Kilcoole , Ireland ’s Enemies will be touring the Northeast this fall in support of their recently released Topshelf Records LP, Embark, Embrace . The 5 date mini tour includes two Brooklyn area CMJ performances, the first at Topshelf Records FREE all-ages show on 10/18 with The Jazz June, and the second at the label’s official sold-out CMJ showcase on October 19 with Braid, The Jazz June and more.
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Boston indie, Run For Cover Records, will celebrate CMJ with a label showcase at Santos Party House on October 19. The lineup features several of the label’s top acts including Tigers Jaw , Pity Sex , Hostage Calm , Captain We’re Sinking , Cloakroom , Modern Baseball , Young Statues , Petal and special guest DJ, GDP. Doors will open at 4pm and first 200 people will get a copy of Tigers Jaw’s upcoming 7”. Tickets for the show are available (along with more info on all the bands) at: www.ticketfly.com/event/380153. The event is 18+.
Atlas - With Love, Evelyn McHale 16 July 2013 Self Released Rating: 6.7/10 FFO: Anberlin, Conditions, Balance and Composure by Joseph Francolino Atlas ' newest release was recorded under the tutelage of Portrait Recording Studio's Chris Badami (best known for his work with The Early November & Hidden in Plain View) and it feels as tho this album pays homage to the era in which those bands began. A few songs even dabble in the practice of inserting audio clips into instrumental parts which is something that was all the rage back in the day but had died out for some time(as it should have) after it became an overused gimmick. A few newer bands have been pioneering the comeback of this such as Their/They're/There and Tiny Moving Parts and the snippets that Atlas use are pretty tasteful and do add to the songs nicely. Mixing Post-hardcore with a modern alt rock sound, they create something to be proud of sonically. All the songs are well put toge
Haverford – Spirit Bear 03 September 2013 Self-released Rating: 8 FFO: The Early November, Transit, Balance and Composure by Ben Curttright Spirit Bear by Haverford It’s understandable if your Internet browsing or show-hopping hasn’t yet led you to Haverford. The Long Island five-piece only entered the scene a year ago. But, what a year it’s been. Since releasing their first EP, Wisdom Lost, in September 2012, Haverford have been featured on several splits and compilations alongside bands like State Lines, Captain, We’re Sinking, and Dowsing. The next natural step is, of course, a full length, and Haverford have answered the call with Spirit Bear, a remarkably mature album from such a young band. Immediately, the notion of Spirit Bear as a complete album shows itself through the ambient lightness of the intro track, “Anxious”, which features sliding, tapped guitar, slow drumming, and ethereal, building vocals. Several more traditional songs follow the intro. The dru
Ghost Thrower - Halloween In Brooklyn Self Released September 08, 2013 by Brian Nissen Ghost Thrower by Ghost Thrower Ghost Thrower has always achieved a great blend of punk, pop punk and our old melodic hardcore favorites (Split-lip, Dag Nasty, Rites of Spring...you know the ones), but with this track they don't give us just more of the same. The musical fragment that first piques interest on "Halloween in Brooklyn" is the week head-voiced melody sung over the strummed chords. The great counter melody that comes to support after the initial 8-bar motive assures that they are serious about maintaining a vigilant ear from the listeners and not satisfied with just a pique of interest. They are also more aggressive in showing their emo upbringing through this intro and even more so through the sad sounding vocals of the bridge. Emo they are not, though. Rather, they accentuate the drawn out vocals that are heard in early melodic hardcore bands - whic
Check out Game Changer 's video for their new single "Three Years" below.
Head over here to check out the music video for Arcade Fire' s sensational new single "Reflektor".
Check out Native Wildlife's video for Nomad/Legacy below.
