***NOUS ETIONS / ATSUKO CHIBA / SHAHMAN / BRAUER show review***

On March 28th, 2014 I was one of the few privileged individuals that knew about how killer this bill was. 2 bands were from Montreal and weren't well known in Toronto, but I expect that to change the second NOUS ETIONS or ATSUKO CHIBA book another musical spectacle. Let's run through the show in order, shall we?
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NOUS ETIONS was the highlight of the night for this reviewer. Not only will they be releasing their first LP on Zegema Beach Records, but they guys are amazing people and their music will catch the attention of fans of Sed Non Satiata, Titan and The Alaskan. These 5 guys blasted through 7 songs in a little under half an hour. The fact that they played for about 30 people (16 of which were in the other bands) made no difference as they absolutely owned the night. The band played ridiculously tight, especially considering it was the drummer's first show with the band! What!?!? Their LP has already been recorded and should be out this summer on a few different labels internationally. Get stoked.

1 - Leviathan

2 - Juste

3 - Je Me Souviens

4 - Les Algorithmes Du Malheur

Bandcamp

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ATSUKO CHIBA followed Nous Etions and blew away any expectations I had, except for The Mars Volta influence I heard on their bandcamp page. They had amazing stage (floor) presence and commanded the audience with their unique blend of building atmoshperic/epic rock (think Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor) meets The Mars Volta and occasional shouted 'In Casino Out'-era At The Drive In vocals. I would definitely see this band again and invite anyone who digs music, as it's very accessible.

1

2

Bandcamp

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SHAHMAN
SHAHMAN was the closer and played the shortest set by far. What started out as a strange and haunting song that didn't really go anywhere, the 2-piece destroyed listeners with the remaining 10 minutes of their set. These guys end up sound like old Old Man Gloom, Mare and The Chariot but slower and less technical, with an emphasis on sludge.

1

2

3

Bandcamp

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BRAUER
The opening band was BRAUER, which was a band I formed at preconception about before hearing. My unwanted inherent bias was quickly put to rest after a very enthusiastic band played some fun and interesting songs for about 20 minutes. I really don't have a basis for comparison, so check the videos.

1

2

Bandcamp

***CREEPER final show***

CREEPER's Death - March 29th, 2014 @Soybomb in Toronto, ON Canada

I remember walking in a few songs in to the CREEPER set early-2013 and being blown away by a style similar to Graf Orlock, His Hero Is Gone and Curl Up And Die. I hastily interviewed the band the following month, got to know a few of the guys and saw them another half-dozen times before their decision to call it quits. So...March 29th, 2014 in Soybomb. CREEPER's final show with Animal Faces, GDP, Hashed Out and Ism. Below is CREEPER's full set (excluding approximately 2 minutes) that I made sure to document the passing of an incredible Toronto band. I was also able to interview them last year, which you can read in its glorious immensity here. Get the band's discography on bandcamp by clicking on these words and feel free to throw them a few bones for their hard work.

CLICK HERE to go to the Zegema Beach Records site to see the 10 videos from CREEPER's final show!

Here is one of my favourites from the show which is horribly shot for a myriad of reasons, primarily of which is the fact that the camera screen is now broken, so I can't see what I'm shooting.

JEROMES DREAM

Band: JEROMES DREAM

Genres: Emo-Violence / Noise Rock / Grind / Hardcore / Screamo / Destruction / Not Schlepper
Related artists: The Virgins.
Country: Connecticut, USA
Years Active: 1997-2001
Song: "And Just Like That the Year Is Gone"
Album: "Seeing Means More Than Safety"
Year: 2000
Label(s): Alone Records / Rice Control / Hit The Ground Running / Witching Hour Records / Old Glory Records / Garbage Czar / Clean Plate Records / Level Plane Records
This post's artist is from the March 2014 Mix. This is track #13.
You can download the March 2014 Mix#2 right here.
For fans of:  Rayleigh, Neil Perry, Seyarse, Deadseraphim, Yusuke, The Apoplexy Twist Orchestra, Louise Cyphre, Tristan Tzara, Lord Snow, Beau Navire, Loma Prieta, Dolcim, Cease Upon The Capitol, Mara'akate, Deers!, The Truth About Dreaming, Swan Of Tuonela, Textbook Traitors, MNWA, The Flying Worker, The Great Redneck Hope, Welcome The Plague Year, Kaospilot, (early) Examination Of The..., Republic Of Dreams, Aokigahara, Tera Melos, Usurp Synapse, Iwontstopwonderinguntilyoustopbreathing, King's Girls and Back When aka PROPER Screamo.

