(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))): January 2026

Tuesday, 27 January 2026

* PODCAST #192 Elle Reynolds (Fainting Dreams, Athousandangelsandseven, etc.) *

I've been following Elle for a few years now, and in 2025 we really connected - both literally and figuratively. ZBR released Athousandangelsandseven's debut EP, followed by their fest performance. Then Softseed Music released the incredible new Fainting Dreams album with more music on the horizon. Having such a vibrant connection, we decided to do another podcast to focus on her musical endeavors throughout her career. Some things discussed: Simon is a doorway, Super Smash Bros, facebook is a wasteland, time in Endless Nameless, King Of The Hill as soundcheck, touring with Fall Of Troy, bordering on genres without committing to one, the sound of eternity, ethereal screamo?, fucking with timelines, writing with Midwife and Allison Lorenzen, Everything Is Noise shames my blog, Damian is God, props through whiplash, Athousandangelsandseven 12"LP, running out of lyrics/inserting fluff, etc. Bands played in this podcast: And So I Watch You From Afar, Caroline, Czernina, Ecca Vandal, Harris Hawk, and Letterstoyou. Listen to podcast #192 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

FAINTING DREAMS

Bandcamp
tapes from Softseed Music linked here!

ATHOUSANDANGELSANDSEVEN

Bandcamp

7"s from Zegema Beach linked here!

ENDLESS, NAMELESS
Bandcamp

1 Math Rock Changed My Life
AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR "Set Guitars to Kill" (Elle)

HARRIS HAWK "The Grange" (Dave) [live video w/vocals]

2 Artistic Expression and Friendship

CAROLINE "Coldplay cover" (Elle) [official music video]

ECCA VANDAL "Molly" (Dave) [official music video]

3 A Perfect Concoction

CZERNINA "Eigengrau" (Elle)

LETTERSTOYOU "lifted" (Dave)

~Dave

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PODCAST #192 linked here

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Tuesday, 13 January 2026

* GRAVESS exclusive song premiere *

GRAVESS

"deconstruction patterns"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Gillian Carter, Heaven Through Violence, and Bloom Dream

Bandcamp

On Wednesday January 21st the world gets another dose of GRAVESS for the first time in two years. The Miami, Florida band will be releasing 'losing everything that makes life beautiful' on 12" via Zegema Beach Records and Severed Records. Following GRAVESS' first single "borrowed time and borrowed eyes and borrowed world with which to sorrow it." which was released on the Zampler #26 comp (linked here), today's premiere for closing track "deconstruction patterns" is the final single before the full EP release. The band features members of Bloom Dream, Fingerswoventogether, Palomino Blond, and The Troops doing a playful but destructive mixture of post-hardcore and screamo in the vein of Gillian Carter and Heaven Through Violence.

(2026) GRAVESS "deconstruction patterns" (from 'losing everything that makes life beautiful')

https://youtu.be/Kmvyft3JRtA

After a briefly screamed intro of "will you be your brother's keeper when they come for you in the end?" the song swings and locks into rhythm whilst building to the sensational second-half that includes one helluva breakdown and some seriously evil panic chords.

Tuesday, 6 January 2026

SHESMADEFROMSUEDE

Band: SHESMADEFROMSUEDE
For fans of: Mondrary, I Have No Mouth, Grimlitter, Blind Girls, Roman Candle, Ruptures, Fainting In Coils, and Mouthing.
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Metallic Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz

Related artists: ?.
Country: Hattiesburg, Mississippi U.S.A.
Years Active: 2024-2025

Label(s): Tomb Tree

This Hattiesburg band followed the classic screamo trajectory and recorded one amazing EP then broke up. Luckily the band hit me up early and asked if I wanted to help release it, knowing it was the band's first and final output. Considering how awesome the five songs were I had to say yes. So I did. And here we are.

The band's sound is an almost lo-fi sibling to bands like Mondrary, I Have No Mouth, Grimlitter, and Blind Girls, mixing caustic, emotional upheavals amidst (sometimes) playful riffery and (other times) downright destruction. And I gotta say, those shrill screams are fucking sick.

It's the odd-numbered tracks that really turn my head as "i" has a cool chunky/jarring riff that turns into a sick breakdown near the end, "iii" has got a second half that'll get you moshin' nice'n'good (and those bell hits rock), and "v" includes the aforementioned playful guitar work (bit of Hot Cross/Ruptures vibes there) followed by a prodigious panic chord breakdown.

Honestly it's a shame the band was so short-lived, but I was told members have moved on to new things so hopefully we see the fruits of their labour sooner rather than later. This will probably make my best EPs of 2025, but we'll see.

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DISCOGRAPHY

SHESMADEFROMSUEDE - shesmadefromsuede cassette EP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2025) SHESMADEFROMSUEDE - "v" (from 'shesmadefromsuede')

https://youtu.be/JGGmGPuT390