UNITED NATIONS

Band: UNITED NATIONS

Genres: Punk / Noise Rock / Emo-Violence / Post-Hardcore / Powerviolence / Screamo / Grindcore
Related artists: Thursday, Glassjaw, Pianos Become The Teeth, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, Geoff Rickley, Head Automatica, All Pigs Must Die, Acid Tiger, The Lovekill and Converge.
Country: New York City, USA
Years Active: 2005-present
Song: "Communication Letdown"
Album: "Never Mind the Bombings"
Year: 2010
Label(s): Eyeball Records / Deathwish Inc. / Temporary Residence 
This post's artist is from the June 2014 Mix. This is track #13.
You can download the July Mix#7 right here or get the new August Mix#8 here.
For fans of: Joshua Fit For Battle, Circle Takes The Square, Loma Prieta, Love Like Electrocution, Dispensing Of False Halos, Under A Sky So Blue, Tempest, Youth Novel, Ice Hockey, Youth Funeral, Tel Fyr and Crestfallen aka PROPER Screamo.

UNITED NATIONS were enigmatic but now are almost a household name that garners an outpouring of affection or bashing. I'm not a person who enjoys talking smack about bands, it's negative and doesn't help anyone find new bands that they will like. I also don't feel it's necessary with this particular post to go into the gritty details of the band, their inception and how people view them. This is blog for music, so let's fackin' talk about that.

I remember reading that Geoff Rickley wanted to start a band that was influenced by late 90s screamo along the lines of Saetia and Joshua Fit For Battle, if my memory serves correct. Whether or not I misread is irrelevant, because UNITED NATIONS sound a lot like Joshua Fit For Battle with a polished touch. Considering that's a pretty difficult task, kudos. You'd think there'd be a big Thursday influence with it being Rickley at the forefront, and although you can strain and probably hear Thursday on speed with no clean singing, in the end the band (regardless of who may be on the recording) is really engaging with rapid-fire drums that slow down when needed, intricate riffing combined with heavy breakdowns (not unlike Loma Prieta) and caustic screams. That's a recipe for success in the book of Dave.

UNITED NATION's 'self titled' endeavor begins with "The Spinning Heart of the Yo-Yo Lobby", a perfect introductory track, short (at less than 1 minute), apocalyptic and heavy on the To Bring Our Own End-era Joshua Fit For Battle riffing. "Resolution #9" has a fair amount of spoken/yelled vocals by Rickley which reminds me of harder Thursday tracks, but surpasses any of them in the heavy department and again the dual vocals just kill me. An absolutely amazing song. "The Shape of Punk that Never Came" comes rolling in like a wave of knives with incredible drums and some rather poignant lyrics about Refused. "Subliminal Testing" has the band taking a Snapcase meets Refused approach that slathers on some acidic vocals that remind me of Crestfallen. The track toys with the listener, rising and falling without getting a proper hold until the one-minute mark when the gears lock together and start the machine that brings the album to close, in fast, screamy and heavy fashion.

From the 'Nevermind the Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures' EP the song "Communication Letdown" is goddamn spectacular. Seriously. It's also one of my favourite songs of all time. The breakdown at 0:22 gives me tingles and the back and forth screaming is reminiscent of Ice Hockey and Youth Novel. The whole package is like a slicker Joshua Fit For Battle from their early years.

I'm not going to go too much into the new album, 'The Next Four Years' because (a) I don't own a physical copy and (b) I've only heard it 4 or 5 times thus far. I can say this, if you like the old UNITED NATIONS albums there's no reason why you won't dig this one, too. "Serious Business" is killer first track that kicks it hard at the 52-second mark with some really impassioned vocals with a few seconds of Thursday-ish vocals, but again this sounds almost nothing like Thursday, it sounds like beautiful destruction. "Revolutions at Varying Speeds" has some pretty intense dual shrieking going on that is pretty sweet. "Between Two Mirrors" is one of the better songs on the album that hits the outermost reaches of both ends of the band's musical spectrum, mixing some pretty subdued, slow and soft stuff amid massive amounts of chaos.

I should point out that the new album has some pretty cool song titles, namely "United Nations Find God", "Fuck the Future" and "United Nations vs. United Nations". The band's songs on all records are also generally on the shorter side, ranging from 1 to 3 minutes with a few exceptions. I will be attending the Toronto UNITED NATIONS show on August 7th, 2014 and will post the band's entire set. I'm pumped.

