Sometimes when you get high, you freak out. That’s our disclaimer this week for “BFF” by Waste Youth. We jump start with a lighter being lit in the 1-2 1-2-3-4 punk rock fashion. This “freak out” on steroids runs you down and flattens your core like an old rusty pickup truck you used to trash in high school. Probably a stick shift, so shift into the first verse for high RPMs on the vocals, guy is giving it his all. The music is somewhere between evil surf and punk rock. It’s reminiscent of some of the best bands from the late 90’s and early 2000’s. The bass is a beast on this track, its low and driving but on the edge of breaking up completely. The upbeat changes in between slow tom heavy and fast chaotic parts really separate the madness. Kudos to the drums for the thought-out drums parts. Vocals are clear even though climaxed into screams most of the time. He trails off leaving you wondering if the lines are questions or statements. The song ends with “oh my god, I feel fucking stoned”. Do you? If you want to take another hit, spin it again, it’s short and on second listen is even more satisfying as you are familiar with the changes making them fun to ride along with. Big fan of this group, check out their stuff.
Week Ender – Penny Rich
Live long enough and you get to see the good shit come back around again. After a long drought of Indie and Underground music that started off as ironic easy listening dreck before becoming full on in-it-to-white-wine-spritzer-win-it easy listening garbage it seems that the kids are ready to rock again. The UK’s Penny Rich bring such rock with “Stolen Goods,” a gloriously balls out, pedal to the metal jam that mixes punk, grunge and noise to create something that feels a bit like the younger brothers of IDLES on a few gallons of cold brew and attitude. There’s truth in the layers of distortion and we’re happy to hear it once more.
Friday 5×5
Five songs, five words each, it’s the most economical reviews on the internet. Check out the so-good-they-speak-for-themselves-tracks by Sofi Gev, Powder House, Axel Flóvent, J. Graves and Blissful Red after the jump.
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Friday 5×5
Today we keep it brief with new releases that don’t need all our jibber jabber. Check out the latest from MAYA LUCIA, Lunavela, Colyn Cameron, State of The Secretary and The Recombinants after the jump.
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Week Starter – Mystic Peach
Hello and welcome to the day that we thought due to things we read online that we could stop quarantining after our bout of Covid, but actually the doctor said we have to keep cooped up for another four days. The internet: not always correct, who knew? So to say that we’re feeling a bit restless and angsty would be accurate and so let us kick the week off with a bit of angsty rock n’ roll. “Ursodfrnt” by UK band Mystic Peach combines classic grunge thrash with a reverbed out oddball jangle that makes it feel like several 90’s alternative sounds rolled into one. Tripping Daisy jamming with Nirvana with a riff from The Melvins thrown in occasionally? We’re in. We are way in.
Thursdays with J.R. – Boss Rush
Welcome to the “Vagabond Inn,” our dirty little hotel room for this evening. This just happens to be the name of this week’s track. Husband and Wife duo Boss Rush hail from Alabama but for this track/video we spend the night in a hotel room jamming out with the duo. The room feels familiar as the group sets up their instruments and begin to lead us along the fuzzy trail of guitar and drum rock. Love the vocals, clean and powerful. There is bass on the track but no player in the video. It really makes the verses sing as the second one adds chorus washed guitar before the fuzz blast returns in the chorus. The song comes down in the bridge with a droning up beat rhythm that glides into a syncopated beat on the toms. The chorus washed guitar returns as we rush back to the final chorus. Nice, tight rock and roll. The song and video end with the hotel room phone ringing. I wanted to pick up the line, I want to hear more. Great song Boss Rush. Already stuck in my head.
Week Ender – theWorst
As we’ve noted before on the blog, it seems that the influence of 90’s grunge and alternative is starting to take root in more and more new bands these days, and we for one are here for it. Portland, Maine band theWorst definitely fall into that category with a rawness and realness that has been sorely missing from a musical landscape dominated by overly processed, packaged and cross marketed PRODUCT/CONTENT presented as “songs.” The single “Hurt Forever” finds the band very much in Hole territory, which is cool because it’s high time people recognize that Live Through This was as good as and as influential as Nevermind was, but still inject with enough of their own vibe to stand out. While it might be too much to hope that this resurgence will rise to mainstream dominance ala the decade of flannel, it’s nice knowing bands like theWorst are fighting the good fight and making real rock music with real heart for those who seek it.
Week Ender – Crossroad Crooks
Ooooooo doggie, does “In Waiting” by Crossroad Crooks scratch a very specific itch from our youth and it does so really, really well. Like when there’s just the right amount of fingernails in the scratching but not so much to leave a weird mark you have to explain later. That itch is a specific nexus of hard rock, heavy alternative and grunge with hints of metal and heaps of melody. Chuggy guitars and soaring vocals and delicate break downs place this somewhere between Living Colour (the vocals remind us a lot of Corey Glover) and Soundgarden. Some may feel this has a bit of a throwback vibe to it, but when it’s done this well it transcends throwback and moves on up to transcendent and timeless.
Video Debut – Tower Defense
We realize that it’s a tad odd that we, a blog that has gone on record several times about our ambivalence about music videos, would host a music video premier, but this song is so good we’re happy to oblige the request. A driving rocker with equal parts grunge muscle and indie smarts, “Under the Sea” by Tower Defense moves and grooves in a way that Sebastian the crab only wishes he could. And the video? Well even curmudgeons of the medium such as we have to admit it’s pretty cool. Check it out and then get more Tower Defense in your life here.