Old Gray - Everything I Let Go and The Things I Refuse To Release Date: 22 August 2013 (Europe) Record Label: Dog Knights Productions Rating: 7.8 For Fans Of: La Dispute, Saetia, Merchant Ships By Mark Garza For a lot of people, Old Gray is one of the first bands they listen to when they start getting into emo, screamo or “skramz.” Old Gray has had a history of solid releases, never failing to leave an impression and get listeners enthusiastic over this oftentimes newly found genre of honest, passionate music. Though Everything I Let Go and The Things I Refuse To was a hit or miss for many and came out a year ago this November, it remains one of my favorite EPs of 2012 that remains true to Old Gray’s sound while exploring newer, darker territory. Everything opens with a spoken word piece courtesy of Charlie Singer that, whether because of the striking delivery or the words themselves, leaves a stout sensation of loss and regret, of defeat and concession. Old G
Crywank - Memento Mori Self Released Stream "Memento Mori" by Kelly Doherty To go into a Crywank song without expecting earth shattering sadness, is a little bit naive. Two albums and a collection of demos in, it's clear that Crywank aka James Clayton, isn't going to turn into a posi-core project any time soon. Yet despite this, I hit the play button on Crywank's new song "Memento Mori" without so much as preparing a box of tissue or bracing myself. So, here's a warning, get ready to get sad. From the opening lyric of " everyone I love is gonna die and I will die as well ", "Memento Mori" is a rawly emotional song from the point of view of the everyman. Quietly questioning coming to terms with mortality, Crywank manages to, yet again, capture the private late night thoughts of an insomniac and play them out on record. Whilst his introspection entirely lacks subtlety, its bluntness makes for a painfully easy to relate
Football, etc. – Audible Release Date: 13 August 2013 Record Label: Count Your Lucky Stars Records Rating: 9.5 Far Fans Of : Dowsing, Everyone Asked About You, Joie De Vivre By Ben Curttright It’s been two years since Football, etc. released The Draft , and now, the Houston-based trio is back. Their sophomore LP, Audible , contains more sweet melodies, more twinkly guitar, and more American football references. I don’t mean the band American Football, though Football, etc. was certainly influenced by Kinsella emo. For reasons I don’t quite understand, Football, etc. exclusively name their work using arbitrary football terms, leaving us with song titles like “Hut 1” and “Extra Point”. But hey, I don’t judge. At least, not based on song titles. I judge based on musical proficiency, songwriting ability, production quality, catchiness, and the awkward, wonderful feeling that I get when I hear things like the crescendo at the end of Mineral’s “&Sere
McCafferty 's recent EP, Forest Life, is one of The Alternative Tone's favourite releases so far this year. I caught up with Nick to get a track-by-track on the EP, in order to give us more insight into McCafferty's fabulous imagery and lyrical themes. Jeff There was a girl I was friends with in high school named Becky and she was in a relationship with this guy from freshman year until last summer, when their relationship fell apart she told me it happened really fast, that's why the song is so short. I wanted to explore the aspect of a relationship with so much feeling that just ends abruptly and the emptiness that you feel after. I've had people message me and say they wish Jeff was longer, but that's the exact reason I made it so short. Snakes I wrote "Snakes" with the mindset of making a song that sort of pokes fun at all these dogs out there in the DIY scene about smoking and partying, it's really simplistic in the lyrics b
You’ll Never Be In On The Joke by Aaron Mook Stop me if you’ve heard this one before; in 1994 (odd to think it was the same year Nirvana became relevant, despite what your local Hot Topic might believe) four KISS-loving nerds released one of the greatest alt-rock records of all-time. When Rivers Cuomo and co. released their debut, the self-titled Weezer (often referred to as The Blue Album ), it saw widespread critical and commercial success. Cuomo was like you, albeit being even more of an outcast; he wrote simple garage-rock songs with his friends about girls, surfing, and Dungeons & Dragons, and he loved guitar solos. On some level, the Weezer boys represented all of us, which is why The Blue Album is continually regarded as a landmark album. Nearly 20 years later, it’s still relevant. Having grown disillusioned with the rock n’ roll lifestyle (not to mention suffering the effects of a serious leg surgery and the painkillers that followed), Cuomo sought to depart fro
Crash Of Rhinos - Knots Release Date: July 22, 2013 Record Label: Topshelf Records Rating: 8.4 For Fans Of: Braid, Nai Harvest, Prawn By Brian Nissen Knots by Crash Of Rhinos Starting immediately with the opening track, “Luck Has a Name”, Crash of Rhinos make it hard not to be mesmerized by the compelling automaton-like conformity that the two guitarists, two bassists and drummer achieve. Staring into this cleverly crafted machine, where each turning gear knows its role and executes it perfectly, can take you further into the music than the punk-like energy or the sincerity of the vocals ever could alone. Here are call and response melodies, like in the middle of “Luck has no name”, performed with candid communication that feels like honesty you only share with your closest friends. As it is that time spent together creates this open communication between you and your best confidantes, we can assume that time and many late nights were put into practice while prepa