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

2008 - United Nations cd/12"LP

2010 - Nevermind The Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures 7"EP

2014 - The Next Four Years box set (2x7" + 10" + cassette)

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(2008) UNITED NATIONS - "Revolution #9" (from 'United Nations')

(2010) UNITED NATIONS - "Communication Letdown" (from 'Nevermind the Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures')

(2014) UNITED NATIONS - "Between Two Mirrors" (from 'The Next Four Years')

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UNITED NATIONS discography mp3 download / additional links

(download here)

Facebook

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PLASTIC DAY, THE

Band: THE PLASTIC DAY
Genres: Punk / Rock / Grunge / Garage Rock / Indie Rock / Emo / Noise
Related artists: N/A.
Country: Seoul, SOUTH KOREA
Years Active: 2007-2010
Song: "Sweet Girl"
Album: "30 Seconds Between the Dreamer and the Realist"
Year: 2009
Label(s): Cub/Music
This post's artist is from the June 2014 Mix. This is track #9.
You can download the July Mix#7 right here or get the new August Mix#8 here.
For fans of: These Arms Are Snakes, The Mars Volta, Poledo, Apollo 18, Nirvana, (The) International Noise Conspiracy and acidic indie rock.

While I was in South Korea from 2008 until 2011 I was blessed seeing 2 bands that helped make my stay over there a little more bearable. As I stated in my Apollo 18 review/interview, I really really dislike (and that's putting it nicely) most Korean mainstream music, especially Kpop which is cancerous to their society (in my opinion). It was at a THE PLASTIC DAY show where I first was lulled into any kind of scene that I could relate to. The band recorded an album in 2009 which I was lucky enough to attend the cd release party for and I picked up a copy that I still hold on to and played awkward, angular, throaty and acidic indie/garage rock. Some of the tracks almost touch the 10-minute mark and the band has a pension for instrumental improv-sounding sections within those songs.

This is by no means stellar, but being isolated from aggressive rock music while in Korea led me to attach myself almost immediately to anything that was mildly decent. THE PLASTIC DAY is much more than mildly decent, but I'm not expecting readers of this blog to shit themselves over it. That being said, this is still a really decent rock record from a country that doesn't really produce many good rock records. Some notes on the songs:
*"Sweet Girl" mix These Arms Are Snakes with garage-rock and is one of the best songs on here
*"Storm" is a driving and fluid rock number
*"Sunshine Kiss" could be labeled as a sassy/sexy punk rock song along the lines of (The) International Noise Conspiracy
*"It's a Government Land" is 10 minutes of pure THE PLASTIC DAY doing what they do with additional string instrumentation...but it does kinda drag
*"Cut Off" has a serious grunge vibe going on and reminds me of Poledo and Nirvana
*"30 Sec" is probably my favourite cut which lives up to its title, as it's only 39 seconds long, and sounds much bouncier and mathier than the other songs
*"I Miss Me Myself" is a great song that sounds very little like anything else on the record and has a really catchy-yet-downtrodden chorus that has me humming along every time

Eh that's enough for now. The 10 tracks are all pretty sweet but none blow me out of the water. Check out the videos below and download the mp3 of their record should the embeds entice you enough.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2009 - 30 Seconds Between the Dreamer and the Realist cdLP (buy on Itunes here)

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(2009) THE PLASTIC DAY - "30 Sec" (from '30 Seconds Between the Dreamer and the Realist')

(2009) THE PLASTIC DAY - "Sweet Girl" (from '30 Seconds Between the Dreamer and the Realist')

(2009) THE PLASTIC DAY - "I Miss Me Myself" (from '30 Seconds Between the Dreamer and the Realist')

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THE PLASTIC DAY additional links

Itunes purchase

Short interview

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***CARRION SPRING / THE SKY ABOVE AND EARTH BELOW show review***

On July 27th, 2014 I traveled an hour from Hamilton to Toronto in order to see an amazing show, but primarily to meet Adam from Carrion Spring and Said Goner, as he and I started working together to release his solo album (Said Goner) almost a year ago which should see the light of day next week (August 2014). It was truly an inspiring experience to meet him as well as the other band members and the guys from The Sky Above And Earth Below, who were awesome and put on a killer set to boot. Plus, I love Reid and Friends For Life Records for being an amazing dude and Em from Foxmoulder for putting on the show. Also, screw the Brittany Spears Party neighbours that lost their cool and basically had the Carrion Spring set cut by 10 minutes.

