GENGHIS TRON

Band: GENGHIS TRON

Genres: Punk / Grindcore / Hardcore / Metal / Black Metal / Noise / Electronic / Experimental
Related artists: Glitter Pals.
Country: Poughkeepsie, New York / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
Years Active: 2003-2011
Song: "Chapels"
Album: "Dead Mountain Mouth"
Year: 2006
For fans of: The Great Redneck Hope, Discordance Axis, Horse The Band, Deafheaven, The Avenging Disco Godfathers Of Soul, The Locust, Kissy Face Fashion Faux Pas, See You Next Tuesday, Gigantic Brain, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, An Albatross, Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Ed Gein, Me And Him Call It Us, iamerror, Curl Up And Die, Daughters, Usurp Synapse, The Sawtooth Grin, 2 O'Clock Girlfriend, Monomate, The Austerity Program, The VSS, Little Girl Terrorist, (early) Venetian Snares, Arsonist Get All The Girls, Rolo Tomassi, GO With Fourteen O, Electrocutionerdz, Da Bloody Gashes, Monotonix, Silver Apples, Disco Mule Terror, The Creation Of Modular Lights Within Darkness, Dance Club Massacre, Cloacal Kiss, Tower Of Rome, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, Psyopus, Arsonist Get All The Girls, Cutting Pink With Knives and The Post Office Gals.

Label(s): Self Released / Crucial Blast / Relapse Records / Anticon / Lovepump United / Temporary Residence Limited / Crucial Bliss
This post's artist is from the November 2016 Mix. This is track #4.

You can download: the November 2016 Mix#11 right here or get the new December 2016 Mix#12 here.

GENGHIS TRON are a band that I have a great amount of respect for. I really like their output and have a few songs in my massive archive of "greatest songs". That being said, I don't jam GENGHIS TRON very often. The primary reason for this is most likely because the music if fucking insane. I guess it sounds like a clusterfuck of The Great Redneck Hope, Deafheaven, An Albatross and Aphex Twin, although I'm already aware not everyone agrees with these comparisons.

The band mixes black metal, grind, hardcore, ambient and experimental music into an amalgamated clusterfuck of noise and destruction. The venomous shrieks reminiscent of Discordance Axis meet Mike Patton-era The Dillinger Escape Plan as well as Ed Gein instrumentals and a crazy ass synth that harkens Horse The Band and An Albatross round out the band with Aphex Twin being the glue that binds them. GENGHIS TRON somehow managed to maintain this carnage and sonic assault for half of a decade before disintegrating into nothing after 2010. Forgoing drums and instead opting for synths and drum programs, the three members are all credited with keys as well as another instrument and/or vocals.

GENGHIS TRON landed first in 2003 with their 'Laser Bitch' cdr debut that sounds very much like An Albatross without the sass, but triple the violence and insanity as well as stronger links to ambient/electronic music. The opposites set of 'Cloak of Love' and 'Cape of Hate' followed in 2005 and 2006, with the former being the better of the two, as the latter is all remixes, demos and live stuff. Their 2006 LP 'Dead Mountain Mouth' has some fucking crazy grindy and experimental metal and houses two of my favourites, "Chapels" and "Greek Beds". The 'Triple Black Diamond' EP came out the following year and contains more live, demo and remix recordings but by 2008 they dropped what would most likely be argued as their masterpiece, 'Board Up the House'. Released on Relapse Records, this album was pushed very heavily on the aggressive and extreme music crowd yielding positive results. The album was the most experimental of the band's output and was also the last, as five remixes surfaced for the final album but nothing else was recorded or released by the band who disbanded sometime around 2010-2011.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2003 - Laser Bitch cdEP

2005 - Cloak of Love cd/10"EP

2006 - Cape of Hate cdEP
2006 - Dead Mountain Mouth cd/12"LP

2007 - Triple Black Diamond cdEP

2008 - Board Up the House cd/2x12"LP (stream/buy here)
2008 - Board Up the House Remixes Vol. 1 12"EP
2008 - Board Up the House Remixes Vol. 2 12"EP
2008 - Board Up the House Remixes Vol. 3 12"EP
2008 - Board Up the House Remixes Vol. 4 12"EP

