***BEST OF 2013***

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Holy shit. I get to do a best of list. One that some people will actually read!

For those who may be interested, here are 2 zipped mp3 folders of my favourite tracks off of each album listed (with the obvious exception of the let-downs). We'll call this "The Year That Was So Good It Forced Me To Pursue My Lifelong Dream Of Starting A Record Label", or TYTWSGIFMTPMLDOSARL for short. hehehe.
Download Top 20 LPs Mix here.
Download Top 10 EPs, 6 splits and singles Mix here.
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So let's begin with the biggest letdowns of the year. These weren't necessarily bad albums, they just were not what I was hoping for. And sometimes bad. These are not in any particular odour.

DEFTONES
-the last cd was my favourite. this cd has only 2 tracks I've listen to again. expanding your sound doesn't necessarily make it better.

GIFTS FROM ENOLA
-a good album, but I expected this to be the best LP of year, and in my opinion their music lost much its draw. the spacey, firefox-sounding guitar trips are pretty much nonexistent. too much focus on mediocre vocals.

ISIS
- the 3 discs weren't worth even $3 each, unless you need every demo/live/alternate version, none of which excited me. it's not an album, i get it - but i wish i didn't buy it.

RUSSIAN CIRCLES
-they finally made an album that I didn't purchase. it's not bad, but they really moved away from the style of theirs that I like best. NOT crushing. NOT catchy. NOT amazing. just mediocre.

SAVES THE DAY
-a big step-down from 'Daybreak'. much too poppy for my liking. my first kickstarter support - oops.

THE STROKES
-boring. after my favourite release by the band, this cd was mediocre at best. i hate the 80s...generally.
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single (if you missed it, download 18 tracks from EPs, splits and singles here)

CHARLIE DAY - Paddy's Pub (1 and 2) from It's 'Always Sunny In Philadelphia' linked here ("I Like Live at Paddy's Pub") and here ("Go Fuck Yourself").
-these mp3s were mixed down because the songs in the show are not only hilarious, but very well-written. the first song was written sober as a jingle for the pub and the second song was performed live during the pub competition for judging while Charlie is tripping out on . Do yourself a favour and listen to his descent into madness. The second song is one of my 5 favourite songs of the year, for sure.
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splits

1 - TEL FYR / TODOS CAERAN
-this split was the tops. TODOS CAERAN wrote tracks with a depth not heard in previous works. TEL FYR = Joshua Fit For Battle + Buried Inside.

2 - TRACHIMBROD / SORE EYELIDS
-two of Sweden's shoegaze kings. TRACHIMBROD breaks the mold of their La Quiete/Suis La Lune and establishes a niche in catchy/poppy/trippy/screamo shoegaze. SORE EYELIDS are turning heads everywhere and share a member with the country's most established screamo act, Suis La Lune.

3 - CREEPER / CANYONS
-both of these bands were catapulted from mild interests to I shit myself when I hear them mentioned. CREEPER = thrashy, dirty hardcore with Converge tendencies. CANYONS

4 - DELOS / YUSUKE
-suprise7" that I had no idea about in 2012. DELOS continues to impress as the up and coming German screamo band. YUSUKE are on a similar path but hail from the US.

5 - LOMA PRIETA / RAEIN
-Loma brings 4 tracks that take a blowtorch to anything else the band has recorded. Raein continues to mix the screamy with the downright catchy as hell. that's not a sentence.

6 - HUE / ATHELAS
-HUE steals this split. mathy/jazzy rock from Japan. sometimes has screamo vocals.
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eps

1 - ICE HOCKEY - The Way it is Now (listen to "Bugcatcher" here)
*holy shit, where did this come from? Mara'akate meets Ten Grand.

2 - VOYAGE IN COMA - Further (watch "Further" music video here)
*dropped an insanely melodic and heavy masterpiece. then broke up.

3 - CARRION SPRING - Indiscretions Vol.1 (listen to "Give Blood" here)
*a strong showing for a band that lost a core member. abrasive, chaotic and throat-shredding.

4 - MOXIEBEAT - Moxiebeat (listen to "Dead Words" here)
*2 bassists, 2 guitarists, 3 vocalists, 1 drummer (that sounds like 2). ridiculous west coast thrashy/mathy hardcore.

5 - FOR WANT OF - Smoke (listen to "Mentors" here)
*a marked improvement over their last EP, which had only 1 killer song. great artwork, live show, fellas and screamo/hardcore style that recalls the days of Yaphet Kotto and Hot Cross.

6 - TENTALCES - Cogito Mori (listen to "Mystic Furnace" here)
*on the brink of collapse, TENTACLES recorded their most destructive sounds thus far. this might kill you.

7 - ØJNE - Undici/Dodici (listen to "Milano/Ogni Primavera" here)
*phenomenal Italian screamo. this is my La Quiete while there's no new La Quiete.

8 - RAYLEIGH - Rayleigh (listen to "Drones" here)
*emo-violence influenced thrash/sludge/hardcore. members of Mahria.

9 - YOUTH FUNERAL - Symptom of Time (listen to "Lovesick" here)
*a pulverizing debut. think Loma Prieta meets Capacities.

