Everything's Gone Green

Prema - Pebble

2009-06-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

This oft overlooked gem is of the krishnacore era, hailing from Philadelphia, PA. I really like the vocal styling on this record but I could do without some of the chanting and lord Krishna praise towards the end. It's not that I don't like the mantras that some of the other bands like Shelter and 108 included on their albums, its just on this record they are kinda annoying. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era because I dig these cheesey records. Anyway, Prema has a pop and rock influenced sound of hardcore. Definitely reminiscent of their Shelter and 108 brethren (less metal than 108.) Fun fact: Prema is a term for love in Hinduism. If you like this and the afore mentioned bands, check out Refuse to Fall and Run Devil Run.

PREMA - PEBBLE

Shelter - Mantra

2009-05-07T13:18:00.000-07:00

My favorite record from my favorite band. I don't apologize if you don't agree.

Ray Cappo formed Shelter after Youth of Today started to dissolve in 1990. Influenced by vegetarianism, positivity, and the Bhagavad Gita, Shelter started a whole new movement in hardcore called "Krishna-core." Around the same time Shelter formed, Ray Cappo also created Equal Vision Records.

Some other records to check out by Shelter are When 20 Summers Pass, Quest for Certainty and In Defense of Reality.

SHELTER - MANTRA

Reigning Sound - Home For Orphans

2009-05-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

Someone sent me this on a message board so I thought I'd share. This band was formed in 2001 but they sound like they could be found on a dusty 45 from some long forgotten rock band from Tennessee. They blend pop, classic rock n' roll, country and blues to create an excellent moody sound. Think country-folk songs about love that I am hesitant to compare to Ryan Adams, but it kinda fits. This album came out in 2005 and is a compilation of some alternative versions of songs found on their 2004 "Too Much Guitar."

REIGNING SOUND - HOME FOR ORPHANS

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Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Pains of Being Pure at Heart

2009-01-16T14:06:00.001-08:00

This album is undeniably good. I don't know what to say honestly. It's like if you put My Bloody Valentine and an indie pop band like The Shins or Belle & Sebastian together. So far, I like Track 5, Tenure Itch the best but the whole album is just really catchy, fuzzy, and fresh. This will be one of the best albums to come out in 2009 and people are going to start talking about this band very soon. They already have tons of great reviews so don't just take it from me. They are touring with Depreciation Guild along the east coast including a Washington, D.C. stop and a Baltimore gig. If you don't like this album and you like the Smiths or other 80s pop, you are listening to it wrong.

PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART - S/T

Tombs - Split with Planks

2008-12-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

I went to the Heart of Winter fest in Richmond last week to check out Tombs and Cough with some friends. Cough was solid and I enjoyed their set even though I think they were a bit better at Nara with Walls. Tombs on the other hand blew me away. This doesn't happen very often for me. I will walk away from a show and feel like, "yeah, that was good/fun/etc." Tombs are definitely on "some next level shit." They were loud, heavy, dark, noisey and no bullshit. They loaded their equipment fast as shit, played their set, and were done. For being a only three piece they still manage to bombard with a wall-of-sound. From what I've been told they have ex-Anodyne vocalist Mike Hill. Here is their side of their new split with Planks thats only out of like 200 or something.

TOMBS - SPLIT WITH PLANKS

The First Step - Open Hearts and Clear Minds

2008-12-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

Fuck all the controversy surrounding this band, this is a solid 7". I am finding that my negativity these days is getting in the way of things I want to do and turning some of the people I love off. My way of dealing right now is by listening to posi-core like TFS. I have mixed feelings about the way the hardcore climate has shifted to negative, "power-violence" and abandoned youth crew and positivity. I agree being "posi" can get kinda hokey after awhile, but I'm kinda tired of this forced trend of depressing hardcore. Listen to more Uniform Choice, please.

THE FIRST STEP - OPEN HEARTS AND CLEAR MINDS

Saves the Day - Through Being Cool

2008-12-05T01:41:00.000-08:00

I'm posting this for nostalgia reasons as well as the fact that it is still one of my favorite albums of all time. It got played hundreds of times when I was younger and is still relevant when I listen to it today. Saves the Day is by far my favorite band to listen to when I am taking a long drive and only have time to kill. I feel like if I discovered this band and album today, never having heard it, it wouldn't instantly become my favorite record. There are somethings that you can only appreciate because it was once really important to you and it reminds you of simpler times. This is probably why I will never really appreciate AFI, Brand New, or Leftover Crack. They are probably good but I didn't get into them during the time where it would have been acceptable. Maybe there is still hope for you to enjoy this at age 19+, which is why it may still be worth posting.

SAVES THE DAY - THROUGH BEING COOL

Screaming Females - What If Someone Is Watching Their T.V.?

2008-11-30T21:32:00.000-08:00

So after seeing Screaming Females at the Girl Cave, I introduced two of their songs to a friend who subsequently fell in love and bought their cd. Well, I must admit they are quite charming and catchy. What If Someone Is Watching Their TV? is their second album released by the band. It has two of my favorite songs by them Fun and Boyfriend which were available on another blog. So far I haven't been able to find this online anywhere so I could be the first! Check it out and purchase it at www.screamingfemales.com.