I don't think there's a better way to close out the month than with one of the most prolific and influential hardcore/emoviolence/screamo/grind bands that you'll ever hear. What did JEROMES DREAM sound like? Murder. Death. Explosions. Mass genocide. Oh, and calm, serene and downright relaxing jams. Bands have been attempting this formula for over 15 years, most notably in the last 2 or so, with little success. The bands that have most recently successfully adapted parts of this style are Yusuke, MNWA, Rayleigh and King's Girls. If you are in a perpetual search for the closest thing to JEROMES DREAM (as you should be) may I recommend Deadseraphim, reviewed here. Alright, let's get on with it.

This is violence in audio form. The song hits with a force unparalleled in other music and the sheer power is staggering. Listen to the exit of human civilization at the 40-second mark of "The Monologue Of The Century". This track also has some really pretty slow jamz with insane drumming. Yusuke, I'm looking in your direction.

Another one of my favourite tracks is "And Just Like That The Year Is Gone" which has a bombshell packed with cyanide that explodes following an (almost) pretty interlude, leaving the listener floored/dead at the 0:55 second mark. You can't get more powerful than this.

"Exit 29 Collapsed As I Drove By" sounds exactly what witnessing such a catastrophe (I'm imagining a bridge collapsing) would translate to if written as music at 0:40 or so it sounds like the soundtrack to a murder and that's with NO vocals and NO thick chugging. Tis more than a difficult feat but they pulled it off and put it in the goddamn textbook. Copyright, bitches.

"What I Learned At This Year's Regional Optometry Convention" is a mostly-instrumental headbanging romp through some sludgy waters and has JEROMES DREAM combining their (later) poppier sound with the feedback-soaked, bass-heavy and overall massive wall of sound. That's right, fuck you Phil Spector -you got nothing on these guys.

As you may have noticed, the insanely (and one could certainly argue 'comical') shrill, shrieked vocals were done in a live setting with no microphone. After destroying his vocal chords Jeff Smith opted for the, "Hey I found a megaphone and I'm going to shout incomprehensibly." It's what worked for him, but I personally find it irksome. Regardless, the instrumentals on 'Presents' are still spot on and have a lighter touch, much like Tera Melos or Town Portal. These tracks are decent but passable considering the absolute genius that awaits listeners after these final recordings. Check out "35" and "Double Who? Double You!" for some of the best work.

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DISCOGRAPHY

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

1998 - Amalgamation Split 7"

1999 - July Split 7"
1999 - The Book Of Dead Names Split 5"

2000 - Seeing Means More Than Safety 10"EP
2000 - Orchid Split skull 10"EP
2000 - An Aspirin, An X-Ray (Usurp Synapse Split) 7"
2000 - The One AM Radio Split 7"

2001 - Presents cdLP

2005 - Completed 1997-2001 2xcd complete discography (download here)
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(2000) JEROMES DREAM - "And Just Like That The Year Is Gone" (from 'Seeing Means More Than Safety')

(2000) JEROMES DREAM - "The Monologue Of The Century" (from 'Seeing Means More Than Safety')

(2000) JEROMES DREAM - "Exit 29 Collapsed As I Drove By" (from 'Seeing Means More Than Safety')

(1999) JEROMES DREAM - "I Won't Stop Wondering Until You Stop Breathing" (from 'The Book Of Dead Names' split)

