Monday, 7 August 2017

CAMPBELL TRIO

Band: CAMPBELL TRIO
Genres: Punk / Post-Punk / Rock / Post-Hardcore / Emo / Screamo
Related artists: My Soundtracked Life and Apanhador Só.
Country: Porto Alegre, RS Brazil
Years Active: 2009-2016
Song: "Don Copal or the Department of Death"
Album: "The Campbell Trio Sings the Blues"
Year: 2011
For fans of: Life In Vacuum, Drive Like Jehu, North Of America, Terry Green, The Holy Shroud, Animal Faces, Desiderata, Dream Caste, Christiansen, Hot Cross, At The Drive In, Cantilever, Encrypt Manuscript, Refused, For The Mathematics, Thursday, Beast Jesus, Frodus, I Am Alaska, Sweetheart, Gaff, Secret Arms, Serotonin, Polina, Creepozoidz and Daniel Striped Tiger aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Self Released / OverAllRex / Amendment Records / Ediciones Incendiaries / Discos Podridos / Boiler Room Recordings / Subterránea Records / Sad Punk
This post's artist is from the August 2017 Mix. This is track #1.
You can download: the August 2017 Mix#8 right here or get the new September 2017 Mix#9 here.

Daniel G. Wilson has been a recurring and important person in my life since I started doing things with Zegema Beach Records. After interviewing me nearly four or five years ago (linked here) he also put on a release show for a band I played in (linked here). He has also been instrumental in getting me into new bands. He quickly showed me The Love And Terror Cult right after our interview and more recently introduced me to a band named CAMPBELL TRIO from Brazil. CAMPBELL TRIO seem like a shrine to Bruce Campbell (their page is named "The Bruce Campbell Punk Rock Trio's Appreciation Page") as well as sassy, mathy, emo/rock not unlike North Of America, Life In Vacuum, At The Drive In and Drive Like Jehu. Let's get started, shall we?

In 2011, two or so years after their formation, they released the unreal 'The Campbell Trio Sings the Blues' EP via OverAllRex, Sad Punk and Subterránea Records on cd. Like all CAMPBELL TRIO releases, the production and sound on this recording are flawless and really showcase how the three members can weave intricate and powerful rock, emo and hardcore. Following an instrumental and relatively uninteresting intro track is the band's crowning achievement, "Don Copal or the Department of Death". This song is the mad notes and it is one of the closest things to The Holy Shroud meets Drive Like Jehu that I've ever heard. Starting with one funky-ass bassline, the song sways and cuts until 30 seconds when that ridiculous start/stop breakdown chorus with sexy palm-mutes grabs you by the neck for 15 seconds and then slides nicely into more awesome bass riffs. Then there's the midsection that sounds like 90s emo and slowly climbs back into righteousness at 1:44 with some fantastic sing along of "come in / don't be afraid". It then circles around again to that bombastic chorus at the end. "I in Us, a Love Letter" and "Salvador Limones' Lost Souls Alliance" are good tracks, with swaying, driving emo to Drive Like Jehu worship. "Ehnay / And I, End I" is another of my favourites on this 7-song EP, as I include the secret track. The aforementioned banger dips into some likely, late-Frodus influence while "Y's" includes some seriously punchy stop/starts that don't quite reach the definition of breakdown, and instead more of a mathy palm mute in the vein of math/skate geniuses Choke.

An extension from the EP and most likely recorded in the same session, their offering on 'Quad' is titled "Bebop (or The Instability of the Downbeat)" begins with jazz radio intro that delves full-force into dancey post-hardcore, flaunting melodies and speed that many bands couldn't pull off after a decade of working together.

Quite recently CAMPBELL TRIO threw five songs on a '3-Way' split with Zat and Quiebre. They open with "Weekend at the Park" which showcases a fair amount of melodic, clean vocals but doesn't abandon the aggressive, pumping and still screamy core that is CAMPBELL TRIO. "Pariah" draws blood quickly but continues to inject that dancey vibe that Life In Vacuum is now known for, with shouted vocals that generally hover between sassy crooning and screaming. "A Reminder" is the shortest and most aggressive song the band ever released as in a mere 1:22 they blast through a dense and intense take on hardcore. "All Our Nine Elevens" is the most drawn out and perhaps the most driving/building of all the CAMPBELL TRIO songs. It opens with the first half in indie rock/post-hardcore territory using clean vocals and somber, Fugazi-esque instrumentals led primarily by the bass and eventually adopts the typical and awesome CAMPBELL TRIO sound after 3:26 and kicks some serious ass.