SCREAMALES - WHAT IF SOMEONE IS WATCHING THEIR T.V.?

Wilderness - (K)No(W)Here

2008-11-19T05:12:00.000-08:00

Here is the third album from Baltimore's Wilderness. Their take on shoegazey, dreamy, floaty music is absolutely unique and their live performances are other worldly. They are playing in Baltimore on Saturday evening and are a must see. So far I don't think the new album is quite as good overall as their self-titled or Vessel States but we'll see how my opinion changes after their show this weekend. Vocalist James Johnson really has a memorable performance.

WILDERNESS - (K)NO(W)HERE

Christian Death - Only Theatre of Pain and Deathwish

2008-11-19T00:56:00.001-08:00

Deathrock pioneers Christian Death play gothy the Cure like tunes, perfect for cold fall and winter nights. Its probably 30 degrees outside right now and its 4AM so I have the Only Theatre of Pain cassette on while I am procrastinating doing a Biology Lab Report. I listened to this tape a lot more last year but I still put it on from time to time. For fans of 45 Grave, Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, and The Birthday Party.

CHRISTIAN DEATH - ONLY THEATRE OF PAIN + DEATHWISH

Fine Lines - Demo

2008-11-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Here is the first release from Tyco/Richmond punks FINE LINES. This demo is really solid and they are even better live. Good dudes, good tunes. Definitely taking influence from Gaithersburg bands as well as Dischord related and At the Drive-In. They are playing TIMBER's last show so study up on the lyrics. Current and ex-members of BLACK POWDER (fuzz box).

FINE LINES - DEMO

SICK FIX, LEMURIA, and the Girl Cave

2008-11-10T05:56:00.000-08:00

I went to a really awesome show last night at the Girl Cave in DC. Sick Fix, Lemuria, Gordan Gano's Army, Screaming Females, and Two Funerals played. Every set was really good and the mood of the show was positive. It was my first time at the Girl Cave but they have been putting on shows in their basement for awhile. It is an excellent place for house shows and everyone there was really nice. I came in towards the end of Two Funeral's set but I wish I would have gotten there earlier because they were really tight. Sick Fix and Lemuria of course were great and fun to watch, especially Lemuria. I hadn't really gotten into their stuff before but since the show I have been playing it non-stop. Check it out:

Below is a link to Lemuria's CD entitled First Collection. This CD collects their split with Kind of Like Splitting, their Art of the Underground 7", their two songs from a Crafty Records comp, their split with Frame, their self-titled 7", and an acoustic version of The Origamist II.

LEMURIA - FIRST COLLECTION

Failure Face - Complete Failure

2008-11-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I first got into this band last year when I was really down with school, not doing anything productive musically and overall just really depressed. I got a zine at some show with a quote from one of their songs that really stuck out to me. I tracked down the recordings and was hooked immediately. I had to share this with someone so I sent it over to a friend who also really dug it. It's straight forward, no frills hardcore bashing out extremely catchy one minute songs. I don't know why it took me so long to hear about this band but it couldn't have come at a better time. I really don't know too much about their history, members, etc. but I think they went on to be in Murder-Suicide Pact. It is pissed and brutal with no bullshit. Check it out and if you like it I think you can still get their 7" from Ebullition Records.

"Everyday that I don't eat the gun, I won. Everyday that I don't kill someone, I won."

Failure Face - Complete Failure

Breathing Fire - Demo

2008-11-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

While I'm on a powerviolence influenced hardcore kick, here is Breathing Fire's 2004 Demo that was rereleased in 2007 by Painkiller. By the way, Painkiller Records have been really on point with their releases recently putting out stuff like Iron Age, Walls, and Mentally Challenged that you should definitely check out if you haven't already. Breathing Fire are ex-xFilesx (haha) which were one of my favorite hardcore bands of all time. They have a new LP out called Years of Lead, which I'm fairly certain is sold-out. Expect slow and super heavy jams taking influence from bands like Crossed Out. I know a lot of bands are playing this type of sound right now (Mind Eraser, Trash Talk, Faithealer etc..) but Breathing Fire is definitely a stand out. Don't get me wrong though, I like about 90% of the super heavy, "power violence" sounding bands that have been putting stuff out (I was/am kindof in one of them). These dudes have been playing heavy music for a good while now so they know what sounds really good. Check it out and if you dig it, buy the record!

Breathing Fire - Demo

Tarpit - Demo

2008-11-06T12:25:00.000-08:00

Before I got into hardcore I was listening to Anarcho-punk and going to metalcore shows at redneck bars and churches. Little did I know there were really amazing bands playing in Norfolk and Virginia Beach all of the time such as Victim, Iron Boots, Bloody Sunday, Cutback, Resonance and Nothing Personal. Anyway, one of the first Virginia Beach hardcore bands to blow me away was Tarpit. I started going to as many of their shows as my parents would let me around the time when they released their Wake Up E.P. Before that they released a Demo and a split 7" with Victim (which is one of the first 7"s I bought). Their Demo made such an incredible impact on me and is one of the main reasons I really got into hardcore. So, here it is.

Tarpit - Demo