I also picked up some sweet (and really rare) merch that includes tour/test presses like the new split 7" between THE SKY ABOVE AND EARTH BELOW and MAHRIA, as well as 2 unreleased songs from CARRION SPRING and THE SKY ABOVE AND EARTH BELOW on their split tape! Check it all out here!

Check the full set by CARRION SPRING and another 6 live videos by clicking this link.

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CARRION SPRING "Lights Out" (orchid cover)
CARRION SPRING were even better than I had anticipated, and watching the new songs in particular was devastating. This is the Orchid "Lights Out" cover, but be sure to check the full set link to see another unreleased song from the upcoming SED NON SATIATA split 12"! Check them out if you like bass-heavy, screamy hardcore with some really awesome noodley guitars. Featuring members of Kidcrash, The Sky Above And Earth Below, Lee Corey Oswald and Said Goner.

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THE SKY ABOVE AND EARTH BELOWI've been listening to this band since their demo way back in 2010, but to see them live was a completely different experience. Fans of Gillian Carter, Watch For Wolves and Pianos Become The Teeth take note. Also, fans of phenomenal drummers will be drooling by the time you finish this video.

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RESPIRE

videos taken on 2 giant cameras that weren't mine, so instead check this, their teaser video here and then grab their demo EP on bandcamp here, which is unreal.

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BRAUERBRAUER always entertains. 4 nice people playing punk songs with a touch of Rites Of Spring and a fair amount of Black Flag.

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Check the full set by CARRION SPRING and another 6 live videos by clicking this link.

BRÉAG NAOFA

Band: BRÉAG NAOFA

Genres: Punk / Metal / Hardcore / D-Beat / Doom / Post-Metal / Progressive Metal / Crust / Sludge Metal / Post-Rock
Related artists: N/A.
Country: Seattle, USA
Years Active: 2010-present
Song: "IV"
Album: "Breag Naofa"
Year: Untitled
Label(s): Panic Records / Halo Of Flies / Shove Records
This post's artist is from the June 2014 Mix. This is track #14.
You can download the July Mix#7 right here or get the new August Mix#8 here.
For fans of: Oaken, Monuments Collapse, Neurosis, Tephra, AmenRa, Bokanovsky, Amber, Lamb Of God, Meshugga, Intronaut, Rosetta, Locktender, Fall Of Efrafa, Lightbearer, Protestant, Buried Inside and Omega Massif.

BRÉAG NAOFA is a crushing band from Seattle that play deep, heavy and gutteral metal and hardcore hybrid of the epic variety, see Buried Inside, Monuments Collapse, Fall Of Efrafa and Bokanovsky.

The songs and riffs are long and drawn out but stop for a quick breakdown insertion and sound a heck of a lot like Amber's new material and Monuments Collapse, whom the band shares a split 12" with that I highly recommend picking up for a myriad of reasons (both bands, gatefold packaging, artwork, Halo Of Flies, etc). The vocals are haunting, crusted nuggets of blackened metallic hardcore and share multiple parallels with Fall Of Efrafa and Protestant.

The split 12" with Monuments Collapse doesn't quite grab me the way their initial 4 songs from the '2012 self-titled' album did, although not by much. There's something a little more engaging with the older songs, but I can certainly vouch that the band has spread its proverbial wings and tapped the dark mood, atmospherics and ambiance that makes the songs sound fuller...kind of like a collagen injection. Seriously, the new material is really, really epic. The split is certainly worth checking out online as there is a digital-only release of "V" which obviously wouldn't fit on said split, as all tracks break the 10-minute barrier.

BRÉAG NAOFA also contacted me when Zegema Beach Records was in serious trouble and I unfortunately couldn't help release their newest endeavor (a split 7" if I'm not mistaken) but I heard the material and both bands were fantastic. Definitely keep your ears to the ground.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2012 - Untitled 12"LP (stream/purchase here)

2013 - Monuments Collapse split 12"LP + digital online "V" track (PURCHASE here and stream V here)

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(2013) BRÉAG NAOFA - "VIII" (from 'Monuments Collapse' split)

(2012) BRÉAG NAOFA - "II" (from 'Untitled')

(2012) BRÉAG NAOFA - "IV" (from 'Untitled')

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BRÉAG NAOFA additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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KAOSPILOT