2009 - Board Up the House Remixes Vol. 5 12"EP

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(2008) GENGHIS TRON - "Board Up the House" (from 'Board Up the House')

(2008) GENGHIS TRON - "Things Don't Look Good" (from 'Board Up the House') official music video

(2008) GENGHIS TRON - "Endless Teeth" (from 'Board Up the House')

(2008) GENGHIS TRON - Interview w/The Hard Times

(2007) GENGHIS TRON - "Untitled Demo" (from 'Triple Black Diamond')

(2006) GENGHIS TRON - "Chapels" (from 'Dead Mountain Mouth')

(2006) GENGHIS TRON - "Greek Beds" (from 'Dead Mountain Mouth')

(2006) GENGHIS TRON - "Ride the Steambolt (demo)" (from 'Cape of Hate')

(2005) GENGHIS TRON - "Arms" (from 'Cloak of Love')

(2003) GENGHIS TRON - "'Penultimate' Just Means Second to Last, You Pretentious Fuck" (from 'Laser Bitch')

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GENGHIS TRON additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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***LA LUNA exclusive video interview***

LA LUNA

Facebook

Bandcamp

On November 15th, 2016 I drove my ass out to Toronto in some pretty heavy traffic towards one of the largest moons in the last 100 so I could chill with and interview the East Canadian band that recently relocated to Southern Ontario's Toronto. LA LUNA (previously named Brain Fever) have been a band for seven years and have played a myriad of styles, most rooted in punk, hardcore, powerviolence, emo and screamo. After gaining quite a bit of recognition with their last 12" 'La Luna' the band wrote a new LP, moved to Toronto, acquired a new drummer and then dropped their new LP 'Always Already' via cassette on May 10th, 2016. Receiving rave reviews and quite a little following in Canada and the United States, LA LUNA is poised to release the fantastic 'Always Already' on 12" vinyl thanks to Shawn at Middle Man Records and Brian at Mellow Club. The pre-order for the LP will be launched in early December so get on that, as the album will definitely be on numerous year end lists this January.

Until you can sink your teeth into that beautiful 12" record, check out the LA LUNA Bandcamp and jam the tracks, follow them on Facebook, watch live videos from shows I've filmed (here, here, here, here and here) and maybe even pick up the last LA LUNA 'Tour 2015 Demo Tape' from me right here or the 'Always Already' cassette with alternate covers here, if you are in Canada (if in the US order from Middle Man Records).

VOGUE, THE

Band: THE VOGUE

Genres: Post-Punk / Art-Rock / No Wave / Post-Hardcore / Jazz / Experimental / Lounge
Related artists: The Blood Brothers, Jaguar Love, Soiled Doves, Vade, The Chromatics, The Gossip, Neon Blonde, Fleet Foxes, Poor Moon, Appendixes, Past Lives and Shoplifting.
Country: Seattle, Washington USA
Years Active: 1999-2000
Song: "Cardiac Arrest in 4/4 Time"
Album: "The Vogue"
Year: 1999
For fans of: Soiled Doves, The Blood Brothers, Jaguar Love, The Chromatics, Neon Blonde and Dance Disaster Movement.

Label(s): Made In Mexico
This post's artist is from the November 2016 Mix. This is track #3.

You can download: the November 2016 Mix#11 right here or get the new December 2016 Mix#12 here.

Johnny Whitney from The Blood Brothers played in THE VOGUE. Like the other, more rock oriented side projects Neon Blonde and Jaguar Love, this band was the first of which showcased the synth-pop side. THE VOGUE was essentially the precursor to the jazzy, sassy experimental rock offshoot Soiled Doves that existed from 2000 to 2001. I'm pretty sure this switch from THE VOGUE to Soiled Doves happened for two reasons. The first was the rising popularity of screamy sasscore band The Blood Brothers. The second, synth player Hannah Blilie exited the band.

