review: Barcelona - Extremo Nihilismo En Barcelona

Barcelona - Extremo Nihilismo En Barcelona 12" EP (La Vida Es Un Mus Discos Punk)
By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

Similar to how Sorry State, Vinyl Rites, Lengua Armada, or Katorga Works do here in the US, Hackney, London-based record label La Vida Es Un Mus (subtitled Discos Punk) tend to work with bands that challenge the constraints of traditional hardcore and punk, which in turn sets them apart from the masses. The latest in a long line that includes Anasazi, Escroto De Rata, Hoax, my personal favorite, Glam (with whom Barcelona share members,) and most-recently LA’s Blazing Eye, comes this new 12” 45 rpm EP, Extremo Nihilismo En Barcelona. And yes, the quartet is indeed named after their residence in Barcelona, Spain.

All the lyrics are in Spanish, and sung by the former vocalist of Firmeza 10. Her nasally throat oozes malice that is impossible to shake; a true voice of the angry and alienated. The bass and drums have a peculiar rigidness to them; certainly in the D-beat vein, but not dumbed-down Discharge worship by any means. It pulls you cranium first into mean-mugged, head-nodding obedience. The guitars surge forth with power; every so often spinning out of control in a squealing, fitful manner that will have you involuntarily shaking your body as if you’re fighting off an exorcism. Extremo Nihilismo En Barcelona is a completely entrancing, unsettling 10 minutes. It serves as another reminder of why we all got into this punk shit in the first place, and why we’ll never abandon it.

Originally posted here.