Band: KAOSPILOT

Genres: Punk / Screamo / Emo-Violence / Hardcore / Metalcore / Noise
Related artists: Manhattan Skyline.
Country: Oslo, NORWAY
Years Active: 2001-2005
Song: "Colossus"
Album: "Shadows"
Year: 2009
Label(s): Level Plane Records / Magic Bullet Records / Nova Recordings / Last Effort Recordings / Fysisk Format
This post's artist is from the June 2014 Mix. This is track #4.
You can download the July Mix#7 right here or get the new August Mix#8 here.
For fans of: Manhattan Skyline, Means To An End, Rats Into Robots, Loma Prieta, June Paik, Louise Cyphre, A Day In Black And White, Itto, Orchid, Swan Of Tuonela, Cease Upon The Capitol, Reversal Of Man, Craneo, Caught In The Fall, Joshua Fit For Battle, Van Johnson, Foxmoulder, Delos, Snoras, (old) JR Ewing, Coma Regalia, Daitro, Lion Of The North, ∞, Black Kites, Capacities, Scowler, Neil Perry, Ravin, For Want Of, Eaves, Danse Macabre, Ampere, Beau Navire, Caitlyn Bailey, Mesa Verde, Dolcim, (old) Envy, Via Fondo, Kodan Armada, Majority Rule, Republic Of Dreams, Voyage In Coma, Улыбайся Ветру and Carrion Spring aka PROPER Screamo.

Such an apt name. I love how it looks, too, using with "kaos" with that spelling. KAOSPILOT were just that, a pilot flying in a jet untested by man and screaming past the speed of sound...y'know, like chaos or some shit. But it was controlled, like a jet. This analogy is getting to be pretty stupid.

The band always seemed like an enigma to me, like many European bands that were far away (from Canada). But for most people any shroud of mystery was most likely the lapse between the first LP and the second/last LP, which was substantial especially considering 'Shadows' was recorded in 2005 and not released until (from what I saw) 2009.

KAOSPILOT buried subtle melodies in an onslaught of fury and mayhem, much like Loma Prieta's new material. The tracks generally range from a minute and a half to just under 5 minutes and don't include soft, ambient passages like a lot of screamo bands nowadays, as their sound is rooted is speed, chaos, octaves and very subtle, embedded hooks within the whirlwind of dark, heavy and dissonant destruction.

Seriously, if you haven't checked this band out your are missing out on one of the most impressive "heavy" screamy hardcore bands since the turn of the century. If you need more KAOSPILOT get your hands on Manhattan Skyline next, as they shared members as well as sound. I'd also recommend shying away from the first 7" release and Neil Perry split compared to all other releases, as they had not quite honed their sound, but ""  is pretty decent. Everything else the band did was fucking unbelievable.

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DISCOGRAPHY

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

2001 - For Your Safety 7"EP (purhcase here)

2002 - Neil Perry split 7"

2003 - Kaospilot cd/12"LP (purchase cd here)

2004 - Van Johnson split 7"

2009 - Shadows cd/12"LP

???? - Discografi cd (discography compilation)

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(2009) KAOSPILOT - "Foruten Tid" (from 'Shadows')

(2009) KAOSPILOT - "Colossus" (from 'Shadows')

(2004) KAOSPILOT - "Vivre Sa Vie" (from 'Van Johnson' split)

(2003) KAOSPILOT - "Arms Your Fists" (from 'Kaospilot')

(2003) KAOSPILOT - "Akathisia" (from 'Kaospilot')

(2002) KAOSPILOT - "16.6.2000" (from 'Neil Perry' split)

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KAOSPILOT out-of-print discography mp3 download

(download here)

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MOVING MOUNTAINS

Band: MOVING MOUNTAINS

Genres: Punk / Rock / Post-Rock / Post-Hardcore / Alternative / Indie Rock / Space Rock
Related artists: N/A.
Country: Purchase/Westchester, New York USA
Years Active: 2005-present
Song: "Lights and Shape"
Album: "Foreword"
Year: 2008
Label(s): Self Released / Deep Elm Records / Caetera Recordings / Topshelf Records / Triple Crown Records / Make My Day Records
This post's artist is from the June 2014 Mix. This is track #8.
You can download the July Mix#7 right here or get the new August Mix#8 here.
For fans of: Thrice, (old) Codeseven, Gifts Of Enola, (antenna-era) Cave In, Mono, Radiohead, Quiet Lakes, Envy and other stuff that I don't have time to name now, what with a newborn baby and all.