For the most part, this sounds like Soiled Doves. I mean...it basically is minus one member so I'm not going to go into much detail here as I've already reviewed the aforementioned band. THE VOGUE's debut 7" is my personal favourite and the screamier of the band's two releases. 'The Vogue' begins with "The Medicals" that uses really cool synths which mimic a heart monitor in a hospital room. The vocals float around until the one-minute mark when a creepy synth-driven breakdown occurs but swerves to a quick stop so the demons can step out of the vehicle and start dancing. This eerie beat during the verse then crashes in and out of time with the creepy breakdown creating a very cool dichotomy that is one of the band's strongest moments during their brief tenure. The incredible "Cardiac Arrest in 4/4 Time" is also housed on this rare 7" (which I happen to have for sale right here) and is 2:36 worth of choppy, eerie, THE VOGUE gold. At 1:37 it really picks up steam with some fantastic acid-soaked guitars and vocal explosions that make this the best song written by the band, in my humble opinion.

It's probably important to note that I'm very hesitant when it comes to keyboards in music. I generally find them to dominate the sound and take over my ears so I can't focus on the other instruments. Also, the volume level is usually blaring and obnoxious. With THE VOGUE, though, this is not an issue. I adore the synths on the 7"EP, but the cdLP 'As Brass and Satin' doesn't hold the same appeal. The synths are still there and are pretty good, I guess, but the music as well as the vocals are much more subdued and chained to a methodical writing approach and therefore lack the flair and sass found on the self titled. There are still some good tracks, such as "Scorpion Boy" (sounds just like Soiled Doves), "Sparkle That Rash" (combines The Blood Brothers sound with wailing keys reminiscent of 80s jazz-rock bands) and "March of Black and White Roses" which is the strongest song on the record, as well as the calmest, most melodic and catchiest.

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

1999 - The Vogue 7"EP (buy 7" here)

2000 - As Brass and Satin cdLP

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(1999) THE VOGUE - "Cardiac Arrest in 4/4 Time" (from 'The Vogue')

(1999) THE VOGUE - "The Medicals" (from 'The Vogue')

(2000) THE VOGUE - "March of Black and White Roses" (from 'As Brass and Satin')

(2000) THE VOGUE - "Sparkle That Rash" (from 'As Brass and Satin')

(2000) THE VOGUE - "Scorpion Boy" (from 'As Brass and Satin')

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THE VOGUE out of print mp3 discography download / additional links

(download here)

Buy 'The Vogue' 7"EP

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WILD GUESS

Band: WILD GUESS

Genres: Punk / Math Rock / Sass Rock / Hardcore / Emo / Emotive Hardcore / Screamo
Related artists: Logs, Kidcrash, Foton Kuşağı and Anne.
Country: Portland, Oregon USA
Years Active: 2011-2012
Song: "Thing"
Album: "Year of the ?"
Year: 2011
For fans of: Daniel Striped Tiger, Wolves, Logs, Stop It!!, Aim Of Conrad, Dream Caste, Creepozoidz, Rye Coalition, Mouse Fitzgerald, The Reptilian, North Of America, The Holy Shroud, Kidcrash, Wow, Owls!, Worst Gift, Maximillian Colby and Secret Smoker aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Sieve And Sand Records
This post's artist is from the November 2016 Mix. This is track #6.

You can download: the November 2016 Mix#11 right here or get the new December 2016 Mix#12 here.

Featuring members of two very well known bands on this blog, Kidcrash and Logs, Portland's WILD GUESS was essentially an extension of the rock/screamo band Logs that matured and chilled out a bit...just a bit though. The mathy juxtapositions and yellin' are still there, but shredding screams are gone as are the batshit crazy noodles of Kidcrash. Luckily Adam Brock Ciresi from Carrion Spring and Logs fame told me to check these fellas out and I was instantly a fan of the seldom used mathy indie/hardcore/screamo amalgamation. A quick note, as I realize a lot of readers dig this style, please check out a very early blog post I did for an unreal mathy/sassy rock/screamo band called Aim Of Conrad. You shalln't be disappointed.

