Well if you need to know how our week is going let us start by pointing out we’re posting our “get your week started” post at the end of Monday. Yeesh, looks like this one is going to be a tough one. Lucky for us and you we have “The Weather” by Split Parasite to help us through. Melodic and mathy, its a tasty slice of Midwest emo influenced alternative that is both fresh and catchy while still harkening back to classic genre tightrope walkers of the 90’s and aughts. There’s the essence of Braid and Minus the Bear here without actually sounding like either one of those bands. Today was rough but a jam like this gives us hope just because of how good it is.
November 21, 2022
Week Starter – Split Parasite
November 9, 2022
The Midweekly – BRUTUS
The Midweekly is our column from Mike Jeffers; lead singer of Chicago punk stalwarts SCRAM, music junkie and all around righteous dude.
A few sad tears turn into an angry rainstorm on Unison Life, the latest from rock trio Brutus. The shades are drawn in this dreary room of feels. Go outside and the skies are cloudy and grey. Can’t get away from the angst of this record. Is there such a thing as post-emo? Because Brutus is nailing it. There’s haunting reverb on the guitars, as they play bleak melodies. The dynamics in the songwriting peak and dip, even veering into speed metal territory. Vocalist and drummer Stefanie wails impressively while crushing it on those beats. The lyrics are simple, and malleable for anyone who needs them to fit their own dark mood. Don’t worry though, Brutus can lighten things up, too. The way only flames of rage can.
October 3, 2022
Week Starter – Goalkeeper
Sometimes you just gotta take a break from the old music blog grind and give the ears a rest so you can once again appreciate the whole magic that is notes and chords and melodies and words and singing ya know? Well after just such a break we’re happy to be back, and thanks to Goalkeeper, back in style. “Car Wreck” is the very finest of catchy as hell, melodic punk (Pop Punk feels too one dimensional for how good this song is) that is built for driving too fast with the windows down or a sweaty sing along with friends in the front row at a show. It’s big energy, big hooks and feels like a big welcome back sign not only for us but to anyone who has been looking to feel 17 again.
September 8, 2022
The B-Side: Wreath
Y’all remember Midwest emo? Specifically that genre’s version of a power ballad? Sensitive and thoughtful yet still mathy with squiggly guitars and unconventional rhythmic elements? Well, whether you do or you don’t Wreath is here to drop a fine example on your eardrums with “Voodoo Doll.” Patience is a virtue and this one is most upstanding. Slowly building and then receding into quieter moments, all the while teasing a big bombastic release that…never comes. Waves rise and fall throughout and things get churny at the end of the song, but no big crash upon the beach. Musical edging or masters at their craft avoiding an easy payoff? Either way it leaves us feeling funny inside in a good way.
July 29, 2022
Friday 5×5
Today we keep it tight for you (daddy) with the briefest of reviews of songs so good they don’t need a lot of blah blah blah, they just need you to spank that play button (daddy). Check out the newest from Stephen Peter Rodgers, Zack Keim, Phil Bourne, Post Drive and Jones Carwash after the jump.
.
.
read more »
July 22, 2022
Friday 5×5
Today we let the music do most of the talking with new songs from Das Phaedrus, Quinton Barnes, Thundermother, Jack Keyes and Taxes.
.
.
read more »
July 8, 2022
Friday 5×5
Hello! Welcome to PE’s first ever Covid week! It’s been no bueno! But here are five songs making us feel better and our short but feverish thoughts on each. Come get the cure from Modern Diet, The Farewell Project, Rocky Votolato, Bulgarian Cartrader and Weymouth.
.
.
read more »
February 3, 2022
Thursdays With J.R. – Kyoto Kyoto
I really can’t put into words how awesome a trio can be when in step and on the same page artistically. I got the privilege of hearing such a trio this week with the track “Grangbeen” by the London UK based Kyoto Kyoto. This song really played to my musician’s ear and took me down quite the rabbit hole of nerdery. I will try to put some sort of digestible framework around this piece of sonic explosion. Let’s just separate each piece of the puzzle, that will keep this under six billion words, yeah. Well, if you’ve read anything of mine so far you know I like drums so let’s start there. They are fantastic. They sound great, the drummer is tight, solid, has bass and snare drum chops and doesn’t push it even when the song gets chaotic. There are big breaks where the dynamic shifts quite drastically and the drummer is in step for the ride. It opens with a breakbeat that is relentlessly and deceivingly difficult to keep steady, they nail it. I am most impressed by the mature and tasteful choices in fills as the song crescendos, it continues to drive and build, increasing the anxiety without being all over the map. Great off time cymbal hits in the end groove. When the bass solo kicks in it comes back around to its part and lays into the groove until the song lets you go. The bass guitar tone is perfect, you can hear the attack, but it has a warmth that really lends to the groovy parts. When it comes time to get loud it fits, when it comes time to solo (the bass solo alone is worth the spin) it resides comfortably in the mix. Tip of the hat to the EQ work, and for having a solo, solos rule. Guitar is nice in beginning, chords and nice picking patterns that hold tight with the drum and bass. A chorus watery pattern leads us into the wall of metallic waves, that leave you surfing into the abyss of chaos that lurks ahead in the repeating pattern building and building into the sweet release of our first groove. This time the bass as we spoke of, rips a nice little solo, guitar almost fades out while the song ends. Vocals are sparse but quite fitting, they slowly talk their way into the first groove and into a very intentional repeated phrase before we hit that metal surf and ride until Solotown (*unfortunately Solotown as of now does not exist, will update if that changes). They are reverb laden but not as much as you may expect, a change from my recent spins. Really liked this song and this band, it’s on their newest EP Mirror Flexing Jaw which just came out. Highly recommend, check it out here.
January 26, 2022
The Midweekly – Go To Space Die
The Midweekly is our column from Mike Jeffers; lead singer of Chicago punk stalwarts SCRAM, music junkie and all around righteous dude.
Prepare your helmet and jumpsuit as you step into this inter-dimensional portal. Keep your senses tuned in as these cosmic waves fly past and through you. A new experience of space rock has arrived: Red Air Don’t Care, the debut album by Go To Space Die. In his human form, GTSD is known as Dagan Thogerson (Murder By Death), and it’s the first solo effort from this percussionist. But don’t let the sticks fool you, Thogerson handles every instrument adeptly. From the first clean notes, bright and cheerful, like a sunrise on the horizon, to the final somber riff as it fades into a twinkling night, RADC is a soundtrack for the stars. The two major elements that make up this flying rock are post and prog, but as it hurls its way towards your ears, don’t be surprised if it accumulates some doom and emo in its tail. The intrepid production and writing traverse different patterns and moods. You might find yourself lulled into a waltz by some big chords with a synth filling in the voids, then quick as a sci fi action scene, a riff with a dizzying time signature blasts you away. So, make ready your comet lasso, and press play on these 8 tracks…wait…isn’t 8 the symbol for infinity?! *sound of mind blown*
May 15, 2021
We Never Asked For This
Headed off to a little vacay to get some sun and give the ears a little break, but before we do here’s the best of what came through the inbox recently. New music from Mouth Washington, Nathaniel Paul, Drelli, New Wales, Scores, Matthew Leger, Said Sara, Wes Hoffman and Colourmusic.
read more »