10- FRAMEWORKS - Small Victories (watch "Old Chokes" music video here)
*extremely passionate and screamy hardcore. pumped beyond belief for an LP.
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lps (download the 20-song mix here)

(((01))) - MUTOID MAN - Helium Head (listen to "Gnarcissist" here)
brodsky. way heavier than I expected. unrelenting/technical rock/metal/thrash slashslashslash with some love.

(((02))) - BIG DICK - Big Dick (listen to "Too Hot to Trot" here)
bass and drums duo not unlike DFA1979. amazing/versatile. album was way better than I could have hoped for.

(((03))) - LEER - springbreaknoparents (listen to "As Cool As An Attempted Suicide" here)
came out of nowhere. screamo meets hella melodica. new find of the year

(((04))) - SED NON SATIATA - Mappo (listen to "Extrospection" here)
their best output since 2007. sound perfected. beautiful, epic screamo/rock for europe.

(((05))) - LORD SNOW - Solitude (listen to "Dark Cloud" here)
amazing people. probably the highest ranked record on most screamy blogs. jeromes dream and louise cyphre influenced ear-fuck.

(((06))) - EDHOCHULI - Edhochuli (watch "Totally Caveman" live here)
rock/metal/screaming insanity. best show of 2013. band constantly melts my face.

(((07))) - GILLIAN CARTER - Lost Ships Sinking with the Sunset (listen to "Sinking With the Sunset" here)
this band turned a corner - to amazingness. you need to hear this 10". City Of Caterpillar meets State Faults.

(((08))) - JUNGBLUTH - Part Ache (listen to "Looks Like Freedom" here)
crushing. melodic. angry.

(((09))) - SECRET SMOKER - Terminal Architecture (listen to "Part-Time Retail" here)
wow. tickles the punk rock/screamo bone like no other. i love Billy.

(((10))) - PORTUGAL THE MAN - Evil Friends  (watch "Atomic Man" music video here)
best record they've released since 'Church Mouth'. the lyrical soundtrack to my year. rock/pop genius.

(((11))) - AMBER - Lovesaken (listen to "Lovesaken" here)
final recording with Anna on vocals. beautiful/crushing post-hardcore, rock and metal. fans of Isis, Neurosis, Pelican and The Alaskan have already worn their copy of the record out, most likely.

(((12))) - CAPACITIES - There is No Neutral (listen to "Academic Flexing" here)
Schlatter is one of my 5 dieties. this record shows the band at their most caustic/epic. 8 tracks of unrelenting, blistering screamy hardcore.

(((13))) - DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN - One of Us is the Killer (watch "One of Us is the Killer" music video here)
my interest was waning, and is now peaked. this album brought the band back as one of the most interesting/talented groups in music. best album since "Miss Machine".

(((14))) - KEN MODE - Entrench (watch "Secret Vasectomy" music video here)
pisssed off yet soft spoken thrash/hardcore/metal veterans. a plethora of amazing music videos. this album is their "We Are The Romans" = masterpiece.

(((15))) - QOTSA - ...Like Clockwork (watch "If I Had a Tail" music video here)
thank fucking god. their previous album was my least favourite by a long shot, but this has 4 of the band's strongest songs ever. a matured but still kickass Homme.

(((16))) - TOTEM SKIN - Still Waters Run Deep (listen to "Kargt Landskap" here)
one of my favourite new bands. Dog Knights slapped us in the face with these Swedes, who were already around for 2 previous releases. an aural assault, plain and simple.

(((17))) - LAURA STEVENSON & THE CANS - The Wheel (listen to "The Wheel" here)
that voice, my god that voice. a much more consistent album than her last. in 5-10 years she may be an icon.

(((18))) - 12XU - On Largue Les Amarres (listen to "Terre D'inconnus" here)
the Daitro fellas easily topped their previous band Baton Rouge. almost 20 Randy meets Daitro garage/indie tracks with hints of older scream.

(((19))) - DESCUBRIENDO A MR. MIME - ...Y Ya No Me Quedan Dentes Por Arrancarme  (listen to "Ʒyre" here)
massive surprise. these Spaniards blew me away with this LP and the beautiful packaging. european screamy hardcore.

(((20))) - MANSIONS - Doom Loop (listen to "Falling Down" here)
after a disappointing first listen, I warmed up to this. rock/indie/fuzz pop. "falling down" = best soft song of the year.
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Albums that I've heard that you need to watch out for in 2014.

*1* CASSILIS - Quitting
-this was officially my favourite record of 2013, but it won't be released until early next year. the best thing they've ever done by a long shot. "God Hair" = My favourite track of the year.

*2* LA PARADE - Voces Del Exilio
-this debut cd/LP is so full of talent, energy and creativity that I'm still reeling. the perfect combination of anger and beauty. Check the teaser here and music video here.

*3* AMBER / LOCKTENDER - Split 7"
-this split is going to turn a lot of heads. holy shit. there is a sample of one of the tracks NOT on the 7" that WILL be appearing on the Zegema Beach Records Zampler #2 on Jan 1st here.

*4* NOUS ETIONS - LP
-I heard this last night and I shit my pants. Sed Non Satiata meets Amber/Alaskan vocals. bandcamp page here, but I must say the material is much stronger than what is posted.