In mid-2011 WILD GUESS uncaged their first offspring aka the 'Year of the ?' EP. I'm not 100% on this, but I believe the 2011 and 2012 EP were digital-only releases that were followed up with a discography cd put out by Sieve And Sand Records in France. This release is what I consider to be the band's quintessential output, for as a whole it seems to crackle and dance just a little brighter and harder than its successor. The album begins with the jaw-dropping "Thing" that opens with an off-kilter beat that boasts oddly timed stops and starts that finds its groove just before 30 seconds with some wailing guitars and the inclusion of gruff, ash-ridden, Kidcrash-y yelling. The song never really stays in one spot.and playfully runs around with a slew of different riffs, progressions, speeds and styles, all the while showcasing the band's intricate and diverse approach to songwriting. "West" follows and drops tons of  a dizzying amount of A-D-D riffs and a bit of sludginess to the song's instrumentals. "Card" is another beaut that is strongly relateable to the sassy rock meets emotional hardcore of the aforementioned "Thing" and "Jeans" from their 2012 EP. The final track is called "Child" and is the longest track ever recorded by the band. It's pretty decent and plays just like the slow, plodding, building and epic soundscapes of Maximillian Colby for the majority of its 4:02 tenure.

The band's sophomore and final output was the four-song EP titled 'Guesswork' that, although good, doesn't pack as much of a punch as its predecessor. The opener "Jeans" is the record's best song so although I love this jam, the rest of the album pales in comparison. It begins with a few quick shifts and settles into a groove with driving drums and incredibly written guitar work...cuz, I mean, c'mon, this is a Kidcrash offspring. Honestly this track is fucking amazing. "What" is a cool, sludgier and less-mathy song that reminds me of Stop It!!, Light The Fuse And Run and newer Loma Prieta and packs a fucking wallop at the end that could definitely be likened to These Arms Are Snakes. "Again" sounds a heck of a lot like the evolution of Logs...which is exactly what WILD GUESS is, and it's pretty damn evident on this song. The last WILD GUESS song is "2nd" and it is one jammy son of a bitch that lays heavy on the yellin' and venomous licks.

I've packaged the two EPs together in an mp3 zip file that you can download here. Enjoy. Then get your ears on all the Kidcrash stuff. Finally, graduate to Logs.

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

2011 - Year of the ? EP

2012 - Guesswork EP

???? - Discography cdLP (compiles both EPs)

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(2011) WILD GUESS - "Thing" (from 'Year of the ?')

(2011) WILD GUESS - "Card" (from 'Year of the ?')

(2012) WILD GUESS - "Jeans" (from 'Guesswork')

(2012) WILD GUESS - "2nd" (from 'Guesswork')

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WILD GUESS out of print mp3 discography download

(download here)

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***мятеж Tour Diary - Day #6 Swamp Fest 2016 Day #2 + exclusive interview w/organizers***

SWAMP FEST - Day #2

Date: August 14th, 2016

Location: @Strange Matter in Richmond, Virginia

Players: This Land Is Now Dead, Lull, Van Hagar, The Heads Are Zeros, Truman, Euth, Iwakura, Pig Latin, Flesh Born and Ostraca.

Genres covered: punk, rock, emo, screamo, emo-violence, hardcore, metal, math metal, powerviolence, thrash, noise, grind, experimental, ambient

Consensus: This fest is fucking amazing. I traveled all the way from Canada for it and it did not disappoint!

Related Distro items: Swamp Fest tape / zine, Euth split tape with Closet Witch, Coma Regalia 'There's Still Time' tape and their split 12" with What Of Us, Ostraca 'Deathless' tapes and 12"s, Flesh Born split 12" with Cara Neir, "Virginia is for screamo" patch and tons of Van Hagar pins, stickers and patches.

Details: listed below

INTERVIEW with:

Mitchie, Will & Drew of Swamp Fest

In the midst of a ton of amazing bands playing I somehow managed to steal these three integral members of Swamp Fest and pick their brains for 10 minutes. What they have done is more than inspiring, it's joyous, inclusive, celebratory and message driven. Listen to what Mitchie, Will and Drew have to say about it all below.

THIS LAND IS NOW DEAD

THIS LAND IS NOW DEAD was awesome! This four-piece perfectly utilizes each instrument perfectly. The vocals are fantastic, ranging from high shrieks to deathly growls. The bass is also worth noting as it cuts through everything and seems to really drive the songs. I nabbed the opener which is a spooky and building song, harnessing some sweet, clean, overlapping vocals as well as a deafening second song. What a perfect way to start the night.