If I had written this review following the release of 'Foreword' in 2008, this would read very different. 'Foreword' was a very important album that aided in reminding me that post-hardcore/emo-rock bands can be very talented and channel that talent into new and exciting sounds. That EP boasts some seriously rocking, serene, ambient, massive and screamy music. The extra frills and production make that sucka glisten because everything works towards a cohesive whole that is able to carry dreamy/beautiful music hand-in-hand with heavy and pounding stuff. Before I talk about how good the songs are, I should also mention that 2 of the tracks are 10 minutes and should be 5, as the EP really is longer than it should be.

"Lights and Shapes" has a prime example of why 'Foreword' is so emotional and passionate, just take 46 seconds and jam 2:14-3:00 (on this particular version that I've cut) to get a pretty instantaneous grasp of what this EP is all about. "Foreword" builds up nicely from the get-go, with instrumentals that sound like their pattering off a pond until the 1:30-mark when they move into Envy/Mono territory and then those sweet, infectious melodies burst forth from both vocalists simultaneously at 3 minutes in (on this particular version that I've cut). "With One's Heart in One's Mouth" is a soaring song on vocals with some twinkly Gifts From Enola-esque instrumentals.

The frills and production that I discussed earlier as a pro for 'Foreword' have a polarizing effect on 'Waves' and basically repeat what Alkaline Trio's problems were with 'From Here To Infirmary' to 'Good Mourning'. But,...went from exciting and somewhat original songwriting to (what I feel) is a rehashed genre tapped almost a decade ago. Remember when Thrice moved from heavier metal-influenced punk to Radiohead light-rock? This transition and comparison is not exact, but I'm having the same feelings about the band that I had for Thrice...subtle disappointment. I'm not saying it doesn't have the passion of the band's earlier work, but that's what it seems like to me. Maybe the change was due to money. Maybe I'm reaching here, as the band merely evolved into what they are comfortable with and what they want. It's just not what I want. And in case you didn't realize, the world revolves around me.

Now, I should probably mention that this album isn't bad - it's just not what I expected. Songs such as "My Life is Like a Chase Dream", "Where Two Bodies Lie", "Always Only for Me" and "Alleviate" are pretty decent, but don't hold a candle to anything on 'Foreword' and I'm sure many other fans will push 'Pneuma' as the band's crowning achievement, but I found it simply a stepping stone to 'Foreword'.

P.S. I like 'Foreword'. I also don't expect or want bands to redo the same album over and over, but transitioning to a style that interests me less...well, it does just that. I was super pumped for 'Waves'. I don't think I'll even check out the next album. Oh shit, I just saw that they released an album last year. Okay so after listening to it only once, my initial thoughts on 'Moving Mountains' 2013 album are:
1 - "Swing Set" = I think I see where this is going.
2 - "Burn Pile" = They definitely seem to be taking the slow route. It's not bad, but it's pretty generic sounding. The chorus has hints of MOVING MOUNTAINS, but otherwise the instrumentals lack all driving force and power, the vocals also have no hint of upper register and monotonously plod along.
3 - "Hands" = It's not a bad song, but I'm just not feeling it.
4 - "Seasonal" = Did I go into this review negative enough that it biased my opinion of the music's true value? Do I just not like the band as much? Have they objectively gotten bland when compared to early releases? I'd say all three are true but I don't know what the ratio is. Regardless, I think I'm done.

P.P.S. Go listen to 'Foreword'. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2008 - Pneuma cd/2x12"LP
2008 - Foreword cd/12"EP

2010 - Should I Fall Behind digital single (Bruce Springsteen cover)

2011 - Waves cd/12"LP

2012 - New Light 12"EP

2013 - Moving Mountains cd/12"LP

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(2008) MOVING MOUNTAINS - "Lights and Shapes" (from 'Foreword')

(2008) MOVING MOUNTAINS - "With One's Heart in One's Mouth" live video

(2008) MOVING MOUNTAINS - "Foreword" (from 'Foreword')

(2008) MOVING MOUNTAINS - "Cover the Roots Lower the Stems" (from 'Pneuma')

(2011) MOVING MOUNTAINS - "Always Only for Me" (from 'Waves')

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MOVING MOUNTAINS additional links

Band Site

Facebook

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SWEETHEART

Band: SWEETHEART

Genres: Punk / Rock / Emo / Post-Hardcore / Screamo
Related artists: N/A.
Country: Kent, Ohio USA
Years Active: 2004-2005
Song: "This Song is About Arms"
Album: "Art is Dead is Dead"
Year: 2005
Label(s): Perpetual Motion Machine
This post's artist is from the June 2014 Mix. This is track #11.
You can download the July Mix#7 right here or get the new August Mix#8 here.
For fans of: Gaff, Hot Cross, Serotonin, Secret Arms, Yaphet Kotto, Kodan Armada, For Want Of, and I'm having trouble thinking of more - think partially out of tune emo vocals with spastic screaming over post-hardcore/screamo instrumentals.