*5* FOR WANT OF - Grit 7"
-if you liked 'Smoke', you'll love this. careful, it will nearly take your head off, as most melodic/softer parts have been abandoned for pure fury. bandcamp page here.

WOW, OWLS!

Band: WOW, OWLS!

Genres: Punk / Rock / Screamo / Emotional Hardcore
Related artists: Mouthbreather.(I think)
Country: Richmond, Virginia USA
Years Active: 2003-2006
Song: "Cole Hutchison - 1982-2012"
Album: "The Setup Split"
Year: 2004
Label(s): The Perpetual Motion Machine / Life In A Box / Goembessa
This post's artist is from the December 2013 Mix. This is track #8.
You can download the December 2013 Mix right here.
For fans of: City Of Caterpillar, Animal Faces, Wolves, Rye Coalition, L'Antietam,
                   Mouthbreather, Desiderata, Leer, Snoras, Birthday Boyz, Dear Tonight,
                   Akimbo, The Holy Shroud, The Setup, Dream Caste, Daniel Striped Tiger,
                   Frameworks, Wolverines, Coma Regalia, Deers! and Carrion Spring.

I've never heard anyone talk shit about this band. Why would they? Their brief but phenomenal discography leaves little to be desired. This band had the perfect mix of garage/indie rock with aggressive punk/screamo elements. Listen to the embedded stuff and then download the discography I've posted. Members went on to form Mouthbreather, which was a much more direct punk/hardcore approach with less mathy stuff and gruffer vocals.

"Sailing smoothly slip into delirium."
-Cole Hutchison/WOW, OWLS!

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DISCOGRAPHY

Click )==>here<==( to download the band's complete discography in mp3 form.

2004 - Mind Explosion cassette
2004 - The Setup Split 7"

2005 - Pick Your Patterns cd/12"LP

2006 - Pee Sout cdLP



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(2004) WOW, OWLS! - "Cole Hutchison - 1982-2012" (from 'The Setup' split)

(2005) WOW, OWLS! - "1989 - The Four Best Years of My Life" (from 'Pick Your Patterns')

(2004) WOW, OWLS! - "Five Sexy Alligators, Please" (from 'Mind Explosion')

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WOW, OWLS! out-of-print discography mp3 download

(download here)

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IN FIRST PERSON

Band: IN FIRST PERSON
Genres: Punk / Rock / Emotional Hardcore / Metal / Screamo
Related artists: Capacities, Black Kites, Take Down Your Art, This Ship Will Sink,
                        A Petal Fallen, Pyramids, The Assistant and You And I.
Country: New Jersey, USA
Years Active: 2005-2008
Song: "...And Time Is Running Out"
Album: "Lost Between Hands Held Tight"
Year: 2006
Record Label(s): Inkblot Records / Paramnesia / Ape Must Not Kill Ape / Protagonist Music /
                            Exotic Fever Records
This post's artist is from the December 2013 Mix. This is track #17.
You can download the December 2013 Mix right here.
For fans of: Rats Into Robots, Since By Man, Botch, Mercy Ties, Neil Perry, Zann,
                  Caitlyn Bailey, Mares of Thrace, Kodan Armada, Llynch, Amber,
                  This Ship Will Sink, Forstella Ford, Black Kites, The Assistant, Capacities,
                  Litany For The Whale, Zozobra, Ruhaeda, Totem Skin, Tempest,
                  Ruptures, Orchid, Phoenix Bodies, and You And I aka PROPER Screamo.

Yep, another one of Tom Schlatter's bands. This means 3 things:
1 - I love it.
2 - It's heavy, screamy, chaotic and melodic with a metallic edge.
3 - There's an exclusive short interview excerpt included below!

Songs like the quintessential "The Beast" and "Deconstructing the I/It" from the 'Lost Between Hands Held Tight' bear obvious similarities to Tom's previous outfit, This Ship Will Sink. This sound is a combination of dark, metallic tinged hardcore that borders between crazy and melodic. This is epic, crazy and melodic all at the same time. The band incorporated very political lyrics (yeah, big surprise) with chant-a-longs like "Everything I'm working toward, reduced to a dollar sign." Another fantastic thing about IN FIRST PERSON was the packaging. The cd/12" combo for '' is simply astounding. There are some pics next to the interview to give you a vague idea of the scope and effort that went. In the end, I would have to say that IN FIRST PERSON injects the most epic and complete sounding songs that have come out of the Schlatter skrabies. Want proof? Bam.


Here's what Tom had to say about IN FIRST PERSON. His full interview will be posted in January!

"In First Person can be broken up into three phases: the first would be the Vanessa/Tom/Jake phase. We started with no bass player, Jake and I were both playing through three amps.  It was excessive and the songs just didn’t come out very well.  We asked Jake to leave the band and Benn Roe joined to play bass.  This second phase, the Vanessa/Tom/Benn phase; was how we recorded all of the records.  Benn, though still excessive with amps, really refined the sound and we were writing music that sounded much more like what I had in my head.  Benn was also living at a house in Philadelphia that did shows regularly so we were playing there on a regular basis.  Benn stepped down from the band a year or two later and Rob (who now plays guitar for Capacities) joined on bass.  The third phase of Vanessa/Tom/Rob was the exiting phase.  We wrote some more songs, played some more shows, but the project had just run it’s course.  Through the course of the band I had bought a house and then scrambled to sell it during the market crash.  My job was outsourced after 5 years of employment. It was the most stressful time in my life.  I think the “Lost Between…” LP is such a good documentation of that."