Link to song *2*

Bandcamp

Facebook

LULL

LULL was up second and played an intriguing mixture of hardcore and spacey ambiance. The video I captured was probably one of the best parts of their set so definitely check it out. The intro to this song was much lengthier and very honest, as well as sad. I'm unsure what to liken the band to in terms of comparisons, but I guess experimental hardcore is the most apt.

Bandcamp

Facebook

VAN HÄGAR

мятеж's touring partners VAN HÄGAR were up next and flew through their lightning set of bass driven powerviolence. As per usual Jazzi, Jesse and Nicky fucked shit up but did so with a message. Awesome band that I adored watching live night after night. I miss y'all <3

Link to song *2*

Bandcamp
Facebook
sticker / pin / patch

THE HEADS ARE ZEROS

This drum, guitar and vocal trio played a raw, abrasive and chaotic hardcore that probably stripped away a few unnecessary ear hairs. The passion was pretty darn obvious and they don't really sound like other bands, which is really cool. Will definitely be checking out more by the Baltimore band.

Bandcamp

Facebook

TRUMAN

This local trio were fucking huge. Easily one of the primary reasons I wanted to play this fest, TRUMAN did not disappoint. Their screamy, shrieky and atmospheric hardcore filled the room to the point of saturation and was a spectacle as well as a fantasy all rolled into one. The band should be releasing a new EP in the next year or so, if I'm not mistaken. The songs are insane. I am so pumped for this band. P.S. members of .gif from god, This Land Is Now Dead and Samarra. P.S.S. I captured the entire set.

Links to songs *2* / *3* / *4* / *5* / *6*

Bandcamp
Facebook

EUTH

Falling somewhere between Enkephalin, Dillinger Escape Plan and Hive Mind, this tech-metal/grind band with screamo influences, Wyoming's EUTH is an absolute mindfuck. Making an insane amount of noise with just a guitarist, drummer and vocalist, this three-piece tore through their set like it was nothing. They are definitely one of the heaviest and mathiest crossovers I've heard in awhile and should you want to check out the band, nab their cassette split with Closet Witch here.

Link to song *2*

Bandcamp
Facebook

tape / pin / sticker

IWAKURA

I had never heard this band before but had run across the name. Wowza. This was amazing. Sheer chaos. Reckless abandon. Passion. Intensity. More positive words. Etc. Without a doubt one of the best sets of the fest. It's almost like screamo-Converge. I have since been listening to them non-stop. Watch all five of these videos because they all rule.

Links to songs *2* / *3* / *4* / *5*
Bandcamp
Facebook

PIG LATIN

Filthy me. I went to the store and by the time I got back PIG LATIN had already played. I was bummed not only that I missed just one band the entire tour, but also that it happened to be PIG LATIN. The song on the Swamp Comp doesn't really do the band justice, as live they are a different beast. The screamy hardcore with awkward juxtapositions is just what I love, so thank science Jesse Mowery filmed the entire set, which you can view below. I also talked with at least one member of the band for awhile and they seemed like beautiful people.

Bandcamp

Facebook

FLESH BORN

Veterans FLESH BORN ripped it up next. The set featured green guitars, head smacking mics, bow ties and a keg+baseball bat for the Slipknot cover which I've featured below. I must say, perhaps because I never cared for Slipknot, but this video in particular is fucking amazing in every respect.

Links to songs *2* / *3* / *4* / *5*
Bandcamp
Facebook

split 12"

OSTRACA

Local heroes and internationally praised OSTRACA closed the fest. The three-piece absolutely crushed it and had everyone in the place packed together real close and intimate. With some help from Christopher Morgan from .gif from god and Parker Lawson from Flesh Born on a song or two, the band played crazy tight and had everyone going fucking apeshit.

Links to songs *2* / *3* / *4*

Bandcamp

Facebook
12" / tape

************

Here's Will and I. I love Will. Seems kinda obvious, though.

Here I am four days after the fest, at home in Canada, and still wearing my Swamp Fest wrist band. I just couldn't let go.