(2000) JEROMES DREAM - "My Most Recent Left Right Brain Argument" (from 'Orchid' split)

(2000) JEROMES DREAM - "What I Learned At This Year's Regional Optometry Convention" (from 'Usurp Synapse' split)

(2001) JEROMES DREAM - "35" (from 'Presents')

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JEROMES DREAM out-of-print discography mp3 download

(download here)

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***CAUTION CHILDREN / CONGRATULATIONS / FOXMOULDER / NEW WINGS / ++ live show***

On March 25th, 2014 I drove an hour to Kitchener/Waterloo to go see a pretty stacked show with a very good turnout for a Tuesday night:
++ (Two Crosses)
Foxmoulder
The Caution Children
Congratulations
New Wings

Watch over 15 live songs from this concert on the Zegema Beach Records page, linked here.

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(++) TWO CROSSES played an intense and short set, due largely to the fact that one of the vocalist's completely lost their voice during the set. Regardless, it was intense, as well as much thicker and heavier than previous shows I've seen them play at.

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FOXMOULDER tore shit up, as per usual, but this was their first show with their newly formed lineup. The new drummer from White Ribs was absolutely phenomenal and Darren's second show has made me even more excited about their future recordings. Expect things to get faster, harder and tighter, holy shit!

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THE CAUTION CHILDREN pretty much blew everyone away, including myself. I talked with all the members of the band and they are super chill. I spoke at length with Logan (who is the guitar player on the left in the pic/video) and he mentioned that he is also the guitarist/vocalist for Gillian Carter, who put out one of the best albums of 2013 (check my ranking here). That was a pretty awesome moment for me. THE CAUTION CHILDREN have more playful songs (than Gillian Carter) and focus more on massive movements not unlike City Of Caterpillar and Godspeed You Black Emperor, which I think is a pretty apt comparison if you throw in some Tera Melos to top it all off. If you have the chance to check these fellas out, you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to have them rock your face off.

 

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CONGRATULATIONS are the up and coming Canadian emo-rock/screamo band. These 4 dudes also play in Life In Vacuum and New Wings and reside in the Kitchener/Waterloo area of Ontario. If Desaparecidos, Bright Calm Blue, Indian Summer and Birthday Boyz were put into a blender, it might end up sounding like this. Seeing their live video of "Are You Frightened, Skinny Scary Skeleton" rocked my world a few months back, so hopefully I will be able to help CONGRATULATIONS put out their demo EP, but that's not set in stone. When this stuff is available people are going to shit themselves, as this band deserves some serious recognition already. Their material has a lot of variety and for a new band this stuff is fucking unreal. I believe CONGRATULATIONS will be doing a 1-month stint in parts of Canada and the US along with Life In Vacuum. Watch the entire set from March 25th here with all 6 songs.
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NEW WINGS encapsulate what dreamy and epic keyboard driven rock music should sound like. I reviewed them in more detail and with more videos a few weeks back with Black Love and Watch For Wolves which was also an amazing show. Check that out here. This band defies comparisons, so fuck that shit.

Watch over 15 live songs from this concert on the Zegema Beach Records page, linked here.

SNORAS

Band: SNØRAS

Genres: Punk / Rock / Emo / Post-Hardcore / Screamo
Related artists: Lukestar and Angora Static.
Country: NORWAY
Years Active: 2005-2008
Song: "She Swims Like A Dolphin"
Album: "Heart Of Weakness"
Year: 2006
Label(s): Fysisk Format / Great Northern Records / Anomalie Records / Not Another Record Label
This post's artist is from the March 2014 Mix. This is track #6.
You can download the March 2014 Mix#2 right here.
For fans of: Dip Leg, Via Fondo, Secret Arms, JR Ewing, Kaospilot, Carrion Spring, Leer, Kidcrash, The Blood Brothers, Raein, Desiderata, Despistado, Republic Of Dreams and Daitro aka PROPER Screamo.