 

 

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DISCOGRAPHY

Click )==>here<==( to download the band's complete discography in mp3 form.

2006 - Demo
2006 - Lost Between Hands Held Tight cd/12"combo

2008 - Storm The Bastille Split 12"LP
2008 - Titan Split 7"
2008 - Keep Singing! A Benefit for Compassion Over Killing Comp cd (contributed
           "Shades of Gray")

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(2007) IN FIRST PERSON - "The Beast" (from 'Lost Between Hands Held Tight') live video

(2006) IN FIRST PERSON - "...And Time is Running Out" (from 'Lost Between Hands Held Tight')

(2008) IN FIRST PERSON - "En Sabah Nur" (from 'Titan' split)

(2008) IN FIRST PERSON - "Effrontery" (from 'Storm The Bastille' split)

 

(2008) IN FIRST PERSON - "Shades of Gray" (from 'Keep Singing!' comp)

 

 

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IN FIRST PERSON out-of-print discography mp3 download

 

(download here)

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NOW NOW (EVERY CHILDREN)

Band: NOW NOW (EVERY CHILDREN)

Genres: Indie Rock / Shoegaze / Alternative / Emo / Pop
Related artists: N/A.
Country: Minneapolis, USA
Years Active: 2008-present
Song: "Not One, But Two"
Album: "Cars"
Year: 2009
Label(s): No Sleep Records / Trans / Afternoon Records
This post's artist is from the December 2013 Mix. This is track #12.
You can download the December 2013 Mix right here.
For fans of: Nada Surf, Metric, The New Pornographers, Tegan And Sara, An Horse
                   and sugary sweet rock/pop.

Well shit. Apparently this band is not as obscure as they once were back in 2009 when I was kicking the 'Cars' cd for a few weeks. I just checked their discography, found out that they have released 2 more albums and their new(ish) video has almost 300,000 views - so I don't feel the need to write too much about them.

Female-fronted band that falls somewhere in between Nada Surf, An Horse and Metric. Some really sugary songs that bring a smile to my face and a fair amount of passable material means that they weren't all too consistent, but if you want some songs for mixes or to show a more sensitive side because people think you listen to too much screaming music, then I would recommend checking their stuff out.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2009 - Cars cdLP

2010 - Neighbors cdEP

2012 - Threads cd/12"LP
2012 - The Lonely Forest Split EP

2013 - Neighbors 12"EP + acoustic/remixes
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(2009) NOW NOW EVERY CHILDREN - "Not One, But Two" (from 'Cars')

(2012) NOW NOW - "Threads" (from 'Threads') official music video

(2012) NOW NOW Interview

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NOW NOW (EVERY CHILDREN) additional links

 

Facebook

 

Myspace

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***VIA FONDO pre-order***

It's time. This was posted less than 24 hours ago and the minimal stock of 99 records is being depleted quicker than I thought. Go Japan!!!

VIA FONDO pre-order
***Check the ZBR post about the release and pre-order here***

"Via Fondo started as a band in spring 2010, as a reunion of friends from earlier screamo projects Anemone and Medvilia. A self titled, self produced and self released 4 track EP was recorded in summer 2010. A couple of split releases and a handful of shows took place before the 7" EP "Tar" was released by Cats Two Cats and We Want Love! Hugs And Kisses in January 2011. The past two years have been spent writing new material, making shows, supporting the Swedish scene as well as having the honour to share the stage with bands like Loma Prieta, Pianos Become The Teeth Suis La Lune and Adorno. Via Fondo sympathises with the less privileged citizens of the world and takes a stand against sexism and racism. The lyrics have gone from very personal to discussing political subjects, yet they still take a personal and poetic position."

***Order from Zegema Beach Records here***

***Order from Truelove Entertainment here***

***VIA FONDO pre-order goes up tomorrow***

Alright people. Head over to ZEGEMA BEACH RECORDS today, as it's the last day that the AMBER self-titled 12" pre-order with 15-25% off everything else in the store! Here are the details:
-15% off Distro Items (excluding the Descubriendo single LPs)
-20% off Rare Items
-25% off AMBER's 'Lovesaken' 12" LP

Once the AMBER pre-order ends at 11:59pm on Dec 26th...the VIA FONDO pre-order will go up until the end of 2013! That's right, 5 days only! ZBR will only have 100 of the 300 copies of these beautiful, transparent, silkscreened 12"EPs entitled 'Fast'. Fans of La Quiete, Daitro, Raein, Deafheaven as well as fellow Swedes, Rainmaker and Trachimbrod.

CLICK HERE to listen to "Not Yet"

 

Click below to watch the amazing video for "Rovaniemi".