Additional love to my brother Jesse Mowery and his wife Jazzi for being two of the best people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

Obvious shout outs to Chris Story for basically being мятеж.

And thus concludes...

See you in Europe, summer 2017.

SHE NOTES THE CHARIOTS

Band: SHE NOTES THE CHARIOTS

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Emotive Hardcore / Screamo / Emo-violence / Skramz / Metal
Related artists: ?.
Country: St. Louis, Missouri USA
Years Active: 2001-2003
Song: "Gunslingin' in the Masquerade Ballroom"
Album: "Anthology"
Year: 2003
For fans of: Jeanne, Aokigahara, Isodora Crane, Yotsuya Kaidan, Orchid, The Flying Worker, The Truth About Dreaming, Advocate, Deers!, Anger Is Beautiful, Yusuke, Seyarse, Under A Sky So Blue, .gif from god, Daighila, Virginia On Duty, Craneo, Улыбайся Ветру, Blind Girls, Dispensing Of False Halos, Textbook Traitors, Rêche, In First Person, Destroyer Destroyer, Crocus, Celebration, Deadseraphim, Enkephalin, Caught In The Fall, Francis Brady, René Descartes and Love Lost But Not Forgotten aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Self Released
This post's artist is from the November 2016 Mix. This is track #8.

You can download: the November 2016 Mix#11 right here or get the new December 2016 Mix#12 here.

SHE NOTES THE CHARIOTS were an excellent, heavy and super screamy emo/hardcore band from the early 2000s. Their sound was one of violence with blatant nods to the likes of explosions, revolt, anger and the grotesque. The metallic hardcore driven screamo sound is not unlike Dispensing Of False Halos, Love Lost But Not Forgotten, Yotsuya Kaidan as well as Caught In The Fall, and nowhere is this more prevalent than the ultimate SHE NOTES THE CHARIOTS song titled "Gunslingin' in the Masquerade". This absolute beauty mixes the spastic cacophony with calculated breakdowns and enough melody and structure to make this the quintessential SHE NOTES THE CHARIOT track that was well ahead of its time.

The band released a total of three demos, two of which stuck around and the first of which was completely scrapped. If you'd like more info on the band and their history read the vocalist's account on their Last FM page here. The final release was a discography called 'Anthology' and was released posthumously in 2003 with a bonus track called "Intro" and is alright, but really it's an atmospheric instrumental track welded with a spoken word passage from a show or movie.

There are a few other songs of note, the first of which is "The President has been Kidnapped by Ninjas; Are You a Bad Enough Dude to Rescue the President", boasting drums that break the sound barrier and a midsection that sounds exactly like the much underappreciated Dispensing Of False Halos. "Jamie Lee Curtis Dead in a Field" is a great song that was reworked for the 'Tour Demo' (titled "Jamie Lee Curtis V2.0") and brings to mind Anger Is Beautiful and Jeanne with some batshit insane screaming and catastrophic instrumentals. The end of "All Aboard the Skeleton Ship" is amazing and could easily be likened to newer bands like Mothlight and Matsuri, while "I'm so Fucking Ecstatic I Wanna Dance" is probably the least crazy of all their material and is reminiscent of the final The Truth About Dreaming releases, most notably the 2015 EPs.

I didn't even hear this band until 2014 or 2015 so I was a tad late to the party, but I don't mind dancing here by myself when the music is this good.

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

2002 - Winter Demo cdEP

2003 - Tour Demo cdEP
2003 - Anthology cdLP

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(2003) SHE NOTES THE CHARIOTS - "Gunslingin' in the Masquerade Ballroom" (from 'Anthology')

(2003) SHE NOTES THE CHARIOTS - "Jamie Lee Curtis Dead in a Field OR V2.0" (from 'Anthology')

(2003) SHE NOTES THE CHARIOTS - "The President has been Kidnapped by Ninjas; Are You a Bad Enough Dude to Rescue the President" (from 'Anthology')

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SHE NOTES THE CHARIOTS out of print mp3 discography download / additional links

(download here)