My good pal Alex from Nous Etions got me into SNØRAS (which is Norwegian for "avalanche") about a year ago, now. I thank that man every day that I listen to SNØRAS. How the fuck didn't I hear about this band before?!?!?! They released 2 albums more than 5 years ago and I hadn't once stumbled across the name, as far as my memory can recall. "She Swims Like A Dolphin" is the song he sent over and it had me bouncing off the walls. It's a very quick, tight and explosive jaunt in a mere minute thirty-four. It's a stunning mix of cathartic screamo and melody-soaked punk rock on speed. The instrumentals in particular are very distinguishable. They guitars are generally pretty high, with almost no breakdowns or chugs and remind me of bands like La Quiete, Desiderata and Dip Leg. The vocals tend to hit somewhere in the Johnny Whitney range during his Blood Brothers days without the insane high singing. There's also the European flair that screams (literally) 'Ride Paranoia'-era JR Ewing.

I personally enjoy the older material, but songs like "Lucid River" and "Mosaic Devours" make me question my opinion on a regular basis, as the song is much more complex and weaves through more transitions with much stronger vocals and recording quality. "C'est L'Amour" is one of the band's hardest tracks and the choke-hold on the dual vocals really shows the band's dark side. "Dear Leonard" is probably the band's most complete and emotionally packed song which certainly hits a heart string with me. Although I could probably name drop a ton of bands with awesome similarities, I'll stop there and let the music speak for itself. This shit is gold, Jerry. Gold! I've included the discography for download.

If you've read this far, I insist that you watch the live video posted below - or you will forever burn in the fires of screamo mediocrity.

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DISCOGRAPHY

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

2006 - Heart Of Weakness cdLP

2008 - Plague Waters cd/2xLP

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(2006) SNØRAS - "She Swims Like A Dolphin" (from 'Heart Of Weakness') live video

(2006) SNØRAS - "Dear Leonard" (from 'Heart Of Weakness')

(2008) SNØRAS - "Lucid River" (from 'Plague Waters')

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SNØRAS out-of-print discography mp3 download

(download here)

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CURL UP AND DIE

Band: CURL UP AND DIE

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Grind / Thrash / Post-Hardcore / Metalcore
Related artists: The Weirding Way, Puig Destroyer and Poison The Well.
Country: Las Vegas, Nevada USA
Years Active: 1998-2005
Song: "Damn Girl, That Shit Is Deep Like The Ocean" &
         "God Is In Heaven, All Is Right With The World"
Album: "We May Be Through With The Past..." &
            "...But The Past Ain't Through With Us"
Year: 2003
Label(s): Status Recordings / Revelation Records
This post's artist is from the March 2014 Mix. These are tracks #1 & 16.
You can download the March 2014 Mix#2 right here.
For fans of: Creeper, Furnace, Rats Into Robots, The Abandoned Hearts Club, Deadguy,
                 Bleeding Kansas, Converge, Knut, Botch, The Bled, Minor Times, Engineer,
                 Poison The Well, Lavotchkin, The Ocean, The Expectorated Sequence,
                 Trainwreck, Kowloon Walled City, The Minor Times, His Hero Is Gone, (early)
                 Hopesfall, Ed Gein, Zann, Llynch, The Hope Conspiracy, Achilles, Canyons,
                 Every Time I Die, Old Man Gloom, Heavy Heavy Low Low, Daughters, and
                 Fucking Invincible.

Jeez, I had a hella time trying to find a song for the mix. This band had way too many ear-shattering tracks to choose just one, especially when 2 of my favourites are so different in style and length. Yep, did you notice there were 2 songs by the same band? One of the most epic songs ever written coupled with an amazing shotgun blast of sludgy post-hardcore and grind/trash. These were some eclectic dudes so I'll talk briefly about each album.
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'The Only Good Bug Is A Dead Bug' shows the band during its infancy. What makes this release most notable is the difference in the vocals. They are much more shrill and tend to be all over the place, while the later material - let's be honest, he sticks to the yell/snarl/puke thing. The vocals were the biggest hurdle for me to overcome, as at the time I had just gotten into Converge (which required some time) and this took repeat listens to be able to appreciate the dirty, almost crusty style of Mike Minnick. The use of samples from movies such as Starship Troopers and Event Horizon and sweet song titles make this a pretty good release.

