*** BELTED SWEATER song premiere ***

BELTED SWEATER

"More Rack Toms (than people in the audience)"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Depeche Mode, New Order and Joy Division (if those bands screamed)

Bandcamp

orders open upon the February 21st release via the band, Softseed Music, and Self Versed Records

     Christopher is the single creative mind behind the BELTED SWEATER project. Residing in Los Angeles, he plays in a buncha bands but this is his baby. On paper...it's weird. Synth-driven post-punk with poppy elements and screaming...or as I have taken to condensing it down to - glam skramz. When I was sent this album asking if I wanted to release it and although I was hesitant to delving, once I did I fell headfirst and loved every fucking minute of it. I said yes so freakin' fast once I got about halfway through the album, as I was (and still am) smitten. You can jam "Cherry Grove" on the BELTED SWEATER bandcamp, and I'm premiering "More Rack Toms (than people in the audience)" below. As you'll hear, the newer material opts (rightfully so) for the inclusion of extra instrumentation and the additional guitar layers really give the songs a lusher and fuller sound. Goddamn this song kinda reminds me of watching Top Gun...holy shit! The full release sees the light of day on Friday, February 21st.

(2025) BELTED SWEATER "More Rack Toms (than people in the audience)" (from 'Belted Sweater')

https://youtu.be/aXQFEU35TBg

*** PODCAST #175 Ely Morgan (Die Princess Die, Scuba Cop) ***

    DIE PRINCESS DIE's debut self-titled album was an absolute palate cleanser and ridiculously influential album for me. It's truly insane that 20 years after I first got that 12" I was able to both release the band's discography on cassette and do this podcast with bassist Ely Morgan. Yet another massive bucket list tick. A few things discussed: oops I bought the wrong record, Iron Maiden and Weird Al, getting licensed for Bikini Kill and Elliot Smith docs, sending to labels 2000 vs. 2025, tiny hands, number 1 drummer draft choice, face-sliced by a cymbal, buckets of stress, early Ebullition talk, passion as addiction, Andre at Operation X-Ray, 20 years of obsession, old men and cds, how did this band not get big?, etc. Bands played in this podcast: ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Angel Hair, Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead, and The Mark Inside. Listen to podcast #175 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

Buy discography tapes from ZBR here

DIE PRINCESS DIE

https://youtu.be/tNv9S5WrUm0
Bandcamp

SCUBA COP

https://youtu.be/p7uaCG5uh7U
Bandcamp

1 They Knew What Was Up Before Anyone Knew What Was Up

ANGEL HAIR "Blood Believe" (Ely)

2 The Shows Were Bonkers

DRIVEYOURPLOWOVERTHEBONESOFTHEDEAD "glimmer fate" (Dave)

3 Scuba Talk

...AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD "Mark David Chapman" (Ely)

THE MARK INSIDE "Buzzing (demo version)" (Dave)

~Dave

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PODCAST #175 linked here

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ADDITIONAL LINKS

CUT LIPS RECORDINGS

DIE PRINCESS DIE omsb review

MONDRARY

Band: MONDRARY
For fans of: Mouthing, Nuvolascura, Blind Girls, Febuary, Welcome The Plague Year, Clay Birds, and Shoganai.
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Metallic Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz / Emo-violence

Related artists: ?.
Country: Baltimore, Maryland U.S.A.
Years Active: 2024-present

Label(s): Self Released

     I only heard MONDRARY at the tail-end of 2024 despite their debut six-track EP '...and the trees fell quiet' coming out in April. Don't worry I certainly made it for my lateness by jamming the shit out of it during November and December. Their chaotic/screamy and sometimes post-hardcore/singy combo is a welcome curveball from the typical screamo tropes. Sure they've still got annihilating screams, frantic freakouts, and angular instrumentals, but the constant question of "is this crazy bit going to lead into a quiet bit?" tends to leave me near the edge of my literal and figurative seat.

     Tracks one to three are combine for just five-and-a-half minutes of material but holy smokes is a lot compacted down into that little time cube. Opener "Pins" is 59 seconds of eerie, gorgeous instrumentals that lead into "Needles" which dices up the opener in no time, relying on jarring rhythms and lotsa screaming until that first emo/post-rock break at the 40-second mark, with the back-half of the song dipping back into anger and violence. Title track "...and the trees fell quiet" is another banger with two sneaky soft bits wrapped around the first inclusion of dual vocals. Things really get nuts on the backend of this release, as track four's "Bleed Me Dry, Sapphire!" puts the vocals at the forefront with a catchy, sassy, and wicked intro while the final moments of the song have the screaming coming apart at the seems in the most volatile fashion imaginable. "Paraffin" is another song that goes for jugular and is vintage screamo using dark and ominous tones...fuckin' love it. Closer "Animus" is arguably the most put-together song on the album, with many shifts and excellent transitions that create a seamless piece of work, with my favourite section being introductory build once the vocals chime in and the throat-shredding conclusion.

     This was definitely a slept on release but they'll likely make more waves as I've heard some of the band's new material and it is fantastic. Expect that summer/fall 2025!

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DISCOGRAPHY

2024 - ...and the trees fell quiet digital EP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2024) MONDRARY - "Bleed Me Dry, Sapphire" (from '...and the trees fell quiet')

https://youtu.be/6G8FOhOQYeE

(2024) MONDRARY - "Paraffin" (from '...and the trees fell quiet')

https://youtu.be/0KIl7U7HzRg

(2024) MONDRARY - "Animus" (from '...and the trees fell quiet')

https://youtu.be/ZUyR1OO2dA4

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