I'm not sure if CAMPBELL TRIO is still active but I hope to hell they are cuz they rock me good.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2011 - The Campbell Trio Sings the Blues EP (stream/donate/download here)

2012 - Quad 4-way split cdEP [w/Goddard, Motel Mattress & Debate] (stream/donate/download here)

2015 - 3-Way split 12"LP [w/Zat & Quiebre] (stream/donate/download here)

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(2011) CAMPBELL TRIO - "Don Copal or the Department of Death" (from 'The Campbell Trio Sings the Blues')

(2011) CAMPBELL TRIO - "Y's" (from 'The Campbell Trio Sings the Blues')

(2011) CAMPBELL TRIO - "Ehnay - And I, End I" (from 'The Campbell Trio Sings the Blues')

(2012) CAMPBELL TRIO - "Bebop (or The Instability of the Downbeat)" (from 'Quad')

(2015) CAMPBELL TRIO - "A Reminder" (from '3-Way' split)

(2015) CAMPBELL TRIO - "Pariah" (from '3-Way' split)

(2012) CAMPBELL TRIO - "Salvador Limones" live video

(2014) CAMPBELL TRIO - Full Set live video

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CAMPBELL TRIO additional links

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Sunday, 6 August 2017

***2017 OMSB mp3 Mix #9 (September)***

(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain)))))
September 2017 mp3 MIX #9
http://www98.zippyshare.com/v/yxgokcMO/file.html
...and updates

So, I'm in New Zealand. I was without internet for a few days and Jesse Mowery is dealing with life so this past month saw some spurts of nothingness. I now have internet and Jesse has asked to step back for a bit while he focuses on himself and his family. I love you, Jesse. Hope it all works out for the best. As for stuff coming up, moving here has kind of cut me off from Toronto/Hamilton shows so expect less live reviews in the coming months unless someone else is interested in doing them. If so, hit me up at zegemabeachrecords@gmail.com

And speaking of Zegema Beach Records, I apologize for a few orders being shipped out late. After moving out of my house, travelling to Europe and then moving to New Zealand shit has been fucking bananas. Luckily, our Canadian distribution side headed up by Nate, Alberto and Meghan is now up and running in full. Therefore there should be little to no wait on all future orders. We have some killer new releases in which are selling fast and more incredible stuff coming in August and September, including a bunch of Protest The Hero cassettes, the мятеж/Samarra split tape, King Slender tape, We Watch Clouds tape LP, Storm{o} tape LP as well as the .gif from god/Vein split 7", Terry Green 12" and recently delayed Sarin 12". In late August of 2017 we will release Zampler #9 in New Zealand which will be limited to 50 copies or so and will ship exclusively with New Zealand pre-orders, as well as the "best of" from the first 80 releases that we did while residing in Canada. If anyone is keen on doing the art for the Zampler #10 please hit me up at zegemabeachrecords@gmail.com, lest I make a shitty version myself.

In June I went to Europe for the non-мятеж tour 2017 and captured an insane amount of live videos and interviews. So, in August, September and October I will be posting it all across varying reviews. Here's a little teaser video I made with a bunch of stuff, including a lot of clips from Cry Me A River Fest.

Things seem very different when looking around in my life, but this blog will (for the most part) remain the same save the Toronto/Hamilton show reviews. Thank you so much to everyone who has visited over the past (nearly) half-decade and all those who visit in the future.

Lastly, here's the tracklisting for OMSB mix#7 that was reviewed in July. Thanks to Jesse Mowery for pulling off the reviews he was able, and here's to hoping he can continue in the near future.

1) SECONDGRADEKNIFEFIGHT - "i'm not even mad mine isn't movie quality (stepping out of my comfort zone)"

2) WRISTMEETRAZOR - "I"

3) OLŠE - "Нить" (not being reviewed due to life, maybe Jesse will do it later)

4) SANCTIONS - "Die Alone" (not being reviewed due to life, maybe Jesse will do it later)

5) REMAINS OF THE DAY - "Only to Infinity"

6) SYNODUS HORRENDA - "We are the Children of the Witches That You Could Not Burn"

7) MANRAE - Pacata Hibernia (not being reviewed due to life, maybe Jesse will do it later)

8) VAMPIRES - "haven't you said enough?" (coming as soon as the last few interview questions are returned)

9) ORFÈVRE - "Ana N'Trol Feh Dal (I'm Going Home)" (not being reviewed due to life, maybe Jesse will do it later)

10) I HATE SALLY - "Iseah's Life"

Much love,

Dave @ (((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain)))))

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ZBR Store/Bandcamp

TERRY GREEN 'LP' LP
12" (pre-order coming soon)
(listen to another song here)



.GIF FROM GOD / VEIN 'split' EP
.gif from god
Vein
7" (pre-order here)
(listen here)


SARIN 'Darker Lakes' LP
12" (pre-order here, release date now early September)
(listen here)



GILLIAN CARTER / EYELET 'Split' EP
Gillian Carter

Eyelet
7" (order here)
(listen here)


SEEYOUSPACECOWBOY 'Fashion Statements of the Socially Aware' EP
7" (order here)
(listen here)



мятеж / KELUT 'Split' LP
мятеж

KELUT
12" (pre-order here)
(listen here)

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***Interviews/Live shows coming up this month for sure:
- ZEGEMA BEACH RECORDS Fest Show #2 review

***Interviews/Live shows/premieres posted last month:
- EDHOCHULI live show review with Hang The Old Year and La Luna
- MAJOREL song premiere
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***The following page have changes:
- nada
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As always, on or around the 1st of every month, I will be posting a ZIP file with songs for the upcoming month with ALL specifics deleted from the tags, so unless you already know the band, there is NO information regarding each track.