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'1998' has 2 songs that really bridge the gap between the band's first EP and later material. The songs have some subdued moments and the vocals get closer to the style honed on the 2-part EP in 2003. Meh.

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'Unfortunately We're Not Robots' is the weakest outing by the band, in my opinion. The songs sound muddled and poorly constructed when compared to the 3 releases listed below. The tracks vary from ridiculously short songs (many hovering around 1 minute) but even so, it kind of just plods along without many album-defining songs. It's like an infant compared to the teenage years of the next 2 EPs and the adulthood of the final LP. It's a decent album and all, just not great by CURL UP AND DIE standards. Actually, after listening to this again it's almost really good - but doesn't have the hooks or epic feel of the final material.
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'We May Be Through With The Past...' & '...But The Past Ain't Through With Us.'

These 2 releases are probably my overall favourites, although their final LP was a pretty close second. Seriously, this shit fucking owns. Blast through the first 5 tracks on EP1 in only 8 minutes and hear how tight, massive and dirty this post-metal/thrash/mathy-hardcore band had become. Tracks like "I Hate Almost Every Person I Come In Contact With" are not subtle in their Converge worship of the band's pre-'Jane Doe' material. Mike truly hits the snarl with these EPs and the force of his vocals could have ripped your goddamned face off should you have ventured too close to the mic during a live set.

EP2 closes with one of the most epic songs I've ever heard - the absolutely beautiful, crushing and long "God Is In Heaven And All Is Right With The World". This masterpiece takes time to get to what many would consider "typical" CURL UP AND DIE, but the 7-minute intro is probably my favourite thing the band has ever done. Think Envy meets Moby and you've got the right idea. Afterward dipping briefly in a Zozobra/Old Man Gloom-sounding interlude, the band shows that 14-minute songs can be harder and better than any 1-minute thrash or hardcore romp when they start shitting out of the speakers. It's more pleasant than I've made it sound.
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'The One Above All, The End Of All That Is' is epic with more peaks and valleys, slow chill jams and monstrous breakdowns, all without sacrificing their great mini-blasts. These changes are made apparent from the get-go, as "An Uncomfortable Routine" dives headfirst into a huge riff that is pummeling and is relatively consistent throughout the rest of the song but it never really hits the gas pedal. This maturity and simultaneous self-mockery was a recipe for a phenomenal final album. Part of me is glad CURL UP AND DIE called it quits after this (just a small part, though) as they accomplished something that I would consider was well outside of their initial intention at the time of their inception - a truly progressive, heavy album that for the most part seems to have been swept under the rug for the better part of the last 10 years. I did read somewhere that the band was reuniting in 2012 but haven't heard anything since.

Listening to this CURL UP AND DIE while reviewing this reminds me again of why I do this. This band was so incredible and their music has been a part of my life for over a decade that listening to it makes me feel so damn happy to be alive. That's the sign of some pretty sweet musack, John Cusack.

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DISCOGRAPHY

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

2000 - The Only Good Bug Is A Dead Bug cdEP

2001 - 1998 7"EP

2002 - Unfortunately We're Not Robots cd/12"LP

2003 - We May Be Through With The Past... cdEP
2003 - ...But The Past Ain't Through With Us. cdEP

2005 - The One Above All, The End Of All That Is cdLP
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(2005) CURL UP AND DIE - full live set (Montreal)

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CURL UP AND DIE out-of-print discography mp3 download

(download here)