SWEETHEART are a pretty obscure band that released at least one album that I am aware of back in 2005 called 'Art is Dead is Dead'. The multimedia enhanced cd was released on Perpetual Motion Machine (mad respect!!!) and then the band seemed to dissolve into nothingness. The 6 songs are definitely of the two-headed variety. That is, they jump (usually quickly) from post-hardcore/emo with clean singing and straightforward rhythms to abrasive and screamy hardcore with some riffs that would have worked on Hot Cross' later records and venomous vocals that are spat in your face with extreme ferocity. Does it always work? No, but most of the time it does and it makes for a really interesting listen for those who can handle poppier emo music but also love aggression and screaming when gettin' down. It borders on cheesy and dark at the same time, which I thought was impossible to pull off. I was wrong.

"Am I Saying 'Tight' Too Much?" is a song that is directed much more at alternative/emo rock music with almost all clean vocals save for the middle lull in the song with the other vocalist spitting out a few lines. "Oh - Snap / Martyr Monday" sounds like For Want Of if they slowed shit down and delved into the 'is that singing in key or not? eh, I don't care cuz it works' vocals. The instrumentals also remind me of Gaff and their Hot Cross-esque riffs, and the screamer (aka bassist) makes an appearance during the last half of the song to really close it out on a really engaging note. "Don't Flatter Yourself, I Just Write Songs" is a perfect example of the scathing to soothing style. At 46 seconds the screamer takes a seat while the clean vocalist takes a stab at some really emo lyrics with an emo delivery until 1:20 when the clean fella starts straining to sing (aka near-scream) to fully round out the track. "This Song is About Arms" was the song I chose for the blog mix because it's on the heavier side and reminds me of bands like Secret Arms, Kodan Armada and perhaps even Yaphet Kotto (but not as good as those bands). The song has a nice lead in, and at 1:15 it gets really heavy over a trippy space riff with both vocalists doing their part to make this one killer song. "Fast Times at Right Now" is on the longer side (almost 4 minutes) and is passable, in this reviewer's opinion while the final song "I Truly Love You But I Cannot Sing..." ties for the strongest track on the cd. It's a 4-minute, driving, noodling instrumental song with some catchy riffs and palm-muting. There are no huge breakdowns or death-defying solos, but this is an amazing song.

Honestly, this band is kinda hard to pin down because the two styles mix pretty well and not a lot of other bands have tried this particular mix. Test those vids below and download the discography if ya dig.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2005 - Art is Dead is Dead cdEP + media (download here)

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(2005) SWEETHEART - "This Song is About Arms" (from 'Art is Dead is Dead')

(2005) SWEETHEART - "Don't Flatter Yourself, I Just Write Songs" (from 'Art is Dead is Dead')

(2005) SWEETHEART - "I Truly Love You But I Cannot Sing..." (from 'Art is Dead is Dead')

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SWEETHEART out-of-print discography mp3 download / additional links

(download here)

Last FM

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SOILED DOVES

Band: SOILED DOVES

Genres: Punk / Post Rock / Noise Rock / Lounge Rock / Indie Rock / Sass Rock / Post Hardcore / Experimental
Related artists: Jaguar Love, The Chromatics, The Vogue, The Gossip, The Blood Brothers and Neon Blonde.
Country: Seattle, Washington USA
Years Active: 2000-2001
Song: "Soiled Life"
Album: "Soiled Life"
Year: 2003
Label(s): Gold Standard Laboratories / King of the Monsters
This post's artist is from the June 2014 Mix. This is track #3.
You can download the July Mix#7 right here or get the new August Mix#8 here.
For fans of: The Blood Brothers, Neon Blonde, Jaguar Love, The Chromatics, Rye Coalition, Meth And Goats, Ultra Dolphins, Maximum R'n'R, Cyrus Gold, Ladder Devils, The Paper Chase and lots of other stuff that I don't listen to and therefore cannot justify name dropping.