 

 

CALLOW

Band: CALLOW

Genres: Punk / Noise Rock / Grind / Post-Hardcore / Hardcore / Sludge / Crust / Screamo
Related artists: Lovechild, Cerce, Grower, Featherweight and Congenial Death.
Country: Philadelphia, USA
Years Active: 2011-present
Song: "Asleep"
Album: "Disappear Here"
Year: 2012
Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / Self Help Records / It's A Trap! Records /
               Middle-Man Records / Hydrogen Man Records / Contraszt! Records
This post's artist is from the December 2013 Mix. This is track #9.
You can download the December 2013 Mix right here.
For fans of: Cassilis, Furnace, Jungbluth, Canyons, One Eyed God Prophecy,
                   Union Of Uranus, Graf Orlock, Phoenix Bodies, Alpinist, Bleeding Kansas,
                   Creeper, Ruptures, The Setup, Black Kites, Totem Skin and Capacities.

CALLOW straddles a few fine lines - in a good way, of course. I'm almost sure the band's sound was initially drawn from influences like Cassilis (same city) and Alpinist (now Jungbluth, with whom they have an upcoming split). Over the course of a few listens you'll hear varying styles that also include caustic screamo, post/hardcore, grind, crust and even some post-rock leanings. It's like intelligent, chaotic hardcore for those who think hardcore is too slow and simple (says I).

The band employs back-and-forth vocals at all the right times (see Totem Skin and The Setup). They bring on crushing breakdowns when needed (see Creeper and Curl Up And Die). These fellas spazz the fuck out (see Graf Orlock and Phoenix Bodies). They even have the chilled ambient-rock section (see Jungbluth and Bleeding Kansas) in the band's quintessential song "Asleep" . That's enough name-dropping for now, even if they're pretty accurate. I must reiterate, "Asleep" truly houses all of the stylistic heads that CALLOW rears and it serves as an anchor for the entire 'Disappear Here' EP. If anything, check out that song, as the outro is absolutely stellar.

The band has a 7" split with Jungbluth coming out that should be released early 2014, if we're lucky. I've heard the songs and they are much darker than the EP. Zegema Beach Records will be releasing CALLOW's next EP sometime mid-late 2014, which I'm fucking stoked about.

Anthony (vocals) told me that the band's new material will be even darker than the Jungbluth split and more influenced by crust bands. All of the CALLOW members took part in an Idioteque.com interview coming out soon that will explain the band a hell of a lot better than I can, which will be linked once it's posted. Until then, donate a buck or two and grab the band's EP here.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2012 - Disappear Here cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)

2013 - Self Help Records Compilation (contributed "Why's/Wherefores") (stream here)

2014 - Jungbluth Split 7"

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(2012) CALLOW - "Asleep" (from 'Disappear Here')

(2012) CALLOW - "Understudies" (from 'Disappear Here')

(2013) CALLOW - "Whys/Wherefores" (from 'Self Help Records' comp)

 

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CALLOW additional links

Bandcamp

Blog

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***мища (MNWA) exclusive interview***

Band: мища

Genres: Punk / Psycho Screamo / Noise Rock / Emo-Violence / Hardcore / Grind
Related artists: Drug Money, Mare, Dawntreader, Sitka and Pussy Babies.
Country: Baltimore, USA
Years Active: 2008-present
Song: "I've Built Plenty of Houses, But I've Broken More Homes"
Album: Innards Split 7"
Year: 2012
Label(s): Bear Records / Black With Sap / Chucky the Rat Records / Texas Toast DIY /
               Topshelf / Unity Through Harmony
This post's artist is from the December 2013 Mix. This is track #5.
You can download the December 2013 Mix right here.
For fans of: Louise Cyphre, Tristan Tzara, Jeromes Dream, Lord Snow, Deadseraphim,
                   Mesa Verde, Deers!, Joshua Fit For Battle, Tel Fyr, Yusuke, Delos, Daughters,
                   Republic Of Dreams, D'Amore, Innards, Kodan Armada, Pg.99, Black Kites,
                   Dawntreader, Makara, Ruhaeda, Dispensing Of False Halos and Foxmoulder 
                   aka PROPER Screamo.

мища has been releasing material on a pretty consistent basis for 5 years. The end of 2013 saw the release of the band's crowning achievement 'Joyless', which is a screamy slap in the face through a dirty, dingy, feedback-soaked and drug-induced haze. The 9 tracks cover the aural equivalent of releasing a fine mist of noise and depression - but the band is great at creating soft, lulling, dreamy ambient rock. Their older releases harness the haunting and quieter moments to larger degree (see "Landlocked pt. 2") which makes sense as the band was apparently going through a pretty dark time in their lives and this translates perfectly on 'Joyless'.

I have included what I believe to be a pretty accurate "for fans of" section above, so I'm not going to delve any more into the band and/or their style. Read the exclusive OMSB interview with Rob from мища - linked here. I also interviewed him about his killer blog CHUG LIFE which can be read here. The interviews are very insightful, honest, and let's not forget chill or dope. If anyone is butt hurt about the content or the vomiting pictures...good.