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LION OF THE NORTH

Band: LION OF THE NORTH

Genres: Punk / Math Rock / Grind / Emo / Emo-Violence / Post-Hardcore / Screamo
Related artists: Grown Ups, La Dispute and Cloakroom.
Country: Indiana, USA
Years Active: 2007-2008
Song: "Point Me To Providence"
Album: "The Compass Calls"
Year: 2007
Label(s): Kid Sister Everything
This post's artist is from the March 2014 Mix. This is track #8.
You can download the March 2014 Mix#2 right here.
For fans of: MANS., Kaddish, Kodan Armada, L'Antietam, Deers!, Smile To The Wind,
                 Carrion Spring, Gaff, Hot Cross, Storm The Bastille, Native, For Want Of, 
                 Sinatra (aka My First Castle), Mustaphamond, Matsuri, Raein, Leer, 
                 Caught In The Fall, The Sky Above And Earth Below and Birthday Boyz.

If you are like me and still yearn for the screamo that was running rampant from about 2002-2008 keep on reading. If we are referring to LION OF THE NORTH, they came in right near the end of the Dave-dubbed "Level Plane era" of screamo and mixed a few styles already made popular (relatively speaking) by bands such as Hot Cross, what with the crazy noodling and great melodies underlying the fast instrumentation, as well as Mustaphamond and Storm The Bastille, who boasted a lot of speed then nice slow jams with lots of different screamers.

The band's first EP is more than decent as 'The Compass Calls' has a looser sound than LION OF THE NORTH's later material which as mentioned earlier is more akin to the likes of Hot Cross, Gaff, For Want Of, Matsuri and Storm The Bastille. The first EP is much more rooted in hardcore and punk, while still screaming screamo. Ha. If you are going to check out any of the releases, may I suggest the 'MANS split', as those 2 tracks show the band at their pinnacle - which is obviously when all good bands decide to pack it in, goddammit. They've only got 6 songs that I'm aware of, but they're all pretty much awesome.
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DISCOGRAPHY

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

2007 - The Compass Calls cdEP (stream/donate/download here)

2008 - MANS. Split 7" that was never released (stream/buy/download here)
2008 - 4-Way Split w/Lautrec, MANS. and Native cdEP (tracks released on 2 other albums)
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(2008) LION OF THE NORTH - "Running With Wolves" (from 'MANS' split)

(2007) LION OF THE NORTH - "Point Me To Providence" (from 'The Compass Calls')

(2007) LION OF THE NORTH - "Ghost Stories" (from 'The Compass Calls')

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LION OF THE NORTH out-of-print discography mp3 download

(download here)

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I LOVE YOUR LIFESTYLE

Band: I LOVE YOUR LIFESTYLE

Genres: Emo / Pop-Punk / Rock / Garage / Indie / Folk / Surf
Related artists: Trachimbrod, Moon Cove, Tyred Eyes, Camp Jesus, Death By Armbost,
                       Tjibbalito, Monster Trucks, Lucky Heads,  and Niande Plagan.
Country: The Beach (ha!), SWEDEN
Years Active: 2012-present
Song: "Christoffer Robin"
Album: "I Love Your Lifestyle"
Year: 2014
Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / Through Love Records / Good Post Day Records
This post's artist is from the March 2014 Mix. This is track #3.
You can download the March 2014 Mix#2 right here.
For fans of: Amercian Football, Algernon Cadwallader, The Rabbit Theory, Cap'n'Jazz,
                 Baton Rouge, 12XU, Bomb The Music Industry, Trachimbrod and Nada Surf.

I am putting out this record in North America, but I am having a hard freakin' time getting my thoughts down in words. Well, that's not entirely true. The problem here is that I don't generally listen to this style of 90s emo music, and therefore have little-to-no legitimate comparisons because I'm not well versed in the genre. So, instead of name dropping like a mofo, I'll just try to describe the songs on the EP. If you're interested, check the tracks embedded and name drop some bands of your own choosing. The 7-song 12" transparent green EP will be released on April 11th, 2014 but preorders are up right now! So go here. By the way, this was mixed by Joe Reinhart of Algernon Cadwallader/Hop Along and features the vocalist of Trachimbrod! Mad respect.
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"Spider Monkey" is the opening track and showcases the band's Algernon Cadwallader influences. Bouncy, twinkly and downright catchy instrumentals with all clean vocals (albeit with more melody than Algernon) and a great rhythm section.