SOILED DOVES were the first prominent side-project that Johnny Whitney of The Blood Brothers erected in conjunction with some members of his previous band The Vogue as well as post/art-punk outfit The Chromatics. They played a jangly, unsettling and venomous brand of garage rock with screaming. Vocally this may be reminiscent of The Blood Brothers, and occasionally with the guitar riffs and additional instrumentation, but SOILED DOVES are definitely a different beast. First, there is only one vocalist, so back and forth chaotic chants are nowhere to be found. The speed and caustic nature of The Blood Brothers is not present, as this band opts slower and more obvious hooks, as well as having a denser focal point, as the band isn't spread out each playing their own thing but instead build their parts as a cohesive and much more simplistic whole.

Some notable songs from the LP:
The swirling "dah dah dah dah dah dah dah"s in "Black Cactus Choir" tie the first song together and remind me of taking a ride on a morbid merry-go-round. It, along with "Fuck This Nest", literally scream The Blood Brothers. "Hot Siberian Heat" is a jagged and jaded post-punk song that sounds more like The Chromatics than The Blood Brothers. "Accelerator" (during the chorus) and "Soiled Life" (during the first and last verses) are lounge music to the max and really encapsulate what sets the band apart from Johnny's other projects. "Soiled Doves" begins like it was recorded in a jungle, as the bouncy bass riff carries the first half of the song through what sounds almost like a seance with the help of the some tribal drums. This song also has some of the best lyrical deliveries and vocal patterns, for example, "Your girl skin guitar just got back from the sanitarium and your song dribbles into my ear from the catheter lodged in your lung. Doctor, please, please, please prescribe cocaine for this sagging skull. A pill to perspirate. A knife to agotate. Serum to re-create this ex-soiled dove." A "Death Knell for Paper Children" is my favourite SOILED DOVES song...probably because it sounds a lot like a slow-jam version of The Blood Brothers with a really catchy guitar riff that permeates the entire song. The vocals are the perfect mix of screaming and crooning, while they stay away from the caustic and snarky bite of some of the other songs.

Here are some additional random notes that may or may not be of interest:
-The band's material was recorded in 2001 but not released until the end of 2003.
-It's quite clear that Johnny Whitney must have done the artwork.
-The lyrics, like most things Whitney, revolve around similar characters that branch off from the trunk that was The Blood Brothers.
-I sold my 'Hot Siberian Heat' 7" but to my recollection it had the same versions as the LP.

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DISCOGRAPHY

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

2001 - Hot Siberian Heat 7"

2003 - Soiled Life cd/12"LP

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(2003) SOILED LIFE - "Death Knell for Paper Children" (from 'Soiled Life')

(2003) SOILED LIFE - "Accelerator" (from 'Soiled Life')

(2003) SOILED LIFE - "Black Cactus Choir" (from 'Soiled Life')

(2003) SOILED LIFE - "Soiled Life" (from 'Soiled Life')

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SOILED DOVES out-of-print discography mp3 download

(download here)

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...WHO CALLS SO LOUD

Band: ...WHO CALLS SO LOUD

Genres: Punk / Rock / Screamo / Emo / Post-Hardcore / Post-Rock / Emotional Hardcore
Related artists: Funeral Diner and Portraits Of Past.
Country: San Francisco, California USA
Years Active: 2008
Song: "Me'd Palms"
Album: "...Who Calls So Loud" 12inch
Year: 2007-2008
Label(s): Adadio830 / Protagonist Music / Utarid Tapes
This post's artist is from the June 2014 Mix. This is track #10.
You can download the July Mix#7 right here or get the new August Mix#8 here.
For fans of: Coma Regalia, Funeral Diner, Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Congratulations, Youth Novel, Angel Eyes, GRYSCL, Portraits Of Past, City Of Caterpillar, Welcome The Plague Year, Matsuri, Mihai Edrisch, Todos Caeran, Gospel, ∞, Altar Of Complaints, Bright Calm Blue, Carrion Spring, Raein, La Quiete, Daitro, Mogwai, Sed Non Satiata, Envy and Cobra Kai aka PROPER Screamo.

...WHO CALLS SO LOUD was awesome. What did they sound like? Funeral Diner. Who did they share members with? Funeral Diner. What band will I refer to for pretty much the reminder of this review? Funeral Diner. Which band was better out of the two? Funeral Diner. That being said, ...WHO CALLS SO LOUD are certainly worth your time, just don't expect anything a whole lot different than...that other band.