During the following month, I will post reviews for those bands and link the tracks to the review so you can associate the two together. This way you can listen to a new song/band and have little-to-no bias. Below, I have re-posted the August mp3 mix that is used for this month's reviews.
(http://www98.zippyshare.com/v/du1Vcpqu/file.html)
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The new OMSB mp3 Mix #9 is all Dave and includes 10 killer tracks, such as:
*-* one of the first punk bands I ever liked (...loved)
*-* a new screamo release from Montreal that turned my head enough to pull a few muscles in my neck
*-* one of the closest sounding bands to Sed Non Satiata and Amanda Woodward that I've ever heard
*-* that Toronto screamo band that keeps releasing two-track digital EPs every few months
*-* a band that told me that they sound like At The Drive In and Sparta, and they do, but in a good way

(((((http://www98.zippyshare.com/v/yxgokcMO/file.html)))))
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Any bands/labels that are interested in having their stuff reviewed, please email zegemabeachrecords@gmail.com: with "Open Mind Saturated Brain" as the subject. Please keep in mind that I don't review everything, just what jives with the blog. I will, however, listen to everything you send me. I would recommend emailing with an idea for a song/album premiere 2 months prior to that song/album release date for a much stronger chance at being reviewed on this blog. Bands that have already had their discography reviewed can also submit new albums for review if they include song/album premieres.

Friday, 4 August 2017

VAMPIRES

Band: VAMPIRES
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz
Related artists: Youth Novel, Serpent Column, Monster Bad and Cheeseburger Picnic.
Country: Ann Arbor, Michigan U.S.A.
Years Active: 2015-2017
Song: "haven't you said enough"
Album: "Vampires"
Year: 2017
For fans of: Youth Novel, Ampere, Montcalm, ...Who Calls So Loud, (Nineteen) Nineteen, City Of Caterpillar, Ostraca, Closure, Indian Summer, Bright Calm Blue, Beau Navire, Loma Prieta, Guidelines, (early) Ice Hockey, They Sleep We Live, Lion Of The North, Makara, Mothlight, Ten Thousand Leagues and Funeral Diner aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Self Released
This post's artist is from the May 2017 Mix. This is track #8.
You can download: the July 2017 Mix#7 right here or get the new August 2017 Mix#8 here.

Jon Riley and Maya Chun of Youth Novel (aka one of my favourite bands that released on Zegema Beach Records) sent me two unmastered VAMPIRES tracks years back and I salivated with glee. There were talks of 7"s and three-way splits but for some reason nothing ever came from it. Fast forward to summer 2017 and out of the blue they dropped their digital four-song EP and announced the laying to rest of VAMPIRES. It's a shame because these four songs are fucking fantastic European-influenced U.S. screamo. Looky here...

"with stars in her eyes" is an epic screamo opener that helps fuel the EP and deviates the band from Youth Novel ties by injecting more Funeral Diner, Montcalm and Ampere. Maya's vocals really help carry every song on here and it's more than apparent from the get-go, although the extremely tight instrumentals aren't hurting anyone, either. After ripping through the first half, the band opts for a dreamier and slightly softer package that brings to mind ...Who Calls So Loud with the climax hitting home just before the three-minute mark. Next up is the fucking ballistic "it's been done", which is short and goes right for the jugular with sharp, pointed and angular screamo that brings to mind Makara with much shriekier vocals and a darker, less epic and very angry take when compared to the opener. It's also very short at 1:33. "haven't you said enough" is the longest song at 4:00 and comes off somewhere in between the grandness of track one and the violence of track two. The hazy section from 1:22 to 1:55 brings the atmosphere and structure of City Of Caterpillar to mind before the song bounces around the chunky, disjointed midsection. By 2:43 the song comes apart at the seams and we hear some haunting growls before VAMPIRES resets at 2:53. I don't really feel like many bands even come close to sounding akin to Ostraca but the band is able to reach that kind of ferocity and emotion until the close. Concluding the EP is "gold rush" which begins like mid-90s emo (Indian Summer and half a decade later Bright Calm Blue) with a sick transition to more modern screamo just after the one-minute mark. Midway through there is a very trippy and ambient piece that builds to the explosion that is detonated at 2:43 and tears the speakers apart as the remaining minute slowly recedes into silence. This song is perhaps the closest sounding thing to Youth Novel that VAMPIRES released and I have absolutely no issue with that.

It really is too bad that VAMPIRES recorded a few years back and then nothing happened until this posthumous, digital release. A truly excellent set of songs, my friends.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2017 - Vampires digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2017) VAMPIRES - "gold rush" (from 'Vampires')

(2017) VAMPIRES - "it's been done" (from 'Vampires')

(2017) VAMPIRES - "with stars in her eyes" (from 'Vampires')

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VAMPIRES additional links

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