"Christoffer Robin" is the album's crowning achievement. The song starts off in an almost surf/folk kind of way before reaching that beautiful, sexy chorus. Oh my god, this chorus is so good. I need not say more, just get yourself to 1:00.

"Poetry Issues" is the EPs longest song at 3:37 and is a slower full-band number that treads lightly into twinkly emo territory and away from pop-punk. If the band decided to slow down full-time, they would probably turn a lot of indie rock heads, as this track serves up that genre on a platter.

"Catfights" is a song that sounds an awful lot like an acoustic improvisation with some vocals (and snapping). A decent track, but I don't expect it to be anyone's favourite. It would be great to play on long and scenic nature ride or simply to relax - if it was longer. Instead, the 1:24 song is a quick, laid back acoustic jam.

"Happy Lacuna" reminds me of "Christoffer Robin" and includes some back and forth dual vocals, which I'm always a sucker for. The chorus, albeit simple, is catchy as all hell and as a song is very well-rounded and might even work better than "Christoffer Robin" as a single. I think the 2nd chorus at the 1:44 mark is a prime example of this.

"Long Time No Bruce" is the final banger on this album. Following suit from the previous track, this song takes the dual vocals to a new level at the 0:45-1:00 mark which leads directly into the albums strongest chorus (or, at least, tied with "Christoffer Robin"). Lukas shows here that he can maintain tight vocal harmonies throughout the song, the instrumentals are some of the most complex and jump around in an almost Hot Cross kind of way, and is probably the strongest overall track.

"Bhonus", the bonus track on the vinyl release of the album is a 3-minute meandering through hazy and dreamy twinkly emo with Lukas and a guest female vocalist who really turns this into a thing of beauty. By the end of this track it is more than apparent that for a debut EP this is phenomenal. The final half of "Bhonus" touches back on the sound molded on "Poetry Issues" and rocks us out indie/garage rock style.
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I LOVE YOUR LIFESTYLE. The vocal melodies are so sweet I feel like I'm getting cavities in my ears just listening to the sugary choruses. Goddamn. The band is still in its infancy. With Lukas' singing ability continuing to grow stronger as time progresses, this band could explode in the near future. Just listen to the chorus of "Christoffer Robin" and you'll know what I mean. I, for one, cannot get it out of my head. So ridiculously catchy. This is a debut, so just imagine what any future recordings are going to sound like!

Lastly, one of my first interviews was with Lukas as he is also the vocalist of Trachimbrod, and you can read his interview here.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2014 - I Love Your Lifestyle 12"EP (stream/purchase/download here)

If you live in the following countries, please order from the corresponding label:
Canada and USA, ships international with other records = Zegema Beach Records
Germany = Through Love Records
Russia = Unlock Yourself Records
UK = Good Post Day Records

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(2014) I LOVE YOUR LIFESTYLE - "Long Time No Bruce" (from 'I Love Your Lifestyle')

Official Music Video

(2014) I LOVE YOUR LIFESTYLE - "Christoffer Robin" (from 'I Love Your Lifestyle')

(2014) I LOVE YOUR LIFESTYLE - "Happy Lacuna" (from 'I Love Your Lifestyle')

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I LOVE YOUR LIFESTYLE additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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ØJNE