That's not entirely true, I guess. These 2 albums are as consistent as the best Funeral Diner albums - I'm talking about 'The Underdark' and the 'Dead City split' in particular. There's also a much more obvious emphasis on twangy, country stuff, although it never becomes prominent...thank god, as Dave generally despises country music. The albums also boast more atmospherics in the sense that everything fits together so well that it creates a sort of aura, dark, massive, pretty and passionate. The stuff used on these albums always works and the songs never disappoint. Oh, and it sounds like Funeral Diner, so it has to be good.

12"EP
"Hey, I'm Outside" is an ambient electronic intro that sounds like it could have been on Radiohead's 'Kid A'.
"M'ed Palms" is definitely Funeral Diner-esque with hints of Portraits Of Past, Gospel and an amazing initial riff that is driving as all hell. "Resonant Grain Solo", much like the opening track, is a subdued instrumental song, this one focusing primarily on western prairie/bluegrass rock. The epic closer "Lark vs. Rascal" is a fantastic song that weighs in at almost 9 minutes and could be likened to some of Sed Non Satiata's material from their phenomenal split with Daitro - that is, slow, building, atmospheric rock for almost 2 minutes before blasting forth with the instrumental force of June Paik. Wall-to-wall sound and anguished screams line the song up to the 4-minute mark when the track almost short-circuits my computer with a massive breakdown that leads to a climax and the subsequent 3-minute denouement that brings the EP to a close.

2x12"LP
"Sleep-Like" sounds like classic Funeral Diner with a bit more power and less finesse, although there are certainly bouts of melodic riffing dispersed throughout the track. This is one of the band's best, no doubt. "I Need to Experience the Ultimate" has some of the best vocals that Seth has ever done, as the last minute of the song is a very intimate and powerful listen. "4.4.4.4." is another driving song that really hits its stride at the halfway point and gives a few head nods to earlier emo/screamo such as Inkwell, Indian Summer and Tipping Canoe. I should mention at this point that every track (save one) on this 2x10" is over 5 minutes long, with most clocking in over 6 minutes. "Assume the Power Focus" starts out like an instrumental track that sounds quite a bit like "Resonant Grain Solo" but with all instruments accompanying the twangy, wailin' country slide until class ...WHO CALLS SO LOUD comes calling just before 2 minutes in, but doesn't save the traack from being one of the weakest on the album. "What I Learned at C.O.U.M." begins like some of Off Minor's more epic stuff, with a bit of clean riffing and vocals that sound an awful like Jamie. The song clocks in as the album's longest at 9:37 and is fucking epiiiiiiiiiiiiiic, although it doesn't get nearly as heavy as their other epic tracks. Imagine Gospel having sex with City Of Caterpillar (and, obviously, Funeral Diner) with some really cool little guitar licks that help transition each section. "Any Color I Want" is the only song under 5 minutes (4:25 to be exact) and follows your standard soft/hard dynamic with screamy results. "Coming Together Over a Black Sun" is a very aggressive song that doesn't let up nearly as much as the other tracks on the album, as the only slowdown is the outro 30 seconds or so. As good as this song is, at this point it's quite obvious that many songs by ...WHO CALLS SO LOUD sound eerily similar, but when they are all this good who gives a shit, right? "Slip Step" is the closer and again the band spares no expense crafting an extremely engaging song that ties the opening track as the strongest on the album. I didn't know screamy vocals could be so emotional that they are actually haunting, but this song pulls it off, all in the midst of swells that rise and fall while anchored to those sweet, slow, lead riffs.

Both records included in this download were recorded from my personal copies of the band's 2 albums, which I am selling in order to fund my Zegema Beach Records label. Grab the 2x10" here and the 12" here.

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DISCOGRAPHY

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

2008 - ...Who Calls So Loud 2x10"+cdLP (purchase here)
2008 - ...Who Calls So Loud 12"EP (purchase here)

???? - Discography cassette compilation

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(2008) ...WHO CALLS SO LOUD - "Me'd Palms" (from 'S/T 12inch')

(2008) ...WHO CALLS SO LOUD - "Lark vs. Rascal" (from 'S/T 12inch')

(2008) ...WHO CALLS SO LOUD - "Sleep-Like" (from 'S/T 2x10inch')

(2008) ...WHO CALLS SO LOUD - "Slip Step" (from 'S/T 2x10inch')

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...WHO CALLS SO LOUD out-of-print discography mp3 downloads

(download here)

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