LastFM

Buy sticker here

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FLASHBULB MEMORY

Band: (Pip The) FLASHBULB MEMORY

Genres: Punk / Rock / Post-Rock / Hardcore / Emo / Emotive Hardcore / Screamo
Related artists: Target Aggression, Stop It!!, Good Clean Fun, Fat Shadow, Full Sun and Pink Razors.
Country: Richmond, Virginia USA
Years Active: 2000-2001
Song: "Fist Through the Looking Glass"
Album: "Joshua Fit For Battle split"
Year: 2000
For fans of: Wow, Owls!, Aim Of Conrad, Light The Fuse And Run, Creepozoidz, Stop It!!, No Tongue, Hoover, Ultra Dolphins, Wolves, D'Amore, Valandora, Ten Grand, Wild Guess, Dream Caste, Secret Smoker, Four Hundred Years, Drummers, Meth And Goats, Serotonin, The Reptilian, Sing! Sing! Prison, Soft Floors and Coma Regalia aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Self Released / Revolutionary Audio
This post's artist is from the November 2016 Mix. This is track #7.

You can download: the November 2016 Mix#11 right here or get the new December 2016 Mix#12 here.

FLASHBULB MEMORY is, for me, that band who had the split with Joshua Fit For Battle, which seemed almost like an odd pairing considering JFFB ripped everyone's faces off with that Love Lost But Not Forgotten split 7". Although they were a punk band more than anything, Richmond, Virginia's FLASHBULB MEMORY seamlessly blended emo, rock, screamo and hardcore into a pretty danceable creation that is certainly worth checking out.

On the split 12" with Joshua Fit For Battle, opener "Not Some Phony Symphony" begins like Wow, Owls!, Stop It!! and brings in a few other sounds that generally remind me of late 90s emo and dancier screamo. Track two's "All Them Crazies" and "Live Like This" begin like Joshua Fit For Battle but quickly transition to a punk/hardcore/emo (not screamo) sound, although "Live Like This" has a strong Secret Smoker feel to it along with a second half not unlike Hot Water Music. "No Particular Reason" is one of the weaker songs and has some Valandora-esque singing, likely from another member of the group. "Raise Your Hand" begins like Riddle Of Steel but moves to heavier territory after the first 20 seconds with some very rockin' screamy/yelly emo that sounds like it's right outta 1996. "Fist Through the Looking Glass" is my favourite of all FLASHBULB MEMORY songs. This beaut reminds me a lot of Ten Grand although it definitely hits the Level Plane rock/screamo sound carried by bands such as Aim Of Conrad and Light The Fuse And Run.

FLASHBULB MEMORY's other releases include the song "Empty Promise" on compilation which is their most straightforward punk song. Their final output was the four-song 'Tour Cat' cd that although good, does pale in comparison to the stronger tracks on their 12" split. "Money Clip" also appears on the 2002 'We Will Never Answer With Questions' compilation and is a sassy hardcore song similar in strut to Meth And Goats. "Lazilywelay" is reminiscent of punk/post-hardcore bands such as Serotonin and closes with a very ballsy solo. "Here's That Word Again" is the screamiest romp on the EP and probably the strongest track. The closer "Untitled (coda)" is a pretty decent instrumental jam that doesn't really sound like FLASHBULB MEMORY material, instead leaning towards post-hardcore/instru-metal genres.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2000 - Joshua Fit For Battle split 12"LP (stream/download here)
2000 - With Literacy and Justice for All cd compilation (contributed "Empty Promise") (stream/download here)

2001 - Tour Cat cdrEP (stream/download here)

2002 - We Will Never Answer With Questions compilation cd (contributed "Money Clip")

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(2000) FLASHBULB MEMORY - "Fist Through the Looking Glass" (from 'Joshua Fit For Battle' split)

(2000) FLASHBULB MEMORY - "Not Some Phony Symphony" (from 'Joshua Fit For Battle' split)

(2000) FLASHBULB MEMORY - "Live Like This" (from 'Joshua Fit For Battle' split)

(2000) FLASHBULB MEMORY - "Empty Promise" (from 'Literacy and Justice for All' comp)

(2001) FLASHBULB MEMORY - "Here's That Word Again" (from 'Tour Cat')