Band: ØJNE

Genres: Punk / Rock / Screamo / Post-Hardcore / Emo-Violence
Related artists: N/A.
Country: Milan, ITALY
Years Active: 2011-present
Song: "Naufragio"
Album: "Undici/Dodici"
Year: 2013
Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / Pike Records / Don't Live Like Me Records / Unlock Yourself Records / Dog Knights Productions / La Agonia De Vivir / Monday Morning Records / Stereo Dasein / Fading Halo Records / Shove Records / Driftwood Records / PikPik Records / Upwind Productions / Blessedhands Records
This post's artist is from the March 2014 Mix. This is track #12.
You can download the March 2014 Mix#2 right here.
For fans of: Raein, La Quiete, Rainmaker, Daitro, Via Fondo, Shirokuma, Sen Deni,
                 Ogni Giorni, Isodora Crane, Beau Navire, D'Amore, The Third Memory 
                 Eyes Of Verotika and Suis La Lune aka PROPER Screamo.

This band came out of nowhere. How is it possible for a debut EP to be in the same territory as heavyweights such as Raein, La Quiete, Via Fondo and Daitro? Those bands spent years perfecting this sound, and ØJNE just comes in dropping bombs like it's nothing. That's fucking huge because I love the 4 aforementioned bands like nobody's business. If you enjoy European-styled screamy hardcore in the least - you know, clean and discordant screamo, then check this out right now. I had a hard time obtaining copies of "Undici/Dodici" for the ZBR distro, but luckily Zegema Beach Records will be helping release the band's new split 7" with Smile To The Wind (Улыбайся Ветру) in mid-2014! When I got in on this split I lost my mind. These bands are so good. ØJNE was in my top 10 EPs of 2013, which you can check out here. The band basically dabbles in the dreamy, slow building and twinkly category with some shouted gang-vocals, showcased in "Ancora" and then switch to the faster, chaotic, screamier style that ØJNE injects with more melody than most, which you can check out in "Naufragio". There's also a fair amount of post-hardcore riffs that remind me a lot of Rainmaker. Get on this, screamo enthusiasts.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2013 - Undici/Dodici cassette/12"EP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2013) ØJNE - "Glasgow" (from 'Undici/Dodici')

(2013) ØJNE - "Milano/Ogni Primavera" (from 'Undici/Dodici')

(2013) ØJNE - "Naufragio" (from 'Undici/Dodici')

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 ØJNE additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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SOLO PROJECT, THE

Band: THE SOLO PROJECT
Genres: Punk / Rock / Emo / Post-Hardcore / Metalcore
Related artists: N/A.
Country: Phoenix, USA
Years Active: 2002-2003
Song: "Please Just Sleep"
Album: "Bend/Break"
Year: 2003
Label(s): Rise Records
This post's artist is from the March 2014 Mix. This is track #7.
You can download the March 2014 Mix#2 right here.
For fans of: Thursday, Thrice, Hopesfall, Choke, In Reverent Fear, Recover, Rise Against,
                 The Juliana Theory, (old) Vendetta Red, Vaux, Valandora, Saosin and In Pieces.

Let's take a stroll down memory lane. Around the time I was getting into screamo (late 2001-early 2002, I think) I was trailing off the path of melodic hardcore with the half sing/half scream thing. This band has 3 songs in particular that should grab the attention of fellow listeners back in the day. The palm-muting by this band is fucking awesome. It's not as technical as Choke, but they take that same style and flesh it out over long, drawn-out builds with really cool harmonizing. The vocals, as mentioned, are of the sing/scream variety (see Recover and Thursday), neither of which blow me away but do the music enough justice to warrant repeat listens. They only released 1 album as far as I know and it's linked below. If this was released nowadays I'd probably pass it over as a genre good and done, but 10 years ago this definitely tickled my fancy. Enjoy, old-timers.

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DISCOGRAPHY

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

2003 - Bend/Break cdLP (download here)

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(2003) THE SOLO PROJECT - "Please Just Sleep" (from 'Bend/Break')

(2003) THE SOLO PROJECT - "The Way Around" (from 'Bend/Break')

(2003) THE SOLO PROJECT - "The Emergency" (from 'Bend/Break')

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THE SOLO PROJECT out-of-print discography mp3 download

(download here)

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