"I feel bad for not being on top of my blog game, but I feel even worse because I don’t feel that bad."
-Rob

INTERVIEWS:

linked HERE (мища) and HERE (Chug Life)

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DISCOGRAPHY

2009 - Demo (1) EP (stream/donate/download here)
2009 - Demo (2) EP (stream/donate/download here)
2009 - Lady Sang the Blues EP (stream/download here)
2009 - Not For Ears EP (stream/donate/download here)

2010 - We Were Skeletons Split 7"EP  (compiled on Tour2k12, stream/donate/download here)
2010 - Pansori / Deers! / ColorChromatic / Animal Lover Split 12"LP
           (stream/donate/download here)

2011 - Oppenheimer Limit Split 7"EP (stream/donate/download here)

2012 - Innards Split 7"EP (compiled on Tour2k12, stream/donate/download here)
2012 -  Tour 2k12 compilation EP (stream/donate/download here)

2013 - Joyless 7"EP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2009) мища - "In Tents" (from 'Not For Ears')

(2010) мища - "A Midwinter Night's Dream" (from 'We Were Skeletons' split)

(2012) мища - "I've Built Plenty of Houses, But I've Broken More Homes" (from 'Innards' split)

(2013) мища - "Track 5" (from 'Joyless')

 

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мища additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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***KEN MODE exclusive video interview***

***VIDEO INTERVIEW and every music video link here***

 

Band: KEN MODE

Genres: Punk / Noise Rock / Hardcore / Metal / Thrash / Sludge / Post-Hardcore
Related artists: Hide Your Daughters, Electro Quarterstaff, Kittens, Projektor, Velodrome
                         and Khann.
Country: Winnipeg, CANADA
Years Active: 1999-present
Song: "Figure Your Life Out"
Album: "Entrench"
Year: 2013
Label(s): Arctodus Records / Escape Artists Records / Init Records / No List Records / 
               Profound Lore Records / Season of Mist
This post's artist is from the December 2013 Mix. This is track #15.
You can download the December 2013 Mix right here.
For fans of: Back When, Graf Orlock, Callow, Cassilis, Ghostlimb, The Setup, Converge,
                   Enkephalin, Botch, Neurosis,  Great Sabbatini, Dead Ranch, The End,
                   Meat Rack, Kittens, Mastodon, Drive Like Jehu, Jesus Lizard, Llynch,
                   Narrows, Burnt By The Sun, Mare and Buried Inside.

Now that's how you command an audience's attention. Goddamn.

I'm not happy with the Canadian government. Shit is going downhill very quickly in a vain attempt to emulate the US and make profiting the sole endeavor of our country. At least we still got one thing going for us - our critics know a good aggressive band when they hear one. KEN MODE won the Juno award (Canadian version of the Grammy's) for best heavy metal/hard rock act back in 2012 for 'Venerable' - and the band's new LP 'Entrench' blows that out of the water. It makes sense, as brothers Jesse and Shane have been releasing records every 2-3 years for almost a decade and a half. If I were to sum it up quickly, nasty/technical hardcore is what I would describe KEN MODE as - but we all know I don't sum things up quickly. Time for details.

From watching the band, listening to them talk and reading the lyrics KEN MODE sounds like a catharsis for the band. I was extremely surprised to hear such a bellowing voice emanating from such a soft-spoken (and at the time, sick) vocalist. The noises he dabbles in include throaty yelling, banshee screaming, spoken/haunting vocals and cavernous growling/howling. The vocals match the music not only in regards to timing but also to delivery. Listen to "Secret Vasectomy" for a pretty good initial impression of Jesse's range (which is bordering on the realm of Mike Patton) - and the band in general, actually.

Most of the band's songs are corrosive, and others pair the aggression with some extremely catchy and melodic riffing - see "Obeying the Iron Will" from 'Venerable' or "Figure Your Life Out" on 'Entrench' for prime examples. One of my favourites by KEN MODE, strangely enough, is the band's Thrice-sounding "Flight of the Echo Hawk" on 'Venerable'. This instrumental track showcases how chilled and catchy this band is, although the slow pace and lighter atmosphere of the song isn't replicated often. In the end, KEN MODE is going to damage your eardrums about 80% of the time. What a glorious thing.

some notes:
-KEN  Mode means "Kill Everyone Now Mode" (from Henry Rollins' "Get in the Van") and they truly tap this moniker
-Shane likes volleyball references
-they sound similar to Botch to me, but the band did not influence KEN MODE
-the band draws influences from many bands, including Melvins and Jesus Lizard.

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Interview: Part 1 is embedded below. Parts 2-3 (as well as 1), a live video and all of the KEN MODE music videos are linked HERE so this page doesn't take forever to load. Once again:

CLICK HERE for the 3-part

VIDEO INTERVIEW

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DISCOGRAPHY

2003 - Mongrel cdLP (stream/buy here)

2006 - Reprisal cd/2x12"LP (stream/buy here)

2008 - Mennonite cd/cassette/3x7"/12"LP (stream/buy here)

2011 - Venerable cd/cassette/12"LP (stream/buy here)

2013 - Entrench cd/2x12"LP (stream/buy here)

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(2008) KEN MODE - "Messenger of Teeth" (from 'Mennonite')

(2011) KEN MODE - "Obeying the Iron Will..." (from 'Venerable')

(2013) KEN MODE - "Secret Vasectomy" (from 'Entrench')

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KEN MODE additional links

 

Bandcamp

 

Facebook

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***TOTEM SKIN exclusive interview***

Band: TOTEM SKIN

Genres: Grind / Gloomy & Atmospheric Hardcore / Metalcore / Screamo / D-beat
Related artists: Ignominy, Letters From The Colony, .
Country: Delarna, SWEDEN
Years Active: 2012-present
Song: "Kargt Landskap"
Album: "Still Waters Run Deep"
Year: 2013
Label(s): Dog Knights Productions
This post's artist is from the December 2013 Mix. This is track #16.
You can download the December 2013 Mix right here.
For fans of: Graf Orlock, Cassilis, Converge, Amber, Callow, Jungbluth, June Paik, Dangers!,
                   Back When, Phoenix Bodies, Buried Inside, Ghostlimb and (early)
                   This Day Forward.