(2001) FLASHBULB MEMORY - "Money Clip" (from 'Tour Cat')

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FLASHBULB MEMORY additional links

Bandcamp

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SLOW MASS

Band: SLOW MASS

Genres: Punk / Rock / Post-Hardcore / Emo / Alternative / Indie Rock / Pop
Related artists: My Dad and Into It. Over It..
Country: Chicago, Illinois USA
Years Active: 2015-present
Song: "Dark Dark Energy"
Album: "Treasure Pains"
Year: 2016
For fans of: Slint, Worst Gift, Cursive, Sonic Youth, North Of America, Riddle Of Steel, Hot Water Music, Life In Vacuum, Nada Surf, Weezer, Mates Of State, An Horse, Jimmy Eat World, Animal Faces, Victor Shores, Modern Rifles, True Widow, Hum and My Dad.

Label(s): Landland
This post's artist is from the November 2016 Mix. This is track #1.

You can download: the November 2016 Mix#11 right here or get the new December 2016 Mix#12 here.

First things first, Dave, don't overthink this. This is basic, but it's done oh so well.

Second things are second...? That's not an expression. I asked four friends what bands they would have listed in the "for fans of" section of SLOW MASS and their responses were as follows:

"Oh boy, I don't even know."
"Hmm, shit that's a tough one."
"I honestly can't think of anything."

Well, SLOW MASS sounds kind of like a poppy indie post-hardcore band. I guess. They released 'Treasure Pains' in 2016 and have been doing a lot of touring in support of it, which is how I found out about the band. "Dark Dark Energy" is the opening track and was also the opener live. The song begins with some catchy ass guitar plucking that goes back and forth with a massive wall of post-hardcore and leads to a heavier and yelled chorus, as opposed to the sung verses. As someone who loves heavy music I actually find myself gravitating more towards the bands melodic material because it hits every chord, literally and figuratively, perfectly. The album kind of follows the song, as I enjoy tracks 1, 3 and 4 which are the three softer jams on the record, save for maybe the first song. The guitars are also well worth noting, as the interplay here is absolutely ridiculous. My wife said something along the lines of, "they guitars sound like So yeah, "Dark Dark Energy" is one of the best songs I've heard in 2016, easy.

My next favourite is the back and forth vocals in "Nice But Not Kind" as well as the song in general. The beginning 1:15 of the track are a lulling Hum of the deeper croons of guitarist Dave Collis while the following 30 seconds belong to bassist Mercedes Webb and the remainder of the song is generally them combing their vocals. And good god, it works so fucking well. The chill first half gives way to a noisier but equally catchy finale that makes this a beautiful balance between the male and female vocals.

My final pick is "Clint Eastwood", which belongs mostly to Mercedes digging those smooth hooks into your ears, but as per a lot of the album the instrumentals are also excellent, mixing Worst Gift, Cursive and My Dad (Dave's old band) into a shining example of poppy indie rock mixed with post-hardcore. The remaining songs are good but I'm not drawn in awe the way I am to the three aforementioned tunes.

The only reason I know about the band is because I had the honour of opening for them in August of 2016 as The World That Summer with Shahman and Fond. I knew Dave already from My Dad but this shit blew me the fuck away. It should be noted that the drummer is unreal live and is mesmerizing to watch, but really the entire thing was stunning to behold. While compiling this review I also came across an official music video that was premiered on Funny Or Die, which is pretty fucking crazy (linked here). There will be another four live videos posted with the upcoming The World That Summer tour diary in December.

So that's my take. This band is fucking great. Give them a shot.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2016 - Treasure Pains 12"LP (stream/buy here)

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(2016) SLOW MASS - "Dark Dark Energy" (from 'Treasure Pains')

(2016) SLOW MASS - "Dark Dark Energy" (from 'Treasure Pains') live video

(2016) SLOW MASS - "Clint Eastwood" (from 'Treasure Pains')

(2016) SLOW MASS - "Nice But Not Kind" (from 'Treasure Pains')

(2016) SLOW MASS - "Portals to Hell" (from 'Treasure Pains') official music video

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SLOW MASS additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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