What happens when two amazing screamo/post-hardcore bands from France ask your label to help release their LPs but you're short on cash? You do a split cassette with each band's LP on either side, I guess. Cuz that's what I did after I heard YAROSTAN's 'Yarostan' and ALESKA's 'Construire ou détruire' a month or two ago. Both bands deploy dual vocals, swelling post-hardcore with explosive screamo and remind me of Daïtro, but in different ways. The former branches into some clean vocals territory while retaining a driving, screamy and passionate foundation, and the latter reaches both ends of the heavy/soft spectrum but incorporates some harsher vocals and expansive arrangements. Honestly, both albums are fucking amazing and well worth your time.
The tapes from Zegema Beach Records are up for pre-order above and should ship in late April. I'm only making 50 copies as both bands have 12"s coming of their respective solo LPs. ALESKA crowdfunded their 12"s while YAROSTAN will self-release their solo tapes, cds, and have a whack of labels helping release their 12" which include: Bus Stop Press (Marseille), Crapoulet Records (Marseille), Smart & Confused (Paris), Seaside Suicide Records (Le Mans), Longrail Records (Carmagnola), DIY Bikepunk (Salamanca), Badmood Asso (Marseille) and Atlas Music. ALESKA's 'Construire ou détruire' will be available in full March 26th with the 12"s coming in late May, most likely, with order links coming any day now. The band recorded and mixed the record themselves in true DIY fashion, although honestly it sounds better than most in the production department. YAROSTAN's 'Yarostan' releases in full later this week.
(2019)YAROSTAN "L'inertie du mouvement" (from 'Yarostan')
This is the fourth of five tracks and is a wonderful balance of screamy Daïtro and French emo-pop like 12XU. There's a nice, soft intro that explodes at the 22-second mark and then switches back and forth between the singing and epic screams until 1:04 when the song hits full speed and you'll catch some similarities to another amazing French band by the name of Amanda Woodward. It chills out substantially by the halfway point and lush acoustic guitars weave a sleepy tapestry that puts the track to rest.
(2019)ALESKA "Indispensables" (from 'Construire ou détruire')
This is the second of 8 tunes on the ALESKA side and holy shit is this song a banger. Opening with drums that meet up with a guitar every few seconds until the drumroll has every instrument, including screaming, latching on by the 25-second mark. There's a dual-vocal/dancey swing at the 50-second mark that floors me, and the urgency continues with a fantastic spacey riff layered over it the second time, not unlike Vi Som Älskade Varandra Så Mycket and Les Deux Minutes De La Haines. By the song's midsection we are met with a substantial slowdown, spoken word vocals and by about 2:13 the guitars fly back in like alien ships dancing in the night, twinkling and creating a beautiful auditory opus that climaxes at 2:55. This epic conclusion continues for almost a minute-and-a-half like a runner burning the take before the end of a run, and completely exhausts itself just past the finish line at 4:20.
*1*Do you remember your first meeting / interaction with Ryan? Truthfully no I don’t. Our old bands had played a couple one-offs together when we were both on the up and touring a fuck ton. We would just randomly rip a show together when our DIY tours would hit the same city on the same night. I THINK it was a show we played in Sylmar, CA in 2012 - like 45 minutes outside of LA in someone’s living room. My memory is shot haha. Either way he ended up becoming one of my best bros that I’ve met from touring, and for years after that we would hang in various cities, or when Capsize would come through they would always crash at my parents house in NJ.
*2*What was the first song you wrote together?
When him and I first talked about starting this band, Ryan had sent me like a minute of what ended up becoming “In Peril” via a text message, just a riff and a really cool drum part… and I was like yeah this fucking rules. It wasn’t until he came to NYC after working on a writing session in like Toronto or something that we really began writing. He and I both had some ideas so he crashed on my couch for a week and we wrote the whole 'I' EP pretty much in order. We just went through and was like “okay yeah this should come next”.
*3*How do you work out the lyrics and vocal patterns? It’s an interesting system. I’m constantly writing lyrics, whether it’s full songs or just a couple lines - I have a text file on my phone that I constantly add to. We had written all of the music for 'I' without any lyrics or vocal patterns in mind. Once the EP was done, I just sent Ryan all of the lyrics I had “loosely” written for the EP after listening a bunch and then he worked his magic. He then sent back his vocal takes and I free-styled layers and parts over his, eventually cutting out what we didn’t want to use.
*4*What is your favorite Coarse song and why? I really like the last two, "In Peril" and "No Heart". We wrote these songs in order of the EP so I think the song writing just got better as we progressed.
*5*Were any of the songs trickier than others to write, record, or play? All of these songs are pretty tricky. Since Ryan and I do not live in the same state we definitely practice a lot in our spaces with headphones. Literally every time I finish a session I’ll text Ryan and be like “holy fuck why did we write these songs?” Haha.
*6*What would you define Coarse as, genre-wise? I think the term “metal core” is a little played out. Everyone wants to be a “metal core” band but like a COOL “metal core” band. Okay I’ll stop with that term, but I like that some press called us “Feral Rock”. I think that is our genre.
*7*What bands have influenced Coarse the most thus far? Going in to writing the EP I was really influenced by Some Girls - 'Heavens Pregnant Teens', and Fear Before the March of Flames - 'Art Damage'. Both of those records were my bible in terms of lyrics, riff ideas, drums, etc. Going into the new record I’ve been listening to a lot of Kiss It Goodbye, Ed Gein, Genghis Tron, and All Else Failed. There is also a lot of industrial and noise influence on the newer stuff so I’ve been listening to a lot of HIDE, Skinny Puppy, Youth Code, and Nine Inch Nails. It’s a little all over the place, but there are definitely elements that I can take from all of these bands.
*8*Did you want to reveal any info on… I don’t want to go into super specifics, but I will say we have new music done, an EP specifically. We have a rad feature on it, and working on a couple more. Ryan and I started working on an LP too.
*9*You are touring Japan… do tell. Yeah I’ve always wanted to tour Japan so this is truly a great honor. Japanese food and culture is some of my favorite so I’m really excited to just dive in and experience it all. Vision of Fatima is a rad band so I’m stoked to catch them every night as well.
*10*What is next for Coarse? We’re dropping that EP in the spring. Touring Japan and Europe in March and April. Coming back in the late spring to finish writing and record and hopefully have an LP out by the year’s end.
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pre-order goes up March 22nd via bandcamp
Today's premiere comes from Pattern Recognition Records, so I honestly didn't even listen to this before saying yes. Once I did take a gander I was quite impressed, and not surprised in the least. The three-piece from Illinois play a postured, mathy and chaotic brand of metallic hardcore. The album is a banger and will be released on the 22nd to pre-order of 50 limited tapes through Pattern Recognition, with the entire thing streaming by the 24th of March.
(2019)KARAT'S GOLD "You're No Good" (from 'Hail Gold!')
This banger opens with a light, awkward and disjointed opening of minimal guitar and some distant screaming before it builds with drums to an explosive second section that reminds me of Von Wolfe and Every Time I Die with a bit of Dangers! and Dillinger Escape Plan thrown into the mix. It's angry, it's violent and it's blatantly confident so I love it. After jamming that shit check out their music video for another track from the 'Hail Gold!' album that releases in about a week!