The day Dog Knights Productions posted "Kargt Landskap" I sat googly-eyed for the entire 5 and a half minutes. It was like hearing an epic and structurally sound Graf Orlock mixed with the slower atmospheric screamo moments of June Paik. The band dropped 'Still Waters Run Deep' a few months ago to rave reviews. Expect to see TOTEM SKIN on quite a few year-end-lists. If you are a fan of dual vocalists (one high screamer / one bellowing yeller) and varying instrumentals (breakneck hardcore / gloomy atmospheric screamo) then you are about to have a new favourite band. They are so good, in fact, that I contacted them about releasing something with Zegema Beach Records in the future. A track (at this point undecided) will be included on the new ZBR Zampler compilation that is being released January 1st, 2014 as Zegema will be working with the band in the near future! Following that conversation, we decided to do an interview. I asked the guys a crapload of questions and they obliged with some great answers. Check the interview below and grab their new record here.

Here listen to this nice, long track while reading the interview. (it's the one discussed in question #13)

Enjoy!

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Considering the point of this blog is to introduce people to new bands, which bands would you recommend checking out?
1) A band that recently caught my attention was Kira from the hardcore capital of Sweden, Umeå. We are doing a small weekender later in the winter and we are fortunate to play with those guys, which I'm really looking forward to! (http://kirahardcore.bandcamp.com/)

Besides tour, how do you find out about new music?
2) Usually from word of mouth and of course from different blogs, youtube etc. The internet is a great tool to find music when you're from such a remote place like Borlänge where punk barely exists.

How was the band chronologically assembled? Under what circumstances?
3) It started somewhere in the beginning of 2012. I had a few ideas that I wanted to assemble, so I asked Henrik if he could arrange some drums and vocals to. We recorded a few songs by ourselves in a basement without even rehearsing. During this process Glenn asked if he could contribute with some screaming. This resulted in our first demo/EP. Right after it was finished we continued with our second EP in the same way. We never had intentions for this project to leave that basement, but after we released our first EP we were asked to play a few shows. So we asked Sebastian and Jesper if they wanted to help us play at those shows. And after those shows we just continued rehearsing. Around spring of 2013 Jonas asked if he could play bass in the band and not long after we started writing songs for the full length that became 'Still Waters Run Deep'.

What side-projects and/or offshoots have the band members taken part in?
4) Jesper played guitar in the beginning of Ignominy. Back then they were more of a power-violence band, but since he left they have become more of a weird noise rock band, They're really cool! Henrik used to play drums in a math-metal band called Letters from the Colony. They are amazing and will release new stuff soon hopefully. Their guitarist actually used to play bass for us on two or three shows and did some vocals on our second EP.

What bands have most directly influenced TOTEM SKIN’s songs over the years?
5) I can't speak for the whole band, but without pg.99 I know this band would never have existed. Our name is from the song "Tantrum" from the Majority Rule split. And also a lot of Swedish d-beat like Martyrdöd, Accursed, Skitsystem etc.

Would you consider yourselves a screamo/grind/metal band?
6) This is a though one. I would say that Totem Skin is our definition of hardcore. We borrow a lot from those genres, but in the end it's all hardcore.

If you had to slap a genre label on TOTEM SKIN - so potential new listeners could get a good idea of your sound without hearing you, what would you label yourselves as?
7) Käng-emo. ("Käng is what we call d-beat punk here. Or crust, perhaps.")

There’s usually so much going on in your songs, so I’m wondering who generally writes the first part of a song?
8) I usually write all of our songs. We almost never write a whole song as a group. If someone has an idea we bring it to our rehearsal room and build it from there. And then Henrik and Glenn take care of the lyrics.

How did you get involved with Dog Knights and touring?
9) The singer from Disembarked, who released a 7inch on Dog Knights, mentioned us to Darren who runs the label. And after a few e-mails it was settled. The tour we just did turned out beyond our expectations. We arranged the whole thing by ourselves, and since we're still such a new band it was amazing that people wanted to set-up shows for us and that people actually turned up. Just about a year ago we never thought we would leave our rehearsal room.

Songs like “To Live Is To Be Haunted” and “The Romans Make a Desert and Call it Peace” have both soft and hard passages. Is the shift done or purpose or does it just, sort of, happen.
10) It was on purpose, I wanted them to have some contrast so they wouldn't blend in, which is quite easy when you just pound d-beat and blast beats all the time.

How long does it take TOTEM SKIN, on average, to write a song? Ex. hours/days
11) It depends, sometimes all the pieces fall into place and it takes one hour and sometimes it takes months. Sometimes I feel that some songs were too rushed and could have been done differently. You never are satisfied, but sometimes that helps us a lot to strive for motivations.

What was the most difficult song to write? The easiest?
12) I think "At the Forest’s Edge" was the hardest. We changed so much of its structure before it became what it is today, so that song was really confusing in the beginning. The easiest was probably "To Live is to be Haunted". If I remember correctly that one was written in an hour the day before it was recorded.

The sample in "Seasons Don't Fear the Reaper, We Can Be Like They Are" is awesome. What movie is it from?
13) It’s actually not from a movie but a video game. We’ve used it firstly because it adds tremendously to the atmosphere we were going for, and secondly because it fits the theme of the lyrics pretty much perfectly. We feel like it wouldn’t be the same song without it.

Can you explain the significance or meaning behind some of TOTEM SKIN’s artwork?
14) We wanted the artwork to feel like home. Dark, uninhabitable and with a forest theme.

Why the name, TOTEM SKIN?
15) Pg.99 reference!

What are the band members’ favourite songs to play and why?
16) "No Gods, No Masters" - that song is a rager to play live!

How have your hometowns influenced your band?
17) It's probably the reason why there's such a dark theme to the songs. It really stimulates the motivation to write songs. I doubt we would have sounded the same if we came from a more habitable part of the world.

What is the most exciting thing to happen to music as of late?
18) Hardcore music is growing here in Sweden. More show promoters and bands seem to turn up out of nowhere recently. And Dead in the Dirt’s new album is great.

How have you progressed as a musician? Band?
19) I have only been playing guitar for about 4 years now. So I still have much to learn and this band has given me the opportunity to learn so much in such short time. Band-wise I think we learn something new each time we rehearse. If we all of a sudden stopped feeling progress within the band I doubt we would continue playing.

What is the best TOTEM SKIN tour story?
20) Haha most of it's classified. We have only done one tour yet, we mostly play single shows around where we are from. I think we have played like 15 shows or something by now. We usually smash ourselves into pieces and leave the stage or the floor we played on in a bloody mess.

What was the biggest surprise that has come TOTEM SKIN’s way?
21) That some people actually give a shit about us.

Looking back, how do you feel about your older releases?
22) I have mixed feelings about those old songs. Some of them are good. But I think we should have waited a little longer until at least we were a full band to have some more perspective on them. And perhaps recorded them in a decent studio. Even though we rerecorded three of them at the 'Still Waters Run Deep' session.

What are your thoughts regarding mainstream music?
23) It's like fast food. It may taste good at first but there's absolutely no nutrition or whatsoever in it and it leaves you with a bad aftertaste.

Sweden is, in my opinion, the hotbed of aggressive punk/screamo/metal music. Have you noticed the ridiculous amount of talent coming out of your country?
24) Haha, yeah there's a lot of music that's being made within these borders. Perhaps it's something in the water.

Do you have any tips for people trying to start bands - or anything else creative?
25) Don't give up easily, have patience. Take your time and learn to play with your band mates. And most of all, have fun. Fuck what everyone else says.

Can you tell us about Sweden and touring in other countries?
26) There's a huge difference. Generally, people here in Sweden are often quite anti-social. Some seem to have a no-fun attitude at shows, at least when a band that they aren’t too familiar with are playing. That may in part be because shows here are almost always drug free. In places where they allow alcohol, people seem more open to move their bodies to music they don’t know. I really like playing in Germany. There are a lot of people at the shows and a really positive atmosphere overall.

What are your thoughts on the current state of the world?
27) It's shit.

Everyone has phobias, especially irrational ones. Mine? Sharks. Yours?
28) Insects. Can't stand them. It's really an issue for me since I almost get a cardiac arrest every time a bumblebee or any flying thing gets near me.

Future plans?
29) Make better songs. Tour way more and see new places. Hopefully we will tour North America in a not so distant future.

Please list your top 10 albums of all time:
30)
PG.99 - Document 8
HIS HERO IS GONE - Monument to Thieves
TRAGEDY - Vengeance
MARTYRDOD - Sekt
SIGUR ROS - ( )
CITY OF CATERPILLAR - S/T
AMERICAN FOOTBALL - S/T
DEAD IN THE DIRT - The Blind Hole
DEAFHEAVEN - Sunbather
NORMA JEAN - Bless the Martyr...


P.S. Get cats they are awesome. (OMSB concurs!)

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DISCOGRAPHY

2012 - Totem Skin (stream/donate/download here)

2013 - These Ghosts are Haunting Our Halls ? (stream/donate/download here)
2013 - Still Waters Run Deep 12"LP (stream/buy/download here) (PURCHASE HERE)

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(2012) TOTEM SKIN - "The Romans Make a Desert and Call it Peace" demo (from 'Totem Skin')

(2013) TOTEM SKIN - "No Gods, No Masters" (from 'These Ghosts are Haunting Our Halls')

(2013) TOTEM SKIN - "At the Forest's Edge" (from 'Still Waters Run Deep')

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TOTEM SKIN additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook
 

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